BoxRec

Terry Dooley wrote:

Counter-puncher wrote:difficult to like Smith, isn't it?

well, I say difficult to like him. difficult to watch him and not want to smack him around a bit, is probably closer to the mark.....

He shushed me at a show one. The irony wasn't lost on me.

TheCobra wrote:I'm the same in terms of losing interest I have definitely lost a lot of interest in the last couple of years, Matchroom are good at delivering the occasional barnstormer but the stuff in between is unfortunately overhyped dross a lot of the time.

I just preferred it when it was Friday Fight Night plus the odd big Saturday night event. I loved the variety, the different promoters and different venues shown around the country. The British title scraps like Moore vs Macklin etc, random fights I can recall like Carl Johansson getting absolutely chinned by Kirakosyan somewhere like Leeds/Barnsley, the rise of Rendall Munroe at Nottingham Harvey Haddon, the rise of Carl Froch from his early BBC days then onto Sky for a few years.

I loved the grassroots support that Sky had for boxing and I loved the feel of those fights, some of them I went and some watched on TV, the small hall shows were the best. Now all Sky shows is Matchroom Arena shows, the soul has gone out of it, there is MUCH less boxing on TV anyway from the UK and it all just feels like the small hall shows have just died off a bit since Sky pulled the plug. The matchs are much safer, much less competitive fights and much less risks being taken, instead careers are being very gradually 'built' until they can get into line for a big title shot.

It makes me sad, part of it is also my age, I'm 33 now, when I first properly got into boxing in a big way I was 19/20 and naive and fresh to the sport, now I know all the tricks, all the crap matches and I'm only interested in special talents or really competitive matches which we just don't see enough of. The stuff in between bores me most the time.

reggaereggae wrote:

dbf wrote:With the OP on this one.

It's just too much hard work. I can't get into some of the average stuff matchroom put on - some of quiggs fights are laughable, billing Crolla as some massive superstar and the Ricky Burns opponents. (Bar Crawford who was mandatory) etc etc.

Sky's complete overhyping of everything and the cheesiness of ringside is beyond comparison. Jonny Nelson doing some corny intro and then getting the theatrics from smith, the complete opposite of reserved and subtle but slightly awkward ed Robinson ('oh no he didn't' - say something remotely critical about Ed), it's just a bit if a mess. Throw in some jargon and buzz phrases such as 'our sport' 'boxing man' etc, just make me want to cry.

Then you have boxing journalists and internet writers (how could they ever be journo's!) all acting as best buddies on twitter as if they are the only ones in the know and acting as guardians of the secret. Yet consistantly wheeling out the same tripe. I get this feeling that they believe that they are in some special club and nod and wink at each other as if to say 'yeah, I work in boxing'

The fact that the best just aren't fighting the best often enough. (Nothing new but tiring)

Other things that are making me lose interest;

Twitter 'fans'

Boxers banging on about how hard they train all the time on twitter. It's kind of expected, I mean it is your job. I don't need to hear about it every two minutes. Some insight is good but just constantly talking about hard sessions isn't of interest. Much like 'journalists' who bang on about how hard they work. For me hard work is a given in any industry for those who want success.

Twitter fans (who are mainly casual boxing fans) tweeting eddie hearn and calling him mate.

Death of the boxing forums. So quiet these days.

Everyone and their gran thinking they can be the next Kugan Cassius ( he's famous now)by pointing a smartphone in a boxers face.

Some great points, ESP about Ringside. I can't stand the 'jolly' cheesiness and atmosphere. Boxing is a serious game, people get hurt, badly. A few jokes are fine, but the tone is horribly inappropriate.

With regards to IFL, I can't even watch them and I used to watch everything boxing related.

I think my interest started to lapse around the first Haye - Fury cancellation, then the second, then Chisora pull out, then Fury...

I mean bad luck and whatever, but there seem to be way more pull outs these days.

arlovski wrote:

TheCobra wrote:I'm the same in terms of losing interest I have definitely lost a lot of interest in the last couple of years, Matchroom are good at delivering the occasional barnstormer but the stuff in between is unfortunately overhyped dross a lot of the time.

I just preferred it when it was Friday Fight Night plus the odd big Saturday night event. I loved the variety, the different promoters and different venues shown around the country. The British title scraps like Moore vs Macklin etc, random fights I can recall like Carl Johansson getting absolutely chinned by Kirakosyan somewhere like Leeds/Barnsley, the rise of Rendall Munroe at Nottingham Harvey Haddon, the rise of Carl Froch from his early BBC days then onto Sky for a few years.

I loved the grassroots support that Sky had for boxing and I loved the feel of those fights, some of them I went and some watched on TV, the small hall shows were the best. Now all Sky shows is Matchroom Arena shows, the soul has gone out of it, there is MUCH less boxing on TV anyway from the UK and it all just feels like the small hall shows have just died off a bit since Sky pulled the plug. The matchs are much safer, much less competitive fights and much less risks being taken, instead careers are being very gradually 'built' until they can get into line for a big title shot.

It makes me sad, part of it is also my age, I'm 33 now, when I first properly got into boxing in a big way I was 19/20 and naive and fresh to the sport, now I know all the tricks, all the crap matches and I'm only interested in special talents or really competitive matches which we just don't see enough of. The stuff in between bores me most the time.

what you said. Same age and everything, maybe we're just turning into miserable bastards in our advancing years

TheCobra wrote:I'm the same in terms of losing interest I have definitely lost a lot of interest in the last couple of years, Matchroom are good at delivering the occasional barnstormer but the stuff in between is unfortunately overhyped dross a lot of the time.

I just preferred it when it was Friday Fight Night plus the odd big Saturday night event. I loved the variety, the different promoters and different venues shown around the country. The British title scraps like Moore vs Macklin etc, random fights I can recall like Carl Johansson getting absolutely chinned by Kirakosyan somewhere like Leeds/Barnsley, the rise of Rendall Munroe at Nottingham Harvey Haddon, the rise of Carl Froch from his early BBC days then onto Sky for a few years.

I loved the grassroots support that Sky had for boxing and I loved the feel of those fights, some of them I went and some watched on TV, the small hall shows were the best. Now all Sky shows is Matchroom Arena shows, the soul has gone out of it, there is MUCH less boxing on TV anyway from the UK and it all just feels like the small hall shows have just died off a bit since Sky pulled the plug. The matchs are much safer, much less competitive fights and much less risks being taken, instead careers are being very gradually 'built' until they can get into line for a big title shot.

It makes me sad, part of it is also my age, I'm 33 now, when I first properly got into boxing in a big way I was 19/20 and naive and fresh to the sport, now I know all the tricks, all the crap matches and I'm only interested in special talents or really competitive matches which we just don't see enough of. The stuff in between bores me most the time.

arlovski wrote:The lack of competitive fights is an issue these days, but it's had a positive effect on my boxing viewing in a way, as it's forced me to go back and watch loads of fights from different era's.

The last year or so i've spent hours and hours on youtube watching fighters from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

I've learnt so much from studying fighters like Louis, Conn, Cerdan, Kid Chocolate, Robinson, Moore etc. It's fascinating, but also depressing to see that skill levels and technical nuance has undoubtedly dropped over the generations, which is of course another debate.
Coaching some half decent fighters over the last few months, and realising they've never been taught how to parry/move from the waist, ride shots etc is eye opening.
There is truly a 'lost art' in the game these days, and being repeatedly told Anthony Crolla is 'world class' whilst watching him catch right hands with his face all Saturday night isn't going to fill that void for me

Datsue wrote:

arlovski wrote:The lack of competitive fights is an issue these days, but it's had a positive effect on my boxing viewing in a way, as it's forced me to go back and watch loads of fights from different era's.

The last year or so i've spent hours and hours on youtube watching fighters from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

I've learnt so much from studying fighters like Louis, Conn, Cerdan, Kid Chocolate, Robinson, Moore etc. It's fascinating, but also depressing to see that skill levels and technical nuance has undoubtedly dropped over the generations, which is of course another debate.
Coaching some half decent fighters over the last few months, and realising they've never been taught how to parry/move from the waist, ride shots etc is eye opening.
There is truly a 'lost art' in the game these days, and being repeatedly told Anthony Crolla is 'world class' whilst watching him catch right hands with his face all Saturday night isn't going to fill that void for me

Can we have some more of your wonderful analysis videos please pretty please please mate?

Or maybe a link to your y/tube channel...?

thepocketrocket wrote: I suppose if Anthony beats ex world champion Diaz tonight he still won't be worthy of a world title shot in some peoples eyes

Datsue wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote: I suppose if Anthony beats ex world champion Diaz tonight he still won't be worthy of a world title shot in some peoples eyes

Is Dante Jardon worthy of a world title shot, as Jardon KO'd Diaz a year ago?

& what other massive achievements has Crolla racked up to warrant one? Not that any pudendum needs to achieve anything these days other than, say, still be breathing, but I am genuinely intrigued that you can use the word "worthy" in this sentence.

PS: & just what the eff these days has "getting a title shot" got to do with the concept of world class, in the context that arlovski was blindingly obviously using it?

thepocketrocket wrote:

Datsue wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote: I suppose if Anthony beats ex world champion Diaz tonight he still won't be worthy of a world title shot in some peoples eyes

Is Dante Jardon worthy of a world title shot, as Jardon KO'd Diaz a year ago?

& what other massive achievements has Crolla racked up to warrant one? Not that any pudendum needs to achieve anything these days other than, say, still be breathing, but I am genuinely intrigued that you can use the word "worthy" in this sentence.

PS: & just what the eff these days has "getting a title shot" got to do with the concept of world class, in the context that arlovski was blindingly obviously using it?

Well I refer to him beating Rees, who had vacated the European title to fight Broner. Then Hearn said this Rees v Crolla was a world title eliminator for Burns. As soon Crolla wins, we have people on here almost campaigning for him not to get a shot. Yet if Rees had won, we would have had excitement over Burns V Rees. Double standards

It wasn't really aimed at you, i just replied to your post. But I tell you something, Crolla beats Diaz tonight and we will have a backlash with people saying that he doesn't deserve any shot, despite him probably doing more than 80% of MODERN ERA challengers

Datsue wrote:

arlovski wrote:The lack of competitive fights is an issue these days, but it's had a positive effect on my boxing viewing in a way, as it's forced me to go back and watch loads of fights from different era's.

The last year or so i've spent hours and hours on youtube watching fighters from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

I've learnt so much from studying fighters like Louis, Conn, Cerdan, Kid Chocolate, Robinson, Moore etc. It's fascinating, but also depressing to see that skill levels and technical nuance has undoubtedly dropped over the generations, which is of course another debate.
Coaching some half decent fighters over the last few months, and realising they've never been taught how to parry/move from the waist, ride shots etc is eye opening.
There is truly a 'lost art' in the game these days, and being repeatedly told Anthony Crolla is 'world class' whilst watching him catch right hands with his face all Saturday night isn't going to fill that void for me

Can we have some more of your wonderful analysis videos please pretty please please mate?

Or maybe a link to your y/tube channel...?

thepocketrocket wrote:To be fair mate, your analysis is bang on. I think I just reacted to the Crolla being singled out as I know IF he wins tonight, there is going to be threads full of 'Crolla has done nothing to earn any shot'. My only point is that in the modern era he has done more than enough. Never fell out with your analysis.

I do miss the days when you had four world champions at a weight, and you knew who they all were, and you could pretty much rank them yourself. This three layers of title garbage (at least) IS leading to pants fighters fighting for world title. But are they 'world' titles, or is it like a 'penta-continental' belt?

Totally poo state of affairs

MightyWarrior wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote:To be fair mate, your analysis is bang on. I think I just reacted to the Crolla being singled out as I know IF he wins tonight, there is going to be threads full of 'Crolla has done nothing to earn any shot'. My only point is that in the modern era he has done more than enough. Never fell out with your analysis.

I do miss the days when you had four world champions at a weight, and you knew who they all were, and you could pretty much rank them yourself. This three layers of title garbage (at least) IS leading to pants fighters fighting for world title. But are they 'world' titles, or is it like a 'penta-continental' belt?

Totally poo state of affairs

I thought you were joking when you said that, but I guess you're aren't bloody hell, I remember when people used to complain about having TWO world champions !!

At this rate, in 10 years time, someone will be on here saying they miss the good old days when there were only 10 world champions per weight class.