BBN's Alternative Awards 2007

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 11:29

A little something I threw together. Somebody somewhere will probably be offended by something somewhere, but please take it in the humour intended - I'm not being disrespectful!

http://www.britishboxing.net/news_3021- ... -2007.html

Horse · Post by **Horse** » 04 Jan 2008, 12:21

Too anti-Hatton.

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 04 Jan 2008, 12:49

Always happy to see anything bestowing respect on my favourite boxer, Worcester's Billy Smith.

Bill wants to string a few wins together this year and earn himself a crack at the English title at lightweight.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 12:56

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:Always happy to see anything bestowing respect on my favourite boxer, Worcester's Billy Smith.

Bill wants to string a few wins together this year and earn himself a crack at the English title at lightweight.

With respect, I think the English belt is a bit beyond our Billy. Area or Masters are do-able, though.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:34

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:Always happy to see anything bestowing respect on my favourite boxer, Worcester's Billy Smith.

Bill wants to string a few wins together this year and earn himself a crack at the English title at lightweight.

Stuart Elwell is understood to be too distressed to comment on this news as yet. Well it's understandable really, poor lad.

as regards the list i sense the categories were chosen to suit those boxers, rather than the other way around. And as regards Herbie Hide being Britain's favourite export........I can't really imagine Hide being Britain's favourite anything to be honest judging by things I've read in the last decade or so.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:36

unless I've read that wrong.......i.e. if there were a poll to export any given boxer from Britain, who would that be?
Answer: Herbie Hide.

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:39

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Stuart Elwell is understood to be too distressed to comment on this news as yet. Well it's understandable really, poor lad.

I'm sure Stu will understand

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:44

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:as regards the list i sense the categories were chosen to suit those boxers, rather than the other way around.

Really? Ya think?

I actually chose the categories years ago and it's only now that Nadeem Siddique has filled "Best Impersonation of an Irish-American heavyweight by a British-Asian light-welterweight" that I could finally publish it!

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:49

i'm still a Small fan, anyone with that much cockiness HAS to be good or deluded.
Personally I've seen Small one precisely ONE occasion in person, and I thought he was appalling. Swinging wildly with punches, at one point soaring through the air, spinning 180 degrees in the air, and landing on his opponent with his back..........I was made to recall the sight just the other day and I still wonder what would have happened if by some fluke Small had managed to knockout his opponent by jumping on him in this way. Probably some kind of non-decision I imagine.
I remember thinking at the time that a friend of mine who I follow, Francis Jones would have a bloody field day against him, as they box at roughly the same weight.......which surprised me as I had been led to believe Small was one to watch.
Anyhow, I'm guessing it was a one off as he seems to have come good since then.
I'm surprised people are talking up Takaloo vs Small as a show saver for Johanneson-Mitchell, given Takaloo's boring fights against both Jennings and also Eamonn McGee in recent times, non to mention Small's what can only be described as "arsing about in shorts and gloves" at times in a ring.

I certainly would put my neck on the line with that if it was my TV schedule.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:51

that meant to say WOULDN'T

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:55

oliverfennell wrote:
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:as regards the list i sense the categories were chosen to suit those boxers, rather than the other way around.
Really? Ya think?

I actually chose the categories years ago and it's only now that Nadeem Siddique has filled "Best Impersonation of an Irish-American heavyweight by a British-Asian light-welterweight" that I could finally publish it!

Ah , thankyou Oliver........I might have forgotten about this if you hadn't mentioned it...........having never seen Nadeem Siddique, please explain the link, I'm sure your reasoning behind it will be just as watertight if not more so than that for any of the other selections

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 13:59

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Stuart Elwell is understood to be too distressed to comment on this news as yet. Well it's understandable really, poor lad.
I'm sure Stu will understand

I'm sure he'll be okay if you give him the news gently. You actually, foolishly it could be argued, forgot to mention Stuart's now legendary one round victory........I hope you're feeling OK

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 04 Jan 2008, 14:01

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:
Podmore_Birmingham wrote:
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Stuart Elwell is understood to be too distressed to comment on this news as yet. Well it's understandable really, poor lad.
I'm sure Stu will understand
I'm sure he'll be okay if you give him the news gently. You actually, foolishly it could be argued, forgot to mention Stuart's now legendary one round victory........I hope you're feeling OK

Just for you: Stu iced Franny Jones in just 67 seconds in 2006.

n1ebf · Post by **n1ebf** » 04 Jan 2008, 14:17

Podmore_Birmingham wrote:
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:
Podmore_Birmingham wrote: I'm sure Stu will understand
I'm sure he'll be okay if you give him the news gently. You actually, foolishly it could be argued, forgot to mention Stuart's now legendary one round victory........I hope you're feeling OK
Just for you: Stu iced Franny Jones in just 67 seconds in 2006.

Tom, your still my number one Aston Villa supporting, West Country boxing correspondent, Black Country even, bar noone!

Mario · Post by **Mario** » 04 Jan 2008, 15:27

Haha, Howard Clarke. I firgot about that, how the hell did that happen?!?!

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » 04 Jan 2008, 17:24

Got to be honest, I thought some of that was a bit out of order. How many of those things would you actually say to the individuals faces?

E · Post by E » 04 Jan 2008, 18:19

Maelstrom wrote:Got to be honest, I thought some of that was a bit out of order. How many of those things would you actually say to the individuals faces?

Although some of it is a bit unfair in my opinion, to be frank it's not the journalist's job to worry about saying things to boxer's face and worry about popularity.

Maelstrom · Post by **Maelstrom** » 04 Jan 2008, 18:40

E wrote:
Maelstrom wrote:Got to be honest, I thought some of that was a bit out of order. How many of those things would you actually say to the individuals faces?
Although some of it is a bit unfair in my opinion, to be frank it's not the journalist's job to worry about saying things to boxer's face and worry about popularity.

I think it is if you are stepping outside the domain of sports reporting and into some kind of post-ironic talking head capacity. Hes taking pot shots, left right and centre, trying to make a name for himself like a lot of Internet journalists. Do you think Paul Hayward would stoop to that?

E · Post by E » 04 Jan 2008, 18:46

Maelstrom wrote:
E wrote:
Maelstrom wrote:Got to be honest, I thought some of that was a bit out of order. How many of those things would you actually say to the individuals faces?
Although some of it is a bit unfair in my opinion, to be frank it's not the journalist's job to worry about saying things to boxer's face and worry about popularity.
I think it is if you are stepping outside the domain of sports reporting and into some kind of post-ironic talking head capacity. Hes taking pot shots, left right and centre, trying to make a name for himself like a lot of Internet journalists. Do you think Paul Hayward would stoop to that?

Well I have to admit I did actually find it all a bit negative and did actually step over the respectful mark....

I remember KO (I used to read it when young!) used to have an alternative awards section in a similar vein - bit it mixed positive with negative in a better balance and was not really insulting.....

Maybe Oliver should've toned it down a bit.....

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 21:21

E wrote: I remember KO (I used to read it when young!) used to have an alternative awards section in a similar vein - bit it mixed positive with negative in a better balance and was not really insulting.....

Mixing positive with negative. How about the positives:

Least Deserving Title Challenger Who Proved Us All Wrong – Gavin Rees

Real-Life Rocky Award – Graham Earl against Michael Katsidis

Renaissance Men –Ian Napa, John Simpson, Colin Lynes, Bradley Pryce

Best “Before and After” Photo For a Dramatic Weight Loss Advert – Danny Williams weighing in at 16st 4lb for Scott Gammer in March, having dropped almost 3st in as many months.

Journeymen Who Don't Know Their Role – Gary Reid, Marc Callaghan, Billy Smith

British Fans' Favourite Expat – Herbie Hide

Sure, some of it is negative, but it's meant as a joke. I can understand why people got wound up by my "Who's over-rated" articles, but this is supposed to be a bit of light-hearted fun.

Let me guess... I can't make a joke about Hatton's drinking when there's a couple of pages' worth of people slagging off the same thing on this forum? I can't say Woods has recycled his opponents when again people on here were complaining about the Gonzalez match? I can't criticise Julius Francis' Cage Rage performance when everybody was doing so on here until Gary Turner made an appearance and most did an about-face?

And so on...

It's called OPINION, gents. For some reason all of you lot are entitled to it, but I am not.

Maelstrom, I'm not "taking pot shots" or "trying to make a name for myself", neither am I an "internet journalist" in the negative sense you are conveying. I have a track record in print but I won't labour the point because people have got annoyed by that in the past, too.

All I was trying to do was something a bit more interesting than the usual end-of-year stuff. Would I have added anything at all by penning my own "Fighter of the Year/Fight of the Year, etc" article?

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 21:38

Maelstrom wrote:Got to be honest, I thought some of that was a bit out of order. How many of those things would you actually say to the individuals faces?

Hatton I am sure would take any good-natured jibes about his drinking in the spirit intended. Woods I'm sure could see the funny side of being "environmentally-friendly" in this way (I for one have no problems with him fighting Johnson and Gonzalez a few times; both top guys and all good fights). Nadeem Siddique is known to make fun of HIMSELF for his level of opposition.

Honestly, is that the retort for every time a writer says something critical about a boxer? "You wouldn't say it to his face?" As a matter of fact, I would if I believed I had a valid point, and in my personal experience boxers tend to be able to take criticism and understand the best way to prove people wrong is through their actions in the ring. They don't need other people to fight their battles for them. Should writers be banned from writing anything which isn't 100% supportive? Was Boxing News therefore right to not criticise Maccarinelli v Gunn? Because, after all, if Claude Abrams wasn't prepared to say to Maccarinelli's face that it was a duff match, then it's just as well he didn't write it.

oliverfennell · Post by **oliverfennell** » 04 Jan 2008, 21:42

Mario wrote:Haha, Howard Clarke. I firgot about that, how the hell did that happen?!?!

He beat the IBF-rated Jason Papillon, which is amazing to think now.

Loved the segment of him walking around NYC and inside Madison Square Garden with the Sky crew with his eyes on stalks at all the razzmatazz of hitting the big time. (Lennox Lewis undercard).

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 05 Jan 2008, 07:21

oliverfennell wrote:Was Boxing News therefore right to not criticise Maccarinelli v Gunn? Because, after all, if Claude Abrams wasn't prepared to say to Maccarinelli's face that it was a duff match, then it's just as well he didn't write it.

Very good point, and Claude WAS very careful not too critisise the real people resonsible for that shocking match too much, SN. Yes he was rated by the WBO bandits, but not a mandatory was he?

And if most journos take the line that they will not write anything they would not say to a boxers face ( eg Tyson & many more ) then it'd be a pretty dull read and more like a press release. And we get enough of that bollox already.

Podmore_Birmingham · Post by **Podmore_Birmingham** » 05 Jan 2008, 07:34

oliverfennell wrote:He beat the IBF-rated Jason Papillon, which is amazing to think now.

Loved the segment of him walking around NYC and inside Madison Square Garden with the Sky crew with his eyes on stalks at all the razzmatazz of hitting the big time. (Lennox Lewis undercard).

I spoke to Howard about that night about 18 months ago and he said it still didn’t feel real to that day. Going from a decent domestic-level pro to fighting at Madison Square Garden for a version of a world belt was almost too much to sink in.

Clarke could have won a lot more fights had he wanted to after that, but looked at himself and realised whatever he did he’d probably be used as a name. He decided the best way was to let the promoters use him, make some money and cover-up well.

By the way, i have been told that Clarke has called it a career.

whicker · Post by **whicker** » 05 Jan 2008, 07:39

NorthEastBoxingFan wrote: And as regards Herbie Hide being Britain's favourite export........I can't really imagine Hide being Britain's favourite anything to be honest judging by things I've read in the last decade or so.

ExPAT. Not port.