Before I get into my list, I have to get something off my chest...
How the f**k was Guillermo Rigondeaux ranked as one of the top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in the world by The Ring Magazine, World Boxing News and ESPN???
Rigondeaux, aka "El Chacal" suffered through one of the most embarrassing performances in the history of the sport Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The fact that this disgusting disgrace of a display took place in my home state makes it all the more painful. MSG has seen legends Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano, and Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali, but Saturday night it saw Vasyl Lomachenko vs. a gutless, spineless, washed-up loser who just stole at least $400,000.
From the opening bell, Rigondeaux made it overly clear that he had no intentions of fighting. "Loma" is a scarily-versatile savage, so Rigondeaux's trepidation was to be somewhat expected; but I have never seen such egregious holding in my life. Referee Steve Willis struggled through one of the worst displays of officiating in the history of athletics, until he finally deducted a point from Rigondeaux in the sixth round (for relentless holding). Any potential entertainment value was long gone, as it almost seemed like Willis had a silent agreement with Rigondeaux's corner to protect their fighter's life. Maybe Rigondeaux really thought Lomachenko could kill him.
But back to my initial question...WHY was Rigondeaux so highly regarded heading into the fight?
If you watched Loma's destruction of Rigondeaux you probably won't believe this, but heading into the fight, ESPN had Rigondeaux ranked 7th in the world (ahead of Sergey Kovalev and Anthony Joshua), World Boxing News had him 6th (ahead of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Errol Spence Jr.) and The Ring Magazine had him FOURTH, ahead of Canelo Alvarez! And these are supposed to be the "experts" of the boxing world?
What did they see in Rigondeaux? He went into the match as a 37-year old relic with only SEVENTEEN professional bouts to his name. To put that in context, here are some superbly-skilled boxers who did not make my top 20: Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse (35 years old, 38-4 with 35 KOs), Donnie "Ahas" Nietes (35 years old, 40-1-4 with 22 KOs) and Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao (38 years old, 59-7-2 with 38 KOs).
Think about that. Pac Man is only one year older than Rigondeaux, and he has FIFTY more professional bouts to his name. Rigondeaux is small, weak, old, overly defensive, soft...and he barely ever gets into the ring! The boxing specialists at ESPN, The Ring Magazine and World Boxing News should all be completely ashamed of themselves.
PART I: MY METHOD FOR RANKING BOXERS
1. Is the guy a boxer, a brawler or a runner? When I think about pound-for-pound superstars, I think about BOXERS who connect with their power shots, avoid their opponent's best punches and have the versatility to win by knockout or decision. There are dozens of excellent punchers in boxing, but this isn't street fighting or Rocky IV -- real boxing involves strategy, offense and defense.
2. Win-loss record. Knockouts and total number of fights are useful tiebreakers.
3. Are they effective and entertaining at the same time? Boxing has an element of showmanship that we simply don't see in other popular sports. The NFL has reverted back to endzone celebrations and soccer showcases some crazy post-goal antics, but the entirety of a boxing match is a spectacle. From the pre-fight, face-to-face showdown at the weigh-in, to the flashy entrances to the ring, through the taunting and crowd-pleasing during the matches, great boxers are often the greatest entertainers. Just think about Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
4. How well do they perform against top-tier competition? Do they steer clear of the big dogs, altogether?
5. Are they a born fighter, or a formula concocted in a gym? Guys like Smokin' Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Roberto Duran and Julio Cesar Chavez were born fighters. You know them when you see them. When they get knocked down, it doesn't phase them -- it's just another day on the job. They pick themselves up and fight with the same ferocity, determination and passion -- if not more -- than before. Born fighters respond when adversity hits atmospheric highs.
** EDITOR'S NOTE: All rankings and records are current as of Sunday, Dec 10, 2017. **
PART II: RECENTLY RETIRED STARS
5. Orlando Salido - Featherweight, 44-14-4, Would Have Been Ranked: 32nd
I had the pleasure of watching Salido's final fight Saturday night against Miguel "Mickey" Roman. It was a traditional Mexican brawl, which means punches were being thrown by the second, and very few were missing. Salido was always considered one of the most entertaining action fighters in the game, and his final loss to Roman was no different. HBO's Max Kellerman correctly pointed out that Salido seemed tired throughout the lead up to the fight, with a facial expression and body language that said I'm not sure I have anything left.
But Salido (37 years old) gave the younger, sturdier Roman hell, before finally hitting the canvas for the last time in the 9th round. Salido will likely always be remembered as The Man Who Beat Lomachenko.
4. Miguel Cotto - Welterweight, 41-6-0, Would Have Been: 30th
A respectable warrior who never made any excuses, Cotto dominated two-thirds of his busy career, starting 32-0 before losing intermittently to Antonio Margarito, Pac Man, Mayweather, Austin Trout, Canelo and recently -- in his bittersweet swan song -- to the fresh and hungry Sadam Ali. Cotto kept the fight competitive and closed out a memorable career with humility, class and dignity.
Miguel's punishing left hook goes down as an all-time great.
4. Miguel Cotto - Welterweight, 41-6-0, Would Have Been: 30th
A respectable warrior who never made any excuses, Cotto dominated two-thirds of his busy career, starting 32-0 before losing intermittently to Antonio Margarito, Pac Man, Mayweather, Austin Trout, Canelo and recently -- in his bittersweet swan song -- to the fresh and hungry Sadam Ali. Cotto kept the fight competitive and closed out a memorable career with humility, class and dignity.
Miguel's punishing left hook goes down as an all-time great.
3. Wladimir Klitschko - Heavyweight, 64-5-0, Would Have Been: 19th
At 41 years old, Klitschko put together a legendary performance in a loss to undefeated Anthony Joshua, a young stud who looks like he was created in a video game and given a rating of 100 in every single category. Joshua sprinted out of the gate looking bigger, stronger, faster and better conditioned, but Klitschko stormed back with a shocking knockdown in the 6th round. The Ukrainian veteran actually took control of the match for a short while, before Joshua's youth and power eventually prevailed.
Klitschko scored some quality wins over Bryant Jennings, Kubrat Pulev, Alexander Povetkin, Francesco Pianeta and Mariusz Wach -- all of whom were undefeated pre-Wladimir -- but Ocean's Eleven is on cable so often that he's probably best known for his stare down with Lennox Lewis.
2. "Pretty Boy" Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. - Welterweight, 50-0-0, Would Have Been: 6th
Something still doesn't feel right about that Conor McGregor sideshow, but the fact remains that Money finished his career with a 50-0 record. He's the fastest, quickest and most gifted defensive boxer in the history of the sport, and he's probably the best marketer and businessman. I respect Floyd for the lucrative brand he created out of thin air, and for his 24-7 dedication to boxing perfection. He always entered the ring in tip-top physical shape.
Detractors loved to hate on Floyd because of his over-the-top cockiness and "careful" opponent selections, but at the end of the day, this is a legendary superstar who defeated Carlos Alberto Ramon Rios (44-2-1 at the time), Diego Corrales (33-0), Jesus Chavez (35-1), Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1), Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez and Manny Pacquiao.
Not bad.
Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev is one of the best boxers in the world, and Andre Ward beat him twice in a row. In their first meeting, Kovalev came out as the aggressor and scored an early knockdown, but the cream rose to the top, as Ward's superior conditioning, mental toughness and all-around boxing skill earned him a tight-but-unanimous decision.
The second time around, Kovalev didn't have a chance in the world. Ward took the information he learned in the ring and turned it into an unbeatable gameplan for the highly-anticipated rematch. He worked the body, over and over, destroying Krusher's ribs and knocking the wind out of him several times. It was only a matter of time before Ward beat him into submission (though, technically, it was a TKO).
Yet, at 33 years old, Ward claims that he's lost the desire to fight. So while we are certainly sad to see him go, that does open up the No. 1 spot on my list...
PART III: HONORABLE MENTION
Lucas "La Maquina" Matthysse - 35 years old, Welterweight, 38-4-0, 35 KOs: One of the best and most entertaining knockout punchers in the game. Lost to big names in Danny Garcia and Zab Judah.
Miguel "Mickey" Roman - 32 years old, Super Featherweight, 58-12-0, 45 KOs: Looks ready to take the next step after a signature win over Orlando Salido. Mickey is tough as nails and has very heavy hands, particularly when he's fighting inside. He will hammer you with body shots.
Shawn "Showtime" Porter - 30 years old, Welterweight, 28-2-1, 17 KOs: I didn't think he was overmatched against Keith Thurman -- ranked 5th in the world by ESPN -- and I was impressed by his methodical dismantling of Andre Berto. "Showtime" is one of seven really good fighters in the Welterweight division. Perhaps the most talented weight class in the sport right now.
Sadam "World Kid" Ali - 29 years old, Super Welterweight, 26-1-0, 14 KOs: In the biggest fight of his little-hyped career, Ali had control over Cotto for much of the proceedings. HBO's Hall of Famer Jim Lampley correctly pointed out that Ali looked faster, quicker and more explosive than his veteran counterpart. He's a talented, sturdy-looking boxer who has some solid all-around ability, but I wonder about Ali's killer instinct. He had some opportunities to bury Cotto in a cloud of dust, but he backed off out of sentimentality, lack of awareness, or both. His confidence should be at an all-time high, though.
** UPDATE: David Lemieux - 28 years old, Middleweight, 38-4-0, 33 KOs: Got his ass handed to him by "The Superb" Billy Joe Saunders. Lemieux's days as a serious contender look to be over. May not even be in my Honorable Mention section next time.
** UPDATE: David Lemieux - 28 years old, Middleweight, 38-4-0, 33 KOs: Got his ass handed to him by "The Superb" Billy Joe Saunders. Lemieux's days as a serious contender look to be over. May not even be in my Honorable Mention section next time.
Donnie "Ahas" Nietes - 35 years old, Flyweight, 40-1-4, 22 KOs
Oleksandr Usyk - 30 years old, Crusierweight, 13-0-0, 11 KOs: The Cruiserweight division is a little light right now (no pun intended), but Usyk is clearly the best of a depleted stock. If he would get into the ring more often, I could easily move him into my Top 20.
Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao - 38 years old, Welterweight, 59-7-2, 38 KOs: It was awfully close between Manny and No. 20 on my list. They are both in similar places in their lengthy, storied careers. Pac Man got robbed in a disgraceful hometown decision for the schoolteacher Jeff Horn, but he actually looked fit and competitive despite his grandpa status in a young-man's game. Manny still has something left to give.
PART IV: JOHNNY FRO'S TOP 20 POUND-FOR-POUND BOXERS IN THE WORLD
20. Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez - 30 years old, Super Flyweight, 46-2-0, 38 KOs
Boxing is an extremely cruel and political sport. It isn't always about who the best fighters are; it's often about reputation, opponent selection, branding and entertainment value. You can also fall from grace in a heartbeat.
Prior to his last two fights, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez was 46-0 and universally considered one of the top two or three pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He's unquestionably one of the busiest and best boxers of his generation. But after a ridiculously unfair decision loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the foundation of a legendary career began to rock. A towering skyscraper has since collapsed on itself.
The statistics in the first bout were completely in Chocolatito's favor, but in the second go around, Sor Rungvisai beat the living shit out of the once-untouchable Gonzalez. The second, shocking loss was a result of three things: (1) Even heading into the first fight, Sor Rungvisai was SIGNIFICANTLY better than people realized; (2) Despite an unfair decision, Chocolatito completely lost his confidence after the first defeat and (3) Naturally, Srisaket's newfound confidence was oozing from every inch of his being.
A bullshit decision dramatically altered the trajectories of two noteworthy boxing careers, but at the end of the day, Chocolatito was never prepared to avenge the first loss. Sor Rungvisai entered the ring looking to prove that the first victory wasn't a fluke. He did that, and more. He may have single-handedly ended a Hall of Fame career.
However, until Chocolatito officially retires, I believe he deserves a spot on my list. You can't go from the No. 1 spot to outside the top 20 in just two matches. It isn't fair or logical.
19. Danny "Swift" Garcia - 29 years old, Welterweight, 33-1-0, 19 KOs
I had always been a fan of Danny Garcia's until his last fight against Keith Thurman. It isn't that Danny lost for the first time; it's that he never seemed to care about remaining undefeated. When the final bell rung and he was clearly about to lose a decision, Danny wasn't the least bit disappointed. In fact, if you ask me, he seemed completely content with his losing performance.
I'm not sure what the hell happened there. As I said about "Showtime" Porter before, Garcia wasn't physically over-matched by Thurman. Maybe I'm missing something about Thurman, but to me, he just isn't that impressive. He seems like one of those fighters who the analysts want to love. So, whenever he shows rare flashes of greatness, they jump all over it and say see, this guy is really something else. But when he looks like a merely solid, safe fighter, those very same analysts seem to look the other way.
Garcia, at his best, would have had a good chance to beat Thurman; but maybe something has changed about "Swift." When I first saw him on the undercard for Mayweather-Canelo, he looked like a hungry, hard-hitting hound in a well-deserved, unanimous decision over "La Maquina" Matthysse, who was still in his prime.
Maybe that Danny Garcia is a thing of the past.
18. Jorge "El Nino de Ooro" Linares - 32 years old, Lightweight, 43-3-0, 27 KOs
17. "El Terremoto" Leo Santa Cruz - 29 years old, Featherweight, 34-1-1, 19 KOs
16. Oscar Valdez - 26 years old, Featherweight, 23-0-0, 19 KOs
15. "El Gallo" Juan Francisco Estrada - 27 years old, Super Flyweight, 36-2-0, 25 KOs
I know this is stereotypical, but it is undoubtedly a compliment: Many of these Hispanic and/or Mexican fighters have similar styles -- they welcome all comers, live inside the ring, have active hands and high activity levels, lion hearts and boxer's blood coursing through their veins. These are the born fighters I was talking about in my introduction. They entertain, and they never quit...even when they probably should.
They call him "Miracle Man" because he beat bone cancer and paralysis. There has never been a story quite like his in professional athletics. Now, this truly inspiring figure is an absolute monster in the ring; a fearless, imposing and improving force in the crowded Middleweight division.
Daniel Jacobs made Gennady Golovkin look like a mere mortal. Yes, "GGG" squeaked out a tight decision victory, but he didn't look like the dominant fighter who pounded Rosado, wrecked Curtis Stevens, embarrassed Daniel Geale, destroyed Lemieux and exposed Kell Brook. Instead, Jacobs made Golovkin look like a run-of-the-mill Middleweight with a good jab. Throughout the bout, GGG was clearly concerned about Jacobs' size, strength, power and counter-punching ability. With the exception of three rounds, GGG looked far more comfortable against Canelo than he did against Jacobs.
As a follow-up to that impressive loss -- I know that's a bit of an oxymoron -- Jacobs completely outclassed Luis "Cuba" Arias, who came into the match a perfect 18-0.
Daniel Jacobs is just starting to put it all together. Watch out, world.
13. "The Superb" Billy Joe Saunders - 28 years old, Middleweight, 26-0-0, 12 KOs:
Put on an absolute clinic in a laugher over David Lemieux, who was completely outclassed. Saunders is an all-around threat, bouncing around the ring with active footwork, vicious jabs and well-timed defensive tactics. He's a very difficult man to hit. I honestly think he could give GGG or Canelo trouble. "The Superb's" multi-faceted game makes it very hard to beat him on points. He plays to his strengths and has no issue going to the scorecards.
12. Naoya "Monster" Inoue - 24 years old, Super Flyweight, 14-0-0, 12 KOs
This 24-year old "Monster" is getting an awful lot of hype these days, but I'm not ready to rocket him into my top 10. I caught his last fight against Antonio Nieves (who went into the match 17-1-2) in September, and this is what I came away with: The stories about his incredible punching power are true, but he's three-to-five years away from being an all-around master in the ring.
Inoue's straight jab is crisp and explosive, but he spends a significant amount of time punching, then waiting. He throws an effective jab or right cross, waits a couple beats, then throws more of the same. If he wants to blossom into a megastar sooner rather than later, he'll have to become more dedicated to feverish combination punching like Sor Rungvisai, Lomachenko and Terence Crawford. This will allow him to end fights in the rounds they should be over. Wittawas Basapean (11th round), Karoon Jarupianlerd (10th) and Nieves (6th) all stuck around longer than they should have, considering their massive disadvantages in the talent department.
In addition, we can't truly evaluate Inoue's defensive skillset until he fights Estrada and/or Sor Rungvisai in the Super Flyweight division. Step up to the big leagues, and I'll consider you for the top 10.
11. Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev - 34 years old, Light Heavyweight, 31-2-1, 27 KOs
I loved watching "Krusher" truly make a name for himself in two impressive victories over Jean Pascal -- who was a very sturdy and dangerous opponent at the time -- but the former's prime came and went rather quickly. Sergey has one of my favorite straight-left jabs in the world, but his stamina is wavering and he's beginning to look a bit old in the ring. Andre Ward beat him into the latter portion of his career.
10. Keith "One-Time" Thurman - 29 years old, Welterweight, 28-0-0, 22 KOs
This 24-year old "Monster" is getting an awful lot of hype these days, but I'm not ready to rocket him into my top 10. I caught his last fight against Antonio Nieves (who went into the match 17-1-2) in September, and this is what I came away with: The stories about his incredible punching power are true, but he's three-to-five years away from being an all-around master in the ring.
Inoue's straight jab is crisp and explosive, but he spends a significant amount of time punching, then waiting. He throws an effective jab or right cross, waits a couple beats, then throws more of the same. If he wants to blossom into a megastar sooner rather than later, he'll have to become more dedicated to feverish combination punching like Sor Rungvisai, Lomachenko and Terence Crawford. This will allow him to end fights in the rounds they should be over. Wittawas Basapean (11th round), Karoon Jarupianlerd (10th) and Nieves (6th) all stuck around longer than they should have, considering their massive disadvantages in the talent department.
In addition, we can't truly evaluate Inoue's defensive skillset until he fights Estrada and/or Sor Rungvisai in the Super Flyweight division. Step up to the big leagues, and I'll consider you for the top 10.
11. Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev - 34 years old, Light Heavyweight, 31-2-1, 27 KOs
I loved watching "Krusher" truly make a name for himself in two impressive victories over Jean Pascal -- who was a very sturdy and dangerous opponent at the time -- but the former's prime came and went rather quickly. Sergey has one of my favorite straight-left jabs in the world, but his stamina is wavering and he's beginning to look a bit old in the ring. Andre Ward beat him into the latter portion of his career.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a jaw-dropping defensive finesse fighter. Canelo Alvarez has showstopping force and power. Gennady Golovkin has the tenacity, aggressiveness and invincibility of a Spartan warrior. Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford are near-perfect, all-around assassins.
So what, exactly, does Keith Thurman do well?
Honestly, all I can say is that he finds ways to win fights. I have to at least give him credit for that. However, as an undefeated, big-name boxer, I expect more from the man they call "One-Time," and I never get it.
As I mentioned in my ground rules, I prefer the boxers who are uber-talented AND entertainers. Keith Thurman is a mildly-talented grinder. His name has become bigger than his ability.
One time...I wish I could be impressed by this guy.
I can't think of a name that fits a style more appropriately than this.
Wilder. No one is wilder than Deontay in the ring. In fact, I would be remiss to call Deontay a "boxer". Deontay Wilder is a brawler. There is no style, finesse, technique or tradition to what he does in the ring. He stomps forward, applies intense physical, mental and emotional pressure, flails his arms wildly and pounds on his opponent until he wilts away into nothing. His fights are always interesting, to say the least.
At the end of the day, with Wladimir Klitschko out of the picture, we all know the Heavyweight division boils down to Deontay and Anthony Joshua. Right now, I think Joshua is the more polished all-around boxer, but that may not matter if and when they finally climb into the ring together. Wilder has no fear; but will he have enough skill?
8. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai - 31 years old, Super Flyweight, 44-4-1, 40 KOs
If you don't love watching Srisaket box, then you don't love boxing.
This little, 5'3" whirlwind gives you everything he has: He throws heavy punches, often, in each and every round; his disinterest in playing defense means he takes an absolute beating from power-punching opponents, but it never seems to phase him; he always comes forward and attacks (very much like GGG in this regard) and now, after embarrassing "Chocolatito" Gonzalez on a world stage, Srisaket's confidence and perceived-invincibility levels are at all-time highs.
Even in his first fight with Chocolatito -- which was really a loss -- I was absolutely smitten with Srisaket. How can you not respect a guy who takes hundreds of clean shots to the head, without ever backing down or doubting his inner fortitude?
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai has a warrior's blood, and a champion's heart. I hope he continues climbing the pound-for-pound ladder.
7. Mikey Garcia - 29 years old, Super Lightweight, 37-0-0, 30 KOs
Mikey Garcia doesn't care for fancy boxing nicknames; he only cares about knocking people's heads off.
The Super Lightweight division isn't particularly stacked, but we know Featherweights like "Mickey" Roman, Orlando Salido, Leo Santa Cruz and Oscar Valdez have jumped in and out of similar weight classes when need be. Lightweight Jorge Linares might also be an option at some point. Garcia already took down Salido (now retired) back in 2013, so we'll see if he eventually works his way through some other big names.
Next up for Mikey is Sergey "Samurai" Lipinets (13-0-0, 10 KOs) in February. He's a nice young fighter on a little rise, but I'm confident Mikey will take care of business. He's a world-class boxer in his prime.
So his only two losses are to "Money" Mayweather and Gennady Golovkin. Not half bad.
I know Canelo's record says that he has one loss and two ties, but I don't care -- he lost to GGG. He came out looking like the younger, quicker, bouncier, more dangerous fighter in the opening two rounds, but Golovkin settled into a laser-focused gameplan that resulted in pure domination from rounds 3 through 10. Maybe...MAYBE...you can give four rounds to Canelo, but there's no way he legitimately earned a draw in that highly-anticipated match.
The bottom line is that we won't be seeing Adalaide Byrd for quite some time. She's crooked, blind, or both. That's all there is to it.
As for Canelo, considering his 52 professional bouts at age 27, I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. He likes to get into the ring, and he doesn't disappoint his fans. His right hooks and crosses are absolutely devastating, and he has an iron-plated jaw. Canelo Alvarez can deliver a punch, and take one. He's an old-school, rock-solid fighter.
Spence is one of those boxers who has supreme confidence in his abilities, and the bona fide skills to support that swag.
I absolutely love his long, wiry, scarily-accurate straight jab. It's extremely difficult for opponents to get inside on Spence. He keeps you at bay with that world-class jab, and he navigates the ring like a young man who was unquestionably born to do this. He plays angles and cuts you off like a seasoned vet, and despite a deceivingly-lean frame, can knock you the f**k out at any given moment.
"The Truth" is he's a very special fighter, but let's see if he'll ever find the balls to tangle with Terence Crawford in the Welterweight division. At the very least, I'd love to see him dismantle Keith Thurman.
20 fights. 20 knockouts. Hahaha, how can you not laugh at that?
I mean, what can ya really say about this kid? He looks like he was genetically-engineered in a lab. He can punch through brick walls. He can literally punch a hole in your face.
To his credit, he makes more of an attempt to box than Deontay Wilder, so he gets the top 5 nod here. In the end, anything Joshua and Wilder do before meeting one another is simply treading water. Hopefully they will take the long-term risk of challenging the best in their weight class.
So this is where the controversy begins. Most "experts" have him No. 1 or 2.
I have nothing against Gennady Golovkin. Like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, I have nothing but respect for a fearless fighter who always comes forward, applies pressure and comfortably eats his opponent's best shots.
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But we're into the elite trio of boxers now. The knocks on GGG are easy to identify: His age makes him a near-stationary target for his opponents, he doesn't move particularly well in any fashion and he isn't as well-rounded a boxer as the two men above him on my list.
And yet, make no mistake about it, Gennady Golovkin is an unrivaled pure puncher with an unshakable jaw. He's as tough a man to beat as there is.
Terence Crawford is what boxing is all about.
Not only is he supremely talented in every aspect of his craft, he's also a cocky showman who always gives you your money's worth.
I was literally laughing as he toyed with Felix Diaz at MSG back in May. Diaz entered the fight with an impressive 19-1 record, and yet he was so overmatched by Crawford's awe-inspiring all-around ability that he could have been TKO'd in any particular round. Crawford literally let him stick around because he wanted to give the fans at MSG a good show. That's one of the main reasons we watch boxing, right? It's not just a match. It's supposed to be an event. And that's exactly what Terence Crawford gives you.
His combinations seem to go on for days. His footwork is impeccable. His power is surprising. His defense is top-notch.
Terence Crawford could EASILY be considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the universe.
As I mentioned in the opening, ESPN had Guillermo Rigondeaux ranked 7th in the world. World Boxing News had him 6th...and The Ring Magazine had him 4th. If he is supposedly the 4th-best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, then what does that say about Vasyl Lomachenko, the executioner who murdered him in front of an international audience?
"Hi-Tech" is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and now he's taking the professional boxing world hostage. This is his sport to dominate. He wants to be associated with boxing, the way LeBron James is associated with basketball, and Tom Brady with football. The greatest athletes in the world simply do things that other professionals in their sport cannot. Vasyl Lomachenko is a boxing savant. This game is easy to him. He's a surgeon. He's an assassin. He's a cyborg.
Just watch these highlights. Lomachenko's combinations are not comparable to anyone. He breaks ribs, then in a millisecond, switches to blackout head shots. Nicholas Walters entered his fight with Loma 26-0-1 and considered one of the undisputed, elite pound-for-pound fighters. He quit in the 7th round. The same could be said for Rigondeaux, and he quit in the 6th round.
Have you ever heard of top-10 boxers quitting against the same opponent? They quit because they realize the undeniable truth...
It's impossible to beat Vasyl Lomachenko right now.
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