One for the Boxing fans!

[Acid Casual]

Ahem!

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=4655&cat=boxer

Thank you!

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Not so fast.

[Acid Casual]

What the effing hell are you on about?...

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Oh for goodness sake, what do they teach in schools these days?

The Quiet Man is a classic 1952 film with John Wayne playing a boxer (Sean Thornton) who killed someone in the ring and refuses to fight again until the epic Irish battle shown in the clip above.

Which only goes to show that Ruiz or someone on his team has a better sense of irony than you.

[Acid Casual]

Away and play with the traffic, you.

I'll bet I've forgotten more about boxing than you are ever likely to know.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

You're probably right, it was always Kent Walton for me.

[BelowtheBelt]

Haye has very good potential to make a real mark in the division. However, he needs to get a little more belief in himself.

He just beat the snot out of an aging - but still tough - John Ruiz ( as I had predicated he would ). Still, this only really will result in a few others taking a bit more note, especially over the pond where it matters most to be 'noted'.

There will be greater pressure now of the Klit Brothers to actually accept a bout with Haye.

Personally, i strongly feel that Haye must go for the younger brother, Wlad, first ... He has a very weak chin and Davids speed and power will take care of Wlad in double quick time. Then this gives Haye good leverage to setup a real big 'mega-bucks' tussle with the elder - and much tougher - Vitali. I would take haye to beat Vitali, but he will need to work very hard to bring about either a late stoppage or a split-decision win.

[KidKruger]

At the moment I would not take it for granted at all, noweher near it, that Haye will take either Klitschko.

The Klit brothers may not be the best ever but they are not pussies and there is no one left around at Heavyweight that they have not fought, barring perhaps Valuev. So they have beaten pretty much everyone there is to beat.

And Haye has to/will have to wait his turn to ramp up the cash value of a fight against either brother.

The scarey thing about Saturday's bout with Ruiz was that haye seemed totally gassed at round 3, fair play he had put a lot of big hits into getting Ruiz out of there early on and had probably assumed that Ruiz would go any minute, but he didn't go, so the fact that Haye was gassed AND the fact that Ruiz was still able to hit back hard are worrying factors.

I'm not sure whether to take confidence from that fact that Ruiz is one of the most durable heavyweights out there because that means for haye there aren't many more left like that, or not. I want Haye to do well but Sat was worrying. I think Haye's team have to carefuly manage his alleged 'final 4 fights', but I don't think the Klits are easy.

I'd like to see Haye against Eddie Chambers of even David Tua, he is not naturally as big as the real big guys and I think we have seen he may struggle energ-wise and power-wise given his current abilities.

[KidKruger]

Real shame to hear about the death of Edwin Valero, who I've mentioned on this thread a couple of times, aged only 24.

Admittedly not the best technician ever, he always came to fight and was absoultely relentless in his pursuit of the KO, 27 fights, 27 wins, 27 KOs. His first 18 KOs in round ONE !

I'm sure Pac would have beaten him, and perhaps others, but he was exciting with a fearsome punch.

We've been robbed of some great contests and there will be conjecture on just how far he would have gone. He'd already held 2x world belts but relinquished them in favour of moving up a weight.

I will not say anything about his personal life, this is purely a boxing comment.

[alethea]

Wife's Log in by mistake!

[Acid Casual]

This is a tragic and harrowing story.

Who knows what the problem was between Valero and his wife, but his recent history of psychiatric instability, drug and alcohol abuse along with repeated and near fatal assaults on his wife suggest that Valero was not the kind of person who we should mourn for a second, and this story can't possibly pass without mention of his personal circumstances.

He has made his children orphans. The thought of two little children having only the fleeting memories of infants to remember their parents by and being taken into the care system due to the selfish acts of their father, I find anguishing and pitifully sad.

God help those children. Damn you to hell Valero.

[Jeremy]

Boxing has lost a great talent, but he was a very sick and dangerous man. The world is surely a safer, better place without him.

In light of his recent history, he really should have already been locked up before this happened. The BBC article speculates that the authorities let him go unpunished because of his sporting success.

[KidKruger]

Have to say I didn't know the history of substance abuse and assaults on his wife, let alone that he had nippers, that's bad news. Thanks for the extra info, depressing though it is.

[Keef]

Sad story, and a messed up individual. Hard to know what sort of background he had. I've just been to Venezuela, and although we met lots of wonderful family people, the fact that you can't walk in to a shop, but rather order what you want through metal bars, says a lot about the violence of the place.

[Keef]

Apparently Froch Vs Kessler will go ahead on Saturday

I really really don't like Froch, he comes across as such a prick! Can't put my finger on it, think he tries to be cocky, but just isn't cool enough to make it work, if that makes sense.

Ali - Always had the quick quips, and made people laugh, as well as getting to his opponents

Naz - Had swagger and put on a show

Eubank - Knew how to be the panto villan, and make the fans interested, even if they wanted him to lose

Maywaether - Backs up what he says, nuff said

Haye - Still has stuff to prove, but has passed ever obstacle so far...

Froch has done well, but every time I see or hear an interview with him, I find myself wanting to see him beaten, and beaten well. I was never a big Calzaghe fan, but Froch should show him a bit more respect too IMO.

[Jeremy]

What a sore loser!

[Keef]

Indeed!

But the immensely game Kessler stayed on his feet and while a couple of the judges' scorecards looked far too lop-sided, Froch could have few arguments with the outcome.

However

"I thought I hurt Kessler but when you look at some of the scorecards, I was never going to win that fight.

"It's a bit of a sham and it's upsetting and if it was in Nottingham I would have won that fight. I would have got the decision.

Just hold your hands up, admit you got beat, then come back. I hate all these excuses, it's like football managers constantly going on about ref decisions, rather than admitting that they were outplayed.

I'm gutted I never got to watch it, as it sounds like it was a good tear up!

[KidKruger]

Yeah wasn't a bad contest, Kessler made a good account of himself and was strong all the way.

I think Froch was a bit shy in coming forward he was dropping that left hand and waiting for the attacks bit too much for me, fair enough that's his style, but with Kessler coming forward all the time the judges are obliged to reward the aggressor. Maybe Froch thought Kessler would gas in the later rounds or that he'd be able to grab a late KO at will, but did not work that way for him.

Froch actually deserved the loss IMO, and I really wanted him to win.

Froch gave the fight away as much as Kessler took it, Kessler did no more than is expected of you in a ring - fight.

I hope in the longer term this loss does Froch good and adjusts his game both defensively and in what he does wth his rounds. Kessler also hopefully learned from his loss to Ward.

Based on Froch's performance on Saturday I would say Arthur Abraham will beat him.

[Jeremy]

Now Froch is threatening to quit the tournament unless he can fight Abraham on home soil...

I've not come across a single poster on 606 or any of the boxing sites who thinks Froch should have won on Saturday.

[Keef]

Wasn't his last fight (one before Kessler) in the UK? I think they should call his bluff, and if he leaves the tournament, he never breaks America, and looses a potential shot at getting one or more belts. Yeah, good thinking Carl.

[KidKruger]

Froch will not leave the tournament it would be professional suicide I mean who would he fight if the super6 is effectively defining who's best, 2nd best etc etc ?

He was beat by the guy that Ward beat so he's not exactly going to be no.1 draw, all eyes at super-middle weight will be on the outcomes of this tournament plus perhaps Bute.

If Carl had won on Saturday he wouldn't be arsed about Abraham in Nottinhgam, I think it's just post-fight blurts.

He must feel pretty sore losing his world title and he's the sort of guy you feel who just has to say something about something. He knows he lost, Robert McCracken's advice in the corner was OK I thought, although he did say exactly what he'd said when fighting Taylor, "he's conning ya"..

[KidKruger]

So we have the Mitchell v Katsidis card on Saturday 8pm-11pm on Sky Sports 1 (no PPV required), it's an OK card with

Frankie Gavin, James DeGale and Danny Williams v Chisora in his swansong contest.

Then at around 0300-1530 Sunday morning we have Khan v Malignaggi at NY's Madison Sq. Garden.

I really can't call the first one but I do hope Kev can handle the brute that is Katsidis. Would be great to see him take a world title. One thing seems certain it'll be no gimme !!

One side of me says Mag will catch Khan and win the fight but another side says Khan's fast combos will tell and eventually Pauli either gets outpointed or stopped. I actually like Pauli stylistically, it's a shame he's not a hard puncher because he would have done better in the rankings I believe, even against Hatton.

All in all a good weekend's boxing coming up, and that's without even entioning the Ortiz v Nate Campbell contest.

What's your thoughts ?

[ruffers]

Mitchell Katsidis is going to be absolutely brutal, quite fancy Katsidis by KO late in fight.

Khan to beat Malignaggi on points. Malignaggi seems quite wound up for him, agree with what you say about his punching power (lack of) costing him, and I think Khan can keep out of his way. He's been saying Khan's not as quick as he thinks he is though so you never know.... just needs to find that power.

[KidKruger]

Well IMO Khan IS as quick as he (and everybody else) thinks ! Pauli can say what he likes about the speed but it IS there and if Pauli can't get out of the way of it he will get some combos and they will take their toll, Pauli can take hurt though, he's tough and stood up very well to Cotto (and Hatton). I think Pauli could spark Khan IF the oportunity presents itself and IF there's truththeo the story/legend about a weak chin on Khan.

I really hope Mitchell keeps it neat like he did against Mendoza and Prescott, obviously they will have to trade but Mitchell musn't get all macho with Katsidis like he did against Carl Johannsen, where he took some big digs and was clearly hurt, no need for it at all.

Plenty to look forward to.

[Jeremy]

I'm going for Paulie by UD, but hope I'm wrong.

And Katsidis by late stoppage.

And Chisora, also by KO/TKO (first or second round).

Laborious points decisions for James Degale and Frankie Gavin.

Happy viewing!