Is it in Boots' mind to think I'm willing to take shots in order to get my own off, or has his defense simply poor? He's been shipping plenty of shots lately. He's obviously talented, but I get a feeling once he steps up in competition/weight, he could be in for a shock.
Come on. Canelo was a teenager at that time, and a year or 2 away from winning his first title. Much different situation from Boots that is in his prime years, and already defended his title a few times
I think its readily apparent that Boots ain't the next Leonard or Jones, but Ortiz and Fundora are both extremely flawed fighters and i think Boots can take em. But his prime is definitely wasting away.
Boots is starting to show some flaws himself. Perhaps not as good as many have been pegging him. But I would still like to see Boots vs Ortiz next year. That would be the ultimate crossroads fight for both guys. I think that’s a 50/50 fight.
Not only that but Boots fought a guy he had already beaten, with every advantage...home crowd, power, speed and talent. What’s troubling is his corner's strategy... repeating the same "get him out of there" instructions round after round showing no plan B when Boots power wasn’t enough. This was supposed to be a showcase fight with his new DAZN deal but he failed to impress. People saw him as Crawford’s heir but he didn’t live up to it did he? This wasn’t a Canelo vs. Cotto moment...it was Boots getting a reality check.
I don't know why when a fight doesn't go a certain way moving up is always the solution . He still has unfinished business at 147. Sounds like a built in excuse to me.
There’s no smoke at 147. Plus, with Boots frame it’s not like his body isn’t soon to outgrow the division. Boots has nothing to gain at 147, imo. There’s more talent at 154 if he’s able to land a fight with somebody.
"Unfinished Business"???...Do You Actually PAY ATTENTION to the Business of Boxing Or Is Ignorance BLISS???... Barrios and Stanionis Wanted NO Parts of Boots When He was Under the PBC Umbrella w/Them...Eddie Hearn Hasn't Found it Any Easier Making Those Fights Now That Boots is w/Matchroom...Surprised???.... Brian Norman Used Boots to CLOUT CHASE His Way Into a Degree of Familiarity, Then TURNED DOWN What Would've Been 3x His Career HIGH Purse to Unify w/Boots...Norman Instead Chose a Mandatory Defense On the Keyshawn Davis Undercard, Which Didn't Materialize Due to Injury... So Boots is Considering MOVING UP to '54 and Vergil Ortil to DUCK Barrios, Stanionis and Norman???...Fuck Outta Here Bruh... REED
REED Noted in a PRE-Fight Video How DRAINED Boots Looked @ the Final Karen 2 Presser...Still Picked Him to DOMINATE Karen, However... Considering the Very 1st Post-Fight Words Out of Boots Mouf' Suggested Moving Up to '54, REED Takes it @ Face Value...Like Errol Spence, Boots Walks Around in the High 170's - Low 180's, So it's Doubtful Cutting Has EVER Been Easy...Now it's Getting HARDER and More NOTICEABLE in Boots' Appearance... Like Spence, Boots is Now Running the Risk of Staying @ Welter toooooo Looooooooong.... If Barrios/Stanionis/Norman were SMART, They'd Jump on a Unification w/Boots Now...In Fact, They Should Be RACING Each Other To Make the Biggest Fight @ '47, Currently, Against a Guy Who's Probably OUTGROWN the Division... But They WON'T... Didn't Want Boots THEN, So REED Doubts They'll Want Him Now....On to Verg Early 2025, Hopefully... REED
I've got nothing against Boots but I'm tired of fighters looking average and thinking moving up will fix their flaws. 147 is a weak division now that Crawford and Spence are gone but I miss when champions actually owned a division. Boots hasn’t done much at 147 yet and honestly I doubt anyone will remember his accomplishments here 20 years from now.
With boots, a fair question is, why did he wait so long to move up? What the hell did he stick around 147 for the last 2-3 years for, when nobody was there? Reality is, fighters want to test the possibility of making it big just fighting nobodies. Afterall, it has been known to happen.
Yeah... I've been high on Boots for a long time but as you said, it's definitely a possibility that he's more interested in local fame and easy money than really testing himself. Hope we see him in meaningful fights in 2025 but won't hold my breath.
I'm hoping that Boots vs Ortiz is next, I really am. We'll find out the true worth of both of them. No point in that letting that matchup "marinate". Neither one is ever gonna be a megastar. Make that fight RIGHT NOW while both guys are in their physical primes.