Rematch Revenge Boxing’s heavyweight division has had more than its share of U-turns. As we await the second Usyk-Fury fight, here are some examples, in chronological order, of heavyweight losers becoming winners.
Max Schmeling vs. Jack Sharkey June 12, 1930 When Gene Tunney retired in 1926, an elimination was ordered by the National Boxing Association (a forerunner of the WBA) and New York Commission. The two finalists were Schmeling and Sharkey. By the fourth round, Schmeling was writhing in pain on the canvas, victim of an alleged low blow. Referee Jim Crowley was not in position to see the punch, so he took the word of one of the judges and awarded Schmeling the title via disqualification. There was a whiff of brimstone in this one and the next.
unanimous decision and won the title for the third and final time.
in the third round, knocking down champion Patterson seven times before referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the rout at 2:03 of the round.
Lennox Lewis vs. Oliver McCall September 24, 1994 Granite-jawed McCall had won nine of his previous 10 fights but was
Ingemar Johansson vs. Floyd Patterson
June 20, 1960 Patterson became the first heavyweight champion to regain the title when
better known as Mike Tyson’s sparring partner. He floored Lewis with a right in the second
round, and although Lennox was back on his feet by the
he knocked out Johansson with
count of six, referee José Guadalupe Garcia ruled the Englishman unfit to continue and stopped the fight at the 0:31 mark of the second round.
one spectacular left hook at 1:51 of the fifth round.
Jack Sharkey vs. Max Schmeling June 21, 1932 After 15 rather uneventful rounds, Sharkey won a controversial decision and the
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks February 15, 1978
Oliver McCall vs. Lennox Lewis February 7, 1997
An aging Ali needed a relatively easy defense after a grueling battle with Earnie Shavers. His team selected Spinks, who had won the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1976 Olympics but had only seven pro fights. In a startling upset, Leon won a split decision to claim the title. The electrifying bout was The Ring’s Fight of the Year and the 15th round was the Round of the Year.
McCall had recently been in rehab and should not have been in the ring
that night. He had lost the title in his second defense, so the rematch
world title. The Ring editor Nat
Fleischer disagreed with the verdict and
with Lewis was for the
wrote, “Most of the effective work was accomplished by Schmeling who carried the fight to Sharkey, maneuvered his opponent cleverly, and landed the best punches of the few that really meant something.” Floyd Patterson vs. Ingemar Johansson June 26, 1959 The Swede flabbergasted the crowd at Yankee Stadium when he unleashed his “Hammer of Thor”
vacant WBC strap. McCall refused to go to his corner after the
Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali
third round and just walked around the ring. He only threw two punches in the fourth. Referee Mills Lane took him by the arm and walked McCall to his corner, where Oliver began crying. Realizing McCall was having a nervous breakdown, Lane stopped the fight 55 seconds in the fifth and awarded Lewis a TKO victory.
September 15, 1978 The rematch was a massive moneymaker. There were 63,350 inside the New Orleans Superdome and approximately 90 million around the world watched on television. Ali achieved an easy 15-round
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