What Was the Biggest Upset and Surprise in 2010 in Boxing?
There are big upsets, and surprising twists and turns, in the sport of boxing all of the time. Whether it’s from simply outworking an opponent, catching a favorite on an off night, or just landing that perfect punch, there are many ways to derail the big name and steal the win for yourself. Upsets like this happen often enough, but then, once every so often, a truly big upset takes place. In 2010, there was just such a surprise, and viewers were lucky enough to see it broadcast on a HBO card.
2010’s Biggest Boxing Upset: Jason Litzau SD10 Celestino Caballero
When Celestino Caballero stepped into the ring with Jason Litzau in November, he was a 13-1 favorite to win the fight. He was also on the verge of becoming a top 5 pound for pound fighter. When he left the ring the loser of a Split Decision, his shine had all but disappeared and he was left with the task of rebuilding a tarnished image instead of emerging as a household name and big star on HBO.
After a long reign at super bantamweight, Caballero finally stepped up to featherweight, but unable to land any big matches, he moved up to super featherweight for a “stay busy” bout against Litzau. The problem was that Litzau was the one that stayed busy during the contest. He used superior tactics and movement to keep Caballero off his game plan. Caballero, certainly not used to fighting an opponent as big or bigger than himself, was flummoxed from the start, and he clearly looked past his opponent to the bigger names that may have been awaiting him in the future.
That doesn’t take anything away from Litzau though. There’s nothing that can be said to take away from a 13-1 underdog pulling off the win. On the night they fought, he was simply the better man. Caballero couldn’t generate enough of his own offense, and he couldn’t defend himself adequately against what Litzau was putting out there.
Litzau was a one-time prospect, but he got knocked out twice in the span of five fights, effectively derailing any hope of climbing boxing’s ladder to the top of the sport. But the losses forced him to reevaluate his approach. He became more dedicated and professional, and when he got the call to face Caballero, he was able to put it together beautifully.
Where each man goes from here is anybody’s guess, but the 13-1 underdog performance by Litzau over Caballero is undoubtedly the 2010 Boxing Upset of the Year.
Thanks for checking out this installment and be sure to check out the complete list and collection of the ProBoxing-Fans.com 2010 boxing awards!
