Everyone has a few. For every Floyd Mayweather Jr story, there are 10 of guys who were also amateur phenoms who never made it to the pros. Some lost interest, some had to raise families, some passed away or got injured. It seems to me that most of these young men (and some women I am sure) let the street life swallow them whole. Gangs, drugs, depression, crime, and incarceration in that order usually, coupled with the absence of a father figure or mentor contributed to this tragic waste of talent.
I am interested in first hand, anecdotal accounts of this. Please. if you know of any, post here. I have a few also I will write.
"Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
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Redback Rasta
- Welterweight
- Posts: 2907
- Joined: 19 Jul 2015, 18:53
Re: "Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
Teofilo Stevenson is the first name that comes to mind.
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HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Re: "Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
I think you hear about it in other sports more than you do boxing really. For example, Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell is probably the greatest basketball player to have never played in the NBA. Absolutely dominating the competition in street ball and city wide tournaments he only played one or two seasons of college basketball before getting into drugs and wound up in prison for armed robbery.
But who the greatest amateur or semipro to never go pro in boxing is a much tougher question. In my home town where I was born (Sidney, Ohio) there was a man by the name of Harry Hollinger who knocked out Luther McCarty. Now, I think this was an amateur contest held on the court square but there was payment so technically it was a pro fight. Needless to say McCarty ended up second best to Jack Johnson and Hollinger never did fight beyond the local level but said he would've loved a rematch with McCarty.
I guess he was content just being the toughest man in town, instead of pursuing a boxing career. No point going national or international if you got it made locally. Which reminds me of an old Roger Miller song, Kansas City Star:
But who the greatest amateur or semipro to never go pro in boxing is a much tougher question. In my home town where I was born (Sidney, Ohio) there was a man by the name of Harry Hollinger who knocked out Luther McCarty. Now, I think this was an amateur contest held on the court square but there was payment so technically it was a pro fight. Needless to say McCarty ended up second best to Jack Johnson and Hollinger never did fight beyond the local level but said he would've loved a rematch with McCarty.
I guess he was content just being the toughest man in town, instead of pursuing a boxing career. No point going national or international if you got it made locally. Which reminds me of an old Roger Miller song, Kansas City Star:
Re: "Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
Obviously Felix Savon -- 3-time gold medalist, 6 time world amateur gold medalist.
Roberto Cammarelle, in Olympic / World competition he won 3 golds, 1 silver, and 3 bronzes.
Magomed Majidov eventually turned pro far too late at age 33 and went 3-1; practically the same as not turning pro. He possessed 3 world amateur golds and an Olympic bronze.
Roberto Cammarelle, in Olympic / World competition he won 3 golds, 1 silver, and 3 bronzes.
Magomed Majidov eventually turned pro far too late at age 33 and went 3-1; practically the same as not turning pro. He possessed 3 world amateur golds and an Olympic bronze.
Re: "Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
Sad that there are so few views on this thread. Everyone must be reading fantasy matchups such Canelo vs Sugar Ray Leonard in 1973 with post weigh in clause for 15 rounds at 160.. 
Glad there are hopefully fewer of these stories,
I have a bunch, but here is one.
In the NYC metro area in the late 1980's there was a very talented PAL Team, and one of the junior boxers on that team, although young, was also very talented. At 11 years of ago or so, our young man, (we will call him Ron here) fought in the junior nationals and twice, beating some great fighters, among them one of the Allen brothers who would go onto the Olympics some time later (don't remeber if it was Rock or Tiger). They called Ron "the dentist" as he knocked some kids teeth out in a match. Ron didn't have much of a chance, his mom ran off down south and had drug issues, and his dad was in prison for 40 years, so hjis grandma raised him. Ron couldn't read or write much at all, maybe a 3rd grade level. But Ron was charasmatic, a nice kid, and boy he could fight. Later on they would give him a high school diploma to just push him along, although he read at a third grade level..
Anyway, Ron turns 16, and this year (1999) is the NY Golden Gloves- it's Ron's first Gloves, and everyone is talking. He is expected to win the whole thing in his first foray. Although he is allowed to boxin the novice due to him not having more than 10 fights after he turned 16, it's still a great start and almost a sure thing. Everyone is excited, coaches, friends, everyone.
Night before his fight Ron is in a taxi with some friends. The Taxi driver, who doesn't speak english doesn't like the look of Ron and his two pals. The driver get nervous. The driver tells his dispathcer, in spanish, so Ron doesn't know what he's saying, that he thinks he going to be robbed or worse by his passangers. For some context, in the mid 90's there was a rash of taxi cab driver executions by passangers. The driver drives to an empty parking lot, Ron and friends tell him that hes gone to the wrong address....
The driver had a 6 or 7 other cars meet him at this lot. Ron and his pals get out of the car and now are facing a large group of grown men taxi drivers. Ron and his two buddies start fighting for thier lives. One of Ron's pals runs off early on, Ron's other friend keeps fights. Ron is hitting each one, some armed with bats, knives, screwdrivers, knocking one down, and just as fast another runs up to him swinging. Ron's remaining friend starts getting beatup, then gets stabbed. He runs for his life. Leaving Ron to fend off the group. He was successful for a while....
When it was over, Ron had a broken jaw, all his teeth in his upper jaw were kicked out of his mouth, he was stabbed in the ribs and in the head with a screwdriver. His right hand was stabbed, his left hand was broken. His eyes were swollen shut, he was lucky to survive. He was eventually found and taken to the hospital. No charges were ever filed.
Since that day he was a completly different person. Drugs and alcohol took over. The streets took over. Boxing was done. Fights with his grandmother made him homeless. Sleeping in alleyways and unlocked cars at night, or if he was lucky a hallway or friends house for a few hours. Arrested over 40 times, everything from shop lifiting to trespass, to assault or domestic issues with girls. He was targeted by a gang for wearing the wrong color, and his best friend shot to death in front of his eyes, and he was shot at as well. Arrests for drugs followed. People on the street were afraid of him, he's been hit with bricks, bottles, stabbed, had dogs set on him. His skull looks like Frankenstein's monster with scars covering his skull. He has to wear dentures. Although now a street kid, he still was very charasmatic and generally liked by cops as well as the gangs. Once, looking for a warm hallway to sleep in during a harsh NYC winter, he stumbled upon and stopped the gang rape of an underage girl, beating the 3 rapisits and calling the cops and taking the plastic bag off the head of the semi-concious woman.
Asking for money in the street, he was given chances no one else was. He was sent down south to live at a boxing gym. He was fed and clothed and didn't have to work- He did great for 1 week. Ran 5 miles every morning, boxed all day, and even on his own lifted weights at night.. but the guys and especially girls from the street lured him back.
More arrests followed. After doign a year in Sing Sing for stealing denture cream from a CVS, he asked to make money , do anything. He was taken to job fairs that hired ex-cons. Alas, his record of over like 40 arrests was too much even for those employeers to give him consideration.
He was given the chance to become a pro fighter, to be an opponent. He was again given clothes, equipment, food, and free gym and training. He trained, someitmes, and stayed out all night, smoking, drinking and everything else.
He had 3 pro fights, made anywhere from 1200-2k each time. He lost each one by tko in the first round, more from exhaustion than anythign else. In each of those defeats, you can see a point, maybe for 3 or four seconds, a moment of his former self. A flashy combo, or a deft outside slip followed by a blazing right uppercut, before he went back to his current form.
Then COVID hit, along with COVID there were now COVID relief programs.
The man who got him fights, and all those opportunities, and tried to keep him out of jail submitted his boxing license, copies of cashed checks, etc, and got him a bank account as well. Not expecting much if anything, Ron had 21k dropped into his bank account all at once! He was told to pre pay a room for a year. He refused prior to this to live at the YMCA, where he was bumped to the head of the line, because he would be allowed no visitors there, so it was back to sleeping in hallways and parked cars. He didin't get a place to live, he gave some of his 21,000 to two of his 3 children. The rest disappeared in a tidal wave of sneakers, purple dickie's work suits, velour colored do rags, and portable blue tooth speaker devices he could wear around his neck that played music. K-2, his drug of choice, also stole way that money.
Presently he just got out of jail for an assailt and is back to doing what he has been since that day in 1999. Nothing. A sure thing in boxing now a never was. Wasted talent is a sad sad thing.
Glad there are hopefully fewer of these stories,
I have a bunch, but here is one.
In the NYC metro area in the late 1980's there was a very talented PAL Team, and one of the junior boxers on that team, although young, was also very talented. At 11 years of ago or so, our young man, (we will call him Ron here) fought in the junior nationals and twice, beating some great fighters, among them one of the Allen brothers who would go onto the Olympics some time later (don't remeber if it was Rock or Tiger). They called Ron "the dentist" as he knocked some kids teeth out in a match. Ron didn't have much of a chance, his mom ran off down south and had drug issues, and his dad was in prison for 40 years, so hjis grandma raised him. Ron couldn't read or write much at all, maybe a 3rd grade level. But Ron was charasmatic, a nice kid, and boy he could fight. Later on they would give him a high school diploma to just push him along, although he read at a third grade level..
Anyway, Ron turns 16, and this year (1999) is the NY Golden Gloves- it's Ron's first Gloves, and everyone is talking. He is expected to win the whole thing in his first foray. Although he is allowed to boxin the novice due to him not having more than 10 fights after he turned 16, it's still a great start and almost a sure thing. Everyone is excited, coaches, friends, everyone.
Night before his fight Ron is in a taxi with some friends. The Taxi driver, who doesn't speak english doesn't like the look of Ron and his two pals. The driver get nervous. The driver tells his dispathcer, in spanish, so Ron doesn't know what he's saying, that he thinks he going to be robbed or worse by his passangers. For some context, in the mid 90's there was a rash of taxi cab driver executions by passangers. The driver drives to an empty parking lot, Ron and friends tell him that hes gone to the wrong address....
The driver had a 6 or 7 other cars meet him at this lot. Ron and his pals get out of the car and now are facing a large group of grown men taxi drivers. Ron and his two buddies start fighting for thier lives. One of Ron's pals runs off early on, Ron's other friend keeps fights. Ron is hitting each one, some armed with bats, knives, screwdrivers, knocking one down, and just as fast another runs up to him swinging. Ron's remaining friend starts getting beatup, then gets stabbed. He runs for his life. Leaving Ron to fend off the group. He was successful for a while....
When it was over, Ron had a broken jaw, all his teeth in his upper jaw were kicked out of his mouth, he was stabbed in the ribs and in the head with a screwdriver. His right hand was stabbed, his left hand was broken. His eyes were swollen shut, he was lucky to survive. He was eventually found and taken to the hospital. No charges were ever filed.
Since that day he was a completly different person. Drugs and alcohol took over. The streets took over. Boxing was done. Fights with his grandmother made him homeless. Sleeping in alleyways and unlocked cars at night, or if he was lucky a hallway or friends house for a few hours. Arrested over 40 times, everything from shop lifiting to trespass, to assault or domestic issues with girls. He was targeted by a gang for wearing the wrong color, and his best friend shot to death in front of his eyes, and he was shot at as well. Arrests for drugs followed. People on the street were afraid of him, he's been hit with bricks, bottles, stabbed, had dogs set on him. His skull looks like Frankenstein's monster with scars covering his skull. He has to wear dentures. Although now a street kid, he still was very charasmatic and generally liked by cops as well as the gangs. Once, looking for a warm hallway to sleep in during a harsh NYC winter, he stumbled upon and stopped the gang rape of an underage girl, beating the 3 rapisits and calling the cops and taking the plastic bag off the head of the semi-concious woman.
Asking for money in the street, he was given chances no one else was. He was sent down south to live at a boxing gym. He was fed and clothed and didn't have to work- He did great for 1 week. Ran 5 miles every morning, boxed all day, and even on his own lifted weights at night.. but the guys and especially girls from the street lured him back.
More arrests followed. After doign a year in Sing Sing for stealing denture cream from a CVS, he asked to make money , do anything. He was taken to job fairs that hired ex-cons. Alas, his record of over like 40 arrests was too much even for those employeers to give him consideration.
He was given the chance to become a pro fighter, to be an opponent. He was again given clothes, equipment, food, and free gym and training. He trained, someitmes, and stayed out all night, smoking, drinking and everything else.
He had 3 pro fights, made anywhere from 1200-2k each time. He lost each one by tko in the first round, more from exhaustion than anythign else. In each of those defeats, you can see a point, maybe for 3 or four seconds, a moment of his former self. A flashy combo, or a deft outside slip followed by a blazing right uppercut, before he went back to his current form.
Then COVID hit, along with COVID there were now COVID relief programs.
The man who got him fights, and all those opportunities, and tried to keep him out of jail submitted his boxing license, copies of cashed checks, etc, and got him a bank account as well. Not expecting much if anything, Ron had 21k dropped into his bank account all at once! He was told to pre pay a room for a year. He refused prior to this to live at the YMCA, where he was bumped to the head of the line, because he would be allowed no visitors there, so it was back to sleeping in hallways and parked cars. He didin't get a place to live, he gave some of his 21,000 to two of his 3 children. The rest disappeared in a tidal wave of sneakers, purple dickie's work suits, velour colored do rags, and portable blue tooth speaker devices he could wear around his neck that played music. K-2, his drug of choice, also stole way that money.
Presently he just got out of jail for an assailt and is back to doing what he has been since that day in 1999. Nothing. A sure thing in boxing now a never was. Wasted talent is a sad sad thing.
Re: "Could'a Beens" stories of untouchable standout amateurs that never went pro
Thos thread reminds me. Whatever happened to Russian gold medalist Igor Mekhonstev? Dude didn't get any hype then just disappeared.
Anyways, I remember GGG haters used to talk about double Gay and how he beat GGG in the amateurs.
Anyways, I remember GGG haters used to talk about double Gay and how he beat GGG in the amateurs.