Biggest Disappointment in Modern Boxing?

What would you say is the biggest disappointment in boxing within the past 10 years?

I'm going with David Haye. It's no secret that the heavyweight division is lacking in both skill and entertainment value. I had high hopes that David Haye would take the torch from Wladimir (who I think is extremely overrated), and help restore the HW division to what it once was. I felt this was possible because it would get the smaller HW's a chance to compete. For example, an Arreola vs. Haye match would have been very intriguing if it were for the real HW championship.

This fight took years to make with so much hype (generated by Haye alone). Haye showed up to the fight, but didn't fight.

I still think Haye has the physical capability of defeating Wladimir (again, I do not think Wladimir is very good and has a glass jaw). Hell, Haye even hurt him a bit at the very end of the fight. The only problem is that Haye has no heart. Only Shane Mosley showed less heart (vs Pacquiao), but nobody thought Mosley had a chance... people were actually taking Haye seriously.

What a disappointment that was.

A tie between Edwin Valero and Ike Ibeabuchi. Both guys looked as if they were special just to piss it away.

Michael Grant is up there.

good topic shawn and nice points.ill agree on haye indeed .and sooners two choices are also strong choices.

For me it's always Kirk Johnson. Guy from my hometown with all the physical talent in world who never put it together mentally to stay in shape. Heavyweight after Lennox was wide open for a guy with Kirk's size, handspeed and movement. Got a B.S. DQ against Ruiz, then came in fat as hell and got destroyed by Vitali at MSG.

Audley Harrison.

i never expected anything from haye in the first place so i wasnt disappointed. i agree with sooner that valero is probably the biggest one. joan guzman is a also a pretty big disappointment because he was on his way to the top but just stopped fighting and stopped making weight.

powerpuncher wrote:i never expected anything from haye in the first place so i wasnt disappointed. i agree with sooner that valero is probably the biggest one. joan guzman is a also a pretty big disappointment because he was on his way to the top but just stopped fighting and stopped making weight.

joan guzman i definitely agree

All good choices. I alway go with Roy Jones Jr. Great fighter that could have been one of the greatest ever. Chose the easy path and skipped the challenges that could have elevated him.

Runner up I give to James Toney. ALL the classic technical skill that a guy like Jones could only DREAM of having, and he just could not keep himself in shape. He was so skilled he just didnt believe that he had to work to beat ANYONE, so he never worked against anyone. When he was in shape, he was everything that Roy Jones COULD have been if he had real skill. In fact, if Toney had been dedicated the closest fighter I can think of today, would have been Floyd Mayweather, only with punching power and an entertaining mindset and style.

freakzilla wrote:Michael Grant is up there.

He's my # 1. Had all the tools but just like Fraudley, a mental midget.

GrantZilla wrote:

freakzilla wrote:Michael Grant is up there.

He's my # 1. Had all the tools but just like Fraudley, a mental midget.

I think Grants problem was the fact that he came to boxing ssooooo late in his career and then shot up to the top so quick. He got in over his head and when he got blown out by Lewis, he just never got his head back on correctly.

Lewis being too much at the time I can understand, but it was the Golota fight that realy showed his flaws.

You guys are all wrong. Its easily Antonio Margarito. Heres a guy that was a dark horse of the glam division, avoided by all early on and has an entertaining style. Has anyone been bored in any of his fights? Very unlikely. He upsets a very popular fighter in Cotto, undefeated at the time, add the fact hes Puerto Rican that made him not only a house hold name in the sport, but the most recognized fighter in his country. After that win he was all over TV living up his 15 minutes of Fame. Then getting caught with Plaster and losing to Mosley destroyed his creditability and set a dark cloud over a potentially great career. People were talking HOF for this guy before the Mosley fight and even some talk (the ESPN article matching him up with other Welter greats and predicting he'd win most lol) of him being a possible "Top 10 Welter of all time." I sometimes wonder what would have happened had he not been caught in that Mosley fight. He would of ended Mosley Career and went on greater and better things.

Good call Diego. I didn't even think of Margs. Definitly a big disapointment if you liked him as a fighter pre Plaser

i was never big on margarito. i think that he accomplished more than i expected him to but then come to find out he cheated. he is all determination and not a lot of skill. he has no chance against anyone with speed. he had an alright career which is now destroyed.

My pick would be Andrew Golota. Crazy as cat shit, but talented as all hell. Looks like the crazy part won out.

the title being what,i'll go with the fact top contenders don't fight each other regularly enough & when they do it's a PPV.however as most of you are talking whos i say golota.didn't have the mentality to go with his talent & fmj.the fact there are question marks over his place in history shows he hasn't had(for whatever reasons)the career defining fights he could & should of.with all his undoubted talent we should only be discussing where in the top 30 he should place,not if deserves to be in top 50

The rise of the manufactured boxer after RJJ (Berto being my least favorite example). Soon to be replaced by Floyd v. Manny not being made.