What's the most unlikely rivalry in the history of boxing?

[Kev]

Good points Mick and well noticed.

I think Barrera Jones and Mayorga Forrest fit the criteria though as take away Jones wins over Barrera and Mayorgas wins over Forrest and neither of them would have very much at all. Same would have been true for Rahman had he beaten Lewis a second time.

It's an interesting topic though I think, trying to think of a big name elite fighter who got beat by an unheralded fighter not once, but twice.

I reckon Forrest and Barrera losing to Mayorga and Jones are the best examples but you are far more familiar than me with older fighters so I'm sure there are several more.

Had Randy Turpin won the rematch with Sugar Ray that would have been another decent example, and maybe Ingemarr Johansson came close over Floyd Patterson, certainly he's only famous for beating Patterson.

You see to me Jones was not unknown/unheralded.
Neither was Forrest or Moyarga at the time each won.
But I see your points.

Turpin-SRR would have possibly been the biggest.

Totally agree with Mick here thats why i chose my picks carefully Salvador Sanchez was virtually unknown and everyone thought Danny Lopez would hit Salvador Sanchez's big jaw easily and would KO him inside of 4 thats why people were saying "Little Red" vs "Little Unknown" Danny Lopez had made 8 title defenses and had been KOing almost everybody but Salvador Sanchez outboxed Danny Lopez comfortably in both fights although Danny Lopez was more fired up for the rematch he still got counter punched and struggled to land his big bombs and yet again just like the 1st fight couldn't put effective pressure on..........

Its the same with Carlos Monzon vs Nino Benvenuti Carlos Monzon just like Salvador Sanchez was virtually unknown and hadn't been on the world stage before where as Nino Benvenuti had been in there with some great fighters like Emile Griffith, Dick Tiger, and had been fighting at the world stage for years and Carlos Monzon stopped Nino Benvenuti with a devastating right hand in there 1st fight then just overwhelmed him early in there 2nd fight.

Nah Ice you're missing my question entirely. Monzon is one of the greatest middles of all time no way he can be considered unheralded.

To put it clearly the question I'm asking is 'What great fighters, i.e world champs p4p stars have lost TWICE to a fighter who apart from beating the said star had an unspectacular career.

We see that it's quite common in boxing for a relative underachiever or under performer to sensationally beat one of boxings bests, for example Rahman KO'ing Lewis, but I wanted to know specifically had there been any examples of a relatively unheralded fighter (on a world stage) beating a fighter and then against the odds beating them again.

Monzon in now way shape or form qualifies as he went on to be arguable the greatest middleweight of all time.

But both Mayorga and Jones fit the criteria perfectly. Both fighters entire resume's stand on their performances against Barrera and Forrest, they are simply not known to the boxing public at large except in relation to those wins.

Randy Turpin would have been another after his shock win over Robinson but he lost (albiet only just) the rematch so doesn't qualify.

So that's it in a nutshell, are there any other DOUBLE winners where an otherwise unremarkable fighter (and both Jones and Mayorga would be considered completely unremarkable in an elite sense) sensationally beat a great fighter not once, but two times, winning the rematch as well?

I think so far Jones and Mayorga are clearly the best examples........