Most "promising" fighter who never really blossomed?

[erics44]

This is a bit off the topic requirements - but Naz was a great featherweight that should have been a true legend. Quite sad that most Naz threads are littered with people calling him just a hype job.

id say naz was the biggest waste of tallent yes

[ross]

Francisco Bojado

[Fenster]

Naz is an OK-ish example but doesn't really belong with the other names mentioned. He was NOT a failure. He was the lineal featherweight champion and ruled his division during his pomp. But could have accomplished even more. That's all i'm saying.

[Master]

Mark Breland (at a stretch)
David Reid
Tyrell Biggs

Our own Kikland Lang

[erics44]

Naz is an OK-ish example but doesn't really belong with the other names mentioned. He was NOT a failure. He was the lineal featherweight champion and ruled his division during his pomp. But could have accomplished even more. That's all i'm saying.

and when i said waste of tallent, it was a bit over the top

he wasnt a total waste as you say, he was the best in his division and recognised across the globe

[Andre]

Francisco Bojado

Solid as, but maybe he was lazy in training? Needed more explosiveness in him.
Also some people like to give a beating but fold as soon as they start taking some themselves.

Look at Koko from Hungary loved handing out a beating had an unbroken record , got sparked at something around 30.0 and he just never came back.
I thought him and Jmm would have had a great fight in the day at featherweight,on styles but i would of been proved wrong as the Mex heart would of won out over the even skills.

[Spicoli]

I've learned the hard way to keep my promising separate from hyped up types who crash and burn...like a Jimmy thunder . Ones who make a splash, have connections or feast on record padding to run up a glossy count only to get badly exposed. Then again some guys have solid skills but on the big stage vs. repeat quality they just were really not that good. Important as some guys come up and you can just tell they have something working, big potential and for one reason or another they are cut short...be it through injury or tragedy. One that stands out and had no definitive 'reason' for packing it in was this kid out of Kronk named Jemal Hinton in the 90's. Ran up a nice undefeated streak, captured some stepping stone straps and had nice network exposure and was all but guaranteed a title fight........one day he just ..gone...retired. Disputes with father were mentioned, religion etc but not many walk away like that.

Mick mentioned Zack Padilla. Dead on! This guy could box his ass off and was on the cusp after nationally televised "tko" of Juan Laporte. Damn shame he had to retire.

Kid 'Akeem' Anifowashe recieved his title fight at 18-0 vs Robert Quiroga. What unfolded was a sensational brutal fight that saw all the skill and promise of Akeem on dislpay in the champions backyard. Quiroga was full of pressure but the numbers did not do the closeness of the fight justice. Texas, go figure. After 12 rounds in a classic type match Anifowashe collapsed and his career ended that night as he underwent emergency surgery with swelling on the brain.

So many. Then ya have boxers who are groomed, almost a bit rushed or pre packaged before they hone true skillset they find themselves on the big stage and its either sink or swim, no going back to smaller venues. Personally I think Berto is here...followed closely by a Gamboa. Have massive skills no doubt but equally have glaring flaws that could come back to bite them badly. Bajado was so sold on power they lost track of plan b,c and d. Too much too soon. Its good to be skeptical whenever you here a network guy or promoter going overboard trying to convince you so and so is the 'next coming of Sugar Ray or Jones jr etc etc.

[Mark TKO]

two names spring to mind that are already mentioned

Bojado (what the hell is he doing now )
Valero

also Cassius Clay - that guy had it all but went off the radar around 1964 , he was the fighter Ali could have been


and yes Naz never achieved what he should have. Ok he 'blossomed' and became a superstar but the regularly used term on here that the fans were 'short changed by a career' has never been more appropriate.

He wasn't as good as a lot of people thought - but lets not forget he hasn't officially retired yet so there's still time for him to prove us all wrong

[bzkfn]

Not sure if he has been mentioned but I remember quite a few boxing experts predicting Joel Julio would be the next big thing. He is no more than a gatekeeper at best these days.

[X]

also Cassius Clay - that guy had it all but went off the radar around 1964

ha - funny

[Master]

also Cassius Clay - that guy had it all but went off the radar around 1964

ha - funny

So did that Walker Smith Jnr.