There are also other great young fighters who aren't quite at world class level but will be soon and for a long time I think, people like
Frankie Gavin
James Degale
Luis Garcia
Alexei Acosta
Jose Benavidez Jr
Sharif Bogere
All could be massive by the end of 2011/mid-2012 and all have a lot of time on their side
I really don'tunderstand how Juarez keeps getting these fights!!! Honestly it is a mystery to me, one good showing against Barrera and then he keeps getting Title shots and good match-ups to revive his career! Honestly he's a good pro and I respect him but it is obvious now he doesn't belong at the top!
IMO
Carl Froch and Sergio Martinez, yes
But how could you not add Timothy Bradley
TIMOTHY BRADLEY
Devon Alexander
Luis Abregu (because he moved up in weight to fight an undefeated boxer)
Lamont Peterson
Nate Campbell
Kendall Holt
and possibly even,
ANDRE WARD
Sakio Bika
Allan Green
Mikkel Kessler
Edison Miranda
Bradley has had good opposition I agree, Ward not so much IMO, they are all good fighters but not from the top level (Kessler aside). Bika has been beaten numerous times and is tough but pretty crude. Miranda is not elite level IMO but is still dangerous if overlooked. Allan Green promised a lot but has looked sloppy a few times. Ward will be in the picture after his next few fights as I can see him fighting Abrham (obviously) Froch/Johson, then Bute or Kessler rematch. After that I thik he will move up in weight and challenge for a title there!!
It will only be a good move if he stays and trains exculsively in America. I can't see that happening as he is too big a draw in britain! he is still young and relatively inexperienced so he needs a trainer who can concentrate solely on him and work with him consistently. Hoping across the pond every few weeks won't cut it at this level!
Amir can't become a bad boy, that kid has too much expectation on his shoulders to be a good role model in his politically precarious position as a Britsh Muslim.
He's a nice guy, but the pressure on him is intense. Like Haye can rubbish Klitschko Amir will never be able to do that to anyone.
I don't understand where the image of a nice respectful boy comes from!?!?! He has slagged off almost everyone he's fought he was very disrespectful of Graham Earl in the build up to the fight and he has rubbished Jon Thaxon for ages, even whilst ducking him when thaxon was British champ and commonwealth no1 challanger!!
Khan is very good and i do like him but he is not the clean cut nice lad he is made out to be by the media
My Picks. . . . .
Audley Harrison......Bum
Shannon Briggs...former HW Champ
Zab Judah. . . .former undisputed WW Champ
:ugh:
Correction:
Audley Harrison......Olympic Gold Medalist>Terrible Pro
Shannon Briggs... Showed promise but apart from one lucky win extremely disappointing
Zab Judah. . . .Apart from the Spinks fight has found a way to lose every possible competative match despite being naturally gifted
I am obviously the minority but i don't mind this fight at all. Would much rather see PBF against Cotto or Margirito but other than those two DLH is the best fighter out there around his weight.
The first fight was incredibly close (I had it a draw) and if DLH can keep his jab going and stop himslef fading in the final 4 rounds then I don't see why he cant win! I won't be happy if it is Box Office but it should be on normal Sky just like the first one.
I will definately be watching it.
I know Judahs name gets mentioned a lot, but in terms of accomplishment/achievement, its kinda ridiculous to put Zab in there. He's a two-weight world champion, and a former UNDISPUTED welterweight champ. Very few fighters can unify all three belts, and his name is down in history for that, but I see why people moot his inclusion on this list, because his natural talent is such where he shouldn't have 5 L's on his record.
I personally thought he beat Baldomir, and I gave him the edge in the first Spinks fight too with that heavy KD in round 12 sealing it. So for my money he's only lost to Mayweather, Cotto and Tszyu. Which is hardly an embarassment (two of them yet to lose, Tszyu one of the best lt.-welters of all time)
Zab is a very gifted fighter, he can punch, he can make you miss, he's slick, speedy, the only things you can question are his focus and mentality. Anyone who criticizes his heart is dumb. Judahs a warrior, he proved that against Cotto and he sucked it up in the Baldomir fight when things weren't going his way. But psychologically he suffers. And if he doesn't beat Mosley I don't see a whole lot of places he can go. He needs a big win, both of them do, and whoever doesn't get it hasn't a wealth of options at hand and will have to drop down a level and fight the Demetrius Hopkins' of the division, young guys looking to claim a big scalp
It's because Zab has so much talent that I believe he is a underachiever! He hasn't beaten many massive names (Cory Spinks, Demarcus Corley and Junior Witter spring to mind) and always seems to FIND A WAY to lose his fights. Apart from his fight with Cotto he has never shown much fighting spirit. When i watch him I get the impression as soon as the going gets tough he doesn't want to know!
He is so fustrating because you can look at him sometimes and he looks simply amazing (early rounds against Floyd and Cotto, Second Spinks fight). If he had reached his potential He would ba a multi divisional champ and possible ATG! IMO....
I also agree that he needs a big Win over Mosley. however so does Sugar Shane so it should be a good fight for the neutral.
Good call with John Conteh. Loved the playboy lifestyle too much to commit to his boxing after he gave up the crown.
Herol Graham wasn't an underachiever IMO. Just a unlucky fighter who was around at a time when there were a lot of great fighters in that division.
I always respect McGuigan's opinion. He's one of the best commentators on boxing in the UK.
The key point for me is when he says "Calzaghe's record alone means he must be up there." It's just common sense really.
He is a very good commentator and analyst. Speaks his mind and talks a lot of sense. Can't stand these other commentators who just talk on and on about nothing!!
I think it varies from person to person.
In the pro ranks you often see boxers change trainers or get a new face in the team so they don't feel it was their fault. This is because boxers need to be 100% confident when they walk into that ring or they have already lost.
A lot of the recovery is from accepting the fact that it happened IMO. Only once you've done that can you start to rebuild your confidence.
with lewis though, both were lucky shots. In the fight with Rahman, I dare say he got too complacent.
True He was in terrible condition in the first Rahman fight. wasn't acclimbatised to South African altitude at all. His mouth was hanging open from about the second round and he kept his left hand way too low.
Are they ever the same fighters again?
Lennox Lewis was brutally KO'd twice and came back to knock out both guys (Oliver Mcall and Hasim Rahman) who did it!
I don't know .
Sometimes boxing is only for the people that win, and never lose. Once they lose, a lot of them quit.
That's how sensitive this sport is.
Nobody likes to take a beating , then come back for seconds..
A good example of this is Jeff Lacy. Sometimes it is better to be KO'd than take a lot of punishment and survive. Lacy will never be tyhe same because of the way he lost. If he had been KO'd by one shot in the early rounds I'm sure he would be a much better fighter now.
Yeah, but it took him years to rematch McCall. And it wasn't like he knocked McCall TFO in the rematch either.
True but my point was that it is possible for fighters to be sparked out and be able to come back and continue their careers without any lasting damage.
A gorilla wouldn't have a prayer against a polar bear. 1300 lbs with razor sharp claws and teeth, a stone cold predator and very strong. A 500 lb gorilla is formidable indeed but compared to a polar bear.... Nah.
Also where do you get this idea of hollow bones from?
The bones aren't hollow completely but have a much lower density to aind floatation. (Sorry didn't mean to be misleading obviously I over simplfied).
In regard to the two animals meeting the claws of a polar bear are not razor sharp. they are used primarily for grip and balance (a polar bear has oversized paws and widespread claws to lessen pressure on the ice and snow). I dont think the claws would be a factor. The sheer size of the polar bear would be a massive problem and it's sharp teeth would come into play if it pinned the gorilla down. However, gorillas have been known to used ripped up tree trunks as weapons when threatened. It would be close.
Regardless of thatI was trying to point out that No Human ALIVE could worry a gorilla. Especially a human who only weights 147lbs.
Peace
A Gorilla would destroy a Polar Bear, Polar Bears' bones are hollow to allow them to float and swim better but they are incredibly brittle. a Kodiak Bear would have a better chance as it is not much smaller than the Polar, Has thicker bone density and is more aggressive.
In relation to Floyd beating a Gorilla I assume that is a Joke. If you are serious you are the biggest retard I have ever met in my life!!! A Gorilla could kill ANY human in the world with ease if it wanted to. FACT!
Pay a fortune for sky and Frank bloody Warren and everyone else moves to Setanta. Would even pay for it but cannot get it in my area!!!! Well irritating!!
Carl Froch has turned up the heat in his quest for a WBC super-middleweight title shot by insisting he doesn't mind who he fights as long as he is granted a shot at the gold.
The Nottingham fighter took out his frustrations on late substitute Albert Rybacki with a one-sided fourth round stoppage at the Nottingham Arena on Saturday night.
Froch was quickly into his stride against the previously unbeaten Pole, who had stepped in at two days notice following the withdrawals of Denis Inkin and Rubin Williams.
Unbeaten run
'The Cobra' dominated the fight from start to finish and gave referee John Keane no option but to stop the fight as he extended his unbeaten run to 23 fights.
Froch said: "It's been a nightmare for me mentally but I've come through it and now I'm in exactly the same position as I would have been, which is the mandatory challenger for the WBC title."
With Joe Calzaghe certain to vacate, Froch could find himself standing toe-to-toe against the likes of former middleweight champion Jermain Taylor or the winner of the imminent clash between Fulgencio Zuniga and Jean Pascal for the vacant crown.
Froch added: "Now it's all about keeping the momentum going because it's been frustrating having to hang around for six months. I don't care who I fight as long as I get my shot at the world title."
He's not ready for Calzaghe or Kessler but seeing as the titles will be vacant he should be able to win one. I would like to see Froch fight Lacy. I think that would be a good crowd pleasing war.
Inkin won't fight Froch and I dont see many other SMW's that could really hurt him. His worst opponents would be good, skillful; boxers. The longer Froch has gone as a pro the less he has boxed and more he has slugged.
To pick up a win against a boxer with a good chin he has to go back to his amateur style and concentrate more on boxing than always shooting power punches with low hands!
I voted "Other"
Oscar De La Hoya has a good jab but IMO the best in many a year was Ronald 'Winky' Wright. He could control fights and shut down good fighters with that one punch!
140 pounds thats easy hmm ricky hatton is the ring one
andreas kotelnick junior witter and and and o yeah that bug paulie malie malignaggi
torres is the other