Look at the new Japanese Middleweight King!

Unless he's made significant improvement over his last 4 fights covering the last year and a half since the guy he fought on this video, I have to agree with you. Sato might, might be ready for someone on the bottom edge of the top 20 or 25, but there's no excuse for a beltholder to be seeking him out.

I hope he's improved dramatically and beats Sturm nonetheless, though it's probably just wishful thinking on my part.

 

Lol, that Sato guy is going to get schooled even worse than Jamie Pittman...this shows you how bad the mw divsion really is - how can this guy even get ranked in the top15 of an abc org?

 

Sturm is pathetic. The way he holds his belt hostage is embarassing.

 

Shame on both - do we have an agreement on this?

Just take a look at the Ring top10 (minus P-Will and Winky):

Pavlik
Abraham
Sturm
Sylvester
Gevor
Griffin
Lopez
Castillejo
Askíkainen
Geale

Sturm beat Griffin, Castillejo, Sylvester (but also draw Griffin, lost to Castillejo)
Abraham KOed Gevor
Gevor KOed Asikainen
Sylvester split KO's with Asikainen

No need to talk about Pavlik's resume - he is the champ and Abraham is just an inch behind.
Then we have Sturm who needs to be hot aka "in the zone" to hang with the 2 top guys.
And then we have guys who had and most likely always have 50/50 fights.

Only fighter that really intrigues me is Lopez b/c of his built/style, though I haven't seen much of him.

Geale is absolutely unproven and should try to get a fight with Mundine to show if he can challenge for a world championship...

 

The only speed I noticed in this clip was the jabbering of the commentators. If this guy got in the ring with Pavlik or Abraham I'd be the first to call for premeditated murder charges for either guy. Great knockout. Looked like he hit the guy in the back of the head. Or maybe something that landed previous produced a delayed reaction? Watched a couple of times and couldn't see any shot that looked like it should have been a KO.

 

Overhand right with delayed reaction...than he clobbered him at the back of the head, but maybe it was just a bad camera-angle...

 

This has to be a joke, right

 

Lopez against either Pavlik, Sturm and Abraham would intrigue me...and this shouldn't sound like an excuse but it would even be enough if Sturm would fight someone out of the top20 (Sato is barely top50)...

 

Watched the clip yet? He looks like he steps in at 160. Hard to get a good read from one clip like that though. You were of course right to give him the benefit of the doubt. Not that people here need to see a fighter to make judgments though. :nut

 

I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt until the fight...but now I've seen that video its obvious hes pathetic opposition.

He is...so...****ing...slow its untrue. Horrible horrible footwork.