Ward does not deserve to be ranked anywhere!

I don't think he was as drained as some do. He did at least rehydrate to what… 185 or something?

 

I hate to break it to you people...

But Edwin Rodriguez going into the Ward fight is pretty much equal in experience and merit to George Groves heading into the first Froch fight. But shhhhh! People don't like to hear that sort of stuff around here.

As for Dawson, he hadn't fought at SMW in 6 years. But he signed the contract. And he was the LHW king with a recent wide victory over Hopkins in his previous bout... I don't know how people can completely dismiss that. This fight shouldn't be ruled a "no contest" as if it never happened.

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When Ward hits one year of inactivity, yeah, he'll get removed from most rankings. Until then, he is widely respected and warrants such. #1 SMW and one of the best in the world P4P.

 

Dawson hadn't fought below 175 limit in 6 years!

That's almost as long as the gap Oscar had between WW fights when he returned to face Pacquiao.

 

Groves was THE contender of the SMW division. Rodriguez was a nobody.

had they of fought each other before they got in there with Ward and Froch, Groves would have ****ed his **** up and taken him clean out in a mismatch.

 

Pac's win over Oscar meant nothing either.

it helped him become a bigger star and get the bigger fights, but nothing else.

 

I'm sorry, how was Groves "THE contender of the SMW division" again?

I know he beat DeGale in a close fight. A good domestic win.

But what else?

Edwin Rodriguez beat Denis Grachev in one round. Edwin, by some arguably legit but little recognized claim, is still the LHW lineal champion (beat Grachev who beat Erdei who was lineal, if you roll with the "rule" that the lineage cannot be lost through retirement, which some people still believe even if a tiny percentage of folks).

I never decidedly said Edwin was a better victory than Groves. I said they were "pretty much equal" if I remember correctly. Which they are.

And Ward sweeping a UD over Edwin is a better victory/performance than the controversy surrounding Froch's first victory over Groves at least. Not the second, clearly.

 

i'll just add....dawson is the one who volunteered to come down to 168. that was his own fault.

 

i bet rodriguez would have a really good shot at beating froch.

 

I think Edwin is too quick to be written off as a scrub by some pushing an agenda. But no way would I ever think Edwin vs. Froch is even close to a 50/50 fight.

 

George is (or was) a much better fighter than Rodriguez. they're not equal in merit at all.

Rodriguez can barely throw a straight punch. his "boxing" is poor. very poor. i can't see him doing anything at the weight.

 

that's true, Dawson did make the choice to go down. but that still doesn't change the circumstances of his weight drain.

 

:yikes

i think i'll just leave it at that.

 

and what agenda would that be??

 

offensively speaking....rodriguez isn't bad. the problem he had with ward was that he couldn't land anything. therefore, his output dropped dramatically and he got picked apart.

that won't even be an issue against a guy like froch who is very easy to hit. that fights is a shootout. it will come down to who ever gets there first. it appears to me froch's ability to take shots is ****....rodriguez on the other hand can take a beating. the more i think about it...the more i favor him to beat froch.

chavez is going to have first crack at froch though. i'm predicting a chavez win. then ward will shut chavez down.

 

"Froch's ability to take shots is ****"

this place truly is an abomination. :tired