Fighters That Got Old Before There Time

Hatton
Juan Diaz
i spose the biggest one is Vargas
Jermain Taylor

 

Vargas & sadly Gerald McClellan

Pavlik aswell

 

David Reid (eye issues aside) was done before he was thirty.

 

terry norris being unable to slip a punch in 97while puling of brilliant clinics against pettway and vado a year before.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBnDaMt9bP4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBnDaMt9bP4[/ame][ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2o2-XegfM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI2o2-XegfM[/ame]

 

Bowe was the 1st guy I thought of, compare his speech after the 1st Holy fight to the 1st Golata fight. Really sad to see :-(

Benitez is another, world champ at 17 & on the way down by 24.

Pipino Cuevas as well, young champion & finished by his mid-20s

 

Juan Diaz is a good answer.

The Marquez fight finished him, with him having a career outside boxing too I think a KO loss to ''the man'' sent him towards the exit door quicker than he might have otherwise been.

If he'd not fought Marquez and gone a different route he might still be fighting today.

 

Vernon Sollas winning the British title at 20 then retiring at 22 after three straights stoppage losses takes some beating.

 

I think Jamie Moore would fit this category. Hell of a fighter who had a great career, but the hard fights caught up with him.

 

The fighters that age before their times do so because of styles mainly.

Hatton and Diaz are fine examples.

 

Benitez is the first that come to my mind as well. So sad. The story that Leonard wrote about in his autobiography when he met up with Benitez in his hospital and ESPN made the two watch their fight almost brought a tear to my eye!

Nipper Daly is another. A world beater at 15, losing a step by 17, and shot at 19 years of age is plain wrong.

 

Hatton & Pavlik spring to mind.

Waht about the Prince? (but for totally different reasons)

 

also early fighting. jaime moore fought for 11 years but thats a pretty solid career. its fairly recently that 30 isnt a death sentence...especially 40.


i think going pro young is a false promise to fighters. much preffer a fighter who goes pro in his late 20's..well md 20s who has been in the gym for a while sparrign and a few amatuer matches then going straight into the pro game. becaus ei think it stunts growth. most fighters who go pro late seem to pick up tricks and vetrancy and use it to their advantage. not all cases of course.


anyone remember espn pushing a fighter caled julio ceasar 'baby face' garcia? went pro on his 15th birthday. at 126. beat on a few guys. had a 40-2 fight career at the age of 19 i think. goes in against a 40 year old, former undefeated welterweight troy browning who ruined his knee and had been mixing being a dustbin man/ boxing trainer. decideds to cash in his unbeaten record.

garcia just wasnt there. didnt want to fight didnt throw anything didnt like his corner didnt like the ref tapping browning away...and browning being a smart feller takes the fight by the balls....and dances around him with a jab.

garcias still fgithign but why. he doesnt look like he wants to fight.

 

As in Prince Naz? I don't think he'd fall under this category, he didn't seem any less of a fighter in his last few fights to me. May have not put on his best performances, but all his faculties and ability was still intact.