The things we say in the corner...

[Spray_resistant]

to tell u the truth, I thought at times Godfrey boxed really well and kept Huck at bay but...guy was REALLY strong...he was like pacman, you know (the video game, not the welterweight)? We needed to box in sharper circles, better cutting angles...guy was relentless...and when he saw his chances he wasted no time taking them...

I thought he was boxing and moving well too but after a couple rounds I was thinking he needed to do something to get Huck's respect and make him more cautious because Huck was just coming in throwing every punch with ko written all over it without any regard for what might be coming back at him.

[Walt Liquor]

who was real nice?

the folks I talked to at espn, i was surprised

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

I thought he was boxing and moving well too but after a couple rounds I was thinking he needed to do something to get Huck's respect and make him more cautious because Huck was just coming in throwing every punch with ko written all over it without any regard for what might be coming back at him.

yea, that's how I saw it, too...we needed some solid straight lefts in the middle of all that keep him honest...

[Hitman932]

I thought he was boxing and moving well too but after a couple rounds I was thinking he needed to do something to get Huck's respect and make him more cautious because Huck was just coming in throwing every punch with ko written all over it without any regard for what might be coming back at him.

Scully could have been giving Vince Lombardi-esque speeches to Godfrey in the corner between every round and that dude was still gonna get KO'ed.

No offense to Scully, but Godfrey fought like a man who was afraid of what was going to happen to him.

He was flicking out a very half assed jab and was seemingly trying to retreat at the same time. You are right, he needed to do something to get Huck's respect, but it was pretty apparent he wasn't willing to sit down on a punch. He didn't commit to anything. It was a very disappointing effort from my perspective.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Scully could have been giving Vince Lombardi-esque speeches to Godfrey in the corner between every round and that dude was still gonna get KO'ed.

No offense to Scully, but Godfrey fought like a man who was afraid of what was going to happen to him.

He was flicking out a very half assed jab and was seemingly trying to retreat at the same time. You are right, he needed to do something to get Huck's respect, but it was pretty apparent he wasn't willing to sit down on a punch. He didn't commit to anything. It was a very disappointing effort from my perspective.

that's fair enough...I mean, I can only say that when you are in there it sometimes takes time to adjust to the moment...some guys need rounds to loosen up, implement their style, get their bearings etc...its like when Shane and Floyd fought and after the fight Shane said something about being a little tense in there and he needed time to loosen up or something and Larry Merchant was so surprised, saying, "Shane, you've had all these fights and you were still tense and needed time to loosen up" (something like that)..and the answer is YES, he did apparently...but, as I said, I think the guy (Huck) was much stronger than he looked on video...maybe Matt was very surprised by that, too...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

If you get Boxing News over in the U.K. this is the unedited piece I did that came out in today's edition...reviewing Huck-Godfrey and meeting Maske again...

Well, I have returned home from my time in Germany with Matt Godfrey this past weekend where we unsuccessfully challenger for Marco Huck's WBO Cruiserweight world title. I've gotta' tell you, I've traveled and won and traveled and lost and its a lot more fun coming home with a win, that's for sure. What can I say, though? We trained hard for the fight. Got a lot of sparring, did a lot of running, a lot of strength training. Watched the films and prepared as well as we could. Huck, however was the much stronger and tenacious guy. The better man won that night, that's the end result.

A lot about the way the bout unfolded surprised me. I have trained Matt Godfrey for about three years now and have known him since he was a fourteen or fifteen year old amateur. He's always been a good boxer with a lot of talent and skill. Always had a good boxing mind. Despite a loss to Rodolph Kraj in Germany in 2008 I still considered Matt at least as one of the ten best cruiserweights in the world. Wins over Shawn Hawk, Emmanuel Nwodo, Felix Cora, Michael Simms and Shaun George had given him a great amount of confidence and seasoning. Watching Huck on tape I knew he was rough and raw and aggressive and presented a problem but I also figured Matt to outbox him in what would either way amount to a close and competitive fight.

With that said, I had no idea Marco would be as strong and relentless as he was. Not that we underestimated him or anything like that, just saying that some things aren't really always obvious on videos. He's still raw and rough and aggressive but he uses those things in conjunction with a lot of strength and tenacity and determination and more ring intelligence than he is given credit for. Matt was an elusive target at times and there were several moments that I thought Godfrey boxed extremely well and even made Marco look amateurish and easy to hit. To his full credit, though, Marco stayed with his game plan and impressively used the ring and Matt's lateral movement to his advantage. He seemed to know when to push the issue, when to attack, and that's something that can't always be taught. It's an internal sense of what to do and when to do it that some people just don't have.

Marco apparently has it.

He's there to win at all costs apparently and with what he brings to the table I believe he is a serious threat to any cruiserweight in the world. On the right night I think he may be favored over anyone but Cunningham. Just a word to the wise, though. Steve's win over Marco was three full years ago. My advice to him should there be a rematch would be to keep himself very aware that this isn't the same man he faced back in 2007. But then again, Steve is more mature and seasoned now, too. In my opinion, a rematch between these two is probably the most significant fight to be made in the cruiserweight division at this time.

A nice surprise for me came at the end of the evening after many in the crowd had already left the arena. I was coming from the dressing area back out towards the ring when I saw a taller, distinguished looking guy walking back out into the arena from the opposite side of the room. I recognized him immediately and headed his way. As I was coming up on him he was looking down, signing an autograph for one of the fans who had stopped him. I interrupted him as he wrote his name.

"Hey," I said. "How about a rematch??"

The guy quickly looks up to see who would say such a thing to him and instantly he recognizes me. He breaks into a big smile and stands back up so that he can reach over and give me a warm hug hello.

It was the first time I had seen Henry Maske in person since November of 1996 in Munich when I was there sparring with him in preparation for his first fight with Virgil Hill.

One thing about boxing that I have always loved is the bond that is shared between fighters, especially two who have shared a ring at some point. I fought Henry for his IBF light heavyweight title in Leipzig back in 1996, losing a twelve round decision. Later that year I traveled to Munich where I served as the chief sparring partner for his unification fight with Virgil Hill. To be completely honest, we didn't really even speak to each other that much for the entire three weeks I was in camp with him. He was focused on his fight and I was off doing my own thing when I wasn't actually in the gym with him for two hours a day.

When I left him on that last day of camp back in 1996 we departed with what amounted to a pleasant, if not even remotely emotional, farewell.

Seeing him this past Saturday night, though, was just like seeing an old high school classmate or an old neighbor from childhood who had moved away many years earlier. The very first thing he said to me was, "They just told me only thirty minutes ago that you were here."

It sounded to me like he was trying to let me know that he was hoping to see me and was happy that I had found him. The vibe between us was strong, just like it is when I see anyone else from years gone by that I shared the ring with. Again, it's one of the things I love about this boxing game of ours.

And when I left him this time, as opposed to our going our separate ways back in 1996, it definitely had the feel more of two old friends saying good-bye.

So I'm happy to report that even if I once again didn't leave Germany with a world championship I am at least happy enough that I left with what I consider a renewed friendship with the former champ.

[Hitman932]

that's fair enough...I mean, I can only say that when you are in there it sometimes takes time to adjust to the moment...some guys need rounds to loosen up, implement their style, get their bearings etc...its like when Shane and Floyd fought and after the fight Shane said something about being a little tense in there and he needed time to loosen up or something and Larry Merchant was so surprised, saying, "Shane, you've had all these fights and you were still tense and needed time to loosen up" (something like that)..and the answer is YES, he did apparently...but, as I said, I think the guy (Huck) was much stronger than he looked on video...maybe Matt was very surprised by that, too...

I'm not doubting the strength of Huck for one second, I have watched quite a few of his fights and he brings it to everyone.

My only question would be how many of Huck's fights did Matt watch? I mean the guy has always been a bull in a china shop, I don't think there are any secrets about what Huck does in there.

To me he is the type of opponent that you know is stronger going in, you know he is reckless, you know you can't trade... but you also gotta know you can't consistently back to the ropes.

It's just my opinion that if somebody takes a fight with Marco Huck they have to understand that their best chance is to smash him with a big counterpunch when he is getting wild. Yes you need to box, and yeah you need to tie him up. But at the same time you are in Germany, you aren't gonna get any favors from anybody, I think you gotta look to do some damage even if you are a boxer and not a puncher.

Huck is reckless to the point where I think the comparison I would make is him being a Cruiserweight version of Vic Darchinyan. Before losing to Donaire Vic was looking like a monster who would reign over the division for a long time. One well placed counterpunch on a wildly charging opponent changed all that. Nobody thinks of Donaire as a big time puncher, and nobody sees Vic as having a glass jaw, but that was one of the most devastating blows in boxing over the past 5 years and it was only landed because Donaire knew the opportunity was coming and he was committed to standing in the kitchen and taking advantage of it.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

yes, but again, watching a tape and actually being in a ring with a man is two different things usually...I have watched guys on tape who looked to be average hitters...and found out they werent...and vice versa, etc...its not like Matt took him lightly at all, just saying, he was stronger than he looked on tape...also, you can formulate the greatest planin the world...you can fight people and know EXACTLY what u need to do against them, sure u can...but executing those plans is what it is all about, thats the whole point of going through with the fights, to see if one man can actually carry out the plan, the techniques, needed to win...just saying that knowing what to do and actually doing it isn't always the same thing...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

I'm not doubting the strength of Huck for one second, I have watched quite a few of his fights and he brings it to everyone.

To me he is the type of opponent that you know is stronger going in, you know he is reckless, you know you can't trade... but you also gotta know you can't consistently back to the ropes.

No doubt going to the ropes as frequently as we did was a mistake...but Huck had something to do with that, too, of course...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

the folks I talked to at espn, i was surprised

Who did u talk to?? I mean, was it a secretary or did they actually put u through to someone???