Enjoyable fight last night and I do not want to take anything away from Derevyanchenko but I just wanted to put my thoughts on GGG out there. 1. He still has the heart of a warrior. Despite being hurt a few times to the body, he still kept coming forward, albeit without his old intensity. 2. The chin is still rock solid. 3. He still has a nasty streak. See in round 10 how, when he was struggling, he started looking for big downward shots on the back of SD's head. Good spot from the referee to call him up on it too. 4. The power is deteriorating. Was he looking for those foul shots because he was bewildered by his opponent being able to take his power? 5. Banks isn't good for him. Far from prolonging his career, which I think he was hoping for by going to a more technical coach, it looks like he's tying himself up in knots and doesn't really know what his strategy is. Against Rolls there were elements of this but he was able to mask it with the KO. 6. There's no point fighting Canelo. There is no way he beats him in a 3rd meeting. That ship has sailed and he's better off finding someone else for a cash out fight. Time to step up GGG. 7. I think when the dust has settled, we'll look back on GGG's career with a bit of regret. He's undoubtedly a great but his lack of a true nemesis in his prime will always count against him and he should have moved up and challenged himself earlier in his career. 8. His last fight or two will be entertaining. He's hittable, still scarily tough, and will not give up.
I wouldn't write off a win in a third fight against Canelo, after all, who knows what he'll have left if Kovalev hands him a one sided career shortening beatdown and he drains himself back down to 160.
He would beat Canelo any day. Canelo robbed GGG twice with his lobby. Anyway, Kovalev will dismantle Canelo and will age him at least 5 years. There will be permanent damage from the light heavyweight champion.
Tonight shows why GGG has been avoiding the young champs in the division! He's looking to cash out with a 3rd Canelo fight! He definitely lost something in those 2 fights with Canelo.
1. Agree 2. Agree 3. “He still has a nasty streak...” Don’t agree. I would say it’s SD height and his style. Was happening more cause GGG was getting more tired. 4. “The power is deteriorating...” Agree, the question is to what degree as well as if GGG was indeed sick. That would change that perception a bit. 5. “Banks isn't good for him...” Totally agree. Watched Banks interview on scene and frankly have even more questions to him. Virgil Hunter or Buddy McGirt could be the options. But VH is a creepy option while BM is probably won’t be able to dedicate time needed for GGG. 6. “There's no point fighting Canelo” Don’t agree, rewatch the fight, GGG is not that bad as you might think. The other questions are if Canelo be juicing and how hard in terms of health consequences for Canelo would be fight with Kovalev. 7. “I think when the dust has settled, we'll look back on GGG's career with a bit of regret.” Partially agree with that, but not with challenge, but specifically would note #%*#oles from Universum. 8. “His last fight or two will be entertaining. He's hittable, still scarily tough, and will not give up.” He has enough gas to honour his contract with DAZN. The only trouble I see so far is Canelo. The rest Andrade, Charlo, Saunders or whatever will still not be able to do enough to take GGG down, but will not be probably one sided as they should have been with prime GGG.
I can see both sides of the coin with GGG and I'm not looking to write him off but the last couple of years of his career have kind of got him into a situation whereby he now has no direction and his entire legacy is tied to Canelo. Yes, I agree that the Kov fight could and should take something from Canelo, but that fight smacks of a cash out from Kov and I wouldn't rule out that there outcome of that fight is scripted. Yes, I agree GGG still beats any other middleweight but the fights would be competitive compared to before. But, if he did go on a run and best every other middleweight out there today apart from Canelo, would that do anything for his legacy or bank balance?
