History suggests that boxing is an unpredictable sport. Plenty of odds-on favorites have stepped into the ring expecting to win, but things don’t always go to plan. Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and Wladimir Klitschko are just some of the fighters who have been on the wrong end of a surprise result.
FreeTips.com believes that this adds more entertainment to the sport. Fans and pundits alike are filled with excitement when an underdog wins. For that reason, we want to analyze several of the biggest boxing upsets ever. Here’s a full rundown of the fights that made our final cut.
Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson
Iron Mike Tyson was the lineal heavyweight champion when he stepped into the ring with James ‘Buster’ Douglas in 1990. The New York-born brawler was the fiercest boxer on the planet after winning 37 fights on the bounce, but nobody could have predicted what was about to unfold.
Buster Douglas wasn’t a rookie fighter by any stretch. However, Tyson was the clear favorite. Everything was going to plan until Douglas caught his opponent with an incredible uppercut in the 10th round. The defending champion couldn’t beat the count and lost his WBA, WBC, and IBF heavyweight titles.
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman
Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as the best boxer of all time. However, he was the underdog when he met George Foreman in 1974. The latter was the undisputed lineal heavyweight champion at the time, but Ali had plans to take those titles. This fight is often referred to as ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.
Muhammad Ali let Foreman unload for the first eight rounds, but ‘Big Geroge’ eventually ran out of steam. The Kentucky-born fighter saw his opportunity to capitalize and fired several punches at his opponent. Foreman couldn’t withstand the pressure. The rest is history.
Wladimir Klitschko vs Tyson Fury
The Gypsy King is one of the most outspoken boxers of the modern era, but he has the brawn to back up his trash talk. Vladimir Klitschko learned that the hard way when the pair went face-to-face at the ESPRIT Arena in 2015. This fight resulted in a heavyweight power shift for the first time in a decade.
Fury proved that he was much more than a knockout merchant. He outboxed the former WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO champion. The Ukranian didn’t have any answers. Fury eventually won the fight by unanimous decision.
I will never see an upset larger then Tyson – Douglas. To see that unbeatable fighter taken down like that was mind-blowing.