BoxRec

I say bring fight with Eleider Alvarez

I'd like to see that too.

Good power against Johnson last night but I was far from bowled over

handsofstone wrote:Good power against Johnson last night but I was far from bowled over

That's my impression too. He's obviously a good puncher, which can make for big knockouts that people remember, but he's fairly crude and I think vulnerable to being outboxed. I'd love to see him in with Alvarez next to give a better idea of how good he is.

One of Beterbiev's strengths is being hard to clinch effectively - where he can he'll take a step back and keep firing at an opponent trying to grab him and when he can't he is able to wrestle his hands out and deliver surprisingly hard shorter punches inside a clinch. His outside game doesn't have the sophistication of a Kovalev or Golovkin yet, but he's as good as anyone has ever been after 8 pro fights* I'd say.

I was quite impressed with Johnson as well to be fair - always out of his depth but showed good speed and accuracy and heart for a guy coming in on such short notice. Wouldn't mind seeing him again on an undercard vs. a Baker or Grachev or Sillakh or someone like that.

As for Beterbiev, I think I read that the trainer for Pascal / Alvarez / Beterbiev doesn't want any of them to fight each other professionally: "plenty of opportunities elsewhere" I think he said. If so, what about Oosthuizen If he can make the weight? Bika? Karpency? Maccarinelli? Dare they risk Forfara already?

*Excluding Rigo, Inoue and probably a few others.

He is a little crude on occasion, but I don't think it's going to matter. Noone will be able to live with him other than Kovalev. That fight would be a colossus. Two trucks colliding.

Riddick Blowe wrote:He is a little crude on occasion, but I don't think it's going to matter. Noone will be able to live with him other than Kovalev. That fight would be a colossus. Two trucks colliding.

Defo, Beterbiev is just pretty dismissive of what's coming back his way and is always thinking of attack. Can't wait till he steps up.

handsofstone wrote:Good power against Johnson last night but I was far from bowled over

Me too, He looked blocky and not fluid, with holes in in his defense. Beterbiev may have beat Kovalev as a amateur but Kovalev looks way more impressive as a pro , with Kovalev's flexibility and mobility to go with punching power really standing out.
Beiterbiev looked like a cross between , George Foreman/GGG/Randall Bailey style of fighting big slugger moving forward.
The announcers in the fight said Johnson took the fight on short notice and I think Johnson ran out of gas in around the 5th or 6th round and all his troubles started there.
I wonder how many fights before Beierbiev would be ready to fight Stevenson competitively?