Whilst I think you have RJJ a bit high, assuming your criteria is based on fights contested at and around LHW, I think yours is a strong list, with 9 fighters matching those on my 10. You may have different criteria, but if based on achievements in fights contested at or around LHW, specifically allowing up to 180lbs in non title fights, consider Bivins vs RJJ win records Bivins = 14-1, with wins over Ezzard Charles, Lloyd Marshall, Joey Maxim, Gus Lesnevich, Anton Christoforidis, Teddy Yarosz, Billy Soose, Nate Bolden and Curtis Sheppard. RJJ = 21-7 at weight, including wins over Virgil Hill, Montell Griffin, Antonio Tarver, Julio Cesar Gonzalez, past prime Mike McCallum and Clinton Woods. Now, I dont hold RJJ's loses against him as they aren't representative of how amazingly good he was during his prime. I rank RJJ higher than Bivins P4P based on what they did in their entire careers. RJJ's win resume at LHW is actually pretty good, but christ on a bike, has any fighter, in any weight division in history, got 9 wins or more better than those I list for Bivins, in 14 or less fights at that weight?
I'm really not convinced, I've seen Smith box decently against a much higher level than I've ever seen Yarde. And Yarde hasn't ever really wowed me even against really low level opposition bar Kovalev.
A faded Kovalev aside, Smith has operated at a far higher level than Yarde and I suspect he has a more nuanced skillset when pressuring his opponent. That said, I think Yarde throws faster straight single shots on the outside and I doubt he will voluntarily take the fight to the mid range and trade punches with AB, as Smith did. I think he will be more cautious than Smith, hang back and look to land a big shot from range, so Beterviev will have to work a little harder to find him with his biggest shots. Which is why I agree with your mid rounds stoppage win for AB, prediction.
Yes for all the talk of RJJ's resume being bad, some people claim RJJ only fought cab drivers. Just look how many ranked top 10 Light Heavyweights RJJ beat. Hill Griffin Del Valle Harding Gonzalez Woods Tarver Sosa Johnson Telesco McCallum Harmon The only big glaring admission is Michalczewski, but I don't think that was either mans fault. It's just neither fighter wanted to travel to Germany or America.
Think they’re fools for not making all these fights. Hurts the sport. Fury v Usyk too. We never seem to get what we want when we want it.
I meant, defend his title against top ranked opposition and beat better opponents, but sure feel free to go with that.
And he dominated it. Beterviev is yet to beat anyone as good as Tiger. Nor has he had a title run anywhere near as impressive as Foster's. Foster would put Beterviev in a coma.
Tiger was old and wouldn’t even fight at 175 today. Loses to Gvoz for sure and Smith likely overpowers him.
Tiger beat Jose Torres. Twice. That on its own puts him above Beterviev. Gvozdyk beating an ancient Stevenson doesn't make him a great fighter.
You’re being pedantic. Torres was similarly small and wasn’t a big puncher. Gvoz retired in his prime after Beterbiev beat the crap out of him, and was better h2h than his pro record. He was a standout am too.
Given my regard for the respective 2 posters, I'll perhaps surprise some by not agreeing entirely with George. I think a win over Gvozdyk is broadly equal to win over Tiger, at LHW. That Gvozdyk and AB was competitive for a good few rounds, until AB took over, whilst Foster vs Tiger looked like the match makers should have been locked up, hints at Foster's relative superiority over AB, imo. That's even when you factor in that AB is typically a more attritional puncher than Foster.
