What's your P4P Top 5?

He was 177lbs entering the ring v GGG. Barely made the IBF 170 second day weigh-in for the MW title.

Not saying he bulked up TOO MUCH, he was ALWAYS a big WW, but it's pretty darn clear that LMW was the logical move after the GGG fight.
But looking at $5 mil+ v Khan is keeping him boiling down to 147.

And FTR.....Spence is a GIANT WW as well, likely coming into the ring over 165 himself.
However, at 25/26, it's far easier to boil off the water for him than for the 30 y/o Brook.

Also....for his legacy, beating Harrison would have been a larger feat considering the 2nd weight title, the higher rated Harrison(whom most considered a legit top 10ish MW before his move S to purse Haymon owned titles at the weight).
That said, now Hurd is holding that title, and fairly sure that if Brook comes through this defense a winner, even by technicality, he will either make a fight with one of the $$$$ names at 147, or Cotto, or rip that title from Hurd in a rout.

Spence has a gap in his offense. One that is very visible, and much like that of 175lb prospect Beterbiev. He almost freezes and backs up in a straight line covering when his opponent unleashes a couple meaningful punches.
Thus far, both of their opponents have either been intimidated in Beterbievs case mostly, or simply outclassed in Spences case, so the exploitation of this lapse has not been thoroughly exposed to the casual or biased fanbases of these fighters.
As a fan of both, but having had over 25 amatuer fights and having sparred an ATG(IMO) and several A listers(IMO) in my day, I see those things my coach Larry Hermann taught me to change in my own approach.

Not saying Brook or even Pac or Thurman can expose Spence's opening, but if Brook takes this fight to him, and opens that up and KHTFO.......the world over will say Brook beat a china chinned novice hypejob.

If Brook had moved up and rightfully fought Hurd or Harrison for that IBF LMW title, I believe it would have given him far greater opportunities luring Cotto, even Canelo into the ring, and being able to lure Lara to the UK where he could put Lara on his @SS for a 10 count, and be named the #1 LMW.

 

P4P Top 5:
1. Tyson Fury (all 370lbs+ of him)
2. Amir Khan (the most elite of the "global superstars" and a PPV king)
3. Jeff Horn (rocketing PPV star)
4. Chris Algieri (fading PPV star, but still a P4P elite)
5. Derek Chisora (who else has could survive after spitting water into the face of a Klitschko and after being "glussed" by David Haye?)

Emeritus: Phill "Intense" Fury (He is a Fury fightin'-man after all)

 

No particular order.

Pac
Ward
Kovalev
Crawford
Lomachenko

In my opinion, Crawford, and Lomachenko don't have a recent top level win to move either guy above Kovalev, Pac, or Ward, without the mentioned losing.

 

When Diaz KTFO Crawfish, does he move into the top 5.

And Gonzo.......while likely a lock for the HOF, at 30, and fighting guy with functional 15lb weight advantages, likely 2-3" height advantages, is not likely to win again at elite level.

If he wants to get back on top, he needs to go back down closer to his natural weight of 108-112.
But at his age, he's gonna continue to run into guys who are faster and have higher skill levels.

Not saying he's gonna fall outta the top 10 if he loses to Cuadras in their rematch, but if he loses to yet another unknown, as he did v Rungvisai, he'll see his legacy go the way of Jones Jr and Toney.

Best to move down....retake a title at his natural weight, make a couple defense on money cards, and call it a career.

As for Ward and Kovalev. Yeah. 1 and 2. However, Kovalev 116-111 is the RIGHT score for their fight, and therefore Kovalev is P4P #1. When he KO5 Ward in June, it'll take GGG taking out both BJS, NDAM-Murata winner, and Charlo-Heiland winner, then moving to 168 and taking out a titlist to ever take the top spot for me.

Jacobs
Lemiuex
Murray
Brook
Rubio
Geale
Ouma
Macklin
Monroe
Bouhdla

That's a righteous top 10 resume. But on 1 top 10 p4p fighter and he was a WW.
Jacobs, Brook and Lemiuex might find themselves up into the top 10 if they continue to fight as they have/had prior to/after their GGG fights but in terms of legacy, GGG needs more top 5 LMWs/MWs/SMWs to push him N up the p4p list, and into ATG status.

 

Anybody that doesn't have Loma at #1 doesn't know **** about boxing.

Ward over Loma after Ward was rolling around on the ground blacked out against Kovalev and then somehow "won" the fight.

 

1. As a Brook fan it may look better on his resume/overall legacy but surely you at least prefer Spence as a better opponent/fight?

2. Feel like dropping some names? (please, I'm nosy but polite)

3. Canelo would be a great fight for Brook to target but I think Cotto is more a good name on your cv at this point, as for Lara= but I hope Kell does go up and KO him eventually.

 

Would Loma beat Ward if they were the same mass? Not sure about that. Would he beat Crawford? Loma might not beat old Rigondeaux right now, even though he is much bigger.

 

Wins over 2 lock HOFers Froch and Kessler and an outside shot of HOF in Abraham, and a solid win over Dawson(even if it was BS) gives Ward the resume for top 5, and then hanging in a close fight with Kovalev puts him at 2 while moving the winner, KOvalev into #1.

I like Loma, but a win over not yet tested Russell, then defending again Thai can crusher Piriyapinyo, follwed by another soft fight vs a can crusher in Rodriguez who's only DECENT win was vs Cruz, who is only decent because he's out of the closet. If it werent for his coming out, no one would know who he was either. Koasicha is even worse....he hadn't even beaten a known fighter to get a fight with Loma.

So....Loma tried to get a Haymon fighter and failed, but he could have made the Rigo fight at 124 and sealed that top 5 p4p spot, but instead chose to move N to fight the weakest titlist in Martinez.
Yeah, he dominated him. Followed by a very solid, but vs an unspectacular Walter(@130) and then an equally solid yet unspectacular Sosa.

Loma is certainly a p4p talent, but for whichever reason, he simply can NOT get a signature win on his ledger.
A rematch with Salido would move him N up my list to 6,7 but I got him at 8 ATM.

If he could get Gamboa, and Salido at 130 before moving N I could accept him in any top 5 talk, even top 3. But Martinez Walters Sosa and Russell don't do it for me.

 

1. Kov because I think he did enough to beat Ward. The judges controversial decision doesn't reflect mine.

2. Crawford reminds me of a 2nd coming of Duran, he is terrifying everyone from 135 to 147 and has crushed or dominated his opposition, opposition that was supposed to give him hard fights, like Postol.

3. Chocolatito looked beatable in his last 2 fights, but he deserved the edge, despite him moving up and fighting very good fighters. Never takes a break and deserves to be in the top 3. Harder for fighters to be in top form in the lighter weights.

4. Ward still deserves to be in top 5 despite controversial win over Kov. People used to seeing him dominate, but he did a remarkable comeback mid fight after being outboxed and dropped by Kov early in the fight. I do think he made a blueprint to beat Kov, who has weakness inside, maybe in rematch Ward may leave no doubts?

5. Ggg finally has a legit win over a legit middleweight, #2 mw Jacobs. Ggg was actually fighting at least a light heavyweight and much bigger man. Also, Ggg showed versatility and proved he can win by using a jab that you would expect the boxer/puncher to use on him and actually was crucial for Ggg to win the fight. Very crafty for a flat footed pressure fighter.

 

Loma
Kovalev
GGG
Ward
Crawford

 

1. Not entirely. Harrison, prior to his L to Hurd would have been a bigger win, especially for the LMW title than is facing his 3 mandatory in as many yrs in Brook.

2. Had he got the Harrison fight, won the title.....Cotto #1. Would make them both millions, but looks like GGG or BJS are gonna get him.
Lara....yeah, take some NODOZ....but....BUT.....Brook would not only outbox his ear off, but would beat him down. It would be like the Angulo fight except Brook actually has handspeed and footwork, and dominating Lara for unification would lure all the big names from 147 and 160 his way. Mellow would then be easy pickings to become undisputed.
3. Yeah, Cotto is certainly more accessible considering Yellow is likely to want to give Brook 10% just to say he ducked.

 

as previously noted by others....even provo couldnt take out chris...we can go on and on backtracking and going over resumes....if u think brook , pre golovkin, is a top 10 p4p...then spence, with a win over brook is certainly as good...at least worthy of more than just "cracks the top 15"...

u spent tons of time defending your pick of brook to beat spence...more than u did defending the possiblilty of spence beating brook and how their careers/resume would stack up at that point

 

Andre Ward gave his top 5 in an interview yesterday. He didn't number them or explicitly state he is number 1, but from how he answered the question he implied this is his order. He says he didn't see Lomachenko's last fight...

1. Ward
2. Rigondeaux
3. Crawford
4. Canelo
5. Thurman

I have no problem with anyone with Ward, Rigo, or Crawford top 5, but as good as Canelo and Thurman might be having them top 5 p4p is crazy.