Dougie’s Friday Mailbag (GGG-Plant, Felix Savon, strange matchups)

GOLOVKIN VS. PLANT, CANELO-GGG 3

Hey Dougie!

Hope all is nicely.

Fast query: Would it not be a good suggestion for GGG to actively pursue a match with Caleb Plant now that the unification match has failed? If he have been to win that belt he may in impact power Cinabun’s hand for a third battle?

How do you suppose GGG would truthful towards Plant?

Cheers! – Stephen

I feel Plant’s youth, lateral motion and hand pace would give this 39-year-old model of Golovkin loads of issues. I feel the unbeaten tremendous middleweight has the dimensions, athleticism, and elegance to field GGG in a lot the identical approach Daniel Jacobs did in 2017. Nonetheless, the American’s lack of world-class energy and expertise, together with GGG’s still-elite-level jab and heavy arms, makes me view this crossroads match as an excellent battle. If the bout befell in Los Angeles or New York Metropolis (particularly at Madison Sq. Backyard), I’d barely favor GGG. If it befell in Las Vegas, I’d give Plant the sting in what I see as a distance battle.

By the best way, the probabilities of Plant-Golovkin occurring are slim and none, and Slim left city. And opposite to what some have reported/speculated, I don’t see Canelo-GGG 3 occurring this 12 months except Workforce Canelo strikes their goal battle date from September 18 to October or early November and opens up Ft. Knox for his or her archrival.

However, yeah, hypothetically talking, if GGG have been to annex the IBF 168-pound title, he’d have extra leverage in making the third bout with Canelo, who actually does need to change into the undisputed tremendous middleweight champion.

 

CRAWFORD VS. PORTER, FELIX SAVON

Greetings Dougie –

I noticed that Shawn Porter was just lately put in because the #1 contender for Terence Crawford’s WBO welterweight title, which is an efficient matchup that I’d take pleasure in watching. Nonetheless, I observed the highest 2 welterweights usually are not ranked within the organizations of the belts that the opposite man has. I assume I’m inquiring about how the rankings are determined.

I just lately examine a Cuban boxer, Felix Savon. As a heavyweight with 3 Olympic gold medals I used to be stunned to seek out out he by no means turned professional. As a heavyweight I simply discover that very unusual. Was there no buzz about him? I can’t think about why he wouldn’t pursue a professional profession.

A couple of MMs:

Mike McCallum v Bernard Hopkins (160)

Joe Louis v Sonny Liston

Wilfred Benitez v Candy Pea (147)

Amanda Serrano v Katie Taylor (135)

Attempting to think about a enjoyable battle that may generate 100 punches a spherical per opponent over 12.  Kassim Ouma v Paul Williams is my finest guess. Any candidates? As at all times take care. – Jamaal, Louisiana

Hey Jamaal, good to listen to from you. I used to be in your state final week. I don’t understand how Louisiana residents cope with that humidity. I like New Orleans and Baton Rouge with all my coronary heart, however rattling, I used to be MELTING. LOL.

Ouma-Williams may have been an fascinating junior middleweight bout within the mid-2000s with “VOLUME” written throughout it (regardless that Tall Paul was a welterweight at the moment). Antonio Margarito vs. his good friend and frequent sparring companion Jesus Soto-Karass would have seemingly set some CompuBox data had they fought in an actual bout someday between 2006-2008.

Right here’s a superb one: Vince Phillips vs. Zack Padilla at 140 kilos (or a couple of kilos over) someday between 1992-1994 would have been continuous punching and motion for 12 rounds.  

For those who’re speaking about legendary matchups between prolific quantity punchers, you gotta go together with the good Henry Armstrong vs. “The Hawk,” Aaron Pryor. These two may common 100 punches-per-round for 20 rounds – energy punches.

Talking of Legendary Matchups, right here’s my picks in your choice:

Mike McCallum v Bernard Hopkins (160) – Hopkins by shut, perhaps controversial resolution.

Joe Louis v Sonny Liston – Louis by shut, perhaps controversial resolution

Wilfred Benitez v Candy Pea (147) – Benitez by majority resolution.

Amanda Serrano v Katie Taylor (135) – Taylor by shut, DEFINITELY controversial resolution.

I noticed that Shawn Porter was just lately put in because the #1 contender for Terence Crawford’s WBO welterweight title, which is an efficient matchup that I’d take pleasure in watching. Who wouldn’t need to see that 147-pound showdown? Porter can be (by far) Crawford’s hardest problem at welterweight, and arguably the very best opponent the three-division champ has confronted in his professional profession. Nonetheless, I’m not going to begin anticipating the matchup till I hear about severe negotiations going down between High Rank and the PBC or the announcement of a handbag bid. And even then, I gained’t maintain my breath.

Nonetheless, I observed the highest 2 welterweights usually are not ranked within the organizations of the belts that the opposite man has. Huh? Are you speaking about Errol Spence? He’s bought the IBF and WBC titles. Porter and Manny Pacquiao are the highest two contenders within the WBC’s 147-pound rankings, whereas Kudratillo Abduqaxorov and Porter are the highest two within the IBF scores. Typically the IBF leaves the highest spot or the highest two spots within the rankings of sure divisions vacant (which is the case at tremendous middleweight and middleweight proper now), however that’s not presently the case at welterweight.

I assume I’m inquiring about how the rankings are determined. Your guess is pretty much as good as mine in case you’re speaking concerning the huge 4 alphabet our bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO). I perceive that the WBC has a scores committee as a result of I do know a number of the people who find themselves a part of it. I assume the opposite three sanctioning our bodies even have scores panels, however my guess is that the highest executives can place whoever they need wherever they need, and infrequently it comes all the way down to the affect and cash wielded by the administration and/or promotional muscle behind the fighters, in addition to their community/platform connections.

I just lately examine a Cuban boxer, Felix Savon. That dude was a significant f__king badass. Think about a technically sound Deontay Wilder and also you’ll get an honest psychological picture of Savon. Or you may watch this 2½-minute YouTube compilation of a few of his huge punches in main newbie bouts.

As a heavyweight with 3 Olympic gold medals I used to be stunned to seek out out he by no means turned professional. As a heavyweight I simply discover that very unusual. Why? As a embellished heavyweight he was virtually worshiped on that island. He was a hero. Solely fellow newbie heavyweight nice Teofilo Stevenson was extra celebrated and adored by the Cuban public. Bro, heavyweight is THE glamor division worldwide, be it the newbie or professional ranks. Savon was handled A LOT higher by the federal government and the boxing affiliation than awesomely gifted bantamweight Olympic gold medalists like Joel Casamayor and Guillermo Rigondeaux, who ultimately defected.

Was there no buzz about him? Oh my God, there was loopy buzz about Savon, who had a stellar 20-year newbie profession (identical to Stevenson). I first heard about him when he gained the 1986 World Newbie Championships at heavyweight (201 kilos), which was additionally Stevenson’s final main worldwide event gold medal win (at tremendous heavyweight). They handed the proverbial torch that 12 months, and Savon whupped ass for the following 10+ years. David Tua, Shannon Briggs, Lamon Brewster, Andrew Golota, Kirk Johnson and Luan Krasniqi are among the many notable future professional heavyweight gamers he stopped. He additionally KO’d U.S. newbie standouts John Bray, Michael Bentt, Michael Bennett and DaVarryl Williamson (who was additionally a giant newbie puncher).

I can’t think about why he wouldn’t pursue a professional profession. It’s actual easy, he was happy together with his superb newbie success, in addition to being a task mannequin, and he didn’t need to depart Cuba.

 

STRANGE MATCHUPS

Hello Doug,

I had a query that hopefully you haven’t coated earlier than, what are a number of the strangest matchups in boxing historical past, the place it doesn’t make any sense for one or either side to take the battle?

The primary that got here to my thoughts have been GGG-Brook and Canelo-Khan, two welterweights going as much as middleweight to battle the very best, and developing quick, and taking a face harm and scary knockout respectively. Each bought nicely, however neither middleweight gained a ton of credit score for successful with such a measurement benefit, and the welterweights may have made good cash preventing different welterweights, even one another sarcastically. Cheers. – Cameron

Golovkin vs. Canelo and Khan vs. Brook in 2016 made an excessive amount of sense for this screwy period of boxing to get proper.

For me, one of many strangest matchups, was Bernard Hopkins vs. Winky Wright, which befell in 2007. Hopkins had gained The Ring gentle heavyweight crown by upsetting Antonio Tarver the earlier 12 months. You’d suppose rematches with Roy Jones Jr. or Glen Johnson can be on deck, or perhaps even a protection towards one of many rugged-but-limited international contenders that have been keen to journey to the U.S. on the time, like Clinton Woods or Paul Briggs. As a substitute, we bought a matchup no one noticed coming (and no one requested for), a 170-pound catchweight showdown with Wright, who was coming off a disputed draw with then-middleweight champ Jermain Taylor, which was adopted by ho-hum resolution over Ike Quartey (who met the Winkster at middleweight). I do know Wright, who had outclassed Shane Mosley (twice) and Felix Trinidad in 2004 and 2005, was by no means going to get a shot at Oscar De La Hoya (and even Ricardo Mayorga or Vernon Forrest), however younger middleweight contenders like Kelly Pavlik and Edison Miranda most likely would have jumped on the alternative to problem a P4P participant.

Pretty much as good as Wright was (and I rated him above Hopkins, Marquez, Pacquiao and Mayweather in my private P4P rankings by the tip of 2005), he was unproven above 160 kilos, and past the load drawback, the bout with Hopkins had the makings of stylistic nightmare. Me and Steve Kim (again once we have been each with MaxBoxing.com) used to journey to all the large Las Vegas fights however we sat this one out. Why spend all that money and time on journey for an unpleasant, foul-filled stinker? And the battle stunk as dangerous as we anticipated. I’m glad we watched it on PPV (at our pal “Coach” Dave Schwartz’s Lease-A-Wreck workplace in Santa Monica – we weren’t even keen to plunk down $50).

Different unusual matchups (pitting a naturally lighter fighter vs. an even bigger man) that come to thoughts embrace Michael Nunn vs. Marlon Starling, Roy Jones vs. Vinny Pazienza, and Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. I additionally bear in mind scratching my head over some actually dangerous stylistic matchups for sure future corridor of famers, corresponding to when Marquez fought Freddy Norwood and Chris John (in Indonesia!), or when an light Evander Holyfield confronted (in succession) Chris Byrd, James Toney and Larry Donald. As dangerous because the three consecutive bouts with the awkward John Ruiz have been, these three artful boxers that Commander Vander fought from 2002-2004 have been much more troubling for getting older nice. They’d the WORST kinds for him. Or how about when a man with a shaky chin will get matched with a monster puncher, like when Jeremy Williams fought Samuel Peter or when Michael Moorer was matched with David Tua. I recall Prentiss Byrd, who was working with Moorer on the time, excitedly approached Steve Kim after a giant battle in Vegas and instructed him that Double M can be going through the TuaMan on HBO within the coming weeks. Byrd bought up on his toes and began shadow boxing when he instructed Kim: “I can’t wait! We’re gonna field him all evening lengthy!” As quickly as he was out of earshot, Kim and I mentioned: “That’s a one-round battle.” And so it was. Unusual matchups certainly.

 

E mail Fischer at [email protected]. Observe him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and be a part of him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and mates through Tom’s or Doug’s IG Stay each Sunday.