Essential The Official Boxing Random Thoughts Thread...All boxing heads ENTER.

[Mashal88]

The altitude will unquestionably give him the conditioning advantage at 175 that he needs, his style requires it and benefits from good camps. When I was younger I used to train a lot at 1500-2000 km, albeit as an amatuer, but the advantage is no joke, you come back to sea level and feel like you can walk on water (even if half of it is placebo). This principle multiplies the heavier you go up in boxing imo, so at 175 it's the perfect storm.

I'm not as harsh on Morrell as you, he fought exceptionally against Benavidez, just didn't quite get it, but on another day he might have.

The Khaetev fight was a tough slog, but Morrell still had great periods throughout, Khaetev is no joke, bronze medal Olympian and Chechen PEDS maniac, thats a frightening proposition for any opponent.

I'm expecting a knockout against Callum Smith, who is an underrated boxer mind you, this is a good fight, 175 is definitely one of the best weight classes these days.

I'm not harsh on him about Benavidez as I expected him to lose. He showed a lot of grit in that fight. I know Kaladjzic is a good fighter but Morrell's offense was really poor in that fight and the scorecards were absurd. Khataev, he had good moments but he didn't use enough of his smarts in there. I thought that fight was close on the cards anyways. I think someone on here said he'd had a bad camp and it reflected in the ring. I'm still rooting for him. He has a lot more ability that he used to show at 168. I think when he started getting more early knockouts he abandoned the boxing that he displayed against guys like Lenox Allen. I think if he finds that balance he can become a champion. That Callum fight should be a great one.

 

[Apollo Creed]

I usually hate when ppl use this as an excuse but his management didn't "move him right" after the Benavidez fight. He got a gift (imo) but it was two hard physically draining fights back to back. He's only 27 but some of his energy bars are probably permanently depleted going forward


Spence vs Thurman at 154 seems like common sense, don't know why it's not being talked up. Two inactive injury prone guys with history and solid fanbases. Would probably be a huge fight if made. If either guy could make it thru a camp is a diff story but they already so inactive ppl probably wouldn't bytch too much if it got rescheduled once or twice until they were ready

I think they want to fast track Morrell into a Star, but realistically when Benevidez moved up to 175, 168 was Morrell's to rule and then they could meet at 175 when the dust settles. Morrell pretty much beats everyone not named Canelo for certain and Canelo maybe has another year or 2, but with the right machine behind Morrell they could have had something even without him being formal champ.

Spence says he will never give Thurman a chance after feeling iced out by him, but in theory this is a good grudge match that could be a good Dallas or MGM Vegas non PPV fight with the winner going on to a title shot. But I still remember the Floyd interview when he talks about how Errol was moved wrong and at this stage of his career should be at 160/168 and pretty much robbed himself of growing being at 147 so long. I said before outside of the nikka being a drunk he shoulda just gunned for 1/2 belts at 147 and 154 and he could have been on track for 160 Undisputed and a Canelo fight lol

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

I'm not harsh on him about Benavidez as I expected him to lose. He showed a lot of grit in that fight. I know Kaladjzic is a good fighter but Morrell's offense was really poor in that fight and the scorecards were absurd. Khataev, he had good moments but he didn't use enough of his smarts in there. I thought that fight was close on the cards anyways. I think someone on here said he'd had a bad camp and it reflected in the ring. I'm still rooting for him. He has a lot more ability that he used to show at 168. I think when he started getting more early knockouts he abandoned the boxing that he displayed against guys like Lenox Allen. I think if he finds that balance he can become a champion. That Callum fight should be a great one.

That makes sense re bad camp and the trainer shift.

He does his best boxing when he uses his hips and switches between head at different lines and up and down, punches off the pivot, but then mixes it with feet planted, extensions of the hands to gauge distance and then punch with weight shift. It's a great mix when it works, as he gets his breath back with the stationary stuff, which allows him to pivot and shift his weight to either side so aggressively. In essence it's the cuban style with more damaging attributes/capacity.

This is why I expect Big Bear to work wonders for Morrell, if he can get even a 10% increase in v02 max threshold, he will be able to perform the aggressive weight shifting and head movement for longer, effectively meaning he can dish out more punishment for longer, per round.

In full flight he's up there with the best in the world as far as scoring with shots that hurt, he just can't sustain it enough to blow them out at 175 yet.

 

[reservoirdogs]

Spence says he will never give Thurman a chance after feeling iced out by him, but in theory this is a good grudge match that could be a good Dallas or MGM Vegas non PPV fight with the winner going on to a title shot. But I still remember the Floyd interview when he talks about how Errol was moved wrong and at this stage of his career should be at 160/168 and pretty much robbed himself of growing being at 147 so long. I said before outside of the nikka being a drunk he shoulda just gunned for 1/2 belts at 147 and 154 and he could have been on track for 160 Undisputed and a Canelo fight lol

Yeah but it’s hard to leave one of the glamour divisions behind until he can make the weight relatively ok. Most of 147 and 154 was dominated by PBC then with 147 being the bigger money division. Also, Spence’s gym mate Mell was campaigning at 154.

Plus Canelo was with GBP during the 2010s. After the Oscar-Haymon/Schaefer split and the creation of PBC there was a cold war going on for years with exclusive network deals separating the two sides even more.
I remember it was kind of a huge deal in 2017 when a Haymon fighter, Jacobs who wasn’t even a major name fought GGG on HBO. I think he kept Haymon too in some role but that might have been just a ceremonial one, out of respect because the move practically meant he’s out of the PBC universe and he fought on HBO from then.
So I don’t think a potential Canelo fight in those times was something seriously considered for Spence.

A Spence vs Thurman fight would probably still be fun and I’d watch it but it’s a pity that we’d get it now instead of when it had real relevancy to the sport.

 

[OGBobbyJohnson]

 

[Apollo Creed]

Yeah but it’s hard to leave one of the glamour divisions behind until he can make the weight relatively ok. Most of 147 and 154 was dominated by PBC then with 147 being the bigger money division. Also, Spence’s gym mate Mell was campaigning at 154.

Plus Canelo was with GBP during the 2010s. After the Oscar-Haymon/Schaefer split and the creation of PBC there was a cold war going on for years with exclusive network deals separating the two sides even more.
I remember it was kind of a huge deal in 2017 when a Haymon fighter, Jacobs who wasn’t even a major name fought GGG on HBO. I think he kept Haymon too in some role but that might have been just a ceremonial one, out of respect because the move practically meant he’s out of the PBC universe and he fought on HBO from then.
So I don’t think a potential Canelo fight in those times was something seriously considered for Spence.

A Spence vs Thurman fight would probably still be fun and I’d watch it but it’s a pity that we’d get it now instead of when it had real relevancy to the sport.

More so saying accident and lifestyle choices aside Errol would likely be at 160/168 right now and on track for Canelo not back then

 

[patscorpio]

 

[patscorpio]

That makes sense re bad camp and the trainer shift.

He does his best boxing when he uses his hips and switches between head at different lines and up and down, punches off the pivot, but then mixes it with feet planted, extensions of the hands to gauge distance and then punch with weight shift. It's a great mix when it works, as he gets his breath back with the stationary stuff, which allows him to pivot and shift his weight to either side so aggressively. In essence it's the cuban style with more damaging attributes/capacity.

This is why I expect Big Bear to work wonders for Morrell, if he can get even a 10% increase in v02 max threshold, he will be able to perform the aggressive weight shifting and head movement for longer, effectively meaning he can dish out more punishment for longer, per round.

In full flight he's up there with the best in the world as far as scoring with shots that hurt, he just can't sustain it enough to blow them out at 175 yet.

uptick in his offense i think abel will be able to get out of him but he isn't going to work miracles with his defense...at this weight its more of him being able to avoid taking punches he shouldn't be taking..there are too many moments in his 175 fights where he is backing up with hands down...175 is nothing but ridiculously hard punchers..no featherfist shyt going on...callum smith, for his shortcomings, can seriously crack...i get it callum smith has a gamestop belt and its path to bivol or beterbiev so you take the fight..but win, lose, or draw if its another hard fight..they may have to take it easy on dude or a title shot will be his cash out fight

 

[<<TheStandard>>]

Monster's masterpiece

Boxing twitter was hilarious that morning and so was the fight thread on here lol. A lot of people were talking out of their ass in that one

But but monster never fought a black fighter before..

I interviewed so many fighters before this fight, Spence, Crawford, a few others and I asked who would win......they all said Fulton.

The only person who said Inoue would win was Oscar De La Hoya.

 

[OGBobbyJohnson]

 

[patscorpio]

how espn treated boxing is the most disappointing of all

 

[patscorpio]

I interviewed so many fighters before this fight, Spence, Crawford, a few others and I asked who would win......they all said Fulton.

The only person who said Inoue would win was Oscar De La Hoya.

Your man philly godfather...bro was ridiculous with his fulton pick....he was damn near picking fights with cats trying to school him on who monster was lol

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

I still remember til this day on soho abd untold laughters

 

[TheNig]

 

[chunky_mcdaniels]

uptick in his offense i think abel will be able to get out of him but he isn't going to work miracles with his defense...at this weight its more of him being able to avoid taking punches he shouldn't be taking..there are too many moments in his 175 fights where he is backing up with hands down...175 is nothing but ridiculously hard punchers..no featherfist shyt going on...callum smith, for his shortcomings, can seriously crack...i get it callum smith has a gamestop belt and its path to bivol or beterbiev so you take the fight..but win, lose, or draw if its another hard fight..they may have to take it easy on dude or a title shot will be his cash out fight

That's true, Morrell does get hit clean in the head with his hands low moving backwards, he can't change that, hands low is how he moves, how he fights how he does in the first place. Nevertheless, the accumulative effect of being 10-15% fitter has a huge transfer to all movement and decision making period, I'd argue the extra 10-15 pounds he's added to hit 175 has slowed him down a few notches. That big bear/altitude factor though, it just makes you feel like a 147'er, he's going to feel like Knockout CP Freshmart in there.

This is the biggest point regarding all this discussion re Morrell, and that is that 175 is a vicious, unforgiving weight class for any fighter, physics don't care if you're an undefeated gold medalist with a body and great movement, at 175 you will get knocked the fukk out if you aren't careful. Morrell rides the line of showman and elite athlete/boxer, it's how he fights his best, but at 175 that's a dangerous, dangerous game. But getting a jump on your opposition by having more efficient oxygen transfer in your bloodstream because of altitude training? With that style? Wise, wise move imo.