Overachievers in boxing

[TitoFan]

Alfonso Gomez comes to mind. He beat Gatti, got a fight with Cotto, made some good paydays.

Certainly George Foreman in his comeback was quite an overachiever, winning the Heavyweight Title at age 45.

Roberto Duran achieved a tremendous amount late into his career.

Glen Johnson must be added to the list with 12 losses and he's 42 years old and the dark horse in the Super Middle tournament.

To me, "overachiever" is a guy who goes far in his career despite having limited talents. IMO, Duran does NOT even come close to fitting that category. Glen Johnson, however, is the poster boy of overachievers.

[Spicoli]

What about a Iran Barkley?

[TitoFan]

What about a Iran Barkley?

He's a good example too. Also, I think John John Molina was an overachiever. He gave De La Hoya a good fight despite not being anywhere near him in talent.

[Spicoli]

What about a Iran Barkley?

He's a good example too. Also, I think John John Molina was an overachiever. He gave De La Hoya a good fight despite not being anywhere near him in talent.

Molina was a capable boxer, tight little counter puncher prior. Was off long run...and coming up.

Sticking with homeland I'd put Jake 'The snake' Rodriquez on list. Couldn't break eggs but hustled way to title and good story.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I wouldn't like to say that 'this is what it means to over achieve' because you can apply a different logic in a number of ways to come to a conclusion (obviously).
Another way of thinking is using Jermaine Taylor as an example of someone who reached for the stars, twice beating Bernard Hopkins to became undisputed world champion to then crash and fall at an alarming rate. By that logic you could possibly state Mike Tyson as a massive overachiever... Because lets face it, no one with that ridiculous side to side movement should be expected to accomplish anything in boxing right?

[Master]

Vaughn Bean - who is he and how did he get a shot at Holyfield?

[Fenster]

Some weird picks in this thread. Olympic gold medal winners that went on to be world champion? Undisputed champs? All-time greats?

This small crop of fighters that reach the pinnacle can seriously be classed as overachievers? Isn't just that they were brilliant fighters?

[Rantcatrat]

Having Wlad, Rocky Marciano, and Ricky Hatton on the thread doesn't make sense to me or maybe I don't really understand the thread.

[Fenster]

I'm a bit confused by this thread too.

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

If a brilliant fighter pulls off an upset it is surely because of their already established brilliance, they haven't overachieved because they've already achieved enough to make them great?

[generalbulldog]

I'm a bit confused by this thread too.

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

If a brilliant fighter pulls off an upset it is surely because of their already established brilliance, they haven't overachieved because they've already achieved enough to make them great?

I guess we just have different definitions on the word "overachiever." Just like we both disagree on the word "elite" or "coward."

[Fenster]

I'm a bit confused by this thread too.

Form is temporary, class is permanent.

If a brilliant fighter pulls off an upset it is surely because of their already established brilliance, they haven't overachieved because they've already achieved enough to make them great?

I guess we just have different definitions on the word "overachiever." Just like we both disagree on the word "elite" or "coward."

I'm 100% certain that i've never used the word "coward" in more than 11,000 posts, unless merely repeating like now.

If, like me, you believe this word has no place in boxing then YES we fully agree, I don't actually know your definition or how it relates to fighters

[Dark Lord Al]

Steve Robinson , a club fighter who won the warren boxing title , earned good money from being a hard working fighter , so far from world class its scary.

[Julius Rain]

(time to stir the pot)

Floyd is an overachiever - if he had fought casa, koysta, hatton @140, margarito, cotto, williams, pacquiao a few years back those fights would take a lot of him and one would whooped on him by now, and none would be talking about him now

[THE THIRD MAN]

1) It has to be Leon Spinks, all time greatest overachiever, he wins a SD against an old and tired Ali in his 8th fight, promptly loses the rematch and then is blasted out in 1 round by Gerrie Coetzee and 3 rounds by Larry Holmes. Career effictively over by age 28! Leon Spinks can lay claim to being undisputed World Heavyweight Champion...if ever there was an over achievement then this was it!

2) Billy Backus beats Welter king Jose Napoles on cuts and becomes undisputed World Welterweight Champion until the re match where he is KO'd in 8 by Napoles. Blink and you would have missed his career altogether. Considering Napoles standing in any top 10 all time Welterweight listings this was one helluva over achievement.

3) Buster Douglas, he survives the long count against Tyson and then pulls off the upset of the century only to be out in 3 rounds against Holyfield 6 months later. Buster Douglas will always be remembered as the man who beat the invincible Mike Tyson, can't take that away from him. Amazing over achievement.

[TitoFan]

1) It has to be Leon Spinks, all time greatest overachiever, he wins a SD against an old and tired Ali in his 8th fight, promptly loses the rematch and then is blasted out in 1 round by Gerrie Coetzee and 3 rounds by Larry Holmes. Career effictively over by age 28! Leon Spinks can lay claim to being undisputed World Heavyweight Champion...if ever there was an over achievement then this was it!

2) Billy Backus beats Welter king Jose Napoles on cuts and becomes undisputed World Welterweight Champion until the re match where he is KO'd in 8 by Napoles. Blink and you would have missed his career altogether. Considering Napoles standing in any top 10 all time Welterweight listings this was one helluva over achievement.

3) Buster Douglas, he survives the long count against Tyson and then pulls off the upset of the century only to be out in 3 rounds against Holyfield 6 months later. Buster Douglas will always be remembered as the man who beat the invincible Mike Tyson, can't take that away from him. Amazing over achievement.

I think we have the same concept of what an "overachiever" is..... someone who reaches further than he should have, given his set of skills. Leon and Buster both are DEFINITELY in that category. Not too familiar with Backus, though.