Boxing 2011

[Kevin D]

I heard the interview with groves and he is now claiming to be a PPV boxer,getting sick of this shit.Im sure Booth will get him on PPv aswell.

There are very very few PPV fighters around for my money,ironicly the ones that are do not fight on PPV in the UK.

I didnt mind with lennox he was the Undispted heavyweight champions,none of Khan,DeGale,Groves or even Haye to this point have been worthy of PPV,Froch is though

 

Agreed. PPV is one of the very worst about boxings and it's now gotten to the point where two kids who haven't fought anyone can top a £15 bill fighting for a domestic title, it was ridiculous. I didn't think the fight was very good either, surprised most people do, but even if it was that wouldn't have justified the decision.

 

It limits the exposure of the sport and fighters and makes it difficult to draw new fans. It's why a lot of fighters, world champions even, don't have fanbases.

 

Well i wrote him off again and again he does that, brilliant performance by Hopkins. Clear winner this time although Pascal should be pretty disappointed he didn't push harder earlier in the fight, the last thing he should be doing is getting into a technical fight with Hopkins but he done it again.

I think most people have a love/hate feeling for Hopkins but after that it's hard not to have total respect for him, amazing boxer.

 

That's always said about Hopkins opponents, though, he's just got a style that limits the other fighters output and frustrates them. Like Mayweather in that regard.

[Remmie]

Why all the anger directed just at PPV? Fuck fucking Sky and the way the cunts steal sport away from those on lower income. Terrestrial TV barely gets any decent sport now and boxing is the perfect example of the way they have marginalised a sport.

[Lee909]

While i partly agree with that there are plenty of frighters either the BBC or ITV could have signed up but they all went cold after the BBC million pound contract with Fraudley.

Sky do a decent job domesticly but need to step up the fights shown on a world level,or ESPN need to get in and dpo the job Setanta was doing

[loadsoftrophies]

That's always said about Hopkins opponents, though, he's just got a style that limits the other fighters output and frustrates them. Like Mayweather in that regard.

 

Yeah true, you could just see Pascal being afraid and unable to get inside as Hopkins set himself up so well. It was just the fact that Hopkins was 46 that he had to be pushed hard but he dictated the fight at his pace.

[sir roger]

I thought Pascal was shocking. Fought like a novice.

 

For a guy on his own turf against an opponent 20 years older than him he was pitiful. Watched him in the Froch fight & thought he was brave but limited, but convinced myself I had been harsh on him after he went on to win his titles, but now I'm thinking I had him pegged from the start.

[TonyBellew_BUM!]

Why all the anger directed just at PPV? Fuck fucking Sky and the way the cunts steal sport away from those on lower income. Terrestrial TV barely gets any decent sport now and boxing is the perfect example of the way they have marginalised a sport.

 

The boxing world will say that the money Sky Box Office and Sky brings to the sport helps with grass roots training. People say that the cricket should be free or at least the ashes should be free but the reality is that the ECB needs the money that Sky give them, it pays for the grass roots coaching etc.

[Kevin D]

The boxing world will say that the money Sky Box Office and Sky brings to the sport helps with grass roots training. People say that the cricket should be free or at least the ashes should be free but the reality is that the ECB needs the money that Sky give them, it pays for the grass roots coaching etc.

 

The "boxing world" here, though, are the people who stand to make vast sums of money from the PPV arrangement, so they're not exactly objective; naturally they'll claim it's for the good of the sport and they're just noble agents who happen to be getting rich.

 

The fact that promoters and television don't want to risk their investment is another reason why the top fighters facing people with no chance of beating them has become so widespread.(As an aside, credit to Khan for offering Bradley such generous terms and, seemingly, trying to make that fight happen).

[Mustangt125]

Hopkins dominated that fight.

 

Do you think theyll do III? They should.

[Jose Jones]

Seems Kahn wants to fight Bradley, and only needs Bradley's sign off:

 

 

In addition to Pascal-Hopkins, Schaefer and Shaw are involved in trying to finalize a deal between junior welterweight titlist Amir Khan (with Schaefer's Golden Boy Promotions) and Timothy Bradley Jr. (with Shaw -- until his contract runs out this summer).

 

If Timothy Bradley Jr. is as anxious to face Amir Khan as he has claimed, will he accept the champ's new and improved terms?

They have so far been unable to close a deal for the July 23 HBO fight because Bradley has balked at Shaw's minimum guarantee of $1.3 million against 80 percent of their side's profits, so Schaefer has been talking to other opponents.

 

However, Khan apparently really, really, really wants the fight. Schaefer told me Khan authorized him to make it a straight 50-50 deal. Under the original proposal (which was fair), they would split everything 50-50, except Khan would keep his British pay-per-view money. This week, Schaefer said Khan told him to give Bradley's side 50 percent of the U.K. TV money, too -- even though we all know Bradley is no draw whatsoever and adds little to the pay-per-view in terms of real money.

 

That's how badly Khan wants the fight.

 

Shaw told me Schaefer had indeed made him that offer. Shaw also said he raised his minimum guarantee to Bradley to $1.4 million (a career high by $200,000) against 80 percent of the profits his side would receive.

 

Yet according to both promoters, the Bradley camp has not yet accepted -- and Shaw and Schaefer are somewhat stunned. If what they say is accurate, I am, too.

[Captain Turdseye]

Seen it mentioned that Khan may fight Robert Guerrero instead. That could be a great fight, Guerrero looked fantastic against Katsidis the other week.

[lifetime fan]

Not had a chance to find the DeGale v Groves fight online yet, was DeGale as dirty as Groves is claiming?

[Captain Turdseye]

Not had a chance to find the DeGale v Groves fight online yet, was DeGale as dirty as Groves is claiming?

 

He definitely used his shoulder in the clinch early in the fight. Maybe a couple of borderline elbows aswell but nothing really really bad.

[loadsoftrophies]

I thought Pascal was shocking. Fought like a novice.

 

For a guy on his own turf against an opponent 20 years older than him he was pitiful. Watched him in the Froch fight & thought he was brave but limited, but convinced myself I had been harsh on him after he went on to win his titles, but now I'm thinking I had him pegged from the start.

 

Yeah gotta agree, i was sure he'd up his performance for the rematch but he was the same fighter who just dived forward throwing swings hoping to connect, i had him down being much better than that.

Hopkins saw that too and that's why he went after him, he knew he was far too technically good for him.

[Kevin D]

Hopkins dominated that fight.

 

Do you think theyll do III? They should.

 

I doubt it, mate. Hopkins conclusively won on Saturday and I think almost everybody, definitely everyone on here thought he won the first fight.

 

He definitely used his shoulder in the clinch early in the fight. Maybe a couple of borderline elbows aswell but nothing really really bad.

 

Did you think it was worth it in the end?

[Captain Turdseye]

Did you think it was worth it in the end?

 

Do you mean was it worth paying for the fight? Yeah it was mate, I had a few friends round chipping in so it only cost me a couple of quid. Had a few beers, a good laugh and everyone was cheering on Groves. Enjoyable night.

[sir roger]

Not seen any coverage of the Paul Smith fight, sounds like a wild one ( albeit only a minute or so ). According to the Echo he was in trouble straight away but turned it round immediately & Ko'd the bloke.

 

Anybody seen it ?

[Lee909]

I imagine sky will show it on ringside or whatever its called this week

[Kevin D]

Ricky Burns will defend his world title for a third time against Nicky Cook.

 

"Nicky wants his title back, but even if he produces the performance of a lifetime."

Ricky Burns

Quotes of the week

The WBO Super-Featherweight boss will be back in action at Liverpool's Echo Arena on July 16, against a man who held the same title for a brief spell two years ago.

 

Cook, who came through six-round workout at the O2 Arena on Saturday, will be looking for a second Scottish scalp having ended Alex Arthur's brief reign as world champion in September 2008.

 

He then went on to lose it in his first defence to Roman Martinez,the man Burns out-classed in September 2010 to take over as the WBO king at 130lb.

 

And with British bragging rights as well as the belt up for grabs, the champion from Coatbridge has no intention of surrendering his title to Cook.

 

"There's always something special in the air when England and Scotland clash, and this fight will be no different," he said.

 

"Nicky wants his title back, but even if he produces the performance of a lifetime, he won't beat me."

 

"I've not had a defence against a domestic opponent yet, so I am relishing this one," said Burns.

 

"Nicky has always been a fighter I have admired over the years and he's a good fighter, and he we will be really up for getting his old title back on the night.

 

"But I will raise my game and deliver my first stoppage win as a champion."

 

Hurting

 

Cook has only boxed that six-rounder, against Youssef Al Hamidi, once since his loss to Martinez 26 months ago.

 

But the memory of losing the WBO belt title is still fresh in the memory and that, says the man from Dagenham, is the only motivation he needs.

 

"I'm still hurting from that night," he said.

 

"The only way to heal the pain is to beat Ricky Burns. I felt I had the better of Martinez but I got sloppy and I got punished.

 

"But I won't make the same mistake again. Burns has done well as champion, but believe me, I'm going in their all guns blazing to win back my old belt.

 

"I beat a Scotsman in Alex Arthur to win the title, and I'll beat another one to get it back."

 

 

 

I think not having it in Scotland is a mistake. The atmosphere would be ferocious.

[Lee909]

Could be interesting.

Its not a division filled with stars,there are some great fighters around but most are either featherweights like DeLeon,John,Gamboa and Lopez or lightweights like Marquez,Guerrero and Soto.

Cant say id fancy him with any of those boys,hed give them a fight but he seem more heart than ability at times.

[Kevin D]

Could be interesting.

Its not a division filled with stars,there are some great fighters around but most are either featherweights like DeLeon,John,Gamboa and Lopez or lightweights like Marquez,Guerrero and Soto.

Cant say id fancy him with any of those boys,hed give them a fight but he seem more heart than ability at times.

 

The styles of Gamboa and Lopez mean he would be lively with them, but I agree the class gap would be too much. Still he would be a credible opponent against either and probably set himself up for life, he might even entice one of them into coming over to fight him. That would be great.

[loadsoftrophies]

Heading off to a festival for the Weekend but i'm hoping to catch the Froch Johnson fight tomorrow night on my laptop in a hotel. I really think Johnson is a massive threat, his age counts against him but the style that Froch fights will give Johnson a chance.

Another lad who i'm recording is Frampton who's fighting on the Sky undercard tomorrow night, massive talent from Northern Ireland. Senn him a few times and he looks the real deal, still have to see his chin tested.

[Lee909]

Should be a decent night of fights.

You can pretty much guarentee that if Froch wins the Ward fight will be PPV

[Kevin D]

I've got very high hopes for the Froch fight. Should be the Fight of the year, so far.

[Liam]

Froch to win on points. Johnson is tough so I cant see him being stopped but a man of his age can become washed up overnight so would be daft to rule it out.

 

Froch should have left Hennessey years ago. He would be a household name and the biggest name in British boxing had he done so sooner. My feeling is that Sky have signed him up at a time we will see him fall from world level.

[rushscoredfour]

Heading off to a festival for the Weekend but i'm hoping to catch the Froch Johnson fight tomorrow night on my laptop in a hotel. I really think Johnson is a massive threat, his age counts against him but the style that Froch fights will give Johnson a chance.

Another lad who i'm recording is Frampton who's fighting on the Sky undercard tomorrow night, massive talent from Northern Ireland. Senn him a few times and he looks the real deal, still have to see his chin tested.

 

Barry Mcguigan constantly bigging Frampton up ( although he does manage him )

Looking forward to see if he lives up to hype.