Comments Thread For: Kirkland's Battering of Tapia Breaks CompuBox Record

[parrish duke]

James Kirkland is more than just a brawler for .He smothers you and grinds you into dust. I have an extensive fight collection and thanks to youtube I am able to get training footage / interviews / sparring etc.. and the amount of trash Tapia was talking was sad - no real respect and Kirkland would just say he was ready and that Tapia was gonna be a tough fight! The eye opener was that Kirkland has not fought in like 2 years so he was actually rusty as hell - the psychological oll he put on Tapia, at the start of every round he was being held back by smoger in the center of the ring ready to pounce on Tapia - Tapia was tagging him in the first minute of the fight - his sad corner just knew kirkland was going to get ko'd he threw quick rights between the gloves like Ishida did. But after the 4th when Tapia was about to go back in and his pathetic trainer said show them some bounce about 2 times and Tapia didn't and couldn't that should have let his trainer know that he could not continue - they thought kirkland was done and they also factored in the 2 year layoff - this a$$ whooping was yhe furthest from their minds

[MRCHOKEaMF]

shame on Tapia's corner 4 letting him go out 4 that last round & Smoger for his very slow stoppage, just trying to grab Kirk by an arm & not getting between them...watch the replay & he could have jumped in quicker & w/more decisiveness...

I can understand that sentiment but last night I caught the replay again, and in a previous rd when they were going at it when the bell rung, Smoger did the same move by grabbing Kirklands arm and it worked fine. They stopped and to be accurate it was Kirklands right arm stopped by Smoggers left arm. My take was James saw blood and was focused on finishing him. Maybe all of the trash Tapia was talking before the fight had something to do with James wanting to send a message to him and teach him something about running your mouth. I hope Tapia is ok, but remember he was undefeated, and smoger has a rep for letting the Boxers have a chance to come back + this is on the heels of the ref for the Froch/Groves debacle catching hell about that early stoppage. During the replay Tapia's corner man was telling Tapia that he better convince the Doc to let this fight go on, Tapia didnt say a damn thing, then he tells Tapia to show him some bounce while he was still in the corner and Tapia just stared at him and didnt say or do anything again. Smoger and the Doc were doing their job, the doc told the ref, that if he takes many more shots to the head that he needed to stop it and thats what Smoger did, this is all on his corner. for that last shot, "Protect yourself at all times"

[djinferno]

shame on Tapia's corner 4 letting him go out 4 that last round & Smoger for his very slow stoppage, just trying to grab Kirk by an arm & not getting between them...watch the replay & he could have jumped in quicker & w/more decisiveness...

I agree but Kirk was beasting, he could of got hurt ...

[ManOnTheMoon]

Fight should of been stopped a lot sooner anyone could see that Tapia had nothing left much earlier. Only time fights should continue when guys are taking these beatings is when they show they still have some energy and have a chance to fight back. They let him keep fighting only cause they know Kirkland is chinny but that's not a good reason to keep him going.

[BigZigga]

"American stoppage" breaks compubox record shocker.

And Froch-Groves was one of the worst stoppages in recent history....

[Nomadic]

I guess you can call those power punches