So many of the match-ups eating up HBO and Showtime's budget involve puffing up records of future PPV prospects, resurrecting clapped out fighters' careers, or servicing promoters in order to secure access to their PPV stars. The rare occurrence is the true 50/50 fight, or even a fight with a genuine doubt about the outcome. As a result (and thanks to injuries and drugs), since the start of the year, we've only had a handful of decent fights at a world level. Pick ten-15 fights which don't include pacquaio or mayweather which could guarantee entertainment, some general interest, even some grudge. 1. Carl Froch vs Kelly Pavlik 2. Roman Gonzalez vs Brian Viloria 3. Marcos Maidana vs Lucas Matthysse 4. Nonito Donaire vs Mikey Garcia 5. Adrian Broner vs Yuriorkis Gamboa 6. Brandon Rios vs Robert Guerrero 7. Juan Manuel Marquez vs Erik Morales 8. Mike Alvarado vs Amir Khan 9. Gennady Golovkin vs Felix Sturm 10. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs Paul Williams 11. Tony Bellew vs Beibut Shumenov 12. Tavoris Cloud vs Ismayl Silakh 13. Chris Arreola vs. Alexander Povetkin 14. Mercito Gesta vs Jorge Linares 15. Kell Brook vs Mike Jones
I'd like to see the following Tua-Tyson Holy-Ruiz Shane-quartey Paienza-Roy 2 Toney-Tarver Crapsaggy-Lennox.....fought at cruiser
Ward-Martinez at 164 Cotto-Alvarez Khan-Brook Price-Fury Wlad-Povetkin Donaire-Nishioka Rigondeax-Mares (^winners face each other) Rios-Maidana Gambao-John Burns-Mitchell Froch-Kessler II
Here's a question - with the possible exception of Abraham are any of the super 6 guys less marketable today than before the tournament? You'd think the promoters and networks would take note. Somebody's 'O' goes (or their 1 turns to a 2 or whatever) and nobody gives a fuck. Big fights = name recognition, win lose or draw. $$$
I don't really feel that way, mate Johnson & Green came right out of it and into the type of big fights they woulda spent years campaigning for. Dirrell is well placed to do the same as soon as he decides to. Taylor...I think was always gonna take the big fights and get found out at the weight anyway. There's no real counter factual to contemplate with that guy I think Abraham is the one guy who might have been in a position to play it safe in Europe protecting a belt and making a good living & lost that through super 6. But OTOH, he got 4 career high pay days out of it.... I don't think he did too badly on final analysis. I reckon the overall lesson has been that big fights beget big fights, even if you lose a couple.
Basically yeah. If every top boxer fought each other the perception of a loss would change, it wouldn't be seen as a big deal, and some guys would get more big fights win, lose, or draw, if they proved to be worthy in a big fight.
Abraham did ok out of it financially , he also didn't get burst open by Froch, and in fact hurt Froch in the final round of their fight, he went back to EBU level fighting opponents common to James DeBreeze so he's not out of the frame just yet. Dirrell is on a shelf waiting to be taken down and used, and Green just had a big fight in Denmark. Taylor is hurt, more than tarnished.
Abraham really needs to be at 160, with his style. He might get himself a couple good wins and end up right back in the frame if he went back down there
Yeah, he's live against anyone he can physically bully. Much better at 160. I though that was the main reason Froch dominated him......it wasn't as much master boxing skills as being the stronger man that gave him center ring and so much time/space. It neutralized AA
Yeah, but I really wanna see Povetkin quit stalling for time and take his beating. He deserves it for being such a monumental waste of time
I particularly like the bold, some good local battles, and I'd wonder if Mares' all-round talents and experience would get him over the hump against Rigondeaux, definitely a 50/50 fight IMO. Price -Fury would be sloppy fun.
