fighters who burnt out young

[HomicideHenry]

Nipper Pat Daly

[Dioufy]

Martin Lyndsey was a good fighter but got a bad defeat to Simpson then fizzled away.
Was sure he’d be a world champ.

[JamesPhilips]

Wilfred Benitez. World champ at 17 and shopworn at 24.

I was gonna name him. But looking at his record he was still competing well at world level at 24 onwards. Majority draw with Hearns, beat Duran, Kod Maurice Hope, unbeaten Carlos Santos for world title….. Had a lot of fights though.

I’d venture he was shopworn in 1986 the Matthew Hilton fight aged 29….. you could argue at the Davey Moore fight 2 years earlier I suppose. However Hilton was naturally bigger I’d say and was in peak form then. I liked Hilton a lot. Just pissed his talent up the wall.

You could include Matthew Hilton as an answer here to the thread question…. He just seemed finished after Robert Hines…at age 22 I think….

Bennie - with regards to Benitez though I am going by his record only. I haven’t watched a lot of his fights so maybe, despite the results, his talent had faded - can you expand on this?

[bennie]

The early Benitez is a bit before my time. I know he was born to box because his father, Gregorio, was a leading trainer in Puerto Rico and encouraged his four sons to don the gloves, and I know he was a freakish 17-year-old when he outboxed and outpointed Colombia's Antonio Cervantes for the WBA light-welterweight title in 1976, but the first time I saw him came in 1979 when ITV screened his fight with Carlos Palomino for the WBC welterweight title.
Benitez, still unbeaten, dazzled Palomino for much of the fight, including a few memorable spells when he picked him off from the ropes, but he never hurt the determined Palomino and one judge voted against Benitez at the end of 15 rounds (prompting Benitez to tap his head). The other two went for the new champion, who held the title only 10 months before Sugar Ray Leonard stopped him in the dying seconds of their 15-rounder in Las Vegas in November 1979. Benitez was behind on the cards but should never have been stopped in a battle of supreme boxers. Leonard said he fought a mirror image of himself.
Benitez moved up to light-middleweight and showed some real clout to flatten our own Maurice Hope in 12 rounds in Las Vegas to win his third world title. Hope lost a couple of front teeth and spent a few days in hospital. Benitez never paid a visit. Nonetheless, he was now a boxing superstar and he proved it with an easy 15-round decision over the great Roberto Duran, who huffed and puffed but never troubled the champion. Wilfred's renowned defensive skills made it a long night for Duran and there was very real talk of a Benitez showdown with Marvin Hagler. In the end, Benitez took a million dollar payday against Thomas Hearns in New Orleans in December 1982 - both of whom had lost only to Leonard. Mickey Duff part-managed Benitez and was convinced his man would prove too strong for Hearns but Hearns boxed well and stunned Benitez a couple of times with right handers to bag a majority 15-round decision. Benitez's radar defence had let him down. Duff levelled the blame on Benitez's dubious training habits
The ex-champion, still only 24, fought on at middleweight but suffered an embrrassing defeat to Syrian brawler Mustafa Hamsho in the summer of 1983. Hamsho bulled Benitez to the ropes and worked away without ever hurting his opponent - but nothing was coming back. The decision for Hamsho was a formality and then came another humiliating defeat for Benitez at the hands of Davey Moore in Monte Carlo. Benitez, back at light-middleweight, went down in the first round and simply stopped fighting in the second. The referee had no choice but to step in. Benitez claimed a broken ankle from the first-round knockdown but was now a shadow of his former self and was later knocked out by Matthew Hilton in Montreal and by Carlos Herrera in Argentina (and several times in the gym). Repeated concussions cost Wilfred his health but he has family and friends and is cared for by a sister in Chicago.

[Controversial]

Jeff Fenech

[evrenb]

Riddick Bowe, Floyd Patterson, Tommy Morrison.

I cant agree with Patterson. He continued fighting up to the age of 37 in top echelons....

[DrDuke]

Riddick Bowe, Floyd Patterson, Tommy Morrison.

I cant agree with Patterson. He continued fighting up to the age of 37 in top echelons....

Well, maybe calling him completely burnt out after the Liston beatdowns is too much, but his perfermances after those were inconsistent and he had never been able to return on top again. Tyson had a similar situation.

[high tower 1]

Martin Lyndsey was a good fighter but got a bad defeat to Simpson then fizzled away.
Was sure he’d be a world champ.

Was just getting momentum then too. Think he took Simpson for granted.

[evrenb]

Riddick Bowe, Floyd Patterson, Tommy Morrison.

I cant agree with Patterson. He continued fighting up to the age of 37 in top echelons....

Well, maybe calling him completely burnt out after the Liston beatdowns is too much, but his perfermances after those were inconsistent and he had never been able to return on top again. Tyson had a similar situation.

I think that's a little uncharitable. Considering he won the title at 21 he still managed to defeat Eddie Machen, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper and Oscar Bonavena as well as a draw with Quarry and a controversial loss to Jimmy Ellis when he was 29 years old to 36 years old. Add to that the era in the latter period of his career was tougher than his championship era. Just my opinion

[Stevieaber]

Going back a bit, but Nipper Pat Daly retired at 17 after 119 pro fights

[steve689]

I seem to Remember Paul Appleby
Winning the British Title quite young,
He faded quite soon after though

This is the first name that came to my mind as well. Riddick Bowe kind of fits this mould too. He burned brightly but burned out fast and then retired.

[tonyevs]

Clarence `Bones` Adams .. looked destined for the top early on; but ran into a fantastic Canizales and then injuries. But was still good enough to stretch his career out for a few more years.

[jameswilson]

Freddie Krueger.

[steve689]

Clarence `Bones` Adams .. looked destined for the top early on; but ran into a fantastic Canizales and then injuries. But was still good enough to stretch his career out for a few more years.

Had two good fights with Paulie Ayala as well.

[JamesPhilips]

The early Benitez is a bit before my time. I know he was born to box because his father, Gregorio, was a leading trainer in Puerto Rico and encouraged his four sons to don the gloves, and I know he was a freakish 17-year-old when he outboxed and outpointed Colombia's Antonio Cervantes for the WBA light-welterweight title in 1976, but the first time I saw him came in 1979 when ITV screened his fight with Carlos Palomino for the WBC welterweight title.
Benitez, still unbeaten, dazzled Palomino for much of the fight, including a few memorable spells when he picked him off from the ropes, but he never hurt the determined Palomino and one judge voted against Benitez at the end of 15 rounds (prompting Benitez to tap his head). The other two went for the new champion, who held the title only 10 months before Sugar Ray Leonard stopped him in the dying seconds of their 15-rounder in Las Vegas in November 1979. Benitez was behind on the cards but should never have been stopped in a battle of supreme boxers. Leonard said he fought a mirror image of himself.
Benitez moved up to light-middleweight and showed some real clout to flatten our own Maurice Hope in 12 rounds in Las Vegas to win his third world title. Hope lost a couple of front teeth and spent a few days in hospital. Benitez never paid a visit. Nonetheless, he was now a boxing superstar and he proved it with an easy 15-round decision over the great Roberto Duran, who huffed and puffed but never troubled the champion. Wilfred's renowned defensive skills made it a long night for Duran and there was very real talk of a Benitez showdown with Marvin Hagler. In the end, Benitez took a million dollar payday against Thomas Hearns in New Orleans in December 1982 - both of whom had lost only to Leonard. Mickey Duff part-managed Benitez and was convinced his man would prove too strong for Hearns but Hearns boxed well and stunned Benitez a couple of times with right handers to bag a majority 15-round decision. Benitez's radar defence had let him down. Duff levelled the blame on Benitez's dubious training habits
The ex-champion, still only 24, fought on at middleweight but suffered an embrrassing defeat to Syrian brawler Mustafa Hamsho in the summer of 1983. Hamsho bulled Benitez to the ropes and worked away without ever hurting his opponent - but nothing was coming back. The decision for Hamsho was a formality and then came another humiliating defeat for Benitez at the hands of Davey Moore in Monte Carlo. Benitez, back at light-middleweight, went down in the first round and simply stopped fighting in the second. The referee had no choice but to step in. Benitez claimed a broken ankle from the first-round knockdown but was now a shadow of his former self and was later knocked out by Matthew Hilton in Montreal and by Carlos Herrera in Argentina (and several times in the gym). Repeated concussions cost Wilfred his health but he has family and friends and is cared for by a sister in Chicago.

Yeah I miscalculated his age. He turned pro at 15….

[margaret thatcher]

reece belloti ?

[margaret thatcher]

Freddie Krueger.

although he made quite the comeback after his burn

[JamesPhilips]

You could argue Tyson

[KiwiRider]

Lewis Ritson.

First of all - too soon. He's still 27.
Secondly, burnt out from what? British champion?
He could still win that belt back if he wanted at super light weight and become a 2 weight British champ next week if he wanted.
Its been proven twice he isn't Euro level (yet) but still could be.

Edit : I'd actually like to see Ritson Vs Brown for the British SLW. And still pick Ritson

[margaret thatcher]

fighters have burnt out by 27 before -- simply being that age doesnt mean it's too early

though i'd agree he shouldnt be labelled burnt out yet. think he just found his level.

[Onetimeonly]

fighters have burnt out by 27 before -- simply being that age doesnt mean it's too early

though i'd agree he shouldnt be labelled burnt out yet. think he just found his level.

Poor Tyson was mad at his wife and unable to focus on beating the shit out of someone.

[JamesPhilips]

Given the hype, Campbell Hatton may be burnt out at 18

[Controversial]

Jeff Lacy, he was 28 when JC beat him but Lacy had only been a pro for 5 years having just 21 fights, he was pretty much done after that defeat.

[Wee Tommy]

Martin Lyndsey was a good fighter but got a bad defeat to Simpson then fizzled away.
Was sure he’d be a world champ.

Was just getting momentum then too. Think he took Simpson for granted.

Big mistake. Simpson was one of the most unlucky fighters in UK. Hard as nails.

[Coco]

Jeff Lacy, he was 28 when JC beat him but Lacy had only been a pro for 5 years having just 21 fights, he was pretty much done after that defeat.

He wasn't burnt out, it was the terrible beatdown that JC dished out.