Michael Dokes

Then again he was fighting John L. Gardner. Nothing to take away from Gardner who was a decent fighter but Noel Quarless looked like a world beater against him.

I do agree that Dokes was a lost talent but then again he was hardly the only one in the early 1980's.

Randall "Tex" Cobb took a peak shape Dokes to a split decision the fight before he fought Gardner. If you are supposed to be a future great champion, that should not happen.

 

He got into the drug game, and didn't develop his punching power.Instead of defending his NABF title a couple of times, he got that title shot against Weaver(not his fault), and it went downhill from there.

 

Dokes had that serious Don King protection, anything went wrong, Don just swept it up under the rug.