Right now, what is your 1-4 ranking of the top 4 supermiddleweights?

Froch fan but I'd say:

Ward
Froch a close 2nd
Kesser

and Bute a very distant 4th.

Ward is my No 1 based on beating dominating Kessler and Froch losing to Kessler narrowly (although I wouldn't have argued with any decision including a Froch win). Ward's resume is pretty weak so far though apart from Kessler, I can easily see him tripping up, especially if he ventures outside Oakland where the refs and judges aren't quite so Andre-friendly.

Froch is No 2 based on his resume and even his loss against Kessler and 'win' over Dirrell were close. I say 'win' in commas because I have no doubt the judges made the right decision but some don't see it that way. Froch is probably the biggest over-achiever in boxing imo and seems to up his game at will. Not sure how far, or for how much longer he can maintain it though. If I was making a list of ballsiest fighters, Carl and Hopkins would be 1st and 2nd with everyone else so far behind, you'd need binoculars to see them.

Kessler is a spent force. He was probably at his best against Calzaghe which was 4 years ago. Always liked and respected the guy but he's well past his best. I'd love to see him stage an all-conquering comeback but there's just too many hungry and skilled fighters out there. SMW is an embarrasment of riches at the moment.

Bute is no-one to me until he faces someone elite, live and still dangerous. If he was a Brit, there would be nothing but contempt for his match-ups on these boards and I can easily see him getting dominated by someone with the ring-smarts of Ward or Froch. Probably more so Froch because of his chin and sheer bloody-mindedness.

 

Honest answer Popkins. I don't think I am able to separate Ward, Froch and Kessler. I did a P4P top 10 list recently were I had my number 10 as Froch, but that was to make a point more than anything. I honestly think you can't place one guy over another. I'm not to sure that Kessler is coming back though.

 

I've pretty much made my mind up that Ward is going to go on and probably have greater careers than them. He is genuinely that talented, and to put himself in a competition like the Super Six (despite the criticism he gets for being a hometown man) shows that he does want to fight the best. Bute is the clear fourth for me...I'd be surprised if we find him on top of the 168 pile come 2012.

I don't want to be seen as sitting on the fence when I say they are all that close for me as far as the 168 division goes, its genuinely how I feel. That you cannot separate Kessler, Froch and Ward.

 

Froch
Kessler
Bute
Ottke 2.0

 

In terms of actual talent and ability?


1. Ward
2. Dirrell
3. Bute
4. Froch


In terms of resume and accomplishments?

1. Ward
2. Froch
3. Kessler
4. Bute

 

See, H2H I have... (meaning the guy at the top has a better chance of beating everybody else and so on down the list)

1. Ward
2. Bute
3. Froch
4. Dirrell
5. Kessler

Resume wise...

1. Froch -- his loss was a close one and I'd favor him in a rematch, wins against top opposition
2. Kessler -- lost to Ward in circumstances that do not make it a total failure loss, and quality wins from 2004-08 outweigh Ward/Bute's accomplishments
3A. Ward
3B. Bute -- thinking Ward's win over Kessler, and the quality of most of Bute's wins weigh about the same

Let's not talk about Dirrell's resume.

 

mine too

 

This division is too subjective. If all 4 retired today, froch and kessler would be miles ahead of ward and bute.

Based of resume it ranks

Kessler
Froch
Ward
Bute

However rankings are more current so I would have to say, due to linearity of victories, I would currently rank them

Ward
Kessler
Froch
Bute

The crazy thing is, after stopping andrade and miranda bute got a lot of respect and should have built no that with big names. Instead he fights brinkley and magee.

If these rumours of a kessler fight come true then bute can get back in the mix again.

 

What is noteworthy when considering Bute and Froch is that Carl already has a KO win over Bute's next opponent, several years ago.

Froch also has some decent lower level wins having knocked out all his domestic contemporaries.

Ward is clearly the most talented, but only has one really good win against Kessler.

 

Who Bute could have fight after Miranda? everybody was in the S6 or injured and Brinkley was a mandatory !

 

Perfect post:thumbsup