Predictions for Saturday Night

See Groves blasting through Di Luisa, if Bute took him ouy in 4 and Rebrasse in 6 or 7 I can imagine Groves getting to him.

John Ryder, Sergey Khomitsky is an excellent fight, tough comeback from the defeat to Blackwell, SK must be about 41 now but keeps upsetting. Got a draw against Blackwell himself, KOed Buglioni and Adam Etches and gave Murray two difficult fights. Fancy Ryder to take this as long as he doesn't gas, but an upset wouldn't stun me.

John Wayne Hibbert against Tommy Martin is a pick em for me. Get a feeling Hibbert struggles to make weight and Martin may just be a little fresher and more up for it, which can count a lot in these type of fights, but at this level Hibbert can never be written off. Pick Martin on points if he can survive a late push from Hibbert.

Main event of the evening

Another Sergey but I think this ones a tad more impressive. Kovalev Vs Pascal 2. First one was a cracker
Kov got to Pasc early last time but seemingly let him off the hook and Pascal used his speed to seemingly buzz Kov a couple of times in the 5th and 6th. Think you're going to need great stamina to last with Kov over 12 though and I don't see it. Kov by KO in 10 me thinks. But Pascal will make it exciting when it lasts!

Only interested in Kov v Pascal

Shock win for Pascal.

Think Khomitsky will stop Ryder providing the ref doesn't get involved too much.

Pascal will do well for a while but I don't consider him a very smart fighter so not sure he can really improve enough on the last fight to turn things around

I'm going for Komitsky to win as well.

Gonna side with Ryder

Think he should just have enough to be ya man

Hibbert was in another entertaining war, overcame some sticky moments in the mid rounds but his size and superior power told in the end.

Competent job by Ryder.

The Martin v Hibbert fight was very entertaining. Feel sorry for Martin. He deserved to see the final bell.

Nice boxing from Ryder can't help but feel there is not enough devil in his work for me it is all a bit too precise and.....nice.

Hibbert as mentioned by Hammersmith as usual in a good fight, Martin will come back stronger and better for the experience.

I agree beast. I just get the impression Ryder's not quite got the spite needed.

Groves is starting well. Still needs to use his jab more.

That jab is lovely

He's always had a good jab. After I wrote that comment he started to use it more!

Groves looks ok against vs what with respect appears to be an average opponent, agree with the jab comment Happy perhaps he is trying a bit too hard. A bit more "relaxed" and let the shots flow and this will be over.

Again I agree.

If groves had gone into the jack fight with this intent he would have won. He does have a good jab.

Speaking to trying too hard whilst I generally do not like to point the finger at officials, what is Ian John Lewis trying to do, jumping in and out out like the okey cokey.

Good performance

Won easily barely took anything like the style he is doing now

Looked better than he has done in recent times, not the greatest opponent but neither was Douglin who he laboured against, was setting up his punches better behind the jab instead of just going headhunting.

Again, I agree.

His fights after Froch were largely laboured and unspectacular.

He got the job done tonight in a professional manner. Whether his opponent was average or not, groves looked sharp and petty much dominated the fight.

Did pretty much all he could do.

Fitz was an obvious mistake.

Yes looked sharper, the Murray fight to me is an obvious match before either challenge for higher honours.

I think Shane will bring the best out of him

Using that powerful jab and the back hand after it, he will definitely be a player, he looked good

I don't think he'll take Murray. It's a no win fight. Murray is tough and competent.

Groves will go a different route.

Sadly Happy I suspect you will be proved correct. Shame if it does not happen 7 World Title fights between them and with respect I cannot think of many wins either have had vs top class opponents (Groves beating DeGale but that was some time ago).

A debate for another time, off to bed. Night gentlemen a reasonable evening of boxing and even better conversation, cheers.

His opponent tonight really didn't have anything to threaten George but he did what he had to do and looked good

Groves jab is his best weapon and he's been neglecting it in his last few fights

If he can bring it back into his game against the top fighters maybe he can win a world title but that remains to be seen still feel he's a vulnerable guy and unsure if he can crack a world title

I thought Murray won two of his, to be fair.

But Murray is in the who needs him club so he has to take risks.

Groves has a name so will fight a string of beatable names till he gets a shot.

Dang, got the Martin result wrong, but he did well showed a lot of grit, thought that one could go either way to be fair. Who's staying up for Kovalev? Surely if there's a fighter worth staying up for its him at the moment?

That was brutal, my goodness... Kovalev really is a krusher
Pascal only landed 30 punches in 8 rounds... That was an annihilation... Pascals nose looked broken early. Sergey punished him purposefully in there like he said he would. He didn't want to ko him and he really could have of he wanted, he let him get away each time he was about to. That was sickening... He said in the post fight interview he was too!! Wow...

I wish Kovalev was in the same division as GGG. That would be amazing.

Kovalev vs Ward becomes very interesting I feel

Not sure how Shane will do any good for anyone. No boxing record to speak of/little experience/never fought under a great trainer to learn from.

Just watched the re-run and Kov is some animal. Let's see if Chickenson steps up now or not.

Coxy001 wrote:Not sure how Shane will do any good for anyone. No boxing record to speak of/little experience/never fought under a great trainer to learn from.

Just watched the re-run and Kov is some animal. Let's see if Chickenson steps up now or not.

Very few great trainers started off as boxers Coxy and I would imagine his Dad has taught him a thing or two.

Kovalev smashed him up

Pascal landed a few left hooks earlier but kovalevs jab killed pascal all night and the hooks were brutal

It's not kovalevs job to stop the fight he did his job thought max was out of line with that comment

Kovalev is something special

Ward has his work cut out

BoxingFan Kovalev admitted he wanted to hurt him, he purposefully kept letting him.off the hook to.punish him more. He said so in the pre fight and post fight, Kellerman was right. Pure and simple Kovalev is an animal. He was doing it cos Pascal called him racist among other things, he wanted to hurt him. Did a pretty damn good job in there too, he really was suffering.

Pascal wasn't wrong saying that in fairness.

Kovalev is vicious. Hes already killed another fighter. A lot of fighters would go gunshy after that but Kovalev seems made to enjoy handing out punishment. One scary man. Not surprised Stevenson has been running the other way.

You guys are blowing this out of context

Kovalev killed someone due to referee negligence he was deeply affected by it and considered quitting he supported the family after it to

Kovalev took his time and Handed him a methodical beating it's not kovalevs job to look after pascal it's the ref and the corner

BoxingFan he has ADMITTED it what are you on about? He was purposefully letting him survive to hurt him further. He said in the build up it was what he was going to do, make him suffer be didn't want to knock him out until late.

In the first fight with Pascal he hurt him and was laughing at him struggling to walk around the ring, when he knocked down Sillakh he was stood in the centre of the ring TAUNTING him as he was hurt. Then raced across and destroyed him. I don't believe he was close to retiring after he killed someone, he seems to not have much remorse, but that's part of the reason in my view he's so dangerous. He might say he was deeply affected, but he kind of has to really. I think he maybe felt bad about it but its hardly affected him like Eubank over Watson or Mike Perez recently over Mago. He's just plain and simple a bloody animal. Great to watch, though. Him against Sard is the fight, Stevenson gets destroyed.

Stevenson getting brave in the ring after knows the fight can't happen knew the day he signed for Haymon the fight couldn't happen.

Al Haymon good for fighter's bank balances but not good for boxing imo. Fixed matchmaking doesn't deliver the fights the fans want. Fighters turn to Haymon to extend their careers.

AlexHuckerby wrote:In the first fight with Pascal he hurt him and was laughing at him struggling to walk around the ring, when he knocked down Sillakh he was stood in the centre of the ring TAUNTING him as he was hurt. Then raced across and destroyed him. I don't believe he was close to retiring after he killed someone, he seems to not have much remorse, but that's part of the reason in my view he's so dangerous. He might say he was deeply affected, but he kind of has to really. I think he maybe felt bad about it but its hardly affected him like Eubank over Watson or Mike Perez recently over Mago. He's just plain and simple a bloody animal. Great to watch, though. Him against Sard is the fight, Stevenson gets destroyed.

Will need to see if Stevenson has showed signs of slowing down in his next fight but i've always backed him to Kovalev out reasonably early, tend to think his speed and dynamism is too much, would love to see it so the racist CNUT gets splattered.

I'd give Stevenson about a one in a million chance of beating Kovalev..

To be honest as good as Kovalev is, this is a poor Light Heavyweight division, got nothing to beat unfortunately.

I would have loved to have seen Kovalev in another era to see how he'd fair.

Just no way, cannot see it, Kovalev is very good at controlling range and Stevenson hasn't got a great chin. Bellew had him buzzed, Kovalev lands and its over, he'll be very careful of Stevenson's left aswell. Just personally can't see it, Kovalev is an absolute beastx I actually think he could give a lot of great champions hell.

Nico the gman wrote:To be honest as good as Kovalev is, this is a poor Light Heavyweight division, got nothing to beat unfortunately.

I would have loved to have seen Kovalev in another era to see how he'd fair.

Ward will give him a real test. That fight will happen late in the year.

I wonder if we'll see Ward fight again. He always appears to be injured or having promotional issues and hasn't fought a live opponent since Dawson.

I would like to see the fight happen but Ward does need to EARN a shot. And that means a named opponent who's half decent, not some money-hungry talentless corpse wanting a payday.

Ward has already earned a shot....

You're not thick..so stop pretending.

But he's probably scared like all the rest of the Americans...

I mean anyone that puts away a supermiddle that got a lesson off Froch and beats a 50 year old is going to scare anybody..

Little Alex bless him...Probably thinks one direction are better than the Stones..

Happytravelling wrote:Again, I agree.

His fights after Froch were largely laboured and unspectacular.

He got the job done tonight in a professional manner. Whether his opponent was average or not, groves looked sharp and petty much dominated the fight.

Did pretty much all he could do.

Fitz was an obvious mistake.

Yep Groves looks good against a stiff he could play with and Paddy is a useless trainer..

Now don't be silly..

"Boards don't hit back"...- Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon)

AlexHuckerby wrote:Just no way, cannot see it, Kovalev is very good at controlling range and Stevenson hasn't got a great chin. Bellew had him buzzed, Kovalev lands and its over, he'll be very careful of Stevenson's left aswell. Just personally can't see it, Kovalev is an absolute beastx I actually think he could give a lot of great champions hell.

Nor does Kovalev have a great chin, he was buzzed by Hopkins a couple of times in their fight, a 50 year old who hasn't had a stoppage win since 2004. It works both ways and I tend to feel there's evidence of Stevenson being more capable of finishing a fight with a single punch and his superior speed early on makes controlling range a lot harder.

I fancy Stevo....Just can't see the fuss..

Good fighter but he's no Spinks or Qawi..

I don't recall Froch giving Pascal a lesson. In fact Froch after the sixth round, realising he was going to come off second in a trade-off, got behind the jab and boxed his way to the win in an incredibly tense and close fight.

It takes some fighter to make Pascal give up his stool imo, I still reckon Pascal would smash Stevenson up,, Stevenson not even second best in the division imo. At least Pascal had the ball$ to get in there with Kovalev not once but twice, something which Stevenson so obviously will do anything not to do.

Kovalev a very solid chin imo.

10-2...9-3...8-4...Froch..

Pascal couldn't beat (1 minute a round)Grandad twice...

Kovo likes his little super middles..

Has to be said Kovalev beating Pascal is being massively over rated in the context of Hopkins schooling him twice.

Don't get this Russian love...