Refreshing to have a real fight week.

[tobyh5]

I noticed in the latter part of the week how nice it was to have a real fight, with real people and not have to listen to the Matchroom and Sky Sports narrative, and to have a week with no Hearn.

I tuned in to IFL, Secondsout, Behind the Gloves, Boxing Social etc videos and enjoyed listening to real fight folk talking in interviews and giving honest opinions. Compare that to the nauseating spiel we listen to from company man Johnny and the rest of the shills who talk utter crap like Froch and the rest of that crowd.

It felt like a real fight like the old days rather than these big "Sweet Caroline", casual, cvntfest events which Matchroom put on. Funnily enough, I have enjoyed those events but then last night, realised how fake and unconnected they are to what draw me into the sport originally in the 80's. Last night I was transported to those big 80's and 90's nights, a Lennox or Holyfield type of night. The guys on BT Sport seemed to just be talking what was on their mind rather than saying what would please paymasters so they can stay on a payroll

And thank god we did not have half hour long bullshit-fests from Hearn talking crap and self-promoting as if he is the show star and not the fighters.

[smiling assassin]

Couldn't agree more mate. It was a good week bit of pantomime mid week with Fury and Wilder at the final press conference but with these 2 it was always expected. Got big fight nerves at the start of the week that's when you know a big fights happening

[DrDuke]

Btw recently I don't often watch pre-fight hype videos, promos, interviews, pressers, etc at least in that amount I've watched ones for this fight. This time I was watching them every day, I don't remember, when I did the same last time. So it was an amazing fight week and a great fight in the result.

[deadpan]

Really insightful post.

Imagine a boxing world free of Smith and Nelson.

[Oiky]

You're not wrong mate sky are embarassing

[CaptainSpacerod]

Totally agree with the OP. The whole week seemed old school and the coverage was aimed at real fans of boxing not twice a year fans who enjoy Buffer and Sweet Caroline as much as the fight.

Everything was perfect, great tv build up - tris dixon’s intelligent character profiles of both fighters, Woodall and Moore’s tactical analysis, in-depth online interviews with money men warren dibella and finkel - then a bit of panto at the final presser, genuine tension at the weigh in and by fight night I was like a kid waiting for Christmas.

BT sport coverage was top notch, great team giving us serious analysis. 1 presenter 3 pundits 1 commentator and 1 co commentator all doing great jobs. Put to shame sky’s huge team of revolving pundits and two different comm teams for one bill.

Jimmy Lennon was as usual a class act, he’s no primadonna and does the whole bill not just the main event. The fight itself was a modern classic and proves what can happen when you put two evenly matched champs in with each other. It more than lived up to the build up and how fantastic to watch it without having to listen to smiths nonsense or feel baffled at froch’s mad scorecard or pause for stupid adverts between rounds.

It was how boxing should be, well done to all concerned.

[samwbr]

Sweet Caroline was ringing out all round the arena tho

[MightyWarrior]

Great post and so true, such a relief to not have to listen to all that meaningless sky and matchroom crapola and get to watch a real fight.

[Steveh583]

I noticed in the latter part of the week how nice it was to have a real fight, with real people and not have to listen to the Matchroom and Sky Sports narrative, and to have a week with no Hearn.

I tuned in to IFL, Secondsout, Behind the Gloves, Boxing Social etc videos and enjoyed listening to real fight folk talking in interviews and giving honest opinions. Compare that to the nauseating spiel we listen to from company man Johnny and the rest of the shills who talk utter crap like Froch and the rest of that crowd.

It felt like a real fight like the old days rather than these big "Sweet Caroline", casual, cvntfest events which Matchroom put on. Funnily enough, I have enjoyed those events but then last night, realised how fake and unconnected they are to what draw me into the sport originally in the 80's. Last night I was transported to those big 80's and 90's nights, a Lennox or Holyfield type of night. The guys on BT Sport seemed to just be talking what was on their mind rather than saying what would please paymasters so they can stay on a payroll

And thank god we did not have half hour long bullshit-fests from Hearn talking crap and self-promoting as if he is the show star and not the fighters.

Yeah totally agree. Great post

[dr_devious]

Paul Dempsey is still the best anchorman too, it was all great and agree like going back to the 90s

[lillywhite14]

Paul Dempsey is still the best anchorman too, it was all great and agree like going back to the 90s

By a mile. The lack of adverts, no Smith, Nelson, Bellew, Froch and co chatting their bollocks. Refreshing.

It was an old sky set up basically! Where did it all go wrong

[tobyh5]

Paul Dempsey is still the best anchorman too, it was all great and agree like going back to the 90s

By a mile. The lack of adverts, no Smith, Nelson, Bellew, Froch and co chatting their bollocks. Refreshing.

It was an old sky set up basically! Where did it all go wrong

Yep. No pretty faced bird stood scrolling through her iPad screen reading out tweets.

BT have not quite nailed all the modern techs as well as Sky so instead just rely on good content.

Sky try and polish a turd to appear as a diamond but last night simply was a diamond

[Coco]

Spot on Toby.
Also a rematch will help FW out of his alleged financial issues

[Ruthless-RKO]

Agree 100% with the OP!

So refreshing. Real fight feel.

[sparrow_1]

Totally agree with the OP. The whole week seemed old school and the coverage was aimed at real fans of boxing not twice a year fans who enjoy Buffer and Sweet Caroline as much as the fight.

Everything was perfect, great tv build up - tris dixon’s intelligent character profiles of both fighters, Woodall and Moore’s tactical analysis, in-depth online interviews with money men warren dibella and finkel - then a bit of panto at the final presser, genuine tension at the weigh in and by fight night I was like a kid waiting for Christmas.

BT sport coverage was top notch, great team giving us serious analysis. 1 presenter 3 pundits 1 commentator and 1 co commentator all doing great jobs. Put to shame sky’s huge team of revolving pundits and two different comm teams for one bill.

Jimmy Lennon was as usual a class act, he’s no primadonna and does the whole bill not just the main event. The fight itself was a modern classic and proves what can happen when you put two evenly matched champs in with each other. It more than lived up to the build up and how fantastic to watch it without having to listen to smiths nonsense or feel baffled at froch’s mad scorecard or pause for stupid adverts between rounds.

It was how boxing should be, well done to all concerned.

Jimmy Lennon Junior is my fave and has been for years. It was nice to see him given a run out
I listened on the radio. It was also an excellent radio broadcast as well.

I guess radio must be considerably cheaper than tele, and for UK audiences, arguably they aren't competing with all that much at 4-5am in the morning....but still....I'm glad they do

[deadpan]

AND NO BETWEEN ROUNDS ADVERTS.

[tobyh5]

AND NO BETWEEN ROUNDS ADVERTS.

Yeah that too. Unlike Sky who recently cut away from the ring after the fighters got in the ring and before the intros. Was that the Usyk/Bellew one? Fcking awful. The more I think about it, the more I am sick of the Sky/Matchroom schtick

[TheLeprechaun]

The boxing social interviews with buster Douglas, shavers, Michael spinks, cooney etc were all really good. You could tell the interviewer knew his boxing and took it as a privilege that he got to interview such greats of yesteryear

[TheGingerBomber]

I noticed in the latter part of the week how nice it was to have a real fight, with real people and not have to listen to the Matchroom and Sky Sports narrative, and to have a week with no Hearn.

I tuned in to IFL, Secondsout, Behind the Gloves, Boxing Social etc videos and enjoyed listening to real fight folk talking in interviews and giving honest opinions. Compare that to the nauseating spiel we listen to from company man Johnny and the rest of the shills who talk utter crap like Froch and the rest of that crowd.

It felt like a real fight like the old days rather than these big "Sweet Caroline", casual, cvntfest events which Matchroom put on. Funnily enough, I have enjoyed those events but then last night, realised how fake and unconnected they are to what draw me into the sport originally in the 80's. Last night I was transported to those big 80's and 90's nights, a Lennox or Holyfield type of night. The guys on BT Sport seemed to just be talking what was on their mind rather than saying what would please paymasters so they can stay on a payroll

And thank god we did not have half hour long bullshit-fests from Hearn talking crap and self-promoting as if he is the show star and not the fighters.

I get you. I like Hearn in small doses, but he shouldn’t be the main personality in many of these multi men scenarios. I’m also bored of Froch, Nelson and Adam Smith. There’s not enough Tony Bellew, Ed Robinson (haven’t seen him for a while) etc.

They need to spruce it up a bit.

[ewenhay]

Sky are lazy. They don't like to change things.

If Andy Gray and Richard Keys hadn't got into bother they'd still be presenting Sunday afternoon football.

[Coco]

Sky are lazy. They don't like to change things.

If Andy Gray and Richard Keys hadn't got into bother they'd still be presenting Sunday afternoon football.

They were good at their job though

[Ricky]

Sky are lazy. They don't like to change things.

If Andy Gray and Richard Keys hadn't got into bother they'd still be presenting Sunday afternoon football.

They were good at their job though

Absolutely. Skys been on a downward spiral since they got chopped, their coverage is brutally boring.

As for the boxing, i much prefer Warren to Hearn, Bunce to Smith/Nelson. Not a big fan of Barry Jones though.

[Coco]

Nelson is an articulate guy who has been there and done everything. His hands are tied and he is taking his pieces of silver.
It would be the same as anyone employed by Smith.

[skanksta]

Everyone agreeing with the OP and I am too.

Lay off "Sweet Caroline" tho'

Can't fathom why or when it happened, but it's just a fact - it's the official anthem of British Boxing !

[BigDoofus]

There’s not enough Tony Bellew