BoxRec

This is just something I thought of recently.

I don't think Danny Green has ever seriously thought of fighting at heavyweight, but I wonder how well he could have done at that weight. Look at some of my thoughts below:

- Roy Jones and James Toney have enjoyed success at heavyweight, and both are naturally smaller men than Danny Green. Green was fighting at 81kg as an amateur, his natural walking weight is around 190lb.
- Green has good punching power for a light heavyweight, this likely would not translate to true heavyweight KO power, but he would likely hit at least as hard as a heavyweight Toney if he fought at 190lb. It is also likely that he would choose to pack a little more muscle onto his frame, pushing his heavyweight fighting weight up to around 200lb.
- Green has a better chin than Jones, and a comparable one to Toney, so it would probably stand up well enough at heavyweight.
- Rocky Marciano is a ATG top 10 heavyweight, and he generally weighed around 185lb for most of his career.
- Green has generally enjoyed success against taller, slower moving opponents. It is fast hands and elusive movement that causes him troubles, neither of which he would see a lot of at heavyweight.

I'm not saying that Green has been fighting his career at the wrong weight (well, perhaps he should have been a LHW his whole career), but I am interested to know how people think his career would have unfolded as a 6'1, 190-200lb heavyweight). How would he have done against the crop of Australian and international heavyweights from 2000 onwards?

Interesting thoughts however one thing you forget to mention in your comparisons with RJJ and Toney is that they are all time great fighters with phenomenal boxing skills. You might say this counteracted their smaler stature. I'm not quite sure you could say the same about Danny.

Marlin wrote:Interesting thoughts however one thing you forget to mention in your comparisons with RJJ and Toney is that they are all time great fighters with phenomenal boxing skills. You might say this counteracted their smaler stature. I'm not quite sure you could say the same about Danny.

You couldn't, I deliberately omitted that point so as to let discussion flow (hopefully...). Danny has never had anywhere near the boxing skills of Jones or Toney, but he does have relatively fast hands, good power and a good chin. I just don't think it would be unreasonable to suggest that a 6'1, 200lb, fit heavyweight Danny Green could conceivably have as much or more success at heavyweight as/than a 5'9, 225lb, fat James Toney. He would never stand a chance against someone as formidable as Lennox Lewis but against the rest of the heavyweights 2000-onwards?

His great heart alone might take him a fair way in the current heavyweight divison

If he could get to 100kg + he could be a good heavy weight. He fights like alot of them.He hits very hard and take a very hard punch.

would have been very interesting especially given the current state of the HW division. Considering,IMO,for much of his SMW career he looked like death warmed up physically(why the hell didnt he just fight at LHW) I think he would have been competitive at HW.
He wouldnt have had the puch to KO someone flat but the PSYCHO Green ,like in his early days, would have beaten many HW into submission. At HW he would of had enough speed to be quicker than most.His heart would not of changed and due to the lack of "quick footed/slick" HW these days the plodders would of suited him. As for chin-would have been solid enough.As for anyone at HW,one punch on the button would have done him in and i think with his agro style eventually he would have been countered/copped one flush. Honestly think Cruiser would of suited him better,LHW even moreso.
All i hope now is that he goes for the big boys at LHW and gets in a biff every 4 months or so ie 3 fights all up for this year. While I would like to see Mundine Green at LHW I will not fall into the continual speculation that will no doubt linger over the rest of the year. If he got some titles and assuming Mundane fights someone with a pulse like a title holder then there always the chance that assuming both were to win titles the drive of ego and the chance of Mundick being able to possibly claim "world titles"in 3 divisions would be too tempting. The fight would HAVE to be at LHW.At SMW or even catchweight there would be no difference to the last result.

Not big enough not strong enough not powerful enough not skilled enough. Let's be realistic, he would have been blown away by most top 10 HW's

I think Danny would do ok if he could carry the weight and keep his lungs and speed.

Don't know about the Rocky M comparison though, most of the Heavyweights back then were only about 185ers.

each to their own but if you are speaking of most of the current crop of HW then even despite Dannys relatively low natural boxing talent i would still suggest on talent basis he is at least on par with many of the hw currently.as for not strong enough/powerful enough etc then you must have great foresight if basing that on an UTTERLY weightdrained fighter who looked like a cancer patient each time i saw him fight,especially later on. my comment of beating some HW into submission was a bit over the top granted.
As for the holier than thou,my shit doesnt stink,i am it and god at the same time, patronising emoticon...........get over yourself cobber.its not like someone was asking how would Billy Dib go as a HW. Ye gods man.

cruiser would surly be a better prospect for him. you said he walks around at 190 that means he could get in shape and not drain himself. the division has 3 men at the top with them owning 2 belts (adamek, cunningham, jones) i suspect that he could quite easily become a titlist by using his former LH title reign as a barganing chip to get himself high in the rankings str8 away then it would only take him about 3-4 fights (including a tune up) to contest a title

LHW is where he belongs

I agree, Light Heavyweight is certainly the best weight for Green, but I still think it is interesting to ponder how he would fare in the heavyweight division in the state it has been for the past few years. Cruiserweight would certainly be a better weight for him than heavyweight, but why not do a Chris Byrd and bulk up to heavyweight?

Not big enough not strong enough not powerful enough not skilled enough. Let's be realistic, he would have been blown away by most top 10 HW's

He has always been a naturally bigger man than Jones and Toney, and possibly would pack more strength and power than both at 200lb. Obviously he is well behind both skill wise, which I think is what would stop him from beating the likes of Ruiz, but I do think that he would have been competitive enough to at least challenge for a world title. Obviously we are talking very hypothetically here, but of the current BoxRec top 10, I would only favour the Klitschkos and Haye to knock him out early, with Haye having a fair chance of being knocked out himself.

Are you going to the fights on Sunday Jezza?

No, going to be watching at Ogdens in Gosnells.

I've been to a couple of fight nights before, and while the atmosphere is good, and I would go again, in general I prefer to pay $8 for a pint and a better view. Still, I probably will go to one of Robbie's fights one day, show my support.

Have any of you seen Danny Green sparring James Toney?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKArp0h3 ... annel_page

Yeah mate, your point???? I swear Toneys arms are three times the size of Greens.

JSA wrote:Yeah mate, your point???? I swear Toneys arms are three times the size of Greens.

Yeah, but once you take away the 'roids and blubber...


To be honest I don't think Danny Green would ever beat Toney at any weight, just a bad stylistic matchup for Green. Still, I think Green made a good account of himself in sparring Toney, he's a tough guy and I'm not sure any other SMW's of the time would have wanted to spar Toney.

jezzamundo wrote:

JSA wrote:Yeah mate, your point???? I swear Toneys arms are three times the size of Greens.

Yeah, but once you take away the 'roids and blubber...


To be honest I don't think Danny Green would ever beat Toney at any weight, just a bad stylistic matchup for Green. Still, I think Green made a good account of himself in sparring Toney, he's a tough guy and I'm not sure any other SMW's of the time would have wanted to spar Toney.

that was good footage. I think i'll post a link if i can find it

Green seemed to be putting in some effort and Toney very little

this is the second part

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz6yLRNp ... L&index=16

JSA wrote:Yeah mate, your point???? I swear Toneys arms are three times the size of Greens.

I didn't make a point. I was posting the video in case no-one had seen it. You're a bit edgy.

nah mate was just interested if you had a point to make or were just posting the footage as a reference. To me, as pointed out above by some, toney looked like he was playing. And i guess in perspective it was only sparring. Toney being Toney if he wanted to turn it on he could have at any point and if he meant business 100% Danny would of been in strife. Danny would never have a chance in hell of beating Toney at any weight. Lets be honest.

Think the footage just shows how farkin skeletal Green was. Campaigning at the time at SMW i believe and considering he was unlikely in sparring to be at fighting weight he was dwarfed physically. Take away the roids and blubber factor he was TINY compared to Toney. Would have liked to know his weight during sparring.

So not being edgy mate.As i have learned on this site i have MUCH to learn about the sport i love so often look to others who i consider to have more idea than me for their opinion. thats all mate.

bollox wrote:Green seemed to be putting in some effort and Toney very little

If you turn the sound down, it's a totally different veiw of the fight, Green did very well, while giving up 20 to 25KG.

It's a shame someone edited the end of the footage, where Toney screams to his followers to get his gun from the locker room, he was frustrated,Danny barely left his chest.

Toney has a big mouth, i wonder if Danny ever entered the ring with a man with such a big mouth, what effect did it have on him.

I couldn't see too many SMW/L/H jumping in the ring with Toney.

IF....IF...Green did step up he should do it at what
weight is comfortable. I could see him doing it around
90-93kg. He would do well with his skills at a national
or regional level.

Some big hard hitting guys out there with very real
skills that dont seem apparent until its all too late..

Their needs to be incentive for Green to get in their
and risk a move up. AT this time he has a Mundine
rematch$ and some good challenges at LHW.

Interesting with Green's next fight being at Cruiserweight and a proposed RJJ matchup at Cruiserweight also. Realistically I can't see Green ever seriously fighting at heavyweight, but I wonder if he will enjoy not having to cut weight and stay at Cruiserweight?

How would Green do against Adamek, and would a win over RJJ be enough to get that fight?