Kessler/Ward in Oakland

[skel1983]

Ward, dirrell will get found out in these early matchups. But for all their athletic prowess and boxing ability they are jumping up 2-3 levels right from the get go and will find themselves in with a whole new level of opponent.

Dirrell has a chance against froch but ward however impressed i was with him saturday night despite the level of opposition is just gonna get worked over by kessler and taken out in 8.

FWIW I also strongly believe taylor will be too strong for AA and will stop him also!!

He beat Edison Miranda with a broken chin. I can't say JT stopping him, although maybe a win on the cards/

No way Taylor stops Abraham, i have Abraham knocking him out late. Taylor has a chance to win on points but no way he knocks out Abraham.

[OumaFan]

Who knows, could be Ward's big night. It wouldn't totally shock me. I do like what they've done with his career. He didn't need every single one of his fights to be on TV, he just needed to work on becoming a more solid fighter, which he definitely looks like he has become.

The problem Ward could have is he's probably the lightest puncher of the whole group. He's gonna have to fight a lot of rounds against good fighters in order to win this thing. But he's a skilled solid fighter which obviously can make up for power.

Abraham's complete lack of energy and activity could help Taylor big time. Granted the safe pick is Abraham late TKO but you never know, if Taylor fought a smart fight (why start now I know) he could maybe hold on late.

This tournament is awesome. End of story.

[HattonTheHammer]

Ward, dirrell will get found out in these early matchups. But for all their athletic prowess and boxing ability they are jumping up 2-3 levels right from the get go and will find themselves in with a whole new level of opponent.

Dirrell has a chance against froch but ward however impressed i was with him saturday night despite the level of opposition is just gonna get worked over by kessler and taken out in 8.

FWIW I also strongly believe taylor will be too strong for AA and will stop him also!!

He beat Edison Miranda with a broken chin. I can't say JT stopping him, although maybe a win on the cards/

No way Taylor stops Abraham, i have Abraham knocking him out late. Taylor has a chance to win on points but no way he knocks out Abraham.

I cant remember seeing abraham throw more than 15 power punches in a single round in the endless fights ive seen him in. And thats with 3rd tier opponents.

Ive said all the way through this thing write jermain off at your peril. Im confident he`ll be too big for a 160pound abraham on the night and AA`s inexperience at the very top level will cost him dear. Taylor will also be able to keep abrahams inside combinations at bay through many stages of the fight with those long arms.

Taylor in 10 - this is the pavlik-hopkins of 2009

[skel1983]

He beat Edison Miranda with a broken chin. I can't say JT stopping him, although maybe a win on the cards/

No way Taylor stops Abraham, i have Abraham knocking him out late. Taylor has a chance to win on points but no way he knocks out Abraham.

I cant remember seeing abraham throw more than 15 power punches in a single round in the endless fights ive seen him in. And thats with 3rd tier opponents.

Ive said all the way through this thing write jermain off at your peril. Im confident he`ll be too big for a 160pound abraham on the night and AA`s inexperience at the very top level will cost him dear. Taylor will also be able to keep abrahams inside combinations at bay through many stages of the fight with those long arms.

Taylor in 10 - this is the pavlik-hopkins of 2009

We have to remember Taylor has a poor record at 168 and has fought most his career at 160, Abraham looked fine at 168 against Miranda when he smashed him to pieces, we will have to see but Taylor stopping him is one outcome I dont see.

[OumaFan]

Taylor stopping him would be much more shocking than what Hopkins did to Pavlik. Size wise, they were both big 160's, Taylor's obviously taller but I don't see either guy being huge at the weight.

He could build up a points lead due to AA's inactivity and use that inactivity to rest a bit at times and maybe hold on late but stopping him is unlikely.

[HattonTheHammer]

Taylor stopping him would be much more shocking than what Hopkins did to Pavlik. Size wise, they were both big 160's, Taylor's obviously taller but I don't see either guy being huge at the weight.

He could build up a points lead due to AA's inactivity and use that inactivity to rest a bit at times and maybe hold on late but stopping him is unlikely.

hopkins was like a 5/2 underdog

taylor is 2/1 in many bookmakers

[OumaFan]

But that's to win the fight, not get a stoppage. Some people think a Taylor win is possible but not a KO.

And Hopkins shouldn't have been that big of an underdog. Me and many others picked him for a number of reasons. In fact looking back I'm surprised I had any doubts at all (of course that's the way it always goes), you'd be hard pressed to build a fighter more stylistically perfect for Hopkins than Pavlik.

[HattonTheHammer]

But that's to win the fight, not get a stoppage. Some people think a Taylor win is possible but not a KO.

And Hopkins shouldn't have been that big of an underdog. Me and many others picked him for a number of reasons. In fact looking back I'm surprised I had any doubts at all (of course that's the way it always goes), you'd be hard pressed to build a fighter more stylistically perfect for Hopkins than Pavlik.

true about the hopkins thing

its hardly as lousy a ko percentage as someone like malignaggi. Taylor can bang and if AA doesnt realise that i suggest he sticks on the 2nd round against pavlik and the fourth against froch

[Mar]

We've been to just about all of wards fights that have been here so we'll probably make it out to this one as well. Not sure what to think or who to pick. I'm not all that big on kessler but outside of outboxing miranda which any decent fighter can do ward really hasn't done or fought much of anyone.

[Gandalf]

Kessler will beat the shit out of him and that's why Kessler is willing to travel for this. I don't see it being all that competitive.

[HattonTheHammer]

No way Taylor stops Abraham, i have Abraham knocking him out late. Taylor has a chance to win on points but no way he knocks out Abraham.

I cant remember seeing abraham throw more than 15 power punches in a single round in the endless fights ive seen him in. And thats with 3rd tier opponents.

Ive said all the way through this thing write jermain off at your peril. Im confident he`ll be too big for a 160pound abraham on the night and AA`s inexperience at the very top level will cost him dear. Taylor will also be able to keep abrahams inside combinations at bay through many stages of the fight with those long arms.

Taylor in 10 - this is the pavlik-hopkins of 2009

We have to remember Taylor has a poor record at 168 and has fought most his career at 160, Abraham looked fine at 168 against Miranda when he smashed him to pieces, we will have to see but Taylor stopping him is one outcome I dont see.

cant really compare miranda to jermain taylor though can you

Sure JTs record at 168 isnt great but he does have the natural physique of a 168 pounder and im quite sure come the night he`ll not only have a few inches height and reach advantage but he`ll also be the heavier guy by a couple of pounds.

This is unchartered territory for abraham and just like froch had to he will have to find that extra 10-15% thats never been there before!!

[skel1983]

I cant remember seeing abraham throw more than 15 power punches in a single round in the endless fights ive seen him in. And thats with 3rd tier opponents.

Ive said all the way through this thing write jermain off at your peril. Im confident he`ll be too big for a 160pound abraham on the night and AA`s inexperience at the very top level will cost him dear. Taylor will also be able to keep abrahams inside combinations at bay through many stages of the fight with those long arms.

Taylor in 10 - this is the pavlik-hopkins of 2009

We have to remember Taylor has a poor record at 168 and has fought most his career at 160, Abraham looked fine at 168 against Miranda when he smashed him to pieces, we will have to see but Taylor stopping him is one outcome I dont see.

cant really compare miranda to jermain taylor though can you

Sure JTs record at 168 isnt great but he does have the natural physique of a 168 pounder and im quite sure come the night he`ll not only have a few inches height and reach advantage but he`ll also be the heavier guy by a couple of pounds.

This is unchartered territory for abraham and just like froch had to he will have to find that extra 10-15% thats never been there before!!

I wasnt comparing Miranda to taylor, you said your confident in Taylor beating at 160 lb Abraham, my point was Abraham carried the extra pounds fine against Miranda and even looked stronger. There is no secret Abraham has struggled to make 160 for a longtime, the weight issue will not be an issue imo, for natural strength id give the advantage to Abraham, im not worried one bit about Abraham fighting another fighter at 168, if taylor wins it will be because he is the smarter more skillful fighter.

[skel1983]

We have to remember Taylor has a poor record at 168 and has fought most his career at 160, Abraham looked fine at 168 against Miranda when he smashed him to pieces, we will have to see but Taylor stopping him is one outcome I dont see.

cant really compare miranda to jermain taylor though can you

Sure JTs record at 168 isnt great but he does have the natural physique of a 168 pounder and im quite sure come the night he`ll not only have a few inches height and reach advantage but he`ll also be the heavier guy by a couple of pounds.

This is unchartered territory for abraham and just like froch had to he will have to find that extra 10-15% thats never been there before!!

I wasnt comparing Miranda to taylor, you said your confident in Taylor beating at 160 lb Abraham, my point was Abraham carried the extra pounds fine against Miranda and even looked stronger. There is no secret Abraham has struggled to make 160 for a longtime, the weight issue will not be an issue imo, for natural strength id give the advantage to Abraham, im not worried one bit about Abraham fighting another fighter at 168, if taylor wins it will be because he is the smarter more skillful fighter.

Not saying Taylor hasnt got any power but has hasnt stopped anyone for 10 fights and that was getting on for five years ago at 160, add to that Abraham has never been down in his career it would be something special for Taylor to go knock out a guy like Abraham in his own backyard.

[awdleyfuturehalloffamer]

The biggest upset in all this is if Jermaine Taylor takes the whole thing. He has to be the biggest underdog at this moment.

[HattonTheHammer]

cant really compare miranda to jermain taylor though can you

Sure JTs record at 168 isnt great but he does have the natural physique of a 168 pounder and im quite sure come the night he`ll not only have a few inches height and reach advantage but he`ll also be the heavier guy by a couple of pounds.

This is unchartered territory for abraham and just like froch had to he will have to find that extra 10-15% thats never been there before!!

I wasnt comparing Miranda to taylor, you said your confident in Taylor beating at 160 lb Abraham, my point was Abraham carried the extra pounds fine against Miranda and even looked stronger. There is no secret Abraham has struggled to make 160 for a longtime, the weight issue will not be an issue imo, for natural strength id give the advantage to Abraham, im not worried one bit about Abraham fighting another fighter at 168, if taylor wins it will be because he is the smarter more skillful fighter.

Not saying Taylor hasnt got any power but has hasnt stopped anyone for 10 fights and that was getting on for five years ago at 160, add to that Abraham has never been down in his career it would be something special for Taylor to go knock out a guy like Abraham in his own backyard.

Taylors been fighting and going the distance with world class opposition for 4/5 years now. Abrahams only genuine scalp was miranda and we all know edison got robbed in that 1st fight by the ref.

Taylor needs this win so badly, abraham on the other hand could conceiveably lose a points decision and still mantain the current buzz thats around him. If its the same taylor that blew out lacy and almost beat froch then i just dont see him losing to a 160 pounder!!