Ranking the Five Most Shocking Moments in Sports in 2023

Ranking the Five Most Shocking Moments in Sports in 2023

Time Stamp: December 29, 2023 2:00 AM

A year in review

2023 was a year for the history books in professional sports, both in terms of quality and the amount of shocking moments that transpired.

As the countdown to the ball drop beckons and New Year’s resolutioners scramble to think of changes for 2024, let’s take a little wander back through the past 12 months. 

Here are the top five most shocking sports moments of 2023.

5. Shohei Ohtani’s groundbreaking contract

Until recently, the most coveted free agent in modern baseball history was one Shohei Ohtani, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels. 

The two-time American League MVP had an outstanding 2023 campaign, hitting 44 home runs and 95 RBIs in 135 games, to go with a 10-5 record, 3.14 ERA, and 1.06 WHIP as a pitcher. Nearly every team in the league inquired about his services, although there was concern that a UCL tear suffered near the end of the season would lower his value on the open market.

a whopping 10-year, $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers

After a couple of months, reports emerged that Ohtani was on the verge of signing a lucrative deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. But just as quickly as the news spread, the Blue Jays had the rug pulled from under their feet, and the Japanese sensation signed a whopping 10-year, $700m deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not only was that far and away the largest contract in American sports history, but it contained $680m in deferred payments. Ohtani will only earn $2m per year from his contract for ten years, which will allow the Dodgers to go out and sign even more players. 

One of the most dramatic free agent periods of all time ended in what is arguably the most unique contract in MLB history.

4. Francis Ngannaou stuns the world

Francis Ngannou is regarded as one of the best UFC heavyweights of all time. What he has never been is a boxer, which is why his debut in the ring against WBC Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury raised many eyebrows.

Ngannou only turned to boxing after contract negotiations with Dana White and the UFC stalled. White said that Ngannou was at a stage in which he didn’t want to compete or take too many risks, and would rather coast his way through the rest of his career.

Fury treated Ngannou with respect during the pre-fight build-up and did his best to sell the bout as a true competition between two equals, even though many boxing experts believed it was a one-sided cash grab.

scored the only knockdown of the fight with a sweet left hook

Ngannou did not get the memo. Trained by legendary boxer Mike Tyson, he entered the ring against Fury and arguably outclassed him, throwing more punches and landing more power shots. He also scored the only knockdown of the fight with a sweet left hook.

The fight ended with two judges scoring the fight for Fury and one for Ngannou. However, many analysts, pundits, and boxing fans criticized the result, and Ngannou showed that he could not only be a professional boxer, but could give one of the best heavyweights in the world the greatest challenge he’s ever faced.

3. No. 1 seed be gone!

March wouldn’t be the same without the madness of the NCAA Tournament.

Alabama, Kansas, Houston, and Purdue were selected as the one seeds for their respective quadrants in the bracket. While the first three cruised to victories against their opponents, Purdue could not say the same.

Going up against a minuscule, unheralded Fairleigh Dickinson squad, the Boilermakers became just the second one-seed in tournament history to lose their opening-round matchup. National Player of the Year Zach Edey scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds but could not dominate his much smaller opponent, and the rest of Purdue combined to shoot just 12/52 (23.1%) from the field.

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To add insult to injury, the win was FDU’s second in March Madness history and their first outside of a game in the First Four (a play-in game to join the official 64-team bracket). They lost to Final Four participant No. 9 Florida Atlantic in the next round but won the hearts of basketball fans all over the country.

2. Lionel Messi comes to America

Soccer legend Lionel Messi is in contention for the title of best athlete in the history of the world.

The World Cup winner, four-time Champions League champion, and eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient had already accomplished everything in the world of soccer. However, when news broke in July that he signed for Inter Miami, mass chaos ensued.

Fans took to the streets to celebrate his arrival in the USA, and his debut game drew the attendance of a host of A-list celebrities.

As any legend would, Messi emphatically announced his arrival with at least one goal in his first seven games, including a game-winning 94th-minute free kick in his club debut.

1. Damar Hamlin survives a cardiac arrest 

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin stopped the world for a few hours in January in what was undoubtedly the most shocking sports moment in 2023.

Hamlin, who was forced into a larger role due to injuries in the Bills’ secondary, appeared to make a routine tackle on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. But after he stood up, he stumbled and quickly collapsed back onto the turf.

some prayed, some cried, and others could only stand with ghost-faced complexions

It didn’t take long before it became obvious that Hamlin was not suffering from a simple injury or case of cramps. The Bengals medical team rushed onto the field and treated Hamlin while players from both teams looked on in horror—some prayed, some cried, and others could only stand with ghost-faced complexions.

Hamlin was removed from the field in an ambulance roughly 19 minutes after he collapsed. He was immediately taken to a local hospital, where he returned to stable condition, and the Bengals-Bills game was called off.

News broke later that Hamlin suffered from a cardiac arrest caused by commotio cordis, or a blow to the chest in a specific area in a small window during a heartbeat. 

Hamlin needed months of recovery but returned to the Bills and even played in a couple of games, and he is the odds-on favorite to win NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

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