True. People need some apparent reminding. Had Kirkland remained active during this last period I doubt very seriously most people would be assuming Williams would prevail. The writing would be all over the wall.
I was leaning towards Kirkland myself, I just want to see how he bounces back first now. The guy was a ****ing bulldog in there, though...if Williams trades like Williams is prone to do, he'd pay the price against the old Kirkland. Hopefully James hasn't lost too much.
Who knows how Kirkland will bounce back after his imprisonment. His weight and stamina could be potential problems after such a long layoff. Hypothetically if James returns to his old form then we would have a real fight on our hands. Both guys aren't particularly difficult to catch cleanly. Good fight.
I find this fight a tough one to call actually, both play somewhat into the others hands, and while im favoring williams ever so slightly (id be rooting for Kirkland though as hes one of my favorite active fighters) it would be close and i wouldnt be suprised no matter what happens in there. However, Williams does a few things here and there that i think give him a somewhat edge over Kirkland, coupled with hes been in hellish back and forth fights in the upper levels of the sport before and has come out ahead, meanwhile kirkland hasnt even reached the upper levels of the sport yet. Things like upper body movement, footwork, and experience makes me tip ever so slightly towards Williams, but one would have to think that Kirklands strength, heavy hands and pressure would see him having his success throughout as well, which is why i think this is a great fight and closely contested.
The writing or Williams? Just asking. Seriously, I'd have to seek what Kirkland looks like now. I remember watching some of his fights, but that's about it.
Yes, I'm serious you ****faced moron. I, unlike the rest of you twats, have never bought into Kirland and his walk-in completely defenseless style. To this day I believe his prison sentence was a blessing in the sky for his health because the best at 154, Williams & Martinez, would've made his face look like ground beef from all the absorbed punishment.
Checked your sheets this morning? They are probably red. Williams has no defense either, and doesn't use his height. Great argument.
Williams is a much better defender than Kirkland is... and that's saying something about how poor Kirkland's defense is. A man who walks straight in and uses his face to block punches is not going to beat any world class 154 lbers out there. And it's not about using his height, Williams can box... any world class boxer out there within the 154 - 160 would completely school the highly overrated Kirkland. :deal
Before everyone gets all gung-ho on yet another guy who should kill the green, clumsy, no-defense-having, arm-punching hype-job (who happens to be 38-1), please watch Kirkland carefully. Kirkland is a real monster, and I wish him the best. But there is one little nasty habit of his that will be his undoing. Each and every time he takes a punch, he leans his head straight back and pauses. WTF!?!?! Now imagine what happens when he takes a punch from Paul. And then he leans back. What the **** you think Dhalism is gonna do next? Talk about makin' it rain!
If Kirkland can handle PW's punch, which i think is likely, then Kirkland would break Williams is half with his punches.