One for the Boxing fans!

[Otta]

He's basically saying fight was predictable because Khan always makes a mistake. But his larger point was that the sport is corrupt and how the hell can judges have had Khan behind, let alone 4-1. He seems genuinely quite troubled by the state of things.

[KidKruger]

I read about Atlas's comments on a boxing website last night, you're right he does seem genuinely troubled by the scoring (and, as he says, the wider issue on so many fights we never get to see where boxers' careers get screwed).

It's so bent out of shape, surely under investigation it would be deemed illegal. Scoring a round is effectively a comparative quality assessment and therefore there are basic precepts which are applied. For the fight on Saturday an entire new (or reverse) set of precepts would have had to be followed, to get that scoring. If this quality assessment of tradeable physical commodities the crime would be fraud. I'd really like to see some regulation in boxing and accountability mechanisms which included promoter's being at least partly responsible for dodgy scoring by judges. It's all bent out of shape and needs addressing.

[KidKruger]

Allegedly Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev have signed contracts for a fight - date/venue TBC but possibly November.

This is a decent top tier contest, at last.

Both proper LHWs.

Both proven.

[KidKruger]

Tony Bellew (CW) and Ricky Burns (LW) both picked-up world straps this weekend.

I think that's 15 straps in the British Isles now.

[Otta]

13 I think.

Britain's boxing champions

Heavyweight Tyson Fury (WBA, WBO), Anthony Joshua (IBF)

Cruiserweight Tony Bellew (WBC)

Super middleweight James DeGale (IBF)

Middleweight Billy Joe Saunders (WBO)

Super welterweight Liam Smith (WBO)

Welterweight Kell Brook (IBF)

Super lightweight Ricky Burns (WBA)

Lightweight Anthony Crolla (WBA), Terry Flanagan (WBO)

Featherweight Lee Selby (IBF)

Bantamweight Jamie McDonnell (WBA), Lee Haskins (IBF)

That's copied from BBC by the way, I couldn't have listed them.

[KidKruger]

Almost complete.

What about the champ who Barry McGuigan trains.

(cannae remember his name, is Bantamweight)

[Otta]

Carl Frampton. I think he dropped his titles because he had other plans for his next fight. But his next fight is for another title.

[KidKruger]

So basically a belt in every weight from Bantam upwards, except Light-Heavyweight.

That's darned good !

The Bellew fight is on YouTube, he looked pretty good actually.

But he needs to up the CW opposition now and get used to the weight, rather than flapping his gums about being the best CW already and prematurely calling-out Lebedev (who stops him in 7 IMO).

[Jeremy]

Yep, good going!

Although only one (Fury) is The Ring champ... but I think DeGale and McDonnell could join him.

[jacks09]

Is there a hierachy to the belts? Also what does "The Ring Champ" mean?

[Jeremy]

Not really a hierarchy... I think the WBC and WBA are more prestigious. WBO is not highly regarded.

The Ring magazine has their own ranking/champion system, which at one point was regarded as the most meaningful belt. But thinking about it more... not sure if it's still the case...

[Otta]

Didn't want to post this in the Ali thread for fear of being accused of trying to have a last word or blighting the man's memory. But wanted to post it nonetheless.

KidKruger Wrote:

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

> When I posted earlier I was unaware that Ali had

> apologised to Frazier. The reason I still

> believed otherwise (apart from being unaware of

> the apology, as mentioned) is that I'd seen a

> documentary / feature about Frazier, it focused on

> the abuse and portrayed it as being an open /

> unresolved aspect between the two of them.

> However, thinking about the timing, the doco was

> obviously shot when Frazier was still alive but it

> was well after 15 years ago. So either the doco is

> fibbing, or Frazier and his family didn't believe

> resolution had occurred ?

This is worth a watch, and it does indeed include mention of Ali and Frazier putting their troubles behind them in 2002 (because people had brought them together). I just think that was way too late and Joe had to live with that bitterness far too long.

 

[Jah Lush]

You won't let it lie will you.

When I was at school kids would ask you who was the champion of the world (this was after Ali lost to Frazier in the first fight), and if you dared to say Joe Frazier you'd get some righteous ras claat licks. This is what you got coming to you boy.

Ali is the King of the world forever. Let that be a lesson to you.

[Otta]

I don't believe for one second that you can remember as far back as your school days.

[KidKruger]

Carl Frampton won the WBA Featherweight belt on Saturday from an unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz.

He gave a very good account of himself, against a very good boxer.

Possibly Selby next for a unification in the UK.

Another belt for UK !

[Otta]

Yeah I'm keen to watch that fight, by all accounts it was a good one.

[KidKruger]

Was good, Santa Cruz us no muppet. Both had potential to end the fight at any time, right up to the last bell.

[KidKruger]

Kovalev v Ward is an interesting fight. Definite two top LWHs, both an incredible skillset.

My predictions are usually way out, nevertheless when I think about this contest I imagine Ward just being too clever for Kovalev and scraping a points win (I assume the fight will be in Oakland CA, as ever with Ward).

Kov won't have fought as unorthodox a boxer as Ward and I think he'll get frustrated and outpointed.

Any other predictions for this fight ?

[Jeremy]

I'm leaning heavily towards Ward on points. But like you say, it's a very interesting fight, and though Kov has never fought anybody like Ward, the converse is also true. Let's hope Stevenson has the guts to face the winner...

[KidKruger]

the pics of Golovkin next to Brook as part of the press tour show that Golovkin is a bigger built man. His head is larger, all the dimensions are bigger. I know he's a natural MW, but when you see them together it's not just 'weight'. The skeleton of GGG is bigger, he's got a bigger frame to hang off.

Prediction time: I think Brook will dazzle and I think he'll connect on GGG, several times, but he'll get caught in the end. GGG has a decent chin (watch how the Geale fight ended) and unless it's a perfectly clean power shot from Brook I can's see GGG getting to hurt. It's possible that Brook wears GGG down with his accurate punching, but it feels like that'll happen but the other way round.

[Otta]

On the bright side, he has more head to hit.

[Jeremy]

Lazy comparison perhaps, but it could be Khan/Canelo all over again. Possible that Brook will have the skill and speed to frustrate GGG for a couple of rounds, but then....

[Otta]

Fury to face a drug charge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/36970816

I of course could be wrong, but he doesn't come across as the type really.

[KidKruger]

Watched the Errol Spence v Bundy contest at weekend, Spence showed some skill and broke down Bundu finishing with an impressive KO.

When I re-watched the card next day I saw a contest which I must have been asleep through previously, it was arguably the best fight of the night. Heather Hardy v Shelly Vincent. An incredible fight in so many ways.

If you can find the full fight on YouTube / internet I recommend you watch it.

Here's a highlights reel:

[Jah Lush]

1,300.