List: The three most talented boxers who never made it

dsimon writes:

Our fate is our fate and fate can be a bitch. It does not have to be in any order but list the three guys who you think mighta, coulda, woulda been the best but for circumstances that interfered.

I will get things started.

1) Witherspoon. If King had not wrecked his career he had all the tools to be a top heavy. A pure philadelphia fighter who would have given anyone fits in the ring.

2) MCcall. Another guy with frightening good talent... a pure puncher meaner than Tyson and maybe more skilled. MCcall's problems got the better of him... he is still a threat but thats about it.

3) Ike. I have been vocal on Ike already, nuff said. He did the crime and deserves to do the time, but I believe the boxing world lost a potential great.

The rest of the near do wells I can think of managed to reach some of their potential before self destruction shut down the show.

Other Near do wells just could not overcome adversity after a defeat... Briggs, Prince Naseem, etc.

 

Tua, Golata, Toney ::

 

dsimon writes:

Oh come on Tyler all those guys had a career. Toney did everything he needed years ago to be one of the best.

Golata and Tua tailspinned after a career.

Maybe Golata if you believe he had psych problem.

 

When I was saying never made it, I am talking about a title in the "heavyweight" division.

 

dsimon writes:

That makes sense.

 

Davey Hilton

 

I pulled an I and I and assumed it was about the heavyweight division's champs that didn't make it based off your list.

 

Oba Carr

 

Mark Breland - Coulda been better than Hearns
David Reid - The EYE
Tim Austin - ?? Had it all then Undertrained for Marquez

 

I thought those guys went as far as they should have gone. Breland never impressed me greatly as a pro, Austin was good but apart from being neglected by King and not fighting as often as he should-he made it as far as I expected, Reid had a dodgy eye, sure, but I never thought he would be anything more than a solid titleist...

 

Breland always looked like he was ready to move up a gear but never did - had all the tools. Reid should have at minimum had a career on a par with Vargas or Forrest.

 

Teofilo Stevenson

Felix Savon

Laszlo Papp

 

those guys are legends and national figures

 

if what enept steward says is true, then Bernard Mays.

same w/ that guy who twice defeated holyfield in amateurs. i forget his name.

 

Ricky Womack??

 

yea. he was unbeaten as a pro, went on to do drugs, then eventually comitted suicide.

 

David Reid, Andrew Golata and Tyrell Biggs.

 

Uhhh...he turned pro, got a fat deal and the use of an apartment, went into a shop one day and, for no apparent reason, pistol whipped an old Korean shop keeper into unconsciousness, got arrested, did time, came out and resumed his career, then he topped himself.

fucking good ridddance to him.

 

them koreans never learn do they

 

You guys have named several world champions and Olympic legends.
If you win a world title, you've made it.
For every guy that wins a title, there are tens of thousands of boxers internationally, some extremely talented, that do not.
Mark Breland won Olympic Gold and a World Welterweight Championship, that's making it.
Same with David Reid, and wasn't Austin a world titlist at one point as well?
Tim Witherspoon won a version of the heavyweight title, and really beat Larry Holmes at one time, I'd say that's making it.
What criteria are you judging by "making it?"
And what do you consider "making it?"
I was thinking more in the line of a Pete Ranzany, Harold Weston, Sugar Ray Seales, Richie Kates, Cleveland Williams, Jerry Quarry, or Howard Davis Jr. who failed to win a title as a pro, but made it in the Olympics.
Oba Carr is a terrific example, though it didn't surprise me that he didn't win a title at 147 as he was so short and his reach was so very short.

 

Winning a world title isn't necessarily 'making it' or doesn't preclude you from being considered an underachiever, especially when you are considering a fighter's talent. Sure, to a non-boxer like myself, it seems like that would be 'making it', but consider someone like Eddie Hopson...wins a vacant title and gets blown away in his first defense. That's not making it.

As far as there being tens of thousands of fighters who don't win a title for every fighter who does...that's just not accurate. Boxrec shows about 1000 active fighters per weight class.

 

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

 

Tony Tucker. If he gave more of a sh*t, he just may have done better. Afterall, the guy even with a half-assed performance and showing little determination and guts still took 4 rounds from a prime Mike Tyson over 12 rounds. Tyson never hurt him at all with any punch(and he landed some bombs on Tucker). Tucker though showed he could stop Tyson right in his tracks, crafty use of a left hook with a sneaky uppercut underneath.:eeeek:
Tucker was kinda like Bowe. Very tall, long jab and great footwork, atlethic ability and fast hands. Overall a gifted athletic big man who should've made more of his physical gifts. You know you're gifted when you can do the Ali shuffle fluidly at 6'5" tall.
Prime Tony Tucker was the man!!! :clap: But he just wasn't hungry.

 

Thats what Ice Cubester would tell you.

Someone should shoot him too!!!

 

Boxrec, huh?
I am referring in terms of to the kids around the world that step into boxing gyms with hopes of someday becoming world champion.
Look at the title of the thread again, ok?

 

yea, Ice Cube was a little faggot for saying that. Look at him now.

 

What do you mean "never made it"?

Witherspoon and McCall both won titles...and that's all they deserved to win with their talent.


IKE is the only entry that makes sense.

Briggs? You gotta be kidding me?::

 

That's the same thing I said, sly.
When you win a world championship, you've made it.

 

Oh, I get it. I've seen a boxing ring so you can count me, too. And I told a friend about the boxing ring, so you can count him. And a guy I know got into a bar fight, so he counts. Not hard to get to tens of thousands that way.

Hell, getting ranked in the top 10 is 'making it', isn't it? Or how about getting rich, a la Micky Ward. Never won a world title, but I'm sure plenty of world champions would trade their title for his boxing $.

The OP should have clarified what he considers 'making it', but your conclusion that winning a world title should be the determining factor isn't perfect.

 

Tony Ayala Jr.