BoxRec

well I'm finding it hard to breathe at the moment - but I reckon that's because of the tory government :(

Can't believe how many people read the Cruz fight as showing McGuigan could be stopped in normal circumstances. The issue wasn't entirely the heat it was that Cruz's team dealt with it properly and McGuigan's were clueless. People also forget he was winning going into that final round despite being out on his feet for the last few rounds. Someone like that isn't going to be easy to grind down. Having said that and despite McGuigan being a much better boxer than people credit him as being, with good head movement, good range of punches and power in both hands, he doesn't win. I think Nelson takes a narrow points win every time as he was just that little bit better. Do like the Mitchell - Nelson suggestions though. Agree with the comments Mitchell handled McDonnell better, he was a top class performer and by all accounts acquitted himself as a class person.

@GPTM1403....agreed on much of the above!

The histrorical parallels of McGuigan v Cruz and Frampton v Gonzalez were there (in at least trace form) on Saturday night I thought.

The almost sadistic and blinding heat was not there and of course Carl won.

But just for a moment another Northern Irishman's American showcase 'breakout fight'.... against a good local who had been somewhat underestimated and definitely not read the script....appeared to be coming apart at the seams.

Watching Barry go through it at ringside last weekend did not match the drama of the fight itself....but you could almost see what he was thinking during those early rounds and it appeared to be a nasty bout of boxing deja vu.

I think it is a massive shame that Mitchell never faced McGuigan, Fenech or Nelson. But the guy still had an immense career and beating a hard case like Lopez (twice, in my opinion although the records say otherwise) in Tony's backyard of Sacarmento was some achievement.

He was at the Murray v GGG fight...I suppose doing hosting/media work for his fellow Jo'burger Rodney Berman..... and looked and sounded in pretty good shape.

Bodyshot3 wrote:@GPTM1403....agreed on much of the above!

The histrorical parallels of McGuigan v Cruz and Frampton v Gonzalez were there (in at least trace form) on Saturday night I thought.

The almost sadistic and blinding heat was not there and of course Carl won.

But just for a moment another Northern Irishman's American showcase 'breakout fight'.... against a good local who had been somewhat underestimated and definitely not read the script....appeared to be coming apart at the seams.

Watching Barry go through it at ringside last weekend did not match the drama of the fight itself....but you could almost see what he was thinking during those early rounds and it appeared to be a nasty bout of boxing deja vu.

I think it is a massive shame that Mitchell never faced McGuigan, Fenech or Nelson. But the guy still had an immense career and beating a hard case like Lopez (twice, in my opinion although the records say otherwise) in Tony's backyard of Sacarmento was some achievement.

He was at the Murray v GGG fight...I suppose doing hosting/media work for his fellow Jo'burger Rodney Berman..... and looked and sounded in pretty good shape.

I was surprised McGuigan agreed to it in those circumstances, must have been serious flashbacks. Can only guess it is because he does rate Frampton above himself. Good to hear about Mitchell, still remember the narrow minded biggots claiming to be anti racist who hounded him when he came to London.

Bodyshot: I watched the mitchell-Lopez fights last night funnily enough.

1 reminded me of Watson-Eubank 1. Mitchell started cautiously and I believe gave Lopez too much respect, only really switching on around midway.

But in the rematch he was masterful. Assertive but measured early, always having to bear in mind that Lopez had pretty good head movement and was constantly looking to pull the trigger on the big counter. So early doors Mitchell is going through his repertoire in the most riskfree manner he can, ultimately making Lopez do more of what he didn't really want to do- lead against the brilliant defensive technician that Mitchell was- and also fight at a pace where Mitchells obvious stamina advantage, I say obvious because he had it over every bugger he ever fought, came into play. The way Mitchell then turned the dial up gradually but perceptibly, it was really brilliant stuff to watch. A fantastic problem-solver, as Darkey used to say, and his head movement was the stuff of a boxing trainers dreams

I think he'd give Nelson huge problems. Nelson wouldn't really press the pace and outwork him, and Mitchell was certainly cute enough to outwork Nelson without taking big shots to do so. That fight would be a purists dream, watching them try to out-think one another, as cerebral a match as you could imagine.

GPTM1403 wrote:

Bodyshot3 wrote:@GPTM1403....agreed on much of the above!

The histrorical parallels of McGuigan v Cruz and Frampton v Gonzalez were there (in at least trace form) on Saturday night I thought.

The almost sadistic and blinding heat was not there and of course Carl won.

But just for a moment another Northern Irishman's American showcase 'breakout fight'.... against a good local who had been somewhat underestimated and definitely not read the script....appeared to be coming apart at the seams.

Watching Barry go through it at ringside last weekend did not match the drama of the fight itself....but you could almost see what he was thinking during those early rounds and it appeared to be a nasty bout of boxing deja vu.

I think it is a massive shame that Mitchell never faced McGuigan, Fenech or Nelson. But the guy still had an immense career and beating a hard case like Lopez (twice, in my opinion although the records say otherwise) in Tony's backyard of Sacarmento was some achievement.

He was at the Murray v GGG fight...I suppose doing hosting/media work for his fellow Jo'burger Rodney Berman..... and looked and sounded in pretty good shape.

I was surprised McGuigan agreed to it in those circumstances, must have been serious flashbacks. Can only guess it is because he does rate Frampton above himself. Good to hear about Mitchell, still remember the narrow minded biggots claiming to be anti racist who hounded him when he came to London.

and Mitchell had led the way in South Africa, boxing against black opposition in the townships where he and his trainer were in danger. He was an excellent boxer and an excellent sportsman and such a tough and mentally strong man that he'd be in with a about against anyone his weight - he certainly didn't fall apart with nerves before he fought.

I was surprised McGuigan agreed to it in those circumstances, must have been serious flashbacks. Can only guess it is because he does rate Frampton above himself. Good to hear about Mitchell, still remember the narrow minded biggots claiming to be anti racist who hounded him when he came to London.

Another good point; some of the South African fighters of that era got a seriously raw deal.
But going on the road made some of them excellent champs as well.

Some of the South African lads who are on the forum should be able to confirm/deny this...but as I far as I understand it, South African gyms were actually well ahead of their time and well intergrated with black guys from all over Africa based in places like Jo'burg and working with white pros. They were all just focussed on making a living from the ring. No race politics or hatred; just people living and training together.

Coetzee got some of the same rubbish as well before the Bruno fight; paticularly unfair as Gerrie really was not into any of that apartheid bullshit. He was just a top-linne heavyweight trying to have another crack at the title...but sadly all a bit too late.

Pity about the timing; a prime Coetzee v Bruno would have been the proverbial barnburner

I thought Mitchell had trained witha black trainer from the start pretty much?

That was what really riled me about those idiots, Mitchell was far from a racist but they were too ignorant to bother to find that out.

Azumah would stop Bsrry in the ninth round.