Off Topic Boxing

Pretty much guaranteed Gold Coast. Fights to retain his British title in May.
Turns pro after Gold Coast next spring I don't see him waiting for Tokyo 2020.

 

Boxing can be a cruel sport. People die in the ring. One of the most famous, fatal bouts took place in 1962 at Madison Square Garden, between Benny Kid Paret and Emile Griffith. This was their third encounter. In April of 1961, Griffith had knocked out the Welterweight Champ Paret in the 13th to take his title. At the end of that year, both Griffith and Paret were in in ring again battling for the same belt. This time Benny Kid Paret regained his title by way of a split decision. Two months later, Paret took on one of the all time greats, Gene Fullmer, in a Middleweight bout. The Kid took a flogging and was stopped in 10. Just three months later, he fought Emile Griffith for the final time. The date 24 March 1962. Post fight, serious questions were asked about Paret's fitness going into the bout. He'd copped some severe batterings and now took a father of a hiding in the 12th here.

More than forty years after the tragedy, Emile Griffith got the chance to finally meet Benny Paret's wife and son.

 

I'm going to the boxing on Saturday in Manchester Terry Flanagan defending his light weight title and the so called grudge match between the two Liam's, Smith and Williams. Nicola Adams makes her pro debut on the card too. Am looking forward to it, it's been ages since I've been to an actual fight and not just watched on telly. Also got my ticket for Kell Brooks big fight against Errol Spence Jnr. Only downside is it's at Brammall Lane!

 

Nice one Smoke. Enjoy it mate. How good is Flanagan? He's long odds on to win this weekend, but I hear that he's talking about fighting Lomachenko in the near future. Is he up to it? And where do you think he fits in against the other champs Linares, Garcia and Easter?

 

I'm not sure where I'd put him at the moment, he's a tough one to judge. He flunked his championship win, although through no fault of his own then looked every bit the champion in his first defence but I've not been blown away with him since and not so sure about the opposition he's faced. I wouldn't have him up there with Garcia or Linares just yet and no one touches Lomachenko, he's the definition of world class. Hopefully I'll get a better look at Flanagan Saturday but again I'm not too sure if his opposition is up to much.

 

HELLO

 

Bernard Hopkins I do believe Ron.

 

Is it. He doesn't look very well

 

Here you go Ron. Hopkins took the defeat badly. He says he was pushed out of the ring. The film clearly shows that he was punched through the ropes, plain and simple. Knocked out. Period.

 

Cheers Cyc. Never heard of Joe Smith Jnr but he can certainly mix it

 

I think Joe was 27 at the time of the fight, while Bernard was 51. Some people think they can go on forever. Sad.

 

A man many consider a future p4p champion, Vasyl Lomachenko climbs into the ring today US time, to make the second defence of his WBO 130 pound title. The man who's expected to be on the receiving end of a flogging is the number 2 ranked WBO contender Jason Sosa. Lomachenko is about 1-25 and Sosa 10-1. It's hard to believe that "Hi-Tech" will be having only his ninth bout and is already a two weight champion. I can't wait to see him again. The man is a star.

Also on the same program is one of the newer stories in the game, the London 2012 Gold Medalist Oleksandr Usyk. He's exploded onto the Cruiserweight scene in a big way. After lifting Krzysztof Glowacki's WBO belt in just his tenth fight, he defended it against Thabiso Mchunu by KO. His opponent is the US Olympian Michael Hunter. Usyk's BoxRec pic is brutal. His hair is enough to scare the crap out of anyone.

PS Sosa failed to make the weight by a couple of ounces.

 

Not bad seats, arena was empty very poor turnout I reckon maybe only 3 or 4 thousand there. Decent card Jack Catterall looked very good in stopping Martin Gethin. Liam Williams was dominating Liam Smith until what seemed like a very strange call by Williams corner to pull him out. Smith was coming back into it but looked a weird call. Nicola Adams debut, boring, nuff said. And Terry Flanagan did what he needed to do to keep his title albeit unconvincingly, am still none the wiser where he ranks amongst the lightweights out there

 

Today in the US, the all powerful, Ukrainian juggernaut steamed on. The wonderful Vasyl Lomachenko, in retaining his WBO Super Featherweight title, belted the living daylights out of a very brave Jason Sosa, a former WBA champ at the weight, stopping him in 9, and the rather large Oleksandr Usyk, the WBO Cruiserweight champion, outclassed Michael Hunter, winning a lopsided points victory.

But it looks as though another very handy prospect from the Ukraine has burst onto the scene. A stable mate of both Lomachenko and Usyk, a light Heavyweight by the name of Oleksandr Gvozdyk, a man known as The Nail, did just that to the Cuban Yunieski Gonzales. It took just three rounds. These Ukrainians are a well schooled bunch of fighters. They're certainly worth watching.

 

In the late 1940 - early 50s, two of the greatest Featherweights of all time fought four battles that have stood the test of time. Even today, one of the gents, Willie Pep is in some circles considered above reproach. The other combatant was the legendary Sandy Saddler. Going into their final bout the champ Saddler held a record of 128-9-2 while Pep's record stood at 160-3-1. None of these 30-40 fight careers we see today.

 

Not much class there Cyc. More like a school playground scrap.

 

You don't see 'em like that anymore Ron.

 

Bullshit or not? Tyson Fury and Manuel Charr say they will clash in May. I suppose even if he's 280 pounds and is contracted to only using a single arm, he'd prove too good. The British Boxing Board of Control still have not given him a licence.

 

In February of 2009, Juan Manuel Marquez, at the time rated pound for pound, the best Lightweight in the world, faced Juan Diaz, rated number two. At stake were Diaz's IBO belt and the vacant WBA & WBO titles. Both the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine voted this bout the fight of the year for 2009. It was the classic old bull versus the young hungry one.

 

Peter Fury having a chat.