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by David P. Greisman - Power isn’t solely derived from how it’s used, but also from how it’s viewed.
There will always be believers and skeptics, with extremists on both ends of the spectrum overstating or underrating its effectiveness, paralyzed or unmoved by its presence. Some will fear it, while others will think it can be defied and defeated.
All of them can be blown away with an effective display of brute force.
Boxing is full of Ozzes Great and Powerful whose greatness and power are rather a matter of smoke and mirrors. It’s too easy to game the system and mislead the masses through deceptive matchmaking and disingenuous marketing. For every Edwin Valero blasting through his first 19 opponents in just 20 rounds and then going on to win a world title, there is a Tyrone Brunson who will take out 19 foes in 19 rounds and soon be exposed as a flawed fraud.
And so we question undefeated records and knockout streaks, seeking the steak to substantiate the sizzle. We pore over the quality of opposition, ponder whether there are limitations and weaknesses to be revealed, and wait for the day when the fighter in question will provide us with some answers.
There have been three notable knockout artists hyped in the past couple of years.
Lucas Matthysse had earned early endings in all but two of his victories — and had lost by split decisions in his two defeats. But the junior-welterweight bomber who made quick work of one titleholder in Lamont Peterson last year wasn’t able to do the same against Danny Garcia. Matthysse lost a decision to Garcia, then struggled mightily at times with John Molina earlier this year before taking over and scoring the stoppage. Nevertheless, his bandwagon has stalled for the moment.
Deontay Wilder began as a raw prospect whose power propelled him while his technique caught up. He’s scored knockouts or technical knockouts over every single one of his 31 opponents, with no foe getting past the fourth round. He’s scored 18 knockouts in the first round, 6 knockouts in the second, 4 knockouts in the third and 3 knockouts in the fourth. He’s about to challenge for a heavyweight title without having ever defeated a high-quality foe. The 6-foot-7 Wilder will either step up and be the next big thing or will go down as yet another tall tale.
Gennady Golovkin stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday with an undefeated record, with 26 knockouts in his 29 wins. He was an accomplished amateur who won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics. As a pro, he’d held a world title belt for a few years, battered and blown out his opponents and was being described as the destroyer who would dominate the middleweight division if only the middleweight division wouldn’t avoid him. Yet his challenger, former titleholder Daniel Geale, was admittedly a significant step up in class of competition. [Click Here To Read More]
There will always be believers and skeptics, with extremists on both ends of the spectrum overstating or underrating its effectiveness, paralyzed or unmoved by its presence. Some will fear it, while others will think it can be defied and defeated.
All of them can be blown away with an effective display of brute force.
Boxing is full of Ozzes Great and Powerful whose greatness and power are rather a matter of smoke and mirrors. It’s too easy to game the system and mislead the masses through deceptive matchmaking and disingenuous marketing. For every Edwin Valero blasting through his first 19 opponents in just 20 rounds and then going on to win a world title, there is a Tyrone Brunson who will take out 19 foes in 19 rounds and soon be exposed as a flawed fraud.
And so we question undefeated records and knockout streaks, seeking the steak to substantiate the sizzle. We pore over the quality of opposition, ponder whether there are limitations and weaknesses to be revealed, and wait for the day when the fighter in question will provide us with some answers.
There have been three notable knockout artists hyped in the past couple of years.
Lucas Matthysse had earned early endings in all but two of his victories — and had lost by split decisions in his two defeats. But the junior-welterweight bomber who made quick work of one titleholder in Lamont Peterson last year wasn’t able to do the same against Danny Garcia. Matthysse lost a decision to Garcia, then struggled mightily at times with John Molina earlier this year before taking over and scoring the stoppage. Nevertheless, his bandwagon has stalled for the moment.
Deontay Wilder began as a raw prospect whose power propelled him while his technique caught up. He’s scored knockouts or technical knockouts over every single one of his 31 opponents, with no foe getting past the fourth round. He’s scored 18 knockouts in the first round, 6 knockouts in the second, 4 knockouts in the third and 3 knockouts in the fourth. He’s about to challenge for a heavyweight title without having ever defeated a high-quality foe. The 6-foot-7 Wilder will either step up and be the next big thing or will go down as yet another tall tale.
Gennady Golovkin stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden this past Saturday with an undefeated record, with 26 knockouts in his 29 wins. He was an accomplished amateur who won a silver medal in the 2004 Olympics. As a pro, he’d held a world title belt for a few years, battered and blown out his opponents and was being described as the destroyer who would dominate the middleweight division if only the middleweight division wouldn’t avoid him. Yet his challenger, former titleholder Daniel Geale, was admittedly a significant step up in class of competition. [Click Here To Read More]
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