Fighters who should have had better careers than they did

We have been having a lot of misses as of late, but thought we'd start a thread to point out fighters who were pretty much a sure thing to have a stellar career but although they might have had a decent one it didn't live up to half the hype that was built up

two examples that pop out to me are Jermaine Taylor he had one of the best jabs in the sport in the last 15 yrs, he had the size and athleticism for a long reign as champ but it wasn't so, IMO he lost at least one of the fights with B-Hop or even both, then looked mediocre against the likes of Spinks and Wright, destroyed by Pavlik and well that sums up his career

also headed towards the same direction, Amir Khan, sure he picked up a strap, but he's lost fights he should have won and then decides to take on sub par opposition while still looking flat in Julio Diaz

Zab Judah - He was undisputed welterweight champion. So it can't be said he never accomplished shit. But he never came close to meeting the unrealistic expectations placed on him

Julio Diaz - He'll end up with a decent career. But he was hyped the way Mickey Garcia is hyped now when he was coming up. Downfall started when he got the loss against Angel Manfredy in a fight he should of won

Juan Manuel Lopez - He's a 2 division champion. But way more was expected. They were looking for the next Felix Trinidad and instead got a smaller Kermit Cintron

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

In Jin Chi

Ricardo Mayorga

Henry Wharton

Herbie Hide

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ross

In Jin Chi

Ricardo Mayorga

Henry Wharton

Herbie Hide

---

I'll put them in the had better careers than was expected category.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ross

In Jin Chi

Ricardo Mayorga

Henry Wharton

Herbie Hide

---

I'll put them in the had better careers than was expected category.

---

No, in Mayorgas defence he has proven over the years that he can hang with the very best, even when old or not in the best of shape but his fights with Lewis and Forrest also proved what hes capable of when disciplined. Smashing up the undisputed champ and best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Mayorga should have got fights with Mosley and De La Hoya back then. Fighters who dont know how to run but I doubt either of them would have wanted any little piece of that Mayorga.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

---

did he mockout david haye?

i cant remember his name either

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

---

did he mockout david haye?

i cant remember his name either

---

Don't pretend you don't remember him he was Danish like you, despite being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every young boxer should be shown some of his fights to learn how easy it is to humiliate defenceless weak chinned opposition. He was very vulnerable to right uppercuts and having a dead animal stuck on his shorts didn't really do a lot to improve his marketability. So talented though, potential legend, world beater in waiting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

---

did he mockout david haye?

i cant remember his name either

---

Don't pretend you don't remember him he was Danish like you, despite being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every young boxer should be shown some of his fights to learn how easy it is to humiliate defenceless weak chinned opposition. He was very vulnerable to right uppercuts and having a dead animal stuck on his shorts didn't really do a lot to improve his marketability. So talented though, potential legend, world beater in waiting.

---

given the choice if i could have been born anywhere other than hope hospital salford england it would be the democratic repulic of congo

did you have your croissants for breakfast?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

---

did he mockout david haye?

i cant remember his name either

---

Don't pretend you don't remember him he was Danish like you, despite being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every young boxer should be shown some of his fights to learn how easy it is to humiliate defenceless weak chinned opposition. He was very vulnerable to right uppercuts and having a dead animal stuck on his shorts didn't really do a lot to improve his marketability. So talented though, potential legend, world beater in waiting.

---

given the choice if i could have been born anywhere other than hope hospital salford england it would be the democratic repulic of congo

did you have your croissants for breakfast?

---

No I had marmalade on toast and a cup of earl grey tea like a proper English gentleman. I was born in Freedom Fields hospital in Plymouth, the same fields where we the English defeated the invading French Bretons. It's also the same field where the Parliamenterian forces beat the Royalists. You northern bastards meanwhile where walked over by vikings hence your Nordic accent and big bolshy birds with horns on their helmets.

Kirkland Laing.
A win over Roberto Duran, immensely talented, but never applied himself.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Greenbeanz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by erics44

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al

There was a guy I remember being pretty tough , an under rated right hand , fought at super middle , but for the life of me I cant remember his name.
Durable guy.
no sorry guys just cant remember.

---

did he mockout david haye?

i cant remember his name either

---

Don't pretend you don't remember him he was Danish like you, despite being born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Every young boxer should be shown some of his fights to learn how easy it is to humiliate defenceless weak chinned opposition. He was very vulnerable to right uppercuts and having a dead animal stuck on his shorts didn't really do a lot to improve his marketability. So talented though, potential legend, world beater in waiting.

---

given the choice if i could have been born anywhere other than hope hospital salford england it would be the democratic repulic of congo

did you have your croissants for breakfast?

---

No I had marmalade on toast and a cup of earl grey tea like a proper English gentleman. I was born in Freedom Fields hospital in Plymouth, the same fields where we the English defeated the invading French Bretons. It's also the same field where the Parliamenterian forces beat the Royalists. You northern bastards meanwhile where walked over by vikings hence your Nordic accent and big bolshy birds with horns on their helmets.

---

cummon now, you should be proud of your horse eating french family

and do you really think that it was southerners that won the war? look at it nowadays, all the best people are northern, why should it have been any different back then?

[QUOTE=ryanman;1185914]Kirkland Laing.
A win over Roberto Duran, immensely talented, but never applied himself.[/QUOTE






Immediately sprung to my mind Kirkland Laing .
Steve Bunce tracked him down for documentary a few years back and he was living like a tramp and smoking crack.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ross

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ross

In Jin Chi

Ricardo Mayorga

Henry Wharton

Herbie Hide

---

I'll put them in the had better careers than was expected category.

---

No, in Mayorgas defence he has proven over the years that he can hang with the very best, even when old or not in the best of shape but his fights with Lewis and Forrest also proved what hes capable of when disciplined. Smashing up the undisputed champ and best pound for pound fighter in the world.

Mayorga should have got fights with Mosley and De La Hoya back then. Fighters who dont know how to run but I doubt either of them would have wanted any little piece of that Mayorga.

---

Mayorga is tough. And he's proven it through out the years. But he wasn't highly touted coming up. He wasn't expected to be champion or some kind of star. He did better than what was expected of him

I think Danny Williams could have had a much better career

when he trained hard he made things look easy, but more often than not he didnt

even for his fight against vitali he was over weight and looked like he hadnt put the hours in, despite putting up a good fight

Joshua Clottey maybe?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimanuel Boogustus

Joshua Clottey maybe?

---

nah clottey did well with the skills he had

I had two, Colin McMillan, Terry Dunstan, one Bad Luck, the other Bad Living.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Zab Judah - He was undisputed welterweight champion. So it can't be said he never accomplished shit. But he never came close to meeting the unrealistic expectations placed on him

Julio Diaz - He'll end up with a decent career. But he was hyped the way Mickey Garcia is hyped now when he was coming up. Downfall started when he got the loss against Angel Manfredy in a fight he should of won

Juan Manuel Lopez - He's a 2 division champion. But way more was expected. They were looking for the next Felix Trinidad and instead got a smaller Kermit Cintron

---

Man, Julio Diaz wasn't even supposed to be a champion in my estimation. He clearly over achieved, I liked him alot.

Shannon Briggs, Ray Mercer and Michael Moorer come to mind- their respective losses really and truly knocked them out of the pocket. Briggs vs. Wilson and Lewis (Lewis being understandable), Mercer vs. Holmes and Jesse Ferguson (losses he really shouldn't have lost, he could have been a great champion) and Moorer when he lost to Foreman- so stupid of him in the latter rounds of that fight.

David Tua is always in the frame for these. Smashed his way to the front of the queue then drifted into obesity and the role of also ran.

Ricardo Mayorga had a better career than what was expected of him, he didn't become a big name until the Lewis fights, and it wasn't cause of his boxing skills, he wasn't expected to beat Forrest and did so twice so over achieved

Riddick Bowe is another example of an under achiever, was touted as being the next big long time king of the HW division and imploded

Juanma does fall into the category but in no way would I call him a small Kermit Cintron seeing how he accomplished more and has a better resume, his prime was just a very short one, and he lacked the discipline in and out of the ring to have a long career

Gamboa is making his way into this category with his inactivity and looking flat as of late, as does Guzman

Jaidon Codrington. He had a hell of a left hook.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hulk

Jaidon Codrington. He had a hell of a left hook.

---

but had an egg shell chin

Colin McMillan is a good shout I would add gerry cooney , herol graham and Kirkland Laing

Joan Guzman is a great call if you limit it to just wasted talent. He was an incredible fighter for a time and could have been very live in fights with Pacquiao or Marquez, but never did much of anything. Obviously he was a lazy idiot and screwed his own chances, and there are loads of talented guys who just don't dedicate themselves like that.

On the absolute other end of things, how about Mike McCallum? Obviously had an incredible career and beat all kinds of killers, but he was imo one of the greatest fighters ever and was unfortunate to never land a few huge name fights at his peak. He could have fought SRL, Hearns or Duran and beaten them imo, could have got a fight with Hagler etc. Was very unlucky to lose his 0 in the first fight to Kambalay, and was a bit older by the time he fought Toney although still won the first meeting there imo. Guess he didn't quite have the star potential of a Leonard, Hearns or Duran but he was every bit as deadly and is criminally unheralded.

Fernando Vargas could have went on longer with better management he was talented.

I loved Obar Carr and Campus but maybe they found their limit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Master

Fernando Vargas could have went on longer with better management he was talented.

I loved Obar Carr and Campus but maybe they found their limit.

---

I was just about to post Fernando Vargas. The guy was a beast, product of the garcia fam but badly manage. He became the youngest champ ever and then quickly threw him in with Trinidad. He held his own and even knock him down a few times before he got stopped but he made it a fight. The kid IMO was never the same. That and well he always got fat when he was not in camp and then cut down drastically so who knows if that played a factor as well idk. But the talent was there early in his career.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by outspoken

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Master

Fernando Vargas could have went on longer with better management he was talented.

I loved Obar Carr and Campus but maybe they found their limit.

---

I was just about to post Fernando Vargas. The guy was a beast, product of the garcia fam but badly manage. He became the youngest champ ever and then quickly threw him in with Trinidad. He held his own and even knock him down a few times before he got stopped but he made it a fight. The kid IMO was never the same. That and well he always got fat when he was not in camp and then cut down drastically so who knows if that played a factor as well idk. But the talent was there early in his career.

---

Your thread made me also now consider Riddick Bows and possibly Ricky Hatton, who achieved a lot but could he have done more if he stayed in shape?

Jose Luis Lopez, Bojado, Mark Johnson. I know he did damn well but he should have been massive. He and Tapia would have been absolutely epic!

Roy Jones Jr should of been up there with Robinson IMO...

A few more that come to mind:

Jemal Hinton

Ricky Womack

Ginger Tshabalala

Harry Simon

Spencer Oliver

Jawaid Khaliq

I expected a lot more thinks (like many other boxing fans) from Andre Dirrell, in fact I thought he would rule the SM division one day.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Britkid

Roy Jones Jr should of been up there with Robinson IMO...

A few more that come to mind:

Jemal Hinton

Ricky Womack

Ginger Tshabalala

Harry Simon

Spencer Oliver

Jawaid Khaliq

---

Damn. Having seen some of those names in a long time. Womack is a classic case of wasted talent. Holyfield use to speak highly of him. Allah told Hinton he shouldn't fight any more. And he never did again. Oliver got ruined by a fighter from the Ukraine. Simon is actually still fighting. Khaliq is a trainer. I have no idea what ever became of Ginger Tshabalala

Wasn't Grant thought of highly before Lewis raped him its been a while since that fight. I think Tyson is up there as well because he fell short in most of his big fights kinda like Oscar did as well. As for the overachievers i say Bradley and Holyfeild would be at the top of that list.

James Toney could have been better but food took more priority.

VD had mentioned Judah and I agree because he had a whole Sports Illustrated article and was mentioned in most rappers songs before the Tszyu debacle.

Roy Jones until he decided to fight Tarver.

Pavlik- Damn Hopkins and personnel demons.

Ibeabuchi before he went nuts

Bojado

Going a little further back, I'd say David Tua. Many had him pegged as the second coming of Mike Tyson. But somewhere along the line his career just flattened out and the mystique was gone.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Memphis

David Tua is always in the frame for these. Smashed his way to the front of the queue then drifted into obesity and the role of also ran.

---

Oops... hadn't seen your post. But yeah I agree.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElTerribleMorales

Ricardo Mayorga had a better career than what was expected of him, he didn't become a big name until the Lewis fights, and it wasn't cause of his boxing skills, he wasn't expected to beat Forrest and did so twice so over achieved

Riddick Bowe is another example of an under achiever, was touted as being the next big long time king of the HW division and imploded

Juanma does fall into the category but in no way would I call him a small Kermit Cintron seeing how he accomplished more and has a better resume, his prime was just a very short one, and he lacked the discipline in and out of the ring to have a long career

Gamboa is making his way into this category with his inactivity and looking flat as of late, as does Guzman

---

It's funny how as irrelevant as Kermit Cintron is today (and he's pretty fucking irrelevant) he seems to have more left than Lopez. Lopez has never recovered from his first 2 losses. Salido ruined him

Lamar Parks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElTerribleMorales

Ricardo Mayorga had a better career than what was expected of him, he didn't become a big name until the Lewis fights, and it wasn't cause of his boxing skills, he wasn't expected to beat Forrest and did so twice so over achieved

Riddick Bowe is another example of an under achiever, was touted as being the next big long time king of the HW division and imploded

Juanma does fall into the category but in no way would I call him a small Kermit Cintron seeing how he accomplished more and has a better resume, his prime was just a very short one, and he lacked the discipline in and out of the ring to have a long career

Gamboa is making his way into this category with his inactivity and looking flat as of late, as does Guzman

---

It's funny how as irrelevant as Kermit Cintron is today (and he's pretty fucking irrelevant) he seems to have more left than Lopez. Lopez has never recovered from his first 2 losses. Salido ruined him

---

Kermit Cintron looked like shit the last time out, and despite having 3 TKO losses he never took the amount of damage that Lopez took in many of his fights not only the Salido fights, once Lopez abandoned his boxing skills and relied only on his power he started taking too much punishment to get the win, it wasn't just due to two fights, that's like saying that Collazo took away Hatton's chin, seeing how his punch resistance was shit in every fight following that

and lets remember that the irrelevant joke that is Cintron still managed to school Alfredo Angulo

David Reid another good Olympian... eventually ruined by his droopy eye and then Trinidad . fighters that could have done better but i don't know if it would change his careers (because of fatal flaws/traits) would be guys like: Luis Collazo Juan Diaz (Technically The Jury is still out on him till he finishes up) Derrick Gainer maybe, Mo Harris...