BoxRec

Every once in a while a fighter comes along who seems so promising you could just sense title change, could sense that the guy could beat the odds, and might as well place the title on him. But then comes the big day and he BLOWS it. Blows all your aspirations of him and truly let you down.

What fighter did that to you?

For me...there is a few fighters who I was sure could have been something:

Duane Bobick beaten the legendary Teofilio Stevenson in the Olympic trials and blew away the competition as a professional. When he literally knocked the tough Chuck Wepner cold in 6 rounds, many wondered who could take this man's punching power? Enter Ken Norton. All it took was a mere 58 seconds into the first round and Bobick was a nobody. He never again became a contender, losing to future WBA champion John Tate and mediocre George Chaplin.

Tommy Morrison at 16 he was winning 'Toughman' competitions in his native Oklahoma. When he became a professional he blew away alot of fighters, including former champion Pinklon Thomas and former challengers James Tillis and a slew of others. Then came Ray Mercer and those 30-40 unanswered shots to Morrison's head. Morrison continued on as a fighter, beating George Foreman in a controversial fight for the WBO title only to lose it two fights later. After fights with Lennox Lewis and Razor Ruddock [whom he did beat] he was tested as HIV positive and he disappeared into oblivian.

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:Every once in a while a fighter comes along who seems so promising you could just sense title change, could sense that the guy could beat the odds, and might as well place the title on him. But then comes the big day and he BLOWS it. Blows all your aspirations of him and truly let you down.

What fighter did that to you?

For me...there is a few fighters who I was sure could have been something:

Duane Bobick beaten the legendary Teofilio Stevenson in the Olympic trials and blew away the competition as a professional. When he literally knocked the tough Chuck Wepner cold in 6 rounds, many wondered who could take this man's punching power? Enter Ken Norton. All it took was a mere 58 seconds into the first round and Bobick was a nobody. He never again became a contender, losing to future WBA champion John Tate and mediocre George Chaplin.

Tommy Morrison at 16 he was winning 'Toughman' competitions in his native Oklahoma. When he became a professional he blew away alot of fighters, including former champion Pinklon Thomas and former challengers James Tillis and a slew of others. Then came Ray Mercer and those 30-40 unanswered shots to Morrison's head. Morrison continued on as a fighter, beating George Foreman in a controversial fight for the WBO title only to lose it two fights later. After fights with Lennox Lewis and Razor Ruddock [whom he did beat] he was tested as HIV positive and he disappeared into oblivian.

I always though the olympic trials (in the USA) were to decide which USA boxers went to the olympics...

Lonnie Smith

Watched him bounce they very capable Billy Costello around the fing and was sure he was going to be the next best thing.

Lloyd Honeyghan

A bit unfair really as Lloyd achieved an awful lot. I just thought that he fought totally the wrong fight against Starling, almost as if he was believing his own hype.

Ray Leonard

For not granting rematches when he was involved in close fights.

Actually Stevenston beat Bobick didnt he?... I dont recall Bobick ever beating Teofilo???...
Fighters that let me down were...
Hector Comacho.... turned into a runner and circus fighter
Mike Tyson... turned into a quitter and a cheat...
Naz Hamed ...believed his own press then ran away when he got beat!...
Ricky Hatton .....has spent career fighting hasbeens and nobodies...
Joe Calzaghe ...ditto the above... though not quite as bad as Hatton...

Ezzard wrote:Lonnie Smith

Watched him bounce they very capable Billy Costello around the fing and was sure he was going to be the next best thing.

Lloyd Honeyghan

A bit unfair really as Lloyd achieved an awful lot. I just thought that he fought totally the wrong fight against Starling, almost as if he was believing his own hype.

Ray Leonard

For not granting rematches when he was involved in close fights.

I agree with all these points, I remember thinking that Smith was going to be 'big' after I watched him beat Costello... I think he lost his desire for the game and became disenchanted after winning the title... I remember reading about how he had to go back to working in a warehouse after winning the title because of money and managerial probs.
I think Honeyghan fought the way he did against Satrling because of his hand trouble..... so he tried to get Starling out of there fast... big mistake.

I think Bobick won once against Stevenson before their fight in the olympics. Bobick was stopped by Stevenson in the olympics. He also holds an amatuer win over Larry Holmes, I believe that was their only fight. Bobick was the more expirienced fighter at the time.

I remember the Holmes fight, I remember Stevenson gave Bobick a pounding in their Olimpic final... I'd like to know more about Bobicks win over Stevenson...

Tim Witherspoon, Greg Page, Donald Curry, Johnny Bumphus, Davey Moore, Michael Dokes, Paul Gonzales, Mark Breland, Milton MCcroury, Marvis Frazier, Mike Rossman, James Broad, John Conte, Buster Dougles, Tyrell Biggs, Robin Blake, Howard Davis, Hilmer Kenty, Michael Nunn, Toney Ayala, Alex Ramos, Meldrick Taylor, Sean Ogrady, Ray Mancinni, Toney Tubbs, Matthew Hilton, Darrin Van Horne, Sean O'sullevan, Henry Tillman, Radolfo Gonzales, Dwight Davidson, Max Baer, Mark Holmes, John Collins, Ray Mercer.

Marty Monroe

I would also like to add Gerry Cooney. Had he have stayed away from Holmes and faced off against better opposition, he surely would have become at least the WBA champion and despite losing to Holmes the score cards were closer than people think---and of course, his many ill-fated come backs dampened his resume.

Bobick defeated Stevenson by decision (3-2 split, I think) during the 1971 Pan American Games held in Columbia.

Randineous wrote:Bobick defeated Stevenson by decision (3-2 split, I think) during the 1971 Pan American Games held in Columbia.

Watch someone suddenly now re-appear and try to claim that was 'an olympic trial'... Oh and the computer is supposedly 4-0 now

I don't know if your comment about the computer being 4-0 was directed at me, Collins, but it completely went over my head.

Howard Davis, Howard Davis, Howard Davis.... :x

Randineous wrote:I don't know if your comment about the computer being 4-0 was directed at me, Collins, but it completely went over my head.

Another post talked about that fight being in the olympic trials, I believe Collins is reffering to you're post as a correction.

Collins....suck my clock

I know that was directed at me...excuse me for gettin the info wrong, it's been 30+ years since Bobick fought, hard to remember every single damn detail you know, all I know is he did fight in the Olympics and had faced off with Stevenson a few times, winning one.

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:Collins....suck my clock

I know that was directed at me...excuse me for gettin the info wrong, it's been 30+ years since Bobick fought, hard to remember every single damn detail you know, all I know is he did fight in the Olympics and had faced off with Stevenson a few times, winning one.

Mmmm, so now you are implying you remember Bobick's amateur career first hand? Didn't you mention a few weeks back you were in your 20's????

James Buster Douglas. I don't think he would have beaten Evander but the way he performed against Tyson suggested he would make Holyfield earn the title. I think both Tyson and (to a lesser extent now) Holyfields legacy suffers for Busters lack of determination.
Riddick Bowe. I just read McCillvanys peice on the Futch Bowe relationship. Sad read from Futch's perspective, in hindsight. Aparently he was very cautious about who he would work with in his later years - didn't want to be wasting his last years.
Did Bert Cooper smoke dope or something early in his career? If he turned to drugs while he was on the rise, he is on my list. I was young when I watched him destroy Willie Dewitt. He really impressed me (bearing in mind young=impressionable and easily impressed by spectacular knockout).

"did Bert Cooper smoke dope"
Well his name was Smokin Bert Cooper.

Should have seen that coming.

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:Every once in a while a fighter comes along who seems so promising you could just sense title change, could sense that the guy could beat the odds, and might as well place the title on him. But then comes the big day and he BLOWS it. Blows all your aspirations of him and truly let you down.

What fighter did that to you?

For me...there is a few fighters who I was sure could have been something:

Duane Bobick beaten the legendary Teofilio Stevenson in the Olympic trials and blew away the competition as a professional. When he literally knocked the tough Chuck Wepner cold in 6 rounds, many wondered who could take this man's punching power? Enter Ken Norton. All it took was a mere 58 seconds into the first round and Bobick was a nobody. He never again became a contender, losing to future WBA champion John Tate and mediocre George Chaplin.

Tommy Morrison at 16 he was winning 'Toughman' competitions in his native Oklahoma. When he became a professional he blew away alot of fighters, including former champion Pinklon Thomas and former challengers James Tillis and a slew of others. Then came Ray Mercer and those 30-40 unanswered shots to Morrison's head. Morrison continued on as a fighter, beating George Foreman in a controversial fight for the WBO title only to lose it two fights later. After fights with Lennox Lewis and Razor Ruddock [whom he did beat] he was tested as HIV positive and he disappeared into oblivian.

Irish ... Good call on Bobick. I also remember the hype about him at the time. He was considered another great white hope.

But Duane Bobick did not fight Chuck Wepner. I just looked up Wepner's resume and there's no Bobick on there, so I believe you must be thinking of someone else. Although Wepner did spill a lot of blood in the ring, I don't think anyone ever knocked him cold.

kingpawn wrote:Irish ... Good call on Bobick. I also remember the hype about him at the time. He was considered another great white hope.

But Duane Bobick did not fight Chuck Wepner. I just looked up Wepner's resume and there's no Bobick on there, so I believe you must be thinking of someone else. Although Wepner did spill a lot of blood in the ring, I don't think anyone ever knocked him cold.

Maybe he's thinking of Bobick's stoppage of LeDoux, another limited HW with a decent chin.

kingpawn wrote:

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:Every once in a while a fighter comes along who seems so promising you could just sense title change, could sense that the guy could beat the odds, and might as well place the title on him. But then comes the big day and he BLOWS it. Blows all your aspirations of him and truly let you down.

What fighter did that to you?

For me...there is a few fighters who I was sure could have been something:

Duane Bobick beaten the legendary Teofilio Stevenson in the Olympic trials and blew away the competition as a professional. When he literally knocked the tough Chuck Wepner cold in 6 rounds, many wondered who could take this man's punching power? Enter Ken Norton. All it took was a mere 58 seconds into the first round and Bobick was a nobody. He never again became a contender, losing to future WBA champion John Tate and mediocre George Chaplin.

Tommy Morrison at 16 he was winning 'Toughman' competitions in his native Oklahoma. When he became a professional he blew away alot of fighters, including former champion Pinklon Thomas and former challengers James Tillis and a slew of others. Then came Ray Mercer and those 30-40 unanswered shots to Morrison's head. Morrison continued on as a fighter, beating George Foreman in a controversial fight for the WBO title only to lose it two fights later. After fights with Lennox Lewis and Razor Ruddock [whom he did beat] he was tested as HIV positive and he disappeared into oblivian.

Irish ... Good call on Bobick. I also remember the hype about him at the time. He was considered another great white hope.

But Duane Bobick did not fight Chuck Wepner. I just looked up Wepner's resume and there's no Bobick on there, so I believe you must be thinking of someone else. Although Wepner did spill a lot of blood in the ring, I don't think anyone ever knocked him cold.

Duane Bobick did fight Chuck Wepner on October 2nd, 1976. BoxRec notes say that it was stopped at 1:12 of round six on cuts. While Wepner wasn't knocked out cold, he did suffer a TKO loss.

Evndrbsn (and IrishRufus) ... you're right! I just went back and looked again. Man, I have no recollection at all of Bobick vs. Wepner, but sure enough when I checked again there it was.

"Iron" Mike Tyson - Waste of talent. Could have done so much more.

Ike "The President" Ibeabuchi - The heavyweight division wouldn't be in so sad a shape if this guy wasn't such a nutjob.

James "Lights Out" Toney - Shouldn't be at heavyweight and basically wasted the years 1997-2003 fighting nobodies until taking on Jirov.

Francisco Bojado - So much talent so little desire.