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

normanoffside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031463#Comment_119031463

He said he'd have no problem making 168 just last year and was happy to fight canelo there.

https://www.boxingscene.com/dmitry-bivol-id-fight-canelo-168-175-i-want-fight-best--157262

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031521#Comment_119031521

I know this. Fighters say a lot of stuff. I am not saying he can’t make 168 lbs. I am saying that he is not small/average at LHW. He’s natural. Toned and trim and solid enough at 175

selectamatic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119031356#Comment_119031356

Oh I know, I'd be thinking the majority thought the same even before lastnight.

Usyk would be easy convince Canelo on the otherhand? Huge fight yes but massively risky to him and this brand he has built up. Him mentioning Usyk was only ever interview soundbites imo.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119032077#Comment_119032077

Yes

but I look at it another way. To counter the conspiracy nonsense. With 8 rds to go the judges still got Bivol over the line. 7-1 they scored him.

and as you said: all three saw all rds the same. Very rare that, unless fights are very clear cut every round.

reclose

I had Bivol 3-1 or 4-1 up and then stopped trying to score them after that.

I think Bivols work was cleaner and more accurate.

Brock Turnpike

For all the criticism Mannix received for his Taylor vs Serrano scorecard, I thought his was very much on the money last night. I would find it difficult to give Canelo any more than 4 rounds.

walshb

Do folks see any chance of Canelo winning a rematch? Can he change things to get the job done?

surely if he can sustain more committed offence he can win more of the fight?

if you look at the fight as a whole and not individual rds, Canelo had plenty moments where he was in command and “winning,” but he seemed to suffer cardio wise and then need breaks.

been saying it a while: he has been getting ridiculously overrated in recent years based off beating nothing approaching great.

normanoffside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036624#Comment_119036624

There's now talk of a rematch at 168lbs as I previously suspected might happen.

Apparently Bivol was 183lbs on fight night and Canelo 180, so there is not much difference in natural weight and Bivol is confident he can make 168. I think this might be an advantage to Canelo in a rematch but he might not want to risk losing his SMW belts.

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/bivol-open-to-rematch-with-canelo-at-168-for-undisputed-championship-in-rematch/220738

Morrison J

He'll need to put together 12 high output rounds to beat Bivol and he just doesn't have the gas tank to sustain that I don't think. Only recent time I've been impressed with Canelo's output as been the fight coming off the drug ban against GGG 2.

walshb

168 should much more favor Canelo. He gets Bivol to boil down to a weight much more suited to him. Canelo is an average sized MW really.

normanoffside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119036925#Comment_119036925

Will he want to risk all his belts though? That would leave him nowhere to go except down to 160.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119037875#Comment_119037875

Well then he should just do the rematch again at 175…but he must know that 168 will be more a challenge and impacting to Bivol than to him, hence might push for 168 lbs rematch

squigglestrebor

Bivol beats Canelo again at any weight.

selectamatic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119037875#Comment_119037875

Back down to 160 for ggg and complete a trio of losses. I've absolutely nothing against Canelo really but it sticks in my craw how Golovkin had his belts taken from him. Have that niggling feeling that age has caught up with ggg now though.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119038113#Comment_119038113

It would do me the world of good if he fought Bivol at 168, got trounced and then went down and GGG beat him too. Alas, the ship has sailed on that one. GGG has got very slow and over the years as awesome as he’s been he’s taken a fair amount of heavy shots - even since the Canelo fights he’s had to grind them out and hang in there. I think Canelo stops him now pretty comfortably by about 9 or 10. I’d love him to retire - in my opinion he got robbed the first fight and should have won a close one the second but I dont have a problem Canelo getting that nod. For long enough Canelo didn’t want a bit of him

blade1

Boxing on channel 5 for anyone interested

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119064272#Comment_119064272

Just read that update! I thought Yoka was a banker for that fight. Bakole isnt great at all

Rjd2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119064272#Comment_119064272

Very annoyed i did not bet Bakole pre, yep he is bang average but Yoka is just a hype job. However did you see the cards,,absolutely shocking, I think Tony was content to get the to the judges and hope for a robbery and he nearly got one. Shambolic.

megadodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119095768#Comment_119095768

Really enjoyed both fights.

Buatsi/Richards was a good, hard-fought, closely contested fight that reflected well on both. I think Buatsi needs to increase his output if he's to go all the way. He tends to take too many breaks, not unlike Canelo in that sense.

Sloppy or not, Babic is just great to watch. No matter what, he'll keep coming. He really was out on his feet with that punch after the bell. I was wondering what the ref was going to do. He took a point off (correctly) at the beginning of the 10th, but I think he should have allowed as much time as was required for Babic to recover before resuming. If Babic hadn't come out for the 10th, surely the ref would have had to disqualify Ballski?

Morrison J

I think Buatsi will be cannon fodder for the elite in the division unfortunately. Won clear last night but looked pretty suspect defensively and seems like he's got a bit of a dodgy gas tank. Any time he makes a flurry of substance he needs to take a huge breather where it looks like a stiff wind could blow him over. There's definitely a fragility with him.

walshb

Babic is just pure value for money. Love his commitment and work. Enjoyable scrap last night.

Buatsi: For me, meh!

Benavidez hammered a worn and washed up Lemieux last night.

normanoffside

Canelo is going to fight GGG at 168 next. That probably means we also get Bivol vs his mandatory Ramirez.

Both really good fights to be fair.

Rjd2

Babic is a fun fighter, he will never be elite but not everyone can be, and you need guys like that who bring some fun to a lot of these sterile UK cards.

Golovkin will get hurt v Canelo sadly, he is washed.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119108866#Comment_119108866

Ah he’s ok there’s a bit of colour to him.

Yep. I think that’s going to be a very hard watch. I worry for him there and that he will be remembered for this one. I hope his corner are prepared to protect him from himself.

walshb

I wouldn’t write off GGG so quickly. Yes, Canelo favorite. But Canelo is not some killer. Could be plenty competitive moments. If GGG tidies his defence more, it could be competitive.

squinn2912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119110402#Comment_119110402

I hope you’re right lad but I think GGG has looked very slow of late. Canelo has kicked on since their two fights even if he’s been shrewd with the choice of opponent

walshb

GGG was never the quickest of cats, but yes, wee bit more sluggish.

I still think it could be competitive, although a clear Canelo win would not be a surprise.

You’re right, Canelo has kicked on. But beaten nobody special. I admire Canelo, but some of the commentary and plaudits are way OTT

normanoffside

GGG installed at 11/4 to beat Canelo.

I think that's quite generous given how close the 1st two fight were.

walshb

I see Spike getting another crack at a world title......how he does it?

Lara's WBA middleweight belt on the line

Not a hope, as usual.

normanoffside

I'm seeing that Hughie Fury vs Michael Hunter is pencilled in for July.

That's actually a decent match up (albeit likely to be a boring fight).