Page 1 of 2
The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 16:36
by ValMar
I mean the fighters with the genuine potential.
My opinion : Pirog-injuries, McCall-mental issues.
I really hope that Usyk (at HW) will not be in this group in the future.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 16:42
by skanksta
The Gifted One.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 17:19
by Onetimeonly
Eddie Booker and Wes mouzon.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 17:39
by Lenny Cravats
The bloke who nearly took Enzo's head off (I genuinely didn't breathe for a while after that last shot landed).
He looked good, though Enzo was always quite fragile.
I'm pretty sure he'd have done something if not for retiring due to depression, though 'great' may have been a push.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 17:39
by Lenny Cravats
The bloke who nearly took Enzo's head off (I genuinely didn't breathe for a while after that last shot landed).
He looked good, though Enzo was always quite fragile.
I'm pretty sure he'd have done something if not for retiring due to depression, though 'great' may have been a push.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 17:58
by margaret thatcher
Frenky. I heard of him he was attacking people in schizophrenic rages and then put in an insitution
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 18:42
by littlepug
Lenny Cravats wrote: ↑15 Feb 2020, 17:39
The bloke who nearly took Enzo's head off (I genuinely didn't breathe for a while after that last shot landed).
He looked good, though Enzo was always quite fragile.
I'm pretty sure he'd have done something if not for retiring due to depression, though 'great' may have been a push.
Me too. bloody frightening was that
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 15 Feb 2020, 20:01
by marvelous marv
Ike Ibeabuchi
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 04:58
by Lenny Cravats
David Reid was probably pushed through a little earlier due to his eyes
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 05:32
by claudevsq
El Inca (Edwin Valero). At 25-0, 25 KO, being the WBC champ, he hung himself...
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 08:02
by Stuarty
claudevsq wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 05:32
El Inca (Edwin Valero). At 25-0, 25 KO, being the WBC champ, he hung himself...
You beat me to that lol. Bad bastard but some fighter...
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 09:05
by Enlightened-One
Does David Haye count? He had many physical struggles thoughout the years. He had to cancel numerous bouts (i.e. twice against Tyson Fury), temporarily retired and also suffered losses through injury.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 09:16
by littlepug
Darren Sutherland
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 10:25
by ValMar
Enlightened-One wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 09:05
Does David Haye count? He had many physical struggles thoughout the years. He had to cancel numerous bouts (i.e. twice against Tyson Fury), temporarily retired and also suffered losses through injury.
He might be a borderline case.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 13:19
by Syntax Error
skanksta wrote: ↑15 Feb 2020, 16:42
The Gifted One.
Top class call.
Laing looked like he might have been special at one point.
A true wasted talent.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 14:21
by Onetimeonly
Stuarty wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 08:02
claudevsq wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 05:32
El Inca (Edwin Valero). At 25-0, 25 KO, being the WBC champ, he hung himself...
You beat me to that lol. Bad bastard but some fighter...
He was a knock out waiting to happen.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 14:22
by Stuarty
Onetimeonly wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:21
Stuarty wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 08:02
You beat me to that lol. Bad bastard but some fighter...
He was a knock out waiting to happen.
Evil little cuunt

Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 14:24
by Onetimeonly
Stuarty wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:22
Onetimeonly wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:21
He was a knock out waiting to happen.
Evil little cuunt
No doubt, I was waiting for the time he stepped up so I could cash in when he got starched. Chin straight up in the air, didn't take a great punch and obviously lacked heart.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 14:25
by Stuarty
Onetimeonly wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:24
Stuarty wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:22
Evil little cuunt
No doubt, I was waiting for the time he stepped up so I could cash in when he got starched. Chin straight up in the air, didn't take a great punch and obviously lacked heart.
Wasn't there talk of him fighting Pac before he went bat sh1t mental and killed his Mrs?
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 21:04
by Onetimeonly
Stuarty wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:25
Onetimeonly wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 14:24
No doubt, I was waiting for the time he stepped up so I could cash in when he got starched. Chin straight up in the air, didn't take a great punch and obviously lacked heart.
Wasn't there talk of him fighting Pac before he went bat sh1t mental and killed his Mrs?
Yeah, Marquez too. They both would have killed him.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 16 Feb 2020, 23:21
by Grilling Machine
Pirog's injury happened close to his natural retirement, so he was running out of road anyway. Obviously a shame he didn't fight Golovkin.
For me, McCall could've been the greatest post-1990 heavyweight without his problems. With the best chin ever, serious power, and some decent skills, he had everything but the mindset to beat Lewis again, and then Bowe, Holyfield, Tyson, Tua, Ibeabuchi...
And yeah, I think a mentally healthy Ibeabuchi would've dominated the 2000s.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 06:26
by Enlightened-One
Grilling Machine wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 23:21I think a mentally healthy Ibeabuchi would've dominated the 2000s.
If Ike hadn’t been locked up for abducting his partner and child shortly after the Tua bout, he probably would’ve faced Lennox Lewis in 1999 and lost.
His defence wasn’t good and that type of flaw could be exploited by crafty skilful fighters that were physically as strong as himself.
Also, let’s not forget that Lewis dominated Tua, who Ibeabuchi had that monumental struggle against. And the Kiwi never became a world champion either.
I would’ve also favoured Vitali Klitschko over Ibeabuchi from 2003 onwards.
I feel that Ibeabuchi has received too much hype over the years. He’s received an honorary rite of passage to “greatness”, without having achieved anything noteworthy. His fighting prowess has been embellished by those applying the “what could’ve been” flawed logic.
In reality, Ibeabuchi should simply be regarded as wasted potential. He would have needed to have shown significant improvement in order to have become the dominant heavyweight of the 2000’s. And we’ll never know if he had it in him to do this.
Ibeabuchi's victories over Chris Byrd and David Tua were impressive (in the context of him being a prospect at the time of those bouts), but not enough to suggest he would’ve become the dominant heavyweight during the 2000’s.
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 10:37
by Lenny Cravats
Ike who?
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 12:49
by chinarich
Andrew Golota. Perhaps never destined to be one of the greatest but certainly had some mental frailties that sabotaged him at key moments...
Re: The fighters who didn't become the great champions because of the injuries or the mental issues ?
Posted: 17 Feb 2020, 13:03
by Loki
Grilling Machine wrote: ↑16 Feb 2020, 23:21
Pirog's injury happened close to his natural retirement, so he was running out of road anyway. Obviously a shame he didn't fight Golovkin.
For me, McCall could've been the greatest post-1990 heavyweight without his problems. With the best chin ever, serious power, and some decent skills, he had everything but the mindset to beat Lewis again, and then Bowe, Holyfield, Tyson, Tua, Ibeabuchi...
And yeah, I think a mentally healthy Ibeabuchi would've dominated the 2000s.
Disagree with Pirog comments. He had plenty left and had the ability to beat GGG and Canelo in my view.