Fighters who were damaged by their best performance

Amazing Leonard fought another 16 years, AFTER the eye was injured against Hearns in 1981...

Still to this day it looks messed up:-(

 

Ali after Manila? He was never the same, but that might have been time and accumulated wear and tear. I watched his third fight with Norton.....there was definite decline.

 

True. Whenever people say stuff like "oh Chavez totally ruined Taylor's career and health", I point out that although it took something out of him, Taylor did have some success afterwards.

 

Nigel Benn against Gerald McClelland had to borrow resources from tomorrow to come through that war, Both of course was never the same,

 

To a lesser extent I don't believe Zarate was quite the same after Gomez demolished him, and then Gomez himself after Sanchez gave him a makeover.

Perhaps I'm seeing something that isn't there, but a fighter's confidence is often rattled after getting blasted, like a comedian whose never experienced heckling.

 

Zamora was never the same after Zarate demolished him. The three of them all winners of the highest order until that first loss.

 

What about Jeff Fenech? A draw against Azumah Nelson in a fight he should of got the decision and he was never the same after. Nelson on the other hand put on a great performance against Salvador Sanchez and then moved on and got better. Difference being that it was early in his career. It's not just physical damage it's mental damage I suppose.

 

Good shout there, though I've often wondered how even a pre-Zarate Zamora would do against Lujan. Seems just the right style and degree of toughness to outlast a pure banger like him. Against a more technical guy Lujan wouldn't look quite as good, but particularly considering how well Lujan took a punch, Zamora seemed almost tailor-made for him in retrospect.

 

Maybe not damaged physically but Ricky Hatton certainly never matched or topped his performance after his hard fought win over Kostya!

 

Leotis Martin's knockout of Sonny Liston. He suffered a detached retina in that fight and had to retire.

 

When the Nelson I decision didn't go Fenech's way it seemed to remove some of his belief in the sport he had up until then loved. Suddenly winning the fight wasn't enough to ensure you got the decision.

 

Yea that was without doubt Hattons best ever performance...

 

Fenech and Benn are excellent shouts.

It wasn't a direct result of punishment received in the fight, but the seeds of Buster Douglas' flop against Holyfield were sown in his greatest victory. He never had the same motivation again.

It's arguable whether Roy Jones' best performance was against Ruiz, but he was clearly a different fighter when he dropped back down to LHW.

 

michael watsons best performance was eubank 2.....is that the kind of thing you mean ?

 

Benn after he beat McClellan was never the same mentally.