One for the Boxing fans!

[Otta]

Just inside the door at a tall table. Meeting Jeremy.

[KidKruger]

Good show by Froch, he controlled the distance between himself and Kessler pretty good.

I'm surprised so many media sources are calling it a close-run contest - my impression was Froch bossed the show, with a couple of successful attacks from Kessler. I think I gave Kessler one round all night, so I agree with the 118-110 judge.

Good to meet some of the EDFers at last !

[Otta]

Good to meet you too KK. Nice oub to watch the fight in, and not packed which was good.

Oh, and pkease do mention us to your mate at the golf club and let me know if you need ne to resend the link or burn a disk. Cheers!

[KidKruger]

Can you PM me the link ?

However I already mentioned you to him by text from the pub last night - but if I can pass on the link pls that'll be useful.

[Otta]

Done. And cheers!

[Jeremy]

Good meeting you KK, and also HMB.

I don't think there was any doubt whose arm would be raised, Froch was pretty dominant for much of the fight. I' definitely give Kess 3 or so rounds though.

[Otta]

Ward will still beat either of them though.

[KidKruger]

Ward's the man at SMW, nobody disputes that.

Regarding a Froch v Ward rematch, I think in UK only, Froch/Hearne are right. More interest, more money. It just doesn't fly in the US - Ward isn't just not popular, he's UNpopular. He couldn't fill a stadium with 18,000 fans, he has no belts, his style is boring and at times his style is (against Kessler) cheating.

He never has left the US. Froch doesn't need him at all.

If everyone is so sure that Ward will beat Froch easily then clearly it's a foregone conclusion, therefore a mismatch, which nobody likes to see, right ?

Froch should take Steiglitz, then the winner of the Bika fight (the WBA belt which Ward was stripped of), so he holds 4x belts. Then he's got Groves, or he could move up to LH and face Cleverley.

Ward has few quality options, he is best at his weight but stinks stadiums out and is dirty and awkward.

I see Ward moving to LH, which is where he fought as an amateur (and Olympics I believe). There he could face Hopkins and retire him, then Cleverley, Shumenov, Pascal maybe.

[Jeremy]

Hopkins wants nothing to do with Ward...

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Good to meet you Sat eve. Rose was a good venue as Otta said.

Cheers.

[KidKruger]

It looks like Floyd Mayweather has finally agreed to fight Saul (Canelo) Alvarez, but at a catchweight of 152ibs.

Floyd, 35, usually fights at 147 (WW) these days, though he has been up to 154 (LMW) to fight De La Hoya.

Alvarez usually fights at 154 (LMW) however, he has an ability to weigh-in at a boiled-down 154 then rehydrate to 172lbs or even heavier. This means that on fight night he ia a Light Heavy-Weight, when his opponents are maybe touching 160 (because the ability to grow/shrink so dramatically is unusual [and some say only done through drugs]).

Alvarez, 22, has a reputation for fighting (140lb) LWW or even (135lb) LW boxers who have come UP to 154 (LMW) for the first time, this means he outsizes and dominates them. Some say this has meant an easy run for Alvarez, and it looks like he's taking these advantages into the Mayweather fight.

There was gossip about Mayweather insisting on a 'rehydration limit' for fight night, so that Mayweather doesn't end-up fighting someone 20+lbs heavier than himself, this would entail them both being weighed just before the contest and either being fined per lb (ie. ?1million) overweight, no fight for a belt (as in the case of Martin Murray recently against Sergio Martinez at MW) or even a disqualification.

But SUPRISINGLY Mayweather has not pressed this in the negotiations, so there is NO rehydration limit !

Alvarez is I believe something like 42-0 (30 or so KOs), so no mug. This will be a huge fight, on Sept 14th, a key date in the Mexican calendar.

So we're looking at Mayweather coming in around 55lbs and Alvarez near 75lbs.

I have to say that takes balls from Mayweather. He took a bit of a hiding from Cotto, who was heavier than him (though not as heavy as Alvarez). The accusations that Mayweather's a ducker surely have to subside for a while now (I have no view on this either way).

This is, weight-wise, like Khan agreeing to fight Carl Froch or Andre Ward.

I think Mayweather is crazy. If he gets caught a couple of times buy a guy who's 2/3 weight divisions heavier than him, it's going to be a problem. However it's a MASSIVE fight financially and it could break Mayweather's PPV record. Mayweather is extremely clever in selecting opponents and I believe he already has his win worked-out (in his belief, anyway). He'll have to move non-stop, which he's the best in the world at. He'll have to tire Alvarez out (Alvarez has questionable stamina).

What do you think ?!

[Jeremy]

I don't really buy this "he's effectively a light heavyweight" thing. But I think something like 170-172 might be a typical fight-night weight for a middleweight.

While this is still a significant difference, Floyd is taller and with a longer reach than Alvarez, so I'd still give Floyd the advantage in terms of vital statistics.

Not sure what elite level fighters Alvarez has beaten. A 40 yr old Shane Mosley is the obvious stand-out name on his record. In terms of the quality on their CVs, there's no comparison.

Floyd by a wide-ish (4-6 rounds) UD.

[david_carnell]

I've been watching some highlights of Alvarez. He's clearly heavy-handed and reminds me a little of Duran.

He bobs and weaves well in defence.

His footwork is terrible though and the big right hook comes from miles away because of this.

I'm not sure he even should have got the decision against Trout.

Mayweather will dance around him for 12 rounds for a points victory. A weight-drained and tired Alvarez will tire after 5 rounds and won't get anywhere near him. The poor footwork will mean he gets peppered by the fast hands of PBF.

I think it'll look much like the Hatton Mayweather fight of 2007. A fighter desperate for a tear up, trying to land heavy blows against the consumate boxer slipping and sliding out of the way. Reckon this will be a unanimous decision for PBF at the end of 12.

[KidKruger]

Jeremy - point I was trying to make is that Floyd doesn't 'grow' as much after official weigh-in, Alvarez does, massively. It may be a typical fight-night weight for a middlewight (160lb), but Avarez fights at '154lb' and mayweather fights at 147 lately, so BEFORE rehydration, Alvarez is already 7lbs ahead. With Alvarez's capacity to grow 20 pounds, compared to Mayweather's 4-6 pounds, there's a distinct weight difference. If Alvarez weighs 172 he's fighting at/near LHW (he may grow even bigger for this fight) - it's not my viewpoint, that's what he weighed when he fought Trout !!

..One thing that's interesting now I think about it, Floyd has said 152lbs weigh-in catchweight. This would mean that Alvarez has a slightly more difficult task than usual in boiling-off the extra 2 pounds (and Alvarez is lean at weigh-in, so that may be a challenge), also, after rehydration, you can suffer the effects of weakness and reduced stamina.

I saw an interesting point someone had made that Floyd knows the fight is inevitable so he calculated he'd better take it now because he's not getting younger and while Alvarez hasn't fixed his suspected stamina struggles.

However, I agree that Floyd should box circles around Avarez.

Only last week I was up at the Sikh shop by the Plough discussing this topic and I said I couldn't see Floyd being silly enough to take this fight on ! Ooops !!

[david_carnell]

Meanwhile, it a little noticed bout on May 18th, probably pound4pound the hardest hitter in boxing, Lucas Matthysee, KO'd Lamont Peterson (of whupping Amir Khan fame) to take his record to 37 and 2 with 33KOs. Given his two losses were on points and very controversial this guy is seriously good.

He'll face Danny Garcia next for the WBC (and I think IBF belts) - should be an absolute belter.

[KidKruger]

DC - Yes, it was a good win.

Matthyse wants Danny Garcia next (also beat Khan, but more convincingly by KO, with his trademark left-hook).

Matthyse has good power in both hands, which he demonstrated a few weeks ago on Steve Dallas.

Danny was ringside for the Peterson v Matthyse contest, he looked very worried when called out by Lucas Matthyse !!

After the fight Khan had the audacity so say he has the skills to beat Matthyse, would stop him, wouldn't go the distance, he sees flaws in Mattyhse, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

He's a hard hitter, but when talking P4P hardest hitter you maybe have to also consider Abdusalamov (HW), Golovkin (MW), Adonis Stevenson (SMW) and of course (though I dislike him) Wilder (28-0, 28 KOs). For me it's Golovkin, but I hear you on Mattyhse (who will call-out mayweather soon).

ETA: Yes Mattyhse was dealt badly in his 2x losses. All the more reason for him to take the decision out of the judges' hands !!

[Otta]

Talk is that Khan would likely get a shot at the winner of Garcia / Mattyhse. Not sure what he's done to warrant it, but there you go.

[Jeremy]

KK - yeah but my point was that LHW fighters would enter the ring (oo er) at something like 185... oh never mind, I know what you mean.

I really don't like all these catchweight fights we've seen recently. There are already too many weight classes, there's no excuse for in-between fights. It slightly tarnishes the victory, and the crazy thing is, I really don't think Mayweather needs it to win.

[david_carnell]

Dunno Jezza - it's a very smart tactic from Floyd.

He's up against a guy over 10 years and 50 rounds younger than he is. Someone who is significantly bigger than he is. Someone who relies on power punching and who already has suspect stamina.

What better way to negate the power and capitalise on poor stamina than making the guy weight drain.

Alvarez will take because it's the biggest fight and pay day he'll ever have.

Mayweather knows exactly what he's doing.

[Jeremy]

I really don't think 2lb is such a big deal. I would have thought that a pro athlete with a good dietician and trainer should be able to handle that fairly easily.

I think that Mayweather still wins at the LMW limit, and it would also make his win more credible.

[david_carnell]

You say 2lbs isn't a big deal yet boxers routinely struggle to make the weight. And the consequences can be serious.

Maybe they know something we don't?

[KidKruger]

I think 2lbs for your higher weight (LMW+) boxers is no big deal, BUT only when they are fighting at their appropriate weight. Canelo purposefully boils down to the very low LMW, when he could stop at MW.

If Canelo fights at 172lbs when in a LMW bout, that means he's walking around at 180ish IF he doesn't eat crap food and still trains a bit. To trim down to 154lb is a huge task for that weight (and may be part of reason he already has stamina issues).

For Canelo specifically, that extra 2lbs is a factor. Also, if it wasn't, Mayweather wouldn't have asked for it.

I'd be interested to see what the over-weight penalties are, per lb. in the fight contract.

Regarding credibility, I prefer fights to be for belts etc. But Mayweather beating Canelo at 152 is in my view a calculated move to negate some of the advantage that Canelo brings into the ring. Given the size difference between the guys, I don't begrudge Mayweather the 2lbs - he's been slated already for months for not fighting Canelo, but no-one slates Canelo for not fighting Ward.

[Jeremy]

Sorry, still not convinced that a 5'9 22 yr old who doesn't look unusually broad to me is naturally anything higher than a LMW. He lacks the height and reach to compete in higher divisions, so this isn't comparable to a Ward match-up. On paper these two fighters are phyiscally quite well matched.

[KidKruger]

If the weigh-in was on fight-night, just before they get in the ring, then I'd agree.

Let's see ho wthey compare, size-wise, against each other on the night. There may even be a record kept of their weights on the night.

[Alan Medic]

800