I was overhearing a couple guys talking about how Ray Mercer could have been a serious contender had he not taken the bout with Larry Holmes. Does anybody have an idea about what Mercer's options were at that time? What could he have done to make his career turn out a lot more prestigious rather than...oh...say...trying to bribe journeyman Jesse Ferguson to get a shot at Bowe or getting embarassed by an old Holmes or getting screwed in ten rounders with Holyfield and Lewis?
Mercer was hot property comming into the Holmes bout. A bout with Holyfield was penciled in for May/June, but of course Holmes took the date. Mercer at the time was more respected than Bowe who ironically was considered the one with a lack of dedication, and was considered higher up than a still perceived green Lewis.
How much of a chance was there a Mercer Vs. Bowe match around that time? Or was that too risky of a fight for either man. ALso I'm kinda boxrec-ing this one here, but it just looks like Mercer or his manager had no real concern for who he would fight. It looks like his career could have been handled so much better, he fought a decent amount of men that could out box him, but couldn't outlast his chin. He was a great fighter that got a **** treatment. Kinda like Tim Witherspoon when he was being frozen out during the last point he could have been dangerous to the heavyweights. I dunno, it bums me out when I see a fighter like Mercer, who could have had such a great career. I think that about Mitch Green, Gerry Cooney, Riddick Bowe, Donovan Ruddock. For example, Green kept clamoring for a Tyson rematch and he hit the crack pipe harder than Tyson cracked his chin. Then he just faded away showing up the occasional journeyman. Cooney had near unlimited opportunity to get back to Holmes for a rematch. He could have tried to aim for the other belt and maintain a decnt image and try to undo his loss to Holmes. Imagine if he had actually kept in the game and did that. Ruddock could have been the man had he kept one trainer and was able to listen to him. I was just watching his fight against Greg Page, and seeing Floyd Patterson give Ruddock advice is sad. Poor Floyd trying his hardest to get his help to Ruddock, "Are you listening to me?" "Stop going for the KO, stay behind that jab". Ruddock threw some lazy looking jabs in the opening of round two, then we watch him devolve into a pure slugger. I honestly think Ruddock had the tools to be one of the best heavyweights ever, but he lacked a brain. And I don't think I have to explain Bowe. Ya know what I mean?
Mercer took the Holmes fight, because it was both a big payday as well as a gateway to a shot at Holyfield. As one poster already stated, Evander had declared the winner of Holmes-Mercer as his next challenger. Following Mercer's loss to Holmes and Holyfield's loss to Bowe, Ray and Riddick were going to square off, but Mercer blew it by losing to Ferguson.
It always amazed me that Mercer nearly beat Lewis. Mercer was an awful boxer I thought but fair play to him that night.
