Boxing comebacks that never transpire.

[stujones]

In line with some of the nostalgia based threads we have been having of late - just wondering if people can recall the announced (or highly rumoured) comebacks that for some reason or another - never happened.

We recently of course had Ricky Hatton back in January saying he will return to the ring - never happened. I think most know why.

Other fairly recent ones I remember were Jon Jo Irwin (former British Featherweight champion), Barry Jones (former Super Featherweight world champion) and on a world scene the likes of Sven Ottke had been in training for a comeback.

Would be interested to hear some more tales - especially the reasons why it didn't happen.

[J]

naz every six months until about a year ago.

[orbtastic]

Jones? I thought he got suspended after some irregularity on his brain scan.

[Bricks]

i was so sad when Barry mcGuigan didnt return in 1993 after he lost that travesty of a court case.

[orbtastic]

What happened to Zeljko Mavrovic?

[oliverfennell]

Naz is the obvious one.

A Lennox comeback used to be mooted every so often.

Bruno toyed with coming back for a one-off vs Audley in 2003/4.

McGuigan in the early 90s.

Talk of Calzaghe returning in the wake of the cocaine scandal.

Terry Marsh wanted to in the early 90s but couldn't get licensed.

Both Gary Mason and Jim McDonnell DID come back briefly overseas, but couldn't get licensed in Britain, so knocked it on the head again.

[Deserter]

What happened to Zeljko Mavrovic?

He got really ill and lost ridiculous amounts of weight. Not sure how he is now though.

[JamesH]

Tim Witherspoon wanted to comeback in Birmingham a couple of years ago just shy of 50, dont think he could get a licence though.

[oliverfennell]

Tim Witherspoon wanted to comeback in Birmingham a couple of years ago just shy of 50, dont think he could get a licence though.

Oh yeah, that reminds me, something similar happened with Joe Bugner, too. He wanted to fight Scott Welch in '96 but the BBBC denied him on age grounds. They ended up fighting in Germany instead.

[orbtastic]

What happened to Zeljko Mavrovic?

He got really ill and lost ridiculous amounts of weight. Not sure how he is now though.

Yeah, I googled it/him after asking the question and basically found that he had a couple of fights organised after Lewis but cancelled both due to injury/illness then retired due to an unspecified illness..which transpires to be Hep C.

He now apparently sells organic veg and eco-friendly food etc. Seems to be looking/doing well anyway:

http://www.eko-mavrovic.hr/en/index.html

He could do with someone re-writing the English on his website though.

[orbtastic]

What did McDonnell get his license taken away for? I know there were some concerns after Kenny Vice looked to have killed him when knocking him out brutally but was it due to that or?

[orbtastic]

How would you think he would have done against either Klitbot? They were knocking on the door of the EBU title around the time he vacated it.

[oliverfennell]

What did McDonnell get his license taken away for? I know there were some concerns after Kenny Vice looked to have killed him when knocking him out brutally but was it due to that or?

It was to do with that, but not sure on the specifics; presumably failed a brain scan?

[orbtastic]

What did McDonnell get his license taken away for? I know there were some concerns after Kenny Vice looked to have killed him when knocking him out brutally but was it due to that or?

It was to do with that, but not sure on the specifics; presumably failed a brain scan?

That was my assumption, but thought someone might have a definitive answer.

[oliverfennell]

What did McDonnell get his license taken away for? I know there were some concerns after Kenny Vice looked to have killed him when knocking him out brutally but was it due to that or?

It was to do with that, but not sure on the specifics; presumably failed a brain scan?

That was my assumption, but thought someone might have a definitive answer.

Paging Bennie....

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

How would you think he would have done against either Klitbot? They were knocking on the door of the EBU title around the time he vacated it.

They would've both beaten him in a similar manner to Lennox. He was just that bit less capable than those top guys. His height/weight ratio (6'5" / 215lbs) was such that he came up a bit short in both strength and power to really trouble the true greats of his time around the whiskers and he wasn't quite slick enough to outpoint them. If he was a Premier league team he would always have been in contention for the last Champion's League spot but never going to win the title.

Wasn't he also a mad vegan? Only eating fruits and berries - I wonder how much that affected him?

[boxingchat]

It was to do with that, but not sure on the specifics; presumably failed a brain scan?

That was my assumption, but thought someone might have a definitive answer.

Paging Bennie....

The official line was "Not in the interests of Boxing or himself" Jimmy passed every medical going and was super-fit but it is without doubt the Nelson fight and the horrific Vice KO were certainly damaging to him whether he chose to admit it or not. Jimmy even passed numerous brain tests but still could not get a licence back. He had an MRI beofre ou even had to!

Such a likeble bloke, anyone at the Albert Hall that nigght would be hard pressed to argue that the Board didn't save the brave little man from himself for his own good.

[jamesmcdonnell]

What happened to Zeljko Mavrovic?

He got really ill and lost ridiculous amounts of weight. Not sure how he is now though.

Here he is now, he got some kind of metabolic disease that resulted in his shrinking massively. He's a farmer now. Gave Lewis a pretty tough night, he was a tough SOB.

[deadpan]

He looks like the offspring of Ralph Fiennes and Jorge Luis Gonzalez.

[Deserter]

Orb/Macho/James - thanks for the update guys. Good to find out he's not only survived, but thrived.

[oliverfennell]

That was my assumption, but thought someone might have a definitive answer.

Paging Bennie....

The official line was "Not in the interests of Boxing or himself" Jimmy passed every medical going and was super-fit but it is without doubt the Nelson fight and the horrific Vice KO were certainly damaging to him whether he chose to admit it or not. Jimmy even passed numerous brain tests but still could not get a licence back. He had an MRI beofre ou even had to!

Such a likeble bloke, anyone at the Albert Hall that nigght would be hard pressed to argue that the Board didn't save the brave little man from himself for his own good.

That's all fair enough, I'm sure everyone would agree. I wonder what would have happened if Jimmy Mac pursued it through legal channels, though. But glad he didn't.

[chinny]

He looks like the offspring of Ralph Fiennes and Jorge Luis Gonzalez.

[banjo]

Didn't Steve Collins have a comeback lined up too?