Madison Square Garden, the mecca of boxing, has hosted countless legendary fights since the 1920s. Although the place is celebrated for epic battles and champion coronation nights, true mass unrests in which overwhelming favorites were shockingly defeated are relatively occasional. When they take place at The Garden, they instantly become history.
Here are the five biggest upsets in MSG history, ranked by shock value, betting odds, pre-fight expectations and long-term impact.
1. Andy Ruiz Jr. TKO7 Anthony Joshua
June 1, 2019
The most stunning heavyweight upset of the state-of-the-art era – and one of the greatest in boxing history – took place right here, on Joshua’s American debut. The unified champion was a huge favorite (with odds of -3000) and was expected to beat Ruiz, who replaced him at the last minute. Instead, the chubby underdog from California dropped Joshua four times and stopped him in seven rounds, becoming the first Mexican heavyweight champion of the world. Shockwaves competed with Buster Douglas for Mike Tyson.
2. Vilomar Fernandez SD10 Alexis Arguello
July 26, 1978
One of the most overlooked monsters in boxing history. Arguello, the undefeated Nicaraguan superstar and newly crowned WBC super featherweight champion, was a 10-1 favorite (some reports say even higher) against journeyman Fernandez. In an incredible shocker, Fernandez took a split decision and won the title, handing “El Flaco Explosivo” the first defeat of his Hall of Fame career.
3. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai MD12 Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez
March 18, 2017
Gonzalez entered as the pound-for-pound king and -800 favorite, having posted a decade-long unbeaten streak. Thai fighter Rungvisai, a massive underdog, knocked him down in the first round and beat him over 12 brutal rounds to win by majority decision. This loss ended Chocolatito’s reign at the top of the sport and remains one of the most shocking P4P shocks of the 21st century.
4. Vernon Forrest UD12 Shane Mosley
January 26, 2002 (Madison Square Garden Theater)
“Sugar” Shane Mosley was the welterweight king, the organization’s pound-for-pound elite and a -400 to -500 favorite. Towering, slender, underdog Vernon Forrest dropped him twice and completely dominated en route to a clear, unanimous decision. The victory announced Forrest as the fresh man in the division and marked one of the most vital moments in the welterweight era.
5. Joe Frazier UD15 Muhammad Ali
March 8, 1971 – “Fight of the Century”
Both were undefeated, but the betting favorite was Ali – returning from a three-year exile – (around -170 to -200). Smokin’ Joe had other plans. Frazier knocked down Ali with a celebrated left hook in the 15th round and won a convincing unanimous decision, handing “The Greatest” his first professional defeat in front of a celebrity-packed Garden crowd on one of the most iconic nights in sports history.
These five fights stand out above the rest because of the sheer amount of expectations they subverted. Madison Square Garden has seen its share of hard-fought, competitive classics, but when a true underdog shocks the world under the radiant lights, it becomes legendary.