Lennox Lewis and five other boxers who took revenge on plucky underdogs and can inspire Joshua against Ruiz Jr
ANTHONY JOSHUA faces the biggest test of his boxing career when he fights Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch on December 7.
Standing in the opposite corner is the only man to have beaten him. A man who floored him three times on the way to producing one of boxing’s biggest ever shocks.
Joshua has proved he has the boxing skills and KO power throughout his career.
But in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia 18 days before Christmas, the London 2012 Olympic champ will have to prove he can overcome those mental scars of the shattering defeat.
Ruiz believes AJ is looking to win on points. But if that is indeed what happens, it will be job done for the British heavyweight.
Here, SunSport takes a look at six times boxers have got the ultimate revenge and won their rematch.
LENNOX LEWIS vs Hasim Rahman, November 17, 2001
Heavyweight shocks have happened before, just ask Brit hero Lennox Lewis.
He was knocked out in the fifth round by 15/1 underdog Rahman in South Africa to lose three world titles.
There were rumours that Lewis took the fight lightly, and hadn’t trained at altitude to prepare him for Carnival City.
But as with most title defences, a rematch clause was inserted into the contract, and in November the same year Lewis won back his titles with a fourth-round KO.
EVANDER HOLYFIELD vs Riddick Bowe, November 6, 1993
Much like Joshua, Evander Holyfield suffered his first defeat that saw him lose three heavyweight world titles to Bowe on November 13, 1992.
And Joshua will be hoping his path follows Holyfield’s as the American went on to avenge that defeat.
And that fight had everything.
Round 11 was named by the prestigious Ring Magazine as ‘Round of the Year’, and the fight was interrupted when a man tried to parachute into the ring.
He got tangled in the lights however, flopped onto the ropes and was carried off into the crowd where he was given some punches of his own for the interruption.
Holyfield sneaked it on a majority decision to win back his world titles.
JAKE LAMOTTA vs Laurent Dauthuille, September 13, 1950
This should go down as one of the greatest last-gasp wins in boxing history.
The legend LaMotta was going for revenge after losing his middleweight world title the previous year to the Frenchman.
But it was all going wrong, and Dauthuille was well ahead as the fight moved into the 15th and final round.
LaMotta knew what he had to do, KO his opponent.
And with just 13 SECONDS left of the fight, he did just that courtesy of a huge looping left that saw Dauthuille counted out.
LaMotta of course went on to be played by Robert De Niro in the hit film Raging Bull that showed how he was destructive out of the ring as he was in it.
MUHAMMAD ALI vs Joe Frazier, January 28, 1974
It’s little wonder Ali was gunning for revenge when he had lost his first ever bout in what was dubbed as “Fight Of The Century” in their first scrap.
It pitted pro-war Frazier against a man in Ali who had refused to agree to conscription. And “Smokin’ Joe” was the one who had his arm raised with a unanimous points win.
Ali had to wait over three years to get back into the ring against his bitter rival – but it was all worth it.
Not so much for the fans though at Madison Square Garden who howled their anger at Ali using spoiling tactics to get the points decision.
It was revealed Ali had clinched 133 times during the 12 rounds. He would go on to beat Frazier in their trilogy fight at the “Thriller In Manilla”.
MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA vs Erik Morales, June 22, 2002
Two of Mexico’s most revered boxers put on the Fight Of The Year in 2000 – Ring Magazine would go on to call their first fight the Fight Of All Times.
Morales won that on a split decision, with many believing Barrera should have been named victor.
Two years later Barrera got his revenge – but this time many thought Morales should have won on points.
Barrera put on a tactical affair, attempting to nullify Morales’ KO power but was floored in the seventh.
The referee ruled it a slip and Barrera went on to win in controversial fashion on the scorecards.
What it did do was set up a trilogy fight perfectly – which Barrera won on majority points.
SUGAR RAY ROBINSON vs Carmen Basilio, March 25, 1958
Robinson avenged a shock loss of a year earlier to his fellow American, the first was named Fight Of The Year.
But many believe he actually lost both of these to the unfancied Basilio
In the second clash, Basilio effectively fought nine of the 15 rounds through one eye – it was totally swelled shut from the sixth round.
But most ringside at the Chicago Stadium still felt Basilio had done enough to win. All except the judges who awarded it to Robinson with a split decision.
Robinson was, and still is, regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. But he will have been breathing a huge sigh of relief at getting his revenge against “The Onion Farmer”.
