BoxRec

What boxers over the last 30-40 years have failed to live up to expectations?

Audley "I'll be British Champ after 10 fights" Harrison

Mathew Ellis - Billion dollar sportsman

horndawg80 wrote:What boxers over the last 30-40 years have failed to live up to expectations?

Audley "I'll be British Champ after 10 fights" Harrison

Was he hyped to be good then!?!

horndawg80 wrote:Was he hyped to be good then!?!

By his then manager Hyland, yes he was.

TerribleTerry wrote:

horndawg80 wrote:Was he hyped to be good then!?!

By his then manager Hyland, yes he was.

By a few people at the time I think (including himself !).

I am sure I read that he was sparring Holyfield over 10 years ago and a lot of people were expecting big things of him.


Also, wasn't Roman Greenberg another one who was going to be the "first billion dollar boxer" ?

bripez wrote:

TerribleTerry wrote:

horndawg80 wrote:Was he hyped to be good then!?!

By his then manager Hyland, yes he was.

By a few people at the time I think (including himself !).

I am sure I read that he was sparring Holyfield over 10 years ago and a lot of people were expecting big things of him.


Also, wasn't Roman Greenberg another one who was going to be the "first billion dollar boxer" ?

Billion Lira

Errol Christie failed to live up to expectations in the pro ranks, as we all know.
The Collins brothers, George and Tony, also sprang to mind as soon as I read the OP.

Jorge Luis Gonzalez. Good amateur pedigree. Had height, reach and power. He beat both Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe in the amateurs. However, his pro career was a total anticlimax.

Deserter wrote: The Collins brothers, George and Tony, also sprang to mind as soon as I read the OP.

I think that their records flattered to deceive.

Both had good amateur success and boxed as juniors only - appearing to be more physically mature than most of their opponents.

As pro's, both were well matched:

Tony turned pro at "17" - with a record of 20-0 he boxed a lad who was 2-6 and his next opponent was 2-1

George turned pro at "18" - with a record of 21-0 he boxed a lad at 0-2 and a couple of fights later boxed a lad who was 1-0-1

bripez wrote:

Deserter wrote: The Collins brothers, George and Tony, also sprang to mind as soon as I read the OP.

I think that their records flattered to deceive.

Both had good amateur success and boxed as juniors only - appearing to be more physically mature than most of their opponents.

As pro's, both were well matched:

Tony turned pro at "17" - with a record of 20-0 he boxed a lad who was 2-6 and his next opponent was 2-1

George turned pro at "18" - with a record of 21-0 he boxed a lad at 0-2 and a couple of fights later boxed a lad who was 1-0-1

Sure, but they undoubtedly fit the criteria defined by the OP of failing to live up to expectation - I can recall the press at the time and they were definitely trumpeted e.g. a lot of coverage regarding Tony allegedly standing Eubank on his head in sparring. They weren't necessarily being marked out as world champions, but no-one was expecting them to lose to the likes of Wally Swift Jnr, for example.

Some from recent years that spring to mind are "Panchito" Bojardo. He was suppose to be a superstar. Never got remotely close.

Ricky Williams he got $1.4M signing fee with Di Bella but lost a fight he was supposed to win, ended up in prison over a drugs charge but is out now and fighting, it's a heck of long road for him though.

Mohammed Abdullaev he was supposed to be the next Kostya Tszyu, he won gold at the 2000 Olympics did alright before being stopped and never made it after that, still fighting today.

Kid Diamond another from the former USSR a real puncher but a disappointment.

Anthony Thompson he was touted as the future at 154 but couldn't live up to the billing after an impressive amateur background.

El Raincoat wrote: "Panchito" Bojardo. He was suppose to be a superstar.

Good call.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_54tGUSo ... re=related

This fella had all the gear but no idea!

The Law wrote:Jorge Luis Gonzalez. Good amateur pedigree. Had height, reach and power. He beat both Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe in the amateurs. However, his pro career was a total anticlimax.

Great shout.

El Raincoat wrote:Mohammed Abdullaev he was supposed to be the next Kostya Tszyu, he won gold at the 2000 Olympics did alright before being stopped and never made it after that, still fighting today.

Think it was Cotto that stopped him - billed as revenge as Abdullaev had beaten him in the ams. Had no idea Abdullaev was still fighting though.

David Reid flopped big time

Deserter wrote:

El Raincoat wrote:Mohammed Abdullaev he was supposed to be the next Kostya Tszyu, he won gold at the 2000 Olympics did alright before being stopped and never made it after that, still fighting today.

Think it was Cotto that stopped him - billed as revenge as Abdullaev had beaten him in the ams. Had no idea Abdullaev was still fighting though.

I believe it was Abudallev who beat Cotto in the Olympics.

I had forgotton about Panchito, apparently he didn't have the stomach for hard training. Last i heard he was declaring himself mature and getting back in the gym. That was years ago now.

Michael Grant probably fits the bill doesn't he. Poor old Lennox was supposed to be just holding the HW title for him if you believed the build up to their fight.

I'll throw a random one out there as it's all relative... Don Curry.
My rationale is that the Curry who beat McCrory was being heralded as a p4p star with the potential to be an all-time great - he was certainly one of the crispest punchers I've ever seen.
Given that level of expectation at that point in his career, his subsequent decline was shocking - who'd have thought that he'd go on to lose to the likes of Rene Jacquot?

Howard Davis Jr was another one. He was like the American version of Errol Christie in that he just couldn't deliver in the pros after being regarded as an amateur sensation - beat Leonard to the Val Barker trophy at the Olympics.

If Curry and Howard Davis Jr count then you've got to throw in Mark Breland too.

J-C wrote:If Curry and Howard Davis Jr count then you've got to throw in Mark Breland too.

You have indeed. They all most definitely fit the bill:

"What boxers over the last 30-40 years have failed to live up to expectations?"

It's actually the thread title that confuses matters, as I don't really understand how it relates to the question that is then posed.

veriton wrote:David Reid flopped big time

I'd say he did ok as a pro, won a world title , lost to an all time great puncher by decision, in that fight he suffered a detached retina, and had already had eye op when he turned pro. His eye was knackered from then on really, i think there was some dodgy medical thing going on to allow him to fight.

Does Clifford Etienne count?

David Reid burnt out quickly, but I feel he was always a tad overated and not the most durable.

Some good shouts on the recent(ish) world scene - Gonzales and all of El Raincoat suggestions are excellent.

Hector Camacho Jnr - was muched hyped when he turned over - was a top amateur.

Terrence Cauthen - another fighter who looked the buisness when starting over.

Lawrence Cley Bay -all the talent in the world, just lazy.

Kelcie Banks, blew out at the Olympics, went in heavily hyped and lost in the first round to Regilio Tuur. Never had the chin for the pro's

Ricardo Williams Jr.----whoops, I see he was already mentioned. There were a couple of other 2000 US Olympians that really failed to live up to expectations. Dante Craig and Clarence Vinson come to mind.

A pair of 1984 Olympic gold medalists and Mike Tyson amateur conquerors---Tyrell Biggs and Henry Tillman----also come to mind.