Michael Hunter to be confirmed on Tuesday

[Evander]

I honestly don't think Hunter is that much worse of an opponent than Miller. Joshua vs Miller was always going to be ridiculously one sided anyway. It's still only a question of how long the opponent will last, until the inevitable happens. Being big with a bit of stamina doesn't make you an interesting opponent.

Miller was a terrible pick as it was, only reason he was chosen is because they don't want to risk it against anyone dangerous.
But back to Hunter, a year ago he fought a guy in a 6 ROUND fight who had 40 defeats and 7 losses and this partly gets him a shot at the Heavyweight Title
I feel for the poor fans who bought a ticket and this is what their ending up getting, talk about mugged off big time.

[Deleted_Scenes]

Miller was a terrible pick as it was, only reason he was chosen is because they don't want to risk it against anyone dangerous.
But back to Hunter, a year ago he fought a guy in a 6 ROUND fight who had 40 defeats and 7 losses and this partly gets him a shot at the Heavyweight Title
I feel for the poor fans who bought a ticket and this is what their ending up getting, talk about mugged off big time.

That was my point though. Anyone who was happy enough to pay for tickets, flights, hotels etc for Joshua vs Miller can't really be too disappointed with getting Hunter instead. They paid for one shít fight, they're still getting a shít fight.

If you weren't happy to pay for Joshua vs Miller, then you're not out of pocket. Nothing changes. Shame Ortiz' handlers can't seem to grow a pair.

[Onetimeonly]

You'll have to refresh my memory.eavywe

It's been hours since I read your original point.

That saying hunter isn't special isn't damning in today's heavyweight division.

[Ilya Muromets]

I honestly don't think Hunter is that much worse of an opponent than Miller. Joshua vs Miller was always going to be ridiculously one sided anyway. It's still only a question of how long the opponent will last, until the inevitable happens. Being big with a bit of stamina doesn't make you an interesting opponent.

I disagree. I thought Miller could have won. It was one of the very few upcoming fights that I was really looking forward to, and now it's been reduced to a no interest fight. Last night's Crawford and Kahn fiasco, all the constant corrupt officiating and biased announcing and just plain everything in boxing being dirty, it is giving me a bad taste more and more.

[sturm vogel]

Hunter is a skilled boxer, but he's woefully too small for Joshua. Miller makes the fight competitive because he has the size to give him durability. Hunter has already been the prey of Usyk.

[sturm vogel]

Hunter is a skilled boxer, but he's woefully too small for Joshua. Miller makes the fight competitive because he has the size to give him durability. Hunter has already been the prey of Usyk.

[Ilya Muromets]

Hunter is a skilled boxer, but he's woefully too small for Joshua. Miller makes the fight competitive because he has the size to give him durability. Hunter has already been the prey of Usyk.

[candyslim]

Any word on why Ortiz officially turned down the fight?

Hunter won't draw mosquitos in June.

The word is that he declared himself ready, willing and able but his management put the block on him fighting the opposition ... or was it on an opposition network? I can't confirm but I guess it figures.

Poor schmuck. He's too old to be turning down such opportunites. He can't be sure he'll get another in the time he has left as a top level fighter. Perhaps he should have told management to do one (subject to contract of course)

[candyslim]

I disagree. I thought Miller could have won. It was one of the very few upcoming fights that I was really looking forward to, and now it's been reduced to a no interest fight. Last night's Crawford and Kahn fiasco, all the constant corrupt officiating and biased announcing and just plain everything in boxing being dirty, it is giving me a bad taste more and more.

I agree about it being a (potentially) very competitive fight if only Miller could absorb Joshua's heavier punches the way he had those of all his previous opponents. I was impressed with his stamina and his incredible workrate. Only now we know the source of it don't we?

[bigjack]

The word is that he declared himself ready, willing and able but his management put the block on him fighting the opposition ... or was it on an opposition network? I can't confirm but I guess it figures.

Poor schmuck. He's too old to be turning down such opportunites. He can't be sure he'll get another in the time he has left as a top level fighter. Perhaps he should have told management to do one (subject to contract of course)

Bad decision by his team then if that's the case,what is it with fighters turning down millions with the chance of hitting the jackpot ?

[Cyclops]

[/b]

I haven't watched the full fight but should I watch that video and think "Hunter won a couple of rounds, managed to actually punch Usyk a few times and made him work and survived a final onslaught where he could have been legitimately stopped" and conclude... What? He could have won? He was nowhere near winning. He made it a fight rather than a short one sided beat down.

This is a crap fight. I wouldn't even stay up to stream this, let alone buy it. Like everybody else said, Miller at least was a massive big lump who everybody wanted to see beaten up. Takam was a much more credible replacement. This is a year full of dreadful mismatches. It looked so promising. You would have thought it would only be going upwards after last year but boxing is back to being greedy and a waste of time again.

[Enlightened-One]

The word is that he declared himself ready, willing and able but his management put the block on him fighting the opposition ... or was it on an opposition network? I can't confirm but I guess it figures.

Poor schmuck. He's too old to be turning down such opportunites. He can't be sure he'll get another in the time he has left as a top level fighter. Perhaps he should have told management to do one (subject to contract of course)

Are you talking about Luis Ortiz? Has he really rejected the opportunity to face Anthony Joshua? That’s surprising news!

If Al Haymon prevented the Cuban from taking the fight, I’m guessing his team may have done this to protect Deontay Wilder’s reputation.

Imagine a scenario whereby ‘The Bronze Bomber’ struggles badly to overcome the challenge posed by Dominic Breazeale, a fighter that was manhandled and easily beaten by AJ.

And then two weeks later, Anthony Joshua puts on an impressively dominant one-sided performance against Luis Ortiz, which results in the Brit stopping the Cuban within eight rounds – a fighter that was beating Wilder prior to running out of gas in the 10th round.

Fight fans will inevitably feel compelled compare both performances and then automatically assume that Deontay Wilder is a vastly inferior fighter than Anthony Joshua, which would very likely remove the mystique surrounding the potential outcome of that bout, resulting in there being far less commercial demand to see that fight materialise.

The Bronze Bomber's stock will drop significantly if this scenario plays out in reality.

The thing is, Al Haymon is a sensible guy and he’ll be forced to find a way to compensate Luis Ortiz for this missed opportunity, by overpaying him for his next outing or alternatively guarantee the Wilder rematch.

From an Eddie Hearn perspective though, I’m surprised that he’s tempted to consider Luis Ortiz for the AJ bout, bearing in mind the Cuban has previously received multiple suspensions for consuming PED's. It kind of makes a mockery of Matchroom's criticism of Jarrell Miller.

[candyslim]

Bad decision by his team then if that's the case,what is it with fighters turning down millions with the chance of hitting the jackpot ?

It's PBC isn't it? Another thing reported to have come out while Ortiz was supposedly deliberating, was that he had been promised another shot at Wilder. That would make sense. He gave Wilder a tough fight but he ultimately lost and he won't have got any better since then, and as a fellow PBC fighter it's not a huge risk for Haymon.

Also they don't want to risk AJ doing a Martin on him and putting Wilder's best win in a poor light. I'm not saying that's what would happen but why take the risk? Ortiz will do as he's told. Same with Kownacki.

[candyslim]

Yes EO I'm talking about Luis Ortiz. I heard he was given until Tuesday i.e. tomorrow to accept the deal, but the fact that we are talkkng on Hunter being confirmed tomorrow means he has either rejected the deal already, or Hearn is confident he will reject the deal.

Your analysis of the reasons for Haymon blocking it (and maybe Kownacki too but that is purely speculation on my part) if indeed that is the case, is a match with mine.

[Onetimeonly]

Bad decision by his team then if that's the case,what is it with fighters turning down millions with the chance of hitting the jackpot ?

Quite a coincidence, huh? Dazn is a massive failure to this point. That's why we're seeing so many mismatches. In this case I can only guess that the offer was low and Ortiz team thinks they'll make more money in a more winnable fight against wilder. Though Kong has history with head s scratching decisions.

[bigjack]

Quite a coincidence, huh? Dazn is a massive failure to this point. That's why we're seeing so many mismatches. In this case I can only guess that the offer was low and Ortiz team thinks they'll make more money in a more winnable fight against wilder. Though Kong has history with head s scratching decisions.

So basically it's all down to politics and promises,Wilder could lose in the meantime.the whole heavyweight scene is a shambles with TV companies,promoters etc all wanting the biggest pot for the smallest risk.I know that's the aim really but look at Fury,he took the gamble and it paid off,financially if not winning the title again.

[Onetimeonly]

So basically it's all down to politics and promises,Wilder could lose in the meantime.the whole heavyweight scene is a shambles with TV companies,promoters etc all wanting the biggest pot for the smallest risk.I know that's the aim really but look at Fury,he took the gamble and it paid off,financially if not winning the title again.

Now fury has money and no fights of worth

[bigjack]

Now fury has money and no fights of worth

Yes and that's politics again

[Deleted_Scenes]

Quite a coincidence, huh? Dazn is a massive failure to this point. That's why we're seeing so many mismatches. In this case I can only guess that the offer was low and Ortiz team thinks they'll make more money in a more winnable fight against wilder. Though Kong has history with head s scratching decisions.

I don't think it's related to how much Ortiz would make for each fight. I think the problem lies with Ortiz and Wilder both having the same advisor.

Ortiz is Wilder's best win. By a mile. Wilder's team (Haymon) will want to make the Joshua fight at some point. If they allow Ortiz to fight Joshua in the meantime, and Ortiz loses badly, that takes some of the shine off Wilder's win, and strengthens Joshua's negotiating position.

Haymon is looking after Wilder, even if that means his other fighters have to miss out on a substantial payday.

[Onetimeonly]

Yes and that's politics again

It's only going to get worse before it gets better. I think fury and wilder were wise to leverage the Titanic that is dazn instead of blindly jumping on board.

[Onetimeonly]

I don't think it's related to how much Ortiz would make for each fight. I think the problem lies with Ortiz and Wilder both having the same advisor.

Ortiz is Wilder's best win. By a mile. Wilder's team (Haymon) will want to make the Joshua fight at some point. If they allow Ortiz to fight Joshua in the meantime, and Ortiz loses badly, that takes some of the shine off Wilder's win, and strengthens Joshua's negotiating position.

Haymon is looking after Wilder, even if that means his other fighters have to miss out on a substantial payday.

I don't think Joshua icing Ortiz in 30 seconds diminishes anything for wilder. Aj will be the favorite if they ever fight anyway. If it's an al thing it would be putting two of his guys together,I agree with that, steering clear of dazn and it may have been a shitty offer. Like I said, you can see them pinching pennies with the fights they're lining up.

[SenorPipino]

I'd be enormously disappointed if I purchased a ticket, hotel and flights and ended up with this as a main event.
Just 12 months ago Hunter was boxing a 6 rounder against a guy with 40 defeats and 7 draws.
Is this a joke ?
I'm serious about that too.

Shouldn't the hotel cost and airfare be refundable at this early stage?

Fight tickets have to be refundable. You bought tickets for Joshua-Miller. If they can't provide you with exactly what you purchased in good faith, they're obliged to refund your ticket.

Everyone will probably try and give you a song and dance over the matter. Hold your ground and just keep fighting.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is why people should pay for stuff of credit cards. Or even at least £100 of it.

[Ilya Muromets]

I agree about it being a (potentially) very competitive fight if only Miller could absorb Joshua's heavier punches the way he had those of all his previous opponents. I was impressed with his stamina and his incredible workrate. Only now we know the source of it don't we?

How much of an edge do you think these drugs really give boxers? I had a doctor friend who was skeptical. He said that you could take all the drugs in the world and you wouldn't become like Lance Armstrong. I lknow steroids puff up muscles unnaturally as you see in grotesque modern bodybuilding, but I'm not so sure how much of an edge it gives in action sports, and what it takes away.

Three more things: It's pretty well agreed that there are far more athletes taking illegal drugs that have not been caught. They have better advisors and shields and high level protectors. Miller must have been buying his stuff at a bodega in Brooklyn or something. He got caught so easily. He probably didn't donate to the proper "charities" either. Secondly, the line between legal supplements and vitamins and illegal drugs is amorphous. They made a huge deal here when they found a minute quantity of something in Povetkin, but what they found was perfectly legal and sold in health food stores up until a few months before - and then they changed the rules. And thirdly, these drug test operations are mostly run out of Las Vegas, the crookedest city in the world, founded in the Mojave Desert by organized crime for the sole purpose of fleecing the suckers. Which brings us back to Povetkin because that "drug bust" was a setup to avoid the Wilder fight. In short drug testing is political and corrupt and unfairly administered.

[Onetimeonly]

Epo enhances every aspect of a fighters game. That's quite an edge.