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Nunn was a quality fighter, could have been a great, which is where he should have headed. Drug addiction held him back as well as James Toney.Quote:
Originally Posted by No Contest
I put Nunn in the same category as Mark Breland, great, awesome amateurs who didnt have the best punch resistance that you need in the pro's. Superb boxers that couldnt take the best shots.Quote:
Originally Posted by Manju
DAVID THE AMERICAN DREAM REID, DEFINITELY DISAPPOINTING.
MARK BRELAND
CHRIS ARREOLA
how about Larry Donald? He was supposed tyo be the cheese, havent heard or seen much of him at all.
Can we count Michael Spinks? Even Leon Spinks was a disappointment after losing to ali. He just kept getting ktfo....
I haven't read the thread, so he has probably already been mentioned....
Kirkland Laing
Jeff Lacy is another example. Seems strange but he was a big favorite going into the Calzaghe fight.
Excellent pick !Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
I had forgotten all about Abdullaev. He was a great talent, beautiful combinations, then he got beaten by Clottey ? And wrecked by Cotto as I recall.
Then disapeared.
A guy who personally let me down on several occasions was David Tua.
He was supposed to be the next Tyson, but he really fell short in his fights with Lewis and Chris Byrd.
I couldn't believe Byrd beat him like that...
Abdullaev beat Cotto in the amateurs and medaled ahead of him in the Olympics. Like many fighters he just couldn't get used to the pro style. Cotto gave Abdullaev a boxing lesson, one of the best Miguel has ever put on. I remember many were very worried about that fight for Cotto, but he was never in danger.
Joe Mesi never got a chance at the big time due to health issues. He may not have done much more if given a chance, but he was an exciting heavyweight.
Domonick Guinn, supposed to be the next Holyfield, decent power, solid chin, but just wouldn't let his hands go. I knew when it took him so long to KO Michael Grant that he wouldn't make it.
It's common for him to be called a disappointment or under-achiever. But those that possess true knowledge of the sport know those are inaccurate labels. In reality Reid was an over-achiever. How far is a one-eye fighter suppose to go? He won a title and made a couple of millions. Good enough for meQuote:
Originally Posted by brocktonblockbust
Sanabria outpoints Juarez | RingTV
Juarez, a timid monster. A waste of talent:-\
how about overweight Guzman.. the one who breaks scale limit... more on talking but can't walk the walk..
I really dont agree with people who talk about people like Mark Breland and (bloody hell!) Don Curry. World class performares who won 'world' titles.
How about:
Duane Bobick
Howard Davis Jr
Gerry Cooney
Michael Grant
Jorge Gonzales
Solid as, but maybe he was lazy in training? Needed more explosiveness in him.Quote:
Originally Posted by ross
Also some people like to give a beating but fold as soon as they start taking some themselves.
Look at Koko from Hungary loved handing out a beating had an unbroken record , got sparked at something around 30.0 and he just never came back.
I thought him and Jmm would have had a great fight in the day at featherweight,on styles but i would of been proved wrong as the Mex heart would of won out over the even skills.
I've learned the hard way to keep my promising separate from hyped up types who crash and burn...like a Jimmy thunder ;D. Ones who make a splash, have connections or feast on record padding to run up a glossy count only to get badly exposed. Then again some guys have solid skills but on the big stage vs. repeat quality they just were really not that good. Important as some guys come up and you can just tell they have something working, big potential and for one reason or another they are cut short...be it through injury or tragedy. One that stands out and had no definitive 'reason' for packing it in was this kid out of Kronk named Jemal Hinton in the 90's. Ran up a nice undefeated streak, captured some stepping stone straps and had nice network exposure and was all but guaranteed a title fight........one day he just :vanish:..gone...retired. Disputes with father were mentioned, religion etc but not many walk away like that.
Mick mentioned Zack Padilla. Dead on! This guy could box his ass off and was on the cusp after nationally televised "tko" of Juan Laporte. Damn shame he had to retire.
Kid 'Akeem' Anifowashe recieved his title fight at 18-0 vs Robert Quiroga. What unfolded was a sensational brutal fight that saw all the skill and promise of Akeem on dislpay in the champions backyard. Quiroga was full of pressure but the numbers did not do the closeness of the fight justice. Texas, go figure. After 12 rounds in a classic type match Anifowashe collapsed and his career ended that night as he underwent emergency surgery with swelling on the brain.
So many. Then ya have boxers who are groomed, almost a bit rushed or pre packaged before they hone true skillset they find themselves on the big stage and its either sink or swim, no going back to smaller venues. Personally I think Berto is here...followed closely by a Gamboa. Have massive skills no doubt but equally have glaring flaws that could come back to bite them badly. Bajado was so sold on power they lost track of plan b,c and d. Too much too soon. Its good to be skeptical whenever you here a network guy or promoter going overboard trying to convince you so and so is the 'next coming of Sugar Ray or Jones jr etc etc.
two names spring to mind that are already mentioned
Bojado (what the hell is he doing now ???)
Valero
also Cassius Clay - that guy had it all but went off the radar around 1964 , he was the fighter Ali could have been
and yes Naz never achieved what he should have. Ok he 'blossomed' and became a superstar but the regularly used term on here that the fans were 'short changed by a career' has never been more appropriate.
He wasn't as good as a lot of people thought - but lets not forget he hasn't officially retired yet so there's still time for him to prove us all wrong ;)
Not sure if he has been mentioned but I remember quite a few boxing experts predicting Joel Julio would be the next big thing. He is no more than a gatekeeper at best these days.
the peterson brothers
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark TKO
ha - funny
:appl:
So did that Walker Smith Jnr.Quote:
Originally Posted by XQuote:
Originally Posted by Mark TKO
ha - funny
:appl:
francisco bojado for sure......
what about frankie swindell??:D
most of the guys mentioned had a combination of problems, mainly either lazy or weren't able to cope with the pressure of living up to what they were being billed to be
Right on with NunnQuote:
Originally Posted by Manju
I remember being a kid and hearing about him being the next big thing
Zab Judah - He's 2 Division champion but he was expected to accomplished something similar to Floyd 's
Gerry Cooney, Calvin Brock, Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy, Rey Bautista
I don't think I ever seen somebody explode onto the scene and than quickly crash and burn like Marvin Sonsona. He's still young enough where he can maybe one day do something. He has the talent. But I don't see the heart to match it.
Another fighter who had talent to be champion was Tokunbo Olajide (Michael's younger brother). Problem for him boxing was just a side project for him. He was good at it. But didn't love it. It was easy for him to walk away from it. And he did
A lot of people thought Sonsona could have been something. He's way too young at 20 to say he's washed up but like you said the kid's heart isn't in the game. You can have all the necessary tools to be a good or great fighter but if you ain't got no heart then it's just wasted potential. What a pity I say.Quote:
Originally Posted by Violent Demise
Okay here is my list
Oba Carr - just didn't reach the final fence
Fernando Vargas - long evity
Dingaan Thobela - could have been better....but lacked discipline
Job Biscuit (But still very good fighters)!!!
eh eh!!!
Good call. Was thinking Carr, just never turned the page on career....always thought Danny Romero had 'it' at first and would reach huge heights. Mark Johnson was one of the most talented and quickest flyweight boxers to come around but slugging, lifestyle etc etc got the better of him. Yeh he reached Champion, but I think he had 'great' in him longterm.
Really anyone who has won a world title, even an alphabet, has blossomed. Some might not live up to expectations, but if they've done enough to be a world titlist then they've 'made it' imo. Certainly someone who's been a multi-division or lineal champ like Zab Judah should not be getting mentioned.
Bojado, Joel Julio & Oba Carr are good choices already mentioned (& doesn't Victor Ortiz look like a guy on the way to that?).
One not mentioned who should be is Errol Christie. He almost sums up this topic. He was arguably one of the best amateurs in UK history, although he went pro at 19 rather than waiting another 2 years for the 84 Olympics. He looked to have it all, Manny Steward had him at the Kronk & has said he had the potential to be great. Then he gets iced in a round by an unknown Belgian & in what was really the death knell on his career gets beaten up by Mark Kaylor in what was effectively the UK's Holmes-Cooney. After that his career just petered out & he ended up losing to the kind of guys he really shouldn't of.
COURAGE TSCHABALALA.........was supposed to be scarier than Tyson.......(he actually WAS for about 3 or 4 fights, then..........:() exposed by Darryl "Doin Damage" Wilson.
I really had high hope for Z Gorres and Bernabe Concepcion.
I'm not giving up on Bautista and Banal just yet. They are B minus level fighters, but I really believe they will be Paper Champs someday. ;D
So are Michael Nunn & Chris Byrd related or what ???
Zab judah.....best two or three round fighter there ever was.