We know boxing fans don't get the fights they really want, well not that often anyway. 2010 was a year of what could have been, of course Pacquiao v Mayweather, Klitschko v Wlad, Gamboa v Lopez, Huck v Cunningham II, Ward v Bute and any number of other pretty obvious looking fights. As obvious as it is to complain about those not happening, it's a horse that has been flogged to the point of no longer being relevant, in fact we are beating the dead horse to even mention them, however, we don't need to accept crap. 2011 should be OUR (the fans) year!
This year we've had major fights ignored for the likes of:
Haye v Harrison (and over 1/2 a million people paid for this one)
Vitali v Briggs and Sosnowski
Wladamir v Peter II
Adamek v Maddalone
Povetkin v Firtha
Pacquiao v Margarito
Mayweather v Security guards
Huck v Richards, Minto and Godfrey
Lopez v Concepcion
Maybe whats been worse however have been the poor (in some case terrible) decisions made by those in charge of the sport, the judges, the commissions, the awarding bodies et al. Here are some of those examples I'm talking about:
Campillo v Shumenov II-What were the judges watching? (honestly what fight was Patricia Morse Jarman watching? Jerry Roth's score card was questionable too)
Tua v Barrett-Barrett won that and we all know it.
Minto v Huck-How did Minto qualify for a world title fight?
The WBA in general-How they manage to hand out upto 3 titles in some weights is a mystery, though they seem to enjoy it. Can someone please force this to stop?
The WBC V Bradley-Come on WBC GROW UP! If he beats Alexander accept him as your champion, it's only fair.
The IBF-What was their logic behind stripping Alexander for not fighting Mabuza (and instead unifying)?
One thing that does seem like it's about to change is the BBBofC, who although I'm no cheer leader for, I'm incredibly happy to hear they are changing their "accidental headbutt" rule that saw the recent Edwards v Bayaar fight ending in a farce. Though will they force a rematch or just sit on the result as if it was a legitimate stoppage?
Also just a few more quick complaints, can we finally see the end of Joe "I'm bent" Cortez. Yes that would be verging on slander but time and time again he proves he's not on a level. He let Gamboa off with a cheap shot that was very little different to the shot he DQ'd Humberto Soto for a few years ago, like wise he allowed Khan's constant holding with out a warning (but with out allowing any inside work by Maidana), the opposite to what he allowed in the Hopkins v Calzaghe fight. The sooner Cortez is out of the sport the better, much like dodgy officiating and scoring. We need rid of this or our sport will remain a minor sport where it can be "who you know" rather than "what you do" that decides the result.
Anyway hope to see some of you guys next year folks.
Friday 31 December 2010
Monday 13 December 2010
I'm Jesh Lashy I shink I get hit too much shir
So Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy loses once again, never has a one punch wonder fallen apart quite like Jeff. A fighter who promised much, he said he'd beat “Calslappy”, then found out that Joe Calzaghe slapped bloody hard, he promised to unify the Super Middleweight division, yet only ever held the IBF's trinket and now he must be thinking what happened to his career.
Lacy was a stocky, muscular powerful fight, who had been mowing through journeymen and has-beens. The likes of Robin Reid, Scott Pemberton, Rubin Williams, Syd Vanderpool and Omar Sheika were beaten once after the other in fact all 5 of the afore mentioned fighters were beaten in a 13 month streak of destruction with only Sheika lasting the distance. Lacy though wasn't actually a capable boxer, more a limited powerhouse, he, at the time, had the intimidation factor, freezing opponents at times, and over powering them at other times. It's worth noting Sheika was only 2 points (1 round) down on 2 cards) Vanderpool equally close prior to being stopped in the 8th.
Although it's often said that Calzaghe broke Lacy, there were cracks already well inside the Lacy machine, he was power hungry, feeling over-confident in his left hand and when Calzaghe thoroughly beat him questions arose. Lacy had had the myth exposed, he was nothing special, in fact he was made to look distinctly average by an amazing Calzaghe who put in one of the greatest performances seen by a British boxer in history.
Since losing to Calzaghe Lacy won just 4 of 7 fights, scoring no stoppages and most noteworthy, every decision was controversial and disputed. Vitali Tsypko was flat out robbed, Peter Manfredo Jr could honestly claim to have been stitched up whilst Epifanio Mendoza could conceivably of won and ditto Otis Griffin. Tsypko failed to score any notable victories in his 4 fights following, Manfredo, after getting stopped by Sakio Bika, has dropped down to Middleweight, Mendoza has become a journeyman and Griffin, who was knocked out in his next fight, is now on a run af beating journeymen.
Though it's not who Lacy did beat, but his losses, being completely out boxed for almost the entire fight by Jermain Taylor, being out landed and stopped by the shell of Roy Jones Jr and now, the most embarrassing loss of his career, he was out boxed and out pointed by journeyman Dhafir Smith. Within 5 years Lacy has gone from being the American fighter with the world at his fingertips, to being a fighter who could well have gone 0-8 in his last 8 fights. The power, confidence, swagger and intimidation has completely gone the guy who was 21-0 (17) and viewed as a KO machine has fallen to 25-4 (17).
Whether it was the confidence beaten out of him, or he wasn't that good to start off with, any number of other problems, the 33 year really needs to hang them up having failed to win the UBO title, there is nothing left in the sport for a fighter who has nothing to give. If Lacy wishes to be turned into a slurring wreck then he can feel free to remain in the ring, if he wants to keep his senses he needs to walk away now!
Lacy was a stocky, muscular powerful fight, who had been mowing through journeymen and has-beens. The likes of Robin Reid, Scott Pemberton, Rubin Williams, Syd Vanderpool and Omar Sheika were beaten once after the other in fact all 5 of the afore mentioned fighters were beaten in a 13 month streak of destruction with only Sheika lasting the distance. Lacy though wasn't actually a capable boxer, more a limited powerhouse, he, at the time, had the intimidation factor, freezing opponents at times, and over powering them at other times. It's worth noting Sheika was only 2 points (1 round) down on 2 cards) Vanderpool equally close prior to being stopped in the 8th.
Although it's often said that Calzaghe broke Lacy, there were cracks already well inside the Lacy machine, he was power hungry, feeling over-confident in his left hand and when Calzaghe thoroughly beat him questions arose. Lacy had had the myth exposed, he was nothing special, in fact he was made to look distinctly average by an amazing Calzaghe who put in one of the greatest performances seen by a British boxer in history.
Since losing to Calzaghe Lacy won just 4 of 7 fights, scoring no stoppages and most noteworthy, every decision was controversial and disputed. Vitali Tsypko was flat out robbed, Peter Manfredo Jr could honestly claim to have been stitched up whilst Epifanio Mendoza could conceivably of won and ditto Otis Griffin. Tsypko failed to score any notable victories in his 4 fights following, Manfredo, after getting stopped by Sakio Bika, has dropped down to Middleweight, Mendoza has become a journeyman and Griffin, who was knocked out in his next fight, is now on a run af beating journeymen.
Though it's not who Lacy did beat, but his losses, being completely out boxed for almost the entire fight by Jermain Taylor, being out landed and stopped by the shell of Roy Jones Jr and now, the most embarrassing loss of his career, he was out boxed and out pointed by journeyman Dhafir Smith. Within 5 years Lacy has gone from being the American fighter with the world at his fingertips, to being a fighter who could well have gone 0-8 in his last 8 fights. The power, confidence, swagger and intimidation has completely gone the guy who was 21-0 (17) and viewed as a KO machine has fallen to 25-4 (17).
Whether it was the confidence beaten out of him, or he wasn't that good to start off with, any number of other problems, the 33 year really needs to hang them up having failed to win the UBO title, there is nothing left in the sport for a fighter who has nothing to give. If Lacy wishes to be turned into a slurring wreck then he can feel free to remain in the ring, if he wants to keep his senses he needs to walk away now!
Sunday 5 December 2010
David Haye v Jean Marc Moremeck, could it be possible?
I jokingly suggested some time back that David “The pensioner beater” Haye, the current WBA Heavyweight champion may attempt to fight another “older” fighter if the fight with Ruslan Chagaev falls through due to the medical problems surrounding Chagaev. Seems like I'm not the only one with that dark sense of humour, but one of the people mentioned in that very article also seems to be thinking that Haye may like to fight older men.
With a record of 36-4, unbeaten at heavyweight and the current WBA International Heavyweight champion, it all makes sense on paper. Jean Marc Moremeck, aged 38, seems to want a rematch with the man who took his WBA and WBC Cruiserweight titles back in 2007. The most blatant quote suggesting Moremeck wants the fight was “Since Haye is afraid of no-one, he should give me my shot at revenge in Paris”. Sadly we are well aware that Haye is afraid of the Klitschko's, and it seems anyone under the age of 35, or anyone who on paper would actually give him a tough fight.
Moremeck, who turns 39 next summer added “Give me three or four months to train with the right kind of sparring partners and I’ll be ready.” Now if we give him those months, he'll be about to turn 39 (the same sort of age as Ruiz and Harrison were), though most worryingly, the Frenchman has looked terrible in recent performances, lucky to get wins over both Fres Oquendo and Timur Ibragimov. Do not let the poor performances fool you into thinking Haye would say no to the fight however, he has a reputation of fighting fighters who have been showing a lack of form:
Audley Harrison had been dominated by Michael Sprott before landing a hail Mary punch late on.
John Ruiz had gone 3-3-0-1 in a space of 5 years (don't remind me he was the mandatory, that's a whole new debate to be addressed to the WBA)
Nikolai Valuev had been beaten for all intents and purposes by Evander Holyfield, with the crowd knowing it was a robbery.
And of course Monte Barrett who had gone 3-3 before facing Haye with wins against the likes of Tye Fields, Damon Reid and Cliff Couser (a man who had beaten him).
For Marc he may have noticed these things. Lets just put the evidence together:
Haye likes to beat older men
Haye likes to beat men who haven't looked good in recent fights
Moremeck holds the WBA International heavyweight title
Timur Ibragimov was #7 with the WBA (meaning that Moremeck “should” be #9 when the rankings are updated)
Of the fighters that (using my poor following of the WBA rule book) would be left. Chagaev would/could be out on medical grounds, Valuev seems to have all but retired, Boystov appears to be in no rush and neither does Povetkin, Ustinov will be no better of an opponent, Rahman is even older (in a fighters sense, though he is 5 "months" younger in real terms) and Dimitrenko seems less and less likely after collapsing in his changing room recently.
Whether or not I'm being harsh on the self proclaimed saviour of the division is up for debate, but the Moremeck rematch actually appears, on paper, to have some merit.
With a record of 36-4, unbeaten at heavyweight and the current WBA International Heavyweight champion, it all makes sense on paper. Jean Marc Moremeck, aged 38, seems to want a rematch with the man who took his WBA and WBC Cruiserweight titles back in 2007. The most blatant quote suggesting Moremeck wants the fight was “Since Haye is afraid of no-one, he should give me my shot at revenge in Paris”. Sadly we are well aware that Haye is afraid of the Klitschko's, and it seems anyone under the age of 35, or anyone who on paper would actually give him a tough fight.
Moremeck, who turns 39 next summer added “Give me three or four months to train with the right kind of sparring partners and I’ll be ready.” Now if we give him those months, he'll be about to turn 39 (the same sort of age as Ruiz and Harrison were), though most worryingly, the Frenchman has looked terrible in recent performances, lucky to get wins over both Fres Oquendo and Timur Ibragimov. Do not let the poor performances fool you into thinking Haye would say no to the fight however, he has a reputation of fighting fighters who have been showing a lack of form:
Audley Harrison had been dominated by Michael Sprott before landing a hail Mary punch late on.
John Ruiz had gone 3-3-0-1 in a space of 5 years (don't remind me he was the mandatory, that's a whole new debate to be addressed to the WBA)
Nikolai Valuev had been beaten for all intents and purposes by Evander Holyfield, with the crowd knowing it was a robbery.
And of course Monte Barrett who had gone 3-3 before facing Haye with wins against the likes of Tye Fields, Damon Reid and Cliff Couser (a man who had beaten him).
For Marc he may have noticed these things. Lets just put the evidence together:
Haye likes to beat older men
Haye likes to beat men who haven't looked good in recent fights
Moremeck holds the WBA International heavyweight title
Timur Ibragimov was #7 with the WBA (meaning that Moremeck “should” be #9 when the rankings are updated)
Of the fighters that (using my poor following of the WBA rule book) would be left. Chagaev would/could be out on medical grounds, Valuev seems to have all but retired, Boystov appears to be in no rush and neither does Povetkin, Ustinov will be no better of an opponent, Rahman is even older (in a fighters sense, though he is 5 "months" younger in real terms) and Dimitrenko seems less and less likely after collapsing in his changing room recently.
Whether or not I'm being harsh on the self proclaimed saviour of the division is up for debate, but the Moremeck rematch actually appears, on paper, to have some merit.
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