Who are some boxers who never lived up to their potential, whether it was a lack of discipline and dedication or personal issues?
James ‘Bubba’ Busceme won like 500 amateur fights, made the 1972 Olympics but didn’t medal. I think he probably had world championship potential. Like some others, maybe he spent too long in the amateurs and ‘left his best game’ there. Maybe there’s other reasons. But I think he was good enough to win a title at 135 on talent at least.
Jose Luis Lopez was just too damn lazy with his offense he reminds me of Ruslan Provodnikov. Both iron chinned guys who look great when they let their hands go, unfortunately they didn't do it often enough. And it cost them close fights they could of won had they just stepped it up a bit more.
Howard Davis Jr- 1976 US Olympic gold medalist and boxer of the tournament. Challenged for the title on 3 occasions as a pro. Was expected to do much better
It's insane that you can say the baddest man on the planet, youngest HW champ, p4p# 1, former undisputed champion didn't live up to his potential.................and can actually be right. But we really didn't get all out of Tyson that we could've and that's absolutely crazy. Imagine if his team never fell apart and he never lost focus. Also: Lamar Parks definitely didn't live up to what he could've been. Chad Dawson, boxing is littered with the bodies of "what could have beens" smh
I'm just gonna give two names of my own in here that come to mind: Riddick Bowe and Prince Naseem Hamed. I feel like Bowe's lack of care for training and loss of passion after beating Holyfield done him in, while Hamed's undoing was done in part due to hand injuries, ego and the same lack of dedication that Bowe suffered from post-title win.