Jorge Linares is not an elite fighter or an A level fighter. He's not even Shawn Porter Level.

Very nice choice in music may I say.
Recently discovered a gem from the 90s by a super group called Mad Season,featuring Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley,Pearl jam guitarist and Mark Lanagan to name a few.
There’s a concert on YouTube,Layne Staley was in a desperate state at the time through drugs but got it together for one night after just learning the songs days previous and having a day to rehearse the result is magic,well worth a look as it’s not grunge per say.

 

Linares' skills are quite a bit beyond those of Porter's. He just doesn't have the physical tools to back up the skills. He has no chin, power, and his skin cuts too easily, but for pure boxing ability there are very few today who compare. It's a pretty big testament to his skill that he's managed to go 44-3 with almost no physical ability. Somehow, he even managed to win 11 title fights. That's almost beyond belief. You also can't say that he's never beaten anybody since he just recently beat Campbell and Crolla and he beat Oscar Larios back in the day. You can say he's never beaten anyone elite, but you could say similar things about Lomachenko and Crawford too. They've all basically been lords of ghost divisions. I guess there was a minute in 2010 where he could have fought Uchiyama or a brief period in 2014 when he and Terence Crawford were both in the same top ten division bracket. As of last year Mikey Garcia and Lomachenko are within reach so he'll probably fight one of them soon before he retires.

 

Shawn porter "Elite level boxer".

Cmon man....Even Porter knows he lacks skill and finesse so is forced to fight the way he does.

 

Hot take: Linares is a MUCH better p4p fighter than Porter, and if he could get Shawn to boil to 140lbs, I'd pick him to win h2h.

Or even a 143lb catchweight. Linares jumping all the way up to welter proper and facing an officially 147lb Porter (rehydrated to like cruiserweight) is probably asking too much of the Venezuelan Golden Boy.

 

Porter would have mugged Marquez

 

During the brief period they overlapped at welterweight? I mean, sure. There's no such thing IMO as any 147lb verison of JMM that isn't blown-up and past-it (although some were worse than others, that initial over-bulked frame he brought against Mayweather was disgraceful, but even after that, when he came up less bloated and put together some decent wins, he still lacked a ton of the mobility and fluidity of a prime Dinamita in the lower weights), but okay. If you consider that a badge of honor for Porter that he would've mugged an old slow JMM, then I've no issue co-signing that.

 

Linares is obviously a very good fighter. He has amassed a very respectable resume since his last defeat even if I have pointed out it is weak for a legit #1 ranked fighter (lightweight been a wasteland for years before he showed up; he is infinitely better than Miguel Vazquez). More importantly, his form is high quality.

Now I do like to hate on him a bit and point out the Steward "he's the greatest boxer I've ever seen in my life" quote (merely a couple rounds before getting TKO'd). My bit of hate came from his massive hype he had back in the day. However, that train disappeared after he showed excessive flaws in his chin and skin relative to the hype. I don't dislike him and thoroughly respect him in top form.

He's far from perfect and has weaknesses but is a top class fighter. P4P? No. I like the comparison IB made between Linares and Khan. While noticeably less accomplished, I too believe Linares really is the better skilled boxer than Khan. And that comes down to opposition willing and available and mostly Linares getting derailed quickly yet again while Khan avoided that after Prescott.

As for the thread, I like me some Shawn Porter but Linares is clearly on another level. And it's a level up, not down.

I know lines are being drawn in the sand on Linares due to the talk of he and Lomo fighting. But there really doesn't need to be an agenda here. A Lomo detractor could point out Linares is unaccomplished for being the #1 fighter in a division. A Lomo fan could point out that Linares is the #1 fighter in his division. A Lomo detractor could point out Linares is highly flawed. A Lomo fan could point out that Linares is highly skilled. Expect to see that whining back and forth going on if the rumors persist. I don't know of a better fight for Lomo to take at 135 than Linares, straight up, and I have never been accused of being a fan of his.

 

I can't stand Porter's style, he is a nice person, but he uses his head, wrestles a lot, not like SOB Ward though...............Linares is a good fighter, no doubt, but Lomachenko will out class him...................

 

Linares is B level and now he is wasting Loma's time or at least his promoter and management are.

 

We're on a roll tonight, Farmy, of a single mind on everything!

 

I dunno about levels but when you’re comparing one of the best to watch boxers in the sport to a guy whose best punch is the lead headbutt then it should be obvious why fans prefer one guy, and being a hipster has nothing to do with it.

 

Linares always has been a top world class fighter. "A" level fighter and he keeps getting better. He needs the right opponent to reach elite. Anyone that says different hasn't watched him long enough. His biggest down side is and always has been cuts. All of his losses have been after cuts. I want to see him with Mikey G, Robert Easter and Loma. Mikey would be the better fight.

 

Even though he'd get blown away by Porter , he's still probably better in every facet of the game.

Not Elite , but a true A leveller with a B level resume.

 

This dude loves 'hot takes'