Who is the best at 168?

That thread made me laugh this morning.

Abraham being a pressure fighter.
Ward being CLEARLY the number 1.
Dirrell and Ward miles ahead the others.


It's ok to be a fan, I am one myself, but please try to be logical and to base your assumptions on solid ground. If not, it becomes a nuhugging festival.

 

At the mo no one is clearly the best.

I voted for Froch down to his resume.

 

Correct. Froch is number one until someone beats him.

Lucian Bute is an irrelevance

 

No he wasn't. A close fight isn't a robbery. Dirrell can blame no one other than himself for losing the fight

 

lol what a ridiculous statement, Abraham is the lowest pressure fighter in the 6, 90% of his work is slow, awkward defensive work

 

Americans often seem to assume that the most talented/most athletic are automatically the 'best'. But it doesn't always work like that and when a less talented fighter beats a more talented one they simply can't understand it.

If talent was the only criteria then Kirkland Laing would today be a P-4-P great

 

There isn't a clear best at the moment, but I'd still put Bute at the top for now. I feel like Ward may be getting a bit overrated based on how good he looked against Kessler. That was one fight. I doubt he looks quite as good against someone who isn't so predictable. Frankly, Ward has never faced someone who changes his style much, so it will be interesting to see how he handles Dirrell when that one happens. The good thing about Ward is that he's still getting better though.

I wouldn't complain if Bute and Ward were flipped around. Froch is clearly #3 in my mind.

 

andre ward is good right, i accept that, but has he really done enough to even be considerred the best at 168? he has only really been spotted in the kessler fight and people think this was a good enough performance to be the best SMW?


I see not many people rate Arthur Abraham much anymore, whereas after the Taylor fight everyone was saying how he was one of the best fighters @ the weight. It could be the same case for Ward... why not?


The best fighter @ 168 is without a shadow of doubt Lucian Bute... he would beat anyone in that division and, unlike any of the S6 fighters, i would say he probably would have had the better chance of beating Joe Calzaghe (que the JC haters )

 

Carl Froch on accomplishments
Andre Ward on talent and potentail

 

wrong, Abraham doesnt start exerting real pressure on his opponent until late in the fight, he could well have got the stoppage over Dirrell if he hadnt had been so stupid to punch the guy whilst he was down.

 

another example of Dirrel hating pressure fighters:good

 

BUTE: I've lost it for bute since that 16 second count he got against adrande in thier first fight. I saw him get broke down. He bounced back but I had little respect for adrande's fighting before or since the fight. Him and kessler have pretty much the same wins

Ward: Can do it all and has above average speed and technical ability. Got a little dirty with the gameplan against kessler but was clearly better anyway. Can fight anyway also. Sometimes he fights like winky wright, sometimes like bhop or just a normal conventional style.

Froch: Tough as nails but I feel his wins are over-rated. I don't feel he won against dirrell (less than 5 clean punches) and I will forever disagree with any logic that says froch won that doesn't get past clean punching. I dont' feel pascal has beat anyone (diaconu is a bum) and Jermaine taylor was already shot and still handled froch until froch caught up to him.

Dirrell: The most talented fighter in the division. Has learned how to fire in the line of fire and not get caught. I think he beats everyone in the super six and I think he handles bute. Ward and Bute have above average speed and dirrell's speed is a level above that. He is getting physically stronger and I don't feel he will be able to make weight for 3 more fights at SMW.

 

So far all this super 6 contest has shown really is fighting in ur home country is an absolute huge advantage.Until I see one of the boxers fight and beat someone outside their country then I don't think any of them deserve to be regarded as the best.

 

It really isnt clear who is the best but I'd go with Andre Ward...he has the combination of natural ability, poise, and technique...he and dirrell are the future of the division....Abraham, and Froch are too one dimensional and Kessler may have seen his best days past

 

I think the poll speaks for itself. Three guys stand at the top right now: Froch, Bute and Ward. In 18 to 24 months, they will only be one.