DG. wrote:Carbo wrote:
Well, I suspect that I wouldn't need to crank up the intellectual level too far for your eyes to glaze over.
But, ok, let's take your definition, by which we would need to have elites for each level. You know, European elite, P4P elite, B-Level elite, Southern Area elite.
It's risible. There is no such thing as "European elite"! That's preposterous. What we do have is a "European level". But not European elite, any more than than there is a Northern Area elite or a B-level elite.
You're really making yourself look like a plonker.
You dumb bastard.
Ever heard of the phrase 'Big fish in a small pond?
Howard Eastman ruled Europe for ages and was head and shoulders above his domestic rivals.
You could call him the elite of the European fighters.
Danny Williams ruled the British Heavy scene for years, you could call him the King of the British Heavies, or the elite of the British Heavies.
Are you drunk?
Hatton in the MEN was a big fish in a small pond.
In the big p4p pond, he was really a small fish.
Nobody ever --
ever -- called Danny Williams an elite level fighter.
Like I say, if you want to call the better domestic fighters "Domestic elite" and the better guys from the Southern Area "elite Southern Area" that's entirely up to you, but I would proffer that it's not really received practice. You can even call them British and Southern Area Bananas if you want to tip your hat to Alfred Khan.
But would it not be simpler to just, like, omit the word elite? Like, European level, or domestic level, or world class. Instead of elite this and elite that.
If you want to invent this labourious new stratification of the word 'elite' as it relates to boxing, that's fine, and, I'd have to say that I'd agree with you when you argue that Hatton doesn't belong in the pound for pound elite, but does belong in the 140 pound elite and pound for pound non-elite (in your terms).
Would it not be easier to say that Hatton was a cut above most world class 140lb-ers, was probably elite, and fell short when he faced true all time greats?
But, anyway, to say, point blank, that he's not elite, and never has been, is plain wrong. For that to be correct, we need something like your slilly and ponderous addition of the word elite to every level of boxing known to man.
