Boxing Thread

[Gooner]

I agree with the best face/heel turn since Austin/Bret at Mania 13, it was unbelievable. Is this talk about Froch facing Chavez Jnr true? I hope not, he won't go near Ward, maybe he got more confidence against GGG. It really depends on what that done to Froch tonight, he may believe he took it easy, took Groves best, finished him late on as he thought and there's no issue. Kess hurt him to his core in the fight before, he needs to sort that defence out.

 

I think the ship as truly sailed on any Froch improvements. It's about getting the most of what his got left. Apparently Forch has a route/plan to retire within a few fights. After tonight i'm sure the route as changed but from reports there is 4 fights out there...

 

-Ward

-GGG

-JCC

-Groves

 

I'm guessing we can all say the Kessler trilogy is gone which was also another possibility. For Froch i have no doubt it's all about making the most money he can out of a combination of them fights.

 

I have no issue with Froch doing that, he has had it tough throughout his career, he had to go abroad on many occasions and never made any serious money that the work he has put in this sport deserves. He said the other day he doesn't think Ward will ever lose, so unless that's his last ever fight I don't see him going in the ring with him. He would beat JCC, I think GGG takes him out, but 8lbs going up in weight does play a big role, a Groves rematch is a toss up. I always thought if he was to go out make it the last fight with Ward, he would get a good pay day and be able to enjoy his retirement, but after tonight, a rematch with Groves will be worth huge money.

[Rossman]

When the ropes are holding you up, it should have been ruled as a knockdown, anything more was too much. Groves was very good, Froch was so slow like he used to be, it was disappointing. I was thinking it had a Hagler vs. Mugabi feel about it. This is the point where we know Froch is nearly at the end of his rope. Groves took the Andre Ward blueprint and applied it for the fight. Jim Watt is full of so much shit, how they can keep employing the biased old fool is ridiculous. The undercard was terrible, not one competitive fight on there.

 

I think it was in yesterdays Sun in the sports pages. There was a bit about Froch and he quoted (not verbatim): "Howard Foster is the referee for the fight, I know he's a good one." Hindsight, eh?

[Richie Freebird]

The ref. annoyed me all night, it's all well and trying to keep fights clean but there was a point in the 7th (i think) where Groves committed an offence (punch being the head), Froch shrugged it off and hit Groves with two clean, solid punches and the ref halted the action to issue a warning...fucking let it go!!

My exact thought at that point was

[jimufctna24]

The ref. annoyed me all night, it's all well and trying to keep fights clean but there was a point in the 7th (i think) where Groves committed an offence (punch being the head), Froch shrugged it off and hit Groves with two clean, solid punches and the ref halted the action to issue a warning...fucking let it go!!

 

I forgot about that.

 

The ref was just a bit incompetent throughout.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

The ref was rubbish all the way through. Both of them could have had points deducted for numerous and quite blatant cheating. He needed to be more like the ref in the Ward fight from the week before. He was great and he soon had them under control.

[Rossman]

Pacquiao/Rios was a good fight, Rios got his arse whipped. Couldn't handle Pac-Man's speed one bit and was trying to hit shadows. The only way he got any offense was by holding Pacquiao's arms and trapping him in a clinch. He must of done it 10-15 times. Ref was Mexican so didn't care Rios was cheating. Manny had to keep telling the ref thats a low blow or thats a rabbit punch for him to do anything. Rios said it was the speed rather than power that kept him out of the fight. Their faces post fight told a different story. Rios's eyebrow was split open and kept getting bigger every round.

 

 

Max Kellerman drew Rios' ire in the post fight interview, asking him about a quote he made about being a punchbag for Manny in the fight. Rios took offense and kept asking Max if he thought he was a walking punchbag, but Max dodged the question and asked another one. HBO were trying to insinuate that Manny has lost his KO power but if it wasn't coming, there's no point forcing it and risk getting caught. Bob Arum said Manny will be fighting again in April.

[wandshogun09]

Yeah, and it's worth taking into account that Rios is durable as fuck. For his other faults, if he's one thing it's tough. Manny beat him all over the place but couldn't put him away. That doesn't say to me that he's lost power. If he'd gone all out for the finish and ran into something, HBO would've been the first to criticize him for being reckless and overaggressive, and that he should've learned from the Marquez KO. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. I thought he looked great myself.

 

Who's he likely to fight in April, do you reckon? Bradley rematch? Marquez Part V?

[Egg Shen]

Pacquiao was tremendous. Rios was made for him really, but the question always was what Pacman had left after the Marquez loss, he proved that by looking as good as ever really...the power isn't a question, that's all down to Rios being granite tough.

 

Froch has said he will give Groves a rematch.

[wandshogun09]

I was watching an interview with Ricky Hatton on YouTube earlier. He was plugging his new book and the subject of him falling out with his parents and brother came up. I'd heard about this vaguely but does anyone know what it's supposed to be about? I knew there'd been a fallout but the journalist bloke mentioned that it had got so bad that there was actually a punch up between Hatton and his Dad at one point. Surprising because everything I'd ever seen or read about them suggested they were really close.

[jimufctna24]

Ricky's side

 

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/spo...-family-6164581

 

Parents side

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-sto...nts-not-2343274

[Rossman]

Speaking of Ricky Hatton, looking through the timeline of his past fights. Was there a reason why he was defending the WBU light welterweight title for over four years, between 2001 & 2005. I guess he vacated it once he won a real world title against Kostya Tszyu. It seems in what would have been his prime, he was treading water for a long time before he got a world title shot and even then it was as a mandatory challenger.

[Fox Piss]

Just remembered a highlight from last night....

 

Prince Naz.

 

What a fucking character. Talks some shit but can't help think if he was just turning up today he would be even bigger (than he was last night) than he was back in 90's.

[bAzTNM#1]

Whatever happened there? He was everywhere mid-90s, after that he wasn't seen boxing again.

[Rossman]

Whatever happened there? He was everywhere mid-90s, after that he wasn't seen boxing again.

He didn't like the long training camps and being away from his family. He was only 27 when he quit as well, right in his prime. Him against Morales or Pacquiao would have been some great fights.

[Egg Shen]

I was never really aware of the story behind Naz, i obviously followed him as a fighter when i was younger (it was impossible not too), i distincitively remember him losing to Barrera (though i didnt see it at the time) and the feeling i always got was that Naz finally got his comeuppance. He did fight one more time after that but i was never really aware of why he actually walked away.