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Here are some of my thoughts about the fight between Danny Jacobs and Gennady Golovkin, and some related issues:
I thought Jacobs won the fight.
It WAS close.
I gave Jacobs all three of the opening rounds. But, they were "do nothing rounds" that could have gone either way and may in fact have been the swing rounds of the fight. You give all three to either guy and you have it pretty clear for that guy.
This was not a robbery. 3 judges saw the same thing. So, if you are running around saying Ward beat Kovalev (and I believe Andre did), it might be kinda hypocritical not to allow that some judges could and did see the fight for Lil g.
That being said, I think Jacobs was done a disservice last night. And he has every right to feel he won, the same way Kovalev is not wrong in thinking he beat Ward.
Someone needs to fix Compubox. Looking at the stats, it's clear that blocked punches were called as landed last night. Compubox is usually reliable, but we have to remember always that it IS a human being tallying punches...
I am OK with folks trying to make the argument that Jacobs exposed Lil g. It is clear Gennady will always have trouble with someone who, like himself, can box with movement and power.
But, let's not act like last night was some huge referendum on whether Lil g is elite or not.
To me, the jury is still out on Gennady's elite status.
And that is because last night might not have been a case of Gennady being a B level; but rather, a case of one A level finally fighting another one.
Jacobs DID handle Quillen who was considered elite (or near it) before they fought. And Danny beat Mora- a bonafide B level- the way an elite fighter would, especially in the second fight.
So, maybe it isn't that Gennady is not elite, maybe it's that Danny IS.
Gennady is STILL NOT on my P4P list, but oddly enough this fight might have him closer to cracking it. How one handles adversity counts, and he is going to have months of it now with folks seemingly having all the evidence they need to "prove" he is all hype. How he deals with it and comes out his next fight (hopefully against an elite guy that will help qualify him) will be important.
And yes, Lil g now needs another fight before Canelo. Because I have a feeling this fight flopped at the PPV box office too. And because if Saul blows Jr away the way I think he will, then a September showdown fight will flop as well.
How many casual folks are going to buy it if it looks like a boatrace for Canelo?
I say push the showdown fight back to December, and (assuming Kid Cinnamon destroys Jr) let both guys get another fight in- Lil g in June and Saul maybe in August.
And BTW, we also can't ignore the elephant in the room.
There was a lot of money riding on a LIl g victory last night. I don't blame Jacobs for feeling he was robbed in order to keep those plans alive.
That, by the way, is one way THIS DIFFERS from Ward/Kovalev...unless you want to call the rematch between Andre and Sergei a fight folks were trying not to mess up. Except, if you really wanted a rematch for Ward/Kovalev, a close Ward loss might have got it done better. Which is why there IS a difference.
Jacobs deserves a rematch. And Lil g needs to beat someone very good and his size BEFORE the Canelo fight can be the huge success everyone thinks it can be.
Back to the elite argument.
It should be noted that elite fighters lose to non-elite fighters all the time. Sometimes they have a bad night; sometimes they get old in the ring; sometimes the B-level fights the fight of his life.
It happens.
As I said earlier, I think it may be a case of an A-level finally meeting another bonafide A level.
But, even if it isn't, that DOES NOT automatically equate to LIl g not being elite.
Again, IMO the jury is still out...
Thoughts?
I thought Jacobs won the fight.
It WAS close.
I gave Jacobs all three of the opening rounds. But, they were "do nothing rounds" that could have gone either way and may in fact have been the swing rounds of the fight. You give all three to either guy and you have it pretty clear for that guy.
This was not a robbery. 3 judges saw the same thing. So, if you are running around saying Ward beat Kovalev (and I believe Andre did), it might be kinda hypocritical not to allow that some judges could and did see the fight for Lil g.
That being said, I think Jacobs was done a disservice last night. And he has every right to feel he won, the same way Kovalev is not wrong in thinking he beat Ward.
Someone needs to fix Compubox. Looking at the stats, it's clear that blocked punches were called as landed last night. Compubox is usually reliable, but we have to remember always that it IS a human being tallying punches...
I am OK with folks trying to make the argument that Jacobs exposed Lil g. It is clear Gennady will always have trouble with someone who, like himself, can box with movement and power.
But, let's not act like last night was some huge referendum on whether Lil g is elite or not.
To me, the jury is still out on Gennady's elite status.
And that is because last night might not have been a case of Gennady being a B level; but rather, a case of one A level finally fighting another one.
Jacobs DID handle Quillen who was considered elite (or near it) before they fought. And Danny beat Mora- a bonafide B level- the way an elite fighter would, especially in the second fight.
So, maybe it isn't that Gennady is not elite, maybe it's that Danny IS.
Gennady is STILL NOT on my P4P list, but oddly enough this fight might have him closer to cracking it. How one handles adversity counts, and he is going to have months of it now with folks seemingly having all the evidence they need to "prove" he is all hype. How he deals with it and comes out his next fight (hopefully against an elite guy that will help qualify him) will be important.
And yes, Lil g now needs another fight before Canelo. Because I have a feeling this fight flopped at the PPV box office too. And because if Saul blows Jr away the way I think he will, then a September showdown fight will flop as well.
How many casual folks are going to buy it if it looks like a boatrace for Canelo?
I say push the showdown fight back to December, and (assuming Kid Cinnamon destroys Jr) let both guys get another fight in- Lil g in June and Saul maybe in August.
And BTW, we also can't ignore the elephant in the room.
There was a lot of money riding on a LIl g victory last night. I don't blame Jacobs for feeling he was robbed in order to keep those plans alive.
That, by the way, is one way THIS DIFFERS from Ward/Kovalev...unless you want to call the rematch between Andre and Sergei a fight folks were trying not to mess up. Except, if you really wanted a rematch for Ward/Kovalev, a close Ward loss might have got it done better. Which is why there IS a difference.
Jacobs deserves a rematch. And Lil g needs to beat someone very good and his size BEFORE the Canelo fight can be the huge success everyone thinks it can be.
Back to the elite argument.
It should be noted that elite fighters lose to non-elite fighters all the time. Sometimes they have a bad night; sometimes they get old in the ring; sometimes the B-level fights the fight of his life.
It happens.
As I said earlier, I think it may be a case of an A-level finally meeting another bonafide A level.
But, even if it isn't, that DOES NOT automatically equate to LIl g not being elite.
Again, IMO the jury is still out...
Thoughts?
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