Was GGG more feared than Usyk?

Yes, GGG was more "feared" for the reasons others have already enumerated.

Usyk, however, has proven himself to be a cut above historically and in a P4P sense.

 

There is certainly a good deal of truth to this.

I recall a discussion with a friend who argued that GGG's power was so generational that he routinely knocked down and battered heavyweights in sparring, which always struck me as bit far-fetched considering that guys like Canelo and Jacobs were able to take his worst for 12rds without headgear.

 

GGG was more feared, no doubt!

 

To be clear though there was not a long list of MWs ducking GGG. Canelo waited 1 year but had never fought at 160 until fight prior to fighting GGG (JCC Jr at 164). Every other fight was at 155 for Canelo...and Canelo allegedly wanted a CW which GGG rejected despite offering Rosado a CW...

Love me some GGG but like most things in boxing the ducking story is exaggerated

 

There was, Peter Quillin, Felix Sturm didn't want nothing to do with him. I think BJS even admited he ducked him? It's been a long time so I don't remember for sure. I swear there was also someone who vacated the title to not fight him as well but I forgot who.

You could make the argument for Sergio Martinez as well but GGG was still kind of unknown at the time but dangerous and Sergio wanted a pay day so it wouldn't make sense to fight him at the time, then he injured his knee I think. If you count sensible business decisions as ducks, you could add him as well.

 

Chris Eubank Jr, Billy Joe Saunders, Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto, and Clenelo Alvarez even forfeited his WBC belt rather than fight Golovkin for the undisputed middleweight championship of the world, saying, “Nobody can make fight someone I don’t want to fight. My body will tell me when I’m ready.”…And then he makes JCC Jr come down to to fight him at 164lbs!!!

 

GGG was avoided in his prime, no question about it.

 

I think almost everyone who fought usyk was confident they would win. Don’t think he ever came across as the to-be-feared guy

 

Peter Quillin was always a hype job. Exact same thing as Bute. Once Bute stepped up to Froch (who was beneath Ward) the train stopped. Once Quillin stepped to Jacobs (who was beneath GGG) the train stopped. I dont think Quillin really "ducked" GGG outright as he ducked every single legitimate MW...

Sturm lost to DLH in 2004 lol. GGG came mainstream like literally 10 years later. I guess Sturm could've fought GGG but he literally fought the same guys GGG fought in the same timespan...Sturm drew with Murray in 2011 and lost to Geale in 2012 then lost to Soliman in 2014, drew w Stieglitz in 2014, and lost to Chudinov in 2015. From 2011 on it became clear Sturm was done.

GGG had his first noteworthy win over Proska in 2012 and a great 2013 where he beat all of Macklin, Stevens, Ishida, and Rosado and went on to beat Geale, Adama and Rubio in 2014 along w Murray in 2015.

There wasnt really ever a timeline where Sturm was a realistic opponent for GGG as GGG ascended while Sturm descended.

 

Well you said who ducked him here's your answer, when he was coming up the big name fighters in his division (Martinez, Sturm, Quillin) didn't want to fight him and it was made obvious so he spent his time fighting the second best lot after which was Geale, Macklin, Murray etc. He stopped getting ducked though after he became a bigger name round 16-17, but that's near the tail end of his career.

 

We agree to disagree. Sturm was never a "big name" at MW from 2011 onward. From 2011-2015 he was 5-4-1 with 1 NC (a loss later ruled N/C). In that timespan he lost the (Super) WBA to Macklin and lost the regular IBF to Soliman. Sturm wouldve been an opponent on or beneath the level of Macklin, Geale, and Murray.

At one point in time Quillin was ranked as high as #2 or #3 MW in the world and was exposed by old domestic Andy Lee who beat a Quillin that ignored weight limits...only for Quillin to be fully exposed against Jacobs in next bout and KOd in 1 round.

Quillin was the exact same as Bute - media made. Neither was ever a legitimate fighter at the weight.

GGG had misfortune of missing the two best MWs during his prime in Pirog and Sexy Sergio. They wouldve been his best opponents. Even without them GGG beat Canelo clearly in fight 1 albeit was Canelo's 1st fight at 160. I had their rematch a draw.

 

GGG was mandatory for his belt.

 

For what it's worth, Proksa gave Sturm a murderous beating which left him looking far outclassed. And we all remember that ass-hammering that Golovkin gave to Proksa. It's no wonder Sturm did all in his power to avoid GGG in retrospect.

Edit: Cafe set me right. I got mixed up between Sturm and Sylvester.

 

Nah Sturm was still viewed as #2 when GGG was starting to make waves, that's how Geale also gained his legitimacy. Regardless my point wasn't whether these guys are any good, GGG would have absolutely destroyed all of them, but that's still ducks. There was another dude as well I remember, Hasan N'Dam N'Jikam. Basically there were quite a few "rated" fighters in the division (not by me, by the fans and the media) that looked at GGG and didn't particularly like their odds, that to me shows he was feared at the time. It's inarguable.

 

Nah Proksa gave a beating to Sylvester, not Sturm. Sturm would have beaten Proksa for sure.