Sven Ottke Most Protected Fighter?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by JohnJax, Jan 6, 2022.



  1. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I agree with you. I don't think there were loads of options to be honest.
     
  2. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I mainly agree I'm just not sure who else he could have fought that was worth the risk other than Ottke and I think that risk is too high.
    Agree Lacy and Bute were overated but that kind of proves my point about the division beiing a little thin and belt holders staying on home turf racking up defences.
    I personally have Joe ahead of Andre at Super Middle due to longevity and not requiring rough house tactics and home reffing to ignore his constant fouling.
    I just wish they did more tournements like the Super Six in boxing as it gives someone the chance to come out on top without the BS politics.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
  3. Aussie Invader

    Aussie Invader Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    imagine if joe left warren like amir khan and ricky hatton did and went to the US?
    they fought collectively prime canelo, floyd and pacman, and they weren't the fighter joe was.
    the only reason joe's career has a what if about it, is because that's what he allowed to happen.
     
  4. Surrix

    Surrix Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Main driving force in mass media in Germany never was any combat sports.
    Most well known sport org in Germany during long decades is Bundesliga.

    I dunno, might Kessler beat prime Ottke or no. Ottke was very evasive and defensive guy: type not suitable for Kessler's style at all.
    Hopkins prime version I think was better than Ottke's prime version.
    Hopkins continued to fight when he was old, > 40 y.o.
     
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  5. bailey

    bailey VIP Member Full Member

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    Pay attention here
    Kessler was not a belt holder or major factor when ottke was active
    Sure Kessler was a greater fighter than his countrymen but not when ottke was active.
    Can you understand that now?
    Ottke was retired before Kessler won a world title

    I could argue either way with Kessler and ottke. Personally think Kessler was the better smw but you could make an argument.

    Anyhow understand ottke was retired before Kessler won a world title
    Sunk in?
     
  6. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I agree but my point still stands in that for Hatton and Khan had Floyd and Pacman as big money ATG targets to go for.
    Your greatness is measured by your dancing partners and if there simply not there then that clearly effects a fighters legacy. That's why someone like Ali is held in such high regard is the fact that there was plenty of competition that was also very high level and they all fought each other.
    I remember seeing the round table with The Super Middles which had Collins. Eubank. Jones Jr. Woodhall and Calzaghe.
    Eubank Snr was going on about how he was happy to defend the WBO belt and had no intentions of going to the US as he viewed the likes of Nunn and McCallum as difficult fights where someone would get really hurt.
    My point is different fighters have different ambitions it isn't always going to be about being an ATG because for 99.99% that is simply not a realistic or a reachable goal.
    The same goes for the Klit brothers there legacies are weakened by lack of elite competition and of signature wins.
    It's not really there fault as the only viable competition would have been fighting each other which was never going to happen.
    Sometimes it's luck of timing and what is around in that era at that weight. There isn't a great deal a fighter can do other than boil down to a lower weight or try there chances moving up where they maybe disadvantaged in key attributes.
     
  7. Furey

    Furey EST & REG 2009 Full Member

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    Firstly... Canelo and AJ protected? I fail to see how fighting the likes of GGG, BJS, Callum Smith, Jacobs, Cotto, Mayweather, Wlad, Usyk, Whyte, Ruiz, Parker and Povetkin is being protected.

    Secondly.......... Robin Reid was robbed.
     
  8. Aussie Invader

    Aussie Invader Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    ottke's last fight was at the end of march, 2004.
    at th end of march, 2004, kessler had the WBC international SMW title and the IB SMW title.
    i'm only entertaining the idea of belts because i know that's what you're going to end up going to as a last-gasp defence.
    belts actually don't matter, only who they fought and when do, because it's fool-proof.
    kessler was 33-0 by the time ottke retired.
     
  9. Aussie Invader

    Aussie Invader Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    eubank also said during that SMW sit-down that "it would've been suicide to fght roy jones", and that was reflected by the lack of ambition shown by euro fighters when jones and hopkins were kings.
    eubank really put collins in his place too.
    collins has some serious demons regarding roy jones even after all these years.

    regarding the klitschko's, they went to the US and conquered the HW division.
    vitali had a lot of injuries, but who didn't wlad fight?
     
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  10. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Agree regarding the attitude with combat sports in Germany.
    I think it's a tough fight for Kessler. I would edge him beating Ottke on neutral ground buut not in Germany.
    Hopkins was a better fighter for sure but would lean withe same results as Kessler. Hopkins might get DQ in Germany for fouling.
     
  11. bailey

    bailey VIP Member Full Member

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    This is not disputed, but he didn't have a world title, he was a contender and ottke was a late 30s fighter at the end of his career having made 21 defenses. He was allowed to retire at some point
    It's like saying l Lewis shouldn't have retired and stayed longer for wladimir Klitschko when he was late 30s and looking to retire
    I'm sure if Kessler had have been ottkes mandatory when he was active that the fight may have happened but Kessler at that time was a not overly well known contender. Kessler wasn't really massively regarded until he went to Australia to defend against mundine
     
  12. Aussie Invader

    Aussie Invader Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    21 defences and never fought the best at SMW.
    you're a big calzaghe fan.
     
  13. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I think it was a reflection of a lot of fighters at the time not just in Europe to sit on a belt at home. but that was my point of diifferent fighters have different levels of ambition.

    Jones and Hopkins were only in the SMW division for a short period of time to be fair so that window was not really there.

    Collins never wanted that smoke with Jones Jr who already moved up at that point.
    His timing was good for Eubank and Benn as they had both been in a lot of wars and were on the decline.

    It was funny Eubank pulling him up on his fight with Joe though that's because Eubank was a last moment replacement after Collins retired.

    It's right in some regards but it's like the Vitali and Lewis situation some fans want the older fighter to take on the young gun without realising that the drive is no longer there to compete at the top level.

    At what point is the older fighter to stop? when he takes a massive beating? I just think fans have an unreasonable expectation sometimes without considering the bigger picture.

    Lennox did what was right for him. why would he risk his legacy for some butthurt fanboys?

    I never said the Klit's didn't fight anybody I'm saying there wasn't a lot of tough competition in there era and neither had a signature win.

    I'm looking at Bowe beating an unbeaten Holyfield or Douglas beating an unbeaten Tyson.

    Nearly all in the Klit era turned upto be punch bags. I remember at the time Haye talking a load of crap saying he was going to kill both of them and what happened?

    Very little.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
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  14. Aussie Invader

    Aussie Invader Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    yeah i agree. lennox - vitali was all about the young and hungry challenger v. the on-the-way-out champion.
    even then, lennox started to shine as the fight went on.
    he was a better technical fighter and that showed.
     
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  15. exocet76

    exocet76 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Agree. I don't diss the Klits as they fought who they could and other than occasionaly clearing the other ones losses they were both consistant and well prepared champions.
    I give Wilder a hard time on here because people constantly overstate his ability and because there were plenty of names he could have fought whilst he sat on the WBC belt for 5 years.
    So it's having the context of being in a weaker era and clearing it out verses being in a better era and not taking those challenges within the division.
    It's harder to gauge fighters in either camp as it's easy to blast C level fighters if you have power. It's only when tested against the elite do you know whether that person is the real deal or not.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2022
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