A tiger? In Africa?
Although Andre Ward is nothing to sneaze at, I thought Kessler just looked flat. Like many New World boxers, Andre Ward brings a smidgeon or ten of jazz (i.e., more than a little counterintuitive improvisation) to the ring, and I’m sure that caught Kessler off guard. Still, I thought he looked flat even after accounting, kinda (what do I know), for Ward’s very effective head and upper body movement.
Not sure what you all in Europe saw, but on Showtime immediately after the fight Kessler said that he thought Ward’s headbutts were intentional. I disagree (because that seems to be a very odd and dangerous choice in boxing tactics), but I’m curious.
Do Europeans think Ward won dirty?
I think Ward won rough, but fair and square. Looking at the fight I think Kessler got a shock because he didn’t get the sort of protection from the referee he’d become used to during his many home fights in Denmark. Sometimes all these home fights can make a boxer soft. The German guys also often come unstuck when they are forced to fight away.
EDIT: I also didn’t see any excessive elbow use by Ward, as some are claiming. He was clumsy with his head and held a lot, but nothing the ref needed to pull him up on.
[quote=“tomthorne”]I think Ward won rough, but fair and square. Looking at the fight I think Kessler got a shock because he didn’t get the sort of protection from the referee he’d become used to during his many home fights in Denmark. Sometimes all these home fights can make a boxer soft. The German guys also often come unstuck when they are forced to fight away.
EDIT: I also didn’t see any excessive elbow use by Ward, as some are claiming. He was clumsy with his head and held a lot, but nothing the ref needed to pull him up on.[/quote]
You are right but MAINLAND Europe. Some UK fights are very very rough indeed and most UK fighters I know have fought bare knuckle at one time or another against travelers or at the least fought unlicensed where head butts are allowed (tolerated). So Uk fighters are used to that kind of thing. Fighters like Hatton are notoriously rough in the ring but it doesn’t work when you meet a master like pac man. But yeah fighters from Denmark, Germany etc are used to fighting very clean fights. Anyways tough shit on Kessler he got whooped! lol He probably took Ward too lightly. Ward versus Froch will be very very nasty fight as Froch loves the drity brawls ha! Froch>ward but Kessler>Froch
Oh yeah, I’m talking in particular about home protection of fighters in Germany and neighbouring countries. Domestic fights in the UK are definitely rougher, and if anything UK fighters get a disadvantage from British refs when fighting foreign fighters at home. Being back in the UK now I get to watch domestic cards every Friday on Sky. If you want to see a real British tear up check out Jamie Moore vs Ryan Rhodes on youtube.
[quote=“tomthorne”]Oh yeah, I’m talking in particular about home protection of fighters in Germany and neighbouring countries. Domestic fights in the UK are definitely rougher, and if anything UK fighters get a disadvantage from British refs when fighting foreign fighters at home. Being back in the UK now I get to watch domestic cards every Friday on Sky. If you want to see a real British tear up check out Jamie Moore vs Ryan Rhodes on youtube.
youtube.com/watch?v=ZYSPEUtpV5Y[/quote]
Nice link and yeah good fight love it.
[quote=“tomthorne”]I think Ward won rough, but fair and square. Looking at the fight I think Kessler got a shock because he didn’t get the sort of protection from the referee he’d become used to during his many home fights in Denmark. Sometimes all these home fights can make a boxer soft. The German guys also often come unstuck when they are forced to fight away.
EDIT: I also didn’t see any excessive elbow use by Ward, as some are claiming. He was clumsy with his head and held a lot, but nothing the ref needed to pull him up on.[/quote]
Ward did come in rough, no doubt. When the fight went to the cards after the doc ruled Kessler couldn’t continue, Ward got a look on his face that at first made me think he felt guilty, but I think it was worry I saw instead.
Maybe that’s why Kessler thought Ward was intentionally headbutting him. Certainly when Ward was bobbing and weaving in front of Kessler he knew exactly what he was doing with his head. Might seem to follow that he also meant to catch Kessler with the top of his head coming in. Kessler was cut just under both brows, after all. Thing is, it’s never good to get cut anywhere above the eyes and last I checked the top of Ward’s head is definitely located above both eyes.
Interesting about Danes and Germans fighting too long at home, I would never have considered that. And thanks for the Rhodes-Moore link, what a final round that was.
So, this Saturday Khan fights Salita at light welter. Meanwhile, on the undercard, Mitchell fightes Breidis Prescott at lightweight.
And yet I can’t find any criticism of this in the media. Prescott, who knocked Khan out sparko in under a minute, is fighting on the same card at a lower weight. How can Khan possibly explain his way out of a rematch? Am I missing something obvious? I always thought the excuse was Prescott was too big and Khan too inexperienced. Khan’s got Roach to coach him now and Prescott clearly isn’t bigger.
[quote=“tomthorne”]And yet I can’t find any criticism of this in the media. Prescott, who knocked Khan out sparko in under a minute, is fighting on the same card at a lower weight. How can Khan possibly explain his way out of a rematch? Am I missing something obvious?[/quote]Thank you for reminding me of one of the most hilarious incidents I’ve ever witnessed in a boxing ring 
Roy Jones Jr just had his career brought to a close nearly as quickly. Check it out on youtube.
youtube.com/watch?v=BfkXMFUuWm8
Strange punch by Danny Green, seems to glance his head but still powerful enough to cause real damage. Not seen this Aussie fight before, looks dangerous with power like that.
[quote=“tomthorne”]Roy Jones Jr just had his career brought to a close nearly as quickly. Check it out on youtube.
youtube.com/watch?v=BfkXMFUuWm8[/quote]It’s quite sad. This is the man that conquered BHop and everything else put in front of him in the 90s. First Calzaghe, now this.
I hope it doesn’t put an end to talk of a rematch with Hopkins, especially now Hopkins is talking nonsense about stepping up to heavyweight. I always felt he deserved another chance at Jones Jr., and the fact that they’re both well past their sell by date would actually make it a better fight.
Hopkins is, as usual, deluding himself that he might be able to get a fight with Haye. Haye would never fight him - nothing to win and everything to lose.
Calzaghe managed to dodge both of them when they were in their prime, very sensibly in my opinion. Even as old men they both put him on his arse, imagine what they would have done to him at their peak.
[quote=“tomthorne”]I hope it doesn’t put an end to talk of a rematch with Hopkins, especially now Hopkins is talking nonsense about stepping up to heavyweight. I always felt he deserved another chance at Jones Jr., and the fact that they’re both well past their sell by date would actually make it a better fight.
Hopkins is, as usual, deluding himself that he might be able to get a fight with Haye. Haye would never fight him - nothing to win and everything to lose.
Calzaghe managed to dodge both of them when they were in their prime, very sensibly in my opinion. Even as old men they both put him on his arse, imagine what they would have done to him at their peak.[/quote]
Actually I hope it does put end to any re-matches. I hate to see a legend get beat like that.
What was the age difference between Calzaghe and RJJ and BH ?
To say Cal was ducking BH is just not true. Call him slappy, over rated whatever but he did not duck Bernard Hopkins, he was after BH for donkey’s years. I’ve never seen a fighter so eager to fight BH
http://www.hbo.com/boxing/events/2008/0419_calzaghe_hopkins/news/announcement.html
Calzaghe was a very very hard working boxer that was not a coward. I am not a fan as I prefer sluggers like Froch or powerful counter punchers like RJJ. But credit where credit is due. He did not duck BH. Now what I would love to see would be Calzaghe coming out of retirement to fight the winner of the super 6 and then shut the haters up once and for all (if correct weights and fees can be sorted).
Incidentally RJJ and Calzaghe are very good friends and they both dislike BH.
[quote=“gangster recycler”][quote=“tomthorne”]Roy Jones Jr just had his career brought to a close nearly as quickly. Check it out on youtube.
youtube.com/watch?v=BfkXMFUuWm8[/quote]It’s quite sad. This is the man that conquered BHop and everything else put in front of him in the 90s. First Calzaghe, now this.[/quote]
This guy speaks many words of wisdom on the subject. Check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFwSxGbyu_Q
Anyway don’t go feeling too sorry for RJJ he can retire back to his cock fighting, and multi millions
I’m not a Calzaghe hater. I probably should have worded it as ‘perhaps Warren managed his career a little too well’. He had the ability to win through on bad nights as a result of sheer work rate and determination, which is a sign of a great, but it could be argued he had too many bad nights and not enough defining fights. I’m probably just being a bit harsh on a guy who was unbeaten. The British hate winners and love heroic losers.
It was a great shame that the three fighters avoided each other when at their best. Hopkins is notoriously difficult to do business with, ever since he felt he got ripped off (he did) after his first big pay day against RJJ in '93. His purse was $700k and he only ended up with $50k, the guy has been completely paranoid ever since and is supposed to be as big an arsehole as Mayweather when negotiating fights.
Age difference - 8 years with BH and 3 with RJJ? Not quite so relevant as the fact that Calzaghe improved with age but RJJ in particular declined spectacularly.
I think in the sport everyone dislikes BH. I always loved watching him box because you could see what he was doing and it was always so clever, but in reality he really wasn’t very clever at all because a spoiling style like that was never going to earn him mega-buck fights.
[quote=“fenlander”]Actually I hope it does put end to any re-matches.[/quote]Me too. I remember watching RJJ for the first time and not quite believing my eyes.
Yes i agree and I can’t believe what a bully BH is by still wanting to fight RJJ even after last night’s performance. Basically BH just wants to hurt and humiliate RJJ. I don’t like BH but I still believe that he is almost as good as he used to be although not quite and will start to decline fast at any time now. However having said that I don’t want BH to fight Haye as that would be another embarrassing defeat for BH. This is the problem with boxers by their very nature as fighters they just do not wish to give it up and think they can defeat old man time himself.
[quote=“tomthorne”]I’m not a Calzaghe hater. I probably should have worded it as ‘perhaps Warren managed his career a little too well’. He had the ability to win through on bad nights as a result of sheer work rate and determination, which is a sign of a great, but it could be argued he had too many bad nights and not enough defining fights. I’m probably just being a bit harsh on a guy who was unbeaten. The British hate winners and love heroic losers.
It was a great shame that the three fighters avoided each other when at their best. Hopkins is notoriously difficult to do business with, ever since he felt he got ripped off (he did) after his first big pay day against RJJ in '93. His purse was $700k and he only ended up with $50k, the guy has been completely paranoid ever since and is supposed to be as big an arsehole as Mayweather when negotiating fights.
Age difference - 8 years with BH and 3 with RJJ? Not quite so relevant as the fact that Calzaghe improved with age but RJJ in particular declined spectacularly.
I think in the sport everyone dislikes BH. I always loved watching him box because you could see what he was doing and it was always so clever, but in reality he really wasn’t very clever at all because a spoiling style like that was never going to earn him mega-buck fights.[/quote]
Well I am not a Calzaghe fan I just feel he gets far too hard a time from many boxing fans. His achievements were great. I really would love him to come out retirement and fight the winner of the super 6. As I am sure the winner of the super 6 would love nothing more than to end the career of Joe Clazaghe. If Froch wins it I believe Cal will destroy him however if Abrhams wins it mmmmmm not so sure.
As for Andre Ward well I will wait for the result of the next fight to comment on him.
What do you guys think of the latest odds
http://www.betinternet.com/en/Boxing-Betting/Super-6-96036.html
I think Abrahams at 2-1 is an ok bet. Not great but ok. Looking at those odds NOT who you think will definitely win but at those odds who would you put money on IF you were a gambling man.
Froch is at +450 mmmm that is very tempting !!! mmmmmmmmm damn those bookmakers tempting me like that
I might take out a double bet on Foch or Abraham and hope Ward doesn’t win it as I only have Ward, Froch of Abrahams winning this now
Froch
Froch[/quote]
yeah I agree but I keep imagining someone landing on that open jaw of his. Good odds though so i may take it. 
by the way i got Abraham winning this but will bet on Frcoh because those odds under rate his chances. As you yourself noticed.