How many careers have been cut short due to circumstances unrelated to sports? Many, far too many: every discipline has its “missed champions” and “interrupted reigns,” sometimes due to uncontrollable events, other times due to the athlete’s own faults. Boxing, of course, is no exception, and fans of all ages often find themselves imagining an alternative history for their favorite fighters, hindered by either bad luck or their own excesses. Here is our special ranking of the ten biggest regrets in boxing history.
10) Laszlo Papp
After winning gold in three consecutive Olympics, this Hungarian champion also found glory as a professional by winning the European Middleweight title and defending it six times. When he was about to fight for the World Title held by Joey Giardello, Papp was forced to retire by the Hungarian socialist regime, which had until then allowed him to compete. In 1991, the WBC named him the best amateur and professional boxer of all time. It would have been amazing to see him as world champion.
9) Mike Tyson
Iron Mike divides critics: some see him as a media phenomenon, glorified by marketing beyond his real merits; others consider him a champion limited by a fragile psyche and adverse circumstances. The first group will contest his presence in this ranking, while the latter would place him at the top. Whatever the truth, it would have been interesting to see what Mike could have achieved with Cus D’Amato always by his side, perhaps without the prison years that interrupted his career.
8) Odlanier Solis
There was once a big Cuban from Havana who, as an amateur boxer, won practically everything: 6 national championships, 2 Pan American Games, 3 world championships, and an Olympic title. He had 347 wins out of 359 bouts, including a 2-1 record against the legendary fellow Cuban Felix Savon. His name was Odlanier Solis, and he fought at the 200 pounds limit, but after his Olympic triumph, he began gaining weight and never stopped. At his pro debut, he weighed 258 pounds: the agile and quick champion of the past was no more, and many wonder what he could have accomplished.
7) Roberto Balado
All the great amateurs who chose not to turn professional are regrets for boxing fans. In this case, however, we will never know if he would have defected from the Cuban regime: Balado, already a three-time world champion and Olympic champion among super heavyweights, died at age 25 in a railroad crossing accident in Havana. A dominant force at the Barcelona Olympics, he was the favorite for the Atlanta Games. What other achievements could he have reached?
6) Tony Ayala Jr.
This terrifying Mexican puncher had everything needed for an extraordinary career. Unfortunately, in addition to being a beast in the ring, where he once spat on an opponent after knocking him down, Ayala was also a beast outside the ring. When his first world title fight was already scheduled, he raped a woman and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Bob Arum said of him: “He’s the strongest young boxer I’ve ever seen in my life,” while Angelo Dundee had no doubt he would have become a champion.
5) Edwin Valero
27 fights, 27 wins, 27 KOs. A monstrous record, the result of overwhelming power and unparalleled aggression, destined to end prematurely. Taken from petty crime by boxing when he was a child, Valero was one step away from a multimillion-dollar fight against Manny Pacquiao when his already fragile psyche collapsed completely. The Venezuelan stabbed his 24-year-old wife to death and the next day took his own life by hanging himself in his cell.
4) Dmitry Pirog
When this long-armed Russian with an unusual style first appeared in American rings, the U.S. press knew little about him. HBO commentators expected a convincing win by the talented Daniel Jacobs and were shocked when Pirog knocked him out with a devastating right hand in the fifth round. On the brink of a brilliant future and already set to face the then-rising Gennady Golovkin, Pirog had to retire due to insurmountable physical problems.
3) Ike Ibeabuchi
Statuary physique, deadly punches, incredible athletic ability: the Nigerian was a machine designed to destroy. His fight against David Tua, with 1,730 punches thrown by the two fighters, is one of the most spectacular ever. However, after that fight, Ike began to lose his sanity. First, he crashed his car into a pillar, leaving the son of an ex-girlfriend disabled, then he was arrested for attempted sexual assault and spent 15 years in prison. What could he have done against champions like Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield?
2) Stanley Ketchel
It may seem odd to talk about regrets regarding someone considered one of the greatest middleweights of all time. Yet, despite his legendary career, including the stunning knockdown of heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, Ketchel still had his whole life ahead of him when he was barbarically murdered at just 24 years old. 46 of his 49 wins were by KO, and who knows how many more fighters he would have floored if a gunshot hadn’t ended his life.
1) Salvador Sanchez
Winning the World Title, defending it nine times, stopping an extraordinary champion like Wilfredo Gomez inside the distance, and doing all this by the age of just 23. Sanchez achieved all this, and who knows what other amazing feats he would have given us if a tragic car accident hadn’t claimed his life at such a young age. Powerful, fast, with top-tier technique and superb timing, the Mexican was considered by all to be a prodigy. Not seeing him reach his full potential is, in our view, the greatest regret in boxing history.