Mikey Tapology Boxing Corner!

Alright folks, 

As you might know I'm Tapology Boxing editor. I know the majority of you guys are here for MMA, so was I originally. But for the last year or 2 there is a little more interest in Boxing on the site. 

So here's a place to talk boxing. 

"M.F.K.Z." is my go-to anime "lite"
Like Crunchy Roll "Ghost Stories," It makes me laugh.  

Ain't nothin' wrong with that.  

https://www.boxingscene.com/akhmadaliev-vstapales-mandatory-title-fight-heads-january-18-purse-bid--163362

* Edited at 01.10.2022, 11:33 PM ET *

Got a World Championship fight this weekend. Saturday night on ESPN WBO Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith Jr makes his 1st defence. Unfortunately the fight is pretty ****!! Originally he was meant to face UK Banger Callum Johnson, famous for putting P4P Russian monster Beterbiev on his ass in a firefight!  Johnson failed a COVID test so we get Steve Geffrard, who isn't in anyone's top 50,maybe even 100! Yet he somehow magically appears to be the new no. 15 in the WBO ranking. Seriously these sanctioning bodies need to get to ****!!!
Anyway, I did a little digging on Geffrard, turns out he was a pretty good amateur, he actually won US National titles and was contending for the 2012 Olympic spot only for Michael Hunter to beat him to it. He turned pro and had a disaster, losing his 1st 2 fights! He's on an 18 fight win streak since but has beaten absolutely nobody of note
.  I fully expect Joe Smith Jr to beat his ass, only question is when is the stoppage? Smith has came out and destroyed people inside a round or 2,other times its a methodical beat down and late round stoppage. I'm going with early obliteration!

Unfortunately the Co Main event has had a significant downgrade too! Abraham Nova was meant to take on Mexican banger Jose Vivas but he fell out and in comes a typical late notice guy who's record doesn't look bad on paper (19-1) but if you know, you know he's terrible!

Anyway, there's a decent Showtime card next weekend headlined by Gary Russell Jr defending his World Title vs Manny Pacquiao protégé Mark Magsayo plus a good undercard, Subriel Matias is a dangerous guy who you should look up. Boxing really gets going again in February with a tonne of good fights scheduled and due to be announced.  So I'm still not going to be posting much until then

In the meantime I thought I'd see if anyone has any bold predictions for boxing in 2022?

Who do you see being in big fights, who emerges as a Champion, who ends up as P4P no 1?

You all know that I have Boots Ennis becoming World Champion really soon!!! I think Canelo loses!!!! IF he faces David Benavidez or Artur Beterbiev that is!!!  I think Usyk KO's Joshua in the rematch. Castano and Chocolatito both get the wins they deserved vs Charlo and Estrada.

I think on the female side Sandy Ryan is going to be on the verge of if not fighting for a World Title. I think Savanna Marshall KO's Claressa Shields and Amanda Serrano KO'S and retires Katie Taylor at MSG in the 2 biggest fights in Womens boxing history. 

I have more, but let me know yours. Anyone got anything crazy??

Don't say Jake ****** Paul beats Canelo or Usyk or anything like that or you're BARRED!!!!

Canelo sends both to the shadow realm. Both are upright, plodding forward style boxers that Canelo seems to have the least trouble with. It also wasn't that long ago Benevidez was being put on his ass by Gavril. Bivol is the one that's going to give Canelo fits, but my hot prediction is they never fight. 

Another one is that Julio Cesar Martinez and Sunny Edwards gets made for late 2022 and Edwards wins by comfortably boxing from the outside. 

GGG beat Canelo the 1st fight, (FOOK the Judges!) everyone knows that.
I'd say Beterbiev is a very similar style to GGG but bigger in size and strength. Plus a better combination puncher with big power! I'd say that's a problem!!
As for combination punchers, Benavidez is 1 of the best. Yes he squares up a lot but he will hit you from everywhere in 4,5,6, 7,8 punch combos! Plus his cardio is tremendous!
I think to beat Canelo somebody is going to have to bring it to him! Just my thoughts.

I do think Bivol has the boxing ability to cause some issues but I highly doubt he wins a close decision by outpointing Canelo with a few jabs per round. Not going to happen because, I refer to my earlier point about Judges!!!

Also about Benavidez being dropped by Gavril, yeah but he still got up and won, and won the rematch convincingly, plus he was 20. Remember young Canelo got rocked to his boots by Miguel Cottos old washed cousin when he was 20 too. Young fighters get caught sometimes, the great ones learn from it. I believe Benavidez will be a great fighter, he just needs some big fights. 

Also good shout about Edwards beating Martinez 

* Edited at 01.11.2022, 11:44 PM ET *

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bittersweet-Science-Racketeering-Political-Economy/dp/0717808297

Has anyone read this and if so would you recommend it? 

@mikey

I think Canelo will lose too, I think if the rumour are true and he is going to cruiser weight, I think the cruiser weight be too big for him, Canelo fought at 160lb, I think they’re weight class for a reason 

Mikey1903 .. I used to think it was mickey lol, if Canello get whooped at 175-190 or 200 can he regain the lower belts?
I fully expect that cagey African dude to ko him by the by forgot his name already.

Canelo wins his first fight at Cruiserweight against Badou Jack but not convincingly and decides to settle at Light Heavyweight where he puts up a good fight but is beaten by Artur Beterbiev.

Anthony Joshua wins the Oleksandr Usyk rematch by an absolutely BS decision in a fight he clearly lost. Enraged by the decision, Usyk throws a sucker punch at Joshua but misses and flatlines Eddie Hearn instead. Usyk wins the trilogy fight later in the year. 

Amir Khan beats Kell Broke and wins the prize of being murdered in the first round by Connor Benn and then retires.

Terrance Crawford loses to Yordenis Ugas in a shocking but comfortable decision. He spends years trying to get the rematch but boxing politics prevents it from finalising.

Jake Paul KO's Eddie Alvarez in the first round and is then scheduled to fight Tommy Fury but the fight gets cancelled after Paul gets injured in the ensuing brawl after he tries the "Hey woman!" taunt from Rocky 3 on Tommy Fury's girlfriend Molly-Mae Hague at a press conference.

* Edited at 01.12.2022, 7:44 PM ET *

In all honesty, Canelo VS Jake Paul is about the only one of Paul's fights I'd watch. You either see Paul get the **** beaten out of him or he upsets Canelo and would have no excuse to fight anyone other than high level boxers from now on.

As for my hypothetical prediction: Canelo by late stoppage but only because he'd choose to carry Paul for a lot of the fight for the entertainment value. The same way that Floyd Mayweather could've finished Conor McGregor much earlier if he wanted to but went easy on him IMO. 

Stephen, you're pushing your luck mate!!! 

Josh, if Canelo moves up he likely vacates the 168lbs belts, or at least a few of them(he has all 4) because of mandatory challengers being due. Although I fully expect the WBC, WBA(the worst of the 4 sanctioning bodies) to make Canelo Franchise, Legacy, Super Duper Duper Champion or some ******** so he can hold onto some kind of belt. Basically the sanctioning bodies are a law unto themselves and they do as they please, impossible to predict what ******** they come up with next! 


It actually looks like Canelos next fight won't be the Cruiserweight Makabu now, strong rumours suggests that he takes on current WBC 160lbs Champion Jermall Charlo at 168lbs on Canelos yearly Cinco de Mayo fight.  There is still a small chance he faces David Benavidez, the fight I want. Canelo head trainer /manager Eddy Reynoso said to expect an announcement in the next week or two 

In terms of legacy, what do you guys think is more impressive: a bunch of defences as undisputed champion of one weight class or being a multiple weight world champion but only defeing them once or not at all? I personally think that just focusing on one weight class and dominating in it is far more impressive than winning the belts in multiple weight classes once. I think Canelo's legacy will be better if he just focuses on remaining the undisputed 168lbs champion. 

I hear ya Stephen I feel the quality of opponents and performances is much more important than how many belts or classes.
So many guys fight in multiple classes and when you look back the ones they Owned are what is remembered.
On the other hand I do respect people going up and taking bigger challenges if done right.
Furthermore those kind of multiple division guys always cause problems for real contenders making them wait.
 

I think it's different moving up the weight classes in boxing compared to MMA. Because of the smaller difference between weights in boxing guys are expected to move up through the weights, especially in the lightest divisions.
I mean from Flyweight to Featherweight in boxing covers 5 divisions in only 14lbs! The same weight between Lightweight and Welterweight in MMA, 2 divisions, is 5 in boxing! 

@Mikey1903

I think there's about 16-18 weight classes in boxing or something like that? Way too many divisions! If I ever set up my own boxing sanctioning body the Boxing Association Moderators Board Of Pink Pugilists (BAMBOPP), there will be 5 weight classes which will be:

120lbs - Lightweight
140lbs - Welterweight
160lbs - Middleweight
180lbs - Cruiserweight
200lbs - Heavyweight

One belt per division so there's only 5 world champions in total. This is how I'll fix boxing!