Official 21st Feb fight night discussion and RBR thread

[TheWigwam]

Matchmaking for the British lads after tonights fights -

Murray vs. Martinez/Soliman/Rubio/Korobov
Smith vs. Periban/Davis/Douglin/Sjekloca
Price vs. Chagaev/Scott/Meehan
Fury vs. Lewison/Bakhtov/Sexton

I would go with
Murray vs Daniel Jacobs or the winner of the vacant IBF
Smith vs rebrasse or winner of mahoummidi vs hilario for ebu
Price vs chisora or chagaev for vacant ebu
Fury vs Michael sprott
Haskins vs ceja or hall

Some good suggestions but I think Mahoummidi would beat Smith and I don't want to see Michael Sprott fight again, I like him too much

[Bard of Boxrec]

It's not all about power vs power though, it's about what you neutralise the threat from GGG.

Obviously, but against GGG if you don't have respectable power he'll just bulldoze you into the ropes where you're ineffective and pummel away. You mention Ward's other attributes, and he does have some meaningful ones, such as physical strength, speed and elusiveness, but these are negated when he has to focus on avoiding all of those shots and at the same time throw enough to win rounds and keep himself in the fight. I actually see very little way of Ward winning. I would love to see it though, it's absolutely fascinating.

[black panther]

It's not all about power vs power though, it's about what you neutralise the threat from GGG.

Obviously, but against GGG if you don't have respectable power he'll just bulldoze you into the ropes where you're ineffective and pummel away. You mention Ward's other attributes, and he does have some meaningful ones, such as physical strength, speed and elusiveness, but these are negated when he has to focus on avoiding all of those shots and at the same time throw enough to win rounds and keep himself in the fight. I actually see very little way of Ward winning. I would love to see it though, it's absolutely fascinating.

Ward is physically very strong and I feel he'll push Golovkin back and work away on the inside, preventing GGG from getting leverage on his punches.

He'd neutralize GGG IMO and I hope GGG fights him last.

[arlovski]

It's not all about power vs power though, it's about what you neutralise the threat from GGG.

Obviously, but against GGG if you don't have respectable power he'll just bulldoze you into the ropes where you're ineffective and pummel away. You mention Ward's other attributes, and he does have some meaningful ones, such as physical strength, speed and elusiveness, but these are negated when he has to focus on avoiding all of those shots and at the same time throw enough to win rounds and keep himself in the fight. I actually see very little way of Ward winning. I would love to see it though, it's absolutely fascinating.

Ward is physically very strong and I feel he'll push Golovkin back and work away on the inside, preventing GGG from getting leverage on his punches.

He'd neutralize GGG IMO and I hope GGG fights him last.

I think one of Golovkin's major strengths is that he doesn't need leverage on his punches for them to hurt.

Every one of his opponents have commented that he's a thudding puncher, those heavy handed types hurt wherever they hit you, arms, chest, shoulders etc.
You can actually see his opponents, like Murray on Saturday, visibly rattled very early on when they get hit, thus going into defensive mode immediately.
I think guys with that sort of dull, thudding power are very unusual, and harder to deal with than the explosive one punch hitters, as often when that type lose their form and are tired, they can't generate the speed that they need to really hurt someone, whereas a naturally heavy handed guy will hurt you the same every round, whether he loses his punch technique or not.

[Counter-puncher]

I think one of Golovkin's major strengths is that he doesn't need leverage on his punches for them to hurt.

.

possibly but we have always to my knowledge seen him punching off the front foot. would be interesting to see the effects of his power if anyone could get him punching backing up

[Finn]

LEVELS

Says it all. Who does what. It's all about levels, no-one will beat Golovkin.

A lot of people think Ward would, but I just don't see it. Ward would be put in reverse like the rest of them because he just doesn't have enough power to keep GGG honest, and he can't just tie up GGG all fight long, at some point he would have to actually throw punches.

I actually think Froch would have more chance vs GGG than Ward because at least Froch has respectable power and is strong and tough enough to have a chance in the trenches. Although a younger and fresher Froch maybe...now I can imagine Carl being a bit past it.

Froch is too open defensively for me, he's got a great chin, but I don't think it would stand up to Golovkin's punches, would take something incredible to walk through punches like that for 12 rounds.

I think what people need to remember is that Froch is a good sized smw easily capable of moving up to light heavy, where as GGG looks like a fairly small middle weight. He's not going to be able to walk the smw's into the ropes like he does the middle weights. The guys like froch that he would be facing also range from heavy handed to big punchers.

I cant see GGG beating guys like AA, DeGale, Froch, i think even groves is in with a shot of beating him.

GGG bullies the middle weights because none of them have both the chin to take his shots and the power to gain his respect.

I would love to see AA take a catch weight fight with him.

[Deserter]

I cant see GGG beating guys like AA, DeGale.

[crusader]

Have you watched AA fight recently Finn? He spends loads of time on the ropes and gets pushed back a lot, even by very limited fighters capable of making MW like Paul Smith, and a solid but unspectacular operator without notable power in Stieglitz was able beat him and push him quite close in losses using an aggressive style. Does Steiglitz, someone who was just unable to beat Felix Sturm, seem better than GGG to you?

Degale is good but he spends lots of time on the ropes as well and it seems to me like he'd give GGG plenty of opportunities. Degale is a skilled boxer and I think he'd at least have some good moments, but I can't say he's shone to an extent that makes me incapable of seeing how he'd lose to GGG.

That said, I think you raise a good point about GGG's size, because for all the talk of him moving to 168 due to his dominance he's far from a big MW, (was only 165 a month out from the Rubio fight) which in my view makes it more impressive that he's been beating relatively good fighters at the weight so convincingly.

[Deserter]

That said, I think you raise a good point about GGG's size, because for all the talk of him moving to 168 due to his dominance he's far from a big MW, (was only 165 a month out from the Rubio fight) which in my view makes it more impressive that he's been beating relatively good fighters at the weight so convincingly.

This is a good point - for me, stepping up in class should be a natural phenomenon driven by necessity. If GGG is comfortable at middle, as he clearly is, I say let him stay there and 'own' the division, much like Hagler did. There's way too much emphasis on fighters to move up in weight class in the modern era IMO.

[stujones]

That said, I think you raise a good point about GGG's size, because for all the talk of him moving to 168 due to his dominance he's far from a big MW, (was only 165 a month out from the Rubio fight) which in my view makes it more impressive that he's been beating relatively good fighters at the weight so convincingly.

This is a good point - for me, stepping up in class should be a natural phenomenon driven by necessity. If GGG is comfortable at middle, as he clearly is, I say let him stay there and 'own' the division, much like Hagler did. There's way too much emphasis on fighters to move up in weight class in the modern era IMO.

Yeah, he should be like BHOP and Hagler - let the little guys, with the big name fight him. There's nothing out there for him at Super Middle, he's as big a name as all of the fighters there.