Great prospect indeed, with good amateur background. solid power, decent speed.
I don't see him fighting crawford at all though. It's a high risk - low reward for Bud, and if he's gonna risk anything, it will be vs Spence or Porter.
On the other hand, Ortiz is having hard time making WW limit allready, so he's not staying there for long imo, but it looks like he has the potential to keep his power while moving up.
Really good analysis!
Thanks man.
In any case, I really, really like Gassiev. He's very exciting fighter to watch. He wont win them all, but he'll provide hours of entertainment for us in the future.
Agree.
Gassiev is as dangerous as Usyk at that weight class but for different reasons. I think Gassiev could handle the punchers more while Usyk still handles guys like Hunter the same as he fought him at Cruiserweight.
Hrgovic is a boxer puncher standing 6”6 . I would stay away from him right now if he doesn’t already get a title shot .
The heavyweight division is massively competitive right now ,Gassiev should sit back and see who is last man standing from the scene after 2021 and take safe fights ,he has a name and reputation. Plenty of time to grow himself based on suggested age he is .
If they aim to establish him as a serious contender before he's 30, they shouldn't do more than 2 of such tune-up fights this year, then start to work his way up, maybe vs 1 or 2 of the older (beatable) top 20 guys, and by the end of the next year, if everything goes well, face some of the top 10.
You are right that he should stay away from the likes of Hrgović for now.
He has no major power on his head hooks or straight right
His new power jab is monsterous. 274 pounds behind a stiff arm.
His best power punches are his overhand right and hooks to the body.
Fury has always been an accumulation fighter
Most accurate response so far imo
It's not so 'new' though (power jab), he used it before (Hammer, Chisora II etc).
most of the attributes guys have mentioned improve HUGELY with experience
this subject is way over-blown
Agree.
Most of the 'natural' guys started boxing in highly competitive gyms/areas and went through huge amount of sparring early on (Toney) which got them to feel comfortable in all kinds of situations in the ring and to stay composed under pressure. Big bonus if they started training really young (Duran, Benitez, Whitaker).
On the other hand, if ‘natural’ means that a guy just likes to fight, than all accomplished fighters (amateur and pro) are ‘natural’.
I think a lot of punters assess this topic based on how a fighter looks
some fighters, just make it look easy... composed, relaxed, natural... reacting instinctively, without appearing to think about it
it took a LOT of training/experience to get that good
once you are that good, there are rules/"given's" that you can start to bend/break... I think that is a part of what people see as natural, but none of that is natural
This. Nails it.
Hrgovic is most likely too good for Bakole. He needs a step up, and this most likely isn't it.
You're right.
On the other hand, Bakole is definitely his most serious opponent so far.
“Real fights” don’t look like sanctioned MMA matches. Let’s get our heads out of the suburbs...
This.
Those who consider 3x5 mins of mma as a "real' fight, are likely under 12/ trolling/ never been in a fight
what did Roy get?
According to Dan Rafael and The Sun, $1m was guaranteed to each, and rest of the purse depended on PPV sales. Media estimates are that Tyson got $10m, and RJJ got $3m of PPV sales.
All roads lead to Tyson. Tyson is the A side, Tyson is the straw that stirs the drink. Tyson vs Golota or Toney should be next, until Holyfield humbles himself about his demands.
This. Definitely Toney - for the love of Sweet Science. Than Holyfield - for the general public.
It’s completely comparable.
Yeah there’s one ranking inside the UFC ORGANISATION just like there’s one ranking system within the WBC ORGANISATION.
UFC is NOT a SPORT, it’s an ORGANISATION. It’s rankings only have the same legitimacy as any of the other ABC org’s involved in combat sports.
This is true. Some mma people tend to neglect that, beside ufc, there are other mma organizations with their own rankings.
Roy was tired after one round. Roy’s got chronically bad knees now and I’m guessing did little to no roadwork. Only James Toney could get away with doing that based on style and youth
Style wise, Tyson vs Toney could still be an interesting show of veteran skills even in restrained exhibition form such as "Legends only league".
I bet even now as Foreman is quite old and slowed down, Tyson would still duck him hard just like he did in his prime. Childhood nightmares never go away.
Tyson was publicly calling out Foreman in 1990, which is well documented and even televised (Tyson's Interview with Mike Marley in 1990, before Alex Stewart fight, when Tyson stated: „Hopefully I will fight George Foreman before he dies of rigor mortis“). Years after, in an interview with Max Kellerman (in 2019), George Foreman openly admitted that he never wanted any part of Mike Tyson in the ring. Everything else is just thirdhand stories and media speculations. During that short timeframe, when the fight could actually happen, Tyson KO'ed Tillman and Stewart, than won in two competitive fights (1KO, 1UD) against Razor Ruddock and went to prison, while Foreman KOed two journeymen in Lakusta and Anderson and went the distance in a competitive fight against Holyfield, although he lost by UD. What could actually happen in the fight between Tyson and Foreman in '90-‘91, we'll never know. You are free to dislike Tyson for he's behavior back than though.
ps. sorry for my poor English
If Usyk gets a wad of step-aside cash, and also fights Joyce, also probably for solid money, he comes out on top in terms of cash, especially if he beats Joyce and keeps his mandatory position for the WBO belt intact - being in line to fight Joshua right now is lucrative as it is, being in line to fight Joshua or Fury after they've unified is probably lucrative in the same way winning the Mayweather sweepstakes used to be. Beating Joyce, who's a giant heavyweight, also helps give his HW credentials a shot in the arm - and he's capable of it, he did it once in the amateurs. It's a good opportunity for Usyk to really cash in while letting the fight everyone wants to see happen. I hope it actually works out this way.
Exactly. If he beats Joyce he'll stil get his 'money fight'.
I can’t speak for the right or wrong of it but involving these 4 fighters, there are two fights I want very much to see and neither of those fights is Usyk/Joshua
Same here.
Toney is too far out of shape. Golota is fit. Lights out has to get in shape, it could take six months.
Toney sure has some 25kg of excess weight, but he’s light sparring regularly. He still got the moves.
Canelo ran straight away from Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury too. I almost forgot he ran away from Wilder and Muhammad Ali before that.
It's a fact that none of the guys that are so often mentioned on this/similar threads (Charlo, Benavidez, Andrade, Plant) as "must opponents" for Canelo haven’t fought each other either, let alone challenged bigger guys (Beterbiev, Bivol etc).
IMO, Bivol and Beterbiev should fight each other first for unification in LH. The same goes for GGG and Andrade in MW, and Plant and Benavidez in SMW. And that’s IF Benavidez can still make weight, if no, he should be first to challenge for the LH (his natural division).
I still see you haven’t learned to comprehend sensibility because that’s not hurting Usyk at all with the that option.
He said if they sign to fight ,A.J would vacate the belt after the undisputed and then that fight could be for the WBO belt which would make sense if Usyk is confident he would win and doesn’t want to wait for the 2 fights that Fury and A.J are going to have which does make sense if you have sense .Ha
It makes sense for Usyk.
As a belt holder (if he beats Joyce) he'll prob get his 'money fight' anyway.