The Light Heavyweight Landscape

[Eff Pandas]

I think 175 is one of the more interesting divisions right now. Its got 2 P4P discussed guys about to go into their 2nd fight + 3 or 4 super solid guys to touch in the top ten who I think you can make all sorts of arguments on who beats who, but more importantly should be engaging in some fun fights in the next 6-18 months to decide who's gonna be the next guy running the division after Ward, Kovalev & even the nearly irrelevant Stevenson are all gone.

Personally my money is on Beterbiev, but his inactivity + injury have me feeling less confident about him as of late. Plus he's not exactly a spring chicken himself so who knows how long he'll be on top if he gets to the top.

And people love to sh^t on Joe Smith, but he's the Rudy of the division for me & a mfer I just can't root against & I feel like he'll surprise a top ten guy or two in his future who thinks he's a soft touch just waiting to take a L for a nice payday.

[Boxing lives]

• Puts Smith Jr into the equation...

• Drags me out of thread...

Says the guy with the Chickenson avi.....

[CRM114]

I think 175 is one of the more interesting divisions right now. Its got 2 P4P discussed guys about to go into their 2nd fight + 3 or 4 super solid guys to touch in the top ten who I think you can make all sorts of arguments on who beats who, but more importantly should be engaging in some fun fights in the next 6-18 months to decide who's gonna be the next guy running the division after Ward, Kovalev & even the nearly irrelevant Stevenson are all gone.

Personally my money is on Beterbiev, but his inactivity + injury have me feeling less confident about him as of late. Plus he's not exactly a spring chicken himself so who knows how long he'll be on top if he gets to the top.

And people love to sh^t on Joe Smith, but he's the Rudy of the division for me & a mfer I just can't root against & I feel like he'll surprise a top ten guy or two in his future who thinks he's a soft touch just waiting to take a L for a nice payday.

Great assessment.

[Porter's Dad]

I've been thinking the same. It's an amazing division full of killers.

[BWC]

I think 175 is one of the more interesting divisions right now. Its got 2 P4P discussed guys about to go into their 2nd fight + 3 or 4 super solid guys to touch in the top ten who I think you can make all sorts of arguments on who beats who, but more importantly should be engaging in some fun fights in the next 6-18 months to decide who's gonna be the next guy running the division after Ward, Kovalev & even the nearly irrelevant Stevenson are all gone.

Personally my money is on Beterbiev, but his inactivity + injury have me feeling less confident about him as of late. Plus he's not exactly a spring chicken himself so who knows how long he'll be on top if he gets to the top.

And people love to sh^t on Joe Smith, but he's the Rudy of the division for me & a mfer I just can't root against & I feel like he'll surprise a top ten guy or two in his future who thinks he's a soft touch just waiting to take a L for a nice payday.

Prob won't happen but kind of hope WBSS does LHW next. This division just begs for a shakeup

[CRM114]

Prob won't happen but kind of hope WBSS does LHW next. This division just begs for a shakeup

That would be glorious but the good luck getting the top three to negotiate that deal, if we can get a Stevenson/Ward or Kovalev/Stevenson match up out of it, well hot damn.

[Eff Pandas]

Prob won't happen but kind of hope WBSS does LHW next. This division just begs for a shakeup

It could make sense next year. If Ward wins & retires by this time next year, which I tend to believe is the likely outcome of the rematch & a career trajectory that wouldn't shock me for Ward, a 175 WBSS tournament would be doable.

I think any division where the top few guys aren't capable of making $10M+ for their next 3 fights is viable for the WBSS. And that's gonna make most divisions WBSSable imo.

147 & 160 are out for sure. But I think most other divisions are in play its just a matter of how sexy the whole division looks beyond the money issue & 175 has a deeper list of top ten caliber guys who are fun, talented & more interesting characters then the average division that's for sure.

[asgarth]

Lightheavy is one of the better weight classes for sure, I mean, it has 3 Fighter of the year boxers.

Kovalev FOTY 2014
Ward FOTY 2011
Stevenson FOTY 2013

[CRM114]

Lightheavy is one of the better weight classes for sure, I mean, it has 3 Fighter of the year boxers.

Kovalev FOTY 2014
Ward FOTY 2011
Stevenson FOTY 2013

I didn't even realize this until now.