Iconic sporting comebacks: 7 of the best individual comebacks - from Muhammad Ali to Tiger Woods

In recent years sporting fans have been treated to plenty of incredible comeback stories, like when boxer Tyson Fury returned to the ring after a battle with depression to regain the heavyweight title.

Meanwhile in golf, Tiger Woods returned to the top of the ladder by winning The Masters after a huge fall from grace.

With that in mind we have counted down some of the greatest and most inspiring stories from a range of different sports.

The best sporting comebacks

• Tyson Fury - Boxing

Tyson Fury achieved one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history when he regained the WBC heavyweight title.

The 6ft 9 boxer began his career in 2008 and enjoyed a steady rise through the heavyweight division to earn a title shot against reigning world champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Klitschko, nicknamed Dr Steelhammer, had established himself as the dominant force in boxing. Klitschko was viewed as a genius in the ring who could find an antidote to nullify and defeat almost any opponent, making a total of 18 successive title defences between 2005 and 2015.

Fury stunned the boxing world and dethroned Klitschko in Dusseldorf to win three of the four belts in the heavyweight division making him the number one fighter in the world.

The achievement earned Fury great plaudits but he stepped away from boxing for nearly three years after that victory due to a severe battle with depression. During this time Fury’s weight rose to around 28 stone and he even admitted that he suffered from suicidal thoughts.

Very few expected Fury to ever box again, but he remarkably returned to the boxing ring in June 2018 and just six months later he fought unbeaten champion Deontay Wilder for the heavyweight crown.

Wilder had held the WBC title for five years between 2015 and 2020 boasting a perfect record of 40 victories with an incredible 39 knockouts.

Fury drew the first fight with Wilder and rose from the canvas to survive the American’s signature power punch in the 12th and final round.

Fury went on to beat Wilder in a further two rematches - becoming the first ever fighter to beat the American whilst completing one of boxing’s most memorable trilogies.

A potential fight with Oleksandr Usyk could even see Fury become the first undisputed champion in boxing history for over 20 years.

But it remains to be seen whether that fight can materialise in the near future after a breakdown in negotiations.

Muhammad Ali - Boxing

Muhammad Ali is often described by boxing experts as one of the greatest sports stars of all time and is famous for his ability to fight both in and out of the boxing ring.

The heavyweight boxer, who was originally known as Cassius Clay, enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom in the early 1960s, becoming world champion for the first time in 1964 with a victory over Sonny Liston.

Ali remained unbeaten for his first 29 fights, overcoming a series of strong opponents including Henry Cooper and Ernie Terrell.

Ali was the dominant force in the heavyweight division and one of the first major trash talkers in the game with famous phrases such as “float like a butterfly sting like a bee.”

The American fighter’s career came to a dramatic halt in 1967 when he refused to be inducted into the U.S army during the war in Vietnam.

Ali was stripped of his title for his actions and had his boxing licence suspended for three years during the peak of his career.

Despite his inactivity he returned to the ring to regain the heavyweight title on two further occasions and he finished his career with a record of 56 victories and 5 defeats.

Ali is the only fighter in history to be undisputed champion on three separate occasions and is remembered for victories over boxing greats such as Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Earnie Shavers.

Ronaldo - Football

Ronaldo is a former Brazilian footballer who is viewed as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport.

Ronaldo was often referred to by pundits as The Phenomenon due to his prolific goal scoring ability and he established himself as one of the best players in the world in the mid 1990s - helping the likes of PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona to silverware.

Ronaldo soon became his country’s talisman and he played a key role for Brazil on their route to the World Cup final in 1998 - scoring four goals and winning the player of the tournament.

Just hours before the World Cup final, Ronaldo suffered a convulsive fit and he was originally left out of the matchday squad much to the confusion of many football commentators at the time including John Motson.

Ronaldo was reinstated into the lineup just moments before kick off in an unusual turn of events but he struggled to reach his usual standards in the final and his side suffered a heartbreaking 3-0 loss to hosts France.

The Brazilian striker spent most of the next four seasons on the sidelines with recurring injuries and many doubted whether he would be able to hit the same heights again in his career.

Ronaldo proved the doubters wrong and recovered from his injuries to play a defining role for Brazil in the 2002 World Cup - scoring a total of eight goals in the tournament including a match winning double in the World Cup final against Germany.

Tiger Woods - Golf

Tiger Woods is viewed as one of the greatest golf players of all time and is one of the most famous athletes in modern history.

Woods burst onto the scene in 1996 at the age of 20 and within a year of his professional debut he had already won three PGA tour events including The Masters in 1997 which he won by a record-breaking 12 strokes.

Woods was the top-ranked golfer in the world from August 1999 to September 2004 and again from June 2005 to October 2010.

In this period the American established himself as the dominant force in the sport and he lifted 14 major titles from 1997 to 2010.

Woods struggled with a number of personal and injury issues in the next decade of his career, and n February 2010, Woods issued a televised apology for his infidelity with Elin Nordegren and revealed he had been attending therapy sessions.

The golf star also suffered a series of back injuries which reduced his ability to perform and by May 2016 he had dropped below the top 500 golfers in the world - this decline continued over the next few years and he even fell below the top 1000 in 2017.

Woods began to rebuild his career in 2018 by winning his first tournament in five years and the next step was major glory; as he returned to win the Masters at the same venue where it all began: Augusta National.

Reflecting on his achievement Woods said: “It is probably one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had, for sure.”

Michael Jordan - Basketball

On 19 March 1995, Michael Jordan set the sporting world on fire with just two words: “I’m back.”

Jordan abruptly retired from basketball in 1993 to pursue a career in minor league baseball only to return to the NBA just over a year after his retirement.

Jordan had already established himself as a basketball great during his first stint - winning three NBA titles in consecutive years with the Chicago Bulls. But it was his comeback which elevated MJ to GOAT status within the sport and revealed the extent of his influence on the court.

Jordan returned to a Bulls side that were struggling for form in the 1994/95 season, with 40/1 odds to win the NBA Championship before Jordan’s arrival and 5/1 odds after his return.

The Bulls missed out on glory in 1995 but they soon returned to the top of the NBA ladder to win three consecutive titles in 1996, 1997 and 1998 with Jordan being awarded the MVP award in all three finals.

Alex Ferguson - Football

Alex Ferguson is widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time and his influence on Manchester United makes him an integral part of the club’s history. But things were not always easy for Ferguson at Man United - particularly in his early years.

Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford in 1986 as a rising star in football management after success in the SPL with Aberdeen where he lifted three league titles.

His task was to restore Manchester United back to the top of English football for the first time since the 1960s when they had enjoyed huge success under Matt Busby.

The pressure on Ferguson to succeed was immense and the Red Devils underwhelmed in the early years of his tenure - recording 11th, 2nd and 11th place finishes in all of his first three seasons without winning a single piece of silverware.

Many fans at Manchester United were keen to see a change in manager and today they would have likely seen one given the ruthless nature of modern football.

Ferguson’s team failed to meet expectations in the 1989/90 campaign, finishing 13th in the top-flight and with many left feeling that he was destined for the sack. However, he did successfully steer the club to the FA Cup final in 1990 and a victory over Crystal Palace secured the club their first piece of silverware in five years.

Many pundits describe this as a watershed moment in Ferguson’s Manchester United career and the Scotsman went on to establish himself as one of the most successful managers in football history - winning a further 37 trophies including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in a glorious 26 year reign with the club.

George Foreman - Boxing

The rise and rebirth of two time heavyweight champion George Foreman remains one of the greatest comebacks in the history of boxing and it has even inspired a brand new film in cinemas later this year titled: Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World. 

Foreman started his professional career in boxing in 1969 just a year after winning gold in the Mexico Olympics.

Big George was viewed as a formidable knockout artist during the first stint of his career and he became world champion in 1973 by stopping reigning title holder Joe Frazier in the second round.

Foreman won all of his first 40 fights with 37 of those victories coming by way of knockout. But he suffered the first defeat of his illustrious career in The Rumble in the Jungle when he came head to head with boxing great Muhammad Ali.

Foreman rebuilt his reputation with victories over Ron Lyle and Joe Frazier but he retired abruptly from boxing in 1977 at the age of 28 after a defeat to Jimmy Young.

The American boxer left the sport for 10 years before beginning a miraculous comeback to the top in 1987 at 38 years of age.

Foreman continued to show his class in the boxing ring and a series of knockouts led to a world title fight with Evander Holyfield in 1991. Foreman lost the bout by unanimous decision and again missed out on the world title two years later after a narrow defeat to Tommy Morrison.

However, Foreman remained undeterred on his mission to regain the heavyweight title and he secured the world title in 1994 with a victory over Michael Moorer at 45-years of age.

Foreman remained a world champion for a further three years and retired from boxing at 48 years and 316 days after a majority decision loss to Shannon Briggs in 1998.

Foreman remains one of the all-time greats of the sport and he finished his career with a record of 76 victories and five defeats from a staggering 81 bouts.