Name a talented fighter that just struggled to compete at the top level.

[Malvado]

Whether it's due to a quite stacked division or a lack of discipline.

For Example:

Luis Ramón "Yori Boy" Campas


He built a record of 56-0 with 50 knockout wins by the time the IBF had him ranked as their number one world title challenger.

Campas also beat former world champion Jorge Vaca by a knockout in round two at Tijuana before receiving his first world title fight on September 17 of 1994 against Félix Trinidad for the IBF welterweight title as part of a Pay Per View undercard that featured Julio César Chávez's rematch against Meldrick Taylor for the WBC light welterweight title. Campas, who had been considered by many Mexicans to be the next Chávez, dropped Trinidad in round two, but he lost by a fourth-round technical knockout for his first professional defeat in 57 bouts.

Campas came back with seven straight wins, including one that gave him the WBO's regional NABO welterweight title, when he knocked out former world champion Genaro Leon in three rounds on August 7, 1995. On September 6, 1996, he was given a second world title try, against José Luis Lopez, for the WBO welterweight title, in Los Angeles, California. Campas lost by knockout in round six.

Campas then decided to campaign in the light middleweight division, beating Fidel Avendano by a knockout in round two in his first fight there. Campas had four straight wins before challenging for a world title again, this time against IBF light middleweight champion Raul Marquez. On December 6, 1997, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Campas became the world champion by knocking out Marquez in round eight.

He defended his title three times, beating Anthony Stephens by a knockout in three at Ledyard, Connecticut; Pedro Ortega by a technical knockout in eleven at Tijuana; and former Trinidad opponent Larry Barnes by a knockout in three in Las Vegas. On December 12, 1998, however, he lost the title after retiring in his corner in the seventh round against Fernando Vargas in Las Vegas.

He has retired in August 2023 at 51 years old. With a record of 108 Wins 17 Lossses 3 Draws, 83 wins via the way of knockout.



Video by haNZAgod:

Also want to mention Yaqui Lopez and Jose Luis Lopez later on.

[Teetotaler69]

Carnela lmao

[Atypicalbrit]

Zab Judah is the guy that always comes to mind to me, yes he won some world titles but I felt he never lived up to his potential because mentally he just couldn't get his head straight and check his ego.

Naseem Hamed is another example who just let arrogance ruin him, there's a difference between confidence and delusion and it's a fine line both those guys stepped over.

[niceyboo3]

Felix verdejo. Although a murderer, I thought he was really good and would dominate 135... Oh well

[elfag]

Hamed and Judah I get what you are saying, they looked like they could have been elite level. They still were both lineal champs and judah a 2 division champ but yeah they could have been even more.

My own, I think Rafael Marquez never got his level of due because he was always outshined by his brother and the israel vasquez fights took so much out of him. He probably could have been managed better and make a reign at featherweight.

Also winky wright although he had a good career, he had a 4 year gap in his prime between the vargas fight and the shane mosley fight, i wonder how his career would play out if they gave him the vargas decision and he had the big names in his prime there.


Or if you want a guy who maybe not elite but got underrated or shafted, I say Emanuel Augustus, dude has like almost a 50% win ratio. I think judges hated his style and punished him for his antics to be honest.

Mayweather Sr, he had some potential he was quick as hell, look how fast he was side by side leonard, but its like he never had a chance, first he gets shot but even if he wasnt shot welterweight was stacked at that time. In a weaker era he could have won a belt for sure.


Or how about Khan, what if Khan had an iron jaw?

[hugh grant]

I thought hamed was elite, but he fought an elite and lost.

[Malvado]

Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez

López is considered by many as one of the greatest Light Heavyweights to never become world champion.

On October 9, 1976, López lost a very disputed decision to world champion John Conteh. Many people in the crowd thought López had pulled off the upset. The fight was held in Denmark.

Álvaro met Víctor Galíndez in two installments for the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship. The fights were held in Italy. Some boxing writers thought that Álvaro won both fights, though the decision victories went to the champion, Galindez. He was one of the very few boxers of his time to challenge James Scott at the Rahway State Prison.

López would later fight in Ring Magazine's 1980 Fight of the Year against WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, Matthew Saad Muhammad. The first half of the fight was dominated by López, with all three score cards very close up until the fourteenth round. Álvaro eventually ran out of energy to continue fighting and was stopped.

In Álvaro's last world title attempt, he would lose to the much younger WBC Cruiserweight Champion, Carlos De León. López would then wait almost a year before fighting Bash Ali. Following the matchh, he retired from boxing.

Lopez is a member of both the California Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. He has his own gym named after him, Yaqui Lopez's Fat City Boxing. During Álvaro's career he faced Víctor Galíndez, Mike Rossman, Mike Quarry, Tony Mundine, Jesse Burnett, James Scott, S. T. Gordon, Matthew Saad Muhammad, Carlos De León, Michael Spinks, and John Conteh.

He has a record of 61 Wins, 15 Losses, and 39 wins via knockout.

highlights by haNZAgod:

[Malvado]

Jose Luis Lopez "El Maestrito Lopez"


Lopez turned pro at the age of 15 in 1989 when he defeated Raul Contreras. Handpicked as an "easy" opponent against then champion Eamonn Loughran in 1996, he knocked down the WBO Welterweight Champion three times and ended up winning by KO in the first round.

After a win over Luis Ramon Campas, he relinquished the title. He then defeated former welterweight champion Jorge Vaca by technical knockout, and on June 7, 1997, he defeated another former welterweight champion Aaron Davis by decision. Lopez drew against Ike Quartey in 1997 for the WBA welterweight title, in a fight where he spent most of the rounds languishing on the outside, only to come alive in the late rounds. Lopez put Quartey down in the 2nd and 11th. The fight initially awarded to Quartey by MD, changed after error in scoring discovered.

In his last fight before a four year hiatus, he surprisingly lost a championship bout against underdog James Page for the WBA welterweight title in 1998, this despite Page being knocked down in rounds 3 and 9.

He has 51 Wins, 5 Losses, 2 Draws, with 39 wins via the way of way of knockout.

highlights by HaNZAgod:

By the way I agree with most posts so far except Naseem Hamed who became champion and had a big streak of wins over multiple other prime former champions like Cesar Soto, Paul Ingle, Wayne McCullough, Manuel Medina, Wilfredo Vazquez, and Kevin Kelly before facing Barrera.

[deathofaclown]

I thought hamed was elite, but he fought an elite and lost.

Exactly. Losing on points to Barrera isn't some great shame. Its also worth noting that Hamed's hands were shot to bits by the time fight happened.

that said, I'd say Hamed was potentially elite but I'm not sure I can say he truly was. He fought only once at true elite level and come up short. Maybe that wouldn't always be the case but we can only go on his one and only example.

[deathofaclown]

I actually think Robert Guerrero looked so much better at smaller weights. He was a much better boxer and skilled.

For some reason when he went up to 147 he turned his style into a brawler, which is rather ****** really when moving up in weight.

If you go back and watch him at 135, his is not recognisable competed to how he fought at 147. When you see him boxing and moving and schooling fighters like Katsidis, he looked brilliant

for whatever reason he jumped up two weight classes and abandoned his boxing skills.