Boxing 2011

[sligobhoy67]

Well we might as well eh!?

Big couple of months coming up for Irish boxing, not just world boxing!

Brian Magee faces Lucian Bute in Canada for the IBF title - http://boxing-ireland.com/20110125_andy_lee_craig_mcewan_16.html

Willie Casey fights Guillermo Rigondeaux for what will probably be the full WBA title - http://boxing-ireland.com/20110103_guillermo_rigondeaux_casey_starts_70.html

Andy Lee and Craig McEwan in a Celtic clash - http://boxing-ireland.com/20110125_andy_lee_craig_mcewan_16.html

Not to mention Matthew Macklin stepping up to fight WInky Wright in the States.

Now thats Irish boxing covered, what you looking forward to?

:love:

[Burny89]

http://www.paulmccloskey.com/

This is a response to Amir Khan teams statement regarding the failed deal. There have been a lot of stories since this deal broke down which have not been accurate coming from the Khan camp. Out of respect for Pauls fans and the general boxing public I feel I must state the facts publicly.

I Francie McNicholl Paul McCloskey’s manager would like to set the record straight and let the public decide the truth from fiction. It was Paul’s decision alone to not accept the offer. After initial contact had been made with the Khan team we all agreed the contest could happen subject to conditions being agreed.

The Khan team sent an e mail to Matchroom with an offer of a cash amount that Paul would get paid for the fight. It also said they would require options on Paul’s next three fights should he win the contest. The cash amount offered was way below what one would expect for an unbeaten European champion in a world title fight. Barry Hearn contacted Khans team asking for two and a half times this offer, which was rejected. Khans team were then sent an email stating the amount that Paul received for his last European fight. Contrary to Amir Khans teams claims their offer was only TWICE the figure Paul has made before, not 3,4,5,or 6.

As Khans team would not negotiate on this low figure. I suggested we look at other ways that could improve the deal on Paul’s part to make it worthy of a world title fight, namely commission on:

1: Ticket sales
2: PPV sales

I suggested that we would get a commission on the tickets that we sold on an incentive basis. The more we sold the higher percentage we would make, up to a figure of 25 percent. Khans team would only agree to 20 PERCENT COMMISSION ON SALES OVER AND ABOVE 100k.

Pay per view
We do accept that Amir is the pay per view attraction, with that in mind we suggested that we acquire the viewing figures of Amir Khan Vs Maidana fight. We then proposed that if those figures increased for this fight we would look for one of three options:

1: 50/50 split on Irish sales over and above the last figures.
2: 20 percent on overall sales over and above the last figures.
We were prepared to risk that these deals could mean nothing to us if PPV or ticket sales did not increase. If they did both parties would benefit.
3: 80 / 20 split on nett revenue generated from the contest. This option was suggested because Khans team said they were taking all the risks if this fight did not sell.

Khans team offered 25 PERCENT ON PPV SALES OVER AND ABOVE 200000. The Khan Maidana fight did not get anywhere near this number, so this offer was potentially worthless.

The next requirements of Khans team were their three options on Paul if he won the fight.
1: Khan gets a rematch. Paul would be paid a cash amount.
2: Paul’s next fight would be promoted by Khan and they take a percentage.
3: Paul’s next fight again would be promoted by Khan and they take a percentage.

On option one we felt Paul as world champion should receive a 50/50 percentage split of the rematch. The cash amount offered was only equal to what we asked for in the first fight. We were willing to accept. options two and three.

These are the facts in black and white taken from our correspondence with team Khan Amir has said that we kept moving the goal posts . On the contrary we tried to move around the Blockage caused by their low offer, which by all accounts was even less than Peterson’s offer. Amir is a great fighter , therefore above all people he knows how tough this sport can be ,he also knows the dedication commitment and sacrifices boxers have to make .He should show respect to his fellow professionals and offer them fair purses.

Shah has said they gave in to so many of our demands obviously had they agreed to any of our requests we would not be in this position. We were never going to sell Paul short he is no walkover in the ring and we will make sure he is not outside it either Paul really wanted this fight and we feel that we did everything in our power to make it happen. Our requests were very reasonable in the circumstances. We regret that the Khan team could not agree. The general boxing public are the ones who are missing out on a great fight for this part of the world. ONE THAT WE KNOW PAUL WOULD HAVE WON AND RETAIN HIS UNBEATEN RECORD.

We wish the Khan team all the best in the future.

We would like to thank all the fans for their support. 2011 is going to be a big year for Paul McCloskey and his fans. He and his team believe he will be world champion by the end of this year.

Francie Mc Nicholl
Mc Closkey team

[sligobhoy67]

potentially the worst offer any boxing has been asked to accept.

So they want him to fight on the cheap just so he has a chance at winning a world title. Fair enough.

But if he wins, he must give them a rematch. Again, Fair enough. But on the same money as the last fight! Jokers! so the champion gets £100k and the challenger gets £2m

And even if he wins the second fight the Khans still have options on his future fights!

its modern day slavery

[Magicme]

Im looking forward to seeing my old college mate Christine McMahon getting into the ring in her big fight. Go on Chrissy, show them what Monaghan women are made of! :D

[Spudulika]

McCloskey - Khan goes ahead, the payday over double what was supposedly offered before. Good luck to Paul, I think it'll be a tough ask, everything will be on Khan's side, though if he plays smart and stays out of trouble he can wear him down.

[Royal rover]

the winner of lee V McEwan fight will guarantee a world title shot - McEwan trains in the same club as myself when he's based in the uk - he good how good i don't really know - at the same time Freddy Roach is no mug - McEwan sort of bases himself on Steve collins type fighter - he too was trained by roach should be interesting

[sligobhoy67]

Spudulika, it was a great tactical play by McCloskeys manager to get the deal for McCloskey

[sligobhoy67]

What is going on with this country?

Ireland's have two men fighting for "world titles" tonight and there hasnt been a hint of interest whilst the Cricket thread is bursting at the seems?

Vegas comes to Dublin as The Jackal and Casey are Bang on weight

http://boxing-ireland.com/20110319_casey_rigo_weighin_69.html

Can Belfast's Brian Magee make it a Bute-ful Day in Canada

http://boxing-ireland.com/20110316_magee_ready_bute_17.html

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_OiN_qDGjOMI/TYO46RlBVOI/AAAAAAAAD4s/-5Y_VDL0KhE/s720/_MG_4893.JPG

[sligobhoy67]

Anyone going to the Khan - McCloskey fight?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcisnC0VlHA

[DannyInvincible]

Was a bit wary of the ticket price initially as I don't exactly have funds to be throwing around at the minute, but I'm well up for this now having seen the weigh-in and have decided at the last minute, "what the hell; let's do it". I'll make sacrifices. So, at the minute, I'm trying to get two tickets for the McCloskey section. Obviously, they're no longer selling them through his site. There are still tickets available on Ticketmaster but they're all for the general section, which isn't optimal. I'll have to ring the MEN Arena in an hour or two to see if they have any as I was told that the McCloskey camp might have sent a few surplus ones back.

Are you heading yourself? Or even better, I don't suppose you'd be aware of any spares floating about or where the before and after gatherings are taking place? Should be a cracking fight anyway and great to see that there's a large Irish contingent coming over for it.

[DannyInvincible]

Have managed to get tickets sorted, so not to worry.

[Spudulika]

Watching the McCloskey fight on Primetime, I don't know who the clown from England is whos co-commentating, what a fool. He's so blinkered he needs to be shot. The Yank

no, has to be a deliberate head butt, Khan held and head butted.

[Spudulika]

Maybe the ref and commentators have forgotten it's illegal to lead with the head. 4 times in 2 rounds Khan tried, 4th time lucky. Disgusting.

[DannyInvincible]

Very disappointing, that. Felt for McCloskey. His whole career's been building up to this title shot, so it's hard to know where he'll go now. He was evading Khan's punches very well and never looked hurt or startled throughout, even after receiving the headbutt. Only getting to see the video close-ups now but there was no reason to stop the fight. Who knows what might have happened had it gone on with Khan wearing himself down to no avail? Bewilderment soon turned to disgust once people realised what was going on. There's going to be an investigation into the decision to stop the fight so we'll see what becomes of that but I wouldn't be too hopeful of anything coming from it. Can't see Khan's promoters offering any rematch either, in spite of the calls for one from McCloskey's camp. Out of interest, had the headbutt been adjudged to be foul play as opposed to accidental would Khan have been disqualified or merely deducted points?

[DannyInvincible]

Videos of the full fight here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUt-9UaIZuY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cHlH9CGdBM

[DannyInvincible]

Pretty fair report on matters by Steve Bunce: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/boxing-mccloskey-suffers-cruellest-cut-as-doctor-and-referee-get-it-wrong-2269294.html

[Spudulika]

I'd agree with Bunce on much of what he said, except that Khan is a fantastic fighter, he's a good fighter, hyped to the hilt and was being found out by McCloskey. McCloskey was making him look a fool, and sadly boxing judges don't give points for good defence, nor were they awarding points for his clipping shots that were weakening Khan. Khan was out on his feet in the 5th and 6th, he was in danger of being stopped so the officials stepped in and stopped it. The butt was deliberate, you can see how he looks for his target, and he should have been disqualified. It just goes to show that money rules in boxing and well paid and fed officials will do as they're told.

[Burny89]

http://www.brandhatton.com/VideoNews/1876/Angry_words_as_McCloskey_is_controversially_stoppe d_by_a_cut.aspx

[sligobhoy67]

Still pretty gutted over the whole thing but I had a great week following Dudey about. Agh well, we'll have to wait for Macklin to go to Germany and beat Sturm!

Got to interview Freddie Roach and Oscar De La Hoya and fell out with the Khans but the highlight was Dudey himself - a really classy guy.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217472_159782574083101_100001540776116_368635_2326 374_n.jpg

[Spudulika]

Good win for Andy Lee last night, watched it online and he just did what he had to. His opponent was just that, an opponent. Looked proficient but never had the power to threaten. Lee didn't go overboard and should push his way into real world title contention now. Crowd were happy.

[Spudulika]

I don't know if anybody saw the "fight" on Saturday night with Roy Jones and a so-so fighter from Russia? The week and a half preceding the fight was one of the most disgusting displays of I don't know what with Jones being paraded around Moscow like a circus freak. Then the fight itself, he was in control, hammering the desperate Russian, and then just before the fight was about to enter the 10th and final round, he walked back out grinning (Jones) and his cornerman ran out with his gumshield and some words. Having cleaned Lebedev's clock in the 4th, 7th and 9th rounds, having the man wobble and once fall into the ropes, Jones didn't even react, in fact in the 9th he actually caught Lebedev as he was fallind and held him up. Then with 30 seconds to go in the 10th (it was advertised as being 12 rounds) Jones was moving and covering well, picking off shots, when a tap caught him on the shoulder. He stood there, against the ropes and dropped his hands, leaning forward and Lebedev caught him as the ref was standing between them. Jones fell in a way that nobody falls when they're out cold (he fell carefully and aware of fallign) yet he lay there in turns grinning and winking as they held cotton wool under his nose - taken from a pack without any smelling salts.

The commentators bigged it up, however the sports media destroyed the whole event - having be "on song" with it before the fight.

[osarusan]

I don't know if anybody saw the "fight" on Saturday night with Roy Jones and a so-so fighter from Russia? The week and a half preceding the fight was one of the most disgusting displays of I don't know what with Jones being paraded around Moscow like a circus freak. Then the fight itself, he was in control, hammering the desperate Russian, and then just before the fight was about to enter the 10th and final round, he walked back out grinning (Jones) and his cornerman ran out with his gumshield and some words. Having cleaned Lebedev's clock in the 4th, 7th and 9th rounds, having the man wobble and once fall into the ropes, Jones didn't even react, in fact in the 9th he actually caught Lebedev as he was fallind and held him up. Then with 30 seconds to go in the 10th (it was advertised as being 12 rounds) Jones was moving and covering well, picking off shots, when a tap caught him on the shoulder. He stood there, against the ropes and dropped his hands, leaning forward and Lebedev caught him as the ref was standing between them. Jones fell in a way that nobody falls when they're out cold (he fell carefully and aware of fallign) yet he lay there in turns grinning and winking as they held cotton wool under his nose - taken from a pack without any smelling salts.

The commentators bigged it up, however the sports media destroyed the whole event - having be "on song" with it before the fight.

Here's the video - I think it contradicts quite a lot of what you said about the knockout.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlR5fQqdnyc&feature=related

[Spudulika]

No, sorry, I know boxing and I know how much of a punt was taken here on such a result, it was a joke and if you'd witnessed the entire fight, plus the entire final round, plus teh entire build up, Jones wasn't out and carried his man to this point. The evening Jones was not taken to hospital, as per federation rules, instead he and his entourage partied the night away at Most.

[osarusan]

You described the knockout as a 'tap on the shoulder' - it is clearly a swinging right to the head (following a short straight left), and he follows it up with a decent enough uppercut.

As I said, the video contradicts your description of the knockout. Also, as somebody who knows boxing, you surely know that Roy Jones has had a glass chin for a long long time. It was only due to his outrageous speed and reflexes that this defect wasn't discovered until the last few years, as his speed and reflexes began to slow.

I haven't seen the whole fight, the build up or the aftermath, but my point is that your implication that Jones took a dive after getting a tap on the shoulder isn't what I see from the youtube clip. I see an old, spent fighter with a glass chin taking more than one solid shot to the head.

[Aberdonian Stu]

I'm with osarusan on this one. Whatever about the events prior to the knockout, it was a fairly clanging blow to the head against a man with a history of poor defence.

[Dodge]

Congrats to Ray Moylett and Joe Ward, both of whom won Gold medals today at the European Amateur Boxing Championship

An astonishing achievement for 17 year old Ward in particular

Moylett was our first ever Word youth Champion in 2008, Ward repeated that feat last year

Genuine medal contenders for London now

[BonnieShels]

It's incredible what the hpu has achieved. Great results today. Moylette was up against the commonwealth champion so Stalker was no mug.

Super day for Irish boxing.

[bluemovie]

Matthew Macklin unlucky last night against Felix Sturm. Supposedly getting a rematch.

Congrats to Moylette and Ward.

What do people think of Klitschko v Haye on Saturday? I'm hoping for, and expecting, a Klitschko win.

[Stevo Da Gull]

Klitschko was comfortable. Happy days.

[Spudulika]

A broken toe seems to have cost Haye the title, if the British media are toe be believed. Awful fight and I thought Haye did well, he just fought like he normally did but came up short against a better fighter.

[bennocelt]

Thought Haye was rubbish, all talk and then nothing (except the last rd). Happy that he lost though, total lack of class or grace from this man. Klitschko was never in trouble, and he shud have went at Haye a little more, but he was comfortable for him. Not a great fight but to be fair for 5 rounds i did have a terrible stream so ..........................

[Dodge]

I think the Klitschko's are a littl eunlucky that there's nobody around to touch them. We'll never know how they compare to other eras but the likes of Haye, Byrd and all the other journeymen would NEVER have got world title shots in previous eras.

Klitschko barely broke sweat and won that handily

[Real ale Madrid]

I wouldn't say the undisputed cruiserweight world champion was a journeyman, but he just isn't big enough to be a heavyweight champion, I thought he did resonably well, its just a pity he couldn't really back up any of the pre fight rubbish.

[ArdeeBhoy]

What Benno said. Haye's just another Brit.muppet at this weight.

[Dodge]

I wouldn't say the undisputed cruiserweight world champion was a journeyman, but he just isn't big enough to be a heavyweight champion, I thought he did resonably well, its just a pity he couldn't really back up any of the pre fight rubbish.
Fair point on the journeyman comment

I stand by him not getting a world title shot if the division wasn't so so poor

[Spudulika]

there have been many "small" heavies who were good enough to fight bigger fighters and beat them, but Klitschko is good.

The supposed lack of quality is something levelled in the present - it's always the same. Looking back is better.

[BonnieShels]

Watched Klitscko interviewed on SSN.

He's really a classy lad. Haye is some "toe"rag though.

[DaveyCakes]

The Klitschkos have the best of a pretty mediocre heavyweight bunch in recent years. I would consider them to be solid but rather limited, but they've beaten whoevers been put in front of them, so good luck to them.

David Haye is an idiot. Sadly, Sky will lap up his bull**** as long as he decides to keep on fighting. And then they'll find someone to replace him.

[BonnieShels]

He's retiring in 14 weeks at his 31st birthday but wants to fight Wladimir again.

Watch Wladimir jump to that. Boxing needs to be rid of Haye.

[shakermaker1982]

Fair point on the journeyman comment

I stand by him not getting a world title shot if the division wasn't so so poor

Chris Byrd definitely isn't a journeyman either. The guy started out at a middleweight and has wins at heavyweight over Vitali (who quit because of his shoulder), Tua, Holyfield and McCline. He has a much better record at heavyweight than that fraud Haye.

Wlad has beaten what was put in front of him, very much like Lewis, Tyson and Larry Holmes. Lewis fought a lot of very average heavyweights as well but Sky seems to have forgotten that: Akinwande, Mavrovic, Botha and Grant. Beating a shot to pieces Tyson seems to have put Lewis up with the heavyweight greats.

[Aberdonian Stu]

In fairness to Haye, while he faced limited competition at heavyweight, he beat some serious fighters as a cruiserweight. Still, total cry baby on Saturday night.

[sligobhoy67]

Undercard updates from The Big Brawl/Huddersfield & Bury bills tonight on our Twitter

we get to Wembley arena for 5pm and will tweet the results of the undercard we will also have people at the Huddersfield and Bury bills as well

http://twitter.com/#!/LoveIrishBoxing

[Real ale Madrid]

Big Day today for the Irish boxing team in Baku, at the world boxing xhampionships. 7 boxers fighting with 6 fighting for a place at the London olympics.

A mixed start - Heavyweight Joe Ward was beaten on countback after a 15-15 draw against Iranian Ehsan Rouzbahani, but better news for Middleweight Darren O'Neill who has secured olympic qualification after a 19-12 win against Mladen Manev of Bulgaria - he will now fight a Japanese fighter in the quarter finals.

Bantamweight John Joe Nevin in the ring now against a Mongolian opponent, its 4-4 after round 1 but John Joe took a standing count.

- Edit, despite 2 x standing counts Nevin has beaten his opponent on countback after a 18-18 draw. He is Irelands 2nd boxer to qualify for the olymipcs and will now face Shaymov of Uzbekistan in the quarters.

[geysir]

Nevin is through, 19-19 at the end. Nevin was very fortunate in my uninformed opinion.

[geysir]

On the remaining bouts for the Irish hopefuls,
Michael Conlon, Roy Sheehan David Oliver Joyce and Con Sheehan will be in action in the evening session, which begins at 3pm (Irish time)

[geysir]

David Joyce loses out 32 -30, scrappy 3rd round where Joyce made up a lot of ground but a warning with 4 seconds to go probably cost him dear.

[geysir]

Conlon gets through after a magnificent performance.

[geysir]

Sheehan didn't have a prayer in the heifer weight class against the current champ, Rocky Bilbao.

[Real ale Madrid]

the current champ, Rocky Bilbao.

I thought he was Italian not Spanish! :)

[Real ale Madrid]

Just to wrap up, Roy Sheehan is out also Beaten by a Lithuanian opponent. Not the end of the line regarding olympic qualification with the European Championships in April offering various spots depending on how many europeans qualify from these games.

3 Irish go for medals tomorrow, John Joe Nevin and Darren O' Neill in the afternoon session, Michael Conlon in the evening session. Good luck to them.