Comments Thread For: Photos: Huck, Afolabi Face To Face at Heated Presser

[StillAlive2k]

Afolabi has such a deceiving record 19-2-4 with only 9 K.Os

Yeah its always wierd seeing his record!!!

If Ola wins he should move and fight povetkin, he looks bigger enough from the photo

[Levity]

I thought Huck won the first and second bouts 116-112 and 115-114 respectively. Anything other than a Huck win in the first bout would've been a poor decision, and the verdict of the rematch was fair; I cannot discern strong reasons for considering Afolabi unfortunate to not win at least one of the fights.

Ola started great in the rematch, but he tired badly after the fourth round; after sweeping the first four rounds on my card, I gave him only one round thereafter and one round even. Perhaps his parsimonious output is due to stamina problems, rather than a 'sparring partner mentality' or a circumspect disposition, but regardless he must find a way to maintain a decent workrate throughout most of the fight.

[Weebler I]

Afolabi clearly lost the first fight and nobody clearly won the 2nd fight. Claiming otherwise is laughable and this coming from someone who hates Huck. Arlsan on the other hand clearly beat Huck and handed him a beating.

I didn't see the first fight but I watched the 2nd fight and Huck was missing with most of his punches, nothing was landing. Afolabi kept the jab to him all night.

I was pulling for him, but I disagree. IMO the draw was fair, surprising he got it. Now he did easily win the first 5 rounds or so, but gassed badly and took by far the worst punishment of his career late in that fight. He usually lollygags for half the fight, then turns it up midfight. Here he figured he'd put some rounds in the bank early, since Huck always starts slow, but overextended early.

He did gas, but Huck did nothing for a long time and then when he did start to throw he kept missing (I presume the judges scored the shots he missed).

[Regeza]

Ola is right about Arslan, and Lebedev beating huck. As for Ola himself, i don't think he won.

[Levity]

I didn't see the first fight but I watched the 2nd fight and Huck was missing with most of his punches, nothing was landing. Afolabi kept the jab to him all night.



He did gas, but Huck did nothing for a long time and then when he did start to throw he kept missing (I presume the judges scored the shots he missed).

Ola was hit plenty after the fourth (see the big uppercuts landed by Huck in the 6th and 8th, see Ola out on his feet in the ninth, see Huck batter Ola against the ropes in the 12th) and his jab was progressively much less active. His punches also lost their snap and accuracy, and failed to keep Huck back as they previously did, while Huck's blows still had power and frequently jarred Ola.

It was a close fight, and the draw was fair and I think a Huck win would've been fair. If you disagree, please list the rounds that Huck unarguably did not win; there should be at least 7 if you think the decision was poor.

[Weebler I]

Ola was hit plenty after the fourth (see the big uppercuts landed by Huck in the 6th and 8th, see Ola out on his feet in the ninth, see Huck batter Ola against the ropes in the 12th) and his jab become much less active throughout the bout. His punches also lost their snap and accuracy, and failed to keep Huck back as they previously did, while Huck's blows still had power and frequently jarred Ola.

It was a close fight, and the draw was fair and I think a Huck win would've been fair. If you disagree, please list the rounds that Huck unarguably did not win; there should be at least 7 if you think the decision was poor.

I scored it:

R.1 - Afolabi
R.2 - Afolabi
R.3 - Afolabi
R.4 - Afolabi
R.5 - Afolabi
R.6 - Huck
R.7 - Huck (close round)
R.8 - Huck (close round)
R.9 - Huck (close round)
R.10 - Afolabi
R.11 - Afolabi (close round)
R.12 - Afolabi

So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12. Of those Afolabi rounds tell me which ones you thought Huck won.

[Levity]

Huck: 5-9 and 12
Afolabi: 1-4 and 10
Even: 11

I don't see how the ninth was close given that Afolabi was badly hurt and struggling to stay up over the last thirty seconds or so; it would be a huge stretch to score that round even or for Afolabi.

I also thought that Huck clearly won the 12th, as he rocked Afolabi a few times, while Afolabi seemed enervated to the extent that his punches had nothing on them. I just watched the round, and I don't know how you could not even concede it was close; perhaps you could explain why the 12th wasn't close but the 9th was.

The fifth was another round we disagree on. By this time Huck had found his rhythm and was breaking through with power shots. Afolabi's jab was much less active than it had previously been, and he was on the back foot and defending more than he was coming forward as he had been in the previous rounds. I thought this was a good round for Huck, and certainly not one that couldn't be fairly scored for him.

[Weebler I]

The fifth was another round we disagree on. By this time Huck had found his rhythm and was breaking through with power shots. Afolabi's jab was much less active than it had previously been, and he was on the back foot and defending more than he was coming forward as he had been in the previous rounds. I thought this was a good round for Huck, and certainly not one that couldn't be fairly scored for him.

I think we have to score the round in isolation and not compare it with previous rounds. I just re-watched the round, Afolabi got hit with some shots but Huck missed a lot and mostly only fired back after Afolabi unloaded on him often missing. Again, I felt the crucial difference was the jab, Afolabi kept throwing it out there, those are scoring shots which gave him the round imo.

I don't see how the ninth was close given that Afolabi was badly hurt and struggling to stay up over the last thirty seconds or so; it would be a huge stretch to score that round even or for Afolabi.

Well I gave round 9 to Huck, so it's not something we fundamentally disagree on. However, I felt it was close because Huck landed virtually nothing of note until the last 15 seconds of the round. He struggled to close the distance and Afolabi was just dancing around consistently popping him with the jab, scoring points with punches for 2 minutes+ of the round.

I also thought that Huck clearly won the 12th, as he rocked Afolabi a few times, while Afolabi seemed enervated to the extent that his punches had nothing on them. I just watched the round, and I don't know how you could not even concede it was close; perhaps you could explain why the 12th wasn't close but the 9th was.

I re-watched it, it was funnier than I remembered, they both looked punch-drunk by that stage. I just felt Afolabi's punches landed cleaner, they were mostly on the button. I can see how you felt it was close, Afolabi looked very tired but his punches landed cleaner imo (and that's what it's about, clean scoring shots).

[Levity]

I think we have to score the round in isolation and not compare it with previous rounds. I just re-watched the round, Afolabi got hit with some shots but Huck missed a lot and mostly only fired back after Afolabi unloaded on him often missing. Again, I felt the crucial difference was the jab, Afolabi kept throwing it out there, those are scoring shots which gave him the round imo.

I score rounds in isolation and judge fighters relative to their opponents and not to themselves, but I think it's worth noting when a fighter starts doing less of something that helped them win rounds.

I re-watched the fight (though not in linear order), and the only round that was much different than I remembered was the fifth, as Afolabi did better than I first argued. He was more aggressive and still taking the fight to Huck, who was generally covering up and doing little, making it difficult to give him the round.

If I score the fifth for Afolabi, and I concede that's how the round should be scored, I have him winning 115-114. However, I scored the eleventh 10-10 and believe it could've faily gone to Huck, so I still think the decision was fair.

Well I gave round 9 to Huck, so it's not something we fundamentally disagree on. However, I felt it was close because Huck landed virtually nothing of note until the last 15 seconds of the round. He struggled to close the distance and Afolabi was just dancing around consistently popping him with the jab, scoring points with punches for 2 minutes+ of the round.

I think Huck's punches in the final quarter of the round were the most effective work in the fight, and far more effective and meaningful than the aggregation of Afolabi's jabs over the other parts of the round. Afolabi was hit with several hard, flush power shots, out on his feet, and close to going down.

On balance, it shouldn't be considered a disputable round in my opinion, though it's not much of an issue in this discussion since you scored it for Huck.

I re-watched it, it was funnier than I remembered, they both looked punch-drunk by that stage. I just felt Afolabi's punches landed cleaner, they were mostly on the button. I can see how you felt it was close, Afolabi looked very tired but his punches landed cleaner imo (and that's what it's about, clean scoring shots).

We saw different things. I don't think Afolabi landed most of his punches 'on the button' and amidst the sloppiness I didn't notice him land many clean punches.

Afolabi probably had a slight edge over the first half of the round, but I felt Huck dominated the final half of the round; he regularly teed off on Afolabi against the ropes and in corner, while the latter didn't respond much and looked a bit hurt to me. The round was closer than I first noted, but it was not a clear Afolabi round, and it was not a round that couldn't have fairly gone to Huck.

In sum, I understand the rationale for Afolabi winning the rematch, but I don't think the decision merits criticism.

[Weebler I]

I think Huck's punches in the final quarter of the round were the most effective work in the fight, and far more effective and meaningful than the aggregation of Afolabi's jabs over the other parts of the round. Afolabi was hit with several hard, flush power shots, out on his feet, and close to going down.

No doubt, and I gave him the round, it just felt weird giving it to him for essentially 15-seconds work when Afolabi had been totally outboxing him up until that point.

We saw different things. I don't think Afolabi landed most of his punches 'on the button' and amidst the sloppiness I didn't notice him land many clean punches.

Afolabi probably had a slight edge over the first half of the round, but I felt Huck dominated the final half of the round; he regularly teed off on Afolabi against the ropes and in corner, while the latter didn't respond much and looked a bit hurt to me. The round was closer than I first noted, but it was not a clear Afolabi round, and it was not a round that couldn't have fairly gone to Huck.

In sum, I understand the rationale for Afolabi winning the rematch, but I don't think the decision merits criticism.

Well difficult for me not to criticise it when I scored the fight 8-4! Hopefully the rematch decides it once and for all.