Certainly, there'll be differences in opinion on who and who wouldn't have become an ATG, but for reasons out of our control, a lot of fighters who potentially had it in them, failed to make it..
Here's just a few to get started who I feel would have attained ATG status:-
Dave Sands - Terrific fighter from Australia who had an Aborigine mother and a Peurto Rican father.. He won domestic titles at MW LHW HW, and had just entered into his prime.. He'd beaten fighters such as Bobo Olson and Henry Brimm to become the no1 MW contender.. Sands was in training for a crack at Randy Turpin for the undisputed title, which had become vacant in the wake of Ray Robinson's Dec 1952 retirement..
Sadly, before the fight could take place, Sands was involved in an accident..
He was on the way to the gym when his 5 ton truck rolled down an embankment and overturned.. Sands died from his injuries and was only 26 at the time..
I've never seen him fight, so some input from Benny and Rooster would come in handy here, but i've read lots of good things about him, and it appears he was an ATG in the making for sure.. In the mould of Les Darcy?.. Well there's definitely a lot of similarities.... Or isn't there?
His record reads an impressive 93-8-2 with 62 KO's..
Ike Ibeabuchi - I think had he been a more level headed individual, we could have been looking at the 2nd coming of Sonny Liston.. I don't believe he'd even entered his prime, and was already handling the likes of Byrd and Tua.. He didn't appear to have any fundumental ring weakness either, just a shame about his personal life.. Other than that, I think he had all the tools, be interesting to see how some of you guys rated him?
Toney Ayala Jr - This man was a ****in animal, in aswell as out of the ring.. Similar to Ibeabuchi, in that he was kicking ass way b4 time and fast becoming the most feared 154 ever.. Also similar to Ibeabuchi, in getting hooked up with the law, but after seeing what be could do as a pudgy 38 year old, and after 17 years in the slammer, he wasn't half bad!.. It was enough to make me think, he would have had a very successful and prosperous 15 year career!
There's plenty more, I know... So more suggestions and comments on the above is what I'm looking for.... Regards mm
Here's just a few to get started who I feel would have attained ATG status:-
Dave Sands - Terrific fighter from Australia who had an Aborigine mother and a Peurto Rican father.. He won domestic titles at MW LHW HW, and had just entered into his prime.. He'd beaten fighters such as Bobo Olson and Henry Brimm to become the no1 MW contender.. Sands was in training for a crack at Randy Turpin for the undisputed title, which had become vacant in the wake of Ray Robinson's Dec 1952 retirement..
Sadly, before the fight could take place, Sands was involved in an accident..
He was on the way to the gym when his 5 ton truck rolled down an embankment and overturned.. Sands died from his injuries and was only 26 at the time..
I've never seen him fight, so some input from Benny and Rooster would come in handy here, but i've read lots of good things about him, and it appears he was an ATG in the making for sure.. In the mould of Les Darcy?.. Well there's definitely a lot of similarities.... Or isn't there?
His record reads an impressive 93-8-2 with 62 KO's..
Ike Ibeabuchi - I think had he been a more level headed individual, we could have been looking at the 2nd coming of Sonny Liston.. I don't believe he'd even entered his prime, and was already handling the likes of Byrd and Tua.. He didn't appear to have any fundumental ring weakness either, just a shame about his personal life.. Other than that, I think he had all the tools, be interesting to see how some of you guys rated him?
Toney Ayala Jr - This man was a ****in animal, in aswell as out of the ring.. Similar to Ibeabuchi, in that he was kicking ass way b4 time and fast becoming the most feared 154 ever.. Also similar to Ibeabuchi, in getting hooked up with the law, but after seeing what be could do as a pudgy 38 year old, and after 17 years in the slammer, he wasn't half bad!.. It was enough to make me think, he would have had a very successful and prosperous 15 year career!
There's plenty more, I know... So more suggestions and comments on the above is what I'm looking for.... Regards mm
Comment