Happy birthday, champ! A refresher: 99+% success rate in the amateurs (fought over four hundred bouts and lost just four) 9-5 professional record in world title fights. 4 world titles captured across two weight classes 1 lineal championship at welterweight In light of all the above, Curry remains IMO the most-snubbed person in the history of the IBHOF - despite him now finally being enshrined. He was first eligible on the ballot in 2013 and his induction wasn't until 2019. An outrage. It's absolutely inexcusable for him to have remained on the bubble for that long. Some of the weak attempts I've seen at justification for that include that Curry "had a very short peak". Eh, that doesn't hold water. 11-0 run from Starling I through Honeyghan, with 8 of those for titles. Ring Magazine rated him #2/#1/#2/champ in the years '82-'85, and you can argue he was the best h2h welter on the planet for that entire four year stretch. Not really a flash in the pan. I still maintain the decade-and-a-half delay had a lot to do with the homophobia (something deeply ingrained into the firmament of the sport's culture, and internalized by everyone from the combatants to coaches, and members of press row - far more rampant in the previous century but maintaining a foothold into this one). My buddy @MRBILL and I used to rail at the absurdity of his omission; sadly I don't think MB lived to see it rectified.
Happy birthday! That's a good trivia nugget...SSM and the Cobra, born exactly ten years apart...both welterweight titlists with exceptional power & handspeed. Donald probably a bit more skilled while Shane had the much better chin.
He should have been earlier as well as Michael Nunn. Glad they both got in. It's become too much of a popularity contest with the likes of Paz somehow getting enshrined.
Curry's coming of age and my own interest int he sport parallel each other almost exactly, so I absorbed absolutely everything he did at the time. For a few years, he was indeed the gold standard. Back in '84-'85 before Honeyghan got to him, Curry was listed by at least one magazine at the time as the very best fighter in the world, P4P. In that stacked an era. That says something, or at least should.
Curry in his prime looked almost flawless. His performance against Nino LaRocca, Colin Jones, and Milton McCrory were just mesmerizing to watch. So clean, sharp, efficient, explosive, accurate, and well balanced. A great textbook sharpshooter that was like watching a WW Joe Louis.
I think it's debatable homophobia had anything to do with the delay in enshrinement. More likely his decline after the Honeyghan surprise. Although looking at his full body of work he should have been in earlier despite that decline. He still won a version of the 154 lb title after that. The only place I have ever heard rumors of him being homosexual were on this forum. I know he has a son who reported on his mental decline a few years ago.
Glad to see Donald Curry getting some credit. The Honeyghan loss was bad but had he beaten McCallum or at least come close but that shocking highlight loss (etched on our brains) from a fighter not really known for one kos really damaged his reputation forever. Curry and his team really made a huge mistake not moving up after the McCrory demolition or at least after the Eduardo Rodriguez defense.since he was struggling with weight (had tested the waters at 154 pounds with 2 fights in 1985). Probably underestimated Honeyghan, went for the easy payday. Lloyd had not looked good getting off the floor in a previous US fight against Kevin Austin who was coming off a 5 round ko loss to lightweight future champ Harry Arroyo but dropped Honeyghan in the 1st and didn´t get stopped till the 10th. The poise, power, punch precision was terrific. At his peak (take your pick, 2nd win over Starling, destruction of Milton McCrory, picking apart of Colin Jones) would be a challenge of any welter ATG.