What Boxer Fell Hardest From Genius Status at First Career to Sad Pathetic Punchbag in their 30's and 40's

[The D3vil]

RJJ was my pick too, but as he has already been mentioned, what about another fighter who peaked about the same time, Prince Naseem Hamed.

Maybe not as high up as Jones, but man, one loss and dude just disappeared. I guess he really didnt need boxing, so it was easy for him, but he went from being HBO’s glamour boy to out if the sport, all while still in his 20s.

Absolutely,

Prince went from a guy who legit could've been the face of boxing before along with De La Hoya & before Mayweather & Pacquaio ascended to a guy not even mentioned at all

[max baer]

Absolutely,

Prince went from a guy who legit could've been the face of boxing before along with De La Hoya & before Mayweather & Pacquaio ascended to a guy not even mentioned at all

he gained a lot of weight but i guess we all do!

[GhostofDempsey]

After his loss to Lewis, Holyfield was losing a lot of fights he would have won easily ten years earlier.

At the age of 34 to the age of 39 when he retired, Emile Griffith would go on to lose 12 fights and 2 would end in a draw.

[Willow The Wisp]

For me, the recent decades fall from greatness (or potential greatness) prize goes to:

Roy Jones Jr.
Evander Holyfield
James Toney
Meldrick Taylor
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Greg Page
Livingstone Bramble
Elisha Obed
Antwun Echols
Jackie Beard
Rolando Navarrete
James JB Williamson
Terrence Alli
Rafael "Bazooka" Limon
Ricardo Mayorga

[Willie Pep 229]

For me, the recent decades fall from greatness (or potential greatness) prize goes to:

Roy Jones Jr.
Evander Holyfield
James Toney
Meldrick Taylor
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Greg Page
Livingstone Bramble
Elisha Obed
Antwun Echols
Jackie Beard
Rolando Navarrete
James JB Williamson
Terrence Alli
Rafael "Bazooka" Limon
Ricardo Mayorga

Neither of these two became "punching bags" but both left us feeling they came up short of what we expected.

Oba Carr
Harold Brazier

[max baer]

For me, the recent decades fall from greatness (or potential greatness) prize goes to:

Roy Jones Jr.
Evander Holyfield
James Toney
Meldrick Taylor
Matthew Saad Muhammad
Greg Page
Livingstone Bramble
Elisha Obed
Antwun Echols
Jackie Beard
Rolando Navarrete
James JB Williamson
Terrence Alli
Rafael "Bazooka" Limon
Ricardo Mayorga

can i ask you willow and willie and all. Do trainers today spend enough time understanding aging athletes like boxers and how to try and overcome the problems of reflexes and speed etc.
I reckon that the germans are always ahead in sports science and with the klitshckos they showed vlad how to use what he had to keep winning as before he was losing fights.
Do you guys think that trainers who just say to foreman or iron mike "just go wear him down and knock his block off" are so ******.
It is like rocky 3. clubber has nothing but sheer might. i admire trainers that can work with an older man and teach him ways to compensate for his loss of skill, speed, reflexes etc rather then just get him fit and hope he can recreate previous years performance,
queeny can tell us how the germans with their sports science advances taught vlad to use his ability as he aged to grab and hold and stuff.
my point is that it is sad when a boxer just hopes he can at 36 still just use speed or strength like they did at 23.
do you get me at all?

[Willie Pep 229]

can i ask you willow and willie and all. Do trainers today spend enough time understanding aging athletes like boxers and how to try and overcome the problems of reflexes and speed etc.
I reckon that the germans are always ahead in sports science and with the klitshckos they showed vlad how to use what he had to keep winning as before he was losing fights.
Do you guys think that trainers who just say to foreman or iron mike "just go wear him down and knock his block off" are so ******.
It is like rocky 3. clubber has nothing but sheer might. i admire trainers that can work with an older man and teach him ways to compensate for his loss of skill, speed, reflexes etc rather then just get him fit and hope he can recreate previous years performance,
queeny can tell us how the germans with their sports science advances taught vlad to use his ability as he aged to grab and hold and stuff.
my point is that it is sad when a boxer just hopes he can at 36 still just use speed or strength like they did at 23.
do you get me at all?

Sorry I have no knowledge of boxing technique to offer any insight. I am just a history geek.

If one looks back at Gene Tunney, we have to ask, how much of this was Tunney himself and how much was Billy Gibson?

Then there is Hopkins. I guess one should look at Hopkins and then his trainers. Once again, was it the trainer or the product of the fighter himself?

I suspect it is more the nature of the fighter and his ability to grow than it is the result of a great trainer. But as I said I don't have the true insight you can get from Willow, Robin, Jab, or Apple. Those guys have fought in the ring and actually tained like fighters.

I find it hard to believe someone taught Archie Moore how to be the 'Ol Mongoose.'


DIGRESSION

Your post makes me wonder. What happens to Harry Greb if he doesn't die in 1926? How far can a fighter take that style down road, and would Greb have adjusted?

You can see that "Homicide Hank" couldn't. The syle was bound to wear out the man, and he never adjusted.

[Tatabanya]

If we have to respect what you wrote in the thread title, it must be RJJ, no question. From genius to punchbag, he is the epitome of that.

If we want to extend the article's scope, we should mention John Mugabi. Undefeated and winning all fights via knockout until the Marvin Hagler fight, the erstwhile "Beast" lost six more times after that, five by knockout.

[Tatabanya]

Also, though he won some fights too against lesser opposition, Roberto Duran was a shell of his old self in the final part of his career.

[Tatabanya]

In terms of "potential greatness vs unhappy ending" I'd also add Andrew Golota in there.