Six greats who regained the heavyweight title



1FLOYD PATTERSON
The first two-time champion in the history of boxing's top division, Patterson was also the youngest heavyweight king when, at the age of 21 in November 1956, he knocked out Archie Moore in five rounds. He held the title until being battered in a three-round loss by Ingemar Johansson. Patterson was floored by the Swede seven times in a comprehensive defeat, but remarkably won their 1960 rematch via a fifth-round stoppage.
The drama continued in Patterson vs. Johansson III as the American hit the canvas twice and returned the favor inside the opening round before rallying to win in six. Sonny Liston brutally ended Patterson's second reign and an attempt to unseat the man who would emulate his historic feat proved unsuccessful.

2MUHAMMAD ALI
Ali was working toward the peak of his peerless powers when he dominated Patterson in late 1965. By 1967, however, "The Greatest" was beginning a three-and-a-half-year boxing exile on account of his refusal to be drafted into the U.S. Army for the Vietnam War. Ali's dancing feet had slowed by the time he returned and he was floored and outpointed by nemesis Joe Frazier in their "Fight of the Century " in New York in 1971. A second defeat and a broken jaw followed against the formidable Ken Norton.
It meant few gave Ali any hope against knockout machine George Foreman in Zaire in 1974, with many fearing for his health. But he befuddled Foreman with his "rope-a-dope" tactics, blocking shots, absorbing punishment and landing stinging counters before a decisive salvo off the ropes in round eight brought a picture-book knockout.
That win paved the way for a grueling third encounter with Frazier that left both men considerably diminished. Ali's slide was even more evident when he lost to Leon Spinks in 1978, although he had enough left in the rematch to become the heavyweight division's first three-time champion.
On this date in 1974: #MuhammadAli took down the undefeated "Big George" Foreman in The Rumble In The Jungle in Kinshasa, Zaire. #PeoplesChamp pic.twitter.com/xHSexr4I2t
- Muhammad Ali (@MuhammadAli) October 30, 2018

3GEORGE FOREMAN
After his chastening loss to Ali, Foreman prevailed inside five savagely violent rounds against Ron Lyle and made similarly short work of Frazier. But he walked away after a points loss to Jimmy Young in 1977, finding God and - so it would seem - the buffet line. A comfortably proportioned "Big George" was much mocked on his return to the ring 10 years later as he plodded to a fourth-round win over Steve Zouski.
"In those 10 years I relaxed, got fat and had babies. What else can you expect?" was an unperturbed Foreman's assessment and on he went, dutifully climbing the rankings. A points loss to WBA and WBC champion Evander Holyfield restored credibility before Foreman dropped a unanimous decision to Tommy Morrison for the vacant WBO crown. It proved third-time lucky on this most improbable and enduring of comebacks in 1994, when Holyfield conqueror Michael Moorer was left flat on his back by a thunderous right from the 45-year-old Foreman - 20 years on from "The Rumble in the Jungle."

4EVANDER HOLYFIELD
Holyfield initially lost his titles to Riddick Bowe before gaining revenge in a rematch. The majority-decision loss to Moorer followed, and he was also stopped in the rubber match of the thrilling Bowe trilogy. It meant the 34-year-old "Real Deal" felt very much like damaged goods by the time his long-anticipated shot at Mike Tyson arrived.
"Iron Mike" was himself a two-time champion by that stage, having bludgeoned the popular Briton Frank Bruno on the other side of prison time for a rape conviction. The Holyfield-Tyson rivalry is now best remembered for Tyson's implosion in the rematch, where he was disqualified after biting Holyfield's ear. But Evander's exploits in the initial encounter, one where he was considered cannon fodder, marked the crowning achievement of a magnificent career as he broke Tyson's heart and will on the way to a stunning 11th-round triumph.

5LENNOX LEWIS
Britain's last unified champion before Fury, Lewis became a three-time champion on account of avenging a pair of shock knockout losses. Caught cold by Oliver McCall in London in 1994, Lewis claimed their 1997 rematch in Las Vegas in bizarre circumstances when the troubled American refused to defend himself.
That returned the WBC belt to Lewis's possession and set up his defining nights against Holyfield for the undisputed championship. He was forced to wait for the validation of victory over Tyson by poor preparation and Hasim Rahman's right hand in South Africa in 2001. An immediate Vegas rematch saw the 36-year-old operating with menacing precision - his sledgehammer right off a roundhouse left leaving Rahman scrambling forlornly on the canvas.
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6WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO
Fury's exploits in befuddling Klitschko were particularly impressive, given they ended a dominant reign of 18 successive title defenses. The prospects of Klitschko enjoying such sustained mastery over boxing's big men seemed remote when Corrie Sanders bounced him off the canvas for two rounds back in 2003, ending a two-and-a-half-year WBO reign.
That defeat came in between knockout losses to Ross Puritty and Lamon Brewster, but Klitschko remodeled his style under Emanuel Steward - the esteemed trainer who masterminded a similar rebuilding job for Lewis after the McCall debacle. With a ramrod jab and devastating right hand, they ruled the heavyweight division with an iron grip.


https://www.sportingnews.com/us/boxing/news/deontay-wilder-tyson-fury-boxing-heavyweight-greats-regained-title/zn9kt6xtmujn16x3m7me1eu2f

FTC

The issue isn't about regaining the belt, the issue is going undefeated the entire duration of your career. 50-0-0. Persons like Mayweather Jnr

My opinion

7. The FacelessMan.

I was an underrated Heavyweight back in the 60s

It was my chance at global stardom. I trained like my life depended on it.

I squared up against James "Lights out" Toney. Undisputed champion and rated the best pound-for-pound fighter.

Round 1 started at the Madison Square Garden and Toney set out throwing jabs, hooks left and right.

[img]https://i./IycP.gif[/img]

I bobbed and weaved, dodging his head shots

He was tiring out quickly. I had absorbed all the body shots.

I started taunting him. I was already leading on all the judges' scorecards. 3 belts on the line!

[img]https:///media/6-03-2019/g1nmTQ.gif[/img]

"Come at me, punk!"


Next thing i know, i saw his right fist coming at 200mph and.....

[img]https://usatthebiglead.files./2013/08/daniel-jacobs-giovanni-lorenzo-face.gif?w=640[/img]

"LIGHTS OUT!!!!"

PS - Even if they had counted to 100, i wouldn't have stood up because i woke in the hospital 3 days later.

Stay tuned for the rematch!

Muhammed Ali, a great legend.

His story will forever remain golden.

The boxing GOATS

z

Anthony Joshua will make this list 7, no doubt.

I don't even want to see a rematch, I want to see an all tittle fight between ruiz and deontay wilder. Anyone who wins gets all four belts.

Where is SAMUEL PETER

Sure Jọshụa will be back

What about Bash Ali....

Glo network is like the defeated AJ
Never consistent

Ok

I wlll knock A.Joshua out in 5 minutes

I can't forget that day
Long ago ,I usually disturb my Neighbor by pressing dere door bell and run away.....
Till it got faulty and I touched it and it shocked me......
I decided I would not b only me DAT will get the electric shock.....
So I called my short cousin to press the bell, she was not able to reach it then I carried her up!
What happened changed my life..
Since den I've never touched anything bell again....Cow bell, door bell, church bell, school bell, even jingle bell, jingle Bell.... I don't sing it!
Coz the fear of bell is the beginning of long life!!!

I still can't believe that midget defected AJ. it's more of a set up, than a real professional boxing. They do all this, just to make the money, and the conspiracy theory is working. AJ has done better job on more formidable fighters.

In summary,AJ can still bound back more formidable & dreadly!
Come on AJ!

Mustiboy:

I can't forget that day
Long ago ,I usually disturb my Neighbor by pressing dere door bell and run away.....
Till it got faulty and I touched it and it shocked me......
I decided I would not b only me DAT will get the electric shock.....
So I called my short cousin to press the bell, she was not able to reach it then I carried her up!
What happened changed my life..
Since den I've never touched anything bell again....Cow bell, door bell, church bell, school bell, even jingle bell, jingle Bell.... I don't sing it!
Coz the fear of bell is the beginning of long life!!!

g

Anthony Joshua looked strong but actually fragile. He's got to go for psychological counseling else he won't regain the belts. It's a mind game. Need to consult his fellow country man, Lennox Lewis, on what it takes to regain a heavyweight belt.

JubrinElSudan:
The issue isn't about regaining the belt, the issue is going undefeated the entire duration of your career. 50-0-0. Persons like Mayweather Jnr

My opinion

Yes your opinion stinks


The issue is about regaining the belt not going undefeated the entire duration of your career that's the issue
AJ just made 20 million. And he lost so who is really winning cause all I see is 2 winners and when he regains the title history won't forget

naijaboiy:

LOL! May weather is just a lightweight champion fighting small men with the likes of pacquaio and Mcgreggor let him go for the heavyweight with the likes of klitchsko, wilder and lets see if he’ll survive.

Very true.....the reason they don’t mention Floyd or compare him to the likes of Ali and others.

JubrinElSudan:
The issue isn't about regaining the belt, the issue is going undefeated the entire duration of your career. 50-0-0. Persons like Mayweather Jnr

My opinion

The issue isn't about going undefeated.
The issue is about getting off shock defeats to create some of the greatest comebacks in history.
All the men mentioned above wanted to win, so they started again.
That, in my opinion, is how heroes are made.

I strongly believe Joshua lost the match on agreement. Ruiz hit the canvas early and Joshua was clearly in control until he started dropping guards and taking punches unnecessarily.

I'd like to believe it isn't about the money, but an attempt at raising contenders and making the entire quest for the HWT a joy to watch. Before now, the world wasn't interested if Joshua's opponent isn't Wilder but that has changed. Most people are looking forward to rematch already, which means more money, and possibly more recruited HW fighters waiting in line to try their luck against Joshua.

Anyone who saw AJ's match against VK and compare it to that of Ruiz would know that something went wrong.

JubrinElSudan:
The issue isn't about regaining the belt, the issue is going undefeated the entire duration of your career. 50-0-0. Persons like Mayweather Jnr

My opinion

How to know someone who is clueless about boxing: mention Mayweather when HWBs are mentioned.

naijaboiy:

LOL! May weather is just a lightweight champion fighting small men with the likes of pacquaio and Mcgreggor let him go for the heavyweight with the likes of klitchsko, wilder and lets see if he’ll survive.

In boxing you fight according to your weight, small man fights small man.

LET AJ REGAIN IT FIRST