Boxing

[spud_gun]

Willie Limond has passed away, only 45

Yeah that's a shocker.

[spud_gun]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68802314

Willie Limond has passed away at the age of 45.

[RichC]

Willie Limond has passed away, only 45

[spud_gun]

Is the state of boxing at the moment really so bad that a 58 year old rapist having an exhibition against a fraudster is headline news?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68704453

I mean it isn't representative of the entire sport, is it?

Like comparing Soccer Aid to the Champions League final. There's plenty of decent fights up coming that are a world away from the YouTube ****e

[ChesterDave]

Is the state of boxing at the moment really so bad that a 58 year old rapist having an exhibition against a fraudster is headline news?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/68704453

[Le Chef]

The last fight was a travesty. The judges had already decided that Taylor was going to win, even if he was KO’d. Probably the worst decision I have witnessed in boxing.

Aye, was so one sided, even Howard Webb could not have not gone against that !

Might have a floor side ticket for this now its been delayed, just a ****ing shame its in Leeds

[kingfunk]

Taylor vs Caterall delayed again - I swear he's running from Catterall - got battered last time round. Prob one fight I was really looking forward to this year.

The last fight was a travesty. The judges had already decided that Taylor was going to win, even if he was KO’d. Probably the worst decision I have witnessed in boxing.

[Le Chef]

Taylor vs Caterall delayed again - I swear he's running from Catterall - got battered last time round. Prob one fight I was really looking forward to this year.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Bum gets dropped in sparring then suffers convenient cut and pulls out of fight .
Froch will probably offer to step in and face john fury

Two ways to look at it.

Guy that most people expected to pull out of the fight gets a reason to pull out of the fight and then may end up doing what a lot of people also predicted and that it fight a far lesser fighter in the summer instead.


Or


Guy just happened to get a fluke deep cut injury whilst sparring, which whilst not common, can happen more easily when the big boys are trading.


Think if the cut is a genuine one I would be leaning more towards the fluke injury option.


Personally I would have more questions about what his coaching team were doing allowing the sort of slip shod sparring that was rumoured to have been taking place. Lots of rumours that Fury was cutting corners in training to fast track things and that the coaching team were enabling/allowing that to happen.

A good coaching team's responsibility for their fighter's well being does not begin and end on fight night, it should be at the same level from the first day of camp and continue into the days after the fight.

[fidget]

Bum gets dropped in sparring then suffers convenient cut and pulls out of fight .
Froch will probably offer to step in and face john fury

[Doc_Piptorious]

I fancy Bivol points with a little on stoppage rounds 10-12.

Not beyond the realms, as whilst he is not a heavy handed hitter like Beterbiev he does hit well enough to systematically break a fighter down.


Now could I see Beterbiev walking him down and breaking him? Yep could see that happening as Beterbiev is a well skilled wrecking machine who is rightly regarded as being top tier.

But that fight against Yarde did show how Beterbiev can be negated to a degree by a certain gameplan and for my money Bivol is better suited to that gameplan than Yarde was and Bivol is a few levels about the unfortunate Yarde in terms of skill set and having the physical qualities to carry out that gameplan.


I called Yarde unfortunate as had he been born a little later than he was, then he would be a future world champion imo. Hell maybe he still will get a strap at some point but he will never be seen as the best in a division that has both Beterbiev and Bivol prowling about.

Just unlucky to have been around in this era to be fed to both Kovalev and Beterbiev (the latter he was performing quite well against too) and also have Bivol in the same weight class as him.


Also unlucky in my opinion to have gotten an L in his first bout against Arthur, something he put right with a KO win in the rematch

[fidget]

I fancy Bivol points with a little on stoppage rounds 10-12.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think Smith's entire plan was pray that old age had caught up with Beterbiev because I have no ****ing clue what he was trying to do in there.
Beterbiev v Bivol is an exciting prospect and I'd say Bivol will be a slight favourite.

Much as I like watching Beterbiev and think he at 38/39 still beats almost everyone in the division, I reckon Bivol might be his kryptonite.


Bivol fights like a cross being a top level Russian/Soviet style boxer crossed with someone with Andre Ward level skills and then for ****s and giggles someone spliced in balance levels more akin to those of a cat.

That has probably jinxed Bivol but think he would win on points albeit not quite as far ahead as he has been in most of his past fights that he won on points.

For my money Bivol could execute the gameplan that Anthony Yarde tried to against Beterbiev but with a steelier mindset, better stamina and a far greater skillset behind him.

[fidget]

I think Smith's entire plan was pray that old age had caught up with Beterbiev because I have no ****ing clue what he was trying to do in there.
Beterbiev v Bivol is an exciting prospect and I'd say Bivol will be a slight favourite.

[red g]

Christian Mbill fught before was a cracker. He looks the business.