By Don Colgan
Any sports fan with even a glimmer of remembrance from the early 1970’s will never forget the moment. Kingston, Jamaca on Monday January 21, 1973. The seemingly indestructible Frazier a strong 4 to 1 favorite to chop down the towering yet untested challenger from Hayward, California. A Frazier trademark left hook to Foreman’s jaw in the first minute, the challenger pushing Joe off like a child while landing a left hook to the body that seemed to freeze Joe. Then the moment! “Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!”. The electricity and emotion in Cosell’s voice, his defining moment as a broadcaster. Six knockdowns in less than six minutes. The pure definition of an upset.
An upset in any sport provides an instant transfusion of excitement. Namath’s guarantee in the face of universal derision as Broadway Joe’s Jets seemed destined for a brutal beating. The Amazin Met’s utterly throttling the powerful Orioles, Arthur Ash’s dismantling of the 7 to 1 favorite Conners at the 1975 Wimbledon Finals. And the ultimate upset, the USA triumph over the Soviet Red Army Team at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid.
Yet for sheer drama and an element of unexpectedness the true boxing upset is at the height of drama in sport. And I emphasize true upset. Not the Douglas-Tyson surprise in January of 1990. I will acknowledge that Tyson was a ridiculous 42 to 1 favorite yet it was the myth of Tyson’s perceived greatness and the utter lack of recognition for Douglas’ abilities that propelled the line to such a nonsensical level. Douglas’ jab was a force to be reckoned with, that combined with the fact that he was a legitimate top ten contender. He should have been no more of a shortender than was Henry Cooper the night he challenged Ali for the Heavyweight Title at London in 1966.
We’re going to visit 8 true upsets of the 20th Century. Bouts were the outcome was wholly unexpected, where the ultimate victor scaled the heights of fistic achievement and accomplished an astonishing result.
#1) Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling. June 18, 1936. Yankee Stadium, New York.
Anyone familiar with Bomber Joe’s ascension to the Heavyweight Crown is aware that he tore the heavyweight division to shreds, brutally stopping former Champion Max Baer in four sessions and battering the goliatian Carnera into submission in six. To describe Louis’ invincibility as he kayoed contender after contender is to educate the reader to the fact that his foes experienced pure terror as the moment of truth approached. Joe’s left jab, short and explosive, would jackhammer an opponents head back and expose him to the Brown Bombers atomic short right, travelling six inches and responsible for the brutal stoppage of foe after foe as Joe rose inexorably towards a heavyweight title shot.
Yet there was an obstacle, and a weakness!
After Joe would deliver his thunderbolt left jab, he would drop his left hand slightly, exposing himself to a straight right counter lead. His final obstacle prior to a certain title shot against old Jim Braddock was former titleholder Max Schmeling of Germany. Schmeling was 30 years old and not far from top form when he was inked to meet Joe. The German figured to give Joe a stiffer test than Baer or Carnera yet he was viewed universally as a lamb being led to slaughter as he climbed through the ropes to face Louis at Yankee Stadium on June 18, 1936.
However, Schmeling was observant. He studied films of Joe’s stoppages and picked up the flaw in Joe’s seemingly invincible armor. “I seez somezing” he said. Nothing more.
There was little to suggest over the first three rounds that the outcome would be anything less than a Louis knockout. Schmeling was pounded with Joe’s jab and battered inside. He was shaken with a jolting Louis right in the second and, although scoring himself, seemed certain to fall before Louis’ hard fists in the middle rounds.
However, the German was sizing up Joe, watching that right hand drop with each successive jab. Midway through the fourth stanza Joe fired the jab in close and Max buckled Louis’ knees with a perfect counter right. Second later Max crossed over another powerful right and Louis was down!
Joe beat the count! However, Schmeling’s knockdown right had lowered a fog over the Brown Bomber. The German rained right hands through round 11 as Joe’s face lumped up and his firepower diminished. Midway through the 12th Max was loading up with smashing rights to the head. Louis, out on his feet, staggered into the ropes where Schmeling set him up for the final kayo right, depositing Joe into a praying position, then out on his face. Two minutes and thirty six seconds of the 12th round in the most profound upset of the century propelled Max Schmeling to the status of number one heavyweight contender, installing doubt as to Louis’ ultimate greatness, doubt that was not erased until, as Champion, he destroyed the German in two minutes and four seconds two years later.
#2) Jim Braddock vs. Max Baer. June 14, 1934. Long Island Bowl, Long Island, New York.
They used to say that the old Long Island Bowl was the graveyard of Champions yet when the Livermore Larruper, powerful Heavyweight Champion Max Baer signed to make his initial championship defense against a revived yet seemingly outmatched Jim Braddock in June of 1934 there was a widespread opinion in the boxing fellowship that Braddock was placing his life in jeopardy by stepping into the ring with Baer.
Braddock’s fortunes had fallen since his unsuccessful challenge for Tommy Loughran’s Light Heavyweight Title in 1929 and subsequent loss to Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom. In fact, Braddock lost often during the early and middle 1930’s. The depression hit the Braddock’s terribly hard, with the family on relief and Jim working the New Jersey docks as a longshoreman between bouts.
However, Braddock was depression tough and, seen as a mere trial horse for top contender “Corn” Griffin in June of 1934 he startled the boxing world with a third round stoppage. Then he outpointed John Henry Lewis and Art Lasky and positioned himself for a shot at Baer’s title. The Titleholder, more clownish than threatening, refused to take the Jerseyan seriously. The odds were 15 to 1 in Max’ favor when he and the Cinderella Man met at ring center to listen to Referee Arthur Donovan’s instructions.
Baer answered the bell for the first round like a schoolboy. He refused to take Braddock with any degree of seriousness. Circling to Baer’s right, scoring to the Champions body with hard left hooks and nullifying Max’ smashing right with counter right leads of his own Jim began to pile up the rounds. Baer simply wasn’t fighting, he was being led around the ring by the ringwise challenger. The grin on Max’ face was ear to ear as he fell farther and farther behind.
By the eight and ninth rounds Baer began to awaken, connecting solidly with his potent right and fighting Braddock on the inside with some degree of effectiveness. However, he never turned the tide. The Cinderella Man saw his golden chance and he was prepared. Over the past five rounds Baer tried to come on yet Braddock remained on the perimeter of his power, scoring with crisp counter shots and solid right crosses. By the fourteenth and fifteenth rounds Max was simply tired. He knew he had lost. The decision was unanimous and not really close. Baer took about five rounds. In an era of despair, James J. Braddock represented the finest in the American ideal. Down yet never out!
#3) Cassius Clay vs. Sonny Liston. February 24, 1964. Miami, Florida.
When you look back on this bout with hindsight, it might not seem to be the titanic shocker that it was thirty-six years ago. However, there is no disputing the fact that Charles “Sonny” Liston, by merit of the carpet bombing he inflicted upon the elite of the heavyweight class from 1958 through 1963, was a dangerous, vicious, brutal puncher who had respectable hand and foot speed, a left jab that rivaled Louis’, and a capacity to terrorize an opponent unparalleled before, or since that time.
The arrival of Cassius Clay upon the scene in the early 1960’s provided a catalyst of energy that redirected public attention upon boxing, contradicting the surly, inarticulate Liston and his lengthy criminal record. Yet the accurate predictions and boasts of invincibility were largely falling upon deaf ears. An unconvincing victory of tough Doug Jones and a near knockout at the hands of Englishman Henry Cooper fortified the belief that Clay would be fortunate to extend Sonny for two or three rounds.
The imposing Champion was a 7 to 1 favorite over Clay, who entered the ring embracing the Black Muslim faith and a sea of public disapproval. Yet Clay, at 22, could run faster backwards than could Liston forward. Midway through the first round he smothered the Champion with several blazing combinations. Occasionally Sonny hit him a solid shot to the body yet the balloon of destructive invincibility had been pierced within three minutes. Clay’s punishing jab continuously set up Liston for damaging right leads. Early in the third Clay shook the Champion with another lightening volley. Liston fought back and rocked Clay yet a straight right for Cassius cut Liston over the cheek. Clay was winning!
The fourth round witnessed a slowdown yet Clay was shoving Sonny off with a left jab and occasionally an extended left hand. However, at the bell , without warning, Clay’s victory script began to unravel. Ointment from Liston’s cut eye had gotten into Clay’s eyes. He was virtually blind and, screaming conspiracy, he asked trainer Angelo Dundee to cut off his gloves. “Nothing doing”, said Angelo. “This is for the big one, baby” he shouted, pushing Clay off of his stool to face the desperate and dangerous Liston.
Sonny Liston threw everything in his arsenal at the blinded challenger for the first two minutes of round five. A thunderous left hook skidded off of Clay’s head. Rights and lefts dug into his body. Yet his blinding speed was nullifying most of Sonny’s attack. The Champ was connecting, yet his opportunity was fading. Late in the round Clay’s vision improved and his resumed his attack. Liston was through!
Cassius Clay pummeled Sonny Liston throughout round six. Jolting right leads, rapier left jabs, dazzling combinations. Liston was battered, his face bruised and lumped and his heart gone. Liston sat down heavily, looked across the ring and quit on his stool. Clay screamed “KING, I’M KING” and the myth of Sonny Liston was dead.
#4) Jose Napoles vs. Billy Backus. Syracuse, New York. December 3, 1970.
Ten years after his enshrinement in boxing's Hall Of Fame Jose “Mantequilla” Napoles place in history as a dominant, great Welterweight Champion of the World is beyond dispute. He battered tough Curtis Cokes into submission to gain the title in April 1969 and make major title defenses against former titleholder Emile Griffith and top ranked contender Ernie “Indian Red Lopez” in late 69’ and early 70. Possessing a knockout punch, a poished, evasive defense and tremendous counterpunching ability, Napoles was a champion in his prime when he journeyed to Syracuse, New York to defend his crown against oft beaten Billy Backus in a match that attracted little attention. The prospect of the cut prone, unpolished Backus being more than a sparring partner for Napoles was beyond credulity.
Yet Napoles had one flaw. He cut over the eyes, usually not servere enough to jeopardize his prospects for victory. For two plus rounds he pummeled the tough, outgunned Backus, sending him to the canvas and pounding him in toe to toe combat. Early in round three a roundhouse Backus right slashed Napoles badly over the eye. Bleeding profusely, he protected the cut and Backus began to slug his way into the bout. By the middle of the fourth session Jose’s eye was a bleeding ruin and the referee intervened. The unlikely Backus stood atop the Welterweight Division as World Champion. Six months later they met in the return with Backus as Champion and again, this time in round one, Napoles was cut again. His corner managed the cut and kept him in the bout and gradually the former titleholder began to pound Backus. He regained the crown via an eight round stoppage and resumed his rudely interrupted reign as one of boxing’s all time great Welter Kings.
#5) George Foreman vs. Joe Frazier. January 21, 1973. Kingston, Jamaica.
For the period from March, 1968 through January, 1973 Smokin’ Joe Frazier established a brutal dominance over the heavyweight division not seen since the heyday of Joe Louis. Knockouts of Buster Mathis, Manual Ramos, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, the epic decision over Muhammad Ali and easy stoppages over Terry Daniels and Ron Stander had created a Liston like invincibility over Joe and when he signed to defend his championship against powerful 1968 Olympic Heavyweight Gold Medallist George Foreman it was widely viewed that despite Foreman’s stunning knockout march through the lower echelons of the formidable heavyweight division he would be chopped down and knocked out in relatively short order.
Frazier was a strong 4 to 1 favorite when he stared up at big George at ring center in Kingston, Jamaica on January 21. Joe was exceedingly confident that a ruthless body attack and a sampling of the famous Frazier left hook would dispatch the Californian within five rounds. At the opening bell Frazier bulled into Foreman and, within a half minute, scored with a strong left hook to the head. Yet George was towering and his height and brute strength was an advantage that had clearly been underestimated. He repeatedly shoved Joe back and connected with solid smashes to the body and head. At the two minute round a left hook and right uppercut put the titleholder on the canvas as Howard Cosell screamed his legendary “Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier”.
Three time in the first round Joe was battered to the canvas, each time rising to flail into Foreman, trying desperately to steam the tide with one big punch. Yet the first knockdown had drained Joe and again, he was deposited on the canvas early in round two. Legendary Referee Arthur Mercante watched carefully as Foreman took the Champion apart, raining crushing hooks, right hand leads and uppercuts upon the hapless Frazier. Finally a horrific uppercut lifted Joe's body off the ground and onto the deck. He climbed to his feet, standing yet nearly unconscious. Mercante intervened and the brutal Foreman was Champion.
