Come on Stevie!!!
Foster plotting 'Amazing' upset
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WildWaylon
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 3223
- Joined: 02 Nov 2005, 13:35
Stephen Foster ventures to the Lion's Den of Edinburgh for his toughest fight to date against local man and world class super-featherweight Alex Arthur in a 12-rounder.
Salford's Foster has done much of his boxing at domestic level and at featherweight, where he was floored and comprehensively outscored by Liverpool's unbeaten Derry Matthews over 12 rounds last year - a rangy puncher like Arthur. It was his first loss after 22 outings, but Stephen had failed to push on from a stunning 10-round knockout of Colombian Livinson Ruiz in 2005 (the left hook finisher was one of the shots of that year). He was held to a surprise eight-round draw by Londoner Buster Dennis and struggled to outscore Greenock's John Simpson in a disappointing, scrappy 12-rounder, although Simpson went on to win the British featherweight title. So the Matthews loss came as no real surprise. Foster never got out of second gear on home turf at the MEN Arena; he may have been struggling to make nine stone. At super-featherweight, Stephen has taken out both his opponents since.
But now comes "Amazing" Alex, who secured mandatory position to feared WBO champ Joan Guzman with a solid 10-round dismissal of Koba Gogoladze last time out. The charismatic Scot shrugged off his customary cuts (Foster is good with the head) to wear down the slippery and spiteful Philadelphia-based Georgian. Southpaw Gogoladze holds a win over current British super-featherweight champ Carl Johanneson but resorted to an assortment of fouls as Arthur bombarded him with heavy shots from both hands.
Arthur floored him three times, then labelled Gogoladze "the dirtiest fighter I've ever fought".
Once pure slugger, Alex suffered a reckless defeat (his only defeat) to Michael Gomez in 2003 and came back a more precise animal who mixes his punches up brilliantly. And those punches are heavy. He's stopped 19 of his 25 victims. He looks set for a major world title shot next year, or an all-Scotland showdown with comebacking Scott Harrison. He's different level to the tough and gritty Foster, who has never been stopped and should stick around a while.
But Arthur inevitably comes through.
Salford's Foster has done much of his boxing at domestic level and at featherweight, where he was floored and comprehensively outscored by Liverpool's unbeaten Derry Matthews over 12 rounds last year - a rangy puncher like Arthur. It was his first loss after 22 outings, but Stephen had failed to push on from a stunning 10-round knockout of Colombian Livinson Ruiz in 2005 (the left hook finisher was one of the shots of that year). He was held to a surprise eight-round draw by Londoner Buster Dennis and struggled to outscore Greenock's John Simpson in a disappointing, scrappy 12-rounder, although Simpson went on to win the British featherweight title. So the Matthews loss came as no real surprise. Foster never got out of second gear on home turf at the MEN Arena; he may have been struggling to make nine stone. At super-featherweight, Stephen has taken out both his opponents since.
But now comes "Amazing" Alex, who secured mandatory position to feared WBO champ Joan Guzman with a solid 10-round dismissal of Koba Gogoladze last time out. The charismatic Scot shrugged off his customary cuts (Foster is good with the head) to wear down the slippery and spiteful Philadelphia-based Georgian. Southpaw Gogoladze holds a win over current British super-featherweight champ Carl Johanneson but resorted to an assortment of fouls as Arthur bombarded him with heavy shots from both hands.
Arthur floored him three times, then labelled Gogoladze "the dirtiest fighter I've ever fought".
Once pure slugger, Alex suffered a reckless defeat (his only defeat) to Michael Gomez in 2003 and came back a more precise animal who mixes his punches up brilliantly. And those punches are heavy. He's stopped 19 of his 25 victims. He looks set for a major world title shot next year, or an all-Scotland showdown with comebacking Scott Harrison. He's different level to the tough and gritty Foster, who has never been stopped and should stick around a while.
But Arthur inevitably comes through.
It's funny, they just mentioned this on the hourly BBC sports news. This fight would never have been mentioned before last weeks fight.
Hatton-PBF has really propelled boxing back into the spotlight....
One thing that bothered me though was the BBC report which said 'Arthur and Foster square off for the WBO Super-Featherweight Interim title' - most casual fans who had their interest piqued by last weeks event are surely going to ask what the fornicate is an interm title?
And they would be right. And so boxing starts to shoot itself in the foot again by turning off new fans....
Hatton-PBF has really propelled boxing back into the spotlight....
One thing that bothered me though was the BBC report which said 'Arthur and Foster square off for the WBO Super-Featherweight Interim title' - most casual fans who had their interest piqued by last weeks event are surely going to ask what the fornicate is an interm title?
And they would be right. And so boxing starts to shoot itself in the foot again by turning off new fans....
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Sammy Mendelson
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 164
- Joined: 11 Dec 2007, 13:11
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Dirk Kelly
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 4971
- Joined: 06 Jul 2004, 20:13
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Bard of Boxrec
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 13114
- Joined: 22 Feb 2002, 20:00
No it's "encrypted channel" message "please insert viewing card". I have always had the message but usually it has just run anyway but now it's a blank screen. They keep telling me to re-tune the channels and remove the card, wipe it etc all the usual shit advice. Fact is it's a blank screen and i'm paying for f**k all! 