One for the Boxing fans!

[jimmy two times]

Hatton says he will fight this year.

[KidKruger]

A shame Jermaine Taylor has backed-out of the Super Six super-middleweight tournament.

What seemed like one of boxings true (or as true as can be in the strange world of boxing) 'best meets best' events may now suffer - let's hope not. If someone subs for Taylor do thay have to start from his score, ie. a big fat '0' for no wins ?

Can't wait for the action to Resume and Froch / Kessler should be interesting when it occurs.

[Keef]

Oh dear!

I'd love to see him hang up his gloves after a great victory in a classic fight, but just can't see it happening. He'll either beat a nobody, or get beat by someone good... That said, I'd love to see him get fit and knock out Khan!

[Keef]

Froch / Kessler should be interesting when it occurs.

Agree, although Froch must be gutted, he'd have been going in to it thinking he could get another belt, now all the risk is his.

[KidKruger]

agreed Keef.

However, any participant who's a believer in the long game for this tournament, and it's eventual dividends, will be expecting to collect the belts (or several of them) anyhoo when they win overall.

A unified division wouldbe superb, even just to show that's how it should be and perhaps set examples at other weights.

[jimmy two times]

It's difficult for Hatton. He must really want to go out on a high after the way he was dismantled by Pacquaio. Does he fight a soft option and try to restore some credibility or does he gamble and fight a tough opponent thereby restore his rep?

[jimmy two times]

Just read about Hatton currently weighing 10 stone 12 pounds ! He reckons he'd need to shed 2 stone for his next fight. I'm sure the way he blows out in between fights took it's toll against Mayweather and Pacaquaio in some way.

[Jeremy]

That would be 12 stones and 10 pounds. Quite a lot for a little guy...

[jimmy two times]

Oh yes..apologies Jeremy. You're correct. Just under 13 stone.

[Jeremy]

He gets arsey about people mentioning it... but seriously, what does he expect? He's walking round at almost 3 stone above his fighting weight.

[jimmy two times]

Yes he does and I think you're right. I don't know any other top class boxer who prepares for fights like he does. He obviously has a phenomenal work rate when he is in his training camp because he does shed the weight, but it must takes it's toll.

[Acid Casual]

Been away for ages, but was interested in the subject of Hatton's weight.

I was chatting to Kerry Kayes a couple of years back who was Hatton's nutritionist until recently, and he was being quite candid with his anecdotes. He said that one year when Hatton fought 4 times, he had to take 2.5 stone off him each time, so 10 stone in total!!!

A bit of simple maths would suggest a slight embelishment on Kerry's part (average training camp being 10-12 weeks x 4 fights = 40-48 weeks total training, which would leave only a few weeks to get so fat) but I guess the point was that his weight fluctuation is extreme.

Actually, if this was before his world level days and he was fighting as regularly as 4 times a year, his camps could easily be shorter. Say 6 weeks. However, if he was 2.5 stone overweight, I doubt if he'd shift it all in such a short space of time.

Anyway you cut it, it don't look good, does it?

[jimmy two times]

I read Freddie Roach commenting on Hatton's comeback. He thinks it's a bad idea. Roach has Parkinsons and believes it was made worse by boxing because he fought on for too long. It's also worth noting that the day after Hatton was knocked out by Pacquaio former heavyweight champ Greg Page was buried. He made one comeback too many and was knocked into a coma by his opponent. It can be a dangerous game and only the fittest survive.

[Mick Mac]

2 hour programme just started on more 4 ch14 on the thrilla in manilla for all you boxing fans.

[Mick Mac]

What a great fight and it looks like Ali got what he deserved for all the Uncle Tom chat.

Whoops = that was just the first fight.

The manilla fight seems to have been an amazing fight. Frazier's corner stopped the fight after 14 which was disloyal but who knows may have saved his life. Ali collapsed immediatly after the Frazier camp stopped the fight, so both were in danger.

Joe Frazier said he would have risked his life to go into the final round. He could not see.

Ali apologised after the fight to Frazier for all the things he said. But he did not apologise to Frazier directly.

[Acid Casual]

I think there's absolutely no doubt that Roach's condition is related to boxing on too long.

Also, that fight in Manilla... History shows that it was a fight that was just not worth the price paid by both fighters, because Frazier isn't right either.

[jimmy two times]

I think they were fighting in 100 degree heat because the air conditioning had packed up !

[Acid Casual]

The whole idea of fighting in Manilla (or in Zaire in'74 where the nearest neuroligical unit to conform to reasonable standards was reputed to be in Madrid) was absurd.

Don King chasing the money whilst quite prepared to put the fighters' well-being at severe risk. Dodgy dictator? Lamentable medical resource? Crazy fighting conditions? No matter! We're making millions from this!

[????]

Ali wasn't a complete pup Acid! There was a political message for the 'rumble' (especially) but also the 'Thriller' it wasn't for Mr Whitey...agree with your fundamental point (ie it was stupid) but don't think King duped them.

[Acid Casual]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ali wasn't a complete pup Acid! There was a

> political message for the 'rumble' (especially)

> but also the 'Thriller' it wasn't for Mr

> Whitey...agree with your fundamental point (ie it

> was stupid) but don't think King duped them.

I didn't say anything other than it was a stupid decision. I'm sorry, but I've no idea what you mean by the Mr. Whitey comment, so I couldn't even begin to respond.

As an aside, Don King sold Ali the idea of Zaire based on some half-baked notion of African symbolism which was a facade dreamt up to get Ali to say he'd do it, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker. That is consistently on record. There was no solidarity worth having with a dictator who routinely murdered his people and forced them to live in poverty. Don King said to Mobutu he could deliver Ali and Foreman to fight for the title, and he knew exactly what buttons to push with who.

Ali's supposed intellect has been waaaaaaaay over-played over time. I really think that Don King, as hideous as he is, has more wit and guile at breakfast than Ali had all day long. George Foreman was an even easier sell. "Here's the dollars George. Sign here"

[jimmy two times]

Foreman alienated most of the people of Zaire by arriving with an Alsation Dog. What he didn't seem to be aware of was the significance of this as the French Colonists frequently used the Alsation to enforce discipline in Zaire.

[Keef]

Yeah I thought that was quite a funny error on his part. Bless him, he just wanted to look hard!

[KidKruger]

I reckon Foreman looked pretty hard already !! Someone should have told him.....

[jimmy two times]

He should have been given a grilling over using the Alsation.

[KidKruger]

Any excitement/interest over the forthcoming contest between Manny Pac and Joshua Clottey (Ghana) ?

Given the LWW/WW level fighters available to fight inthenext coupleof months I think he's selected a solid opponent, even if he does win I think it would be difficult to complain about anyone better he could have fought, at least without going up to Light-Middle, which you never know may happen..

As they say, the Floyd contest may simply happen later in the year, Floyd is getting disrespected publicly now for ducking (whether true or not) and he may HAVE to take the Mosley fight just to maintain his reputation, flip side is he may not want to risk his unbeaten record and therefore selects a less formidable opponent to tide him over until the MannyPac contest occurs.