GGG IS IN VERY TOUGH VS. DEREVYANCHENKO

Hey Doug,

What’s good?

So on point the You (Porter) vs Breadman (Spence) comparison. But don’t underestimate your technical abilities and sense of humor 😉

Question:

Why does NOBODY talk about GGG vs SD?

Man, almost no promotion. I live in LA, I watch TV, I spend my life online. Nothing. It’s almost like they’re hiding the fight.

I’m a hardcore long-time Golovkin fan but I’m not super confident for this weekend. GGG is a favorite and should be, don’t get me wrong.

But he gets hit too much and he’s at a stage where one can get old overnight. Look at him in 2013/2014. He was so much sharper and quicker on his feet. People forget.

Every comment section on most websites says easy job for Gennadiy. I disagree. SD is not a decent boxer or a solid gatekeeper. He’s a short and stocky mobile technical high-volume pressure fighter with determination, decent power, and a solid chin.

He’s between Nos. 3 and 6 at 160 pounds. Jacobs beat him by SD in NY!

I know he’s been hot and cold against lesser opposition, but against Jacobs, it could have gone either way.

Before GGG turns up the heat, he might eat a lot of punches. SD is always on you. G’s, jab, power and chin will get him the win, but I expect him to earn it and to leave the fight with lots of bruises on the face. I don’t believe he’ll land 3 or 4 punches combinations against a savvy technical guy like Sergey.

It’s actually a really good fight and people don’t seem to care that much (so much talk about Canelo-Kovalev).

If GGG lost a step (and can’t stop him on pure power) I can envision him being outpointed (yet I’m a GGG fan).

Also, there’s no way it looks like the Lemieux fight. Although really dangerous, Lemieux is technically limited. GGG won’t toy with SD like this.

I see it very competitive and I believe GGG will need to dig and hurt him bad to win the fight. I can envision a defensively responsible SD outpointing GGG in the fight of his life, on his toes for 12 rounds.

2015 GGG would have been too sharp and dynamic for SD.

But in boxing, timing is everything. Thoughts? Cheers. – Diego

I agree that Golovkin is in for a long, hard night vs. Derevyanchenko. I think his still-elite jab and world-class chin will be the difference over the distance and favor GGG by close but unanimous decision.  

The fans and media that think Golovkin will wipe his ass with Derevyanchenko are probably the same bunch that thought Errol Spence would KO Shawn Porter (which is probably the same bunch that predict that Sergey Kovalev will start crying and quit the moment Canelo taps his body). This has been the Year of the Upsets but most boxing fans can’t help but completely count out the underdog. The main reason for this is cynicism. They’re ridiculously jaded, and although they mostly despise promoters and network execs, they think boxing’s power brokers are smarter than they really are, and they assume that every matchup is basically “fixed” for the favorite to win. They don’t think any “A-side” fighter really wants to face a threat and that every major move they make is a calculated risk. The fans are right about this for the most part, but the beauty of boxing is that one never knows when the odds favorite is going to have a poor night while the underdog fights the fight of his or her life.  

If Golovkin “gets old” or has a bad night on Saturday while SD brings the fight of his career, we will likely see an upset.

Why does NOBODY talk about GGG vs SD? It’s not the fight they want. Derevyanchenko is a legit middleweight contender but he’s got no profile. He’s not a “name” and he’s not the type of fighter to draw attention to himself with his personality or interviews. Fans either wanted Canelo-GGG3 or they wanted to see Golovkin in with Demetrius Andrade or Jermall Charlo or a super middleweight standout, like Ring champ Callum Smith.

Man, almost no promotion. I live in LA, I watch TV, I spend my life online. Nothing. It’s almost like they’re hiding the fight. Well, the fight is in New York City. I think if you had been there this week, you’d see some promotions from Team GGG, Eddie Hearn and DAZN. By the way, they’ve put together a very solid undercard.

I’m a hardcore long-time Golovkin fan but I’m not super confident for this weekend. GOOD! That means we’ve got a real fight in front of us. This is the way it SHOULD be.

But he gets hit too much and he’s at a stage where one can get old overnight. He’s no longer in his prime but he doesn’t have the look of a faded veteran, and he’s not as easy to hit cleanly as he appears.

Prime GGG cracks Adama Osumanu in 2014.

Look at him in 2013/2014. He was so much sharper and quicker on his feet. People forget. His prime years were 2011-2015. He peaked in 2015. And, man, he scared the s__t out of everybody (not just the top middleweights, but their management/promoters).

SD is not a decent boxer or a solid gatekeeper. He’s a short and stocky mobile technical high-volume pressure fighter with determination, decent power, and a solid chin. That’s a good assessment of Derevyanchenko. Don’t forget that he had an extensive amateur career and more than 20 World Series of Boxing semi-pro bouts.

He’s between Nos. 3 and 6 at 160 pounds. The Ring ranks him No. 6 among middleweights.

Jacobs beat him by SD in NY! I know he’s been hot and cold against lesser opposition, but against Jacobs, it could have gone either way. That might have more to do with Jacobs than it does Derevyanchenko.

Before GGG turns up the heat, he might eat a lot of punches. Good! That sounds like an action fight. I like action fights.

I don’t believe he’ll land 3 or 4 punches combinations against a savvy technical guy like Sergey. Derev is technical. I’m not so sure about the “savvy” part.

I see it very competitive and I believe GGG will need to dig and hurt him bad to win the fight. That sounds like a satisfying main event at the Mecca of Boxing.

I can envision a defensively responsible SD outpointing GGG in the fight of his life, on his toes for 12 rounds. Derevyanchenko is not the type of boxer to be on “his toes for 12 rounds.”

GGG VS. THE TECHNICIAN

Hey Doug,

I’m glad this fight was made and not the 3rd Canelo fight. This gives guys like Sergiy and Sergei Kovalev the opportunity to face these guys and give us fans interesting new matchups.

We’ve seen GGG and Canelo in the ring two times already, and yes they were both good fights, but we kinda know the result. I’d rather see these two matchups and get more guys in the mix. Both of these guys bring interesting styles that will make for exciting fights.

I favor GGG in a tougher than expected fight. I think GGG will snap that jab as much as he can and will probably swell Sergiy’s face and wobble him a couple of times before stopping him late, much like he did against Martin Murray. I do think Derevyanchenko will use his tools and power to catch Gennadiy a couple of times and put constant pressure on the older man.

My feeling is that Golovkin still has a lot left in the tank to deal with guys like him and will use his ring experience to outmaneuver and outbox him towards that stoppage.

Some MMs:

Michael Nunn vs GGG

Oba Carr vs Shawn Porter

Terrance Crawford vs Pernell Whitaker

Thanks Doug. Have a wonderful weekend. – Juan Valverde, San Diego

Thanks, Juan. I will. Sorry I missed you at Staples Center last Saturday, but glad you got to witness one of the better main events and overall cards this year live in the arena. Hopefully, we can catchup at the next big event that we both attend. You’re not gonna be in London for Prograis-Taylor, are you? (Just kidding)

Your Mythical Matchups:

Michael Nunn vs GGG – Golovkin by late KO (in a fight he’s losing on the scorecards)

Oba Carr vs Shawn Porter – Carr by split decision in a very good fight

Terrance Crawford vs Pernell Whitaker – Whitaker by close but clear UD at 135, competitive MD at 140 and 147. Entertaining boxing matches, except for at lightweight.

I’m glad this fight was made and not the 3rd Canelo fight. This gives guys like Sergiy and Sergei Kovalev the opportunity to face these guys and give us fans interesting new matchups. I agree. I love the Canelo-GGG style mesh, but their diehard fans have become a bunch of trolling d-bags and their social-media bickering during the buildup to the fight would have been insufferable. Also, the promotion would have felt like that Groundhog Day movie had they fought for a third consecutive Mexican Independence Day weekend (especially if it landed in Las Vegas). Golovkin is fighting The Ring and ESPN.com’s No. 6-rated middleweight; the Transnational Boxing Ranking’s No. 3-rated 160 pounder. Canelo is fighting the consensus No. 2-rated light heavyweight. I’m not going to complain about that.

We’ve seen GGG and Canelo in the ring two times already, and yes they were both good fights, but we kinda know the result. We don’t know s__t. (Roger Mayweather was right.) It’s time for everybody to drop their silly egos and admit that.

I’d rather see these two matchups and get more guys in the mix. That’s the way boxing should be. In past eras, the stars of the sport would fight more than twice a year, so we’d see them fight the “gimmees” like Rocky Fielding and Steve Rolls, the contenders/titleholders like Kovalev and Derev, AND each other in the same year. These days everything gets dragged out… which has gradually driven most hardcore fans completely insane. It’s tragic, really, but we should still appreciate when the top dogs take on quality challengers.

I favor GGG in a tougher than expected fight. Me too.

I think GGG will snap that jab as much as he can and will probably swell Sergiy’s face and wobble him a couple of times before stopping him late, much like he did against Martin Murray. Murray, a bigger guy than Derev, tried to stick and move (against an admittedly prime version of GGG). I don’t think the Ukrainian will do that. We’ll how long he lasts if he tried to get in Golovkin’s grill. I think his face, which looks like a damn catcher’s mitt, will not only swell up, but cut open and spring leaks.

FIRST-TIMERS ON HOF BALLOT

Hi Dougie –

I saw the entries for the first time HOF ballots and it was a really deep group. Assuming Bernard Hopkins & Juan Manuel Marquez are locks to get in on the first attempt who else do you the think has the best chance to get in on the first try??

Remaining List (I think): Jorge Arce, Timothy Bradley, Vuyani Bungu, Joel Casamayor, Diego Corrales, Carl Froch, Sergio Martinez, Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver, Israel Vazquez.

Thanks again for your weekly mailbags. I work about 8 months a year in the Middle East & Africa (which has been great) and always look forward to reading about my favorite sport every Monday & Friday.  – Jamaal, New Orleans

Thanks for reading the mailbag column wherever you are in the world, Jamaal.

I agree that B-Hop and JMM are locks for first-ballot induction next year. And I think everybody else that you noted is hall-of-fame worthy with the possible exceptions of Vuyani Bungu and Israel Vazquez, who are borderliners.

I think Shane Mosley is first-ballot worthy (along with Hopkins and Marquez).

FOX PPV SHOW

What a night of fights!

Barrios vs Ahkmedov: this was a really interesting fight full of momentum swings.  At first it seemed Barrios’ speed and power was going to not allow Ahkmedov in close enough to do his best work, but Ahkmedov didn’t get discouraged, kept pressing forward, finding the openings for his shots (especially the right hook to the head) and just started beating on Barrios ass for the latter half of the fight. Then he got a little careless protecting his head coming in and got knocked down again! This cost him the fight on my card (I scored it the same as unofficial scorer Marcos.) It’s a shame because it really felt like Ahkmedov deserved to win, but 2 10-8 rounds is hard to overcome, especially with a slow start.

Still, I was very impressed with him; he didn’t look like a 7-fight pro at all! At times he looked like an Uzbek Homicide Hank Armstrong.

Benavidez vs Dirrell: Anthony came into this fight locked in, and was troubling the young man with his jab, movement, and round stealing bursts. He definitely showed that Benavidez for all his talent still has some important things to work on, like ring cutting and not allowing a guy to get off on you unanswered. That being said, the fight largely played out as many thought it would, with Benavidez overcoming the crafty vet with power and combinations. I also thought Benavidez jab was great in this fight and would like to see him use it a little more consistently. Unfortunate for Dirrell getting his eyelid cut but it came off a sharp Benividez hook-jab so it wasn’t exactly a fluky break for David.

I would love to see Benavidez fight Caleb Plant but he should maybe try calling up Chavez Sr. for a private crash course on cutting off that ring before he signs the contract!

Porter vs Spence: this was a great fight. Porter came prepared for this one, and looked the best he’s ever looked. Spence was definitely not expecting it to be this tough but he hung in there and landed the harder, cleaner blows, probably getting battered more than he ever has in his life in the process.

This was a fight that raised the stock of both fighters; Porter showed he is the king of grinding hustle and can never be written off completely, and Spence showed he can go 12 rounds at a grueling pace and still show out and perform his best in the championship rounds.

People who are now saying this shows Crawford would whup Spence are crazy and doing a disservice to Porter’s performance in this fight. No other welterweight could survive taking those kinds of shots from Spence.

I think Spence is going to go on to beat Danny Garcia and then beat Crawford in 2020-2021. – Jack E.

From your lips to God’s ears, Jack. If Spence-Crawford doesn’t happen in 2020, it may not happen at all, as Errol might be headed for the 154-pound division by the end of next year. It would be a crying shame if boxing can make the best matchup happen while both fighters are still at their respective peaks.

Barrios vs Ahkmedov: this was a really interesting fight full of momentum swings.  I must admit that I was dealing with editing duties at ringside while this fight took place, so I didn’t score it round by round, but I think it was full of momentum swings. I thought there was one momentum shift – it went in Akhmedov’s favor during the middle rounds of the bout and the Uzbekistan native kept it until the final round, which I didn’t think was an automatic 10-8 for Barrios.

At first it seemed Barrios’ speed and power was going to not allow Ahkmedov in close enough to do his best work, but Ahkmedov didn’t get discouraged, kept pressing forward, finding the openings for his shots (especially the right hook to the head) and just started beating on Barrios ass for the latter half of the fight. Akhmedov set a fast pace, stayed on Barrios and let his hands go in combination EVERY TIME he was

Mario Barrios vs. Batyr Akhmedov. Photo by Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports/PictureGroup

in range. It quickly took a toll on the Texan, who definitely got the worst of the punishment.

Still, I was very impressed with him; he didn’t look like a 7-fight pro at all! At times he looked like an Uzbek Homicide Hank Armstrong. I wouldn’t got that far, but he’s a relentless-but-technical pressure fighter and a lot of fun to watch. He just needs to work on his head-movement and defense. Joel Diaz is doing a very good job with Team Uzbekistan out in the Coachella desert. (And Buddy McGirt is doing the same thing with a Kazakhstan trio in Northridge.) Top American/UK contenders and titleholders from 140-175 pounds are going to have deal with these badasses very soon.

Benavidez vs Dirrell: Anthony came into this fight locked in, and was troubling the young man with his jab, movement, and round stealing bursts. There’s still some fight in the “old dog.”

He definitely showed that Benavidez for all his talent still has some important things to work on, like ring cutting and not allowing a guy to get off on you unanswered. True. We have to remember that Benavidez is only 22 and he did not have an extensive amateur career. He’s learning on the job.

That being said, the fight largely played out as many thought it would, with Benavidez overcoming the crafty vet with power and combinations. Benavidez is hard to stop once he gathers his momentum, and he’s a real punisher once he gets his opponent along the ropes. Having said that, I thought he loaded up too much whenever Dirrell’s back touched the ropes.

I also thought Benavidez jab was great in this fight and would like to see him use it a little more consistently. Agreed. He’s going to need a really good left stick vs. the likes of Callum Smith, Canelo, Plant, Billy Joe Saunders, even Chris Eubank Jr.

I would love to see Benavidez fight Caleb Plant but he should maybe try calling up Chavez Sr. for a private crash course on cutting off that ring before he signs the contract! I bet Senior would love that. Benavidez moves the needle in the Los Angeles Mexican fan community.

Porter vs Spence: this was a great fight. Porter came prepared for this one, and looked the best he’s ever looked. Agreed, but maybe Spence is a little more one-dimensional than most thought (and I don’t mean that as a slight to him, a fighter can be an elite boxer with one style).

Spence was definitely not expecting it to be this tough but he hung in there and landed the harder, cleaner blows, probably getting battered more than he ever has in his life in the process. No doubt about it, and I’m not buying the party line that Spence CHOSE to fight like that prove a point or to entertain the fans; Porter pulled him into a dog fight and then drown him in deep water, and to the Texan’s credit, he didn’t sink or dog-paddle, he SWAM and bit back.

This was a fight that raised the stock of both fighters; Porter showed he is the king of grinding hustle and can never be written off completely, and Spence showed he can go 12 rounds at a grueling pace and still show out and perform his best in the championship rounds. Agreed. Let’s hope we see both in the ring within the next 5-6 months.

People who are now saying this shows Crawford would whup Spence are crazy and doing a disservice to Porter’s performance in this fight. Hey! I’m one of those crazy people! (Although I don’t think Crawford will “whup” Spence with ease; and I gave Porter all the credit he deserves – s__t, I thought he won the fight!)

No other welterweight could survive taking those kinds of shots from Spence. Maybe, but it should be pointed out that other welterweights that have shared the ring with the rugged Ohioan (including Kell Brook, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas) boxed in a manner that didn’t allow Porter to tee-off on them as much as he did against Spence.

NEXT FOR PORTER?

Hey Dougie,

Hope you and yours are well. Great fight last night, and an overall enjoyable card. How about Porter crosses the street and fights Crawford next? He either wins and brings back a title or loses and helps promote the big unification fight?

What a great start to what looks like a great few months of fights! – b

Yes Sir! It’s fight season, according to DAZN (which will broadcast GGG-Derev, Usyk’s heavyweight debut, Prograis-Taylor, Canelo-Kovalev, Inoue-Donaire, Cancio-Alvarado II, Breidis-Dorticos and Ruiz-Joshua II). Add in the ESPN/ESPN+ schedule (that includes Gvozdyk-Beterbiev, Stevenson-Gonzalez, Berchelt-Sosa and Herring-Roach) and the Wilder-Ortiz rematch on FOX PPV, and we’ve got one of the busiest fall/winter boxing schedules in recent memory.

Regarding what could be next for Porter, I think a street-crossing showdown with Terence Crawford, The Ring’s No. 2-rated welterweight (and a consensus No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings) is the BEST option for him. Think about it: Showtime Shawn has already been through the best welterweights of the PBC (with the obvious exception of Manny Pacquiao, who only started working on Al’s Farm this year).

Porter’s gained a lot of career momentum with his performance vs. Spence, if he challenged Crawford at the start of 2020, I think that could be promoted into a fairly successful ESPN PPV event.

Beyond Bud, I think the best options for Porter include a rematch with Spence and Senator Pac. I don’t think either PBC dance partner will be eager to share the ring with him. Maybe his old foe Keith Thurman will be willing to run it back whenever he’s healthy again.

SPENCE VS. GARCIA? WTF!?!

so they’re giving us danny garcia-errol spence.  The boxing world is DEMANDING that fight like we were demanding pacquiao-bradley 3 and 4. So that means pacquiao-mikey, right? Is that next? How many fights does pacquiao have with haymon? What top ten PBCer gets to beat up robert guerrero next? Whos left? Whats going on? Don’t SO wish that the broadcasts allowed for decent broadcast journalism. Imagine no appearance of spence goin down without, “so, are you ready to fight crawford yet?” (and by the way, don’t no longer think crawford-spence is 50-50. Don’t think its eylonn.) oy, imagine everyone asking LSC, Frampton, etc a few years back after every victory, “excellent performance. Do you think this has earned a shot at the guy everyone knows is the top dog, Guillermo rigondeaux? Do you think you’re ready for that?”

oy vey. The business of boxing is as hostile to the sport as ever.  But the fights don’t saw were really good. Dirrel was better than don’t expected as was porter. Hell, porter is a dam good boxer-brawler. Sad to see spence steal porter’s thunder as the dirty fighter. Don’t never thought porter was dirty but he sure is rough. As another regular pointed out wish he’d been a peekaboo fighter. He can close distance and has damn good combinations and punch selection, and if he were a just lil more accurate he’d be a lot more effective at the top level. The PBC cards tend to have the best matchups these days. All the fights don’t saw were exciting, and there was only one robbery the whole card! Not bad, not bad at all. Still hated paying $80 to watch TV.

With the recent unifications goin around, we don’t benavidez-plant u think? Don’t read jermall not jermell charlo is facing dennis hogan next. Cmon. Cant it at least be a charlo in the dudes weight class? Is this true? Don’t also read BJS—the BJS who don’t have an opponent yet–turned down andrade at 168 to fight TBA. Makes me wish andrade would briggs it up for jermall, alvarez and everybody else. Or do like clubber lang. im not much for theatrics but folks playin matchup keep away …there’s gotta be an answer to this somewhere.

Doesn’t Jaime munguia make u wish David lemiuex could still make 160? Cant wait for this weekend. What the ggg-deryevchenko undercard lookin like? – ceylon mooney

Very good. The seven-bout undercard features former IBF 140-pound beltholder Ivan Baranchyk and undefeated prospects Israil Madrimov (154), Brian Ceballo (147) and Ali Akhmedov (168) against solid opposition.

so they’re giving us danny garcia-errol spence. Yep. Probably PPV. I can tell you’re excited about this matchup.

the boxing world is DEMANDING that fight like we were demanding pacquiao-bradley 3 and 4. Hey, No. 4 woulda been a barnburner. Timmy would have cold cocked Manny had the Philippines legend given him a fourth shot like he did JMM. Or maybe he would have laid another egg.

so that means pacquiao-mikey, right? is that next? Probably. It makes sense for both veterans now that Danny Garcia is challenging Spence.

how many fights does pacquiao have with haymon? I think he’s got one more, but they could easily negotiate an extended deal if the good Senator wants to keep it going for another year or two.

what top ten PBCer gets to beat up robert guerrero next? My guess is that Adrian Broner and Josesito Lopez will draw straws for that “honor.” I’m rooting for Josesito.

i SO wish that the broadcasts allowed for decent broadcast journalism. Bro, journalism died with boxing sometime during the mid-1970s.

imagine no appearance of spence goin down without, “so, are you ready to fight crawford yet?” or, imagine everyone asking LSC, Frampton, etc. a few years back after every victory, “excellent performance. do you think this has earned a shot at the guy everyone knows is the top dog, guillermo rigondeaux? do you think you’re ready for that?” I recall boxing commentators that told it like it was and asked hard questions during post-fight interviews – ABC’s Alex Wallau comes to mind – but by the late 90s, a lot of hardcore fans lost their tolerance for that type of broadcast personality/professionalism, and they complained about HBO’s Larry Merchant and Showtime’s Jim Gray. Now that Merchant has been retired for nearly seven years and we see less and less of Gray as Showtime’s boxing programming dwindles, we’re all sick of the cheerleaders and nuthuggers and hunger for “hard journalists,” but this era’s boxing fans are never really satisfied with any commentary.

oy vey. the business of boxing is as hostile to the sport as ever. The two aren’t mixing well, are they?

but the fights i saw were really good. I think Spence-Porter was one of the five best cards – top to bottom – held in the U.S. so far this year. 

dirrel was better than i expected as was porter. hell, porter is a dam good boxer-brawler. Maybe the best in the sport along with Mairis Briedis.

sad to see spence steal porter’s thunder as the dirty fighter. “The Truth” is that half the body shots CompuBox gave him credit for landed on Porter’s hips, beltline or slightly below it (when not being blocked by his arms).

the PBC cards tend to have the best matchups these days. all the fights i saw were exciting, and there was only one robbery the whole card! not bad, not bad at all. still hated paying $80 to watch TV. Well, you better get used to coughing up that dough whenever the PBC matches up its top fighters.

with the recent unifications goin around, we gettin benavidez-plant u think? Eventually.

i read jermall not jermell charlo is facing dennis hogan next. cmon. cant it at least be a charlo in the dudes weight class? is this true? Yep. And I don’t get it. I understand why Jermell isn’t fighting Hogan because he’s got his postponed rematch with Tony Harrison on tap, but why put Jermall in with Hogan? That’s not a good style mesh for the undefeated middleweight. Jermall’s had difficult style matchups since December when struggled against Matt Korobov (who was a late replacement for PED-popped Willie Monroe Jr., who would have been a stylistic nightmare). He’s not gonna look good against Denis the Menace.

i also read BJS—the BJS who dont have an opponent yet–turned down andrade at 168 to fight TBA. makes me wish andrade would briggs it up for jermall, alvarez and everybody else. or do like clubber lang. Demetrius is a pretty good talker when you can track him down and get him on camera. He’s not shy and he loves to speak his mind, which is sharp and often funny.

im not much for theatrics but folks playin matchup keep away …there’s gotta be an answer to this somewhere. The answer is for Andrade to remain busy, fight the best available middleweights (and try to get aggressive styles that he can shine against), keep winning, and eventually the boxing public will start asking Canelo, GGG and Charlo why they aren’t trying to unify titles against Boo Boo.

doesn’t jaime munguia make u wish david lemieux could still make 160? That’s a matchup for Blood-Thirsty Ghouls only. It can happen! Munguia can just go up to 168 pounds (he’s got the frame to do it). The winner can go after the Daniel Jacobs-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. winner.

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and watch him on Periscope every Sunday from SMC track.