Who's British boxing's biggest waste of talent?

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 19 Aug 2005, 10:51

There are two standouts here; Joe Calazaghe & Audley Harrison!

Audley has talent, no doubt, but he is so lazy, it's untrue!

He's spent 5 years, faffing about, claiming to be injured (how does a guy who never fights, get injured so much

) etc etc, when he should have been mopping up the bums that reside in the HW division!

He could easily be at the top of the HW tree if he wasn't so bone idle!

Joe Calazaghe is even worse!

I think he is the best fighter out of Britain in the last 10 years, yet I cannot recognise him as such, because of his failure to come out of Wales & fight the top US fighters in the SM division!

He should have gone after Jones, Toney, Nunn, Ottke, Michalzewski etc in the late 90's & early 21 st century, but alas no!

What a grand waste of talent these guys are!

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 19 Aug 2005, 10:59

Mick Hennessey is a waste of talent. He would have made a great Clown!
Could have been in Punch and Judy with Frank Maloney!

Chambers2 · Post by **Chambers2** » 19 Aug 2005, 11:19

So you reckon Audley pretends to be injured

Where do we get these people? are you a bit special?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 19 Aug 2005, 11:32

boxingchat wrote:Mick Hennessey is a waste of talent. He would have made a great Clown!
Could have been in Punch and Judy with Frank Maloney!

What is it with you? Did Mick Hennessy and Frank Maloney tag team your wife/daughter/goldfish or something?

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 19 Aug 2005, 11:34

Chambers2 wrote:So you reckon Audley pretends to be injured

Where do we get these people? are you a bit special?

I'm just being facetious. I don't know for sure, but it's a tad convienient for such a lazy guy.

We see it all the time with footballers. They fake injury for England friendly matches, then suddenly when the weekend comes around & their clubs are playing, the injury has gone!

Audley should have gone into football!!! :P

leforge · Post by **leforge** » 19 Aug 2005, 11:58

Cant call Harrison a waste of talent yet.
I think he should have stepped up in class a lot sooner.
Lets see what next for him.

Syntax Error · Post by **Syntax Error** » 19 Aug 2005, 13:01

leforge wrote:Cant call Harrison a waste of talent yet.
I think he should have stepped up in class a lot sooner.
Lets see what next for him.

You're probably right there.

I was more concerned about his age, as he is 34 now & still hasn't stepped up.

His reflexes & stamina will start to deteriorate, even before he challenges for a title!

Neri · Post by **Neri** » 19 Aug 2005, 15:00

I think maybe Shea Neary and Colin Dunne were a waste of talent from the perspective that they where both wasted on defending WBU titles too many times.

I think they could have achieved alot more where they not involved with minor titles. By this i mean being highly ranked by the recognised sanctioning bodies and maybe getting a title shot at one.

They did provide plenty of exciting fights between them but im always saddened when good fighters keep defending minor titles when they could be achieving alot more maybe by going the british, commonwealth, european route ?

Alot of people might say they found their level and would not have gone any further, but these 2 where my favorite fighters when i started my interest in boxing and would have loved to be able to remember them in a major title fight or even eliminator!!!

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 19 Aug 2005, 15:39

Audley Harrison is an overachiever. I don't know how anyone can suggest he has wasted his talent - I don't think he had much to waste. He's not a naturally gifted fighter, I wouldn't even say he was a gifted athlete. He's won what he's won by learning the theory of boxing and sticking to it.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 19 Aug 2005, 15:44

Neri1983 wrote:I think maybe Shea Neary and Colin Dunne were a waste of talent from the perspective that they where both wasted on defending WBU titles too many times.

I disagree. John Hyland did a good job with those two. I don't like the WBU, but neither Jimmy or Colin had the talent to get their hands on more prestigious titles.

Neri · Post by **Neri** » 19 Aug 2005, 15:51

FlawedGenius wrote:
Neri1983 wrote:I think maybe Shea Neary and Colin Dunne were a waste of talent from the perspective that they where both wasted on defending WBU titles too many times.
I disagree. John Hyland did a good job with those two. I don't like the WBU, but neither Jimmy or Colin had the talent to get their hands on more prestigious titles.

I think they could have got close which would would have gave them alot more credit than WBU title defences gave them

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:01

I'm not so sure. Both were well conditioned and relentless but they were easy to hit and had slow reflexes (relatively speaking). They were good domestic fighters, who were fantastic to watch, but neither would have lasted into the second half of a genuine world title fight (IMO).

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:01

boxingchat wrote:Mick Hennessey is a waste of talent. He would have made a great Clown!
Could have been in Punch and Judy with Frank Maloney!

help, help someones anus has escaped.

Neri · Post by **Neri** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:13

FlawedGenius wrote:I'm not so sure. Both were well conditioned and relentless but they were easy to hit and had slow reflexes (relatively speaking). They were good domestic fighters, who were fantastic to watch, but neither would have lasted into the second half of a genuine world title fight (IMO).

I am very biased on this i must admit and i dont think anyones opinion will ever alter my admiration for them. Maybe Neary would have benefitted from fighting at welter as he was very tight at the weight. Ah well...

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:16

Nigel Rafferty...with a bit of a push in the right direction i am sure Nige could have picked up a fringe area title or something, he was Wolverhampton and West Midlands champion after all and made 100 fights +

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:18

Neri1983 wrote:
FlawedGenius wrote:I'm not so sure. Both were well conditioned and relentless but they were easy to hit and had slow reflexes (relatively speaking). They were good domestic fighters, who were fantastic to watch, but neither would have lasted into the second half of a genuine world title fight (IMO).
I am very biased on this i must admit and i dont think anyones opinion will ever alter my admiration for them. Maybe Neary would have benefitted from fighting at welter as he was very tight at the weight. Ah well...

He was tight at the weight, you're correct. At weigh-ins he was freakily dry. He must have been seriously disciplined on his fluid intake in the run-up to fights.

Neri · Post by **Neri** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:25

Before the Mike Griffiths fight, Steve Collins said it was the middle of summer, boiling temperatures and he bumped into Neary walking around the city centre of Dublin, and he was wearing a massive padded coat up to his neck while everyone else was soaking up the sun in t shirts!!! He must have struggled so much to make 140!

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 19 Aug 2005, 16:28

What about Kirland Laing?

Totybear · Post by **Totybear** » 21 Aug 2005, 02:46

steve689 wrote:What about Kirland Laing?

Saw Kirkland about 6 weeks ago in Mare Street. 10 am nursing a can of tramps treacle! Thick beard but at least still alive after his bad fall.

Only recognised him at first cos of the "ten to two" feet. What a monumental waste :( :(

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 21 Aug 2005, 06:54

I'm not sure if this is accurate (I don't know what his training regime was like) but I always thought Crawford Ashley had "World Champion" written all over him.

I'm sure it wasn't all his fault, he must have been avoided.

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 21 Aug 2005, 16:09

Kirkland Laing is the best shout so far.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 21 Aug 2005, 16:12

steve689 wrote:What about Kirland Laing?

FlawedGenius wrote:Kirkland Laing is the best shout so far.

So i am the Flawed Genius then eh

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 21 Aug 2005, 16:44

Totybear wrote:
steve689 wrote:What about Kirland Laing?
Saw Kirkland about 6 weeks ago in Mare Street. 10 am nursing a can of tramps treacle! Thick beard but at least still alive after his bad fall.

Only recognised him at first cos of the "ten to two" feet. What a monumental waste :( :(

What does 'ten to two feet' mean?... :x .
I agree with Laing being a waste of talent sadly.... he had boxing skills to rival Leonard and Benitez... the only flaws were his temprement and chin... which sort of goes together I think.
John Conteh also comes to mind, ...won the world title but gave it away and dissapated his skills in partying and highlife etc...

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 21 Aug 2005, 18:31

modern years, Terry Dunstan...
euro champ, gets world title shot, seen out clubbing the night before...

Gordon · Post by **Gordon** » 22 Aug 2005, 05:49

Pat Clinton

Could write a book on him.

Won the WBO flyweight title, absolutely stank in his defense against Danny Porter that the local support booed him.

Was seen rat arsed in the local pub two nights before his defense to "Baby" Jake Matlala and yes he got thumped.

Jim Watt was right in his analysis of him on the night he fought Porter at the SECC, Glasgow. He fought like Patsy Clinton.