Losing To Lesser Boxers While In/Close To Their Prime,

[keithmoonhangover]

It has happened to some great fighters and plenty of good ones. Some don't train properly, some are looking past the fight and some are just exposed. I'm going to exclude boxers losing on their way up, like Razor Ruddock losing to David Jaco or David Haye being stopped by Carl Thompson, because they were still learning.

I'll start us off with some.
Morrison -Bentt
Mercer-Ferguson
Toney-Tiberi (no way Toney won that fight)
Tyson-Douglas
Duran-Laing

[APerno]

Fritzie Zivic - Freddie Cochrane L PTS 15/15 Welterweight Title (07-29-41)

Zivic tried to squeeze in journeyman Cochrane between his serious title defenses. The Armstrong KO should have been followed by either SRR or Charley Burley and likely would have.

(Neither would get a shot at Cochrane; he stayed locked into the title for the war years.)

Cochrane was very popular in New Jersey and they fought outdoors in the ball park -- it should have been a good/easy payday, but IMO Zivic threw away his title in what should have been a showcase fight, not a challenge.

[Woldemar]

Junior Jones (33-1) vs Darryl Pinckney (18-18-2). Jones was stopped in 3R

[bwu]

Sugar Ray Robinson losing to Randy Turpin.
Jack Johnson decisioned by Marvin Hart.
Juan LaPorte upset by Gerald Hayes.

[oogiebe]

Both Klitchko bros several times.

[Onetimeonly]

Barrera/Jones, arguello/Fernandez, Joshua/Ruiz, Lewis/rahman & McCall.

[Controversial]

like Razor Ruddock losing to David Jaco

To be fair to Ruddock he was easily winning that fight until he had an asthma attack in the corner and had to quit

[Controversial]

Hearns (45-2) losing to Barkley (24-4) was quite the upset at the time

[hhaehre]

Napoles losing his title to Billy Backus

[APerno]

I am not sure that I would include Lewis vs. Rahman/McCall -- Certainly he lost when he shouldn't have, but I think what the OP is looking for are fighters who gave away the fight to a lesser fighter with a poor performance; Lewis instead just got caught. There is kind of a difference between getting caught and fighting a bad fight.

But to repeat, Lewis certainly should have won both fights.

I think the same thing applies to Hearns-Barkley. Hearns didn't fight a bad fight (either time), Barkley was just his nemesis.

[Nile4000]

Greg Page losing to Trevor Berbick
Marlon Starling losing to Pedro Vililela.
Alex Ramos losing to Ted Sanders.

[Onetimeonly]

Berbick isn't really lesser than page. I know everyone is to you.

[Ambling Alp II]

I think if comb over records of old timers who were fighting quite often, you will see that many had losses that at first seem surprising. Some of is due to fighting so much, also sometimes the other bad loss is to an opponent that is probably better than we think.

Anyway, Zivic probably had the most. Beside losing the title to Cochrane, he lost to Johnny LaBarba, Milt Aron, Kenny LaSalle, Tommy Bland etc.

Max Schmleing lost to Steve Hamas
Sam Langford lost to Gunboat Smith
Emile Griffith lost to Benny Paret

[Noxy]

Didn't Paul Wesley clatter Neville Brown in a round.

[elmersalsa]

It has happened to some great fighters and plenty of good ones. Some don't train properly, some are looking past the fight and some are just exposed. I'm going to exclude boxers losing on their way up, like Razor Ruddock losing to David Jaco or David Haye being stopped by Carl Thompson, because they were still learning.

I'll start us off with some.
Morrison -Bentt
Mercer-Ferguson
Toney-Tiberi (no way Toney won that fight)
Tyson-Douglas
Duran-Laing

Duran wasn't even in close to his prime. He was not the dominant fighter of the 70s decade.

[elmersalsa]

I think if comb over records of old timers who were fighting quite often, you will see that many had losses that at first seem surprising. Some of is due to fighting so much, also sometimes the other bad loss is to an opponent that is probably better than we think.

Anyway, Zivic probably had the most. Beside losing the title to Cochrane, he lost to Johnny LaBarba, Milt Aron, Kenny LaSalle, Tommy Bland etc.

Max Schmleing lost to Steve Hamas
Sam Langford lost to Gunboat Smith
Emile Griffith lost to Benny Paret

Benny "Kid" Paret was an excellent boxer. A very tough performer. There is No shame on the great Emile Griffith losing to him. Plus, I think Griffith won that second fight.

[keithmoonhangover]

Duran wasn't even in close to his prime. He was not the dominant fighter of the 70s decade.

It was only two years after the Leonard fight and He was coming off a close loss to Benitez.. Just because Laing humiliated him with a stunning win, it doesn't mean that Duran wasn't close to his prime.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Both Klitchko bros several times.

Barrera/Jones, arguello/Fernandez, Joshua/Ruiz, Lewis/rahman & McCall.

I think with Heavyweights, prime or not.. If you get caught, you may just lose.

Would you say Lewis was in his peak/prime when he fought McCall the first time?

[Onetimeonly]

I think with Heavyweights, prime or not.. If you get caught, you may just lose.

Would you say Lewis was in his peak/prime when he fought McCall the first time?

Probably not. Neither was Barrera.

[elmersalsa]

It was only two years after the Leonard fight and He was coming off a close loss to Benitez.. Just because Laing humiliated him with a stunning win, it doesn't mean that Duran wasn't close to his prime.

He wasn't in his prime nor next or close to it at all. After losing in the No Mas, Roberto Duran;

1. Struggled with Nino Gonzalez at 154lbs
2. Struggled with Luigi Minchilo at 154lbs
3. Was not even a match for the great Wilfred Benitez at 154lbs
4. Lost to Kirkland Laing. The struggle at 154lbs continued.
5. Struggled to beat Jimmy Batten at 154 lbs?

If Minchillo, Gonzalez, Laing and Batten were fighting Duran at least at 147lbs and in the 70s decade they would have been KO victims. And if they would have been lightweights like Duran, they would have been massacred.

The weight, plus the age and the decade of the 80s weren't too kind for The Hands of Stone.

[APerno]

It was only two years after the Leonard fight and He was coming off a close loss to Benitez.. Just because Laing humiliated him with a stunning win, it doesn't mean that Duran wasn't close to his prime.

I agree Duran should have won the fight; Duran forgot to show up; it is a good example of the OP question.

[elmersalsa]

I agree Duran should have won the fight; Duran forgot to show up; it is a good example of the OP question.

Duran was in the middle of mid career crisis. Almost every boxer goes through that period. Even in life.

[Ambling Alp II]

A mid-career crisis. Love it! Lol.

[oogiebe]

I think with Heavyweights, prime or not.. If you get caught, you may just lose.

Would you say Lewis was in his peak/prime when he fought McCall the first time?

In or close is the thread title. He was most certainly close.

[Onetimeonly]

Duran was in the middle of mid career crisis. Almost every boxer goes through that period. Even in life.