Canelo vs Smith 154 wbo title

You'd have to ask Canelo. His reluctance to take on the Kazakh is something I'd never have predicted.

I'm not one of these 'GGG batters Hagler and Monzon' types. He's the most frustrating fighter in the world to watch as we still have no idea how good he is (or isn't). Is he really one of the best 160 has produced or is he a Prince Naseem type, flattering to deceive by looking spectacular against less than stellar opposition? I don't know and that's largely down to the lack of fortitude shown by lots of fighters who should have been his opponents.

 

Barring some strange circumstance, this will still be the biggest fight to make next year. Even bigger than today, too much money involved for them(everyone included) not to find a way to make it happen.

 

It seems like you GGGstans and GGG apologist feel everyone should revolve around GGGs demands.

Funny how most ATGs compromised something at one point or another to fight the best opposition available, but GGG, he can't do that, he still needs a few more bums to KO. :yep

GGG is only hurting himself. When history looks at his record they will see he feasted on nobodies.

When the GGGstans try to say everyone avoided him, the internet will show us Trout, Lara, Canelo, Ward were at least 4 top qulaity fighters who were willing to fight him. Canelo at 155, Ward at 168, and Trout and Lara at 160.

When they compare him to Hopkins, they will see Hopkins > GGG. Hopkins compromised weight, by moving up down, up and back up again to make the best fights available happen. Something GGG has been reluctant to do. :deal

 

You've had all of these points explained to you time and again by nicer people than me.

For what it's worth I would have picked Ward to win a decision over GGG at 168 in a close fight. I also think it was fair enough for GGG to want a couple of high quality tune ups to prep him for that fight and seeing him beat Chavez Jr. And Froch (if he could) would have built the fight up perfectly.

Ward has done the same thing to prep for Kovalev - although the Smith fight was a total waste of time.

 

GGG hasn't done shid to make the big fights happen! FFS he was spoon fed Lemieux, his biggest win!! atsch

Anything said as to why he has no quality opponent on his resume is nothing more than an EXCUSE.

 

That's a good answer!. But going back to what you said, which is bolded, he should be pursuing the guys who are actually calling out his name, like a Lara or Eubanks Jr.

I'm sure he'd be granted Voluntary defenses so make an offer to Lara or Eubanks and see if their serious enough to negotiate and make the fight a reality. Those fights to me are better than him fighting Lasagna next, because he got mandated by one of the governing bodies.:verysad

 

Trout and Lara would be dismissed as easy wins post event. You know it and I know it. Alvarez has very publicly vacated his title and his bowels. That leads Ward at the weight above. He would have needed to test the waters at 168 before taking on someone has talented as Ward no?

The anti-GGG brigade are as mad as they come.

 

I'd fight Lara if I was him. That fight however won't go any way to silencing doubters. Lara will be just a 154lber that got dragged up and had Canelo problems. Every instance of the Cuban being dropped in previous matches will then be brought up as proof that he was never any good anyway.

He really needed the Froch fight IMO. If he'd have done a number on Carl then the Ward fight would have happened. It was clear as day he wanted to test the water at the weight before taking on one of the divisions greatest ever fighters and taking the Cobra as a big money tune up would have been a big statement of intent. Alas, Froch didn't want it and we ended up with Lemiuex.

 

Maybe, but I'd give him full credit and I believe a few others would too! They just have to be willing to pursue those fights, otherwise he will never be tested.

 

The problem is, this is all speculation as long as GGG refuses to step up his comp.

For some odd reason you seem to be in denial(or simply ignorant)about how many millions of dollars the wbc mandated purse split would have cost Canelo.:huh

Don't you GGGstans call that ducking?

The anti-GGG brigade is only getting bigger thanks to you *stans(this coming from a GGG fan).:deal

 

I'm a boxing fan and not a particular fan of any one fighter. I just call it how I see it. I applauded Canelo when he forced through the Trout and Lara fights and now give him heat for ducking Golovkin.

Secondly to address the point above, no its not. Canelo moved up to take on the lineal middleweight champion. Following his win he then had an opportunity to further acclimatise to the division by making a voluntary defence. He chose Amir Khan. He could have chosen a real middleweight but instead dragged a chinny welterweight up to 155.

He should have fought a decent opponent at 160 post Cotto and then took on Golovkin. If Golovkin had moved up and won two fights at 168 and then chose not to fight Ward you best believe I would have given him plenty of flak too.

 

I think Trout has been given a somewhat raw deal over the years so Lara would be seen as the bigger challenge. He'd still come in as a huge underdog although I'd like to see it from a stylistic standpoint as much as anything else.

Would people pick Lara to beat BJS, CEJ, Lemieux and the like?