Boxing’s biggest one-hit wonders | Yardbarker

Many years earlier than the 12-round title battle, and shortly earlier than the 15-round championship size was the legislation of the land, Willard toppled storied heavyweight champion Jack Johnson within the twenty sixth spherical of their 1915 title bout. Willard caught the longtime champ in his later years and was dropping many of the rounds, however the then-33-year-old Kansas native stopped the 37-year-old champion of their Havana, Cuba, attrition struggle. Willard defended his title as soon as in 1916 however misplaced the strap to Jack Dempsey through third-round stoppage in 1919.

Extra trivia query than one-hit marvel, Flynn is the one man to knock out Jack Dempsey. This got here in 1917, two years earlier than “The Manassa Mauler” started his heavyweight title reign, nevertheless it’s notable due to Flynn’s journeyman profession. At age 37, Flynn met a 21-year-old Dempsey in a city close to Salt Lake Metropolis and was 69-34-23 by that time. The 5-foot-10 Flynn nonetheless floored the longer term all-time nice a number of instances in Spherical 1, forcing a stoppage from Dempsey’s nook. Dempsey KO’d Flynn in Spherical 1 once they met in 1918 in Illinois. Flynn, who fought Jack Johnson and Sam Langford a mixed eight instances, ended his profession with 45 losses.

A Chicago native, Dade made a giant title for himself in 1947 by defeating all-time nice Manuel Ortiz to win the bantamweight championship. This was a powerful period for the decrease weight lessons, and Dade entered the battle at 16-1-2. The swift-footed Midwesterner gained a large determination over the longer term Corridor of Famer of their January 1947 bout in San Francisco, however the California native avenged the defeat two months later in a rematch that additionally went 15 rounds. Dade completed his profession 38-32-6. 

In all probability the best hit on this record, Turpin beat Sugar Ray Robinson — the game’s pound-for-pound king — on the peak of his powers in 1951. The Brit bested the American legend in July 1951 through determination in England earlier than dropping the middleweight title again to Robinson two months later within the U.S. The once-untouchable welterweight fought seven instances in Europe that summer time however ended the tour on a bitter observe. Turpin was a longtime contender who within the multi-belt period would have loved extra championship alternatives. However his title will dwell on so long as boxing exists due to his upset.

Joe Brown grew to become a Corridor of Famer after his profession included a then-record 11 defenses of the light-weight title. A non-title battle in 1960 ranks as a relatively random slipup. Portilla stopped the champion through a sixth-round TKO, with Brown struggling damaged ribs within the San Antonio bout. Portilla had misplaced his earlier three fights and was 22-29-1 when he met Brown. The People by no means confronted off once more; Portilla ended his profession with a sub-.500 file a yr later. “Previous Bones” Brown went on to 121 wins; he was Ring Journal’s Fighter of the Yr in 1961 and continued his six-year title reign till 1962.

Hailing from the New York city the place the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame would later be constructed, Canastota, Backus additionally has notable bloodlines in being Carmen Basilio’s nephew. In 1970, Backus beat considered one of his period’s greatest fighters. Incomes a title shot that oddly occurred in Syracuse, close to Backus’ hometown, the underdog stopped welterweight champion Jose Napoles on cuts in a bloody brawl to win the WBA and WBC 147-pound belts. The American entered that battle at 29-10-4 however held the straps for six months. The Cuban future Corridor of Famer knocked out Backus in June 1971. Backus fought till 1978 however by no means challenged for a belt once more.

The elder Spinks brother joined Michael in claiming gold on the 1976 Summer season Olympics. Leon grew to become a giant title faster as a professional. Given a title shot in opposition to Muhammad Ali in his eighth professional battle, Spinks wrested the belt away from the then-36-year-old boxing deity of their February 1978 matchup. Spinks stays the least skilled heavyweight to win a title. As a substitute of going through obligatory challenger Ken Norton, Spinks gave Ali a direct rematch. In higher form for the September 1978 battle, Ali prevailed through determination. “Neon Leon” earned title pictures at heavyweight and cruiserweight however misplaced each through knockout, ending his profession 26-17-3.

After Sugar Ray Leonard took again his welterweight titles from Roberto Duran, the Panamanian icon moved as much as the junior middleweight division. Whereas campaigning at 154, he endured a stunning upset loss to Laing in 1982. The then-28-year-old Jamaican outboxed Duran within the second half of their 10-round non-title bout and earned a split-decision win, one Ring Journal dubbed because the Upset of the Yr. Whereas Duran recovered and a yr later went 15 rounds with fellow all-timer Marvelous Marvin Hagler at middleweight, Laing by no means fought for a significant title in a profession that lasted till 1994.

Wilfredo Gomez grew to become a three-division champion in 1985, successful a junior light-weight belt. Simply over a yr later, the 29-year-old Puerto Rican confronted obligatory challenger Layne in his homeland. A Panamanian fighter, Layne loved the most effective night time of his profession. Trailing on all three scorecards, Layne dropped Gomez within the eighth spherical and earned a stoppage win after flooring the champion after vicious mixtures within the ninth . Layne didn’t comply with this up nicely, dropping the 130-pound title to Brian Mitchell 4 months later and dropping his subsequent 5 fights — considered one of which to Pernell Whitaker — earlier than retiring at 15-12.

By no means a prime contender, Younger loved the excellence of being the one man to beat Aaron Pryor. An oft-avoided junior welterweight with devastating energy, Pryor handled drug issues for a lot of his profession. After his two defeats of Alexis Arguello, Pryor trudged on via 1985. He got here again to the ring in ’87, assembly Younger in his return battle. Younger knocked Pryor down twice within the matchup of Ohio natives, the second time leaving the ex-140-pound kingpin dazed to pressure a stoppage. Within the car-leasing enterprise on the time of the battle, the then-28-year-old Younger fought solely twice extra earlier than ending his profession, 31-7-1.

Molinares made his title on one of many extra controversial endings in trendy boxing historical past. The Colombian exited a 1988 welterweight title battle with Marlon Starling’s belt. Molinares knocked out Starling with a proper hand thrown simply after the bell , however referee Joe Cortez counted the champion out. The bout ended up being dominated a no-contest. It did change boxing henceforth, with the 10-second warning spawning due to this sequence. Molinares (23-2) fought twice extra; Starling gained one other welterweight belt by beating Lloyd Honeyghan in 1989. 

One of many many welterweight champs within the lower-profile years between the Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns-Roberto Duran period and Pernell Whitaker’s run, ousted champion Donald Curry moved as much as junior middleweight to earn a belt there. His first protection got here in opposition to Jacquot. The bout occurred in Jacquot’s native France and led to a slim unanimous-decision win for the challenger, doubling as Ring Journal’s 1989 Upset of the Yr. Curry went on to Corridor of Fame induction. Jacquot misplaced the 154-pound belt in his first protection — a first-round KO in opposition to John “The Beast” Mugabi. 

Writer of probably the most stunning upset in boxing historical past, Douglas laid a blueprint for Andy Ruiz’s title run almost 30 years later. The inconsistent heavyweight put all of it collectively on Feb. 11, 1990, by knocking out Mike Tyson after a fusillade of Tenth-round punches. Tyson was a less-polished model of the mix machine he as soon as was however was a 42-to-1 favourite to beat Douglas in Tokyo. Douglas weighed 246 kilos for his October protection in opposition to Evander Holyfield, up 15 from his Japan weight, and he was stopped in three rounds. He light out of the title image shortly, however his upset will dwell on endlessly.

Within the years instantly following “Rocky V,” Tommy Morrison grew to become a prime heavyweight contender. The up-and-comer was being groomed for a title shot, however the much less skilled Bentt intervened. After defeating George Foreman for the then-lesser-regarded WBO belt, Morrison bumped into Bentt in what was imagined to be an October 1993 tuneup. In simply his eleventh battle, the Brit knocked out Morrison within the first spherical . Morrison recovered however was by no means the identical. Bentt misplaced his belt to Herbie Cover and abruptly retired because of well being points. He later adopted Morrison’s on-screen lead by taking part in Sonny Liston in “Ali.”

Little challenged former middleweight champion Michael Nunn for Nunn’s tremendous middleweight title in 1994 and did in order a 40-1 underdog. The Philadelphia native, regardless of possessing punching energy ex-sparring accomplice Bernard Hopkins stated “could not crack an egg,” knocked Nunn down in Spherical 1 and upset him through unanimous determination in England. When Little gained the title, his file stood at 22-13-2. He couldn’t replicate his career-defining efficiency within the first protection of the 168-pound strap, dropping to future years-long champ Frankie Liles. Little died of colon most cancers in 2000 in Studying, Pennsylvania. 

The boxing world first found Lennox Lewis’ vulnerability in 1994 when McCall — an opponent throughout a stay-busy battle whereas Lewis sought a matchup with Riddick Bowe or Evander Holyfield — knocked him out early within the second spherical . The brand new WBC champion defeated a 45-year-old Larry Holmes in his first protection earlier than dropping the belt to Frank Bruno. Lewis-McCall II introduced one of many strangest episodes in boxing historical past. Difficult Lewis for the vacant WBC belt in 1997, McCall misplaced after he broke down in tears midfight. McCall loved highs and lows henceforth, final preventing in Could at age 54.

We come to the Wladimir Klitschko part of the record. The primary fighter to efficiently take a look at the youthful Klitschko’s chin, Puritty carried a 24-13-1 file into the 1998 battle in Klitschko’s native Ukraine. The then-22-year-old Klitschko misplaced through TKO when his nook stopped the battle, and the 1996 Olympic gold medalist’s rise was delayed a bit. The then-32-year-old American had misplaced three of his earlier 4 fights. Puritty completed his profession with 20 losses, one other of these coming to elder Klitschko brother, Vitali, in 2001. 

By 2001 Lewis had grow to be by far the highest heavyweight within the sport, beating Evander Holyfield in 1999 to earn that distinction. However heavy underdog Hasim Rahman dropped the champion with a proper hand within the fifth spherical of their April 2001 battle in South Africa. A Baltimore native who’d misplaced twice as a heavyweight contender, Rahman collected two main belts that night time. Lewis, nonetheless, shortly atoned for his slipup — which got here after he filmed scenes for “Ocean’s Eleven” — by flattening Rahman in Spherical 4 of their November rematch. Rahman remained a contender for years however didn’t come near the heights he hit in 2001.

Starting a mid-career descent for this period’s premier heavyweight, Sanders uncovered Wladimir Klitschko’s suspect chin in his March 2003 wipeout of the longer term Corridor of Famer. The smaller South African southpaw, at 37, related many instances with straight left fingers, and the referee stopped the bout in Spherical 2 after the fourth knockdown. Sanders’ subsequent battle, nonetheless, got here in opposition to the elder Klitschko. Much less inclined to flash knockdowns, Vitali dominated the 2004 battle. Sanders fought 4 extra instances earlier than retiring.

Wladimir Klitschko’s profession hit a disaster level after a 2004 assembly with Brewster. The then-30-year-old American grew to become the third mid-tier heavyweight to knock out the super-prospect, stopping the then-28-year-old Ukrainian within the fifth spherical of their April ’04 encounter. Regardless of being outlanded 199-70, Brewster adopted Sanders’ lead and capitalized on Klitschko’s defensive weaknesses to win a vacant WBO belt. He defended it thrice, as soon as knocking out a light Andrew Golota, earlier than dropping to modestly regarded Siarhei Liakhovich. Brewster’s 2007 rematch with an Emanuel Steward-trained Klitschko led to a seventh-round KO loss.

Baldomir entered his 2006 title bout with Zab Judah as a nine-loss fighter however outworked the unified welterweight champion in a unanimous-decision win. The Argentinian outlanded Judah, 161-91, however was given a slim determination. Baldomir captured Judah’s Ring Journal belt and the lineal 147-pound title, however sanctioning-fee points allowed the loser to maintain two alphabet belts. Baldomir beat a shopworn Arturo Gatti later in ’06 however quickly noticed his inventory crater. Matched up in opposition to apex Floyd Mayweather Jr., Baldomir didn’t win a spherical on two scorecards. He was considered one of Canelo Alvarez’s first high-profile wins in 2010.

Ticketed for superstardom, Amir Khan noticed his trajectory change in 2008. An Olympic gold medalist at simply 17 in 2004, Khan was voted ESPN’s Prospect of the Yr in 2007, was 18-0 and held a minor light-weight title when he met Prescott in September ’08. The Colombian challenger shocked the boxing world by stopping the British expertise in Spherical 1. The hand-speed demon’s suspect chin revealed itself that night time in Manchester. Khan has since been knocked out by Danny Garcia, Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Prescott was unbeaten then; he is since misplaced 18 instances, together with defeats in opposition to Crawford and Mike Alvarado.

Jaro entered a 2012 conflict with elite flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam as a 10-loss challenger. Wonjongkam was 83-3-2. Fighters within the low weight divisions are likely to age sooner than their heavier contemporaries. Wonjongkam first gained the WBC flyweight title in 2001 and after dropping it in 2007 recaptured it a yr later and reigned till the youthful Jaro upended him. A then-30-year-old Filipino, Jaro knocked the 35-year-old Thai champion down 4 instances and gained through sixth-round KO. Jaro proceeded to lose his subsequent three fights.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Manny Pacquiao super-fight’s five-year delay was an indictment of boxing. Whereas the previous deserves extra blame, Pacquiao’s closing pre-Mayweather opponent was probably the most random stopgap throughout the welterweight kingpins’ standoff. Given a June 2014 title shot in opposition to WBO junior welter champion Ruslan Provodnikov, Algieri outlanded the rugged Russian by a major margin however appeared the more serious for put on after being knocked down twice. After his determination win, Algieri confronted Pacquiao in a Macau, China, matchup. Pacman knocked the lanky 140-pound champ down six instances, however being in that battle made Algieri a giant title.

Horn is 31 and nonetheless energetic, however his profession has trended towards one-hit marvel standing since he obtained a present determination over Pacquiao in 2017. Though outlanded 182-92 and almost stopped within the ninth spherical, Horn captured Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight belt on an Australian afternoon. The underdog’s dimension posed an issue for the then-38-year-old Filipino, however the majority of the general public didn’t give Horn many rounds. The judges did, scoring a unanimous-decision win in considered one of this period’s greatest upsets. Horn misplaced his title to Terence Crawford and misplaced in August in a middleweight debut.