British fighters who underachieved/wasted their talent?

The choice is too great. Can't we narrow it down to a weight class, or era?

 

I suspect Hamed is going to be a popular choice. He always seems to be brought up in this context. I don't agree, Hamed achieved enough to say he didn't underachieve. And his overall ability is overrated to the extent he could not do much more than he did. Not unless he got the more raw version of Pacquiao, the others were too good.

Herol Graham has to be one. He had great wins in his grasp and squandered them. It's not even a subjective one where we're saying what he could have done, he was actually doing it until he got layed out due to lost concentration against Jackson. And also other fights were there for the taking and he let them slip, with those close decision losses.

 

Kirkland Laing. Close the thread.

 

:good

 

Herol Graham is the obvious one - not many guys literally throw away two world title chances, especially back then when shots were harder to come by.

But for punching McCallum in the balls he was winning that one, and chasing a needless KO against Jackson cost him dear...... especially as Jackson's corner were probably going to pull their man out after the fourth. Each of the first three were 10-8 rounds, IIRC.

 

It's mostly mental attributes that waste boxing talent. In this regard Audley Harrison has to go down as a big ass lump of wasted talent. He has everything you need physically and technically...hes just not there.

 

Richard Williams.

 

audley harrison.

 

Gary Lockett: He might have actually made a name for himself on the world scene if only he fancied it.

Joe Calzaghe: Not the worst offender, but I feel he should have fought better fighters when at his peak. His legacy will always be questioned......

Audley: From Olympic champion to domestic level journeyman, and nothing in between the two. Quite bizarre.

Howard Eastman: He had all the tools, but could never really be that bothered to use them.

Herbie Hide: 50 fights over twenty years, yet barely a decent win on his record.

 

"The Secret" is out oright..............he was overhyped.......very average

he didnt achieve much.............because he werent good enough :deal

 

Howard Eastman....yes. What the **** was wrong with Howard Eastman? He always looked like he had a few screws loose. I think that was his problem.

Herbie Hide wasted his talent when he chased the money in the heavyweights when he was never a heavyweight. His bank account looked pretty after facing Bowe, but he wasted the best portion of his career in fights he could never ever win. Had he fought at cruiserweight he could have achieved. Not to mention even when he did finally decide to fight at cruiser he was running from the police, which wasted even more time. Another one that has no brain.

 

He was most certainly not "very average" I had the pleasure of watching a couple of his fights live, and his skills were simply superb.

In the end though, there was always something missing from his game. I think he was simply too nice!

 

Matthew Ellis.............to be hyped up as the worlds ever first billion dollar athelte..................his career has been a major failure compared to them lofty expectations