This Weekend's Boxing (Garcia vs. Benn - August 12th)

[Gooner]

You definitely couldn't have written that script any better. Joshua getting put down twice in round one, comes out on the front foot in the second, Prenga comes out the same round after scoring two knock downs in retreat mode and gets banged out. There may well have been a "bag" pulled out from somewhere during that fight.

[NeverYield]

It's absolutely not an outrageous suggestion considering the point we are at with AJ and Fury. Some things I've seen over the years are pure "tin foil hat" territory, but I don't totally dispute this one. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'm not entirely sure who's writing the script, but I don't know they've got the best interests of the AJ/Fury fight at heart.

I don't know that the fight has ever been worth less. An old man in tight shorts had a dark match against Marley's ghost, and a chinny Olympian nearly got sparked out cold by a sparkie.

I'd have assumed the scriptwriters would have had an in-shape Fury look good in victory, turn up in Jeddah in a silly fur coat and face off with an imperious Joshua - who'd just turned Pringles into crumbs within 3 rounds.

I'm all for a con job, but it sounds like boxing needs better script writers.

[Cousin Jim Bob]

Joshua landed a few at the start of the second, Prenga had probably never been hit that hard, he panicked and went into his shell. No real surprise in the guys first ever huge fight. Joshua has been knocked sideways before, sometimes he recovers, sometimes he doesn't, but he has plenty of experience of it.

I find that easier to believe than the Saudi's sent someone over to his corner, and offered them a load of money between rounds.

Especially if fucking Simon Jordan is on Team conspiracy theory.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, I don’t think they’d have felt the need to fix this. It was supposed to be a squash match. For as much as Hearn and co were giving it the ‘Prenga’s a dangerous opponent, look how many knockouts he’s got’ to make it sound like more of a legit tune up and a threat, I doubt they actually believed he was gonna put AJ on the canvas like that right out the gate.

I was watching a clip this morning of the Talksport lot (minus Simon Jordan) talking about the fight. It was Spencer Oliver, Paul Smith, John Rawling and Adam Catterall. And they all seemed to be convinced the first round going how it did was purely because AJ came back too soon from that horrible crash in December. I’m not gonna totally disagree with that. When you really think about it, December to July for something of that magnitude, physically and mentally, is a pretty fucking quick turnaround. I’m not gonna dismiss that it was a factor. But I couldn’t help but feel like they were also a bit in denial and dancing around the harsh reality that maybe AJ is just shot anyway. Rawling was the only one who seemed willing to entertain the idea, even saying AJ looked “shot to bits” in that opening round. But the overall consensus verdict they seemed to arrive at was ‘This was because AJ came back too soon, maybe push the Fury fight back a few months until after Christmas to give him more time.’ I don’t think that’s gonna help though. I think everyone knows deep down that both AJ and Fury are on their last legs at this point. Some just aren’t willing to admit it, or are being paid to put a spin on it. 

Edited July 26 by wandshogun09

[Egg Shen]

AJ simply got caught cold with a sneaky uppercut by a guy who clearly has heavy hands if nothing else. He was in recovery mode for the rest of the round.

I felt for AJ post fight when Ade brought up the crash, you could sed the pain on Joshua's face, he nearly broke down in the ring, that mans been through some shit. Poor fucker.

 

[d-d-d-dAz]

I'm not convinced the fight happens, the more I think about it.

Not wanting to lose is a terrible motivator for anyone, and I've just never got the impression either care more about winning than they do not losing to the other.

And this weekend, with both looking a bit shit, the currency of victory has been devalued even more... and a loss probably looks even worst.

I reckon there's a big falling out about location (which Eddie is already teasing), and both sides use it as an excuse to blow it up whilst blaming the other side for it having blown up.

[NeverYield]

That is exactly how I see it, I'm not certain at all this goes ahead.

Just watching Edgar Berlanga's fight from yesterday, all got a bit fiery

[NeverYield]

got the DAZN prelims on now of the O'Leary vs Chamberlain card, and looking forward to the Roach and Zepeda card later

Raymond Muratalla is on the card and he's always good value. 

[Egg Shen]

Yeah solid little night of action!

[NeverYield]

Darren Tills 85kg Prizefighter tournament as well and Willy Gilheaney vs Cyrus Pattinson on Jobes UK youtube channel too

Edited August 1 by NeverYield

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

If you've not watch Pierce O'Leary v Mark Chamberlain do yourself a favour and get it watched. Fight of the Year contender and one of the greatest commentators curse moments you will ever hear. 

[NeverYield]

Brilliant fight from start to finish, Chamberlain was all over O'Leary from of the off, who was game throughout and never once showed any signs of being discouraged, and this allowed to get his way back into a bit before Chamberlain readjusted himself for his second burst. 

Definitely a FOTY contender, and while tough as they come I fear for O'Leary against the likes of Azim & Dalton Smith. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

On 7/27/2026 at 12:47 PM, NeverYield said:

That is exactly how I see it, I'm not certain at all this goes ahead.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbtk1KYir9p/?igsh=c2NnYjdsdWh3Y20=

I don't know about anyone else's script, but this is certainly following ours currently.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah it’s all just so tiresome and boring. It’s definitely feeling like it’s not gonna happen and the location thing is gonna be used as the excuse. Also seen that the date they’re throwing around now is November 20th, which is a Friday, to avoid clashing with college football. The whole thing just feels dumb now. And it’s gone so far past the point of when it should’ve happened that I don’t even think the fight happening would really answer the question of who was actually the better of the two. I’ve always favoured Fury myself but the whole reason people wanted to see them fight in their primes was to find out who the best was. The 2026 versions of them facing off doesn’t really put that to bed because they’re way past their best. It’s all about who’s less shot now, which is never ideal.

I find it funny how they’ve pissed about so long with this whole thing that Usyk just came along and eclipsed them both anyway. Fury and AJ are like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart in 97, then Stone Cold Oleksandr Usyk comes along and swipes the top spot from both of them.