Boxing MEGATHREAD~!

[King 277]

I know we have a few boxing fans on here and some like me don't really follow MMA as much as we'd like to.

 

So did anyone watch the Bellew fight last weekend?, it just seems to me that Bellew is good fighter but just not on that world class level.

 

Also is some boxing news,

 

Liverpool heavyweight David Price insists he has not turned his back on a domestic showdown against Dereck Chisora despite announcing his decision to relinquish his British and Commonwealth titles.

 

Paulie Malignaggi is already eyeing a rematch with Adrien Broner but knows he'll first need to get past Zab Judah this weekend

 

Manny Pacquiao is targeting a rematch with Timothy Bradley in early 2014, according to his trainer Freddie Roach.

[Guest Jack]

Yeah, I watched the Bellew fight, desperately hoping he'd win, so I was disappointed with the result. I like Bellew but Stevenson is probably the most vile c*nt in sport and I hope Kovalev ends his career when those two fight. People say he's turned his life around but a guy who raped and pimped young girls doesn't deserve a successful career, so I hope Kovalev ends it.

 

Apparently Craig McEwan lost yesterday, which pretty much ends his career. It's a shame because he was a decent fighter at one point but inactivity and the Andy Lee loss really hurt him. He seems a nice enough guy though, so hopefully he'll end up working as a coach or something like that. I'm sure he learned a lot in the Wildcard that he can pass on to young Scottish fighters.

 

What do you make of the much talked about Andy Lee/Matthew Macklin fight, King? It's been touted for Dublin early next year and it sounds like a cracking fight to me. I like both guys and I'm sure it'll be a great bout, so I might see if I can get tickets to it.

[King 277]

 

What do you make of the much talked about Andy Lee/Matthew Macklin fight, King? It's been touted for Dublin early next year and it sounds like a cracking fight to me. I like both guys and I'm sure it'll be a great bout, so I might see if I can get tickets to it.

 

Should be a cracker if it goes ahead mate, I heard Dublin aswell and was also thinking of making a trip to see it.

 

Was Froch on Ringside this week?, my Sky+ went for a shit.

[Guest Magic]

Didn't manage to catch the Bellew fight but I agree with you King, I don't think he's ever quite going to be World Title level. Like quite alot of the brits, good at home but struggle with the step up in class.

 

I've never liked Bellew, comes across as a bit of a tube to me, so I'm not too fussed he lost.

[King 277]

Yeah Bellew is good but will never be GREAT I think anyways, and can't really take a punch.

[King 277]

This could be all down to money as I imagine that a re-match would sell out Wembley.

 

Carl Froch all but dismissed the idea of going 'over old ground' in a rematch with George Groves.

 

The WBC and IBF middleweight champion was on Ringside for the first time since his controversial win on November 23.

 

Groves has demanded a rematch after being stopped in the ninth round of their contest and promoter Eddie Hearn has even admitted he - as a fan - wants to see a second showdown.

 

But the final decision falls to 36-year-old Froch and he all but ruled it out.

 

"I defended my title against a mandatory. I beat an unbeaten fighter, a hungry, ambitious fighter who came to try and win the fight - and winning with a technical knockout in the ninth round is a great result," he said.

 

"Do I want to go over old ground? Not at the minute, no.

 

"I like to move forward in my career and the only old ground I like to go over again is for a defeat.

 

"It was nice to avenge the Mikkel Kessler defeat, it would be nice to avenge the Andre Ward defeat if that can possibly be made."

[Guest Jack]

Should be a cracker if it goes ahead mate, I heard Dublin aswell and was also thinking of making a trip to see it.

 

Was Froch on Ringside this week?, my Sky+ went for a shit.

I think he was, yeah, but I haven't seen the show either yet. Him and Brook were on Ringside Extra on the Sky Sports website discussing the Barker fight, so I assume they were on the proper show too.

 

I'm surprised that Froch isn't too keen on a Groves rematch. It was obviously a hard fight for him but he's not the type to duck or avoid anyone, so I'm surprised. I think the fight will happen eventually though, but if Froch does get a Ward rematch and loses, that might get in the way because I can see him retiring if he loses another wide decision, which I think he will. If I was Froch, I'd be looking at fighting Chavez for big money in Vegas.

 

Barker/Sturm should be a good fight this weekend. I'm looking forward to it quite a lot, and hopefully we don't see a dodgy decision in Sturm's favour.

[King 277]

It has to be about money, it always is, if they throw crazy money at him for a re-match then I think it will happen.

 

Gotta feel for Groves though.

[King 277]

Barker/Sturm should be a good fight this weekend. I'm looking forward to it quite a lot, and hopefully we don't see a dodgy decision in Sturm's favour.

 

And we didn't, that's surely it for Barker now, his hip is suppose to be in a bad way.

 

Also last night the cocky Paulie "The Magic Man" Malignaggi claimed a unanimous decision victory over Zab "Super" Judah, and Shawn Porter shocked Devon Alexander by a unanimous points decision in Brooklyn to claim his first world title.

[Guest bigmatt]

David Price has pulled out of his fight against Evgeny Orlov with a virus.

[Guest Jack]

Delighted to see Marcos Maidana beat the arrogant c*nt Broner. A hard fought victory and a very well deserved one. In about the 2nd round, Broner turned Maidana and from behind, made a gesture as if he was doing him up the arse, which the crowd booed heavily. In the 11th round, after knocking Broner down twice and dishing out a beating, Maidana turned Broner and did the same to him. Which the crowd cheered heavily.

 

I love boxing on nights like this.

[Guest Jack]

"Showtime’s Adrien Broner-Marcos Maidana live boxing telecast Saturday night drew 1.3 million viewers, the network announced Tuesday.

 

The fight, in which Maidana (pictured right) upset the previously undefeated Broner in a unanimous decision win, is the third most watched fight for the network since 2009 when Showtime began tracking individual bouts, according to Showtime officials.

 

The average audience for the entire four-fight, Dec. 14 telecast also ranks as the fourth-largest live boxing telecast on Showtime since 2004, behind the Dec. 1 2012 Miguel Cotto/Austin Trout fight; the June 22 Paul Malignaggi/Broner bout; and Oct. 26 Bernard Hopkins/Karo Murat match, according to the network.

 

Overall, the Showtime Championship Boxing series’ 2013 viewership average is up 24% over last year’s viewership average and 64% over 2011's audience average, said network officials."

 

 

 

 

Great to see the boxing ratings improve in America. The competitiveness between Showtime and HBO has lead to a great 2013 and hopefully that gets even more intense in 2014. Both networks are doing strong ratings right now, which is fantastic for the sport.

[King 277]

That is good news :)

 

Also,

Heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko is to step away from boxing to focus on politics after being appointed 'champion emeritus' by the World Boxing Council.

The move leaves the WBC heavyweight title vacant, and although Klitschko could decide to return to the ring to fight for it again in the future he says that is unlikely.

[Guest Jack]

Apparently Fury thinks he's in line for a title shot. The WBC said that it'll be between Arreola and Stiverne, though I believe Don King has a lawsuit against Stiverne, which may mean that Tyson Fury would get put into the title fight. That'd be a pretty interesting fight and a great opportunity for Fury.

[King 277]

Khan signs off on Floyd fight

 

British fighter Amir Khan has announced he has signed a contract that could see him fight Floyd Mayweather Jr in the new year.

 

The 27-year-old, a former world champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, is waiting to learn whether Mayweather wants the fight.

 

Promoters Showtime Sports said this week that unbeaten American Mayweather had not decided who he would get into the ring with next, but confirmed Khan was in a pool of contenders.

 

The showdown could happen in Las Vegas on May 3, and Khan said on the Daily Mail website: "I am the one who signed the contract, I've signed my part of the contract, they've not signed theirs.

 

"If he wants to fight Amir Khan then he should sign it."

 

Money would seriously f**k him up

[King 277]

Darren Barker has been forced to retire.

[Guest bigmatt]

Froch v Groves rematch will happen:

 

Carl Froch and George Groves agree to rematch

 

British super-middleweight rivals Carl Froch and George Groves have agreed to a rematch, to take place at a football stadium on Saturday, 31 May.

 

Nottingham's Froch, 36, retained his WBA and IBF titles with a ninth-round stoppage of Groves last November.

But Londoner Groves, 25, complained the fight was ended too soon.

 

The bout is the biggest rematch in British boxing since Chris Eubank fought Nigel Benn for a second time at Old Trafford in 1993.

Froch-Groves II is expected to break the box-office record for a British fight, with Old Trafford in Manchester and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium being suggested as possible venues.

 

The record attendance for a post-War boxing show was for Ricky Hatton's fight against Luan Lazcano, which drew 55,000 fans at the City of Manchester Stadium in 2008.

 

There were bitter recriminations in the wake of the first fight between Froch and Groves at the Manchester Arena.

Groves led on points after flooring the champion in round one but referee Howard Foster stepped in to halt to proceedings when Froch went on the attack in round nine.

 

With Froch angling for a rematch against American Andre Ward or a fight with Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Las Vegas, it looked like Groves might have to wait for his chance to avenge the loss.

 

He initially rejected a "seven-figure" offer from Froch's promoter Eddie Hearn for a rematch, claiming there were too many "stipulations".

But then, last month, the IBF ordered Froch to fight Groves again within 90 days or risk losing his belt.

 

Groves also petitioned the British Boxing Board of Control to restore his unbeaten status by declaring his defeat by Froch a no contest.

Now it seems those appeals, not to mention the media and public clamour and huge money on offer, have persuaded Froch to have a change of heart.

 

Under the terms of the IBF's rematch directive, challenger Groves was only entitled to 15% of the purse.

However, Hearn said the directive would only have been relevant if the fight had gone to purse bids and suggested Froch had agreed to shift on the percentage.

 

Froch's victory in the first fight took his career record to 32 wins from 34 fights, while defeat for Groves was his first in 20 professional outings.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26166323

[King 277]

Sweet, can't wait for this!!

[Guest bigmatt]

Fury/Abell was an entertaining scrap last night, it's on YouTube in HD, if you're quick. Well worth 15 minutes.

[Guest CMHunk]

yep, Fury looked his usual self and there were a couple of real nasty heel moments. Intentional testicle punch on the break was pretty awful, and he worked the ref nicely a couple of other times during the fight too. I still can't really work Fury out. He's big and quick and can usually find a way to get the fight back on his terms, but he's rarely in great shape and is almost always incredibly sloppy. As he's in the Heavyweight division that might just be enough though.