Upsets Across Different Sports: Definition and Illustrations
English is where the term upset originated. The word is often used in sports to describe the victory of an unexpected "dark horse" over a familiar favorite. For athletes who are frequent visitors to places like Odds.ph, the surprises form part of the experience, as they speak to the capricious nature of sports.
Origin of the Term
It is quite hard to tell when the word first started. Most think it came about in August of 1919 in the United States during horse racing. A horse called Upset crossed the line first, beating out the recognized favorite and disappointing a lot of bettors who had wagered on the leader.
By the 1970s, the term was in common usage. In 1970, The Ring magazine started awarding boxers who were capable of producing surprise outcomes. Billy Backus won the first award when he defeated the harder opponent José Nápoles by technical knockout in round four.
The Most Famous Upsets in History
The word upset is derived from horse racing, but in recent decades it has been applied to many sports, including:
- Football
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Boxing
- MMA
The term is most commonly used in combat sports, where the most significant pre-requisite for an upset is a clear disparity in skills between the two combatants. The favorite has to win a victory that seems all but unimaginable—a sporting anomaly.
One of the loudest boxing upsets happened in 1978, when the legendary Muhammad Ali lost to Leon Spinks. At that time, Spinks had only seven professional fights under his belt. Bookmakers and experts heavily favored Ali, but Spinks shocked the world by claiming the world title. Ali’s lack of serious preparation and thoughts of retirement played a key role, while Spinks’ hunger for glory proved decisive.
In March 2003, Corrie Sanders fought Wladimir Klitschko in a WBO heavyweight title fight. Sanders knocked Klitschko down three times in two rounds after he had landed a crippling punch on him. The South African won the title in one of sport's biggest upsets.
It was in February 1964 that Cassius Clay shocked Sonny Liston. The public at the time knew very little about Clay—Muhammad Ali was to come later. The young challenger used his fast footwork and his speed, and by round six Liston quit on account of a shoulder injury.
Another of the great upsets was in November 1996, when Evander Holyfield defeated Mike Tyson. Tyson was dominant at the time, having returned to boxing and regained his physique, while Holyfield was plagued by health problems as well as a series of defeats. Everybody backed Tyson, but the result left the boxing world stunned.
In 2004, football witnessed a giant upset as Greece became European champions. Even within their own nation, it was not many who had faith in the success of the team. But clever tactics and discipline helped the Greeks make history.
MMA also witnessed its own share of shocking moments. Russian fighter Fedor Emelianenko, aka The Last Emperor, was unbeaten for years. But in 2010, Fabricio Werdum submitted him with a triangle choke, breaking Fedor's legendary record.
The 1980 Winter Olympics gave us the famous "Miracle on Ice." The powerful Soviet hockey team—world champions and Olympic gold medalists—were beaten by a young American squad made up mostly of college players. No one believed the Americans could possibly win, but they pulled off one of the greatest upsets in history.
Before the 1972 Olympics, the U.S. basketball team was the clear favorite. They had:
- A series of big victories
- Record unbeaten streak (63 games)
- Home crowd support in Munich
- Positive head-to-head record against the USSR
But fate favored the Soviet team coached by Vladimir Kondrashin. That final is still one of the greatest basketball games ever played.
Tennis, being head-to-head, often creates upsets. In 2013 Wimbledon, Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine shocked the world by defeating Roger Federer in a tough game. The upset was on all the headlines of the world and remembered for many years to come.
