Boxing

[spud_gun]

**** few hours sporting wise

[Zapater]

Scorecards way too close. No idea how they found that many rounds for Taylor. He was battered. He must be getting secrets from Canelo.

Taylor's always been a dirty fighter but his team not handing over the belt seemed a bit extreme. **** sportsmanship and hardly surprising.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Bum performance from Taylor.

Was out fought and out boxed by a guy he should have been able to dispatch.

Was not as one sided a beating as the one he got from Catterall (no matter what the dodgy scoring on the night said that night) but still was a performance that reeked of a guy who looks like he thinks all he has to do is turn up to get a win.

The scoring last night/this morning flattered Taylor a hell of a lot and if he is stupid he will start clinging to that and claim it was close, just like he clung to the "result" against Catterall as being a decisive win.

Everything about him and his team was classless. Before the fight, during the fight and after the fight.

His last two fights have really tarnished his reputation and that is a shame because regardless of whether one thinks he is a bit of a prick or not, he was prior to those two fights a genuine top ten P4P guy imo.


What Taylor needs now is a reality check. Accept he was poor two fights in a row, accept he and he alone was not good enough twice in a row and work his arse off with a contender's mentality rather than trying to be the new Carl Froch.

The guy has the ability and the physical tools, up to him now to show he has the mentality and heart that champions have.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Scorecards way too close. No idea how they found that many rounds for Taylor. He was battered. He must be getting secrets from Canelo.

Taylor's always been a dirty fighter but his team not handing over the belt seemed a bit extreme. **** sportsmanship and hardly surprising.

Agree with all of that criticism save for the dirty fighter bit. Being a "good" dirty fighter is an art in itself and is a great weapon to have in one's armoury be it to buy time during a fight or to equalise someone doing the same to you.

Being able to spoil and being able to get into the muck with a spoiler is a quality many lack.

[Zapater]

Bum performance from Taylor.

Was out fought and out boxed by a guy he should have been able to dispatch.

Was not as one sided a beating as the one he got from Catterall (no matter what the dodgy scoring on the night said that night) but still was a performance that reeked of a guy who looks like he thinks all he has to do is turn up to get a win.

The scoring last night/this morning flattered Taylor a hell of a lot and if he is stupid he will start clinging to that and claim it was close, just like he clung to the "result" against Catterall as being a decisive win.

Everything about him and his team was classless. Before the fight, during the fight and after the fight.

His last two fights have really tarnished his reputation and that is a shame because regardless of whether one thinks he is a bit of a prick or not, he was prior to those two fights a genuine top ten P4P guy imo.


What Taylor needs now is a reality check. Accept he was poor two fights in a row, accept he and he alone was not good enough twice in a row and work his arse off with a contender's mentality rather than trying to be the new Carl Froch.

The guy has the ability and the physical tools, up to him now to show he has the mentality and heart that champions have.

I would say that Prograis beat him too. It was a close fight but think he got the rub of the green on many tight rounds. Doesn't change the fact that Taylor is a good fighter but feel he doesn't have the same reputation or aura if he doesn't get that one. I think Zepeda would beat him too, stylistically. He says he's probably going up so we'll never know. Think going up a weight class would take away what makes him good. Lankyness, awkwardness, etc. Maybe I'm wrong but it'll be interesting to see.

Guess that's why I'm not as infatuated with him as others. The record reads what it is on paper but I keep a mental record in my head too.

Agree with all of that criticism save for the dirty fighter bit. Being a "good" dirty fighter is an art in itself and is a great weapon to have in one's armoury be it to buy time during a fight or to equalise someone doing the same to you.

Being able to spoil and being able to get into the muck with a spoiler is a quality many lack.

Didn't say being a dirty fighter is a bad thing. I like and respect many dirty fighters. Cotto couldn't resist standing on his opponents feet for example. I just find Taylor a poor sportsman overall. Pretending to touch gloves and throwing a sucker jab over the top etc. That's a stupid joke for sparring and disrespectful in a title fight.

But yes, it's one of the reasons he's been successful, just think he's taken it too far on a few occasions over the years. Gets away with it too, ref was telling him from round 2 he was going to take a point but never did (some of this was Lopez' fault too). Wonder why the refs and judges love him so much, maybe it's a great white hope kind of thing

[Doc_Piptorious]

I would say that Prograis beat him too. It was a close fight but think he got the rub of the green on many tight rounds. Doesn't change the fact that Taylor is a good fighter but feel he doesn't have the same reputation or aura if he doesn't get that one. I think Zepeda would beat him too, stylistically. He says he's probably going up so we'll never know. Think going up a weight class would take away what makes him good. Lankyness, awkwardness, etc. Maybe I'm wrong but it'll be interesting to see.

Guess that's why I'm not as infatuated with him as others. The record reads what it is on paper but I keep a mental record in my head too.



Didn't say being a dirty fighter is a bad thing. I like and respect many dirty fighters. Cotto couldn't resist standing on his opponents feet for example. I just find Taylor a poor sportsman overall. Pretending to touch gloves and throwing a sucker jab over the top etc. That's a stupid joke for sparring and disrespectful in a title fight.

But yes, it's one of the reasons he's been successful, just think he's taken it too far on a few occasions over the years. Gets away with it too, ref was telling him from round 2 he was going to take a point but never did (some of this was Lopez' fault too). Wonder why the refs and judges love him so much, maybe it's a great white hope kind of thing

He has had close fights in the past but at least in those fights you could look at them and see why it went his way, and he made those fights close fights.

His last two fights though were far more one sided than what the results say they were.

I don't like Taylor the sportsman, I don't think I would like Taylor the man either, but Taylor the boxer and fighter prior to the last two fights I saw as being in the conversation for being world class at his weight. He is one of those guys I have to try to avoid listening to him talk before and after fights because when he opens his mouth it colours what I think of him in the ring.

Do think he is very much at a crossroads in his career now. Two roads there for him now imho.

Stay on the one he is on and he is the next Carl Froch talking rubbish about how great he was, how he would have beaten anyone and how any loss was a fluke.


Or he can decide he is at fault, that he needs to do better and be better and let the in ring loss and the loss of form fuel an urge to be the best him he can be as a boxer.

[spud_gun]

I think Taylor is done at 140 and would struggle against the elite at 147.

He seemed a little shot shy last night.. relying on single big punches as opposed to combinations.

Game plan in the early rounds was to attack the body but abandoned that after 5 or so rounds.

Lopez was neigh on perfect for the majority of the fight. Movement and speed wonderful. Don't think he has the KO power at 140

As for Taylor. What a run he had. Not many people can lay claim to being an undisputed world champ.

I hope he's made bank and.perhaps can have a few 'eady' fights in Glasgow or Edinburgh to pad out his bank balance.

[spud_gun]

I don't like Taylor the sportsman, I don't think I would like Taylor the man either.

He's an arsehole outside the ring.

Anti Vax, anti COVID conspiracy theory nut with a sprinkling of homophobia thrown in.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think Taylor is done at 140 and would struggle against the elite at 147.

He seemed a little shot shy last night.. relying on single big punches as opposed to combinations.

Game plan in the early rounds was to attack the body but abandoned that after 5 or so rounds.

Lopez was neigh on perfect for the majority of the fight. Movement and speed wonderful. Don't think he has the KO power at 140

As for Taylor. What a run he had. Not many people can lay claim to being an undisputed world champ.

I hope he's made bank and.perhaps can have a few 'eady' fights in Glasgow or Edinburgh to pad out his bank balance.

I think he would be a chew toy for some of the best at 147. Crawford or Spence would toy with him imo as they are simply that good.

Think Ennis beats him (Ennis vs Villa next month might be a corker).


Crowley and maybe Ortiz too.

Though is not really a knock to say that guys of that level from a heavier division would probably beat him.

[RichC]

Joyce vs Zhang rematch on 23rd September.

Think we're going to see the same result tbh

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/66035041

[Doc_Piptorious]

Joyce vs Zhang rematch on 23rd September.

Think we're going to see the same result tbh

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/66035041

Speaks volumes about the heavyweight division that two guys of 37 years of age and 40 years of age are being spoken of as being up and coming contenders.

Not to mention the quality of both boxers.

At this point I really do think about half this site could probably make it into the top 50 rankings with a bit of training.

If we put a load of coins into Zap's pockets on weigh in day he might even make the top 20.

[red g]

does anyone have any decent boxing streams for sky tonight? all mine don;t work anymore. cheers

[Doc_Piptorious]

Was not overly impressed with Whittaker last night despite him being miles better for the entire fight.

Only his 4th pro fight granted but a fighter, even a journeyman level one, with any power would have had him in trouble last night.

The fight itself was one sided, but Belujsky is a journeyman by Irish standards let alone by UK standards. He was very much regarded as being a guy to pad your record with in the unpaid ranks in Ireland.

Plus Belujsky is not quite a full time boxer either. He is a lovely guy and lives only 15 minutes or so from my house but whilst boxing he was holding down a full time college course and a part time job. He is a pro boxer but not alwaysd a full time boxer if that makes sense. He is brave and tough but basically a sparring partner.

Can recall watching another Cork boxer in Spike O'Sullivan mauling Belujsky in sparring sessions and nobody is going to call Spike anything other than a journeyman in his own right. Well Spike would disagree strongly with me on that, but other than Spike then


Whitakker is bigger, faster, slicker, smoother and better than Belujsky in every department, but he hit Belujsky clean a lot and did not put him away and the stoppage in the final round was far too early and stank of ensuring the fight ended with a TKO going on Whitakker's record.




Whitakker will win the British title or the Commonwealth title before his 10th fight imo and will get world title shots well before his 15th fight imo, but he will need to be carefully matched because his reflexes are not so good that he could do similar showboating against a live opponent.

Have no doubt he will be pushed and hyped as the second coming of someone or other as he is very marketable and boxing is a sport that builds people up as soon as they pull on gloves, but like with Joshua I think Whitakker's ceiling (as a boxer rather than what belts he may be matched well to pick up) is nowhere near as high as will be pushed down everyone's throat.

He looks good and fit, he has a certain air of charisma and arrogance to him that will put bums in seats. He has that Thomas Hearns type build but no signs whatsoever of the sort of power Hearns could generate at any given moment and does not have the hand speed Hearns had either.

[RichC]

Daniel Dubois next up for Usyk.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/65832440

[Doc_Piptorious]

Daniel Dubois next up for Usyk.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/65832440

Usyk has no choice otherwise he gets stipped of a belt but unlike Fury. Wilder, and Joshua I suspect Usyk will just face who he has to face and do the business.


Dubois at best has the sort of puncher's chance that heavyweights have, but that's about it for me. Usyk should be too good, too slick and too tough on his way to either a late stoppage or a clear UD.