What is the worst piece of match-making you have ever seen??

[mike john]

Not sure how thats bad matchmaking. He beats jermain taylor twice, who beat Hopkins twice, who is by now 42 and coming off a defeat..

I think most people on this board tipped Pavlik to win, and im not even sure if the bookies did too.

the bookies did have pavlik favourite, as i made a tidy sum ( confidentally ) backing hopkins. this was a poor piece of matchmaking from the get go. kellys crew saw hopkins as ready for the taking, yet no one looks good against the old man, even in victory.

even if pavlik managed the win, was it worth the risk? "he just beat a fighter past his best" "hopkins was ready for the taking" im sure you know how it goes

bad matchmaking

[mike john]

Not sure how thats bad matchmaking. He beats jermain taylor twice, who beat Hopkins twice, who is by now 42 and coming off a defeat..

I think most people on this board tipped Pavlik to win, and im not even sure if the bookies did too.

The move up in weight, Pavlik's reported condition in the build up and going against an old man that knows more than anybody - but still people won't be giving you too much praise should you beat him.

With hindsight (which we have) it was poor piece of matchmaking

i dont thats the case, i think enough folk saw the way this one was playing out before hand

[Wales]

Not sure how thats bad matchmaking. He beats jermain taylor twice, who beat Hopkins twice, who is by now 42 and coming off a defeat..

I think most people on this board tipped Pavlik to win, and im not even sure if the bookies did too.

the bookies did have pavlik favourite, as i made a tidy sum ( confidentally ) backing hopkins. this was a poor piece of matchmaking from the get go. kellys crew saw hopkins as ready for the taking, yet no one looks good against the old man, even in victory.

even if pavlik managed the win, was it worth the risk? "he just beat a fighter past his best" "hopkins was ready for the taking" im sure you know how it goes

bad matchmaking

I understand what you're saying, but this was Pavliks ticket to the big time. I'd imagine he received a menial sum for beating taylor the first time, and the short end of the wedge for their second encounter. He then gets the opportunity to fight a legend coming off a close loss, for huge money, with worldwide ocverage and the majority, bookies and anoraks alike, have him installed as favourite.


As for "most folk knowing the way this one was going to pan out" have ashufty at the link below. Majority on this site had Pavlik to win.

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... ins+pavlik

twice as many on current scene picked pavlik to Hopkins too

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... l#p1429828

kelly was 34-0 (30) going in, inc two wins over Taylor, Hopkins' conqueror (one of those matches was at 165 also).

[mike john]

Not sure how thats bad matchmaking. He beats jermain taylor twice, who beat Hopkins twice, who is by now 42 and coming off a defeat..

I think most people on this board tipped Pavlik to win, and im not even sure if the bookies did too.

the bookies did have pavlik favourite, as i made a tidy sum ( confidentally ) backing hopkins. this was a poor piece of matchmaking from the get go. kellys crew saw hopkins as ready for the taking, yet no one looks good against the old man, even in victory.

even if pavlik managed the win, was it worth the risk? "he just beat a fighter past his best" "hopkins was ready for the taking" im sure you know how it goes

bad matchmaking

I understand what you're saying, but this was Pavliks ticket to the big time. I'd imagine he received a menial sum for beating taylor the first time, and the short end of the wedge for their second encounter. He then gets the opportunity to fight a legend coming off a close loss, for huge money, with worldwide ocverage and the majority, bookies and anoraks alike, have him installed as favourite.


As for "most folk knowing the way this one was going to pan out" have ashufty at the link below. Majority on this site had Pavlik to win.

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... ins+pavlik

twice as many on current scene picked pavlik to Hopkins too

http://boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f ... l#p1429828

come on now mate, i said "enough" not most. i know pavlik was the favourite and popular choice.

all of your factors pointing pavlik to this fight were sadly negated by the fact that, in my eyes and many others, hopkins was going to school this fellow. im not boasting about reading it, cause ive picked em wrong many times. guess its one of those times something seems obvious, even tho your in the minority

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Bright Spider vs Mo Hussein - back in the day - who promoted that gem?

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

Welch had a bit of steam behind him and that yanks were vaguely interested (i seem to remember?)

Then they put him with Akinwande at some tiny casino in the mid west...... i mean, what on earth did his team think Welch was going to do with the octopus?

Look good and win????


ha!

[stujones]

Speaking of Lewis - how about Rahman's decision to rematch Lewis for a terrible pay day. Didn't he take pay cut thinking a victory would free him up and give him more money.

I think Rahman was obliged to fight Lewis after Lewis invoked his contracted rematch clause through the courts. Rahman was indeed lined up to defend against Izon but Lewis played the legal card.

There was something I read though that Rahman signed some deal that entiled him to a bigger share of the ppv (or something like that) but less of the cash. I can remember Rahman boasting that it was an "investment" and in order to make it pay he needed to be champ for a good few fights.

[oliverfennell]

i mean julius francis sold advertising on the bottom of his shoes for fucksake.

The Mirror's front page splash the day after the fight: THANKS, JULIUS!

[oliverfennell]

Toks Owoh v Glenn Johnson

Many people here are using uneven matches as their examples but that isn't a matchmaker necessarily doing a bad job.
If a champion is getting an easy win or an unlikely challenger is getting top money it can be said that is a job well done, this is boxing after all. Ed Robinson's comments are bang on the mark.

Owoh was being touted for a world title shot and Johnson was brought over on a 4 fight losing streak. Obviously they thought Johnson was finished but beating a man who had mixed in world class could elevate the Londoner. I doubt it was cheap to get Johnson over, Owoh would have been paid chump change, but it all went wrong, Owoh was well beat and was never the same again,

I was thinking about this the other day - amazing to think with hindsight that this was considered an upset at the time!

[oliverfennell]

Speaking of Lewis - how about Rahman's decision to rematch Lewis for a terrible pay day. Didn't he take pay cut thinking a victory would free him up and give him more money.

I think Rahman was obliged to fight Lewis after Lewis invoked his contracted rematch clause through the courts. Rahman was indeed lined up to defend against Izon but Lewis played the legal card.

There was something I read though that Rahman signed some deal that entiled him to a bigger share of the ppv (or something like that) but less of the cash. I can remember Rahman boasting that it was an "investment" and in order to make it pay he needed to be champ for a good few fights.

That may have been the TV deal once the fight was made, but I'm pretty sure it was only for legal reasons that it was Lewis, and not Izon, that Rahman made his first defence against. Don King did even officially announce Rahman-Izon for August.

[stujones]

Yes, and Don King also announced that Tyson would be back on board after and fight the Izon vs Rahman winner.

I think Rahman should have told Lewis to f off - even if it meant ditching the belt. Plenty of fighters do that these days.

[Lenny]

Yes, and Don King also announced that Tyson would be back on board after and fight the Izon vs Rahman winner.

I think Rahman should have told Lewis to f off - even if it meant ditching the belt. Plenty of fighters do that these days.

He came across as being very confident he could repeat the trick though, obviously underestimating how below par Lewis was in their first fight. Not often fighters share victories over 2 fights and nobody feels any need for a 3rd deciding meeting