We borrow the title of the Italian version of the great film directed by Robert Wise (original title: The Set-Up) to talk about the so-called “journeymen boxers.” These are athletes who generally lack significant sporting ambitions, stepping into the ring primarily to earn a paycheck without particular dreams of glory. Unable to aim for prestigious titles due to age limits or technical and physical shortcomings, they are called upon by promoters to help up-and-coming and promising boxers gain experience. However, on rare occasions, the journeyman disrupts the plans of those who hired him by upsetting the favored winner. In today’s feature, we look back at ten instances when a journeyman could proudly say, “Tonight, I won too!”
Wayne Bethea defeats Franco De Piccoli (1963)
A gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics, De Piccoli had amassed 25 consecutive professional victories, 20 by KO, before facing the tough American. Bethea, already used to testing top-tier boxers and known for his iron chin, absorbed the best punches from the Italian before dropping him with a two-handed combination followed by a devastating right to the chin in the fourth round.
Tom Bethea defeats Nino Benvenuti (1970)
Looking back at “Tom The Bomb’s” record, it’s clear he was not to be underestimated, given that he only lost to the legendary Carlos Monzon in Argentina by a split decision. However, at the time, Monzon was still relatively unknown, and Benvenuti traveled to Australia confident that he could easily handle the American, who was coming off four consecutive losses. A knockdown and a broken rib forced Nino to retire in eight rounds.
Everett Martin defeats Tim Witherspoon (1992)
On one side was a boxer coming off nine consecutive losses with little to no reputation (Martin), and on the other was a man many believed had beaten Larry Holmes and was on a 12-fight winning streak (Witherspoon). “Terrible Tim” showed up in terrible shape, as had happened several times in his career, and after an awful fight filled with more clinches than clean punches, he was defeated by split decision.
Jesse Ferguson defeats Ray Mercer (1993)
Mercer was never short on talent, but the American didn’t always show up well-prepared in the ring. According to later revelations by Ferguson, in order to avoid losing the promised fight against Riddick Bowe and the lucrative purse that came with it, “Merciless” tried to bribe the American journeyman, offering him $100,000 to not take advantage of his poor conditioning and take a dive. Ferguson refused the offer, reported Mercer to the authorities, and handed him a tough points loss. However, the allegations were never proven.
Willy Salazar defeats Danny Romero Jr (1995)
The 21-year-old Romero Jr, already the IBF flyweight champion, was unbeaten and on the fast track to great success, coming in 5.5 pounds heavier than the veteran Salazar, who seemed to be on the decline. Despite being down on all three scorecards, Salazar caused his compatriot to suffer a fractured orbital bone, forcing the doctor to stop the fight. The result was so unexpected that The Ring magazine named it the “Upset of the Year.”
Bert Cooper defeats Richie Melito (1997)
Cooper had once been more than just a journeyman, but by 1997, worn down by many brutal battles, he didn’t seem capable of even properly testing new prospects. However, Melito’s perfect record had been built through several fixed fights orchestrated by his manager without the boxer’s knowledge. In truth, Melito was not very talented: Cooper exposed him with a crushing first-round KO.
Ross Puritty defeats Wladimir Klitschko (1998)
Puritty was as stiff as a lamppost and spent much of his time in the ring absorbing punches. Outboxing him was easy with a smart strategy, but brawling without a plan could be dangerous. Young Wladimir learned this the hard way, pummeling the American for ten rounds until he exhausted himself and succumbed to Puritty’s counters, suffering a shocking KO.
Maurice Harris defeats Siarhei Liakhovich (2002)
With an outstanding amateur record (145-15), Belarusian Liakhovich was making strides in the pro ranks and was expected to easily defeat the inconsistent Harris, who had already lost 12 times and was coming off a disastrous one-round knockout defeat to Akinwande. However, “Mo Bettah” stunned his more highly regarded opponent with two right hands in the ninth round and finished him with a vicious left hook.
Darnell Boone defeats Adonis Stevenson (2010)
“I was out for too long,” “I wasn’t in shape,” “I was surrounded by the wrong people”: these were some of the excuses Stevenson gave to explain that shocking loss, but the truth is that Boone was a tough challenge for anyone. The American softened up his inexperienced opponent in the first round before turning out the lights in the second with a devastating right to the head.
Siarhei Khamitski defeats Adam Etches (2014)
Eighteen consecutive wins, fifteen by knockout: that was the impressive record with which 24-year-old Etches, a promising British puncher, faced the toughest test of his career. However, his raw power wasn’t enough against the 40-year-old Khamitski. Despite the age disadvantage, the Belarusian floored him with a highlight-reel right hand, leading to a stoppage in the fourth round.