Which fighters today, above all else, want to prove they're the best?

[Shake]

Whenever I saw Tommy Hearns or heard him talk, there was this simmering ambition. Wanted to be a champion above all else. Wanted to avenge his losses above all else. Would take on anyone.

Today most fighters seem to have their business-smarts with them. Who's still old-school?

I'll give a shout for Pavlik. Took on hard-hitting Miranda and decided he was just going to have to back him up, and that's what he did. Immediately after? Taylor. Not one or two easy fights now that he's somewhat of 'name', nope, right at the champ. If he loses, he's back to square one, but then again, he's not thinking of loss. He's thinking of that big shiny belt.

[tampa]

until pavlik becomes champ then it becomes all about the money go ask taylor

[thewoo]

until pavlik becomes champ then it becomes all about the money go ask taylor

Taylor may have made comments about money but at the end of the day he took the fight that the people wanted most against a dangerous guy.

[codeman99998]

Yeah. In all truth, love him or hate him, of all of the champions Jermaine Taylor has probably defended his title against the hardest competition. Hopkins rematch, Winky, Ouma and Spinks (who, while outside of their best weightclass, were still world class fighters in their own right).

I'd say Wladimir Klitschko is a good candidate. He genuinely seems to want to fight the best.

Floyd Mayweather gets an honorable mention for the WORST when it comes to wanting to prove he is the best.

[Jack]

Wlad Klitschko.
Pacquiao.
Mosley.
Winky.
Cotto.
Williams (Granted, he had nothing to lose fighting Margo, but I tink he wants it big time. He showed a lot of heart).
Hatton (Same as Williams. He always shows heart and I think he honestly wants the big names on his record).


Money has probably ruined boxing.

[doublesuited]

Miranda has a better claim towards fighting the best than Pavlik does, and it ain't even close.

Going from Eastman to the undefeated champion Abraham in Germany to a warmup fight in Gibbs, then straight to the undefeated Allen Green, and then the undefeated contender Pavlik a short while later.

Now that's impressive...even if he lost 2 out of 5.

[Jack]

Yeah. In all truth, love him or hate him, of all of the champions Jermaine Taylor has probably defended his title against the hardest competition. Hopkins rematch, Winky, Ouma and Spinks (who, while outside of their best weightclass, were still world class fighters in their own right).He's not doing it for his legacy or anything like that though. It's all about money for him. If fighting a no name journeyman made him the same money as fighting someone like Winky, he wouldn't think twice about picking the journeyman.

Someone like Wlad would choose the better fighter, I think.

[codeman99998]

He's not doing it for his legacy or anything like that though. It's all about money for him. If fighting a no name journeyman made him the same money as fighting someone like Winky, he wouldn't think twice about picking the journeyman.

Someone like Wlad would choose the better fighter, I think.
I don't care too much about his motivation really.

Money has fucked boxing up so much and prevented so many awesome fights that when money causes someone to want to fight and to take on the best, it's a good thing.

[Relentless]

cotto duh

[Slothrop]

Off the top of my head. Feel free to copy, alter, and add.

Heavy: Wlad, Peter, Chagaev, Ibragimov, and, sorry, but Ruiz, who will fight anyone anywhere any time.

Cruiser: Darnell Wilson.

Light heavy: Glen Johnson, Chad Dawson, BHop

Super Middle: Kessler

Middle: Pavlik

Light middle: Dzinziruk (sp?)

Welter: Cotto

Jr. Welter: Malignaggi

Lightweight: Juan Diaz

Super feather: Pacman, Marquez

Anything below, I don't follow too closely.

[Cruiser1]

Off the top of my head. Feel free to copy, alter, and add.

Heavy: Wlad, Peter, Chagaev, Ibragimov, and, sorry, but Ruiz, who will fight anyone anywhere any time.

Cruiser: Darnell Wilson.

Light heavy: Glen Johnson, Chad Dawson, BHop

Super Middle: Kessler

Middle: Pavlik

Light middle: Dzinziruk (sp?)

Welter: Cotto

Jr. Welter: Malignaggi

Lightweight: Juan Diaz

Super feather: Pacman, Marquez

Anything below, I don't follow too closely.

Dzinzdruk or however u spell it is doing what most Universum fighters do and that's stay in Germany making defenses against marginal opposition. That doesn't sound overly ambitious to me.

Chad Dawson is a very good pick though. He went after Adamke and now supposedly he's gonna fight Diaconu. That's called manning up and facing the best.

[paulfv]

Here's 2 who don't:

- PBF

- JT

[Slothrop]

Dzinzdruk or however u spell it is doing what most Universum fighters do and that's stay in Germany making defenses against marginal opposition. That doesn't sound overly ambitious to me.

Chad Dawson is a very good pick though. He went after Adamke and now supposedly he's gonna fight Diaconu. That's called manning up and facing the best.

Dzinzdruk is being ducked. There's no point in leaving Germany if nobody will fight him. Funny how American fighters never get shit for staying on American soil.

[Cruiser1]

Dzinzdruk is being ducked. There's no point in leaving Germany if nobody will fight him. Funny how American fighters never get shit for staying on American soil.

I think Dawson is going to Montreal to fight Diaconu but that's besides the point. Nobody outside of Germany knows who Sergei is. You need people to know who u are in order to be ducked.

[acb]

Chico Corralas was this guy. :yep

[thunder06]

pacman and cotto.

[Irish Steel]

Kessler, hands down.

[1lehudson]

He's not doing it for his legacy or anything like that though. It's all about money for him. If fighting a no name journeyman made him the same money as fighting someone like Winky, he wouldn't think twice about picking the journeyman.

Someone like Wlad would choose the better fighter, I think.:roll:

[psychopath]

If there's anybody it should be Pavlik. After Miranda he is going straight to Taylor . . . and despite the money offer not being good he accepted the fight because all he wanted is to prove himself. He said he'll fight Sturm and Abraham before he moves up and fight Calzaghe if he's still around.

Can there be any better than that? :D

[VIP]

Mikkel Kessler
and what I've heard from Kelly Pavlik.

Guys like Pacquiao/Cotto are willing to face anyone but leave it too much in the hands of their promoters.

[pipe wrenched]

Pavlik
Cotto
Margarito (even though he lost he always wanted anybody it appeared)
Diaconu
Doniare

[Lacyace]

Evander Holyfield
Bernard Hopkins

[Brickhaus]

Casamayor
Kessler
Pacquiao
Juan Diaz (only problem is that DKP promotes him, but Diaz-Casamayor WILL happen once Diaz unifies)
Juan Manuel Marquez

[codeman99998]

Casamayor
Kessler
Pacquiao
Juan Diaz (only problem is that DKP promotes him, but Diaz-Casamayor WILL happen once Diaz unifies)
Juan Manuel Marquez

Maybe JMM wants to but his promoters don't. JMM is notorious for choosing the incorrect opposition.

[CASH_718]

Whenever I saw Tommy Hearns or heard him talk, there was this simmering ambition. Wanted to be a champion above all else. Wanted to avenge his losses above all else. Would take on anyone.

Today most fighters seem to have their business-smarts with them. Who's still old-school?

I'll give a shout for Pavlik. Took on hard-hitting Miranda and decided he was just going to have to back him up, and that's what he did. Immediately after? Taylor. Not one or two easy fights now that he's somewhat of 'name', nope, right at the champ. If he loses, he's back to square one, but then again, he's not thinking of loss. He's thinking of that big shiny belt.Well after 30 easy fights and one hard fight(on paper) I don't think he needed two more easy fights.

[CASH_718]

He's not doing it for his legacy or anything like that though. It's all about money for him. If fighting a no name journeyman made him the same money as fighting someone like Winky, he wouldn't think twice about picking the journeyman.

Someone like Wlad would choose the better fighter, I think.This could be the worst post I ever read.

[CASH_718]

Pavlik
Cotto
Margarito (even though he lost he always wanted anybody it appeared)
Diaconu
DoniareThe best name on his resume is Rico Hoye wow.

[Jack]

This could be the worst post I ever read.
Probably because you're a fucking moron.

The intial post says which fighters want to prove themselves. not including money or anything like that. Now, in Taylors post fight interview after the Spinks fight, he even admitted he would fight anyone who would offer the most money.

Regardless of who he is actually fighting, he is doing it for money, which is exactly what the riginal post said not to include.

If it's the Wlad part, he's the only heavyweight to make serious attempts to fight the best fighters and unify. He wanted Briggs and Maskaev. It's obvious he is the best heavyweight for wanting the best opposition. Sam Peter is the only other one up there.