olympic gold medalist who failed as a pro

[yngwie]

Sugar Ray Seales
Jerry Page
Chris Finnegan - I believe got a title shot but was defeated

The truth is that Jerry Page is one of the luckiest olympic champions in boxing history, many of the 84 usa squad were lucky they didn't have neither the russians or the cubans, but no one was as lucky as Page.

[ShoulderRoll]

Would be very grateful if one of our resident historians could properly explain to me the bewildering mystery of Pete Rademacher.

White, good-looking, presumably very marketable American boy wins the Olympic gold medal at heavyweight and his first fight - literally his pro debut -is for the professional world heavyweight title against Floyd Patterson.

Who exactly managed Pete...the Marquis De Sade, Stalin, Ivan the Terrible or was it just someone utterly innept, village-idiot bloke called Cleetus?

Second fight for Pete - a time surely to rebuild and learn the pro business after a huge, ill-fated disaster - well, it had to be the ever-dangerous, often-avoided and vastly more experienced Zora Folley.

Rademacher failed as a pro but I am very interested to know why he was viewed as so expendable. It would be good to have some sage answers.

Very badly mismanaged. I wonder who his team consisted of?

[Anthony342]

What about David Reid? I remember watching him on HBO a few times, looked pretty good. I think he got injured though. Did Howard Davis do much as a pro?

[Mikhnienko]

Kwang Sun Kim won Gold then went on to face Humberto Gonzalez in his 6th pro fight and Carbajal in his 8th then retired. Gave both guys a tough fight but came up short.

[yngwie]

Kwang Sun Kim won Gold then went on to face Humberto Gonzalez in his 6th pro fight and Carbajal in his 8th then retired. Gave both guys a tough fight but came up short.

Yeah, he lost to Paul Gonzales in the 84 games, Gonzales went to win the gold and the val barker trophy for best boxer in the games, Gonzales was another failed olympic champion, but his hands were destroyed even at the olympics, he was like a mini Arguello.
In the case of Kim, he was very good too and he arguably fought the best two fighters in the history of his division under 10 fights, both fun fights.

[yngwie]

What about David Reid? I remember watching him on HBO a few times, looked pretty good. I think he got injured though. Did Howard Davis do much as a pro?

David Reid was having issues with his eyes even before the olympics, his promoters knew it so they rushed him so they could take anything from him before his eye failed completely.
Howard Davis losing against Watt was a shame, considering how well he fought against Rosario, but his wasn't in boxing after the olympics, he probably didn't have the chin or the power to be an elite, but he could definitely win a title, he would be a champion these days.

[BM dnobagaV]

Laszlo Papp retired undefeated as a pro but I believe he never won a world title
Howard Davis Jr never won a world title I don't believe
Audley Harrison obviously.
James DeGale though his careers still going, I'm not sure hes capable of taking a world title.

Gotta give it to DeGale.

If anything, I'll favour him over Jack to unify & win the Lineal. Not an ATG talent by any means, but he's taking advantage of an average SMW right now.
Imagine if Ward, Kessler, or JoeyC still fought there. Then DeGale would be nowhere near a title.

[Sam Donald]

pretty decent thread.... ah 2013 how times have changed :/

[lazy]

Many of the guys named did better than Jerry Page.
http://boxrec.com/boxer/1931

[Bundana]

If the criteria for a failed pro career is that you are unable to capture a world crown, then most Olympic champions would find themselves in this category.

Olympic gold medalist with the worst/most tragic pro career must be Ed Sanders, who died at just 24 after having been ko'd in his 9th fight.