Has any one decade produced boxers as good as these 4 only for them to squander it?

[Holtol]

During the 90s there were many good heavyweight boxers. 4 of the best for one reason or another underachived Tyson, Bowe, Douglas, Ibeabuchi. I think Vitali, Wladimir, Lewis, and Holyfield are very good also but I think there may be more talent and potential in the boxers who did less with their carreers. Has there ever been another decade that produced talant like this only for them to squander it away?

Do you think that Tyson,Bowe,Douglas,Ibeabuchi had more talent then Holyfield,Lewis,Vitali,Wladimir?

[RubenSonny]

I know what you mean but in the end its pointless, your basically saying if a fighter had something(certain intangibles, mental capacity, discipline) which they didnt have would they be better. Its like saying if fighter A could he beat fighter B? But thats just the thing because fighter A having that certain thing wouldn't be fighter A. For me, most of the time, potential is irrelevant in hindsight, obviously there are a few exceptional cases.

[Holtol]

I know what you mean but in the end its pointless, your basically saying if a fighter had something(certain intangibles, mental capacity, discipline) which they didnt have would they be better. Its like saying if fighter A could he beat fighter B? But thats just the thing because fighter A having that certain thing wouldn't be fighter A. For me, most of the time, potential is irrelevant in hindsight, obviously there are a few exceptional cases.

Watching Tyson's early on which was a little before 1990 I thought he was never going to be beat. I was only about 12 at the time though lol. When Douglas beat Tyson I was very supriesed I have watched the fight quite a few times and Douglas put on one of the best displays I have seen out of of man over 230 pounds. Then the next fight he loses to Holyfield and fades away. I watched many of Bowes fights and I thought he would be a great heavyweight champ but after the first Holyfield fight he faded. Ike Ibebuchi was looking like he would be somthing special but went to jail. Just seems like there was more talent that underachived durning the 90s at heavyweight then I know about at different time periods. Maybe thats not the case.

What you say I beleive for one reason or another they lacked champion ingredients. But still they seemed to have a lot of talent I dont know how often 4 guys like that come along.

[RubenSonny]

Watching Tyson's early on which was a little before 1990 I thought he was never going to be beat. I was only about 12 at the time though lol. When Douglas beat Tyson I was very supriesed I have watched the fight quite a few times and Douglas put on one of the best displays I have seen out of of man over 230 pounds. Then the next fight he loses to Holyfield and fades away. I watched many of Bowes fights and I thought he would be a great heavyweight champ but after the first Holyfield fight he faded. Ike Ibebuchi was looking like he would be somthing special but went to jail. Just seems like there was more talent that underachived durning the 90s at heavyweight then I know about at different time periods. Maybe thats not the case.

What you say I beleive for one reason or another they lacked champion ingredients. But still they seemed to have a lot of talent I dont know how often 4 guys like that come along.

Like I said I know what your saying, in a H2H theres few HWs I'd favor over Bowe the night he first beat Holyfield.

[Miburo]

I wouldn't include Douglas in that group. He could have been better, but I don't think he was true champion caliber even at his best. More like a tough contender.

And Ibeabuchi didn't underachieve, he's just mentally ill unfortunately.

[Holtol]

I wouldn't include Douglas in that group. He could have been better, but I don't think he was true champion caliber even at his best. More like a tough contender.

And Ibeabuchi didn't underachieve, he's just mentally ill unfortunately.

Mike Tyson when he was on Larry King addmited that the main problem in the fight with Douglas was that he was just very good on that night. Sure it was only one fight but still I think he underachived.

My main question is in other points in time through the history of boxing have there been 4 boxers that good who did less with their talent in any one weight division? Basicly they were all fighting at near the same time and all of them underachieved. Any one of the 4 with hard work and disiplin would have been a serious threat to boxers like Holyfield,Lewis,Vitali and Wladimir.

[sonnyboyx2]

Douglas, Bowe, Tyson & Ibeabuchi all beat Vitali, Wlad & Lewis in H2H prime fights

[Jim Jeffries]

I'd pick Holyfield to beat Tyson, Lewis to beat Bowe, Vitali to beat Ibeabuchi and Wlad to beat Douglas.

[Holtol]

Douglas, Bowe, Tyson & Ibeabuchi all beat Vitali, Wlad & Lewis in H2H prime fights

I think they were all good enough at certain points in their carreers to at least be the most serious challenge that those three would have faced. And I would pick them to win also but that is debatable. I find it a little strange that 4 heavyweights with talent as great as they had all fighting near the same time period all self destructed. Do you think it was just random circomstances or a product of the times? Do you think that events like this have happend before in boxing history? Or was it just a fluke?

[JAB5239]

I think they were all good enough at certain points in their carreers to at least be the most serious challenge that those three would have faced. And I would pick them to win also but that is debatable. I find it a little strange that 4 heavyweights with talent as great as they had all fighting near the same time period all self destructed. Do you think it was just random circomstances or a product of the times? Do you think that events like this have happend before in boxing history? Or was it just a fluke?

Im sure this has happened plenty of time through out history. This sport has always been filled with people who come from poor, tortured backgrounds and were lost from boxing because of their inability to cope no matter how talented. Biggest difference now is the advent of cable, satellite and the internet. NOW everybody knows everybody else's business whether they want to or not.