Road Warriors: Boxers who won a world title fighting in their opponent's home country

[Freedom2013]

I have plenty of respect for courageous road warriors who win or defend a world title fighting in their opponent's home country.

Sergey Kovalev (the WBO from Cleverly in the UK, then the IBF and WBA from Hopkins in the USA)

James DeGale (IBF in the USA against the American boxer Dirrell)

Terence Crawford (in the UK against the British boxer Burns)

Kell Brook (in the USA against Porter)


Who are some of the others?

[crusader]

Since you mentioned defenses Kovalev also beat Pascal in Montreal, and South African Brian Mitchell made successful defenses against local opposition in the US, Italy, France, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

Zolani Tete also won his IBF title eliminator against a Mexican in Mexico, he won the title against a Japanese boxer in Japan, and he made his first successful defense against a Brit in Britain.

[hurricanemitch14]

Canelo....marquez.....barrera....Morales......chavez....road warriors. Gamboa.....Rigo....these boys fight with no home. Cubans get no backing anywhere in the pros, there is no reason why Gamboa/Rigo arent superstars. They get put on shelves til they get old. Gamboa had to jump 2 divs. To get a meaningful fight and he looked like a midget in there.

[Boxing Prospect]

Johnriel Casimero won his IBF 108lb title in Argentina and has regularly fought on the road...will do again in June when he travels to Thailand to fight Runeroeng

Talking about Pinoy's in Thailand Pacquiao won his first title in Thailand (though of course is better known for what he did in the US...where he again claimed a world title on the road...)

DeGale just won his on the road as well and Jamie McDonell just defended his on the road

Takashi Miura defended his in Mexico Vs Sergio Thompson in a 2013 FOTY contender...and is wanting to travel to defend in his next bout

[Perseus]

Bernard Hopkins when he beat Pascal in Canada
Glen Johnson when he beat Woods in the UK
Tim Bradley when beat Witter in the UK
Sergio Martinez when he beat Pavlik
Hatton when he beat Collazo for a welterweight belt in America
Sam Soliman beating Sturm in Germany
Daniel Geale beating Sylvester and Sturm in Germany
Orlando Salido knocking out Juan Manual Lopez in Puerto Rico
Ricardo Mayorga knocking out Vernon Forrest in America
Paulie Malignaggi beating Vyacheslav Senchenko in the Ukraine
Steve Cunningham beating Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in Poland
Marvin Hagler beating Alan Minter in the UK
Duran when he beat Iran Barkley
Virgil Hill knocking out Tiozzo to win a cruiserweight title
Cory Spinks beating Michele Piccirillo in Italy
Carlos Baldomir beating Judah in America

The list goes on and on.
It happens enough that it just is not a big deal.

The ones I respect for traveling are the boxers whose financial clout is such that they can make most people come to them yet they still choose to travel.
The overwhelming majority of boxers aren't going to travel if it is not necessary(and there is nothing wrong with that) so I have a little more respect for the ones who don't need to go on the road but do it anyway(as long as they aren't traveling to face spent bullets who have name recognition).

[Cutman Scabbers]

None more dramatic than Soo-Hwan Hong (South Korea) in Panama:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txUU8iy3pRI

[crusader]

None more dramatic than Soo-Hwan Hong (South Korea) in Panama:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txUU8iy3pRI

Hard to beat that as far as in-fight comebacks go.

[Cutman Scabbers]

Not to mention Hong won his first title in South Africa against Arnold Taylor.

Wasn't able to defend it in the USA though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzMB_o_oI8

[Pureist]

Geale took 2 titles out of Germany which is nearly impossible

[Cutman Scabbers]

Since you mentioned defenses Kovalev also beat Pascal in Montreal, and South African Brian Mitchell made successful defenses against local opposition in the US, Italy, France, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

Zolani Tete also won his IBF title eliminator against a Mexican in Mexico, he won the title against a Japanese boxer in Japan, and he made his first successful defense against a Brit in Britain.

Tete is awesome.

[Ricky_]

Props to Norweigan fighters in this thread such as Leif Larsen, certainly befitting the bill of Road Warriors as their profession s outlawed in their own country.

[Freedom2013]

Geale took 2 titles out of Germany which is nearly impossible

Yes, and he'll be fighting on the road again against Cotto.

[TheWigwam]

Geale took 2 titles out of Germany which is nearly impossible

Tbf I had that fight with Sturm a draw too, so I would consider him even more lucky

[littlepug]

Glen catley got the job done in Germany against a german and to get that fight he had to beat a Canadian in Canada !

[sucracristo]

when i hear road warrior i think of the jamaican mike mccallum, who would
take his titles and fight you in your back yard for them. a lot of world class
ghanan fighters who travel the world, most notably azumah nelson but many
more of them.

[sgtcecil]

Ken Buchanan vs ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico outdoors in the afternoon

[littlepug]

bruno, hoko, benn, lewis, angol, barrett, dunne, loughran, minter , mckenzie , mcrory and barrie jones all lost to overseas fighters when defending titles or challenging for vacant belts.

[Rexob]

Glen catley got the job done in Germany against a german and to get that fight he had to beat a Canadian in Canada !

He also beat Woodhall, but got robbed!

[littlepug]

Glen catley got the job done in Germany against a german and to get that fight he had to beat a Canadian in Canada !

He also beat Woodhall, but got robbed!

never actually seen that fight, catley did have 3 fights on the trot that ended in a 12th round ko which ive never seen on another boxers resume.

[sharpei_louis]

A lot of hate for him, but David Haye twice - once with a good performance v Mormeck in France and then a not so great performance v Valuev - it wasn't Russia but was an away trip.

[littlepug]

I have plenty of respect for courageous road warriors who win or defend a world title fighting in their opponent's home country.

Sergey Kovalev (the WBO from Cleverly in the UK, then the IBF and WBA from Hopkins in the USA)

James DeGale (IBF in the USA against the American boxer Dirrell)

Terence Crawford (in the UK against the British boxer Burns)

Kell Brook (in the USA against Porter)

Crawford pulled off the rare combination of doing it in his very first world title fight, which was also his overseas debut!!

can't be many overseas boxers that can say they won a world title in Scotland !! hang on just thought of one, matlala did it twice I believe .

[digzee]

John H Stracey beat Jose Napoles in Mexico

[littlepug]

Pretty sure Valero did

[littlepug]

Manuel medina won a world title in Scotland, he was well travelled having world title fights in Scotland, Ireland, England, USA, France, Italy, Japan, Philippines and 2 eliminators in south Africa !

[Re-up Gang]

Pretty sure Valero did

yes valero did vs mosquera i believe in a rugged fight with the crowd against him and he got dropped