Although we all hate the politics of boxing sometimes they do lead us to some sensational contests. One such bout came earlier this evening as the IBF's decision to strip Jamie McDonnell of their IBF Bantamweight title lead us to about between Stuart Hall (16-2-1, 7) and Vusi Malinga (21-5-1, 12) for the vacant title.
Hall, fighting in his first world title fight, set off at a hectic pace using his speed and skills to land on Malinga and move out of the way of return fire to make Malinga look second rate. The tempo was amazing with from Hall who clearly took the first 2 rounds and then claimed the round 3 with a knockdown to have a clear lead built on the cards after just 3 rounds.
It wasn't until the end of round 4 that Malinga first had any real success as he arguably claimed his first round, though it was a swing round that could easily have gone to Hall. Through the middle rounds Malinga started to come back in to the fight and arguably claimed rounds 5,6,7, 8 and 9 as he made a great charge in an attempt to defeat Hall. Not only was Malinga pushing on but Hall appeared to be tiring quickly and his left eye was beginning to swell shut. By the end of round 9 the left eye of Hall was was swollen shut and he was beginning to to eat right hands almost at will.
Despite looking shattered Hall managed to get his second win and appeared to make a late charge taking the championship rounds with Malinga himself looking exhausted. Those rounds effectively sealed the fight for Hall who had dug in and done enough for the biggest victory of his career.
The performance, of both men had been excellent, the fight had great with action from both men, and unfortunately the one sour taste were the judges whose cards of 117-110 (twice) and 116-111 didn't fairly reflect the nature of the bout. They did get the right winner but their cards didn't show just how hard Malinga had made things for him.
Showing posts with label British. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Darren Barker v Felix Sturm
In probably the most disappointing title fight of the year Britain's Darren Barker (26-2, 16) effectively gave up his IBF Middleweight title as he was stopped by Germany's Felix Sturm (39-3-2, 18).
Sturm started fast winning the opening round with his work rate. Although Barker fired back it was obvious that Barker's game plan wasn't right and rather than boxing and moving he tried to trade with Sturm getting rocked later in the same round.
Barker tried to fight back more so in round 2 and started fast. Sadly it didn't take Sturm long to hurt him and this time Barker was sent down. It was obvious from the way that Barker got up that he wasn't fine and soon afterwards he was sent down again. This time Barker showed his agony and despite getting up it seemed it was only a matter of time.
With Sturm on the offensive again, just moments after the knockdown, Barker's corner threw in the towel. I'm afraid that to for a world champion to go out like this is a disappointment. Barker can blame his him problems, he can blame anything but at the end of the day he used the wrong tactics and was punished.
Although Barker was diagnosed with a hip injury I can't say I'm looking forward to watching the rest of his career after this.
Sturm started fast winning the opening round with his work rate. Although Barker fired back it was obvious that Barker's game plan wasn't right and rather than boxing and moving he tried to trade with Sturm getting rocked later in the same round.
Barker tried to fight back more so in round 2 and started fast. Sadly it didn't take Sturm long to hurt him and this time Barker was sent down. It was obvious from the way that Barker got up that he wasn't fine and soon afterwards he was sent down again. This time Barker showed his agony and despite getting up it seemed it was only a matter of time.
With Sturm on the offensive again, just moments after the knockdown, Barker's corner threw in the towel. I'm afraid that to for a world champion to go out like this is a disappointment. Barker can blame his him problems, he can blame anything but at the end of the day he used the wrong tactics and was punished.
Although Barker was diagnosed with a hip injury I can't say I'm looking forward to watching the rest of his career after this.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Adonis Stevenson v Tony Bellew
When a fighter talks the talk they have to do something to back it up. Unfortunately Englishman Tony Bellew (20-2-1, 12) his mouth wrote cheques he simply couldn't cash as he went over to Canada, talked the talk and was then stopped by the hard hitting Adonis Stevenson (23-1, 20).
The fight started slowly, this was expected with both men showing genuine respect to the others power. Unfortunately this lead to one of the least interesting rounds of the year as Bellew back-tracked like he was doing the 100m backwards running and Stevenson failed to find his range.
Thankfully, for the sake of entertainment, round 2 saw Stevenson picking up the pace and easily dominating the round as Bellew began to look like a genuinely terrified fighter. The confidence had been completely sapped from Bellew. What didn't help the challenger was the fact Stevenson was starting to connect with his left hand on a semi-regular basis.
By the end of round 3 it seemed like the end was imminent as Stevenson began to land left hands on a regular basis. Although Bellew was now throwing shots in return it seemed like he was becoming a desperate man rather than a fighter attempting to fight back.
Having clearly fallen 3-0 down Bellew finally let his hands go like a fighter in round 4 as the two men traded shots. This saw both men looking hurt with Stevenson actually ending up on the canvas, albeit from a push, and it appeared as if we were in for a war. Unfortunately however the excitement lasted just for the round as Bellew got back on his bike in round 5 and continued to use his legs more than his hands.
The negativity of Bellew saw Stevenson taunting him, dropping his hands and calling for him to fight. Unfortunately with neither man landing much of note in the fifth round, it was poor.
The poor round 5 was thankfully followed by Stevenson exploding in to action and dropping Bellew part way through the round. Bellew showed his heart by getting up, though it appeared more like he wasn't thinking straight and soon afterwards he tagged again and his legs stiffened. This gave Stevenson a chance to unload and he did as the referee was forced to step in for the safety of Bellew.
Considering the mouth of Bellew this was really disappointing. There is no harm in losing, but Bellew hardly out up a fight before being stopped. Very disappointing considering the pre-fight comments made by the Englishman.
For Stevenson this would have felt good. He was forced to listen to various comments from Bellew and he shut up Bellew's mouth, he made Bellew look like a chicken and more tellingly he further cemented his case as the best Light Heavyweight on the planet.
The logical match up at 175 right now is Stevenson v Kovalev, come on HBO put up the money for the fight we all want!
The fight started slowly, this was expected with both men showing genuine respect to the others power. Unfortunately this lead to one of the least interesting rounds of the year as Bellew back-tracked like he was doing the 100m backwards running and Stevenson failed to find his range.
Thankfully, for the sake of entertainment, round 2 saw Stevenson picking up the pace and easily dominating the round as Bellew began to look like a genuinely terrified fighter. The confidence had been completely sapped from Bellew. What didn't help the challenger was the fact Stevenson was starting to connect with his left hand on a semi-regular basis.
By the end of round 3 it seemed like the end was imminent as Stevenson began to land left hands on a regular basis. Although Bellew was now throwing shots in return it seemed like he was becoming a desperate man rather than a fighter attempting to fight back.
Having clearly fallen 3-0 down Bellew finally let his hands go like a fighter in round 4 as the two men traded shots. This saw both men looking hurt with Stevenson actually ending up on the canvas, albeit from a push, and it appeared as if we were in for a war. Unfortunately however the excitement lasted just for the round as Bellew got back on his bike in round 5 and continued to use his legs more than his hands.
The negativity of Bellew saw Stevenson taunting him, dropping his hands and calling for him to fight. Unfortunately with neither man landing much of note in the fifth round, it was poor.
The poor round 5 was thankfully followed by Stevenson exploding in to action and dropping Bellew part way through the round. Bellew showed his heart by getting up, though it appeared more like he wasn't thinking straight and soon afterwards he tagged again and his legs stiffened. This gave Stevenson a chance to unload and he did as the referee was forced to step in for the safety of Bellew.
Considering the mouth of Bellew this was really disappointing. There is no harm in losing, but Bellew hardly out up a fight before being stopped. Very disappointing considering the pre-fight comments made by the Englishman.
For Stevenson this would have felt good. He was forced to listen to various comments from Bellew and he shut up Bellew's mouth, he made Bellew look like a chicken and more tellingly he further cemented his case as the best Light Heavyweight on the planet.
The logical match up at 175 right now is Stevenson v Kovalev, come on HBO put up the money for the fight we all want!
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Scott Quigg v Diego Oscar Silva
Following his disappointing draw with Yoandris Salinas WBA Super Bantamweight champion Scott Quigg (27-0-2, 20) destroyed the limited Argentinian challenger Diego Oscar Silva (29-3-4, 15) in just 2 rounds.
The fight, widely regarded as a mismatch before it began, provided to be a pointless and simple out for Quigg.
The first round saw the champion applying pressure. Although Quigg failed to have any great success in the round he had proven that he felt he was the boss and Silva seemed to mentally realise he was on to a hiding to nothing.
We got shown just what a mismatch this was in the second round as Quigg again applied pressure and then dropped Silva with a body shot against the ropes. From then on the ending was in sight and although Silva got to his feet it was only a matter of time before Quigg would finish the fight, which he dead from ahead shot soon afterwards.
As a fan of Asian boxing I now look forward to seeing Quigg against a genuine title challenger such as Hozumi Hasegawa, Shingo Wake or even Yasutaka Ishimoto.
The fight, widely regarded as a mismatch before it began, provided to be a pointless and simple out for Quigg.
The first round saw the champion applying pressure. Although Quigg failed to have any great success in the round he had proven that he felt he was the boss and Silva seemed to mentally realise he was on to a hiding to nothing.
We got shown just what a mismatch this was in the second round as Quigg again applied pressure and then dropped Silva with a body shot against the ropes. From then on the ending was in sight and although Silva got to his feet it was only a matter of time before Quigg would finish the fight, which he dead from ahead shot soon afterwards.
As a fan of Asian boxing I now look forward to seeing Quigg against a genuine title challenger such as Hozumi Hasegawa, Shingo Wake or even Yasutaka Ishimoto.
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Scott Quigg v Yoandris Salinas
In a less than satisfactory ending Scott Quigg (26-0-2, 19) retained his newly upgraded WBA Super Bantamweight title courtesy of a 12 round majority draw with under-rated Cuban Yoandris Salinas (20-0-2, 13).
Oddly rather than complaining about the draw, I want to be one of the few to compliment good scoring. All too often we complain about bad scoring, as Sky Sport's did on TV, though on this rare occasion the scoring was sport on.
The first began at a very slow pace with Salinas landing his jab at will and making Quigg seem like a novice. It was an almost expected start with both men feeling each other out but few would have expected it to remain so slow so long and in fact it took several for either man to really come alive.
For the Cuban a slow pace was ideal and it helped win a majority of the early rounds with Quigg almost fighting the wrong fight. It was odd that a fighter like Quigg, known for his strength and energy, started so slowly and by the mid-way point it appeared his slow pace was going to cost him his title as he was genuinely in a hole. In fact by round 7 it was easy to make a case for Salinas being 6 rounds to 1 up, effectively securing at the very least a draw, barring a knockdown, or of course a knock out.
Knowing he was well behind on the scorecards Quigg began to go through the gears and in round 8 he finally managed to generate some momentum stepping up his work notably and easily taking the round as he put Salinas under serious pressure. The success from this round saw Quigg building some real momentum and clearly took rounds 9, 10, 11 with a similar strategy of putting his foot on the gas and applying pressure with plenty of work.
By the start of the 12th it was easy to say Quigg was winning, based merely on the way the momentum was going, something I think Sky Sports did in effect, though on my card he was going to need a big final round to take home the decision. Salinas seemed to have the same sort of idea in his head, though perhaps felt he was in the lead. This lead to a very weird 12th round with Salinas back on his toes moving around the ring and flicking out his jab whilst Quigg applied pressure. It was the first time Salinas had used his feet since about round 7 though his lack of work rate meant Quigg took the round anyway.
With the fact I had given Salinas 6 of the first 7 and Quigg had taken the final 5 a draw seemed the most obvious result and, thankfully, two of the judges agreed, with the third viewing Quigg as a 115-113 winner giving us a majority draw. And for once, the right decision.
Oddly rather than complaining about the draw, I want to be one of the few to compliment good scoring. All too often we complain about bad scoring, as Sky Sport's did on TV, though on this rare occasion the scoring was sport on.
The first began at a very slow pace with Salinas landing his jab at will and making Quigg seem like a novice. It was an almost expected start with both men feeling each other out but few would have expected it to remain so slow so long and in fact it took several for either man to really come alive.
For the Cuban a slow pace was ideal and it helped win a majority of the early rounds with Quigg almost fighting the wrong fight. It was odd that a fighter like Quigg, known for his strength and energy, started so slowly and by the mid-way point it appeared his slow pace was going to cost him his title as he was genuinely in a hole. In fact by round 7 it was easy to make a case for Salinas being 6 rounds to 1 up, effectively securing at the very least a draw, barring a knockdown, or of course a knock out.
Knowing he was well behind on the scorecards Quigg began to go through the gears and in round 8 he finally managed to generate some momentum stepping up his work notably and easily taking the round as he put Salinas under serious pressure. The success from this round saw Quigg building some real momentum and clearly took rounds 9, 10, 11 with a similar strategy of putting his foot on the gas and applying pressure with plenty of work.
By the start of the 12th it was easy to say Quigg was winning, based merely on the way the momentum was going, something I think Sky Sports did in effect, though on my card he was going to need a big final round to take home the decision. Salinas seemed to have the same sort of idea in his head, though perhaps felt he was in the lead. This lead to a very weird 12th round with Salinas back on his toes moving around the ring and flicking out his jab whilst Quigg applied pressure. It was the first time Salinas had used his feet since about round 7 though his lack of work rate meant Quigg took the round anyway.
With the fact I had given Salinas 6 of the first 7 and Quigg had taken the final 5 a draw seemed the most obvious result and, thankfully, two of the judges agreed, with the third viewing Quigg as a 115-113 winner giving us a majority draw. And for once, the right decision.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Daniel Geale v Darren Barker
In a second successive upset at the Revel Resort, Atlantic City Darren Barker (26-1, 16) claimed a close split decision to take the IBF Middleweight title from Australian Daniel Geale (29-2, 15) in an enthralling and very difficult to score 12 round contest.
The fight started at an amazing pace with both men standing close and trading attacks, Geale, known for his work rate appeared to be his usual busy self but Barker seemed to be just as confident in his stamina and matched Geale almost punch for punch in a great round. The round really could have gone either way and it was one of a number of swing rounds the fight saw as the men refused to let the other really take any advantage, however Barker did land a low one on the bell to end round 2.
The first clear round was the third a round won by Barker thanks to his excellent crisp shots that seemed to rattle Geale at several points. The Aussie tried to fight back but for the first time he was unable to really answer the firepower of the Englishman.
Although Barker had claimed the third Geale appeared to bounce back excellently and took the fourth round as he stepped up his work rate and tried to show Barker that HE was the champion and he wouldn't give up his title with out a fight. It was by the end of this round that both guys were showing signs of having been in a fight with their left eyes reddening from the shots they had each landed. The eyes only got worse through round 5 as they again fought a very tight round that saw Geale landing a low blow that appeared to be a revenge shot for the one Barker hand landed on him
If round 3 was the first clear round then round 6 was the clearest round as Geale dropped Barker hard from a body shot that he only just managed to get up from. The shot, an absolute beauty, would have finished off most men but Barker found a way to will himself to his feet and despite taking a shellacking for a good portion of the round he managed to turn things around late to prove there was still plenty of fight in him.
Following the body shot in the sixth Geale appeared to target the mid section again in round 7 though it was Barker who landed the notable shots and by the end of it Geale's trademark work rate appeared to have deserted with Barker actually having the much better round of the two fighters
The work rate of Geale did return in roudn 8 though only in the first minute or so before Barker came back and possibly stole the round in another of the fights many swing rounds. Unfortunately for Barker it seemed like round 9 was a solid Gale round although Barker did himself land some solid shots it was hard to award him the round as he looked sluggish and tired for the first time.
Barker seemed to bounce back well in round 10 as Geale began to look tired and although neither man appeared able to really hurt the other neither man seemed to be able to really great a gap in the scoring due to close nature of the rounds and the fact that every time one guy won one cleanly the other seemed to take the next.
Going in to the championship rounds it was really anyone's fight due to the close nature of so many rounds. Unfortunately for Geale however he was looking worse for wear not just facially with his lip being swollen but also physically with his work rate dropping dramatically. Geale tried to force himself to battle hard against Barker in the later rounds but amazing Barker fought back even hard and appeared to take round 11.
Having lost the 11 Geale managed to fight back harder in the 12 and probably just took that to even out the score from the previous round.
With so many tight rounds any result was fair and whilst I had the bout a victory to the champion (115-112) the judges felt that Barker had done enough to deserve a split decision with scores of 114-113 each way and an oddly wide card of 116-111 to Barker. I understand there were plenty of swing rounds but 116-111 either way seems unfair to the loser of a great fight.
If anything has come from this, one of the best fights of the year, it's that a rematch should take place as it would be a bit hit with the fans and the fighters as well as HBO
The fight started at an amazing pace with both men standing close and trading attacks, Geale, known for his work rate appeared to be his usual busy self but Barker seemed to be just as confident in his stamina and matched Geale almost punch for punch in a great round. The round really could have gone either way and it was one of a number of swing rounds the fight saw as the men refused to let the other really take any advantage, however Barker did land a low one on the bell to end round 2.
The first clear round was the third a round won by Barker thanks to his excellent crisp shots that seemed to rattle Geale at several points. The Aussie tried to fight back but for the first time he was unable to really answer the firepower of the Englishman.
Although Barker had claimed the third Geale appeared to bounce back excellently and took the fourth round as he stepped up his work rate and tried to show Barker that HE was the champion and he wouldn't give up his title with out a fight. It was by the end of this round that both guys were showing signs of having been in a fight with their left eyes reddening from the shots they had each landed. The eyes only got worse through round 5 as they again fought a very tight round that saw Geale landing a low blow that appeared to be a revenge shot for the one Barker hand landed on him
If round 3 was the first clear round then round 6 was the clearest round as Geale dropped Barker hard from a body shot that he only just managed to get up from. The shot, an absolute beauty, would have finished off most men but Barker found a way to will himself to his feet and despite taking a shellacking for a good portion of the round he managed to turn things around late to prove there was still plenty of fight in him.
Following the body shot in the sixth Geale appeared to target the mid section again in round 7 though it was Barker who landed the notable shots and by the end of it Geale's trademark work rate appeared to have deserted with Barker actually having the much better round of the two fighters
The work rate of Geale did return in roudn 8 though only in the first minute or so before Barker came back and possibly stole the round in another of the fights many swing rounds. Unfortunately for Barker it seemed like round 9 was a solid Gale round although Barker did himself land some solid shots it was hard to award him the round as he looked sluggish and tired for the first time.
Barker seemed to bounce back well in round 10 as Geale began to look tired and although neither man appeared able to really hurt the other neither man seemed to be able to really great a gap in the scoring due to close nature of the rounds and the fact that every time one guy won one cleanly the other seemed to take the next.
Going in to the championship rounds it was really anyone's fight due to the close nature of so many rounds. Unfortunately for Geale however he was looking worse for wear not just facially with his lip being swollen but also physically with his work rate dropping dramatically. Geale tried to force himself to battle hard against Barker in the later rounds but amazing Barker fought back even hard and appeared to take round 11.
Having lost the 11 Geale managed to fight back harder in the 12 and probably just took that to even out the score from the previous round.
With so many tight rounds any result was fair and whilst I had the bout a victory to the champion (115-112) the judges felt that Barker had done enough to deserve a split decision with scores of 114-113 each way and an oddly wide card of 116-111 to Barker. I understand there were plenty of swing rounds but 116-111 either way seems unfair to the loser of a great fight.
If anything has come from this, one of the best fights of the year, it's that a rematch should take place as it would be a bit hit with the fans and the fighters as well as HBO
Nathan Clevery v Sergey Kovalev
It's not often that a world champion making his 6th defense is seen as a fighter "stepping up" but that's exactly what many thought when Nathan Cleverly (26-1, 12), the then WBO Light Heavyweight champion, signed to face Russian puncher Sergey Kovalev (22-0-1, 20).
Kovalev entered the bout with a fearsome reputation as a thunderous puncher and came into the fight with recent stoppages over Gabriel Campillo and Cornelius White, two highly regarded contenders in their own right. Cleverly however had entered the bout with recent wins over C grade opponents like Tommy Karpency, Shawn Hawk and Robin Krasniqi, a genuine who's who of who cares.
The competition that Cleverly had faced had left many split opinions, was he as good as his record or merely fighting selective opponents so that he could retain his world title. Unfortunately for this bout it certainly seems that Cleverly had been protected.
The Welshman started positively trying to getting his excellent engine going though unfortunately for him the Russian was picking his jab and countering with it whilst landing thudding hooks to the arms and shoulders of Cleverly. It appeared obvious that Kovalev was going to try and break Cleverly one way or another and if he had to break his arms to get through his defense so be it.
In the second round Kovalev moved up a gear and began to have more success. Even the shots that Cleverly himself was landing were doing little more than bouncing off Kovalev who appeared to know that he could take anything Cleverly could throw at him.
Kovalev's power seemed to put Cleverly into his shell at the start of round 3 and when a fighter is in his shell Kovalev merely does as he wishes, as we've seen several times in his career so far. The shell of Cleverly unfortunately was weak and Kovalev managed to shake him, then drop him, effectively destroying the myth of Cleverly having an impenetrable chin.
Cleverly got up from the knockdown but was still shaken when Kovalev went back on the attack and dropped him again soon afterwards. This time Cleverly appeared to rush to his feet and Kovalev, with just seconds left in round 3 went for the early finish, a finish he appeared to get before the bell went and referee Terry O'Connor literally carried Cleverly to his stool.
Remarkably, despite Cleverly looking completely done the referee had literally saved him. The Welshman's corner, who really should have taken a hint from their charge looking physically destroyed should have saved their charge but instead sent out Cleverly for the fourth. It was a foolish decision and Kovalev soon forced the hand of O'Connor who seemed to have little option but stopping Cleverly before he took an absolute beating.
With his reputation and confidence in tatters it'll be a very long way back for Cleverly. He failed to make the most of his title reign and may again struggle to regain any type of a major world title.
For Kovalev this was little more than a coming out party. He's now announced himself on the world stage and we're hoping he'll get the big fights that his talent and explosive style deserves.
Kovalev entered the bout with a fearsome reputation as a thunderous puncher and came into the fight with recent stoppages over Gabriel Campillo and Cornelius White, two highly regarded contenders in their own right. Cleverly however had entered the bout with recent wins over C grade opponents like Tommy Karpency, Shawn Hawk and Robin Krasniqi, a genuine who's who of who cares.
The competition that Cleverly had faced had left many split opinions, was he as good as his record or merely fighting selective opponents so that he could retain his world title. Unfortunately for this bout it certainly seems that Cleverly had been protected.
The Welshman started positively trying to getting his excellent engine going though unfortunately for him the Russian was picking his jab and countering with it whilst landing thudding hooks to the arms and shoulders of Cleverly. It appeared obvious that Kovalev was going to try and break Cleverly one way or another and if he had to break his arms to get through his defense so be it.
In the second round Kovalev moved up a gear and began to have more success. Even the shots that Cleverly himself was landing were doing little more than bouncing off Kovalev who appeared to know that he could take anything Cleverly could throw at him.
Kovalev's power seemed to put Cleverly into his shell at the start of round 3 and when a fighter is in his shell Kovalev merely does as he wishes, as we've seen several times in his career so far. The shell of Cleverly unfortunately was weak and Kovalev managed to shake him, then drop him, effectively destroying the myth of Cleverly having an impenetrable chin.
Cleverly got up from the knockdown but was still shaken when Kovalev went back on the attack and dropped him again soon afterwards. This time Cleverly appeared to rush to his feet and Kovalev, with just seconds left in round 3 went for the early finish, a finish he appeared to get before the bell went and referee Terry O'Connor literally carried Cleverly to his stool.
Remarkably, despite Cleverly looking completely done the referee had literally saved him. The Welshman's corner, who really should have taken a hint from their charge looking physically destroyed should have saved their charge but instead sent out Cleverly for the fourth. It was a foolish decision and Kovalev soon forced the hand of O'Connor who seemed to have little option but stopping Cleverly before he took an absolute beating.
With his reputation and confidence in tatters it'll be a very long way back for Cleverly. He failed to make the most of his title reign and may again struggle to regain any type of a major world title.
For Kovalev this was little more than a coming out party. He's now announced himself on the world stage and we're hoping he'll get the big fights that his talent and explosive style deserves.
Saturday, 8 June 2013
Marco Huck v Ola Afolabi III
In yet another excellent Cruiserweight title bout Marco Huck (36-2-1, 25) successfully defended his WBO title as he defeated Ola Afolabi (19-3-4, 9) via a very tight decision (despite the score card of one judge who had the fight scored as a dominant victory).
The fight started well for Afolabi who clearly seemed to take the opening round with his crisper, cleaner punching though it didn't take long for Huck to start to force himself in to the fight and start to fight back with his challenger who was conservative with his own shots. With the crowds cheering every time Huck threw shots early on it was clear who was the fan favourite and this was seemingly helping him just do enough to steal the earlier rounds.
In the middle rounds the action was very even with Afolabi landing some very crisp shots but Huck throwing the more eye catching shots (whether they landed clean, or at all was up for debate) which clearly seemed to catch the judges attention. It was the flurries of Huck that was the more exciting work but also the less technically effective.
With the action to-ing and fro-ing well it just appeared that Huck was just managing to bag the rounds through the middle with his attractive work. This changed however in the later rounds as a tiring Huck was forced on to the back foot by Afolabi who was much busier than he had been in the middle section of the bout and rounds 9, 10 and 11 all seemed very clearly in favour of the challenger as Huck started to feel the ill effects of the body attack that Afolabi has used through out.
Round 10 had been the round of the right as both men managed to land bombs, even though Afolabi seemed to land significantly more of them, this however changed in the final round as both men tagged the other in the final round. It was in the final round that Afolabi was clearly hurt and staggered badly for the first time but both men were too tired to really tear down the other and both men managed to make their way to the final bell.
After the bell only one man celebrated with Huck climbing the ring posts and holding his arms up whilst Afolabi looked dejected, as if he'd known that he didn't do enough with the fight being in Germany. This turned out to just be the case as Huck took a majority decision by scores of 114-114, 115-113 and the frankly ridiculous 117-111.
The fight started well for Afolabi who clearly seemed to take the opening round with his crisper, cleaner punching though it didn't take long for Huck to start to force himself in to the fight and start to fight back with his challenger who was conservative with his own shots. With the crowds cheering every time Huck threw shots early on it was clear who was the fan favourite and this was seemingly helping him just do enough to steal the earlier rounds.
In the middle rounds the action was very even with Afolabi landing some very crisp shots but Huck throwing the more eye catching shots (whether they landed clean, or at all was up for debate) which clearly seemed to catch the judges attention. It was the flurries of Huck that was the more exciting work but also the less technically effective.
With the action to-ing and fro-ing well it just appeared that Huck was just managing to bag the rounds through the middle with his attractive work. This changed however in the later rounds as a tiring Huck was forced on to the back foot by Afolabi who was much busier than he had been in the middle section of the bout and rounds 9, 10 and 11 all seemed very clearly in favour of the challenger as Huck started to feel the ill effects of the body attack that Afolabi has used through out.
Round 10 had been the round of the right as both men managed to land bombs, even though Afolabi seemed to land significantly more of them, this however changed in the final round as both men tagged the other in the final round. It was in the final round that Afolabi was clearly hurt and staggered badly for the first time but both men were too tired to really tear down the other and both men managed to make their way to the final bell.
After the bell only one man celebrated with Huck climbing the ring posts and holding his arms up whilst Afolabi looked dejected, as if he'd known that he didn't do enough with the fight being in Germany. This turned out to just be the case as Huck took a majority decision by scores of 114-114, 115-113 and the frankly ridiculous 117-111.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Sergio Gabriel Martinez v Martin Murray
On paper this was a mismatch. One of the pound-for-pound best in the world, Sergio Gabriel Martinez (51-2-2, 28) was facing the relatively unknown Martin Murray (25-1-1, 11) who although being the WBA "interim" Middleweight champion was relatively unknown on the international stage. Paper however doesn't have fights for us and instead we ended up with an enthralling and very evenly matched bout that saw neither man manage to enforce themselves for more than just a few rounds at a time.
The bout started slowly, with Murray using a high guard and blocking much of Martinez's attacks. Although Murray was defensively sound early on he really didn't through too much and was clearly behind on all 3 of the official cards at the 4 round point (which we knew due to the controversial open scoring that was in effect).
Following the slow start for Murray he started to let his hands go more and more through the middle rounds and found a home for his right hand which connected with an alarming success rate. The right hand and even the left hooks started to really make a dent in Martinez who was forced to feel the weight on Murray's shots and they appeared to shake him up several times before dropping him in round 7 as Murray started to overturn the early deficit on the cards.
Despite his excellent charge through the middle section of the fight Murray was still behind on the official cards by scores of 77-74 and 76-75 (twice). Unlike the score cards in the recent Austin Tout v Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight knowing the scores here did somewhat reflect the bout and seemed to spur on the fighter who was behind, despite the fact he had a very quiet round 9.
In round 10 Martinez appeared to be dropped though the referee ruled it a slip, a call that would effectively cost Murray a 3-point swing in the round. Sadly for Murray he couldn't drop Martinez again in the final 2 rounds despite trying most notably in round 12. Had he done saw he may have managed to dethrone Martinez of the Middleweight crown, instead Martinez managed to retain his WBC title.
With a slippy canvas perhaps fighting in an outdoor arena with rain blowing on to the ring helped Murray though in all honesty Martinez, aged 38, appears to be at the end of the line. Murray put on a good performance don't get me wrong, but Martinez didn't look like the man who dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for 11 rounds, he instead looked like an old man.
For Murray this was his gateway to bigger fights. Sure he may have lost but he has shown himself capable enough of mixing it with the best. As the WBA "interim" champion he really should be looking forward to the winner of the upcoming Gennady Golovkin v Matthew Macklin bout with the winner, the "WBA Regular" champion being the most obvious opponent for Murray.
The bout started slowly, with Murray using a high guard and blocking much of Martinez's attacks. Although Murray was defensively sound early on he really didn't through too much and was clearly behind on all 3 of the official cards at the 4 round point (which we knew due to the controversial open scoring that was in effect).
Following the slow start for Murray he started to let his hands go more and more through the middle rounds and found a home for his right hand which connected with an alarming success rate. The right hand and even the left hooks started to really make a dent in Martinez who was forced to feel the weight on Murray's shots and they appeared to shake him up several times before dropping him in round 7 as Murray started to overturn the early deficit on the cards.
Despite his excellent charge through the middle section of the fight Murray was still behind on the official cards by scores of 77-74 and 76-75 (twice). Unlike the score cards in the recent Austin Tout v Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight knowing the scores here did somewhat reflect the bout and seemed to spur on the fighter who was behind, despite the fact he had a very quiet round 9.
In round 10 Martinez appeared to be dropped though the referee ruled it a slip, a call that would effectively cost Murray a 3-point swing in the round. Sadly for Murray he couldn't drop Martinez again in the final 2 rounds despite trying most notably in round 12. Had he done saw he may have managed to dethrone Martinez of the Middleweight crown, instead Martinez managed to retain his WBC title.
With a slippy canvas perhaps fighting in an outdoor arena with rain blowing on to the ring helped Murray though in all honesty Martinez, aged 38, appears to be at the end of the line. Murray put on a good performance don't get me wrong, but Martinez didn't look like the man who dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for 11 rounds, he instead looked like an old man.
For Murray this was his gateway to bigger fights. Sure he may have lost but he has shown himself capable enough of mixing it with the best. As the WBA "interim" champion he really should be looking forward to the winner of the upcoming Gennady Golovkin v Matthew Macklin bout with the winner, the "WBA Regular" champion being the most obvious opponent for Murray.
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Ricky Burns v Kevin Mitchell
Ricky Burns (35-2, 10) successfully defended his WBO Lightweight title for a second time with arguably his most impressive victory to date by stopping Englishman Kevin Mitchell in the 4th round. Not only was Burns marvelous in victory but he proved that he hit far harder than fans around the world thought.
The opening round was close with both men having their successes though it seemed as if Mitchell may have done just enough to take it with what appeared to be excellent boxing and fantastic movement. The Englishman appeared to neutralise the fantastic burns jab which wasn't landing with the usual success that Burns often has with it. Sadly however this was to be the only round that Mitchell could even claim to have been close to winning.
In the second round Burns really put his foot on the gas and thoroughly dominated Mitchell, landing time and time again with his right hand. Whilst the right hand was a major weapon Burns was also willing to trade an appeared to be be the stronger man when the two fighters did go toe-to-toe. The fact Burns was winning when the two men were brawling was really a major point and seemed to almost deflate Mitchell who was being out-boxed and out-fought.
Burns' domination continued in the third round where he just looked a class better than Mitchell and much, much stronger. It seemed like everything Burns landed got to the challenger, whilst Mitchell's own shots had little to no effect on the champion who was in complete control by the end of the round.
In the fourth round Burns' dominance showed as he wobbled Mitchell with a hard, hurtful shot, just seconds later Mitchell was dropped. Despite taking his time to get to his feet Mitchell never really recovered and was dropped again soon afterwards. With the clock ticking down, Burns went in for the kill and wailed away on Mitchell forcing the referee to step in and wave the bout off with just seconds remaining in the round.
For Burns this is really the fight that puts him head and shoulders ahead of everyone else in Britain, and concretes his standing as one of the very best in the world. Whilst the likes of Richard Abril, Antonio DeMarco and Miguel Vazquez may all claim to be the best, Burns would give any of them a 50-50 fight and seems to be growing into a fighter who knows he can throw hurtful shots. A very impressive performance.
For Mitchell, I think we are done with thinking he's a "world level" fighter, however he's in an awkward position as he's certainly better than many of the top European Lightweights. I can't help but think that he's simply too small for Lightweight and will be over-powered by any genuine Lightweight. If he can make Super Featherweight the best idea would be to drop down, if he can't then he's in a very, very tough position.
The opening round was close with both men having their successes though it seemed as if Mitchell may have done just enough to take it with what appeared to be excellent boxing and fantastic movement. The Englishman appeared to neutralise the fantastic burns jab which wasn't landing with the usual success that Burns often has with it. Sadly however this was to be the only round that Mitchell could even claim to have been close to winning.
In the second round Burns really put his foot on the gas and thoroughly dominated Mitchell, landing time and time again with his right hand. Whilst the right hand was a major weapon Burns was also willing to trade an appeared to be be the stronger man when the two fighters did go toe-to-toe. The fact Burns was winning when the two men were brawling was really a major point and seemed to almost deflate Mitchell who was being out-boxed and out-fought.
Burns' domination continued in the third round where he just looked a class better than Mitchell and much, much stronger. It seemed like everything Burns landed got to the challenger, whilst Mitchell's own shots had little to no effect on the champion who was in complete control by the end of the round.
In the fourth round Burns' dominance showed as he wobbled Mitchell with a hard, hurtful shot, just seconds later Mitchell was dropped. Despite taking his time to get to his feet Mitchell never really recovered and was dropped again soon afterwards. With the clock ticking down, Burns went in for the kill and wailed away on Mitchell forcing the referee to step in and wave the bout off with just seconds remaining in the round.
For Burns this is really the fight that puts him head and shoulders ahead of everyone else in Britain, and concretes his standing as one of the very best in the world. Whilst the likes of Richard Abril, Antonio DeMarco and Miguel Vazquez may all claim to be the best, Burns would give any of them a 50-50 fight and seems to be growing into a fighter who knows he can throw hurtful shots. A very impressive performance.
For Mitchell, I think we are done with thinking he's a "world level" fighter, however he's in an awkward position as he's certainly better than many of the top European Lightweights. I can't help but think that he's simply too small for Lightweight and will be over-powered by any genuine Lightweight. If he can make Super Featherweight the best idea would be to drop down, if he can't then he's in a very, very tough position.
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