Just curious how people define a prospect? When is someone not a prospect anymore? Once they have "X" amount of fights? Once they face top 10 opposition? Once they get a title shot?
Depends. IMO you go from prospect to contender once you really start to step up.Of course in Gamboa's case he is right on the verge of contender or may even be there with a minimul amount of fights because of the quality of opposition. Dont think that the number of fights defines a prospect/contender.
My definition which I think is on target is a prospect seems to have all the tools but no one knows if he has the heart and chin because of being untested against stiff competition.
When I write about heavyweight prospects I define a prospect like someone who hasn't reached his limit yet. Someone who's still on his way up, and in one way or another is an unknown commodity. I guess my defintion is rather wide. For exemple is Gamboa and Povetkin still prospects in my book. http://boxning.blogspot.com/2008/01/top-100-heavyweight-prospects.html
Spot on:good Usually once they get past the division gatekeeper/gatekeepers in good fashion they become prime contender material for me.
A fighter elevates beyond the propect level when usually he reaches a certain number of fights, starts fighting guys on a different level and has participated in main events.
Am i missiong something here because there is no credible opponent of Gamboa's so far. His last fight against Jimenez is nothing. This guy basically lost to every fighter he fought with a winning record. Sure he won many but on closer look, most of them are against fighters with more losses than wins in their record. I really can not believe the hyping Gamboa is receiving in this forum. The dude had only 10 professional fights and against hopeless oppnents, yet he is now a second coming of RJJ, Here are Gamboa's opponent's so far Joel Sebastian Mayo (41-13)- lost via KO prior to the Gamboa fight, and basically lost to any opponent with a positive win record. Samuel Kebede - (24-2) - lost via KO to scott Harrison the first time he fought in a 12 rounder. This guy basically fights in a 6 or 8round fights Adailton de jesus (21-3) - came in with two straight losses prior to the gamboa fight, and fought only around 3-4 fighters with a professional record of more than 20 fights. Most are against fighters with less than 10 fights. Johnnie Edwards (14-2) - not even worth dissecting but KOed the very much aged (38) Freddie Norwood in his last fight. Lastly : Darling Jimenez (23-3) - virtually lost to any fighter he faced with a + 4 win- loss record except for Mike Anchondo, and Jose Soto (who???). The rest (the other 5) of his resume is not woth mentioning.