Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Well he was the last undisputed champion of the heavyweight division which in my opinion has now has become a free for all where everybody tries to avoid each other and where they look more like bodybuilders rather then the supremely skilled boxers of yonder.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

I don't disagree with much of that however the various governing bodies were set up many years ago so there was clearly a desire by some to dilute the quality of each title belt even then.

Frank Bruno was not very different from Joshua really - he had 21 wins by KO before his first defeat but had 30 fights before his first heavyweight shot. Unless something changes quite quickly I can't see Joshua having to face fighters of the quality Bruno met during the latter part of his career.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

This is very sad news:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-36027590

Given what's happened recently regarding Nick Blackwell I can't help thinking the world of MMA will need to look at their sport. I love MMA but I do feel that fights are often allowed to go on far too long when one fighter is clearly not defending himself effectively and some of the punishment to the head allowed is excessive IMHO.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

That's horrible for all involved. Poor bloke. There's no winner anymore as you know his opponent is beat up too about it. I agree with the ref opinions you have Osem. It's just hard to find the balance. Some are way too early and others are way too late. There's no real compromise to be had. For example a boxing style count would rectify it but nullify the ground game of MMA. It's a non recovery sport with only clean knockouts and stoppages. Like I've said though I've seen both sides of it. I've seen a guy get dropped and defend himself properly. Then I've seen a guy with a face beyond recognition completely out on his feet taking an absolute battering. I've got a clip somewhere of a fighter stopping it himself because the referee was oblivious to guy literally being asleep.

I then saw an absolute shocker of a fight in Bellator involving Kimbo Slice and another wannabe. Both gassed in round 1 and it proceeded into the following round with both fighters hanging onto each other just to stand. It took the ref to see the bloke literally collapse into a heap to call it off. Should've pulled both fighters out of what was clearly a parcel of excrement. So there is a case of more ref training needed in more than one area. With regards to stoppages though there's just no winning. It's the risk you take when you step into the octagon. But again many changes were made over a period of years to rectify some pretty brutal stuff. Kicks to the head whilst grounded used to be legal :| 28 years old is no age though. Stuff of nightmares. Akin to rabbit punches, I wouldn't disagree with clean undefended hammer fist punches being taken away though. When undefended they just look barbaric and pretty sick.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Yes l quite agree as some fights are going on far longer then they should and the big one that springs to mind quite a few years ago that should have stopped rounds before was when Nigel Benn fought Gerald McClellan and l don't think things have been tightened up that much since in my opinion.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

In boxing. Bum fighting does this kinda stuff no favours. Look at Haye in his comeback. Your cat knew he'd take his head off. Some aussie taxi driver weekend boxer. He had no idea what kind of power was gonna hit that chin. He left the arena on oxygen. Letting massive hitters like Haye and Wilder fight unknown lads that have never seen a clean punch is a recipe for disaster in my opinion.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Massive news reporting Conor McGregor has retired. Unaware if trolling but this could leave UFC in a hole in what what would be the loss of the biggest draw in MMA history.

This will send shock waves through Dana's living room and pocket.

---------- Post added at 01:21 ---------- Previous post was at 01:19 ----------

UFC 200 in tatters after McGregor fight pulled. McGregor has refused to attend press conferences amid retirement speculation.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

they have reported today that if he doesn't confirm whether he has retired they will strip him of his belt.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Saturday 7th May
Amir Khan vs Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (C)
For the WBC Middleweight championship

Expected start time 2am, UK coverage: BoxNation

Canelo expected to step in at 170lbs on the night with a significant weight advantage on Khan upon his first bout at Middleweight, thus making Canelo the strong favourite.

The fight is an unknown entity. If Khan carries his speed and ducks punches then he can comfortably dispatch Canelo with ease. If Khan can't get it right then he can be put down. Very interesting fight this and could elevate Khan to being 'the guy' around the 145-160 weight. A win for Khan would only solidify the belief that Mayweather wanted absolutely nothing to do with a guy that has talent to burn. A loss for Khan wouldn't be devastating at this weight but there's still an emptying Welter division to be concerned about.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Boxing could be on the verge of absolute meltdown if speculation is to be believed and Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather sign a fight deal which would eclipse all financial records in boxing history.

Absolute madness this but I'd give anything to see it happen. Has to be crap though, there's no way Mayweather would risk that 0 for someone as brutal at standup fighting as McGregor, one clean shot could send Mayweather reeling.

Anyway, 25 hours away from Khan's return.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Frankly sometimes boxing makes itself look so stupid...

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Miracle in Vegas or business as usual. Either way it's time.

---------- Post added at 04:50 ---------- Previous post was at 04:01 ----------

Career over as Khan is downed by Canelo. There's no coming back from this. Why anyone would take a fight like that in the first place is anyone's guess.

Bad decisions, awful defensive training and awful tactics. A career of bad choices after bad choices. So much potential thrown away by arrogance. In an almost mirror image of Danny Garcia with Khan leading the way only to crumble after the tiniest of set backs in a single round. When I first saw this fight announced I had made the assumption it'd be around 145 but to see Khan jump up to fight someone coming in nearer 170 is questionable.

A glass chin didn't lose this fight but I know something that did. Arrogance and false hype. Khan's too busy playing the playboy lifestyle to be a boxer, it's one or the other mate and I think boxing just left him. A year of sitting around doing nothing before announcing a double weight jump? Be serious mate. So much talent draining away in someone all too happy to enjoy the lifestyle perks instead. Floyd mayweather despite being stupidly rich does not let up training yet Amir thinks he has a free pass. Disappointed isn't a strong enough word.

British boxing has once again fell victim to someone that just couldn't be arsed and the evidence was on show for all. The British media have it lopsided claiming without that punch Khan was still getting to Alvarez which is completely wrong as the bias shows, Khan crumbled in the 5th round after taking a few shots and completely throwing whatever game plan he had out of the window and this just continued into the 6th standing around like a tool. Virgil got it completely wrong despite his reputation with this fight. Still what Amir Khan was ever doing at Middleweight is enough to poke at alone. I was wrong to say a loss wouldn't be devastating but now I'm piecing the bigger picture together regarding Khan's lifestyle and it's clear that it's career endgame.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Sadly he never learnt and if boxers don't learn then they go nowhere in the end...

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Khan boxing on the back foot, slower naturally because of an absurd jump in two weights. The media are right, there's no shame but at the same time there's still gaping holes all over this. I get Amir wants to be Mr charity, lavish lifestyle etc. There's a point though where you're either that or a boxer not both. Virgil hunter has a lot to answer for, the gamechanger wasn't the knockdown but rather the 5th round in which Virgil never gave any sort of usable advice. If Canelo is closing that distance and getting in then you quickly need to change it again to keep the guy and his corner guessing, Hunter should be on that in an instant. In Hunter's defence I guess that's hard to employ when you've never seen your boxer for the best part of a year.

Once again though, you didn't see Floyd jump two weights to play silly against Canelo, this was suicide at best. The coming months are crucial for Khan. Does he actually make an attempt to be a boxer or does he have another massive layoff and get himself into a fight he really isn't prepared for.

Golovkin might finally get his chance to take out Canelo though and unify the division. GGG is a phenom, this guy will take out anyone in his path so the thought of Canelo vs GGG is a tasty one.

Re: Boxing/MMA
 

Freddie Roach approached by Conor McGregor amid speculation he's set to sign a fight deal with Floyd Mayweather.

Still refuse to believe Mayweather would take this. Mayweather could outbox him all night but that isn't the point here, McGregor has a steel chin and Mayweather's power is already minimal with the fact nothing Floyd throws is going to phase him in the slightest. McGregor would look to cut his head off from the get go. He's got the 25 minute cardio and is an absolutely deadly finisher. His boxing is no joke either, he carries above average accuracy and devastating power.

Just isn't happening, I could see McGregor getting DQ'd if Floyd stuck to the ropes the entire fight via McGregor taking him down and pounding him. This is a dangerous fight for boxing nevermind Floyd. Let's just stick to your own sports lads :dunce:

If Floyd would take on McGregor then he'd take on a dropped weight Golovkin, which isn't happening either.

Floyd vs Khan or nothing. If you can't put Khan on the floor you can't beat him to be fair. that's why people want the fight, they want to see Floyd really challenged in boxing, not a scrap. Points vs Points, Mayweather vs Khan.

Carl Froch jumped out saying there was nothing left, that's annoyed me knowing Gennady Golovkin is sitting around as is Andre Ward just above him, some weight jumps here and there would've got the fights off the ground but given the Groves 1 fight it's clear Froch wants nothing to do with either.

Haye is on a path of knocking gob*****'s out, Shannon Briggs is on a suicide mission to headhunt him, I assure Shannon that Haye will find his chin quicker than he thinks, at 44 years old, you're pushing your luck, Lennox Lewis pounded this guy into oblivion at sluggers pace, Haye is no slugger and throws absolute bombs, Briggs is way out of his depth. Getting in the ring with some faster, harder hitting with decent accuracy is asking to be flattened. This leaves Joshua with a clear summer for a title defence against a lower rank.

So onto Joshua and I think we're all still a bit iffy about where they're taking him. We all agree it's better to take steps up than be a Kell Brook your entire career, but an IBF title this early on with the likes of Wilder, Haye and Fury gobbing about unifying is dangerous for Joshua, he's going to be a mile above Lennox Lewis by the end of his career but not if they ruin it early with big money fights against way more experienced hard hitters. Joshua needs to take some more on the chin and get used to taking that odd big shot because at present there's simply no way he takes a right hand from Wilder and Haye and then continues to fight, they'd both sink him for a 10. By the time Joshua is ready for this lot, they should be gone and have cleared the way for the Joshua dominance era.