Fighters who could have had a better career if they boxed smarter or let their hands go more often

Do people realize how hard it is "to let your hands go" against a decent opponent? I can't imagine what it's like against a world class opponent.

Easy to say. Hard to make your body actually go through with it.

 

But that what's separates ATG's and what could've been.
There can be consequences for "letting ones hands go"
But the great ones did it, expecting some retaliation,
in order to "Let there hands go again".
It's not as hard as you're making it seems
since literally hundreds of different boxers
have done it successfully over thousands of
different boxing matches for well over a hundred
years.
It's a mentality, and trusting in one's own
abilities.
Some fighters have great physicality, and technicality,
but lack that certain mentality to be great.
That's what this topic is basically about.
Fighters that had everything but the mentality for
greatness.

 

Oliver McCall could have been more aggressive with his chin/power combo.

Same for Shannon Briggs although his dreadful cardio was probably an issue.

 

Thought that myself, in some of his early matches he did actually box. Strange, how he digressed in skill during his career..Makes me wonder about his corner and management

 

Great mention on Penalosa, Tin. One of the few operators who was arguably too relaxed and comfortable in the ring. Just never got flustered. Although it did work out for him a lot of the time too - his body shot KO over Gonzalez is one of the best set ups I've ever seen on film.

 

He wasn't so much afraid to punch as terrified of getting hit.

 

They are often one and the same.

 

Any trainer would have tried to make him throw his right. He seemed resistant to coaching. I remember Floyd Patterson tried to work with him and that went nowhere. I don't know if either of them talked about it. I suspect Razor was one of those stubborn guys who didn't listen well.

 

Johnny Nelson would admit the Carlos De Leon snoozefest, he mentally couldn't let his hands go, physically knew he had to just froze.

Hyped fighter at the time David Starie given a title shot at Joe Calzaghe, come fight night, froze happy to get to the final bell, simply occasion got to him and his bubble truly burst.

 

Tin, your mention of Mando Ramos had me shaking my head about him. I once interviewed him and asked the question in the OP in regards to his fight with Sugar Ramos. I asked, "Mando, you had height, reach and a brilliant jab and boxing ability on Sugar. Yet, you went into the trenches with him. Then you got cut and you went back into the trenches. And then you were cut so bad the fight was in danger of being stopped and you again went back into the trenches. Why didn't you box him when you had the advantages?" He gave me some around the horn-type of answer, but I knew the real reason. Mando was neither boxer nor puncher. He was a fighter. And was always going back into the trenches.

 

Jose Torres. We were just discussing him a minute ago.

 

Howard Davis hurt Rosario with a single right hand in his razor thin loss to Edwin. I think Howard's less than stellar chin let him down more than his lack of power. I guess that would make for another thread....