My P4P Top 30

I think Golovkin deserved a close win over Canelo, but I came out of the fight more impressed with Canelo. Golovkin is overrated and isn't just susceptible to lateral movement, he's troubled by any truly elite skilled boxer, who can avoid his power and time him. Canelo still has stamina problems and is too inconsistent, so though I lean to Canelo in a rematch I'm not so confident to rate him above Golovkin. Canelo moves from 15 to 11, above Jacobs because I now think that's a winnable fight for him, as is Lara in a rematch. Bottom line: neither Golovkin nor Canelo in my opinion are quite top 5 p4p boxers.

Kovalev needs to look good next fight to retain his spot, I wonder if he'll be the same but based on what he showed through the first Ward fight I'm calling him better than Golovkin and Canelo.

For the first time ever the two boxers I consider the p4p best will be fighting each other!

1. Lomachenko
2. Rigondeaux
3. Ward
4. Crawford
5. Inoue
6. Mikey Garcia
7. Kovalev
8. Estrada
9. Golovkin
10. Spence
11. Canelo
12. Usyk
13. Lara
14. Gvozdyk
15. Jacobs
16. Degale
17. Brook
18. Nietes
19. Beterbiev
20. Derevyanchenko
21. Thurman
22. Linares
23. Sor Rungvisai
24. Jermall Charlo
25. Cuadras
26. Russell
27. Ioka
28. Santa Cruz
29. Frampton
30. Tanaka

 

In my post above I moved Canelo up several spots and said I'm even more critical of Golovkin than before, yet still kept Canelo lower than him. But no! I need to stick to what I insist p4p is: despite that I scored it 7-5 GGG I now think Canelo's the better fighter and more importantly I think he'll win the rematch, so I have to rate him higher. I can accept anyone having either as high as 5, but I think top 3 is definitely wrong.

And I'll put Spence above instead of below both of them. He's fundamentally sound, complete, far from being exposed as limited against Brook showed great pacing and tactics, and I think he beats every ww barring the really close fight Crawford will eventually be.

Post Linares-Campbell, some have Linares top 10. He's one of my favourites and I had him top 10, before accepting that as great as his talent and technical skill is he has chinks in his armour that should keep below too many guys. Because only either a skilled puncher or someone who's elite and proven he can take a punch should be rated higher, and Derevyanchenko isn't, nor does he have a great outside game. Meaning I'll slot him above Nietes and Derevyanchenko, but not higher.

Ward retiring opens up a spot. Considered Briedis, Danny Garcia, Jack, and Campbell, but it's Dmitry Bivol who enters. Bivol has the technique and footwork to be even higher, but I'll first want to see how he handles an opponent good enough to show how good his defence (and possibly chin) is.

1. Lomachenko
2. Rigondeaux
3. Crawford
4. Inoue
5. Mikey Garcia
6. Kovalev
7. Estrada
8. Spence
9. Canelo
10. Golovkin
11. Usyk
12. Lara
13. Gvozdyk
14. Jacobs
15. Degale
16. Brook
17. Nietes
18. Beterbiev
19. Thurman
20. Linares
21. Derevyanchenko
22. Sor Rungvisai
23. Jermall Charlo
24. Cuadras
25. Russell
26. Ioka
27. Santa Cruz
28. Frampton
29. Tanaka
30. Bivol

 

More like what's humorous is most like rhin0z> disagree about a spot or two yet respect my list, while some think disagreeing with the same spot or two means they get to call it garbage.

 

Rigo's shameless quit job drops him from number 2. Yes Loma looked good outboxing the boxer, it wasn't about size, but was Loma so good that he took Rigo's heart? Or was I stupid to have Rigo that high, and he gives up against any elite fighter who puts leather on him? Should we even regard him as relevant anymore? I considered dropping him completely, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and only drop him to just above Canelo and GGG, who I think are both made for him in fantasy p4p matchups.

Degale loses to a guy he wouldn't have lost to at his best, he's really physically deteriorated, he's out. Jermell Charlo's in.

Frampton didn't look so hot, but a win's a win, he doesn't have the physical advantages to always dominate mid-level guys, and I like him over Valdez if that rumoured fight happens, so he's staying put.

1. Lomachenko
2. Crawford
3. Inoue
4. Mikey Garcia
5. Kovalev
6. Estrada
7. Spence
8. Rigondeaux
9. Canelo
10. Golovkin
11. Usyk
12. Lara
13. Gvozdyk
14. Jacobs
15. Brook
16. Nietes
17. Beterbiev
18. Thurman
19. Linares
20. Derevyanchenko
21. Sor Rungvisai
22. Jermall Charlo
23. Cuadras
24. Russell
25. Ioka
26. Santa Cruz
27. Frampton
28. Tanaka
29. Bivol
30. Jermell Charlo

 

1. Lomachenko
2. Crawford
3. Inoue
4. Mikey Garcia
5. Kovalev
6. Estrada
7. Spence
8. Rigondeaux
9. Canelo
10. Golovkin
11. Usyk
12. Lara
13. Saunders
14. Gvozdyk
15. Jacobs
16. Brook
17. Nietes
18. Beterbiev
19. Thurman
20. Linares
21. Derevyanchenko
22. Sor Rungvisai
23. Jermall Charlo
24. Cuadras
25. Russell
26. Ioka
27. Santa Cruz
28. Frampton
29. Tanaka
30. Bivol

I don't think a boxer has ever impressed me so much in one fight to rocket this far up my p4p. Saunders brilliant in outboxing Lemieux. His legs and speed were as good in the 12th as the 1st. He's exactly the style that Golovkin has trouble with, and I think he beats him. I'm not sure about Jacobs and Canelo however, who are both smart and can box with him, and have greater offense. Because the styles at middleweight make it a game of rock/paper/scissors I won't put Saunders higher just because I think he beats GGG, I'll give a benefit over more other guys so keep him higher p4p. But Saunders shoots way up my list. Above Jacobs, Brook, Thurman and other elites, only just below Canelo, Golovkin, Usyk, and Lara. I'll ask anyone this: how do you think a fantasy equal size matchup between so many anyone I now have below him would look? Saunders has skills that very few boxers will be able to deal with. Canelo-GGG is just the appetizer, Canelo-Saunders is now the fight in boxing.

Jermell Charlo after temporarily making my list is out.

 

1. Lomachenko
2. Crawford
3. Inoue
4. Mikey Garcia
5. Kovalev
6. Estrada
7. Sor Rungvisai
8. Spence
9. Rigondeaux
10. Canelo
11. Golovkin
12. Usyk
13. Lara
14. Nietes
15. Saunders
16. Gvozdyk
17. Jacobs
18. Brook
19. Beterbiev
20. Thurman
21. Linares
22. Derevyanchenko
23. Bivol
24. Taylor
25. Briedis
26. Gassiev
27. Jermall Charlo
28. Russell
29. Tanaka
30. Jermell Charlo

Need to make some shakeups here...

I scored Sor Rungvisai-Estrada for Estrada, but it's SSR who I have to move way up. Everyone who said he was for real was right. He's not just a strong-chinned brawler who got lucky against Gonzalez, he has the skill to deliver his attack efficiently against the best. I still think very highly of Estrada. That he outboxed a guy so hard to oubox for a good half the rounds shows how good he is. Both guys are elite and should be considered top 10 p4p. I'll keep Estrada a slot above SSR because I thought he won, but unlike my rating of Canelo over GGG that doesn't mean I'll confidently take him in a rematch or believe he's the better man. They need to fight a good trilogy to show who's better.

Nietes was very impressive beating Reveco. He's been a fixture in my top 20 for years, but I don't think I should've moved guys like Saunders, Gvozdyk, and Jacobs above him. He moves from 17 to 14.

Ioka retired, he's out. Cuadras didn't disgrace himself but lost to Arroyo and showed technical holes, he's out. Frampton did not look sharp at all in barely beating Horacio Garica, he may be on the decline now, I no longer confidently think he'll beat a Valdez, he's out. Brook is being written off as damaged by some, but it took two of the best in Golovkin and Spence to beat him, and he was beating both of them early, let's give him the benefit of any doubt till we see how he looks in his return.

I'm going to be bold and call both Bivol and Josh Taylor the real deal and put them into my top 25.

Both Briedis and Gassiev are in, but I think Briedis from his performance against Usyk showed he's the better boxer and would beat him so have him higher.