You think Ward was better? Okey, but do not dream everyone should dance under US boxers demands. Ward = Ottke II just in US not in Germany. All difference here. Yeah, it is business.
Kessler was a really good fighter but he'd been plagued with injuries throughout his career that hurt his resume a lot.
I doubt anyone outside of Kazakhstan will remember Golovkin 20 years from now. Ward will take a full time job as a boxing commentator and we will constantly be reminded about his great accomplishments including Gold at the Olympics while Golovkin will go deeper and deeper into obscurity.
The offer was NOT to replace Lemieux in 2015, so that doesn't matter. The offer was for a fight in 2016. Golovkin and his team flat out turned it down.
Dear god how classic. Yeah, about pro boxing idiotic US belts and other crap casual inhabitant in Kazahstan never will care about. Including average lad in Kazahstan not likely knows who Ward is. Why this is necessity? For you to be some kind US pro boxer from US is 1 only kind to be well known? Sport there is 0,001 % from all opportunties and there your pro boxing is lesser than 0,001% from kinds of SPORT. Obscurity? Damn, you do know what this is? LOL, I think about normal life you know a little. I recently had communicated with 2 guys from Kazahstan, they does not knows who Usyk and A.J are, not alone Canelo or Ward. U think everyone follows niche sport like boxing? Ppl does have jobs and other funny things to do. Pro boxing fans are small percentage of population in this world. While thinking they are so so big.
So Kazakhstan will also forget GGG in your opinion? I don't think so, as he's one of the most famous athletes of all time in their country.
Kazahstan had and does have a lot athletes in different sports. They does not have only boxing as sport. They even does have notable writers, legacy in cosmos and rocket science etc like things. You might google " Olympic medalists from Kazahstan ". Not all ppl are boxing fans at all.
Ward was a finalist for fighter of the decade GGG was not. Ward dared to be great and beat all comers, GGG not so much. GGG didn't have a fight lined up with PBF or Canelo back then, he wanted them but nothing was set. He could have have fought Ward and it would have been a career high pay day for him just like it was for Kovalev. You're a fool if you don't think fighting Ward who was a top 3 P4P boxer at that time wouldn't have been boost to GGG's legacy. He would be the best fighter GGG fought during that time. The truth is overzealous GGG fans like yourself made every excuse in the book as to why GGG shouldn't fight Ward, too boring not a draw. Why? Because you knew damn well Ward would give GGG that work. So much so that people like you were begging Ward to move to 175 to take on Kovalev because you thought he would be the man to bring ward down and then a fight with GGG couldn't be made. I know for a fact that you picked Kovalev to not only beat Ward but KHTFO. What happened there.? LMFAO! GGG will be remembered as the guy who was hyped as the second coming despite a **** resume who took more step aside money than any boxer in recent memory, never dared to be great, offered Ward a catch weight fight at 164 after saying anyone 168-154 can get it, who was favored over Canelo, expected to make him leave the ring on stretcher and didn't deliver. Good fighter but no where near the level of Ward, skill or resume wise period end of discussion. Ward>GGG
I disagree with two points here Pimp. 1. You said GGG dared to be great not so much. I honestly think he never dared to be great. When he arrived to the U.S. his motivation was nothing else but dollars. If it was about being great he would have gunned for all the top fighters between 154-168 like he claimed he would fight, but he never fought a top fighter unless he had his arm twisted or it came with a mega payday. He left more opportunities to be great on the table than he actually took risks. 2. You said GGG will be remembered as a hyped guy. I don't think he will be remembered very much outside of his die hard fans. Other than that, great post!
Dared to be great is not to be a prize fighter at first. You think prize fighting is greatness when guy who never had pro boxing fight had get more money for fight vs clown than 2 times Olympic Gold Medalist for fight vs Loma. Get this, pro boxing is to earn $$$$$$$$ not to be great. Good resume does have only boxers from Mexico, US or in some cases U.K for forums posters, this flowchart is the Law during decade in forums. Interestingly what kind of motivation does have US boxers if not money? Bunches are signing with pro promoters after they had get good places in Golden Gloves Nationals, not alone if in Pan Am Games some medals. Guys need money and I do not mean this as some insult or disrespect. Some countries are paying not so bad premiums for good places in World championships and Continental level championships and in the Games. No offense here, lads does need money and in ams a lot of ppl are " amateurs " not amateurs.
Clearly money is the main motivator, but for others, legacy is as much a motivator as money is, but for Golovkin legacy never seemed to be a priority.
