To be fair to Kirkland, Wolfe dumped him not the other way round but otherwise I agree with Lyle & Rant.

I think a major problem for Lemieux & Kirkland is that they both could just walk through their opponents, especially in Kirkland's case having no sparring. I think if you're as rusty as he is a camp with no sparring is a recipe for an early stoppage loss.

I do agree with the OP though about these guys being written off. I remember it particularly with the delight some seemed in writing off Jacobs after he got stopped in a fight less than a week after the woman who'd raised him had died. Not a particularly proud Saddo moment.