BoxRec

Can anyone give me some examples of worst managed boxers in the history of the sport?

One of my favorite boxers Emanuel Augustus I believe was mismanaged or at the very least not managed at all.

Any Boxer that's being thrown to the wolves early on his career before having the chance to develop has sh*t management.

As far as guys at the top, I think Al Haymon is currently doing a piss poor job of managing a great deal of his biggest attractions.

Danny Garcia - Gets his career best win in 2013 over Lucas Matthysse, has been facing lesser competition ever since. Whatever career momentum he had built with the Matthysse win has been all but squandered.

Peter Quillin - Turns down a career high payday to fight Korobov (A fight he could've won) faces Joe Blows for a while, before trying to take the title from Andy Lee. Earning only a draw, and then getting stopped by Danny Jacobs. In just a few years time Haymon has guided this guy from being one of the Top Middleweights in the World who everybody wanted to see fight GGG, to being a guy that Boxing fans barely care to see at all.

Mickey Bey - Relinquishes what is likely the only Title he's ever going to have because Haymon didn't want him to defend against Denis Shafikov. He won the title over Vasquez on a gift decision in the first place, he's boring, he's not particularly talented, and by giving up that title. He gave up any chance he had of having a meaningful money making fight in his near future. By giving up his Title he essentially flushed his career down the drain.



That's 3 examples all from the same manager. The last 2 are worse than the first I mentioned, but they're all examples of particularly poor Management.

Jesse Burnett. Top talent in a stacked light heavy division. Thrown to the wolves, always taking fights on short notice, etc... He was right there with them all in the 70's.

I don't know when Angelo Dundee took him over but Jimmy Ellis was thrown in at the deep end of the pool from the beginning. In his first 20 fights he fought Hurricane Carter, Georgie Benton, Don Fullmer, Henry Hank, Holly Mims (twice), Rory Calhoun and Wilfie Greaves. Welcome to the pros.

All of them who haven't retired being financially secure?

Audley Harrison trying to do all the fighting, managing and promoting himself.
His career was by no means a distaster zone but it could and should have been a whole lot better.

Roberto Duran. After his first fight with Leonard, he should have taken a couple of easy non-title fights before fighting Leonard again. His handlers must have known that he was celebrating and had gained a lot of weight. Ray Leonard's people knew. Offered big money for a quick rematch, they jumped at the offer.

After a good fight though losing against Marvin Hagler, he next fought Tommy Hearns, going down in weight. He should have had a couple of easier fights before trying Hearns. JMO.

Bowe. Lose loads of credibility by dumping the WBC belt, instead of fighting Lennox. Fight a shot fighter and a glorified journeyman in your two defenses before losing the title and never fighting the #1 in the division ever again. Before retiring punch drunk and skint.

andre ward

Alex Garcia's handlers turning down $500,000 to fight George Foreman, this is what they said at the time "They offered some money," Jacobs added, "but it wasn't enough. They got up around $500,000. Alex wants a million dollars to do this. Alex would knock George out. No doubt about it. He'd knock George Foreman out in two or three rounds. That's a fact. But against George, there is the possibility that Alex could lose. That is a possibility. The odds would be in George's favor. We don't want to put him in there with George Foreman and get Alex hurt or knocked out or beat for nothing."

in his next fight Garcia was knocked out cold by Mike Dixon and earnt $5000

Old bones Ian wrote:Alex Garcia's handlers turning down $500,000 to fight George Foreman, this is what they said at the time "They offered some money," Jacobs added, "but it wasn't enough. They got up around $500,000. Alex wants a million dollars to do this. Alex would knock George out. No doubt about it. He'd knock George Foreman out in two or three rounds. That's a fact. But against George, there is the possibility that Alex could lose. That is a possibility. The odds would be in George's favor. We don't want to put him in there with George Foreman and get Alex hurt or knocked out or beat for nothing."

in his next fight Garcia was knocked out cold by Mike Dixon and earnt $5000

a couple of fights later he got absolutely smashed by garring lane, if I remember rightly it was a left hook right hand and he was gone

~ Marvis Frazier - His father mismanaged him IMHO. Marvis was a talented boxer, but Joe tried to turn him into a 'mini-me' & pushed him too fast.

~ Amir Khan - I don't know who is advising Khan at the moment, but they're not doing a very good job. A top fighter in his prime has been lying most idle for the last 3 years chasing glory against ATGs that he has no right to share the ring with, yet turns his nose up at some cracking fights that could be had in the weltwerwight division. I hope for Amir's sake that his prime isn't passing him by.

keithmoonhangover wrote:Bowe. Lose loads of credibility by dumping the WBC belt, instead of fighting Lennox. Fight a shot fighter and a glorified journeyman in your two defenses before losing the title and never fighting the #1 in the division ever again. Before retiring punch drunk and skint.

Hear Hear.

I bet Rock Newman still has nightmares about his mismanagement of Bowe.

Imagine what could have been had he not been so stupid?

Scypion wrote:Roberto Duran. After his first fight with Leonard, he should have taken a couple of easy non-title fights before fighting Leonard again. His handlers must have known that he was celebrating and had gained a lot of weight. Ray Leonard's people knew. Offered big money for a quick rematch, they jumped at the offer.
.

i've seen this argument made before and i never quite thought it rang true, this 'clever Leonard suckered Duran/Duran's naive handlers into a quick rematch'

it was nearly 6 months down the line. the way you guys go on, anyone would think Roberto barely had time to finish a weekend bar crawl after the first fight before being forced back into the ring, hell he had time for a 3 month bar crawl then a 10 week traing camp and change. i don't consider nearly 6 months that quick at all, myself.

I would have to say Corrie Sanders.
he should have gotten a chance at the heavyweight title when he was still in his prime.
He wa suppose to fight Michael Moorer for his title but they chose George Foreman instead for their first defense.

Syntax Error wrote:

keithmoonhangover wrote:Bowe. Lose loads of credibility by dumping the WBC belt, instead of fighting Lennox. Fight a shot fighter and a glorified journeyman in your two defenses before losing the title and never fighting the #1 in the division ever again. Before retiring punch drunk and skint.

Hear Hear.

I bet Rock Newman still has nightmares about his mismanagement of Bowe.

Imagine what could have been had he not been so stupid?

Yeah, but they at least got to meet the Pope at the Vatican anyway.

Riddick Bowe and Corrie Sanders

Counter-puncher wrote:

Scypion wrote:Roberto Duran. After his first fight with Leonard, he should have taken a couple of easy non-title fights before fighting Leonard again. His handlers must have known that he was celebrating and had gained a lot of weight. Ray Leonard's people knew. Offered big money for a quick rematch, they jumped at the offer.
.

i've seen this argument made before and i never quite thought it rang true, this 'clever Leonard suckered Duran/Duran's naive handlers into a quick rematch'

it was nearly 6 months down the line. the way you guys go on, anyone would think Roberto barely had time to finish a weekend bar crawl after the first fight before being forced back into the ring, hell he had time for a 3 month bar crawl then a 10 week traing camp and change. i don't consider nearly 6 months that quick at all, myself.

I believe that Duran would have been well advised to take a couple of easy non-title fights before fighting Leonard again. I am sure that he would have done better in the rematch if he did. Of course, 8 million dollars is not easy to turn down.

For what it is worth, here is part of an article by Pedro Fernandez, a boxing writer for Ringtalk.

UNLIKE ESPN SPECIAL, PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE HERE!

The second fight, this is the true story of the making and the ending of the "No Mas" rematch with Leonard. Michael Trainer, a Maryland attorney, was the brains behind "Sugar Ray" Leonard. Around the Leonard camp, Mike was known as Top Cat, and when he came to negotiations he was. In September 1980, Mike found out that Roberto was weighing around 215 pounds. Then he saw photographs of Duran which got him on the phone with Roberto's people. Mike then offered Roberto $8 million to fight Leonard on November 25, 1980.


I guess that Fernandez could have lied.

Different ways to look at this. Gerry Cooney fought a discredible line-up if you know the Sport at that time line.

Marvis Frazier, Alex Garcia AND Amir Khan. Khan til now..no I don't see that! Alex Garcia (I met him before! Colorado Springs) very, hugely doubtful he hangs with GForeman. Writer has personal interest? Marvis (know Marvis &.."great guy!") Vs Holmes was one sided fight granted. Don't call it a "mismatch!" [IF he got MSpinks at that time!]

Riddick Bowe's first two title defenses, of course!

I would have to say Corrie Sanders.
he should have gotten a chance at the heavyweight title when he was still in his prime.
He wa suppose to fight Michael Moorer for his title but they chose George Foreman instead for their first defense.

That's a fair call.

By the time Corrie got to Wlad it was already something of a last hurrah....which he got spectacularly right!

There seemed to be a bit of a 'stay at home' side to Team Sanders that failed to recognise that you need to take it on the road to land some big fights and also improve your skills. The world is not necessarily coming to a South African gaming resort mate!

Coetzee took his show on the road - partly due to political necessity one suspects - but also because Gerrie was a wee bit more commited?

Perhaps I am being harsh on the people behind Sanders and Corrie was the problem? He certainly liked his golf and came into certain fights looking as if he had hardly being living the life.

Tony Mundine was thrown in the deep end early in his career especially for someone without an amateur background and its almost the same for his son Anthony Mundine but its more like the opposite to what was done to his father Tony......Khoder Nasser Anthonys[management man] kept him in Australia for some very good and easy payday's against fighter's that weren't on his level by this time
Anthony should have been tangling with the likes of Pavlik/Wright/Sturm/Cotto instead of Sth American's and Sth Pacific fighter's looking for their biggest payday of their life's after Mundine put Green in his place Khoder should have thanked Anthony for making him a fairly wealthy man something he would not have been without the Mundine's and cut him loose........I heard over the year's how Mundine got 8 million and Green got 5 million does anyone know what Khoder escaped with

Scypion wrote:Roberto Duran. After his first fight with Leonard, he should have taken a couple of easy non-title fights before fighting Leonard again. His handlers must have known that he was celebrating and had gained a lot of weight. Ray Leonard's people knew. Offered big money for a quick rematch, they jumped at the offer.

After a good fight though losing against Marvin Hagler, he next fought Tommy Hearns, going down in weight. He should have had a couple of easier fights before trying Hearns. JMO.

Good Post ! Definately Agree Strongly ! Its funny how i see this thread coz earlier today i was thinking of making this type of thread myself. I specifically had "Gerry Cooney" in mind when i was thinking of this sort of thing in boxing,which is,as this thread is about,Boxers with alot of potential who were improperly managed.

"Gerry Cooney" most definately would be right up there at the top of the list of mismanaged boxers that could've had alot more success with proper based management. A more practical approach for Cooney would've been to wait at least a couple of years before facing the much more experienced "Larry Holmes" in 1982. If managing Cooney myself,I would've personally had Cooney fight a good 5 fights against solid fringe contenders before agreeing to fight Holmes but of course in Boxing,its often all about the money,especcially these days and even at that time the "Hurried mega money fights" were becomming very mainstream-ish with promoters and boxing managers.

Its funny how i still remember the build up to Holmes-Cooney to this day and i was only 12 years old at that time and even i had the sense of mind to realize that Cooney's management were Really Jumping The Gun thinking they were ready to face and defeat The HeavyWeight Champion "Larry Holmes". I knew Holmes too well at that time seeing his wins over Norton,Shavers(Twice),Weaver,Spinks,etc,and i knew Cooney too well also. I just could'nt understand why Cooney was being over-hyped and also obviously over-rushed into such a fight. Funny how so many at that time thought Cooney had a great chance at that time,but i just wasnt seeing it,whatever it was that was clouding people's minds back then. I Knew Cooney was really Powerfull and he had extra size but i knew he was still way too inexperienced,way too unrefined with his defensive fundementals and too flat-footed as well. Plus he needed to really work on his jab so he could really utilize his height and reach but Cooney liked to fight inside way too much,and thus basically wasting his height and reach for the most part.

david reid/alex garcia/ oleg masquev / tyrell biggs