As someone wrote - the judges also took care in cooking Rico. So easy to conclude that Usyk is a manufactured champion, the guy can compete with Canelo for rigged fights.
HJCn6JXWwAA2_Mj.jpg (1200×837)
2 of 3 judges had it even.
Crikey, the sports not in quite as good a way as we might think. Absolutely no way was Usyk even, he'd won 2 rounds, 3 max. Rest were Rico's.
Usyk looked surprisingly bad but you have to give some credit to Rico.
It was sort of Ngannou Fury vibes. A big, tough, hard hitting resilient guy with different movement. Puzzling the boxer a bit.
But Usyk had plenty of rounds to suss it out and turn it on, and didn't too much. Rico defended well at times. Just a few times he didn't.
I think the element of suprise will be gone for Rico though. Gutted for him. And I'm an Usyk fan but think Rico almost deserved the win there. He could have possibly survived the 12th. Imagine we had a ref allow Fury to continue when rising from the ground from being unconscious, at the last second. But this one's stopped like that? BS.
was he driving? if he was he can expect lawsuits out his ass for the next decade trying to get hands on his cash
Passenger, as reported.
Reports said he was behind the driver.
But footage has come out, that looked to me to be him in the front passenger seat.
The driver supposedly crashed into a stationary lorry.
Always disliked him being a Calazaghe fan.
But warmed to him a bit over some years.
Respect him as a fighter, and for his sort of humility making up with George Groves and doing stuff together.
His podcasts though, he refers to himself in third person, mugs off other fighters. Even in person. That they got splattered.
I think he believes in flat earth and/or that the moon landings were faked.
There's just too many things with the guy that make him dislikable.
Saying he's got no ego whilst talking about Wembley stadium, calling himself the Cobra and bragging who he beat and would beat. He's a bit of a d**k if we're honest.
You are comparing a young Lion to an old Platypus
Did Shane land flush and give us the rare site of floyd stunned?
Of course shane was past prime but there power is still comparable. The last thing to go is ur power.
A defensive counter punching wizard that's never been knocked out and has a strong chin, vs someone whom is way up in hype coming off yet another dramatic entertaining KO win.
Majority are always gona vote with the current exciting KO hype thus the latter.
But JMM wins this.
Well he was dropped 3 times in the first round of the Pac fight lol. I think Matthysse finishes him.
In one.
His piss and steroids will be all over the ring lol
Dropped isn't knocked out is it.
If anything being dropped shows his chin is good, because he isn't knocked out, legs are ok, and he can carry on. In-fact he usually goes on to do better.
Ok, he picks up a knock-down or two like he did with Pac & Katsidis.
Yeah agree. But he doesn't lose to Matthysse.
Anyone that was a good enough technically skilled fighter to do how he did against Hopkins twice deserves respect.
He should have really worked on his conditioning and legs post the Pavlik bouts.
I wish he'd have beaten Froch as he deserved that break and was way up on the cards. As for losing to Abraham, I think the KO's effected him mentally. Hope he gets some ok wins though.
Sadly yes. Canelo's power is comparable to Moseley's. And we saw how that panned out. Successive flush punches are unlikely but would theoretically wobble him more.
This post will bring out the ignorance in people, hey atleast we'll know who's who eh.
So what if somebody praises God after their fight? respect their beliefs and let them get on with it.
How is it ignorant to have a personal opinion that sport and religion should remain seperate? It's fairly commonly agreed religion should not interfere in modern democratic politics, so to be against something similar shows ur ignorance above anything else.
My friend, religion has been around far longer than sport. Just on that basis itself people should respect one's religious views. If a fighter says "Thank God" in his first sentence after a win or loss then whats the big deal? No boxer from any religion should be disrespected because of their love for their religious beliefs.
to praise a prominent figure in many people's personal lives and be offended by it?
My friend,
I did not say I dis-respect one's religious views - I said my preference and judgement is for it to be private, not broadcast and pushed nationally in the media within the medium of sport.
I did not say I was offended by them praising their god - I'm saying that element of their lives has no place filling a lot of a sport media interview. His opponent and scores of people are spending 40 hours a week working tooth and nail to compete in and promote a sport, only for him to spend nearly half of a post fight interview instead promoting something completely different, in religion.
No he gives it all to 'Andre SOG Ward' because he's biased.
Needless to say, no.
People bringing religion into any sport, especially boxing get's on my nerves.
"I won because and thanks to, the grace of god."
What so god decided the other guy doesn't deserve it, and deserves a beating because he isn't religious.
Get that shit outta sport man.
Rant over. :purity:
People forget and thus underrate, how hard he 'used' to hit.
TBH now, I think his powers just above average really.
Mosely said Canelo and Floyd hit as hard as each other.
Personally in terms of the past year or so, I think as it stands Canelo's hitting harder.
It's clearer than ever Floyd's p4p #1. As much as I don't like the guys manipulating, cherry picking persona it's without question he's the best and one of the best in a long long time.
Ward is overrated. The SMW division went from being weak in peoples assessment one day, to one of the deepest the day the SMW tourney was announced.
I like Martinez but he doesn't have any notable wins to make a #1 claim, and it's highly debatable whether he beat Murray or not.
Manny's been thrust way too far down the list after what was actually a win against Bradley, and an unfortunate KO against an old foe. He'll climb again but no ones threatening Floyd.
Would Hatton be stupid enough to speak openly about receiving an offer without having first told his boxer? Possibly but I doubt it.
Murray's not a ducker imo, he'd take the fight if everything was ironed out and made sense.
Would like for there to be more in it. But it's far more likely it's money/promoter/country/visa related over anything else.
I re-watched it again the other night and both times I had it 115-112.
I honestly can't see how so many folks had Trout winning that.
He didn't land many punches of real significance and even his weak arm punches were being made to miss by Canelo.
Austin said he lost, and that's because he's a realist and class act.
Here's a dream playout.
Barker defends against Sturm.
Now one of the British MW's has a belt they'll be some domestic fights for it for big money, like Murray pointed out would happen.
Murray beats Barker. Murray rematches Martinez this time winning and unifying.
Murray's willing to face GGG, and GGG wins, unifies, and bosses MW.
I'm just saying it's not only chin. JMM is in the moment, never looks to be not focusing on dealing with a punch/KD, his full effort goes into remaining calm and thinking logically what's necessary to avoid that again and even win the round.
Clev's got a good chin and look at last night, even just after a couple of hard tags he lost ALL focus leading to it happening again. JMM usually does the opposite. Clev waves a heavy KO artist in and gets KD, doesn't even take a full 8 seconds recovery, looks confused, surprised this is happening to him and un-aware of what's going to stop it, making re-occurrence and KO even more likely.
JMM, those Q's don't go into his psyche imo. He wastes no time, he's thinking why did that happen, what shall I do to avoid it, and when shall I get up. The only effective Q's a highly intelligent tactician and mentally strong boxer looking to recover (good chin or not), should be asking himself.
The sign of the portion of talent in a true potential elite boxer is a lot in how they learn from the loss. The odd excuse ok, but at least be somewhat realistic.
It's early days but to be making in-accurate excuses and not showing small signs of recognising what needs work in terms of mistakes and proper defensive training in such an in depth interview, suggests indeed there's a good chance he'll lose again and become a gate keeper.
Heck he's resigning himself to that almost, IF he continues. Most eventual elite guys don't get rattled that easily after one loss, there motivated to put the true errors right and prove themselves ASAP.
Shame because he has the raw talent to be better then that, and be much more if he got a proper trainer yes even for the last few weeks of camp, worked on defence, head movement, tactics, gameplans, mental strength etc.
His chin is definitely decent. KD or not, the fact is he's taken some serious flush shots, not only was he just not knocked out like many would be, he usually recovers often to win the round.
I think a lot of it is also his focus like someone else mentioned. He's become accustom of how to behave when in trouble like that, he know's how to handle it and even turn it around.
You can tell in the eyes the guys that take even a flush shot, and just look like it's undressing their focus and making them sloppy.
Khan in many fights, and specifically Cleverley last night are examples, sinking lower then troubled largely distracted. Opposite to JMM.
Signs aren't promising either way.
Doesn't do a proper post fight interview & leaves.
Thought he was winning all the rounds.
Not sure if he has the drive to continue boxing.
Thinks you're simply going to get a loss at some stage.
:poke:
Who is calling for Froch-Kessler 3? What's the point? Fight fans (should) want to see the two best in the division not a rematch of 2nd place play-off.
Froch has bargaining power regardless because of the numbers he can now draw in terms of attendance and PPV in the UK.
People that want to and know they will get a very entertaining fight. I think there's been similar polls, but a poll on preferring Froch-Kess 3 or Ward II, I reckon would favour Kess. At least, if Kess wins a decent enough fight too this year.
The fact is Ward is heavily favoured to beat Froch again, which sours Froch's run of wins and bite of late. He'll have no belt and zero aura of aiming to prove he's #1 coming off that loss to then face Kess, Stieg and others thereafter.
I've actually come round to the idea.
Both guys lose to Ward in a rematch, and there's a good chance that may encourage a retirement, or seriously hamper there careers thereafter.
For me I'd love Froch to closely lose to Groves then get the Froch-Kessler trilogy bout.
Kessler win that, then final bow out match against Groves.
That's just pathetic though. They are fighting for 2nd place, it's sad. Froch should be aiming for Ward.
Pathetic is a little strong. Even Froch said himself after the fight, he's the number 2 in the division and that's nothing to be ashamed about. I admired him for that humility even if he has since predictably gone back on it.
Ward did beat them both in such fashion, it is clear whose #1 and that ain't changing for no rematch with him. No good rematching him, but doesn't mean they stop fighting.
There's actually something quite entertaining about the number 2-5's scrapping it out in more exciting bouts, for the other belts, some big rematches, some intriguing match ups.
He's already cemented himself as the clear number 2. He's beaten Bute and he's beaten Kessler. The public desire has already been raised. The Froch-Ward rematch is bigger than the first fight because it has Sky Box Office now and will likely do a stadium in the UK.
Do you not agree he seriously likely, loses the rematch?
Surely that loss straight after Groves, likely lessens his career prospects and possibly makes him retire, as he often suggests he might do after a loss.
I'm lukewarm on Froch at best, but surely from a fans perspective the best that can be hoped for is him entertainingly winning a few top fights, unifying some belts, and signing off with a respectable loss to Ward? That's the harsh reality. I'm not sure that's quite as possible/realistic/successful, with Ward II in 2014 instead.