Fighters Getting "Ruined"

The example of this that I just don't understand is how Jeff Lacy was "ruined" by Joe Calzaghe.

We saw in Lacy's fight with Omar Sheika that he was NOT a top class fighter before he fought Calzaghe - he was a limited fighter over-reliant on a powerful hook.

Then he lost (on points) to Calzaghe. He was not knocked out cold, he was not stopped in brutal fashion, he was not dropped 6 times en route to the referee saving him - he lost a wide points decision.

THEN, he had shoulder surgery, which apparently does not allow him to throw his signature (only?) weapon, the hook, with anywhere near as much force or venom or regularity, so since that fight he hasn't stopped anyone.

Is it the medical effects of the surgery? Wouldn't it seem logical that he performed so poorly against Calzaghe because he was overmatched, was never very good, and Calzaghe was merely a far better boxer, beat him convincingly, and then surgery further affected his fighting abilities??

Nope. Apparently not. That points defeat "ruined" him psychologically.

Sometimes you can only laugh on this forum.

 

people saying that taylor was ruined by chavez.
within 10 months he had moved up and beaten aaron davis for a welerweight title

 

well vargas had like 14 months to recover from tito before facing oscar and we no how that turned out.
unfortunatly fighters do get ruined in one night and there is no way anybody can stop it or heal it thats just the way it is. some fighters can take inhumane amounts of punishment and carry on as it was nothing and others cant

 

David Reid was never the same after his loss to Trinidad.

 

and 'superman' davis was no mug.
personally i think norris beat him up far worse. and by no means was he ruined. he even made norris who is a solid storng 150 pounder back up and ruffed up on the inside.

also taylor was a big man. people read the stats and see 5'6 or so but he was massivly broad shoulderd, huge biceps and gigantic back muscles he would of probly had a few fights at middlewieght later in his career in the earlier years (40's or 50's par example) due to the lack of weight draining tactics like we see today.

the comacho-roserio is another story that i am mixed about.

you could say that danny williams ruined audleys mindset. audley was always cautious but was a counterpuncher and used all of his advantages...then as soon as he was dropped i feel that was it for him he didnt want to get touched.

 

oh my bad then.

i guess your right alot of idiots on here latley seem to think cotto is done after the margo fight which is ridiculous the kid is young fresh and has the warrior heart of all puerto rican champs he'll be back stronger then ever

 

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('ruined' guy is on the right)​

 

i think ruined is a purely mental aspect. getting beat up infront of your fans and on tv is a horrific thing to happen...especially if you are unbeaten or are a champion.

my grandad said that a fighter is never the same after they had been sparked. and i totally trust in that. it can happen to them it appears when they are vulnarable and they start to think and start to worry.

take a look at eubank, benn, vaden, bugner, carnerra once they had the incident, that was it. they were ruined mentally they couldnt add that extra pound of wieght into the punch.

also guys who commonly break hands become very worried about breaking them again. not due to pain or such but worried that it will hinder them, you could say why are guys with brittle hands almost always powder puffs? paulie malignaggi, joe calzaghe, barry jones

 

Obsessed with Calzaghe. Any chance to downplay him as a fighter or any of his significant victories and boom, out of nowhere comes Pacfan/Dinamita. Have to admire the dedication to his task.

I believe Lacy spoke after the Tyspko fight that when he was being hit he was having flashes of the Calzaghe experience. That speaks to a physcological trauma linked to the Calzaghe fight, his confidence was totally ruined. Add the shoulder injury and to suggest that he is anywhere near the same standard now is disengenuous.

Lacy was never a great boxer, but he was a very effective powerful and dangerous fighter. His reputation was part of his confidence, that intimidating persona that a boxer builds is very important, and the humbling by Calzaghe damaged that very badly.

 

Spot on. :good

It's getting a little tired and pathetic. :deal

 

Agree with most of this. It is easy to pick out one less than perfect performance early on in a fighter's career and focus on that but when he's demolishing everyone else left, right and centre it kind of becomes of limited significance. Lacy was never known as a punch perfect technician, he was an intimidating, aggressive banger who went right through his opponents and was certainly a top 3 super middle with Calzaghe and Kessler. With his cloak of invincibility stripped so convincingly (the fight was an absolute pasting), the psychological edge was never going to be so significant again in additional to the physical effects. Throw in a potential career ending shoulder injury in his next fight and what you have is a ruined fighter. The proof of the pudding is his desparate struggles twice in a row (Manfredo and Mendoza) with the kind of opposition he was demolishing pre-Calzaghe. IMHO, both that beating and the injury played substantial parts in his downfall.