Both of these fighters are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They're too good for the domestic club fighter scene. Yet not good enough for the world title/serious contender scene. So what do you do? Dominate the club scene for pennies? Or try and scrape a living together at the world level scene and get exposed every time? Monroe is a tricky, slick southpaw that can be a nightmare to track down. Until he gets to the world level and he finds guys like Golovkin and BJS. At that level you find fighters with precision and skill. Who will walk down a featherfist like Monroe and hit him hard and then hes done. He just doesnt have any power at all. Then there is Smith Jr. Who IMO is the hardest hitter p4p in boxing right now. And will basically annihilate club fighters and overwhelm them with power. Anything he touches clean he utterly destroys. But at the world level he struggles to land clean. And then hes just picked apart and looks like a foolish bar brawler out of his depth against studied pugilists. He just doesnt have the technical skills to hang in there outside of a punchers chance bomb. So what do you do in their situation?Dominate the domestic or club circuit? Or do you step up to world level and look hopelessly outclassed?
There's no shame in being a B-level, top 15 to 20 ish type guy. Boxing needs guys like Smith and Monroe, as both are solid pro's with real nice careers they can be proud of. Not everyone can be an elite, top 5 world class fighter. I have a ton of respect for Smith Jr., he's a tough as nails, working class fighter that comes to scrap and bomb the right hand. Monroe is a slick operator, but he lacks the power to hang with the big boys. His skillset just isn't quite good enough to make up for the lack of pop. Smith can really crack, he has a sledgehammer right hand, but in my opinion he's not the biggest puncher in boxing.
The issue is that both were overrated a bit..........They have simply settled into what level they both are. Both have already lost at levels far lower than world level, both have won at the C+, lower B level. "They are good" and will always beat a certain caliber guy, but neither are world champ caliber guys, it's not that they get exposed, they simply aren't on that level and never were on that level. They were given opportunities (multiple) and couldn't capitalize. There's always a bit extra that a champion can eke out to become a champion. Both have shown that they don't have that little bit extra. 2. Joe Smith isn't even the hardest hitter in his division let alone P4P..............definitely a legit heavy handed guy but hardest hitter? Nah
Joe Smith Jr. is the Light Heavyweight equivalent of David Lemieux. Put him in with a A level defensively gifted technically skilled boxer, he'll always look like a lost puppy dog, put him in with a guy who's B+/B with occasional defensive lapses, he can and probably will KO them. David and Joe both get unfairly criticized, people rant and rave about amazing skillsets, then when a boxer shows off that superior skillset off, everyone goes into hysterics and bellyaches about how unskilled David and Joe are. No... how about this, that's just how boxing works, sometimes guys no matter what are just too good and damn near impossible for anyone but elite fighters to beat. Now just wait, David and Joe will nearly behead their next world level opponents and just like after David brutally beat N'Dam, Rosado, Stevens and O'Sullivan and Joe brutally beat Fonfara and Hopkins, everyone will lose their collective crap, say holy ****, they've improved, throw them in with another top tier guy, and they'll lose again and get called skill less bums. Rinse and repeat.
I cant stand watching Bivol. Here you had a guy named Joe Smith Jr. Desperately flailing and leaving himself wide open. Just trying to do land something and engage in fisticuffs combat. Hes off balance, head right there wide open. And Bivol is dancing and throwing little BB shots. Not even trying to bang him. Smith did what he could do. He had an opportunity and went for it. He made the most of it. But Bivol was too slippery and annoyingly out of reach constantly. The one time Smith landed a decent shot it wasn't even flush. It was the back of his wrist that hit Bivols head. And even then Bivol was badly dazed and saved by the bell. Let's be honest, Bivol for about 5 seconds or so was pretty much out on his feet. And I **** you not, had the bell not rung Smith might have loaded up on him and finished him right then and there. Because the man was badly rocked.
Agree completely, Bivol lucked out BIG TIME, he was in a Bradley-Vargas situation there, and in all likelihood was definitely saved by the bell..
They should fight at the world level if they can, and make money losing to better fighters. People forget this is PROFESSIONAL prizefighting and these guys need, and want, to make as much cash as they can while they are in the game. Fighting clubshows for peanuts doesn't do this. Taking less fights for more cash is a no-brainer, really.
