Who is the most talented boxer to never achieve anything and fade away into obscurity

[X]

its a bit unfair to be talking about people like Meldrick Taylor and Mark Breland, these were Olympic gold medallists and world champions!

I think Kirkland Laing was incredibly gifted, but was not sufficiently driven

[Master]

its a bit unfair to be talking about people like Meldrick Taylor and Mark Breland, these were Olympic gold medallists and world champions!

I think Kirkland Laing was incredibly gifted, but was not sufficiently driven

Anyone beating Duran and then not capitalising on that victory is a wasted talent.

[Kirkland Laing]

I think Kirkland Laing was incredibly gifted, but was not sufficiently driven

If he'd turned up for training once in a while he could have been something special.

[holmcall]

I think Kirkland Laing was incredibly gifted, but was not sufficiently driven

If he'd turned up for training once in a while he could have been something special.

Hmm, the name "Kirkland" might be a curse.

[Beanflicker]

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.

[Bill Paxtom]

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'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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."

[holmcall]

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'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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."

Thanks, did not know that. Didn't Quarry clean his clock as well.

[El Kabong]

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

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.