Fighters who deteriorated alarmingly quickly

People talk about that fight like Tito beat him from pillar-to-post the whole fight. Yes he did have a tough time in there but he had his moments and won some rounds before a lowblow I believe. The fight did take alot from him but he was fighting til the end and looking good at some points. If more guys were like Vargas then more big fights would be happening often.

 

I'm not disputing it was a great fight and Vargas sure did have his moments but he also absorbed a tremendous amount of punishment.

As a young fighter the kind of sustained beating that Tito layed on Vargas (low blows and all) could only have a negative effect on his career.Remember in his comeback fight after the Trinidad war he got dropped and badly hurt by Wifredo Rivera who whilst a good fighter was hardly a thunderous puncher.

In a way it possibly would've been better for Fernando's career in the long run if his fight with Felix had've been stopped in the first round as it so nearly was.

At least he possibly could've bounced back without the lasting physical and mental damage he received from Tito if that happened.In a way Vargas had too much courage for his own good.

 

Riddick Bowe for a heavyweight. Maybe Aaron Pryor.

Vargas was never the same after Tito.

 

chris eubank is a good one, but the wars he's had with benn and watson can take it out of anyone IMO.

 

Jermaine Taylor.

 

Meldrick Taylor and Mac Foster.

 

Fernando Vargas wasn't the only one whose career was affected by Trinidad. I think David Reid's career fell down a hundred story elevator shaft as soon as he exited the ring that night.

How about Pinklon Thomas? He went from scary tough/poor man's Sonny Liston to looking like an old man in need of vitamins and a soft place to sit down in a very short time.

 

Yeah David Reid burnt out before he even got started.

 

Too true. I agree with you and feel that yes Vargas did deserve to face Trinidad but he would've been better off if he didn't. Add Meldrick and Shane Mosley to the list of having too much courage aswell. Hell Shane would've been better off had he not faced Wright & Forrest plus Meldrick would've been better off had he not faced Norris though he was declining anyways.

 

Mike Rossman.

 

Thia is perhaps not as solid a pick as some others, but after the Fight of the Century, Joe Frazier only showed flashes of his best form, and mostly against Ali.

 

Kirkland Laing. Self-inflicted, of course.

 

Frazier, despite his performance in Manilla, was pretty much shot after FOTC. Smokin' was brilliant from '67-'71 though.

 

Rocky Juarez after Barerra II.

 

Pipino Cuevas for sure.

Before Hearns, he was thought to be a miniature George Foreman, an irresistable force with wrecking ball fists. After Hearns, he finished out his career 8-8 including devastating ko losses to Duran, Montes and others. All while still a young man in his mid-20's.

BTW, I thought I read somewhere that Cuevas had a lot of shoulder problems in the last years of his career. Possibly rotator cuff problems. Considering he was basically an arm puncher who delivered punches with tremendous torque, such an injury wouldn't be surprising. I thought I read somewhere that this was the possible cause for his decline. He lost the snap in his punches and without his punching power, he was a subpar fighter. Anyone else heard anything like this?