One-Hit Wonders in Boxing History

[THE THIRD MAN]

Rocky Graziano ( a great warrior, he won the 2nd fight of 3 great battles with Zale but never successfully defended his title, being KO'd in 3 in the 3rd and deciding fight, somebody up there certainly did like him)

Ingemar Johannson (The hammer of Thor hit Patterson with thunder and lightning and that was it, he was a good fighter and might have given Ali trouble, but it was all too brief.)

Tom The Bomb Bethea (KO's Middleweight champ Nino Benvenuti in a non title match up who was 80-3-1 at the time, then promptly gets KO'd just 2 months later in a shot at the title)

Billy Backus (beat the great Jose Napoles on cuts then was easily disposed of in the rematch)

Leon Spinks (A lethargic Ali let Spinks win this one, no other explanation, see Holmes destroy Spinks and you see the class difference)

Buster Douglas (It's probably the number one of the lot)

Nice list. The only one I'd quibble with is Graziano. He drilled a series of good fighters in Freddie Cochrane twice, Billy Arnold, Bummy Davis, Marty Servo and Charlie Fusari. My gripe with Graziano is he was a middle whacking out welters in many cases.

I agonised over Graziano, he is a favourite and IMO had what is known as the boxing spirit in him, but he did only win the one fight at the elite level, (granted the man of steel Tony Zale was a great Middleweight champion), his one match up with SRR saw him KO'd in 3. The thread does say One hit wonders and if not for that win against Zale Graziano's career and legacy takes a complete u turn and no one would remember him.
I'm glad we all do.