Best heavyweight fights at the moment.

[BrutalBodyShots]

I agree that he's old. I disagree on your assessment of his ability to punch and his ability to take a punch. I have not seen evidence in his "comeback" to suggest that his punching power is diminished or that he gets hurt easier now than in the past. What evidence have you seen that I've missed, or are you just inferring that since he's 42 this things must be the case?

Correct that Briggs has fought one relevant fighter in the last 7 years. However, that's 1 more than Wilder at this point.

Wilder wouldn't make it a third of the way through the fight with that one relevant fighter, much less go the distance.

[Decagon]

Well, the only fight I've seen in his comeback was the one against that tall Brazilian guy. Briggs won every round, but he was never close to finishing that fight. Also, if he were serious about winning a championship and not just securing a payday, he'd fight a contender. He's been fighting guys that make Wilder's opposition look like the heavyweights from the 1970s.

[BrutalBodyShots]

So because he wasn't able to stop a guy that never gets stopped it means his punching power is diminished? What about the part where you said he gets hurt easier than in the past... what was that assessment based on?

Agreed that his competition sucks since coming back to the sport, but he's been back LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. I wouldn't expect anyone that's been away from the game for 4 years to be in there with a contender in less than 3 months of coming back. At least he's been in the ring 4 times in less than 3 months; at his age staying busy is a necessity.

[Dickagon]

Briggs has been fighting opponents he found on craigslist and Wilder hasn't been doing much better.

[Warlord]

Why don't Briggs and Wilder just face each other then? That would answer all our questions. That said, Briggs finishes Wilder should that fight happen. Which it won't. Because Shannon still has a pulse.

[BigG]

Sorry to say but Wilder is really nothing special. He has power but he is 6'7 and doesn't use his height well from what I've seen. I heard he gave Haye some decent work for Klitschko but we have to wait and see I guess. Put him in with Delboy Chisora or even Chris Arreola.

[Decagon]

That Brazilian guy Briggs went the distance with had been stopped before.

[BrutalBodyShots]

(08-04-2014 07:38 PM)Decagon Wrote:  That Brazilian guy Briggs went the distance with had been stopped before.

Don't be ignorant Dec. You know he was stopped once in his 10th pro fight and his next 7 losses over the last decade have all been decision losses.

I don't know shit about the guy, but it's obvious that he is a distance-loss type of guy and the fact that Briggs didn't stop him doesn't mean Briggs' power has diminished.

And for the third time, what evidence suggests that Briggs takes a punch worse these days?

[Decagon]

All older fighters can't take a punch as well as before.

[BrutalBodyShots]

(08-04-2014 08:41 PM)Decagon Wrote:  All older fighters can't take a punch as well as before.

So, as I thought you're just speculating rather than speaking based on any sort of evidence in the ring. Which is fine, but your one liner above is pretty weak.

Using that rationale, a guys ability to take a punch lessens every fight as every fight he's older. I personally think age is probably the weakest argument one can make for a guy not being able to take a shot as good as he used to.

I think the strongest argument as to why a guy can't take a shot as well as before is based around the amount of damage he's taken lately. One example of this was Morales in his string of losses prior to his 3 year retirement. The guy was taking a ton of damage and getting hurt easily in the ring. He takes 3 years off and returns and doesn't get nearly as hurt, even going the distance and putting up a great fight against Maidana, a guy who IMO would have easily stopped Morales had Morales not taken that time off.

Briggs obviously with 4 years off has had the opportunity to recharge his batteries (and roid up more of course) and certainly hasn't taken much damage since returning, so I'd argue that he'll take a punch just fine today.