Zertuche and McKart were known for granite chins, he stopped them, more impressive with Zertuche of course since McKart was shot.
He could have fought Sturm to unify some belts if he wanted to fight an non puncher. And the only belts that matter wouldn't strip him for fighting someone other than Pavlik.
It's the manner he gets stopped, if he's sparked out easily, say after a few good hits and then a few more to seal it, that showcases a problematic chin, especially for weight jumping against guys like naturally hit harder than Pavlik. If it takes Pavlik a long time to grind him down like it did Zertuche, then it showcases a sturdy jaw.
Perhaps, perhaps not. There are exceptions. Either way, getting stopped by a puncher are not signs of a weak chin. There are many levels of chin between weak and granite.
Problem is with that is that Sturm is a ****ing pansy and would never fight anyone with a remote pulse after that Castillejo disaster, so that is not an option. The other option is Abraham, an even worse fight for Taylor's purposes. So you take Abraham, and look like your ducking Pavlik, or jump up in weight and take on some no hoper there as a tune up and look like your ducking Pavlik and Calzaghe, which is a bad combination for the American audience. He HAD to take Pavlik to save any regard for himself and the undisputed championship.
People can avoid getting knocked out by KO punchers, if they box smart, have good speed, good defence and bodymovement. Taylor has nothing of the sort, and he would go down unless he has a granite chin, or make the fight very ugly. Thats my 2 kroner at least.
No no, you are adding your opinion of Sturm into the equation to dismiss him. No one knows if he could have fought Sturm. As far as we know, Taylor didn't even LOOK at other MW options...he went straight for Pavlik. I think you are trying to hard to remove any semblance of credit from Taylor, and while I think Pavlik will beat him, you are exaggerating the circumstances or Taylor's reign far too negatively cuz, well.....you hate him.
No, I'm on target. The only A level quality he has shown, even in fights against lesser competition coming up has been athleticism, every other factor is B level or less in regards to Taylor. Compared to a similiar boxer-puncher style in Mikkel Kessler, who has shown A level in every important factor. I do get annoyed when people claim Taylor is superior just for being competitive with set P4P fighters, when we have comparable film of Taylor against non-P4P's and Kessler against non-P4P's and the performance level is not even in the same stratosphere.
Taylor is easy to find and keeps his hands low. My point is, even if Pavlik KO's him, it won't prove he has a weak chin, though it will prove it's not granite. This is not an either/or situation.
I want Taylor to win, but I am picking Pavlik. Taylor still isn't progressing and he and Steward don't even seem to be on the same page (at least in the last fight)
But there was no way out of fighting Pavlik. You seem to sometimes like my regard of European fighters in what I assess from them, well, it's not my opinion of Sturm, it's a fact, look at his competition... And this is a very beatable guy, who anybody would want to scalp, but it's not going to happen with he and his management because he sells and makes a good bit in Germany. Taylor, or anyone else worth a damn for that matter, could not get a fight with Sturm going for any reason, this is a damned fact, Sturm will fight nobody and continue it for a long time until they are prepared to cash out, because if Taylor is B, then Sturm is B- and bordering, but marketable in Germany. I am not removing credit, I am trying to explain that if there was an option that could 'save face' other than a dangerous puncher, DiBella, would take that option, but there is no way out of fighting Pavlik without severe repricussions from the media and fans, especially after his two recent performances. People think that because he was in 2 bouts with Hopkins and fought Wright after that, that he'll fight anybody who brings the most money, that's been one his major selling points, but I don't believe it fact, he HAS to fight Pavlik, his mandatory and first hard hitting MW or he'd get eaten alive.