What was so special about Donald Curry?

People often equate Curry-Honeyghan to Tyson-Douglas, but I think the former upset had more to do with the style of the guy who pulled the upset than the later.

Make no mistake though, Curry did look flat from the outset against Honeyghan. Just like Tyson looked flat from the start against Douglas. But I tend to think that a focused, 100% Tyson would not have lost to Douglas... whereas it seems like Honeyghan simply had Curry's number, whether Donald was at his best or not.

Tidy, picture-perfect, methodical boxers such as Curry always tend to struggle with unorthodox, herky jerky guys like Honeyghan.

Still ridiculous that Dubble thinks Curry is 50-50 with Danny Garcia though.

Curry would have beaten the **** outta that basic, six-toed sloth Danny Gift.

 

Garcia beat Zab Judah, Amir Khan, Lucas Matthysse, Lamont Peterson and Erik Morales twice.

Hell, Zab Judah likely beats everyone Curry beat at welter. Except maybe Starling.

Curry was very good. But he wasn't great. Not at all.

 

Garcia didn't "beat" Lamont Peterson. He was thoroughly outboxed and got a gift. Spence showed us earlier this year how a TRUE elite fighter should treat Lamont Peterson.

Danny also needed a gift over a JOURNEYMAN in Maurcio Herrera. The same Herrera who was clearly beaten by Mike Alvarado.

And you conveniently failed to mention that the Judah who Garcia beat was WELL past his prime. And even against that faded Judah... Garcia struggled.

Morales? Jesus Christ... cmonnnnnn!! That doesn't even count.

Danny has two good wins over opponents who were in their primes... Khan and Matthysse. That's it. That is literally it. Curry's resume was a helluva lot better than just Khan and Matthysse.

Garcia loses BIG to Starling. Huge, actually. He loses to McCrory, and Hell, probably even gets outboxed by Nino Larocca. Might have lost to Colin Jones as well.

It's totally acceptable to consider Curry overrated, but you've taken it to an extreme.

Curry was a level or two above Danny Garcia.

You're essentially telling us that Donald Curry was inferior to Keith Thurman... which is laughable.

 

If I heard one of the brain-dead idiots who post on the general forum saying that Curry-Garcia is a pick em, I'd think nothing of it. I'd expect it from them.

But Dubble, I've known you since the Secondsout Forum days, and I know that you know better.

 

I have no doubt at all Curry fought at a "great" level for 8 or 9 fights. Of course he didn't last long enough at that level to be called "great" but damned if he didn't perform there imo. He was comfortable chasing down runners or getting in the pocket with quite a good pressure fighter.

 

I may not have explained deeply enough.

How do i do this? Hmmmmm. I think he was fighting at a "great level" (or would have been if pushed) from Stafford until McCrory or Rodriguez. So barely a 3 year period. He also didn't have a win over anyone better than maybe "very good" which i would probably consider Starling when he's on song. McCrory i'd rate a little lower.

For Curry to be great resume wise (vs in ring performance wise) he had to do more for longer. As impressive as he was a few times it's not enough by a longshot. Even beating McCallum wouldn't have given him a lot as Mike wasn't very highly rated at that time hence Curry being the 2-1 fave even after getting recently pasted.

 

Oh Donald would have picked apart Danny. I like Danny, but to me he is rather limited. Sort of a stand up good jab and counter left fighter. If a guy has a fast jab he can beat Danny with that alone.. but not too many good guys at welterweight. Donald was too good for Danny. I remember that fight being replayed and Donald walking out to some pointer sister song I think. And I thought, boy he looks intimidating, although the venue I think was Atlantic City and indoors so it was not a loud crowd.. Either way, Honeyghan had this energy and underrated power and good handspeed.

 

Sugar Ray had something to do with this. Donald should have kicked his ass outside of the ring. Would have helped him on so many levels at that time.

 

He beat up the Italian Muhammed Ali!

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Ray would have just let him kick his ass? This is about boxing and the fact is Marvin would not have stayed active just to fight Curry. He always said he wanted to fight the Leonards and Hearns and Durans of boxing. And he did. That is his legacy somewhere in those fights and the others. I think Curry's legacy was with other fighters.

 

Curry wad a very subtle boxer .
I love how people say he didnt move alot- watch Hwang and first Starling bout.
He just was very economical in everything he did.

 

I think McCallum was at his peak actually when he fought Curry. He had held a 154 Lb title for 2.5 years. I don't think he was as good at 160 lbs as at 154 lbs.

Maybe McCallum flew under the radar with the odds makers, but hardcore fans knew he was a borderline great fighter at the time.

Curry post Honeyghan should not have been that much of a favorite.

It's too bad the fight didn't happen before Curry was damaged goods.

 

He was a great counterpuncher and an excellent infighter

 

Well McCallums curse was his workman like humility andnon flashy style but I agree as did most that followed the sport closely he should have been the favorite but....the bookmakers knew exactly what they were doing making Curry the favorite alot of casual fans lost a lot of money taking the safe bet...they as most knew that McCallum was the real deal and that Curry was not at his best anymore. The curse for McCallum was not just being good but flying under the radar made him a hard sell to fight any money fighter in the Fab the fight was not worth the risk.

I have said it before that Curry had kept his focus over a 400-4 amateur career only to be boycotted in the 80 Olympics and then as a pro dominated won the title in a peak performance in the unification IMO he got old overnight...he was stale and tired of discipline which was no good against a hungry Challenger like Honeyghan who blitzed him after that he was hot and cold.....I would argue he was truly prime when he KO'd McCrory after that he started to slow down sort of he was on the mental downhill slide physically he was young his passion was gone.

I expect Lomanchenko to fall into the same trap..perhaps not but no suprise if it happens once he gets tired of the sport...IMO will lose to a fighter not highly rated it will be an upset due to lack of perceived challenge hence a waning interest

 

people dismissed the Honeyghan loss a little too much. Then he had those two fights against I think they were Tony Montgomery and Carlos Santos where both headbutted him to DQ losses. I don't think Curry would have ever been as good at 154 as he was at 147, but he was still fast. The problem is he faced in 1987 the best 154 pound titlist around since Hearns had moved up to 175 a few months before.