Greatest Boxing Comebacks?

[Scottrf]

Greatest Boxing Comebacks

When we talk of comebacks, there are a few which usually appear: Foreman winning a World Heavyweight title at 45 in his 'second career' following a 10 year absense, Ali after his enforced layoff or Jofre's comeback to win the World Featherweight Title.

In 1937, Fritzie Zivic fought one of his toughest battles, almost dying of pneumonia. Most thought he would never box again.

He came back to beat one of the greatest boxers of the era Charley Burley and decision future Lightweight champion Sammy Angott over 10 rounds to earn a shot at Henry Armstrong, who had defended his Welterweight title 13 times prior to the bout. Naturally, despite being seen to be on the slide by some, Armstrong was a big favourite over Zivic.

Armstrong had the better of the first half of the fight with his trademark perpetual motion, but the turning point seems to be when the referee told them that if they wanted to fight dirty, it was fine by him. Zivic was reluctant before this, for fear he would be disqualified. Good or bad refereeing; you decide, but the dark arts were seen as part of the game. Zivic was in his element! He sliced and diced Armstrong, closing both his eyes, and winning in one of the dirtiest fights in boxing history.

Do you think this deserves to be mentioned with the others, and are there any other great comebacks worthy of mention?

[Ezzard]

Definitely, Scott.

It was really quite something.

[Jaywheel]

Pazienza and Otis Grant after their car accidents. Maybe not great comebacks, but they sustained serious injuries and came back to a level where they fought for world titles.

[Diamond WEAPON]

Willie Pep after the plane crash.

It wasn't exactly HOF material either but Vinny Pazienza getting through his own accident and even training with that "Halo" thing on is pretty inspiring.

[The Great John L]

Craig Bodzianowski's comeback in the 80's after he lost a leg in a cycle accident was pretty amazing. While he never became as well known as those mentioned in other posts, he did have some success and was a pretty good fighter despite the fact he had an artificial leg.

[vagabundo55]

Salvador Sanchez' loss proved to be a great comeback for him right gentlemen?

[Brute]

Vitali Klitschko has to be up there. After a break of nearly 4 years he came back in his late 30s to win a world Heavyweight title without any warm up fights. That is a big effort.

[BoxBuzz]

Archie Moore, following the first three minutes in the ring with Durelle.

[elmersalsa]

The great Roberto Duran against Davey Moore and Iran Barkley. I wonder how many reencarnations Duran had.

[theory]

9 replies and nobody mentions Chico yet?

Boxrec, I'm in disappoint.

[BoxBuzz]

Was that a comeback, or the clever use of a ploy. But it did get the job done.

[I Feel Fine]

Jofre was mentioned. Emile Griffith coming off the 1st round KO loss to Carter and winning the Middleweight title twice. Dick Tiger losing his title to Griffith but moving up and taking the Light Heavyweight title from Torres. Pacquiao losing his Flyweight title by early knockout but moving up two weight classes to beat Ledwaba. And, even if you thought Hagler won, Leonard's comeback was pretty amazing.

Foreman's was probably the most improbable. Not only had he come back from a long retirement since the Young loss in '77, and had not held a title since losing to Ali in '74, but in that very comeback he had lost fights to Holyfield and Morrison. On top of that he was coming off about a year and a half of inactivity when he stops Moorer, after losing pretty much every round. And Moorer wasn't some B.S. belt holder, he was the linear champion... even if Holyfield was a bit messed up in that fight.

[Goodnight, Irene]

^^^Not to mention the massive surplus weight Foreman carried into all his fights. Unreal.

[I Feel Fine]

Right. You might argue that the extra-weight helped him take more punishment but, either way, being that over-weight is a liability. But he could still punch. Power, as the cliche goes, is the last thing to go. That's why Hopkins should get so much respect for these fights he has had in his 40s; he's not doing it on power, like George, he's still a top fighter while relying largely on his reflexes and his legs in his 40s.

[jaclem2]

...if we're talking about comebacks in a specific fight, then boxbuzzy, predictably, nails it with moore.durelle - astonishing. plus buzz doesn't mention the fourth round knockdown which seemed to add to the impression that archie wasn't going to be able to come back.

career?....yeah. foreman, no doubt about it.

[flatnoseflynn]

It might sound daft but Tyson's comeback after being in prision for 3 half years, must be up there not many boxers have done that and won their titles back...

[Syntax Error]

Eder Jofre's comeback was very impressive.

[Goodnight, Irene]

It might sound daft but Tyson's comeback after being in prision for 3 half years, must be up there not many boxers have done that and won their titles back...

In a thread entitled, Greatest Boxing Comebacks?" --- it sure does sound daft

[keithmoonhangover]

Foreman's comeback was pretty amazing.

[flatnoseflynn]

So tyson's comeback after being in away from the game for a few years wasn't a comeback ?...................The title doesn't say greatest comebacks in a fight does it ?........ which I think you might be referring to .......

[Goodnight, Irene]

The thread is about Boxers coming back from great adversity to achieve great things.

Getting your head caved in by Evander Holyfield, quitting like a b!tch in the rematch, & getting pummeled by Lennox Lewis, Danny Williams & Kev McBride don't qualify as among the greatest...hell, Tyson's, "comeback," qualifies as, 'Underwhelming,' & that's about it. What does he balance these losses out with? Wins over Seldon & Etienne (both dives, if ever I saw them), & a handful of other scrubs.

Putting Tyson's post-prison career down as, "one of Boxing's great comebacks," could only be contended by someone who started watching Boxing yesterday.

[hurlock]

tommy morrison DD

ali v foreman

srl v hagler was a pretty awesome comeback from retirement into a fight of that magnitude.

duran's redemption v moore won back his fan's love.

barrera has come back time & time again

[flatnoseflynn]

So Tyson didn't come back from great adversity ?? COME ON who else has come back from them circumstances, I think just beating Bruno and becoming 2 time champion is a big achievment in it's self.......

Your probably right about the rest of his career but Tyson done damm well to even get back in the ring IMO after prison term you can't deny that ?

Unless you are a obvious Tyson hater

As for someone who has started watching boxing yesterday my nose would tell you different

[Goodnight, Irene]

So Tyson didn't come back from great adversity ?? COME ON who else has come back from them circumstances, I think just beating Bruno and becoming 2 time champion is a big achievment in it's self.......

Your probably right about the rest of his career but Tyson done damm well to even get back in the ring IMO after prison term you can't deny that ?

Unless you are a obvious Tyson hater

As for someone who has started watching boxing yesterday my nose would tell you different

I stand corrected --- you did not watch Boxing yesterday, you simply have the ability to interpret it on par with someone of just such an ilk. I can see you put as much thought into analysing Boxing as you did with language as a child, given the 3rd-Grade errors which litter your post.

Speaking of interpreting, are you thick as a plank, or what? I'm about the explain to you what the thread is about, for a third time. The thread is about --- read carefully --- Boxers who overcame adversity to achieve great things. Not just great things, but we're talking la creme de la creme of such. Tyson came back & did sweet fvck-all. Arranged titles from Seldon & Bruno, followed by NINE LONG YEARS of circus acts & perpetual mediocrity do not qualify for good, let alone great, much less among the greatest. I love the way a shiny trinket or two distracts you from the above, though not, undoubtedly, as much as Don King would. He made his nest egg selling bogus, "title fights," like the ones he set-up for his little Iron Cash Cow to idiots like you in your millions. LOL.

I suggest you familiarise yourself with some of the stories already posted in this thread. I am only taking a harsh tone here because your nomination of Tyson is so uneblievably, irreedemably stupid & indefensible. There isn't even a ghost of a chance you can stand by your absurd claim here. To put in into perspective, if we were asked for the greatest punchers in Ring History, & I nominated Willie Pep, I would expect to get a kickign for it, & for an equally-idiotic claim, you shouldn't get out of joint for copping such either. Rather, you should excuse your abysmally poor judgement & douse this flame before it gets any bigger.

[man]

the real mike tyson comeback happened on oprah and i am
serious, being aware how ridicule it is to write this on a boxing
board. he came back as a human being. if you ever saw how
nice he was with ali and sugar ray on that show in the eighties,
and how ugly and dumb he turned prior to the lewis bout with
the children eating thing, you cannot help being moved to tears
when he talks about the loss of his daughter and that he does
not want to know if anyone was responsible because he is afraid
of losing it. this is the mike tyson comeback in my book.

i am still impressed by juan manuel marquez comeback within
the fight against pac after being downed 3 times within minutes.
and with calzaghe against mitchel, standing up, slugging it out
and win by TKO. but i am aware these are minor things compared
to lost legs ... yet they are in my mind great (kind of) comebacks.

overall it must be foreman if you measure the distance between
peak and valley. from invincible to nobody, from laughable grandpa
to "it happened, it happend" (was it the foreman bout?) and from
badass against ali to beloved champ after moorer.

how about louis after schmeling I? at least politically the most
recognized comeback in history ...

add on
since the board is discussing duran intensively, how about all that
came after "no mas"?