There is perhaps no worse feeling than having the emptiness that accompanies the uncertainty of not knowing what could have been, left to wonder what would have happened if destiny had not prematurely intervened in the lives of great men, and thinking of accomplishments unfulfilled, which of course does not begin to compare with the actual lives that were lost in nearly all of these cases.
Below is a list of ten fighters, I believe, whose early exits from boxing had the greatest negative historical impact on boxing, both in terms of talent lost, and their potential for future growth.
It seems hard luck cases like these inhabit boxing with an inordinate frequency, but if you pay attention to other sports, you will see that is not the case at all. Every vocation has its share of people born under a bad star. It is just that boxing has a longer history from which to cull stories of man’s inability to escape fate. These are boxing?s unfinished symphonies if you will. They say life ain’t fair…but damn, these men got fewer breaks than a college football team playing Notre Dame on St. Patrick’s Day.
Some of these stories are not for the faint of heart, or those who only want to see the sunny side of life. So, if you do not want to ruin the kickoff to your holiday season, I suggest you watch the more uplifting tales of pugilism which Hollywood gives us.
I would like to point out that given over 120 years of Marquis of Queensbury era boxing from which to generate this list, I believe that the sport has produced a million times more positive stories than negative ones. In order to be considered for this list, a boxer must not have left us before the age of 30, and not removed himself from the sport voluntarily. So popular figures like Marcel Cerdan, Tiger Flowers, Harry Greb, Benny Lynch, Joe Gans, or even a Leo Randolph (American Olympic gold medalist and WBA jr. featherweight champ who retired at age 23) were not available for inclusion.
Also considered were Paddy Duffy, Johnny Owen, Battling Siki, Young Stribling, Kiko Bejines, Diego Corrales, Pedro Alcazar, Duk Koo Kim, Al Panzer, Benny Paret, Sergei Artimiev, Gilberto Roman, Akeem Anifowoshe, Davey Moore (1980’s jr. middleweight), Rubin ?Hurricane? Carter, Paul Ingle, and Ernie Schaaf, all of whom fans of boxing would do well to research on their own, as their suffering was no less important than the ten I have chosen to focus on.
Davey Moore (Died age 29) ? Nicknamed ?The Springfield Rifle?, this featherweight lived up to that moniker by firing precision punches behind a steady stream of jabs. He was an all-around fighter who had a weakness for allowing himself to get drawn into brawls by lesser boxers. At 5’2 ??, he surprised many opponents by outjabbing them via timing and clever use of angles. Was an outstanding amateur boxer, at bantamweight, winning the AAU national title and representing America at the 1952 Olympics. Began to box at age 14, and turned pro six years later with less success than was initially expected of him. Was probably rushed into big fights too early, suffering five setbacks in his first 27 bouts. He even traveled to Panama, Colombia, and Canada to take fights. But in 1957 Moore found his form, winning 37 of 38 fights that included a title winning effort against Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey. Defended the title five times, three of which came on the road, over a four year period. Then came the fateful bout against Sugar Ramos, in Los Angeles, which televised his demise to a national audience. Moore’s death was an accident more then the result of a bad beating, even though the fight with Ramos was intense. His injury was sustained as a result of a whiplash action, when Moore’s head struck the bottom rope after a knockdown. Moore even walked back to his dressing room (after his manager stopped the fight after ten rounds), and gave interviews to reporters, after which he complained of a headache before passing out, never regaining consciousness. An autopsy revealed the damage could not have been caused by a punch, and neurologists called it a “million-to-one accident.? Moore was having problems making weight, but he looked to be a late bloomer who still had a lot of good fights left in him.
Gerald McClellan (Severe brain injury at age 28) ? No, McClellan did not die as a result of his bout against Nigel Benn. However, he would never fight again, and was left in permanent need of round the clock healthcare by his sister. A natural puncher (85% kayo ratio), his two fisted power disguised a mastery of the basics that delivered his bombs on target. First came to attention nationally when he blasted out former champion John Mugabi in one round, and then dethroned fellow punching legend Julian Jackson. He knocked Jackson out a second time, one year later, and fans were salivating over the thought of a McClellan vs. Roy Jones Jr. bout. But first McClellan needed to move up to super middleweight and take Englishman Nigel Benn’s title. Lost in the tragic aftermath of that fight was the incredible effort and heart both men showed in their pitched battle. This was a matchup of England’s and America’s baddest bullies. McClellan was a beast at this time, and combined power with precision on an almost Thomas Hearns or Joe Louis scale. Benn was knocked clear out of the ring in the first thirty seconds, and should be lauded just for making it back into the ring. Slowly, very slowly, Benn began to turn the tables using his strength on the inside to grind McClellan to a halt. Just as he had battled his way back into the fight, Benn was knocked down in the eighth round again. It looked like all the work Benn had put into his rally was for nothing. But Benn endured, and turned the tables on McClellan in the tenth, scoring a fight ending knockdown. It was a fight that clearly defines how awe inspiring, beautiful, brutal, and life threatening the sport we love can be.
Ike Ibeabuchi (Jailed age 26) – A mind is a terrible thing to waste a good heavyweight on, or in this case a broken mind (diagnosed with bipolar and schizo-effective disorders). The title hopes of this power puncher, who worked fast combinations and a lethal left hook, were dashed by a mental disorder that was not diagnosed early enough or medicated. With only 20 fights to his career, it is hard to evaluate Ibeabuchi accurately, which leaves me to speculate on his potential rather then accomplishments. That potential was shown when Ibeabuchi outworked and outpunched David Tua, and steamrolled future champion Chris Byrd in five rounds. Before the Tua and Byrd wins, Ibeabuchi was a prospect who took the usual route of defeating nobodies, and mid-range journeymen. Most believe Ibeabuchi would have at least won a portion of the heavyweight title, and perhaps defeated reigning champion Lennox Lewis. What Ibeabuchi showed us was spectacular at times. He outslugged slugger David Tua, and knocked out a Chris Byrd who was in his prime as a defensive wizard. Unfortunately, that was all we got to see. In negotiation for a fight with Lennox Lewis, Ibeabuchi was convicted of battery with intent to commit a crime and attempted sexual assault in a Las Vegas hotel. It is hard to predict what could have been, but given the power and amount of punches Ibeabuchi threw, it is hard to come up with a scenario in which he did not gain a portion of the title. He is still only 35 right now (denied parole three times so far), and would have fought in a era of unimpressive champions for the last five years in which he was in jail. What a waste.
Dave Sands (Died age 26) ? Most Australians, and a good portion of boxing historians, are certain Sands would have been a world champion. Those assumptions are wholly sustainable based on previous results, since Sands had beaten reigning champion Bobo Olson twice, with a title fight against Olson in the negotiation stage when Sands died. Sands was an Aborigine (there is speculation that his father was Puerto Rican), and one of five brothers who dominated the Australian boxing scene in the 1940’s and early 1950’s. The most powerful of the brothers, Dave was a puncher who had power in both hands, which was responsible for 63 kayos in 97 wins, and many reported he could have had more kayos, but that he carried opponents as not to scare off potential rivals. He was not a refined boxer, and he could be outmaneuvered and also had problems cutting off the ring, which would have surely come into play if he had ever tangled with Sugar Ray Robinson. Sands held the Australian middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight title simultaneously. In his last fight, Sands knocked out an opponent twenty pounds heavier then himself, and often gave away advantages in weight. He was not shy about traveling either, going to America to beat Bobo Olson, and winning fights in England, New Zealand, and Singapore. Sands was in his eighth year as a pro, so he had the right mix of experience and youth to challenge for the title. He had been rated in the top three at middleweight by The Ring Magazine from 1949 to 1951, and was clearly just coming into his prime when a car accident took his life.
Pancho Villa (Died age 24) – The first Filipino world champion, his title reign propelled the tiny nation onto the fistic landscape. Sadly, we never got to see the best of Villa, since he died of blood poisoning before his 25th birthday. Managed to pack 100 fights into a six year career, and excited fans with a take no prisoners style. Won two national titles, fighting larger men, before venturing to America to make his name. Success did not come immediately, and Villa lost two close fights against future champions Frankie Genaro and Abe Goldstein. Genaro in particular had Villa’s number, and defeated him twice more (once for the American flyweight title). No one else could emulate Genaro’s success, and Villa tore through American flyweights along the East Coast. Gained international acclaim when he defeated comebacking Jimmy Wilde, who was unable to keep the fight at a distance. Villa tore into his body, and an exhausted Wilde was stopped in the seventh. Villa held the title for three years, but in his last bout (a non-title affair with a six pound weight disadvantage) against Hall of Famer Jimmy McLarnin, he lost a ten round decision. On the day, Villa was obviously affected by an infected tooth he had extracted the morning of the fight, and he had three more teeth pulled two days later. Villa died of blood poisoning from those procedures, a day before his wife gave birth to Villa’s only son. She loudly proclaimed Villa was murdered, by an intentional overdose of anesthesia ordered by a gambling syndicate because of his loss to McLarnin.
Sadly, Part Two goes even lower in terms of age, as the international cast?s ages range from 24 all the way down to 19.
