Great Technical Boxers Limited by Mentality

[Dark Lord Al]

Flicking through a number of recent threads I've become concious of a number of fighters who although physically and technically gifted, never reached their apparent potential because of apparent deficiencies in their mental makeup.
Some examples....

Zab Judah
This fighter immediatly springs to mind. Blessed with a savage left uppercut, copious quantities of speed and skill, Zab has literally thrown away a HoF career.
His ability to fall apart during a fight in which he had been highly succesful is infamous. In addition his meltdowns as seen in the Maywether, Cotto and Clottey fighyts have seen Zab beaten by men who are simply more focused toward their objectives and willing to ride early storms to win.
Zab never has shown the ability to endure and overcome.

Meldrick Taylor
Taylor could have been a superstar. Unrivalled amateur pedigree, sublime skills in co-ordination with near perfect physicality and athleticism, it seemed he was born to be the best.
For me he was primary contributor to his own demise. He would not allow a fighter impose themselves physically without attempting to validate his own physicality.
This saw him drawn into wars, such as that with Chavez. Fights could have been won clearly had he stuck to the task of boxing, an art he mastered. However, Taylor's mind demanded he go to war and as we all saw he was very good, but not the best at this.

Ricky Hatton
The most frustrating fighter of the past decade for me. Squandered raw talent, physicality and a hell of a lot of work with his lifestyle between fights, despite endless advice from trainers, fighters, the media, his fanbase.....

Andrew Golota
I am one of those that was very keen on Golota. However he quickly let me down. When the goping got tough, Golota got Dirty.
He was his own worst enemy in cases.
He could have been a heavyweight Arturo had he battled it out cleanly; a hero regardless of results, but he spoiled his chances of marketability and profit through the use of foul and sometimes dangerous tactics...

Feel free to add more....


Honourable mentions; ()

Oliver McCall
Mike Tyson
Kermit Cintron

GAVIN REES .

[Spicoli]

Riddick Bowe, for sure. He had all the tools and skills to be an ATG.

On some level, James Toney was limited by his mentality. As great as his career was, if he didn't struggle so much with food and at times focus he could have been even better. He never should have lost to Thazdi or Griffin. For that matter, he would have never lost to Sam Peter if he was in proper shape.

Good ones.Bowe had all of the physical tools but had the fire in the belly of a sloth.Once he hit it big and statrted talking about putting a kitchen in his bedroom,that was ballgame lol.

Toney could be lazy.A master of timing out rounds and taking the foot of the pedal in gaps.I think he through in the mental towel going into the Jones fight.Jones was in his head,turned the tables on him.

[ICB]

Riddick Bowe, for sure. He had all the tools and skills to be an ATG.

On some level, James Toney was limited by his mentality. As great as his career was, if he didn't struggle so much with food and at times focus he could have been even better. He never should have lost to Thazdi or Griffin. For that matter, he would have never lost to Sam Peter if he was in proper shape.

I don't think James Toney lost to Montel Griffin, the first fight was a draw James Toney done no worse than that. And James Toney for 100 percent won the rematch, he was definately on the wrong end of a bad decision in the rematch.

[LEGION]

Kid Thunder......Well actually he's limited in all aspects but mentality is definately one.

[OumaFan]

Clottey, Toney, Guzman. A guy like Viloria's maybe not a great technical boxer but he's a poster boy for mentality problems, at least until Solis.

I always thought Judah's unreached potential was a bit overdone. His skills and technical ability were always overrated IMO. He was never nearly as talented and skilled as say a Guzman.

[jon09]

Mike Tyson for sure is a very good example.

Felix Trinidad was to me never the same after Bhop.

Sam Peter will probably never recover from Vitali.

Roy Jones 2nd half of career is running on fumes and bad career choices.

Edison Miranda

Ike Ibeabuchi

[Macho]

Hi my friend Donny , good to see you , i hopes everything is well with you and your family too ..............

Well what about Hazem Hamed when was defeated by Marcos Antonio Barrera , he never returned back to fight , probably MAB frustrated him in some way i guess..................

I really liked that fight and i enjoyed...............

[donnydarkoIRL]

Hi my friend Donny , good to see you , i hopes everything is well with you and your family too ..............

Well what about Hazem Hamed when was defeated by Marcos Antonio Barrera , he never returned back to fight , probably MAB frustrated him in some way i guess..................

I really liked that fight and i enjoyed...............

Macho!
Great to see you my friend!
Everything is good here, how are you?


Yeah Naseem Hamed certainly is one, once he lost his aura of invincibility I think it shattered his own drive and self belief.

Truely great to see you again mi pana.

[BoomBoom]

Buster Douglas is an extreme case, James Tillis, Dominick Guinn to name a few heavyweights...ODLH at times was too.

[Taeth]

Joshua Clottey?? not a finisher...

To a larger degree Quartey, he was similar to Clottey, but he had that great jab and power.
Here are guys for me

Potentially Gamboa: IMO a better athletic version of Meldrick Taylor, but his cockiness could be the death of him. He does things so effortlessly sometimes, and other times he gets caught.
Andre Berto: another top tier athlete who is tough, can box, and he wants to be exciting, but I think he has a hard time trying to integrate excitement and boxing and he leaves himself wide open for counter punches.
Roy Jones Jr: not because of anything he did in the ring, but because of what fights didn't end up getting made, I know they weren't 100% his fault, but as PAcquiao is showing the big fights can be made if you are really eager to fight guys. I think his fear of a serious injury led him away from the biggest fights in his prime.
Ali and Lennox Lewis: didn't train as hard as they could have for many of their fights.
Wilfredo Benitez: he trained like 2 weeks in total for both the HEarns and Leonard fight, I am not sure if he wanted an excuse or honestly didn't care, but I think he never gave his best effort leading up to the fight.
Mike Tysonbvious reasons
Zab Judah: obvious reasons
Juan Guzman: poor manager? Lost his opportunity by not making weight for a very important fight because he stayed at 130 way too long.
Michael Nunn and Whiatker: could have had longer careers had they kept clean.

[holmcall]

Great thread subject!! Maybe Berto fits the bill. He has a low ring IQ in my view.

[jon09]

Michael Grant

Michael Moorer

Francisco Bojado

Hector Camacho Junior

[Spicoli]

What about a Holyfield in a way? Was much more sound technically and top notch skill set but often his heart out willed his mind and opted to slug it out.In an odd way?

Frankie Randall...very much able in skillset but...

[Andre]

Hi my friend Donny , good to see you , i hopes everything is well with you and your family too ..............

Well what about Hazem Hamed when was defeated by Marcos Antonio Barrera , he never returned back to fight , probably MAB frustrated him in some way i guess..................

I really liked that fight and i enjoyed...............

Macho!
Great to see you my friend!
Everything is good here, how are you?


Yeah Naseem Hamed certainly is one, once he lost his aura of invincibility I think it shattered his own drive and self belief.

Truely great to see you again mi pana.

Same happened i the same weight class to Koko from Hungary undefeated for 20 plus then ko'ed lost his world title and never even tried again once.

Tua wasnt great technically as such but always dissapointed me, recon he could of been so much more if he hadn't got so lazy with his training.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Hi my friend Donny , good to see you , i hopes everything is well with you and your family too ..............

Well what about Hazem Hamed when was defeated by Marcos Antonio Barrera , he never returned back to fight , probably MAB frustrated him in some way i guess..................

I really liked that fight and i enjoyed...............

Macho!
Great to see you my friend!
Everything is good here, how are you?


Yeah Naseem Hamed certainly is one, once he lost his aura of invincibility I think it shattered his own drive and self belief.

Truely great to see you again mi pana.

Same happened i the same weight class to Koko from Hungary undefeated for 20 plus then ko'ed lost his world title and never even tried again once.

Tua wasnt great technically as such but always dissapointed me, recon he could of been so much more if he hadn't got so lazy with his training.

Yeah Tua regretted that himself...
Shame really.