Ring Magazine upsets of the year
Encyclopedia
The Ring
was established in 1922. Since 1980, it has named a fight that has resulted in an outcome that was highly contrary to general expectations as upset of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Here is a list of Ring Magazine' s upsets of the year:
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
was established in 1922. Since 1980, it has named a fight that has resulted in an outcome that was highly contrary to general expectations as upset of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Here is a list of Ring Magazine
1980s
- 1980 -
Japan Yasutsune UeharaYasutsune UeharaYasutsune Uehara is a former professional boxer and former WBA super featherweight champion. He is one of the few Japanese boxers to have won the world title fighting outside of Japan.- Biography :...
KO 6
Puerto Rico Samuel SerranoSamuel SerranoSamuel Serrano , nicknamed Sammy and El Torbellino, is a Puerto Rican who won boxing's world junior lightweight championship twice.-Early history:... - 1981 -
United States Roger Stafford W 10 
Mexico Pipino CuevasJose CuevasJosé Isidro "Pipino" Cuevas González is a Mexican former world champion boxer at the welterweight division.-Professional career:... - 1982 -
United Kingdom Kirkland LaingKirkland LaingKirkland Laing is a retired British Welterweight boxer nicknamed The Gifted One.Laing fought 56 times in a twenty year career, the highlight of which was a shock split decision win over Roberto Durán in September 1982. The fight was selected as Ring Magazine's upset of the year...
W 10
Panama Roberto DuránRoberto DuránRoberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career.... - 1983 -
South Africa Gerrie CoetzeeGerrie CoetzeeGerhardus Christian Coetzee , better known as Gerrie Coetzee, is a South African former boxer. He made history twice: he was the first boxer from the African continent ever to fight for the World Heavyweight Title, and the first to win the World Heavyweight Title...
KO 10 United States Michael DokesMichael DokesMichael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:... - 1984 - United States Gene HatcherGene HatcherRonald Hatcher Jr. , better known as "Gene Hatcher," is a former boxer who was world light welterweight champion. His nickname was "Mad Dog."-Amateur career:Hatcher was a United States Amateur Champion...
KO 11 United States Johnny BumphusJohnny BumphusJohnny 'Bump City' Bumphus , is a former boxer who was world light welterweight champion.-Professional career:... - 1985 - United States Michael SpinksMichael SpinksMichael Spinks is a retired American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions...
W 15 United States Larry HolmesLarry HolmesLarry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin.... - 1986 - United Kingdom Lloyd HoneyghanLloyd HoneyghanLloyd Honeyghan is a retired British boxer. Born in Jamaica, he was WBC/WBA & IBF welterweight champion from 1986 to 1987. and WBC welterweight champion from 1988 to 1989....
KO 6 United States Donald CurryDonald CurryDonald Curry is a retired boxer from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Nicknamed the "Lone Star Cobra," Curry was the Undisputed World Welterweight Champion and the WBC Super Welterweight Champion.-Amateur career:... - 1987 - United States Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
W 12 United States Marvelous Marvin Hagler - 1988 - United States Iran BarkleyIran BarkleyIran Barkley is a retired American professional boxer who held world titles at three different weights—middleweight , super middleweight and light heavyweight .- Professional career :...
KO 3 United States Thomas HearnsThomas HearnsThomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions... - 1989 -
France Rene JacquotRene JacquotRene Jacquot is a former professional boxer and world title holder.-Professional career:Jacquot turned professional in 1983 and captured the WBC Light Middleweight Title in 1989 with an upset win over Donald Curry. He lost the belt in his first defence to John Mugabi, via TKO in the first round...
W 12 United States Donald CurryDonald CurryDonald Curry is a retired boxer from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Nicknamed the "Lone Star Cobra," Curry was the Undisputed World Welterweight Champion and the WBC Super Welterweight Champion.-Amateur career:...
1990s
- 1990 - United States James Douglas KO 10 United States Mike TysonMike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
– see also Tyson vs. DouglasTyson vs. DouglasTyson vs. Douglas was a historic boxing match that occurred at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on February 11, 1990, in which then undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson lost via knockout to the 42–1 underdog Buster Douglas... - 1991 - No award given
- 1992 -
Ghana Azumah NelsonAzumah NelsonAzumah Nelson , a native of Ghana, is a former professional boxer. He is a three-time world champion in two weight classes.Nelson is the former Lineal and two-time WBC Super Featherweight Champion...
KO 8
Australia Jeff FenechJeff FenechJeff Fenech is a retired Australian boxer and a three-time world champion who is now a boxing trainer.-Boxing career:... - 1993 - United States Simon BrownSimon Brown (boxer)Simon Brown is a former professional boxer. Known as "Mantequilla", a name given to him by his famous trainer Jose 'Pepe' Correa, Brown was an welterweight fighter who held titles at multiple weight classes and at one point was considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in boxing.Brown...
KO 4 United States Terry NorrisTerry NorrisTerry Wayne Norris is a retired American boxer and a three-time world champion in the light middleweight division. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, he fought out of San Diego.-Early boxing career:... - 1994 -
South Africa Vuyani BunguVuyani BunguVuyani Bungu was a professional boxer. Known as "Carousel Kid" or "The Beast", Bungu was a force in the super bantamweight division throughout the 1990s.-Professional career:...
W 12 United States Kennedy McKinneyKennedy McKinneyKennedy McKinney is a former professional boxer, who won the bantamweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics... - 1995 - Mexico Willy Salazar KO 7 United States Danny RomeroDanny RomeroDaniel Gregorio Romero was a former world champion professional boxer. His nickname is "Kid Dynamite".Romero is a devoted Catholic...
- 1996 - United States Evander HolyfieldEvander HolyfieldEvander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
KO 11 United States Mike TysonMike TysonMichael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
– see also Tyson-Holyfield ITyson-Holyfield ITyson-Holyfield I or Tyson vs Holyfield I, also billed as Finally, was a professional boxing match fought between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson on November 9, 1996 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The referee officiating the fight was Mitch Halpern... - 1997 - United States Vince PhillipsVince PhillipsVincent Edwards Phillips Sr. is an American boxer best known for upsetting and beating then undefeated Kostya Tszyu for the junior welterweight title.- Early life :...
KO 10 Australia Kostya Tszyu - 1998 - United States Ivan RobinsonIvan RobinsonIvan "Mighty" Robinson is a boxer who has compiled a record of 36-12-2 since becoming a professional in 1992. He attended Simon Gratz High School.- Professional career :...
W 10
Canada Arturo GattiArturo GattiArturo "Thunder" Gatti was a Canadian professional boxer. Born in Cassino, Italy, and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Gatti relocated to Jersey City, United States as a teenager... - 1999 - United States Willy Wise W 10 Mexico Julio César ChávezJulio César ChávezJulio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
2000s
- 2000: Mexico José Luis CastilloJosé Luis CastilloJosé Luis Castillo is a Mexican boxer. Nicknamed El Temible, Castillo is considered one the best lightweights of his era. He is the former The Ring and two-time WBC Lightweight champion....
W 12 United States Stevie JohnstonStevie JohnstonSteven Earl Johnston is an American boxer in the lightweight division. Johnston is a two-time former WBC Lightweight Champion.- Amateur career :... - 2001: United States Hasim RahmanHasim RahmanHasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...
KO 5 United Kingdom Lennox LewisLennox LewisLennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship... - 2002: Mexico Juan Carlos Rubio W 10 Mexico Francisco BojadoFrancisco BojadoFrancisco Bojado is a Mexican professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division and represented Mexico at the 2000 Olympic Games. He's a former IBA Continental, WBC Youth World, and WBC Continental Americas Light Welterweight Champion...
- 2003: South Africa Corrie SandersCorrie SandersCornelius "Corrie" Johannes Sanders is a South African former professional boxer. In 2003 he became the WBO heavyweight champion by defeating Wladimir Klitschko via a second-round knock out that is considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history and won Ring Magazine upset of...
KO 2
Ukraine Wladimir KlitschkoWladimir KlitschkoWladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion... - 2004:
Jamaica Glen JohnsonGlen Johnson (boxer)Glengoffe Donovan Johnson is a professional boxer. Nicknamed Gentleman and The Road Warrior, Johnson is the former IBF and Ring magazine light heavyweight champion.-Amateur career:...
KO 9 United States Roy Jones, Jr. - 2005: United States Zahir RaheemZahir RaheemZahir Raheem is an American boxer. Known as "Z-Man", his current professional record stands at 30 wins, 3 losses with 17 knockouts....
W 12 Mexico Erik MoralesErik MoralesÉrik Isaac Morales Elvira is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the first Mexican born boxer in history to win a world title in four weight classes and is the current WBC Light Welterweight Champion... - 2006:
Argentina Carlos Manuel BaldomirCarlos Manuel BaldomirCarlos Manuel Baldomir is an Argentine boxer and the former WBC & The Ring welterweight champion.- Boxing Style :...
W 12 United States Zab JudahZab JudahZabdiel Judah is an American professional boxer. Judah has won five world titles between the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions, and is a former undisputed welterweight champion.... - 2007:
Philippines Nonito DonaireNonito DonaireNonito Donaire, Jr. is a Filipino-American professional boxer, who is widely known as "The Filipino Flash." He is a three-division world champion, having won five titles across three different boxing weight classes. He is a known switch-hitter with the ability to fight either southpaw or orthodox...
KO 5
Armenia Vic DarchinyanVic DarchinyanVakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World... - 2008: United States Bernard HopkinsBernard HopkinsBernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
W 12 United States Kelly PavlikKelly PavlikKelly Pavlik is an American professional boxer. He was The Ring, WBC, & WBO middleweight champion from when he beat Jermain Taylor on September 29, 2007 until he lost his titles to Sergio Martinez on April 17, 2010....
– see also Bernard Hopkins vs. Kelly PavlikBernard Hopkins vs. Kelly PavlikBernard Hopkins vs. Kelly Pavlik was a boxing match that took place on October 18, 2008, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, between then-43-year-old Hopkins and 26-year-old Pavlik. The fight was dubbed "Unstoppable", and no belts were at stake.... - 2009: Mexico Juan Carlos SalgadoJuan Carlos SalgadoJuan Carlos Salgado is a Mexican professional boxer in the Super Featherweight division. He is the former WBC FECARBOX, WBC Continental Americas Featherweight, and WBA Super Featherweight Champion...
KO 1
Venezuela Jorge LinaresJorge LinaresJorge Linares is a professional boxer from Venezuela. He is a former WBC featherweight champion and former WBA super featherweight champion. Linares is currently living in Tokyo, Japan. Jorge's older brother is boxer Nelson Linares.- Amateur career :Linares compiled an Amateur record of 89-5...