There have been good and great boxers who lost twice to the same opponent called a nemesis. Others would lose in their first match and go on to win their next two matches against the same opponent.
Let’s start with heavyweights Jack ‘Manassa Mauler’ Dempsey, 53-6-8 with 43 knockouts. In September of 1926, in their first meeting before 120,557 at the Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, he lost to Gene ‘Fighting Marine’ Tunney, 77-1-3, over ten rounds.
Next, in July of 1927, Dempsey knocked out former champ Jack Sharkey, 27-6, in seven rounds. Sharkey claimed to have been hit low but it was disallowed.
Then came Dempsey’s rematch at Soldier’s Field in Chicago, IL, in September of 1927 with Tunney when he scored a knockdown in the seventh round. With a new ruling he was to go to a neutral corner but stood over Tunney some fifteen seconds.
Later called “the long count!” Tunney won the decision, and Dempsey never fought again while Tunney finished his career in his next fight, stopping Tom ‘The Hard Rock from Down Under’ Heeney, 32-8-5, from New Zealand, in eleven rounds. Dempsey worked the corner of Heeney.
That’s twice they fought and Tunney won both matches over Dempsey.
In September of 1950 world featherweight champ Willie Pep, 152-2-1, lost his title to Sandy Saddler, 115-7-2, being stopped after seven rounds, at Yankee Stadium, New York.
It would be a year for their rematch with Saddler again winning after nine rounds. Pep would end his career at 229-11-1.
Though considered the greatest pound for pound boxer of all-time by many “Sugar” Ray Robinson, 143-6-2, lost his middleweight title to Paul Pender, 35-5-2, in January of 1960 at the Boston Garden. In June in their rematch again Pender won. Robinson ended his career with a record of 174-19-6 with 109 stoppages.
Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali, 31-0, in his first meeting in March of 1971 with then champion ‘Smokin Joe Frazier, 26-0, at Madison Square Garden, New York, getting dropped in the final round and lost a decision to Frazier.
In January of 1974 in their rematch, Ali won by decision at Madison Square Garden, this for the NABF title.
Their third meeting was held in Manila, Philippines, dubbed ‘The Thrilla in Manila’ when Frazier couldn’t come out for the fifteenth and last round, losing to Ali. Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, wouldn’t allow Frazier to come out of the corner.
Ali at 41-1, had a similar situation with Ken Norton, 29-1, in March of 1973, by split decision. Ali suffered a broken jaw he claimed happened around the second round. I was in Philadelphia when I saw Ali in a crowd. An old timer said to him ‘the next time you fight Norton be a man not a boy!’ Ali quickly replied ‘did you call me Roy?’
Two weeks later, I went to Ali’s home in Cherry Hill, NJ, inviting myself into his home and asking his then-wife Belinda, “Can I talk to the champ?” He was a gracious host while entertaining other boxing people.
In September, Ali won their rematch by decision at the Inglewood Forum in California. It would be September of 1976 at Yankee Stadium, in the Bronx, in their third meeting with Ali taking the final round and winning the decision.