Fighters who weren't the sum of their parts

Erislandy Lara controversial losses
Riddick Bowe because Riddick Bowe
Adrien Broner lacks the elite mentality
Herol Graham had some bad luck and avoided

 

I’ll jump on the Max Baer bandwagon.

Just on paper, as per the tale of the tape, very impressive parts. Save for thighs, calves and being a little bit shy in the upper arms, his stats were not dissimilar to Ali’s measurements and Ali was considered a big HW for his time some 30 years after Max won the title.

Then, as can only be measured in the ring, Baer’s chin was comparable to Ali’s but Max also had the power right hand.

True, Max’s potentials were inhibited by the Campbell tragedy and his none too serious application to the sport. There’s also the suggestion that Max wasn’t thrilled to be a boxer in the first place. But even with a so called killer instinct in place, Max could’ve done with a lot more polish overall to utilise his natural assets to very best advantage. If correct, 81 1/2”’ reach is a hell of a wing span, better than Ali’s and not so shy of Liston’s.

Given Max’s notable height and reach advantages, to see Galento reaching him the way he did and bang him up somewhat was a shame.

I’ve read their fight was promoted as The Battle of the Bums. Wow, that’s a bit harsh and if they were such Bums, the promotion wouldn’t have got off the ground.

 

Joe Bugner

 

Donald Curry. Lightning fast jab, can fight inside excellent instincts. Half way through a fight he’s dominating seems to have all the answers. Then the fight turns he’s still really fast in his movement but he’s getting tagged, within 2 rounds it’s like you are watching an entirely different fight.

 

Jack Sharkey is another talented guy who didn’t always have his head screwed on right and fight up to expectations.

As a boxer puncher his skills were undeniable, as can be seen for the better part of his match with Dempsey and particularly when he combo punched Jack clear across the ring in rd 1 with the Mauler making like a rag doll.

I no longer have a copy but I remember reading In This Corner by Peter Heller who commented on how heavily built Sharkey was even in older age. In that book I think Jack reaffirmed that the Carnera KO was on the up and up.

 

Rubin Carter. When i had a good look at him i was surprised to see just how well rounded he was. Apparently the booze may have held him back.

 

Are you kidding?

He was made to look like a breeze against the best he faced.

His highlight is a fluke and a bad movie.

 

@roughdiamond

I believe Zensuke Utagawa could have been so much more. I remember his fight with Ruben Olivares being quite even with Olivares just etching him most of the time. He could really put it all together but I'd need to see more of him. Dangerous Dan the southpaw who fought Eubanks really retired without a loss on fair cards.

 

Cowboy Dale Brown had excellent skills but always lost the big ones. Not quite sure why

 

James Scott had everything it took to maybe be the best in the best era of light heavyweights in history but what he lacked was the ability to stay out of prison.

He learned to box in prison, was released on parole and began a pro career in Miami that saw him go 10-0-1 with a win over an undefeated Jesse Burnett to show his potential … then got convicted of armed robbery back in New Jersey and a hung jury on a murder charge.

Three years after his last fight in Miami he resumes his career in Rahway prison’s pro boxing program, upsets No. 1-ranked Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (then Gregory) in what was supposed to be kind of a gimmick fight on HBO (contender fighting prisoner in prison) and goes on a run where he beats Yaqui Lopez, Richie Kates and Jerry Celestine, among others, before losing to Jerry ‘the Bull” Martin and then Dwight Braxton (later Qawi) … but while in prison he was retried for the murder and found guilty.

There was an attempt to get him a furlough to fight Matthew Saad Muhammad in Atlantic City for the title but it failed and he lost heart … the powers that be weren’t going to force a world champion to go to a prison to to face him and didn’t want to risk having a champ who couldn’t get out of prison to defend it (what if a No. 1 contender’s promoter won a purse bid and couldn’t stage the fight before a paying audience?).

But lord the man could fight. He was a brutal body puncher and a force of nature at his best.

 

Good thread.

Juan LaPorte seemed to have all the tools - he was a terrific puncher who semed to be able to hurt even the most durable fighters (ask Rocky Lockridge) and possessed a great chin of his own. He had good skills and competed well with some great fighters but just tended to be a bit too conservative with his punch output.

 

Andrew Maynard

Leonard tried to stick him with a boxing style that was all wrong for a natural swarmer-puncher.

 

That would have been scary.

 

You were a classless twat as Kamikaze and the switch of moniker hasn't changed a thing. One wonders how long until we see a goodbye i'm leaving the forum thread from the latest incarnation

Very strange

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/bye-for-now.674575/

 

“Classless twat” No self awareness at all.
I’m sorry but I’ve got to say you and Glass have really high post counts and time here for people with second rate knowledge of boxing I swear you causals circle jerk to feel validated here. I have no problem calling BS when I see it.