Above: Jake LaMotta (standing) pulled off a last-second miracle with his knockout of Laurent Dauthuille in 1950.
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE A COMEBACK, AND THE THRILL IS EVEN GREATER WHEN THERE’S A WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE
The art of the comeback is always one of the most thrilling spectacle for sports fans, seeing athletes and teams overcome what at one point looked like insurmountable odds.
In a 1996 NBA game, we saw the Utah Jazz somehow claw back from a 36-point deficit to stun the Denver Nuggets. In the 2017 Super Bowl, the New England Patriots came from 25 points down to eclipse the Atlanta Falcons in overtime, largely due to a superhuman effort from the legendary Tom Brady. Soccer team Liverpool was down 3-0 at halftime against AC Milan in the final of the 2005 Champions League. It looked like damage limitation only for the British team to score three goals in seven second half minutes to tie the game. The Reds went on to win a breathtaking match on penalties.
There are many examples of great comebacks in sports. In many of those instances, however, the story was drawn out, giving us time to comprehend what was unfolding.
In boxing, a comeback can happen in the blink of an eye, an entire narrative upended by one shot.
The knowledge of that potential keeps us engaged until the final bell.
To quote Rocky, “It’s not over till it’s over.”
It doesn’t happen often, and that’s what makes it special. In the history of our beloved sport, there have been 15 standout instances when, heading into the final round of a world title fight, the fighter who was behind on the scorecards delivered a knockout to win.
September 13, 1950, Jake LaMotta KO 15 Laurent Dauthuille, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan • Titles: middleweight
Dauthuille had outboxed LaMotta in 1949. However, in the following 19 months, LaMotta had rebounded to claim the world middleweight title. The French challenger looked like he was repeating the trick, outboxing the rugged champion for much of the bout. LaMotta, who had absorbed some vicious punishment, responded by hurting the overconfident Dauthuille in the last round. Smelling blood, “The Bronx Bull” threw everything he had and landed a damaging left hook that dropped Dauthuille heavily into the ropes. Although the challenger made it to his feet, it was too late and he was counted out with just 13 seconds left in the fight.
LaMotta trailed on all three scorecards: 74-66, 72-68 and 71-69.
The bout was The Ring’s 1950 Fight of The Year.
via Legends of Boxing in Color on YouTube:
June 4, 1974, Oscar Albarado KO 15 Koichi Wajima, Nihon University Auditorium, Tokyo, Japan • Titles: WBA/WBC and inaugural Ring junior middleweight
Young veteran Oscar “Shotgun” Albarado fought outside the U.S. for the first time against the battle-hardened Wajima, and the Texan boxed well in the early going before the Japanese defending titleholder turned the fight into a war. They went toe-to-toe with neither really able to control the action, and the pace continued into the championship rounds. Wajima emptied the tank trying to take out the challenger. Albarado responded and dropped the hometown favorite three times, silencing some 10,000 in attendance en route to becoming the champion at 1:57 of the 15th round.
“I won because I was in top shape,” Albarado said of their slugfest. “I like Japan and I want to come back to defend my title.”
Wajima had the upper hand, 67-65 twice, while Albarado was ahead 67-66 on the third scorecard.
via Boxing Fights Collection on YouTube:
March 31, 1980 Mike Weaver KO 15 John Tate, Stokley Athletic Center, Knoxville, Tennessee • Titles: WBA heavyweight
Tate, a 2-to-1 betting favorite, was expected to be the next opponent of Muhammad Ali, if victorious, and for much of the fight the defending champion looked on course to do just that. He thrilled his hometown fans by building a strong lead.
Weaver continued to chip away, however, and by the championship rounds, Tate was feeling the effects. “Those bodyshots took their toll on him,” said Weaver. “I heard him groan from bodyshots. I was hurting him with shots.”
Going into the 15th and final round, Tate only had to stay on his feet to retain the title. “I knew I was behind on the scorecards,” said Weaver. “My manager told me, ‘The only way you’re winning this fight is knocking him out.’ He was tired, more tired than I was. By the 15th round, he was breathing heavy. Everybody said ‘keep moving,’ but he couldn’t.”
With a minute remaining on the clock, the challenger struck. “I remember throwing a right to the body, he dropped his right hand and I threw a short left hook,” said Weaver of the knockout blow. “That was the best punch of my career. I saw an opportunity and that was it. I went to the corner and I was counting with the referee … ‘one, two, three’ … and when he got to 10, I hopped up and fell back and stayed on the mat. It was a dream come true.” Tate, out cold, was counted out by Ernesto Magana at 2:15 of the 15th round.
Tate was comfortably winning, 138-133, 137-134 and 136-133.
via coachstrout’s classic fights on YouTube:
June 24, 1989, Jeff Harding TKO 12 Dennis Andries, Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey • Titles: WBC light heavyweight
Andries was making the first defense of his title in his second reign against late substitute Harding, who replaced the retired Donny Lalonde. Andries cut the challenger’s left eye in the opening round and had him bleeding from the mouth as early as the third. The veteran champion continued to have his way and scored a contentious knockdown in Round 5.
However, the tough Australian began to have moments in the second half of the fight as he closed the distance on his foe. Early in the penultimate round, Andries landed several hard shots only for Harding to reply in kind and hurt Andries. The minute’s rest wasn’t enough, and Harding hurt Andries again early in Round 12. Andries went down and regained his feet, but Harding was in no mood to let the opportunity go and quickly scored a second knockdown, sending Andries sprawling into the ropes before touching the canvas. Andries somehow got to his feet and bravely fought on, but he was in no position to continue and was saved by referee Joe Cortez at 1:23 of the round.
“I got the knockout, I was there till the end,” said Harding. The knockout came. That’s boxing.”
Andries was winning 107-105, 106-103 and 104-103.
via RayCosaNostra Gaming on YouTube:
March 17, 1990, Julio Cesar Chavez TKO 12 Meldrick Taylor, Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada • Titles: WBC/IBF junior welterweight
Entering the fight dubbed “Thunder Meets Lightning,” both combatants were undefeated in a combined 91 fights. Chavez was regarded as the No. 1 fighter in the world pound-for-pound by The Ring, while the same publication listed Taylor at No. 5. A fascinating style match was promised, with the power and withering pressure of Chavez pitted against the blinding speed and skills of the 1984 Olympic gold medalist.
Taylor unsurprisingly got the better of the early going, but Chavez relentlessly kept coming and his heavy hands took a toll on Taylor, who it was later revealed had suffered a facial fracture and, doubtlessly caused by the vicious body attack from the Mexican, was urinating blood after the fight.
As the fight neared its conclusion, Taylor had slowed and was being forced into more exchanges, which suited Chavez, who buckled Taylor’s legs and then backed the American into a corner. Chavez landed a left hand that sent Taylor down. He clamored to his feet, but referee Richard Steele decided Taylor had taken enough and, in a polarizing decision that is still talked about today, he waved off the action with two seconds to go.
“By the time I landed one real power shot, I was taking five, six in return,” said Chavez. “They weren’t hard shots, they weren’t power shots, but I couldn’t get in my range. I couldn’t get established. In that fight, I made a big mistake, which was trying to fight at his pace. That’s why down the stretch I was exhausted. I was completely exhausted. I found a way to do it, but I was done.”
Taylor was ahead 108-101 and 107-102, while the dissenting judge had Chavez up 105-104.
The fight was later named The Ring Magazine’s Fight of The Year and the Knockout of The Year.
June 7, 1992, Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez TKO 12 Kwang Sun Kim, Olympic Fencing Gymnasium, Seoul, South Korea • Titles: WBC junior flyweight
The vastly more experienced Gonzalez, in his second reign as WBC 108-pound titlist, headed to South Korea for the third time in his career. This time, he was facing the unbeaten 1988 Olympic gold medalist.
Both fighters had early successes and the bout was close through the first half, nobody really looking like the boss. The seventh round was fought at a furious pace with exchanges of heavy fire. Gonzalez was penalized a point for low blows in Round 8. The fight continued at a fast clip until Gonzalez dropped the hometown favorite with a left hook late in the 11th round. Kim was saved by the bell, but it was a mere stay of execution. He was dropped again early in the 12th round and was stopped soon afterwards.
“My corner said, ‘You have to do your best. In Mexico, you will be sure to be winning, but not here,'” recalled Gonzalez. “He was a very hard challenger. I was not doing great [in the fight]; this is why it will always be in my memory, the way I came back and won. It was very exciting.
“I wasn’t sure about the scorecards, but I didn’t feel like I was winning until I knocked him out. I knew I had to give everything. I was the alien there. I knew I had to drop him and take him out. I wanted to remain champion and did what I had to do.”
The 2006 Hall of Fame inductee was behind 105-103 on two cards and 104-103 on the third at the time of the stoppage.
via Ironbar Boxing on YouTube:
August 12, 1995, Paul Vaden TKO 12 Vincent Pettway, MGM Grand, Las Vegas • Titles: IBF junior middleweight
The unbeaten Vaden stepped up to world class for the first time against the veteran titleholder, who was making his second defense. The fight had a rather uneventful beginning in which Vaden stayed on the back foot and Pettway tried to initiate the fight.
Things came to life late in the fifth when both exchanged hard punches in the corner. Vaden’s style seemed to give him the edge, and he hurt Pettway on several occasions. A barrage punctuated by a right hand sent Pettway backwards in the last round. Vaden showed poise and picked his shots, eventually prompting referee Richard Steele to end matters with just 28 seconds remaining.
Despite his (and perhaps most people’s) belief that he was ahead, all three judges had Vaden 105-104 behind heading into the last round until the San Diego native got the stoppage.
“Truthfully, no one except three judges, who had a bad night officiating, felt I was losing going into the last round,” said Vaden. “Even Pettway’s manager/trainer, the late Mr. Mack Lewis, stated he didn’t know what fight the judges were watching, because [he thought] his guy needed a knockout to win.
“Be that as it may, my only thought was closing the show like a great musical performer in concert. Kind of like Michael [Jackson] doing ‘Man in the Mirror’ or ‘Billie Jean’ live in concert. He always closed those numbers strong. Thank God I chose to do the same.”
via PaulVaden on YouTube:
September 1, 2000, Dingaan Thobela KO 12 Glenn Catley, Carnival City, Brakpan, South Africa • Titles: WBC super middleweight
Catley headed to South Africa to put his title on the line against the veteran former lightweight titlist, who was fighting five divisions and some 33 pounds north of where he called home during his prime years.
For much of the contest, Catley appeared to have the upper hand. In the last round, he hurt Thobela, but out of the blue, the proud South African found a big right hand that thumped off the side of Catley’s head. The Brit’s legs did a dance and he lurched forward and stumbled into Thobela, who found a left hand that deposited the weary champion onto the floor in a neutral corner with 50 seconds to go. Catley somehow found his way to his feet but was still hurt. Thobela was composed and didn’t get greedy but soon scored a second knockdown. Although Catley again got up, but referee Eddie Cotton waved off the fight and thus minted one of the most unlikely Cinderella stories of modern times.
“I cannot forget, it was very close; everyone said I was behind,” said Thobela, who was indeed behind 108-100 and 105-103 on two of the official scorecards and even at 104-104 on the third. “I dropped him and… turned my life around. I celebrated it well, and those who didn’t believe in me anymore changed their minds. It was great.”
November 4, 2006, Shannon Briggs TKO 12 Siarhei Liakhovich, Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona • Titles: WBO heavyweight
Liakhovich was making the first defense of his belt against Briggs, who had come up short in his first title shot against Lennox Lewis, eight-and-a-half years earlier.
Briggs used his 30-pound weight advantage and kept Liakhovich at bay with his jab in the early going. The contest was fought at a slow pace, which seemed to suit the American. However, the defending champion looked to have the edge in their tepid encounter going into the later stages. Briggs’ corner told him he had nine minutes to win the title, while Liakhovich’s trainer told him he wouldn’t knock Briggs out and needed to use his speed.
It looked close as both went out for the final round. A big right hand from Briggs got Liakhovich’s attention with around a minute to go. Briggs himself was gasping for air but found another big right hand and followed up, dropping Liakhovich in the corner with less than 30 seconds to go. Liakhovich gathered himself and took the eight count. Briggs came forward and threw a combination that sent the Belarus native backwards and through the ropes and onto the officials’ table. Referee Bobby Ferrara had seen enough and called the fight off at 2:59.
“I kept chipping away and I won that fight. I won it in the 12th round,” said Briggs. “I was behind [on all three scorecards] and stopped him with one second left. I won the belt and I was happy, I worked hard for it. Boxing isn’t an easy job. It’s a tough business.”
Indeed, Liakhovich was ahead 106-103 on two cards and 105-104 on the third entering the last round.
via heavyweight & cruiserweight title fights on YouTube:
April 25, 2009, Carl Froch TKO 12 Jermain Taylor, Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut • Titles: WBC super middleweight
Froch headed stateside for his first defense of the WBC title against former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. The skillful American boxed his way into a commanding lead, which included a third-round knockdown, but he didn’t dissuade the rugged Brit; Froch kept coming.
Finally, after being jockeyed by trainer Rob McCracken, Froch hurt Taylor with a big right hand with just under two minutes left in the 12th round. Taylor tried to fight on the back foot and make it to the final bell, but a pair of right hands dropped the 2000 Olympian heavily with 45 seconds left. Now it was a race against time. Taylor was clearly hurt, and with nothing left he was taking shots on the ropes when referee Mike Ortega jumped in to end the fight at 2:45.
“Throughout the fight, I left myself open to counters and he countered well. But he’s a world-class fighter capable of landing big counters, which he did,” said Froch. “This was my first big fight in America, and before the last round my trainer told me I needed to have a big round. Everybody saw what happened.
“To be honest, I can’t really remember my thoughts, but my autopilot was [on]: Just try and hit him as hard as I can as many times as possible before the bell goes.
“Don’t stop trying. Keep the pressure on without smothering my work. Don’t get chinned.” (laughs)
Froch trailed 106-102 on two of the scorecards, while the third judge somehow had him up by the same score entering the final round.
February 16, 2019, Deejay Kriel KO 12 Carlos Licona, Microsoft Arena, Los Angeles • Titles: IBF junior flyweight
Licona was making the first defense of his title, which he had won two-and-a-half months earlier on the undercard of Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury 1. Meanwhile, the South African Kriel was making his U.S. debut. The fight took place deep on the undercard of Leo Santa Cruz-Rafael Rivera, so deep that there is no official recording of the fight, according to Kriel. For large swathes of the first nine rounds, Licona got the better of things and seemed on his way to making a successful first defense.
Kriel himself best describes what happened next:
“I got back to the corner at the end of the ninth, and [my trainer] Kenny [Adams] said to me, ‘Son, we’re losing this fight. Did you come here for nothing? Did you come all this way to lose? All this hard work we’ve put in, are you just going to throw it away? And from the 10th round, I started trying to put more power in my punches and started to hit with the intent to hurt. And from there, it started taking a toll on Carlos Licona.
“So, when it came to the 12th round, I kept pushing, I put everything I had into these three rounds, and all of a sudden, I hurt him with about a minute-and-a-half left with a big left hook. After I hit him, he held me. I didn’t know he was hurt – that fighting experience wasn’t there yet. He held on and I was trying to move and he held on, and I was like, ‘No, this guy’s hurt.’ I tried to push him off and he’s holding on for dear life. The ref finally splits us and I get close and I hit him with an overhand right and I hit him with another one and he went down. … I said, ‘Shit, I’ve got this.’
“I went back to the [neutral] corner, and I was like, ‘Please, ref, let us go,’ because I know there’s only like one minute left. He let us fight, and I hit him with a combination and he went down again. I was on fire, and all of a sudden I got my third wind and I saw him stumbling back and thought the ref was going to stop it, but I ran forward and hit him and he went down and the ref called the fight [off]. And that feeling was unbelievable, I can’t explain it. It’s one of the greatest in my life. It probably is the greatest moment in my life, other than having my kids now. That feeling of working since I was a young kid to becoming world champion. Unbelievable moment.”
Kriel was far behind on two cards, 108-101, and 105-104 on the other going into the 12th round.
(Photo by Jhay Oh Otamias)
June 21, 2019, Elwin Soto KO 12 Angel Acosta, Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California • Titles: WBO junior flyweight
Acosta was far more experienced than his Mexican foe and had things seemingly in hand during the fight. The Puerto Rican power-puncher looked to close the show in the final round with a barrage of shots that had Soto covering up. He got a little greedy, however, and Soto broke through with a perfectly timed left hook that robbed the defending champion of his senses and sent him staggering backwards. Soto saw his opportunity and unleashed a follow-up attack until referee Thomas Taylor interjected and called a halt to the action 23 seconds into the final round.
“My thinking was that I had to take risks to be able to knock out my rival, because I knew that I would lose the fight and my dream of being a world champion would go away,” said Soto. “I thought in my mind and I did it. I became world champion.”
At the time of the stoppage, Acosta was ahead 107-101, 106-102 and 105-103.
via Golden Boy Boxing on YouTube:
March 12, 2022, Leigh Wood KO 12 Michael Conlan, Nottingham Arena, Nottingham • Titles: WBA featherweight
There was no love lost during the build-up. And when the action began, Conlan started fast and dropped Wood heavily in the opening round with a snapping left hook. To his credit, Wood powered through the setback, and despite being caught numerous times by Conlan’s left hand, he remained in the contest.
Conlan enjoyed the better of the early stages before Wood began inching his way into the fight in the mid-rounds. Wood put the Irishman on the canvas in the penultimate round and carried that momentum into the 12th. Wood looked the fresher man as he and the visibly tiring Conlan exchanged power shots. Then, in the most dramatic of endings, Conlan retreated to the ropes where a combination punctuated by a right hand knocked him through the ropes onto the floor at ringside.
“I wasn’t really thinking about being behind,” said Wood, who replicated fellow Nottingham fighter Froch’s feat of scoring an improbable final-round knockout. “My mindset was I’ve been pushing the pace with him for the majority of the fight since Round 1 when I got put down, and it was just a matter of time before I got to him. He was slowing right down. Round 10, I noticed there was nothing on his punches. Round 11, I put him down. Going into the last round, I just thought it was a matter of time. And it was.
“I was so much in the zone up until I landed that last punch. It was like it woke me up, like someone went, ‘Click,’ you’re back in the room. It was a weird sensation. Before that moment, my whole body was like an out-of-body experience the whole fight. I couldn’t tell you much about that fight until that last punch. Strange feeling.”
Conlan was ahead 105-102, 104-103 and 104-103.
The fight was later named The Ring’s Fight of the Year as well as the Knockout of the Year.
October 28, 2023, O’Shaquie Foster TKO 12 Eduardo Hernandez, Poliforum Benito Juarez, Cancun, Mexico • Titles: WBC junior lightweight
Foster took his WBC belt to Mexico and made the first defense of his title against the power-punching Hernandez. The fight took place in what appeared to be a smaller ring, which favored the aggressive challenger and gave Foster less room to use his boxing skills.
For much of the early action, Hernandez overwhelmed Foster and outfought him. Foster had his moments, but he was behind entering the championship rounds and knew it. Foster made a stand and fought toe-to-toe with the Mexican and had him out on his feet, only for Hernandez to fight back from the brink.
With his title slipping away, Foster came on strong and dropped an exhausted Hernandez twice before taking the stunning victory at 2:38.
“Entering the 12th round, it’s like everything I worked on since I was 8 years old, when I started my career, all came together at once,” said Foster. “All the struggle, the pain I’ve been through gave me a boost to finish strong. When it was all over and my hand was raised, it was an unbelievable feeling. All I could do was thank the man above.”
Foster was hopelessly behind at the time of the stoppage by scores of 110-99, 107-102 and 106-103.
The 11th Round was later voted the Ring Magazine Round of the Year.
March 15, 2024 Raymond Ford TKO 12 Otabek Kholmatov, Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona, New York • Titles: vacant WBA featherweight
A pair of unbeaten challengers met in upstate New York to contest the vacant WBA 126-pound title. Both guys looked solid in the early going, but Kholmatov’s physical strength seemed to be the factor gradually swaying the fight. Ford got a foothold with a strong eighth round, but it was reversed when Kholmatov reestablished his momentum in Rounds 9 and 10.
The fight swung back in Ford’s favor when he hurt the tiring Uzbek in the penultimate round. With the seconds ticking down in the 12th, Ford knew it was now or never. He landed an uppercut and right hook that shook up the retreating Kholmatov, who fell into the ropes and to the canvas. Referee Charlie Fitch ruled it a slip, which may have prevented Kholmatov from having time to clear his head. A big left had Kholmatov on the back foot looking to survive the remaining seconds, only for Ford to chase him down and add the finishing touches, prompting Fitch to jump in at 2:53 of the round.
“He was weakening. I just had to [get the knockout],” said Ford. “The rounds was too close. My coach just told me, ‘Bring that dog out.’ I always knew I had it in me. I come from a rough background. I knew nothing would stop me.”
Ford trailed 106-103, 106-103 and 105-103 before the spectacular stoppage.
via Top Rank Boxing on YouTube:
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].
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