Top 5 CURRENT favorite fighters

1. Kelly Pavlik

2. Arthur Abraham

3. Roy Jones Jr

4. Shane Mosley

5. Paul Briggs

 

Knockouts are not a measure of how exciting a fighter is. Everyone knows that Wlad knocks alot of people out, but his fights, knockout or not are boring as shit. His technique is not pleasing to watch, he is not aggressive, and he absolutely flails anytime he is hit. Haye had a good knockout over a bum. Sorry I just didn't get excited about it. It'll be exciting to watch him get stretched at heavyweight, and that's about it.

Calzaghe is not that boring, he does some amazing things and he's the only reason why I put the "basically" in there

The old Bernard was fun to watch, but the 2 punches per round Bernard that we've seen for the last 5 years is not.

Spinks.... all I can say is watching Judah continually HURT and STOP one of the most defensive minded fighters in boxing made me a fan.

 

Well you are right it was a plan B, but it is the type of plan B that will give him a short career.. a younger Shane would not have let him off so easily.

 

Yeah, that's sorta the case with me. When I first started following boxing in the early and mid 90's, I had distinct favorites...the top two at the time being Pernell Whitaker and Lennox Lewis. Erik Morales eventually got a spot on that list.

Now, I don't know I like any fighter that much. I'm certainly not as devoted to any fighter like some are with Roy Jones, Felix Trinidad, Manny Pacquiao, et al.

Being from the Bay Area I've followed the careers of guys like Nonito Donaire, Robert Guerrero and Andre Ward (and Vicente Escobedo up in the Sac area) for years and so I always try to watch them fight and want to see them succeed.

Outside of them, I appreciate fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez, Joel Casamayor, Miguel Cotto, and I like Chad Dawson, Wladimir Klitschko and Mikkel Kessler. Paul Williams will be on the list if he continues to fight like he did in the re with Quintana.

One fighter I liked watching in the last Olympics and still follow through the internet is Vitali Tajbert...though I haven't seen any of his pro fights.

 

I would honestly take Cotto to outclass tito at 147. Tito had power and stamina sure, and nice punching technique, but every time he faced a prime, A class fighter he was HORRIFICALLY outclassed.

Mosley can still fight, and is a better fighter than Vargas ever was, as much as I like nando.

I'll take Cotto's 8-4 win over a good version of Shane that turned up to win, than Tito's TKO win over Vargas. Don't forget, tito was handled mid rounds in that fight, knocked down, and resorted to low blows to even the score, then took over late.

I don't want you to get me wrong, I don't dislike tito as a fighter, he was fun to watch, this much is undeniable, it just pisses me off how absurdly overrated he is.

Every time he fought an elite fighter, he got fucking clowned - Oscar, Bernard, Winky, and finally Roy.

 

1. Roy- Admittedly, REED HOPES Roy Wins More than KNOWING he'll Win, these Days...Nonetheless, even if REED DOESN'T Watch the Fight as it Happens, KNOWING the RESULT of Any Roy Jones Fight is FOREMOST N REED's Mind...

REED CAN'T Sleep or Function Until he KNOWS 1 Way or the Other...Out of FEAR (& the Fact there was an HBO Tripleheader the Same Night), REED Didn't Order the Hanshaw Fight...But REED COULD NOT Rest Until he Read a Few DIFFERENT Post-Fight Reports & Posts...

2. Floyd- Admittedly (AGAIN), if REED Hadn't Met Floyd Personally, he'd Appear NOWHERE on REED's List...But Floyd was COOL to REED, so REED Cuts him some SLACK...

3. Pavlik- REED's Looooooooved him Since his ShoBox & Versus Days...& The INTENSITY & DRAMA of the 1st Taylor Fight SEALED Pavlik's Spot as a Guy REED'll ALWAYS Root 4, til he's DONE Fighting...

The Simplistic EFFECTIVENESS of his Style, the POWER, the WORKRATE & his HONESTY Make Pavlik EASY to Like...He's Got BALLS, yet he's NOT a Brawler...& he's always, Always, ALWAYS Got a "Puncher's Chance"...REED Forsee's 1 or 2 CLASSIC Come-from-Behind KO's for Pavlik, B 4 he's Finished...

Those R the ELITE Level Guys REED is Most VOCAL about, DURING their Fights...The Only ELITE Guys where it would BOTHER REED if they LOST Anytime Sooon...

But there's Plenty Others just a Notch Below, who REED Makes a POINT to Watch...ALREADY, REED is INCAPABLE of Being "Objective" about Eric Fields, Kirk Johnson, Luis Yanez or Charles Hatley...Luis & Charles will IMMEDIATELY Join REED's Top 5, the Day they Turn Pro...

Manny Pac, The Peterson Brothers, Alfredo Angulo, Kevin Johnson & Miguel Cotto R Other Elite Level Guys w/the POTENTIAL to Join REED's Top 5...Manny WAS Top 5, but he's LOST that Fire...So REED's Interest WANES as Manny's Does...



REED:fightme:

 

agREED...

Those Cats R EASY to Root For, Stylistically...

REED's Got his "Eye" on David Haye as Well, but Only Seen the Macaroni Fight Thus Far...


REED:fightme:

 

1- John Ruiz, I know everyone hates him, but I like seeing him impose his style and guts on more talented fighters than him, and his sneaker is very very underlooked. Personnaly, I feel his boring factor is way overblown and his boring fights are, a lot of time, more a result of his opponents.

2- Cotto, I agree with MWS, he's better than tito ever was. Really love the way he digs his combinations

3- Miranda, I love his confidence, attitude, and more importantly, big punch. Not very skilled but the type of guy, again, that impose his will on others.


4- Andrande, been a fan since I saw him destroy Otis Grant, again, not the more skilled guy out there, but a tough tough sob.

5- Quitana/Ishe Smith/Margarito/Junior Witter, I love all of these guy's style, for many different reason obviously, and are pretty much interchangeable.

Still got love for legends like Roy, Toney and Hopkins but feel there time is pass and wouldn't root for them vs young guy's I like

 

In no order:

Kessler
Haye
Katsidis
Glen Johnson
Linares

 

In no order :

JMM
Miguel Cotto
Mikkel Kessler
Jorge Linares
Joachim Alcine

If they're still considered active : Replace Kessler and Linares by Tito and Morales.

 

hmm....no order;

Calzaghe
Pavlik
Haye
Juan Manuel Lopez (and yes, purely off about 2 minutes of action vs Ponce)
Cotto

 

Pavlik
Pacquiao
Marquez
Cotto
Hatton

 

What prime elite fighter has Cotto beaten?

 

1. Pavlik
2. Cotto
3. Williams
4. Wlad
5. Mosley

 

1)-Margarito
2)-Taylor
3)-Kessler
4)-Mosely
5)-Paul Williams (Replacing Wlad).

Required race consistancies

1 - Hispanic/mediterranean mix, 1 - Nordic/ Anglo White, 3 - Black/ White mixes (approx 30% variable average).

 

In no particular order:

1. Calzaghe: Guy has finally grown balls over the last couple of years and stepped out of the shadows to prove what some of us always knew- he had the goods all along. The Lacy schooling, the recovery to beat Kessler and the intensity of the Hopkins fight were are great to watch.

2. Katsidis: I overrate him to death, but I can't help it. I love his style of fighting- he comes to KO guys and has almost no consideration for his own safety in doing so. Cost him dearly when fighting Casa. Has huge punching power for a little guy.

3. Cotto: There is something special about this guy. Has all the tools his arsenal and is great to watch. Fight against Margarito could be a classic.

4. Johnson: absolutely ancient but still going strong. Can't take a backward step, throws plenty of punches and a true warrior. I thought he narrowly beat Chad last time out...

5. Pavlik: has a style which looks limited but is extremely effective and always looks to fight at his pace behind a ramrod 1-2. Great fun to watch.

Honourable mentions: Vasquez, Haye, Pac.

MTF

 

Proof positive that Haye will succeed at HW.

Fightbeat's very own wise sage has predicted failure, so re-mortgage the house and lump on David Haye :cheer:

 

I will bet anyone here $50 that Haye gets laid the fuck out when he steps in with a fightnews.com top 10 ranked heavyweight (at time of fight).

 

The current top ten includes the GIANT Ibragimov, a pile of robots and the shell that is Shannon Briggs. I note with interest that Hasim Rahman and (stop snickering at the back) Andrew Golota are poised just outside the top ten waiting for their chance to shine... ::::

This is by far and away the most shameful, pathetic crop of HW's I have ever seen.

I'll take that bet.

MTF

 

Done... now we wait....

 

I'm kind of the same way. There's very few fighters I consider myself a big fan of. Most of the time, I just root for fighters based on the potential matchups a win for that fighter will help materialize, or what's good for the sport.

The only fighters really recently I would say I was a big fan of were Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather, Diego Corrales, and Manny Pacquiao.

I generally root for the local fighters too. I'd say Andre Ward is one of my favorites, I was happy in 2004 when he took Gold and have more or less followed his career since then.

I'll add Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Cotto, I like them too. I want David Haye to do really well at heavyweight because I think it'd be good for the sport. I used to be a big James Toney fan, but his gluttony and repeated positive steroid tests have made him go, in the words of Jay Z, "from top ten to not mentioned at all". I like watching Izzy Vazquez and Fernando Montiel. I used to be indifferent about Antonio Margarito, but more or less I became a fan after his recent destruction of Kermit Cintron. But none of these guys I consider myself a real big fan of.

 

dsimon writes:

1) Mayweather- Displays the true triumph of training, technology, technique over brute force. What I appreciate about Floyd is that he is far from the fastest, the strongest, nor the guy with the biggest heart... he is a product of his training. The interplay of Roger, and Floyd is like a fine orchestra playing stavinsky properly... It is a rare and unrehearsed triumph of humanity over chaos.

2) Haye- This kid has a punch and the balls to try to call to task the festoring shithole called the heavyweight division. While the Klits want to monopolize the division by fighting boring safety first shit fighters who don't hit as hard as most decent cruisers this kid wants a chance to do something.... He deserves a chance imo and I hope he succeeds. The difference? Haye is sincere. He really wants that chance and prepares for it. The theory is that Haye has a punch and that he can make some noise because of it. I believe in this theory. Basic heavyweight 101.... A guy with no punch is no threat. The Klits do not care about making exciting fights and will not.

3) Cotto- He has taken the mantle from Tito... or was handed the mantle::. Evrything a great Borican fighter should be... technically accomplished, tough as nails and interested in getting better. The Cubans and the Ricans have boxing down and a great champion like Cotto has to be damn good to represent.

4) Bernard Hopkins- The quinessential Philly fighter. Still exposing the bums despite the establishment. Made Calzighe look like an amatuer imo.

5) Chavez Junior- The kid has a lot of haters but just keeps on doing what he is supposed to be doing. Yeah he isn't a natural phenomena, neither was Floyd. Again. the triumph of nurture over nature... how far can Junior go?

 

Juan Manuel Lopez really impressed me with his win over De Leon. His combination punching and determination to finish his opponent when he has him hurt is reminiscent of Tito.

 

too bad he has the tendency to put on a stinker when he can't knock the other guy out. i'm sure you'll be disappointed.

 

You mean not every opponent leaves themselves open for repeated right hooks the way Ponce did?

 

Consider Ponce's STYLE & the Fact that he'd NEVER Been Dropped, Pro OR AMATUER...

Sure, Ponce is/was VERY EASY to Tag, but He's Fought MANY World Class Guys & Never SERIOUSLY Been Hurt B 4, that REED has Seen...

Juan Ma's KO was VERY Impressive...& REED PREDICTED (& ROOTED 4) Ponce to WIN that Fight...


REED:hammert:

 

Ponce is alright. He had a respectable run as champion that was better than a lot of people expected and he may become a champion again. But there were so many deficiencies in his game.

He was outboxed by Caballero, and arguably against Penalosa (though GP hurt himself in that fight by not being more active and Ponce's power perhaps deserves credit for that).

The way he blized Bautista was impressive, though.

BTW, Lopez looked a lot bigger and stronger than Ponce.

 

Yeah that was weird. Lampley started the fight saying: Have you ever seen a Jr. featherweight as big as Ponce and I was thinking: YES he standing right there in the ring, Juanma Lopez.

 

Yeah, that was really strange when he said that.