One for the Boxing fans!

[KidKruger]

Froch did what was predicted with Yusef Mack, but a lot quicker than expected - made Froch look good.

I guess now its all about re-matches or revenge - Kessler, Dirrell, Ward. Then retirement.

I really wonder how Mack was never an option for Cleverly, since his usual weight is LHW.

[Otta]

I don't know what it is about Froch, he's a great british fighter, and I wish I could support him, but he just comes over as such a dick.

[KidKruger]

When he gives the big monologues before or after a fight, he totally contradicts previous statements he's made !!

Totally inconsistent - but I believe he's just spouting trying to play the game and make the eye-catching comments etc.

ie. he says he lost to Ward because he wasn't himself nor fully prepared, but last night he said he's always fully prepared for every single contest, like he cannot remember what he's said previously and thinks no-one else will remember either !!

He could do it better in theory but I think he's just not cut-out for that aspect of the whole game - the self-promotion etc.

He's done do much now and beaten so many great boxers that I just respect the actual boxing, he's surpassed Calzaghe's achievements IMO and he's a genuine British live boxer at World level.

I think he's a really genuine guy who struggles to play the cocky boxer image, hence he comes over as a dick sometimes.

On another note - Adrien Broner has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Ricky Burns, I hope that doesn't happen anytime soon cos although the prospect of a unification at LW may attract Ricky, Broner is so exceptional I'd fear for our Coatbridge friend's chances. Maybe in a year or so after Ricky's fought any other top LW 's (ie. Antonio De Marco who Broner beat last night). There's other unifications for Ricky also, before Broner.

[Otta]

Agree about Froch, but he should not even try talking, just do his thing in the ring and play the silent and dangerous role.

He is a very ungracious loser as well.

[KidKruger]

yeah agreed, twice. he was adamant he beat kessler and didn't accept that his Dirrel win was a hometown decision.

[Otta]

Well then, no fairytale comeback for Hatton last night and he's now calling it a day once and for all

Fair play to him though, he needed to answer some questions for himself in order to move on. He easily could've gone in there and knocked out some nobody in front of 20000 screaming fans just to give himself an ego boost. Instead he took on a recent world champ only defeated once, and he wasn't up to the task.

Respect for giving it a go and finding some closure, and here's hoping that despite the defeat he's able to move on now with his head high.

[Jeremy]

I was only listening to it on five live, but it sounded like his punches were missing the target more often than not, and he was getting caught with shots that the old Hatton would have slipped (not that he was ever the slickest mover). I guess after 3+ years out of the ring, he lost his instincts... the timing, judging the distances, etc.

[KidKruger]

Yeah I listened on 5 Live too, from R5.

Actually I think the chances of a comeback were probably extinguished needlessly. It's entirely feasible that had he started less ambitiously and worked his way through increasingly challenging opponents he could have challenged (say) Malignaggi for world honours. Sounded like the ringcrsft was not back yet, but why would it be after 3.5 years of pissing it up and even doing cocaine ?

I (now) think his brave return plan was over-ambitious and that he'd have been wiser to go through the gears gradually.

But he's got balls for what he attempted - something the most avid gym rats wouldn't dare after even a year off.

Personally though I always thought Hatton got hit too much, a common UK trait.

That's why boxers like Kell Brook and Frank Buglioni are refreshing to watch.

Good luck to Hatton in his promotional and training career, that guy (Rabchenko ?) who beat Ryan Rhodes recently is pretty good, heavy handed n'all.

[Otta]

Agree with all you said KK. Whilst I respect what Hatton tried to do, 2 or 3 "warm up fights" to get his timing back then he could perhaps have challenged again.

He was desperate to get back in there though and as a result probably took on too much too soon. All hindsight though, I admit I gor caught up in the hype and thought he'd win.

[KidKruger]

the more i think about this and the more I read/hear Hatton's comments I wonder if there is a bit of a a selfish thing going on, all the talk seems to be about 'my redemption', 'I wanted to see what I have left', 'I was in a hole before what with drugs and thoughts of suicide, so i needed a mission'.

That's all fine, but the Big Experiment cost a lot of people a lot of money.

Hatton's popularity made the big crowd possible but I wonder if the p!ss has been taken slightly.

Don't get me wrong, I've followed Hatton for 10 years - since before the Tszyu contest, but there's a lot of me me me about this which I'm not sure I appreciate.

[Otta]

I don't think most boxers really consider their fans very much. Boxers talk about wanting to have a hometown fight, it's not because they care about the fans getting to see it, it's because they know the fans could give them a real advantage in the fight.

[Jeremy]

KK - yeah I'm sure that the money was one of the motivations. But unfortunately boxing is dominated by money these days... it's how matches get made. It's the reason we get served up guff like Harrison/Haye, Hopkins/Jones jr 2, Calzaghe/Manfredo. I don't think the Hatton comeback stinks anywhere near as much as those three.

[KidKruger]

I guess the perhaps unique thing here is that it was a kind of "am I good enough or not ?" experiment, made possible by the popularity of Hatton. There was certainly no obvious mismatch.

[Jeremy]

Not an obvious mismatch, no. But nevertheless, a fight which was possibly made for the wrong reasons, and which attracted a large audience because of a big name.

[KidKruger]

Kessler took care of Brian Magee (NL) with some shocking body shots, tool a little over 2 rounds.

Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez 4 was action packed, with a knockdown each before the final (literally FINAL) Rd6 KO to JMM.

Q. How many Mexicans does it take to KO Manny Pacquiao ?

A. Just Juan !

[KidKruger]

some contests coming-up in near future, most below involve a British fighter, I'm particularly interested in Golovkin's (January) contest though :

JANUARY

19: Gennady Golovkin v Gabriel Rosado (WBA middleweight)

FEBRUARY

9: Peter Quillin v Fernando Guerrero (WBO middleweight).

16: Atlantic City, USA, Adrien Broner v Gavin Rees (WBC lightweight).

23: Detroit, USA, Devon Alexander v Kell Brook (IBF welterweight). Liverpool, England, David Price v Tony Thompson.

[Otta]

Don't know why I'm even bothering to mention this, but apparently Audley is signed up for the next Prize fighter tournament on 23rd February.

[KidKruger]

....probably because it saves us starting a Boxing Humour thread !!

Meanwhile Gavin Rees is sayig he's going to beat Broner on 16/2 and cannot be knocked-out by him (if yo've seen Broner you know he's closest thing to Mayweather's style). Hmmmm.

Meanwhile Haye's bigging-up a fight between him and Vitali seems to be inversely proportional to the interest that Vitali actually shows in such a contest. If I was Vitali I would stuff haye where it hurts - in the pocket. Haye has done not much since fighting Vladimir, effectively stalling his career in hope of fighting Vitali. If Vitali just ignores Haye, he punishes him financially, which is a lot worse than a Rd8 KO. After the insults Haye was throwing around 2-3 years ago and the t-shirt depicting decapitation of the K Bros, Vitali owes Haye nothing.

Meanwhile Kell Brook will be up against it on 23/2 against Devon Alexander, could be his first loss. Carson Jones demonstrated well how to nail Brook, Devon is miles better than Carson Jones.

[KidKruger]

I also notice that NONE of the 'big' prospects at Heavyweight are calling out Magomed Abduslamov.

Fury, Price, Deontay Wilder, Seth Mitchell, Helenius - no-one wants a piece.

I think someone like Jonathan Banks and possibly Haye could take care of Abdusalamov because they move well. Surely SOMEONE will take on this monster ??!! Same with Gennady Golovkin, all the bigmouths don't seem to want a unification/challenge with him.

[Otta]

Now this is just bizarre!

m.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/21037321

[Jeremy]

I know... surely that can't really happen!

Froch vs Kessler is apparently on though.

[Otta]

Yeah, possibly at the O2. That will be a cracker, which really could go either way. Although I'd go Froch just because he'll be so hungry to "avenge" his loss, and because he'll be the home fighter.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

25th May provisional date. Getting tickets lined up for it once they come on stream. Be a belter.

Otta Wrote:

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

> Yeah, possibly at the O2. That will be a cracker,

> which really could go either way. Although I'd go

> Froch just because he'll be so hungry to "avenge"

> his loss, and because he'll be the home fighter.

[KidKruger]

Should be a cracker the Froch v Kessler fight. I want Froch to win because he avenges his loss but also because it could lead to a memorable 3rd fight !

Jones v Collins is awful, realy awful. Collins is a farmer now I think, he had heart problems in the mid-90s or around that time, when training for a contest, and collapsed. Yeuuuk.

Also, Marquez has been offered $15million to fight a guy with a weak record (lost 4 of last 7 fights) in Dubai / the Aarab peninsula.

Also, Mosley v Malignaggi talks well underway for a fight in next few months. Dissapointing that Mosley can even be considered for that fight, considering he's off like 3-4 straight losses. There must be deserving fighters who've served their obligations and are next in line. At least if Hatton HAD beaten Senchenko he'd have beaten the guy that Malignaggi beat to get that world title strap, so arguable be qualified to face Paulie.

Khan may be considering Senchenko (among others) for a contest in near future.

...And, the fight to watch on Saturday (well, Sunday) Gennady Golovkin, check it on YouTube next day, he's a proper banger.

[Laddy Muck]

7 :) :)