One for the Boxing fans!

[KidKruger]

I didn't know the drug testing situation in pro-boxing was SO dire.

Mayweather will know this (that it's so dire, NOT that I didn't know about it !).

Previously I thought Mayweather was just being an @ss with Manny Pac, but in my mind now he has a bit more slack for this kind of 'game' because it is concievable that he knows of something (or has heard) which causes him concern.

I cut even more slack for Mayweather v Mosley because Mosley has already been caught for something.

Maybe this is a new path that the higher-ranked bouts will take if there really IS suspicions about who is or is not doping ? And if so, maybe it paves the way for a coherent and enforceable procedure in the pro ranks.

[Acid Casual]

I still think Mayweather is being an arse though.

[jimmy two times]

Bernard Hopkins v Roy Jones junior has been confirmed for June. A rematch 17 years after their last fight

[Keef]

RJ Jnr should not be fighting anymore. He was humiliated last time out, and BH will rough him up. It could be unpleasant... Or, RJ jnr could shake off the years, and have one final awesome performance... Doubtfull.

[KidKruger]

Yeah it looks like Hopkins is the man in this contest, he's old yes but he's way up the LHW rankings and bizzarely still performing amazingly. I just hope it's a clean fight. I'd prefer to see Alan Green and Hopkins, but I understand it's about the money.

[Jeremy]

Ah, but in Roy's own words...

Ya'll Must've Forgot

When I beat Bernard Hopkins and won the IBF

The right was hurt beat him with the left

Ya'll Must've Forgot

[Jeremy]

You may have also forgot that he won't stop boxing until he retires.

[jimmy two times]

I wouldn't mind seeing anyone beating up Alan Green....the commentator that is.

[KidKruger]

I think if Roy Jones gets a hiding from BHop, that'll be it, I don't think he's gonna want to carry on making a spectacle of himself buy fighting people who's league he is not in.

[Acid Casual]

I'm fairly certain that Hopkins will win this one with ease.

The thing that made Jones an outstanding fighter was his speed and reflexes. I've never seen a faster jab in my life I don't think. Because of these two qualities, his mistakes or lack of regard for boxing's rudiments went unpunished for a long time. Notwithstanding the fact that he was also an exceptional boxer, this is why he was so brilliant and also why he has declined so dramatically.

Hopkins' success was never predicated on speed. He is a pretty tidy boxer himself obviously, but most of all he dug in. He used his skills and the stuff they DON'T teach you in the amateurs, i.e. how to negate opponents, how to tie them up, how to limit them, how to steal rests whilst wearing the other guy down - and also the stuff he probably learned in jail, i.e. how to break a man's spirit, how to intimidate, how to break someone down into bits so that even they do not know quite how they'll fit together again. He's also not adverse to a couple of nasty shots or headbutts now and again. In short, he's tough and savvy.

He can still do all of that for 12 rounds against Jones. Maybe not someone like Calzaghe where he faded, but I can see him serving up a spiteful, nasty and career ending beating to Jones.

In fact, spiteful is the word I would most regularly use to describe Hopkins as a fighter and apparently as a person.

[Jeremy]

Yep, I would be very surprised if Jones managed to pull off a decent performance. (OK so he looked good against Lacy recently... but Lacy is pretty poor and was never a deserving champ).

The interesting question for me is, where does Hopkins go after this? Surely he only has one or two more fights left in him. I'd like to see him against Chad Dawson, Lucian Bute, or maybe the winner of the Super Six tournament. I know he's been going on about fighting Haye, but I think that's very unlikely (and could be a very dangerous move).

[Keef]

Although Haye has a belt, he hasn't got what he wants, so can't see him doing anything other than chasing the Klit brothers (see what I did there). Only once he's done that (if he's sucessful) can I see him letting people chase him.

Than again, if the purse is huge and it's a prime time American fight, who knows.

[KidKruger]

Yeah Haye needs a Klit to be fully satisfied.

[Acid Casual]

Jeremy Wrote:

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

> Yep, I would be very surprised if Jones managed to

> pull off a decent performance. (OK so he looked

> good against Lacy recently... but Lacy is pretty

> poor and was never a deserving champ).

>

> The interesting question for me is, where does

> Hopkins go after this? Surely he only has one or

> two more fights left in him. I'd like to see him

> against Chad Dawson, Lucian Bute, or maybe the

> winner of the Super Six tournament. I know he's

> been going on about fighting Haye, but I think

> that's very unlikely (and could be a very

> dangerous move).

I just don't think he CAN give up. I don't think he'd know what to do with himself. Obviously working for Golden Boy Promotions was supposed to be the first step towards civilian life and quitting fighting, but the fact that he obviously still wants to fight suggests he's not as completely engrossed in it as he might have thought.

If he is daft enough to fight Haye and if a network is daft enough to pay for it, he'll get taken out on a stretcher, and that is something you would never have thought possible to even contemplate for Hopkins. Haye's natural weight of 16 stone versus BHop bulking up to 14st 5lbs from his likely natural weight of 12.5/13st is just foolish.

With that degree of natural difference, plus modern sports science etc, boxing ability is in danger of becoming a moot point in the affair. Haye lands a couple of times properly, Hopkins won't be able to diffuse such massive bombs like he usually does.

It is far harder to move up to heavyweight than say welter to light-middle. The relatively recent introduction of the cruiserweight division is a tacit acknowledgment of that. Even now, it is very often a jump too far for a smaller cruiser to make.

Obviously there are exceptions, like Valuev vs haye, but Valuev is such an abject performer that his size is not the insurmountable obstacle that it should be.

[KidKruger]

So Edwin Valero has secured his 27th win, making them all by KO apparently (I have to say I thought one win last year went the distance, but hey-ho). This guy is a banger, both hands, and like I've said he can move too - not just one dimensional. In defence of his his WBC LW crown on Saturday he beat a guy that was a known quality boxer.

This guy is exciting. He is always 1 second away from ending the fight so far, I think he had 18 fights before actually having to experience what it was like to hear the opening bell for round 2 !

His stalking demeanour reminds me of Tyson.

Sure he'll get beat at some point but this guy could go someway to unifying belts if not avoided too much, also, he could make the LWW division extremely interesting if/when he moves up. If he does go up in weight, I'd like to see him in with someone like Zab Judah (not the best LWW but extremely talented).

[Acid Casual]

Hmmmm! I dunno KK, Valero is certainly exciting, but he is flat footed as hell. I suppose because his feet are always planted that's how every punch thrown seems to be able to end a fight.

[KidKruger]

I'm not saying he's the next Mayweather, but he does seem set for a big year - lightweight is a strong division and he could deliver some good action. The people who are shouting him as a future P4P king etc are jumping the gun though !

[Acid Casual]

'Cept he can't fight in The USA, which has so far held his progress back quite a bit.

[KidKruger]

Managed to catch most of the highlights of the 'Night of Champions' (Saturday, Wembley Arena).

There are some keen up/coming boxers, obviously we can't judge exactly how they'll eventually turn out but it was a great show they put on. Frankie Gavin and James DeGale did their thing (actually, DeGale looked OK) and Kevin Mitchell despatched Mendoza pretty convincingly in 2 (in fact, I've never seen a punch that having hit the opponent, causes him to involuntarily jump up into the air before he crumples to the floor...) and the durable Italian took some shots before the contest against Cleverly was stopped. You could argue why did it take Cleverly so many shots though - I think the Italian was just fine-chinned, I don't think he'd been down much in his career.

Cleverly says he wants Dawson, I think that's tooooo soon.

Mitchel may face David Diaz, also I think that may be too soon, but maybe I'm just being protective of Mitchell.

[Acid Casual]

I think they all did pretty well.

By the way, if you want to see some wacky involuntary movement after being punched, check out Kostya tzyu Vs Zab Judah on You Tube. Cracks me up every time...

[jimmy two times]

I like James DeGale. He's got potential. You don't win an olympic gold unless you're a good fighter, though some may argue the case of Audley Harrison. Not sure how far he can go though. He's in a tough division.

[KidKruger]

JTT - agreed, yeah I guess Audley demonstrates that olympic honours do not always guarantee honours in the pro ranks. Like I said it's too early to tell for sure, but that's a big part of the fun for me in watching their careers - I remember beating on the doors of houses in a village in Wiltshire where I was stationed, trying to find somebody with a TV that worked (mine had bust), so I could watch Khan's contest when he got beaten by Kindelan (sp.) to end-up with a Silver medal in 2006, nobody answered their doors [i still think there was a conspiracy against me that day] so I ended up listening to the end of it in the car on the radio. He's done very well since then, yes he's not granite-chinned etc etc but he's 22-23 yrs of age and not a crap boxer. I think he'll have some losses, why shouldn't he, and will be in some great contests. The 'new kids' hopefully will do well and I'll be cheering them on.

AC - yeah that clip was funny albeit probably not so funny being Zab at the time, I was surprised it was stopped as quite often the disorientation can pass quickly and by the end of a 10 count he may have been OK, howveer I have not seen the whole contest and perhaps he'd been battered round after round beforehand !

[jimmy two times]

I reckon Khan will end up fighting Mayweather...and beating him.

[KidKruger]

JTT - That's bold, top marks for a prediction like that, I'll certainly remember where I heard it first ! Anything is possible and who knows, it may mark the end of one / star of another era....

[????]

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