Biggest upset in sports history?

[RS]

Mike would not have been able to refuse such an invitation

Yikes

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

Mike would not have been able to refuse such an invitation

LOL. /thread.

 

[bhpower]

I don't see an upset in a good in-form Carlos beating Sinner on any tournament.

 

[soldat]

I don't see an upset in a good in-form Carlos beating Sinner on any tournament.

Before their match I also thought Alcaraz had a better chance of winning, even though I wanted Sinner to win.

The way Alcaraz is playing right now I feel like he’ll win Miami too.

 

[GAS]

This is of course a ridiculous thread, but in terms of sporting upsets, I can’t think of anything that compares to Leicester’s miracle Premier League title triumph in 2015/2016.

It goes without saying that a 38 round league campaign over 9 months, with every team facing each other home and away, is geared towards favouring the strongest teams with the deepest resources. An upset triumph under that format, clearly is in a different stratosphere to an upset triumph in a one off sporting event, or even in a competition with a direct elimination / knockout format (for example Greece’s at Euro 2004).

Leicester were the joint 16th favourites out of the 20 teams to win the title at the start of that season, and IIRC also had the 4th or 5th lowest wage bill - teams’ wage bills are usually the biggest driver of how successful they are. For perspective, only 4 different teams had won the Premier League title during the previous 20 completed seasons from 1995/1996 to 2014/2015 (Man Utd x 11, Chelsea x 4, Arsenal x 3 and Man City x 2). Also previously during the 21st century, 80% of the top 4 places in the Premier League had been filled by teams that had one of the top 4 wage bills.

Even within football and looking at other surprise league title triumphs, I’d say that Leicester’s in 2016 was clearly an even bigger upset than Verona’s in 1985, Kaiserslautern’s in 1998, Boavista’s in 2001, Montpellier’s in 2012 etc.

Also a great candidate to best centralized doping system ever.

 

[Sport]

portugal losing to greece at euro04 was bigger than both

LOL, no. Greece had defeated France and Spain previously, both better squads (especially France with Zidane, Henry, Trezeguet, Vieira, Makelele, Thuram, etc.). So the biggest upset was Greece defeating France, not Portugal.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Now, the question is, was this outcome a bigger sporting upset than Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson in 1990 (previously considered by many as the biggest upset ever in sports)?

In Boxing, one lucky punch can take out a far superior opponent.

That will typically never happen in tennis. If there is a clearly superior player, a lucky bounce will not determine the outcome.

 

[Mustard]

In Boxing, one lucky punch can take out a far superior opponent.

That will typically never happen in tennis. If there is a clearly superior player, a lucky bounce will not determine the outcome.

The closest tennis equivalents in terms of shock value upsets are Nadal vs. Soderling at the 2009 French Open, and Connors vs. Ashe at 1975 Wimbledon.

Douglas' win over Tyson was not "one lucky punch". Douglas dominated Tyson, aside from that knockdown count controversy towards the end of Round 8. It was most emphatically NOT like Lewis vs. Rahman 1. Tyson doesn't have a glass jaw like Lewis either. When Tyson gets KO'd, he has been outmuscled and pummeled for quite a while in the fight.

 

[RS]

In Boxing, one lucky punch can take out a far superior opponent.

That will typically never happen in tennis. If there is a clearly superior player, a lucky bounce will not determine the outcome.

This fight was actually a beating from start to finish almost.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

This fight was actually a beating from start to finish almost.

Yes, IIRC, it was in Japan and Tyson did not train properly. Did not take Buster seriously. Was out partying.
The "lucky punch" scenario was more along the lines of the fatty Foreman at age 45+ shocking the hapless Moorer.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=8805583929467592

 

[Pheasant]

Here are some other candidates for the greatest upsets ever:

2023 AO: Djokovic beat qualifier Couacaud
2004 WI: Federer beat Wild Card Bogdanovic
2008 FO: Nadal beat qualifier Bellucci
1996 Olympics: Aleksandr Karelin beat Ayari. This was right smack in the middle of a 6 year run where Karelin hadn't allowed a single point against him. But against all odds, he squeaked out a 10-0 win over Ayari.

I can't believe that those upsets happen. These are the biggest upsets ever.

 

[RS]

The closest tennis equivalents in terms of shock value upsets are Nadal vs. Soderling at the 2009 French Open, and Connors vs. Ashe at 1975 Wimbledon.

Douglas' win over Tyson was not "one lucky punch". Douglas dominated Tyson, aside from that knockdown count controversy towards the end of Round 8. It was most emphatically NOT like Lewis vs. Rahman 1. Tyson doesn't have a glass jaw like Lewis either. When Tyson gets KO'd, he has been outmuscled and pummeled for quite a while in the fight.

Lennox doesn't have a glass chin. It's more that he got caught without seeing the punch.

He took some huge punches from Mercer/Vitali/Tua etc etc

 

[Mustard]

Lennox doesn't have a glass chin.

Well, what would you call it? Lewis got punched clean by Rahman on the jaw and was KO'd. I can't imagine Tyson ever being knocked out in such a way. He will get pummeled for quite some time before he's KO'd. I'm not criticizing Lewis. There's not much you can do about your jaw. You either have a granite jaw, a glass jaw or something in between. Those with granite jaws, like Hagler, it's hard to imagine them getting knocked down let alone knocked out.

 

[RS]

Yes, IIRC, it was in Japan and Tyson did not train properly. Did not take Buster seriously. Was out partying.
The "lucky punch" scenario was more along the lines of the fatty Foreman at age 45+ shocking the hapless Moorer.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=8805583929467592

Moorer was winning but Foreman was landing huge shots throughout.

This a good indicator.

 

[RS]

Well, what would you call it? Lewis got punched clean by Rahman on the jaw and was KO'd. I can't imagine Tyson ever being knocked out in such a way. He will get pummeled for quite some time before he's KO'd. I'm not criticizing Lewis. There's not much you can do about your jaw. You either have a granite jaw, a glass jaw or something in between. Those with granite jaws, like Hagler, it's hard to imagine them getting knocked down let alone knocked out.

I think Lewis had a solid chin but not the best. But he took a good punch.

I agree Tyson had a better chin.

 

[Mustard]

Moorer was winning but Foreman was landing huge shots throughout.

This a good indicator.

Foreman said afterwards that Moorer didn't have the same focus and discipline that Tommy Morrison previously had when he beat Foreman. Morrison was usually an aggressive fighter with flashy KOs, but Foreman would have knocked him out had Morrison fought that way against Foreman. Morrison stayed on the outside, used his jab and won on points.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Moorer was winning but Foreman was landing huge shots throughout.

Foreman's punching power must be respected but Moorer cannot allow an obese old guy to beat him.
Amazing that Moorer became a champion. Moorer is a disgrace.

 

[Mustard]

Foreman's punching power must be respected but Moorer cannot allow an obese old guy to beat him.
Amazing that Moorer became a champion. Moorer is a disgrace.

Moorer was undefeated, and had beaten Holyfield.

 

[Better_Call_Raul]

Moorer was undefeated, and had beaten Holyfield.

Very impressed that a smaller guy became champ. But Moorer's size caught up with him vs Foreman.
Moorer is very small relative to the taller very obese Foreman. Obese tall guys like Foreman can pack huge punching power.

 

[Bisquick]

Ohtani getting taken out by his interpreter

 

[BauerAlmeida]

 

[Megafanoftennis100]

You're an idiot.

"Idiot" who predicted that Douglas would beat Tyson, when no other person expected it.
LOL

 

[AgassiSuperSlam11]

Foreman's punching power must be respected but Moorer cannot allow an obese old guy to beat him.
Amazing that Moorer became a champion. Moorer is a disgrace.

Moorer was not really a natural heavyweight and started out as a light heavyweight which sometimes causes problems for fighters when they moved up two divisions. Although Holyfield also started out as a LHW he really made his name in the Cruiserweight division (some regard him as the GOAT of that division). Holyfield definitely had a great chin lasting the distance with both Foreman and Lewis (twice).

I think the first round KO lost Moorer had against Tua was more disgraceful than the Foreman KO lost. Fighters often lose speed and reflexes at older age but still retain their power. Jack Dempsey past the age of 70 was still able to neutralize thugs when confronted. Moorer just needed to stay in his bike for the last few rounds in order to win the decision. The set-up Foreman used was reminiscent of Thai fighter Khaosai Galaxy often used in his KO wins.