Boxers who should have been stars but never were...

[Guest]

... I was thinking this today, when people just can't quite put their finger on why the current p4p greatest boxer on the planet just isn't triggering the public's imagination. As well as Floyd, I guess if Cazalghe (yes, you heard me) had spent more of his career in the States he might have been more popular. He's an old man now, but he's pretty all-out in style.


But here's the rule of the thread: you get ONE pick.

My pick? Probably Carl Thompson. I was reminded of him because he's on the undercard of the Hatton fight (will you see him in the US?)

I dunno why this guy isn't a bigger star than he is. Is he a great technical boxer? No, not at all, but he knows that himself. What he does have are three things: chin, punch and heart. He's been stopped, but he can take a MASSIVE beat-down. His last fight was against up-and-coming Cruiser David Haye, who has been blowing out decent opposition in a couple of rounds regularly. Thompson just absorbed huge punishment until Haye was spent.

I've never seen the guy in a boring fight. When we were on here talking about the "KO of 2004", Thompson is still so little-known as to not register, despite that fact that he was taking an absolute CANING before laying out Sebastian Rothwell with a right.

Plus, he talks like George Formby which is also good to laugh at.

Yep, that's my pick. Carl "The Cat" Thompson.

[Enayze]

Darius Michaelwszki

[+= El Jefe=+]

Meldrick Taylor would have been one of the greats, if he had leart, that going toe to toe with stronger figthers wasnt a smart decition,
yes if he had tried to out box chavez in the last three rounds insted of trying to outslug him, we wouldnt have to argue about the outcom of the first fight.

[TuPrincipe]

Meldrick Taylor would have been one of the greats, if he had leart, that going toe to toe with stronger figthers wasnt a smart decition,
yes if he had tried to out box chavez in the last three rounds insted of trying to outslug him, we wouldnt have to argue about the outcom of the first fight.

I agree. Sadly, Meldrick fought with too much heart and it cost him. He will go down as history as a "what could've been", but if He stuck to his gameplans He could of been an all time great. He was definetly on Floyd Mayweather's class, if not better.

[Bozo_no no]

I'll go with the G-man.

He would have thrilled to no end if his career wasn't cut short.

Huge chin, huge power.

We were robbed of a lot of great fights with that traqedy.

[TuPrincipe]

I'll go with the G-man.

He would have thrilled to no end if his career wasn't cut short.

Huge chin, huge power.

We were robbed of a lot of great fights with that traqedy.

Definetly. On top of that, He was fairly skilled and had loads of heart.

[Guest]

Sorry, maybe I should clarify what I mean a bit more. I don't mean people who could have risen to greatness but got cut short in their primes, I more mean people who are doing really well (say, Floyd, though I know he's fighting a lower level of competition than he should be) but just don't set alight in the media for some reason.

There are plenty of people who have got star status on a little, but what about those who have a lot but for some reason never really took off in a major way?

Like I say, Carl Thompson, still relatively unknown in the UK to the layman, and rarely mentioned on these boards. But he's an active boxer producing consistently exciting fights.

[TuPrincipe]

Give me a couple minutes...

[Guest]

Actually, this isn't a very good example because obviously he's incredibly well known, but considering how dominant Lewis was in the late 90s people never really took to him that much, did they? His own fault for being so guarded, but he was never as big a personality as he could have been.

As I say, bad example, because he was heavyweight champion of the world, but he didn't take that to its highest peaks of public recognition and public acceptance.

[nezahualcoyotl]

Taylor was definitely better than pretty gay...plus he has all the intangibles gay meather doesn't and probably will never have...Meldrick represented philly and wasn't no lil *****! I wish he was around during our times now...instead we got all these sissified ***** made fighters.