Definition of Trial Horse

“Golden” Caleb Truax (15-0-1, 9 KOs) stayed unbeaten Friday night in Saint Paul, MN by winning a unanimous decision over veteran Antwan Echols (32-13-4, 28 KOs).   Former top contender Antwon tried to be competitive with a young 16 fight pro.  What's wrong with this picture?  Where do the skills and  these athletes go?  Hopkins is still fighting at the championship level and is chronologically older than Echols.  Echols is shot and it seems to have a great deal to do with his lifestyle.


 Here is an old headline about Mr. Echols from 2007 -Echols shot in leg outside Iowa store, later arrested on drug charges

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Boxer Antwun Echols, a former super middleweight contender who twice lost to Bernard Hopkins, was shot in the leg while trying to break up a fight in the parking lot of a grocery store and was later arrested on drug charges police said. Echols intervened and pushed the suspect away from Hodges. The suspect then allegedly shot Echols once in the leg with a handgun, police said.

Echols fought Hopkins twice for the IBF middleweight title, with Hopkins winning by unanimous decision in 1999 and by technical knockout a year later. In 2003, Echols lost a unanimous decision to Anthony Mundine for the vacant WBA super middleweight title.