Opinions are like...

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Opinions Are Like… by: Aaron Jones​

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Deep down, there is an elitist in all of us.
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Given the state of boxing, we are all prone to remember the olden days, when fighters were tough, and true warriors braved the ring. But we must remember that there are always gems amongst the gravel.
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We may not have a Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson to carry the torch, but there are still remarkable little guys etching their names into boxing lore. Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, have fought through a terrible Heavyweight era to bring the focus below 200lbs.
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These are exceptions. Any era able to call Arthur Abraham, Nicolai Valuev, and Lucian Bute “champion†is bound for scrutiny. Worse than the top tier, are gatekeepers who are simply poor by comparison to other times.
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Many would find this belief snobbish and rash. We must make a clear distinction, criticizing a fighter’s quality is not meant to be demeaning. If someone claims Chris Arreola is a C-level fighter who would be annihilated by any true elite Heavyweight, there is a sense in which this take is justified.
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This doesn’t mean Arreola is bad for boxing. He is exciting, puts butts in the seats. He may be a spark to lift the American Heavyweight scene. As a fighter, he clearly has flaws, glaring flaws.
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We should get past the point where criticism of a fighter gets shifted into two sides. One class of writer or analyst will take the high road. No fighter can be criticized for anything. This makes Mike Tyson “misunderstoodâ€, Carlos Monzon remembered as a great fighter, not a murderer.
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This extreme overlooks that boxers are human beings first. Fighters aren’t perfect, they are the sum of their parts. Bernard Hopkins is a once in a lifetime tactician, and a felon.
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This comment borders on the second kind of analyst. This group might as well be called “Sunday Morning Quarterbacksâ€. Not only do they know better than the fighters themselves, but are able to recite on command how they would do things if they were in charge.
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No, random fan watching, you do not know more than Freddie Roach. Much in the way Stephen A. Smith knows nothing about basketball, many mainstream personalities take the stance that they know what is best. Newsflash, by and large you don’t.
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Beyond this field of subjectivity are people who truly know boxing. These are individuals who will never say the garish, “Jim Rome†type things that make some people famous. They sit on the sides, observing and recording what they see.
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In the same breath chastising Pacquiao for his sloppiness, they will acknowledge his remarkable talent and heart. That Manny fights wild is observable, not the bumblings of a lost nobody.
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So the next time someone talks about how they would negate Roy Jones’ handspeed, or walk through Edwin Valero’s bombs, simply smile and know that not everyone’s opinions can get a gold star.

 

:bears:

 

Yes. this editorial will be coming today.

C

 

Arthur Abraham is not a weak champ in any era. I'd pick him to beat the shit out of Antuofermo, for example.

 

would you pick valuev to defeat jack dempsey?

 

Probably. Valuev ain't no Willard. Maybe.

 

I read it.

 

Teddy Atlas was a large part of the motivation for this. And he has now gone on record picking Hatton over Pac.:bangh:

 

False.

Arthur Abraham legitimately lost to Edison Miranda. He will get punished when he steps up.

 

oh, and Vito would wipe his taint on Abraham's dome after knocking him out.

 

Atlas also said Danny Jacobs wasn't knocking out Varela, which happened. The guy fell off long ago.

 

:: you say some stupid things. often. when did antuofermo become some type of knock out puncher?

 

dude, you are neil.

 

Thats ridiculous

 

Abraham would have creamed that walking period, mate.

 

Antuofermo went 15 close rounds with Hagler
Lost controversially to Minter

and beat Briscoe, Corro, Cyclone Hart, and a still pretty viable Emile Griffith

Abraham has done what exactly to earn this type of surety? Beat Edison Miranda and a 600 year old never was in Raul Marquez? defeated Shannan Taylor and Kofi Jantuah?

Let me know when Abraham does something other than get ducked by Kelly Pavlik

 

Raul Marquez was a never was, but Hugo Corro and Cyclone Hart are guys who pump up? Thats why this is never going to be worth discussing.

 

Abraham, it is debateable, may not be an elite world class fighter. Thus far, I thought he lost to Eastman and Jantuah. No fucking way, would he beat any decent middleweight either. Pavlik is slightly above decent and he will wipe his ass with that scrub Abraham. He truly sucks.

 

I'm not suggesting antuofermo couldn't or wouldn't defeat abraham. what I find hilarious is this mongoloid claiming abraham would get knocked out when antuofermo never knocked anyone out worth a damn aside from a washed up cyclone hart.

 

Abraham would not have lasted 3 rounds against Hagler and you know it.

 

he wouldve the night hagler drew with antuofermo, but how the fuck is that relevant to what I wrote?

 

::::Wow, you really are a retard. Abraham would get smashed by Hagler. Hagler might beat him today fuck that scrub Abraham ever going 15 with any Hall of FAMER. We are talking about a guy who was nearly killed by Edison Miranda.

 

you lack reading comprehension

 

opcorn:

 

I'm itching to do a post-fight for the weekend thing...but it would be great if this went up first.

 

Good Point...

It's NOT like Marvin Hagler was BRILLIANT Every Single Time he Fought & the 1st Antuofermo Fight is an EXAMPLE of this...


REED:hammert:

 

"Today" Meaning, "Sometime in 2009"....


REED:hammert:

 

U'd B BETTER Off Whipping Out the Camera, Putting the Underwear Over Ike's Head & Doing Another Video Program....



REED:hammert:

 

Ditto, but as I said already to Mister REED, I'm not gonna waste my time writing something that is gonna sit somewhere in a mailbox until it becomes utterly out-of-date

MTF :bangh:

 

I had hagler outboxing antuofermo 10-5, but he hardly fought aggressively that night.