So I became a big fan watching Honey beat the crap out of Curry on that Sat or Sun afternoon. I read an interview with him in KO magazine when it came in the mail and read how he was this mean tough take no prisoners type of guy that really resonated with me at the time. I believe I read something a couple yrs ago where even Nigel Benn was taken back by his intensity. He burned out kind of quickly though. Was he into partying too much? Drugs? He fought Starling wild and out of sorts like he wasnt fully prepared or maybe just fought angry I dont know. Is there something he could have done differently against the magic man? Do you think he burned out rather quickly? If so what's your opinion why
He threw too many punches while leaving his head wide open, Ray Leonard who was commentating said look how Honeyghan leaves his rear hand low when he jabs, he was far too open. He didn`t know how to peirce the pee a boo guard, a good way of getting threw would have been to counter quickly as it would have taken Starling too much time to retract his arms back into the high guard after punching.
I think he caught Curry at the right time. I watched Honeyghan come up,I never dreamed he would be anything more than Euro level.I must have seen around 30 of his fights.He had a somewhat complicated love-life which probably impacted on his career.I sat next to him a couple of times,on one occasion he was wearing a coat that looked like it was made from Zebra skin.Contrary to his brash reputation,when a couple of fans crouched down next to his seat and asked for autographs he was most gracious and thanked them for their interest.Lloyd had big balls ,in the ring and apparently out of it!
A year earlier he would not have done that to Curry. Like McVey said, he caught him at the right time. In regards to the Starling fight, it was round after round of the same. Honeyghan unloading everything on the arms of Starling and Starling counter-punching him to a pulp. I never got it when I saw it and I think he had Duff and co. in his corner. No jabbing or trying to open Starling up, just unloading everything in the fuel tank on Starling's air-tight defense. He made Starling look like superman simply by not fighting a smart fight and having no plan 'B'.
Curry apologists refuse to acknowledge the fact that Honeyghan exposed certain flaws in Curry which were always there. I.E. his tendency to pull straight back from punches, and the fact that he was a bit too straight up/robotic. He was an excellent fighter, don't get me wrong... but the loss wasn't 100% because it wasn't the same Curry. In many ways, it just looked like Honeyghan had his number. Leonard would have truly destroyed Curry. So would have Hearns and Duran.
He was definitely a world class fighter. The Curry fight wasn't a one-off, because he also convincingly beat Mo Blocker, who was a quality fighter. And he absolutely obliterated the tough Gene Hatcher in less than two minutes. Honeyghan wasn't some welterweight great, but he was definitely a quality fighter. Compared to the current crop of welterweights, I think Honeyghan would mop the floor with Thurman, Porter, and Garcia. Crawford? Well, Crawford would never fight him, so...
Honestly. when he fought Starling the style was bad for Honeyghan and he had started to go down a little. But I like Lloyd.Underrated fighter. He legit. beat Curry and there were no excuses for that, although Curry made them. Starling was all wrong for Lloyd's style although in one of the rounds he hit Starling on the top of the head and that wobbled Starling, who admitted it. I think aiming for the top of the head more could have done something for him shake it up. Try and land to the body and get that glove a little lower and then hit him on the top of the head and try and knock him out.
I'm a big fan of Lloyd very dangerous fighter and underrated .Starling beat Lloyd on the night of my sixteenth birthday really pissed me off at the time but now I really rate Marlon !.What Lloyd did to Rossi in his back yard was very impressive .
I have nothing against Honeyghan. As a matter of fact I saw him live against Kevin Austin and waited with bated breath for my issue of Boxing News to hear about the big Honeyghan-Sylvester Mittee bout. He was big on my radar. But to call me a Curry apologist because I felt he was done-like-dinner at 147 and no way in hell he would have lost to Honeyghan a year or two earlier, is simply nonsense. How would Honeyghan have done against Mark Breland a year or two before they fought? I think Lloyd would tear him up on the inside. Does that make me a Honeyghan apologist? It happens. Weight, lifestyle, age. it takes a toll.
He was obviously very good, but too much is made of him. Curry was ready to be had at 147. Hobeyghan just happened to be the one next up when the time came.