The Penalty For Being Too Good (Rigondeaux, Golovkin, Ward)

[-PBP-]

you forgot to.mention that Rigondeaux is 35 years old and has grown all he could, actually he is fighting one weight class over, he could make 118 easy,

Yeah but the problem is he can't get a meaningful fight at 122. Even his mandatories had no interest.

[j0zef]

Ward was in a similar position. He was out of options at 168, he either beat everyone (Froch, Abraham) or there were political roadblocks (PBC: DeGale, Jack). He could have remained at 168 fighting B- and C-level opposition waiting for Golovkin to either clean out 160 before moving up or hoping Golovkin would take the fight in the future before he cleaned out 160. That would have left Ward waiting at least 2 years for something that may never happen while his career continued to stagnate.

Ward instead looked at the situation for what it was, a fighter from a weight class below his unwilling to fight him. So Ward, like an old school fighter, looked up a weight class and found an opponent harder and scarier than Golovkin. An opponent against which he will likely be a fight night underdog. But win or lose, Ward is risking it. He is trying to solidify his greatness. He is risking it because he understands that's what it takes to be great in this sport.

Golovkin is unwilling to risk it, he is unwilling to be great. He will stay and stagnate at 160 until Canelo either gives him a massive size advantage or Golovkin feels safe enough to ascend to 168 knowing Ward will never return.

Ward wants to be great. Golovkin wants to be rich. Mayweather wanted to be rich too, but I recall different standards for him on this forum.

LMAO. Ward wanted to bring up 100th ranked SMW to LHW for $2M, while Golovkin needed to do a PPV unification fight with a top5 MW for the same $2M.

Props to Ward for moving up and seeking to fight the biggest and badest guy in the division. Would he have chosen this option if he had a mandate to fight for the lineal title at 168 against the second biggest draw in the sport for a career high payday do you think?

FWIW I, personally would have much prefered to see GGG fight Ward - I am becoming a little jaded with him beating overmatched opponents - hell I'd be happy to see him fight Degale or Dre Dirrell, but I find it hard to fault him for holding out for the potential Canelo fight although I don't see it as being - outside of the scale of the event - that special a match up.

Yeah, that's not how that worked. He signed a contract with HBO, and HBO refused to pay him $2M fighting bums that he tried to do (Murdock and Brand). That's how he's fighting Kovalev.

That's why he went on his "They're trying to get me beat" speech.

[Pigeons]

LMAO. Ward wanted to bring up 100th ranked SMW to LHW for $2M, while Golovkin needed to do a PPV unification fight with a top5 MW for the same $2M.


Yeah, that's not how that worked. He signed a contract with HBO, and HBO refused to pay him $2M fighting bums that he tried to do (Murdock and Brand). That's how he's fighting Kovalev.

That's why he went on his "They're trying to get me beat" speech.

Sigh. Another idiot...

[Citizen Koba]

Yeah, that's not how that worked. He signed a contract with HBO, and HBO refused to pay him $2M fighting bums that he tried to do (Murdock and Brand). That's how he's fighting Kovalev.

That's why he went on his "They're trying to get me beat" speech.

I think perhaps you missed the point of my post. I will give props to Watd if he gets in the ring with Kovalev and am pleased to see him stepping it up with Barrera but was pointing out that its doubtful he would have done so if he'd been in the position at 168 that Golovkin is at 160.

[Irony123]

but canelo gained even more leverage by winning the WBC title. GGG could have prevented canelo from picking up that belt in the first place.

GGG brought this on himself.

Maybe, but if Canelo didn't win the title then he wouldn't be his mandatory and the pressure wouldn't be there to face GGG. At least now there is a lot of pressure on Canelo by his fans and boxing community in general, not saying he will face GGG but that's the only thing that is keeping this fight a reality.

[garfios]

Yeah but the problem is he can't get a meaningful fight at 122. Even his mandatories had no interest.

So you still want him to give all the advantages and not get pay?

[-PBP-]

So you still want him to give all the advantages and not get pay?

As opposed to not fighting at all?