'' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has since named an Upset of the Year since 1970. The award, based on the magazine's writers' criteria, is given to a fight that resulted in an outcome that was highly contrary to general expectations.

Upsets of the Year by decade

1970s

* 1970

Billy Backus Billy Backus, (born March 5, 1943 in Canastota, New York) is a former World Welterweight Champion professional boxer. In the summer of 2006 Backus retired from his correctional facility job and moved to South Carolina."Canastota's last champ pulls ...

KO 4

Jose Napoles Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galile ...

* 1971

Alfredo Marcano Alfredo Marcano (January 17, 1947 – April 5, 2009) was a Venezuelan professional boxer who competed from 1966 to 1975. He held the world junior lightweight title. Professional boxing career During his career, Marcano won the WBA and lineal ...

KO 10 Hiroshi Kobayashi * 1972

Esteban De Jesús Esteban () is a Spanish male given name, derived from Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos) and related to the English names Steven and Stephen. Although in its original pronunciation the accent is on the penultimate syllable, English-speakers tend t ...

W 10

Roberto Durán Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as w ...

* 1973 Ken Norton W 12 Muhammad Ali – see also Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton * 1974 Muhammad Ali KO 8 George Foreman – see also

The Rumble in the Jungle George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali, billed as ''The Rumble in the Jungle'', was a heavyweight championship boxing match on October 30, 1974, at the 20th of May Stadium (now the Stade Tata Raphaël) in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of t ...

* 1975 John H. Stracey KO 6

* 1976

Wilfred Benítez Wilfred "Wilfredo" Benítez (born September 12, 1958) is an American-born Puerto Rican former professional boxer and the youngest world champion in the sport's history. Earning his first of three career world titles in separate weight division ...

W 15

Antonio Cervantes Antonio Cervantes (born December 23, 1945) is a Colombian boxing trainer and former professional boxer who competed from 1961 to 1983. He held the WBA and ''The Ring'' light welterweight title twice between 1972 and 1980. In 2002, Cervantes ...

* 1977

Jorge Luján Jorge Luján (born March 18, 1955) is a Panamanian who was a professional boxer and fought many top-flight boxers and several champions during the 1970s and 1980s. Luján is the former Lineal and WBA Bantamweight world champion. He was managed b ...

KO 10

Alfonso Zamora Alfonso Zamora Quiroz (born 9 February 1954) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 1980. He was the Lineal championship, Lineal and World Boxing Association, WBA bantamweight champion, and made five title defenses. As ...

* 1978

Leon Spinks Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

W 15 Muhammad Ali – see also

Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks was a professional boxing match contested on February 15, 1978 in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the WBA, WBC, and ''The Ring'' heavyweight championship. Background After his unanimous decision victory against Earnie S ...

* 1979

Vito Antuofermo Vito Antuofermo (; born February 9, 1953) is an Italian American actor and retired professional boxer. He is a former undisputed World Middleweight Champion. Background Antuofermo was born in Italy, in the town of Palo del Colle, about inland ...

D 15

Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer and film actor. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight divisi ...

1980s

* 1980

Yasutsune Uehara is a former professional boxer and former WBA and lineal super featherweight champion. He is one of the few Japanese boxers to have won the world title fighting outside Japan. Biography Uehara was born in Naha, Okinawa. He won the inter-hig ...

KO 6

Samuel Serrano Samuel Serrano (born November 17, 1952) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 1969 to 1984 and made a two-fight comeback from 1996 to 1997. He was a two-time super featherweight world champion, having held the WBA title ...

* 1981 Roger Stafford W 10 Pipino Cuevas * 1982 Kirkland Laing W 10

* 1983

Gerrie Coetzee Gerhardus Christian Coetzee (born 8 April 1955) is a South African former professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1986, and in 1993 and 1997. He was the first African ever to fight for, and win, a world heavyweight championship, having hel ...

KO 10

Michael Dokes Michael Marshall Dokes (August 10, 1958 – August 11, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 1997, and held the WBA heavyweight title from 1982 to 1983. As an amateur he won a silver medal in the heavyweight division ...

– see also

Michael Dokes vs. Gerrie Coetzee Michael Dokes vs. Gerrie Coetzee, billed as "The Buckeye Homecoming", was a professional boxing match that took place on September 23, 1983, at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Township, Ohio, United States for Dokes' WBA heavyweight title. ...

* 1984 Gene Hatcher TKO 11

Johnny Bumphus Johnny 'Bump City' Bumphus (August 17, 1960 – January 31, 2020) was an American professional boxer who held the WBA super lightweight title in 1984 and challenged once for the WBC and IBF welterweight titles in 1987. Amateur career Bumphus ...

* 1985

Michael Spinks Michael Spinks (born July 13, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1988. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the undisputed light heavyweight title from 1983 to 1985, and the lineal ...

W 15

Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which led to his boxing nickname of the "Ea ...

* 1986 Lloyd Honeyghan RTD 6

Donald Curry Donald Curry (born September 7, 1961), is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1991, and in 1997. He held the WBA world welterweight title from 1983 to 1986, the undisputed world welterweight title from 1985 to 1986 a ...

* 1987

Sugar Ray Leonard Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professional ...

W 12

Marvelous Marvin Hagler Marvelous Marvin Hagler (born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; May 23, 1954 – March 13, 2021) was an American professional boxer and film actor. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight divi ...

* 1988

Iran Barkley Iran Barkley (born May 6, 1960) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, the IBF super middleweight ti ...

TKO 3

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowe ...

– see also Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley * 1989 Rene Jacquot W 12

1990s

* 1990 James Douglas KO 10 Mike Tyson – see also

Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas, billed as ''Tyson is Back!'', was a professional boxing match that occurred at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990. The then-undefeated, Undisputed championship (boxing), undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson lost by ...

* 1991No award given * 1992

Azumah Nelson Azumah Nelson (born 19 July 1958) is a Ghanaian former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2008. He was a two-weight world champion, having held the WBC featherweight title from 1984 to 1987 and the WBC super-featherweight title twice ...

KO 8

Jeff Fenech Jeff Fenech (born 28 May 1964) is an Australian former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2008. He won world titles in three weight divisions, having held the IBF bantamweight title from 1985 to 1987, the WBC super-bantamweight ...

* 1993 Simon Brown KO 4

Terry Norris Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Ame ...

* 1994

Vuyani Bungu Vuyani Bungu (born 26 February 1967) is a South African former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 2005. He held the International Boxing Federation, IBF junior-featherweight title from 1994 to 1999, and the International Boxing Organ ...

W 12

Kennedy McKinney Kennedy McKinney (born January 10, 1966) is an American former professional boxer, who won the bantamweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he won the IBF and WBO super bantamweight titles. Military service McKinn ...

* 1995 Willy Salazar KO 7 Danny Romero * 1996 Evander Holyfield TKO 11 Mike Tyson – see also

Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, billed as ''Finally'', was a professional boxing match fought between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson for the WBA heavyweight championship on November 9, 1996, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Neva ...

* 1997

Vince Phillips Vincent Edwards "Vince" Phillips (born July 23, 1963) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2007. He held the IBF junior welterweight title from 1997 to 1999, notably scoring an upset victory against then-undefeated ...

KO 10

Kostya Tszyu Konstantin Borisovich "Kostya" Tszyu (; rus, Константин Борисович «Костя» Цзю, , kənstɐnʲˈtʲin bɐˈrisəvʲɪtɕ ˈkosʲtʲə ˈdzːʲu; born 19 September 1969) is a Russian Australian former professional b ...

* 1998 Ivan Robinson W 10

Arturo Gatti Arturo Gatti (April 15, 1972 – July 11, 2009) was an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2007. A world champion in two weight classes, Gatti held the IBF junior lightweight title from 1995 to 1998, and the WBC supe ...

* 1999

Willy Wise William Bernard "Willy" Wise (born January 29, 1967) is a retired American professional boxer from Onancock, Virginia. Wise has an IBO world title, but is best known for his 1999 upset of Julio Cesar Chavez. Wise was partially reared in Westbur ...

W 10 Julio César Chávez

2000s

* 2000

José Luis Castillo José Luis Castillo (born December 14, 1973) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 2014. Generally considered one of the best lightweights of his era, he is a two-time world champion at that weight, having held the WB ...

W 12 Stevie Johnston * 2001

Hasim Rahman Hasim Sharif Rahman (born November 7, 1972) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2014. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified WBC, IBF, IBO and lineal titles in 2001; and the WBC t ...

KO 5 Lennox Lewis – see also

Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman, billed as "Thunder in Africa", was a heavyweight professional boxing match contested between unified WBC, IBF, IBO, and lineal champion Lennox Lewis, and Hasim Rahman. The bout took place on 22 April 2001 in B ...

* 2002 Juan Carlos Rubio W 10

Francisco Bojado Francisco Bojado (born 11 May 1983) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2007. As an amateur, he competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Francisco is also the brother of amateur boxer, Angel Bojado. Amateur career He co ...

* 2003

Corrie Sanders Cornelius Johannes "Corrie" Sanders (7 January 1966 – 23 September 2012) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 2003 after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds, whi ...

ТKO 2

Wladimir Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko; an equivalent English spelling is Vladimir Klichko . His full name in uk, label=Ukrainian is, Володимир Володимирович Кличко, Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko, . ( uk, Володимир Вол� ...

– see also Wladimir Klitschko vs. Corrie Sanders * 2004

Glen Johnson Glen McLeod Cooper Johnson (''né'' Stephens; born 23 August 1984) is an English former professional footballer who played predominantly as a right back. Johnson began his career at West Ham United, spending time on loan at Millwall, and was ...

KO 9

Roy Jones Jr. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer who holds dual American and Russian citizenship. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and held multiple world championships in four weight classes, inc ...

– see also

Glen Johnson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Roy Jones Jr. vs. Glen Johnson (boxer), Glen Johnson was a professional boxing match contested on September 25, 2004 for the International Boxing Federation, IBF light heavyweight championship. Background In his previous fight, then-World Boxing ...

* 2005

Zahir Raheem Zahir Raheem (born November 7, 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American boxer. Known as "King Raheem", his current professional record stands at 33 wins, 3 losses with 20 knockouts. After a stellar amateur career, which included a 213 ...

W 12

Erik Morales Erik Isaac Morales Elvira (; born September 1, 1976) is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2012. He is the first Mexico-born boxer in history to win world titles in four different weight classes, having held the WBC ...

* 2006

Carlos Manuel Baldomir Carlos Manuel Baldomir (born April 30, 1971) is an Argentine former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2014. He held the WBC, The ''Ring'', and lineal welterweight titles in 2006, and challenged once for the WBC super welterweight ...

W 12

Zab Judah Zabdiel Judah (born October 27, 1977) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2019. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF and WBO junior welterweight titles between 2000 and 20 ...

* 2007

Nonito Donaire Nonito Gonzales Donaire Jr. (; ; born November 16, 1982) is a Filipino American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes from flyweight to featherweight, and is the oldest boxer in history to win a ...

KO 5

Vic Darchinyan Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan ( hy, Վախթանգ Դարչինյան; born 7 January 1976) is an Armenian former professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF flyw ...

* 2008

Bernard Hopkins Bernard Hopkins Jr. (born January 15, 1965) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2016. He is one of the most successful boxers of the past three decades, having held multiple world championships in two weight clas ...

W 12 Kelly Pavlik – see also Bernard Hopkins vs. Kelly Pavlik * 2009 Juan Carlos Salgado KO 1

Jorge Linares Jorge Luis Linares Palencia (born 22 August 1985) is a Venezuelan professional boxer. He has held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC featherweight title from 2007 to 2008; the WBA super featherweight title from 20 ...

2010s

* 2010 Jason Litzau W 10 Celestino Caballero * 2011

Nobuhiro Ishida is a Japanese former professional boxer. He is a former WBA interim super welterweight champion who is best known for knocking out James Kirkland in a middleweight bout at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in April 2011. Ishida has so far been promote ...

KO 1 James Kirkland * 2012

Sonny Boy Jaro Sonny Boy Jaro (born March 24, 1982) is a Filipino former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2019, and held the WBC and '' The Ring'' flyweight titles between March and July 2012. Biography Jaro first made a living in making shoes wi ...

TKO 6

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam Pongsaklek Wonjongkam ( th, พงษ์ศักดิ์เล็ก วันจงคำ; born: 11 August 1977) is a former Thai professional boxer and current boxing trainer. He is a two-time former lineal flyweight champion. During his fi ...

* 2013 Marcos Maidana W 12 Adrien Broner – see also Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana * 2014

Chris Algieri Christopher Mark Algieri (born March 2, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former kickboxer. In boxing he held the WBO junior welterweight title in 2014 and challenged for the WBO welterweight title later that year; in kickboxing he wa ...

W 12

Ruslan Provodnikov Ruslan Mikhailovich Provodnikov (russian: link=no, Руслан Михайлович Проводников; born 20 January 1984) is a Russian former professional boxer and politician. In boxing he competed from 2006 to 2016, and held the WBO ...

* 2015

Tyson Fury Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is an English professional boxer. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBC title since defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020, and '' The Ring'' magazine title from 2020 to August 202 ...

W 12

– see also

Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury Wladimir Klitschko vs. Tyson Fury, billed as ''Kollisionskurs'' (German for Collision Course), was a professional boxing match contested between World Boxing Association, WBA (Unified), IBF, World Boxing Organization, WBO, International Boxing Or ...

* 2016 Joe Smith Jr. TKO 1

Andrzej Fonfara Andrzej Fonfara (born 4 November 1987) is a Polish former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2018 and held the IBO light heavyweight title from 2012 to 2013. He also challenged twice in his career for the WBC light heavyweight title, ...

* 2017

Sadam Ali Sadam Ali (born September 26, 1988) is an American professional boxer who held the WBO junior middleweight title from 2017 to 2018. He also challenged once for the WBO welterweight title in 2016. Early life Ali was born in 1988 in Brooklyn, New ...

W 12

Miguel Cotto Miguel Ángel Cotto Vázquez (born October 29, 1980) is a Puerto Rican former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2017. He is a multiple-time world champion, and the first Puerto Rican boxer to win world titles in four weight classes, ...

* 2018

Cristofer Rosales Cristofer Jordan Rosales González (born 6 October 1994) is a Nicaraguan professional boxer who held the WBC flyweight title in 2018. Professional career Rosales turned professional in 2013 and had a record 26–3 before challenging Japanese b ...

TKO 9

Daigo Higa is a Japanese professional boxer who held the WBC flyweight title from 2017 to 2018. Amateur career Higa turned pro at the age of 18, after a brief amateur career where he accrued a 36–8 record. Professional career Higa's manager is Boxi ...

* 2019 Andy Ruiz Jr. TKO 7 Anthony Joshua – see also Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr.

2020s

*2020

Teófimo López Teófimo Andrés López Rivera (born July 30, 1997) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title from 2019 to November 2021, and the WBA (Super), WBO, and '' The Ring'' magazi ...

W 12

Vasiliy Lomachenko Vasyl Anatoliyovych Lomachenko ( uk, Василь Анатолійович Ломаченко, ; also spelled Vasiliy; born 17 February 1988) is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in three weight classes fr ...

– see also Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Teófimo López *2021

George Kambosos Jr George Kambosos Jr (born 14 June 1993) is an Australian professional boxer who held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and '' The Ring'' lightweight titles from 2021 to June 2022. As of September 2022, he's ranked as the world's number one lightweight by ...

W 12

References

External links

{{authority control * Boxing awards Upsets of the year