Is Sullivan Barrera Andre Ward's toughest opponent to date?

[hectari]

Barrera is tough because it's unknown if Ward's power and skill will carry to the higher weight class. Nothing is promised in boxing so the outcome is unknown at this point.

Aside from that I think Ward's fight against Froch could be considered one of his toughest. He prevailed against a game opponent while having a broken hand....people discount how hard it is to face someone like Froch without all of your weapons.

I watched Sullivan he is easy for Ward, Froch lost to Ward because he abandoned his aggressive style and tried to play the technical game, its like when Gatti tried to box with Floyd you are bound to lose.

Sullivan will lose he is tentative and technical it takes someone who is aggressive and has high pressure and power in the clinch to beat him.

Too bad today not many fighters fight like that, its why the fighters from the 80s and 70s were so tough, you can watch old tape of some of these guys and many of them would lick guys like Ward, they had high pace, 15 rounds, combos, foot work, aggression, they came to fight even the guys who were not ranked in the top ten but edging on the top ten would probably be champs today.

[Superbee]

Why the hype for Barrera ? The guy's biggest achievement is a victory over an average Murat who's biggest achievement is a draw against an average Campillo... I found him slow as a cow in his last fight and Murat's shape was highly questionable...

No need to write to your mother on that one...

[-Kev-]

He only has a KO rating of 71%......not really all that impressive, honestly.

Anything over 60, you are stepping in the danger zone. That means that the fighter has over a 50% chance of knocking you out. When you talk about 50-50, that's doable. When a guy is at 70%, you better bring your A-game defensively. 80-90%+ is video game stuff. 70% is actually a pretty powerful guy. I would say under 60%, you're not in that much danger.

You certainly don't want to step in the ring with some one like prime Jermain Taylor, who had something just above 50%, thinking he was weak because of his percentage. Ask Kelly Pavlik and Carl Froch, they both suffered pretty hard KD's by Taylor. And no one knocked Froch down before or after until Groves. Pavlik was also a hard guy to knock down.

I can see a case can be made that Sullivan Barrera has a low KO percentage relative to his resume, but he wasn't exactly matched with the traditional 32-46 type of records, like other fighters with inflated KO % were fortunate enough to get early in their careers, and still do. Had SB been matched with old journeymen he may have possibly had an inflated KO% too, and been called a KO machine. MAke no mistake, you think he's not that powerful, but Ward knows and i'm sure he will train for a power puncher.

[mathed]

Anything over 60, you are stepping in the danger zone. That means that the fighter has over a 50% chance of knocking you out. When you talk about 50-50, that's doable. When a guy is at 70%, you better bring your A-game defensively. 80-90%+ is video game stuff. 70% is actually a pretty powerful guy. I would say under 60%, you're not in that much danger.

You certainly don't want to step in the ring with some one like prime Jermain Taylor, who had something just above 50%, thinking he was weak because of his percentage. Ask Kelly Pavlik and Carl Froch, they both suffered pretty hard KD's by Taylor. And no one knocked Froch down before or after until Groves. Pavlik was also a hard guy to knock down.

I can see a case can be made that Sullivan Barrera has a low KO percentage relative to his resume, but he wasn't exactly matched with the traditional 32-46 type of records, like other fighters with inflated KO % were fortunate enough to get early in their careers, and still do. Had SB been matched with old journeymen he may have possibly had an inflated KO% too, and been called a KO machine. MAke no mistake, you think he's not that powerful, but Ward knows and i'm sure he will train for a power puncher.

Compared to a guy like 'lil g' whom most people trash and treat like some no-rate loser, 71% isn't all that. Lemieux had a KO% of like 85% and 'lil g' had over 90%. most posters on here act like Lemieux was some no-hoper yet he won by KO almost every time out.

[-Kev-]

Compared to a guy like 'lil g' whom most people trash and treat like some no-rate loser, 71% isn't all that. Lemieux had a KO% of like 85% and 'lil g' had over 90%. most posters on here act like Lemieux was some no-hoper yet he won by KO almost every time out.

I felt I covered that by mentioning how SB didn't exactly have soft touches coming up. Give him fighters of similar age and records, he too would likely look like a wrecking machine.

[lefthook2daliva]

Compared to a guy like 'lil g' whom most people trash and treat like some no-rate loser, 71% isn't all that. Lemieux had a KO% of like 85% and 'lil g' had over 90%. most posters on here act like Lemieux was some no-hoper yet he won by KO almost every time out.

Yeah dude, but you gotta' factor in level of competition.

Like say the KO% on the first 20 fights on a premium-cable-channel level guy vs the same guy's KO % in fights 20-30 and beyond.

Once a guy moves from no tv to tv to hbo/showtime to ppv those percentages are gonna' suffer except for the very cream of the elite and then, on the rare occasions they fight each other, even those KO % will suffer.

Barrera's KO% at this point may be somewhat impressive, but I'll be far more impressed if he's at 71% 10 years from now.

Btw, that poll is ****. Fkn manipulative bull****.

[mathed]

I felt I covered that by mentioning how SB didn't exactly have soft touches coming up. Give him fighters of similar age and records, he too would likely look like a wrecking machine.

That's kind of my point though...people say that GGG's comp has been garbage, he is fighting bums. Say that is true, GGG's level of comp is still miles beyond what Barrera has faced thus far. So if Barrera's comp is considered "stiff" to a certain degree, how can GGG's comp be so devalued?

[BlackSoul]

He will be after this fight, you can take that to the bank.

Abel Sanchez will have the perfect game plan.

Ward's getting KO'd in the late rounds.

bet somethin'

[-Kev-]

That's kind of my point though...people say that GGG's comp has been garbage, he is fighting bums. Say that is true, GGG's level of comp is still miles beyond what Barrera has faced thus far. So if Barrera's comp is considered "stiff" to a certain degree, how can GGG's comp be so devalued?

Golovkin is a very good, powerful fighter in a weak division. He is the only elite level fighter at 160. And relative to his experience an amateur and a pro, these guys with no punching power and little skill are not much for him. You see, GGG vs someone like Ward, DeGale, or even Barrera himself who has very good amateur background would be pretty good matches where the likely outcomes would be in decision instead of KO. This is what happened to SB, he was not matched all that careully early on. Also I would not put those MW's he's beaten well above Karo Murat or Jeff Lacy tbh, that's just how I feel about them, they are the same type of C level fighters excluding Martin Murray.

[Pigeons]

I would put Froch, Kessler, Abraham, Bika, Rodriguez, Dawson in front for now. I would put Sullivan after Rodriguez until further notice. He's a better fighter than Green and Miranda.

I would rate them 1) Froch, 2) Kessler, 3) Dawson, 4) Abraham, 5) Barrera, 6) Rodriguez, 7) Bika.