Boxing

[Puja]

1 close defeat to Parker but his record is pretty reasonable but a little devoid of "names".

Joshua should handle him fairly easily and he'll be keen to put on a show but at short notice and 6 weeks before the fight this is as good an opponent as they could reasonably find.

He's fought Zumbano and Kevin Johnson, won both fights on decision, Joshua knocked both of them out. However this is dressed up I can't think of anyone who is going to pay to watch.

Oh AJ will kill him. But at short notice there are only so many sensible fights available. They were never going to bring in a top 3 or 4 fighter and they couldn't really pull the card when a good few folk are travelling over for the fight.

Parker made a lot of noise about being fit and available (and probably wasn't lying considering he's not likely to get another shot at Joshua for a while otherwise), but no-one in America would care about two foreigners fighting.

So basically, they've gone for someone vaguely sellable, over someone good but uninteresting to the American audience.

Puja

[Numbers]

Some decent fighters are in action this weekend, tomorrow night Josh Taylor fights Ivan Baranchyk in what should be a very good contest in the semi final of the Super Series, also Billy Joe Saunders makes a step up to Super Middleweight to fight for the vacant WBO belt against a bloke I have never heard of. In the early hours of Sunday Wilder takes on Breazeale which should give a good comparison of where he is at being as Joshua stopped Breazeale in 7 rounds.

[Big D]

Some decent fighters are in action this weekend, tomorrow night Josh Taylor fights Ivan Baranchyk in what should be a very good contest in the semi final of the Super Series, also Billy Joe Saunders makes a step up to Super Middleweight to fight for the vacant WBO belt against a bloke I have never heard of. In the early hours of Sunday Wilder takes on Breazeale which should give a good comparison of where he is at being as Joshua stopped Breazeale in 7 rounds.

Josh Taylor looks like he is ready to really step up. Hopefully beats Prograis who I am not sure has really been tested over a consistent set of rounds. It may be of course that Prograis is that good.

Saunders calling out Mundo is sensible from him wanting to earn a few bob but Smith is too big, too strong and too good for him.

Wilder did what Wilder does. He is dangerous and it was an impressive finish for sure. Not sure we can compare that to Joshua's fight with Breazeale though. Wilder is an established world champion in his 42nd fight where as it was Joshua's 1st defence of his world title and IIRC was quite tentative for a bit of that fight. Same as I don't think the Molina v Wilder fight finishing 5 rounds later than the Molina AJ fight told a whole lot.

[Numbers]

Some decent fighters are in action this weekend, tomorrow night Josh Taylor fights Ivan Baranchyk in what should be a very good contest in the semi final of the Super Series, also Billy Joe Saunders makes a step up to Super Middleweight to fight for the vacant WBO belt against a bloke I have never heard of. In the early hours of Sunday Wilder takes on Breazeale which should give a good comparison of where he is at being as Joshua stopped Breazeale in 7 rounds.

Josh Taylor looks like he is ready to really step up. Hopefully beats Prograis who I am not sure has really been tested over a consistent set of rounds. It may be of course that Prograis is that good.

Saunders calling out Mundo is sensible from him wanting to earn a few bob but Smith is too big, too strong and too good for him.

Wilder did what Wilder does. He is dangerous and it was an impressive finish for sure. Not sure we can compare that to Joshua's fight with Breazeale though. Wilder is an established world champion in his 42nd fight where as it was Joshua's 1st defence of his world title and IIRC was quite tentative for a bit of that fight. Same as I don't think the Molina v Wilder fight finishing 5 rounds later than the Molina AJ fight told a whole lot.

Prograis will be a big test for Taylor, his performance against Baranchyk was excellent but Prograis seems at a different level, not saying that josh won't win mind you as he found a way to beat Baranchyk.

Agree regarding Smith, he's just to big for Saunders, I think Saunders would be better off fighting Canelo.

Wilder is an enigma, he has very little in the way of boxing skills but he is fast and very powerful, I think he'd cause Joshua all manner of problems, it would be a matter of who lands first with those two and Joshua is not renowned for letting his hands go like Wilder is, if they were fighting tomorrow my money would be on Wilder as much as it pains me to say it.

[Big D]

Wilder is an enigma, he has very little in the way of boxing skills but he is fast and very powerful, I think he'd cause Joshua all manner of problems, it would be a matter of who lands first with those two and Joshua is not renowned for letting his hands go like Wilder is, if they were fighting tomorrow my money would be on Wilder as much as it pains me to say it.

I see it ending one of two ways. Wilder unleashes and KOs AJ or AJ keeps his chin low gloves up and catches him with a counter to KO Wilder.

It wont go to points that's for sure.

[J Dory]

Good fight

[Big D]

Our boy won. Not sure Canelo will want a piece of him and I don't blame him.

[Puja]

Well, how the shit did that happen?

The worst bit of the loss is that Wilder is being even more insufferable than usual. Dignified response from Fury though.

Puja

[WaspInWales]

Well, how the shit did that happen?

The worst bit of the loss is that Wilder is being even more insufferable than usual. Dignified response from Fury though.

Puja

Yeah, fair play to Fury. Maybe he has tuned a corner after all.

As for AJ, I find it quite funny. No doubting he has some talent, power, athleticism and fitness, but there was an awful lot of hype around him so this may do him good.

[J Dory]

No credit for Ruiz? I thought he was awesome. Mandatory rematch apparently, if he wins again this will really shake things up. Maybe we'll even see a unification bout.

[Puja]

No credit for Ruiz? I thought he was awesome. Mandatory rematch apparently, if he wins again this will really shake things up. Maybe we'll even see a unification bout.

Good point - he did what no-one else has been able to do and it wasn't just from a lucky punch, but from getting up off the floor and dishing out sustained punishment. It definitely wasn't a fluke, but the result of hard work and taking his opportunity.

Puja

[Numbers]

No credit for Ruiz? I thought he was awesome. Mandatory rematch apparently, if he wins again this will really shake things up. Maybe we'll even see a unification bout.

I thought Ruiz was excellent, what an engine for a man of that weight and fast too, I didn't think he was meant to be much of a puncher but it seems he can bang a bit, Joshua has always had a slightly suspect chin as seen in the amateurs and against Klitschko and Whyte, when you watch him box there is a lack of fluidity, you could see the fluidity of Ruiz you also see this fluidity with Fury, Joshua is still a novice in terms of the number of fights he has had, he still has something to offer but he needs to learn to box at a rhythm and not just throw ones and twos.

The Josh Kelly fight was farcical, how he got a draw out of that I have no idea, fighting 12 rounds with your hands by your side and showboating is not how you win bouts, very disappointed with him and Booth with those tactics.

Katie Taylor was well beaten, not sure how they gave the fight to her.

Callum was excellent as usual, the real deal.

[Argus]

Ruiz’s handspeed was particularly impressive and something Joshua really struggled with. He’s also got some engine. Tyson Fury mentioned a few weeks ago on an interview with BT Sport that Ruiz is the real deal despite appearances and he was absolutely right.

[Molitor5901]

Fury v Wilder rematch date set for February 22 2020.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... d-february

[Molitor5901]

No credit for Ruiz? I thought he was awesome. Mandatory rematch apparently, if he wins again this will really shake things up. Maybe we'll even see a unification bout.

I thought Ruiz was excellent, what an engine for a man of that weight and fast too, I didn't think he was meant to be much of a puncher but it seems he can bang a bit, Joshua has always had a slightly suspect chin as seen in the amateurs and against Klitschko and Whyte, when you watch him box there is a lack of fluidity, you could see the fluidity of Ruiz you also see this fluidity with Fury, Joshua is still a novice in terms of the number of fights he has had, he still has something to offer but he needs to learn to box at a rhythm and not just throw ones and twos.

The Josh Kelly fight was farcical, how he got a draw out of that I have no idea, fighting 12 rounds with your hands by your side and showboating is not how you win bouts, very disappointed with him and Booth with those tactics.

Katie Taylor was well beaten, not sure how they gave the fight to her.

Callum was excellent as usual, the real deal.

She's bringing in the moolah, that's why she won.

[Numbers]

Fury v Wilder rematch date set for February 22 2020.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... d-february

A bit of a wait but it should be a good contest, hopefully with the boxer winning.

This weekend ses Dubois take on Gorman for the British Heavyweight title, these two have great promise, Dubois has very heavy hands and Gorman is a skillful boxer so it's a pick em fight really, if pushed I think I would go with Gorman as the better boxer of the two but it will be interesting to see if he can take Dubois's power. Also on the card is Joe Joyce who will be fighting Bryant Jennings who has been the distance with Wlad in the past so it will be interesting to see if he manages a KO.

The undercard features Liam Williams and Sunny Edwards along with some other fighters I'm unfamiliar with.

On BT Sport 1.

[Molitor5901]

Fury v Wilder rematch date set for February 22 2020.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/ ... d-february

A bit of a wait but it should be a good contest, hopefully with the boxer winning.

This weekend ses Dubois take on Gorman for the British Heavyweight title, these two have great promise, Dubois has very heavy hands and Gorman is a skillful boxer so it's a pick em fight really, if pushed I think I would go with Gorman as the better boxer of the two but it will be interesting to see if he can take Dubois's power. Also on the card is Joe Joyce who will be fighting Bryant Jennings who has been the distance with Wlad in the past so it will be interesting to see if he manages a KO.

The undercard features Liam Williams and Sunny Edwards along with some other fighters I'm unfamiliar with.

On BT Sport 1.

Wilder v Fury II - very excited about it! In fact, I haven't been this excited about boxing in a long, long time - not since Ali schooled Big Cat Cleveland Willians, Folley and big Ernie Terrell! Just kidding! There is a good vibe in the sport at the mo.

Will have the eejit box on this weekend, cheers!

[WaspInWales]

So, a few months out and I'm still the none the wiser if AJ can do it.

If it's a fitness competition, he'd win hands down...surely.

If it was a boxing match, he'd win hands down...surely?

He has got to win hasn't he? There is simply no alternative to him winning.

But can he?

That just leaves hype, until the fight.

Less confident now it's down to hype.

[Puja]

Just watched Daniel Dubois absolutely crush his opponent in the first round. He's a high quality talent, no doubt of that, and his jab is something ridiculous. Hard to tell just how good he actually is until he gets some better opposition though - Frank Warren says he's fighting again in December (he certainly won't be tired from tonight!), so hopefully he'll have a decent opponent. Someone like Joseph Parker would be ideal - he could learn a hell of a lot from that kind of fight and it'd give everyone a much better idea of if he's flattering to deceive or if he's the real deal.

Puja

[Numbers]

Just watched Daniel Dubois absolutely crush his opponent in the first round. He's a high quality talent, no doubt of that, and his jab is something ridiculous. Hard to tell just how good he actually is until he gets some better opposition though - Frank Warren says he's fighting again in December (he certainly won't be tired from tonight!), so hopefully he'll have a decent opponent. Someone like Joseph Parker would be ideal - he could learn a hell of a lot from that kind of fight and it'd give everyone a much better idea of if he's flattering to deceive or if he's the real deal.

Puja

Parker's fighting Derek Chisora next month so maybe he could fight the winner.

I don't think he'd have any issues beating either of them.

There was a decent card in the US on Saturday night with Errol Spence topping the bill against Shawn Porter, a very competitive fight as Spence decided to fight toe to toe rather then use his skills, Spence won in the end by 4 points imo (tho the judges had it as a split decision), I had the fight level going into the 10th round and had him winning all of the last three with the 11th being 10-8 due to a knockdown.

[Numbers]

Just watched Daniel Dubois absolutely crush his opponent in the first round. He's a high quality talent, no doubt of that, and his jab is something ridiculous. Hard to tell just how good he actually is until he gets some better opposition though - Frank Warren says he's fighting again in December (he certainly won't be tired from tonight!), so hopefully he'll have a decent opponent. Someone like Joseph Parker would be ideal - he could learn a hell of a lot from that kind of fight and it'd give everyone a much better idea of if he's flattering to deceive or if he's the real deal.

Puja

Parker's fighting Derek Chisora next month so maybe he could fight the winner.

I don't think he'd have any issues beating either of them.

There was a decent card in the US on Saturday night with Errol Spence topping the bill against Shawn Porter, a very competitive fight as Spence decided to fight toe to toe rather then use his skills, Spence won in the end by 4 points imo (tho the judges had it as a split decision), I had the fight level going into the 10th round and had him winning all of the last three with the 11th being 10-8 due to a knockdown.

Well Parker has pulled out of the Chisora fight due to illness, I'd like to see Dubois given a go but it's unlikely.

Golovkin had a tough fight Saturday night against Derevyanchenko, Derevyanchenko showed some real grit and no small amount of skill, he had Golovkin in all sorts of trouble with body shots, triple g doesn't look like he has the same punch resistance that he had in his earlier days.

[Numbers]

Well David Price is replacing Parker against Chisora, when will he give up ffs.

[Puja]

Well David Price is replacing Parker against Chisora, when will he give up ffs.

That could apply to either of them tbh.

Puja

[Numbers]

Well David Price is replacing Parker against Chisora, when will he give up ffs.

That could apply to either of them tbh.

Puja

True enough, tho at least Chisora is occasionally competitive and can fight past 4 rounds.

[Big D]

Good performance by Taylor. I thought he won by a couple.