What fights took the most out of either one fighter, or both?

Davie Moore after Roberto Duran beat him up.

Chris Eubank was safety first after nearly killing Michael Watson.

And time will confirm it, but I’d say Wilder after Fury 1 and 2. Seeing Fury getting up from his right hand affected him mentally and led to the beat down in the rematch.
 
Hopkins vs. Pavlik is the first thing that came to my mind. It's not so much that Hopkins physically brutalized him as he just completely outclassed him for 12 rounds. I think that was the beginning of the end for Kelly. His mental decline was pretty quick and drastic.
 
The examples of top level fighters that popped in my head were Fernando Vargas after Trinidad and Meldrick Taylor after Chavez.
 
realdealgeale said:
Vazquez literally gave his eye for his 4 wars with Marquez. Marquez went 2-4 post their wars ( 3 stoppages) before retiring.
Click to expand...
These are the guys I was thinking of as well. Esp Vazquez but Rafa was never the same again, either.
 
Calderon was old but he was never the same after Segura dragged him pretty good in their first fight.

This isn't one fight necessarily but after Roy came down from jumping up to hw he was never the same guy, imo. Even in beating Tarver the first time around, he didn't look anywhere near his old self by that time.
 
Hagler mugabi
 
I got a feeling Wilder isn’t going to be the same.
 
Benn/McClellan, obviously.
 
Holmes cooney
 
larry holmes and trevor berbick both did a number on Ali to add to his CTE. hard fights to watch
 
DoctorTaco said:
larry holmes and trevor berbick both did a number on Ali to add to his CTE. hard fights to watch
Click to expand...
watching holmes ali was traumatic for me as a 12 year old who loved ali, that said, unfortunately, Ali had a number of tough fights where he took beatings, the first and third frazier fights, all three norton fights, the first spinks fight, ernie shavers and then there were the rudimentary punches that he took in other fights and as some say, most notably in sparring where he willingly took beatings against some mean motherfuckers who oddly, ali would call them out and war with them, larry holmes said that ali sparred him to the point of quitting one day, leroy williams complained about pay and so ali had a war with him, trying to humble him, only to have lerroy calling him a pussy before sending him and his money on their way, he also sparred with dokes, witherspoon, among many others, and.., if you watch even his less major fights, there were times when he was staggered against foster, dunn, bonavena, quarry, many others along the way. all of it added up.
 
James Kirkland/Alfredo Angulo took pretty much everything that was left of their careers.
 
Shoemaker said:
Hopkins vs. Pavlik is the first thing that came to my mind. It's not so much that Hopkins physically brutalized him as he just completely outclassed him for 12 rounds. I think that was the beginning of the end for Kelly. His mental decline was pretty quick and drastic.
Click to expand...
Wasn't Pavlik already drinking by that point? Entirely too much?


Not that Hopkins didn't mentally destroy him but I feel like he was already well on his way there.


Would've said Pascal after Hopkins but he's found a small resurgence of late. kind of.
 
Stormtrooper85 said:
Found an article from Sports Illustrated 2011 suggesting it might've been after he won the Middleweight title but it's not totally certain
https://www.si.com/more-sports/2011/02/17/kelly-pavlikrehab
Click to expand...
alcohol is progressive, losing a big fight would only make an existing issue worse, some never recover, billy collins ended up driving off a bridge drunk, after the horrible luis resto debacle. I had a friend from childhood, he's been an alcoholic since his teens, it's really finishing him off now I'm afraid, every time I see him he's dramatically diminished. First it was a cane, then a walker and now he's in a wheelchair, and all in the last couple years. I hate the shit. Can't do anything for the guy. So, both drugs and alcohol and women too are probably in close competition for careers ruined in boxing.
 
After being obliterated by Froch (the heavy underdog for their fight), the previously unbeaten Bute went 2-4 and retired.
 
Boxiana said:
After being obliterated by Froch (the heavy underdog for their fight), the previously unbeaten Bute went 2-4 and retired.
Click to expand...

That’s a good one. Bute looked scared and overwhelmed even during the fight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,693
Messages
55,435,035
Members
174,775
Latest member
kilgorevontrouty

Share this page

Back
Top