Fighters who should have been GREAT but fell short

Don Curry

 

I think both these fighters lost because they lacked that extra something that was going to make them great. In both cases probably durability and mental strength. Maybe some more obscure guys who looked the **** but were cut down in their prime for different reasons would possibly be guys like Luis Manuel Rodriguez or Tyrone Everret. LMR getting the short end of some decisions against the likes of great welters Emile Griffith and Curtis Cokes. Tyrone getting capped by his mrs at the age of 24, after apparently getting shafted in his first title fight less then a year eariler.

 

I agree with Curry, not so much Nunn. Curry had all the skills, while Nunn more or less just had the physical tools and showed flashes of brilliance skill-wise, like many others. He was never as well rounded as Curry, though few were really.

 

Agreed on Curry. A very well balanced fighter offensively and defensively at his best. Very good power and speed, although not quite blazing with his hands. Solid technically across the board. Beautiful textbook stance and placement of his guard. He could fight at long range, mid-range or up close.

 

Perhaps Im misunderstanding the title but for me Curry and Nunn got as far as they could with what they had, it was what they lacked that prevented them from going further. What it all boils down to for me is that their chins betrayed them in their prime and despite all their obvious abilities they could never regain their past form.

 

I just watched Tyrone Everett's fight with Escalera (it's on Youtube). I had him over Escalera by 5 points and I was generous to Escalera. No way Everett lost that fight. He could've been a great. He would've been a stylistic nightmare for Arguello.

 

some would say mike tyson but i think he proved he was great pre prison

 

Tyson could have been greater....but he is already a legend

Someone like Chris Eubank was never a risk taker in his prime years yet his skillset was very very good. Too many domestic wars not enough worldwide success, exposure or will to fight in the USA.

Naseem Hamed is an example of a guy who could have been even better

 

I alway have thought that Joel Casamayor had a very complete game and never got the right breaks or appreciation for how good he was.

 

Yes I was a big Casa fan, thought he beat Freitas, Corrales and Castillo, he would have beat Marquez prime for prime too

 

Hamed should have done so many things differently, he still was a FW champ for 6years unifying all belts and beating champs for 126/122/118, despite losing dedication

This was a 5'4 naturally small FW who started at Fly and could have stayed at Bantamweight his career. They should have put him forward for the WBC Super-Bantam crown because he would have decapitated Zaragoza but it was a harder fight to make than the Robinson 1.

Hamed degraded from a fleet footed combination thrower to a flat footed power puncher hungry slugger who barely trained. Hamed would have certainly beaten the Pre-Junior Jones brawling Barrera, but he may have beaten any version of Barrera if he actually prepared properly. His lack of training was well documented

 

Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Andrew Golota

 

:goodGreat post. Personally I rate Hamed as an ATG, H2H he ranks amongst the best at FW, very good resume but some would argue he never beat an Elite figther or indeed a top-level performer in their prime.

However, I would say he is an ATG, but as most don't, in response to this thread, I'd say Hamed.