Your top 3 scenarios where boxers messed up their lifetime chance.

Herol Graham deciding to defend his European title against Sumbu Kalambay while ranked #1. Hagler shortly thereafter vacated all three 160 lb titles and Kalambay got a shot at one instead of Graham.

 

Frank Fletcher fighting Wilford Sypion in defense of his USBA title after a shot with Hagler had already been sewn up. Wilford stepped in.

 

Tony Tubbs weighing 244 lbs for a defense against Witherspoon after weighing 229 lbs in his upset of Page.

Oh thats 4.

 

He could’ve lost in any of them fights, he was rolling the dice, he didn’t know what it was gonna stop at and it stopped at Povetkin

 

That was pretty bad.

Bowe letting his manager ruin his early 90s matchup with Lewis.
Then Lewis refusing a huge sum to fight Bowe after Holyfield-Bowe III.

 

Yes those two should have fought.

 

1) Vitali vs Johnson. Klit harpooned the whale Kirk in no time. He just folded like a cheap suit! Offering no opposition. That was his chance to shine!

2) Robbie Peden Nate Campbell, Nate was winning by staggering numbers, then what does he do? He drops his hands a la Mayorga style and gets teed off on and kod by the already hurt and losing pededn. He never best the count. Musta been a dark time in his career for him man

3) Peter Manfredi vs Calzaghe, Pete never got to showcase his skills on the light punching but great Calzaghe. The ref stopped it like he needed to use the washroom or something. Smh. This is prize fighting not scrimmage s!

 

Completely agree, at that point in time he was better than Lewis.

 

Well said.

 

Tommy Morrison training on blondes and drugs for his fight with unknown Michael Bentt. Blew a huge payday with Lennox Lewis.

 

I have to look that up more, so please forgive me for the delay.

Different time frame here, but interesting. Seems like a more than fair deal:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1993-05-14-1993134195-story.html

 

James Toney getting fat before Roy, Duran getting fat before the rematch with Ray, GGG not throwing to the body in either Canelo fight.

 

It wasnt Newman so much as Bowe. They both saw what Lennox did to Ruddock when he blasted him out. They decided to back out of the agreed decider fight A wise decision But from there Bowe just ate himself out of contention. Rock Newman said to me in Dallas when I asked him why Bowe didnt fight Lewis as agreed & he said " Why risk it all against Lewis when fans would buy Dokes & the guy that beat Mercer for the same $$$$$$$ & far less risk"?

 

Kirk Johnson was ruined in that WBA shot against Huggy Bear John Ruiz. Ruiz acting & Joe Cortez bias lead to Kirk getting DQ'd in what should have beena KO win & a HW title for Kirk. He lost heart Everyone knew he hadnt trained for Vitali he was there for a paycheck only. Ruiz should have won an oscar