Comments Thread For: Holm's Stunning Win Prompts Flood of Upset Memories

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Lyle Fitzsimmons - I’ve interviewed Holly Holm several times.

Heck, I’ve even been punched in the mouth by a woman who was training to fight her.

So I felt like I had a vested interest in watching her on center stage in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and I confess to being as happy with her result as I can remember being with any in recent memory.

And while it wasn’t quite boxing, the pure shock of the result made me remember the few moments in my ring-observing career where my mouth hung open in disbelief over what I’d seen.

There are upsets – like Rigondeaux-Donaire or Cotto-Martinez – and then there are jaw-droppers.

In honor of Ms. Holm’s triumph, here’s a look at some of the ones I still don’t believe.

Iran Barkley TKO 3 Thomas Hearns – June 6, 1988
I’m among the world’s biggest “Hitman” fans, so by the time June 1988 arrived I was in a good place.

Marvin and Ray had been off the radar for a year, which left the middleweight domain – finally – under the thumb of Hearns, who’d won/defended titles in a three-year stretch since losing “The War.” [Click Here To Read More]

[doom_specialist]

Great piece, Fitz. I have to ask though: Was the Rigondeaux win over Donaire really an upset?

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looks like losing was the best career decision ronda ever made, thats the 10th ronda headline today

[Redd Foxx]

I think this eclipses all of those except for Tyson, and it probably ties with Pac. It just ironically happened at a time when she was oversaturating the media and half of America was curious about her, and the other half was tired of hearing about her. They put all that money into making sure everyone knew her name, then the next thing they see is her head getting kicked off at the neck.

[Bandman]

one bright side in Rousey losing, the rematch will be the most watched UFC fight in history.

[dwighttsharpe]

Great piece, Fitz. I have to ask though: Was the Rigondeaux win over Donaire really an upset?

Same thing I thought.

Only to Donaire fans, Arum, and that group, if you know what I mean(Rigo haters, etc). Guess Fitz' is one of them.

[paulf]

Great piece, Fitz. I have to ask though: Was the Rigondeaux win over Donaire really an upset?

In the literal sense, certainly! HBO, Top Rank, and whole lot of other mother****ers were UPSET that night.

[doom_specialist]

Same thing I thought.

Only to Donaire fans, Arum, and that group, if you know what I mean(Rigo haters, etc).

Regular people can be fans, but analysts are supposed to do their homework. If you had Rigondeaux as an underdog, you might as well go work on First Take where boxing is covered 98% incorrectly.

[doom_specialist]

In the literal sense, certainly! HBO, Top Rank, and whole lot of other mother****ers were UPSET that night.

It's a shame too. Rigondeaux has actually made it a point to be more exciting in fights and he still doesn't get exposure. It almost makes me feel like the guys that block punches with their faces, and KO artists that fight cans will be put towards the forefront in order to compete with MMA.

Really sad when you think about it. The Sweet Science is being reduced to drunken bar fights. All of the guys in the fight game with real skills are being put on the back burner, in favor of guys with big punches, and unproven records.

[soul_survivor]

Tyson/Douglas is easily the biggest upset of my life time and in terms of all time upset, Ali beating Liston...actually, making the big bear quit, is quite possibly the greatest upset. Add in Ali v Foreman too.

In terms of the last 15 years and this century, nothing quite tops JMM v Pacquiao KO 6. It's not just that JMM won (I actually predicted him to win for the first time) but it wasn't a points decision, i twas a one punch KO of a fighter who didn't even look close to being stopped for over a decade. He'd faced and hammered better, bigger punchers and yet it was Marquez who gave him the heaviest of KDs and then the one pucnhest of one punch KOs.