Fighters Who Have Provided The Most Unexpected Results

[Russell]

Absolutely no one expected George Foreman to destroy Frazier the way he did. Cus had a very strong stance on keeping Patterson away from the likes of Liston, I'm going out on a limb and saying that personally the Frazier demo job was more of a suprise even to those in the know.

Then there's a the annihilation of a near prime Norton. Yes Shavers and Cooney also stopped Norton but Norton was not seen to be vulnerable against big punchers at this time, on top of him being a far fresher, better fighter when Foreman beat him. Another massive, unexpected win.

Fast forward a few decades and Foreman knocks out Moorer to recapture the HW title in maybe the very most suprising HW moment of the past several decades.

Who else has pulled off so many unexpected wins in unexpected ways?

[Russell]

Ali is a great choice here as well. After being cleanly beaten by Frazier he comes back to avenge the loss twice.

Destroys the myth of the invincible, second coming of Sonny Liston in George Foreman.

Upset Liston himself in a one sided fight.

Came back after being out of the game for years and was just as good, albeit in different ways, as he ever was. This is a feat many great heavyweights have failed to accomplish.

In the twilight years of his career winning the title for a third time.

[My2Sense]

Hopkins schooling Tito, Tarver, and Pavlik.

Dick Tiger upsetting Torres and Benvenuti.

[COULDHAVEBEEN]

50's & 60's middleweight Randy Sandy (yes crazy name too) is at home here:

Sandy was a 24 wins, 24 losses and 2 draws journeyman. However, late in his career, he managed to beat world champs Emile Griffith and Dick Tiger, and went the distance with another world champ Jose Torres and a legend in Lazlo Papp!

[KOTF]

Ray Mercer
Had a brutal KO of Tommy Morrison
Then proceeds to get outboxed by a 40+ year old Holmes
Then two fights later loses to Jesse Ferguson
And now four fights later, apparently he has a horrible night against a guy with a losing record Marion Wilson who should have gotten a victory or so I'm told
Then the fight after he puts up a good showing against Holyfield
Fight after that he puts on a great effort against Lennox Lewis
And then wins against Terrible Tim Witherspoon

[mcvey]

Absolutely no one expected George Foreman to destroy Frazier the way he did. Cus had a very strong stance on keeping Patterson away from the likes of Liston, I'm going out on a limb and saying that personally the Frazier demo job was more of a suprise even to those in the know.

Then there's a the annihilation of a near prime Norton. Yes Shavers and Cooney also stopped Norton but Norton was not seen to be vulnerable against big punchers at this time, on top of him being a far fresher, better fighter when Foreman beat him. Another massive, unexpected win.

Fast forward a few decades and Foreman knocks out Moorer to recapture the HW title in maybe the very most suprising HW moment of the past several decades.

Who else has pulled off so many unexpected wins in unexpected ways?
Hugh Mcillvanney predicted an early blow out for Foreman when he met Norton, its in his book. Sandy Saddler also ,he said 3 rounds at most , referring to Norton he said rather brutally imo ,"theres dog in there".Saddler was of course in Foreman''s camp ,but Mcillvanney was neutral

[DamonD]

Steve Robinson at featherweight. It was quite the ride while it lasted.

[fists of fury]

Alfredo Layne beating Gomez was a surprise I'd say. Fair enough, Gomez wasn't what he had once been, but I didn't think Layne would be the one to beat him.

Simon Brown knocking out Terry Norris was a also an upset. Brown was seen as beyond his best and Norris was looking good.

Greg Haugen beating Camacho was at least mildly surprising. The Nacho man was going to lose at some point obviously, but I didn't think Haugen would be the one to do it.

Did anyone predict Primo Ramos knocking out Frankie Randall?

And speaking of Randall, I honestly didn't see him beating the great Julio Cesar Chavez and handing him his first loss, even though Chavez was slipping.

[red cobra]

Emile Griffith rising to the occasion in the middleweight division in 1966 to decision and deck for the first time the bigger Dick Tiger and become a two division champion.

[mcvey]

Emile Griffith rising to the occasion in the middleweight division in 1966 to decision and deck for the first time the bigger Dick Tiger and become a two division champion.

Griffith being blown away in 1 rd by Carter?
Robinson losing to Tiger Jones?
Witherspoon being kod in 1 rd by Smith ,a man he had handled easily earlier? Don King has a lot to answer for.

[Chinxkid]

Buster Douglas in Tokyo

[Mr Butt]

turpin beating robinson and honeyghan beating curry

[My2Sense]

Azumah Nelson's KOs of Fenech, Ruelas, and Leija were all pretty shocking.

[GPater11093]

Roberto Duran

shocks as he loses to fightiers like Simms, Laing and shocks with Moore, Barkley, giving Duran a fight etc...

[My2Sense]

Greg Haugen beating Camacho was at least mildly surprising. The Nacho man was going to lose at some point obviously, but I didn't think Haugen would be the one to do it.


Haugen also had surprising performances against Jimmy Paul and Vinny Paz, and a surprising KO of Mancini.


I thought Tony Lopez's "comeback" wins over Molina and Gamache were pretty surprising as well.

[PbP Bacon]

Douglas beating Tyson has already been mentioned.

Holyfield defeat of Tyson was also kind of unexpected

[ThinBlack]

Oscar Muniz upsetting Jeff Chandler.
Bernard Taylor drawing with Eusebio Pedroza.
Mike Rossman beating Victor Galindez.
John Stacey stopping Jose Napoles.

[Conn]

Tyson.

His results against Douglas, Holyfield 1st timw, Williams and McBride were massively unexpected.

[RockysSplitNose]

Ali has got to be king of the upsets really - and big upsets aswell - not just upsets where he might not have been favourite - and not even fights where he was just a big outsider - but fights where he was literally expected to be in serious danger of his life - my dad back in the day genuinely believed he might be killed against both Liston and Foreman - most people at that the time thought at the very least that he would get destroyed in 2 or 3 rounds against both - at worst he was expected to get seriously hurt - those are BIG upsets

[AREA 53]

In a reverse fashion, Andrew Golota in Blowing fights he seemingly had won.

[D9Garrard]

Freddie Pendleton is at the top of my list. He flattens Tyrone Trice and then falls back into a hole until he goes life and death with champ Jimmy Paul, then falls back in until popping out to ruin Roger Mayweather. Dips again before ruining Livingstone Bramble, then asserts himself as a force before losing in dramatic fashion to John Montes, and then stays up long enough to go to a close decision with Sweat Pea and become a completely improbable IBF Lightweight Champ before a slow descent into fringe contender status. Then he shows out one last time by stopping Tony Lopez and stopping a 48-1 Freddie Rojas. More upsets than any other fighter I can think of.