So, I wondered how the current top 5, p4p, according to The Ring (for the sake of argument) fared in their 10 most recent fights. I think 10 fights is a large enough sample size for guys fighting at the highest level and should span between 3-5 years.
Specifically, I was looking at who in the top 5 had faced the most current or past champions. I regarded anyone holding one of the four organisational belts (WBA/WBC/IFB/WBO) as a legitimate champion.
I will then work out how many years it took for said fighter to complete 10 fights, thus working out the champions faced/year. Just a little exercise in quality.
So the top 5, according to the Ring is:
1. Roman Gonzalez
2. Sergey Kovalev
3. Gennady Golovkin
4. Andre Ward
5. Terence Crawford
Roman Gonzalez: 4 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1.3
Sergey Kovalev: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1
Gennady Golovkin: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1
Andre Ward: 5 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 7 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 0.7
Terence Crawford: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a championship/year ratio of: 1.
So, in terms of quality opposition faced, in the sense of fighting world champions, Gonzalez comes out on top...just. This is really sad going, with barely one world champion faced per year, in an era of 4-6 so called champions per division. Ward's ratio is simply horrendous.
Crawford, being at this level for a relatively short span is ok, as is Kovalev. They still need to up the ante.
Specifically, I was looking at who in the top 5 had faced the most current or past champions. I regarded anyone holding one of the four organisational belts (WBA/WBC/IFB/WBO) as a legitimate champion.
I will then work out how many years it took for said fighter to complete 10 fights, thus working out the champions faced/year. Just a little exercise in quality.
So the top 5, according to the Ring is:
1. Roman Gonzalez
2. Sergey Kovalev
3. Gennady Golovkin
4. Andre Ward
5. Terence Crawford
Roman Gonzalez: 4 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1.3
Sergey Kovalev: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1
Gennady Golovkin: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 1
Andre Ward: 5 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 7 years, that's a champions/year ratio of: 0.7
Terence Crawford: 3 past or current world champions faced and beaten. Over a span of 3 years, that's a championship/year ratio of: 1.
So, in terms of quality opposition faced, in the sense of fighting world champions, Gonzalez comes out on top...just. This is really sad going, with barely one world champion faced per year, in an era of 4-6 so called champions per division. Ward's ratio is simply horrendous.
Crawford, being at this level for a relatively short span is ok, as is Kovalev. They still need to up the ante.
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