Jirov fought at 190. Kovalev at 175. Why are you comparing it to an Arguello/Callaghan match up? That's just stupid.
yes it is 15 pounds can make some fighters shells of themselves... it'd be baseless speculation to hazard a guess in this matchup
In in a P4P sense, I'm confident in saying Kov is a better fighter. P4P Kov has more power, quicker hands, better skills, and seems to have a much higher ring IQ. Jirov was pretty fuckin dumb as a fighter. If Jirov beat Kov, it'd be PURELY based on size.
Agreed with double L that's it's a perfectly fine matchup for a MM, hell they are only one division apart, and everyone and theyr mother complains that theyr is too many divisions. Don't know why some seems to get all irritated by it. Guess some are still stuck on this annoying messageboard bully mentality. Back to the topic, I think that Jirov wins a tough fight, by virtue of his body attack and size advantage
Shut up its not a welterweight against a junior middleweight ... It's a guy jumping 15 pounds... The historical precedent for this being a pretty big deal is very evident
Agreed, jumping 15 pounds is never trivial, doesn't matter what division you're in. Kovalev seems like a beast at light heavy, he could be nothing special as a cruiser.
Exactly... For a long time heavyweights were 190-200 pounds or so and numerous fine 175 pounders found jumping up to face them a bridge too far
It's interesting, in a sort of a "Jirov only has Toney and Warevenson won't fight Kosovo so Kosovo moves up, Discuss" kind of way But in real life it probably would make little sense, apart from the above contractual or political scenario
Face it. This match-up is fascinating. There's been plenty of fighters in recent memory who have moved from 175 to 190.
Hypothetically speaking, if Kov could move up to 190 and be just as effective, he'd stop Jirov. Jirov never met a right hand that he didn't block with his face.
exactly, no problem with that but is clearly just hyopthetical... there's nothing to go on... mythical matchups like this often come down to whichever poster can blow the prettiest bubbles in the absence of anything evidence-based to go on... that's why I don't like them It's the same thing with "P4P" matchups... "if wald pussy were a welterweight, he'd die because the style wouldn't work" ... yeah, okay, but he isn't and his physical attributes have a lot to do with the way he "fights" ... If Tommy Hearns were 5'4, he wouldn't be Tommy Hearns I'd rather deal with like and like... Sal Sanchez and Eusebio Pedroza, 126 pounds, 15 rounds... We can work with that... They are both featherweights, we can dissect the opposition, how they did against that opposition, they even fought some of the same guys, it's perfect... There's a debate to be had there based on usable information Sanchez/Arguello at 135? Nothing there but conjecture and theories based on whatever assumptions you have about how Sal Sanchez fits as a Lightweight... Logic goes out the window
