Andre Ward vs. Sullivan Barrera Mar 26 on HBO

[ikorolev]

Come on. Ward finally faces an opponent of his own size, having skills and power. It is a progress. Barrera may even be better than overrated Froch and Kessler. The fight will show.

Progress? A few years ago he was a #1 P4P candidate fighting other elite fighters on a regular basis. Now we're supposed to laud him for taking on some anonymous Cuban just because his last opponent was dreadful? These are awfully low standards we're holding him to.

Yes, 4+ years ago, he was #2 p4p, but lately he slid into obscurity, so getting back to fighting B/B+ level opposition of his own size is a progress.

Yes, the standards are not too high, but after he fought Smith and then wanted to drag Murdoch/Brand/Periban kind of guys to fight him LHW, he just moved the bar way down.

[Tarkus]

Barrera is a great opponent for anyone. I rate him number 3 in the division right now. Yes he had not proven it at the highest level in the pros yet, but you have to look past his record when you have someone as talented as him. Ortiz had no resume either but that did not stop him to lay out top 5 heavy weight without breaking a sweat, guy that went all 12 with Klitschko.

I wait for this fight with great anticipation. I am not sure prime Ward beats Barrera, I mean who knows how good he can be. Against this current Ward its a toss up.

[zorndeslammes]

Barrera is a great opponent for anyone. I rate him number 3 in the division right now. Yes he had not proven it at the highest level in the pros yet, but you have to look past his record when you have someone as talented as him. Ortiz had no resume either but that did not stop him to lay out top 5 heavy weight without breaking a sweat, guy that went all 12 with Klitschko.

I wait for this fight with great anticipation. I am not sure prime Ward beats Barrera, I mean who knows how good he can be. Against this current Ward its a toss up.

A) You had Bryant Jennings ranked in the top 5 at heavyweight?

B) Nothing against Barrera, but ranking him #3 based on potential is ridiculous at LHW where there's Alvarez, Beterbiev, Shabranskyy and Browne.

[zorndeslammes]

He's fighting a tune-up bout and his first fight back since he's been out for a while not to mention his first foray into the LHW division. Obviously if the man is good enough to ranked the IBF Mandatory for Kova then he's good enough for a first fight with AW.

@ this silly poo.

Call it whatever you want. I guess any fighter who's been out of the ring as long as he has should come back and take on a top 10 fighter in your opinion, huh??

Talking about some silly poo:

P4P talents like Ward should not be facing guys who've never faced a good fighter in their whole career and who most boxing fans have never even heard of. Especially when they've already gone 3 years without a top opponent.

No fighters steps right in to top competition except Felix Trinidad after being gone for a year or more or Floyd Mayweather, I wouldn't recommend AW doing it because he had an injury and is fighting at a new weight he's never fought at before.

I'm not sure what's wrong with that, unless you're just a Hater with another agenda.

You know what's really funny? Three fights ago, he fought the "light heavyweight champion". Two fights ago, he fought a guy that weighed in at 170. His last fight? He fought at a catch of 172, IIRC. He's basically been fighting light heavyweights in reality for something like 3 years now.

[Undefeated49-0]

You know what's really funny? Three fights ago, he fought the "light heavyweight champion". Two fights ago, he fought a guy that weighed in at 170. His last fight? He fought at a catch of 172, IIRC. He's basically been fighting light heavyweights in reality for something like 3 years now.

We could arguably say the same thing about GGG seeing that he comes in on most FNs at 170 or slightly above. Do you see how this works?

Stop being a hypocrite about this, no need to use all this bull. If you don't like AW then just say so.

[Larrylefthook]

Barrera is a great opponent for anyone. I rate him number 3 in the division right now. Yes he had not proven it at the highest level in the pros yet, but you have to look past his record when you have someone as talented as him. Ortiz had no resume either but that did not stop him to lay out top 5 heavy weight without breaking a sweat, guy that went all 12 with Klitschko.

I wait for this fight with great anticipation. I am not sure prime Ward beats Barrera, I mean who knows how good he can be. Against this current Ward its a toss up.

A) You had Bryant Jennings ranked in the top 5 at heavyweight?

B) Nothing against Barrera, but ranking him #3 based on potential is ridiculous at LHW where there's Alvarez, Beterbiev, Shabranskyy and Browne.

I'd have Bivol ahead of him too, yes he's only had 5 fights but this guy is incredible I'd only favour Kovalev and Beterbiev over him right now.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Some people will go into hiding after Ward shuts Kovalev out.

[ikorolev]

Some people will go into hiding after Ward shuts Kovalev out.

Let's see if he can shut Barrera out first and then have ballz to face Kovalev.

[jujigatame]

He certainly is one of the few who has the potential to beat Kovalev, which is why it's so frustrating that he's spent years inactive or fighting nobodies.

[Freedom2013]

Fight isn't done yet, according to Kathy Duva.

http://www.boxingnewsresults.com/2016/0 ... athy-duva/

Princess Ward is a real prima donna diva to deal with. She demands all the advantages.

[Tarkus]

Barrera is a great opponent for anyone. I rate him number 3 in the division right now. Yes he had not proven it at the highest level in the pros yet, but you have to look past his record when you have someone as talented as him. Ortiz had no resume either but that did not stop him to lay out top 5 heavy weight without breaking a sweat, guy that went all 12 with Klitschko.

I wait for this fight with great anticipation. I am not sure prime Ward beats Barrera, I mean who knows how good he can be. Against this current Ward its a toss up.

A) You had Bryant Jennings ranked in the top 5 at heavyweight?

B) Nothing against Barrera, but ranking him #3 based on potential is ridiculous at LHW where there's Alvarez, Beterbiev, Shabranskyy and Browne.

I was not talking about the achievement when I was ranking Barrera, I thought I made it clear. It was who I think beats who. I am not impressed neither by Alvarez nor by Shabransky. Beterbiev looks strong but limited, but I am not writing him off. Someone mentioned Bivol, who looks really impressive but is only a prospect at the moment.

Jennings was definitely top 5 based on his resume.

[BAD INTENTIONS]

Fight isn't done yet, according to Kathy Duva.

http://www.boxingnewsresults.com/2016/0 ... athy-duva/

Princess Ward is a real prima donna diva to deal with. She demands all the advantages.

He's just like Princess Kovalev ...

... wait, why do people still believe in Kathy Duva? She's just like the rest.

We (fans) should stop supporting promoters just because they're attached to our favorite fighters.
They are ALL bad for the sport and need to be eradicated (not murdered, but removed from boxing).

[Freedom2013]

Fight isn't done yet, according to Kathy Duva.

http://www.boxingnewsresults.com/2016/0 ... athy-duva/

Princess Ward is a real prima donna diva to deal with. She demands all the advantages.

He's just like Princess Kovalev ...

... wait, why do people still believe in Kathy Duva? She's just like the rest.

We (fans) should stop supporting promoters just because they're attached to our favorite fighters.
They are ALL bad for the sport and need to be eradicated (not murdered, but removed from boxing).

How is Ward like Kovalev?

The pampered Princess Andrea refuses to fight outside her home country. The Privileged Princess knows her limitations, and so demands a home referee to permit her to use illegal tactics. Fearless warrior Kovalev in contrast left his home country and won his belt in the UK, then defended in Canada and the USA.

Kovalev is an exciting fighter who goes for the KO and never needs to resort to Ward's illegal tactics like excessive holding, hitting off the break, clamping his opponents' arms and head butts.

We (fans) should stop unconditionally supporting boxers just because they're from the same country as ourselves, and at least try to be fair and objective.

[zorndeslammes]

You know what's really funny? Three fights ago, he fought the "light heavyweight champion". Two fights ago, he fought a guy that weighed in at 170. His last fight? He fought at a catch of 172, IIRC. He's basically been fighting light heavyweights in reality for something like 3 years now.

We could arguably say the same thing about GGG seeing that he comes in on most FNs at 170 or slightly above. Do you see how this works?

Stop being a hypocrite about this, no need to use all this bull. If you don't like AW then just say so.

No, it is actually entirely different. In fact, he fought someone with a claim for the linear light heavyweight title who weighed in at 170. Really. That happened. Want me to explain it?

[zorndeslammes]

I was not talking about the achievement when I was ranking Barrera, I thought I made it clear. It was who I think beats who. I am not impressed neither by Alvarez nor by Shabransky. Beterbiev looks strong but limited, but I am not writing him off. Someone mentioned Bivol, who looks really impressive but is only a prospect at the moment.

OK. I don't think he's done much necessarily to separate himself from the rest of that troupe, but that's your opinion.

Jennings was definitely top 5 based on his resume.

He shouldn't have been above Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, or Alexander Povetkin for anyone. That means at best, he's #5. What did he do to deserve being significantly above Pulev?

[Undefeated49-0]

No, it is actually entirely different. In fact, he fought someone with a claim for the linear light heavyweight title who weighed in at 170. Really. That happened. Want me to explain it?

I don't need you to make excuses to try and wash away the facts i presented. GGG is known to come in at 170, you can say whatever you want but the fact is that is LHW territory.

[ikorolev]

zorndeslammes, arguing with Brut-49-0 is pointless. He compares weigh-in weight of one fighter with next day weight of another -- just immature troll.

[Pureist]

You can't have it both ways brut, a couple of weeks ago didn't you write that canelo really wasn't a true middle yet here you are putting GGG in as a light heavy

[caldo2025]

I'll believe it when Andre Ward ducks in between the ropes and actually puts his whole body inside the ring on fight night.

[Pureist]

Have to agree with you caldo, huge difference between who he has been calling out and the monster who could put him to sleep with one well timed shot

[zorndeslammes]

No, it is actually entirely different. In fact, he fought someone with a claim for the linear light heavyweight title who weighed in at 170. Really. That happened. Want me to explain it?

I don't need you to make excuses to try and wash away the facts i presented. GGG is known to come in at 170, you can say whatever you want but the fact is that is LHW territory.

There's no excuses. There's reality and not reality. Fighters weigh in the day before. Edwin Rodriguez (possible linear LHW champ) weighed in as a light heavyweight. Sorry.

[Undefeated49-0]

There's no excuses. There's reality and not reality. Fighters weigh in the day before. Edwin Rodriguez (possible linear LHW champ) weighed in as a light heavyweight. Sorry.

And once again you're helping to prove the point of fighters who are at a certain weight then on fight night they're significantly heavier and basically at another weight class

GGG is at 170 on Fight Night and thereby fighting as a LHW.

Thanks for proving my point further.

[diddy]

Golovkin doesnt want to fight Ward. That is fact. The rest is opinion. Golovkin is now talking about fighting at 168 now that Ward has officially vacated the division and signed a 3 fight contract to campaign at 175.

[ikorolev]

There's no excuses. There's reality and not reality. Fighters weigh in the day before. Edwin Rodriguez (possible linear LHW champ) weighed in as a light heavyweight. Sorry.

And once again you're helping to prove the point of fighters who are at a certain weight then on fight night they're significantly heavier and basically at another weight class

GGG is at 170 on Fight Night and thereby fighting as a LHW.

Thanks for proving my point further.

You are the only person who thinks that you actually have a point.

[zorndeslammes]

There's no excuses. There's reality and not reality. Fighters weigh in the day before. Edwin Rodriguez (possible linear LHW champ) weighed in as a light heavyweight. Sorry.

And once again you're helping to prove the point of fighters who are at a certain weight then on fight night they're significantly heavier and basically at another weight class

Rodriguez weighed in the day prior at 170. That has nothing to do with weights on fight night regardless of how hard you want to make it so.