Best Upset
The 1964 bout between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston remains a pivotal moment in boxing history. Ali’s unexpected victory over the heavily favored Liston, achieved through a dramatic eleventh-round knockout, marked his first professional heavyweight title win. This upset captivated audiences and esta...
Why this score?
Seismic title upset and star-making Ali moment, historically essential though not as sustained a ring classic as later Ali fights.
Scoring methodology
Manny Pacquiao faced Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time in a December 2012 welterweight boxing match held in Las Vegas. The bout is notable for Marquez’s dramatic knockout victory over Pacquiao in round six, marking a significant upset. Boxing fans and observers interested in this historic riva...
Why this score?
Dramatic rivalry finale, multiple knockdowns, iconic Marquez knockout, and major modern classic reputation.
Scoring methodology
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvelous Marvin Hagler was a professional boxing match held on April 6, 1987, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for the WBC and lineal middleweight championships. Leonard, a former welterweight champion, came out of a three-year retirement to challenge Hagler, who had defended th...
Why this score?
Fascinating elite chess match and historic comeback, elevated by enduring debate but diminished by disputed scoring and selective exchanges.
Scoring methodology
The first boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling took place on June 19, 1936, at Yankee Stadium in New York City. German fighter Schmeling defeated the previously unbeaten, heavily favored Louis by knocking him out in the 12th round. Schmeling claimed he had identified a flaw in Louis's te...
Why this score?
Major upset and tactical landmark, historically important, with strong reputation despite older footage limitations.
Scoring methodology
Mairis Briedis vs. Jai Opetaia I was a 2022 professional boxing bout for the IBF cruiserweight championship, held in Queensland, Australia. Jai Opetaia defeated defending champion Mairis Briedis by unanimous decision after twelve rounds and became the titleholder. The fight is notable for the contra...
Why this score?
Opetaia's breakout upset, fractured jaw, sustained exchanges, and courageous finish produced a widely admired cruiserweight battle.
Scoring methodology
Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. I was a heavyweight boxing match held on June 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout was scheduled as a routine title defense for unified champion Anthony Joshua in his United States debut. Instead, Ruiz secured a monumental upset by knocking Jo...
Why this score?
Huge heavyweight upset with multiple knockdowns, major historical shock, and strong rewatch value.
Scoring methodology
On March 31, 1973, Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton at the Sports Arena in San Diego, California. Norton secured a split-decision victory, delivering a surprising defeat to the former heavyweight champion. During the bout, Ali suffered a broken jaw, marking the fight as a physically damaging and notab...
Why this score?
Major upset with tactical intrigue and lasting rivalry value, though less celebrated than Ali's greatest heavyweight epics.
Scoring methodology
This March 2017 bout at Madison Square Garden in New York matched WBC super flyweight champion Roman González with challenger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Rungvisai won by majority decision after twelve rounds, taking the title and handing González his first professional defeat. The result was a signific...
Why this score?
Grueling action, an early knockdown, clashes of heads, and a disputed decision ending Gonzalez's unbeaten run created enduring debate.
Scoring methodology
This October 2020 lightweight unification bout took place at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas during the pandemic-era closed-door schedule. Teofimo López defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko by unanimous decision after twelve rounds, unifying the WBA, WBO, IBF, and WBC-recognized lightweight titl...
Why this score?
Lopez's composed upset, tactical discipline, and strong final round unified the division, though Lomachenko's early inactivity reduced action.
Scoring methodology
The contest between France and New Zealand represents one of the oldest and most intense rivalries in world rugby union. Historically marked by significant upsets, particularly the 1999 World Cup victory for France against the then-invincible All Blacks, this match is followed globally by fans inves...
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk I was a heavyweight championship boxing match held on September 25, 2021, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, in front of approximately 60,000 spectators. Usyk, moving up from the cruiserweight division where he had unified all four major belts, defeated Josh...
Why this score?
Major Usyk upset with elite boxing skill, clear tactical superiority, and strong heavyweight significance.
Scoring methodology
Jack Dempsey vs Gene Tunney I was a world heavyweight championship fight held on September 23, 1926, at Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tunney defeated the long-reigning champion Dempsey by unanimous decision over ten rounds to claim the heavyweight title. The fight drew a cr...
Why this score?
Major title transfer and huge event, admired historically though not remembered as a great action fight.
Scoring methodology
Teofimo López challenged Josh Taylor on June 10, 2023, at Madison Square Garden in New York for Taylor’s WBO junior welterweight title. López won by unanimous decision after twelve rounds, becoming the WBO champion and taking The Ring’s junior welterweight championship. The result ended Taylor’s unb...
Why this score?
Lopez's dynamic late-round dominance and career revival against a favored champion earned strong acclaim despite moderate early pacing.
Scoring methodology
The first boxing match between Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson took place on June 26, 1959, at Yankee Stadium in New York. Johansson defeated Patterson by knockout in the third round to claim the World Heavyweight Championship. The victory was marked by Johansson flooring Patterson seven times...
Why this score?
Historic upset and extraordinary seven-knockdown round, though the largely one-sided contest was brief.
Scoring methodology
Amir Khan defeated Marcos Maidana by unanimous decision in their December 2010 boxing match at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Khan successfully defended his WBA super lightweight title against the hard-hitting mandatory challenger. The fight featured a dominant early start by Khan, inc...
Why this score?
Excellent junior welterweight action fight, though description reverses the winner; Khan officially beat Maidana.
Scoring methodology
The February 1943 bout between Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta was the second of six boxing matches in their historic rivalry. Held in Detroit, the contest resulted in a unanimous decision victory for LaMotta, handing Robinson his first professional defeat after 40 consecutive wins. LaMotta's ag...
Why this score?
Historically vital as LaMotta's only Robinson win, with strong rivalry value despite limited modern viewing consensus.
Scoring methodology
Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr. was a lightweight boxing unification bout held on November 27, 2021, at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden. Lopez entered the fight as the unified WBA, IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine champion, while Kambosos served as the mandatory IBF challenger. In a major...
Why this score?
Major lightweight upset with knockdowns and drama, though tactical messiness kept it below elite classics.
Scoring methodology
Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman I was a heavyweight boxing championship match held on April 22, 2001, in Carnival City, South Africa. Lewis, the reigning WBC, IBF, and IBO champion, entered the bout as a heavy favorite but struggled with the local altitude after arriving late. Rahman pulled off a massi...
Why this score?
Major heavyweight upset and dramatic knockout, though the fight before the finish was uneven.
Scoring methodology
Robert Guerrero vs. Andre Berto was a 12-round welterweight bout held in California in November 2012. Guerrero won by unanimous decision and captured the interim WBC welterweight title. The fight was built around repeated exchanges between two experienced boxers and is remembered for its physical pa...
Why this score?
Rugged inside fighting, early knockdowns, and sustained physical intensity made it memorable, despite frequent holding and rough tactics.
Scoring methodology
A June 17, 2000 welterweight boxing match held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. In this highly anticipated bout, Shane Mosley defeated Oscar De La Hoya by split decision to claim the WBC welterweight title. The fight is notable for Mosley's combination punching and speed, which allo...
Why this score?
Excellent Mosley upset over De La Hoya, fast-paced and significant for pound-for-pound reputation.
Scoring methodology
A November 28, 2015 heavyweight boxing match held at the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany. Tyson Fury defeated Wladimir Klitschko by unanimous decision to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. The victory ended Klitschko's nearly decade-long reign as the undisputed heavyweigh...
Why this score?
Major era-ending upset and tactical achievement, but awkward, low-output action limits entertainment consensus.
Scoring methodology
In October 2020, Teofimo Lopez defeated Vasyl Lomachenko by unanimous decision in a lightweight unification fight held in Las Vegas. Lopez, who held the IBF title, effectively outworked Lomachenko through the early and middle rounds to capture the WBA, WBC, and WBO belts. The victory made Lopez the...
Why this score?
Major Lopez upset with high tactical stakes, though Lomachenko's slow start limited sustained action.
Scoring methodology
Ricardo Mayorga vs. Vernon Forrest I was a professional boxing match held on January 25, 2003, in Temecula, California. Mayorga stopped Forrest by technical knockout in the third round, taking Forrest's WBA welterweight title and capturing the WBC title; the result ended Forrest's unbeaten professio...
Why this score?
Mayorga's startling power, fearless pressure, and explosive upset stoppage created a memorable changing-of-the-guard moment.
Scoring methodology
Vernon Forrest and Shane Mosley first fought on January 26, 2002, in New York for the WBC welterweight championship. Forrest knocked Mosley down twice in the second round and controlled much of the bout with his reach, jab, and right hand, winning a unanimous decision after twelve rounds. The result...
Why this score?
Major Forrest upset over prime Mosley, clear performance with knockdowns and strong welterweight significance.
Scoring methodology
Dmitry Bivol defended his WBA light heavyweight title against Saul Canelo Alvarez on May 7, 2022, in Las Vegas. Bivol used disciplined footwork, a consistent jab, and compact combinations to limit Alvarez's offense and won a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 115 to 113. The...
Why this score?
Major Bivol upset over Canelo, tactically excellent though controlled rather than dramatic.
Scoring methodology
Canelo Alvarez challenged Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title on May 7, 2022, in Las Vegas. Bivol maintained distance with his jab, defended in a compact guard, and answered Alvarez's attacks with measured combinations throughout the twelve-round bout. All three judges scored the contes...
Why this score?
Major upset with disciplined Bivol performance, respected technically, though not a dramatic action classic.
Scoring methodology
Dillian Whyte versus Alexander Povetkin I was a heavyweight boxing match held in August 2020 at Matchroom's headquarters in Brentwood, England. Whyte scored two knockdowns in the fourth round, but Povetkin ended the contest in round five with a left uppercut that produced an immediate knockout. The...
Why this score?
Dramatic Povetkin comeback knockout after being dropped, memorable heavyweight upset.
Scoring methodology
Fought in September 1985, this boxing match saw reigning undisputed light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks move up in weight to challenge long-reigning heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Spinks defeated Holmes via a 15-round split decision, making him the first reigning light heavyweight champion...
Why this score?
Historic Spinks upset over Holmes, significant but cautious and controversial enough to temper acclaim.
Scoring methodology
Zhilei Zhang versus Joe Joyce I was a heavyweight boxing match held in London on 15 April 2023 for Joyce's WBO interim title. Zhang repeatedly landed his left hand and caused severe swelling around Joyce's right eye, leading the referee to stop the bout in the sixth round after medical examinations....
Why this score?
Significant Zhang upset over Joyce, eye damage stoppage and heavyweight relevance, moderate action acclaim.
Scoring methodology
Bernard Hopkins versus Joe Calzaghe was a light-heavyweight boxing match held at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on 19 April 2008. Hopkins scored a first-round knockdown, but Calzaghe increased his activity as the fight progressed and won a split decision after twelve rounds. The bout was Ca...
Why this score?
Intriguing veteran clash with close scoring and styles contrast, but messy action divides viewers.
Scoring methodology
