Most "promising" fighter who never really blossomed?

[Master]

jamie moore, i'll look into this, what about Audley Harrison? And henry Akinwande? I remember all the hype and they never did nothing much, Frank Bruno as well.

I thought Akinwande over-achieved really. He was average but still won a world title.

As for Audley, how can you call him a failure? Didn't you see that jab he threw at Haye? It didn't quite land, but if it had, well, that would have been some jab.

Nice one

When Lewis fought Akinwande, im sure I remember seeing Henry drop Lennox but it didnt get called and then Lewis held like fuck like he was scared to get hit again and the ref disqualified Akinwande for Lewis's holding!!

It was Henry Akinwande that was hanging on to his dear life.

[bzkfn]

jamie moore, i'll look into this, what about Audley Harrison? And henry Akinwande? I remember all the hype and they never did nothing much, Frank Bruno as well.

I thought Akinwande over-achieved really. He was average but still won a world title.

As for Audley, how can you call him a failure? Didn't you see that jab he threw at Haye? It didn't quite land, but if it had, well, that would have been some jab.

Nice one

When Lewis fought Akinwande, im sure I remember seeing Henry drop Lennox but it didnt get called and then Lewis held like fuck like he was scared to get hit again and the ref disqualified Akinwande for Lewis's holding!!

It was Henry Akinwande that was hanging on to his dear life.

Think he was being sarcastic Master.

[Eloking]

We'll have to consider Mike Tyson in the list. Sure he was a champion and all, but for me, a boxer reach his peak around 30 years old. I'm sure he could have become a lot better that what we saw.

[InTheNeutralCorner]

Edwin Valero comes to mind. He was a promising fighter with a lot of potentials. It was a pity that his head injury placed some limitations on where he can fight and his early demise put some mystery on how big he could have been.

[armyash]

Ryan Rhodes

he has had a good career and i'm not sure he would have ever been dominant at the top for long but he was really close to winning a world title. I think he lost some desire after getting beat and he has come back well the last couple of years but maybe too late for that elusive world title, i think he'll be lucky to get another crack and if he does he will more than likely be too old to stay there for long.

[JazzWolf]

Billy Collins

He was 14 and 0 with 11 K.Os before he faced Resto with plastered gloves. He had a LOT of heart and he had the will of a champion. R.I.P.

Yuriorkis Gamboa

An excellent fighter but I still think he needs to prove himself by fighting an opponent with equal or greater skills, like Lopez.

[El Kabong]

Panchito Bojado
Muhammad Abdullaev
Cris Arreola
Jeff Lacy

[Hulk]

Panchito Bojado
Muhammad Abdullaev
Cris Arreola
Jeff Lacy

Excellent pick !

I had forgotten all about Abdullaev. He was a great talent, beautiful combinations, then he got beaten by Clottey ? And wrecked by Cotto as I recall.

Then disapeared.

A guy who personally let me down on several occasions was David Tua.

He was supposed to be the next Tyson, but he really fell short in his fights with Lewis and Chris Byrd.

I couldn't believe Byrd beat him like that...

[Violent Demise]

I don't think I ever seen somebody explode onto the scene and than quickly crash and burn like Marvin Sonsona. He's still young enough where he can maybe one day do something. He has the talent. But I don't see the heart to match it.

Another fighter who had talent to be champion was Tokunbo Olajide (Michael's younger brother). Problem for him boxing was just a side project for him. He was good at it. But didn't love it. It was easy for him to walk away from it. And he did

[generalbulldog]

I don't think I ever seen somebody explode onto the scene and than quickly crash and burn like Marvin Sonsona. He's still young enough where he can maybe one day do something. He has the talent. But I don't see the heart to match it.

Another fighter who had talent to be champion was Tokunbo Olajide (Michael's younger brother). Problem for him boxing was just a side project for him. He was good at it. But didn't love it. It was easy for him to walk away from it. And he did

A lot of people thought Sonsona could have been something. He's way too young at 20 to say he's washed up but like you said the kid's heart isn't in the game. You can have all the necessary tools to be a good or great fighter but if you ain't got no heart then it's just wasted potential. What a pity I say.

[Otley]

Okay here is my list

Oba Carr - just didn't reach the final fence
Fernando Vargas - long evity
Dingaan Thobela - could have been better....but lacked discipline

Job Biscuit (But still very good fighters)!!!

eh eh!!!

[Spicoli]

Good call. Was thinking Carr, just never turned the page on career....always thought Danny Romero had 'it' at first and would reach huge heights. Mark Johnson was one of the most talented and quickest flyweight boxers to come around but slugging, lifestyle etc etc got the better of him. Yeh he reached Champion, but I think he had 'great' in him longterm.

[JazMerkin]

Really anyone who has won a world title, even an alphabet, has blossomed. Some might not live up to expectations, but if they've done enough to be a world titlist then they've 'made it' imo. Certainly someone who's been a multi-division or lineal champ like Zab Judah should not be getting mentioned.

Bojado, Joel Julio & Oba Carr are good choices already mentioned (& doesn't Victor Ortiz look like a guy on the way to that?).

One not mentioned who should be is Errol Christie. He almost sums up this topic. He was arguably one of the best amateurs in UK history, although he went pro at 19 rather than waiting another 2 years for the 84 Olympics. He looked to have it all, Manny Steward had him at the Kronk & has said he had the potential to be great. Then he gets iced in a round by an unknown Belgian & in what was really the death knell on his career gets beaten up by Mark Kaylor in what was effectively the UK's Holmes-Cooney. After that his career just petered out & he ended up losing to the kind of guys he really shouldn't of.

[ono]

I know he's not on the same level as most listed, but i remember being pretty certain that David Barnes was going to go on to be a world champion.

[donnydarkoIRL]

A bit abstract because he won a world title.
But for me Jermain Taylor