Donald Curry

[Truthseeker]

What's going on with Curry? Last I heard he was coaching and lamenting some of choices made in his career.

I remember the Honeyghan fight and I thought he would come back from that, but he was certainly never the same after the McCallum KO.

[Bricks]

He had a treacherous snake of a manager in gorman who was briefing against him in the press and he had another snake srl "advising" him on career choices in early 1986.

At that point curry was p4p number 1 or 2 according to ko magazine.

All these things contributed to his weight drained defeat to honeyghan

It was a defeat though.a peak boxing honeyghan who still had discipline and hands that held up was a very good stylist and won fai and square.

What follows is a very slight but significant development of a lapse in currys technique .he started leaning face forward and his,reflexes and speed slipped slightly.suddenly everyone was headbutting him lke a billy goat.he was shot even before fighting mccallum yet he was brilliantly outboxibg him for 5 rounds.....that lapse cost him yet still he wins a world title flooring rosi 6 times showing even half a curry was a very good fighter.

He gave norris and nunn problems and at his peak would have beaten both.

A very unlucky guy from the start.he woulda been 1980 olympic champ

But i dont think don should regret anythibg.what a stylist,what a champion from 1980 to 86! The best curry of that time was a match for any ww in history

[elmersalsa]

He had a treacherous snake of a manager in gorman who was briefing against him in the press and he had another snake srl "advising" him on career choices in early 1986.

At that point curry was p4p number 1 or 2 according to ko magazine.

All these things contributed to his weight drained defeat to honeyghan

It was a defeat though.a peak boxing honeyghan who still had discipline and hands that held up was a very good stylist and won fai and square.

What follows is a very slight but significant development of a lapse in currys technique .he started leaning face forward and his,reflexes and speed slipped slightly.suddenly everyone was headbutting him lke a billy goat.he was shot even before fighting mccallum yet he was brilliantly outboxibg him for 5 rounds.....that lapse cost him yet still he wins a world title flooring rosi 6 times showing even half a curry was a very good fighter.

He gave norris and nunn problems and at his peak would have beaten both.

A very unlucky guy from the start.he woulda been 1980 olympic champ

But i dont think don should regret anythibg.what a stylist,what a champion from 1980 to 86! The best curry of that time was a match for any ww in history

You got that right, bro! Donald Curry was one of my favorites of the star studded 80s decade

[littlepug]

How many other boxers are on 2 great highlight ko clips both giving and receiving as in in the mcrory and McCallum fights ?

[elmersalsa]

Lots of people regret the fact that Sugar Ray retired because of a detached retina in '82. The what ifs.

Donald Curry vs Sugar Ray Leonard in '82 or '83 for the world welterweight title. The winner fights and defends his crown against the great Aaron Pryor. Man, those fights would've been exciting! Just thinking about it.

[Counter-puncher]

How many other boxers are on 2 great highlight ko clips both giving and receiving as in in the mcrory and McCallum fights ?

Would make a good thread?

I think id have to make Julian jackson my shout for that, graham/norris? Simon brown,maybe doing norris and getting done by pettaway.

[littlepug]

How many other boxers are on 2 great highlight ko clips both giving and receiving as in in the mcrory and McCallum fights ?

Would make a good thread?

I think id have to make Julian jackson my shout for that, graham/norris? Simon brown,maybe doing norris and getting done by pettaway.

Ha ha good idea, Lennox in both Raman fights oops....

[Counter-puncher]

Make it happen mate its a winner of a thread

[Bricks]

Lots of people regret the fact that Sugar Ray retired because of a detached retina in '82. The what ifs.

Donald Curry vs Sugar Ray Leonard in '82 or '83 for the world welterweight title. The winner fights and defends his crown against the great Aaron Pryor. Man, those fights would've been exciting! Just thinking about it.

Its such a shame curry was finished so suddenly just when it seemed he had truly reached a stage where he could go on to be one of the best of all time

At age 25 in early 1986....the following map for his career seemed possible with srl seemingly retired

W15 v marvin hagler 1986

Than i could have seen him make two quick defences against

John Mugabi
Herol Graham

Followed by a rematch with hagler or a superfight with hearns which i dont seem him getting past tommy or a hungry again Hagler.

If he did get past Hagler and Hearns he would than be facing the following men down the line

Kalambay
Mccallum
Olajide
Tate
Nunn
And beyond that benn,toney and rjj jnr and norris!
It is at this point the conversation is ridiculous if he had beat all those men and retired champ in 92 surely he would be up there with ray robinson but it was never imo gonna happen
Its a huge if he even gets past a suddenly aged hagler in 86 so all this is moot

As it is undisputed welterweight champion and why those morons have not inducted him into the HOF i have no clue

[Counter-puncher]

No way he beats Hagler

[Syntax Error]

Lots of people regret the fact that Sugar Ray retired because of a detached retina in '82. The what ifs.

Donald Curry vs Sugar Ray Leonard in '82 or '83 for the world welterweight title. The winner fights and defends his crown against the great Aaron Pryor. Man, those fights would've been exciting! Just thinking about it.

It would have been an epic period in welterweight history, that's for sure.

[Syntax Error]

No way he beats Hagler

Agreed.

Hagler had lost some speed by '86, but I can't see Curry beating him then.

[King Carlos]

Lots of people regret the fact that Sugar Ray retired because of a detached retina in '82. The what ifs.

Donald Curry vs Sugar Ray Leonard in '82 or '83 for the world welterweight title. The winner fights and defends his crown against the great Aaron Pryor. Man, those fights would've been exciting! Just thinking about it.

Its such a shame curry was finished so suddenly just when it seemed he had truly reached a stage where he could go on to be one of the best of all time

At age 25 in early 1986....the following map for his career seemed possible with srl seemingly retired

W15 v marvin hagler 1986

Than i could have seen him make two quick defences against

John Mugabi
Herol Graham

Followed by a rematch with hagler or a superfight with hearns which i dont seem him getting past tommy or a hungry again Hagler.

If he did get past Hagler and Hearns he would than be facing the following men down the line

Kalambay
Mccallum
Olajide
Tate
Nunn
And beyond that benn,toney and rjj jnr and norris!
It is at this point the conversation is ridiculous if he had beat all those men and retired champ in 92 surely he would be up there with ray robinson but it was never imo gonna happen
Its a huge if he even gets past a suddenly aged hagler in 86 so all this is moot

As it is undisputed welterweight champion and why those morons have not inducted him into the HOF i have no clue

Wow, that is a lot of OTT projection. Curry should've moved up to 154 earlier than he did (or at least stayed there), but he lacked the durability to hang with the cream of the Middleweight crop.

[Bricks]

thats exactly what is Carlos, thats my very point.

It is still shocking his glittering career collapsed so suddenly but the point is the body of work his career rests with is highly impressive

Even as a shot fighter with a wbc belt its disgraceful he lost to jacquot...even after that he got 2 big shots v nunn and norris.....if it wasnt for the fact that anyone could see he wasnt physically and technically the same u might be tempted to say the losses were just finding his level.

Like u say he shoulda gone to lm sooner.He" d have beaten mccallum and mugabi ,eben jackson than had a superfight with one of the big three im sure .

[Truthseeker]

I didn't know about the career mismanagement but it don't surprise me.

But maybe somewhere after the Honeyghan fight his heart started drifting from boxing slightly. I remember when he was going to fight Gary Stretch , I read reports that Curry was also thinking of training to be an accountant.

[Bodyshot3]

What's going on with Curry? Last I heard he was coaching and lamenting some of choices made in his career.

I remember the Honeyghan fight and I thought he would come back from that, but he was certainly never the same after the McCallum KO.

Perhaps a classic/familiar case of yet another American fighter from the 80s having all the talent to win forever in the ring but never having any of the right moves when it came to managing his career or making good choices. These guys (sadly) also attracted managers who did not care either.

Don was badly disorganised before the Honeyghan fight on just about every possible front; and Lloyd really made him pay with more than just the belts I am afraid to say.

[Truthseeker]

He had a treacherous snake of a manager in gorman who was briefing against him in the press and he had another snake srl "advising" him on career choices in early 1986.

Ray Leonard giving Curry bad advice back then?

[orbtastic]

Yeah, didn't he advise him on staying at welter and away from middleweight. I'm fairly sure he tried to sue him, too.

Curry probably belongs in the other thread about badly managed boxers.

[palooka]

Lots of people regret the fact that Sugar Ray retired because of a detached retina in '82. The what ifs.

Donald Curry vs Sugar Ray Leonard in '82 or '83 for the world welterweight title. The winner fights and defends his crown against the great Aaron Pryor. Man, those fights would've been exciting! Just thinking about it.

Its such a shame curry was finished so suddenly just when it seemed he had truly reached a stage where he could go on to be one of the best of all time

At age 25 in early 1986....the following map for his career seemed possible with srl seemingly retired

W15 v marvin hagler 1986

Than i could have seen him make two quick defences against

John Mugabi
Herol Graham

Followed by a rematch with hagler or a superfight with hearns which i dont seem him getting past tommy or a hungry again Hagler.

If he did get past Hagler and Hearns he would than be facing the following men down the line

Kalambay
Mccallum
Olajide
Tate
Nunn
And beyond that benn,toney and rjj jnr and norris!
It is at this point the conversation is ridiculous if he had beat all those men and retired champ in 92 surely he would be up there with ray robinson but it was never imo gonna happen
Its a huge if he even gets past a suddenly aged hagler in 86 so all this is moot

As it is undisputed welterweight champion and why those morons have not inducted him into the HOF i have no clue

Donald was a marvellous boxer but he would not have had a career like the one you describe; he was heavily into drugs and with more success/money would have burnt out even faster.

[Truthseeker]

I agree with palooka - no way Curry would have done all that. He didn't have the support structures.

[palooka]

To be fair, when I re read Judah's post he said he didn't think Curry would have a carer like that - it was my bad

[Truthseeker]

Yeah, didn't he advise him on staying at welter and away from middleweight. I'm fairly sure he tried to sue him, too.

Fouking ell didn't know that. I just don't know what to make of Leonard as a person. Fantastic boxer, mentally tough and clever but i find it difficult to warm to the guy. Comes across all genuine but there's something superficial about him sometimes.

[palooka]

Yeah, didn't he advise him on staying at welter and away from middleweight. I'm fairly sure he tried to sue him, too.

Fouking ell didn't know that. I just don't know what to make of Leonard as a person. Fantastic boxer, mentally tough and clever but i find it difficult to warm to the guy. Comes across all genuine but there's something superficial about him sometimes.

Have you read his biography, The Big Fght? He is a complex character and not above manipulating people and situations. He was one hell of a boxer and so very competitive but could be a dislikeable man.

[Truthseeker]

Yes, I read that a while back. Insightful things there on his background and on his mental approach to the big fights. Honest descriptions of his marriage situation and the childhood incident.

[Esquire]

Curry was the greatest victim of the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. He was the best amateur in the world at the time and he would have followed in Ray Leonard's footsteps as far as fame and fortune are concerned.

He was awesome but too many amateur fights took it out of him early. His prime was epic, still.