Sympathy for wasted talent, screwed up personalities etc.?

[seattledirk]

There was a time when I felt sorry for Iron Mike, Tommy Morrison and even Ike Ibeabuchi, well maybe not for him, but you get my point.

Is it really sympathy for those f*cked up people or nostalgia (what if...) that leads us to mourn for former greats who screwed it up?
Today, I don't have any sympathy whatsoever for the likes of Tyson. I don't give a damn about their childhood and the reasons they became what they are... criminals and no-goods.
Cassius Clay and George Foreman grew up in poverty and theys became good people, reasonable people.

Sure, Tyson and Ibeabuchi could have been saviours of the heavyweight division if you just consider talent.
A boxer is not a computer though. You have to consider the whole personality and in those (nut)cases it couldn't have worked out in the long run. Eventually they had to screw it up.

___________________

What "goodness" do we have today? Well, to summarize it, it has to be Wladimir Klitschko. Flawless personality, intelligent and charming personality. It's just that he is not exactly the best boxer.

Do good boxers have to be crooks?
No, Evander Holyfield is one of the all-time greats, he is a decent human being.

My point is:
Don't look back and imagine what could have been, if person X was not a lunatic.
Don't feel sympathy for criminals, don't make excuses.
A champion should not only be a good boxer, but also a good person.
How can grown-up people tolerate a boxer with a crime-record longer than the golden gate bridge?

[BoxBuzz]

There was a time when the term "champion" really went beyond who could win a fight. He was someone who could also be looked up to. It could and will happen again from time to time. And there will also be the flip side of the coin as well. It's all about human beings...some good....some not so good.

[pundit]

Well, Tyson is kind of an intreaguing personality. Not at all stupid, reflective, has long lost any real interest in boxing, deep down a kind character, but uncontrollable.

I guess too many people - from his chldhood buddies over Cus d'Amato to Don King - have taken advantage of him.

[generic screen name]

Depends on the situation, if the boxer molested children, killed kittens, and planned a holocaust, then I don't sympathize with him.

[Seamus]

Wladimir Klitschko is easily the HW divisions best boxer. His problem is his chin.

[Jaclem]

..just a brief comment...ali did not come from a background of poverty.