Macklin vs Asikainen RBR

[Asterix]

Brilliant KO by Renda!

[Datsue]

Georgian fella fighting Murray looks a bit like a fat welterweight...

[whicker]

YET another bad refereeing performance.....

[Autobarn]

Macklin seems to be on fire right now. Very impressive, these early stoppages of Elcock and Asikainen. British and European champ in successive fights - this is how it should be done. Excellent progress.

I'd love to see him vs Felix Sturm. Better that, than wait for one of those Russians - like Golovkin or Pirog - to come after him.

I wonder where Macklin will be rated by Ring mag, after this win?

[Deno1986]

I thought Macklin would win after a tough fight but didn't see it happening like that! Thought the ref should have given Asikainen the benefit and let him see out the round which I thought he would have but fair play to Matthew, really fulfilling that potential!

[Rixxy]

just got back from the show and i thought it was a cracking night. Didnt see much of the macklin fight as his supporters were still jumpin up and down. Great atmosphere and well done macklin

[Neri]

I don't have too many quibbles with the stoppage, maybe he could of let Asikainen carry on with it being a European title fight and all but the result was inevitable for me after that huge left hook for the first knockdown. That's not something that clears too quickly. Asikainen was hurt badly and he was very shaky, he could have been given another chance but there's no doubt the same would have happened. If you want to see bad refereeing, watch the Charlo-Flores fight that was on one of Danny Jacobs' undercards shown on channel 5 recently, it was shocking. Onwards and upwards for Macklin, I doubted he could get through this but he was sensational tonight. A couple of defences would be nice but the sooner they get a shot at Sylvester the better. I can't see any reason why he can't capture the IBF title in that one.

[leforge]

What a good finish!

[Neri]

Just watched Murray-Spencer, now that was an awful stoppage!

[jamesmcdonnell]

Thought Macklin had his work cut out, looking at their records and even recent form, but obviously not.

[Coco]

The man from Finland was there for the taking, that is why the match was made

[whicker]

Just watched Murray-Spencer, now that was an awful stoppage!

And Spencer is probably furious- this will have cost him paid work.

That said, in a recent fight of his that was televised he looked remarkably easy to hit at the end. I know he's a tough journeyman, but even so, at some point boxers need to consider this.

[lacollier883]

Cracking performance tonight off Macklin, don't think you could have asked for more, and the way he won must surely send a message out at the top.

Spoke to Macklin and Joe Gallagher after the fight and they were quite rightly chuffed.

[Counter-puncher]

Georgian fella fighting Murray looks a bit like a fat welterweight...

anyone else think Murray looked a clear size bigger than Renda and Horton did? he just looked way thicker through the back and shoulders and arms.

[forcefraser]

Stopped too early in my opinion. Ok his legs were wobbly, but his head looked pretty clear.

This was a European title fight, not a tickling contest

The minutes rest could well have got the Finn back into it. Marquez was on wobbly street against Pacman in their fight, in the first round and came back into it no problem. I`m not saying Asikainen would have done the same, but at least give the geezer a shot.

He looked genuinely stunned when the ref waved it off.

Not a shocking decision, but a poor one. Shocking is what I would call the stoppage in the fight shown after with Jon Murray`s brother. Pathetic. Fair enough, the other guy was not gonna win, but in all honesty his job was only to provide a test for Murray. What test did he get there?? Land a few decent shots and the ref will stop the other guy????

I`m sure that will stand him in good stead when/if he ever gets in with some roughouse mexican who you have to nail to the floor to stop him from coming at you. No wonder many of our guys fall short at top level, they seem to have it too easy on the way up.

[Datsue]

Georgian fella fighting Murray looks a bit like a fat welterweight...

anyone else think Murray looked a clear size bigger than Renda and Horton did? he just looked way thicker through the back and shoulders and arms.

That's what I was getting at -- it was the size of the Georgian in comparison to Murray that shocked me. The torso of the bastard is huge -- looks like you could break bricks on his shoulders. Feck knows how he makes eleven & a half stone...

EDIT: I've just answered my own question: I've just looked up his weight -- he was a supermiddleweight last night, near enough twelve stone. His opponent was a couple of pound under the middleweight limit.

Martin didn't exactly look like he had another five pounds to spare, did he? I wonder how he'll do against someone his own size...

[black panther]

To be honest as soon as I saw that left-hook land I knew i was over as contest. That shot was a cracker! And regarding the stoppage - maybe it was a tad premature but his legs were all over the place and he was only going to stopped the very next round. Great win for Macklin, if they can secure a fight with Sylvester he might end up a world champ faster than Jamie Moore - the guy who ko'ed him!

Makes sense in retrospect to take this fight rather the Barker fight, but obviously from a British fans perspective, its a fight we'd like to see. On a side note, I liked the look of Martin Murray on the undercard, as Counter-Puncher mentioned, he's looks like a beast of a Middleweight.

[Autobarn]

so macklin's gunning for sebastian sylvester?

does the german have to rematch giovanni lorenzo, whom he just beat controversially?

[leforge]

Macklin would stop Barker imo!

[Counter-puncher]

Georgian fella fighting Murray looks a bit like a fat welterweight...

anyone else think Murray looked a clear size bigger than Renda and Horton did? he just looked way thicker through the back and shoulders and arms.

That's what I was getting at -- it was the size of the Georgian in comparison to Murray that shocked me. The torso of the bastard is huge -- looks like you could break bricks on his shoulders. Feck knows how he makes eleven & a half stone...

EDIT: I've just answered my own question: I've just looked up his weight -- he was a supermiddleweight last night, near enough twelve stone. His opponent was a couple of pound under the middleweight limit.

Martin didn't exactly look like he had another five pounds to spare, did he? I wonder how he'll do against someone his own size...

my thoughts exactly mate, have to wonder at what point the 'weight-advantage' dividend becomes a 'weight-draining' bogey. if you know what i mean

[neil hibbert]

got in the venue just as murray was finishing off his opponent if you could call him that, i really rate martin but just wish he would step up insead of fighting punchbags all the time!!! thought the atmosphere last nigt was poor except for the murray adn the macklin fight, denton vasell is from manchester and i dont think i heard 1 shout for him!!!

[Counter-puncher]

am i right in saying Neil, there was only ground level seating that was full,. all the upper seats were empty?

re Vassell i didn't think he had many following him when i saw him mate.

[neil hibbert]

yes mate there wasnt many people in the upper sections id say you prob had about 2500 people there last night, it wasnt just the vasell fight there was no atmosphere at and we were bout 5 rows in, had to laugh though because e had complimentary tickets and were sat with all the finns who were making a right noise and had the banners going and macklin was like a magician ..... made them all dissapear haha

[ERIC GUY]

Did not like the stoppage to be honest, he was about to survive that first round in my opinion.

The BBBofC are looking for new refs!!!

[Counter-puncher]

yes mate there wasnt many people in the upper sections id say you prob had about 2500 people there last night, it wasnt just the vasell fight there was no atmosphere at and we were bout 5 rows in, had to laugh though because e had complimentary tickets and were sat with all the finns who were making a right noise and had the banners going and macklin was like a magician ..... made them all dissapear haha

thanks for confirming mate