Saturday 6th December - Was it a night to remember

[forcefraser]

I was gearing up all week for yesterday`s fight fest, but in the cold light of day, was it worth it? What did we actually get served up?

The Sky PPV card was dreadfully poor. Enzo proved nothing against a human punchbag that had about as much desire to win the fight as Audley Harrison had a couple of hours later.

Khan was impressive I thought, he did his job and did it well, but that is no PPV fight. Khan against an average journeyman.

Audley Harrison v Rogan. Waste of space Audley bored us yet again. Not a good fight. Hats off to Rogan.

That brings us to perhaps the biggest farce of the weekend, De La Hoya v Pacman. De La Hoya has been saying all week "It`s gonna kick off" "it`s a disaster if I don`t knock him out" etc etc

Then on fight night he does not throw a punch in anger and looks like a weight drained has been, slow and punch drunk, taking an embarrassinly one sided beating. To think he gets over $20 million for that showing is really quite shocking. He should never fight again. He should never have fought last night. This fight and the Calzaghe v Jones Jr fight are tarnishing boxing. A disgrace. PPV my arse. Pacman looked great, but the fact was that De la Hoya was shot.

The redeemer however, the fight that made the whole weekend worthwhile for me was the ITV screening of Froch v Paschal. Here was two men going hammer and tongs from the get go. Two men intent on winning the title. It was a brutal affair, granite chins from both, bombs landed. Froch showed that he has the heart to dig deep when it matters and he had to. Paschal was a quality operator and was closer than the judges gave it in my opinion. Has to be a contender for fight of the year. This is what we want to see. Two equally matched men going for the win at all costs. That is what makes boxing. Not some half arsed "dream fights" between has beens, in it for the pure cash. Good on Froch for showing that the spirit of boxing/fighting is still strong in some.

Decent undercard on ITV 4, with David v Wright being particulary decent.

[whicker]

Decent undercard on ITV 4, with David v Wright being particulary decent.

That was only an "extra" fight (recorded earlier in the evening), because the two they had scheduled to be shown live were first round stoppages. But yeah, it was a decent fight from a decent card.

[stujones]

forcefraser.

I know what you are saying, but DLH didn't look terrible in May. It was a gamble about the weight, I very much doubt the fight could have been made at 154 (it might happen in 2009 cynically though). No-one, no experts, nobody could have anticipated such a fall and I don't think DLH was there just for the payday! He took a gamble, it failed miserably... Pacquiao took a gamble and it work magically.

However, where I would agree with you - if DLH fights a rematch, Hatton etc at 147 - and rakes in similar cash - then that would be a farce.... thats what Jones did. Everyone KNEW Jones was going to get a beating, those who didn't 1) Didn't rate Calzaghe alot... 2) Bought in by the hype. With DLH we were bought with an impressive performance against the P4P # 1.

[cabanagj]

Check some "Dream Match" highlights and moments http://jcsambo.blogspot.com

[(craig)]

I think rather than being a night to remember it taught us what we already know.

Boxing can be exciting and compelling (froch v pascal) and beautiful and brutal (Pacman V De la hoya)

Boxing fans are lucky enough to watch their sport on TV (im a triathlete, it never gets coverage) though it often come with a bitter taste (the Khan ppv, calzaghe v jones, piss poor match making)

Boxers (with a few exceptins) will never know when to quit (say goodbye to Jones and Audley on your way out Oscar, last night aside thank youfor such a wonderful career, its been a pleasure to watch)

Its easy to talk a good fight (however as Audley showed living up to the expectations your mouth sets, can be a difficult thing to do)

I could go on but my tea is ready

[My Name Is Earl]

Twas indeed a night to remember..especially from Nottingham.

Great for the sport in general, and even better for UK boxing. Some hum-dingers await in 2009 thanks to Froch and his style. Possibly the smallest entourage in the game..great to see.

[stujones]

great to have a hum dinger on almost Prime Time ITV 1.

Fantastic to see Harrison lose, now that guy being a millionaire makes my blood boil.

Khan - haveto say, what a peach he caught Fagan with for the first KD... learned nothing about him.

Think we could have a star in Ortiz and that Super Bantam (sorry I can never remember his name).

Great to see a dominant #1 P4P fighter now, but very very sad seeing DLH go down in similar ways to Leonard, Ali, Curry and Jones Jnr with the weight problems.

[Datsue]

Fantastic fight on free TV, I get a prediction right in the biggie of the night, boxing fans exposed as overly sentimental delusionists once again, Juan Marqy-Marquez gets to look like God by comparison...

So, er, what's the problem again?

Surely anyone who seriously thought Warren's lash-up & the freakazoid match from the USA knew exactly what they were getting? Or is the OP whining, er saying, sorry that in their mind Oisin Fagan & Amir Khan were actually going to be going at it like the second coming of Morales vs Barrera...?

Don't understand, sorry.

[whicker]

Surely anyone who seriously thought Warren's lash-up & the freakazoid match from the USA knew exactly what they were getting?


Don't understand, sorry.

When it was first announced, the Excel show looked dead good. Macca V Banks was the highlight, well supported by Bendall V Smith, Harrison V Rogan. It also had the added bonus of Khan's comeback and Cook's first title defence. This was backed up (for those at the venue) by some strong fighters on the undercard, who if matched well could be very entertaining.

However, that proved not to be.

As for Oscar V Pacman- come on, on paper it did look good.

[stujones]

Whicker

I agree on the DLH vs Pacman fight... read the predictions here - most are anticipating a mismatch with DLH winning - the opposite happend... who would have thought that, well it seems a few now (and well done to them). So it was hardly a "freak show" the freak show most anticipated would and would have been seen as a waste of money had DLH stretched Pacquiao in the opener.

and, whilst the excel show was nothing short of a farce.. I think it was worth the PPV money just to see the post fight speeches of Roach, Pacquiao and DLH. I was geninually welling up and how these 3 multi millionaire, in the biggest night of their career, could all show so much reserve and class when there must have been all kinds of different emotions there and I want to appologise to Freddie Roach (I know he won't read it, but want to say it anyway) for saying he has gone down in my estimation pre fight... post fight, he showed all the class I thought of him before this fight and (alarmingly) was talking so classly when he seemed to be going through a bad attack of his parkinsons. He is a great man, but I don't think he will be a top hands on coach for that much longer (I hope he proves me wrong).

[Poncey]

great to have a hum dinger on almost Prime Time ITV 1.

Agree fella, although McGuigan's comments after were playing it up far more than it deserved. He even compared it to Hagler v Hearns at one point.

[jamesmcdonnell]

forcefraser.

I know what you are saying, but DLH didn't look terrible in May. It was a gamble about the weight, I very much doubt the fight could have been made at 154 (it might happen in 2009 cynically though). No-one, no experts, nobody could have anticipated such a fall and I don't think DLH was there just for the payday! He took a gamble, it failed miserably... Pacquiao took a gamble and it work magically.

However, where I would agree with you - if DLH fights a rematch, Hatton etc at 147 - and rakes in similar cash - then that would be a farce.... thats what Jones did. Everyone KNEW Jones was going to get a beating, those who didn't 1) Didn't rate Calzaghe alot... 2) Bought in by the hype. With DLH we were bought with an impressive performance against the P4P # 1.

I entirely agree - Oscar clearly didn't make weight correctly - it's strange because he looked great at the weigh in, but only put on two pounds before the fight itself, which is very strange indeed. He must have used some odd training methods to lose weight, Jim Watt's comments proved prescient when he said Oscar wasn't right due to coming in so low for the fight.

The last thing Oscar needs is money, and he wouldn't want to end his career on such a bum note.

Oscar took a big gamble and it blew up in his face - Leonard did a similar thing against Norris late in his career, even the smartest fighters make dumb decisions nearing the end of their careers.

I think Oscar may as well retire - whos is there to fight at 154 now that is a name he could beat? I think it's time to bring the curtain down on his career, hard to see where he goes from here.

Funny but Oscar kind of got the same treatment that JC Chavez got many years ago - stay in the game long enough, and that is what happens.

[Hagler2002]

I wish I could remember it! what a fornicating state I was in

[Datsue]

Surely anyone who seriously thought Warren's lash-up & the freakazoid match from the USA knew exactly what they were getting?

Don't understand, sorry.

When it was first announced, the Excel show looked dead good. Macca V Banks was the highlight, well supported by Bendall V Smith, Harrison V Rogan. It also had the added bonus of Khan's comeback and Cook's first title defence. This was backed up (for those at the venue) by some strong fighters on the undercard, who if matched well could be very entertaining.

However, that proved not to be.

As for Oscar V Pacman- come on, on paper it did look good.

But it's a show by a certain promoter. We're on here all the fuckin' time moaning about his track record, & you still thought it would come off as announced?

& the Pacquiao-DLH fight was always a freakazoid match: a washed-up part-timer PR star vs probably the best active fighter in the game, giving away shite-loads of weight. That the best result possible could've happened has made my day, but it is & always was a freakazoid match. Or were they both contending for the InterGalactic Planetary Division-Jumping Title?

As people seem to have trouble reading I shall reiterate again that it was a fantastic weekend -- apart from the abortion of the Excel show, which anyone who spends half their life on this forum (& gentlemen, I'm talking to you) should've been able to tell you that it was going to be minging.

[dondada]

I'm sure the US ring announcer whipped the crowd up into a frenzy in Notts by introducing 'Gary McGuigan'

[whicker]

I'm sure the US ring announcer whipped the crowd up into a frenzy in Notts by introducing 'Gary McGuigan'

Canadian, I think. Which is fair enough, given that the fight involved a travelling Canadian.