Do you think Ray Mercer is an underachiever?

no I don't. He was a strong chinned skilled guy, but he couldn't beat Holmes when Holmes was old. Oliver McCall did.

 

I wouldn't say Mercer underachieved. As others have already mentioned, he got into the game late and did surprisingly well. I do agree that he dropped a couple of decisions he perhaps shouldn't have, but a couple of bad nights doesn't do enough to put him in that 'underachiever' category, in my book.

Mercer put in a few above average performances, against some solid guys and his losses to Holyfield and Lewis brought no shame.

 

He didn't overachieve or underachieve for mine. He did well with what he had and that was about his level imo.

 

pretty much my thoughts

 

Good on you Philly.

 

Compared to how many heavyweights have been out there with more potential who achieved less, I would say no.

His career looks pretty damn good compared to Jorge Luis Gonzalez or Tyrell Biggs.

 

Big brutal tank of a man.iron chin (in the 90"s), heart,stamina,powerful puncher and olympic heavyweight gold medalist skills....although in the years since that hasnt always meant much......his poor dedication to learning skills ,poor proffesional IQ lack of discipline....meant he was pretty much done by 1992...the Holmes loss was gonna be a v v hard one to live down...

It seems odd and disrespectful in retrospect but i expected a 5 round blowout...larry was 42.

Than the ferguson debacle and 3 lost years...

And his career went on that way....by the time he got dedicated...he was 40....and too old vs wladimir.

But at 50 that brutal one punch ko of ufc champion tim sylvia showed the man was special

 

Yes, he was a great HW, but he didn't do that bad considering he competed in the toughest era of HWs , the true golden era.

 

30+ years of hindsight is cruel on Mercer.


He was the old man of the US Olympics, he made the most of it, unlike some who missed the bus!


He was a US Heavyweight Olympic gold medalist, so as pro he was almost certain to get to a level. But he far surpassed that level.


I think the feeling was Mercer would have 4-6 year pro career, because of age and style. And a brutal battle with Smokin' Bert seemed to prove this.


But he went beyond that. He turned around the Damiani fight (a fighter plenty were avoiding), and then he smashed Morrison into oblivion.


And after a very poor run, he came back with excellent performances against Holyfield and Lewis, and then beat a Witherspoon in very good form.


Just that surpasses most peoples thoughts on what Mercer would achieve as a pro in 88.

 

I think what people don't realize is that losing a big fight some feel you should have won can weaken a fighter's resolve and dedication.

Look at Jimmy Young. For years he wasn't regarded as much more than a skilled defensive journeyman with no real future. In many peoples eyes he took Ali to school yet lost a lopsided decision. People said his style simply wasn't effective in a division of big sluggers. Fans wanted to see knockouts, or at the very least put on a dazzling performance with speed and counters. Yet he outpointed the king of sluggers in Foreman. Then his 3rd biggest fight with Norton again ended in a highly controversial decision that some felt could go either way. Imagine the mental damage upon finding out Norton became champ by default in a fight some people felt that Young won.

His career spiraled out of control with drug abuse and lack of dedication--gaining a bunch of weight.

I don't think it's too hard to imagine Mercer suffered similar mental damage. He was a prime American gold medalist and yet got outsmarted by a 42 year old fossil version of Larry Holmes. That alone would be enough to shake anyone's confidence. In his biggest step up in class they didn't give him the decision against Lennox Lewis despite being American and just barely narrowly losing. I'm not saying a fighter should be shown favoritism due to nationality but Mercer himself is still sour about this loss and brings it up in interviews about how Lewis admits to him in person that Mercer won.

At the time people didn't know Lewis would go on to become a top 5-10 heavyweight of all time and be regarded in the same crowd as other all time greats. Again, Jimmy Young likely had a similar reaction seeing all the praise Ali got when his career was over and thinking "i should have been champ TWICE! I beat 3 of the best guys of that era!". Mercer likely thought the same thing looking back on the close fights he had.

Could Mercer have been in better shape and trainer even harder? Of course. But you can't overlook the psychological factors. He was Also a late bloomer when he turned pro and never embraced by the public the way other American heavyweights were. Motivation is a huge part of success and if people aren't giving you your props, it's hard for some people to bust their ass and give it their all because you wonder what the point is.

 

This is a good post & I will reconsider if I am too harsh on Mercer.
But you may have done the reverse-many other guys who were or felt maligned would come back in shape & maybe more motivated.
Such as when he blew a title shot opportunity & came in unready & even tried to *throw8 the Ferguson fight.

Do you think Lewis did not deserve the decision?
It is possible that Mercer fading late influenced things, but did he do more over ther whole fight?
Do you think Lewis admitted he lost-or if he had, would admit it?

 

Which less capable men?

 

To be fair, Holmes was 42 almost 43 when Mercer fought him and 45 almost 46 when McCall fought him. Both ages are "old" in top level boxing, but at those ages 3 years may as well be 30 years. We've seen top level fighters over 40 but never any, to my knowledge, over 50.

 

No. He wasnt the most talented guy and he never learned defense. Even when he was highly motivated and in shape he was very hittable. He barely edged a 39 year old Tim Witherspoon. Damiano was easily beating him until the broken nose. Morrison was beating the tar out of him but ran out of gas and had no chin. The Holmes loss revealed his weaknesses for all to see. Yes he took Holyfield and Lewis close but they met him head on which was what he preferred. His granite chin and heart meant he always had a punchers chance but he could be outxoxed even when in shape and focused.