Taylor is a very dangerous fight for Ward

Beau Geste · Dec 28, 2009

KillSomething said: ↑

My money will be on Taylor, and I expect to make quite a bit with the way the odds will probably be.

Power: Taylor by a long shot. Ward just doesn't possess the power to stop guys at this level if they have decent chins.

Speed: Ward, but not by much.

Chin: Taylor. He's only been stopped by tremendous punchers, and I do not subscribe to the theory that being KO'd somehow permanently damages a fighter's chin. Ward has been dropped by journeymen and displays a fear of getting hit.

Will to win: Ward. He seems to have that drive and the intangibles that make a great fighter. Taylor at times appears to think that he doesn't deserve to win.

Experience: Taylor. He's fought the who's who of his division, and he's seen it all. Ward has yet to be taken into the trenches.

Taylor has had problems with one kind of fighter--big, strong punchers with granite chins. Pavlik, Abraham, and Froch all stopped him, but he dropped Pavlik and Froch for the first time. Ward is not a puncher in any sense of the wrod, and his chin is very suspect. If Taylor can drop Pavlik and Froch, he can drop Ward. The question is, will he be able to catch Ward? The way Ward leaves himself open, I think he will.

If Ward tries to make a war of it on the inside, he'll find that Taylor is no Kessler in there. Not only can he fight inside, he can also fight as dirty as he wants. To me, Ward seems like a poor man's Bernard Hopkins (with a much lighter punch and higher workrate). Taylor had Hopkins' number, so maybe Ward is what Taylor needs to get back to winning.

The only outcome of this fight that would legitimately surprise me is if Ward stops Taylor. That said, if Taylor loses anything but a very controversial decision, I think it's time for him to retire. Not for his safety, but because it will be clear that he can't compete at the level he used to. There are many good fighters who have taken much worse punishment than Taylor and gone on to live normal lives. It's when you start getting hurt by guys who aren't known for hurting people that you really need to consider calling it a day.

Taylor by wide UD (due to multiple knockdowns) or mid-fight stoppage.
Click to expand...

:happy

BrooklynMumin · Dec 28, 2009

ward beats taylor easily

ramalinga · Dec 28, 2009

KillSomething said: ↑

My money will be on Taylor, and I expect to make quite a bit with the way the odds will probably be.

Power: Taylor by a long shot. Ward just doesn't possess the power to stop guys at this level if they have decent chins.

Speed: Ward, but not by much.

Chin: Taylor. He's only been stopped by tremendous punchers, and I do not subscribe to the theory that being KO'd somehow permanently damages a fighter's chin. Ward has been dropped by journeymen and displays a fear of getting hit.

Will to win: Ward. He seems to have that drive and the intangibles that make a great fighter. Taylor at times appears to think that he doesn't deserve to win.

Experience: Taylor. He's fought the who's who of his division, and he's seen it all. Ward has yet to be taken into the trenches.

Taylor has had problems with one kind of fighter--big, strong punchers with granite chins. Pavlik, Abraham, and Froch all stopped him, but he dropped Pavlik and Froch for the first time. Ward is not a puncher in any sense of the wrod, and his chin is very suspect. If Taylor can drop Pavlik and Froch, he can drop Ward. The question is, will he be able to catch Ward? The way Ward leaves himself open, I think he will.

If Ward tries to make a war of it on the inside, he'll find that Taylor is no Kessler in there. Not only can he fight inside, he can also fight as dirty as he wants. To me, Ward seems like a poor man's Bernard Hopkins (with a much lighter punch and higher workrate). Taylor had Hopkins' number, so maybe Ward is what Taylor needs to get back to winning.

The only outcome of this fight that would legitimately surprise me is if Ward stops Taylor. That said, if Taylor loses anything but a very controversial decision, I think it's time for him to retire. Not for his safety, but because it will be clear that he can't compete at the level he used to. There are many good fighters who have taken much worse punishment than Taylor and gone on to live normal lives. It's when you start getting hurt by guys who aren't known for hurting people that you really need to consider calling it a day.

Taylor by wide UD (due to multiple knockdowns) or mid-fight stoppage.
Click to expand...

Power: Taylor hasn't stopped anyone since 2005. He is a crisp puncher, but only for 5 - 6 rounds. Neither Taylor nor Ward decide fights through power, so the difference is not an issue in this fight.

Chin: You take a fighter who was KO's badly three times in two years over a fighter whose chin simply hasen't been tested that much? That's quite a leap of faith.

Most importantly, Taylor is seemingly unable to maximize his strengths in the ring. He struggled with and lost to less skilled, less athletic fighters who simply used their best assets more effectively. Ward seems to be very capable to use what he has. He will also be the first fighter with faster hands than Taylor.

elmaldito · Dec 28, 2009

BrooklynMumin said: ↑

ward beats taylor easily
Click to expand...

yes sirrr

elmaldito · Dec 28, 2009

KillSomething said: ↑

My money will be on Taylor, and I expect to make quite a bit with the way the odds will probably be.

Power: Taylor by a long shot. Ward just doesn't possess the power to stop guys at this level if they have decent chins.

Speed: Ward, but not by much.

Chin: Taylor. He's only been stopped by tremendous punchers, and I do not subscribe to the theory that being KO'd somehow permanently damages a fighter's chin. Ward has been dropped by journeymen and displays a fear of getting hit.

Will to win: Ward. He seems to have that drive and the intangibles that make a great fighter. Taylor at times appears to think that he doesn't deserve to win.

Experience: Taylor. He's fought the who's who of his division, and he's seen it all. Ward has yet to be taken into the trenches.

Taylor has had problems with one kind of fighter--big, strong punchers with granite chins. Pavlik, Abraham, and Froch all stopped him, but he dropped Pavlik and Froch for the first time. Ward is not a puncher in any sense of the wrod, and his chin is very suspect. If Taylor can drop Pavlik and Froch, he can drop Ward. The question is, will he be able to catch Ward? The way Ward leaves himself open, I think he will.

If Ward tries to make a war of it on the inside, he'll find that Taylor is no Kessler in there. Not only can he fight inside, he can also fight as dirty as he wants. To me, Ward seems like a poor man's Bernard Hopkins (with a much lighter punch and higher workrate). Taylor had Hopkins' number, so maybe Ward is what Taylor needs to get back to winning.

The only outcome of this fight that would legitimately surprise me is if Ward stops Taylor. That said, if Taylor loses anything but a very controversial decision, I think it's time for him to retire. Not for his safety, but because it will be clear that he can't compete at the level he used to. There are many good fighters who have taken much worse punishment than Taylor and gone on to live normal lives. It's when you start getting hurt by guys who aren't known for hurting people that you really need to consider calling it a day.

Taylor by wide UD (due to multiple knockdowns) or mid-fight stoppage.
Click to expand...

R u muy especial?

Gsand · Dec 28, 2009

I think Taylor can win as well. Admittedly, the mental aspect is the biggest issue.

Don't know why people think he has a suspect chin, all the shots he's gone down from were either huge 1 shotters or a multitude of big ones. I think most people would have gone down from the barrage of Froch or the punch of Abraham.

Beau Geste · Dec 28, 2009

Gsand said: ↑

I think Taylor can win as well. Admittedly, the mental aspect is the biggest issue.

Don't know why people think he has a suspect chin, all the shots he's gone down from were either huge 1 shotters or a multitude of big ones. I think most people would have gone down from the barrage of Froch or the punch of Abraham.
Click to expand...

:good I would like to see any super middle take the right AA hit him with and stay upright. Pavlik is also a known power hitter and Froch is no slouch either. Even Ward's most ardent admirers would not call him a power hitter.

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Taylor is a very dangerous fight for Ward

Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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Taylor is a very dangerous fight for Ward

Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

BrooklynMumin HOPKINS A " G " Full Member

ramalinga Well-Known Member Full Member

elmaldito Skillz Full Member

elmaldito Skillz Full Member

Gsand Active Member Full Member

Beau Geste Active Member Full Member