Boxers that flew too close to the sun?

Conn trying to take down Louis

 

Hindsight is 20/20.
Lots of cases were you can say, in retrospective, "He shouldn't go for it".
Frazier going for Foreman is a classic case of boxing hubris.
Patterson going for Liston is also a classic.
Duran going for Hearns.
Also Pipino going for Hearns.

 

Ali post Manilla
Holmes going against Tyson

 

Meldrick Taylor challenging Terry Norris at 154lb.

Way too small, lacked any power to make Norris respect him and the big speed advantage Meldrick usually enjoyed wasn’t really apparent due to Terry being very quick handed himself.

An insane and illogical piece of matchmaking in hindsight and really played a role in shortening Taylor’s prime and health.

 

Freddie Mills spent the last 5 years of his career biting off far more than he could chew. First, he challenges Gus Lesnevich for the LHW title in his very first fight back from a stint in the military. He gets dropped several times early, & although he rallies to make a battle out of it, he fades late & suffers a brutal KO defeat.

This content is protected

After this fight, Mills privately complained to others of having headaches & slept very heavily. Despite this, he was back in the ring less than a month later vs. HW Bruce Woodcock, who beats him in another punishing battle.

This content is protected

Later that year, he's back in the ring vs. another HW, Joe Baksi, & is bludgeoned into a stoppage.

This content is protected

The following year, Mills' people inexplicably invite Lloyd Marshall over to England so that he can use poor Freddie as target practice.

This content is protected

Mills would eventually win the LHW title in a rematch w/ Lesnevich, but insisted on continuing to campaign @ HW - & was dropped several times en route to another stoppage loss in a rematch w/ Woodcock. He then returned to LHW & was pounded into another stoppage by Joey Maxim, losing both his title & several teeth in the process. After years of suffering from headaches & depression, Mills was found dead in his car from a gunshot. His death was ruled a suicide, although there has been debate over the coroner's verdict.

 

Whitaker trying to beat Chavez.

 

He didn’t even break a sweat. Getting past Don King is another matter, as he found out.

 

The Hitman thinking he could knock out Hagler.

 

I think Muhammad Ali attempting to capture the heavyweight title a FOURTH time was definitely one such example

 

He was fought to a standstill by an overweight, coked-out, party boy who was 90 fights into his career.

Fail.

 

Ali was out of his mind trying to fight Holmes or Berbick, drugged up or not. It's just sad that that led to him taking beatings in the ring, although reluctant ones in Larry's case.

 

Hi Buddy.
Not entirely on board with Conn " daring to " I mean if he was stopped in 5 rounds after multiple knockdowns, having lost all 5 then yes, that would fit the criteria, but that was not the case, Conn was having the best of it, staggering Louis in the 4th, and being ahead on the refs and 1 judges card, the other judge had it even, don't see that as overreaching, as always just my opinion >
stay safe TLC, enjoy your posts, you know your stuff, chat soon.

 

Hi Buddy.
Not sure that Frazier / Foreman was " hubris " on Joes side, at the time very few writers and mags gave Foreman much chance of defeating Frazier, the opinion that carried was that George was still a green, the Peralta fights were looked at as an indicator that he had still a lot to learn, add to that Frazier at this time was seen as invincible, the FOTC was still resonating even at this stage, most scribes saw this as a fairly routine defense, and Joe was expected to grind Foreman down to a late stoppage, I know that because I lived through it.
Just my opinion Kid, no put down intended, like you and your posts, stay safe amigo.

 

Yep, he tried to go to the well once too often.