This is exactly what a gatekeeper is. Quintana, Corley, Johnson, Bailey, Katsidis, Spinks, Mayorga, Mosley etc, are gatekeepers.
People mentioning Cotto, Judah, Maidana, Berto, Bika don't even know what a gatekeeper is and they need to stop. If these guys are gatekeepers then the only good fighters are top 3 fighters of a weight class, and that is just so ridiculously false that it's not even funny and I have to question every single person's knowledge of boxing in this thread. You mention lower tier top 10 fighters and call them gatekeepers, we already have a problem in boxing then...mentioning top 5 fighters of a weight class and calling them gatekeepers, go watch another sport, please.
If Quintana comes out of retirement then he's a gatekeeper.
People here are mentioning fighters that are still getting championship fights. Those fighters are most definitely not gatekeepers.
gatekeeper is inside the top 15-20. he beats all the journeymen but loses to most the guys above him but on any given night he could pull the odd upset. monte barrett had that role in the HW division for several years. dereck chisora has taken over that role. he's the new gatekeeper of the HW division.
This is exactly what a gatekeeper is. Quintana, Corley, Johnson, Bailey, Katsidis, Spinks, Mayorga, Mosley etc, are gatekeepers.
People mentioning Cotto, Judah, Maidana, Berto, Bika don't even know what a gatekeeper is and they need to stop. If these guys are gatekeepers then the only good fighters are top 3 fighters of a weight class, and that is just so ridiculously false that it's not even funny and I have to question every single person's knowledge of boxing in this thread. You mention lower tier top 10 fighters and call them gatekeepers, we already have a problem in boxing then...mentioning top 5 fighters of a weight class and calling them gatekeepers, go watch another sport, please.
Ring has Bika ranked at #8, but I personally don't hold him in such a high regard. He's 33 years old, suffers from inactivity, has losses to Ward/Bute/Calzaghe, and barely receives any promotion. His next fight is against somebody I've never heard of (Sjekloca) in February. Granted, it's for the interim WBC belt, but he already lost to Ward already. Bika is a rough and rugged opponent that can take guys out of their element. If you can't beat Bika, you're not a top 10 SMW imho.
Gatekeepers are typically labelled as fighters young prospects step up against to get to solid contender or title contention status.
Guys like Cotto are not close to being gatekeepers yet. Pavlik isn't either. They only fight other top champions, big names or number 1 guys in their division (unless they are taking tune ups after a layoff like Pavlik). That is so far removed from what a gatekeeper, that it's just absurd to call them gatekeepers.
They might get a title shot here and there, but they're generally beyond title challenges. They are used for young guys trying to pass their first big test, hence gatekeeper. They have enough of a name left for tune ups against champs etc still, but are basically used as fodder to test rising guys on.
Someone mentioned Miranda, and he is a great example. He's no threat to the champs, got a decent name and still can be risky so he's used to for young guys coming up. Bailey is a good gatekeeper, and has shown himself to be risky still by beating one of the young guys.
Even Judah isn't really a gatekeeper yet. He's on the verge, and has been for some time. Not yet though.
Most of the guys mentioned in this thread are way above gatekeeper status still. They are the top guys in the division fighting in title fights etc!
Even Mayorga isn't really a gatekeeper. He's only fought Cotto, Mosley, Vargas, Oscar and one journeyman who he beat in the last five years. That's not what a gatekeeper does.
I thought gatekeepers where the guys that couldnt even get matches against champs, and would lose or expose every prospect on the rise.
Guys like Judah, Cotto, etc. are still only losing against top level champs, once they start losing to prospects or even other contenders then they start becoming gatekeepers.
Carlos Quintana for example is a true gatekeeper now.
This is exactly what a gatekeeper is. Quintana, Corley, Johnson, Bailey, Katsidis, Spinks, Mayorga, Mosley etc, are gatekeepers.
People mentioning Cotto, Judah, Maidana, Berto, Bika don't even know what a gatekeeper is and they need to stop. If these guys are gatekeepers then the only good fighters are top 3 fighters of a weight class, and that is just so ridiculously false that it's not even funny and I have to question every single person's knowledge of boxing in this thread. You mention lower tier top 10 fighters and call them gatekeepers, we already have a problem in boxing then...mentioning top 5 fighters of a weight class and calling them gatekeepers, go watch another sport, please.
Berto, he is now the clear gate you have get past to get to Floyd.
he didnt come to mind for me... but now that you mentioned it its true this clown is a gatekeeper and its funny after every fight he talks crap saying big things being done, changes made for the best... looses to ortiz, has trouble with zavek, gets caught using peds, then looses to guerrero hahahahaa
Exactly. Some people on here just hate on the guy due to their own nationalistic beefs, the dude is still a top fighter. A gatekeeper to me is like Mayorga, maybe even Khan. Guys that are entertaining to watch but have an extreme deficiency that stops them from ever truly making their mark on the sport.
You say that but Khan has very good wins over Judah, Maidana, a faded Barrera, Kotelnik, Malignaggi, (should have one over Peterson IMO). I think Gatekeepers are exactly that a test to see whether you are ready to fight world level guys. Khan has proven he can beat world class fighters. Khan's gatekeeper was probably a faded Barrera because you see the jump in competition -> Barrera -> Kotelnik -> Malignaggi -> Maidana ->Judah -> Peterson&Garcia.
Mayorga isn't a gatekeeper either; how many prospects have used Mayorga as a "gate" to world class fighters? Think about it Cotto, Spinks, Trinidad, Mosley, Oscar were all world class fighters when they beat Mayorga. And he has wins over Forrest, Vargas, Lewis.
An example recently would be Junior Witter a fringe world class fighter who lost to Bradley and Bradley proved he was a world class fighter. Then prospects like Devon Alexander, Frankie Gavin have used him as a "gate" to world class fighters.
I thought gatekeepers where the guys that couldnt even get matches against champs, and would lose or expose every prospect on the rise.
Guys like Judah, Cotto, etc. are still only losing against top level champs, once they start losing to prospects or even other contenders then they start becoming gatekeepers.
Carlos Quintana for example is a true gatekeeper now.
Jose Luis Castillo is the best example of a gate keeper I can think of
What, right now? Because he was an elite lightweight in his prime.
I think Demarcus Corley is a perfect example. He beats fringe contenders at will, but gets beaten against anyone who's above average.
You people are dumb mentioning pavlik and Cotto they are still Worldclass fighters. This is a gatekeeper! Note the diffrence in skill level people! Edner Cherry!
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ednercherry-pose1-550x365.jpg
I don't think Pavlik has been world class for a while now, but I think he's just above gatekeeper level.
Gatekeepers that spring to mind are guys like Edison Miranda. The majority of the now world class super middleweights or prospects looking to get to world level have had to go through these guys. Miranda has Pavlik, Abraham, Bute, Bellew, Ward and Allen Green on his resume.
Can someone please explain to me how Cotto is a gatekeeper?? If he loses another fight or two, then fine, I could agree. But anyone who says he's a gatekeeper right now, do you even know what the hell a gatekeeper means?
Exactly. Some people on here just hate on the guy due to their own nationalistic beefs, the dude is still a top fighter. A gatekeeper to me is like Mayorga, maybe even Khan. Guys that are entertaining to watch but have an extreme deficiency that stops them from ever truly making their mark on the sport.