I think what makes these fights really interesting is that all four of them have the power to ice the other, and none are George Chuvalo in the chin department. I actually think Pops' chin is clearly the most proven, and most impressive of the three though. Can anybody imagine Kovalev, Beterbiev or Stevenson standing up to the shots Pops took off Saad and Gregory for as long as Pops did? Or can anybody see Pops getting stopped in 8 by Andre Ward, or getting dropped by Jeff Page Jr? I certainly don't. I think Kovalev gets KO'd. The Pops who fought Galindez was a whirlwind, and I think he'd take it straight to Kovalev's body and come upstairs with that right hook, left uppercut combo. Kovalev's only dealing with a southpaw which I can recall is Blake Caparello, where he was dropped. I don't think that's a good start to face somebody like Pops. A fight with Stevenson would be as simple as does Stevenson land. He isn't likely to put together the sort of rallies which Eddie and Saad used to put Pops away, and he isn't a Spinks-esque puncher, so I doubt he does. Marvin would run him through IMO. It's not impossible, though. I always try to be weary when appraising current fighters. Especially if they're as unproven as Beterbiev. If Beterbiev's stronger, the styles definitely favour him. Being able to push Pops back and work his body seems like the perfect way to beat him, Mickey Walker style. Beterbiev likely has that in him, but I would at least like to mention how quickly he started backing up and using his boxing skills once Johnson landed on him. If Pops landed that sort of punch - and I've not doubt he would at some point - he wouldn't let up. He'd throw and throw and throw, and he'd keep Beterbiev on that back-foot. If Pops was gonna win, that's how he'd go about it IMO. Although unless Beterbiev gets annihilated anytime soon, I'm gonna say he beats Pops.
He figures to be too much for all three. Stevenson is a pretty easy call. Pops would beat the shit outta the pimp.
I agree, and I don't think Stevenson has enough power to one shot Pops. He isn't Saad when it comes to power, and Saad didn't even have enough to take him out with just one.
Yeah, Saad doesn't really get enough credit for his power. He's a top 4 puncher in light heavyweight history, with the other three obviously being Foster, Spinks, and Moore.
I think when I did my list I had Saad at six, but I had him below those three, Langford and Fitzsimmons so it's not like I was selling him short. Saad was a humongous puncher. What makes his power seem so lethal is that is was almost like Marciano's IMO. Thudding and brutish; it could wear you down and slowly, methodically crush you, which can ruin you as a fighter (like it did vs Conteh), and when he needed to, could produce scary one-punch KOs as well.
