Prime Donald Curry Was Awesome.

As far as I'm concerned that WAS a prime Don Curry in there, just happens that night he came up against someone who refused to lose. It's not like there were signs like you could argue with Tyson, as Curry had looked awesome against McRory & Rodriguez before fighting Honeyghan.

On Tyson, personally I think that was prime Tyson. It's too easy to say someone wasn't prime just because they lose, and whilst I can see the argument with Tyson, I think that was the first time he got into the ring with a man who wasn't afraid of him & was that determined to beat him (obviously because of Douglas' mum passing). I generally think unless there's a particularly clear reason & the decline was very evident (as you could maybe argue with Tyson getting buzzed against Bruno) then we shouldn't always try to underrate a great upset by saying someone wasn't prime, just because we don't understand the logic of the underdog winning

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Originally Posted by ICB

I hadn't seen that many Donald Curry fights, only about 5. But recently i've been watching a prime Donald Curry and boy was he awesome. In the fights i watched he looked like an ATG. The way he would just stand straight up. Making opponents believe he was easy to hit, then he would move his upperbody so fast and sharp shoot with excellent counter shots.

Sorry but i personally believe if Donald Curry was in his prime he would of beat Lloyd Honeyghan. Its just amazing how far from grace Donald Curry fell and how quickly it happened aswell. I blame it on too many Amateur fights, which made him go stale in the pro ranks whats your opinions ?

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Well, a prime Curry would've indeed smoke Lloyd Honeyghan... But by '86, Curry was physically spent at 147 and probably ruined himself by remaining so low for too long of a time period... Donald Curry should have said "Adios" to 147 after he unified the titles from Milton McCrory to round out 1985.......

That initial defense to open up '86 against Eduardo Rodriguez was a "Nothing" defense on TV...... Curry could've crawled outta bed to KO that bastardo early..... He basically did that, too........

Come the Fall of '86, Curry looked drawn and gaunt at 147 pounds... Lloyd Honeyghan was nothing special, but he was in-shape and primed by Mickey Duff to take the titles away from Curry on that night...... Honeyghan acquired moderate success as a champion, however, it was short-lived...... I was never sold on the "Honey Boy."

MR.BILL
USA

I lived in FT Worth Tx for many years and got to know Donald Curry & Dave Gorman quite well. The main reason Don lost to Honeyghan was he was suffering from the flu. He was in no fit condition to fight but Akhbar Muhammad ,, who had lured Don away from Dave Gorman insisted he fight
Don was weak as a kitten. Another person who did Don wrong was Saccharin Ray Leonard. Don wanted to move up and challenge Hagler. Leonard was supposedly " Advising" Don. He told told to wait while all the time negociating a Hagler fight for himself. what a judas he was

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Originally Posted by JazMerkin

As far as I'm concerned that WAS a prime Don Curry in there, just happens that night he came up against someone who refused to lose. It's not like there were signs like you could argue with Tyson, as Curry had looked awesome against McRory & Rodriguez before fighting Honeyghan.

On Tyson, personally I think that was prime Tyson. It's too easy to say someone wasn't prime just because they lose, and whilst I can see the argument with Tyson, I think that was the first time he got into the ring with a man who wasn't afraid of him & was that determined to beat him (obviously because of Douglas' mum passing). I generally think unless there's a particularly clear reason & the decline was very evident (as you could maybe argue with Tyson getting buzzed against Bruno) then we shouldn't always try to underrate a great upset by saying someone wasn't prime, just because we don't understand the logic of the underdog winning

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I to think it was a prime Curry in there that night. But it was also a weak, drained Curry in there. Curry was in no condition to fight that night. Honeyghan wasn't a bad fighter. But he was clearly at the right place at the right time.

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Originally Posted by JazMerkin

As far as I'm concerned that WAS a prime Don Curry in there, just happens that night he came up against someone who refused to lose. It's not like there were signs like you could argue with Tyson, as Curry had looked awesome against McRory & Rodriguez before fighting Honeyghan.

On Tyson, personally I think that was prime Tyson. It's too easy to say someone wasn't prime just because they lose, and whilst I can see the argument with Tyson, I think that was the first time he got into the ring with a man who wasn't afraid of him & was that determined to beat him (obviously because of Douglas' mum passing). I generally think unless there's a particularly clear reason & the decline was very evident (as you could maybe argue with Tyson getting buzzed against Bruno) then we shouldn't always try to underrate a great upset by saying someone wasn't prime, just because we don't understand the logic of the underdog winning

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Agree totally, that was a prime Curry, the argument seems to be whether it was a prime Curry on the particular night for whatever reason. Honeyghan was being given no chance against the replacement for SRL and current superstar, Curry had it all as far as style and power, the only thing was on that night he just couldn't work out how to keep a cyclone away. Honeyghan was just in the zone that night.
Up to that point I don't think Curry had showed signs of being on a slide, it went downhill prett fast afterwards and I think if credit is the right word then Honeyghan deserves 'credit' for starting the slide.
Like Tyson he just met a guy who would not conceive of losing that night.

Curry should not have listened to that manipulative and evil SRL. Never liked him.

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Originally Posted by ICB

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Originally Posted by BIG H

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Originally Posted by ICB

I hadn't seen that many Donald Curry fights, only about 5. But recently i've been watching a prime Donald Curry and boy was he awesome. In the fights i watched he looked like an ATG. The way he would just stand straight up. Making opponents believe he was easy to hit, then he would move his upperbody so fast and sharp shoot with excellent counter shots.

Sorry but i personally believe if Donald Curry was in his prime he would of beat Lloyd Honeyghan. Its just amazing how far from grace Donald Curry fell and how quickly it happened aswell. I blame it on too many Amateur fights, which made him go stale in the pro ranks whats your opinions ?

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Wasn't he prine when he fought Honeyghan? Wasn't he on a run of KO Defences and had just KOed Milton McCrory in 2 rounds?

He was many people's P4P number 1 even ahead of Hagler

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No he wasn't he had weight problems and took Lloyd Honeyghan too lightly, it was no different to Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas. Yet you yourself will say that wasn't Mike Tyson in his prime so whats the difference ?

There is no difference except Mike Tyson had a very short Amateur career, where as Donald Curry had 404 Amateur fights. Which was the reason IMO he went stale quickly in the pros.

If you've seen Donald Curry land one of the best left hooks against Milton McCrory, or destroy fighters like Nino La Rocca or outhustle Marlon Starling in there 2nd fight. Its easy to tell Donald Curry was a shell of himself against Lloyd Honeyghan.

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You said he allowed himself to balloon up and lose a lot of weight for the fight and took Lloyd too lightly. That would make him a very stupid fighter. And Don wasn't. I think it was just a styles that make the fight issue and that Lloyd would have beat him any day of the week. He just had a style that was set to beat Don.

Curry has just started down the back 9 when he fought Honeyghan and Honeyghan was at his peak. Beating Curry was a heck of an achievement for Honeyghan. Curry was still a pretty good fighter at that point, but he never beat a top level fighter after the Honeyghan fight. Rossi was not top level. At their respective bests, Curry was better. Starling at his peak, when Curry fought him, was a better fighter than Honeyghan, no disrespect to Honeyghan. Curry beat him twice...the first fight being when he only had 14 pro fights...and this was the Marlon Starling who would go on to beat Mark Breland.

He was a very good fighter but i thought that Ray Leonard could of knocked him out prime for prime would of been a good match up.

As much as I hate SRL, he was better than Curry, could Curry beat Hearns I doubt it.

Curry could have been an ATG if he made the right choices, he may have been able to beat that version of Hagler that Leonard beat. Maybe.

Well Master few things i am guessing you must be a Hagler fan if you hate Leonard that is what the reason is most of the time but good comment.

I hate Leonard mainly because of the manipulative way he handled the comeback which is another topic. He was a great at Welter and that is where I give him credit, but still think he done Curry over the Hagler fight.

I think Curry and Honeyghan are perfect examples of primes being cut short due to outside the ring lifestyles.

Honeyghan was terrific that night in Las Vegas and Curry simply didn't have answers. Lloyd fought like a man possessed.

Many at the time were claiming that it was Curry who was the No.1 P4P rather than Marvin Hagler or the heir apparent so there was no way he was seen as passed his prime.

One quote I saw a few years back was that Curry and Honeyghan met in a hotel lobby and Lloyd approached him to say hello and Curry just blasted "You ended my fucking career" and stormed off.

As for Curry pre Honeyghan then it can't be denied that the man was a fantasticaly skilled Ring General - sharp and accurate. A joy to watch his fights and he often gets overlooked. He would have beaten Floyd Mayweather no doubt.

Prime Honeyghan is up there as one of my favourie all time fighters. I've said it loads of times before, but he was shot to be pieces after the 1st Vaca fight and was never the same again - don't know why :-\

The Honeyghan that Beat Curry, Bumphus and Blocker would've beaten Starlon and Breland imo

Honeyghan did injure his hand against Hatcher and that seem to trouble him later on.