There are many fighters that for one reason or another, never reached their full potential.
5. Andrew Golata - Had all the skills to be a world champ but due to a lack of a stable mind, wasted away his prime years.
4. Gerald McClellan - Was said to be THE guy to beat Roy Jones in his prime but unfortunately, never made it to that fight due to his tragic last fight with Nigel Benn. I think that fight should have been stopped when Benn was knocked through the ropes in the first round.
3. Stanley Ketchel - A remarkable fighter who accomplished a lot in his short career that spanned 7 years (although he did have 63 fights in that time). He fought and actually knocked down the heavyweight champ as a middleweight among fighting and beating some of the best fighters in his weight class. He was just getting into his prime when he was tragically murdered at the very young age of 24.
2. Meldrick Taylor - He was an Olympic gold medalist as well as an undefeated IBF welterweight champ. He was faster than Floyd Mayweather, and had better foot work than Ray Leonard along with great combination punching and amazing stamina. Then he fought Julio Cesar Chavez. He was clearly winning the fight but also taking quiet a beating. But what destroyed him as a fighter for ever was Richard Steele stopping the fight with 2 seconds to go after he was knocked down in the final seconds of the 12th round. After that, Taylor was never even close to being the same. That fight mentally killed him. He went 14 wins with 7 loses since that fight along with fighting and losing on very small cards to no name fighters with losing records. A sad story indeed.
1. Salvador Sanchez - Perhaps the best featherweight of all time! He defeated many great fighters with his natural boxing and punching ability. He knocked out both legends Wilfredo Gomez and Azumah Nelson, both of whom were in their prime at the time. Sanchez tragically died in a car crash after his fight with Azumah Nelson at the young age of 23.
Mark Breland. Had all the potential in the world until he lost focus.
One of the best amateurs ever. Also one of the best left jabs ever. Even though his pro career was a disappointment, Breland still had a pretty good career.
On another note, I felt Meldrick Taylor was all he could be. His style was made to burn out early, and he never had the punching power a fighter that aggressive needed.
Cosign, i'd add Mayweather too though. I would have liked to see this guy taking more dangerous fights, i bet he has a lot more to show the world if he'd only get in the right fights.
That's true.
Mayweather should've been in more wars. But, then again .. He's a boxer, not a fighter like Gatti etc.
Zab Judah, Fernando Vargas, Mike Tyson, Andrew Golota .. That's all I can think of right now .
Cosign, i'd add Mayweather too though. I would have liked to see this guy taking more dangerous fights, i bet he has a lot more to show the world if he'd only get in the right fights.
Cosign, i'd add Mayweather too though. I would have liked to see this guy taking more dangerous fights, i bet he has a lot more to show the world if he'd only get in the right fights.
Meldrick Taylor is the one that sticks out for me he looked like Sugar Ray Leonard in disguise. The thing that let him down was he sometimes liked to brawl a bit too much when he could have boxed. Taylor was beating Chavez but Chavez was Hurting Taylor but Taylor deserved his victory...Fuckin Duva and Steele
Ike Ibeabuchi looked like he was on the road for serious staredom until he decided that barricading himself in a room and repeatedly raping a girl was his idea of a fun night... fucking idiot.
That dude dispatched of Tua, and beat a slick as fuck Chris Byrd, pretty impressive considering he only had 20 fights.
yeahhh absolutely ...and that is a fun night :nonono:
You brits really overrate your fighters too much.
You could say the same about any country.
Graham is a good shout though, he had fantastic ability but never quite made it (came closest with a SD loss to Mike McCallum)
1.Herol Graham
2.Herol Graham
3.Herol Graham
4.Herol Graham
5.Herol Graham
Did i mention Herol Graham.
Anyone with 0.5% boxing knowlege or history knows its Herol Graham.
HEROL GRAHAM!
I agree, but only cos he used to carry my grans shopping home for her :)
Nice bloke.
You brits really overrate your fighters too much.
Lol, isn't that the fucking truth.
If Graham had focused, he might have passed Joe Calzaghe as the GOAT... :rolleyes: