5 Boxing Underdogs Who Can Change History in 2011

Boxing is filled with underdogs and their upset victories.

From Buster Douglas' shocking knockout of an undefeated Mike Tyson to Muhammad Ali's rope-a-dope of George Foreman, underdogs are what fuel the stories that become movies, books and folklore.

Over the past few months, boxing has witnessed its fair share of upsets from Victor Ortiz's upset win over an undefeated Andre Berto to James Kirkland's first-round destruction at the hands of Nobuhiro Ishida.

Four full months still remain in this year. Upsets still have a chance to rain down on the garden of Boxing, causing change to grow from the soil of expected conclusions to the treetops of unpredictable outcomes.

So without further ado, here are the five biggest underdogs who can change boxing history.

5. Ronald Hearns as He Faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s conditioning coach Alex Ariza has recently complained about the conditions surrounding the upcoming fight against Ronald Hearns (26-2, 20 KOs).

Chavez Jr (43-0-1, 30 KOs) hasn't had a sufficient training camp because his promoter, Bob Arum, hasn't been clear until now as to whether he'll be fighting on September 17 in Mexico or not.

Now the date is confirmed and Hearns is confirmed, but Ariza admits to not even knowing who he is. The advantage in that regard goes to Hearns.

Hearns, though, is still an underdog. He's lost against any real contender he's gone up against. Felix Sturm (36-2-1, 15 KOs) and Harry Joe Yorgey (23-1-1, 11 KOs) have managed to knock Hearns out despite not being big punchers.

Chavez Jr., for all his critics that say he's not elite, his ability to give and take big punches still puts him ahead on the betting table. Hearns will have to overcome this.

Hearns even admits that this is his final shot. He's already lost in his previous title shot only to receive another opportunity so soon.

Beating Chavez Jr. alters the middleweight landscape and shifts attention back to the division where most fights have appeared to have a preordained winner before the opening bell.

The better fighters and champions such as Sturm and Sergio Martinez don't seem to face each other. They seem content to just beat everybody else.

A dark cloud of disinterest forms when the same forces dominate a division, but don't fight each other. That cloud of disinterest continues to hover until a blast of sunlight parts them.

The sunlight, in this case, would be an upset of one of the world champions, Chavez Jr.

4. Daniel Ponce De Leon as He Faces Yuriorkis Gamboa

Gamboa (20-0, 16 KOs) has amazed many boxing fans with his skillful knockout performances against Jorge Solis (37-3-2, 27 KOs) and Rogers Mtagwa (26-14-2, 18 KOs) in four rounds and two rounds, respectively.

Ponce de Leon (41-3, 34 KOs) is more known for coming up short in his biggest matches against Celestino Caballero (34-4, 23 KOs) where he lost by decision and Juanma Lopez (30-1, 27 KOs) where lost by first-round knockout.

Ponce de Leon is the older fighter and the one who needs to win some big fights to cement his legacy before calls for retirement grow loud.

Gamboa is the faster, stronger and some may argue more skillful fighter between the two. Ponce de Leon is skilled and more experienced, but being knocked out in the first round by Gamboa's rival, Lopez, doesn't make fans have much faith in his potential against Gamboa.

But should Ponce de Leon hand Gamboa his first loss, that could help completely change the featherweight (126 pound) division into an "Anything Can Happen" division.

Before Lopez was defeated this past April by Orlando Salido (35-11-2, 23 KOs), Lopez and Gamboa were the only thing boxing fans could talk about. Those two were like a smaller undefeated Hispanic Mayweather vs. Pacquiao in terms of hype and anticipation.

Then, Lopez lost a match he was supposed to win. That deflated the hype and drive to see him face Gamboa. Now Gamboa faces a former world champion as he awaits Lopez to come back and win in a rematch with Salido in order to restart the hype machine.

If Ponce de Leon beats Gamboa, the hype machine dies completely but the notion that matches (at least at featherweight) are predictable begins to disappear. 

3. Darren Barker as He Faces Sergio Martinez

Rising British star Darren Barker (23-0, 14 KOs) has the chance of lifetime. The generally accepted pound-for-pound No. 2 in the world, Sergio Martinez (47-2-2, 26 KOs), puts his status on the line October 1 in Atlantic City on HBO.

Many boxers have walked the Boardwalk, few have come up successful, especially against the likes of Martinez. Martinez had a phenomenal last year in boxing.

He caused cuts above both the eyes of former middleweight (160 pounds) world champion Kelly Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs) and knocked out his rival in round two of a rematch of the 2009 fight of the year candidate.

Martinez was universally hailed as the fighter of the year. Though he's been fighting for over 11 years, his career hadn't picked up much steam in the media until he blasted light middleweight world champion Alex Bunema in 2008.

Going from obscurity to pound-for-pound hero in less than three years is an impressive feat, but Barker now holds the same opportunity. If Barker can beat Martinez, he sparks change in the pound-for-pound list and becomes an instant British sensation.

Martinez is going to be tough. He's fast, strong and highly experienced with the skill to adapt to many types of fighters. Barker is skilled, but still an unknown entity. No one knows how he'll handle his first elite opponent.

They'll know by October 1.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez as He Faces Manny Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 38 KOs) is a Mexican warrior known for his comeback victories where he rises from the canvas like a Phoenix ready to fire back at his opponent.

Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) is one of the few foes to slip away from the flame of Marquez. In their first encounter in 2004, he came away with a draw. In 2008, Pacquiao escaped with a split decision victory.

Now in 2011, they fight again, except in a higher weight division where many question Marquez's ability, speed and punch resistance.

In Marquez's only attempt at the welterweight level, he was defeated by dominating unanimous decision by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao has vanquished five opponents who competed at welterweight or higher. The edge goes to the younger, faster and harder punching Pacquiao, but is that enough?

Will Marquez's heart, determination and skills finally bring him the victory that evaded him the most? There's a saying in boxing that style makes fights. Some say Marquez has the style to beat Pacquiao but question if he still has what is physically required to perform the task.

Watch this fight closely because Marquez has chased this fight like a dog chasing a steak on a stick. Now that the fight is signed and in his grasp, expect him to bite as hard as possible.

We'll see if the old Mexican warrior's teeth are sharp enough come November 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada live on HBO pay-per-view. 

1. Victor Ortiz as He Faces Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KOs) has a tough task ahead of him. Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) is undefeated, ring-savvy and a lot more experienced.

Some question Mayweather's physical abilities after a 16-month layoff and at an advanced age of 34. Will Ortiz's youth play a major role? It could.

Old boxers, even with the knowledge, have been known to just not have the bodies to implement their genius plans anymore. They get knocked out, retire and go train a younger guy to go make their money.

Mayweather has shown no obvious signs of whither in his most recent performance against Shane Mosley in May of last year, but age is a sneaky thing.

If Ortiz can pressure and exploit the old master, he might be able to pull off the type of upset that leads to crowning him the fighter of the year. He's already defeated one undefeated fighter, the 27-year-old former welterweight world champion Andre Berto (27-1, 21 KOs).

Ortiz has shown in his performance against Berto a drive to win and a heart to never quit in the ring. If Ortiz succeeds in beating Mayweather, he takes one of the most legendary "0's" in the business.

In return, Ortiz ascends to an instant boxing deity. Mayweather is on such a level that even beating an older version of him will gain the victor unparalleled praise and elevation from the boxing public.

If any underdog can change boxing history in 2011, it's Ortiz in his battle against against Mayweather on September 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada live on HBO PPV.