Anthony Joshua will try to avenge his upset loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. and reclaim his place as unified world heavyweight champion and (arguably) the best in the division.
With Ruiz-Joshua 2 set for Saturday night at Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia, let’s look at 12 memorable times that heavyweights sought rematch redemption.
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Some experienced success, while others fought to similar results as their original clash. How will Joshua fare coming off a stinging loss?
Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, June 22, 1938
Louis had more on his mind than rematch redemption after suffering his first career defeat to Schemling on a 12th-round KO in June 1936.
Entering the rematch, the Nazi party publicly claimed that a black man couldn’t beat Schmeling. That and then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave Louis some of the fuel he needed to blast Schmeling with three knockdowns en route to a first-round TKO at Yankee Stadium to claim the lineal title.
Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay, May 25, 1965
Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay as a 7-1 underdog, had made the most intimidating fighter of his time, Sonny Liston, quit after battering him over six rounds in their original clash (February 1964) to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Humiliated, Liston had revenge on his mind, but he’d fare even worse in the rematch over a year later, as Clay infamously knocked Liston out in the first round to retain the WBC, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles. Liston not only failed to taste redemption, but the humiliation continued as the rematch birthed one of the greatest sports photos of all time — a victorious Clay flexing over Liston's fallen body in the ring.
Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton, Sept. 10, 1973
Before Ali could ever exact revenge on Joe Frazier, “The Greatest” tried his hand at rematch redemption against the hard-hitting Norton, who fractured Ali’s jaw in defeating him in their original bout. Six months later, Ali sought revenge and got it with a split decision win over Norton to regain the NABF strap. The rivals would have a trilogy in September 1976, which Ali won by unanimous decision.
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Jan. 28, 1974
The March 1971 “Fight of the Century” didn’t go according to plan for Ali, who was dropped with a thud in the 15th round and wound up suffering his first career loss via unanimous decision to Frazier. Gone were Ali’s WBA, WBC and lineal titles along with the chance to secure The Ring strap.
However, after bouncing back into the win column with a victory over Norton and besting Rudie Lubbers the following month, the stage was set for Ali-Frazier II back at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden.
The rematch had Ali smothering Frazier early, even wobbling “Smokin’ Joe” during the second round, before riding that momentum toward victory to retain his NABF title.
Their third fight, the “Thrilla in Manila” in October 1975, also had Ali winning — this time by 14th-round TKO, as “The Greatest” badly damaged Frazier’s vision to the point where his corner refused to let him continue.
Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman, June 15, 1976
As bad of a man as Frazier was, he met an even badder man in Foreman, who thumped “Smokin’ Joe” toward a second-round TKO to take the WBA, WBC, lineal and The Ring titles and hand the Philadelphia fighter his first career loss.
That was January 1973 in Jamaica. Frazier would go 3-2 over his next two fights, including two losses to Ali, before aiming for redemption against Foreman. He wouldn’t get it, though, as Foreman dropped Frazier twice toward a fifth-round TKO to claim the NABF strap.
Muhammad Ali vs. Leon Spinks, Sept. 15, 1978
Ali looked every bit of 36-years-old in their original bout, in less than desirable ring shape, paving the way toward a split-decision loss. Seven months later, Ali did enough to have his hand raised by unanimous decision to snatch back the WBA, lineal and The Ring titles, though the rematch lacked fireworks. This would bring a close to the rematches in Ali’s legendary career, as the icon went on to lose his final two matches against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.
Evander Holyfield vs. Riddick Bowe, Nov. 6, 1993
Holyfield tried to slug it out with the younger, bigger Bowe in their first fight back in November 1992. It was the wrong move, as “Big Daddy” Bowe knocked down “The Real Deal” in the 11th round and cruised to a unanimous decision to take the WBA, WBC, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in Holyfield’s first loss as a pro.
But a rejuvenated Holyfield would even the odds a year later with a majority decision over Bowe to reclaim the WBA, IBF and lineal titles. The rematch notoriously included a man parachuting into Caesars Palace in Las Vegas during the seventh round, momentarily bringing the fight to a screeching halt.
The two heavyweights would end their rivalry in a non-title rubber match that had Bowe deliver an eighth-round TKO of his friend Holyfield.
Andrew Golota vs. Riddick Bowe, Dec. 14, 1996
Golota was winning on judges’ scorecards in the first fight before he inexplicably started hitting Bowe with blatant low blows. The bizarre attack sparked a disqualification and ignited Bowe’s entourage to blast Golota in the head with a walkie talkie.
The insanity from that July 1996 encounter spilled over five months later in the rematch, when Golota was once again up on the scorecards — even dropping Bowe in the second round — only to once again resort to low blows. Bowe won by DQ again. How bizarre.
Lennox Lewis vs. Oliver McCall, Feb. 7, 1997
Lewis was on the receiving end of a shocking second-round TKO to McCall, as he relinquished his WBC title back in September 1994. The fight came to an end at the Wembley Arena in London, where McCall caught Lewis with a strong right, dropping him with a thud. Although the stoppage might have come early, Lewis was clearly hurt.
Reeling from the embarrassment of suffering his first pro loss, Lewis would have to wait nearly three years to exact revenge. Before entering the rematch, Lewis tabbed renowned trainer Emmanuel Steward, who formerly trained McCall. While Lewis was stifling McCall with that long jab, McCall simply put his hands down and refused to box during the fourth and fifth rounds, as he broke down mentally and even started crying in the ring. The ref had no choice but to stop the bout, giving Lewis a fifth-round TKO and claim to the then-vacant WBC title. Strange way to win, but he took it.
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield, June 28, 1997
Irked over what Tyson felt was intentional head-butting that paved the way for Holyfield to deliver an 11th-round TKO in their first meeting back in November 1996, “Iron Mike” tackled the rematch with renewed revenge on his mind.
That sense of urgency following his second loss turned into fury, as Tyson once again felt like he was being head-butted in the rematch. Incensed, Tyson proceeded to infamously bite Holyfield on both ears, chomping down hard enough to take a chunk out of his right ear. Just like that, the fight ended in the third round via disqualification, as Tyson surrendered his chance to take back the WBA title.
Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield, Nov. 13, 1999
A majority of boxing pundits felt like Lewis did more than enough to defeat Holyfield in their first fight, yet it was controversially ruled a draw, as “The Real Deal” left Madison Square Garden with his WBA and IBF hardware in tow.
Exactly eight months later at the Thomas & Mack Center in Paradise, Nev., Lewis got a stiffer challenge from Holyfield, but still out-punched him toward a unanimous decision, as he retained the WBC and lineal titles, while adding the WBA, IBF and IBO straps to his mantle.
Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman, Nov. 17, 2001
Rahman literally chased Lewis across the ring in the first fight, throwing four straights jabs to which the champion mocked the game challenger. The grin was ill-advised, as Rahman caught Lewis with a thunderous right hand that knocked him out cleanly to become the new unified world heavyweight champion in South Africa.
Lewis and Rahman became embroiled in a contentious buildup toward the rematch, and when the date finally came seven months later, the British fighter produced the sweetest revenge with a fifth-round KO of his own. The KO came on a vicious left hook-right hand combination that snatched back the WBC, IBF, IBO and lineal titles with emphasis.
