midastouch

Mayweather will be too slick Hi there all this is my first post. I'm from Cape Town South Africa and have been a fan of boxing for as long as I can remember. My prediction for the upcoming fight can be summed up in 3 words: Mayweather Mayweather Mayweather. He will be too slick, too classy too good for Judah! In fact this fight could end it all for Judah. It's a fight he never should have taken. He is gonna get beat like he's never been beat before. My FIGHT rhyme is: MAYWEATHER GONNA WHIP HIS ASS NOT MORE THAN 3 ROUNDS HE GONNA LAST LEFTS AND RIGHTS ARE GONNA RAIN NO MATTER HOW HARD JUDAH DID TRAIN SO LISTEN TO ME ALL YOU GOODLY FOLK ON FIGHT NIGHT MAYWEATHER HE GONNA SMOKE!

I think those fans here who contend that Bebertiev does not hit the back of the head, go the last minute of the fight on YouTube and watch at reduced speed. He clearly hits Smith on the back of the head. It is a bad habit of his. Several of his blows are also to the side of the head beyond the temple area. It is vulnerable part of the skull, and one is more likely to suffer a knockout from blows there. It is the one thing I dislike about AB. That said, the man is a monster. The question is how was he beaten at the Amateur world championships and who beat him? (I contend Bivol will win, and I will unpack why). AB campaigned in 20011/2012 at BOTH light-heavy and heavyweight. 2011 World Championships he lost in quarterfinals to eventual winner Oleksandr Usyk by 13–17. At the 2012 Olympics he edged out Michael Hunter but lost again by 13–17 to Usyk. Both of these were in the heavyweight division.] So, he lost to none other than Usyk, twice. Usyk, as we know, is a consummate boxer, stick and move, herky-jerky style with some pop on his punches. Bivol is more of an in out in straight lines and defensively responsible. The straight lines are potentially a problem for Bivol as Bebertiev can start timing you whereas Usyk's moving around in circles breaks up a fighter's rhythm. The fact that he campaigned at heavyweight too says he has the punching power (and ability to withstand heavyweight punches) to match. Still, I think Bivol as the thinking man's boxer will do what Usyk did twice, beat Bebertiev by neutralizing his power with effective foot movement, volume punching, defense and stamina. Bivol knows how to win rounds, and I think Bebertiev will be reduced to frustration as Bivol piles up the points and rounds. AB will always be dangerous and if he catches Bivol cleanly it is lights out but that is always a possibility with all heavy-handed punchers. AB is a boxer-puncher which to my mind is the most dangerous type (like SRL,Hagler, Bud); they can stay with you and when necessary, switch up to hurt you if there is a defensive lapse so Bivol has to concentrate 100% in every round which he did, as he showed against Canelo.

To call Porter a ‘jobber’ is just plain disrespectful. He has been among the elite fighters at this weight just below Bud and Spence in my opinion (and below Ennis now). He gave Spence a hard time. The Brook that Bud beat had already suffered at the hands of GGG and was no longer the fighter that beat Porter. Porter’s performance against Spence is a far better measure of his ability. Swarmers like Porter are difficult to dominate because they make it difficult to establish a rhythm easily. That said, Bud knows how to deconstruct a fighter and his ring IQ is second to none. I reckon he either wins late by TKO or unanimous decision. Porter is no Barrera but he has an outside chance of an upset in the same way Barrero stopped Naseem Hamed not by charging in aggressively, which was his usual style, but by boxing cleverly from the outside, counterpunching and avoiding Hamed’s vaunted left hand.

It does not matter the level of finesse BooBoo brings to the table, DB will wear him down with relentless pressure, eventually getting to him, tagging him and stopping him late. DB is a younger taller version of a prime GGG with a better engine. Another reason why the Canelo vs DB is such a compelling fight. A 2021 version of Canelo I would give a 55-45 chance against this DB. The current version of Canelo it's a 50-50 fight using the template of the second GGG fight with Nelo coming forward. It's the only way to stop DB. If you don't hurt him or counter him early and hard by giving him something to think about, something to make him hesitant, he just steamrollers you. That fight is a war! Many people criticised Charlo for his 'poor' performance against Nelo. They forget that facing and beating Nelo is not an easy thing to do. Plus, no one mentions his high-altitude training and the improved effect it had on his stamina. I cannot detect a discernible drop-off in his output in the late rounds. And clearly the repaired wrist allowed him to land his vaunted body punches with full power. Hopefully, that fight materialises. I actually think the Morell fight is more dangerous for Nelo. DB is almost tailor-made for Nelo but Morell is almost Boots-like in his style, which presents Bivol-like problems for Nelo. My implied probability prediction for DB vs BooBoo is 65|35 for DB.

“This is bigger than Canelo. Way bigger?” Dude trying to make himself relevant. He is getting KTFO.

It's quite shocking to read the knee-jerk, subjective remarks by purported boxing fans here. Judge the fight, round by round, round by round, add up your points, post the fight. Use the 10-point must system, effective aggression, ring generalship, defense etc. Slow the speed of the video down and look for contact even glancing contact and add those up. Yes, Teo could not cut of the ring effectively, but Ortiz is a spoiler, a negative boxer who will sink like stone after this fight. He stank out the joint. He did not come to win against the champ, he came to SURVIVE and you don't win a championship with survival tactics, it is the way of the COWARD which Ortiz is 100%. He spoke about beating Lopez? Really? With those scaredy tactics. Get a life. I had the fight razor close, at 115-113 for Teo and I guess I could live with a 114-114 majority draw but because Ortiz came to survive not win, I am leaning toward 115-113, Teo. The 117-111 score card was out of whack.

In the article: Beterbiev then hit Yarde on the back of his head, which sent him to his gloves. Wait what? Surely this is grounds for DISQUALIFICATION or at the least points deduction and recovery time for Yarde. Beterbiev is prone to doing this. Watch his fight versus Smith. It’s dirty fighting to do so. I have lost respect for the man. He will never win against Bivol who will be too slick, too smart, and has too much ring IQ. Bivol to win a UD against Berbetiev

Ennis reminded me a little of Floyd, to be honest but Villa has zero defensive skills and just kept coming forward and walking into a storm so let's not get ahead of ourselves with comments like he will beat Crawford, Spence, Ortiz. Ennis did not have to work hard in this fight, VIlla came to him all night long, a perfect style match-up for Ennis. Chukhadzian exposed Ennis' shortcomings, and made him miss all night long, frustrating him, countering beautifully but unfortunately his punching was of the powder puff kind and he did not, could not hurt Ennis, with a low punch output but he showed a template. I reckon Ellis will do much better as a slick boxer against Ennis than Villa, even though he lost to Villa. Ennis is a boxer puncher in the style of Crawford-that would be a great match-up. Spence has a very high work rate, great defense and strong fundamentals, I reckon he beats Ennis in a closely contested match. Fans are always looking for the next good thing and I am not saying that Ennis isn't that but we need to see him get really tested against elite level opponents.

Bebertiev is a boiled down heavyweight from amateur days ruling the roost among light heavies. Also his looping shots catch opponents on the side to the back of the skull. Not cool.

Haney looks ripped. Ryan looks soft compared to his shape in the Duarte fight where he looked cut to the bone. I think Haney will prove too elusive for Ryan whose lavish lifestyle and recreational drug intake will take their toll. His lack of discipline will cost him. Haney has a way (except against Loma) of negating an opponent’s best offensive weapons. Haney by UD or late stoppage with Ryan quitting on his stool.

Before the fight I was 52-48 Crawford, but this was something else. They clearly did their homework on Spence's jab. BUD was the stiff jabber, throwing short chopping counters at close range, and walking Errol down most of the time. Don't write Errol off just because he lost so badly to an ATG. Spence will win many fights at 154. For too long he has been a weight bully at 147. Let's reserve judgment until he has had 3 or so fights at 154. The only fight for Crawford now is Boots then retirement or retire now, on 40-0. The old adage is true: There are levels in boxing and Bud was levels above. Spence was/is still the 2d best welterweight until Boots or even Thurman beats him should he fight at 147 but it's just that Bud was so dominant - let us not forget Errol's unbeaten history. This also puts the fights against Porter in perspective.

Nah dude. You can’t say “woodpecker” and Joyce in the same breath or should I say article. That’s disrespecting the man’s power. The man is slashing down trees with a machete. That metaphor is more apt. Phenomenal work rate for such a big guy.

I’m a Canelo fan but oh boy did this technically skilled Bivol expose Canelo’s weaknesses (I would not recommend Canelo take the rematch, Wilder came unstuck against Fury insisting on fighting someone who was his kryptonite; moreover, Canelo doesn’t have one punch knockout power) . In a matchup like this with a stronger unbeaten puncher I always favor the better boxer. Unless Zurdo hurts Bivol early and has him on the back foot throughout , it could turn out to be a long night for Zurdo who will lose by UD, in my opinion. He will need to do to Bivol what Bivol did to Canelo, bully him, take his best punches and keep coming.

Joe Joyce's "hand speed"? No, he is as slow as molasses and as pedestrian as a lion in mud. That said, I have always rated him as in the top 5/6 of the current crop. He has a propensity to push out his punches and not snap them especially in the early rounds. He seems to use his left as a range finder. He is not necessarily a one punch knockout artist like Wilder but the cumulative effect of his clubbing punches reminded me of Foreman in his late 40s. Watch Foreman versus Moorer (Nov 5 1994 round 10) by way of reminder. Joyce is that slow but hits that hard and the cumulative effect of his clubbing punches wears opponents down. Honestly, if I were a ref I would have stopped that fight end of Round 7. Parker was defenseless and offering nothing other than the odd wild swinging right. It says much for his durability but brain damage is a very real threat when Joyce is loading up on you round after round and the knockout, while spectacular, may damage Parker in ways inconceivable at the moment. I reckon Parker will never be the same fighter again and should retire with immediate effect. Against skilled boxers like Fury and Usyk, Joyce will lose. Think Taylor/Chavez despite the controversial stoppage late. I don't think anyone else can beat Joyce. And forget about his age. The man has few fights on the clock and has not taken damage. He will be active until 43-45.

The writer and some comments here boggle the mind. "Canelo is in decline, he is not knocking opponents out, he isn't doing umpteen things". The number of haters is incredible. Nothing satisfies them; indeed, I think nothing ever will. They should rather switch to MMA because their comments lay bare their lack of understanding or appreciation of combat sports. They seek something impossible in sport: perfection. Very few, if any, can lay claim to that mantle (perhaps Mayweather, Marciano, Bebertiev, Bivol, Ali, Holmes, Holyfield and other greats) but even then, people have problems with superstars. Truth be told, Canelo is a megastar, the face of boxing, and, yes, probably at the tail end of his glittering career, and thus he deserves to choose whomever he wants to fight or not. How many unbeaten fighters or HOFs has he fought: Mayweather, Bivol, GGG, Saunders, Smith, Plant, Munguia, Cotto, Lara, Mosley and others. He is a lock for HOF. While he is flawed in some respects (overly reliant on power punches, not enough jabbing, stamina doubts), let us appreciate his unique set of skills while he is still in boxing. And I hope that despite his stubborn refusal he gives Benavidez a chance (Canelo demands respect from his potential opponents and HE chooses them, not the other way around). It won't be the first time a HOF misses his best opposition (Lewis vs Bowe is an example) but makes the HOF. The potential Benavidez fight is interesting because (something I have not heretofore read on the forums), Benavidez reminds me of a younger, taller GGG perhaps not with the same concussive power but in a similar mold, a come forward boxer-puncher throwing bombs. Three years ago, I would have made that a 60-40 to Canelo. Now, I think it's a 50-50 fight, perhaps even 45-55 Benavidez. I would have to see a trilogy to make up my mind. I think Benavidez probably wins such a trilogy 2-1 or they split the wins and add a draw. For the sake of boxing purists, not the haters, I hope Canelo-Benavidez gets made.

This is a dangerous fight for Ryana. Ramirez is a complete fighter with elite-level boxing skills. I would have tried to feed another boxer to Ryan but sometimes I guess when these promoters can't get the fighters from other camps to agree to terms, they look to make matchups with their own fighters. Good luck Ryan but I think you bit off more than you can chew here.

I’m surprised at the one-sided comments by boxing fans here about robbery. Really? Check the compubox stats. They don’t lie. Regardless of who you were backing. Lopez was a clear winner but not by a huge margin. He was the effective aggressor, controlled the space, threw more punches and landed more but had to chase Martin all night long. Martin is a spoiler, period. No one is going to look good against him. The knockdown is unfortunate. Teo was leaning in and forward and in that off-balance position, got clipped. Incidentally, I was shocked Martin beat Mikey. That was almost akin to Bivol beating Canelo and then going on to bearing Ramirez. These tricky, skilful boxer-types are always a handful except Martin doesn’t have Bivol’s work rate/punch output. That said, while a fan of Lopez, I am not sure he dominates at this weight class.

Benavidez is a blunt object, there is nothing subtle about his approach, which has been effective until now: a bully-boy, pressure fighter, who throws volumes of punches, not with concussive power but hard enough to get your attention, the cumulative effect wearing you down, leading to stoppage. So, the intelligent question to ask is: how do you deal with a pressure, volume fighter? I think the X-factor here will be the influence of legendary Breadman, Caleb's new coach, who will have done his homework and have several pathways the fight can follow, with a strategy for each. Not long ago, maybe a month, I don't recall off-hand, there was a fight precisely like this, with a tall pressure fighter (was he from Argentina?) and a slick unbeaten US fighter who won almost every round until he got knocked down twice, or three times, twice in the last round leading to an unlikely win for the pressure fighter (personally I thought the US fighter won, boxing happens in ROUNDS not knockdowns). I think THAT fight is a potential blueprint. You have to outslick the pressure fighter, frustrate him, counter him, in and out, good footwork, but throw enough to steal the rounds and like Bivol against Canelo, concentrate 100% for every round until the end. You don't have to knock a fighter like DB out, that would be counter-intuitive because he likes a scrap. Intelligence over brute force. Consequently, if CP can concentrate for 12 rounds, I tip him to win a close decision maybe 2/3 judges giving him the nod.

Disgraceful decision. Everything that is wrong with boxing is evident in this fight. Serrano landed 117 more punches than Taylor and landed more punches per round except for one round. Moreover, Taylor was docked a point. Ban judges and use Compubox exclusively to judge. I am not aware of an alternative better than it. Too much leeway for subjectivity and corruption in judging. There are too many examples to mention here.

Wonderful hand/foot speed for a heavyweight and devastating power. In his loss to Greg Page, he was involved in a bizarre 4 minute round( round 8 I think it was) in which he was knocked out. How could that even happen and why was it allowed? That match should have been declared a no-contest. Other South African heavyweight greats were Corrie Sanders who knocked Klitschko out, Pierre Coetzee who lost to a resurgent Foreman, Johnny du Plooy, Kallie Knoetze, Mike Schutte, Mike Koranicki, Francois Botha.

DB is a tsunami. He will wear Andrade down and stop him late as some have mentioned. I concur wholeheartedly.

Who cares about what Fast Eddie BELIEVES? Beliefs are by nature irrational rooted in some kind of conviction or faith. Reality is something entirely different. He truly believed Callum could hurt AB. Think again. Dispense with your beliefs Eddie and look reality in the eyes, then assess based on what you observe with your own eyes or the research you’ve done. In this instance, I think Bivol has a chance for the lengthy reasons I gave in another post. Only a consummate boxer can win against AB (such as Bivol or think Meldrick Taylor vs Chavez) or someone with equally concussive power who can also box because AB has evolved into a boxer-puncher; the most deadly combination for me in boxing. Bivol lacks the power to keep AB off him so he has to be 100% perfect in execution in 12 rounds to take a decision. At the moment, it is a very evenly matched contest for me but I will favor the boxer.

Haney is a clone of Mayweather and not a great one at that. Potshotter with no combinations and not fully engaging. And why the refs allow this amount of clinching an use of forearms by Haney in the clinch is beyond me. Kambosis reached his peak against Lopez and Haney exposed his limitations. He did not and does not belong at the elite levels. Lomachenko is levels above and those who think Haney will have his way against Loma better think again. Study Loma’s fights: he is a master at closing the distance in an instant and moving to the sides catching opponents unawares. Yes he lost to an inspired Lopez who himself may have had his peak fight agains Loma.