BoxRec

With the Ruiz-Joshua rematch looking likely, it seems Joshua will be the favourite for many coming into the fight. This begs the question: how often has the champion been the underdog?

Examples which for come to my mind are Martin-Joshua, Canelo-Fielding and Tyson-Holyfield II.

Which are the ones which stand out in your memory?

Louis/Braddock
Liston/Patterson
Patterson/Johanson II
Hagler/Minter
Holyfield/Douglas
Tyson/Berbick
Tyson/Smith (although Tyson already held one belt)
Lewis/Rahman II
Monzon/Benvenuti

Those came to mind first.

Benn v McClellan
Bruno v Tyson 2

Burns vs Crawford

Clev vs Kovalev

Bellew makabu

TheLeprechaun wrote: ↑14 Jun 2019, 17:12 Bellew makabu

Wasn't it a vacant title fight ?

bigjack wrote: ↑14 Jun 2019, 18:36 Wasn't it a vacant title fight ?

It was.

Liam Smith v Canelo? And didn’t Smith also have the indignity of coming to the ring first?

Fielding v Canelo

Spence v Brook ?

oogiebe wrote: ↑14 Jun 2019, 16:28 Louis/Braddock
Liston/Patterson
Patterson/Johanson II
Hagler/Minter
Holyfield/Douglas
Tyson/Berbick
Tyson/Smith (although Tyson already held one belt)
Lewis/Rahman II
Monzon/Benvenuti

Those came to mind first.

Good choices; however our bookies had Hagler losing and Monzon was a clear underdog vs Nino.

Could be wrong here but pretty sure Froch was the under dog against Taylor. Bookies almost got that one right!

Both semis in the 140 WBSS this year, and Inoue Rodriguez.

Warrington Frampton. Am I right in thinking some bookies had different faves for groves Smith?

Jean-Marc Mormeck was an underdog vs our David H. - even in in Paris.

sgtcecil wrote: ↑14 Jun 2019, 17:01Clev vs Kovalev

I don't think Cleverly was actually the underdog going in, the bookies and most people didn't realise how good Kovalev was at that point.

Was Vitali underdog against Herbie?