Which athlete had the greatest comeback?

[Sakuraba is #1]

I'm thinking George Foreman. Didn't he retire for a long period of time and came back to win a championship in his 50's? That's pretty impressive. Michael Jordan's first retirement was impressive as well. He came back to threepeat.

 

[Pontigoose]

Michael Jordan

 

[El Chimpo]

george because he is a combat sport


tough son of a bitch

 

[ProteinSock]

Cole Trickle

 

[Adamant]

Rocky Balboa

 

[Prefect]

Foreman won a weak championship and did nothing to hold it.
Michael Jordan didn't come back from injury

Josh Hamilton, Frank Mir, James Braddock, Nicki Lauda, and Greg Lemond all had very difficult combacks.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

B-hop, after losing to Taylor twice.


And lol @ hating Big George, but mentioning Frank Mir, like he beat some sort of killers row of the weakest division in MMA.

 

[Jodorowsky]

Goku.

 

[SuperLuigi]

Blagoi Ivanov. World Sambo champion, beat Fedor in Sambo, went into MMA and was a rising prospect until he got into a bar fight and was stabbed in the heart. Doctors barely saved his life and he only survived in a coma. He woke up like 2 years later and resumed his MMA career, picking up some wins in Bellator.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Not many sports stories rival this one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Bleier

 

[cottagecheesefan]

I'm thinking George Foreman. Didn't he retire for a long period of time and came back to win a championship in his 50's? That's pretty impressive. Michael Jordan's first retirement was impressive as well. He came back to threepeat.

and no, it was in his mid 40s

 

[Henry Swanson]

Marco Antonio Barerra after losing to Junior Jones twice.

 

[TeTe]

Josh Hamilton could qualify.. but it looks like he's ruining that now.

 

[ventrue]

I browsed a few top lists for comeback athletes and agreed w/ most of the choices.

Everyone from Tommy John, Super Mario, The Golden Bear, Foreman, etc...

Recently, I would have to say, Robbie Lawyer has really impressed me. I had already written him off and put him in the ready to retire category. He has had a fantastic turnaround in his career. I am very happy for him.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

Foreman obviously.

 

[Flemmy Stardust]

I browsed a few top lists for comeback athletes and agreed w/ most of the choices.

Everyone from Tommy John, Super Mario, The Golden Bear, Foreman, etc...

Recently, I would have to say, Robbie Lawyer has really impressed me. I had already written him off and put him in the ready to retire category. He has had a fantastic turnaround in his career. I am very happy for him.

Yeah, i thought about mentioning him, but his title win was a pretty big pile of horseshit.

But just the fact that he's top two now is defying some crazy odds. Belfort's comeback is pretty remarkable too, considering how gloomy it was at one point.

Sonnen's MW title run after years of being a journeyman is worth mentioning within the realm of MMA.

 

[jeremyemilio]

Foreman was a monster.

Ali stole his soul and he still walked through 5 quality fighters (including another demolition of Frazier) before losing his second fight ever by decision and then calling it quits for a decade.

When he came back he wasn't nearly the killer he had been before retiring, but he was still good enough to thump most of the (weaker than usual) next generation of HWs.

People talk about how fat and out of shape he was... but he was never stopped again after Ali.

The problem is, I'm not sure I'd even call it a serious come-back. He never trained like a world class HW again after his first 'retirement.' He was just hanging out for shits and giggles and doing the late night talk show circuit. He just happened to be that good.

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Foreman hit like a truck and head like a brick wall.

Guy was extremely tough.

 

[mps1448]

I'm thinking George Foreman.

Not only is your username awesome, Foreman is the only name that comes to mind. I think you nailed it.

 

[Heisenberg]

Adrian Peterson?