Greatest waste of talent in boxing history?

And not to mention a hall of fame inductee in some of those cases as well. Agreed. I think someone like Howard Davis Junior is a better example

 

Tyrone Everett. he was screwed out of a title win over Alfredo Escalera before Everett was shot and killed by his girlfriend, Carolyn McKendrick, after she came home and found him with a transvestite named Tyrone Price.

 

If you were Edwin Valero!

 

This ... Joe knew only one way that was right for him, he couldn't conceive that it might not be right for someone else.

 

Perhaps it was a mentality Joe had as he was taught through the years by Yank Durham. Durham once took over Len Hutchins and I recall an article where Hutchins explained the relationship by saying, "When Yank took me over he wanted me to get in a crouch, bob and weave, work the body and bring up a left hook. I was a boxer and he wanted me to fight like Joe." Clearly, Hutchins didn't stay with Durham long with that kind of training. But maybe it had a lasting effect with Joe. I recall him trying to hype Marvis up by saying, "He's a harder puncher than me." Again, clearly not playing to the fighter's strengths. After the 1 round demolition jobs on Marvis by Holmes and Tyson, I remember some writer saying, "On Father's Day, Joe should check the present from Marvis just to see if it's ticking."

 

Nipper Pat Daly - by all reports this kid had talent but was exploited by his manager, who turned him pro before the age of 10. He was completely burned out and retired by the age of 18 after being matched hard and having had 118 fights. His manager would say when questioned what he was doing to the kid, "The lad thrives on hard work."

 

Jeez!
A man's got to relax. Highly unnecessary.

 

I read about him recently (I think it was in Boxing News) and I was stunned at his record. Turned pro at nine, had 119 fights (many of them fifteen rounders), retired at 17. Just as incredible is that he lived until he was 75.

 

Tommy Morrison

 

Dempsey is possible based on inactivity.

Surprised no one mentioned M Baer although I don’t agree

Mustafa is a nice call.

I’ll throw in John L who made it all on raw talent. Imagine if he wasn’t a fall down drunk and learned to actually fight M of Q what a legacy he may have had.

 

Hector Camacho

 

Tony Ayala Jr and Ike Ibeabucchi.

 

Biggs was one of the first to come to mind for me as well. I've heard people say that his Pro career was pretty much over before it started because of a serious drug habit.....something like $1,500 a day of cocaine, but he clearly was pretty gifted.

Another one who most probably haven't heard of is a South Florida guy by the name of John Coward. Tremendously talented, but had a reputation as a guy who loved to party. He was starting to get some attention from the local press, then just vanished from the sport.

 

Matthew Hilton won a belt then basically through his career away. I thought he had way more potential in him. Won that belt very young

 

Gary Russell - wins the featherweight title and holds it for 6 years, making 6 title defenses. Yep, fought once a year. His prime, money-making years and he wastes it by fighting once a year.

Eric 'The Whip' Curry - I saw him fight and thought he was a blue-chip prospect. His physique was ripped and - although not a huge puncher - his skills and speed were so impressive. And then he disappeared. Then he reappeared 4 years later looking more like Leroy Jones with an enormous gut hanging over his trunks and waddling around the ring. I couldn't believe it. To this day I have no idea why he walked away and what happened to him in between.