The middleweight division has a lot of up-and-coming talent right now

[Kagami Taiga]

I'll expand in it for u. The middleweight division in this era is so **** that the very self same top middleweight of the last Era that u guys are ****ting on (taylor) actually has a belt even though he's shot to bits. Hahahaha! What's even worse is the guy he took it from (Solimon)was a 2nd tier middleweight in the last Era but in this era he has beaten some of the so called first tier top guys. Hahahahaha! Tell me again about how this era isn't the worst ever.

[////]

I'll expand in it for u. The middleweight division in this era is so **** that the very self same top middleweight of the last Era that u guys are ****ting on (taylor) actually has a belt even though he's shot to bits. Hahahaha! What's even worse is the guy he took it from (Solimon)was a 2nd tier middleweight in the last Era but in this era he has beaten some of the so called first tier top guys. Hahahahaha! Tell me again about how this era isn't the worst ever.

The same thing was happening during the Taylor and Pavlik reigns with non-linear paper titles floating around. Welcome to boxing, where belts don't mean ****.

[The Big Dunn]

division will be hot in 2-3 years. lot of good talent on the list.

[Eastcoast]

Taylor at least fought Bernard Hopkins. He also fought winky wright. He also fought pavlik. Pavlik fought miranda. Now tell me, who the duck have the top 3 mws in this era fought? Those being martinez, golovkin, and quillen? Name one top guy whose fought another clear cut top guy. Like I said, at least they fought each other.

Hopkins/Taylor/Pavlik weren't all top MW's at the same time. Taylor wasn't an established top MW until he beat Hopkins (his only win over a top 10 MW before that was a faded Joppy). Almost the same to be said with Pavlik, he beat Miranda in a title eliminator. Pavlik & Taylor were mandatories, it wasn't like champions calling out other established champions. And Winky Wright was a JMW stepping up. I remember Lou Dibella working day and night trying to get Taylor a shot with Fernando Vargas. Too bad they didn't try and get Sturm or Abraham.

You argue that Taylor fighting Wright counts, then Martinez fighting Cotto is just as legit (which in my book it's not really).

Quillin is not clear cut top level anymore, the guy looks to be regressing in his fights with Rosado & Konency and it's on him to show otherwise.

As for Golovkin, I've broken down his first 13 title defenses relative to Bernard Hopkins first 13 titles defenses numerous times, and they're very on par.

[Kagami Taiga]

Hopkins/Taylor/Pavlik weren't all top MW's at the same time. Taylor wasn't an established top MW until he beat Hopkins (his only win over a top 10 MW before that was a faded Joppy). Almost the same to be said with Pavlik, he beat Miranda in a title eliminator. Pavlik & Taylor were mandatories, it wasn't like champions calling out other established champions. And Winky Wright was a JMW stepping up. I remember Lou Dibella working day and night trying to get Taylor a shot with Fernando Vargas. Too bad they didn't try and get Sturm or Abraham.

You argue that Taylor fighting Wright counts, then Martinez fighting Cotto is just as legit (which in my book it's not really).

Quillin is not clear cut top level anymore, the guy looks to be regressing in his fights with Rosado & Konency and it's on him to show otherwise.

As for Golovkin, I've broken down his first 13 title defenses relative to Bernard Hopkins first 13 titles defenses numerous times, and they're very on par.

Sorry Wright and Cotto are not the same thing at all. Cotto was coming odd two huge losses and a ok win. Wright was the lineal JMW champ and had just come off beating Soliman. The way u are twisting things is absurd. And if Quillen isn't a top MW then who the **** is besides golovkin? Quillin has the second best resume in the division unless u count a shot to **** Martinez. So that would mean there is only one top MW in a rather uncompetitive division in which no top gits fight each other. Thanks.

[Grimgash]

About 2-2,5 years ago everybody was saying that middleweight is one of the most stacked and competitive division in boxing. Martinez, GGG, Pirog and Geale at the top, Sturm, Macklin, Murray, Andy Lee, Chavez Jr. - second tier, Quillin, Jacobs, NDam, Rubio, Mora, Vera and Korobov not far behind. But when GGG actually started fighting 4 times a year and knocking everybody right and left, it became evident that he is several levels above everybody other.
What I`m saying is that only because of absolutely phenomenal GGG there is a perception of current middleweight as a weak division. Take GGG out of the picture and middleweight is full of talents and potentially exciting match ups.

Years ago when they were prospects and champs yes...but the decent fighters are old, the prospects didn't pan out and its generally a garbage division. I said that 2 years ago I still say it. Martinez is done, Pirog and Geale aren't special, Macklin, Murray, Lee, Chavez Jr are below average. Quillin, Jacobs NDam, Rubio, Mora, Vera are average for "top" fighters are best. 160 is poor just admit it.

[////]

Domestic hype levels could make it seem like the Pavlik-Taylor fights were some colossal clash of the titans just because the coverage would have far surpassed something like Golovkin vs Geale.

But put those guys in together and it's a pick em. All pretty good. IMO Golovkin on a slightly higher level than the other 3.

Golovkin vs Pavlik would have been a brutal fight based on styles.

[Eastcoast]

Sorry Wright and Cotto are not the same thing at all. Cotto was coming odd two huge losses and a ok win. Wright was the lineal JMW champ and had just come off beating Soliman. The way u are twisting things is absurd. And if Quillen isn't a top MW then who the **** is besides golovkin? Quillin has the second best resume in the division unless u count a shot to **** Martinez. So that would mean there is only one top MW in a rather uncompetitive division in which no top gits fight each other. Thanks.

The point is Winky & Cotto were JMW's who moved up to take MW fights for the money. Winky jumped to 160 for the Tito fight then wanted the Taylor fight so campaigned there against Soliman to wait out the rematch with Hopkins. He was just as much a true MW as Floyd is a JMW and less than what Alvarez will be when he makes his MW with Cotto in May. Wright always said he could still move back down no problem. That doesn't make a case that the division was tougher or that Taylor a more legit MW champ during his time. Taylor fought three JMW's in a row rather than other top MW's.

I said Quillin's not a clear cut top MW anymore, meaning he's settling in with the rest of the pack under Golovkin. If Martinez & Sturm were still healthy and closer to prime, Quillin wouldn't be in that group at top. Yeah the disparity between Golovkin and the rest of the division right now is great, but that doesn't mean the rest of the division is lesser than the division was back in 2004-2009.

[deanrw]

I am just waiting for one of these fools to step up and fight the recognized and real champion Peter Quillin!

[New England]

Who fought each other? Taylor/Sturm/Abraham? Taylor never even fought the top MW contenders at the time in Eastman, Allen, Ikeke, Miranda, because he was busy fighting Corey Spinks and Kassim Ouma.

That era was truly the weakest. Other top fighters in that period inlcude;
Sebastian Sylvester
Khoren Gevor
Randy Griffin
Sam Soliman
Javier Castijello
Raul Marquez


Outside of his loss to Sergio Martinez, Kelly Pavlik's best opponent for any of his title defenses was Marco Antonio Rubio.

taylor fought pavlik, who knocked miranda into next week and ended his career as a top fighter.