Who was the biggest amateur star that accomplished the least as a Pro

Which fighters were the biggest stars coming out of the amateurs but then accomplished the least as Pros?

Was it Olympic Gold medalists like Tyrell Biggs, Sugar Ray Seales & Howard Davis Jr...who never won a championship? What other examples are there?

Or maybe Duane Bobick...who didn't win a gold medal...but was still expected to be a factor in the heavyweight division until getting embarrassed by Kenny Norton?

Who else is there?

 

Interesting Topic...

The 1st Name to Pop N REED's Head was Mark Breland...He was Almost GOD-like as an Ammy...Hearns Type of BUILD, Robinson Type of SKILL, or So it Seemed...

Sure, he Won a World Title or 2, but when U Factor N the EXPECTATIONS, Breland's Career was UNDENIABLY Disappointing...

But Since U Mentioned it, REED'll Give the Knod to Howard Davis, Jr...People Actually Thought he was BETTER than Ray Leonard, Coming Out of the '76 Games, yet Dude NEVER won a World Title...

He Got MORE T.V. Dates & CHANCES to B Successful than Probably ANY Non-Champion Ever...Davis was a FIXTURE on CBS, Back N the Day...

REED:hammert:

ps. Leon Spinks Deserves an Honorable Mention N This Thread, Despite Getting LUCKY & Beating a Completely UNmotivated & UNDERtrained Ali for the Title...

 

savon, stevenson, kindelan, papp, rigondeaux?

 

::

 

The two that immediately come to mind for me are:

Andrew Maynard--Won the Gold at the Seoul Olympics and then went on to be a chinless hack as a pro.

Kelcie Banks---- While the dude flopped in the Olympics, getting starched in the first round, he was otherwise a very decorated amatuer. He was heavily favored to take the gold in Seoul after winning at the Worlds and Pan Am games in the preceeding years. He also beat Jesse James Leija and Eddie Hopson in the Olympic trials. As a pro he did absolutely nothing.

 

In my book it has to be Leo Randolph. He won the Gold Medal in the 1976 Summer olympics and as a pro did won the the WBA 122 lbs title from Ricardo Cardona, but then lost the belt in his first defense via humilliating one-sided 15 rounds beating to Argentina's Sergio Palma. Randolph and his entire family cried on tv at the end of the bout and he retired after that fight.

 

True. He did came close to beat Chapo Rosario, though...if it wasn't for that last round knock down that secured Rosario's win.

 

Fraudley Harrison

 

Ricardo Williams.

Howard Davis too. He was fast as all fuck, but never managed to even win a belt. The closest he came was against Rosario.

I'm glad none said Mark Breland. Breland didnt achieve the greatness some thought, but he still had a good career, and had a belt at one point.

 

Mohammed Abdullaev. Gold Olympic Medalist, made to quit like a bitch in the pros by the high and mighty Miguel Cotto.

 

Some that come to mind are: Paul Gonzales, Jimmy Clark, Jerry Page, Davey Armstrong, Clint Jackson, and going back to the 60's, Forrest Ward.
I would say that Clark was the biggest bust as he was targeted by all the magazines as a future champion back in the late 70's.

 

What about Karl Hegman? A highly touted amateur star who was a lock for a world title but never turned pro.
























Just fucken with ya Karl. ::

 

Jorge Luis Gonzalez
Yan Bartelemy is trying to be the answer.

 

For recent,I gotta agree with those who said Abdulaev,Williams,Fraudly:stir:

 

Park Si Hun

 

I'd say Audley Harrison.

 

Andrew Maynard.


The end.

 

I know that he doesn't qualify for this thread, but anyway I want to mention the undisputed king of undeserved media overhyped spotlight...*drums roll*...GERRY COONEY!:warning:

 

Jeff Lacy

 

Ding, Ding, Ding- we got a winner!! ::

In the worst HW era of all time, the 2000 SHW Olympic champion manages to achieve absolutely NOTHING; not even winning enough fights against enough mooks to earn a shot at ANY title of any meaningful kind. Hell, ghe didn't even get a shot at the European title, let alone a world title. :doh:

What an absolute disgrace...

MTF

 

At least he won a world title, which is more than can be said for Fraudley, who absolutely ZIP.

MTF

 

There have been others. Ed Sanders captured heavyweight gold in '52 (beating Ingemar Johanson in finals). He had a pro career too but in like his 10th fight he lost by KO and died afterwards

 

Cooney had a great left hook and he was huge. I am not saying he was a great fighter, but he wasn't undeserving of media attention. You act as if bum ended his career. He wasn't good enough to beat a prime Larry Holmes. What a shame.

 

duane bobick

 

didnt turn pro.

 

agREED. Cooney wasn't a great fighter, but he was a good one. He gave Holmes a pretty good fight. Some folks try to make it sound like Cooney was another Duane Bobick, but that's not accurate.

At the time he fought Holmes, I would have given him a good shot to beat Mike Weaver or Michael Dokes for the WBA title. Especially with Cooney's power and early round aggressiveness matched up against Weaver's usual slow start and sometimes unreliable chin.

 

Wasn't Breland a two-division champ? Welter and Jr. Middle? Maybe a two-belt champ anyways.

Edit: He won the WBA welter title twice.

 

i would've said Howard Davis.

 

Tucker.

 

hmmm? Tony Tucker had a decent career. Tony Tucker was an amateur star?

And then it hit mE... ::