BoxRec

Seems this fight has gone off everyones radar, what with the O2 bill but what do you all think??

Johannsen has performed well, good wins against Corcaran and Burns but he seems willing to take a shot to give one..

Speaking to a young prospect on Saturday and he informed me that Michael Gomez thinks Leva hits the hardest of any of his opponents...

I see Johannsen getting nailed about the 4th, convinced tbh...

If Johannsen has trained right, then i think he'll win, late KO.

The exact quote 'Kirikosyan hit so hard it gave me pins and needles'...

Johannsen is winning up until he get brutally stopped

Gomez maybe didn't get the credit he deserved for that win in hindsight, i remember Kirakosyan rattled him to his boots with a hook but Gomez sucked up and stopped in about 5 was it? Anyway considering Kirakosyan went on to nail Johanneson and become European champion he was an underrated foe. As for Friday nights affairs i think Johanneson will box clever and see his man off with a stoppage around the 9th or 10th round, however he is always vulnerable to the big shot and as you say he takes one to give one. It's fascinating alright.

P.S. Why did Johanneson split with Rick Manners? Seemed they had a good thing going there in Leeds.

Have to hand it to Carl, he's taking a big risk with this fight. Kirakosyan is not just coming for a payday, like alot of the imports we see over here - he's on a roll & hasn't lost since blasting out Carl last time. Johanneson's legs were GONE.

Maybe he was just caught cold, but if there is a problem with his chin, this guy will find him out again. Hard to guess what'll happen here - if Carl keeps things tight he can grind out a points win, but we could end up with another shocker.

Great warm up to the big bill on Sat night.

Fantastic weekend of boxing. Don't forget, Gatti vs Gomez and Williams vs Margarito are on Sky this weekend.

I think home advantage will see Johanneson through - he might have one or two sticky moments. However, I think it will be a good performance and lets hope Arthur is successful and we can have Johanneson vs Arthur next.

Looking forward to Fewkes-Tontchev too. Fewkes looked good against Watson but this is a step up in class. There may be question marks over Tontchev after the KO against Romaniv, but as Dynamite dean will testify Tontchev (should) still be a tough nut to crack.

Johanneson's fight is also a tough one. I have him winning so long as he's not caught though (startling insight there I'm sure you'll agree.) Maybe then a defence of the European title (and leave the Lonsdale for Mitchell-Burn?) before a fight with Arthur.

And this is getting into Narnia lands, but it would be great too if Johanneson could somehow muster a shot against Fana, win, and then he and Arthur come together with their respective portions of the title. Not that I'd kid myself the winner would then be above the likes of Valero or JMM but nevertheless would be a cracking event for British boxing.

Johanneson has really impressed me lately. There is of course every chance that Kirakosyan could catch him with the right hand, but I fancy Johanneson to wear his man down and end it some time in the last few rounds. I hope he wins, anyway, because a fight somewhere down the line with Arthur would be mouth-watering.

Incidentally, Graham Houston has tipped Johanneson to win:

http://www.fightwriter.com/?q=node/1021

Good call states Graham Houston is an excellent scribe, his Fight Writer website is well worth checking out.

Houston is usually good at picking them . Something to note is Johanneson up until recently( and possibly still now) refused to talk about the defeat to Kirakosyan and it really seemed to have a mental problem for him .

If he isn't in the right frame of mind for tomorrow it could happen again .
I'm gonna edge with Johanneson though .

Johannson, but on points - Tough fight with a narrow margin.

thepocketrocket wrote:
I see Johannsen getting nailed about the 4th, convinced tbh...

Not bad!!

Jesus, Carl near enough comitted career suicide tonight: called for a fight with a dangerous puncher, then freezes at the opening bell. He pretty much stood in punching range and spent so much time trying to avoid the inevitable fight ending bomb, he forgot to actualy thow anything meaningful back.

thepocketrocket wrote:I see Johannsen getting nailed about the 4th, convinced tbh...

can u pass on the lottery results for us rocket.

red hot prediction there old boy.

Great call Pocket Rocket.... Hats off to the Kirikovyasan, I thought he was a bit of a one hit (literally) wonder. I remember him vs Gomez, tagged Gomez had Gomez at see but didn't look much before the punch or after Gomez recovered. Looks a great win for Michael now.

I hope the ref was feeling very guilty when Johanneson was requiring Oxygen.... appauling job, that fight should have been stopped in the 3rd.

Oh dear!

Johannsen really showed his arse. He just tried to weather the storm, stood there right in punching range with his gloves up. His jab was being pushed out rather than snapped out, and he didn't do anything to discourage his opponent. Once he tasted a few of those meaty body shots, the writing was on the wall.

He never really recovered from that first uppercut, physically or psychologically, it was like a bad recurring dream, he even went in a similar fashion....

His opponent looks very good, first look I've had at him since their first fight, but he's incredibly strong at the weight, quick and powerful too, with excellent punch delivery and timing. Of course, was made easier for him by Carl's lack of output, but he looked a very well schooled fighter. Looked a weight division bigger than Carl on the night.

Carl's level has been found, but after that brutalisation, I fear mentally he might be shot to bits, that was a really brutal beatdown he took.

Without being overly critical of the Ingles, it seemed inevitable after that third round what was going to happen, I am surprised they didn't pull him out.

I agree James, my old man said after the body shot in the first "its over, Carl's fecked"... I didn't think so at the time and was telling him "oh its early"... Thinking back, he was spot on.

Agree that the fight should have been stopped in the 3rd. Ref should have after the 2nd KD.

Johannesson has looked excellent in his British title wins, but Burns, Corcoran and Fehintola have one thing in common... no power at all.

My notes for the fight at the end of the first second read as follows.

"Carl is fekked, he's getting stopped."

I didn't think he would make it out of the 2nd round, the referee bought him some time with the business over the push, and I don't know if he would have survived without that little respite.

Am I overstating the case in saying that his opponent could give some of the top level fighters a hard night, he reminded me of Harrison in his better days, but with better variety and speed.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:My notes for the fight at the end of the first second read as follows.

"Carl is fekked, he's getting stopped."

I didn't think he would make it out of the 2nd round, the referee bought him some time with the business over the push, and I don't know if he would have survived without that little respite.

Am I overstating the case in saying that his opponent could give some of the top level fighters a hard night, he reminded me of Harrison in his better days, but with better variety and speed.

Kerkorian or whatever his name is, is a right fccuking handful.

He would give Arthur murders, and the top boys a rights good fight.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:
Am I overstating the case in saying that his opponent could give some of the top level fighters a hard night, he reminded me of Harrison in his better days, but with better variety and speed.

Well he certainly looks to have the punch to be a real danger to most fighters - tough division though.

Even when he missed the first right hand to Carl's chin early in the 1st, just the speed and way he winged it with his full body weight behind it, alarm bells were ringing already.

And yep the Gomez win now looks terrific - was it a cuts stoppage or did Michael grind him down?

I want to see Kirakosyan VS Gogoladze

He was very good, I give Carl a lot of credit for taking that. Fewekes looks good on undercard

KO Artist wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:My notes for the fight at the end of the first second read as follows.

"Carl is fekked, he's getting stopped."

I didn't think he would make it out of the 2nd round, the referee bought him some time with the business over the push, and I don't know if he would have survived without that little respite.

Am I overstating the case in saying that his opponent could give some of the top level fighters a hard night, he reminded me of Harrison in his better days, but with better variety and speed.

Kerkorian or whatever his name is, is a right fccuking handful.

He would give Arthur murders, and the top boys a rights good fight.

Agree.

Has anyone seen Gomez in his latest comeback? Is he capable of winning a potentially harder repeat of last time?

CArl showed great heart but took a serious beating. The referee was awful. let him take too many shots and as for that 'pushing' warning.....

Leva looks vhink he would beat Very good I think he beat Arthur.

Leva looks very good I think he beat Arthur i was meant to say!