Heavyweights often enjoy more success and more money when they can put together a run of momentum and come across as completely indestructible. When they have that '0' in the loss column on their pro record, it helps add to their aura — perhaps more so than in any other weight class.
However, that first defeat is not the be-all and end-all. Plenty of elite heavyweights have been conquered and gone on to great things after that setback.
On Saturday, we will see what Daniel Dubois is made of when he competes for the first time since losing to Joe Joyce in November. Can he bounce back in style and realise his dreams, regardless?
Here, DAZN looks at great heavyweights and how they reacted to their first loss.
Mike Tyson
In one of boxing’s most stunning upsets, Mike Tyson’s shocking loss to Buster Douglas in 1990 was a result that nobody saw coming. Tyson was set to face Evander Holyfield in a blockbuster clash later that year but that battle would have to wait until 1996 as Tyson prioritised rebuilding his career.
In June 1990, four months after his defeat to Douglas, Tyson wasted no time in demonstrating his menace as he destroyed former amateur rival, Henry Tillman in one round. Despite winning a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Tillman was unable to replicate his vested form in the pro ring and he was no match for this version of Tyson.
Evander Holyfield
No major inquest was required when Evander Holyfield suffered his first loss as a professional. After 12 hard rounds with Riddick Bowe in one of boxing’s best ever fights, Holyfield had to endure his maiden defeat despite a spirited effort against one of the division's most underrated fighters in November 1992.
Seven months later, Holyfield was back in the ring as he began his quest to reclaim the heavyweight crown he had lost to Bowe. Alex Stewart, a man Holyfield had stopped in 1989, was the opponent but this time the man from Atlanta had to go the full distance. He would end the year by getting revenge over Bowe in a fight made famous by a paraglider flying into the ring.
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis’ rise to the top was a destructive one as he cut through a number of decent operators such as Gary Mason, Razor Ruddock and Frank Bruno. In September 1994, Lewis defended his WBC title against Oliver McCall but he was shocked in round two as he was stopped by the referee leading to his first defeat.
With meaningful fights against the likes of Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield unavailable due to the manner of his loss, Lewis had to start from scratch and that meant a fight with Lionel Butler. The American veteran wasn’t in Lewis’ class but it was vital the British fighter got his confidence back and he did that with a fifth-round stoppage.
Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimer Klitschko was groomed for success from the moment he won an Olympic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta games. His rise through the professioanl ranks was very impressive but in late stages of fights, the Ukranian appeared to have a problem pacing himself and that was evident when he unravelled horribly to lose against ordinary American, Ross Puritty, in December 1998.
Nine weeks following his defeat to Puritty, Klitschko was back in the ring. Taking no chances, the Ukranian was handed an easy assignment against Zoran Vujicic, and he made no mistake in returning to winning ways as he blasted out his opponent in the opening round.
Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua’s American debut against Andy Ruiz was intended to be a marquee event that introduced Joshua to a lucrative market. Instead, it turned into the worst night of his professional career as he was dropped four times before being stopped in round seven in June 2019.
Six months later, Joshua took an immediate rematch against Ruiz in Saudi Arabia and applied a different strategy. His aggressive manner was replaced with a more disciplined approach as he boxed from distance to score with the jab. Joshua was handed the verdict on the scorecards as he erased the memory of what took place in New York.