Best Natural talent gone to waste?

[askoe]

Meldrick Taylor!!!!!

[adietheforestfa]

Kirkland Laing, SOOOOOOOO Talented. Could have ruled world for years, but smoked far too much weed and othe stuff.

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

Meldrick Taylor!!!!!

How did he waste his talent?

[-Hyperion-]

shane mosley is another case of wasted potential, even if he did accopmplish a lot, if he hadnt accepted to move up to welterweight, he woulda made a greater legacy beating the likes of freitas, casamyor, mayweather jr, corrales, tszyu.....

moving up and fighting de la hoya was better for his pocket, marketabilty and image though, so i dont blame him...

[ForemanCrossArm]

It has to be Sonny Liston, without a doubt, and that is really saying something as he was #1 contender and champ for 5 years in total (a top 10 ring contender for almost 10, I believe).

He should've had the title for 10 years, and had he been born 10 years later in a less-mafia run fight game he would have, and that would've put him in against Foreman, Frazier, Quarry, Ali, Norton, etc..

[borikua]

Wilfred Benitez...He's the definition of natural talent, but he didn't like to train. Still, he's one of the all time great.

[Fozz1]

Ike, Tua, and for any Aussies reading this, Shannon Taylor - snorted away what could have been a great career

[the330ballers]

meldrick taylor and zab

[El Dominicano]

Boxing over the years has seen some great natural talent, for whom the game appeared so easy, yet despite this they never achieved their full potential in the game for whatever reasons. As a brit the best example I can think of is Kirkland Laing, this guy could have been so much better, if only he trained properly and put the effort in, but because he was so naturally gifted he felt he was gonna beat anyone and didn't need to train. Regarding american fighters, one of the best natural talents I can remember in recent years was Michael 'second to' Nunn, and although winning titles at 2 weights, he never achieved his full potential, the Toney defeat had a big impact on him as well. He should never have lost that fight, but he believed he was unbeatable and was ****y and lazy. Toney as good as a fighter as he was, wasn't in the same class as Nunn. He should have ruled the middleweights for years. He had the talent to beat Toney,RJJ,Hopkins,Benn,Eubank and all the others.

RJJ talent gone to waste. PNH Talent gone to waste. Tyson talent gone to waste but most difinetly RJJ

[El Dominicano]

God I knew everyone was going to say Judah. I'm so tired of this...

Why does everyone believe the same sad excuse when it comes to Judah? Its always the same thing, he doesn't train for 12 rounds, he isn't focused blah blah.

Naw I call bull**** on that. Baldomir aside (that one seems legit, and I had Judah up by a point anyway), Judah has lost because he's plain not good enough. Zab admitted himself that he was running 8 miles a day, and sparring three minute rounds with thirty second rest in between. I made sure I remembered that because I knew people would bring up the same weak excuse that Judah didn't prepare.

Talent isn't just physical ability, its mental ability too. When to slip punches, when to move out of the pocket after punching, when to set traps etc. Its not called the sweet science for anything. You have to be smart in the ring too. Some people can prepare their whole life for that and still not be good at the mental aspect of boxing, and Zab just isn't good enough in that department.


I feel Toney could have been an ATG if he didn't let his weight get the best of him. I wouldn't say it went to waste though.

Zab lied! No way in hell does he run 8 miles a day. Don't believe that ****. Thats a bunch of bullcrap. Zab spends his time hanging with the thugs and sorry to say I don't think his father is a good trainer. Zab is no diffrent from Ricardo Mayorga 2 fighters that are gifted but don't push themselves or use their brains. Zab is faster stronger then PBF he just needs to stop gasing out if not for that he would have been up their in the P4P.