Now That The Mayweather-McGregor Farce Has Passed...

[MeanGreenMailbox aka TFLF]

...who do you have for Alvarez - Golovkin?  My heart wants Alvarez (because my wife is Mexican, and I'll be watching it at a house full of Mexicans), but my head says Golovkin. 

Both are incredibly skilled fighters.  I just think Golovkin has a bit more power, enough to make a difference over the span of a fight. 

Because I'll be watching in a house full of Mexicans, I'll probably put my money for the night on Alvarez in a decision.  But, deep down, I think Golovkin stops him in the later rounds of the fight.

Even comparison of the two, for those who have not seen either in action:
 

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by MeanGreenMailbox

[TheTastyGreek]

I've been waiting 3 years for this fight. 

Until the last two outings for Golovkin, I'd have said it was a 70-80% probability he ends it with a KO. Now, I worry he's aging a little and Canelo stalled long enough to make it an even money fight. 

Then, I remember that Golovkin literally broke Kell Brook's face in pieces and likely had the flu in that first fight where he looked mortal, and he fought smart and outpointed a note-perfect Danny Jacobs in the next one. 

All Canelo has done is beat up on 147 pound fighters, cherry pick the stiffest of super welter title holders, or embarrass a weight-drained JCC Jr. who was obviously just there to survive and cash a fat check. 

Canelo couldn't knock out Miguel Cotto, so I don't see him catching a guy who fights like a damn Terminator. The question for me is, can Golovkin catch him and put him out, or win clearly enough to get a decision (no mean feat given how favorably judges usually score for Canelo)? 

Canelo can't swap with Golovkin punch for punch. And he can't lay up on the ropes and wait to counter. So I don't know what happens. Styles make fights, and this could be a real classic. Canelo fighting Canelo-style means he's going to piss blood for a week and probably take a knockout loss. Canelo fighting more like Danny Jacobs? He may have the talent to take it to the cards and get a win. 

I can't wait. Can not wait. I'm such a GGG homer, it's tough to be objective. And I don't want Canelo (or Oscar) to get rewarded for delaying this fight so long. But I do think it could go either way, even though I expect a Golovkin win is very likely. 

[Shuke-D]

I really don't check the board much anymore, and now I realize why that's a mistake. Wasn't aware there was legit talk about the Sweet Science on here. My bad. 

Canelo is more of technician. Precise. Smart. No wasted energy. Patient. Should win based on the laws of physics alone, with extra points for best haircut in the sport. He's the poster boy for why the sport is exactly that, a sport and not a glorified blood match. 

But GGG is the damned beast from the Book of Revelations that takes our laws of physics and rips them apart, tearing a hole in the space time continuum where anything is possible. His defensive posture is page one of what not to do in the ring. He appears slow in both recognition and reaction. Unorthodox punching mechanics are his righteous orthodoxy. He literally steals our teleological candy about an orderly universe that can be explained. And my money is that he will win towards the end, say the 10th? I'm thinking more a TKO probably. But regardless of how, an announcer will say "that didn't even look like a punch at first, more like an epileptic thrash that appeared to graze Canelo's temple."  

But you're right Tasty about the damned politics of the sport. For my money, regardless of weight class, It begins and ends with the most dodged beast of the sport: Lomachenko or GTFO.

 

[MeanGreenTexan]

GGG just punches SO HARD.  Dude's jab is strong enough to knock out professional fighters. 
I don't think Canelo is going to be able to dodge all of his punches.   I expect a knockout.

[TheTastyGreek]

On 9/10/2017 at 12:34 AM, Shuke-D said:

For my money, regardless of weight class, It begins and ends with the most dodged beast of the sport: Lomachenko or GTFO.

Good news, then... Loma vs. Rigo on 12/9, ESPN: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/20716838/vasyl-lomachenko-guillermo-rigondeaux-meet-dec-9-madison-square-garden

Loma's great, and a lot of fun to watch. If I had to pick someone as my next boxing obsession after the inevitable Golovkin retirement in a few years... I'm guessing it'll be Erroll Spence, if for no other reason than the available opponents and quality of fights I can see him getting relative to Lomachenko. Plus, Spence seems like a really good guy, like GGG and almost nobody else that makes their living delivering and absorbing punches. 

 

[CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF]

Bonus...it's Mexican Independence Day weekend.  Heart is still with Alvarez, but head keeps telling me Golovkin is too powerful to just defend against for 12 rounds. 

Edited September 17, 2017 by CrackBackBlocka

[Shuke-D]

Who had the payperview? A draw? Legit? 

[CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF]

Wow!

Never thought Alvarez would go the distance.

Golovkin won at least the last five or six rounds.  This...

...just, boxing.  Like you said, sometimes political.  Great fight, but I thought Golovkin won it.

Cards were:

118-110 Alvarez

115-113 Golovkin

114-114

Amazing.  I thought Golovkin at 115-113 or 116-112.  Wow.

The judges literally saw the fight three different ways.  And...again...the controversial scorecard is Adalaide Byrd, scoring 118-110 for Alvarez.  Nuts.

Side note:  lots of pretty happy Mexicans here!

Edited September 17, 2017 by CrackBackBlocka

[CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF]

CBS Sports scored it 117-111 Golovkin.

Just...again, surprised and happy to see Alvarez go 12 with Golovkin.  But, there's no way he was 118-110 ahead!

Last five or six rounds Golovkin kept getting Alvarez on the ropes...legitimately. I know Alvarez is a great counter puncher off the ropes, but...no way was he 118-110.  

Golovkin wasn't 118-110 either.  Still.  Wow.  Don't know what else to say... other than the house full of Mexicans is happy here!

Yahoo Sports had it 115-113 Golovkin; about where I had it.  Crazy.  Will rewatch it tomorrow.  

Edited September 17, 2017 by CrackBackBlocka

[CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF]

For those not familiar with the way boxing is scored, Byrd's 118-110 card means she thought Golovkin won only two rounds in a 12 round fight.  No way.  

 

[TheTastyGreek]

1 hour ago, Shuke-D said:

Who had the payperview? A draw? Legit? 

I saw a great fight. I didn't see a draw, but if you'd told me it would go to cards and Golovkin would only get jobbed by one De La Hoya judge, I'd have taken it. To me, this was an 8 to 4 round advantage for Golovkin. If you're generous, maybe 7-5. I just don't see where the rounds came from for Canelo. He fought like a lion, he ate a lot of shots from GGG, he landed plenty of his own. But I just don't know how you give Canelo a 7th round and a victory. Even an even 6-6 feels like a pretty big gift. 

The one thing I think anyone who saw this fight, even freaking Canelo Alvarez's crazy voodoo hand-sign throwing mother at ringside, has to agree on is that Adelaide Byrd is out of her freaking mind and should never be allowed to even attend another boxing match, much less judge one. 

Strong fight. 

Can't wait for the rematch. I think it'll come down to age. If GGG gets that rematch within the next 6 months, I think he's already taken Canelo's best shot and you could see him turning into the punch-swallowing unstoppable stalker of his prime, wearing Canelo down. But if Canelo pushes this out a year or more, a 36-37 year old Golovkin may be diminished enough to change the dynamics. Golovkin already looked a twitch or two slower, and that's not going to get any better. 

Great fight, terrible judge. I got my money's worth, for sure. Golovkin just didn't get his due. At least they didn't outright rob him, I guess. 

[CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF]

Just finished rewatching.  Have no idea how Byrd scored 118-110 Alvarez.  Great fight, though.  Rematch will be electric if it's within a year.

Taking nothing away from Alvarez, hate that Byrd robs Goloviin of the chance to match or pass Mayweather's 50-0 someday.

 

[UNTLifer]

On 9/17/2017 at 2:53 AM, CrackBackBlocka aka TFLF said:

Just finished rewatching.  Have no idea how Byrd scored 118-110 Alvarez.  Great fight, though.  Rematch will be electric if it's within a year.

Taking nothing away from Alvarez, hate that Byrd robs Goloviin of the chance to match or pass Mayweather's 50-0 someday.

 

Thanks Lonnie.

[TIgreen01]

I bought it.  Decent fight.  Actually thought it was close to an even fight and would've been fine with that.  However, that 118-110 scorecard was so obviously crooked that I left it feeling ripped off. Again. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

14 hours ago, TIgreen01 said:

I bought it.  Decent fight.  Actually thought it was close to an even fight and would've been fine with that.  However, that 118-110 scorecard was so obviously crooked that I left it feeling ripped off. Again. 

This & promotions is why boxing is dying a slow death.

[Shuke-D]

On 9/15/2017 at 11:34 PM, TheTastyGreek said:

Good news, then... Loma vs. Rigo on 12/9, ESPN: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/20716838/vasyl-lomachenko-guillermo-rigondeaux-meet-dec-9-madison-square-garden

 

Fight starting up soon. Should be an interesting study in contrasts. Precision and timing based offense versus a maddeningly patient and deliberate defense. 

On 9/15/2017 at 11:34 PM, TheTastyGreek said:

 

 

[Shuke-D]

Whelp. That was a whole lot of nothing. Part of it can be attributed to the age difference and that Rigo had to go up two weight classes for the fight. But starting in the third round, Lomachenko just fought at a faster perception of time. Rigo tried to lock up his arms and that low crouch defensive posture thing he does. But Lomo had 8 answers for each of those. Nowhere near the contest that GGG and Alvarez provided. 

[TheTastyGreek]

4 hours ago, Shuke-D said:

Whelp. That was a whole lot of nothing. Part of it can be attributed to the age difference and that Rigo had to go up two weight classes for the fight. But starting in the third round, Lomachenko just fought at a faster perception of time. Rigo tried to lock up his arms and that low crouch defensive posture thing he does. But Lomo had 8 answers for each of those. Nowhere near the contest that GGG and Alvarez provided. 

Bob Arum is probably the only guy satisfied at that fight. His Rigo voodoo doll finally worked. Thank goodness for Salido v Roman. 

Wife had her company Christmas party... I avoided the internets and I just finished catching up on everything off the DVR. 

Smith's ear was prettier than Rigondeaux in this one. Once he lost that point and realized he couldn't clutch and duck his way through yet another fight, he just gave it up. I don't blame him, but why "dare to be great", jump up two classes, and then just pack it in like that?

Salido... I don't even care that he lost. You could book that guy to fight Superman, you could book that guy to fight one of those inflatable nylon tube men. I'd watch it, and odds are it'd be one of the 5 most entertaining fights of the year. He's a dirty, brutal old man. I have no idea how that guy has any living brain cells left. But as long as he's willing to torture himself and others, I will watch every single chance I get. I think if anyone ever deserved the retirement he announced after this fight, it's Orlando Salido. But, if he ever changes his mind... I'm tuning in. 

AND I JUST SAW THAT JAMES DEGALE LOST??!?!?? Holy crap, that seemed like such a walkover joke of a matchup, I didn't even bother to watch it for free (I think Showtime streamed it on YouTube?). Unbelievable that a guy with DeGale's history and talent, and who fought that fight against Badou Jack earlier this year (feels like 3 years ago with all the fights in the meantime) would get roughed up and beaten by a guy that's lost to every recognizable name he's ever faced before, including a 1st round KO against Anthony Dirrell. Seriously, unbelievable. I guess I have to find it when it gets posted online. 

Rigo quits, Francisco Vargas punches a guy's ear in half, Salido retires, and DeGale loses to a freaking nobody. What a crazy day for boxing.