Quote Originally Posted by Beanflicker View Post
At the same time, I often wonder what part match-making plays into all of this. Are there guys who became great fighters that could have ended up in the "bust" column if they weren't brought along perfectly? Could a bust like Bojado have become a great fighter if he was put in with guys that were good match ups for him, that would help him progress as a fighter without killing his confidence and hype by giving him a loss?

Floyd Mayweather had a lot of trouble in his second pro fight vs 1-1 southpaw Reggie Sanders (who went on to amass a record of 12-47 to date). It was obviously bad matchmaking as Floyd wasn't ready for a southpaw at that stage in his career. What if Reggie Sanders got the nod? Could Floyd have handled dropping a fight at that young, that early in his career? Maybe his will and desire would have faded and he would have went on to mediocrity, and his name would have came up with guys like Bojado, who had so much promise and then went on to nothing.
I think it also comes down to styles and how a fighter lost. I guy like Floyd getting caught with one big shot out of the blue I feel would be less damaging then getting out - thought.