Over the last 10 years the SMW division has been dominated by Europeans ie Calzaghe, Ottke, Beyer and Kessler, also not forgetting some others in Reid, Sahnoune, Woodhall, Sanavia, Girard, Catley, & Balzsay, plus current champs Sartison, Froch & Steiglitz. Im not saying all these fighters named are greats but have been/are world champs. Do you think that this will now change with fighters like Ward & Bute appearing? Or do you think they will also be names to add to the likes of Mitchell, Lacy, Brewer who never made it in a division that Europe has been top of for so long.
Damn I thought id put 3 time champ Beyer on that list until I read your quote. I realised about Butes nationality but just left him representing Canada, like LHW champ Pascal. But yeah Bute is Romanian, so another to add to the list.
Ward is a very strong American SMW i don't think he will win the supersix but he is definitely a top guy. Direll is another good name but i still think Abraham can K.O him. Taylor is done. Unsless Pavlik steps up or Dawson goes down to SMW there aren't any more top Americans in SMW. I don't think Green can win a title Bute, Kessler, Abraham, Froch, Inkin, Balzay and Stieglitz are the top guys form europe and there a some good prospects from mw too like Gutknecht, Korobov,Dmitry Pirog and Gennady Golovkin which will likely go up to smw in the future
All scrubs and paper titlests. What a sorry division 168 has been since Roy, Eubanks and Toney ect left. The only class fighter among them was Calzaghe
The very first SMW champ was also European. Murray Sutherland: http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=2629&cat=boxer
If you look at some of the fighters these European fighters have beaten between them, these paper champs of course theres Mundine, Green (who KOd Jones recently), Mitchell, Brewer, G Johnson, Bika, Lucas to name a few
Yes european fighters have held a lot of titles in the division for a while now but with calzaghe gone its wide open again now, thats why the super 6 is good
Why is that all that matters? For me I enjoy all boxers of all nationalities. But I dont think the best in the weight class is American, and in this weight class its been a long time since it has been
I wasnt a fan of Ottke or Beyer but between them they had some good victories including, Mundine, D Green, G Johnson, Brewer, Mitchell, Woodhall, Sheika etc.