Crunch time for Robin Reid...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 08 Dec 2003, 18:03

FORMER WBC super-middleweight champion Robin Reid challenges Sven Ottke for his IBF and WBA super-middleweight titles this Saturday in Nuremburg, Germany.
The prolific Ottke has won all 32 of his pro fights to date, but Reid, currently on a winning run of 10 believes he has the beating of a man who has hinted at retirement after five years as 'world' champion.
"I think he is a clever fighter," said Reid when the fight was announced. "I mean he's made 19 defences (of his IBF title). From what I've seen of him he is good at what he does but he's nothing too special. And I think he's had his run.
"I just think he's ready to be beat," Reid continues. "I saw his last two fights against Mads Larsen and David Starie. Starie was beating him up until the seventh round. And Larsen I thought won the fight by at least two rounds. He's happy to just sit back and defend in Germany. But I think that I have the power and the skills to adapt and beat him because I have never really seen him under any pressure. Obviously I'll have to study him over and over, but I just think he's there for the taking."
He continues: "Although I know its gonna be a hard job, doing it in Germany because they don't give anything away over there. But I've done it before when I went to Italy (to win the WBC title), so I'm looking forward to that fight.
"When I went out to Italy nobody thought I could do it but I am telling you I did it then and I'm going to do it again on December 13. Ottke's had a great career and has been an unbelievable champion but his time is past and my time is now."
The Runcorn man travelled to Milan in 1996 as a big outsider against WBC super-middleweight champion Vincenzo Nardiello, who had won the title from the classy Sugarboy Malinga (later to beat Reid), and had also mixed it with the likes of Nigel Benn, Victor Cordoba, Fidel Castro Smith and Mauro Galvano. Reid was unbeaten, but had been held to a draw by the unheralded Ghanaian Danny Juma and his best win was probably a seventh round stoppage of Tipton's Andy Flute. It was also his first crack at any title as a pro. Still, he had a chance if he could jump on the talented but temperamental champion and bully him into surrender. Easier said than done in Italy. But Robin did just that, punishing the local hero to the body, flooring him in the fifth and twice more in the seventh, and, indeed, forcing Nardiello to call it a day before the seventh was even over.
It was a champion performance if ever there was one.
But Reid has always been a fighter who travels well, and it will help his challenge tomorrow night that two of his last three fights have come in Germany, where he stopped Uruguay's Enrique Campos in eight rounds in April and Canada's former WBO title challenger Willard Lewis in six in October, Reid's promoter Jess Harding putting in some shrewd groundwork with German-TV and Ottke's manager, Wilfried Sauerland.
Reid followed the Lewis win with a fourth round knockout of Belarussian Dimitry Adamovich three weeks later at York Hall. "Adamovich was a tough kid, but I wanted to try out a few things and one of those things was to attack the body," said Reid, clearly planning the same approach against Ottke that won him the WBC title from Nardiello. "I have never seen anyone attack Ottke to the body so I hope he does not watch this fight.
"That was ideal for me. If I'd been in with someone who came to run away all night or was totally in my face, I wouldn't have had a chance to work on what I believe could be the key to beating Sven Ottke.
"In all honesty we were treating tonight more as a chance for some top class sparring. Don't get me wrong, I treated this as I do all my fights, but it was always about preparing for Ottke."
This is the biggest fight Reid has had for some time. He enjoyed several glory nights in the late 90's, but a disappointing points loss to Italy's Silvio Branco for the WBU super-middleweight title in 2000 (Branco is now WBA light-heavyweight champion) on the Tyson-Savarese bill in Glasgow led to a promotional switch from Sports Network to Jess Harding's UK Presents, with whom he picked up the vacant WBF super-middleweight title with a first round stoppage of Mike Gormley. Reid made five somewhat humdrum BBC-televised defences of the title and is overdue another shot at the big time.
It seems a lifetime ago he picked up an excellent bronze medal in the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, but the man known as "The Grim Reaper" is still only 32. He turned pro in February 1993 and was steered to 21 wins and a draw before the leash was loosened and the likeable, charismatic Cheshire man showed steel behind the smile with that resounding stoppage of the unpredictable Nardiello for the WBC title in Italy in October 1996 (in front of an approving Marvin Hagler). It remains one of the finest title-winning displays given by a British fighter abroad.
Reid proved it was no fluke with two dazzling defences against Giovanni Pretorius (w ko 7) and Henry Wharton (w pts 12), but the rugged Hacine Cherifi took him to a split decision and the canny Sugarboy Malinga took his title on a unanimous decision in December 1997.
Robin looked to bounce back in a WBO super-middleweight title challenge to Joe Calzaghe, but Calzaghe's better boxing edged him home, though it remains arguably the Welshman's toughest ever fight. Then came the drab, losing 12-rounder with Italian spoiler Silvio Branco in Glasgow for the WBU crown, and Robin's subsequent WBF title reign means very little in truth.
Already there is talk of a Calzaghe-Reid rematch if the Brit gets past Ottke. "I want to fight him on equal terms," admits Robin. "Last time around I fought him as the challenger. I think I beat him. I think I beat him by at least two rounds. So next time I want to fight him on a level par as IBF and WBA champion. That's what I would be looking for." Calzaghe only got home on a split decision in their tough 1999 encounter in Newcastle (the judge who scored for Reid had him ahead by 116-111) which saw the challenger winging right hands right up to the final bell.
But it really will be asking a lot of Robin to produce a similar performance in Germany. Despite his recent activity (two fights in October), Reid's only other outing this year came last April. Three fights in a year against knockover opposition - on top of a long spell of undemanding defences of his WBF title, is hardly ideal preparation for a double world title challenge. Ottke has also boxed only three times this year, but 12-round wins over Byron Mitchell (for the WBA title), David Starie and Mads Larsen are a world apart from Reid's recent opponents and will have kept the champion nice and sharp - and well used to the championship distance. Rightly or wrongly, all Ottke seemingly has to do to win in Germany is stay on his feet for the full 36 minutes. The German is a master at nicking rounds courtesy of a few unspectacular counters followed by plenty of movement and spoiling. Awkward and clever, fleet-footed and strong, Sven could actually dominate this fight on Saturday if the challenger doesn't go for it as promised.
If Reid can slow him down with body shots, his physical strength and dangerous hooks could really tell in the later rounds. But Robin has never been a busy fighter in terms of workrate. I just don't think his workrate will be high enough to sway the judges in Germany. More than that, Robin can be outboxed and frustrated (think of Malinga, Branco and Calzaghe) and gets pretty spiteful in there as a result. The Germans won't stand for any of that with Ottke. Anthony Mundine had TWO points taken away for reckless headwork as early as the second round against Ottke, with no prior warning.
At the end of the day, Reid is a bit too predictable for a man of Ottke's experience. What exactly does he have that Ottke hasn't already dealt with before?
No, "The phantom", as Ottke's nicknamed, has seen it all. He can ghost his way to another 12-round decision.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 08 Dec 2003, 19:59

Almost identical in parts to the article I've prepared for max. Ottke has been there seen it and done it, it's like Watson v McCallum all over again except Ottke won't stop him.

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 09 Dec 2003, 06:31

I still get annoyed when I hear him referring to "beating" Calzaghe.

He was lucky to remain in the fight at all IMO.

His use of the elbow, forearm and head was blatant and as far as I am aware they aren't awarding points for that yet?

In fact I always thought they took points away for it?

Reid's bulling, brawling style is made for Ottke and it will require Ottke NOT to perform to allow Reid a chance.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 09 Dec 2003, 06:44

i think Reid will lose points as a whining moaning Ottke complains everytime Robin gets a bit rough.... this wont help his cause when it goes to the judges which it probably will

I am still amazed how much Woodhall fancies Reid to win this....Not sure if he knows something we dont or he is just biased as Reid is presumably a long time friend of his... would love Richie to be right though

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 09 Dec 2003, 07:03

Reid will have to get one seriously lucky break with the judges because I can't see him performing any better that Mads Larsen did earlier this year.

It'll be good cheering him on though. And you just never quite know. Maybe it's his destiny to have held all 3 of the major belts despite never being one of the elite.

It didn't happen for Brodie, it didn't happen for Woods, come on Robin rip them titles away!!

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 09 Dec 2003, 07:12

It has been the right year for upsets - you never know - he might do a Corrie Sanders!!

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:23

Would be a great acheivement for Reid, but I just can't see him managing it...

Good luck to him all the same - I hope he sends home those German fans disappointed after knocking off their oh-so-boring hero.

On the subject of the Calzaghe fight, whilst I scorred it for JC at the time they fought, I have an endelible memory of Calzaghe's head being snapped back on several occasions by solid right hands.
This is something few have managed to do to him in his long pro career and is worthy of mention.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:30

I'll certainly be cheering him on....

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:30

I see the BBC have it listed as "Live" at 11.55pm Sat night - are they taking the piss?! That's around 1AM in Germany.

It's on German TV ARD at around 9.30pm, though that'll probably be the undercard, Danny Williams I guess. Strange the BBC try to make out it's a live broadcast when it's clearly not.

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:35

TerribleTerry wrote:Would be a great acheivement for Reid, but I just can't see him managing it...

Good luck to him all the same - I hope he sends home those German fans disappointed after knocking off their oh-so-boring hero.

On the subject of the Calzaghe fight, whilst I scorred it for JC at the time they fought, I have an endelible memory of Calzaghe's head being snapped back on several occasions by solid right hands.
This is something few have managed to do to him in his long pro career and is worthy of mention.

You are right - the right hands were going "down the pipe" all night - Reid doesn't appear to remember the 6-8 punch combinations going the other way.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:49

Lugh wrote:I still get annoyed when I hear him referring to "beating" Calzaghe.

Lol, viewers of my posts on the Current Scene will know how i believe Reid won that fight. He deserved to get deducted a point for his illegal moves and i don't dispute that but Glenn McCrory had it a draw and that was with the point deduction, i had Reid winning by a round. For me Calzaghe did little to nothing in the last 6 rounds and what he did do was all huff and puff and no substance. Reid pressed the case with some solid right hands and opened the question that Eubank had before and Woodhall did after about Calaghe's susceptibility to the right hand. Reid no question will press Ottke and i agree with the previous poster who made the point about complaining and i think Ottke will moan and whine about Reid all night. I believe the ref will take points away from Reid and if Ottke is getting beaten up so badly we may have a Beyer-Green situation on our hands with a disqualification. Reid on form wins for me and especially if he attacks the body like he did against Nardiello, can ageing Ottke take body punches constantly on Saturday night? Reid TKO8 Ottke.

tolstoy · Post by **tolstoy** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:56

I too take Reid to stop Ottke. Perhaps more in hope than expectation...but he does have the ability, or rather he did. If it's still there Ottke, win or lose, is in for a rough night.

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 09 Dec 2003, 09:57

steve689 wrote: Reid on form wins for me and especially if he attacks the body like he did against Nardiello, can ageing Ottke take body punches constantly on Saturday night? Reid TKO8 Ottke.

Steve mate, there is no way Reid will be able to land enough shots at once to force a stoppage. No matter how far Ottke has slipped it's clear he can still back-pedal like Derrick Gainer if the situation demands it.

This fight is going to be all about the 3 judges.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 09 Dec 2003, 10:25

Your probably right Kilburn, like Tolstoy i am rather more in hope than expectation. I expect Reid to win the decision morally but in reality Ottke needs to just stay on his feet for 12 rounds and he gets it regardless, i know that prime Reid V prime Ottke i take Reid, as good as Ottke is i think that Reid is better. Calzaghe would walk through Ottke i would say, he is a good fighter but look what Mundine did to him? Danced round him all night and made him look old and static.

Lugh · Post by **Lugh** » 09 Dec 2003, 10:32

Ottke is looking reday to be taken I agree - but I'd say the same about Reid!

Maybe this will end up being about who has the most left!?

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Dec 2003, 10:33

Ottke UD Reid in a dull affair, the judges won't have got it wrong either.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 09 Dec 2003, 10:55

Reid has to turn it into a street fight from the opening bell.

He needs to make Ottke fight for 3 minutes of every round.

He needs to go out and bash him up, al la Nigel Benn.

No feeling out. Just a War.

I think Ottke can punch harder than people give him credit for but Reid has to throw caution to the wind from the first bell.

I dont know who's going to win, but I can see Ottke stopping Reid as easily as I can see Reid stopping Ottke.

As I said the only chance Reid has is to turn it into a street fight, like say Honeyghan - Vaca II.

He may get hit with a lot of counters and stopped, but he may aslo win.

He wont win by boxing.

Good luck, Robin.

What a great night of Boxing its going to be.

I've just had SKy installed today and am sending the wife out on Staurday night.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 09 Dec 2003, 10:59

If Reid wins this, it won't matter if Hatton bombs out Tackie in a round or Cory Spinks outclasses Mayorga, it will still be the best win of the night. Ottke has made 19 defences!!

TerribleTerry · Post by **TerribleTerry** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:00

Mention of Fidel Castro Smith in Bennie’s preview reminded me of the talented Sheffield fighter.
Does anyone know what he is up to now? Slugger O’Toole (as he was for a good part of his career – that Ingle humour shining through there..) had an excellent fight with Henry Wharton which I thought him very unlucky to lose.
I can’t decide which name I prefer for a fighter: Fidel Castro Smith or Slugger O’Toole…

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:02

knockout artist wrote:I dont know who's going to win, but I can see Ottke stopping Reid as easily as I can see Reid stopping Ottke.

Come on mate, Reid has proven he can absorb a solid shot as well as Ottke can avoid one. No way this fight ends inside schedule.

knockout artist wrote: I've just had Sky installed today and am sending the wife out on Saturday night.

Nice one.

Southpaw Stylist · Post by **Southpaw Stylist** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:11

TerribleTerry wrote:Mention of Fidel Castro Smith in Bennie’s preview reminded me of the talented Sheffield fighter.
Does anyone know what he is up to now? Slugger O’Toole (as he was for a good part of his career – that Ingle humour shining through there..) had an excellent fight with Henry Wharton which I thought him very unlucky to lose.
I can’t decide which name I prefer for a fighter: Fidel Castro Smith or Slugger O’Toole…

Yeh he's a coach.

knockout artist · Post by **knockout artist** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:18

Kilburn wrote:
knockout artist wrote:I dont know who's going to win, but I can see Ottke stopping Reid as easily as I can see Reid stopping Ottke.

Come on mate, Reid has proven he can absorb a solid shot as well as Ottke can avoid one. No way this fight ends inside schedule.

I know what you mean, but the way Reid has to fight to win means IMO that he will leave himself wide open at times and I think Ottke's power is a bit underrated.

A lot of guys think Reid only has to turn up to win, but, as Bennie States Ottke has made 19 defences.

adamiw · Post by **adamiw** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:21

Reid has got a good chance, he just can't be mesmerised (bas sp), and needs to be aggressive and keep that pressure up for all of the fight.

He would of trained hard and will be more than ready, i think he can pull the upset.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:25

Ottke UD in a dullathon

shakermaker · Post by **shakermaker** » 09 Dec 2003, 11:29

good luck to Robin Reid

he has to work in the early rounds, make it impossible for the judges to go with Ottke. If he gets stuck in 2nd gear for the first 6 rounds he's in big trouble. Ottke will patter away all night long.