Boxing: Warriors vs. Wannabes

By Angel Flowers:

THE BUSINESS OF BOXING

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Boxing is a business much like any other business, the goal is to make a decent amount of money with the less amount of risk. Some boxers like any business do not mind taking the maximum risk available with little money in order further than brand, like a small company risking it all to advertise during the super bowl. Often though some boxers tend to romanticize themselves as wanting to fight the best opposition available regardless of the risk/rewards ratio, this is often a lie than experienced boxing professionals can see through easily.

These individuals are just talk and want to be seen as something they are not. On the other side of the coin there are boxers out there willing to challenge themselves, they truly have a warrior’s mentality. Below are some boxers who care about fighting the best opposition available, their boxing skill is not important, their boxing heart is, the heart of a warrior. Below are some deemed warriors by experts like myself and those deemed wannabes.

WARRIORS:

KELL BROOK: Regardless on if you like Kell Brook or not, if you think he is a good boxer or not you cannot deny the heart he has. He fought Shawn Porter, his tactics in the fight is not important, the fact he was in the ring was. Other writers on Boxing news 24 thought he would be scared to defend the title against good opposition and thought he would eventually vacate rather than fight the talented Errol Spence. Brook upped the ante by facing undefeated knockout artist Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. After that fight people expected him to take it easy but he then signed on to face Spence. There are very few people who can say they are fighting that type of opposition; Brook is a warrior.

KEITH THURMAN: Keith Thurman has repeatedly fought whoever was in front of him. It would have been easy for him to dodge Shawn Porter, instead he took that fight. His next fight is against the undefeated Danny Garcia, a fellow champion. Since Thurman came on the scene he has repeated called out the best in his division and have never frowned upon what he was getting paid. He called out Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and the rest of the 147 elite and judging by his actions he is not scared to fight anyone, he has the heart of a warrior.

ANDRE WARD: Andre Ward cleaned out the super middle weight division during his time there fighting all the best superstars and champions of that time along with all the top contenders. When GGG said no one wanted to fight him, he repeatedly challenged the middle weight champion who ducked him until feared light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev offered him the fight if he moved up. Ward not only took the fight but ending up beating Kovalev in a decision some saw as controversial. The outcome is not what is being discussed though, the fact he climbed in the ring with a much bigger man is. Andre Ward has the heart of a warrior.

VASYL LOMACHENKO: Perhaps the biggest warrior on this list is Lomachenko, no one in their first few fights have moved up in weight so quickly or fought such dangerous opposition. His opponents reads like a who’s who of people to stay the hell away from if you are a wannabe. He has climbed into the ring with Orlando Salido, Gary Russell Jr., Roman Martinez and Nicholas Walters in his first eight fights, all champions or former champions. Each of those men are knockout artist in their own right and have records not propped up by questionable opposition. As we have now finished with the warriors, it is now time for the wannabes.

WANNABES:

HUGHIE FURY: The younger of the Fury’s is definitely not his more famous cousin. He has repeatedly been called out and given the chance to fight Deontay Wilder getting and early shot at a title and Anthony Joshua who has also expressed an interest in fighting him. The whole point of boxing is to become the heavyweight champion of the world, not many men even get the chance thanks to the fact they lack the size. Fury has had the opportunity twice and failed to answer the call, now critics will point out he is facing Joseph Parker for a title but that still is two years too late. Fury has the heart of a wannabe despite his bravado

GENNADY GGG GOLOVKIN: If Lomachenko is the biggest warrior in boxing, GGG has to be the biggest wannabe. This is a person masquerading as a warrior when in reality he is anything but. GGG hasn’t fought decent opposition and claims it is through no fault of his own. GGG has called out Floyd Mayweather who started his career out as Jr. Lightweight offering to fight him in a JR. Middleweight fight and continues to call out Mayweather long after he retired. GGG argued that he is small for the middleweight division, meanwhile fighters in the actual Jr. Middleweight division have called him, real warriors and not those with inflated records including both Charlo brothers and Erislandy Lara. With Jermall Charlo moving up to middleweight for the fight, expect GGG to find another excuse. For a man who was willing to fight at Jr. Middleweight, him avoiding fighting actual champions at the weight proves he does not have the heart of a warrior. At the higher weight class he has been called out by both Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and Andre Ward. Ward had to go up in weight after being tired of GGG coming up with excuses and Zurdo has yet to hear back from GGG despite being a champion. GGG then wanted a big money fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. After stating he would fight former Jr. Lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather at 154 pounds, GGG balked at fighting Canelo at 155 pounds saying he now only fights at 160 pounds. Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions then offered him triple the most money he has ever made for the fight at 160 pounds and he continuously refuses saying it is not enough money despite having virtually no pay per view presence. GGG has fought a welterweight in Kell Brook, making the brave warrior come up in weight to fight him. Afterwards GGG took a fight with the very beatable Daniel Jacobs and even attempted to price himself out of that fight believing he is entitled to more money than he is actually worth. GGG is a great boxer with a fantastic punch and beautiful knockout ratio, in a fight with any of those who have called him out or express interest I think he would have to be considered the favorite despite the fact he has fought no one of note at his weight which makes the fact he is a wannabe all the more baffling.