One of the most frustrating things for sports fans is when they see a talented athlete waste some of their precious 'prime' years by not maximizing their talents.
Some of them forget the hard work that it took for them to get there. Sometimes, the fame and money that comes with being a professional athlete causes them to make stupid mistakes or decisions. Others were just never at the right place at the right time. The fighters below are a prime example of talented fighters who never maximized their potential,
1) Edwin Valero: A devastating puncher with an undefeated record, his life tragically ended when he supposedly committed suicide according to authorities. We will never know how good he really was because most of his wins came against bums. However, he was improving immensely in each of his last few fights and had a chance to beat the best at the 140 lbs division because of his one punch knockout power.
2) Bernard Mays: Emmanuel Steward calls him the most talented Kronk boxer of all time. Hearns once said that he thought of quitting boxing because he knew that he would have to face Mays in the gym. Mays certainly could have been one of the best boxers ever. He won the 106 lbs. and 139 lbs. National Golden Gloves champion and only lost once in 200 amateur fights. But problems with alcoholism prevented him from reaching his potential as a professional. Still he was able to compile an impressive record of 26 wins, 1 lost, and 1 draw. His lone lost was also his last fight because his pancreas was found to be dangerously inflammed because of his alcohol abuse.
3) Ike Ibeabuchi: He had all the physical tools and skills to potentially dominate the heavyweight division for along time. He had good boxing skills, great chin, size, and stamina. Two of his most memorable wins came against Tua, who was being considered by many at the time as the next 'Tyson, and Byrd who he knocked out. Unfortunately, he was sent to prison in 2001 for attempted sexual assault and intent to commit a crime.
4) Zab Judah: Probably the most physically gifted boxers during his prime but his lack of mental strength, focus and discipline has hampered his professional career. He is easily distracted and can be taken out of his game when hurt. But he is still young enough to turn his career around and at 140 lbs., he has a great chance to become a champion again.
5) Kirkland Laing: Considered by many to be the best British boxer to never win a title. He is most famous for his victory against Roberto Duran. Unfortunately, he spent more time drinking and partying than training in the gym during his career and similar to Roy Jones, never paid much attention to the fundamentals. As a result, he lost to a number of mediocre opponents and his career was filled with more highs and lows than a roller coaster.
6) Audley Harrison: The first British to win a gold medal in the super heavyweight division, he is currently the European heavyweight champion. Once touted by Ring Magazine as the next great British heavyweight champion after Lennox Lewis, injuries and losses to mediocre opponents hampered him from reaching all the expectations bestowed upon him. Now it might be too late to turn his career around.
7) Michael Nunn: The former IBF middleweight champion and WBA super middleweight champion was one of the best pound for pound fighters during his prime. He was a fighter who was never afraid to challenge the best. In fact, Nunn and his camp attempted numerous times to set up fights against Hagler and Leonard, but were always turned down. He suffered his first loss to Toney, but he was clearly winning the fight until the former caught him with a left hook in the eleventh round. Unfortunately a rematch never materialized, but it wasn’t because Nunn didn’t want it. Toney’s camp probably found a rematch too risky. Even Roy Jones Jr. had a chance to fight him, but never offered Nunn a purse worth accepting. Nunn was indeed a great fighter and certainly could have achieved further greatness, However his problems with substance abuse specifically cocaine greatly affected his career and caused it to end abruptly when he was sent to jail for conspiracy to distribution cocaine.
8) Joe Calzaghe: A talented fighter blessed with speed, power and stamina, he is now considered by many as the best supper middle weight fighter of all time. However, he fought mostly subpar opponents and never went for the toughest of challenges. He never accepted any of Glen Johnson's challenges or fought Steven Ottke who retired undefeated. Sure, he beat Hopkins and Jones but they were past their primes and had already been defeated more handily by other fighters. His best win might have been Kessler, but he has proven to be an overrated fighter. Also he never gave much attention to the fight that many were clamoring for, which was a fight against Chad Dawson.
9) David Tua: Currently the WBO Asia-Pacific heavyweight champion and WBO Oriental heavyweight champion. A devastating puncher with a granite chin, he was one of the most exciting fighters to watch during his prime. His fight with Ike is certainly one of the most action packed heavyweight fights in history. But after his losses with Lewis and Byrd, his career took a nose dive because of poor conditioning and problems with his promoters which resulted in
10) Tony Ayala Jr.: During his prime, Tony was one of the more polished and talented fighters. It was said that as a fourteen year old, he gave Pipino Cuevas all he could handle in a sparring session. A versatile boxer with knockout power, he also displayed uncanny mental strength and poised for a young man. Greg Smith formerly of The Sweet Science even wrote an article proclaiming him the best prospect in history. However, outside the ring, Ayala Jr. couldn’t control his inner demons and was sent to jail at age twenty for rape. He was released in 1999 and attempted a comeback but it was obvious that he wasn’t the same fighter anymore.
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