Joe Mesi?
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Joe Mesi?
Charlie Burley, Sam Langford, and there was a story written about some guy who trained with Tyson and was amazing but drugs, crime, et cetera ruined him.
Also Ibeabuchi and Amir Mansour may have had the talent to do something but never accomplished anything. Ron Lyle only for the fact he started boxing too late.
Lamar Parks I think deserves a mention, had the potential to be real special IMO but then got HIV.
Kenny Gould was a Olympic bronze medalist and really spectacular to watch, tricky southpaw and fast as fuck, had a few setbacks as a pro and had to retire because of a bum shoulder. Should have accomplished a lot more IMO.
David Reid, Meldrick Taylor....well those may be harsh
Howard Davis Jr. and Mark Breland. Google both guys. Davis was supposed to be better than Ray Leonard (who also has an interesting story from that same olympics where his own teammates were making fun and saying Ray stood no chance in the finals) and was a complete flop as a pro. Never won a world championship and he was gold medalist in the 76 olympics. Breland was also a BEAST as an Olympic Gold medalist and predicted to be the cream of the crop from the 84 team of Evander, Meldrick Taylor and Pernell Whitaker. Breland was just too nice of a guy and he never lived up to his potential as a pro.
Ricardo Williams and Pachito Bojado were two other guys who were complete wash outs, as was Ray Mercer to a degree. Lonnie Bradley also, now that I think about it. He was being called the next Ray Robinson and the biggest threat to Roy Jones Jr. at one point.
Joan Guzman.
Nice, he's the exact guy I always think of for this. With a lot of the big flops, you hear about amateurs who were expected to do more as pros. It is often the case that they didn't have as effective a style, or weren't durable enough to have the same success there, rather than it being something the fighters did or didn't do outside of the ring. Guzman is different in that he is a PURE waste of pro talent. He had body control and reflexes on a MAyweather or Rigondeaux level for a good few years, and just never seemed to take his career seriously. He was never found out or exposed, he just didn't bother making weight or chasing the big fights, then got old. Now that is a waste. I would have picked Guzman over Pacquiao at 130 at one point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing
I agree with you on Guzman being a bad style match up for Manny. I was planning on betting big on that one when it looked like they were going to fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by p4pkingNice, he's the exact guy I always think of for this. With a lot of the big flops, you hear about amateurs who were expected to do more as pros. It is often the case that they didn't have as effective a style, or weren't durable enough to have the same success there, rather than it being something the fighters did or didn't do outside of the ring. Guzman is different in that he is a PURE waste of pro talent. He had body control and reflexes on a MAyweather or Rigondeaux level for a good few years, and just never seemed to take his career seriously. He was never found out or exposed, he just didn't bother making weight or chasing the big fights, then got old. Now that is a waste. I would have picked Guzman over Pacquiao at 130 at one point.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing
Always think of careers clipped early with these, like a Jemal Hinton world ranked but literally just turned his back on Manny Steward and...poof ??? Never achieve is pretty deep as many grabbed trinkets or had shots they just fell short, or didn't develop enough-well.
Didn't he find God and just retired due to his religious beliefs?Quote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
Job Biscuit (The power of one)!!!!
eh eh!!
Oba Carr was the most talented fighter I ever saw that did not become a world champion. His boxing skills were outstanding.
its a bit unfair to be talking about people like Meldrick Taylor and Mark Breland, these were Olympic gold medallists and world champions!
I think Kirkland Laing was incredibly gifted, but was not sufficiently driven
Anyone beating Duran and then not capitalising on that victory is a wasted talent.Quote:
Originally Posted by X
Real harsh on Breland. Breland ran into guys like Aaron Davis and Marlon Starling, plus had a chance to contend with Curry, Simon Brown, Honeyghan and a few other notables around that time at-both from light welter and jr.middle.Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeeod
Sure, he didn't get a chance to fight all of the top names. But, at that time, fighting in that catch-division, everyone else was training to fight everyone else. Which means everyone was in peak condition and looking to fight.
During the early to mid-80's was probably the best, most competitive times at jr. welter to jr. middle we will ever see in boxing.
If Breland moved down, he had to face Pryor, Arguello or Kameda. If he moved up, he would have had to run into McCllellan, Benn, Mugabi and Norris.
Reid had an excuse. He couldn't see. Word has it that his eye was in bad shape from his amateur days, sorta like Joe Frazier. But his extraordinary skills is what kept him winning fights. A shame he had to retire so young.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
Other guys that come to mind is David Tua. He could have done a little more to win a trinket title.
Another guy that comes to mind is Panchito Bojado. He had it.
Another guy that I really, really, REALLY wanna see back in the ring is Pierre Olivier Cote. I don't know what illness it is he has, but I hope he gets it corrected and comes back to the ring. Because, man, I saw star written all over him.