BoxRec

kevo wrote: It's a WBO title fight, can't really understand why people are so confused. There's a long, long list of unworthy WBO title challengers, and smith is far from the worst. He has a nice looking record (number wise) so he fits the bill.

This. It's not just that it's a shitty WBO title. It's just another paper title. Arthur Abraham is not a 'World Champion' by any stretch. Some people still don't seem to understand this.

I also saw a thread the other day talking about how Cleverly's comeback opponent 'isn't good enough for a former World Champion'. The mind boggles.

Personally, I think Abraham has some unfinished business with Steiglitz. Yes he won fairly last time, but Steiglitz won so decively the fight before that Abraham was lucky to get a third fight (I know he worked his way to mandatory... via some fortunate victories, but not many gave him a shout).

ShadrachSimmo wrote:

kevo wrote:

palooka wrote:Smith is still a good fighter and hits hard; I don't think he'll win the title but think he'll go in there to win, not to make the numbers up. I thought he was a touch brittle when he posted on here but he's a decent commentator. I don't understand the hate.

Yeah, he can be a bit surly, but he does catch a bit of unecessary heat.

It's a WBO title fight, can't really understand why people are so confused. There's a long, long list of unworthy WBO title challengers, and smith is far from the worst. He has a nice looking record (number wise) so he fits the bill.

I noticed Will McIntyre is still fighting. He could be a candidate for worst contender for this very title.

Good old 'Kid Fire'

Still reckon we could find worse than him though!

He's not british I know but Tocker Pudwill has got to be up there for one of the worst

columbo wrote:He's not british I know but Tocker Pudwill has got to be up there for one of the worst

Bobby Gunn and samuel kedebe up there too!

Pudwill was awful

I like Paul Smith, especially as a pundit, but he shouldn't be getting a world title shot.

To be honest, he shouldn't be in there for the good of his health. I know Abraham isn't as lethal at SMW as he was at MW, but he still punches plenty hard. I see Smith getting badly laid out in this fight.

kevo wrote:

palooka wrote:Smith is still a good fighter and hits hard; I don't think he'll win the title but think he'll go in there to win, not to make the numbers up. I thought he was a touch brittle when he posted on here but he's a decent commentator. I don't understand the hate.

Yeah, he can be a bit surly, but he does catch a bit of unecessary heat.

It's a WBO title fight, can't really understand why people are so confused. There's a long, long list of unworthy WBO title challengers, and smith is far from the worst. He has a nice looking record (number wise) so he fits the bill.

This !!

Just have to look at Cleverly's defences for that.

Even though Smtih doesn't deserve it he is making the best out of the situation Warren got him into.

Cedarblue wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote:

Cedarblue wrote:Rees was a European champion just months before CROLLA BEAT HIM, and had only lost to Broner in the meantime.
The thing is crolla didn't beat him it was close but Rees should have got the majority decision easily watch the fight again and you will agree

That is opinion...it isn't an opinion shared by the majority, In fact it is mostly held by guys who are on Gav Rees's Facebook.

But that is the beauty of scoring. In my world Curtis Woodhouse isn't British champion as Hamilton should have got it, but when he goes home that doesn't matter as Woodhouse sees the Lonsdale belt on his wall. And he gets ranking points and the kudos attached

It might be my opinion but try watching it again on mute coz all glen mcCrory did was cream over crolla when Rees was out working him and out boxing crolla. And I ain't on Facebook

I was there mate,ringside, and had Crolla by two

Wales wrote:

columbo wrote:He's not british I know but Tocker Pudwill has got to be up there for one of the worst

Bobby Gunn and samuel kedebe up there too!

Pudwill was awful

I think Damon Reed challenging Herbie Hide for the heavyweight title was the worst I've see.

Smith has hung around for a while now and mixed it up with a few decent names, so a European title shot would have been ok, but a "world" title shot....no way.

I think everyone here is forgetting the important facts.... Paul Smith loves his nan, and is from a proud fighting town.

Eddie Hearn can deliver as many world title shots 'for life changing money' as he likes but the fact is very few of his guys will win and defend a title. Can't believe Smith is that high in the WBO and his best years are well behind him. It feels like he's been around forever. Should still be a middleweight if you ask me just looks small at 168lbs.

Crolla's another one. Beating a battle worn, inactive John Murray and before that a past it Steve Foster (ok a replacement) and Rees, its hardly worthy of a title. Eddies recycling guys now.

"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

The monopoly is not good. Sky are doing the fans a disservice and its a laughing stock really. I can't bare to tune into ringside any more and outside of Froch v Groves 2, what decent cards has he got to look forward too? Bellew v Cleverly 2? Come on, both were found out at world level - its kinda like a watered down and less exciting Chisora v Fury.

Boxing is in dire straits at the moment, a no amount of fluff can hide it.

Eddie should be looking at quality and not quantity. One thing this last 18 months on sky has re-affirmed for me is that sadly the general public are mugs. Go on twitter and you've got guys tweeting eddie like they are mates yet they barely know anything about the guys who are fighting on the card they are buying tickets for.

dbf wrote:Eddie Hearn can deliver as many world title shots 'for life changing money' as he likes but the fact is very few of his guys will win and defend a title. Can't believe Smith is that high in the WBO and his best years are well behind him. It feels like he's been around forever. Should still be a middleweight if you ask me just looks small at 168lbs.

Crolla's another one. Beating a battle worn, inactive John Murray and before that a past it Steve Foster (ok a replacement) and Rees, its hardly worthy of a title. Eddies recycling guys now.

"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

The monopoly is not good. Sky are doing the fans a disservice and its a laughing stock really. I can't bare to tune into ringside any more and outside of Froch v Groves 2, what decent cards has he got to look forward too? Bellew v Cleverly 2? Come on, both were found out at world level - its kinda like a watered down and less exciting Chisora v Fury.

Boxing is in dire straits at the moment, a no amount of fluff can hide it.

Eddie should be looking at quality and not quantity. One thing this last 18 months on sky has re-affirmed for me is that sadly the general public are mugs. Go on twitter and you've got guys tweeting eddie like they are mates yet they barely know anything about the guys who are fighting on the card they are buying tickets for.

good post

dbf wrote:"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

What sort of criticism is that? Who do you want on the undercard? Floyd fornicating Mayweather?

jameswilson wrote:

dbf wrote:"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

What sort of criticism is that? Who do you want on the undercard? Floyd effing Mayweather?

I think what he means is the matchups in a lot of cases arent competitive or compelling.

columbo wrote:

jameswilson wrote:

dbf wrote:"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

What sort of criticism is that? Who do you want on the undercard? Floyd effing Mayweather?

I think what he means is the matchups in a lot of cases arent competitive or compelling.

That can be thrown at every card of boxing tho. Nobody is in 50-50 fights every fight.

arlovski wrote:

dbf wrote:Eddie Hearn can deliver as many world title shots 'for life changing money' as he likes but the fact is very few of his guys will win and defend a title. Can't believe Smith is that high in the WBO and his best years are well behind him. It feels like he's been around forever. Should still be a middleweight if you ask me just looks small at 168lbs.

Crolla's another one. Beating a battle worn, inactive John Murray and before that a past it Steve Foster (ok a replacement) and Rees, its hardly worthy of a title. Eddies recycling guys now.

"We've got Cambell, Callum Smith, Yafai, Warrington and John Ryder on the undercard....." yada yada yada.

The monopoly is not good. Sky are doing the fans a disservice and its a laughing stock really. I can't bare to tune into ringside any more and outside of Froch v Groves 2, what decent cards has he got to look forward too? Bellew v Cleverly 2? Come on, both were found out at world level - its kinda like a watered down and less exciting Chisora v Fury.

Boxing is in dire straits at the moment, a no amount of fluff can hide it.

Eddie should be looking at quality and not quantity. One thing this last 18 months on sky has re-affirmed for me is that sadly the general public are mugs. Go on twitter and you've got guys tweeting eddie like they are mates yet they barely know anything about the guys who are fighting on the card they are buying tickets for.

good post

I am not sure boxing is in dire straights. It has a good fan base and also catches the casual fans imagination. People have been saying this for years. I remember the Duff/lawless cartel and some of their matches where also pretty dire and people complaining then. There is also a good spread of regional and small hall shows still going on and the number of pros in the country seems to stay fairly consistent. Also a really good crop of young pros coming through.

Remember Bruno knocking over that guy in Spain and the headlines full of boxing cant take these matches, the game will die with matches like this etc etc roll forward 25 years Joshua v Leg and no problems selling it to Joe Public.

You can knock the WBO/IBF etc but the reality is the average guy in the street knows nothing and will happily fork out for a ringside seat at a "world" title fight. look at Hatton-selling ut venues for a WBU title not so long ago. I bet people who went to those fights had a really good time. We have a lot of white collar shows round here-standard is dire-but always packed and people often think they are seeing genuine british or world title fights and have a great night

Boxing isnt in dire straights it is thriving-it might not be in the way the real die hard fan wants it to be-but it is changing and adapting and doing ok.

He did beat Tommy Tolan remember . .

And jamie ambler

If you have four 'main belts' then you will have four sets of challengers so Paul Smith in that regard is as qualified a challenger as anyone with his credentials that are around at this moment. He isn't the bad guy, nor are the promoters or the TV station or the champion, it is just how boxing is nowadays.

One belt and one world champion? No, but that is not professional boxing these days. If there were four other organisations other than FIFA holding world cups, we could see a Scotland beating Estonia in the final and calling themselves 'world champions'.

Benelio wrote:I think everyone here is forgetting the important facts.... Paul Smith loves his nan, and is from a proud fighting town.

Abraham has been so exposed so many times, I do give Smith a chance. Got to go back to his boxing though, and dig those body shots - Abraham hates it to the body.

Abraham is the so one paced that he could lose to any disciplined half decent boxer (infact, there have been many times where he has and he's bad very lucky to get the title)... that guy with the name like "Will the force be with you" beat him clearly on my card. Warrants a rematch more than Smith, but I'd give Smith a shout if he is disciplined, tough and boxes very smart.

stujones wrote:Abraham has been so exposed so many times, I do give Smith a chance. Got to go back to his boxing though, and dig those body shots - Abraham hates it to the body.

Abraham is the so one paced that he could lose to any disciplined half decent boxer (infact, there have been many times where he has and he's bad very lucky to get the title)... that guy with the name like "Will the force be with you" beat him clearly on my card. Warrants a rematch more than Smith, but I'd give Smith a shout if he is disciplined, tough and boxes very smart.

Agree with this. Not so sure Smith is good and big enough to do the job. Abrham had always been one paced and strong. The fact that prior to Bute that was Froch's signature win (in the eyes of many, although I think Pascal was and still is) says something.

Incidently does anyone know the what was the score card at the time between Taylor and Abraham. People rave about that performance and how good Abraham was. Yes, alongside Miranda it is Abraham's best win - but I had the fight very close at the time of the stoppage.

Personally, I can see Smith vs Abraham going the same way, eventually Abraham getting to him and Smith losing the discipline in a combination of fatigue and Abraham's power setting in. However, Abraham is there for the taking although clearly easier said than done - Stieglitz should have been too good for him in all of their matches, but somehow Abraham's power makes him lose his discipline and shape.

Give Froch his due he was the first fighter to show the stamina and discipline to box smart for 12 rounds and truly show up Abraham (although it could be argued that Dirrel did so earlier).

Abaham vs Kessler is something I'd want to see. Got fight of the year written all over it.

stujones wrote:Incidently does anyone know the what was the score card at the time between Taylor and Abraham. People rave about that performance and how good Abraham was. Yes, alongside Miranda it is Abraham's best win - but I had the fight very close at the time of the stoppage.

I had it close but Abraham ahead and, like you, wanted to know what the scores were and sure enough the judges had Abraham up by 3 or 4 points thus out of sight.