Why do boxing fans ask too much of proven fighters and less of unproven ones?

They are criticised plenty trust me. Wilder and Golovkin especially are constantly put down over their competition level. Brook is too since Porter. Joshua has had 13 fights and most people understand that he is on a normal path for a modern fighter. I think he could have stepped up slightly earlier but he isnt doing anything different to other prospects in the sport. Basically a fighters opposition will be criticised by people who dont like them and praised by their fans. Par for the course.... This. LOL at this thread. It's like the TS has never read the forums here like ever..

Because most boxing fans are ****heads lol. As I said before, most people cannot stand nor accept true greatness. This is in regards to any undefeated fighters. They just cannot be undefeated, it must be because they are not fighting the right people or they are carried or they cherry pick. Obviously more hated fighters get this criticism leveled against them more but it happens to ALL of them. I have spoken to older boxing fans and I was told the same criticism was leveled at Ali, SRL and even longer ago the same criticism was even leveled at Joe Louis and the best of them all, SRR. It is just how people are. In some cases is it true? Sure. When it comes to "proving" themselves you have to look unbiased at the body of work and what they have accomplished. Sure I love Floyd and am not a Pac fan but anyone who says Pac and Floyd have not proven enough in their careers are completely out of their minds. I don't care how you personally feel. Any fighter who has won titles in 3, 4, 5+ different weight classes really has nothing to prove. Floyd, Pac, RJJ, JMM, ODLH, Mosley, etc. are greats no matter what anyone says. Also if you are someone who just completely dominated your weight division for years and years and another above, below it possibly (Bhop, Calzaghe, Wlad) then you have nothing to prove. I think the fighters who have more to prove are really the ones that have not taken that truly elite step, like Garcia, Froch, Fury, Porter. These are guys with giant mouths but really have not proven greatness at all. To me they have either all lost at the truly elite level or scrape by with wins and just don't look that impressive. These types of fighters are the ones who need to constantly prove something. GGG is a great fighter and it is not his fault people won't get in the ring with him. He is not just winning, he is destroying people. Even if they are labeled as B class, he is obliterating them. Something has to be said for that. So long story short, I think the question is just who the fans like and don't like, which determines who needs to prove what. Well said. That's pretty much what it's about. I've been guilty of it myself I guess.

So long story short, I think the question is just who the fans like and don't like, which determines who needs to prove what. Bingo .........

I don't think they're criticized enough. They are criticised plenty trust me. Wilder and Golovkin especially are constantly put down over their competition level. Brook is too since Porter. Joshua has had 13 fights and most people understand that he is on a normal path for a modern fighter. I think he could have stepped up slightly earlier but he isnt doing anything different to other prospects in the sport. Basically a fighters opposition will be criticised by people who dont like them and praised by their fans. Par for the course....

Because most boxing fans are ****heads lol. As I said before, most people cannot stand nor accept true greatness. This is in regards to any undefeated fighters. They just cannot be undefeated, it must be because they are not fighting the right people or they are carried or they cherry pick. Obviously more hated fighters get this criticism leveled against them more but it happens to ALL of them. I have spoken to older boxing fans and I was told the same criticism was leveled at Ali, SRL and even longer ago the same criticism was even leveled at Joe Louis and the best of them all, SRR. It is just how people are. In some cases is it true? Sure. When it comes to "proving" themselves you have to look unbiased at the body of work and what they have accomplished. Sure I love Floyd and am not a Pac fan but anyone who says Pac and Floyd have not proven enough in their careers are completely out of their minds. I don't care how you personally feel. Any fighter who has won titles in 3, 4, 5+ different weight classes really has nothing to prove. Floyd, Pac, RJJ, JMM, ODLH, Mosley, etc. are greats no matter what anyone says. Also if you are someone who just completely dominated your weight division for years and years and another above, below it possibly (Bhop, Calzaghe, Wlad) then you have nothing to prove. I think the fighters who have more to prove are really the ones that have not taken that truly elite step, like Garcia, Froch, Fury, Porter. These are guys with giant mouths but really have not proven greatness at all. To me they have either all lost at the truly elite level or scrape by with wins and just don't look that impressive. These types of fighters are the ones who need to constantly prove something. GGG is a great fighter and it is not his fault people won't get in the ring with him. He is not just winning, he is destroying people. Even if they are labeled as B class, he is obliterating them. Something has to be said for that. So long story short, I think the question is just who the fans like and don't like, which determines who needs to prove what.

Good post Floyd needs to go to his 6th weight class to fight GGG but: Rigo can't go up to his 3rd (let's consider 118 his natural) to fight Loma. GGG can't go up to his 2nd to fight Ward Ward can't go up to his 2nd to fight Kovalev or even Dawson for that matter Canelo can make his own weight class to avoid MWs This is why these next generation of fighters will never be as great as Floyd and Pac. They're too protected. Good post...

Good post Floyd needs to go to his 6th weight class to fight GGG but: Rigo can't go up to his 3rd (let's consider 118 his natural) to fight Loma. GGG can't go up to his 2nd to fight Ward Ward can't go up to his 2nd to fight Kovalev or even Dawson for that matter Canelo can make his own weight class to avoid MWs This is why these next generation of fighters will never be as great as Floyd and Pac. They're too protected.

So GG has to move up and fight Ward to prove himself. And Ward stays comfortably in his division and not asked to move up and fight big guys there. The hate is very telling.

Consistently on this forum I see fans pushing proven fighters to face bigger challenges, even when they've proven themselves thus far. Whereas, unproven ones are given a pass. Not even trying to say fighters shouldn't challenge themselves (that's one of the ways this sport improves) - I'm all for that - but they should be treated equally. The forum's first page for instance, Froch needs to move up, Cotto needs to fight Golovkin, Mayweather needs to fight Lara or Golovkin, the list goes on & on. All these fighters have proven themselves. On the other hand, I hardly hear cries for the likes of Golovkin, Wilder, Joshua, Brook etc to face better challenges. Instead, they're given a pass, and permitted to fight mismatches. Just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. True! Joshua and Wilder are wrong examples though because Joshua really had just 13 fight so far and Wilder is widely criticized or even hated on this site but I know what you're talking about.

I see no real reason for GGG to fight Ward or any other SMW for that matter at this point in time. His goal is to unify the MW titles and that should be his focus. Once that is done, he can move up if there are decent fights waiting for him. But right now, with Froch all but retired, the Dirrells both recently lost, Chavez Jr. destroyed by Fonfara and Ward not close to ready, what is there for him at SMW? He won't have a chance of getting a shot at DeGale or Jack so what's left? There are no other options there that would result in a PPV fight. Why put his body though the rigors of moving up and down in weight for a fight that will mean no more than a decent MW contest?

So this is pretty much another GGG hater thread. Good to know. Where's the hate? I don't see it. Critical - yes, but hate, no!

So this is pretty much another GGG hater thread. Good to know.

All these fighters are criticised (rightly or wrongly) for their competition level all the time. I don't think they're criticized enough.

Great post and spot on

Put it this way, Golovkin fought in the same Olympics '04 as Zou Shimming, Amir Khan, Povetkin, Solis, Dirrell, Andre Ward, Gamboa and Rigondeaux. Yet as a pro has faced the least challenges. It's about time he faces tougher challenges and if it means moving up then he should do exactly that. Instead of flounder around looking to face fighters that don't have a chance in hell, just for a measly belt. He's also not in his twenties anymore, so the clock is ticking.

Yea, it's the typical bull**** that goes on around here. The more u pr u prove, the more u have to prove. Whereas the less u prove the more your fans wanna continue to see u coast in easy fights. Golovkin is a prime example of this. Ppl wanna see him fight cotto. Easy fight for him imo. But bring up Ward or Lara, and u will hear every excuse in the book. It's craziness. Golovkin does deserve to have his shot don't get me wrong but there are too many on here who are totally content with his current career when on all honesty it's completely lackluster.

Consistently on this forum I see fans pushing proven fighters to face bigger challenges, even when they've proven themselves thus far. Whereas, unproven ones are given a pass. Not even trying to say fighters shouldn't challenge themselves (that's one of the ways this sport improves) - I'm all for that - but they should be treated equally. The forum's first page for instance, Froch needs to move up, Cotto needs to fight Golovkin, Mayweather needs to fight Lara or Golovkin, the list goes on & on. All these fighters have proven themselves. On the other hand, I hardly hear cries for the likes of Golovkin, Wilder, Joshua, Brook etc to face better challenges. Instead, they're given a pass, and permitted to fight mismatches. Just doesn't seem to make any sense to me. All these fighters are criticised (rightly or wrongly) for their competition level all the time.

I think it's natural to expect more from people who have shown you more. If you've shown me you can be great - I want to see you be greater. If you haven't shown it to me, then I'm still in the stage of wondering whether or not you have it. And for me you're right. In your exact example. I'm a fan of Kell Brook's, but if he fights another Jojo Dan or Frankie Gavin in his next fight, I won't be angry at him and I'll watch it and cheer when he wins. Golovkin, on the other hand, at least for me, has 'graduated' to the point where I'm not looking forward to him fighting someone I KNOW he'll knockout easily. Joshua and Wilder, I don't care so much yet.