Fighters That Went Downhill, After Suffering A First Defeat?

Are you referring to his first loss to YCII?

 

I think some of these examples aren't fitting the criteria honestly.

Cotto never went down hill after losing to Margarito, he beat Margarito in the rematch and had some very good performances after. It's just he lost to 2 of greatest fighters of the modern era in Pacquiao, Mayweather. And his last few fights he had wear and tear and was fighting above his best weight class, losing to stylistically tough opponents, like Southpaw Trout who was unlucky not to get decision wins over Charlo, Canelo.

Did Tyson also really go downhill after the Douglas loss ? For me he rebounded showing his toughness vs dangerous hard punching contender Razor Ruddock, and impressive early stoppages vs Stewart, Tillman. Inactivity from going to prison eroded Tyson overall not his first defeat.

I think a great example is Livingstone Bramble, before his first loss to Edwin Rosario he was rated P4P top 5 and was undefeated. After his crushing loss to Edwin Rosario he pretty much turned into a journeyman fighter with over 20 losses.

 

Sean O’ Grady was managed by his dad. As an undefeated prospect, his dad put him in the ring with a more much seasoned pro in Danny Lopez, sort of as a way to get the “0” out of the way.

 

Post eye socket surgery Margarito without loaded gloves, was a substantially easier assignment than pre orbital injury Margarito with loaded gloves.

Cotto beat a Mosley that was more than a year away from obliterating Margarito, 2 fights prior to his first fight with Antonio, more convincingly than he did the inferior Clottey, 2 fights after Margarito 1. He went downhill after Margarito 1, the only thing up for debate is the rate of his descent.

 

Excellent pick, for a short while he looked like a super champ, he had it all, he could box, punch, had a good awareness, Dagge just run him down, out dogged him, a classic instance of attrition and determination, over flair and charisma.
stay safe buddy.

 

I think he was a journeyman all along, just as especially protected one.

 

Well it's up for debate whether or not he had loaded gloves for Cotto we'll never know for sure, but we do know Cotto schooled Margarito in the rematch.

Cotto barely scrapped by Mosley and barely scrapped by Clottey no real difference in either performance, except Clottey is a huge Welterweight who could weigh up to 170 pounds coming into the ring. He had a very good defence, very durable, and is a very tough stylistic match up for Cotto. If Cotto showed any signs of fading he would've lost to Clottey, who was considered the dark horse of the division for a long time.

I didn't see Cotto go downhill after his loss to Margarito, there was certainly no performances to suggest that anyway. he destroyed a solid fighter in Jennings, beat a very dangerous huge Welterweight in Clottey, ok he lost to Pacquiao who at that time was at his peak, but Cotto never beats Pacquiao lets be real.

Cotto added more losses to his record because he was fighting two ATGs in Mayweather, Pacquiao, and then moved up in weight and fought tough stylistic match ups like Southpaw Trout. I certainly don't think Cotto went downhill after the 1st Margarito loss, it's the level of competition he was fighting.

 

Duane Bobick arguably fits that description too.

 

If you couldn't see Cotto had lost a step vs Clottey and beyond, relative to the version that beat Judah and Mosley, then fair enough. I could and quite clearly tbh.

Mosley was on a different level to Clottey.

 

Mosley maybe a better P4P fighter than Clottey, but Clottey was a very dangerous Welterweight at the time. And was huge at the weight as i said often weighing 170 pounds or close to it on fight night, Clottey is a very tough stylistic match up for Cotto because of his size, defence, durability.

Clottey's only losses prior to Cotto fight was a DQ to Baldomir in which he was leading, and a competitive decision loss to Margarito in which he schooled Margarito for 4 rounds until he broke his hand. The only fighter who ever beat Clottey convincingly was Pacquiao, who was too fast for him and Clottey was hesitant to open up.

I don't think Cotto winning a close fight against the dark horse of the division at that time, suggests Cotto was slowing down in anyway. I think actually it's opposite because a few people questioned Cotto after he quit vs Margarito, the Clottey fight was a nice rebound for him because it was a tough fight and Cotto showed his mettle.

 

Great example. His fall was shocking and scary.

Big John had a lot going for him - but for a weak chin. The way he was completely short circuited upon a decent hit was frightening.

Years later, Roy Jones’ KO losses were eerily similar in so far as dropping like a dead man.

 

Agreed. But Jones decline was understandable. He was about 35 years old with a lot of tough fights behind him. That and I don’t think he ever fully recovered from that drastic weight loss after the Ruiz fight

 

Sometimes it’s hard to provide perfect examples - but I would say Cooney is a reasonable fit.

Holmes might not be - since his first loss came after a long career and at an advanced age - so he was already trending on a downhill run.

The examples that strike me are guys in or very close to their prime - their first defeat leading to their mentally falling apart thereafter or their being exposed with future opposition following the same blue print used to defeat them in the first instance.

Suffice to say, though Foreman was below par within himself after being KO’d in Zaire, it was the fact of his loss in Zaire that gave future
opposition greater confidence and courage when they engaged him.

I think there have been many fighters who have suffered similarly once their auras of invincibility were well and truly destroyed.

 

Sure, while the manner of the KOs were very similar, Jones isn’t completely analogous with Tate given other arguable variables but I don’t know that he necessarily had a lot of tough fights behind him.

 

Yeah I think that's a good point fighters like Holmes were already decling because of age and wear tear, rather than being effected by losing his 1st fight.