Joel Julio - a wasted talent......

He was never that good.

 

He was a very hard puncher, without being a mindless banger. He actually could box fairly well (having gone 85-0 in the amateurs) but fell in love with his power in the pros.

He was massively hyped before his first loss...favored over then-unbeaten Quintana in an eliminator to face Ricky Hatton. (some thought he was going to deal Quintana and Hatton the first losses of their careers back to back, and both of them by knockout!!!)

So in that sense, he was overrated and didn't live up to his initial hype.

Overall, decent contender...and could've very easily grabbed a belt with some different luck and circumstances.

He kayoed Bundrage and within a couple of years of Don King's sleight-of-hand K9 somehow became a world champion. You have to figure if Julio was maneuvered the same way he would've beaten all the same opponents including that shot version of Cory Spinks. He is just a full level above Bundrage.

True elites will have always beaten him, though. (as happened in all his losses). The best guys he beat were all a bit shy of elite: Sugar Shay, Adjaho, Rivera, K9, Vilches...

So in summary, with better management/promotion he could've been a champion - but never a p4p entry or divisional #1 or anything.

Moderate waste, yes.

 

Dan Rafael hyped him hard. Rafael tends to love punchers and not appreciate the skill guys. Julio never was good though. A third rate Trinidad.

 

That's harsh. (the assessment of Julio, though you're correct about Rafael)

He got outboxed by freaking Quintana and Dzinziruk, that's hardly a badge of shame or a sign you have no skill. Those are both excellent boxers.

He was highly competitive while he lasted with both the Mandingo Warrior and El Perro, trading lots of leather with both and often giving better than he got for stretches.

 

hes a solid fighter . but not a waste of talent at all.

 

Never fought in shape could have been special but liked his food too much! Shame.

 

Never that great. Rafael has a tendancy to get infatuated with guys who don't end up panning out.

 

I'm impressed by intelligent fighters, so he never really appealed to me.

 

You can be a "top prospect" a prospect isn't saying much. He was never that good. He was similar to Felix Trinidad without the foot/head movement and accuracy.

 

1st time I saw him was on Shobox. Liked his power, but then he got rolled by Quintana and I never paid him anymore attention.

 

The fact that he never acquired a title, while an inferior fighter (one he knocked out) did says otherwise.

 

Lol "The Lovechild"

 

Carlos Quintana exposed Joel Julio and Paul Williams lol. That was some awesome **** for us Ricans. Then Cotto was like "there is only room for 1 of us"

 

I actually still rate that victory quite highly for Cotto.

He was a slight favorite, but Quintana was still (rightfully) taken very seriously and seen as potential trouble for Junito.

I don't know if Julio or Williams got "exposed" so much as Quintana was just a very decent boxer who some overlooked in both instances.