As an event I thought it looked & felt awesome watching it on TV. 15,000 people is always gonna hit a little different in a stadium that big but that's COVID life I guess, just gotta make the most of it & I thought they did a good job. It's a positive thing to take fights out on the road around the country to non-traditional fight towns, I think that's one way you grow the sport. It's probably safer to keep all the big nights in Vegas & NYC but we all knew what Canelo/Yildirim was so why not experiment?
Lol, I was thinking the same - Ruiz knows his selfie angles! :rofl: But seriously I'm sure Reynoso got him putting in that work, being in that camp is gonna rub off on him & I'm super excited to see what adjustments have been made when he fights Arreola. He's still a major problem for the division, people acting like he's done have got real short memories.
This is not just about Yilidrim tonight but why do fighters shell up against Canelo and not throw anything?
Have you seen Canelo's counter punching? It's not even that they're bombs, it's that they're so accurate too.
Valdez proving that people are way too quick to write off fighters these days. It's normal for fighters to improve their game as their careers go on - Valdez is in his prime years right now & with the best trainer in boxing. It's no wonder he looks a different prospect to 3/4 years ago.
It was his mandatory, what do you want him to do? He ain't dropping the belt because his whole mission is to become undisputed. Canelo deserves props for getting this fight out the way in a window where he usually wouldn't be fighting anyway - so it's not like we've lost a major Canelo date or anything, we've just been given a little extra. I wish more fighters had that mindset - fighting once or twice a year is BS & part of the reason that there are so few mainstream 'stars' in boxing because they're not seen often enough to build any kind of momentum outside of hardcore boxing fans.
It was 10 weeks ago he fought undefeated Callum Smith, this week he got his mandatory out the way, next in 9/10 weeks he's got a huge unification bout against undefeated Billy Joe Saunders. You gotta put some respect on that, that's a champion mindset he's showing.
When I watch the ending of the first AJ-Ruiz fight now I don't see Joshua quitting, I see the ref ending it prematurely. Joshua was buzzed, definitely keen on maximizing the time he had to recover but he wanted to continue & I don't actually think he gave the ref a good reason to stop it. I don't see a fighter that was looking for a way out, I see a fighter that was trying to use his experience to buy time.
My only complaint was that god awful under-card, they need to step it up. Use the biggest platform to build up fighters, Soto is a good kid but he's never going to be a super star, just like Canelo was built up on Mayweather under cards and Ryan Garcia on Canelo under cards they need to keep that going.
Also throw the fans a bone, give us some good match-ups. That frank Sanchez fight and the French fighter was a total waste of potential.
Yeah I hear you, I guess the problem they've got is Matchroom don't really have those level fighters at the moment - it's all big name headliners or super green prospects. The only guy I can think of from their stable who'd fit the role is Julio Cesar Martinez (can imagine a GGG/Chocolatito type thing with those two) but I'm pretty sure he's injured right now.
Think the guy they wanna give that role to eventually is Marc Castro seeing as every fight he's had has been on a Canelo undercard so far. Only 3-0 right now but give it 18 months & I'm sure they'll be pushing him to the moon.
I mean, if he thought either fight was boring then I'm gonna say he just ain't a fan of boxing. They were both exciting & intriguing fights for different reasons.
Because the best fighters actually compete so rarely these days (twice a year, tops) it feels like a more exclusive event when they do get in the ring. Way more exclusive than other sports. That's why promoters/TV networks can charge what they charge.
Going forward though, I'd love to see boxing made more accessible - I think that's probably the most important thing for the future of the sport. Getting more eyes watching the big fights & knowing more fighters. And I emphasize the big fights, because putting fights that suck in front of a bigger TV audience doesn't help anybody. I think some promoters get that more than others.
Thanks for the messages guys! I tried to give y'all some green karma but it says I gave out too much already. :rofl:
Just to clarify, Ayden is a boy & if he wants to box we can talk about it when he's a little older lol.
I don't think AJ ever wanted to fight in the US, he was happy selling out stadiums in the UK. It was Eddie Hearn who wanted him to be the face of his Matchroom USA venture. His cash cow ain't so valuable anymore but I don't think it's a disaster for Matchroom, they're building a nice roster of fighters over here.
The problem for Joshua is that he just ain't as special as he was being hyped up to be. He was going to be found out eventually whether that was in the US or the UK.
Wilder will always be the most dangerous for Fury because all it takes is one second for him to detonate his equalizer. One moment of Fury getting sloppy, one little mistake - Fury's gotta be on it for every second of every round which I don't think comes naturally to him. He's used to being able to play with opponents, because he's so big & has so much natural boxing ability. Also I think if Fury has one weakness it's stamina - he's going to tire down the stretch (especially with all his movement) & that gives Wilder more chance of landing that KO shot.
Everybody else on that list, Fury can make mistakes or start to get tired and get away with it. None of them come close to Wilder's one punch power - nobody does so he'll always be the most dangerous fight.
Obviously not Wilder, Fury has had tougher fights than either of his 2 fights against Wilder.
It has to be Joshua, followed by the up and comers like Hrgovic
Tough fights & dangerous fights are not the same thing. Ortiz wasn't finding it tough until he got caught & KO'd - nobody else comes close to being as dangerous as Wilder. You can outbox him the whole fight but if he's still in there he's still super dangerous.
Also, who gave Fury a tougher fight than Wilder in the first fight? He was literally unconscious on the canvas in the final round.
I see Fury's boxing IQ getting him through the first few rounds, but it's only a matter of time before Wilder starts landing - especially in a smaller ring.
Wilder gets Fury outta there between 4-6.
The only losers from last night are Hearn & Joshua. The whole promotion was great, the fight was great & both Wilder & Fury's stock has gone up significantly. Now everybody is gonna be demanding they do it again & AJ is left watching from the sidelines.
If Wilder fights Joshua that ain't going the distance either way, so the point is kinda irrelevant. And to try to say the US is the home of robberies is just flat out wrong. The referee could've waved the fight off the moment Fury hit the canvas in Round 12 & nobody would've questioned it.
I don't think there's a problem with the scoring system, the problem is with the judges implementing it correctly. There's nothing to stop judges from scoring 10-10 rounds, but usually they don't. There's nothing to stop judges from not automatically scoring a knockdown round 10-8, but usually they don't. I could go on but maybe we need to educate judges on the scoring system better?
People have a problem with a Mexican rooting for a Mexican fighter? Seriously? It's no different to being from Dallas & rooting for the Cowboys or Boston & cheering the Celtics. Looking for problems where there are none.
Frank Warren can give this all the hype he wants, but it should've been his job to hold back Fury from this kinda fight for at least another 12 months. This ain't the Fury that beat Klitschko, not even close. On a human level, Fury's done amazing work coming through his depression, dropping serious weight & getting back into the ring. But none of that means he's even close to being ready for what Wilder's gonna bring & I do think the team around Fury have let him down by rushing him into this fight. His boxing IQ will see him through early but when he starts getting tired after 4/5 rounds it's gonna be lights out when Wilder connects.
Amber is a bit biased. :)
Good luck on your pro career. It looks like your 1-1.
I'd suggest an education to go with it. So if boxing doesn't work, you have something to fall back on. Like Juan Díaz
Still disagree with your thread, but appreciate the good luck. Had to take some time out the game so now back in the gym getting rid of the ring rust before making it 2-1. :boxing:
But it fits into my point, it's easier to get different sparring now & there are more potential opponents even than there was a few years ago. Think becoming an Olympic sport was the first real boost & now it's the increased exposure for the pro game. Women's boxing is in a healthy spot & it's just gonna keep growing.
I much rather watch women in MMA. At least it kind of looks more attractive with them on top of each other in skin tight sport wear. In boxing they don't look attractive at all and there is something about them boxing that I don't find too appealing. I think the women in these combat sports have an extra ounce of testosterone that I'd rather not see a woman have, lol.
I suppose I should feel the same about them in MMA, but again, them laying on top of each other and whatnot gives it an extra layer not found in boxing, lol.
Looks more attractive? Y'all realize this ain't no Victoria's Secret fashion show, right? I thought this was the fight game but I guess if attractiveness is what we're scoring on then Big Baby Miller & Tyson Fury should retire immediately.
I just want to know why it took Wilder TWICE as many fights to get to the point where Joshua was in HALF the fights.
AJ was a high-profile Olympic Gold Medallist and turned pro with the biggest promoter in the UK. Obviously his progression was gonna be smoother than for a guy like Wilder who didn't have the same amateur background & didn't turn pro with a big promoter or TV deal. AJ had opportunities that Wilder didn't.
To me, it's all kinda irrelevant now anyway - they're both world champions and they took their own routes to get there. Like everybody else I'm bored with the side show & just wish they'd fight.
Pretty ignorant thread to throw shade at the whole of women's boxing just cus a late replacement got outclassed. Last night was supposed to be Shields-Hammer which would've been a real fight & hopefully they get it on next time.
Women's boxing is finally getting exposure & it's only gonna get bigger from here. Right now it still lacks a little depth at the very elite level but time will change that. More and more women and girls are turning up at boxing gyms now of all different ages & abilities, I see that at my gym first hand. It's booming - give it time & let it grow.
Bone density is so apparent. Smaller gloves and 3mins rds would do more justice.
I think the only people who don't want 3 minute rounds are the WBC. It's gonna change eventually though, it has to. With 2 minute rounds you can just feel like you've hit your rhythm & then suddenly the round is over - it ain't enough time to do your work & show what you can do. Obviously you're gonna get a lot more stoppages once that change comes in & more fan friendly fights.