The Ten Biggest underachieving fighters of the last 30 years ...

First topic message reminder :

1. Kirkland Laing - Saw the Duran fight again a few weeks back.........Seen some other footage also........Wow what a talent....Should be ashamed of himself.....

2. Greg Page - Most talented heavyweight since Ali for me........Didn't train much for Witherspoon as a protest for King's expenses.....and still ran him close.......Outboxed the very talented Tubbs early until slobby ran out of steam........Holmes legged it to the IBF......Should have been so much more !!!

3. Michael Nunn - Hard to criticise a guy who was champion for three years and then a WBA champ at a higher weight........But anyone who sees the Tate fight and the demolition of the dangerous Kalambay..........Has to wonder why this guy isn't an ATG !! Leonard wasn't interested in him but fancied Norris instead..........A back handed compliment If ever there was one...

4. Herol Graham - Some people thought this guy was the heir to Hagler......Remember Olajide and Barkley both back home talking about how good they thought he was...........Still not sure how he blew it.........Should be living in a mansion in Barbados.......

5. Don Curry - Best all round fighter I ever saw..........

6. Meldrick Taylor - Robbed of his biggest win and then shunted to 147/154 and ruined.........Anyone who sees the Meekins and Mcgirt fights can see what a special talent he was.......Fastest hands I've ever seen..

7. Naseem Hamed - All too brief time at the top.........Never seen a small guy punch so hard.........Lightning fast hands and a guy that did everything wrong/right !!.......Would have bet the house on him beating Marco............If he'd come back there were more titles to win and more big fights..........Instead stuck in the Camacho section of near great......

8. Zab Judah - Thought he had it all and has spent his career underachieving.........

9. Buster Douglas - Outboxed Tucker and quit..............Gave future champ MCcall a boxing lesson.........Beautiful show against Tyson and his style wasn't too much different to Bowe who showed what you can do with heart against Holy.......

Douglas could have beaten Holy but couldn't be bothered.......

10. Hector Camacho - Watch his fight with Limon..What a fighter !!......Ramirez was made to look stupid........Beat Rosario.........But got hurt and became a different fighter...........Outboxed an old Leonard later but the damage had been done.........Should have been an all time great..

My opinion guys..........Probably missed out better offerings.....But there you go !!

Atila wrote:

milkyboy wrote:Christie was a brilliant amateur Atila, but as your George Collins point proves it doesn't always count for much. I remember watching collins get starched by Garry stretch.

As an aside, whilst trying to remember which ex-fighters had commented on sparring between Laing and honeyghan (coincidentally mark Kaylor, was one), my google search took me to a bbc debate from 2006....With contributions from the two of us. We're knocking on a bit fella.

Yes, we are knocking on a bit... you more than me though.  

I wonder what happened to your buddy...stickingupforsrl? He was a true Ray Leonard man.

Using the shades is a breach of copyright.........

My lawyer Superfly.... will be in touch with you shortly..

Talking of talented boxers with glass jaws, what about Jorge Linares, immensely talented with fast hands and good technique but his chin as let him down on more than one occassion. Beating DeMarco with ease until he got caught late and then lost out on the rematch because of losing to Thompson.

Atila wrote:

milkyboy wrote:Christie was a brilliant amateur Atila, but as your George Collins point proves it doesn't always count for much. I remember watching collins get starched by Garry stretch.

As an aside, whilst trying to remember which ex-fighters had commented on sparring between Laing and honeyghan (coincidentally mark Kaylor, was one), my google search took me to a bbc debate from 2006....With contributions from the two of us. We're knocking on a bit fella.

Yes, we are knocking on a bit... you more than me though.  

I wonder what happened to your buddy...stickingupforsrl? He was a true Ray Leonard man.

I think stickingupforsrl got married to manmachine

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Talking of talented boxers with glass jaws, what about Jorge Linares, immensely talented with fast hands and good technique but his chin as let him down on more than one occassion. Beating DeMarco with ease until he got caught late and then lost out on the rematch because of losing to Thompson.

Good shout, classy boxer... Dishes it out better than he takes it.

Linares isn't a bad shout.

Georgie Collins Jr isn't a bad one either. He had great amateur pedigree but just didn't have a chin. He's from my neck of the woods, his family paved my parents drive way!

Christie was another odd one. I'm not sure if it was just his chin that let him down. Remembering the Kaylor fight, I seem to remember the occasion got to him as well. But, as we've already established, my memory isn't what it used to be!

Stretch himself was let down by his chin. He was a decent talent. Stopped a mugging in NY and became a hero and actor over there, if my memory serves me correctly.

Stretch ran into Eubank and was doing ok til the first big shot landed... it probably defined his level. Prior to that he had a decent run as a pro, his career got a bit of attention from KOing  George collins in his last amateur fight... And the fact he was a bit of a dude.

He was a model and boxer over here, and an actor stateside. If memory serves me correctly the lady he intervened on the behalf of turned out to be an acting coach... Which coinciding with the Eubank defeat helped him make his career choice.