What Was The Most Shocking Upset?

A perfect analysis.
I'll add Ali was somewhat overlooked against Liston. What most didn't see or refused to acknowledge Ali was something completely different from what Liston had faced, the athleticism, the size, the underrated skills, the mental toughness. No one would've dreamed at that time, especially after Ali was koed by Cooper, ( And yes he was K'oed lol) while clowning, Ali had the perfect combination of attributes to beat the aging Liston.
Just hindsight.... No one in there right mind would've betted against Liston prior to the fight.
The unknown vs the known situation.
However by the time Ali faced Foreman. We knew who he was, we also knew he wasn't the same fighter that faced Liston.
We had the insight of two of their common opponents, the atg Frazier, and very good Norton had beaten Ali, and had given him hell the 2nd fight.
We saw Foreman walked through both those men as if they were smoke. No question who won.
Then Ali finds away to beat the "unbeatable " bigger, younger, stronger Foreman.
In away not dreamed of, because most thought if Ali was stationary, He's dead, and again we knew his legs were not the same as 1965 .
The known vs the known situation.
But somehow Ali won it, and won it convincingly.
Ali vs Foreman was the bigger upset in my opinion.
Especially when considering where we "thought" both fighters were at that moment in history.

 

Agreed.

And I was one of those guys making you take Ali at 3-1. I was 18 and it cost me a car. I ended up having to buy a rusted out $50 piece of crap car to get around in.

Just imagine the thought of giving Ali at 3-1 against anyone in history. That really shows how much that version of Foreman was thought of.


But there were some folks picking Ali to get the W. One of the interesting takes I can clearly recall was some of the old timers looking at the Frazier & Norton fights as a negative. Not a positive but a negative. Being young I just could not grasp that concept. Their rationale was tougher back and forth efforts would have suited him better than the quickie stoppages against an Ali.

 

I'd have to go with the 1964 fight against Liston. Sonny was considered to be invincible at that time-and Ali was considered to be nothing but a mouthy kid who was going to be obliterated facing Liston. Of the 46 sportswriters at ringside for the bout-43 had Liston winning by KO! That as much as anything reflects the general public opinion prior to the fight.

 

Definitely this.