Knowing when to hang up the gloves is one of the hardest decisions a boxer can face. The training routine, the adrenaline of the fight, the roar of the crowd, the media attention—so many things are left behind when a champion draws the curtain on their career, and it’s easy to understand why not all of them manage to do it in time. Alongside admirable examples like Rocky Marciano, who had the clarity to walk away while still undefeated, boxing history offers countless cases of extraordinary talents reduced to mere shadows of themselves, stubbornly following a path that no longer led anywhere. Today we look at ten fights, presented in no particular order, in which a great champions broke the hearts of their fans by showing clear signs of irreversible decline.
Muhammad Ali vs Trevor Berbick (December 11, 1981)
Ali had already suffered a crushing humiliation when his former sparring partner Larry Holmes forced him to retire after ten one-sided rounds. But at least Holmes was a great champion, while Berbick, who won clearly on points a year later, was no more than a decent contender. That night, the Louisville legend, perhaps already affected by illness, showed only fleeting glimpses of his past brilliance and was forced into a sad, passive display of defense.
Wilfredo Gomez vs Alfredo Layne (May 24, 1986)
One of the greatest Puerto Rican boxers of all time, Gomez had been an absolute force of nature in the super bantamweight division before achieving further success at featherweight and super featherweight. His collapse was both sudden and shocking: just a year earlier he had defeated the dangerous Rocky Lockridge, but when he faced the unknown Panamanian Alfredo Layne, whose record stood at 13 wins and 5 losses, the result was a devastating KO loss for the legend.
Roy Jones Jr vs Danny Green (December 2, 2009)
The Pensacola Flash had already suffered a few defeats—some of them quite humbling—but always at the hands of top-level opponents. Against Green, however, he experienced his first loss to a second-tier fighter, a 36-year-old from a higher weight class. The American superstar wasn’t just beaten; he was blown away in less than a round. Sadly, even that disastrous performance wasn’t enough to convince him to stop.
Aaron Pryor vs Bobby Joe Young (August 8, 1987)
Pryor’s well-documented struggles with cocaine had impacted the final stage of his world championship reign and ultimately led to an early retirement. His attempt at a comeback after more than two years away from the ring ended in disaster. Despite facing a relatively unknown opponent, the Hawk from Cincinnati looked slow, awkward, and lifeless—in short, a shadow of his former self. A right hand to the temple knocked him out in the seventh round.
Alexis Arguello vs Scott Walker (January 21, 1995)
Two grueling and unsuccessful wars against Aaron Pryor had worn down the mighty Explosive Thin Man, who was already coming off a long and punishing career. Otherwise, he would have had no trouble dispatching the young and colorful Scott Walker, remembered more by boxing historians for his bright pink trunks than for anything he did in the ring. The bitter defeat led Arguello to retire for good.
Julio Cesar Chavez vs Willy Wise (October 2, 1999)
When a legendary champion begins to decline, it’s not too painful to see him lose to emerging top-level talents. No one could blame Chavez for his two defeats against the rising star Oscar De La Hoya. But the setback against the mediocre Willy Wise came as a true shock. Lacking athleticism and drive by then, the Mexican icon was clearly outpointed, leaving the audience at the Hilton Hotel in disbelief.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Hector Camacho (March 1, 1997)
Leonard had gotten used to retiring and coming back, and perhaps believed he could keep playing that game indefinitely. But when Norris clearly defeated him after over a year of inactivity back in 1991, Sugar should have realized his time was up. So his decision to return for one last bout at middleweight six years later was baffling, and the outcome was inevitable: despite lacking punching power, Camacho easily swept him aside in just five rounds.
Roberto Duran vs William Joppy (August 28, 1998)
Though clearly on the decline, Duran had still shown he could hold his own in the ring with dignity, despite his poor physical condition. Giving him yet another world title shot against a young, powerful fighter like Joppy, however, was a mistake. Manos de Piedra was battered from all angles by the champion’s heavy shots until the referee stopped the fight in the third round. It was a brutal beating that a champion of his stature simply didn’t deserve.
Mike Tyson vs Kevin McBride (June 11, 2005)
The stoppage loss to the unremarkable Danny Williams—knee ligament injury included—should have made it clear that the Tyson legend was done for good. But with debts piling up, Mike desperately needed money and agreed to one last ride against the mediocre Irishman Kevin McBride. After committing several blatant fouls, Tyson quit on his stool at the end of the sixth round.
Felix Trinidad vs Roy Jones Jr (January 19, 2008)
Clear defeats at the hands of Bernard Hopkins and Ronald “Winky” Wright had seemingly convinced Trinidad—past his best and no longer in his ideal weight class—that his career was over. But after a two-and-a-half-year break, he got the itch to try again, and the result was painful to watch. A noticeably faded Roy Jones still toyed with him, dropped him twice, and cruised to a unanimous decision victory.