Tweet
So I'm not sure why this division isn't getting the love Welter is getting because the top 10 here are absolute killers, with Stevenson beating (in a rematch no one wanted) Fonfara, he is still (although I would say not the best) the champion of the division. I feel if all these fighters fought each other none of them would escape with 0's if they have them and that it would produce the most exciting fights of all the divisions. My rankings at the moment so far are:
Kovalev*: Lost but seeing the post fight reactions to the decision have many people believing he should be undefeated. As of right now I have him as the best but this could change come the 17th of June.
Ward**: Fought well with Kovalev but I think didn't do enough to win the belts but showed he belongs in the division no doubt. I have doubts he sticks around after the rematch with Kovalev win, lose or draw.
Stevenson: The Lineal Champ but has not faced the opposition recently to be considered the best, with guys below him in ranking possibly being better than him. Needs to fight the Kovalev/Ward II winner, his left hand is powerful enough to change any fight.
Beterbiev: There are still a lot of questions to be asked about him, what is obvious is that he has monster power and the skills to apply it. Unfortunately it seems hes going to be out for a while over promotional issues and its a shame because I think he could possibly beat all the top three in the division.
Gvozdyk: Made Chilemba retire and stopped Gonzalez showing immense skill in both fights. His chin is still a question but with his combination of length, power and skill, I see him being a tough out against anybody mentioned above.
Smith Jr. : I see him as the right handed version of Stevenson honestly, that right hand lands and they're not going to see the end of the fight. He is very crude but has the physicality/size to absolutely be a problem, his fights with Fonfara and B-Hop (even at his ancient age) made me rethink my opinion of him. I believe he will be the winner in his upcoming fight with Barrera but....
Barrera: I'm always a bit confused with him. While I don't think hes the most skillful guy here and he is slow, he seems durable and has enough power in his shots to make any opponent stop before rushing in, as Shabranskyy found out in their fight. His upcoming fight with Smith Jr. will reveal a lot of both fighters and we will see who comes out on top in a match I see as competitively even but I could be very wrong.
Alvarez: He has fine boxing talent but I don't see anything special in him to warrant him being a favorite with any of the above mentioned fighters. His win over Pascal was good but I think he possibly could have gotten him out of there if he pressed the issue. We will have to see and find out.
Cleverly: Still in the mix after his Braehmer win, I don't have a high opinion of him. I would have Fonfara here instead but we saw what happened to him in last nights fight with Stevenson but he's still hanging in there. I don't see him fighting quality opposition soon but lets hope he does.
Bivol: The greenest of all the fighters in the top 10, he looks to have the talent and power plus punch output to really be something as he proved some of that in his last fight with Sam Clarkson. We will have more questions answered come the 17th.
Fonfara, Pascal, Shabranskyy, Chilemba, Browne, Braehmer, Hot Rod are still in the mix plus the addition of Badou Jack are going to make things interesting for the near future.
So there's my breakdown so far, any comments or discussions are appreciated, lets hope the best fights happen and let the best man win.
Kovalev*: Lost but seeing the post fight reactions to the decision have many people believing he should be undefeated. As of right now I have him as the best but this could change come the 17th of June.
Ward**: Fought well with Kovalev but I think didn't do enough to win the belts but showed he belongs in the division no doubt. I have doubts he sticks around after the rematch with Kovalev win, lose or draw.
Stevenson: The Lineal Champ but has not faced the opposition recently to be considered the best, with guys below him in ranking possibly being better than him. Needs to fight the Kovalev/Ward II winner, his left hand is powerful enough to change any fight.
Beterbiev: There are still a lot of questions to be asked about him, what is obvious is that he has monster power and the skills to apply it. Unfortunately it seems hes going to be out for a while over promotional issues and its a shame because I think he could possibly beat all the top three in the division.
Gvozdyk: Made Chilemba retire and stopped Gonzalez showing immense skill in both fights. His chin is still a question but with his combination of length, power and skill, I see him being a tough out against anybody mentioned above.
Smith Jr. : I see him as the right handed version of Stevenson honestly, that right hand lands and they're not going to see the end of the fight. He is very crude but has the physicality/size to absolutely be a problem, his fights with Fonfara and B-Hop (even at his ancient age) made me rethink my opinion of him. I believe he will be the winner in his upcoming fight with Barrera but....
Barrera: I'm always a bit confused with him. While I don't think hes the most skillful guy here and he is slow, he seems durable and has enough power in his shots to make any opponent stop before rushing in, as Shabranskyy found out in their fight. His upcoming fight with Smith Jr. will reveal a lot of both fighters and we will see who comes out on top in a match I see as competitively even but I could be very wrong.
Alvarez: He has fine boxing talent but I don't see anything special in him to warrant him being a favorite with any of the above mentioned fighters. His win over Pascal was good but I think he possibly could have gotten him out of there if he pressed the issue. We will have to see and find out.
Cleverly: Still in the mix after his Braehmer win, I don't have a high opinion of him. I would have Fonfara here instead but we saw what happened to him in last nights fight with Stevenson but he's still hanging in there. I don't see him fighting quality opposition soon but lets hope he does.
Bivol: The greenest of all the fighters in the top 10, he looks to have the talent and power plus punch output to really be something as he proved some of that in his last fight with Sam Clarkson. We will have more questions answered come the 17th.
Fonfara, Pascal, Shabranskyy, Chilemba, Browne, Braehmer, Hot Rod are still in the mix plus the addition of Badou Jack are going to make things interesting for the near future.
So there's my breakdown so far, any comments or discussions are appreciated, lets hope the best fights happen and let the best man win.
Comment