BoxRec

What are some of the great examples of fighters, down through history, announcing with conviction a forthcoming victory, in a very big fight, against a world-class (sometimes even legendary) opponent, thus vindicating their self-belief?

In recent times, Hopkins said he'd do it against Trinidad, & while I remember opinions being divided, I don't recall anyone saying Hopkins would virtually shut his man out en route to a TKO. Douglas against Tyson, Ali against Liston & later Foreman are other examples. I think Duran similarly scoffed at the prevailing majority opinion he wouldn't get past Moore, too.

Others?

I can't remember if he won but one of my favourites was London based Bruce Scott announcing before one of his fights that if he didn't win, he'd kill himself.

A good example is Liston prior to Patterson, when asked if he had a preference regarding the referee he said 'don't matter, as long as he can count up to 10'. Shame he didn't get a referee who could count up to 10 in the Ali rematch..

If you disregard decades of hindsight, Louis - Schmeling 2. It's not like Louis had an excuse to hide behind for the beating he took in the first fight (ala Nelson v Fenech). Who would have predicted a one sided, one round complete demolition job?

edit: here's a good question for old timers with a memory. What WAS the general feeling going into Louis-Scmeling 2? (it's hard to appreciate this kind of thing in hindsight, and where to find previews and predictions from the media of the day).
This must have been seen as a fairly even match? Does the result say more for Louis' improvement as a fighter or Schmeling's decline?

edit2: oh yeah - I was very apprehensive of my man Terrible against Jorge Luis Gonzalez in '94. Irrationally, i admit, but a fan is always expecting the worst, and in this regard, 'Spoon always gave us followers fits. But he looked damned good that night.

One more for good ole' Tim - he knew EXACTLY what he was going to do to Anders Eklund (not a legendary opponent, i know, but i'm talking Tim now, and no-one gonna stop me).
Anyone know about the personal issues which arose between Tim and Anders? I remember reading in one of BM or BN, can't remember which,
the swede told Tim 'I'll beat you so bad you'll call me daddy when it's over'. Apparently, 'Spoon threatened to hit him with a chair.
AND, before someone sticks it to me, Bonecrusher seemed very confident for a short notice sub going into the rematch.

That overhand righ that Witherspoon landed on Eklund is perfectly painful.

It always frustrated me in some of his fights how he never tried to set that overhand right up in some fights.

Id be interested to know the general feeling leading up to Louis- Schmelling its easy to have expected Louis to win after the fact. But either way back in '36, Schmelling owned Louis.

Kym

Most underdogs are going to be confident in public that they're going to win the fight, so this topic can apply to almost any upset. But I guess two good example that I particularly like are Toney-Nunn, with Toney this loud mouthed fighter, after being out boxed for about eight rounds, taking over the fight and knocking Nunn senseless in his hometown and taking his title, and Foreman-Moorer, since George had been predicting for years that he would be champion again despite his age and weight, and knocking Moorer out after, like Toney, losing so many rounds looking to land one big shot.

Goodnight already mentioned Hopkins-Trinidad, which is my favorite upset probably of the last thirty or more years.