Comments Thread For: Hopkins: Canelo, Ward Would Exploit GGG’s Weaknesses

[SeekDaGreat]

Canelo parrys that jab all night, fires hard right hands in that Euro stiffs face. Telegraphed body shot, anybody? Lemeeuiex had a chance to make a sandwich before that body shot landed but he sucks and would rather block punches with his body. Lemeuiex is a Canadian pub brawler. He's a terrible boxer. His game plan is to go in and outmuscle you and it works on the lower levels of boxing.

[hitking]

Very true, very true. But I have yet to hear anyone describe Smith as world class.

Lets go with your description of a systematic breakdown, but please don't confuse Smith with a world class fighter. On a world level he is C-level at best and that may be generous.

Throughout his career, its taken better fighters to beat Smith than it taken to beat Lemieux. So what does that say about GGG's win thus past weekend? Especially if Lemieux was supposedly his toughest test. Personally, I don't think he's the best Gennady has faced. But the argument can certain ly be made.

[hitking]

Personally if they fight its cool.....if they don't I don't care


GGG fans deep down inside don't think GGG can beat Ward


So they deflect and say why don't he fight this guy or that


Whereas where was that reaction when GGG was calling out Mayweather who in a weigh class 13 pounds south and started 30 pounds below the middleweight limit


I favor Ward over KOV and GGG....Nothing against either guy but I just feel Ward is a better fighter and could nullify what they dio best better than they could to him.....you gotta land the right shot or enough of them to win a fight.....Ward has the fullest tool shed of the 3 fighters and hasn't lost sense puberty

Im gonna go with the guy with more skills and better resume 9/10....I favor Ward over both but KOV has a better shot than GGG at beating Ward

Not only is Kovalev bigger, he's a better fighter than GGG. There's a lil more to Kovalev than there is to GGG. Combine that with him entering the ring 190lbs+, Ward would have his hands full. Ward would to bring his A game because I don't think mauling Kovalev on the inside for 12rds gets it done. Where I think he dominates Gennady from the opening bell.

[steeve steel]

Ward has a good chance...because of his defense. Although his chin is still suspect since Boone; hasn't been hit cleanly since. But what if? Canelo has no chance.

[therealpugilist]

Not only is Kovalev bigger, he's a better fighter than GGG. There's a lil more to Kovalev than there is to GGG. Combine that with him entering the ring 190lbs+, Ward would have his hands full. Ward would to bring his A game because I don't think mauling Kovalev on the inside for 12rds gets it done. Where I think he dominates Gennady from the opening bell.

I agree with your entire post

KOV is a more versatile fighter than GGG, larger, and beat better fighters


This would be the best fight at 175 in over a decade

[MDPopescu]

... Someone (I don't tell who) said: "Everybody has a plan until he gets hit"... This does fit Golovkin quite well...

... I don't know about Canelo, but as about Ward: the guy has to come from somewhere (from the distance?) in order to get onto GGG's chest...
... Usually Ward acts like this: jab (fencing), jab, right, then he jumps inside (for clinching or for inside working, roughhouse)... When he jumps forward, Ward is open to big counters (in case his opponent has very good timing and balance)... but in case Ward chooses to fight from "outside" he's done against Golovkin.

[mick1303]

He's a poor man's Kostya Tszyu, essentially.

The only similarities between Tszyu and GGG are their Korean heritage and KO power. Even though I like Kostya as the next guy, he had some limitations, he was sometimes right-hand-happy, his mobility was suspect, also his chin while a very dependable, was not a great one. I don't see such weaknesses in GGG. He is more well-rounded. It seems to me that many, who claim that he is "slow" are not paying attention to his economical style. He does not do any unnecessary movements, therefore they think that he is a bad mover. He is far from that. If he has a great sense of distance, which allows him to cut off the ring and be always in range offensively, the same asset can be used defensively as well. We only saw bits and pieces of that in the Lemieux fight. We'll see more against Canelo, I think...

[IMDAZED]

The only similarities between Tszyu and GGG are their Korean heritage and KO power. Even though I like Kostya as the next guy, he had some limitations, he was sometimes right-hand-happy, his mobility was suspect, also his chin while a very dependable, was not a great one. I don't see such weaknesses in GGG. He is more well-rounded. It seems to me that many, who claim that he is "slow" are not paying attention to his economical style. He does not do any unnecessary movements, therefore they think that he is a bad mover. He is far from that. If he has a great sense of distance, which allows him to cut off the ring and be always in range offensively, the same asset can be used defensively as well. We only saw bits and pieces of that in the Lemieux fight. We'll see more against Canelo, I think...

Didn't realize both were Korean.

And I disagree with a lot of your assertions here.

[Mike_R]

I think Ward's size advantage + being one of the slickest guys in the game could get him a W over GGG but not without some grinding.

Canelo on the other hand... He's right down there with GGG and he's not such a high level of boxer than he wouldn't have to walk through a lot of fire. I'd love to see it.

I think Canelo will likely beat Cotto and I really hope we see him and GGG in 2016. It's a really great match up. We'd learn things about both guys in that one I think.

[SplitSecond]

Throughout his career, its taken better fighters to beat Smith than it taken to beat Lemieux. So what does that say about GGG's win thus past weekend? Especially if Lemieux was supposedly his toughest test. Personally, I don't think he's the best Gennady has faced. But the argument can certain ly be made.

No. Lemieux > Smith. Smith has lost to bigger names perhaps, but he's never beat anyone, and Lemieux has never lost to anyone as bad as this Steve Bendall.