Comments Thread For: Enter a Contender: Sillakh Puts His Division on Notice

[goblin213]

Sillakh was impressive. It looks like he has a very weak chin though and he got KOed several times in the amateurs.

[DeelDough]

its so superficial to put everyone from the same country in the same category what a week point, i guess juanma is going to get kod like orlando the **** cruz too right? wtf despainge was never that good not even in the amateurs i know this helps you sleep at night but theres no relation between this guy and gamboa at all sorry. Despainge lost in every single internattional tournament when he faced the best and even got beat by an 18 year old kid in his last national tournament a division that is probably cubas weakest

I heard so much from despainge. So much. What a disappointment. I got an invitation to my brother-in-laws house to watch the fight , I was promised I was going to see "out of this world talent".

So you tell me. Is not my fault Cubans always decorate their athletes to the point of over hyping them. But whatever.

I always stay quiet when they speak , because its so hard to get involved in biased conversations. But I enjoyed it so much inside. It was a great night. And I feel sorry for Despainge , it was nothing against him. I wasnt rooting against him. But Like I said, a few minutes before the fight started , these were the lines coming from the cubans.

"No oilvidate que ese flacito se cae en 2" , "Despainge es mucho pa ese tipo , mira pa alla que flaco acere" , and just similar stuff , already taking sillakh out of there without the fight even starting.

So it is to harsh for me to say what I said. Sorry if it hurts you bro. Even as I made a stop at my local supermarket to pick up some beer. All you hear is the old and young cubans , praising their guy. I dont have anything against that. IMO cubans are the best pure boxers. Period , no ifs or butts , they are very talented. But is enjoyable watching ppls faces when they swear they are hot **** and are shown otherwise.

Kind of like how I feel about the Heat. Maybe if Lebron would have singed with us quietly , and he had not done it thru national t.v , and if espn wouldnt be nut hugging them and already making them a contender , then maybe their failure wouldnt also be so celebrated. Not that I even wanted Bosh or Lebron. I could have sworn amare was coming to Miami. And then when he went to n.y , I could have sworn lebron will follow him.

I actually wanted boozer over Bosh. But oh well. The Heat is the team I like , and i guess Ill root for them , no matter whos ontheir roster.

Dont take it to the heart. And no , it doesnt really affect me when I go to sleep. It doesnt affect me at all , other than for those few minutes when I see them so surprised. So confused. Its hilarious. Its a kodak moment.

[1000Islander]

Atlas was right about how smooth Sillakh was. His combinations flowed effortlessly, and it was fun to watch.

He threw some punches from really strange angles and armslots that would have looked awkward on a lesser athlete.

Despaigne's chest thumping was getting pretty old, pretty quickly.

[CubanGuyNYC]

It was a very good fight. He frustrated him all night with movement.

He is a good fighter. Not saying he lacks power , but if he can manage to put on a couple of pounds and not lose speed , he will have even more to scare ppl off.

Like you said , he got great fundamentals. And I love watching hungry , fresh fighters like that. Good fight.

My wife's family was about to cry. They had over hyped this fight so much , and they guaranteed me a win. Cubans.... I dont want to be there when Lopez knocks Gamboa out cold. Or do I?....

Despaigne is at least a notch below recent defectors like Gamboa and Rigondeaux. I never really saw anything beyond solid ability from him. It's no surprise that he got schooled by a kid as talented as Ismayl Sillakh. I'd never seen Ismayl fight before, but star power is very evident. The Ukrainian beat a very solid opponent by a mile last night. Yordanis couldn't beat Sillakh if they fought a hundred times.

Sillakh displayed speed, athleticism, easy coordination and poise against Despaigne. He could've finished the fight in the third round, in my opinion. Yordanis was saved by the bell at the end of the second and didn't look fully recovered in the third. As for power, Ismayl has serious pop in his fists. He consistently landed fast combinations with crackling authority. From what I've been reading, the only question to Sillakh's stardom might be his chin. For now, he's got a fan in me.

As for the uncalled for comments about Cubans, your in-laws apparently don't know much about boxing. However, you clearly don't understand the longing to see your your oppressed countrymen do well, when your own people have benefited from the free umbrella of the most powerful nation in history. But that's another story....

Gamboa, Rigondeaux, Lara...if none of these guys become stars, then I'll be disappointed. Yordanis Despaigne losing to a potential star doesn't surprise me in the least. No shame in losing to a guy like Ismayl Sillakh. As more Cubans make it to the States, they'll become better at the pro game. I've waited a long time; I can wait a little longer.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Atlas was right about how smooth Sillakh was. His combinations flowed effortlessly, and it was fun to watch.

He threw some punches from really strange angles and armslots that would have looked awkward on a lesser athlete.

Despaigne's chest thumping was getting pretty old, pretty quickly.

Can't agree more. There was a moment when I had flashbacks to Clay (Ali)-Liston I...seriously. At that point, Sillakh was in such a rhythm it was poetry in motion, like he was shadow boxing. Sillakh was throwing fast, crisp, popping blows from every angle.

And yes, the chest thumping was just plain ******. You're getting schooled in there, and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it, Yordanis. Take it like a man and come back next time.

[DeelDough]

Despaigne is at least a notch below recent defectors like Gamboa and Rigondeaux. I never really saw anything beyond solid ability from him. It's no surprise that he got schooled by a kid as talented as Ismayl Sillakh. I'd never seen Ismayl fight before, but star power is very evident. The Ukrainian beat a very solid opponent by a mile last night. Yordanis couldn't beat Sillakh if they fought a hundred times.

Sillakh displayed speed, athleticism, easy coordination and poise against Despaigne. He could've finished the fight in the third round, in my opinion. Yordanis was saved by the bell at the end of the second and didn't look fully recovered in the third. As for power, Ismayl has serious pop in his fists. He consistently landed fast combinations with crackling authority. From what I've been reading, the only question to Sillakh's stardom might be his chin. For now, he's got a fan in me.

As for the uncalled for comments about Cubans, your in-laws apparently don't know much about boxing. However, you clearly don't understand the longing to see your your oppressed countrymen do well, when your own people have benefited from the free umbrella of the most powerful nation in history. But that's another story....

Gamboa, Rigondeaux, Lara...if none of these guys become stars, then I'll be disappointed. Yordanis Despaigne losing to a potential star doesn't surprise me in the least. No shame in losing to a guy like Ismayl Sillakh. As more Cubans make it to the States, they'll become better at the pro game. I've waited a long time; I can wait a little longer.

I understand exactly what you mean. I know we have the it "easier" since we dont have to run from our island.

But one person's success on the ring has nothing to do with a territory being oppressed or free. The persons hard work has more to do with it than anything else.

But whatever. I feel you and I understand where your coming from , I know not all cubans are the same , and like I said. I was literally promised I was going to be watching a great cuban.

But Ill take your word for it , sice Ive never watched him before. He did look limited. He was following sillakh with pretty much no technique. But whatever.

Its always the same card with you guys about ricans. The "US card".

But whatever. I never see the government or anybody else with our boxers on top of the ring. The only thing that shows is their talent. Compliments of their hard work. Independent hard work.

[CubanGuyNYC]

I understand exactly what you mean. I know we have the it "easier" since we dont have to run from our island.

But one person's success on the ring has nothing to do with a territory being oppressed or free. The persons hard work has more to do with it than anything else.

But whatever. I feel you and I understand where your coming from , I know not all cubans are the same , and like I said. I was literally promised I was going to be watching a great cuban.

But Ill take your word for it , sice Ive never watched him before. He did look limited. He was following sillakh with pretty much no technique. But whatever.

Its always the same card with you guys about ricans. The "US card".

But whatever. I never see the government or anybody else with our boxers on top of the ring. The only thing that shows is their talent. Compliments of their hard work. Independent hard work.

I take nothing away from what Puerto Ricans have accomplished in or out of the ring. As far as I'm concerned everyone deserves what they've earned. Period.

I understand wanting to see the object of unwarranted hype fail. If sticking it to your in-laws at home because Despaigne is Cuban like them is your objective...that's your prerogative. But voicing your opinion publicly takes on a different tone. It smacks of closet racism. (Although we're talking about nationality, not race.)

The proof is in the putting, so I'll have to wait until Cubans start making their mark in the pros. However, the recent rise of the eastern Europeans in professional boxing backs my point nicely. These men were virtually non-existent in pro boxing until fairly recently. Were they somehow inherently inferior athletes? Clearly they weren't. What stopped them from coming to the fore was economic and social isolation. Now, years after the "Steel Curtain" broke down, these men are showing the world that they are a boxing force to be reckoned with. So, while I applaud individual grit and achievement, I also recognize the undeniable impact that freedom and economy have on an athlete's ultimate potential.

Every dog has his day. The Cubans had it in the past and they'll have it again.

[TheMexHurricane]

Man, Silakh broke my heart. I really, really like Despaigne. I really do think that Despaigne fought a dumb fight and could've won. He didn't use his jab or superior athleticism. Their was a round or two where he did the right things and he began to win but then he resorted to not friggin' listening to his trainer!!!

[TheMexHurricane]

I understand exactly what you mean. I know we have the it "easier" since we dont have to run from our island.

But one person's success on the ring has nothing to do with a territory being oppressed or free. The persons hard work has more to do with it than anything else.

But whatever. I feel you and I understand where your coming from , I know not all cubans are the same , and like I said. I was literally promised I was going to be watching a great cuban.

But Ill take your word for it , sice Ive never watched him before. He did look limited. He was following sillakh with pretty much no technique. But whatever.

Its always the same card with you guys about ricans. The "US card".

But whatever. I never see the government or anybody else with our boxers on top of the ring. The only thing that shows is their talent. Compliments of their hard work. Independent hard work.

Is that Wilfredo Gomez under the star of the Puerto Rican flag?

[CubanGuyNYC]

Man, Silakh broke my heart. I really, really like Despaigne. I really do think that Despaigne fought a dumb fight and could've won. He didn't use his jab or superior athleticism. Their was a round or two where he did the right things and he began to win but then he resorted to not friggin' listening to his trainer!!!

I'm kind of surprised you like Despaigne that much. To me, he's a solid fighter, but not much more. Yordanis tried to do too much early on and got sloppy. On the other hand, Sillakh really impressed me by absolutely dominating an opponent of Despaigne's quality.

When your trainer has to use an interpreter to communicate with you between rounds, there's going to be a problem. I don't think that the fight would've ended differently, but Yordanis might've avoided some damage.

Sillakh was so much more poised than Despaigne. Yordanis was way too emotional. When you're being taken to town like that, you have to try and keep your cool and stay smart. Ismayl Sillakh sure looks like the real deal.