How did the wbo get respected enough to be a major sanctioning body in the first place ?
Oscar Delahoya
1994
De La Hoya won the World Boxing Organization super featherweight title in March, retained the belt by knocking out Giorgio Campenella in just three rounds in May, and then won the vacant WBO lightweight title in July. He defended the lightweight title twice more during the year, knocking out Carl Griffith in three rounds in November and defeating John Avila by technical knockout in December.
I've never seen Thurman look lost in a fight like that. But the real question is how did Lopez grow a granite chin and become a Terminator on a seek and destroy mission. Thurman looked like he hadn't been hit with a real punch in 2 years. He couldn't handle those punches to the Head or body at all. He didn't look Rusty, he looked like a guy that just wasnt hardened enough in his training to go to war.
Now he definitely won't fight another champion for a while. He would have loss to any of the top 3 or 4 other to welterweights tonight.
He looked sharp. Just looked like a guy who hasn't fought in a while, those punches hurt more when you haven't been taking too many of them for a very long time.
Credit to Josesito for a good fight, I gave him 4 rounds. Thurman himself knew Lopez was coming to fight, he's been saying it for a few days now "I see something in his eyes." Word on the block is he looked great in training for this fight too, this was probably one of the best versions of Josesito Lopez ever.
Can't say Thurman isn't the good off of this performance, he proved he is an elite welterweight by edging out and absorbing Porter's punches and narrowly but convincingly overcoming both Porter and Garcia.
Just so happens that Thurman won't be able to hang with the best welterweight in the world Errol Spence Jr. But I have Spence beating every single welterweight, he's the clear #1 in my eyes.
He needs another fight before he takes on Porter. He will probably go right after his wbc title but this version of Thurman needs some work if he's going to get back to his best days.
He was going straight back and getting caught repeatedly. He also wasn't as committed to exchanges until he got hurt and had no choice.
Hopefully it's just 22 months of civilian life out of the ring. I like Keith Thurman. He makes good fights. But I don't want to see him get hurt. He's definitely got to make some adjustments to stay at the top level. He definitely needs 3 fights minimum this year.
Overrated, that's insane talk!
Everyone that's spared with Spence says that his real skill-set is top level. They all State that he hasn't fought anyone that has forced him to fight off his back foot and show his defensive skill set. We all see he can be flat footed and sometimes doesn't move his head, but don't assume that's the entirety of his fight game.
Floyd can hit anyone and he stated that Spence is a very complete and adaptable fighter. And that was when Floyd was still Floyd. Other Middleweights have stated without hesitation that he is the hardest puncher they've been in with period. Notice I didn't say Jr Middleweights.
He's shown he can take a good shot and put his foot on the gas if he thinks he's losing. So what's overrated about a guy that has passed every test so far with flying colors.
Top level fighters don't avoid easy checks and fresh meat. Yet everyone has chosen other options rather than fight Spence.
Garcia is a master level boxing test. Mikey can fight his @ss off. Spence will have to do more than just be the stronger guy. He will have to walk Mikey down and break him down. Let's see Spence in some big fights before we try to call him overrated. That's crazy.
Hope it happens. Will be a matador killing a bull just like Horn. Step back check right hook or uppercut for opponent charging in with his head down or bending his knees staying low to avoid punches while coming in.
This sounds like a valid strategy but it's never really worked for anyone against Porter. His feet are really fast and his movement is herky jerky. So timing him coming in becomes a real challenge. It's why most just throw the body shot and try not to get head-butted
Crawford is also a lot shorter than Garcia, Thurman and Spence. So he's very likely to run into some headbutts and get pushed around a lot more.
It's just a tough fight. There's nothing normal in a Porter fight. He's all over the place and aggressive. All that technique goes out the window when the guy in front of you is libel to be anywhere at any moment they any punch.
It's a lot like Maindana when he fought Floyd.
People would just cry and say he's fighting Spence's leftovers
Porter didn't fight like damaged goods after Thurman and Garcia so I don't think we'd hear that for this fight. I think people would be more excited to see Porter fight Crawford because of how good he looked versus Spence. People will believe he can win, which will boost the fights profile
what? crawford is the same height as Danny and Keith. 5'8"
After checking, you're right. He is 5'8". This is shocking to me because he looked a lot shorter when I saw him standing next to Spence in timberlands.
I hope it happens but I doubt it will. I don't think Arum will allow it. Porter might beat Crawford.
Arum might need to roll the dice. Bud isn't cheap. You don't want to pay him good money fighting opponents that don't increase his fanbase. ESPN wants a return on that timeslot.
If Crawford is as good as we all think he is, you have to face opponents that make people want to see you fight again. Porter is that kind of opponent. Spence had to climb that mountain, now it's Crawford's time. Garcia, Pacman and Thurman aren't walking through that door.
Lomenchenko is also over there cleaning house fighting fellow champions in great fights. Which makes it even harder for bud keep fighting fights no one cares about on the same platform. At a certain point you have to make some noise. Porter makes a lot of noise.
Thurman was losing the entire fight so it takes a bit away from it.
Spence was in a did fight the entire time and it was always close.
Definitely Porter VS Spence
It's mostly 90% Hearn and 10% his heart stateside.
When AJ was at his height and Wilder was destroying the division, AJ Said guarantee me 50M on film and I'll fight him with no problems. Well Hearn wasn't down with that, even after confirming Haymen did submit an offer guaranteeing Joshua the money. From that point on some fight fans really turned on AJ, because it was clear that either he or his promotor was never going to let that fight happen as long as he was winning. He's never lived that down, especially here in the states, even though most US fight fans respect his fighting skills. He's viewed as not having that DOG in him in the US. The general consensus is that he's real skilled, exciting most fights, but a questionable heart for wanting to fight the real threats.
It kind of feels like the same thing with Fury except for the fact that Fury hasn't really pushed to fight AJ to the levels that Wilder did. I think AJ sounds more confident when a fight with Fury comes up than a fight with Wilder.
This is hilarious. Spence has great power. The only reason Mikey didn't get knocked out was Errol's decision to box and showcase more of his skillset. Which seems like him trying to prove a point about his boxing IQ and technical ability to everyone that said Mickey was leagues better than him in those categories.
Had he gone full Errol Spence and fought in that phone booth he would have broke Mickey. We all saw the immediate difference the minute he started pressuring Mickey instead of sitting behind his jab.
That's why his dad asked to stop the fight and his brother almost threw in the towel. The critics, like Ray Leonard and George Forman did Mickey a favor. Had Spence not been on a boxing mission I think Mikey might have had his career shortened.
Let me translate for Loma, "Teofimo can get this work"! And as soon as Bob unlocks that gate and that all that loud barking turns into a fight, his @ss is grass! Because he's getting smoked! 😄
This will be a fun fight. Lopez will give Loma problems with his power and awesome reflexes. But the kids has never been in a fight with someone that will be on top of him non-stop from angles he's never seen and will just as strong as his. Then there's just the experience of being in huge fights that Lopez doesn't have yet. Lopez had some amazing talent though and he's a natural lightweight, which is a real advantage that he can exploit. Loma looks like he's just now growing into lightweight. I'll take Loma by decision in a fun scrap. They'll probably fight twice if Lopez can keep makibg 135 by the end of next year.
I'd give Spence a better shot against boots than bud for one specific reason. Spence is an old school fighter. He can grind and switch up his style to get the job done. With Boots speed and athleticism, you better be able to cover up, work the body and switch your work rate a lot. You can't wait for boots to give you openings. He will pick you apart. You have to do what Duran did to SRL. Go at him in a measured but consistent pace. No time to rest and smother all those explosive combinations. Keep touching him and backing him up. Tie him up, fight out of the clinch (Mayweather vs Cotto style) and try to rough him up.
That's not Bud. Bud is a technician with a real mean streak. He is Lazer accurate and real sneaky with his counters. But he has that mean streak which is a real detriment when you're fighting a guy that looks a lot like Roy Jones when he has it all working. Getting into exchanges and being determined to counter punch and go to war with a young lion is a good way to get clipped. Boots counters will be a little bit faster than buds and his size and power must be respected. Bud will need to temper that mean streak and just box at times. If he uses his footwork and stays focused on his defense he could get it done. But that's not crawford. He wants to kill his prey instead of stalking it and being patient. He also can't start slow. You give that young man some confidence and it's a wrap.
He'll definitely KO Barrios in my opinion. Barrios is a fun fighter to watch, but he gets hit way too much. Regis hits a lot harder than Barrios in my opinion as well. Regis also has that awkward style where he leans off the line and and loops his punches. He'll catch Barrios who's more technical and straightforward in his style. But you never know. That's why they fight the fights.
The Spence Hate is out of hand here. Yeah, he has a lot of hype so I get some of the pusback, but that was a really hard fight. Porter looked as good as he can possibly look. He did just about everything right in that fight like a true top contender should. But at best he could have gotten a draw. And with that knock down, I think he clearly lost by two rounds.
The fans won. Spense went through hell to win that WBC title like everyone wanted to see. So when a guy gives the people what they want, in the fashion they want, let's stop the hate. If he blew Porter out people would say he still hasn't fought anyone. Well he fought someone. Someone that was fighting like someone stole his child.
Porter versus Crawford would be amazing. It would solve two problems. Spence and Crawford would have a legit common opponent. Crawford would get his first real meaningful Welterweight fight. Shawn would get another chance at a Welterweight title and we'd see Crawford's metal tested like never before. The PBC blockage would be temporary lifted and win or lose Shawn will get paid!
Bob will want no parts of this fight at all.
This is the real answer to the question and everyone knew it except Bud who took Bob's money knowing what the outcome would be.
They will eventually fight but Bud really put himself in this position when he was a free agent. Perhaps PBC didn't offer as much as Top Rank, but they had all the fights that matter, which ultimately leads to the money and career he's begging for now.
People talk about Crawfords boxing IQ but his temperament is all wrong for a fighter like Spence. That dog is going to get him in trouble because Spence keeps banging to the body no matter what. Winning, losing, getting hit; he just never stops chopping that wood. And if Crawford is foolish enough to stand there in front of him trying to prove he is tougher, Spence is going to break him.
If Crawford sticks and moves all night they'll call him a coward but he'll win. Outside of that, as the rounds roll on those 36 years in the game are going to finally be exposed. Crawford wins a boxing match with Spence 6/7 out of 10 times. But a fight, Crawford loses a fight with Spence 8 out of 10 times.
Tszyu wants all those belts so the bottom line is he will wait another year if he has to for the Charlo fight. He could ask for the WBO to strip Charlo but if he does that, then Charlo doesn't have to fight him. And that means he loses his biggest payday and his chance to become undisputed like his father.
If I'm him, I would beg the WBO to just relax. Let Canelo do what he wants and when Charlo is done with Canelo, his next fight would be me. I'd also proposition the other organizations to make me the mandatory with a little coin, so there are no other options for anyone to fight for one of those belts that didn't include me. One way or another I'd get my undisputed fight over the next year.
He lost I don't count losses close or not as accomplishments. He has not beaten a top WW and I am not living in the past with his accomplishments at 140. He is the gate keeper of the division when he loses this fight.
In life, everyone takes losses. If losses don't count, how would you ever learn and improve. No ones perfect. The greatest fighters ever have multiple losses. If you get in there and almost win, how can that not be looked at as an accomplishment. Sometimes it just isn't your night. I've seen guys win fights that I know weren't better 9 times out of 10. But that's boxing. You're always 1 punch away from losing. Garcia has a hell of a chance of winning. He's never been dominated by anyone at any level. I'll be pulling for Spence, but make no mistake, Danny can definitely win this fight in a number of different ways. Danny Garcia is not to be taken lightly. He's no soft touch.
This sounds a lot like Castano is likely struggling to make the weight. Based on how well he did in the first fight this means it's time to take the weight loss drug route and Catano needs time to clean this situation up. Charlo can't prove it or come out and say it plainly, but it feels a lot like that might be the issue here.
Thus, the ranting and raving.
Or you can just sign with the outfit that represents all the best welterweights
This is the real answer to the question and everyone knew it except Bud who took Bob's money knowing what the outcome would be.
They will eventually fight but Bud really put himself in this position when he was a free agent. Perhaps PBC didn't offer as much as Top Rank, but they had all the fights that matter, which ultimately leads to the money and career he's begging for now.
I hate it for Mickey. Spence looks like he is not worried at all. 😄 It's the same look your dad gives you when you've been acting up all day with not a word said, because he had to wait for the company to leave. 😄
Bob Arum started pushing all these in-house fights because he had all the big money fighters. He told everyone else to "F##$" off. But now the tables have turned. His precedent is now biting him in the @ss.
Now he needs the other promoters to make money for his fighters. He's overpaying for fights he knows no one cares about and the very same people he crapped on are now ignoring him. You wreap what you sow.
I want to see the top figters fight each other in their prime, but Bob Arum caused this. Oscar left, to be his own man. Floyd left to be his own man and get the money and fights he wanted. Cotto left on good terms, but still to be his own man and get the fights he wanted. Mickey left, to be his own man. Notice the pattern here. Bob is the common denominator when it comes to fights not getting made.
Spence is just saying out loud what everyone that follows boxing already knows. Crawford is a fantastic fighter but he either didn't think the offer he chose through, didn't know the history of Haymen and Arum, or just didn't care and took the paydays over legacy. He wont see a PBC fighter for the next 2 years short of some insane offer that Bob will never go for.