Let’s cut the back and forth and both admit what holds that fight up. Canelo has always had fast hands and good head movement with sound defense, and that’s only getting better(the head movement and defense). But he has never had fast feet and he is slower of foot since his knee injury.
The reason the Charlo fight is put off in favor of others is he has movement with a powerful long jab and power in both hands. He’s not as good as Canelo but those factors do not favor Canelo’s current situation. He can handle a mover that can’t keep him honest(BJS) or a plodder that is long and powerful (Smith, Kovalev). But nobody wants a long powerful, fast opponent that can also move. Even if they are better fighters.(GGG and Canelo)
So people refuse the fight and use “who has he fought, what does he offer”, a guy can’t say “I fought XXX” if XXX won’t fight him. It’s a sick circle of picking fights that look hard, but aren’t actually hard. While ignoring fights that present real problems. I don’t blame Canelo. His resume is stellar. But I do blame media and fans that support the BS. I get the media’s motivation but fans should be honest about it.
Canelo probably wins the fight, but it should happen so we can see. Literally nobody wants the Avni fight or the BJS fight, the Plant fight presents some issues but his chin will probably let him down. That’s a year gone, in Canelo’s prime, proving nothing.
A few truths and good points mixed in with what amounts to throwing in the towel against TIC. Oh well.
It was the "he's not as good as Canelo" part that was enough to make one physically ill.
I'll stay on my little island proclaiming that Canelo is a manufactured hype job who is good (no one is disputing that)... but has had every single cotton-pickin' fight calculated and re-calculated in order to eliminate any chance of an upset of the golden apple cart.
People here (mostly British boxing fans) want to make a big deal about Callum Smith, when in actuality he totally floored me with how ineffective and vulnerable he looked against Canelo.
Again... hats off to the Canelo Computer Department (CCD), who as always was totally adept at picking out Callum.
The excuse of not being able to go to 160 to fight Charlo is as thin as deli-cut ham.
He can't make 160 for Charlo... but let Spence agree to go up there and watch the contract be signed in an hour's time.
He also can't go up to 175. But let Beterbiev retire or have the invincibility bludgeoned out of him (ala Kovalev)...... and you'll see the CCD churning away, plugging numbers and scenarios into the computer.
FFS..... what the hell happened to the champions who would fight anyone at ANY TIME, ANY PLACE, ANY HOW.
BTW, I saw a vid on Canelo saying he wanted to fight in Japan.
What... is there a sick cow there with a belt?
Give me a fukking break.
When God said to the both of us "Which one of you wants to be Sugar Ray?" I guess I didnt raise my hand fast enough
Charley Burley
How about Bodou Jack for an example? Got his title vs
Anthony Dirrell then fought
George Groves
Lucian Bute
James DeGale
Then went to went to Light Heavyweight for title fights vs
Nathan Cleverly then
Adonis Stevenson then lost to
Marcus Browne and then lost to
Jean Pascal
A fine list of fighters no doubt. This is exactly what I'm talking about. I have no issue whatsoever with that level of opposition. But were they all the best of the best at the time? I wouldn't begrudge anyone winning a title against anyone. But Cleverly? Best possible challenge out there?
When God said to the both of us "Which one of you wants to be Sugar Ray?" I guess I didnt raise my hand fast enough
Charley Burley
Let's start with the "any place" part. How about your own Tyson Fury?
I'm not a fan of his resume nor his style. But the guy went to Germany to beat Wladimir... and went to the States to beat Wilder. Those are some big "cojones" in my book.
Now let's talk about challenges. We'll pick a Mexican champion, to dispel any lingering notions in the back of anyone's head.
How about MAB?
The guy's a poster boy for picking tough challenges after tough challenges. He follows a DQ loss against the tough Junior Jones with an immediate rematch against Jones and, alas, loses by UD.
He has two close wins over the rugged Rocky Juarez and follows that up with a UD loss to Juan Manuel Marquez. So what does his do? He goes after Manny Pacquiao, and loses that one by decision also.
Finally, I'll mention my own all-time favorite fighter (who I rarely mention here)... Trinidad.
Take a good look at Trinidad's resume and tell me how many fighters:
- Jumped two weight divisions to get there.
- Were old and way past their prime.
- Had been weakened, exposed, or ruined by someone else.
- Fought in Puerto Rico with Puerto Rican judges (or bought judges).
- Had to fight at ridiculous catchweights.
- Were outweighed by Trinidad on fight night by 20+ pounds.
- Had to wait to be "marinated."
Case dismissed.
Then there's another local champion from here... Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. He traveled to so many countries they had to continue stapling pages to his passport.
There are many other examples... these are just a few.
Problem is we as fans have allowed the bar to be lowered over the years... and our heroes now have to have the deck stacked in their favor lest they disappoint us and we have to look elsewhere.
Tyson fury chose to fight Martin Rogan for the Irish title rather than fight David Price for the British title. At the time, Price was everyone's tip for the top and even with the benefit of hindsight, still a far tougher challenge than Rogan. Fury fights to a draw (read wins) against Wilder. Then follows that up with the biggest best challenge out there in Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin?
Again, I have no issue whatsoever with the records of MAB and Trinidad. But again, are we saying that winning a vacant title against Richie Wenton and the then defending it against Paul Lloyd was the stiffest test out there? C'mon man.
Like I said I got no problem with anyone winning a title wherever there is a title to be won. But between Blocker and De La Hoya, is Trinidad's record littered with the crème de la crème? Some good names for sure, but were they really the best on offer?
Before anyone gets this twisted and thinks I'm shitting on the likes of Trinidad or MAB I'm clearly not. Great fighters, properly great fighters of course they are. But lets not pretend that they did things differently to anyone else. Or rather lets say things didn't pan out for them the way it pans out for everyone else. Because for every great 50/50 matchup, every great win on foreign soil. There are a number of gimmes. Angles, just past their best names, fighters that didn't quite belong in the first place. That's the reality. Not best after best after best. It just doesn't happen and it's as unrealistic to demand it now as it was then or at any other time.
When God said to the both of us "Which one of you wants to be Sugar Ray?" I guess I didnt raise my hand fast enough
Charley Burley
Yes and no for me. Years ago we had to take promotions word for many things. We didn't have the internet. We couldn't quickly jump on boxrec or youtube and see for ourselves that this 'unbeaten' 'KO artist' that was being imported from Timbuktu was in fact.......dogshit. It was a running joke back in the 90's how Frank Warren could shoehorn 'World Championship Boxing' onto a fight poster by buying in some WBU or worse title.
We know a dud when we're being sold one.
In keeping with the previous post I don't see much different going on these days. If we think fighters, or rather managers and promoters back in the day weren't looking at every angle to stack the deck in their guys favour, I think we're barking up the wrong tree.
When God said to the both of us "Which one of you wants to be Sugar Ray?" I guess I didnt raise my hand fast enough
Charley Burley
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