Sunday, September 3, 2017

Top 10 Boxing Pound for Pound Lists: ESPN, Ring, Teddy Atlas, & I

On August 31, ESPN's updated pound-for-pound pug list saw an update. Terence Crawford was said to had ''made a move,' in the list and its title's subtitle. Coming off a dismantling of the streaking Julius Indongo on the 19th a' that month, it made sense for "Bud" to have done-so. Where to? #4. Huh? I thought thoughts of Ward, Golovkin, ... who else was answered in a voice sounding more like Teddy Atlas' than mine in my own head: Lomachenko. Right there at three. At 9-1 and coming off a gloating over-whelming of one Mr. Miguel Marriaga.
ESPN, the beneficiary of HBO's boxing collapse, is apparently dead-set of forwarding the oft confusing to I agenda of hyping Loma no matter the cost. Spear-headed, of course, by Teddy Atlas as Andre Ward eye-rolls toward his general direction. It is my hope boxing fans can see through these fabricated shenanigans, as Vasyl Lomachenko readies himself to provide proof of his all-time greatness through defeat of the much smaller Guillermo Rigondeaux on December 9th, coming. It's all so absurd... but if repeated 'nuff, like lies -- absurdity becomes true. To some.

Here is the ESPN P4P list:
  1. Andre Ward
  2. Gennady Golovkin
  3. Vasyl Lomachenko
  4. Terence Crawford
  5. Roman Gonzalez
  6. Saul Alvarez
  7. Kieth Thurman
  8. Guillermo Rigondeaux
  9. Sergey Kovalev
  10. Manny Pacquiao
Hold the phone. Why the big gap twixt GGG (2) and Canelo (6)? The way I see it is September 16th's victor has as good a claim as any to the #1 slot. But one shant vault six spots in one go, no? Again, to pick on the obviously and admittedly insanely talented Loma -- no one can convince me he's that above Cinnamon. And keep holding that phone: Manny Pacquiao, in the wake of his Jeff Horn Australian loss, appears here how-so? Questions. I got questions???

Teddy's answers in the form of his own top 10 -- Atlas made ME shrug? In a strange turn of literary events. Here's how he sees it:
  1. Vasyl Lomachenko
  2. Terence Crawford
  3. Andre Ward
  4. Keith Thurman
  5. Sergey Kovalev
  6. Roman Gonzalez
  7. Guillermo Rigondeaux
  8. Canelo Alvarez
  9. Manny Pacquiao
  10. Errol Spence Jr.
No Triple G. Loma at numero uno with 10 professional bouts under his Everlast. Did I mention GGG is the lone remainder back at HBO from whenst Bob Arum orchestrated that exodus to ESPN. Teddy Alas toeing the company line with ham-hock fists, pumped in double-time? Here in his Teddy Atlas: Why I left Gennady Golovkin off my pound-for-pound list confounding write-up, he tells ya why and spins his spin. He knows boxing better than this, gentlepersons. Don't buy Teddy's ShamWow pitch.
What's my list?
MY LIST:
  1. Andre Ward
  2. Terence Crawford
  3. Gennady Golovkin
  4. Canelo Alvarez
  5. Errol Spence Jr.
  6. Keith Thurman
  7. Guillermo Rigondeaux
  8. Mikey Garcia
  9. Roman Gonzalez
  10. Shawn Porter
In the interest of well-roundednesses, here too is The Ring's latest list:

  1. Andre Ward
  2. Gennady Golovkin
  3. Terence Crawford
  4. Roman Gonzalez
  5. Vasyl Lomachenko
  6. Guillermo Rigondeaux
  7. Sergey Kovlev
  8. Canelo Alvarez
  9. Mikey Garcia
  10. Naoya Inoue
Better. Much better. But Gonzalez lost and I'm not one for over-riding official results. Plus no way Krusher ranks after two straight Ls. Who's Naoya Inoe? Sounds like a light-hitting utility infielder for a west coast MLB team. Gentlpersons, I'm about to turn this into my mostest conversational post yet. What do YOU think. Tell me in the comments below... Best comment gets a coveted No-prize. Am I right? Wrong? Handsome? HUH?
LISTEN:
"Mild Trauma" Kaplowitz Radio: September 3, 2017


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