Most embarrassing defeats!

Morning Folks

Which fights have you seen (at any point) where the manner of defeat was hugely embarrassing for the fighter?

Some fights I can think of:

Joe Frazier Vs George Foreman
George Foreman knocked Joe to the ground more times than I can remember and the fight ended in round 2 I believe. Joe even looked like he was trying to run away from George at one point. Very embarrassing indeed.

Ricky Hatton Vs Manny Pacquiao
Ricky came out swinging like a kid from a school playground and got promptly flattened by the hard hitting Pacman.

Frank Bruno Vs Mike Tyson 2
Frank basically got flattened in 3 rounds, there was so much hype leading from their 1st encounter that this fight was going to be a cracker. It wasn't, at all.

Amir Khan Vs Bredis Prescott
Golden boy Amir went into this fight as a huge favourite and got sparked in 54 seconds. Has since come back much stronger although the defeat leaves an unanswered blemish on his record.

Any more for any more?

Cheers
Dazstarr

some great examples there.
lewis vs rahman is up there. rahman was WAY below lewis in terms of talent and knocked him out good and proper. (lewis was 20-1 favourite).

as we know, lewis avenged it with a better KO in a quicker time.

think the ultimate one was Buster Douglas and a little known fighter called Mike something. (odds - 45-1)

Honeyghan against Breland and Conteh against Saad Muhaamad the second time round. Honeyghan seemed to have forgotten anything that he had ever learned about the sport during his debacle. Conteh was as close to drunk as a fighter can be during a world title fight, which therefore gave his "performance" the one redeeming element that I doubt he felt much physical pain. For a 13 year-old fan who idolised the guy, the mental anguish was excruciating. Two huge embarrassments for two of our very best.

Does anyone want to get the Duran rolled like a drunk comment out there early doors?

Harrison v Haye?

Not a surprise by any means, but it must have been hugely embarrassing for Harrison. Although thinking about it, he didn't seem at all embarrased did he.

What's he up to nowadays, anyone know?

Harrisons loss to Haye was embarrasing, the guy didnt even throw a punch!

Union he was on Sky this morning discussing the fight. He has apparently not retired and is potentially fighting Mike Perez who won Prizefighter recently. So it would appear the dream is not yet over for the big guy.

Mike "Tyson" Perez?

Oh dear.

He will surely destroy Harrison, in fact he'll probably retire him, which after all, is what the Great British public all want to see more than anything. Should be a cracker.

I believe that we'd have to include Ali v Holmes if we are considering the manner of the defeat.

It matters not a jot that Ali was known to be shot to smithereens going in. The fact is that the ' fight ' was played out as a prolonged and grotesque humiliation of a once great fighter. Had it been anybody but Ali, somebody would have had the decency and humanity to pull him out after the end of the second round.

As far as embarrassing results go, regardless of the manner by which a fighter lost, I think there would be literally hundreds from which to choose. For historical significance, I would have thought that Louis' loss to Schmeling first time out would figure quite highly, and it's a credit to Louis that he was able, so quickly, to get his career back on track.

The term 'painful to watch' gets used too much, but Conteh against Matthew Saad Muhammad II fits that particular bill all too well. Captain beat me to it, but I doubt Conteh has ever been able to watch that one back. Horrendous performance and a sad spectacle, too.

I touched on it yesterday, but in terms of a sustained and thorough humiliation, Antonio Cervantes' loss to Nicolino Locche takes some beating. No shame in losing to a genius such as Locche, but I've never seen an elite level fighter be made to look so slow, clumsy and, at times, amateurish as Cervantes was in that fight. The fact that the agony was sustained for the full fifteen rounds only worsens it.

Dont think i've seen anybody as humiliated as Tyson was in the interview after the McBride fight.

Big george never expected to lose the rumble & it made a huge dent in his life to point of depression.

I think ODLH was embarrased after how one sided the Manny fight was, though i think that was partly his own fault for boiling himself down to looking like a monkey skelteton for the fight.

Dazstarr wrote:Morning Folks

Which fights have you seen (at any point) where the manner of defeat was hugely embarrassing for the fighter?

Baer V Braddock. Should have trained, shouldn't have messed around and shouldn't ever have lost to the Cinderella Man. Embarrassing night for Maxie.

Of a recent vintage, Seldon v Tyson. Utter capitulation from Bruce. He wasn't the only person crippled by fear when facing Tyson but his was a particularly pitiful and embarrassing "performance" from defending world champion.

Douglas against Holyfield is worth a mention, to see a guy who had been so impressive in dethroning Tyson give up the title so meekly was beyond embarrasing

How about Floyd Mayweather Vs Arturo Gatti, that fight must have been the most confidence sapping fight for Gatti. Whatever he tried either went wrong or got countered by mayweather all night long. Took alot of punishment in that fight and did not look in a good way at the end of it.

Some good examples here! Keep em coming.

I feel for you Captain - espy if you looked up to these guys. I was hurting as well after the Hatton loss to MP, and the Khan loss.

Lewis Rahman is a great shout Oasis.

Tyson losing to McBride has to also rank right up there whotobe.

I always feel said when thinking about the Ali/Holmes fight Windy. Very sad indeed.

With regards to Harrison - he was an embarrassment to the sport anyway since he turned professional. No sympathy for him whatsoever.

88Chris05 wrote:
I touched on it yesterday, but in terms of a sustained and thorough humiliation, Antonio Cervantes' loss to Nicolino Locche takes some beating. No shame in losing to a genius such as Locche, but I've never seen an elite level fighter be made to look so slow, clumsy and, at times, amateurish as Cervantes was in that fight. The fact that the agony was sustained for the full fifteen rounds only worsens it.

Don't know what you are talking about Chris. Clearly a "home town" decision if ever I've seen one.....

Cotto quitting against Margarito and Pacquiao...Hearns smashing Duran to bits.

Kirkland's recent KO by non-puncher Ishida was a bit of a shocker (although he doesn't have a defence...)

Would add both liston fights against Ali.

Some people do seem incapable of debating things sensibly but rather post the usual nonsense waiting to get a rise, quite sad really

On to the point in question think that Hopkins defeating Pavlik so comfortably was a tad embarrassing for a young champion to be humiliated by an old man

Jones Green was awful to watch.

Mr Bounce wrote:Kirkland's recent KO by non-puncher Ishida was a bit of a shocker (although he doesn't have a defence...)

A good one! Forgot about that!

fearlessBamber wrote:Jones Green was awful to watch.

Yeah - i wish i didnt see that!

Dazstarr wrote:

fearlessBamber wrote:Jones Green was awful to watch.

Yeah - i wish i didnt see that!

I remember watching Jones in his prime and thinking: this is the greatest fighter I have watched box on film. He was a phenomenon.

He's ruined his legacy with his post Ruiz exploits.

I related this story a time or two at the Beeb, but I guess the subject matter of the thread will allow me one more trip to the well.

In 1912, middleweight Al McCoy was scheduled to fight Joe Chip in a very low key affair. Chip took ill shortly before the fight and his brother, George, stepped in as a last minute substitute. George just happened to be the middleweight champion of the world but, to the astonishment of the boxing world, he was to reign less than another three minutes. The unfancied and unheralded McCoy sparked Chip in less than a round and by so doing became the first ever southpaw world champion.

Hatton v Pacquiao has to be up there. After so much big talk from Ricky about how he'd improved his jab and defence and how he was gonna be p4p no1 after the fight the outcome was humiliating. He fought like a novice, walked into every right hand manny threw before having to be peeled off the canvas after 6 minutes. Shocking.

HumanWindmill wrote:I related this story a time or two at the Beeb, but I guess the subject matter of the thread will allow me one more trip to the well.

In 1912, middleweight Al McCoy was scheduled to fight Joe Chip in a very low key affair. Chip took ill shortly before the fight and his brother, George, stepped in as a last minute substitute. George just happened to be the middleweight champion of the world but, to the astonishment of the boxing world, he was to reign less than another three minutes. The unfancied and unheralded McCoy sparked Chip in less than a round and by so doing became the first ever southpaw world champion.

I remember when you posted that on 606! Unbelievable tale! Thanks for sharing! How did Al McCoy fair in the division after becoming the champ?

You're welcome, Daz.

I'm working strictly from memory, here - and, come to think of it, I believe it happened in 1914, rather than 1912 - but if my memory is reliable he never defended the title before losing it to O'Dowd three years later. To his credit, he did fight Chip three times more in no decision affairs, as well as Harry Greb and ( I believe, ) lightheavy legend Jack Dillon, also in no decision ten rounders.

HumanWindmill wrote:You're welcome, Daz.

I'm working strictly from memory, here - and, come to think of it, I believe it happened in 1914, rather than 1912 - but if my memory is reliable he never defended the title before losing it to O'Dowd three years later.

Jesus Windy! How old are you!!!

Cheers for that, I will have to read into it!

A lot of no decision fights during his title reign Windy in which he lost most via newspaper decision, benefitted from the era he was fighting in more than any other

Imperial Ghosty wrote:A lot of no decision fights during his title reign Windy in which he lost most via newspaper decision, benefitted from the era he was fighting in more than any other

Can you clarify what you mean by no decision fights and newspaper decisions?

Cheers

Dazstarr wrote:
Jesus Windy! How old are you!!!

Ha !

Not quite that old, mate, though I do feel it, sometimes.

Haha!! Thought you were bionic for a second!

Around that time due to betting there was to be no official decision on a fight if it went the distance which led to many newspapers giving their own verdicts on a fight. So someone like Al McCoy who despite being relatively useless in world terms was able to hold on to his world title longer than he should purely because he had a semi decent chin and couldn't lose via knockout, in short he hears the final bell he retains his title.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Around that time due to betting there was to be no official decision on a fight if it went the distance which led to many newspapers giving their own verdicts on a fight. So someone like Al McCoy who despite being relatively useless in world terms was able to hold on to his world title longer than he should purely because he had a semi decent chin and couldn't lose via knockout, in short he hears the final bell he retains his title.

Wow - didnt know that! Cheers!

How about both Patersons fights with Liston, which then leads on to both Liston fights with Ali, which leads to Holmes Ali, which leads to Tyson Holmes, which leads to Williams Tyson.

This is like six degrees of humiliation only a lot more dull.

Gerrie Coetzee against Frank Bruno would be right up there. For a respected former champion to turn up in that kind of shape, and then somehow contrive to make good ol' Frank look absolutely spectacular, takes some doing. One of the first boxing-related books I read when I was seven or eight years old was 'The Frank Bruno Story', and I remember reading that Bruno actually went to Coetzee's dressing room after the bout and apologised for humiliating him in such a way in front of his family.

88Chris05 wrote:Gerrie Coetzee against Frank Bruno would be right up there. For a respected former champion to turn up in that kind of shape, and then somehow contrive to make good ol' Frank look absolutely spectacular, takes some doing. One of the first boxing-related books I read when I was seven or eight years old was 'The Frank Bruno Story', and I remember reading that Bruno actually went to Coetzee's dressing room after the bout and apologised for humiliating him in such a way in front of his family.

A true gent Chris!

I cant believe you were reading books like that when you were 7 or 8. I was reading bangers and mash books, Mr Men books and watching POB on tv.

How about both Patersons fights with Liston, which then leads on to both Liston fights with Ali, which leads to Holmes Ali, which leads to Tyson Holmes, which leads to Williams Tyson.

This is like six degrees of humiliation only a lot more dull.


heavyweight fights end in embrassing defeats a lot of the time, probably will happen on saturday too.

I would add Naz Barrera and Lacy Calzaghe as two fighters which ended in embarassing defeats

zx1234 wrote:How about both Patersons fights with Liston, which then leads on to both Liston fights with Ali, which leads to Holmes Ali, which leads to Tyson Holmes, which leads to Williams Tyson.

This is like six degrees of humiliation only a lot more dull.


heavyweight fights end in embrassing defeats a lot of the time, probably will happen on saturday too.

I would add Naz Barrera and Lacy Calzaghe as two fighters which ended in embarassing defeats

I disagree on the fights you picked there - I would say outclassed rather than embarrassed.

James DeGales loss to Groves... just because of how he conducted himself before the fight. Off the back if this, DeGale has been punched in the face whilst on holiday whilst he allegedly partied with Jack Tweed... a man of class.

I disagree on the fights you picked there - I would say outclassed rather than embarrassed.


perhaps you're right about lacy being outclassed but i think the naz defeat was quite embarassing given his cockiness getting beta out of him and the incident where naz grabbed barrera and pulled him to the ground, yet it didn't work. and when barrera whispered 'who's your daddy'

88Chris05 wrote:Gerrie Coetzee against Frank Bruno would be right up there. For a respected former champion to turn up in that kind of shape, and then somehow contrive to make good ol' Frank look absolutely spectacular, takes some doing. One of the first boxing-related books I read when I was seven or eight years old was 'The Frank Bruno Story', and I remember reading that Bruno actually went to Coetzee's dressing room after the bout and apologised for humiliating him in such a way in front of his family.

Very interesting that.

I remember that fight vividly. Frank made a believer out of me that night and I knew he'd beat Witherspoon - especially after seeing the blubber on him. What about the Smith fight ? - "La la la la, not listening".

zx1234 wrote:I disagree on the fights you picked there - I would say outclassed rather than embarrassed.


perhaps you're right about lacy being outclassed but i think the naz defeat was quite embarassing given his cockiness getting beta out of him and the incident where naz grabbed barrera and pulled him to the ground, yet it didn't work. and when barrera whispered 'who's your daddy'

Haha! this was embarrassing. Did Barrera actually say that? and in English? I see what you mean as in Naz made a rod for his own back with his arrogance.

fearlessBamber wrote:

88Chris05 wrote:Gerrie Coetzee against Frank Bruno would be right up there. For a respected former champion to turn up in that kind of shape, and then somehow contrive to make good ol' Frank look absolutely spectacular, takes some doing. One of the first boxing-related books I read when I was seven or eight years old was 'The Frank Bruno Story', and I remember reading that Bruno actually went to Coetzee's dressing room after the bout and apologised for humiliating him in such a way in front of his family.

Very interesting that.

I remember that fight vividly. Frank made a believer out of me that night and I knew he'd beat Witherspoon - especially after seeing the blubber on him. What about the Smith fight ? - "La la la la, not listening".

I doubt you were the only one Bamber, in fairness. The fight was before my time but having read various articles in the weeks after it, the way Bruno dispatched of Coetzee actually caused a few shockwaves. Holmes was gone, Tyson was yet to emerge at the very highest level, and there were serious suggestions that Bruno may have been the best Heavyweight in the world. Most thought he'd have the beating of Witherspoon and were putting the Smith defeat merely down to inexperience.

I always find it interesting that, from around the time of the Smith fight in '84, right up until early 1987, Floyd Patterson was drafted in to Bruno's training camps now and then - and he described Bruno as the best Heavyweight prospect he'd ever seen. High praise indeed, but just goes to show how highly rated Bruno was for a short while, even if those ratings do seem a little silly now.

Out of all the examples mentioned Duran - hearns is way the most embarassing...

Hatton did land a glove on Manny in the two rounds remember....

I saw a tape of a Bruno fight againast a guy called Gardner that lasted about 40 seconds..

I remember that was a bit embarassing..

Losing to his arch rival Groves must have been massively embarassing for DeGale.

Most fighters trash talk before the fight, but DeGale was non-stop, criticising practically EVERYTHING to do with Groves, and then he made the bet, absolutely GUARANTEEING to beat him.

The fact we haven't heard much from him recently would suggest his pride is hurt and he's feeling very embarassed.

Controversial decision is embarassing is it????

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Controversial decision is embarassing is it????

It is when you are a mouthy idiot who wanted to bet your purse and tell everyone how much better you are whilst completely disregarding every attribute of you opponent when neither are proven...

Plus there was the celebration before finding out... you lose.

THAT'S embarrassing!

.........Everybody celebrates before the decision in a close fight...

Do you watch Boxing???