Why didnt 3G stick to making bum title defences until he had surpassed hopkins?

[just the facts]

Because HBO wasn’t gonna pay him to fight lesser competition any longer.

[xxlefthookxx]

Instead of stepping up to world title level with lemieux and getting beaten 3 guys later?

I have wondered the same. I think he wanted to achieve at least one of two goals....make some life-changing money by fighting someone such as a Canelo or Mayweather (sorry haters, nobody at 160 or 168 had any value) or to break the middleweight record. The shot at Canelo came up soon enough that he was able to cash a big check (now several). Every occupation is about the Benjamins, and going through 3 more camps to fight the Wades and Monroes of the world wouldn't get him nearly the money for a single shot at Canelo. Fame/Legacy doesn't pay the bills.

[DreamFighter]

I have wondered the same. I think he wanted to achieve at least one of two goals....make some life-changing money by fighting someone such as a Canelo or Mayweather (sorry haters, nobody at 160 or 168 had any value) or to break the middleweight record. The shot at Canelo came up soon enough that he was able to cash a big check (now several). Every occupation is about the Benjamins, and going through 3 more camps to fight the Wades and Monroes of the world wouldn't get him nearly the money for a single shot at Canelo. Fame/Legacy doesn't pay the bills.

yuh i guess he wanted the money more than the records.

this is what I was asking, I was trying to attract butthurt 3G fans in droves.

[DreamFighter]

You don't have to apologise to me, man.

on te contrary I had to apologise for telling you that you were wrong to avoid hurting your feelings or you would write something butthurt like this -

We all need something to give our lives meaning.:...

but you did anyway.

[xxlefthookxx]

yuh i guess he wanted the money more than the records.

this is what I was asking, I was trying to attract butthurt 3G fans in droves.

That is why he didn't waste time with a Ward fight after he had established himself at MW. Fighting Ward made him no money (go ask Kovalev about that...) and it also did not add to his title defenses. No money. No legacy. GGG isn't alone in fighting weak comp. Hopkins had terrible MW opponents. Wilder. Tank. RJJ fought his share of bums, and May fought his share of no-hopers as well. Unfortunately it is more the rule than the exception.

[Citizen Koba]

That is why he didn't waste time with a Ward fight after he had established himself at MW. Fighting Ward made him no money (go ask Kovalev about that...) and it also did not add to his title defenses. No money. No legacy. GGG isn't alone in fighting weak comp. Hopkins had terrible MW opponents. Wilder. Tank. RJJ fought his share of bums, and May fought his share of no-hopers as well. Unfortunately it is more the rule than the exception.

Clearly... if fact I'd be hard pressed to think of any fighter in history who upon being mandated to fight a unifier against Canelo or Cotto would take the decision to climb a division to fight Andre Ward for less money. Had the biggest payday been attached to Ward Golovkin would have fought him I expect, although he would have been wise to fight the smaller guy first anyway.


Fighters are doing what they always did, man, fighting who they could for the most money... there was never some Golden age where it was all about the honour, it's just that at the times when the sport's been healthiest the belts genuinely added to your worth and best fights came with the biggest paychecks and the only way to make a real decent living was to fight the best.

Unfortunately now it's a great deal more complicated, firstly with dudes getting $ mils per a fight against no-one special why take the risk of spoiling it? Secondly in divisions where there is a cash cow, an Oscar or a Floyd or a Canelo, potential opponents are actually disincentivised from facing each other cos a loss takes them out of the sweepstakes whereas continuing to win, even against lesser, opposition leaves them wirth a chance of winning the lottery. Shit's fucked up man. Add in the promotional politics with the different promotions and distributors wanting to protect their 'assets' and maximise return meaning even dudes with the same promotion often ain't fighting each other and it ain't surprising we see so few of the best fights happening in a timely fashion, if at all.

[Citizen Koba]

on te contrary I had to apologise for telling you that you were wrong to avoid hurting your feelings or you would write something butthurt like this -




but you did anyway.

Aww. I ain't upset by you man, you're more a figure of fun I think, at this point.

[Vasyl’s dad]

yuh i guess he wanted the money more than the records.

this is what I was asking, I was trying to attract butthurt 3G fans in droves.

It is called prize fighting after all. Your troll effort failed as there are no butthurt 3G fans.

[Boxing_1013]

That is why he didn't waste time with a Ward fight after he had established himself at MW. Fighting Ward made him no money (go ask Kovalev about that...) and it also did not add to his title defenses. No money. No legacy. GGG isn't alone in fighting weak comp. Hopkins had terrible MW opponents. Wilder. Tank. RJJ fought his share of bums, and May fought his share of no-hopers as well. Unfortunately it is more the rule than the exception.

Good posts...the weird thing about the GGG criticism to me is that every fighter ever, more or less, has a resume which is 90% made up of fighting good/solid fighters...most guys, even the greats, only have a few real fights vs other great fighters, in their primes, at their best weight.

I think with Floyd's emergence, a lot of his fans prop up beating guys with a name, who aren't at their best weight or in their primes...that's just what fans do ya know...they have already picked their side so they will use what they can to try and make their guy look good.

GGG dominated a lot of good fighters...most other greats have a hiccup or two in those types of fights...depending on what one thinks of Derevyanchenko, GGG never really had a slip up or even close to it...I don't really see the logic that GGG did anything other than beat Jacobs and Canelo (twice) convincingly, but some seem to disagree and call those close.

In any event Canelo is a great, probably an ATG fighter in his prime, and Jacobs a very good fighter, in his prime and at his best weight.

You do have some outliers like Ali who have like 10 fights vs other great fighters...but 1) that is why many pick him as the GOAT or one of the best ever; 2) he has a mixed bag in those 10 fights; and 3) he was fortunate enough to fight in a pretty deep era for HWs/his division.

But who is the best guy Floyd beat? And Manny as well? They have great names on there...but you could make a case against every win or fight or theirs as well...very rarely does a great fighter fight another great fighter in their prime at their best weight...GGG at least has 2 of those for him vs Canelo.

And in Manny's case, he has 9 blemishes on his resume compared to GGG's 2...Floyd has none but I think most neutral people would agree that the names on his resume don't really match up to the level of those guys at the time they fought Floyd.

People call me a GGG lover lol...but in truth I just never really understood the logic/hate of some of his detractors...doesn't make a ton of sense to me when I analyze fighters....GGG has flaws too though...could have stopped at least 1 of Jacobs/Canelo/SD in those 4 fights if he really wanted some serious ATG props from foe and fan alike...especially stopping Canelo once in those fights would have been big for him.

[xxlefthookxx]

Good posts...the weird thing about the GGG criticism to me is that every fighter ever, more or less, has a resume which is 90% made up of fighting good/solid fighters...most guys, even the greats, only have a few real fights vs other great fighters, in their primes, at their best weight.

I think with Floyd's emergence, a lot of his fans prop up beating guys with a name, who aren't at their best weight or in their primes...that's just what fans do ya know...they have already picked their side so they will use what they can to try and make their guy look good.

GGG dominated a lot of good fighters...most other greats have a hiccup or two in those types of fights...depending on what one thinks of Derevyanchenko, GGG never really had a slip up or even close to it...I don't really see the logic that GGG did anything other than beat Jacobs and Canelo (twice) convincingly, but some seem to disagree and call those close.

In any event Canelo is a great, probably an ATG fighter in his prime, and Jacobs a very good fighter, in his prime and at his best weight.

You do have some outliers like Ali who have like 10 fights vs other great fighters...but 1) that is why many pick him as the GOAT or one of the best ever; 2) he has a mixed bag in those 10 fights; and 3) he was fortunate enough to fight in a pretty deep era for HWs/his division.

But who is the best guy Floyd beat? And Manny as well? They have great names on there...but you could make a case against every win or fight or theirs as well...very rarely does a great fighter fight another great fighter in their prime at their best weight...GGG at least has 2 of those for him vs Canelo.

And in Manny's case, he has 9 blemishes on his resume compared to GGG's 2...Floyd has none but I think most neutral people would agree that the names on his resume don't really match up to the level of those guys at the time they fought Floyd.

People call me a GGG lover lol...but in truth I just never really understood the logic/hate of some of his detractors...doesn't make a ton of sense to me when I analyze fighters....GGG has flaws too though...could have stopped at least 1 of Jacobs/Canelo/SD in those 4 fights if he really wanted some serious ATG props from foe and fan alike...especially stopping Canelo once in those fights would have been big for him.

You know...haters love to hate. I can understand that some were turned off by the hard push by HBO..but isn't that their job? He was a great fighter. Cleaned out his division. Very fan friendly. No arrests. Seemed nothing to not like.