Every so often boxing presents us with fighters who have good numbers in their win and loss columns. But the actual ability of the men who hold these records are in question.. One such fighter that I can use to produce an example was heavyweight Alex Stewart. When he was in his prime, he had a lot of wins with most of them coming by way of KO. Problem is, he was either getting badly beaten by the elite of the divsion or hammering the absolute worst tomato cans around. There really was no inbetween. Truthfully, we might have gotten a better gauge for what type of a fighter he was had he faced men like Francesco Damiani, Orlin Norris, Jose Ribalta, etc, who I believe was right around his level..
This guy Napari is 18-0 and about to fight Alex Leapai for a couple of WBO minor titles >>> http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=435578&cat=boxer 16 of his 18 opponents had never won a fight
An Australia heavyweight called Mark de Mori is 23-1 and 2 draws, is ranked WBA #14 and WBC #17, and has never beaten anyone >>> http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=237842&cat=boxer de Mori has fought: 6 x debutantes. 11 x opponents with 2 wins or less. 3 x totally shot 40 year old Americans.
And he's also 33 years of age, and about 4 of those 18 fights happened as far back as 2003.. Doesn't look like the makings of a great career.
Have a look at the other one - Mark de Mori - bare in mind he is WBA #14 and WBC #17 and with that padded record :yikes
You always have to watch out with those heavies and all of their results against C level fighters. Another guy like that was Shavers. Similar to Alex, he took a quantum leap in opponent level and went to a top 5 guy in Quarry. From regional fighters with no hope to the big leagues. But keep a steady diet of the C levels and the results are a lot different than the A level.
It's a disturbing and increasingly common trend in boxing. Too many fighters are tiptoeing around anybody that represents any challenge whatsoever to them, and padding their career numbers in order to secure a fight they have absolutely no right to. When they secure that fight they get absolutely humbled and usually KOed by someone way out of their league.
43-3 and shockingly thin >>> http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9367&cat=boxer Clarke could have told his grandchildren he fought Ali & Rademaker though I guess.
