Upcoming Fights **Mod note: Keep discussion to fight night threads**

walshb

boxer.fan wrote: »

Easy nights work for Kovalev. Chilemba is very unorthodox but I don't see anything that will trouble Kovalev.

I believe the November bout will happen. Both parties need it, Ward moreso.

It's the fight we all want. As much as any fight out there!

Andre 3000

I'd be so disappointed if the fight doesn't happen. Best fight in Boxing outside Inoue/Gonzalez or Gonzalez/Estrada II.

Henno30

Crawford vs. Postol is set for HBO PPV on July 23rd.

Johner

Henno30 wrote: »

Crawford vs. Postol is set for HBO PPV on July 23rd.

Great fight!

Andre 3000

Kovalev and Ward have signed a contract agreeing to fight later in the year. Venue and date yet to be confirmed but November 19th is being thrown around. Fantastic news and it's some testament to Andre Ward agreeing to this fight so soon.

Johner

Eubank Jr Vs Tom Doran on the Joshua undercard.

walshb

Andre 3000 wrote: »

and it's some testament to Andre Ward agreeing to this fight so soon.

The consensus p4p number 1 in the world. What's so soon here? I don't get it. Neither man deserves credit for fighting each other. It's world class boxing. It should be happening a lot more that the two best in a division meet.

HigginsJ

walshb wrote: »

The consensus p4p number 1 in the world. What's so soon here? I don't get it. Neither man deserves credit for fighting each other. It's world class boxing. It should be happening a lot more that the two best in a division meet.

Yea but the fact that we do see it so rarely at this point, they do deserve some credit.

Andre 3000

HigginsJ wrote: »

Yea but the fact that we do see it so rarely at this point, they do deserve some credit.

Exactly, and in Ward's case he's gone from a guy people thought would end up retired due to his inactivity to coming back and facing the arguably most devastating and dangerous boxer currently active. It's the hardest fight of both their careers, and it's the best fight possible for both, so they both deserve a lot of respect.

walshb

HigginsJ wrote: »

Yea but the fact that we do see it so rarely at this point, they do deserve some credit.

They. Andre seemed to want to only credit Ward, a man unbeaten the past 20 or so years. I credit neither man. Ward was almost pushed into this fight.

nacho libre

walshb wrote: »

They. Andre seemed to want to only credit Ward, a man unbeaten the past 20 or so years. I credit neither man. Ward was almost pushed into this fight.

He accepted the fight, contrast that with others(the likes of Stevenson) who say they want to fight a particular person(Kovalvev) then do everything they can to avoid it, even when others try to entice or push them into it.

Andre 3000

Brook/Vargas supposed to be a done deal for August in Sheffield. I just hope Eddie Hearn and Brook are okay after surely being held at gun point and forced to actually take a fight with a proper boxer :rolleyes:

It's a decent fight though, Vargas was very impressive against Sadam Ali, a fight I thought he'd lose. It'll make me sick seeing Kell Brook as unified champ though, seeing as his resume is pants. The sooner he's fed to Errol Spence the better.

Andre 3000

Andre Ward is supposed to be fighting Nathan Cleverly for his Kovalev tuneup. Mixed feeling over that, Cleverly is a decent LHW, and will give Ward something to think about for a short while but I hope Ward's only fighting him because the likes of Fonfara, Alvarez, Braehmer or Oosthuizen were unavailable or impossible due to HBO vs. Showtime issues.

boxer.fan

Andre 3000 wrote: »

Andre Ward is supposed to be fighting Nathan Cleverly for his Kovalev tuneup. Mixed feeling over that, Cleverly is a decent LHW, and will give Ward something to think about for a short while but I hope Ward's only fighting him because the likes of Fonfara, Alvarez, Braehmer or Oosthuizen were unavailable or impossible due to HBO vs. Showtime issues.

If it happens I would expect Ward to have Cleverly out of there in a couple of rounds.

nacho libre

I would be shocked if Cleverly beat Ward. I don't see Cleverly causing Ward any problems.

megadodge

boxer.fan wrote: »

If it happens I would expect Ward to have Cleverly out of there in a couple of rounds.

I'd be very surprised if that happened.

Ward doesn't beat anybody that early. Cleverly has a decent chin, so it's most likely a wide UD for Ward or maybe a late stoppage.

walshb

boxer.fan wrote: »

If it happens I would expect Ward to have Cleverly out of there in a couple of rounds.

He took 7-8 rds to get the much smaller Smith out of there. A shock if Ward gets a stoppage win here. A huge shock if it's early. Ward is not a real hitter or killer. Never was. It's a bit of an odd tune up. Cleverly is a big lad who can box a bit. He's like a CW fighting at LHW.

boxer.fan

walshb wrote: »

He took 7-8 rds to get the much smaller Smith out of there. A shock if Ward gets a stoppage win here. A huge shock if it's early. Ward is not a real hitter or killer. Never was. It's a bit of an odd tune up. Cleverly is a big lad who can box a bit. He's like a CW fighting at LHW.

Cleverly's best days are long gone. Kovalev took his chin. Ward made bits of Dawson who was a big lad as far as I remember. He needed to get the rounds in against Smith but took him out of there due to boredom. The way I see it he will be looking to make a statement with Clev.

Andre 3000

Ward has shown signs he might have gained some power with his move up to 175, but I don't see him stopping his man. Ward doesn't need to KO lads when he barely loses more than two rounds a fight.

megadodge

boxer.fan wrote: »

Cleverly's best days are long gone. Kovalev took his chin. Ward made bits of Dawson who was a big lad as far as I remember. He needed to get the rounds in against Smith but took him out of there due to boredom. The way I see it he will be looking to make a statement with Clev.

He was (and is still) a big lad. A big light-heavy, who crazily agreed to fight Ward at Super-middle, not having made that weight for years beforehand. It backfired badly as he looked weak as water throughout, but it still took Ward 10 rounds to finish him.

Ward is miles better than Cleverley, but will do well to stop him in the very early rounds.

Johner

Ward has never stopped any half decent opponent early. A wide Ward points decision is the most likely outcome.

Andre 3000

Drozd apparently wants to exercise his emeritus status and fight Bellew for his belt back at the end of the year. Apparently he's already training. I wonder if Hearn will be able to wangle his way around this. Due to Bellew winning a vacant belt I'm pretty sure he can't take a voluntary defence, and Briedis is the #1. There was a mention of fighting Lebedev and seeing as it's a unification fight it could be sanctioned. So realistically it's Drozd, Briedis or Lebedev. Talk about a sh*t end of the stick.

Meanwhile Usyk/Glowacki is gone to purse bid which means it's 100% happening which is f*cking brilliant. Usyk is one of my favourite fighters, probably my favourite guy north of 160 to watch fight besides Ward and I have my doubts over Glowacki but it's a definite 50/50 fight. I can see Usyk and K2 winning the purse bid. The Klitscko's will do anything to get a home fight for their top lad and Usyk is a massive draw in Ukraine, understandably.

Meanwhile, I came across this a few days ago, a documentary about Usyk with English subtitles. Very enjoyable watch, made me even more of a fan of his for sure:

TheNap

Bellew had his moment in the sun . Only way now is down. He will vacate , fight Haye at heavyweight for £££ , get knocked out then retire.

walshb

TheNap wrote: »

Bellew had his moment in the sun . Only way now is down. He will vacate , fight Haye at heavyweight for £££ , get knocked out then retire.

Not sure Bellew wants Haye at HW. Mouthing out of him knowing that getting to 200 lbs is too much of a task. Be like Khan calling out Kovalev at WW!

TheNap

walshb wrote: »

Not sure Bellew wants Haye at HW. Mouthing out of him knowing that getting to 200 lbs is too much of a task. Be like Khan calling out Kovalev at WW!

I agree . But he called out Haye in the ring after winning a world title which to me means he genuinely wants it if that was the 1st thing he was thinking in that moment . He also uploaded another video today in response to Haye .

I see a catchweight fight happening around xmas time .

walshb

TheNap wrote: »

I agree . But he called out Haye in the ring after winning a world title which to me means he genuinely wants it if that was the 1st thing he was thinking in that moment . He also uploaded another video today in response to Haye .

Not sure how you can think he genuinely wants it juts because he called him out whilst standing in the ring. Many have done similar. Bellew wants him at below 200 lbs, and Bellew knows that this is extremely unlikely, hence him calling for it.

walshb

Lomachenko bids to make history next Saturday by becoming the quickest man to win world titles in two weights. Meets Roman Martinez for the 130 lbs WBO belt. Not easy, but not all that difficult a task. Martinez is so so as WCs go!

Johner

I see Enzo got sparked again in the first round and finally he has retired. :rolleyes: He's very lucky to get out of the sport without serious damage, one of the worst chins in boxing and he should have retired years ago! At least he got to spark Roy Jones on his way out. :rolleyes:

walshb

Beautiful shots to take Enzo out. Enzo is several fights past retirement!

Joe Musashi

I like Enzo. He does have a highlight reel of KO losses. Frenkel KO was particularly savage: