Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost his first pro fight?

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 06 Mar 2007, 11:23

Audley and Amir's pro debuts were both huge occasions, all razzmatazz and not a hint of danger. In short, they were events rather than fights. Same across the pond with De La Hoya.

Now, has any such event ended in disaster? I remember Michael Carruth got dropped by the very first punch of his professional career, but he did get up to win.

Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost that first fight?

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 06 Mar 2007, 11:26

Gold medalist Pete Rademacher (although he was matched slightly tough with reigning champ Floyd Patterson)

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 06 Mar 2007, 11:36

Ha, yes, of course! Well, Patterson was a SHADE tougher as a first pro opponent than Middleton or Bailey!

DIRT SUGAR · Post by **DIRT SUGAR** » 06 Mar 2007, 12:57

Bernard Hopkins lost his first fight.

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:01

oliverfennell wrote:Audley and Amir's pro debuts were both huge occasions, all razzmatazz and not a hint of danger. In short, they were events rather than fights. Same across the pond with De La Hoya.

Now, has any such event ended in disaster? I remember Michael Carruth got dropped by the very first punch of his professional career, but he did get up to win.

Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost that first fight?

Ryan Rhodes went over twice. And Jamie Branch was ....shite.

boxingchat · Post by **boxingchat** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:02

Johnny Nelson lost four I think

The Blade · Post by **The Blade** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:11

boxingchat wrote:Johnny Nelson lost four I think

hardly hyped though. Johnny only had 2 or three amateur fights, and effectively learned as a pro.

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:17

DIRT SUGAR wrote:Bernard Hopkins lost his first fight.

Bernard Hopkins was not a hugely hyped amateur star though... Which is what the original poster was asking for.

Pete Rademacher, a bit of an unfair choice, haha... Poor guy.

That fight is spectacular, both a trouncing and drama... Watch that fight, and imagine all the emotion and excitement going through Pete's head as Floyd is barely having a go at it, and gets dropped by Pete... At which point Floyd starts brutalizing him to the extreme.

Poor Pete was on top of the world for a few moments, only to be absolutely destroyed in one of the worst one sided beatings in HW championship history.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:44

Joe Bugner.

REAL_DEAL · Post by **REAL_DEAL** » 06 Mar 2007, 13:56

probably a nobody then but Rafael Marquez got stopped in his pro debut, 8 rounds thou

funso banjo baby · Post by **funso banjo baby** » 06 Mar 2007, 15:19

big bad james oyebola was sparked in his 4th fight....huge loss

im out apart from those already mentioned

how big was bugner ?

sweetscience · Post by **sweetscience** » 06 Mar 2007, 15:50

not so much hyped but very decent Am Nicky Macdonald lost his debut not do long ago

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 06 Mar 2007, 17:50

Here's a good un: Michael Bentt. The London born fighter who eventualy won the WBO heavyweight title.
Turned pro as a hot property U.S heavyweight prospect, after a decorated amateur career.

Manny Steward grabbed hold of him and came on board as his manager, which shows just how highly he was rated.

Lost his debut fight by TKO1.

Seem to recall him sitting on his stool, refusing to come out for the 2nd, as a gobsmacked Manny Steward tried to make him change his mind.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 06 Mar 2007, 18:01

that is a good one MW...

Bentt had won golden gloves comps and just missed olympic selection I believe

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 06 Mar 2007, 20:17

Lee Minter - had a Sky billing and a bit of hype on Ringside given his family connection. Lost.

I know the guy didn't lose, but what about the guy Brendan Ingle/Sky hyped as the successor to Naz - Something like 12 when he turned over (exageration, what was he though 17?)... Ended up with a gift of a draw.

wouter · Post by **wouter** » 07 Mar 2007, 05:15

I'm not sure how heavily hyped he was, but Michael Bentt was a very good amateur fighter that was knocked out in round 1 of his pro debut.

glittermonkey · Post by **glittermonkey** » 07 Mar 2007, 05:38

Haider Ali.

Okay, so he didn't lose, but he got given the benefit of the doubt in a very close fight with Buster Dennis, and it never got any better for him in his career. I remember Sky gave him the big sell early on after his Commonwealth gold.

Edit: Should have read the "Great amateur pedigree......" thread first, I guess this belongs more in there.

Twinkle Toes · Post by **Twinkle Toes** » 07 Mar 2007, 05:42

[quote="stujones"

I know the guy didn't lose, but what about the guy Brendan Ingle/Sky hyped as the successor to Naz - Something like 12 when he turned over (exageration, what was he though 17?)... Ended up with a gift of a draw.[/quote]

Who was this guy Stu, I've been racking my brains trying to think of his name - The hype was huge at the time.

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:01

sweetscience wrote:not so much hyped but very decent Am Nicky Macdonald lost his debut not do long ago

Good shout - I was looking forward to MacDonald trading in his vest for the pro game - I always thought he had a style made for the pros.

He is a bit injury prone though isnt he? He could still make a good pro though I reckon with a bit of luck.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:09

Michael Bentt lol, how did we forget about him? Do we classify him as a british heavy, out of interest?

Matched with hard hitting gangly southpaw Jerry Jones in his DEBUT. Real smart match making there!

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:09

I know there have been plenty of boxers who went on to become top pros who did lose their first fight. But my original point was the BIG debuts; boxers that were already famous before they even threw their first punch for pay. Think Audley, Amir, Bruno, Errol Christie, De La Hoya. Did Bugner fit that category? His early career was before my time.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:29

Realistically Oliver, anyone hyped that much must have some degree of talent, and will be matched soft anyway, so its a pretty unlikely scenario.

I think Michael Bentt is your best bet, he really was a very highyl regarded amateur, and to get blown out in his debut was a shocker.

hitterwitter · Post by **hitterwitter** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:42

Twinkle Toes wrote:[quote="stujones"

I know the guy didn't lose, but what about the guy Brendan Ingle/Sky hyped as the successor to Naz - Something like 12 when he turned over (exageration, what was he though 17?)... Ended up with a gift of a draw.

Who was this guy Stu, I've been racking my brains trying to think of his name - The hype was huge at the time.[/quote]

Khalid Shafiq,

Shafiq's former trainer Brendan Ingle said: "What a wasted talent. Khalid Shafiq was an absolute nightmare. He could have been brilliant but he just wanted to be a gangster.

"He was so good I got him to turn professional at 16 and got him a fight in South Africa on a world title bill. But he was nothing but trouble. Naseem Hamed hated him. I had to pull them apart once at the club. I tried to help him but I don't win them all. It's so sad."

The 21-year-old Shafiq, and several mates, began fighting with 17-year-old Owain Leeson and his mates in Sheffield's Uropa nightclub and the violence continued outside the club after the men were ejected.

Leeson was stabbed to death in the car park.

Shafiq and Damien Callaghan were filmed fighting with Leeson and another man on CCTV cameras. It was branded by prosecuting barristers as "fighting for fighting's sake". Owain was stabbed with a butcher's knife by Callaghan shortly after the initial exchanges on film.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 07 Mar 2007, 06:51

overhand_right wrote:Realistically Oliver, anyone hyped that much must have some degree of talent, and will be matched soft anyway, so its a pretty unlikely scenario.

I think Michael Bentt is your best bet, he really was a very highyl regarded amateur, and to get blown out in his debut was a shocker.

Either that or some kind of "novelty" fighter or someone with a family connection. Like had Curtis Woodhouse lost his pro debut - he would have fit it perfectly. Likewise had someone like Matthew Hatton, Joe Bugner Jnr etc lost their pro-debut then they could have fit Oliver description also - hence my example of Lee Minter.

Didn't former Skater Tonya Harding lose her pro boxing debut under a lot of publicity.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 07 Mar 2007, 07:10

Just checked, yes Tonya Harding did. Good answer!

Realistically Oliver, anyone hyped that much must have some degree of talent, and will be matched soft anyway, so its a pretty unlikely scenario.

Yes, O_R, I realise that, which is why I was interested to see if it had ever happened.

Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost his first pro fight?

Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost his first pro fight?

Re: Has a hugely hyped debutant ever lost his first pro figh