A talented era!

Boxing has no current superstars, other than Manny and the retired Floyd. Canelo comes the closest.

However the sport has some major talent throughout the divisions.

Gonzalez, Rigo, Loma, Crawford, GGG, Ward, Kovalev to name a few. A couple of these guys are no spring chickens, but these guys I have just named are all super elite fighters.

There are also loads of other very good fighters among these talented guys, with many potential great prospects, like Spence, Verdejo and Inoue.

If I had to pick one fighter of the list that could become a major star, it is Lomachenko. I love watching that guy fight. His movement and punch arsenal are something else. If anyone was a young aspiring boxer, Loma is the guy to watch and learn from.

Anyway boxing is not dead, as many mma fans among others would have you believe. The talent is definitely out there.

I just hope the promoters can get these guys the fights, they deserve. I don't particularly enjoy watching guys of Rigo's ability fighting John Doe.

Also the heavyweight scene is starting to look half exciting again.

Not to mention some upcoming talents - Erol Spence, Joshua, Parker, Thurman, Porter, Crawford. Got some REALLY good fighter out there, some up coming some experienced.

Just hoping we get some good unification fights and the best fight the best - GGG vs Alvarez,
Garcia vs Brook, Crawford vs Pacquiao, Joshua vs Wilder, Fury vs Wilder, Spence vs Thurman, the list goes on....so many fights to make.

Looking forward to Frampton vs LSC this weekend should be cracking

I don't think boxing is lacking characters or good fighters. It's just lacking big fights on a consistent basis. Look at any division and there's great fighters who'll never fight each other.

Stevenson vs Ward/Kovalev
Amir Khan vs Kell Brook
Rigo vs Cruz/Framption/Quigg

And even when big fights do happen they're always too late - Calzaghe vs RJJ, Floyd vs Manny or going even further back to the likes of Tyson and Lewis (which even had a hold up in negotiations about the ring annnouncer - whether it would be Buffer or the other dude. I mean really, FFS).

The heavyweight division has Wilder, Fury, Klit, Joshua. There's been one fight (second fight pending) between all those. Even as fans now we say "let it build up, it'll be bigger next year".

I believe that big fights give fighters a platform to become big names/characters. Due to a consistent lack of big fights people just don't know about them.

Rigo, Ward, Lomachenko, Thurman, Wilder, Crawford, Stevenson and GGG are almost unknown outside hardcore boxing fans. There's a mix of US/European's and different weights there so it's not about nationality or weight class.

It's simple, big fights aren't being made due to a combination of too many belts, too many divisions, too many promotors and too many TV companies to name a few.

Whilst I agree with much of what you say pedro I do think as fans we are sometimes to quick to focus on what we don't get rather than what we do. This Saturday we have Frampton LSC and down the line we have Ward Kovalev. Those two are genuine crackers. Add in Crolla v Linares and Fury Wlad 2 which probably won't be an epic but is intriguing and the glass is probably not as empty as we think.

The sport is in a very unhealthy place. In iminent danger of dying? No, because fundemenatally there is an audience who enjoy watching two people trying to knock each other out.

There is a big talent drain in the heavier divisions also. The heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions have probably teetered close to rock bottom in a historical sense in the last decade or so. Mainly because the U.S who traditionally supplied a large percentage of the talent have moved away from boxing in those weight classes.

Pedro147 wrote:I don't think boxing is lacking characters or good fighters. It's just lacking big fights on a consistent basis. Look at any division and there's great fighters who'll never fight each other.

Stevenson vs Ward/Kovalev
Amir Khan vs Kell Brook
Rigo vs Cruz/Framption/Quigg

And even when big fights do happen they're always too late - Calzaghe vs RJJ, Floyd vs Manny or going even further back to the likes of Tyson and Lewis (which even had a hold up in negotiations about the ring annnouncer - whether it would be Buffer or the other dude. I mean really, FFS).

The heavyweight division has Wilder, Fury, Klit, Joshua. There's been one fight (second fight pending) between all those. Even as fans now we say "let it build up, it'll be bigger next year".

I believe that big fights give fighters a platform to become big names/characters. Due to a consistent lack of big fights people just don't know about them.

Rigo, Ward, Lomachenko, Thurman, Wilder, Crawford, Stevenson and GGG are almost unknown outside hardcore boxing fans. There's a mix of US/European's and different weights there so it's not about nationality or weight class.

It's simple, big fights aren't being made due to a combination of too many belts, too many divisions, too many promotors and too many TV companies to name a few.

Great post Pedro

Rowley wrote:Whilst I agree with much of what you say pedro I do think as fans we are sometimes to quick to focus on what we don't get rather than what we do. This Saturday we have Frampton LSC and down the line we have Ward Kovalev. Those two are genuine crackers. Add in Crolla v Linares and Fury Wlad 2 which probably won't be an epic but is intriguing and the glass is probably not as empty as we think.

I agree to an extent but having a few big fights per year is what we now consider a good year. I don't like UFC and find it boring to watch (ironic considering I enjoy watching Floyd fight) but the best fighters fight each other all the time. Perhaps the evolution of MMA is at its early stage and once fighters are p'd off with UFC they'll branch out into other organisations and it'll be a similar setup to the multiple organisations/belts we currently have in boxing.

Tennis, darts and snooker for example are bigger than they've ever been and it's due the top players playing consistently and the rivalries it creates. Federer/Nadal/Djokovic/Murray, MVG/Taylor/Lewis/Anderson and Ronnie/Selby to name a few. I know it's perhaps a weak argument in comparing one sport directly against another but you see what I'm getting at.

Frampton is fighting this weekend and it's not even had any airtime or column inches in the UK or Ireland this week or the past month or so. Rigo fought in the UK the other week and it wasn't mentioned anywhere despite a once in a generation fighter going to the UK to fight. I think, from a UK perspective anyway, that Boxnation needs to go. It'll get the fighters back on terrestrial TV or in a perfect world Sky Sports. Boxnation gets amazing fights but nobody sees them. Frampton is on Boxnation this weekend which is why there's not been a sniff about it on Sky. Imagine it was Quigg, you'd be hearing about nothing else for the past month.

Rowley wrote:Whilst I agree with much of what you say pedro I do think as fans we are sometimes to quick to focus on what we don't get rather than what we do. This Saturday we have Frampton LSC and down the line we have Ward Kovalev. Those two are genuine crackers. Add in Crolla v Linares and Fury Wlad 2 which probably won't be an epic but is intriguing and the glass is probably not as empty as we think.

Good fights are being made, but this needs to keep up. There are good fighters out there. Promoters need to get behind their main men and believe in their talents.

Some big fights out there that can be made.

Frampton vs Santa Cruz could be a cracker.

In order to get the fights you would need the fighters to have to fight more frequently.

If every Champion had to have 3-4 fights a year there would be far more rivalries and there would be more big fights being made.

There is talent but there isn't talent in depth...

GGG..Rigondeux would flourish in any era..

But would Crolla and Brook be number 1...against Camacho..Rosario..Arguello..Whittaker...Bramble...

Leonard..Hearns...Brown....Curry...Starling..Honey...Mccrory I very much doubt it...

Burns beat....Chavez, Pryor or Taylor at 140...No he'd get killed..

Fury beat Holmes ??..

Kovo have a prayer against Spinks...Nope..


Catchy is right that the death of Boxing in the US has impacted the sport...

Boxing needs English speaking heroes....At present there aren't many..

GGG v Brook sums up the problem...Both number 1 in blue riband divisions and both still "Trade" fighters relatively unknown outside the sport...

It's not just fights.....The Ring magazine tanked in the 90s through Boxing decline..

80s had everything..Pizzazz...Talent and Stars galore..

Boxing could only go downhill and the sad thing is the boulder is speeding up not slowing down..

Loma would do well in any era. Ward would also.

AJ would beat the majority of your 80's idols. Too big and strong.

Good post Trussy except Sergy has a great chance with Spinks imo

It's too much about money and not about the glory, thats what the problem with boxing is. It's the only sport that deals in this way, or at least the only one that springs to mind.

Yes most professional sportsmen (and women) are well paid and I dont really begrudge it. But in boxing it's got to the point where it's all you hear about. Fights are made not on the basis of winning titles or being number 1, it's all about the benjamins every single time. Which is ridiculous really.

I like watching Eddie Hearns interviews with IFLTV. He seems quite honest to a point, and even goes into details about how fights get made etc. He has explained the PPV model he and sky have devised and he seemed to be pretty open about it. I don't really agree with it but what he was saying made sense to be fair. But the fighters now talk in the same way for the most part. All you hear now is pay day this, pay day that. It's boring and as a fan it disconnects me from the sport.

For the most part boxing isnt regulated properly. The promoters run it and money talks. There needs to be regulations, strict ones. If you listen to what happended during Eubank/Golovkin negotiations it tells you everything you need to know. Fighters shouldnt have any say of whos on the undercard, who walks out first, whos name is first on the poster, the size of the ring, ticket prices etc etc. Just train and fight, simple.


Obviously the age old argument of too many belts comes into play massively as well but we could go on all day about that one.

Another thing that lets boxing down is the time inbetween fights for some fighters. Fury beat Klitshcko last November and the rematch isnt until October, just stupid. I know Fury has his injury but IMO the original date of July was stupid as well. Fighters should be required to fight three times a year barring genuine injuries and if they dont they should lose titles/ranking.

I could go on all day

It's always been about the money....

Lomochenko lost to Salita....

Spinks was the 3rd best 175er of all time...Cleverly is Kovo's best win...

Unless you count 50 yr olds..

Cleverly his best win? Nonsense

Hopkins and Pascal better wins for sure.

I would pick Spinks to beat Kovalev for sure.

I would probably pick Spinks to beat anybody from 175 down.

Who have you got at the weekend, Adam?

Herman Jaeger wrote:Who have you got at the weekend, Adam?

I'm a Frampton man. It's a dangerous fight, but I think he can nick it in points. Though wouldn't be too surprised if LSC stops him. Depends how Carl is with the extra weight.

Whether the sport is dying depends very much how you look at it I guess. Whilst I agree the fact Rigo fighting in the UK garnered no press is depressing in the extreme, ditto Frampton LSC. However the flip side of that is from a UK perspective plenty would argue the sport has never been healthier. 20 odd shows a year on Sky, 4 PPVs which I assume deliver decent numbers, an event attended by 80,000 in the last couple of years and a fighter (Joshua) capable of shifting 20,000 tickets in the blink of an eye.

Appreciate there are caveats against a lot of that or factors that would stick in the craw of the obsessive fans but they remain facts. Similarly on the continent, particularly in Germany there are fighters capable of shifting decent numbers on a regular basis. I would also not be too concerned about the US. Every time a dominant era of PPV stars retire there is debate about who will replace them, was the same with the likes of Oscar, Mosley and Barrera etc. No different now, Wilder is one big fight away from breaking through to superstardom, Spence could be a real star and whilst Crawford may not have the crowd pleasing style to be huge he will become a big name should he fight and beat Manny.

Predictions about boxing's doom are as old as the sport itself. It comes in peaks and troughs and always has.

AdamT wrote:I would pick Spinks to beat Kovalev for sure.

I would probably pick Spinks to beat anybody from 175 down.

I'd probably pick Spinks to beat a FW as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think the styles should gel well, much better fight than what we got last Saturday.

Who will have the more support? Not many Mexicans in New York

It will be a much better fight than the Quigg one. I think Santa Cruz has a 6 or 7 inch reach advantage. That might cause Major problems for Carl.

No doubt LSC will be the aggressor and Carl will try and counter.

Herman Jaeger wrote:I think the styles should gel well, much better fight than what we got last Saturday.

Who will have the more support? Not many Mexicans in New York

Take it you've never heard of Spanish Harlem...

Plenty of Irish and plenty of Mexicans in NY.

Ideal place for this fight..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Herman Jaeger wrote:I think the styles should gel well, much better fight than what we got last Saturday.

Who will have the more support? Not many Mexicans in New York

Take it you've never heard of Spanish Harlem...

Plenty of Irish and plenty of Mexicans in NY.  

Ideal place for this fight..

Truss who are you backing?? Leo??

Just checked wiki, nearly half a million Mexicans living in New York, always thought it was Puerto Ricans, had no idea that many. Always appreciate Truss' knowledge

I think Frampton and BJS are the two smartest fighters in the UK.... Frampo outsmarted Quigg early...Yep he didn't do much but he did as much as he needed to win and keep his tank intact for later.....Sanders is very good also in reading a fight..

He'll be smart enough to find a way here.......

Frampton did to Quigg, what Floyd did to Manny. Obviously not the same tactics, but both guys knew to do just enough to scrape rounds.

I'm Worried Leo can chin him. Frampton is used to fighting bigger guys, but Leo has significant reach and height.

Frampton points, or a Leo stoppage midway for me.

Winner to face Selby, you hope.

Herman Jaeger wrote:Winner to face Selby, you hope.

I always backed Selby to beat Frampton, because I guess he has been a career FW.

I worry that Frampton will be like Hatton. Frampton is muscular at Super bantam, though he isn't the tallest. Hatton was similar at JW. Obvious Carl and Ricky have different styles, but both guys enjoy strength advantage over many opponents. FW might only be 4 pounds more, but Carl will struggle with naturally bigger, skilful fighters.

AdamT wrote:Loma would do well in any era. Ward would also.

AJ would beat the majority of your 80's idols. Too big and strong.

That's a bit ridiculous Adam. The 80s heavies were well-schooled: light years ahead of Whyte or Brezeale. AJ may prove to be something special but at present, he looks a bit one-dimensional.

AdamT wrote:

Herman Jaeger wrote:Winner to face Selby, you hope.

I always backed Selby to beat Frampton, because I guess he has been a career FW.

I worry that Frampton will be like Hatton. Frampton is muscular at Super bantam, though he isn't the tallest. Hatton was similar at JW. Obvious Carl and Ricky have different styles, but both guys enjoy strength advantage over many opponents. FW might only be 4 pounds more, but Carl will struggle with naturally bigger, skilful fighters.

LSC isn't naturally bigger than Frampton, both having risen from 122 (LSC started lower than that). He holds height and reach advantages but Frampton is more muscular, more dynamic.

I can see this unfolding like Margarito vs Cotto. Frampton boxing his ears off early and LSC coming on strong down the stretch. Have a feeling both men will be hurt/wobbled or dropped.

I can't wait - currently trying to link TV to hub so I can subscribe to BN.

hazharrison wrote:

AdamT wrote:

Herman Jaeger wrote:Winner to face Selby, you hope.

I always backed Selby to beat Frampton, because I guess he has been a career FW.

I worry that Frampton will be like Hatton. Frampton is muscular at Super bantam, though he isn't the tallest. Hatton was similar at JW. Obvious Carl and Ricky have different styles, but both guys enjoy strength advantage over many opponents. FW might only be 4 pounds more, but Carl will struggle with naturally bigger, skilful fighters.

LSC isn't naturally bigger than Frampton, both having risen from 122 (LSC started lower than that). He holds height and reach advantages but Frampton is more muscular, more dynamic.

I can see this unfolding like Margarito vs Cotto. Frampton boxing his ears off early and LSC coming on strong down the stretch. Have a feeling both men will be hurt/wobbled or dropped.

I can't wait - currently trying to link TV to hub so I can subscribe to BN.

I think BN are doing a deal that if you buy the Frampton fight then you get the Canelo Smith fight for free.

hazharrison wrote:

AdamT wrote:

Herman Jaeger wrote:Winner to face Selby, you hope.

I always backed Selby to beat Frampton, because I guess he has been a career FW.

I worry that Frampton will be like Hatton. Frampton is muscular at Super bantam, though he isn't the tallest. Hatton was similar at JW. Obvious Carl and Ricky have different styles, but both guys enjoy strength advantage over many opponents. FW might only be 4 pounds more, but Carl will struggle with naturally bigger, skilful fighters.

LSC isn't naturally bigger than Frampton, both having risen from 122 (LSC started lower than that). He holds height and reach advantages but Frampton is more muscular, more dynamic.

I can see this unfolding like Margarito vs Cotto. Frampton boxing his ears off early and LSC coming on strong down the stretch. Have a feeling both men will be hurt/wobbled or dropped.

I can't wait - currently trying to link TV to hub so I can subscribe to BN.

Just get the stream Haz and either screen mirror or connect your laptop to the TV

hazharrison wrote:

AdamT wrote:

Herman Jaeger wrote:Winner to face Selby, you hope.

I always backed Selby to beat Frampton, because I guess he has been a career FW.

I worry that Frampton will be like Hatton. Frampton is muscular at Super bantam, though he isn't the tallest. Hatton was similar at JW. Obvious Carl and Ricky have different styles, but both guys enjoy strength advantage over many opponents. FW might only be 4 pounds more, but Carl will struggle with naturally bigger, skilful fighters.

LSC isn't naturally bigger than Frampton, both having risen from 122 (LSC started lower than that). He holds height and reach advantages but Frampton is more muscular, more dynamic.


I can see this unfolding like Margarito vs Cotto. Frampton boxing his ears off early and LSC coming on strong down the stretch. Have a feeling both men will be hurt/wobbled or dropped.

I can't wait - currently trying to link TV to hub so I can subscribe to BN.

He might have started light, but he is a taller man with better leverage. Frampton is more muscular, but I reckon Santa Cruz will be the stronger fighter on the night. Lets hope that Frampton is too slick!

Seen the pics in the Daily Mail and LSC looks Erik Morales thin...but that never hampered El Terrible did it?

You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

AdamT wrote:You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

Thanks Adam, you looking to replace Jim Watt as King of the bleedin' obvious?

DAVE667 wrote:

AdamT wrote:You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

Thanks Adam, you looking to replace Jim Watt as King of the bleedin' obvious?

Aye, if the job is going, I would like to get paid to talk sh1t. Make a change from doing it for free.

DAVE667 wrote:

AdamT wrote:You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

Thanks Adam, you looking to replace Jim Watt as King of the bleedin' obvious?

Oh what a shot from Dave, that one rocked Adam right to his boots.

Pedro147 wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:

AdamT wrote:You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

Thanks Adam, you looking to replace Jim Watt as King of the bleedin' obvious?

Oh what a shot from Dave, that one rocked Adam right to his boots.

"Adam is taking a lot of shots, lets hope the judges are seeing something else."

AdamT wrote:

Pedro147 wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:

AdamT wrote:You can be thin, but strong.

Leverage is very important for punch power.

Thanks Adam, you looking to replace Jim Watt as King of the bleedin' obvious?

Oh what a shot from Dave, that one rocked Adam right to his boots.

"Adam is taking a lot of shots, lets hope the judges are seeing something else."

Adam's trying to respond but they're just arrrrrrrmmmm punches

"And Howard Foster has stopped it"

A disgraceful decision!

Its difficult to create superstars when some of the best boxers dont speak english as a first language. This is especially so, due the nationalistic leanings of people these days (and I'd guess sports fans include alot of right wing idiots)