One for the Boxing fans!

[KidKruger]

Yes fair comment. Thing is, he needs better KO power I think to survive at LHW.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes anyway. Bunce's boxing hour is on later, wonder what his assessment will be..

[Jeremy]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> He's got a maths degree as everyone by now knows

> and he could join any consultancy in a tick

He has a 2:2 from an average uni... credit to him for doing that while training full time, but these days he'd struggle to get an interview at most consultancies or banks.

Saying that, boxing at anything other than world contender level doesn't pay at all well...

[KidKruger]

OK well maybe a job on the doors of a Cardiff nightclub (a fairly posh one)...

[Otta]

BBC Piece about Warren / Hearne Jnr

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/23802390

[KidKruger]

interesting read, I didn't know any of that stuff.

Regarding the doscussion previously on Mayweather v Canelo and the lack of weight parity.

Canelo is currently on track to come in to the fight around 170lbs, the catch weight is 152lbs.

I'm really not OK with the idea of boxers having a disparity in weight whoch is so severe.

A 170lb boxer can do a lot more damage than a 152lb fighter, all other things being even.

It's obvious that Canelo won't make 152lbs for fight night and he may have to pay penalties for being overweight, perhaps into the ?100,000's or even millions. But I still think it's plain dangerous, irrespective of how good Mayweather is. A lesser-skilled boxer than Mayweather may not be able to outbox a much large man so well, so may be hurt permanently. The weight, for me, should be a fight night weight - the boxing governing bodies should enforce this vigorously before there's a tragedy.

Am I alone in this thinking ?

[Jeremy]

Fight night weigh-in would bring it's own problems... dehydrated fighters slogging it out under bright lines for 12 rounds...

[KidKruger]

Ricky Burns v Raymundo Beltran just finished.

Ricky got knocked from pillar to post.

Judges reckoned it was a draw, with one giving it to Ricky by 115-112.

Very sad, Beltran earned it and was the boss all night.

[Jeremy]

I like Ricky, but there's no glory in a dodgy decision... I guess there will probably be an appeal and rematch.

[KidKruger]

Ricky was humble about it, to be fair to him, and he did suggest a re-match which was more than sporting (how many boxers would offer a return after taking a beating !) ?

Beltran was obviously gutted.

My disappointment sits with the the 115-112 judge, he alone has made UK boxing look bent. The stadium appeared to realise the bad decision.

In round 2/3 Ricky sustained a bad right jaw injury which he spent the rest of the fight running and holding, understandably, to protect. However he was caught plenty times though.

Worrying feature in last couple of fights is how easy Burns has been to catch, I think his low KO % is now working against him because at this elite level the monsters he's fighting are gonna just keep walking him down if he can't keep them honest in the rounds.

[david_carnell]

So, the big money fight is upon us. I've not read anywhere how Alvarez is faring boiling down to the weight necessary. Is weigh-in tonight, tomorrow morning or just before the fight? Could have a big bearing on things and how drained Alvarez is.

Mayweather schooled Guerro on his last outing and showed little ring-rust or signs of age. Even at 36 people say he trains as hard as ever. The consumate professional. You might not like him but he is supreme.

But....I just have a feeling about this one. Alvarez is mean, hits hard, keeps coming forward and isn't a one-trick pony like Hatton was. He bobs and moves like Tyson used to and is also hard to hit. It's going to be close. Neck on the line, Alvarez win by TKO in the championship rounds.

[Jeremy]

There's no fight-day weigh-in... apparently Mayweather's team wanted one, but Alvarez refused. I think the weigh-in is today.

I really hate all these catchweight fights and stipulations which Mayweather and Pac seem to insist on these days. There are already too many divisions as it is. If you want to face the light middleweight champ, fight at the light middleweight limit! Otherwise pick a welterweight (Timothy Bradley maybe?)

I still think Mayweather is far too smart defensively for Alvarez. Alvarez hasn't been fighting at the top level for long. In fact when you look at his level of opposition to date, it isn't really all that impressive - although I admit he tends to win in impressive style.

[KidKruger]

I was all set to watch this tomorrow night but I'm now gonna be in Wiltshire darn it ! Will have to get-up early and catch it on the radio.

A weight has been set and agreed by both camps. The official weigh-in against the agreed weight, as Jeremy says, is not actually on fight night (although they will weigh the boxers on the night but not for contractual reasons) but I believe tonight. I understand there's a penalty clause whereby either boxer is fined a fixed sum per lb over the 152lb agreed weight. Mayweather has previously been known to ignore it and just pay the fine if he's over (but this is typically when the weight's been set in the 140's and he earns so much from his fights he can afford a few $100K in penalties). Canelo may well make 152lbs for the weigh-in, but he'll be around 170lb when they step into the ring, he's a specialist at it (like Chavez Jr). This is where I get uncomfortable because a 170lb guy leaning on a 154lb guy (Mayweather's predicted fight weight) and the power a bigger man can wield makes it an unfair fight in many respects. What chances would Ricky Hatton have had of knocking-out Carl Froch in a contest ? That's the difference in weight.

I fear for Floyd's hands against such a big man he's up against, Canelo is like a bull.

My neck on the line - Ref stops fight to protect Canelo in R10-12, but only IF Floyds hands last the contest. It's not a logical prediction I know, but I'm not betting money so WTH.

There's some good bouts on this weekend

[david_carnell]

I'll be fascinated to see if Canelo does weigh-in that heavy on the night. That's big.

[KidKruger]

...

[KidKruger]

If it's allowed (which it is) and Canelo is capable of it (proven, many times), then why wouldn't he come in at 170lbs if he feels comfortable there ?

His opponent selection, up until Austin Trout, has been fighting guys moving up from LWW/WW while he fights as a LMW (154lbs) but actually fights at 168-172lb. He battered Josesito Lopez, but the size difference was like he was beating a child !

He's in an awkward place Canelo, too short / short-limbed to campaign at SMW/LHW. At MW he's borderline short.

So he fights little people. Even for tomorrow's fight, Floyd, who Canelo massively out-weighs, has a a 2-inch reach advantage.

If you look at Canelo's record, years ago he beat Vasquez (current LW champ, one of Ricky Burns' peers) at LW. Canelo is big and at 23 he has got a long way to grow in bulk, he'll end-up being a short fighter at a higher weight, not a good combination

I'd prefer he mans-up and fights at MW. He could meet Quillin and Golovkin for a world title, but no, they're nearer his natural size.

[david_carnell]

Fair enough. I thought his win against Trout was pretty good. Trout's skill is underated and Canelo did well.

I wonder if he has the stamina though. If his tactic is to use that extra weight, lean on Floyd, and tire him then he needs to be sure he has the engine for the latter rounds.

[KidKruger]

The Trout win was reasonable I think - didn't hear much debate about a robbery etc, I have no view anyway having only seen bits of it.

The thing about Canelo allegedly having stamina issues is interesting, I did look a few weeks ago on www for evidence of him being visibly gassed and couldn't really see it anywhere ! Nevertheless it's what I've based my prediction on because no-one's as conditioned as Floyd + Canelo's build is just not right for that level of activity at Floyd's pace.

Canelo needs to close the show in R1-4 if he's going to win, after that Floyd may well have him totally figured and box his ears off.

Oscar De La hoya has been saying he laid the blueprint for beating Floyd and he's passed that blueprint to Canelo. I think Oscar beat Floyd that time, so we'll see at the weekend.

[KidKruger]

Just watched the weigh-in on a free stream.

Canelo bang on 152lbs.

Floyd just under at 150.5lbs.

Canelo looked a little skinny - but that's because the All Access previews have shown him so much bigger so by comparison he appears gaunt.

I watched the Floyd / Cotto fight earlier, in that contest Floyd chose to trade for a lot of the fight and he marked Cotto up a fair bit. Tomorrow I expect him to not trade properly until 2nd half of fight, unless he tires Canelo early.

ETA: There was a 'ring walk' to the stage with the scales. 12,500 people attended - never heard of that before.

[KidKruger]

Boxing on Channle 5 until 2200.

Eubank Jr. just put away a Bulgarian short-notice stand-in in Rd3.

Kid Galahad is on the card shortly too (British Bantamweight title).

I know Hughie Fury is fighting somewhere tonight - not sure if it's on this card though...

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Thanks KK, just flicked over.

[KidKruger]

The guy challenging Kid is meant to be good, so hopefully a sound contest.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

High tempo first round. Felt that body shot from my sofa!

[Help-Ma-Boab]

Right eye open to a left here maybe.

[KidKruger]

good KO by Kid.

Shame about McPhilbin against Hughie.

[KidKruger]

Wow ! Never seen Mayweather looking so grim / subdued walking from changing room to the ring.