The Stepchildren

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  • whdempsey
    Only John Wayne Around
    Gold Champion - 500-1,000 posts
    • May 2004
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    #1

    The Stepchildren

    I don't know if it's just because I've come to generally expect less of these divisions or whether it's actually true, but I'm pretty are better than most of us give them credit for. They are also two of the most fun divisions out there. Really, I think I'm gonna be paying closer attention to them in the next few months than I will be to some of the more traditional weight classes, like welterweight or featherweight. I mean, there will be a few fighters in both those divisions I'll be keeping my eye on, but the two most maligned weight classes in the world will be getting more of my attention overall. There are no big fights coming up in either division, but the possibilities for fun ones are numerous. Look at this list and see what I mean.

    At cruiserweight there is Wayne Brathwaite, a reckless puncher. Then Jean-Marc Mormeck, a volume puncher who likes to mix it up on the inside. Skipping right over Johnny Nelson, who doesn't have more than one or two good fights left in him - and is boring anyway - there's O'Neill Bell. I dunno who else has seen him, but almost no other fighter creates the same drama that he does. He is always getting knocked down, cut or hurt and then coming back and kayoing his opponent.

    The list goes on, but I don't think I have to continue. My point is that these aren't great fighters, not all of them even have the potential for greatness, but there's a lotta punchers, and great parity within the division. All of them are roughly equally gifted, and most of them really, really like to fight.

    The same is true of super middle. There's Joe Calzaghe, who the type of guy that's just fun to watch cuz he throws about 1,000 punches a round. There's Manny Siaca, who's essentially a puncher with a good amount of heart. There's Anthony Mundine, who's a real **** with a mouth that sometimes backs his bull**** up. That's important too, though, a real mouth in the division ****es things up. And then there's Antwun Echols and Danny Green. Echols is like O'Neill Bell in that his fights tend to feature intense drama and hard punching, while Green is a truly terrifying puncher who should be undefeated right now with a win over Markus Beyer. Plus there's Jeff Lacy, another bona fide puncher.

    That's four pure punchers (more or less) out of six fighters, and one pressure fighter, and just one boxer-puncher, and it's not exactly like Mundine is boring to watch. Not always anyway. It all makes for fun viewing. See my point?
    Last edited by whdempsey; 11-09-2004, 11:13 PM.
  • phallus
    the lizard of ahs
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    • Sep 2004
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    #2
    who's gonna get beaten like a red headed stepchild?

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    • whdempsey
      Only John Wayne Around
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      • May 2004
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      #3
      Uh. No one's gonna get BEATEN like a stepchild. These two divisions are boxing's stepchildren. The weight classes we wish didn't exist...I thought it was clever...

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      • Soundtraveler
        Breaking Eardrums Nightly
        Platinum Champion - 1,000-5,000 posts
        • Apr 2004
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        #4
        Nice post WHDempsey, I agree with you summation, I must admit I tend to favor the Cruiserweight division as I am the same size as those guys, and I get a better feel for who has good power and speed with guys my own size. I know how hard I can punch, and whether or not a guy could hurt me, even at my age I still like to lace em' up. I have announced fighters that I know I could take out! LOL

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        • whdempsey
          Only John Wayne Around
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          #5
          Yeh. It's a shame some of these guys can't fight at heavy. They'd probably make things more fun. The same thing goes for the super middles, if they could fight at middleweight, it'd be one of the most compelling weight classes out there. As it is, it's pretty much a top heavy division with a few blue chip prospects.

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          • phallus
            the lizard of ahs
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            #6
            i wouldn't mind seeing the super middleweight div eliminated, but that will force the guys who can't make 160 to move up into 175 where they probably won't be competive. The cruisers are small hw's who'd really be at a disadvantage against real hw's, can you see Julian Letterlough against a 6'6" 250 lb hw? If he had skills he'd have the same chance Jack Dempsey had against Jess Willard, but a lot of these guys don't have enough skills to make up for the size disadvantage

            And as for the red headed step child comment, i got what u're saying but when i see the word stepchild, that's the first thing that pops into my head

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            • phallus
              the lizard of ahs
              Unified Champion - 10,00-20,000 posts
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              #7
              no disrespect meant to Julian Letterlough, but he's a puncher, not a skilled boxer

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              • oldgringo
                Ellis
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                • Jul 2004
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                #8
                Originally posted by whdempsey
                Yeh. It's a shame some of these guys can't fight at heavy. They'd probably make things more fun. The same thing goes for the super middles, if they could fight at middleweight, it'd be one of the most compelling weight classes out there. As it is, it's pretty much a top heavy division with a few blue chip prospects.
                I think Braithewaite could move up to HW and succeed. I like super middle too. I agree about the whole stepchild thing. These divisions get no love...I think super middle is more like the middle child. Jan Brady of boxing.

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