On this week’s mailbag, we sort out your ideas on one struggle that’s simply been introduced (gentle heavyweight contenders David Benavidez vs. David Morrell), one struggle that’s being imagined (featherweight titleholder Nick Ball vs. junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue), one struggle that’s been ordered (unified middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. high contender Hamzah Sheeraz), and one struggle that ought to’ve occurred up to now (heavyweights Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua).
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BENAVIDEZ AND MORRELL LEARNED THEIR LESSONS AND ARE DONE WAITING
These guys (David Benavidez and David Morrell) wanted to struggle one another, Time to make their very own legacy and never simply wait round to get picked.
-A.B. Counterhooks
David Greisman’s response: That is the second-best struggle that might be made at gentle heavyweight — Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol is after all #1 — and is the proper struggle on the proper time for Benavidez and Morrell.
After they have been tremendous middleweights, each have been in line for photographs at Canelo Alvarez. Benavidez particularly was made to attend — although, to be honest, he didn’t simply sit round whereas ready. He was already the highest remaining contender after Canelo defeated the three titleholders (Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant). Then Benavidez gained the WBC interim title to attempt to get extra leverage for the struggle to be made. Then Benavidez defeated Plant to re-assert his declare as the most effective obtainable challenger at 168. After which Benavidez did what Canelo refused to by dealing with and dominating Demetrius Andrade.
Now that they’re gentle heavyweights, Benavidez and Morrell are every in line to face the winner of Beterbiev vs. Bivol by advantage of the secondary titles they lately earned (Benavidez gained the WBC interim belt together with his June win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Morrell received the WBA “common” belt from his August victory over Radivoje Kalajdzic).
Any promoter would sometimes need two potential stars reasonably than sacrificing considered one of them off. However there isn’t a lot else obtainable for Benavidez or Morrell that will transfer the needle whereas ready to face whomever the 175-pound king seems to be. This struggle is larger within the U.S. than a bout with Joshua Buatsi. Past that, neither Benavidez nor Morrell was overly spectacular in opposition to Gvozdyk and Kalajdzic. This struggle can put the winner again on target.
NICK BALL’S RECENT FIGHTS SHOW THAT HE CAN’T BEAT NAOYA INOUE
Nick Ball actually went to warfare with 34-year-old Ronny Rios, who was inactive for 3 ears. That is the fourth time in a row that Ball went life and loss of life in his struggle. Ball is totally one-dimensional, with no energy. He’s getting brutally knocked out by “The Monster” Naoya Inoue.
Tris Dixon’s response: I’d say “life and loss of life” was a stretch, though Ball’s face definitely paid extra tribute to Rios’ trade than the commentators did.
Ball is ferocious and a handful. He’s had robust fights in good firm. Nobody has had it straightforward with him and, frankly, I’d say he’s one of many fighters of the yr.
Inoue is a distinct beast — after all he’s. However Inoue’s energy is likely to be maxing out the place he’s proper now. Look, I’m not going to make a case for Ball, nor would I. However that is why we struggle the fights, and I can also’t assist however suppose it might be a really entertaining struggle.
HAMZAH SHEERAZ ISN’T READY YET FOR JANIBEK ALIMKHANULY
I believe that Janibek Alimkhanuly might be an excessive amount of for Hamzah Sheeraz at this stage. Though Sheeraz is a KO artist, Janibek appears to have an iron chin (like Gennadiy Golovkin) and so he would most likely break Sheeraz down ultimately like most of his opponents. Nonetheless, I would like Sheeraz to make use of his WBC obligatory subsequent in opposition to titleholder Carlos Adames and for Janibek to struggle Erislandy Lara earlier than having the eventual winners face off in an undisputed conflict in Saudi Arabia. Hopefully that’s Janibek-Sheeraz, which is the most effective struggle within the division.
-HisExcellency
Lucas Ketelle’s response: Janibek Alimkhanuly’s middleweight profession seems like one thing out of a dystopian novel. He’s received the expertise, the belts, and the talents to be a star. However outdoors his camp? Nothing. Since unifying titles with an IBF win over Vincenzo Gualtieri, he’s mainly been preventing in his personal orbit — no buzz, no actual momentum. It’s virtually like the game collectively shrugged its shoulders.
Right here comes Hamzah Sheeraz, the knockout artist who would possibly simply be the man to get up the division. Janibek’s been drifting aimlessly. However Sheeraz? He’s the dude individuals will really tune in to look at. You outlined the potential matchups on the desk: Sheeraz might struggle with Adames for the WBC title, and Janibek might sq. up with Erislandy Lara to unify the IBF, WBA and WBO belts.
Sounds nice, proper? Besides, that is boxing, the place making apparent fights is like rolling the cube. And even making fights generally is difficult.
Sheeraz can be the WBO’s No. 1 contender. The WBO has ordered Janibek and Sheeraz to struggle. And Janibek holds that belt, so the struggle appears inevitable. This can be a division that used to belong to stars like Golovkin and Canelo — do not forget that time? — and it’s been gasping for air ever since. Janibek vs. Sheeraz might lastly be the spark that reignites the division, or we might hope.
As for Janibek’s iron chin, right here’s a thought: What puncher has he actually confronted? Proper now, he seems like a extra polished Viktor Postol: stable however untested in a division that is gentle on top-tier expertise, particularly huge punchers (he has been calling individuals out, although). Sheeraz can punch, however is there a ceiling to his energy? There’s just one strategy to discover out. Put them within the ring and let’s see who’s nonetheless standing.
DON’T MAKE TYSON FURY VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA!
A struggle between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua completely shouldn’t occur! It’s a mismatch at this level.
Eddie Hearn chased this struggle for the final 4 years, and Fury was busy enjoying diva-like video games. Fury fumbled the bag and shouldnt be handed this payday regardless if he wins or loses vs Oleksandr Usyk.
That being stated: Hearn will do his finest to money AJ out on Fury. Everybody is aware of AJ is completed now. It’s nearly how all of them can leach the utmost earnings out of 1 final AJ beatdown.
-Tremendous-X
Matt Christie’s response: Although I acknowledge the sentiment of your remark, I’m not satisfied it’s both a mismatch or an unappealing struggle. Within the U.Ok., Fury versus Joshua would nonetheless do monstrous enterprise — there isn’t a struggle that would evaluate to it when it comes to curiosity amongst common sport followers.
However the crux, and the purpose to which you allude, is that this struggle ought to have occurred years in the past when it actually meant one thing.
Again once we thought it was going to occur (when it ought to have occurred), it was a narrative I adopted intently, talking often to the promotional groups of Joshua and Fury. And for a couple of weeks it did appear nailed on — proper up till Deontay Wilder triggered his contractual proper for a 3rd struggle with Fury. Dates and venues have been set and so forth, press releases had been written. Even so, it’s arduous to think about a much bigger miss in British boxing historical past than the collective failure to make this struggle, and people on the coronary heart of the mess ought to cling their heads in disgrace. In that regard, I do hear you.
Whether or not Joshua is conclusively “finished” is one other matter. Maybe he merely received caught chilly by Daniel Dubois early of their struggle and by no means actually recovered. Although I agree his finest days are logically up to now, I definitely suppose it’s too early to put in writing him off fully.
We don’t know what Fury has left, both. Although he regarded terrific in spots in opposition to Usyk, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him disintegrate within the rematch. The way in which he was stumbling everywhere within the ninth spherical ought to be a trigger for concern.
There may be nonetheless life in Fury versus Joshua — however solely simply.
Wish to be featured within the mailbag? Remark or ask a query within the feedback part beneath. Submissions could also be edited for size and readability. We additionally could choose readers’ feedback from different BoxingScene tales.
