I say this with every last fiber of my being: there are not enough words in any Romantic, Germanic, Hellenic, Celtic, Slavic, Uralic, African, Sino-Tibetan, Japonic, and all the various Native American tongues both extinct and still spoken to express the absolute level of contemptuous disgust I hold the Super Middleweight division in; never before has boxing assembled a more spineless, gutless, lazy, cowardly, and all-around worthless pack of belt-hunting bums, all climaxing in the Ginger Sweepstakes. Benavidez is the one person there worth half-a-damn, the one person who might actually have a chance against Canelo, so of course, we won't get it, unless Makabu knocks Canelo back down to SMW (I'm not holding my breath).
154 and that new division that I refuse to say the name because of how stupid it is. Useless divisions.
I figured I'd give a division by division breakdown a go.... but simplify it. For the record, some of my Meh's and **** Off's, in some cases I've included fighters I love, but it's time to call it a day on the career. Heavyweight. I Love: Usyk I Like: Hunter, Joyce, Gassiev Lukewarm: Fury, Wilder, Ruiz, Chisora, Helenius, Wallin, Huni, Makhmudov, McKean, Hrgovic, Dychko Meh: Joshua, Pulev, Parker, Ajagba, Whyte, Bakole, Takam, Dubois, Kossobutskiy, Sirenko **** off: Sanchez, Yoka, Hughie, Kownacki, Kabayal, Kuzmin, Lerena, Breazeale, Kean, Gorman, Fa Rating: Pretty pisspoor and overrated, 4 out of 10. Cruiserweight I Love: NA I Like: Briedis, Dorticos, Makabu, Kunkabayev Lukewarm: Cieslak, Papin, Merhy, Goulamirian, Masternak, Mchunu, Glanton, Gevor, Fress, Lawal Meh: Billam-Smith, McCarthy, Turchi, Tishchenko, Apochi **** off: Okolie, Riakporhe, Perez, Muller Rating: Bang on average 5 out of 10. Light Heavyweight I Love: Smith Jr, Johnson I Like: Beterbiev, Vlasov, Bolotniks, Lukewarm: Bivol, Smith, Richards, Izmailov, Azeez, Bauderlique, Stepien Meh: Jack, Ramirez, Barrera, Salamov, Yarde, Buatsi, Krasniqi, Deines, Michel **** off: Arthur, Browne, Hart, Meng, Boesel, Caparello, Burton Rating: Again, very average 4 1/2 out of 10 Super Middleweight I Love: Saunders, Ryder I Like: Alvarez, Lemieux, Jacobs, Rosado, Gongora, Parker, Silyagin, Morrell, Lukewarm: Chilemba, Akhmedov, Ivanov, Angulo, Clarke, Yerbossynuly Meh: Berlanga, Sims Jr, Cullen, Mbilli, Melikuziev **** off: Plant, Dirrell, Lerrone Richards, Stanioch, Scardina, Falcao Rating: Not quite as bad as I thought, still... 5 out of 10. Middleweight I Love: GGG I Like: Lara, Murata, Liam WIlliams, Montiel, Cash, Volny, Derevyanchenko Lukewarm: Alimkhanuly, Czerkaszyn, Meh: Charlo, Islam, Kautondokwa, Zerafa, Brant, Sirotkin, Vidal, Eubank Jr, Bentley, Bohachuk, Dignum **** off: Andrade, Ballard, Centeno, Yildirim, Arias, Signani, Feigenbutz, Quigley, Szeremeta, Jose Benavidez, Falcao, and N'Dam, Kirkland, Maravilla & Eggington (all for their own good) Rating: There's a lot to like, but far more not to like, so 5 out of 10. Light Middleweight I Love: Castano I Like: Beefy, Williamson, Garcia Lukewarm: Harrison, Soro, Adams, Cheeseman, Madrimov, Perrella, Jkitou, Hernandez, Meh: Kurbanov, Tszyu, Charlo, Adames, Teixeira, Mwakinyo, Baraou, Hogan, Culcay, Rosario, Fundora, Lejarraga, Saidi, Conwell, Charrat, J-Rock, Trout, Cissokho **** off: Hurd, Gausha, Fowler, Hatley Rating: The epitome of Meh, 3 out of 10. Welterweight I Love: Ortiz Jr, Butaev I Like: NA Lukewarm: Bud, Spence Jr, Kavaliauskas, Ennis, Meh: Abdukakhorov, Mbenge, Avanesyan, Kelly, James, Stanionis, Hooker, Rocha, Besputin, Algieri, Chukhadzhian, Santillan, Golub, Yeleussinov, Essuman, Riguccini, McKinson, Crocker **** off: Mikey & Lipinets (back to LWW), Benn, Joseito, Dulorme, Figueroa and Guerrero & Thurman (please retire) Rating: Whole lotta Mehing going on, 3 out of 10. Light Welterweight I Love: Taylor, Prograis, Zepeda, Sandor, Matias I Like: Ponce, Marcelino Nicolas Lopez, Ergashev Lukewarm: Ramirez, Barrios, Barroso, Jukembayev, Dauhaliavets, Sasaki, Hiroaka Meh: Stank, Akhmedov, McKenna, Barboza Jr, Ritson, Maxwell, Paro **** off: Puello, Redkach, Ennis-Brown, Hitchens, Barthelemy, Easter, Catterall, Ulysse Jr, Davies, Love, Zorrilla, Alamo, Baranchyk & Beltran (retire) Rating: Pretty balanced overall, 6 1/2 out of 10. Lightweight I Love: Lomachenko, Garcia, Linares (but retire), Zepeda I Like: Gustavo Daniel Lemos Lukewarm: Haney, Teofimo, Patera, Nakatani, Hughes, Fierro, Tellez, Cully, Jonfer Meh: Cruz, Rivera, Abdullaev, Tennyson, Tagoe, Andreev, Berinchyk, Straffon **** off: Romero, Vazquez, Corrales, Tanajara, Marinez Rating: Pretty overrated, 4 out of 10.
