Boxing - Froch loses to Ward on points

Carl Froch loses unanimous points decision to Andre "SOG" Ward.

Froch is a valiant fighter and have to say I'm a big fan of his I would say the reason for his defeat IMO is the class of Wards defence. Sure Ward picked his shots well, but it was his defence that didn't let Froch land any of his big punches which is good work as Froch does has some serious power.

Technically I don't think anything can be taken away from Ward, his game plan and execution of that was spot on. Froch was simply beaten by the better fighter on the night and nice to see him acknowledge that unlike other boxers who find excuses to use.

Hats off to Carl for his honesty and to Ward for the fight

My only moan is this: the SOG in Wards name is what he asks to be called by ring announcers and that means "Son of God"! Could that be anymore arrogant!

Still good fight best figther won on the night

On my way up north after picking up Mrs Doc yesterday (After her 3-week ozzy trip) Bumped into Carl at Watford Gap services. He'd gone on there to grab himself a couple of Big Macs. I actually shook his hand and said he'd be lucky to get a rematch, as Ward took some big shots, and knew he was in a fight. The main reason to talk to him was because his Mrs was wearing the shortest skirt imaginable, and was stunning. Carls face wasn't as bad as Wards I don't think, although the bruises will maybe improve him

If I was Froch I wouldnt be getting into a ring with Ward again. Frochs a hard guy but the kind of tough fights he has had with Pascal, Taylor,Johnson, Kessler and Ward might be the kind that catch up with you in later life. Basically Froch leads with his chin half the time.
Apparently he is financially secure as has invested well, if I was him Id maybe have a few money spinners in the UK and jack it in after that while he still has his smarts.

Should be a decent scrap tonite, Brook v Hatton. First real proper scrap for Brook who looks great fighting nobodies, hopefully will continue to look great against a hard case like Hatton who is a reasonable European level fighter. At 26 Brook is hardly past it but it's time for him to step up to the plate this year.

One way traffic, Brook has Hatton's number by the end of the 1st round. I've never seen him look so poor. I can't tell if Brook was that good or Hatton was that bad on the night. Brook still looked easy to hit with those low hands, a good fighter will really test that chin.

Agree it told us little really Red. Brook can look really classy but Hatton is very limited offensively but a really tough cookie.
Was a bit worried that Brook looked a bit tagged late on, what would he look like at that stage against a fighter that had pushed him? Still promising though but Im not fully believing the hype just yet.
Hope the Frampton v Quigg fight happens, be a proper little tear up and a genuine pick em fight.

I am really hoping that a Burns v Mitchell fight happens soon too, another pick em fight.

Yes , think Burns is under rated really. Mitchell is a bit of a tool but he's talented. Slightly lean towards Burns but agree really not with any certainty. He doesn't have the power to bust up Mitchell the way Kadtidis did but then again can't see Mitchell stopping Burns either.
As you say pretty much a guaranteed corker of a fight and hopefully will happen this summer.

Looking unlikely, Mitchell has had an arse collapse...

Meanwhile, Warren said he had not yet decided on an opponent for WBO lightweight champion Burns, but felt it was unlikely to be an open-air bout, with Airdrie's Excelsior Stadium and West Ham United's Upton Park having been reported as possible venues.
"I can't say who it is going to be against yet but it will probably be in July," said Warren.
"Kevin Mitchell is an opponent we are looking at and, providing he is sensible, maybe we could make that fight.
"He has had problems outside the ring and he thinks he should be getting paid much more than Ricky.
"It's a struggle to make that one."

Gavin Rees is calling Burns out, that shouldn't be hard to make.

Rees would be a really good test for Burns and I wouldn't again be suprised if it went either way. He's a real handful and can box a bit, would depend if Burns can keep him at arms length. Could say Rees is similar to Kastidis but I think he's actually a better boxer.
Mitchell is clearly a complete tool.

I think Rees is a bit too small to trouble Burns enough to win. Burns boxes and moves too well, Rees is clearly a decent fighter having won the WBA Light Welter title before moving back down to Lightweight. BoxingRec have him down as 5'7" but I always thought he looked more 5'5". It would be a useful fight for both guys, with Burns obviously having much more to lose, so big risk for him for little gain!

Yeah that's true, I always heard Rees was never big enough to be light welter but wasn't a great trainer. Lightweight seems to suit him, think the penny has dropped that tine is running out, but yeah, I wouldn't have him at more than 5 5".
I do love a really good domestic tear up , would love to see Brook v Khan maybe next year. Think Khan will win his strap back and look to move up to welter, be a tough fight again though.
Fury v Price is another one, Fury gets a lot of stick but he has been in the ring as underdog a few times and come out on top like against Chisora, he's definitely a handful. Price looks the part but not sure about his chin.

Fury v Price will happen eventually, Fury has very good chin that has been well tested... not as good as he thinks mind you. That gives Price a good chance imo, Price hasn't really been tested and Sam Sexton will provide a good benchmark. I'd have more time for Fury if he got himself into better shape, not to sound like Super_Realist but he is a bit flabby, he should be trim like a Klitschko. That is something David Price is doing right at least.

I am not sure Khan v Brook would deliver, it could go either way. Khan doesn't hit hard enough, he lacks power a bit like Ricky Burns. He needs to dominate an opponent and subdue them with volume rather than stick them on their arse. I think there could be a lot of posturing and sizing each other up as they are both blessed with good speed. Khan can fight well for 12 rounds, whether Brook can is what we really want to know from that fight. I don't think Brook will feature on Khan's radar unless he loses to Peterson in the rematch and has nothing to take up to Welter.

I don't think Fury needs to be totally chiselled but he definitely needs to be in better shape. Clearly likes to party a bit, still he is only what 22 which I think people forget, probably because he looks about 40. It's rare for heavies to come on the scene as young as he has.
You are right that Khan v Brook might be cagey but I still enjoy those type of fights as well. I think it will happen one day, Khan isn't a ducker and there would be a lot of northern pride at stake. If Brook can win a strap at welter then fighting Khan is the big money option for him, not sure the Mayweather fight will ever happen for Khan.
In the shady world of boxing though let's face it you never know.

I see George Groves has got a title shot against Robert Steiglitz, I think we might have another super-middleweight champion after this fight, Steigltz has been stopped twice before in his first two attempts at winning a title. Both big punchers and I think people underestimate Groves' power. He dismantled Smith last time out and he'll need to lay Steiglitz out to come away from Germany with the title. If it is close a close one, he'll miss out... but I think he can put Steiglitz away.

Yep , definitely a good chance. Have to say though I'd rather he was brought on with a few more toughish fights then fought for a title that he would defend against top draw fighters rather than go down the Cleverly route and basically carry on fighting average boxers even with a world title.
I remember McGuigan fighting Juan Laporte before beating Pedrosa. He earned the right to fight for a title after that win and beating even a Pedrosa on the slide was a great achievement.
Hard to get excited with the route Groves is taking even though he is a good young prospect.

Do you mean Cleverly's route? If so yes, not the most inspiring route... textbook Warren. Protect the investment. I know Khan isn't everyone's cup of tea, but he is seldom in a fight that isn't worth watching. The best thing he did was ditch Warren. This is where Groves will benefit IMO, he isn't with Warren and Adam Booth is an ambitious trainer and manager. It is happening sooner than I thought, but I think Stieglitz is underestimating him if he thinks he can't step up to that level.

The thing is though if he does win will he fight anyone decent for say 18 months, I doubt it personally. Ring rankings have Stieglitz 4 and Groves 7 which I think is kind to both. I just don't really think Groves deserves a shot at a title yet, if you look at his last 3 fights he could have lost to Anderson, got a result against DeGale that could have gone either way and took out Smith but DeGale had already made him look average.
I think anyone of Kessler, Bute, Froch, Dirrell or certainly Ward beats Groves. Dont get me wrong , he is a good prospect but I think his team have seen a chance of an early strap but if he wins it expect a good few Cleverly like defences before he fights any of the other top guys in the division.
I'm not knocking Groves, when all is said and done its a brave fight to take and he will be the underdog, its just the way things seem to work these days that I'm not keen on.

He is a bit green to be doing a Super 6 run, so I don't mind cutting him some slack for 2 or 3 defences in order to adjust to the expectations and etc but from there he needs to be taking on his peers. I hate the way Warrens stable fight nobodies for years, for me it has tarnished Calzaghes unbeaten record. He only fought about 10 decent fighters his whole career. He was a fantastic fighter and should have mixed with the elite a lot sooner than hew did.

But if he is to raw for super 6 its hard to take the fact he is a works champ seriously, same as with Clev, just another alphabet belt holder.
With you totally on the Warren front, lots of joke title fights really. Calzaghe has to take a fair bit of the blame though, he could have pushed for bigger fights and as you say we will never know just how good he really was.

It is a bit soon for Groves, but this is the sort of fight he needs or the calibre of fighter he needs to learn from. It is just unfortunate it is a title fight.

As for Calzaghe, his wins against Kessler and Hopkins are the only two that hold much water, arguably Robin Reid (split decision) and Eubank too. Eubank was a bit passed it, but still managed to got the distance with Carl Thompson at Cruiserweight in a WBO title fight afterwards and a rematch that was stopped due to a swollen eye. Roy Jones (great though he was) was done by the time he fought Calzaghe, the way he has been beaten by bums like Green and Lebedev and simply outclassed by Hopkins following the Calzaghe fight paint a different picture.

I can see a Groves DeGale rematch at some stage, winner to fight Froch maybe. Great warrior Froch but probably on the slide after a lot of tough fights.
I give JC credit for the Lacy fight as well. I think he ruined Lacy that night, took away his self belief. Wish JC had thought Jones a lot sooner, RJJ was brilliant at his peak, Shane he has hung around so long though and tarnished his legacy big time.

Yeah, Lacy was considered a livewire going into the fight due to his good KO%age, but he never fought anyone that good either and was quite limited. Left Hook Lacy - all he had was a left hook so was totally schooled by a proper technician and clever boxer like JC. It is the main reason he did nothing since, he was exposed and couldn't get over it. He was tailor made for JC being a lefty, JC just had to keep moving right away from the left hook and pepper him with shots.

RJJ has totally ruined his legacy and is in danger of irreversibly damaging his health if he keeps going.

If I was Groves I wouldn't give De Gale the time of day if I could help it, he'd need to win his own title before I would fight him again. I think the logical step for Groves would be to get in beside the better contenders, he'll learn a lot from fighting Froch, De Gale is a money spinner but nothing else. Arthur Abraham would be a good fight for him before either of those. Dangerous but quite beatable if you are tall enough and smart enough.

Abraham would be OK, bit like Anderson really, if he does win he'll probably fight Anderson first then maybe Abrahams or Johnson. DeGale has the Euro strap, if Groves loses he may well get his own WBO shot anyway, if he wins then the Groves fight is on as DeGale will want the rematch to set the record straight.
Should be interesting , I don't think Im quite as sold on Groves as you but he can bang and box so will always have a chance.
I was hoping DeGale would win when they thought as I hoped he might be the real thing whereas I'd seen Groves struggle against Anderson and wasn't that impressed. DeGale definitely a bit of a tool but I'd have given him a draw at the worst against Groves but can see how it could have been any of three results.

I know it's wrong but I love Tyson Fury, he's clearly insane. Fighting southpaw ?????? Looks awkward but then again he did anyway. Bizarre.

I was away for the weekend and never saw it. I'd heard he was going to try this, luckily he was fighting a 40+ year old taxi driver. He might never be as good as he thinks he is, but he is entertaining in his own way.

Are any of them as good as they think they are ? The cupboard is pretty bare at HW so there coudl be some decent fights out there for him.
See your boy Groves has pulled out, Degale to step in as a last minute replacement ?

diggers wrote:Are any of them as good as they think they are ? The cupboard is pretty bare at HW so there coudl be some decent fights out there for him.
See your boy Groves has pulled out, Degale to step in as a last minute replacement ?

Yeah I saw that too and Clevs fight is off too.

HW is poor in terms of numbers. The K brothers are lightyears ahead of the rest but for Povetkin (yet he hasn't seemed interested in a fight with either of the Ks and he has been ranked in the top 4 or 5 for a few years now). There are some up and coming yanks (Seth Mitchell and Deontay Wilder) with good KO ratios that may pick up some hype.. hard to gauge how good they are when they stop all of their opponents early. It really is an impoverished division, it is a pity that David Haye retired as he could be fighting Chisora or Fury for a bit of domestic rivalry and interest.

All sorts going on now...

Haye vs Chisora under the Luxembourg Boxing Board of Control, but at Upton Park. I am secretly pleased, I think this will be a terrific fight. The press conference was very funny, they can't stand each other. I liked Haye's comment, 'the best thing to have come out of your mouth was my fist!' The winner is likely to face Povetkin. If it is Haye and he beats Povetkin, he is back in with a chance of fighting the Klitchko's... which hopefully he will do this time.

Strong hints that Burns vs Mitchell will be on the undercard, which is also great news.

Kell Brook is fighting some bum soon, he should be in against a Mallinagi to see what he is really made of and make a push for a title. Bad management here imo.

Lamont Petersen has failed a drug test so his rematch with Khan is cancelled - very odd this, considering it was Petersen who demanded they be introduced... the very definition of an epic fail. The fall out from this will be very interesting. Khan should get the belts back imo.

Mitchell Burns confirmeded for September in Glasgow. Glad its not one the Haye Chisora card, deserves a build up of its own away from that circus. I'd favour Burns but not that much in it.
Brook really gets on my wick. He seems to escape the grief other fighters get for taking easy matches just because he is a slick boxer. He really needs to start mixing it, even Mallinagi should be made for him but at least that would be a proper name on a decent run at the moment.

Mitchell on his game makes it a pick em fight, both world class. Brook is fighting some undefeated american in an eliminator now, not before time!

Haye v Chisora will be a complete circus but I am quite looking forward to it, you cannot beat a domestic grudge match between fighters who cannot stand the sight of each other.

The Brook - Jones fight was a cracker! Brook outclassed Jones for 6 rounds, but Jones has fought a lot at light middle and just kept pressing forward and really took Brook into deep water the last 6 rounds. Brook needs to improve his stamina as he looked liked he had punched himself out a few times, but in fairness Jones was hard as nails.

Brook really struggling in that fight at the end, just shows its a different sport when someone else wants to win. Did show heart but also showed he might lack real power against better opposition.
Fury fought again last night, lost a bit of weight and boxed really well against a pretty poor opponent. Hope him and Price can get it on but can't see it. Maybe Fury v Haye once Haye beats Chisora.

Brook has enough power, he really troubled Jones at times. Jones has only ever been stopped twice and those were at light middleweight, he was ranked 3rd in the division due to the run he was on. He would have been a legitimate title contender had he beaten Brook imo. Jones reminded me of Antonio Margarito, made of granite and just kept stepping forward. To me it was a stamina issue for Brook, had he been able to keep punching with the same volume and power in the latter half of the fight he would probably have stopped Jones. Once he tired he couldn't keep Jones at arms reach and started to take some stiff shots himself. It was a bit like David Haye vs Carl Thompson, but Brook managed to avoid the humbling after he punched himself out of gas.

Fury keeps fighting bums, but it is a division lacking viable options to be fair to him. Price would be a great fight, so would a Klitchko, even Povetkin and Adamek would do. I dunno about fighting Haye, if Haye can't get a Klitchko I'd prefer he retired. He has done all he needed to, losing to Fury would forever taint his achievements. The cold hard facts are he is probably too short to beat the Klitchko's and perhaps Fury too. None of those options would be easy on the eye imo.

Not sure about Brooks power Red, I dont think he ever had Jones really troubled myself, certainly no more than Jones had him going. And that was Jones 9th loss and he has been stopped TKO a couple of times. Ive seen a lot of Brooks fights and he has never really looked a huge banger to me.
Im not writing Brook off but Ive never believed the hype based on his record and as soon as he steps up look what happens, maybe he can improve his stamina but some fighters just have an issue doing 12 rounds, especially those who throw a lot of leather early on as Brook does.
What annoys me I guess is that they are saying this was a good learning fight and he will take a lot from it...well maybe, but he has been a pro 8 years and this was he first real live opponent, its no wonder he was maybe a bit complacent, the guy has been in cloud cuckoo land for years with people saying how good he was based on nothing really.
You are probably right Haye should stay retired but I dont think he will. Be interesting to see him in a few decent scraps at heavy that werent against a Klitchko who lets face it are both probably streets ahaead of anyone else out there including Fury and Price and the yanks and Russians.

When you compare the number of fights Jones has had to Brook, you can see he is either lazy or has not been well managed. We are perhaps being harsh on him, he won the fight and the guy was a very difficult opponent. Easy to hit but not easy to stop, like I said the guy is big enough to operate at light middle. Not many welters would put him away with one blow, it would have to be accumulation of big shots over many rounds... which Brook could have done if he had the stamina imo.