Boxing's Wasted Talents......

[Neuraxis]

Kirk was slower than he thought, When in shape Kirk would have avoided most of thse punches, and out boxed VK. but he just couldn't move like 230 lbs Kirk.

Either way Kirk should have beaten Ruiz, and he easily would have had he just kept his cool. I guess we agree on something that Johnson is wasted talent.

[LuKahnLi]

I don't think anyone has done more harm to the heavyweight division (from a fan's point of view) than the unholy trinity of Fres Oquendo, John Ruiz and Kirk Johnson.

[Dynamite76]

Greg Page.Could have been a dominant force in the heavyweight division if not for appetite and failure to stand up for himself.Also Bernard Taylor and Bobby Joe Young can qualify to varying degrees

[marvdave]

The fact that he was avoided by Leonard and Hearns didn't help his
career either. Fortunately, Arguello had the balls to step up to the plate and made a classic out of it.

My list also includes:

David Reid
Gerald McClellan
Ike Ibeabuchi
Meldrick Taylor

this is an old thread, but i caught the "Leonard and Hearns ducked Pryor" comment. That is absolutely ridiculous. Leonard and Hearns would have destroyed Pryor. Not becuase I think Pryor was bad. In fact, I have a great deal of respect for him. Leonard and Hearns would have been too big for Pryor. Arguello was a guy coming up in weight..so that is a bad comparison. Great fights with Arguello, but those fights did nothing to support a theory that Pryor could compete with SRL and The Hit Man.

Pryor used to show up at Leonard press conferences and beg for a fight..the truth is that Leonard had bigger fish to fry.

[techn9ne]

buster douglas ate himself into oblivion

[The Noose]

Maybe not wasted talent but certaintly a waste, Ali being stripped of his belt and not being allowed to fight. Definatly his best years were taken away from him.

Maybe we never saw The Greatest at his greatest.

[HomicideHank]

I'm gonna throw one out there that I might get blasted for.......Tito Trinidad.

In his only loss, he moved up in weight and lost to the best fighter in the world (as proven on Sat). Then he retires and doesn't fight for 2 years, when in my opinion he was still in the prime of his career. If Trinidad stays in the lower weight classes and doesn't retire, I think he is undefeated still and likely mentioned in the top 20 P4P all time. Just a theory.

Damn right you're getting blasted for this one...

Come on, Tito started fighting pro at 18 and won the title by 20. He'd been fighting at a high championship level for nearly 10 years, taking a 'retirement' isn't a huge wasting of his talent. He's accomplished enough in his career to excuse a layoff like that, if that's what he chose to do.

It may have been a waste in your eyes Stevie, but it was obviously necessary in Tito's eyes.

A waste of talent is a guy like Jose Luis Lopez, who spent more time drinking and surfing than training for his fights. Even so, he nearly kayoed a prime Ike Quartey in getting a draw, and in a decision loss he physically destroyed James Page to the point where he was never the same fighter. If he had taken things a little more seriously, lord knows what he could have done.

[LuKahnLi]

Wow, this thread is advertised on the homepage. I am honored.

[Dark Destroyer]

Wow, this thread is advertised on the homepage. I am honored.

They must think it's a good topical thread.

[Dark Destroyer]

"Ferocious" Fernando Vargas. Was rushed into 'superstardom' too early.

Peace.

I agree completely. I was just browsing the thread to see if anyone else had said Fernando. He was rushed into too many big fights too soon at such a young age. If you look at the names on his record it tells you how far he went in such little time. You have names like:

Oscar De Le Hoya
Ike Quartey
Felix Trinidad
Winky Wright

Some people only fight one of those class fighters in a entire career. Fernando had alot of potential. The only thing he needed to change was his attitude and temper as it was doing him no favors in the public eye. I wonder if he will box again?