Sharpest Declines

Not overnight but Tyson took the sharpest decline in technique I think I've seen from a real star who was still quite young.

 

Tyson's decline was soon seen by all to see because of how good he actually was!

Even when he came out of jail, he was still a top level fighter, but was nowhere near the fighter who ripped through the division in the last 80's!

Most noticeable first signs of decline were less head movement & body punching!

 

Tyson kinda lost his patience after his prison spell

Felix Trinidad is a good example, one moment one of the best p4p fighters in the world. The next minute getting whipped by wright and Jones Jr

 

how about ricky hatton?

 

Thad Spencer never won another match after Terrell. He went from the favorite to win the WBA tournament into free fall.

Cuevas was never the same after Hearns.

Mugabe slid precipitously after Hagler. Duane Thomas did not have a steel chin, yet he conceded the opening two rounds to The Beast before inflicting an orbital bone injury, in John's first outing after Hagler. He then went on an 11 fight knockout streak, mostly against second raters, somehow won the WBC LMW Title when Rene Jacquot slipped and injured his ankle in a freak accident, then got bombed out in one by Norris and McClellan, a startling sight after all he absorbed from Hagler.

What's strange about Mugabe though is that the legs are typically the first to go, and the punch last. But in John's case, Hagler's chin seemed to have taken away Mugabe's punch. Going into the Hagler fight, Mugabe was an awesome contender. His reputation for power then could have rivaled Julian Jackson's. He made the super aggressive Frank Fletcher into a timid and tentative cutie, then acquitted himself to honor and acclaim against the Marvelous one. He looked like he had a hell of a future before him. Instead, he went south, and it appeared as though a loss of power was responsible. Becoming a champion at Jacquot's expense was mere chance.

 

Aaron Pryor comes to mind. He hang on for a little bit with wins over the like of Nicky Furlano and Gary Hinton, but his decline had already begun with drugs being the main culprit.

 

I don't think Ricky lost it, he just wasn't at the level of Pacman or Mayweather.

He should have no shame about it, but obviously he does. Hell, they are the two best fighters in the world P4P!

That's like losing a 1 on 1 basketball game to Michael Jordan in 1992 and being upset because he dunked on you. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Hell, in the Mayweather fight Hatton looked pretty good at times, and I thought he controlled the pace of the fight.

 

How about ODLH? He was great for so long, then his conditioning fell off and he just was toast.

Also, Fernando Vargas, Zab Judah and Holyfield.

 

Hector Carrasquilla.

 

yea, he was a coke head since he fought arguello, probably even before that. That probably had a lot to do with his frenzied and tireless work rate in the ring.

 

Charles post-Marciano.

 

Don Curry

 

Wilfred Benitez, Alfonso Zamora, Alex Garcia

 

Good shout outs to my boys Curry, Benitez, Charles, and Tyson. I'll add another fighter I'm a fan of, Terry Norris. It seems pretty much right after he hit it bigger than big, he declined and he wasn't the same smooth combination puncher he used to be.