Most pathetic/disappointing championship performance ever?

[Beanflicker]

Was reading Ray Leonard's book over the holidays. As a HUGE Roberto Duran fan, it was a great reminder of just how many people Duran disappointed with the NO MAS fiasco, and the shame he brought on himself.

So what do you guys think is the most disappointing championship performance of all time?

For criteria, I think we should limit answers to "big" names who much was expected from.

Also, I think it's a little unfair to list early KO's where a guy got caught and finished. Of course that is always disappointing, but anyone can get caught and put out. I'm talking about guys who undertrained, showed no courage, quit, ect ect.

[armyash]

Good topic.

Haye vs Klitschko definitely.

[Manos de Piedra]

Audely Harrison against David Haye

[El Kabong]

The most pathetic hands down is Oliver McCall vs Lennox Lewis II.

The most disappointing? Hmm maybe Zab Judah vs Khan? Zab has all the talent in the world just never lived up to the potential.

[SweetPea]

Bruce Seldon vs. Mike Tyson is up there.

[BIG H]

Johnny Nelson vs James Waring

[erics44]

Nicky cook v ricky burns?

[Violent Demise]

Derrick Gainer vs Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez thought they were gonna fight. Gainer thought they were running track

[armyash]

Lewis v Tyson without a doubt

[DAWGSWIN]

I remember at the time thinking they should have with held Douglas' purse from the Holyfield fight.

Tyson/Holyfield II was both pathetic and disappointing. For that matter, you could have just about every Tyson fight from 1990 until the end of his career on here.

Nothing is more pathetic to me than when a fighter clearly has no intention of trying to win a fight. I have always loved Mosley, but his performance against Pac was a payday.

[J_C]

Nicky cook v ricky burns?

It wasnt a big fight....but if the criteria is simply that it had to be a championship fight, then this wins imo. It was an absolute farce

[TitoFan]

Good topic.

Haye vs Klitschko definitely.

I don't know about "EVER", but for damn sure in recent memory. No one else even comes close.

[TitoFan]

I've seen some good answers on this thread.
In the "They shouldn't have gotten paid" category, I would place the following three from earlier posts (and in order of "worst" to "less horrible"):

WORST - McCall vs Lewis (There's no crying in boxing).
2nd place - Seldon vs Tyson (I would've kept Seldon from exiting the ring).
3rd place - Haye vs Klitschko (Simply pathetic).

[Hulk]

William Joppy vs. Tito Trinidad has to be up there.

Joppy came out very overconfident and rather than box he stood in front of tito with his hands down and got destroyed.

Also Spinks vs. Tyson was a joke.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Was reading Ray Leonard's book over the holidays. As a HUGE Roberto Duran fan, it was a great reminder of just how many people Duran disappointed with the NO MAS fiasco, and the shame he brought on himself.

So what do you guys think is the most disappointing championship performance of all time?

For criteria, I think we should limit answers to "big" names who much was expected from.

Also, I think it's a little unfair to list early KO's where a guy got caught and finished. Of course that is always disappointing, but anyone can get caught and put out. I'm talking about guys who undertrained, showed no courage, quit, ect ect.

Only Roberto Duran knows why he quit in that 2nd fight, he wasn't out of it according to the judges as the scores were 66-68 66-68 and 66-67 at the time of No Mas, that is hardly a shut out and Duran had plenty of time to turn those scorecards around. It is without doubt the most disappointng end to a championship fight. The most bizarre is Oliver McCall. I've watched some former greats lose because they simply shouldn't have been in the ring at all. Ali V Holmes, Leonard V Camacho and more recently Mosley V Pacquaio and Jones V Green. We all sometimes think our boxing heroes can go on forever, we also have short memories of their former greatness and this gets tarnished when we see them fighting well below their peak of ability.