Nibile: Usyk KO 11 for my moneyDo you mean Usyk wins by ko or loses by ko?
Usyk KO 11 for my money.
Nibile: Usyk KO 11 for my moneyDo you mean Usyk wins by ko or loses by ko?
I reckon Joshua will win by TKO. Usyk is the better boxer, pound for pound (that Papa Lomachenko training) but he is a natural Cruiserweight and Joshua is a biiiiggggg Heavyweight. Evander Holyfield might have bridged that gap in the past but he was probably 'roided (see the "Evan Fields" Balco controversy). And, he faced smaller Heavyweights - Tyson for all his ability and viciousness was 5'10", Joshua is 6' 5-6".
Despite the difference in their physiques, Usyk has similarities to Ruiz, Joshua's last opponent - not tall, fast hands, and good technique. In the rematch against Ruiz, Joshua showed he could box patiently against such a speedster - keeping him at range and using the jab, Klitschko style. Usyk has won his two Heavyweight fights - Chaz Weatherspoon and Chisora - but while he never looked liked losing, he was not convincing. I wouldn't bet any money on it (and I find Usyk quite engaging "I am very....feel"), but I think a non-washed, genuine "Super Heavyweight" will be an unpleasant surprise for him - weight divisions exist for a a reason.
Nibile: Usyk KO 11 for my moneyDo you mean Usyk wins by ko or loses by ko?
I reckon Joshua will win by TKO. Usyk is the better boxer, pound for pound (that Papa Lomachenko training) but he is a natural Cruiserweight and Joshua is a biiiiggggg Heavyweight. Evander Holyfield might have bridged that gap in the past but he was probably 'roided (see the "Evan Fields" Balco controversy). And, he faced smaller Heavyweights - Tyson for all his ability and viciousness was 5'10", Joshua is 6' 5-6".
Despite the difference in their physiques, Usyk has similarities to Ruiz, Joshua's last opponent - not tall, fast hands, and good technique. In the rematch against Ruiz, Joshua showed he could box patiently against such a speedster - keeping him at range and using the jab, Klitschko style. Usyk has won his two Heavyweight fights - Chaz Weatherspoon and Chisora - but while he never looked liked losing, he was not convincing. I wouldn't bet any money on it (and I find Usyk quite engaging "I am very....feel"), but I think a non-washed, genuine "Super Heavyweight" will be an unpleasant surprise for him - weight divisions exist for a a reason.
Can we have a boxing thread? I agree with Moose; Usyk is a great fighter and was a quality cruiserweight but Joshua is not the blundering bodybuilder people caricature him as. He can box, and he is massive compared to Usyk. I wouldn't rule Usyk out, but he's going to have to box brilliantly to beat Joshua I think, eventually the heavy artillery will make itself felt. Also can't see AJ tiring as Liam predicts, he should be able to control the centre of the ring and do a fraction of the dancing Usyk will have to. Usyk looked good against his previous opponents but they were hardly in Joshua's class and he looked uncertain at times against Chisora and even Bellew down at cruiser. Great fight though.
Fury is an all time great Heavyweight in my opinion, and it's reasonable to suggest he would have been a problem in any past era.
Fury is an all time great Heavyweight in my opinion, and it's reasonable to suggest he would have been a problem in any past era.
Really? Wilder is not a great boxer but has one great punch and seemed to make in roads with his jab, Lennox Lewis would have destroyed him surely
I don't think he has faced sufficient quality to say he is amongst the greatest of all time (an old vlad is by far his best opposition). He has been lucky to make it this far unbeaten, that cut against Otto wallin :o, obviously he gets the benefit of the doubt within a fight but it does show he is vulnerable against modest opposition.
I think M Tyson's inside fighting might be very problematic.
As for holyfield/Bo I dunno, I think if you are going life and death with someone as limited as wilder with legs like bambie, against a well rounded individual who won't get so upset by the feints he would have even more problems.
Anyway it was great knock about fun on Saturday.
A brave prediction, but I think Bivol will upset the odds and beat Canelo in May. I think it will be close (which means Canelo will get the decision), but I think Bivol will be the unofficial winner.
However, if Canelo does win this legitimately then it will be his best win for me. A quality fight.
Not this weekend but did any of you lot hear about the Eubank Jnr Vs Benn Jnr fight that is supposed to be happening?
Pretty shocking cash in on the nostalgia / legacy of their dad's fights, especially given they will be circumventing the usual rules as they naturally fight 2 weight classes apart. Really dangerous and a bad precedent imo. They had to bring in rules governing the amount of weight you can gain post re-hydration because there was a run of serious injuries and I think even fatalities in cases when a heavier fighter was able to shed a tonne of weight to make the weigh in, then come fight time had a significant size, weight + power advantage.
Why is there always one judge who's been hitting the crack pipe?
Why is there always one judge who's been hitting the crack pipe?
EDIT:
Also, AJ's performance at the end was dreadful. Completely lost his head :/
Also, AJ's performance at the end was dreadful. Completely lost his head :/
Still not enough for anyone to score it for Joshua - that judge was either corrupt or stupid.
No predictions on Canelo - Golovkin? It would be cool to see a last great performance from Golovkin but I suspect a points decision for Canelo is more likely.
Steve Bunce scored it 7-5 for Joshua
Jon Jones vs Ciryl Gane for the heavyweight title in the UFC tonight.
After a 3 year lay off, now 35 years old and having put on 50lbs to move up in weight to fight at heavyweight for the first time, it should be impossible to win the title. But this is Jon Jones. Tonight he faces a prime heavyweight in Ciryl Gane who is naturally much bigger and stronger, has great speed and better striking credentials. But I still keep leaning towards the former light-heavyweight champ, Jones. He's a horrible person, probably a psychopath (literally) and has previously tested positive for PED's, but my god is he a talented fighter and it will be interesting to see if he can turn back the clocks and become the heavyweight champ.
Light work
Light work
I'd love to watch the guy fight if only he wasn't a total cunt as well, because he truly is the most incredible MMA fighter of all time I think, up there with Khabib (now there's a fight if they could ever agree on a weight class).
Light work
I'd love to watch the guy fight if only he wasn't a total cunt as well, because he truly is the most incredible MMA fighter of all time I think, up there with Khabib (now there's a fight if they could ever agree on a weight class).
For me GSP is the G.O.A.T in MMA, maybe not as talented as those two, but the best fighting intelligence we've seen in MMA. Always fought the fight the other guy didn't want. Sometimes lost first time, but learned and improved each fight.
Light work
I'd love to watch the guy fight if only he wasn't a total cunt as well, because he truly is the most incredible MMA fighter of all time I think, up there with Khabib (now there's a fight if they could ever agree on a weight class).
For me GSP is the G.O.A.T in MMA, maybe not as talented as those two, but the best fighting intelligence we've seen in MMA. Always fought the fight the other guy didn't want. Sometimes lost first time, but learned and improved each fight.
Light work
I'd love to watch the guy fight if only he wasn't a total cunt as well, because he truly is the most incredible MMA fighter of all time I think, up there with Khabib (now there's a fight if they could ever agree on a weight class).
For me GSP is the G.O.A.T in MMA, maybe not as talented as those two, but the best fighting intelligence we've seen in MMA. Always fought the fight the other guy didn't want. Sometimes lost first time, but learned and improved each fight.
GSP is amazing and a very cool guy and by far my preference to watch, but I guess for me the difference is he could (and did) lose fights whereas Jones just... has anyone ever really made Jones truly work that hard? Machida is the most difficulty I can recall for him and he choked him out in the second round.
Khabib, similarly. Just dominated every fight. But don't get me wrong if you said "name your all time top three men's competitors" itd be Jones, Khabib and GSP. I just think "never lost, never even really got close to losing" is something unique.
Wellsy, I think you may have missed a few fights as he arguably lost against Reyes and Gustafsson 1. Khabib was more dominant but I'd still place Jones above him based on the names he has beaten.
Could GSP have beaten Jones?
I think it seems extremely improbable that parker will be able to avoid getting knocked out by wilder seeing as he wasn't able to illude Joe joyce of all people.
I could see Joshua losing, wallin is fundamentally sound and timed fury, don't think the amateur results mean anything this far down the line. But it will probably be a turgid and dodgy points decision for AJ. I would like wallin to win really.
The rest is sports washing one sided rubbish, the Miller fight at least has a freakshow element.
Re Wilder vs Parker: you're right, I've gone back on this. I'd focused too much on Wilder's abysmal resume and not taken into account Parker's, which is almost as bad.
Everyone underrates Joshua now because he's not the force he once was, but he's still been easily outboxing everyone not named Usyk.
You can put him in the conversation for the greatest boxer of all time, I’m not sure you can categorically call that yet.