Ten days ago, while watching Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven live, some viewers had the feeling they were about to witness one of the most astonishing sporting miracles in history. Then Usyk put everything back in order with his right uppercut, and the fairy tale of a kickboxer defeating the heavyweight boxing champion faded away at the end of the eleventh round. In this article, we look back at ten other miracles that almost happened in heavyweight boxing history.
Jack Dempsey vs Luis Ángel Firpo
When Argentine challenger Firpo stepped into the ring to face Dempsey, the heavyweight champion’s reputation as a ruthless destroyer was already firmly established, and few imagined a change at the top. Yet, during one of the most violent opening rounds ever seen, Dempsey was knocked out of the ring and only managed to climb back in seventeen seconds later, aided by journalists seated ringside. A genuine miracle narrowly avoided, brilliantly recounted in Martín Kohan’s excellent book Seconds Out.
Joe Louis vs Billy Conn
Conn’s elusiveness, after moving up from light heavyweight in search of a career-defining upset, caused enormous problems for the Brown Bomber, who struggled to find his range. Round after round, the challenger built a lead on two of the official scorecards. However, in the thirteenth round, he made the fatal mistake of getting carried away and exchanging punches toe-to-toe with Louis, who brutally knocked him out. Conn later became famous for his remark: “What’s the use of being Irish if you can’t be thick?”
Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young
Early in his career, Young had suffered several defeats against mediocre opposition. When he stepped into the ring with the great Ali, many underestimated him, including the champion himself, who came in at the heaviest weight of his career up to that point. It was a serious mistake. Young had improved dramatically since his early professional years, and that night he proved it by giving the greatest heavyweight of all time a very difficult fight. Many still believe the challenger deserved the decision, but the judges saw things differently.
Jerry Quarry vs Lorenzo Zanon
It must be acknowledged that by 1977 Jerry Quarry was already on the downside of his career and would soon announce his retirement. Nevertheless, had Lorenzo Zanon managed to defeat him in Las Vegas, it would have been a remarkable sporting miracle. The Italian came very close. Contemporary reports suggest that Zanon won every round through the eighth on the official scorecards. However, just as he stood on the brink of a monumental upset, his fragility betrayed him and Quarry stopped him in the ninth of the scheduled ten rounds.
Larry Holmes vs Renaldo Snipes
Everyone remembers Larry Holmes’ miraculous resurrection against Earnie Shavers. Less well known is what happened two years later during his title defense against the lightly regarded Renaldo Snipes. The challenger floored Holmes with a devastating right hand to the jaw, and Larry, while attempting to get up, crashed into the corner of the ring. Today, many referees would stop a fight after witnessing such a scene, but Holmes was given the chance to continue and made the most of it. Snipes was eventually stopped in the eleventh round.
Evander Holyfield vs Bert Cooper
In 1991, Holyfield was supposed to face Mike Tyson, who withdrew because of a rib injury. Francesco Damiani was selected as a replacement but also pulled out just days before the fight due to an ankle problem. Cooper was therefore a last-minute substitute, and the world champion probably entered the ring expecting an easy night. Instead, during a stunning third round, Holyfield was given a count and came dangerously close to being knocked out. The Real Deal weathered the storm and finished the job in the seventh round.
George Foreman vs Alex Stewart
During the early years of his comeback, George Foreman was not taken very seriously by experts. After his emotional 1991 performance against Holyfield, despite the defeat, everyone had to admit they had been wrong. Alex Stewart, who had already suffered three stoppage losses, appeared on paper to be little more than a sacrificial victim, and the two knockdowns he suffered in the second round seemed to confirm that prediction. However, “The Destroyer” got back up and produced a brutal fight, badly damaging Foreman’s face before losing on points in a decision that some considered controversial.
Oliver McCall vs Larry Holmes
We have already included Larry Holmes on this list as a heavy favorite; now we remember him in the role of underdog. When he challenged McCall for the world title, Holmes was already 45 years old and had to face a devastating puncher who had knocked out Lennox Lewis the previous year. Yet Holmes performed brilliantly, so much so that at the end of the ninth round he was ahead on all three official scorecards. Unfortunately for him, fatigue caught up with him in the closing rounds, and McCall escaped with an extremely narrow points victory.
Samuel Peter vs Jameel McCline
“Nigerian Nightmare” Samuel Peter was never known for technical brilliance or elegance, but his raw punching power was undeniable. His back-to-back victories over James Toney led many to believe that the 37-year-old McCline, already beaten seven times as a professional, posed little threat. The American came very close to shocking the boxing world, scoring one knockdown in the second round and two more in the third. However, he failed to finish the job and gradually surrendered momentum, eventually losing a decision to Peter.
Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou
A reigning WBC heavyweight champion against a complete boxing novice from mixed martial arts: in theory, a total mismatch; in practice, a miracle that nearly happened. Fury, who entered the ring in dreadful physical condition, attacked Ngannou aggressively in search of a quick knockout. Instead, in the third round, he was floored by a thunderous hook. The Gypsy King recovered and struggled his way to victory, but the win—one that not everyone agreed with—proved infinitely more difficult than anyone had anticipated.