Guys I Wish Loved Glory More

[marbleheadmaui]

At the top of the list of course is Floyd Mayweather, but that's the last time I will comment on him.

There are a series of guys around now or relatively recently retired who I wish would, or had, chosen different career paths. In each case I wish they had been more daring matchmakers. In no order

Felix Sturm-He's a pretty good fighter who performed admirably against Oscar and really had a chance to jump into the limelight in the US. Looking back the 160's from 2005 or so forward have been pretty weak and who knows how well he might have done!

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Omar Narvaez-Unbeaten in 37 fights, 20 or so defenses of his 112 and 115 straps and in all that time he's fought two ranked guys and fought outside Argentina four times? From what I can tell watching film? he's pretty good. But how can one really tell given the competition? He was in a division with Vic D and Donaire and Wonjonkam and he's wasted it.

Johnny Tapia-One of my all time favorite fighters but he really only faced one stud and two pretty good guys. Had he not been banned for three years for failing a drug test he had guys like Gilberto Roman and Khaosai Galaxy and Robert Quiroga and Sun Kil Moon in front of him. What a waste.

Chris John-Unbeaten with wins over JMM (it wasn't a robbery. I thought it was a very close fight)and Rocky Juarez and Smoke Gainer and Hiroyuki Enoki. That's enough to determine he is a fine fighter. The question is he a great one? There is plenty of opportunity at 126 to find out for sure. Gamboa, JuanMa and Orlando Salido. Hell Chris at least fight Hawsegawa!

Samson Dutch Boy Gym-I dunno. He retired 43-0 and the only three guys I recognize on his resume are Rolando Pascua, Cruz Carbajal and Hugo Rafael Soto. A pretty good fighter. Gym drilled the former in eight and the latter in six and Carbajal in four. So he wasn't a stiff, but how good was he? I dunno...and i wish I did.

Roy Jones-[sigh] I just wish he'd taken on MaCallum and Calzaghe earlier and Liles and Nigel Benn and Eubank and Darius. Now was Roy great? Yup. How great? I wish I could have seen. Think about how different his resume looks with those guys instead of Antoine Byrd and Pazienza and Eric Lucas and Bryant Brannon.

Now in several of those cases the guys have made big money staying home. Good for them. In other cases they became revered without doing what I would have preferred. Good for them.

I just wish these men prioritized glory more than they do/did.

[greynotsoold]

I loved watching Tapia fight, and I never really thought about it, but you're right. There were a few fights that would've been something to see.

[Gallegos Boxing Gym]

Interesting stuff. I agree with you on all those guys.

I remember feeling the same about Terry Norris. What great talent, but he pissed it all away staying at 154 his whole career. Maybe he woulda lost a rematch to Jackson or fights to other top guys at middle. But he ended up losing fights anyway in far less forgivable losses, so he might as well have given it a shot.

What poor career guidance he had. All those big names at 160 and 147 and he just stayed at 154 and fought in ho-hum fights his whole career. It wasn't a bad career, but it coulda been so much more. For him to have never taken the chance to be truly great was disappointing.

[Master]

David Haye gritting his teeth and going for it against Wlad when he realised his lucky punch tactics would not work.

Wlad himself taking a chance and going for the knockout earlier and not being over cautious and going for the stoppage only late in fights. He has an obligation to excite especially against inferior opponents who come in unconditioned, inexperienced and simply not good enough to be there.

Chad Dawson has all the talent but does not let it all hang out.

[armyash]

With the life Tapia has had it is amazing he achieved what he did.

[marbleheadmaui]

With the life Tapia has had it is amazing he achieved what he did.

Yup. He may be the one guy I can think for whom satying in the ring long after his reflexes and skills have gone may be the safer course of action than retiring.

But man I was glad I got to see him as he happened. Just the most exhuberant guy in the ring I've ever seen.

[ryanman]

I almost could have but this in the thread about guys I wish I had seen more of but for me it would be Kirkland Laing.
So much talent, so many problems. What could he have done if he wanted the glory more than the drink? Unfortunately a really sad story has followed his retirement.

[captainanddew]

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Marble- Donaire had some injury issues. And Arum really didn't seem concerned with making him a star.

After the last win against Montiel, Donaire did something very dumb. He tried to break a contract. A contract is a contract is a contract. Arum was an attorney(like me). Top Rank also undoubtedly has good legal representation.

[marbleheadmaui]

I almost could have but this in the thread about guys I wish I had seen more of but for me it would be Kirkland Laing.
So much talent, so many problems. What could he have done if he wanted the glory more than the drink? Unfortunately a really sad story has followed his retirement.

Care to fill that in a lttle? I don't know the story.

[marbleheadmaui]

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Marble- Donaire had some injury issues. And Arum really didn't seem concerned with making him a star.

After the last win against Montiel, Donaire did something very dumb. He tried to break a contract. A contract is a contract is a contract. Arum was an attorney(like me). Top Rank also undoubtedly has good legal representation.

I hear ya. But Nonito fought what? 6 times between Vic and Montiel and faced who exactly?

[captainanddew]

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Marble- Donaire had some injury issues. And Arum really didn't seem concerned with making him a star.

After the last win against Montiel, Donaire did something very dumb. He tried to break a contract. A contract is a contract is a contract. Arum was an attorney(like me). Top Rank also undoubtedly has good legal representation.

I hear ya. But Nonito fought what? 6 times between Vic and Montiel and faced who exactly?

I agree it was a total waste, but he was injured a bit. Then Arum was putting him on small ppvs. I blame his manager and promoter as much as him in this case. When Donaire left Arum, I said it was bullshit because there was a valid contract (me as a lawyer speaking). At the same time, I say fuck Arum, let Donaire free to make something of himself (the boxing fan in me speaking).

He is a fighter who has wasted part of his prime, but I don't believe he isn't one that doesn't want glory. he's just a guy in an unfortunate situation that should have blown up before it did this spring!!!

[ryanman]

I almost could have but this in the thread about guys I wish I had seen more of but for me it would be Kirkland Laing.
So much talent, so many problems. What could he have done if he wanted the glory more than the drink? Unfortunately a really sad story has followed his retirement.

Care to fill that in a lttle? I don't know the story.

Sure. You mean what has happened since his retirement? I presume you do.

Well, to go back a bit first, after beating Duran in 1982 he went missing and only reappeared after blowing all his money on drink, drugs and women. He fought on for several years finally retiring in 1994(?) at 40 following a knockout loss to Glenn Catley.
By all accounts he then became more and more alcohol dependent with spells of homelessness. Steve Bunce made a documentary about him about 7 years ago and he looked in a really bad way and was homeless. Shortly afterwards he suffered a fall from a balcony and several spells in rehab for his alcoholism followed. Last I heard was that he was alive but not well. I hope things have improved for him since.

He had so much talent but his demons robbed him of the career (or he robbed himself) that he could have had. He was before my time really but I have always been really interested in his story probably because my dad (who wasn't particularly passionate about boxing) seemed like a boxing fanatic when talking about Kirkland.

[marbleheadmaui]

I almost could have but this in the thread about guys I wish I had seen more of but for me it would be Kirkland Laing.
So much talent, so many problems. What could he have done if he wanted the glory more than the drink? Unfortunately a really sad story has followed his retirement.

Care to fill that in a lttle? I don't know the story.

Sure. You mean what has happened since his retirement? I presume you do.

Well, to go back a bit first, after beating Duran in 1982 he went missing and only reappeared after blowing all his money on drink, drugs and women. He fought on for several years finally retiring in 1994(?) at 40 following a knockout loss to Glenn Catley.
By all accounts he then became more and more alcohol dependent with spells of homelessness. Steve Bunce made a documentary about him about 7 years ago and he looked in a really bad way and was homeless. Shortly afterwards he suffered a fall from a balcony and several spells in rehab for his alcoholism followed. Last I heard was that he was alive but not well. I hope things have improved for him since.

He had so much talent but his demons robbed him of the career (or he robbed himself) that he could have had. He was before my time really but I have always been really interested in his story probably because my dad (who wasn't particularly passionate about boxing) seemed like a boxing fanatic when talking about Kirkland.

Thanks very much. Very, very sad. I didn't know about the drinking. I could never figure out how he could beat Duran and then fight very credibly against a pretty good Fred hutchings and then just sort of faded away. At least from here in the states. I watched that fight against Duran several times shortly after it happened and while Duran wasn't in great shape Laing handled him awfully well. I thought he won more clearly that then judges did. I would have thought he could have gotten at least one more big fight.

Thanks again.

[marbleheadmaui]

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Marble- Donaire had some injury issues. And Arum really didn't seem concerned with making him a star.

After the last win against Montiel, Donaire did something very dumb. He tried to break a contract. A contract is a contract is a contract. Arum was an attorney(like me). Top Rank also undoubtedly has good legal representation.

I hear ya. But Nonito fought what? 6 times between Vic and Montiel and faced who exactly?

I agree it was a total waste, but he was injured a bit. Then Arum was putting him on small ppvs. I blame his manager and promoter as much as him in this case. When Donaire left Arum, I said it was bullshit because there was a valid contract (me as a lawyer speakin). At the same time, I say fuck Arum, let Donaire free to make something of himself (the boxing fan in me speaking).

He is a fighter who has wasted part of his prime, but I don't believe he isn't one that doesn't want glory. he's just a guy in an unfortunate situation that should have blown up before it did this spring!!!

OK based on your testimony I'll give Donaire a temporary Mulligan. Thanks.

[captainanddew]

Nonito Donaire-The guy has stepped up HUGE each time he has had a big fight. But come on from 25-28 he fought Vic and Montiel and that's it? REALLY Now it's not too late for him but man has he wasted years. His next four fights oughtta be Agbeko, Moreno, Mares and Kameda in whatever order he wants. He's got a chance to build a really special resume. But he must stop wasting time.

Marble- Donaire had some injury issues. And Arum really didn't seem concerned with making him a star.

After the last win against Montiel, Donaire did something very dumb. He tried to break a contract. A contract is a contract is a contract. Arum was an attorney(like me). Top Rank also undoubtedly has good legal representation.

I hear ya. But Nonito fought what? 6 times between Vic and Montiel and faced who exactly?

I agree it was a total waste, but he was injured a bit. Then Arum was putting him on small ppvs. I blame his manager and promoter as much as him in this case. When Donaire left Arum, I said it was bullshit because there was a valid contract (me as a lawyer speakin). At the same time, I say fuck Arum, let Donaire free to make something of himself (the boxing fan in me speaking).

He is a fighter who has wasted part of his prime, but I don't believe he isn't one that doesn't want glory. he's just a guy in an unfortunate situation that should have blown up before it did this spring!!!

OK based on your testimony I'll give Donaire a temporary Mulligan. Thanks.

a temporary mulligan is all that I'm giving him as well. If he doesn't get it into high gear over the next year he will join your list my friend.