Michael Hunter vs. Esparza set for March 23rd in Guadalajara, Mexico

Hunter is done

 

Meh, at this point I don´t care any longer.
He had a good run and I had high hopes for him, but his career fell off the tracks after the Povetkin draw.
What a shame. Wasted potential.

 

Well at least he's fighting SOMEBODY

 

Michael Hunter was a top 10 heavyweight but not anymore. Too much inactivity and at this point I don’t see him being ever being a major player in the division again. It’s a shame because he could have been in some great fights with other contenders like Hrgovic, Zhang, Parker, and Ruiz.

 

I really wanted to see Hunter succeed, he's my favorite HW. I think he might've missed his window of opportunity. He's 35 and that ain't necessarily an old HW but inactivity, and other issues may do him in.

Fully focused and properly motivated I think he would've been a top 5 HW

 

Anyone know who this Esparza guy is? I've search Boxrec's top 100 heavyweights and nothing.

Only Esparza I've found is Ignacio Esparza who is 23-3, lost to Simon Kean, is 44 years old and is so obese he makes Andy Ruiz look like a swimwear model in comparison.

If it's this Esparza stick a fork in Hunter, he's done.

 

The most overrated heavyweight of this era has been Michael Hunter.

He went to the Olympics and won nothing.

He turned pro 11 years ago and has won nothing.

His only win in the last three years came against a guy with 14 wins and 24 losses.

The IBF ordered an eliminator between Hunter and Hrgovic, and he declined.

The WBA allowed him to remain highly ranked for years ... but he never capitalized on it. They eventually dropped him.

His last main event came against Jerry Forrest, who he had already beaten years ago, and Hunter stunk out the joint and escaped with a draw.

I, frankly, never understood the appeal.

 

He was a very good talent who I'm surprised the American promoters didn't take more interest in. Pretty sure he qualified for the Olympics in the Super Heavy division in 2008 but for some reason didn't end up going. Qualified again in 2012 at Heavyweight and did go. Drew with Beterbiev & lost on a countback. Didn't get a push from American promoters as a young fighter but did make it through to a title shot against Usyk at Cruiser. Went in extremely inactive & lost. Moved up to Heavy, got active, went to the UK & stopped Bakole. To this day his only loss. Got more fights following on from that until being held to a draw by Povetkin. Said to himself 'Oh, those Russians!'. A genuine top 10 heavy at his best but has now been inactive for too long. Doubtful he can get back up there but needs to be fighting to give himself a chance.

 

A lot a people dance around the fact that his career came off the rails immediately after the WBC accused him of PED use.

I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

 

I honestly haven't heard anyone talk about him in years. Rightfully so because he fell off hard, but I think you're selling him a bit short. He was pretty good in his prime, I thought he edged the Povetkin fight and he stopped Bakole.

 

I wasn't even aware of this. So he skipped out on VADA testing for one fight during the pandemic when testing kind of took a back foot.

But I think his career was derailed before then and started to spiral downwards when instead of staying with Matchroom and fighting Hrgovic in an eliminator, he signed with Triller in the spring of 2021. He was offered a lucrative deal and wouldn't have to fight quality opponents, he went from fighting good opposition to complete journeymen and was being paid well for it.

 

Povetkin took his soul.

 

Massive shame what has happened to Hunter, though largely Hunter has nobody to blame but himself; if he kept himself in shape, and made the right promotional decisions, then I think he could have fought for if not won a world title.