Boxing thread

[Thierry Henry]

I still enjoy the monthly "The Fight Game with Jim Lampley" show. Hopefully that survives the cut.

 

[famicommander]

Billy Joe Saunders just failed a voluntary PED test. Could result in being stripped of his WBO middleweight title.

What a gong show that dude is. He was fine over 100K last week for being caught on video offering a woman drugs for sex, then convincing her to punch a random passer-by and driving off.

This after his racist ass barged into a restaurant and threw fried chicken at Deontay Wilder.

 

[gusmoney]

HBO announced that it will no longer be showing boxing after 35 years of fights on the network.

Amazed, its actually been forty-five years of boxing on HBO. Their first fight was in 1973 (Foreman v. Frazier).

 

[famicommander]

Looks like Billy Joe is actually okay to fight

Following reports of an adverse analytical finding in a test carried out by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (“VADA”) on WBO World Middleweight Champion, Billy Joe Saunders, we can confirm that the product concerned is permitted to be used ‘Out of Competition’ by United Kingdom Anti-Doping (“UKAD”) in line with the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”).

For the avoidance of doubt, the product in question was a common decongestant nasal spray.

The British Boxing Board of Control (“BBBofC”) under whose jurisdiction Billy Joe Saunders is licensed are affiliated only to UKAD/WADA.

Today the BBBofC have confirmed that Mr Saunders is not in breach of BBBofC or UKAD anti doping regulations and is therefore in good standing and is licensed to box and defend his World Title on October 20th.

Mr. Saunders has been tested a number of times in 2018, all negative, his last out of competition test by UKAD was on 24th September 2018.

 

[famicommander]

Callum Smith knocked out George Groves today to win the World Boxing Series Super Middleweight tournament, Smith's WBA (Super) World Super Middleweight championship, and The Ring World Super Middleweight championship.

Groves was considered a big favorite but Smith took it right to him and got him out of there in the seventh. I'd love to see Smith in there against Zurdo or Benavidez next.

 

[famicommander]

Jorge Linares just obliterated Abner Cotto (Miguel Cotto's cousin) in three rounds. This was Linares' first fight at 140 pounds and it seems like going up in weight really benefited him. At 135 he had to drain too much to make weight.

He could really tear up 140. There are no fighters the caliber of a Vasyl Lomachenko or a Mikey Garcia in that division and, as I mentioned, Linares is physically more suited to that weight class anyway. I imagine he'll get a title shot soon; if not in his next fight, then probably the following. He's already a four time world champion in three different weight classes

 

[famicommander]

Graciano Rocchigiani, former two division world champion (one in 1988, one in 1998), was killed earlier today in Italy at the age of 54. He was on foot and struck and killed by a car. Rochhigiani was born in Germany to Italian parents and split his time between the two countries. He leaves behind two children.

 

[Thierry Henry]

^^
That's sad.

My dad has a signed boxing glove from both Rocky and his brother Ralf. He got it at the Deutschlandhalle arena (now demolished) when he was on a business trip to the old West Berlin, and had attended the title fight between Rocchigiani and our own Sugarboy Malinga.

 

[famicommander]

Sounds like Wilder vs Fury put the potential Mikey vs Spence fight on the back burner as Showtime doesn't want two big PPVs so close together.

So Mikey is instead going to make his mandatory IBF lightweight championship defense against Richard Commey.

This is good news because the only reason he'd really do that is if he were planning on unifying on the belts with Lomachenko after Loma takes Pedraza's belt. Otherwise he would chase a better fight at 140 or take on Linares at 135 or 140 in the absence of a Spence fight at 147.

So currently the Lightweight championship looks like this
Lineal: Vacant
WBC: Mikey Garcia
WBA: Vasyl Lomachenko
IBF: Mikey Garcia
WBO: Jose Pedraza (unification fight with Loma on December 8)
Ring: Vasyl Lomachenko
IBO: Vacant

So as long as we get clean winners from Loma/Pedraza and Mikey/Commey, we'll get an undisputed title fight sometime next year. Loma and Mikey are ranked #1 and #2 at TBRB, so it'd be for the lineal title too. Hopefully the IBO doesn't do something stupid and award their title to someone else in the meantime.

I can't think of a better fight than Mikey vs Loma out there right now. Joshua vs Wilder would be a bigger fight, but neither guy is nearly on the same skill level as the lightweights.

 

[famicommander]

Leo Santa Cruz vs Gary Russell Jr to unify the WBC and WBA (Super) welterweight titles is officially happening. No date or venue yet but that's a fantastic fight.

Also, interesting thing I read today after Callum Smith recently captured the WBA and Ring world super middleweight titles: the Ring super middleweight champion has never been defeated. The title has only changed hands when the previous holder retired or left the weight class.

 

[famicommander]

The WBC is enforcing a mandatory fight against Dominic Breazeale for the winner of Wilder vs Fury.

So basically this means that after Wilder knocks out Fury, he either fights Breazeale or Joshua next. Joshua is a unification fight so it trumps a mandatory, but beyond that it's Breazeale's turn.

Not that it really matters, as Breazeale has no chance.

 

[famicommander]

A short history of Dillian Whyte:
-got knocked out by Anthony Joshua
-had an opportunity to fight Kubrat Pulev in a final eliminator to become the IBF Heavyweight mandatory challenger, turned it down
-had an opportunity to fight Luis Ortiz on July 28 to become WBC mandatory, accepted the fight then changed his mind to fight Joseph Parker
-got gifted a knockdown on a clear headbutt then beat Parker by a single round on the cards
-earlier this week he called Luis Ortiz a scared old man, claimed Ortiz was the one who didn't want the July fight

To which Ortiz responded:

So listen here young man. There is a spot open on this Wilder-Fury card so why don’t you strap your nuts on and come face me so I can show you a good ass whooping son. If not please take my name out your mouth.

So given the history, Whyte will likely duck this fight again, fight Derek Chisora instead, and then get a shot at Joshua anyway in April as Joshua needs someone to fight instead of Wilder, whom he's terrifed of.

 

[famicommander]

Canelo is moving up to super middleweight to fight Rocky Fielding for Fielding's WBA (Regular) championship.

This is a cherry pick fight. The Regular belt isn't a real world title, and Fielding isn't even a top ten fighter in the division. But when Canelo wins, the press will count this as another world title for him, and declare him a three division world champion.

The real WBA champion is Super Champion Callum Smith. The other champions in the division are David Benavidez, who is about to be suspended for cocaine use, Gilberto Ramirez, and Jose Uzcategui.

Edit:
Also, the gate numbers for Anthony Joshua fights are coming out. Even though he draws ~80,000 fans, the revenue is only about 10 million dollars. That's really, really low for a crowd that size. Pac vs Mayweather did over 72 million dollars in a 16,000 seat arena. Canelo vs GGG I did over 27 million in a 17,000 seat arena.

So again, by insisting that the fight take place in the UK, Joshua is insisting that he and Wilder both make way, way less money just so Joshua can have a hometown ref and judges.

 

[famicommander]

NBC is nearing a deal to air 7 fight cards per year on its main network and NBC Sports.

So next year, even without HBO all these platforms will have boxing in the US, not counting Spanish channels:
Fox
Fox Sports 1
NBC
NBC Sports Network
ESPN, ESPN 2
ESPN +
Showtime
DAZN
Bounce (small OTA TV channel)
CBS Sports Network
Youtube
Facebook Watch

Showtime, DAZN, and ESPN+ are paid subscriptions but the rest are free streams, OTA TV, or cable TV. This is the most accessible boxing has been in my lifetime for sure. Only a few big PPVs per year, tons of fights on TV.

 

[Thierry Henry]

Not related here but did anyone catch that MMA thuggery at the end of the Khabib v McGregor fight.
Man I've seen some shit go down in boxing over the years but some of those folks should be locked in a zoo.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

McGregor camp had it coming though. As bad as that will sound

 

[Thierry Henry]

They should put all that wild energy to good use and make those guys break rocks in a chain gang.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

They should put all that wild energy to good use and make those guys break rocks in a chain gang.

Hah. You saw McGregor go apeshit and throw a trolly at a coach a while back though. They're all nuts

 

[sr20det510]

Not related here but did anyone catch that MMA thuggery at the end of the Khabib v McGregor fight.
Man I've seen some shit go down in boxing over the years but some of those folks should be locked in a zoo.

Reminded me of WWF.
Jump out of the cage to attack someone, leave Conor alone in the cage to get jumped. Then hype that shit, and set up a rematch.,

 

[famicommander]

Fuck that carny ass MMA garbage, this is a real fight sport thread

Naoya Inoue from this morning. Kid's the goods. Gonna walk through the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight tournament and come out of it with the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, Ring, and lineal titles.

 

[DevilRedeemed]

Fuck that carny ass MMA garbage, this is a real fight sport thread

Naoya Inoue from this morning. Kid's the goods. Gonna walk through the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight tournament and come out of it with the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, Ring, and lineal titles.

Damn, took him out round one. Is 17-0-0 with 15 KOs

 

[famicommander]

A short history of Dillian Whyte:
-got knocked out by Anthony Joshua
-had an opportunity to fight Kubrat Pulev in a final eliminator to become the IBF Heavyweight mandatory challenger, turned it down
-had an opportunity to fight Luis Ortiz on July 28 to become WBC mandatory, accepted the fight then changed his mind to fight Joseph Parker
-got gifted a knockdown on a clear headbutt then beat Parker by a single round on the cards
-earlier this week he called Luis Ortiz a scared old man, claimed Ortiz was the one who didn't want the July fight

To which Ortiz responded:


So given the history, Whyte will likely duck this fight again, fight Derek Chisora instead, and then get a shot at Joshua anyway in April as Joshua needs someone to fight instead of Wilder, whom he's terrifed of.

Update
Whyte responded saying that Ortiz should travel to the UK to fight him on December 22 instead

Ortiz said fine, send the contract

So now we're waiting for an announcement. Hopefully Eddie Hearn doesn't blow this fight up with his shenanigans (Ortiz was at one point supposed to fight Joshua, but Joshua and Hearn threatened to drop the WBA belt to duck the fight so Ortiz fought Wilder instead).

 

[famicommander]

Saunders vs Andrade is off, Saunders will not be granted a license to box in Massachusetts because of his field drug test.

Sounded like it was going to happen but nope, the US standards are much more stringent than the UK's.

Not sure if they're going to strip Saunders and have Andrade fight Kautondokwo for the vacant WBO middleweight title or what. That's probably what should happen.

 

[famicommander]

Confirmed, Saunder has vacated the WBO middleweight title and Andrade will fight Kautondokwo for the vavant belt.

 

[StevenK]

Confirmed, Saunder has vacated the WBO middleweight title and Andrade will fight Kautondokwo for the vavant belt.

Standard pikey behaviour.