Boxing history is littered with sitting ducks who were propped up in the corner of a ring and torn apart by a champion enjoying an easy night's work.
Sometimes, though, those supposed no-hopers can hit back - and sometimes their low profile belies a creditable journey to the forefront of the sport.
Just ask Mike Tyson, knocked senseless early in his career by Buster Douglas and much later by Englishman Danny Williams.
On June 7, at the atmospheric Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, unassuming Cwmbran middleweight Gary Lockett will attempt to stun the sport when he takes on undisputed 160lb champion Kelly Pavlik.
Lockett is no hand-picked 'patsy', though. Despite his status as a relative unknown, the Welshman has worked his way up the WBO rankings to earn his shot at the American champ known as 'The Ghost'.
Pavlik is canny enough to realise that, while he may be the heavy favourite heading into the fight, it will not be a walkover in New Jersey.
Non-boxing fans could easily confuse this as a world title unification fight. But don't be fooled - just because Lockett, 31, holds an impressive-sounding belt (the actually meaningless WBU middleweight trinket) does not make this a unification match of any sort.
No, this is a real David vs Goliath match-up. Lockett is largely unknown in neighbouring England, let alone the United States. He has never held a British, Commonwealth or European title.
Yet Pavlik's genuine WBO and WBC world titles will be on the line along with his status as the planet's top middleweight this summer - and, perhaps harshly, few will give Lockett any realistic hope of winning.
Such are the politics of boxing, Lockett is the WBO's number one contender - ahead of the likes of Winky Wright and John Duddy - but seemingly still only got the shot at Pavlik when Duddy sustained a bad cut in his last outing.
Lockett's professional record of 30 wins (21 by knockout) and one defeat is an impressive-looking one, with his solitary defeat coming against Belorussian Yuri Tsarenko in 2002.
But few American fighters throw leather with the ferocity, relentlessness and panache of Pavlik - and Lockett will be well aware of the mighty task which lies ahead of him, regardless of what he may say in tomorrow's official press conference in New York.
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How will Michael Katsidis' explosive defeat by Joel Casamayor affect Amir Khan's world title ambitions?
The Bolton lightweight had looked likely to take on the Australian later this year to contest the WBO interim lightweight title, because he hopes to win world honours before turning 22.
But Katsidis, who blew Graham Earl apart last year, lost in an equally thrilling battle with veteran Casamayor in California at the weekend to spoil that plan.
However, with a WBO eliminator against Martin Kristjansen coming up early next month, Khan is still on the right course and could take on Casamayor or outright champion Nate Campbell within the next year.
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Germany's IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham will aim to brush aside American Elvin Ayala this weekend, before sacrificing home comforts and making his Stateside debut in June.
The 28-year-old, who demolished Brummie Wayne Elcock before Christmas, has held the IBF belt since 2005 and will be aiming to unify his title with either the aforementioned Pavlik, Felix Sturm or whoever holds the honours at the back end of this year.
"I have to beat Ayala first - but if all goes according to plan, I will be making my US debut in early June.
"I am really looking forward to it, because I want to prove to the US audience that I am the world's best middleweight. However, I am taking one step at a time - and right now all my focus is on Ayala. He will be a tough opponent."
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