World Boxing Super Series Super Middleweight Final: George Groves vs. Callum Smith RBR.

Then why is that seemingly his most commonly praised aattribute?

 

Well said @kirk!

Some of us regularly pick the opposite of the fighter we support, so I'm not even sure the league is such a major divisive factor. In my humble opinion it's more to do with overly invested fans (recall that some of the worst trouble tends to occur when guys with both haters and fanboys fight, e.g. Canelo/GGG, Joshua/Wilder) and personality clashes.

I know wanting to be right is also a significant factor but before every major fight lots of posters who don't compete in the league make their predictions in other threads anyway. And in my experience these tend to be more disruptive than those who participate fully in the league and realize that they are far from infallible - taking ~100 losses a year tends to do that.

 

http://boxrec.com/en/event/252427/388339
In terms of how much "just big" helps, 117Ibs Billy Murphy KOed a 182Ib Maori.

Size can be an attribute if you have power to go with it, but you can be big without massive power, ability to use range, ability to take a punch etc. and you'll manage is getting stopped.

Smith showed solid power, decent toughness, ability to use his size, not get caught, stick to a plan etc. There's a big difference between having size and using size.
Groves is a decent boxer and faster.

 

From what I'm hearing, Smith is precisely that - big target.

 

@CST80

Has always been a nutjob, I can confirm! Way before he ever joined the league!

 

I agree, I think we ALL are to a degree.

 

This is true. A Saudi man once rigged my trip to the gas station by giving me $200 to go to "the right one". It's a kind of sport for them.

 

Solid accurate jab
Good punch variation
Power in both hands
Impressive body attack
Doesn't get hit really flush as often for someone with middling speed.
Good gas tank
As much composure as you would want in a fighter
Pristine punching technique.

I think he's a legit threat to just about anyone at the weight, even if I don't view him as automatic over any of the other champs.

 

Yes, but a woeful division.

 

Well he's just won a major boxing tournament for one! Demonstrating maturity, power & a methodical systematic destruction of Groves..

He's legit dude. He might not be a Usyk but I don't see Uzcategui, Degale or Ramirez beating him..

He rose to the occasion & stamped his mark.

What are your wonderful attributes that you can criticize a guy who has worked hard, achieved his goal & made it in a sport he loves? Fairly & cleanly! You're a forum moderator.. Who begs for e money in the lounge to defend himself for battering his woman.

I hope I haven't offended you. Oh wait, ban incoming.. LOL

 

Eh...It's top heavy, yeah. But La Bandera Roja, Zurdito, Uzcatagui, and Smith are a quartet of very solid fighters and I don't see any of the top middleweights coming up (or LH's coming down) and beating any of them easily.

 

I dunno. I like Smith, but I think Benevidez's speed and Zurdito's versatility make them very live threats against him. They're roughly in the same ball park, imo.

 

You know what I think would be really cool? If they had a sort of tournament where they all faced each other.