Gatekeeper (boxing)

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In boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts, a gatekeeper is a skillful and well-regarded fighter, but one who does not have the popularity or brilliance of a title contender. They are considered to be a cut above most journeymen. A gatekeeper will often have an impressive record in terms of wins versus losses but will have a difficult time getting people behind them and especially obtaining promotion. They are often seen as a "stepping-stone" for potential title contenders to prove their worth against.

## Characteristics[edit]

Gatekeepers will frequently have the following characteristics:

* They're sometimes relegated to fight contenders to boost the contender's stock shortly before a title fight.[1]

## Notable examples[edit]

The following fighters have all been described as gatekeepers:[1][2][3][4][5]

* Monte Barrett
* Edison Miranda
* Jameel McCline
* Raymond Joval
* Earnie Shavers
* Ross Puritty
* Bert Cooper
* Saul Montana
* Dennis Bakhtov
* Yordenis Ugas
* Robert Hawkins
* Friday Ahunanya
* Vaughn Bean
* Przemyslaw Saleta
* Louis Monaco
* Danny García
* José Ribalta
* Tony Thompson
* Chris Arreola
* Felix Verdejo

## Notable MMA examples[edit]

* Gary Goodridge
* Karolina Kowalkiewicz
* Marion Reneau
* Jeremy Stephens
* Tecia Torres
* Cat Zingano
* Donald Cerrone
* Michael Johnson
* Diego Sanchez
* Jorge Masvidal
* Clay Guida

## See also[edit]

* Journeyman (boxing)
* Tomato can (sports idiom)

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Ondrizek, Troy (1 October 2006). "The Most Important Fighter in Boxing History". East Side Boxing. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012.
2. ^ "Edison Miranda as The Gatekeeper? Tough Gate - Boxing News". boxingscene.com. 12 May 2009.
3. ^ Blake Hochberger (15 May 2012). "I Like Marquez Over Judah, Ward Over Dawson And..." The Sweet Science.
4. ^ "Monte Barrett: The Gatekeeper Cometh". saddoboxing.com.
5. ^ "Adam Kownacki gets unanimous decision over Chris Arreola as both heavyweights break CompuBox record". sportingnews.com. 12 August 2021.

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