Ward-Froch for The Ring belt

Fat Dan has moved Froch to # 2 as well. BoxingScene moved Froch to # 1, Ward # 2, and Bute # 3

Even though I agree with hardcore there is no great reason to move Froch up right now, I like the move. I like to see the vacancies filled when it is 2 top level fighters. I also think Bute shouldn't mind it. He gets to face a champ instead of fill a vacancy. Now obviously filling the vacancy of a lineal championship wouldn't and will never be called a paper champ but it does have a little more meaning to beat THE champ.

No matter what happens, I'm optimistic because these dudes actuakly seem interested ib fighting each other, and the networkvis actually putting in a real effort to make it happen, unlike Hbo. All that's needed to reassure me is Bute/kessler to get signed

UBeeg9cats wrote:Even though I agree with hardcore there is no great reason to move Froch up right now, I like the move.

People continue to underestimate Johnson. Yeah, he was ranked 7th at Super Middle. That's only because Green was his first fight in the division in years.

Johnson is also rated 4th at Light HW, a higher division. Johnson was Light HW Champ, should got the win over Dawson in the fist go round, and is the guy Slappy Joe wanted no part of, and ducked twice. Even fucking Frank Warren at the time all but said Calzaghe was ducking him.

Froch's win over Johnson is far superior than anyone Bute has faced.

I don't have a problem with it.

Gumby wrote:Great news. Makes the finale more meaningful and will give the division a legitimate champion. If someone's better, they can take the belt. Froch and Ward are both deserving of it.

+1

What's sad is, Showtime probably won't even mention that it's for The Ring belt. Since they are lame like HBO, and credit trinkets

Oh well, we the fans will know. All that matters

Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

Diego408 wrote:Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

Agreed.

Ward wins, he better ditch that butt ugly Super WBA Ring knock off belt.

Diego408 wrote:Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

Although I'm happy about Ring's decision, ranking has to do with more than just a guy's record. Performance has to be taken into account. No one has performed as well as Bute. His stoppages of Andrade and Miranda were impressive and he looked pretty good controlling Brinkley and Magee. You can easily make a case that he's the best in the division which to me means that you can make a case that he's the #1 guy. I don't think there's anything clear cut about the rankings at 168 until more of these guys fight each other, but Ring found the most meaningful fight and is rewarding two deserving guys who have taken the toughest schedule to get the opportunity.

Gumby wrote:

Diego408 wrote:Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

Although I'm happy about Ring's decision, ranking has to do with more than just a guy's record. Performance has to be taken into account. No one has performed as well as Bute. His stoppages of Andrade and Miranda were impressive and he looked pretty good controlling Brinkley and Magee. You can easily make a case that he's the best in the division which to me means that you can make a case that he's the #1 guy. I don't think there's anything clear cut about the rankings at 168 until more of these guys fight each other, but Ring found the most meaningful fight and is rewarding two deserving guys who have taken the toughest schedule to get the opportunity.

Performance matters, but against whom! He allowed Andrade to get to him in the 1st fight, Miranda has been drilled by lesser fighters and seriously, Magee & Brinkly? WTF? That in itself in no way makes a case for him being #1. Bute has had a much easier ride as the Super 6 was going on. The rest of the 168 lbers have had to slug it out with top ranked fighters while Bute has been eating at the Chumps Are Us buffet.

Diego408 wrote:Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

How is Froch the clear number 2 when he lost to Kessler, who hasnt lost since?

Beating Johnson and Abraham means nothing to me. Those 2 guys havent done anything at 168. Just because those fights were part of the Super 6, ppl overrate the wins.

SlickMoney wrote:

Diego408 wrote:Ward is the clear #1 and Froch is the clear #2. Bute has done nothing to earn that #2 spot besides being matched carefully and staying undefeated (and just surviving Andrade the first time around). Kessler having beat Froch already doesnt mean much now because hes coming off a bad injury and we wont know how much he has left in the tank till he fights Bute in the fall.

How is Froch the clear number 2 when he lost to Kessler, who hasnt lost since?

Beating Johnson and Abraham means nothing to me. Those 2 guys havent done anything at 168. Just because those fights were part of the Super 6, ppl overrate the wins.

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

SlickMoney wrote:

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

His loss to Kessler was razor thin, Kessler backed out of the Super 6, Bute has fought nobody. Who else?

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

His loss to Kessler was razor thin, Kessler backed out of the Super 6, Bute has fought nobody. Who else?

Backed out on fighting Allan Green? Kessler's injury was legit unlike Dirrell's.

Bute couldnt fight anybody since they were all in the Super 6. Who was he suppose to fight?

SlickMoney wrote:

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

His loss to Kessler was razor thin, Kessler backed out of the Super 6, Bute has fought nobody. Who else?

Backed out on fighting Allan Green? Kessler's injury was legit unlike Dirrell's.

Bute couldnt fight anybody since they were all in the Super 6. Who was he suppose to fight?

I didn't mean he chickened out. I should have said pulled out. Either way, he's out. Bute was a victim of the Super 6 because it took all the top guys out, I agree. But that doesn't belie the fact that he's fought a much easier schedule than Froch. My point is, it doesn't hurt Bute to be #3 in the ring rankings. He can't fight for the Ring Belt until the Super 6 is over anyway. I'm sure they'll match him up with the winner, so this way it's for the Ring Belt.

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

His loss to Kessler was razor thin, Kessler backed out of the Super 6, Bute has fought nobody. Who else?

Backed out on fighting Allan Green? Kessler's injury was legit unlike Dirrell's.

Bute couldnt fight anybody since they were all in the Super 6. Who was he suppose to fight?

I didn't mean he chickened out. I should have said pulled out. Either way, he's out. Bute was a victim of the Super 6 because it took all the top guys out, I agree. But that doesn't belie the fact that he's fought a much easier schedule than Froch. My point is, it doesn't hurt Bute to be #3 in the ring rankings. He can't fight for the Ring Belt until the Super 6 is over anyway. I'm sure they'll match him up with the winner, so this way it's for the Ring Belt.

I made a very similar argument about Bradley-Alexander being for the Belt and not too many people agreed with it. Also, we saw how well the assumed showdown of Bradley and Khan went.

UBeeg9cats wrote:

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

flapanther2001 wrote:

SlickMoney wrote:

Slick...you don't think Froch has been impressive?

Impressive? Yes. Clear #2 he is not.

His loss to Kessler was razor thin, Kessler backed out of the Super 6, Bute has fought nobody. Who else?

Backed out on fighting Allan Green? Kessler's injury was legit unlike Dirrell's.

Bute couldnt fight anybody since they were all in the Super 6. Who was he suppose to fight?

I didn't mean he chickened out. I should have said pulled out. Either way, he's out. Bute was a victim of the Super 6 because it took all the top guys out, I agree. But that doesn't belie the fact that he's fought a much easier schedule than Froch. My point is, it doesn't hurt Bute to be #3 in the ring rankings. He can't fight for the Ring Belt until the Super 6 is over anyway. I'm sure they'll match him up with the winner, so this way it's for the Ring Belt.

I made a very similar argument about Bradley-Alexander being for the Belt and not too many people agreed with it. Also, we saw how well the assumed showdown of Bradley and Khan went.

Yeah that's true...all we can do is hope. I didn't think Alexander deserved to be ranked ahead of Khan or Bradley, so I can see your point. Cross your fingers some douche bag doesn't screw up Bute vs the Super 6 winner.

flapanther2001 wrote:Performance matters, but against whom! He allowed Andrade to get to him in the 1st fight, Miranda has been drilled by lesser fighters and seriously, Magee & Brinkly? WTF? That in itself in no way makes a case for him being #1. Bute has had a much easier ride as the Super 6 was going on. The rest of the 168 lbers have had to slug it out with top ranked fighters while Bute has been eating at the Chumps Are Us buffet.

The 2nd Andrade fight is when he made a name for himself. You could see a transformation in him in those two fights. The fact that he grew so much in between those fights helps his case, it doesn't hurt it. Andrade was a legitimate fighter who Bute broke in that fight. Miranda was a decent opponent. That was the best I had seen him fight at 168 and Bute caught him with a KOTY contender. Magee and Brinkley were both ranked guys who had earned a shot at a belt. Bute did what he was supposed to with them. He controlled and worked to trap them before stopping them. Bute did what he was supposed to do. He can't be blamed for not getting invited to the Super Six. If Bute and Froch were made tomorrow I think Bute would be the favorite. To me that's a good case that he could be considered ahead of him.

Well, we can argue about the rankings all day long.

The great thing about this division and fighters is that they are all willing to fight each other. Soon enough, we will have our answers.

The debate might come down to the triangle effect though, where styles make fights.

I still can't help feeling that Bute gets beat by Froch, Kessler and Ward. I'm just not sold on him yet.

Froch lost a razor close decision to Kessler. It all came down to home court. Since the fight was in Kessler's home court, he got the W. Had it been in the UK, it'd been Froch that got it.

Add on Ward shut-out Kessler, so if Ward wins, is there any disputing he'd be The Man? If Froch wins, same thing. He beat the guy that shut Kessler out.

Both have done all you could ask to prove who The Man is.

LOL....what if Bute loses to Mendy?