Taylor v Abraham

[boxbet]

I think Taylor wins. Abraham apears very lazy. Taylor is big under dog . what u think?

[Rocky Balboa]

I think Taylor wins. Abraham apears very lazy. Taylor is big under dog . what u think?

I think Taylor will, at times, make it look some-what easy against Abraham, who does appear lethargic during some of his fights, but making 160lbs could be a part of that! However, Abraham is strong as hell & will keep coming, no matter what Taylor throws at him!

Taylor was some-what exhausted in the latter stages against Froch & being if the same pattern happens against Arthur, I'm afraid Taylor will come up short again!

Abraham is as viscious as hell & he will go looking for Taylor, no doubt about it! Jermain won't have to move much to find Arthur!

I think Arthur scores a late stoppage, parhaps even a final round TKO! Just too strong, too tenacious for Taylor in my view.

Please note I hope Taylor does very well in the tournament, evne win it! He has been written off before & always appeared to carry himself with dignity! If he does well, or wins the tournament, the critics will be eating humble pie!

[Deserter]

I like Taylor in this one on points. I think he'll have learned from the Froch fight and while he's always going to have stamina issues, I don't think Abraham will be able to exploit them effectively as while he's strong with a tight defence, he can be also be one-dimensional and one-paced.
I also think Abraham may pay the price for taking too many easy fights during his reign - aside from Gevor and Miranda there aren't many quality names on his record (and Miranda's debatable), and certainly no-one in Taylor's class.

[Autobarn]

Taylor has been busted for good. Abraham is an excellent fighter who didn't prove it all at 160 but will likely show his best at super middle. He has power, accuracy, defence. He has had lazy patches but my belief is he's been making 160 for way too long. He has learned to pace himself and has refined his technique. Taylor's shown his best and Abraham will do his best at super middle.

I think a lot of ppl have a bit too much faith in Taylor's fast flashy hands. I can't quite find the belief that he can beat a top fighter, not after the way he was flattened at the end of the Froch fight. Taylor will show speed and mobility, so he should keep it interesting for a while. If AA works the body, he can slow Taylor down quickly.

I reckon AA wins the tournament. He has some very underrated wins including a 5th round TKO of Kingsley Ikeke, and a vicious 12th round KO of Khoren Gevor. He's fought plenty of different styles, and despite some off nights (Eastman, Simon) he is adaptable, and appeared awesome in that super middle rematch with Miranda. The moment he opened up it was over.

I actually hope that neither Taylor nor Abraham come in at the super middle limit. Somethng like 165 or 166 looks best for these two. AA will show a lot of you his skills are better than he's given credit for. Also, Taylor won't travel well.

[Counter-puncher]

appeared awesome in that super middle rematch with Miranda. The moment he opened up it was over.

I actually hope that neither Taylor nor Abraham come in at the super middle limit. Somethng like 165 or 166 looks best for these two. AA will show a lot of you his skills are better than he's given credit for. Also, Taylor won't travel well.

agree with all that. i think at some point before 10 rounds are gone, AA will annihilate Taylor by way of brutal KO

[Deserter]

I reckon AA wins the tournament.

Huge call Auto. Just can't see that myself. As I've mentioned on another thread, I think while Abraham will benefit from not having to make the middleweight limit, this will be counter-balanced by the fact he's facing naturally bigger, stronger opponents relative to those he's been facing to date.

[Counter-puncher]

I reckon AA wins the tournament.

Huge call Auto. Just can't see that myself. As I've mentioned on another thread, I think while Abraham will benefit from not having to make the middleweight limit, this will be counter-balanced by the fact he's facing naturally bigger, stronger opponents relative to those he's been facing to date.

someone will last the distance with him and do him on points.

[caffrey]

i see taylor winning most of the early rounds but abraham breaking his heart and then taking him out

my money is on andre ward to surprise everyone and win the tournament,hes a quality boxer with amateur pedigree and i reckon h es one of those fighters who raises his game as the level of fighter he faces increases

[Autobarn]

to me ward is just kessler without the stength plus a few flashy basketball player moves.

abraham- he's got experience (10 or 11 world title fights), he's got skills, defence, excellent timing, and his power will come up in weight. if he comes in at 168 he could be a bit fat and slow, though. we saw a bloated darchinyan (also from armenia) go up to bantamweight - his 3rd weight - as a fat bastard and lose in sluggish fashion to hardly the best opponent he's ever faced...i want to see a relatively lean abraham at super middle - around 165-pounds. this is my only reservation about him.

yes taylor could and should beat everyone. he just forgot that you can't pull straight back vs a good one-two puncher like pavlik. he just forgot to throw enough punches and hold his ground vs winky. oh, and if only he didn't get tired in the 12th round vs froch...smashing up taylor and the awkward moments that come with it will prepare AA for subsequent fights...biggest problem i see for AA is if he took a breather v someone like froch, which would just invite an aggressor like froch right in.

[Counter-puncher]

Kessler has/would have an excellent chance vs Abraham, 'barn.

defence just as tight, just as cautious in attitude, probably just as powerful, but Kessler has that range and jab to help him steal points and rounds without putting himself in too much jeopardy.

and mate re Ward and his basketball player flash. be careful, every now and then one of those Roadrunner types goes 12 rounds and is still saying 'meep meep' at the end. Williams- Maragrito, say. the advantage both Ward and Dirrell may have in this tourney is that without Bute, most of the supermiddles are just a little ponderous with their feet. Abraham Froch and Kessler *could* end up 4 or 5 rounds down before they even figure how to get the speedsters in one place.

[Dioufy]

I think Taylor will lose a very contentious SD, with Taylor deserving the win. I think he may get robbed here.

[chesh]

...biggest problem i see for AA is if he took a breather v someone like froch, which would just invite an aggressor like froch right in.

I'd love to see that as the tournament final. I think AA stops Taylor in about 8, but AA-Froch is 50-50 in my book.

[Autobarn]

agreed on that. on the other hand it would be catastrophic for froch to be wide open in front of AA.

[danieljenkins]

jt wide ud

[Autobarn]

Kessler has/would have an excellent chance vs Abraham, 'barn.

defence just as tight, just as cautious in attitude, probably just as powerful, but Kessler has that range and jab to help him steal points and rounds without putting himself in too much jeopardy.

and mate re Ward and his basketball player flash. be careful, every now and then one of those Roadrunner types goes 12 rounds and is still saying 'meep meep' at the end. Williams- Maragrito, say. the advantage both Ward and Dirrell may have in this tourney is that without Bute, most of the supermiddles are just a little ponderous with their feet. Abraham Froch and Kessler *could* end up 4 or 5 rounds down before they even figure how to get the speedsters in one place.

Kessler obviously can hold the middle of the ring and command the fight from there. Even Calzaghe had to come at him from angles, with the quick little shots. Sort of like a water vs scissors kind of fight, arguably Joe's best all round performance.

Abraham is a funny one. I think he puts so much power in his shots that he has to recover after a little burst. Like his countryman Darchinyan, and even like Khaosai Galaxy, he throws massive well picked shots and - crucially - moves off to the side to get his breath back and to find new angles. Abraham does move off to the sides very well, to create new puching opportunities. I also think he has a much more varied offence than Kessler, who has that remarkable jab that busts faces up yet throws little more than solid 1-2s.

Abraham is deceptive, the way he pounces. Wayne Elcock told me how that split second lapse in concentration can make all the difference, and how Abraham takes advantage of it - at that level, of course.

great thing about this Super 6 is the mix of styles: no one really knows what'll happen. Ward and Dirrell will have to show the kind of discipline that Khan had against Kotelnik. I think they will come a severe cropper at some point in the tournament. But I do agree they will give severe problems to the 3 faves (Kessler, AA, Froch).

[Bomber 1]

It gutters me to say this cos I used to be a big Taylor fan BUT he just ain't the same fighter since the Pavlik losses and just ain't in love with the sport, Abraham and Ward are my pre tournament fav's so I'll be sticking with them, I see Abraham knocking Taylor clean out in about the 8th or 9th round, I ain't seen a fighter as brave as Abraham in years, His persistance of Miranda with a severly broken jaw was remarkable it really was..

[Autobarn]

I think Taylor will have big problems piercing AA's guard. Taylor may get frustrated and stop using lateral movement. At some point JT will start standing in front of Arthur, IMO, and this will lead to him getting knocked out.

I can't believe AA is possibly looking to fight Bute for the IBF title - if there is time for it - given the opportunities he has in the tournament. The greedy bugger!

[Russ L]

. be careful, every now and then one of those Roadrunner types goes 12 rounds and is still saying 'meep meep' at the end.

This board really does need some kind of "Best Sentence of The Week" award.