HBO discussions: Gennady Golovkin vs James Kirkland, April 26th

What about Kirkland vs Canelo?

I think Canelo wins by KO.

 

Kirkland - Golovkin
Sportswise: 0 out of 10. Golovkin will KO Kirkland hard within 3 rounds.
$$$$$$$$: 8 out of 10. I want to watch this. Everybody knows there will be knockdowns!
Career Kirkland: 2 out of 10. But if the only alternative is jail then go for it.
Carrer Golovkin: 3 out of 10. Better than Osumana Adama or other complete unknowns.

This fight will most likely be made even before Geale-Golovkin.

 

Kirkland better than Ishida or Adama and even probably Stevens and Rosado (whose stock increased with his non-winning results against Love and Quillin).

Still, super inactive. Super predictable, stagnant, and full of weakness. Also, unranked at MW.

 

Yeah - it ain't a particularly good fight for boxing fans, but Kirkland's got enough of a name and the big KO reputation that the fight could be sold.

I ain't even worried that Mandingos a 154 - the difference is smaller than WW - JMW which is considered normal. It's just that GGG needs to get at least one of the top flight MWs in there this year - Geale's saying OK, Murray looked likely but suddenly there's rumours that he might have his own title fight coming up (and his tune-up was a long way from impressive by all accounts), Barker's not likely right now and Sturm? - Ducking GGG since 2009...

Kirkland is well enough known in the US, but seriously it'd be like feeding Golovkin another Stevens...it simply ain't gonna progress GGGs career.

By all accounts 'Team GGG' has accepted the need for a move up to 168 but want to do as much as possible to establish Golovkin as the reigning MW king during 2014...Kirkland ain't gonna do much to help that.

 

Why ruin an exciting 154lb fighter like Kirkland? You could put him in so many fun and entertaining fights.

 

Since both fighters are HBO guys it seems destined to happen. I have no issue with it for an April fight it will be fun while it lasts. After that GGG needs a Quillan or Martinez if the networks allow it or Martinez's health.

 

Kirkland looks like he respects other boxers. If its true, than he is already good guy who is on his way of respect. But if he will say bad things about ggg, then fight should be done.

I am ggg fan. And what I am basically saying... there are too many "big mouth" 160lbs fighters.

 

GGG would probably kill Kirkland. Absolutely not something I want to see. Kirkland should fight someone like Trout, Molina, even Lara.

 

i guess its ok to fight unranked middleweights for the middleweight title?

 

Why does GGG get such shitty fights? At least fight a ranked guy at 160

 

IDK why he doesn't move up to 168, the middleweight division is dead. Froch, Ward, Groves, either Dirrell brother. Put him in with Bika, he's a gatekeeper of sorts..GGG isn't getting any younger...

 

knowing james and ann wolfe, they're probably so up for this fight, but business wise, they should take a different route, simply put. this fight has devastating knockout loss written all over it from james kirkland, perhaps in the first round.

 

The problem with 168, is its basically just Ward.. and maybe Groves. Froch is a maybe, but he has several fights he is chasing and has said he is nearing retirement.

Bika and Dirrells, while entertaining fights... are SHO as drozzy said... plus not only are they not headliners, they arent even co-features on SHO... they sit the bottom of the card.

GGG has better ratings than Ward, and equivalent gate take. (GGG last fight close to 5k tix at $100-$350, Ward 11k+ tix at $25-$100). Until GGG is ready to take on Ward not only as a boxer, but until the ratings and business end make Ward/GGG showdown a major PPV event there is absolutely zero reason to move to 168. Which I am sure is why 2014 is planned at MW, then move to 168.

The only potential "real money" at 168 right now is Golovkin/Ward , which actually happens sooner from a business standpoint if GGG sticks around 160 long enough to pound Quillin or Martinez into the canvas. Plus need Ward to sort his promotional issues out first, nothing would suck worse from GGG standpoint than moving to 168 and having Ward out of the game for 2-3 years in a lengthy court battle or stuck with an overprotective promoter.

 

Economics. Check out my posts from the beginning of a thread for a more thorough explanation of why GGG's basically stuck with fights like this until HBO increases the $$$ they'll invest in his fights.