When an unknown challenger goes up against the reigning champion in the boxing ring, many expect the champion to win easily.
However, sometimes the challenger overcomes all odds and shocks the boxing world with a stellar performance to win.
Keep reading to learn about the biggest upsets in boxing history!
Biggest Upsets In Boxing History
The biggest upsets in boxing history are:
- Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson
- George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier
- Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman
- James Braddock vs. Max Baer
- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler
- Wladimir Klitschko vs. Corrie Sanders
- Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield
- Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes
- Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling
- Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman
Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson
First on our list is Buster Douglas’ win over Mike Tyson.
This is the biggest upset in heavyweight history and perhaps in the entire sport.
Douglas wasn’t considered a title contender, spending his professional career as a journeyman fighter.
Before the fight, oddsmakers put Douglas as a 42:1 underdog, with Tyson coming into the fight with a perfect 37-0 record.
Despite this, Douglas knocked out Tyson in the tenth round and claimed his place in boxing history.
George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier
Next on the list is George Foreman defeating the heavyweight champion Joe Frazier.
At this time, Joe Frazier owned the heavyweight crown and was the expected favorite to win the fight.
Foreman himself didn’t think he would win the fight. He stated after the fact that he hoped Frazier wouldn’t look down during the stare-down to see his knees shaking.
Foreman ended up knocking down Frazier three times in the first round and three times again in the second round before the fight was stopped.
Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman
Next on the list is Muhammad Ali defeating George Foreman.
This historic fight in heavyweight boxing history was captured in the documentary “When We Were Kings”.
At this point of their careers, Foreman was dominating the heavyweight division and Ali’s years as the former heavyweight champion were long gone.
Many expected an aging Ali to struggle with Foreman’s size and power.
Instead, Ali’s “rope-a-dope” strategy exhausted Foreman and set up a crucial knockout in the eighth round.
James Braddock vs. Max Baer
Next on the list is the huge upset of James Braddock over Max Baer.
At the time, Max Baer was on top of the world, both in his professional and personal life, while Braddock was just another struggling boxer.
Oddsmakers put Cinderella Man Braddock as a 10:1 underdog against the dominant Baer, but Braddock held his own through fifteen rounds and won a unanimous decision.
This famous fight was later dramatized in the 2005 movie “Cinderella Man”.
(Though if you watch the raw footage, it was an uneventful fight.)
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler
Next on our list is Sugar Ray Leonard defeating Marvin Hagler.
No one expected anyone to defeat Hagler, who had dominated the middleweight class for over a decade.
For this fight, Sugar Ray was coming out of three years of retirement and many thought he would struggle against a heavier, stronger Hagler.
Instead, Sugar Ray took the fight to the final bell, where he earned a split decision victory.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Corrie Sanders
Next on the list is Wladimir Klitschko losing to Corrie Sanders.
Bookmakers had Klitschko as the 20:1 favorite against the then-unknown South African boxer.
However, Sanders defeated Klitschko in two short rounds, knocking down the Ukrainian three times in the first round.
Looking back at the fight, Klitschko said that this fight was a pivotal moment in his career; he would go on to dominate the heavyweight division.
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield
Next on the list is Mike Tyson losing against Evander Holyfield.
At this point of his career, Holyfield wasn’t at his prime. Many saw Tyson defeating Evander Holyfield, with odds putting him as a 25:1 favorite.
Instead, Holyfield dominated the ring and knocked out Tyson in the 11th round, silencing all doubters.
Tyson would go on to face Holyfield again in the famous “Bite Fight“.
Michael Spinks vs. Larry Holmes
The next upset on the list is Larry Holmes losing against Michael Spinks.
Many expected Larry Holmes to continue his 48-fight win streak against a smaller, lighter Spinks.
Instead, Spinks outboxed him for 15 rounds, earning a decision victory after the final round.
(Fun fact about Larry Holmes: he’s one of the few boxers who had to wear glasses because of his poor eyesight; he fought Evander Holyfield while wearing contact lenses!)
Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling
Next on our list is America’s pride, Joe Louis, losing against Germany’s Max Schmeling in the heavyweight division.
This fight occurred in 1936 as World War II was unfolding. With this victory, Germany took it as proof that they were the superior race and country in the world.
Many expected Louis, who has the most title defenses in boxing history, to handle Schmeling easily.
Instead, Schmeling boxed Louis well for the whole fight, relying heavily on his counter right to score points.
Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman
Last on our list is Lennox Lewis losing to Hasim Rahman.
At this point of his career, Lewis was the undisputed heavyweight champion by defeating Evander Holyfield.
A relatively unknown Rahman knocked down the heavyweight champion and proved the 20:1 odds wrong.
Conclusion
With this list, you’ll find that upsets can come from any fighter in any division in the boxing world.
No matter if your favorite boxer has been world champion for a decade, some unexpected newcomer can always take away the crown and shock the world.
While most of the time the bookmakers’ boxing odds are right, occasionally they’re wrong and you’d do well to bet on the underdog.
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