Nicky Piper (Better at boxing or presenting)

Foggy · Post by **Foggy** » 20 May 2004, 08:13

As a young lad i always remember the name of 'Nicky Piper' but i never watched him fight, to look at his record on Box Rec he seems to me that he was just short of world class. His losses:-
Dariusz Michalczewski - lost by stoppage in a world title fight (Dariusz is world class though)
Nigel Benn - Lost by stoppage in a world title fight (Benn was a class act also)
Leeonzer Barber - Lost by stoppage in a world title fight (i don't know of this chap)
Also loses to Carl thompson who became a world champ & Crawford Ashley (Well Known boxer)
So is Nicky better in the Studios (Presenting/Commentating) than he was at boxing or was he a boxer in the wrong era, would he do better now facing the likes of Clinton Woods, Peter Oboh, Joe Calzaghe, Robin Reid, Brian Magee etc - Or was Nicky just one of them people who was never meant to be the champ!!!

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 20 May 2004, 08:17

He was born to be a movie star...

More specifically, they have him pencilled in to play in 'Harry Potter, the middle aged years.'

J · Post by J » 20 May 2004, 08:26

personally i cant stand him. He obviously is quite insightful and bright but I dunno he just irritates me its a personal thing, he just grates me but I like Mcrory who just seems a jolly giant to me even if he does talk crap sometimes, but you arent going to agree with all some one says.

I think it stems form when I sat up after the lewis holyfield fight (1st one I think) and he slated lennox off for some weird reason, I couldnt get my head round that, coudl be wrong over whether it was LL/EV one or 2 but at that time of the morning and after that type of evneing my recollections are a bit shady at best.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 May 2004, 08:30

Foggy wrote:As a young lad i always remember the name of 'Nicky Piper' but i never watched him fight, to look at his record on Box Rec he seems to me that he was just short of world class. His losses:-
Dariusz Michalczewski - lost by stoppage in a world title fight (Dariusz is world class though)
Nigel Benn - Lost by stoppage in a world title fight (Benn was a class act also)
Leeonzer Barber - Lost by stoppage in a world title fight (i don't know of this chap)
Also loses to Carl thompson who became a world champ & Crawford Ashley (Well Known boxer)
So is Nicky better in the Studios (Presenting/Commentating) than he was at boxing or was he a boxer in the wrong era, would he do better now facing the likes of Clinton Woods, Peter Oboh, Joe Calzaghe, Robin Reid, Brian Magee etc - Or was Nicky just one of them people who was never meant to be the champ!!!

I would categorise Piper on the same lines (in terms of ability, not style) as a Clinton Woods. Certainly in the "there or there abouts" in terms of world class, probably never quite good enough to win the belt.

Having said that, he was very close to beating Benn and Barber who were both excellent champions. I doubt Woods would have gone that close.

So maybe he might have beaten a Tiozzo or possibly Johnson, Tarver and Edrei (from what I have seen) would be to much.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 20 May 2004, 09:44

Nicky was a solid pro, but, no, not quite good enough for the big boys. As a presenter on Fight Skool he's a bit naff. He's better as an anchorman.

Loynesy · Post by **Loynesy** » 20 May 2004, 10:03

I was at the Darius (spelling?) fight as I was going out with a girl who lived in Hannover at the time. I was the only Brit there it seemed but a great night out.

He fell well short then - this was in 1997 when Dariusz was a very, very good fighter.

I like the guy, have bumped into him at fights since and he is always up for a chat.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 20 May 2004, 10:59

I think he's a decent enough presenter. At least he doesn't try to talk over everyone else, like Watt and Barry McGuigen for instance.

He was a very good fighter too, not good enough to win a real world title maybe, but anyone who goes 11 rounds with Benn has to be a very decent fighter. His knockout of Bruce Scott was an excellent result too.

Strange for a guy who has a 160 IQ to be a top level boxer, but he had a ruthless streak in him too.
I remember when he was coming up, he met an American who tried to touch gloves at the opening bell: Piper ignored his out-stretched glove and flattened him with a left hook.
Poor bloke was counted out in 12 seconds.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 20 May 2004, 11:05

MightyWarrior wrote:Strange for a guy who has a 160 IQ to be a top level boxer, but he had a ruthless streak in him too.
I remember when he was coming up, he met an American who tried to touch gloves at the opening bell: Piper ignored his out-stretched glove and flattened him with a left hook.
Poor bloke was counted out in 12 seconds.

Yeah, against Johnny Ellis. He starched a few in the opening round then ran into Carl Thompson (who had weight on him) and got turned over himself.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 20 May 2004, 11:06

I don't think Barry does it deliberately, he's just so bloody locquacious and enthused all the time, I like McGuigan, he's articulate and intelligent, and with that people often tend to be opinionated.

J · Post by J » 20 May 2004, 11:06

yeah i like mcguigan and watt to be honest..got a lot of respect for Jim

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 20 May 2004, 11:13

I like Barry "Discombobulated" McGuigen too, and Watt is one of the best going.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 20 May 2004, 11:15

I thought Watt was a good commentator in the old days. He was great on the Hagler v Hearns fight.

'He's cut Hagler, I dinnae think he wanned to dae that'

Twinkle Toes · Post by **Twinkle Toes** » 20 May 2004, 13:07

He wasn't a bad boxer was he, I remember he was giving Nigel Benn more than enough problems before he fell apart late on.

I don't rate him that highly as a presenter, he has come out with some strange logic in the past, but there are others on the SKY sports team who are a lot worse.

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 20 May 2004, 13:10

i've got the benn-piper fight and piper starts pretty well for the first 6 rds, but then benn starts taking over with his big punches and finally gets to piper in the 11th with a pretty brutal attack.

piper bumped into d-man when d-man was a very good fighter indeed

d-man would never have beaten roy jones though, he just didn't have the style to beat jones. jones was just all wrong for d-man at any stage of there careers.

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 20 May 2004, 13:38

MightyWarrior wrote:I like Barry "Discombobulated" McGuigen too, and Watt is one of the best going.

adamiw · Post by **adamiw** » 20 May 2004, 13:40

Piper aint a presenting natural, but he's a million times better than John Barnes.

Having said that, Barnes was alot better at football than Piper was at boxing!!!

hitman_hatton1 · Post by **hitman_hatton1** » 20 May 2004, 13:50

that 1st football show john barnes did on ch5 was a shambles

it was painful viewing.

john barnes is a hero of mine when he was at his peak what a player

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 20 May 2004, 15:35

headhunter wrote:
MightyWarrior wrote:I like Barry "Discombobulated" McGuigen too, and Watt is one of the best going.

When I think of McGuigan I think of the Temerity.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 20 May 2004, 16:20

To be honest I've never been that mad about Piper as either a fighter or a presenter.... as he seems very 'robotic' in both roles. Nicky probably be better in his greenhouse at home rather than presenting the increasing amount of drivel SKY tries to pass off as 'championship boxing'.
That said Nicky is infinately preferable to that slime ruggerbugger Inverdale on the Beeb and his nitwtit side-kick BigMummy Bunce!!!!......aarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!....

:x 8)

Wilko · Post by **Wilko** » 21 May 2004, 05:11

I don't mind Piper although agree he's a bit robotic.

Bunce is okay but he's two-faced. For example on the BBC he talks about how great Audley is and then in his column in the Independent slags him off.

My favourite pundit/presenter would have to be Steve Holdsworth on Eurosport.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 21 May 2004, 05:46

hitman_hatton1 wrote:that 1st football show john barnes did on ch5 was a shambles it was painful viewing.

john barnes is a hero of mine when he was at his peak what a player

Yeah terrific player, looks like he's been living in Pizza Hut for a few years now though.

Loftgroov · Post by **Loftgroov** » 21 May 2004, 05:58

Tricky question...

He's quite crap at both...

Nicky Piper (Better at boxing or presenting)

Nicky Piper (Better at boxing or presenting)

Re: Nicky Piper (Better at boxing or presenting)