Greatest Comeback In A Trilogy?

[Goodnight, Irene]

To clarify the title, which fighter (who won two of his three bouts against his opponent) do you consider made the greatest comeback from having lost the first fight, to winning the next two?

I want to be inclusive of all three fights, so, for example...

Patterson was utterly demolished by Johansson, initially. He emphatically won the return. That's a massive turn-around. However, he was a whisker away from defeat in the third fight, so this hurts his overall standing --- that is to say, it would be even greater had he won the third fight as easily as the second. Even so, Patterson's case is a great one, because of the emphatic manner in which he was beaten.

Who made the greatest comeback from an initial defeat in a trilogy?

[theone]

I know he won the first and lost the second in two tough, extremely competitive matches; but the way Tony Zale totally dominated Graziano in the 3rd match left no doubt who was the superior fighter.

[SteveO]

Has to be Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier IMO.

[Flump]

Humberto Gonzalez vs Michael Carbajal, Gonzales was battered at the end of their first fight but turned boxer to win the next two.

Antonio Tarver vs Roy Jones, the first fight was close but I don't think anyone expected Jones to get flattened in the rematch, which gives Tarver some kudos, the third was pretty much a non event of course.

Israel Vasquez vs Rafael Marquez, people were calling for Vasquez to retire following his painful first defeat, two matches later he's amongst a handful of the most exciting fighters of the decade.

[Expug]

Gotta mention Greb - Tunney.
Even though , I think they fought more then three times, the first one had Tunney catching a beating only to do much better in the subsequent fights.

[oliverfennell]

Gatti lost a hard, hard fight to Ward and then won the next two (relatively) comfortably.

[meade95]

Humberto Gonzalez vs Michael Carbajal, Gonzales was battered at the end of their first fight but turned boxer to win the next two.

Good one - And hell, Gonzales had Carbajal basically out (after dropping him) in their first fight.....Then Carbajal lands a picture perfect left hook and puts Gonzalez completely out.... Hell of a fight.....

Then as you said, Gonzales simply turned boxer in their next two matches and out boxed him for both decisons.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Gatti lost a hard, hard fight to Ward and then won the next two (relatively) comfortably.

Probably the leading candidate among those mentioned thus far, IMO. Patterson's effort against Johansson wouldn't be far behind, though, given the shocking beating he absorbed in that first bout.

[observer1]

Muhammed Ali v Frazier, Hands down.

[bollox]

Dennis Andries - Jeff Harding. Sort of. Andries was emphatically in front in their first fight yet was stopped with seconds to go in the fight. In the second Harding was in front I think, only to be KO'd. The Harding won a decision in their 3rd fight. This trilogy may not strictly quality against the criteria but it's worth a mention

[Datsue]

Gatti lost a hard, hard fight to Ward and then won the next two (relatively) comfortably.

Probably the leading candidate among those mentioned thus far, IMO. Patterson's effort against Johansson wouldn't be far behind, though, given the shocking beating he absorbed in that first bout.

I'm given to lean towards Gonzalez-Carbajal... Everyone rated Carbajal as some sort of monster following his win over Chiquita & in the US fight press at the time the rematch was seen as something of a foregone conclusion -- & I remember the experts even picking against Humberto in the third fight (despite him winning the second!) on the basis of the severity of the loss in the opener...

[Roars Like Me]

Muhammed Ali v Frazier, Hands down.

Yes and no - Ali only started pulling away in the last third of their last fight due to Frazier's eye being closed, uptil then it was even - Joe couldn't see anything as he was pretty much blind in his other eye anyway. Yes Ali's punches must have caused the swelling so that swung it for him but without that imho Joe would have won the fight. As you would know Ali was seconds away from quitting on his stool before Futch pulled Joe out.

I can't see this being a 'hands down' comeback albeit a good one.

[My2Sense]

How about Morales-Pacquiao?

Morales won a close but clear decision (and dished out a fair amount of punishment) over Pacquiao in the first fight, Pacq scored a come-from-behind stoppage in the rematch, and in the third fight a vastly improved Pacq was just way too much for Morales.

[My2Sense]

Fritzie Zivic won his first fight with Charley Burley, lost the second, and then was reportedly beaten very decisively in the third.

Zivic also won a close-ish decision over Henry Armstrong in their first fight, stopped him in the second, but was then beaten by him in the third.

Tony "The Tiger" Lopez won a highly controversial decision over John John Molina in their first fight, then was beaten up and stopped by him in the rematch. But then he came back to batter Molina, drop him, and beat him in their third fight.

[jaclem2]

..so many good choices here ....all of them are acceptable answers..but, considering the horrific beating zale was said to have suffered in their second bout, i'm leaning toward zale-graziano....even though he maybe took a worst beating in their first fight, even though he won...

[Goodnight, Irene]

..so many good choices here ....all of them are acceptable answers..but, considering the horrific beating zale was said to have suffered in their second bout, i'm leaning toward zale-graziano....even though he maybe took a worst beating in their first fight, even though he won...

Ineligible, as the discussion is centered only on fighters who lost first, before winning the next two.

[jaclem2]

..thanks for the correction, goodnight. sloppy reading on my part.

[My2Sense]

Marvin Hagler was reportedly beaten very decisively by Willie Monroe in their first fight, but he came back to stop him late in their second fight and then bomb him out in 2 rounds in their third.

How about the Leonard-Duran trilogy? Ray was brawled around the ring in their first fight, but then makes Duran quit in their second and outboxes him clearly in the third.

Tarver-Jones? Tarver gives a good effort in the first fight, but is intimidated and seems to choke in the closing rounds. Most people expect that he won't be able to match Roy in their second fight, but Tarver shocks the world by nearly decapitating him. In the third fight, it's Roy's turn to be intimidated as he spends the whole fight on the retreat and Tarver wins a clear decision.