Amir Khan Loses to Lamont Peterson and Boxing's 10 Biggest Upsets of 2011

Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO) represents the last great upset of the year in a year where upsets were prevalent in high-profile fights. Many undefeated fighters were knocked out by underrated veterans.

Many rising stars expected to blow through the latest name in a resume-building win have suffered losses to fighters of forgotten or overlooked gifts that shocked the world.

What an upset does for a sport is that it reminds the viewer that the odds don't always speak the truth about what fighters actually bring into the ring. This creates a level of unpredictability.

When upsets happen, the monotony of predetermined fights momentarily ceases to give the twist ending a boxing fan's heart secretly desires. Here are the Ten Biggest Upsets of 2011. 

10. James De La Rosa vs. Allen Conyers

James De La Rosa (20-1, 12 KO) is a Mexican welterweight (147 lbs) who was undefeated and taking on a journeyman by the name of Allen Conyers (12-5, 9 KO) to pad his record.

Conyers was also returning to the ring for the first time since 2008 and lost his last two fights by knockout. Conyers surprised everyone by beating De La Rosa.

Conyers dropped De La Rosa three times en route to an unanimous decision in which De La Rosa got schooled, proving an undefeated record doesn't mean as much as what a fighter is undefeated against.

9. David Lemieux vs. Marco Antonio Rubio

David Lemieux (25-2, 24 KO) is a Canadian knockout artist who was undefeated when he met Marco Antonio Rubio (52-5-1, 45 KO) in a WBC middleweight (160 lbs) eliminator to see who'll face the champ.

Lemieux was able to get the fight in his hometown, raising the already high expectations he would come away with a victory. Rubio was pounded for the first five rounds only to take advantage of a fading Lemieux in Round 6.

In Round 7, Rubio dropped an ill-conditioned Lemieux who tired too quick for a 22-year-old fighter. Lemieux got up but was rushed by the Mexican veteran who pounded him until his corner threw in the towel.

8. Hozumi Hasegawa vs. Jhonny Gonzalez

Hozumi Hasegawa (29-4, 12 KO) vs. Jhonny Gonzalez (51-7, 45 KO) was meant to be a boxing exercise for WBC featherweight (126 lbs) world champion Hasegawa until Gonzalez went to the body in Round 3.

The bodyshots shook Hasegawa to his core and headshot near the end of the round took his legs. In Round 4, Hasegawa seemed alright until Gonzalez landed a right that floored Hasegawa.

Hasegawa beat the count only to be waived off thanks to noodle-legs he displayed. Gonzalez is a solid fighter, but was not meant to be up to par with Hasegawa.

7. Alfredo Angulo vs. James Kirkland

Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17 KO) was looking for a fighter to run through on his way back to the top of the junior middleweight (154 lbs) division following some VISA issues with the United States.

James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KO) was needing a big fight to make people realize he was still a major contender in the aftermath of his first-round knockout loss a few months earlier.

While Kirkland was expected to make it an exciting fight, he wasn't expected to make it very competitive. On top of Angulo's maturity as a fighter, iron-chin and power, the fight was held in Angulo's native Mexico.

Kirkland was knocked down in the first round and immediately everyone had thoughts of Kirkland's embarrassing upset earlier in the year, but Kirkland battled back.

Angulo soon fell to the canvas for the first time in his career by the end of the exciting back and forth first round. For the next five rounds, Kirkland would proceed to beat every doubt of his ability out of Angulo.

In the sixth round, a flurry against the ropes brutally handed Angulo the first stoppage loss of his career. Kirkland's upset of Angulo is the biggest win in his career and a huge step toward boxing superstardom.

6. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs Jorge Arce

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-1-1, 18 KO) was a 27-year-old Puerto Rican trying to follow in his father's footsteps by knocking out a 32-year-old Mexican legend named Jorge Arce (59-6-2, 44 KO).

Arce was supposed to be too past his prime to handle an undefeated knockout king in Vazquez. Arce was getting tagged for the majority of the night, but the veteran Mexican's determination held on.

Arce nailed Vazquez with more and more consistency as the fight neared the championship rounds. Vazquez's corner finally threw in the towel in the 12th and final round after taking a flurry against the ropes.

Now Vazquez will have another chance to recapture the WBO super bantamweight (122 lbs) world championship when he faces Nonito Donaire (27-1, 18 KO) in February.

Arce recently vacated the title to go back down to the bantamweight (118 lbs) division he has had much success with in the past.

5. Andre Berto vs. Victor Ortiz

Andre Berto (28-1, 22 KO) was undefeated walking into the ring, but Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO) made sure to leave with Berto's "0" and his WBC world welterweight championship belt.

Ortiz was a boxer of questionable heart ever since he quit in the ring against Marcos Maidana (31-2, 28 KO) in 2009. With the Berto victory, Ortiz erased any of those doubts and raised all expectations.

Though Berto lost, a very unexpected outcome, he gained a multitude of fans for showing his tenacity and resolve to keep fighting the whole 12-round distance despite getting hurt badly from two knockdowns.

4. Giovani Segura vs. Brian Viloria

Giovani Segura (28-2-1, 24 KO) stopped an undefeated Ivan Calderon (35-2-1, 6 KO) in eight rounds last year in a surprise victory, then stopped Calderon again in three rounds in the rematch this year.

Now that Segura was a top-10 pound-for-pounder, not many gave Brian Viloria (30-3, 17 KO) the proper chance to succeed. Viloria shocked the world by handing Segura first knockout loss in Round 8.

Viloria remains the WBO flyweight (112 lbs) world champ and hopefully will continue to shock and amaze the boxing world. May I suggest Hernan Marquez (32-2, 24 KO) or Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (83-3-1, 45 KO)? 

3. James Kirkland vs. Ishida Nobuhiro

Possibly one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. James Kirkland came into the fight 27-0 with 24 knockouts only to get knocked out in the first round by someone with only seven knockouts.

Ishida came in at 24-6-2 with only SEVEN KNOCKOUT VICTORIES. Of course, Ishida was written off as another stepping stone on Kirkland's undefeated path to greatness—well Kirkland learned that day.

After being knocked down three times en route to a merciful stoppage by referee Joe Cortez, Kirkland got back with his old trainer Ann Wolfe and is now on a great knockout campaign that continues today.

2. Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Orlando Salido

Juanma Lopez (31-1, 28 KO) was undefeated and seemingly destined for a clash with fellow undefeated rising featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa (21-0, 16 KO) before meeting Orlando Salido (35-11-2, 23 KO).

Then Salido took Lopez to school, graduating him with a series of punches that resulted in the referee stopping the fight and awarding Salido the technical knockout (TKO) victory.

Some consider the stoppage a bit early because Lopez was still fighting back some, but Lopez should have fought better to preserve his title against someone as experienced as Salido.

Salido was underestimated likely because he had 11 losses. What no one mentioned to Lopez was that eight of those losses came during his teen years from 15-21 as a professional still learning his craft.

Lopez has been devastated ever since. Gamboa is now looking to move up in weight while Lopez is on the road to recovery and hopefully a rematch with the underestimated and dangerous Salido.

1. Amir Khan vs. Lamont Peterson

Amir Khan (26-2, 18 KO) was hailed as everything but the next messiah in boxing. He was expected to be in a competitive match with veteran Zab Judah (41-7, 28 KO) this past July. Khan blew him out in five.

Now Khan is presented with another challenge in Lamont Peterson (30-1, 15 KO) that many feel will push Khan, but not defeat Khan. Ring Magazine even asked 11 experts who they thought would win, and they all picked khan.

It wasn't just the experts and Khan's easy victory over Judah that made this an upset, but the hype and expectations created by promoter Golden Boy, trainer Freddie Roach, and Khan himself.

Khan shouts out the name Floyd Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO) every chance he gets with Roach and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer backing him up.

Khan calls out the best and says he's getting better so often and so much that the public, while not believing he can beat Mayweather, at least believe he can take out anyone in his weight division.

Peterson meanwhile is overlooked and not given the proper chance by the audience to act as more than just a tough speedbump in Khan's road to the top, but a possible road block that Khan won't be able to get through.

Now that Peterson has stopped the Khan hype-train for now, the expectations for an unpredictable 2012 have been set. Boxing fans better get ready, who knows what will happen next.