The biggest waste of talents.

[melo4142]

Pancho Villa, he died due to a tooth infection at a youthful age of 23. His career is very promising after kayoing jimmy wilde and could've reached higher status if not of his early death. Battling Siki (loved his fight against Carpentier), Paul Spadafora, Ike Ibeabuchi, Edwin Valero comes to my mind. Also Darren Sutherland, he's an olympic bronze medalist that would've also made a promising career if not for his longing depression that led him to commit suicide.

[Dave Rado]

Hagler should have rematched Leonard.

Leonard refused to give him a rematch. But it's a shame he didn't fight on anyway.

[Dave Rado]

I don't see how Tyson was a "waste of talent". He won the championship and held it for over three years. He didn't have the talent to beat A-grade fighters, so I don't see how he really could have done any better than he did.

You're being ridiculous. Of course he had the talent to beat A grade fighters. Even as it is, most boxing historians rank him around #10 in the all time Heavyweight rankings. If he had stuck with Rooney and not signed up with King, he could have got a lot higher, no doubt.

[Dave Rado]

Didn't have the talent? Does A+ handspeed and power not constitute talent anymore? He let his skills deteriorate when he fell in love with his power and you're right - he wasn't Roy Jones. He couldn't lean exclusively on his talent. But he was as naturally gifted as any heavyweight I've ever seen not named Ali.

More than just handspeed. Holmes said he was the most accurate puncher he'd ever faced. Under Rooney, he was also one of the most difficult Heavyweights to hit cleanly, due to his superb head movement and footwork. He was a very good combination puncher, and for a small heavyweight, had an excellent jab. All that went out the window after he split with Rooney, but they were all natural skills that he later disregarded.

[Dave Rado]

Solis has the talent to be a top class Heavyweight (and was an ATG amateur), but is eating his way to oblivion.

He's an even bigger waste of talent than Arreola, because he has a lot more natural talent.

It's sad, because he's the one fighter around at present who has enough talent to give either K bro the fight of his life, but he's throwing that talent away, and either brother would beat the current over-weight version of him with ease.

[Dave Rado]

Pancho Villa, he died due to a tooth infection at a youthful age of 23. His career is very promising after kayoing jimmy wilde and could've reached higher status if not of his early death. Battling Siki (loved his fight against Carpentier), Paul Spadafora, Ike Ibeabuchi, Edwin Valero comes to my mind. Also Darren Sutherland, he's an olympic bronze medalist that would've also made a promising career if not for his longing depression that led him to commit suicide.

I was going to mention Pancho Villa but then the TS said that if it isn't their own fault that their talent was wasted, then it doesn't count:

Not really 'cause they didn't exactly "waste" their talent but had it taken from them.

OTOH I guess you could say that it was partly Villa's fault in a way, because he fought knowing that he had a serious tooth infection, in defiance of the dentist's orders, who said he needed complete rest; and he then spent the next few days carousing, again in defiance of the dentist's orders. If he'd followed his dentist's orders it's possible he might have fully recovered.

He got in the HoF despite dying at 23, which is a truly remarkable achievement, and he could definitely have been an ATG if he had lived on. (Well he is probably an ATG as it is, but he could have been high on the P4P lists if he'd lived on).

[gibo]

I remember a fighter from Philly named Tyrone Everette that got killed early in his career. One hell of a fighter! He also had a brother who boxed, but Ty was the best of the two.

[Toney616]

I don't see how Tyson was a "waste of talent". He won the championship and held it for over three years. He didn't have the talent to beat A-grade fighters, so I don't see how he really could have done any better than he did.

[Forza]

Sbleeder is correct. When tyson fought A grade fighters like holyfield and lewis, he lost.

[mickey malone]

Forget Tyson, he showed the world what he could do and did it for a good few years too. Ike Ibeabuchi was the biggest waste of heavyweight talent not to get a shot at the title since Sam Langford. Not that Langford wasted his talent of course, but i believe with the right head on his shoulders Ibeabuchi would've ticked every single box.