5 biggest upsets in boxing history
Life is unpredictable. What’s born will die. What grows shall perish. Anything can happen.
The aforementioned statements — as clichéd and cheesy they may sound — ring true for us mortals. Regardless of who you are, where you come from or what you’ve achieved through your blood, sweat and tears, you are not indispensable. Everyone gets caught sooner or later, and that, folks, is the undisputed truth.
This theory of a mere mortal and his/her expendability rings true in the hurt business as well. Underdogs beat favourites, novices slay legends; all part of the beautiful sport we know as boxing.
Today we take a look at some of the most shocking upsets in the history of professional boxing.
#5 Larry Holmes vs Michael Spinks
Larry Holmes was all set to match Rocky Marciano’s undefeated pro-boxing record as a Heavyweight. The Ali slayer was 48-0 and set to take on one-half of the famed Spinks brothers — Michael.
Spinks was a decent pugilist, but at the time was viewed as a gimme fight for Holmes; nothing more than a stepping stone for the latter to make history and match Rocky’s record.
Nevertheless, Spinks shocked the world and took the fight to Holmes, besting his overconfident foe and walking away with the victory in what’s still considered one of professional boxing’s biggest upsets. The loss to Spinks changed Holmes’ life and career, with the latter never quite recovering from the monumental upset.