The Ring's "Fighter of the Year"... a curse?

[Guest]

I've just been looking at the recent winners of this honour, and just from 2000 alone it seems that every fighter that has won the "Ring Fighter of the Year" has had their career go off the rails the following year. Take a look and see what I mean:

2000 - Felix Trinidad - The year after winning, gets sparked by Hopkins

2002 - Vernon Forrest - Spends the following year getting blasted out by Mayorga, then losing a contentious decision to him.

2003 - James Toney - injuries, winning a title but getting stripped, being so fat he got outboxed by Rahman, outboxing Peter but losing the decision anyway.

2004 - Glen Johnson - I thought the Tarver win was a slight gift, but since then he's lost his #1 status by losing to Tarver in the rematch and then failed in his bid to recapture his old IBF title.

2005 - Ricky Hatton - Not too keen on the physicality of his work, but I guess he did beat Costa Zoo, whatever the circumstances, then KO the never-been-sparked (only on cuts) Maussa, unifying half the welterweight belts and becoming The Man at 140. This year he's made three appearances in a boxing ring. Sadly, two of them were as the white James Toney to support Clinton Woods and Barrera, while the first saw him get his head wobbled all over the place by Collazo in an extremely close fight.



The only winner of the new millennium that has had any kind of upturned success since receiving it was arguably Bernard Hopkins in 2001, though by that stage he was beginning to slow down to the extent that he would eventually give away his belts to Taylor.

[scap]

Dont forget that JFK was on the "Ring" cover in 1962!

[daggerdeux]

I've just been looking at the recent winners of this honour, and just from 2000 alone it seems that every fighter that has won the "Ring Fighter of the Year" has had their career go off the rails the following year. Take a look and see what I mean:

2000 - Felix Trinidad - The year after winning, gets sparked by Hopkins

2002 - Vernon Forrest - Spends the following year getting blasted out by Mayorga, then losing a contentious decision to him.

2003 - James Toney - injuries, winning a title but getting stripped, being so fat he got outboxed by Rahman, outboxing Peter but losing the decision anyway.

2004 - Glen Johnson - I thought the Tarver win was a slight gift, but since then he's lost his #1 status by losing to Tarver in the rematch and then failed in his bid to recapture his old IBF title.

2005 - Ricky Hatton - Not too keen on the physicality of his work, but I guess he did beat Costa Zoo, whatever the circumstances, then KO the never-been-sparked (only on cuts) Maussa, unifying half the welterweight belts and becoming The Man at 140. This year he's made three appearances in a boxing ring. Sadly, two of them were as the white James Toney to support Clinton Woods and Barrera, while the first saw him get his head wobbled all over the place by Collazo in an extremely close fight.



The only winner of the new millennium that has had any kind of upturned success since receiving it was arguably Bernard Hopkins in 2001, though by that stage he was beginning to slow down to the extent that he would eventually give away his belts to Taylor.

You making excellents points, none of them has done more significant things after they were named. I thought Hatton was gonna burst to the top until Collazo made him think twice.

[Guest]

Dont forget that JFK was on the "Ring" cover in 1962!

LOL! Scap's the most satirical poster here.

[scap]

You making excellents points, none of them has done more significant things after they were named. I thought Hatton was gonna burst to the top until Collazo made him think twice.

Chill out on Ricky...he simply found that he needs to be careful of natural 147 pound fighters with his style...keep in mind Floyd is in no way a natural 147 pounder.

Ricky is going to be just fine and if he fights Floyd he will at the VERY LEAST be quite competitive!

[Mr. Ryan]

I've just been looking at the recent winners of this honour, and just from 2000 alone it seems that every fighter that has won the "Ring Fighter of the Year" has had their career go off the rails the following year. Take a look and see what I mean:

2000 - Felix Trinidad - The year after winning, gets sparked by Hopkins

2002 - Vernon Forrest - Spends the following year getting blasted out by Mayorga, then losing a contentious decision to him.

2003 - James Toney - injuries, winning a title but getting stripped, being so fat he got outboxed by Rahman, outboxing Peter but losing the decision anyway.

2004 - Glen Johnson - I thought the Tarver win was a slight gift, but since then he's lost his #1 status by losing to Tarver in the rematch and then failed in his bid to recapture his old IBF title.

2005 - Ricky Hatton - Not too keen on the physicality of his work, but I guess he did beat Costa Zoo, whatever the circumstances, then KO the never-been-sparked (only on cuts) Maussa, unifying half the welterweight belts and becoming The Man at 140. This year he's made three appearances in a boxing ring. Sadly, two of them were as the white James Toney to support Clinton Woods and Barrera, while the first saw him get his head wobbled all over the place by Collazo in an extremely close fight.



The only winner of the new millennium that has had any kind of upturned success since receiving it was arguably Bernard Hopkins in 2001, though by that stage he was beginning to slow down to the extent that he would eventually give away his belts to Taylor.

It's possible that there is some curse, but realistically the award is just an award. Those type of accolades can sometimes create unrealistic expectations of fighters. Forrest was never anything special, he was a good average fighter who had Mosley's number stylistically. When he was beaten twice by Mayorga, we had to take of the rose shades and see it for what occurred.

Johnson was destined to lose, he's a very good, experienced guy but you can only win so many in a row fighting the top guys like him.

It wouldn't matter what award he won, anytime Tito went in the ring he was gonna get his ass kicked by Hopkins.

I think i's more coincidence than statistical indication to be honest.

[Parody]

Fight Night games a curse too...Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Gatti....etc

[restless_438]

i don't think there's a curse there... now the "Madden" curse, there's nothing more real that that.

[Welter_Skelter]

I've just been looking at the recent winners of this honour, and just from 2000 alone it seems that every fighter that has won the "Ring Fighter of the Year" has had their career go off the rails the following year. Take a look and see what I mean:

2000 - Felix Trinidad - The year after winning, gets sparked by Hopkins

2002 - Vernon Forrest - Spends the following year getting blasted out by Mayorga, then losing a contentious decision to him.

2003 - James Toney - injuries, winning a title but getting stripped, being so fat he got outboxed by Rahman, outboxing Peter but losing the decision anyway.

2004 - Glen Johnson - I thought the Tarver win was a slight gift, but since then he's lost his #1 status by losing to Tarver in the rematch and then failed in his bid to recapture his old IBF title.

2005 - Ricky Hatton - Not too keen on the physicality of his work, but I guess he did beat Costa Zoo, whatever the circumstances, then KO the never-been-sparked (only on cuts) Maussa, unifying half the welterweight belts and becoming The Man at 140. This year he's made three appearances in a boxing ring. Sadly, two of them were as the white James Toney to support Clinton Woods and Barrera, while the first saw him get his head wobbled all over the place by Collazo in an extremely close fight.



The only winner of the new millennium that has had any kind of upturned success since receiving it was arguably Bernard Hopkins in 2001, though by that stage he was beginning to slow down to the extent that he would eventually give away his belts to Taylor.

WOW thats even worse than the FIGHTNIGHT cover curse.....

[Guest]

Evander Holyfield, three time winner. Okay, '87's win didn't produce bad tidings, but after 1997's win he fought only once the following year, then the year after lost (sorry, drew!) with Big Len, eventually losing his titles in the rematch.

So what about Holyfield's 1997 year after winning it in 1996? Well, he had quite a good year, though he left the year with a piece of him missing.


1993 - Michael Carbajal. One of the opponents that helped Carbajal win Ring Fighter of the Year was Humberto Gonzalez.. the same Gonzalez that took TWO decisions over him the following year!