Thread: Biggest professional busts.

Kabongs thread on Stevenson and Savon got me wondering about this, as someone who has never followed amateur boxing. Obviously the differences are big, but generally if guys are really dominant and prolific amateurs they tend to go on to do at least pretty well in the pros. Loma and Rigo are two obvious examples of guys who made a quick transition and stayed at the same level recently. I'm wondering if there were guys nearly that successful as amateurs who turned pro and completely faltered, can anyone think of some?

People use David Reid as an example, but I'm looking for more drastic flops than that, basically. He was fast tracked, did become a world champ and beat some solid guys before the TRinidad fight, in which he still gave a good account of himself early. People also say he already had the eye trouble by then. Has there ever been a repeat medalist or someone with a staggering amateur record who turned pro only to get blown away by the first live body they fought, etc?

David Reid's issue was his eye, it got fucked up, surgery didn't fix it and it ended his career which was a shame. He wasn't on Trinidad's level, but he was a solid boxer who had his career cut short.


Well big time amateurs that have flopped or failed to live up to potential....

Odlanier Solis fat tub of worthless
Zou Shiming, guy was made for the amateurs or maybe he just waited too long but it's safe to call him a bust as a pro 8 (2 KO)-1-0 at age 35....yup
Audley Harrison won a Gold medal but boy did his pro career take a quick turn


I think and this is a questionable one, but Duane Bobick could make this list. 6'3 82" reach, 48 wins 42 wins by KO and 4 losses all by KO. Beat Larry Holmes by stoppage in the amateurs only to end up losing Gold to Teofilo Stevenson. He was very successful as a pro until he got to the upper echelon of the sport....Duane Bobick was 38(32 KO)-0-0 vs the 37(30 KO)-4 Ken Norton and the fight ended in 1 round.....and you immediately think "A 1 round fight featuring a knockout artist and Ken Norton...Bobick had to be the winner" nope, he just never had that elite level.

Dominick Guinn was a pretty loud flop...I think that guy either had issues outside the ring or he just worked himself out in the amateurs and he was physically spent as a pro.

Howard Davis Jr. was a gold medalist and one of the greatest American amateurs ever, but was never able to win a pro title, unfortunately. He was a classy guy and I hate calling him a bust though.

Ricardo Williams and Panchito Bojado come to mind, as does Eddie Hopson. I'm sure there are others but those are the big ones jumping out at me right now.

Pete Rademacher?

Michael Bennett (heavyweight)?

Mark Breland was another fantastic amateur and Olympic gold medalist who didn't meet expectations as a pro. He was a two time Titlist, but still fell well short of the ATG career he seemed destined to have.

Andrew 'Don't call me Leonard' Maynard! Thought he had a name doormat in Czyz...oops. Davis jr and Reid off the top but it's also hard to call a guy a total bust with winning trinkets and defenses. Then again trinkets are handed out like candy now. Abdullaev was pushed hard. I always forget that Mugabi was a silver medalist ffs. Robert Wangila took gold and turned out just tragic story.

Breland would have had a longer and protected career in this era. No way he would have fought someone like Starling that soon.

Originally Posted by Sleepwalker

Breland would have had a longer and protected career in this era. No way he would have fought someone like Starling that soon.

Geez , I forgot about Breland. Yeah he was the all-American dream. Perfect example.
Also, what about Tyrell Biggs? Chosen and seen above Tyson as an amateur, Olympic gold , beat " the man (Damiani) who beat the
man (Stevenson)" didn't reproduce that as a pro.

Ray Mercer was a gold medalist, if I'm not mistaken, and he lost to Jesse Furgesson! I would consider Ray a disappointment, especially after his blowout of Morrison.

Originally Posted by mikeeod

Ray Mercer was a gold medalist, if I'm not mistaken, and he lost to Jesse Furgesson! I would consider Ray a disappointment, especially after his blowout of Morrison.

He had a long layoff because he had hepatitis. He gave Lennox Lewis hell but every single time he took the step up to the elite level he failed.

Remember David Reid only won the gold medal with a dramatic late round KO when he was losing. So he was lucky to win gold.

Audley was really useless and his best victory was that one punch KO when he was losing.