BoxRec

This fight happens this Saturday. Who do you think wins? I think Selby wins comfortably.

I'm going with Selby too...he absolutely ripped apart Joel Brunker in his last fight (who was 27-0 at the time) and seems to have improved his guard defensively compared to a couple years ago.

Gradovich is a solid technical fighter with good hand speed but Selby is starting to really look like the real deal. I don't think Gradovich can handle that type of firepower.

I also lean towards Selby,but I think you probably overrate Brunker if you put much emphasis on Selby's win over him. He had a fancy looking record numbers-wise but in the ring he's quite underwhelming, at least compared to the division's champions and top contenders.

Selby may be overrated. He hasn't beaten any real top fighters yet

I don't see him living with the best in the division. Hope he wins but it's not a given.

As long as Selby doesn't coast late on, I can see him winning easily,skills wise he's levels above Gradovich and he's that bit of grit so he shouldn't fold with Evgeny's relentless pressure

kcharles520 wrote:I'm going with Selby too...he absolutely ripped apart Joel Brunker in his last fight (who was 27-0 at the time) and seems to have improved his guard defensively compared to a couple years ago.

Gradovich is a solid technical fighter with good hand speed but Selby is starting to really look like the real deal. I don't think Gradovich can handle that type of firepower.

Brunker was shocking against Selby and hadn't fought for 14 months by the time of the fight.

Also no one of any note on his record.

Said it on the British forum everyone is underestimating Gradovich here he is leagues above anyone Selby has faced.

I want Selby to win but I'm not as convinced as others he will do the job

Gradovich can be outboxed. Velez and Dib were giving him some trouble with the jab.

I haven't seen Selby, but I would question skills demonstrated against C level opposition. They can appear to be not so good when facing a good pressure fighter like Gradovich.

ikorolev wrote:I haven't seen Selby, but I would question skills demonstrated against C level opposition. They can appear to be not so good when facing a good pressure fighter like Gradovich.

That is my suspicion

I think Gradovich will struggle a bit. He's a slow starter and fighting in this guys home country, getting the decision will be harder.

Selby wins a close one.

Neither guy is anything special.

crusader wrote:I also lean towards Selby,but I think you probably overrate Brunker if you put much emphasis on Selby's win over him. He had a fancy looking record numbers-wise but in the ring he's quite underwhelming, at least compared to the division's champions and top contenders.

I was impressed at how Selby just dominated the entire fight -- I know Brunker isn't top class but the way he just destroyed him was highly convincing. Plus his defense really has improved from what I've seen lately.

Gradovich is definitely a solid, cerebral fighter but sometimes aggression and firepower just wins out in the end. I think that will be the case tomorrow with Selby taking the victory.

Gradovich will need a KO to win in the UK.

If Ian John-Lewis is the ref, Evgeny will be fighting two men in the ring.

Selby has never shown his full potential in a fight yet. Hopefully Gradovich can bring it out so we can see something special.

Freedom2013 wrote:Gradovich will need a KO to win in the UK.
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Has anyone told you, lately, to fvck off, you pudendum?

Counter-puncher wrote:

Freedom2013 wrote:Gradovich will need a KO to win in the UK.
.

Has anyone told you, lately, to fvck off, you pudendum?

Haha zing

diddy wrote:Selby wins a close one.

Neither guy is anything special.

Disagree. Not getting too carried away but Selby did look a bit special.

Selby won every round and made Gradovich look very ordinary in the process.

danamba7 wrote:

diddy wrote:Selby wins a close one.

Neither guy is anything special.

Disagree. Not getting too carried away but Selby did look a bit special.

Yep Selby made it look easy. Just shows he's got another gear and can potentially go to the elite level.

Diddy only picked Selby because "it was in the UK" and you can't get a fair shake in the UK apparently.

david1963 wrote:Selby won every round and made Gradovich look very ordinary in the process.

Wrong. Gradovich won 4 and 5. Round 6 was the deciding one where Gradovich was shaken and never recovered.

Selby clearly won and was looking increasingly good as the bout progressed, but for the most part I didn't think he looked special; rounds two, four, and five were fairly close in my opinion and watching again with the sound on this time I believe that the commentary ignored many of Gradovich's connects.

Selby still put himself among the top few fighters at the weight though, and there's no one in the division who I'd rule him out against. He obviously possesses good boxing skills, both on the back foot and in place, and he's got much better pop than his KO ratio suggests.

crusader wrote:Selby clearly won and was looking increasingly good as the bout progressed, but for the most part I didn't think he looked special; rounds two, four, and five were fairly close in my opinion and watching again with the sound on this time I believe that the commentary ignored many of Gradovich's connects.

Selby still put himself among the top few fighters at the weight though, and there's no one in the division who I'd rule him out against. He obviously possesses good boxing skills, both on the back foot and in place, and he's got much better pop than his KO ratio suggests.

I think he would lose comprehensively to Walters, Lomachenko, and Russell, and maybe a few others in the top 10. I agree that he definitely did not look special in this fight.

ikorolev wrote:

david1963 wrote:Selby won every round and made Gradovich look very ordinary in the process.

Wrong. Gradovich won 4 and 5. Round 6 was the deciding one where Gradovich was shaken and never recovered.

At least one of the judges saw it the same way as me. None of them gave Gradovich two rounds and even Jim Watt only gave him the fourth. Saying "wrong" doesn't make it so.

English judges are as objective as English commentators or TV directors. Looking at replays shown to people, one could conclude that Gradovich didn't land ANYTHING.

ikorolev wrote:English judges are as objective as English commentators or TV directors. Looking at replays shown to people, one could conclude that Gradovich didn't land ANYTHING.

Yeah the commentary was sickening, and for the Mitchell fight too. The commentators spent the whole time after the final bell talking about how well Mitchell did (Hello? Ultimately, he got beat up and lost the fight decisively) and hardly gave any credit to Linares apart from the obligatory 'We've seen two warriors tonight' comment.