Tbh I disagree that he was wasted talent, I believe he just wasn't talented enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
He stepped up to world title fights like 3 or 4 times and got knocked out every time.
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Tbh I disagree that he was wasted talent, I believe he just wasn't talented enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
He stepped up to world title fights like 3 or 4 times and got knocked out every time.
^^ Kinda his own fault.Quote:
Originally Posted by holmcall
For me Jerry Quarry has to be up there, purely because he had sufficient talent and he was around in what will be remembered as the greatest HW area.
He just didn't manage to make an impact in the big fights, if he had of won just one of those big fights he would be as big as Foreman, Fraizer and Liston.
And maybe, just maybe, he'd appear in a god damn Fight Night game.
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Originally Posted by C.J.Rock
Soooo you don't know about how he abducted the son of his ex girlfriend and then drove his car into a bridge abutment shortly after the Tua fight? Or how he sexually assaulted a few strippers and was then declared mentally incompetent to stand trial?
He "had mental problems" because he's bipolar and was unmedicated/self medicating at the time.
Ibeabuchi looked spectacular...but there have been a few Nigerian heavyweights to look unstoppable only to turn out to be pedestrian: Sam Peter, David Izon, Friday Ahunaya, Duncan Dokiwari, Lateef Kayode.
Hearns had that right hand though. Hearns would be a massive PPV fighter these days just with that KO power. Imagine how much Mayweather-Hearns would make.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTraeA Latin Hearns? :-\Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland LaingIn addition to the hand problems he also looks to have a glass jaw. He got caught by a non-puncher in one of his recent fights and was out on his feet. How he survived the round I don't know. He was still wobbled at the end of the fight. His jab is a thing of beauty though.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTrae
I remember Gil Clancey commentating on Barkley-Hearns "The one thing about a Hearns fight, you know Somebody is gonna get knocked out."
Benavidez has the jab, some power (not Hearns-like) and some silky skills but has the hands and the chin slowing his ascent. If he wants to get to world level he's going to have to be able to take punches.
Floyd would not fight Hearns, he would accuse him of taking drugs to protect his precious 0.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland LaingHearns had that right hand though. Hearns would be a massive PPV fighter these days just with that KO power. Imagine how much Mayweather-Hearns would make.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTraeA Latin Hearns? :-\Quote:
Originally Posted by Kirkland LaingIn addition to the hand problems he also looks to have a glass jaw. He got caught by a non-puncher in one of his recent fights and was out on his feet. How he survived the round I don't know. He was still wobbled at the end of the fight. His jab is a thing of beauty though.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimTrae
I remember Gil Clancey commentating on Barkley-Hearns "The one thing about a Hearns fight, you know Somebody is gonna get knocked out."
Benavidez has the jab, some power (not Hearns-like) and some silky skills but has the hands and the chin slowing his ascent. If he wants to get to world level he's going to have to be able to take punches.
Carr was very skilled fighter he dropped prime Tito and could have got the decision against Ike. His weakness was power and he was found wanting against Oscar but I think Carr was done by then. I just feel Carr could have achieved more for his talent.Quote:
Originally Posted by VendettosTbh I disagree that he was wasted talent, I believe he just wasn't talented enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
He stepped up to world title fights like 3 or 4 times and got knocked out every time.
Danny Romero. He may have sabotaged himself with tunnel vision on Tapia.
...and alcoholism. Man he was talentedQuote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
James Scott
He looked like one 'Bad Ass' who would never lose at 175 lbs.
This guy has to be on the list.
Marshall Martinez - Boxer
His mom used to drive him to East LA every day to train at DLH's gym. He was disqualified in the Olympic Trials for slapping with his punches but still got a big signing bonus to turn pro. Nothing but attitude problems and he really loved being a Fontana hood hero.
Willie de Witt
Canadian Amateur Champion
Had the 'goods' in the Amateur's and was thought to be a 'Star' in the Pro Ranks.
He did the old 'Canadian Flap-Jack'.
I saw Oba Carr as a gatekeeper: good enough to make it to the top, but not good enough to beat those at the top.Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterCarr was very skilled fighter he dropped prime Tito and could have got the decision against Ike. His weakness was power and he was found wanting against Oscar but I think Carr was done by then. I just feel Carr could have achieved more for his talent.Quote:
Originally Posted by VendettosTbh I disagree that he was wasted talent, I believe he just wasn't talented enough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
He stepped up to world title fights like 3 or 4 times and got knocked out every time.
I thought Joan Guzman was going to be the second coming.
Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock really should have done better....big guy, big power, good hands, but just didn't train well enough and didn't have a good chin.
Mac Foster
Flopped outside of Fresno, California.
He was good, and had the potential to be at least a WBA Champion.
Was supposed to challenge WBA Champion - Jimmy Ellis in late-1969,
but the bout fell through.
A better boxer than given credit for, but over-rated in his punching power.
Too many easy early bouts against {Grade B} 'trial-horse' opponents.
'Big' John Tate .....cocaine got the best of him. He got injured before he got the chance to fight Larry Holmes and it was all downhill after that.
Tyson hit it plenty of times and broke his jaw and busted his ribs. After that war the resistance was never the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
Cassius Clay
He never really fought anybody real good {1960 thru 1967}, and he squandered
a potentially great career.
Most his bouts were either choreographed, or 'freak-shows'.
That is the most stupid post ever. Congratulations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom
Well he really should have been able to beat Tyson but I believe the hype got to him and he just fell in love with his power. Then his weight would yo-yo and he just never could get over the hump from being Contender to Champion.Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterTyson hit it plenty of times and broke his jaw and busted his ribs. After that war the resistance was never the same.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
Just watched boxing classics and John the beast Mugabi who had extreme power and talent but after he lost to the great Hagler, semi retired and Duff forced him back.
Mugabi takes a brutal accidental thumb in his left eye and can't continueagainst Duane Thomas. In a strange twist, before fight Mugabi argued against using thumb tabbed gloves and sadly got his wish.
He then gets starched by Norris and McClellan.
Errol Christie. Bags of talent , went on a long unbeaten run , then got KO'd in 45 seconds. Regrouped, won a few more and got KO'd by Mark Kaylor.
I wonder if Haglar just took the fight outta him. His punch resistance wasn't worth squat after that one fight.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
Dominick Guinn....
Guinn began boxing at age nine and lost in the quarterfinals in the Michigan Junior Olympic Tournament at 139 pounds. Fighting in the 147-pound class at 15 years of age, Guinn lost in the finals. Guinn won the 19-and-under Junior World title in 1993.
Guinn had an amateur career(record 290-26), twice winning the National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Championship in 1997 and 1999 but losing in the Olympic qualification to Calvin Brock. In 1998, Guinn won the U.S. National Championships and won a Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games in New York City.
He began his career winning his first 24 fights, including a seventh round knockout win over Michael Grant and a victory over Duncan Dokiwari.
In 2004 he lost his first fight, a lackluster, but controversial decision to Monte Barrett. He knocked out veteran Phil Jackson but then lost his second fight to Sergei Liakhovich, who went on to win WBO heavyweight title.
I always think of Kirkland. I know he had some accomplishments but if he had put his heart more into boxing and cease being a criminal I thought he could have done much more.
Valero
Currently serving a 35 year sentence. He was the complete opposite of his cousin Steven Luevano. And more talented. Martinez beat Miguel Cotto in the amateurs. But he just couldn't stay out of trouble. When Ricardo Williams was busted selling coke Marshall Martinez was busted with himQuote:
Originally Posted by greynotsoold
Courage Tshabalala
Ah yes the aptly named 'Southern Disaster'...for a while in his professional career he looked very good. Joe Mesi, Sam Peter, and Guinn were on one of HBO's deeper more interesting cards and they all did very well. Guinn showed all the signs of being a "somebody" in the division in fact as he was coming up he seemed to me to fight a lot like Evander Holyfield...above average power, decent hand speed, good workrate, hell of a chin (STILL hasn't been knocked down or stopped).....but I knew when he fought Michael Grant and he allowed Grant to last 7 rounds with him that he just didn't have the killer instinct that a top heavyweight needs to survive the division. He took it easy on Grant and although he kept winning I knew it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of that softness.Quote:
Originally Posted by ykdadamaja
Calvin Brock is another that comes to mind, he was all around pretty average of a fighter, but he had a style which was difficult to crack. He gave Wladimir Klitschko a little trouble, but ended up getting KO'd and it was downhill from there in boxing. He fought Eddie Chambers, took damage to his retina, had a botched surgery and was forced to retire. He wasn't a bad boxer at all...his KO of Zuri Lawrence was outstanding!
Ricky Womack. Apparently had the pedigree, the backing and faith of Manny Steward and skill but inexplicably just pissed it all away with crime and assault. He returned 16 years later from prison and ran off 4 wins but was slowly spiraling downward with depression and lack of adjustment. Two months after his last win, one where he felt 'the crowd turned on him' and he was being laughed at, he took his own life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by El KabongAh yes the aptly named 'Southern Disaster'...for a while in his professional career he looked very good. Joe Mesi, Sam Peter, and Guinn were on one of HBO's deeper more interesting cards and they all did very well. Guinn showed all the signs of being a "somebody" in the division in fact as he was coming up he seemed to me to fight a lot like Evander Holyfield...above average power, decent hand speed, good workrate, hell of a chin (STILL hasn't been knocked down or stopped).....but I knew when he fought Michael Grant and he allowed Grant to last 7 rounds with him that he just didn't have the killer instinct that a top heavyweight needs to survive the division. He took it easy on Grant and although he kept winning I knew it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of that softness.Quote:
Originally Posted by ykdadamaja
Calvin Brock is another that comes to mind, he was all around pretty average of a fighter, but he had a style which was difficult to crack. He gave Wladimir Klitschko a little trouble, but ended up getting KO'd and it was downhill from there in boxing. He fought Eddie Chambers, took damage to his retina, had a botched surgery and was forced to retire. He wasn't a bad boxer at all...his KO of Zuri Lawrence was outstanding!
Actually, he decapitated Zuri
And what was crazy about Zuri was that he NEVER KO'd anyone as a professional. 24 wins...not 1 single KO. Kind of outrageous for a boxer much less a heavyweight
Quote:
Originally Posted by El Kabong
But he beat the living crap out of Albert Sosnowski and came within an inch of stopping him. He also gave Rahman all he could handle. Zuri had a lot of guts for a guts who had been decapitated.:rolleyes:
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Originally Posted by MrUnbiasedFan
By his own choice
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Originally Posted by Kirkland LaingIf he'd turned up for training once in a while he could have been something special.Quote:
Originally Posted by X
Hmm, the name "Kirkland" might be a curse.
Floyd Mayweather: he had a lot of talent but chose to never fight anyone good so he will go down as the worst boxer in the history of the sport.
Thad 'Babe' Spencer
After he beat up Cassius Clay in November 1965 during a sparring-session
in Las Vegas.
Thad let it go to his 'nose', and 2 1/2 years later he was 'coked-out' beyond
belief.
1968 'Wasted Talent Award'
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Thad Spencer {1966} >
"Can you believe that they're going to give Brian London a Championship fight
with Cassius, after I beat him up first."
"That at no fight, that's a Circus Side-Show. London will fall down walking to the
Ring. He stinks beyond belief."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Paxtom
Thanks, did not know that. Didn't Quarry clean his clock as well.
Kirk Johnson 37(27 KO)-2-1 (1 NC)....big talent, blasted out Oleg Maskaev and then beat Larry Donald by decision (very difficult to do), but pissed away his title shot at John Ruiz using the Golota maneuver :rolleyes:
He ballooned up in weight after suffering a torn pectoral in the build up to the Lennox Lewis fight (a shot he didn't deserve but one he got handed). Vitali Klitschko gave him a shot at a big fight off the heels of his gutsy performance vs Lennox Lewis in the hopes that the winner could coax Lennox out of retirement for 1 more fight. Sadly Johnson came into the fight 30 pounds over his best weight and was subsequently "harpooned" in the 2nd round as Larry Merchant so eloquently put it.
I wasn't a "fan" of Kirk but as a fan of the heavyweights it always hurts me to see talented boxers not live up to their potential.