BoxRec

I know Henry isn't fighting anymore and i didn't really follow him...

But to comeback from a 10 year lay off and avenge a loss with no tune up fight ??!

Apart from that George Foreman vs Michael Moorer - huge upset.

Any other comebacks at high level?

Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Marvin Hagler

Vitali Klitschko RTD 8 Sam Peter

Probably a bunch others, but those two came to mind first.

Not the best, but Herol Graham came back in 96 after four years out. Two wins against journeymen before beating Chris Johnson (unbeaten, only lost to Tarver and R Johnson since) and Paz.
I was nearly in tears when he let the title slip away against Brewer.

Leonard-Hagler is probably the most impressive I can think of for the first fight back.

Ali post layoff beating Quarry and Bonavena

We usually forget the WWII layoffs but Louis coming back after several years of inactivity and knocking out Conn and Mauriello was impressive, and despite the dubious first fight, knocking out a prime Walcott after that.

dempseyfire wrote:Leonard-Hagler is probably the most impressive.

impossible to top. five year retired p4p ATG
meets another p4p ATG in his prime with no
tune up. this was way beyond crazy. everyone
thought bambi would get slaughtered by that
bold butcher.

Hagler wasn't prime anymore by the time SRL fought him. Hence why he fought him.

mikiesb wrote:I know Henry isn't fighting anymore and i didn't really follow him...

But to comeback from a 10 year lay off and avenge a loss with no tune up fight ??!

Apart from that George Foreman vs Michael Moorer - huge upset.

Any other comebacks at high level?

Foreman -v- Moorer is a bit different from Maske as Foreman was seven years into his comeback & had already lost a world title challenge three years earlier.

Eder Jofre deserves a shout.

3 years after losing the Bantamweight title to Harada, he returrns to the ring then goes on to annex the featherweight title 4 years into his comeback, eventually retiring without losing 3 years after that, although he did have a lot of non-title fights.

Jaywheel wrote:Hagler wasn't prime anymore by the time SRL fought him. Hence why he fought him.

the combined record of his two previous
opponents was 75-1. he koed both. one
of the two was a mister thomas hearns.

hagler was 33, in pretty good shape and
at least not very far from his prime.

man wrote:

Jaywheel wrote:Hagler wasn't prime anymore by the time SRL fought him. Hence why he fought him.

the combined record of his two previous
opponents was 75-1. he koed both. one
of the two was a mister thomas hearns.

hagler was 33, in pretty good shape and
at least not very far from his prime.

Hagler was also the reigning p4p #1 and undisputed middleweight champ.

He may have been a little past his best but he was still widely considered the best active boxer on the planet at the time.

SRL's comeback opponent was the p4p.
I doubt we'll ever see that happen again.

Perseus wrote:SRL's comeback opponent was the p4p.
I doubt we'll ever see that happen again.

to this day i do not understand why leonard
thought he could beat him. unbelievable. this
is the only fight that stands up to the FOTC.