Worst managed fighters

George Godfrey might take this pound for pound.

It is hard to escape the conclusion that his paper accomplishments, and rankings, do not reflect what people thought he was!

 

By this standard, let me throw in Ayub Kalule, who got a measly $140,000 for defending his WBA championship at 154 against SRL, who got at least a couple million for making the successful challenge. To me, this is truly egregious. SRL got an even million for challenging Benitez, but Wilfred got $1,400,000 for defending it against Ray. Duran tanked for $8,000,000 in New Orleans. So far as I know, Kalule was unique, the one time Ray Leonard got more as the challenger than the champion was paid.

Any instance where the champion gets paid less than the challenger is a situation where that champion's management needs to be looked at closely. What happened to Kalule was much commented on by boxing scribes at the time.

The so-called "Wacko Twins," Mike Jones and Dennis Rappaport even caused "Flash" Gordon to finally question his ceaseless criticism of them when he headlined an issue of Tonight's Boxing Program with a photograph of the two posing together back-back smirking, captioned to the effect of, "With a $20,000,000 payoff for an untested heavyweight title challenger, how wacko could they really be?"

Gerry actually blew his own career afterwards by not getting right back on the horse after Holmes, but going into hiding instead. That wasn't the fault of Jones and Rappaport. He'd just gotten into the championship rounds with a peak ATG, reaching his highest level of competitive preparedness if he'd returned to the ring promptly. Like Foreman though, he didn't handle defeat well. (In a career context, Big George needs to be scrutinized very carefully for that, I think. Holyfield, a "winning" defeat, was the only loss he came back rapidly from. Guys like Norton, Ali, Frazier and Holmes tended to return promptly.)

Larry reported that Gerry couldn't take a shot to the temple very well, he wasn't very strong physically, and never learned to clinch for defense and survival like Hearns learned to do. (This was completely fatal against Michael Spinks.) He had an atrophied right arm he had to assiduously condition. (I wondered if his right was hindered by Erb's Palsy.) Considering the limitations he was eventually exposed with, I think he was managed fairly well leading up to his shot at Holmes, but admitted afterwards that his performance was hindered by doubts over his stamina. Developmentally, he needed a couple of ten or 12 rounders to go the distance for confidence, something even Shavers was able to boast of. (A rematch over ten against tough and rugged Eddie "Animal" Lopez, and/or a return against Young prior to Holmes would have been highly beneficial for Gerry, who stopped Young in a completely unique way, and would have had to be far smarter for a rematch, not just extremely lucky with a freaky connection.)

David Capo is a favorite poorly managed fighter of mine. The first guy to beat Leo Randolph, his barn-burner in an early ESPN main event from the Bradford Hotel in Boston against a peaking Freddie Roach is not the display of somebody who would ultimately go just 2-19-1. Watch him against Roach and Randolph, then take a close look at his record. He was no kind of tanker. Not much power, but tremendous energy, and well liked by audiences who saw him in action.

Sugar Ray Seales deserve some mention here. The only American to win boxing gold in Munich, that achievement was purposely downplayed by his management. Look at how far Bobick got despite what Stevenson did to him, then what gold medals did for the American squad in Montreal. Just how wisely was Seales managed and promoted? (A distinction between management and promotion, a line sometimes blurred, might also be in order here.)

 

Dave Charnley
Freddie Mills
Chuck Wepner

 

I'd say the bad management involving Kalule was more to do with angling him towards the154 route(which Palle likely perceived as the easiest way to get a title) when he was always struggling to make the weight.It eventually lead to some gruelling fights against Moore etc when he had little left at the weight which should never have happened and shortened his career.

In retrospect trying for a shot at Corro\Vito\Minter would have made more sense.

 

I think Dan Schommer deserves a mention. Tonnes of ability (despite chubby tummy) but couldn't get fights.

 

Sandy Ferguson was steered clear of a shot at the title, while many less capable white contenders got one simply by sticking to the colour line.

 

im not so sure mate. Stewart had to make the jump sooner or later and was matched pretty good up til the holy fight (who wasnt long jumped up himself). Maybe more a calculated risk that didnt pay off rather than bad management

 

He made more than Spoon BEFORE King took his cut. I think i remember Tim saying they were getting paid a dime (?), think that was 500kUS before tax and expenses and came out with 95kUS. Bruno got £900k sterling. I seem to recall King also had the jurors in a recent trial of his, flown over to london for the fight as a 'thank you'. Not sure where i read that, might have been Jack Newfields book

 

He got fights with Holy, Tyson, and Foreman. I think Savarese is the only other person to pull that off $$$$

 

You're right, Bruno was actually contracted to be paid more than Witherspoon. Unbelievable.

 

yeah, similar kind of scenario

 

stewart did admirably vs holyfield and foreman....used to remind me of floyd patterson in his mannerisms

 

David Tua

 

at the moment. .... rigondeaux ?