Oscar Pick
The squandered potential of Adrien Broner, a man once destined to be a great boxer, will be at the center of the boxing world's conversation this Friday when he takes on Blair Cobbs.
This will be Broner's first appearance in nearly a year, as he will be the headlining act for a pay-per-view show promoted by Don King at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida.
It may seem harsh to criticize the career of a three-division world champion, but “The Problem” – a moniker that more accurately reflects his antics outside of the ring – was in many ways of bringing it on himself.
From one perspective, this final effort to recapture fan attention, extend his waning years in sports and, more importantly, maximize his own earning potential is laudable.
But with this talented and skilled player now approaching his mid-30s, it's hard not to wonder whether this comeback may have come too late.
Jimmy Cannon once called boxing the red light district of professional sports, and in this context it seems right to quote the legendary author.
Broner's situation is largely self-inflicted and unique to him, given his tendency to gain weight rapidly between fights.
But the story of a fighter jet failing to reach its full potential is one that has been told a thousand times.
To paraphrase Cannon, a fighter's job is to navigate the lawless world of boxing, where many survive but only a few prevail.
In other words, there are many reasons why the following four fighters did not achieve what was expected of them, and as in Broner's case, it seems harsh to disparage their still-rich careers.
Dmitry Pirog – Retired in 2012, 20-0 (15 KOs)
Dmitry Pirog, nicknamed “The Grandmaster”, was the feared WBO middleweight champion during his nearly two-year reign.
He put in a masterful performance against Daniel Jacobs in 2010, showcasing a number of clever defensive tactics before scoring a nasty finish in the fifth round to win the title.
As a boxer, Pirog was a beauty to watch: His fluid upper body movements and polished footwork, from the turn of his hips to the curve of his shoulders, all seemed perfectly connected.
After defending the belt three times, Pirog was stripped of the title after refusing to face mandatory challenger Hassan N'Dam.
Instead, the Russian was scheduled to challenge another 160-pound monster, Gennady Golovkin, for the WBA title, but was forced to withdraw from the bout with a severe back injury.
Pirog retired undefeated and later became a member of parliament, but after talking about his impressive fighting skills, it's fair to say that his political career in Russia is a completely different story.
Zou Shiming – Retired in 2017, 9-2 (2 KOs)
After winning gold medals at both the Beijing and London Olympic Games, Zou Shiming turned professional in 2013, taking on the heavy responsibility of representing his country.
During this time, many predicted that event organizers would invest astronomical amounts of money in boxing and that China would become the Saudi Arabia of today's boxing world.
Zou's star power has become a rare commodity in the region, and he made his mark in Macau, appearing on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Chris Algieri and Brandon Rios at the Venetian Casino.
He was on his way to becoming the poster boy for Chinese professional boxing until he lost on points in 2015, but then lost 11NumberHe retired from the sport after just 11 fights in 2017, suffering a first-round stoppage loss.
In that last bout, the WBO World Flyweight Champion suffered a nasty eye injury in the first defence of his title, ruining not only his own career but also some of boxing's big plans in China.
Luke Campbell – Retired in 2021, 20-4 (16 KOs)
Again, it's hard to label these fighters as “disappointing,” but in a way, this shows just how good they were.
Before making his professional debut, Luke Campbell, who won gold at the 2012 London Olympics, shot to fame when he reached the final of Dancing on Ice, where he finished in a somewhat unimpressive third place.
But swapping his skates for more familiar boots wasn't difficult for Campbell, who competed in the shark-infested lightweight division and narrowly lost his first world title fight to pound-for-pound Venezuelan star Jorge Linares.
Things didn't get any easier for the Yorkshireman, who retired just under two years later after losing on points to three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko and then by a seventh-round stoppage defeat to Ryan Garcia.
Unfortunately for Campbell, the elite era of 135-pound champions had put the belt just out of his reach.
Luke Campbell
Mike Perez – Currently active, 29 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw (20 KOs)
The only active fighter on this list is Mike Perez, a Cuban defector who made his pro debut in 2008.
It's no secret that Cubans are some of the best fighters on the planet, yet Fidel Castro's 60-year ban on professional boxing isn't lifted until 2022.
Either way, Pérez was on an upward trajectory to become South America's next star before his career took a turn for the worse.
When former opponent Magomed Abdusalamov suffered a brain injury after a fight, Perez was so devastated by the tragic news that he developed an alcoholism that halted his development.
Perez dropped down to cruiserweight in an attempt to rebuild, but now at 38 years old, it's hard to see how he'll be able to challenge for a world title again.
