I say Buster Douglas is still a bigger upset .**
- Thread starter jeff2001
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This wasn't even the biggest upset in UVA basketball history, believe it or not. Chaminade beating Sampson's team in the 80's was even bigger.
69 Mets also one of biggest upsets of all time.
Orioles had 4, pitchers who won 20 games in one season that year.
Orioles had 4, pitchers who won 20 games in one season that year.
The 1980 USA hockey team beating the Soviets was the biggest upset. It's hard for us in modern ties to imagine just how dominant that Soviet squad was. Kids these days can hardly fathom the concept of a state-owned team comprised of people who, because of their talent, weren't free to do anything else but play hockey. So, the Soviets were able to build a super-team that wasn't restricted by factors such as contract disputes, salary caps, limitations on practice times, lost interest, doping restrictions, or anything else. I would say it would be like a bunch of college kids beating the NHL all-stars, but that Soviet team beat the NHL all-stars a year before the Olympics, winning the rubber match 6-0.
The Mets still won the National League that year. That is nowhere near compared to the #1 overall seed losing to a team that lost to Albany by 50.
That hockey team won gold in like the previous 3 or 4 Olympics. Then when they beat people, it was by complete domination.
I didn't say it was, I said it is ALSO one of the greatest upsets of all time.
ESPN ranks it as #8 of greatest upsets of all time
I don't see a team that wins the National League as a huge underdog. I mean at worse this was the 2nd best team in a professional sport.
Upsets are when unknowns beat great teams. App State over Michigan, Buster Douglas over Tyson, ULM beating Saban, Chaminade over UVA.
The Miracle Mets were a great story, but the NL Champs beating the AL Champs isn't a huge upset, especially in a sport like baseball where
I'd say this is the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history. But people calling it the biggest upset in the history of the game are getting a little caught up in the moment. UMBC is an NCAA tournament team, after all - something only about 19% of college teams can claim this year. If one of those tournament teams beating another gives rise to the biggest upset in the history of your sport, I think that suggests a flaw in your tournament structure.
That game was an early season tourney if I remember correctly. It meant nothing. UMBC win was much, much bigger.
I would agree with the OP. I never thought of UVa as unbeatable. Tyson, however, was just that. Thought that fight would be over in 45 seconds. I was in a Hilton Head hotel room with my wife and we were jumping around like lunatics.
I see your point, but there's so much parity (mediocrity?) in today's game; I'm never shocked by an upset. A #1 seed losing to a 16th is the last taboo to fall. The 82 UVA team would crush this year's UVA squad.
Leon Spinks over Ali.
Chaminade over UVA with Ralph Sampson.
Navy over # 2 ranked USC
USA over Russia at Lake Placid x2
App St over Michigan
NC State over Houston (phi Slamma Jamma)
Chaminade over UVA with Ralph Sampson.
Navy over # 2 ranked USC
USA over Russia at Lake Placid x2
App St over Michigan
NC State over Houston (phi Slamma Jamma)
What about the Cassius Clay of 1964 defeating the supposedly invincible Sonny Liston?
A lot of people forget that that was the 3rd meeting between the 2, G'Town won the first 2 by 7, and by 2. Agreed it took one hellova effort to beat them but you can see by the results of the first 2 it was not all that much out of reason
I thought NC State beating Houston(Phi Slama Jama) was a bigger upset
I remember that fight vividly...I paid like $50 for pay per view and a bunch of guys were going to split it with me. Just about everyone backed out saying the fight wouldn't last 2 rounds. I had the last laugh though, was one of the most entertaining fights I've ever seen.
I totally agree with the OP . People forget about how dominant Mike was because of his losses to Evander and Lennox Lewis later in his career . Mike was as dominant as anything we had ever seen in sports . To lose to a journeyman like Douglas in still the biggest upset in sports history , maybe neck and neck with the miracle on ice . Not only to lose but , that image of mike on all fours feeling around for his mouth piece when it was still hanging out of his mouth is one of the most iconic scenes ever . Mike was as an unbeatable monster, and that image will be remembered 100 years from now .
In retrospect, yeah, we all can see how it was inevitable that he was going to lose. However, at the time, Mike Tyson was the baddest man on the planet, an indestructible force. We were unaware just how much his life was in shambles. In a lot of ways Mike was a child in a grown man's body. He was used and not very well taken care of. It's unfortunate for him because he could have been the greatest ever.
Not only did he beat Mike , he took away his edge . Before Buster , every fighter that mike stepped in Against was terrified . Michael Spinks looked like he had tears in his eyes before the bell . Buster showed that if you weathered the swarm and fired back at mike , he would break . I remember watching the Tyson -Holyfield fight and Tyson jumped on him early and Evander stood toe to toe with him and even rocked him in the exchange . When Tyson went back to his corner he looked like he had no clue and Evander basically bullied him the entire fight before the TKO . Buster not only beat mike that night in Tokyo , Buster took Mike’s aura away .
Mike Tyson fought a bunch of stiffs in the 1980's and wrecked them. He was a product of Don King's hype machine. Tyson had a superhuman knockout ability but was only a capable boxer. He wasn't too much trouble for fighters who could box. And he fought no one in his early career that was on his level. Evander and Lennox Lewis thoroughly worked his ass. Buster Douglas wasn't a good fighter but was fearing no man after his mother died the week before the fight (and had a 1 foot reach advantage). But at the time the mythology was that Mike Tyson was an unstoppable force of god. Seeing Buster beat him was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Yes, I was going to post this earlier. He knocked out a bunch of no-name stiffs in the 1st round on PPV and everybody thought he was awesome. You can tell how old people are when they mention Tyson as an all-time great. But you can't fool people who know boxing... usually he's not even ranked in the Top 10 all time.
http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=138888
https://www.ringtv.com/410833-bill-caplans-20-greatest-heavyweights/
https://www.si.com/more-sports/photos/2009/11/18-1top-10-all-time-greatest-heavyweights#10
The thing about Tyson was, everyone who beat him had an arm-length advantage. They kept him away with the jab and whenever he got close they bear hugged him until the ref would break it up. There was a method to defeating him but I still don't believe Mike reached his full potential. When he fought Evander and Lennox, it was post prison and his prime fighting was behind him. Who really knows what Mike would have done had Cus not passed away. If you've really studied fighters, Mike was a clone of Floyd Patterson, only with more power and faster hand speed. The only heavyweight in history with a faster 3 punch combo was Muhamed Ali.
I think honorable mention of biggest upsets would have to be the Rumble in the Jungle . Ali was considered way past his prime and a shadow of his younger self . Foreman was a wrecking ball . He absolutely demolished Frasier and Norton , two guys who had beaten Ali and given him fits , Many people feared that Foreman would seriously injury Ali . The fact that Ali knocked Foreman out (and he was never considered a power puncher) after being battered for most of the fight is still one of the biggest upsets ever .
Ali was one of the smartest(in ring) boxers ever. The ropes were looser than they were supposed to be for that fight and he used them to his advantage. He propped himself up on the ropes and let Foreman punch himself out.
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George didn't ever put his arms up to guard his face, nor did he ever really develop a defense. He would just throw his arms up to block punches from the opponent. In addition to his "tree chopping" boxing method, Ali took advantage of George's non-defense. When Ali KO'd George, you can see George doing his best to block punches, rather than be defensive and guard his face...................all the way to the canvas.
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