Sloan: Of course I will continue this charade. I never quit, unlike some other “writers” we know of (cough, cough).
OK, Tanner is on an impressive winning streak of four fights, but let’s get serious here. Who exactly has he beaten? He’s toppled Phil Baroni twice, a man with emotional problems and a messy fighting style. Tanner was lucky when they first met (Larry Landless, anyone?) and in their rematch, was that even Baroni who showed up? He tried nothing and was entirely spent of energy after the first round. What did he do in that fight? Isn’t that also the same Baroni who eventually found himself in the middle of a four fight-losing streak?
Also, Tanner beat Robbie Lawler. Big deal. Lawler’s a deadly striker but he’s so rough around the edges and the kid is so sloppy that he makes Peter North look like Peter Jennings. And wasn’t Lawler a loser of two of his last three fights before he was submitted by Tanner?
And what about David Terrell? Let’s face it; Terrell got that title shot against Tanner solely for his destruction of Matt Lindland. Besides that, he’s had what, three professional fights? OK, OK he had six fights up to that point. When Tanner pinned him along the cage, Terrell looked as if he’d never trained before. He was more befuddled than I was when I first entered the Lost Woods in the original Legend of Zelda. Another thing about Terrell is the fact that Mr. Savage is hell-bent on proclaiming that Terrell is the greatest thing since flan in a squeeze tube. With Savage on his side, it’s no wonder he was pummeled at the hands of Tanner, the man with a thousand hairdos.
So that winning streak of Tanner’s should be tossed right out the window. The weight cutting situation is also a moot point because Franklin will just bulk up with water immediately following the weigh-ins and come fight time, he’ll have his size and strength advantages back in full force. I’ve been around boxing far too long and I’ve seen this weight-cutting trick well over a thousand times. Why do you think guys like Arturo Gatti, Felix Trinidad, Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales, and countless others score so many knockouts? It’s because of two reasons: 1) They have natural punching power, something Franklin has in droves and 2) they bulk up after weigh-ins and outweigh their foes tenfold, something Franklin will do Saturday night.
So, let’s hear it, Grossman. Enlighten me with your sage-like wisdom. Explain to me exactly how Tanner will prevail! And besides, the winner of the first match wins 84 percent of all rematches in the fight game.
Gross: That’s Editor Grossman, buddy. Rich isn’t a wrestler and he hasn’t made weight-cutting a major part of his success. So the fact that he’s now decided to that is risky in my book.
You really want a battle of record breakdowns? I don’t think you do. The caliber of talent Franklin’s faced since beating Tanner in 2003 is frightening — and not in a “shock and awe” sorta way. Save me the trouble and just look at the Fight Finder. It ain’t pretty.
(And if your best dig centers on a Curtis Stout fight in Super Brawl … yeah.)
But that’s beside the point. There’s nothing wrong with building towards a fight, getting hours in the ring and bettering yourself as a pro. (As a self-proclaimed boxing expert, you should know that better than anyone.) Both Tanner and Franklin have done just that the last two years, leading them to this moment on Saturday.
I believe Franklin is a better light heavyweight than middleweight and Tanner is a better middleweight than light heavy. Intangibles come into play here, but that’s the crux of my argument.
Can Franklin win (and I hate answering my own question since I’ve taken Tanner in this Mediocre Sherdog Debate)? Of course he can.
Will he? Well now we’re getting to the crux of the matter. I have my doubts, and I’m a Franklin guy. Been a fan since I saw him demolish Aaron Brink despite carrying a fever into the cage that would have Angelina Jolie look frigid.
I’ll concede that Franklin has the edge on the feet, but it’s not as wide a gap as it was in 2003. And you know he’s sacrificing power by dropping 20 pounds. (This is not an Arturo Gatti situation. Tanner will be his size in the Octagon.)
On the ground, Rich is slick. But Evan is a powerful mauler who won’t get caught in a sub. And he’s more than proficient to survive from the bottom if somehow he gets put on his back.
If you think Rich has got him in the clinch, you’re way off base. This is where Tanner dominates, whether he’s stuffing knees into someone’s midsection or scoring takedowns. (He was good at these things before working with Randy Couture and Matt Lindland — he’s better now.)
Tanner will not stand on the outside and allow Franklin a chance to pepper him with punches and kicks. If he does, he’ll lose. He knows that. The middleweight champ has always been a cerebral fighter and those lessons won’t escape him on Saturday.
30-love.