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

[Master]

Just watched boxing classics and John the beast Mugabi who had extreme power and talent but after he lost to the great Hagler, semi retired and Duff forced him back.

Mugabi takes a brutal accidental thumb in his left eye and can't continueagainst Duane Thomas. In a strange twist, before fight Mugabi argued against using thumb tabbed gloves and sadly got his wish.

He then gets starched by Norris and McClellan.

[Primo Carnera]

Errol Christie. Bags of talent , went on a long unbeaten run , then got KO'd in 45 seconds. Regrouped, won a few more and got KO'd by Mark Kaylor.

[SlimTrae]

Just watched boxing classics and John the beast Mugabi who had extreme power and talent but after he lost to the great Hagler, semi retired and Duff forced him back.

Mugabi takes a brutal accidental thumb in his left eye and can't continueagainst Duane Thomas. In a strange twist, before fight Mugabi argued against using thumb tabbed gloves and sadly got his wish.

He then gets starched by Norris and McClellan.

I wonder if Haglar just took the fight outta him. His punch resistance wasn't worth squat after that one fight.

[ykdadamaja]

Dominick Guinn....

Guinn began boxing at age nine and lost in the quarterfinals in the Michigan Junior Olympic Tournament at 139 pounds. Fighting in the 147-pound class at 15 years of age, Guinn lost in the finals. Guinn won the 19-and-under Junior World title in 1993.

Guinn had an amateur career(record 290-26), twice winning the National Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Championship in 1997 and 1999 but losing in the Olympic qualification to Calvin Brock. In 1998, Guinn won the U.S. National Championships and won a Bronze Medal at the Goodwill Games in New York City.

He began his career winning his first 24 fights, including a seventh round knockout win over Michael Grant and a victory over Duncan Dokiwari.

In 2004 he lost his first fight, a lackluster, but controversial decision to Monte Barrett. He knocked out veteran Phil Jackson but then lost his second fight to Sergei Liakhovich, who went on to win WBO heavyweight title.

[walrus]

I always think of Kirkland. I know he had some accomplishments but if he had put his heart more into boxing and cease being a criminal I thought he could have done much more.

[MrUnbiasedFan]

Valero

[Violent Demise]

This guy has to be on the list.
Marshall Martinez - Boxer
His mom used to drive him to East LA every day to train at DLH's gym. He was disqualified in the Olympic Trials for slapping with his punches but still got a big signing bonus to turn pro. Nothing but attitude problems and he really loved being a Fontana hood hero.

Currently serving a 35 year sentence. He was the complete opposite of his cousin Steven Luevano. And more talented. Martinez beat Miguel Cotto in the amateurs. But he just couldn't stay out of trouble. When Ricardo Williams was busted selling coke Marshall Martinez was busted with him

[holmcall]

Courage Tshabalala

[El Kabong]

Dominick Guinn....

Ah yes the aptly named 'Southern Disaster'...for a while in his professional career he looked very good. Joe Mesi, Sam Peter, and Guinn were on one of HBO's deeper more interesting cards and they all did very well. Guinn showed all the signs of being a "somebody" in the division in fact as he was coming up he seemed to me to fight a lot like Evander Holyfield...above average power, decent hand speed, good workrate, hell of a chin (STILL hasn't been knocked down or stopped).....but I knew when he fought Michael Grant and he allowed Grant to last 7 rounds with him that he just didn't have the killer instinct that a top heavyweight needs to survive the division. He took it easy on Grant and although he kept winning I knew it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of that softness.


Calvin Brock is another that comes to mind, he was all around pretty average of a fighter, but he had a style which was difficult to crack. He gave Wladimir Klitschko a little trouble, but ended up getting KO'd and it was downhill from there in boxing. He fought Eddie Chambers, took damage to his retina, had a botched surgery and was forced to retire. He wasn't a bad boxer at all...his KO of Zuri Lawrence was outstanding!

[Spicoli]

Ricky Womack. Apparently had the pedigree, the backing and faith of Manny Steward and skill but inexplicably just pissed it all away with crime and assault. He returned 16 years later from prison and ran off 4 wins but was slowly spiraling downward with depression and lack of adjustment. Two months after his last win, one where he felt 'the crowd turned on him' and he was being laughed at, he took his own life.

[holmcall]

Dominick Guinn....

Ah yes the aptly named 'Southern Disaster'...for a while in his professional career he looked very good. Joe Mesi, Sam Peter, and Guinn were on one of HBO's deeper more interesting cards and they all did very well. Guinn showed all the signs of being a "somebody" in the division in fact as he was coming up he seemed to me to fight a lot like Evander Holyfield...above average power, decent hand speed, good workrate, hell of a chin (STILL hasn't been knocked down or stopped).....but I knew when he fought Michael Grant and he allowed Grant to last 7 rounds with him that he just didn't have the killer instinct that a top heavyweight needs to survive the division. He took it easy on Grant and although he kept winning I knew it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage of that softness.


Calvin Brock is another that comes to mind, he was all around pretty average of a fighter, but he had a style which was difficult to crack. He gave Wladimir Klitschko a little trouble, but ended up getting KO'd and it was downhill from there in boxing. He fought Eddie Chambers, took damage to his retina, had a botched surgery and was forced to retire. He wasn't a bad boxer at all...his KO of Zuri Lawrence was outstanding!

Actually, he decapitated Zuri

[El Kabong]

And what was crazy about Zuri was that he NEVER KO'd anyone as a professional. 24 wins...not 1 single KO. Kind of outrageous for a boxer much less a heavyweight

[holmcall]

And what was crazy about Zuri was that he NEVER KO'd anyone as a professional. 24 wins...not 1 single KO. Kind of outrageous for a boxer much less a heavyweight

But he beat the living crap out of Albert Sosnowski and came within an inch of stopping him. He also gave Rahman all he could handle. Zuri had a lot of guts for a guts who had been decapitated.

[holmcall]

Valero

By his own choice

[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.