The Official Boxing Thread

[2stepz_ahead]

dlh is full of shit

 

[Mastery]

@Mastery

The International Boxing Federation has confirmed that light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) is about to become the mandatory challenger to IBF world champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs).

BoxingScene.com reported on Tuesday that Beterbiev was about to get the mandatory position, by default, because of the boxer's tough task in securing an opponent for a final eliminator.

- See more at:http://www.boxingscene.com/ibf-if-n...d-kovalev-winner--114881#sthash.zPTdQLEU.dpuf

Chea!!!! They both gonna duck him though. Definitely Ward, and like @playmaker88 said, Kovalev may not duck him if he gets the nod.

 

[Negro_Caesar]

@Mastery

The International Boxing Federation has confirmed that light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) is about to become the mandatory challenger to IBF world champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs).

BoxingScene.com reported on Tuesday that Beterbiev was about to get the mandatory position, by default, because of the boxer's tough task in securing an opponent for a final eliminator.

- See more at:http://www.boxingscene.com/ibf-if-n...d-kovalev-winner--114881#sthash.zPTdQLEU.dpuf

Chea!!!! They both gonna duck him though. Definitely Ward, and like @playmaker88 said, Kovalev may not duck him if he gets the nod.

Man I gotta go watch this nigga fights because you hyping fuck outta cuz

 

[international]

A lot of hearts are going to be broken when Brook hands Spence his first loss haha

I want Spence to win, but its goin be a tough tough ask, and he fightin in his backyard!

 

[Mastery]

@Mastery

The International Boxing Federation has confirmed that light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) is about to become the mandatory challenger to IBF world champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs).

BoxingScene.com reported on Tuesday that Beterbiev was about to get the mandatory position, by default, because of the boxer's tough task in securing an opponent for a final eliminator.

- See more at:http://www.boxingscene.com/ibf-if-n...d-kovalev-winner--114881#sthash.zPTdQLEU.dpuf

Chea!!!! They both gonna duck him though. Definitely Ward, and like @playmaker88 said, Kovalev may not duck him if he gets the nod.

Man I gotta go watch this nigga fights because you hyping fuck outta cuz

I AM hyping him with no fucks given. He had an amateur career that rivals Lomachenko's. He beat Kovalev TWICE in the amateurs. He won the silver at the 2007 World Amateur Boxing Championships, gold at the 2009 World Amateur Boxing Championships and two gold medals at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in 2006 and 2010.

He won his first professional title in his 6th fight by KO'ing Tavoris Cloud in 2 rounds and breaking his jaw.

Bruh he's aggressive as fuck, got that killer instinct, has top notch cuncussive punching power and his technical skills are on point.

Plus, you didn't read the article? Niggas is legitimately ducking this dude haha. No one wants to fight him to become the mandatory to either Ward or Kovalev.

Like I said, they gonna duck him. I been saying this shit for MONTHS! Adonis Stevenson BEEN ducking this dude. Chump. Haha

@Negro_Caesar

 

[Mastery]

@playmaker88

I don't see Virgil letting Ward fight Beterbiev because unlike Kovalev, Beterbiev CAN fight on the inside haha

 

[Negro_Caesar]

Golden boy boxing on espn tonight 10ET

 

[MR.CJ]

https://twitter.com/latimespugmire/status/845067809373601792

 

[marc123]

This asian lookin broad eating punches

 

[Rum Middleton]

@Mastery

The International Boxing Federation has confirmed that light heavyweight contender Artur Beterbiev (11-0, 11 KOs) is about to become the mandatory challenger to IBF world champion Andre Ward (31-0, 15 KOs).

BoxingScene.com reported on Tuesday that Beterbiev was about to get the mandatory position, by default, because of the boxer's tough task in securing an opponent for a final eliminator.

- See more at:http://www.boxingscene.com/ibf-if-n...d-kovalev-winner--114881#sthash.zPTdQLEU.dpuf

Ward gettin smaaacked!!

 

[aneed123]

All dez euro cracker boogey men.SMH ward beat him too

 

[Mastery]

All dez euro cracker boogey men.SMH ward beat him too

Negro please. I'd respect this opinion a lot more if you didn't automatically roll with ANY black fighter over any opponent ever haha

Ward going to duck him, mark my words. Or get beat by Kovalev in the rematch (he barely made it out the first time).

 

[playmaker88]

All dez euro cracker boogey men.SMH ward beat him too

Negro please. I'd respect this opinion a lot more if you didn't automatically roll with ANY black fighter over any opponent ever haha

Ward going to duck him, mark my words. Or get beat by Kovalev in the rematch (he barely made it out the first time).

GOT EM.

 

[aneed123]

All dez euro cracker boogey men.SMH ward beat him too

Negro please. I'd respect this opinion a lot more if you didn't automatically roll with ANY black fighter over any opponent ever haha

Ward going to duck him, mark my words. Or get beat by Kovalev in the rematch (he barely made it out the first time).

GOT EM.

Hush lol

 

[aneed123]

All dez euro cracker boogey men.SMH ward beat him too

Negro please. I'd respect this opinion a lot more if you didn't automatically roll with ANY black fighter over any opponent ever haha

Ward going to duck him, mark my words. Or get beat by Kovalev in the rematch (he barely made it out the first time).

Bierb whatever the fuck his name is gotta show me.... ggg and kkovalev were hyped too much

 

[f.e.d.s.]

After watching the replay, I had Chocolatito winning 114-112. I believe he faded late because of the blood loss and the judges gave Sor Rungvisai the fight because of the cuts

 

[stringer bell]

Floyd speaks on a Triple Borat...

 

[dwade206]

Just saw the GGG fight. It could've gone either way. Good fight.

 

[MR.CJ]

https://twitter.com/boxnationtv/status/846074287790305280

 

[stringer bell]

http://www.boxingscene.com/boxing-pound-pound-debate-tougher-ever--115005

Boxing's Pound For Pound Debate Is Tougher Than Ever

By Corey Erdman

As subjective and open to debate as the pound for pound discussion is in boxing, the current state of the mythical list offers more questions, and more possibilities for No. 1 than ever before.

Following Roman Gonzalez's shocking loss at the hands of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the fight crowd no longer had a fighter to at least settle on as the best in the world. There were most certainly still debates as to whether someone else was more deserving of top billing, but nobody was unhappy with Chocolatito sitting atop the list.

Unfortunately, on the same night, the man HBO would have loved to surpass him, Gennady Golovkin, complicated matters as well. He earned a close decision over Daniel Jacobs, the best of his career, but there is at least a small percentage of the population that no longer believes he's the best middleweight in the world, let alone the best fighter overall.

Now, the discussion includes Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev, Golovkin, Gonzalez, Vasyl Lomachenko, and even Terence Crawford, with all having major advantages and disadvantages.

“I think there are question marks all around. I think that prior to the Ward fight, Chocolatito fight hadn't fought his fight yet, I think that Chocolatito was a lukewarm number one. And the reason was he beat Cuadras at a weight class clearly not his best, a champion in four weight classes. Beating Estrada was impressive, but until he beat Cuadras, I don't think he could be considered No. 1,” said SHOWTIME boxing analyst Steve Farhood.

“Both the Ward-Kovalev fight and the Gonzalez-Srisaket fight reminded me of a very difficult question when you're ranking fighters. What happens when you disagree with a verdict? Sometimes you disagree strongly and you think it's ridiculous. Sometimes it's close. But that's always been a problem."

Ward currently tops most outlets' lists, including Ring Magazine's, on the basis of a dominant run at super middleweight where he beat all of the division's best in tournament format. However, the victory that catapulted him to No. 1 consideration was a disputed one, a hotly contested decision win over Sergey Kovalev.

Thanks to that controversy, there are some who consider Kovalev to be the best in the world. Unfortunately, to rank Kovalev ahead of Ward in pound for pound rankings might be taking too many liberties with the subjective nature of the discussion. The point of pound for pound—at least what's generally agreed upon—is to decide who would win if all things were equal, ostensibly “evening” the weight classes. Whether you agreed with the decision or not, Ward moved up a weight class and defeated Kovalev in real life. If head to head matchups aren't to be considered as tiebreakers, then there really are no rules.

Golovkin has a very strong case, but some would argue that he wasn't deserving of a Top 5 ranking prior to the Jacobs victory, with his best win prior to that possibly coming against Martin Murray. With the debatable nature of the Jacobs decision, even a fighter as universally respected as “GGG” can't get full public backing.

“While I certainly would have rated Golovkin Top 10, I don't think he was Top 3 until he fought Danny. I don't care that he's got 17 [title] wins, I'm looking at who he's beat. The best fighter he beat was Kell Brook, but the best middleweight he beat was Martin Murray, that's not pound for pound material,” said Farhood.

“Chocolatito” has supporters who want to see him keep his No. 1 spot, based on the assertion that the Srisaket decision was erroneous. However, the fact that a monstrous underdog like Srisaket was even able to give him a titantic struggle is a sign that Gonzalez has finally hit his ceiling.

Lomachenko may very well be the most stunning talent of the crew, and would be No. 1 if the debate were purely an eye test, but his short professional career and the still-looming tough decision to Orlando Salido in his second outing continues to be a knock against him in this argument.

Then there's Crawford, who has no blemishes on his record whatsoever. The only reason he lags behind in this debate is perhaps because the others he's up against have been considered “elite” longer, with the exception of Lomachenko. Surely, his eventual trip up to welterweight where many of the sport's best reside will give him the opportunity to erase any doubts.

“Pound for pound” can never be absolutely unanimous, but never before have we been so far away from a consensus. From 2005 until last year, it was barely a thought, as the correct answer could have only been Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao at various points during that time frame.

The most recent historical comparison to the level of debate surrounding the best in the world right now is likely in 2000 and 2001, when Shane Mosley, Roy Jones Jr., Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins all had arguments for the spot at various points, with all but Trinidad in that group topping Ring Magazine's list at some point over the next few years.

However, contrary to popular belief, RING wasn't the first boxing publication to create such a list. KO Magazine, which started printing in 1980, put a Pound for Pound list in its January issue of that year. At that time, Roberto Duran was considered the best in the world. The magazine would continue making the lists, at one point rebranding it the “Dynamite Dozen.”

But if you think today's debate is hard, try finding the right answer back in January of 1981, when KO Magazine had this list:

1 - Thomas Hearns

2 - Sugar Ray Leonard

3 - Marvin Hagler

4 - Larry Holmes

5 - Alexis Arguello

As much as fans love the barstool arguments about who the best in the world is, and as terrific as it is that there are many deserving candidates, the sport still craves a consensus No. 1.

Most of boxing's financial boom periods have come on the back of particularly dominant fighters who were unquestionably the best in the world: Mayweather, Pacquiao, Leonard, Ali, Robinson. The same can be said about almost any individual sport, for whom the newspaper pages don't often have spare ink, unless there's a preeminent figure—Tiger Woods for golf, Roger Federer for tennis, Usain Bolt in sprinting.

So while we in the sport should appreciate and crave the parity that exists right now, and the emergence of many potential best in the worlds, we should all ultimately be hoping for a definitive answer.