BoxRec

Jim Watt's commentating for Taylor-Hopkins II was the worst performance I have ever witnessed. The fight was not exciting, but no-one expected it to be. You don't have to be a paid expert to know before hand that the fight would be awkward, that Hopkins would try to conserve energy.
Was Jim Watt drunk, or can he just not be bothered to make the effort anymore? He is paid to analyse what is happening, yet for 7 rounds he just kept on repeating himself, unfairly critisizing both boxers, accusing Hopkins of being a novice and Taylor of being lazy. Maybe he should have put gloves on and fought Hopkins himself, he obviously thinks he could have done better.
Seems to me he just didn't want to be there and he ruined the fight completely.

I agree that his comments were poor. I'm surprised at how much criticism he gave Hopkins considering he has always been a cautious fighter. It would be stupid for a 41 year old experienced fighter to rush in going toe to toe with a physcially stronger and more powerful twenty seven year old.

Watt is often unnecessarily negative. It does piss me off, but not as much as Larry Merchant. I reckon the two should get it on

Horrible commentary. Jim Watt just had his usual protracted moan and Adam Smith was... well, Adam Smith.

I don't agree that he should retire (he is usually excellent on the domestic scene) and I don't know what the drunk reference is all about.

As for the fight itself, I had went for Taylor UD - I thought Hopkins would win most of the rounds but a knockdown or two would make it close, and, as we all know, there was no way Hopkins was going to win a close one. My final score was about 115-113 Hopkins. I had it even going into 10 and I thought Hopkins won 10 and 12. Taylor was poor and I cannot believe (sounding like Jim Watt now, lol) there are people on here who actually buy into it. Christ, all the stick British fighters get and yet one of the biggest, most blatant American hypejobs I've ever seen gets lauded. That's rich.

Paul Dempsey's comments were also poor. I was listening to him speak when the broadcast first started, and imagining what he was saying but without his voice. It was a lot more interesting. The post fight comments were just about, if not more, horrible than the commentary of the fight itself, but it was the 'analysis' of the Quartey fight that took the biscuit - a sickening mismatch between a faded former champion scrapping for cash, and a face first slugger woefully out his depth. And this was 'fight of the night'? I genuinely almost turned off the TV in disgust during the fifth or sixth round.

I thought Watt was spot on to be honest. It was a piss poor fight between two guys not willing to take any chances whatsoever. He was dead right about Hopkins going forward early in the fight, he looked clueless, stepping forward with a jab and then dropping his head to waist level.

Give me Larios - Vasquez anyday ahead of Hopkins - Taylor. Hagler / Leonard or Hearns wolud have destroyed Hopkins. The fact he's reigned so long shows just how poor the middleweight division has been over the past decade.

I thought Watt was spot on, he was saying Hopkins was negative and was saying that it cost him last time, which it did.

McCory and Piper were more off, McCory was implying that Taylor has got Hopkins' number and dominated. Sorry, I don't agree with that - Hopkins won this one IMO. Only Watt really implied it was a close fight.

i had taylor by 1 pt.

hopkins made the same mistakes as the first fight. i agreed with jim watt's scorecard, apart from rd 6 which i had for taylor.

when hopkins opened up in the 2nd half of the fight, he proved who the better man was.

unfortunately for hopkins that is not how u score fights.

Jim Watt has always struck me as a bit of a grumpy old man. He might have been right about Hopkins, but boy does he moan! He should cheer up the grumpy bugger!

I turned off the volume after the third or fourth, because it can influence you without you really knowing.

In a close messy fight it is easy to see what the commentators are seeing.

When they put up Watts score card at about the tenth round I was surprised how he had scored some of the rounds to Hopkins.

Jim Watt is one of the best at what he does though

I was disappointed with McCrory as well, implying Taylor had his number and Dempsey as well, what was up with him..."Surely Hopkins can't argue now, Taylor wasn't lucky twice" making it out like Taylor had laid it all to rest with an utterly dominant performance. Get Johnny Nelson in more regularly and give these clowns a rest.

Manos de Oro wrote:
I don't agree that he should retire (he is usually excellent on the domestic scene) and I don't know what the drunk reference is all about.

I had it even going into 10 and I thought Hopkins won 10 and 12. Taylor was poor and I cannot believe (sounding like Jim Watt now, lol) there are people on here who actually buy into it. Christ, all the stick British fighters get and yet one of the biggest, most blatant American hypejobs I've ever seen gets lauded. That's rich..

I swear the man was pissed. He was so repetitive it was unbelievable. I was annoyed because I could see what was happening tactically, yet Jim Watt chose to ignore all circumstances and proceeded to whinge like an old fogey. Why? He is usually very perceptive.

Strangely, I agreed with Jim and Oro, I had the fight even going into 10 and gave B-Hop 2 rounds after that.
I respect B-Hop for his gameplan, at 41 he was stronger than JT at the finish, and I think that says alot. JT is being lauded more than his performances against B-Hop merit, but I did see flashes of brilliance in the early rounds, and I think that if he moves up to Super Middle or Light-Heavy he will be a decent long-reigning champ. I just hope that his late round collapses are due to weightmaking and not an inherent stamina problem.

I think anyone would have run out of things to say in that fight: there was hardly any action at all, with both guys acting like they had George Foreman in front of them. After awhile, what else could he say? Those are nice trunks Hop is wearing....and I like Taylor's hair today.

I love Jim Watt. "eeerrrrmm punches". He's the business.

That fight was shit though, this IS the entertainment business and they should at least try to put on a bit of a show. Hopkins has turned into Sven Ottke these last few years, charging in head first, landing a shot then holding...

I think Jim was spot on and you should ave more respect for him...

Does anyone else think Nicky Piper is like a bullied kid around Glenn McCrory, Johnny Nelson and Dempsey. They constantly disagree with him and I thought Dempsey was a bit bitchy to him after the Froch fight

Amen to that, I have hated Jim Watt's commentary for a while now but last night was the worst I have ever heard. He always picks up one one negative point and goes on and on about it through the fight. Him and the even worse Adam Smith together is about as entertaining as pulling teeth. Bring back Darke and McCrory they were a good pairing I thought.

Does anyone else agree that Glenn McCrory has been weird lately? As in arguing more with the other guests on particular subjects? Is it that time of the month or what?

steve689 wrote:I was disappointed with McCrory as well, implying Taylor had his number and Dempsey as well, what was up with him..."Surely Hopkins can't argue now, Taylor wasn't lucky twice" making it out like Taylor had laid it all to rest with an utterly dominant performance. Get Johnny Nelson in more regularly and give these clowns a rest.

I thought that as well, I don't think he knows much about anything never mind boxing. I can't think of a single boxing 'expert' on TV that I like. Not one.

Didn't hear this particular commentary by Watt but have to say that usually his reading of a fight is spot on. He's one of the best at analysing a fight that there is. Oh, and Larry Merchant sucks

On a few occasions Hopkins would jump in and land a lead right hand cleanly, duck low, clinch and take nothing back in return. Why on earth Watt was slating this move as "clumbsy", when it was clearly 100% intentional, not to mention successful, is beyond me.

The fact that Watt hadn't even seen Vivian Harris before the Maussa fight has made me very suspicious of who else he hasn't seen before, but doesn't declare it.

He's certainly the closest thing we've got to the excellent Teddy Atlas, but I don't trust him so much these days.

Ian Darke and Johnny Nelson would be a great pairing, I hope that one can materialise for the big fights. Nelson is good, needs a little more commentary exposure but they must be grooming him for that role as they have him doing so on support bouts on some Sky cards at the moment.

Two rounds in and I had to turn the volume off. Jim Watt was doing my head in.

witherspoon wrote:

Manos de Oro wrote:
I don't agree that he should retire (he is usually excellent on the domestic scene) and I don't know what the drunk reference is all about.

I had it even going into 10 and I thought Hopkins won 10 and 12. Taylor was poor and I cannot believe (sounding like Jim Watt now, lol) there are people on here who actually buy into it. Christ, all the stick British fighters get and yet one of the biggest, most blatant American hypejobs I've ever seen gets lauded. That's rich..

I swear the man was pissed. He was so repetitive it was unbelievable. I was annoyed because I could see what was happening tactically, yet Jim Watt chose to ignore all circumstances and proceeded to whinge like an old fogey. Why? He is usually very perceptive.

Strangely, I agreed with Jim and Oro, I had the fight even going into 10 and gave B-Hop 2 rounds after that.
I respect B-Hop for his gameplan, at 41 he was stronger than JT at the finish, and I think that says alot. JT is being lauded more than his performances against B-Hop merit, but I did see flashes of brilliance in the early rounds, and I think that if he moves up to Super Middle or Light-Heavy he will be a decent long-reigning champ. I just hope that his late round collapses are due to weightmaking and not an inherent stamina problem.

You have to wonder just how good Taylor really is, he hasn't looked outstanding against decent competition yet. He's big, he's strong, but technically he's not all that.

Haven't got time to read all the posts but just to say I think Jim is the best analyst in the game. He was spot on. Hopkins was terrible, Taylor not much better. He scored the fight wrongly in my opinion and I don't often disagree with him.

He DOES repeat himself quite often but what you might not notice is that he sums up what's happening so early in a fight he doesn't really have anywhere else to go.

As for getting the gloves on, Jim Watt was a far better viewing spectacle than Hopkins ever was.