Friday Global Boxing Results: Audley Harrison, Jan Zaveck win
by Scott Christ on Apr 9, 2010 6:15 PM EDT
in Boxing Results and Post-Fight Analysis
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The Sky Friday fights are still going on (sorry about no live thread, but I just couldn't fit it in today). This post will update throughout the evening.
- In a very entertaining fight, Darren Barker won the vacant European middleweight title over Affif Belghecham. Barker (22-0, 14 KO) won on scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 116-114. The scores were awful. Barker clearly lost at least rounds seven through eleven, and I gave the third and 12th rounds to Belghecham, too. I had it 115-113 for Belghecham, but could see a draw, and could even see a 115-113 Barker card. 118-110 in this fight is just as pathetic as 118-110 Diaz over Malignaggi from last August. There is no way in hell that Barker won 10 of 12 rounds. That's absurd. I like Darren Barker, and I think he's definitely the better fighter, but he didn't fight a smart fight in this one. He wore himself out, ran around the ring for the second half of the fight, and couldn't deter Belghecham. This fight was obviously set up to make Barker the new European champ at 160, and they accomplished that. Belghecham didn't really have a legitimate chance outside of a knockout, and he can't punch.
- Audley Harrison won the vacant European heavyweight title (Albert Sosnowski gave it up to fight Vitali Klitschko) with a dramatic, thudding 12th round TKO of Michael Sprott. Sprott was en route to a second win over Harrison until the concussive shot that ended it. All this showed me was that Harrison hasn't really ever gotten better. It was a great KO shot, a brutal left, but he was 1:55 away from losing to Sprott, who had lost four of six coming in. Harrison said his shoulder went out in the second round, and went on and on about how much heart he showed. He wasn't lying, but of course Audley Harrison spent the entire post-fight interview rambling about how great and courageous Audley Harrison is.
- IBF super flyweight titlist Simphiwe Nongqayi had a majority draw with European bantamweight titlist Malik Bouziane in Nongqayi's first defense. From reports, both men fought a cautious fight, more often going back and forth than actually exchanging, and despite the fight having been in Bouziane's backyard, the scoring appears to have been fair.
- Jan Zaveck retained the IBF welterweight title with a TKO-12 win over Rodolfo Ezequiel Martinez, the Argentine challenger who, like a lot of guys, really had no business fighting for a world title.
- Juan Carlos Gomez and Konstantin Airich won stay-busy fights in Germany.
- Manuel Quezada, who was somehow ranked by some sanctioning bodies after knocking out Travis Walker, had his own bubble burst, losing a split decision to journeyman Jason Gavern.
- On the off-TV Sky undercard, Michael Lomax and Gavin Rees both won.
- Piotr Wilczewski beat Aziz Daari (UD-10) in Poland.
We'll have more results as they come in.
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Jan Zaveck retained the IBF welterweight title with a TKO-12 win over Rodolfo Ezequiel Martinez, the Argentine challenger who, like a lot of guys, really had no business fighting for a world title.
Such as, for instance, Zaveck.
by taco pal on Apr 9, 2010 6:19 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Sky's commentary of Barker-Belghecham is worse than usual.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
We keep saying that
I think we need a new awful standard of usual!
"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Apr 11, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Belghecham reminds me of a poor man's version of Khoren Gevor
A lot of similarities actually.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
jesus, that was a hell of a round for Belghecham
This is a pretty damn good fight.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
In the VIP room
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Sprott was unlicky
Fraudly was way behind. The injury was suspected, but never mentioned in the corner. If it’s genuine, then faIr play to him, he did well. (and it f’kn pains me to say anything good about “A Farce”).
by Phill on Apr 9, 2010 6:52 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
but shit
Here comes Belghecham
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
well
Here’s one for the April FOTM poll
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
The last three rounds look just like what
Sturm-Gevor looked like for the entire fight.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
If only Belghecham had power.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Outside of that one blitz in the middle of a round that Belghecham won anyway, Barker’s looked like crap the last four+ rounds.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
He's completely worn out
And he probably didn’t get enough rounds in the bank at the beginning.
I can already see Barker winning a close decision in a fight where Affif clearly won 7 rounds. And then the Brits claiming it wasn’t a robbery.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
What do you have? I’ve got 6-5 Belghecham right now.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I missed two rounds in the middle
But of the rounds I’ve seen, I have it 6-3 Belghecham.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And the last two are hardly making me think more of Barker overall. Slappy flicks and running around the ring. He thinks he’s got this locked up and is doing nothing.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
"Take no chances."
Wow. This corner is bizarrely relaxed.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Last round was close
But I gave Belghecham rounds 7 – 11, and I gave him round 3 (I think) as well.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
three was the round I gave Belghecham in the first six
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
well, I had it 7-5 Belghecham
And I can see 6-6, but that’s it. I can’t see a win for Barker. He either won the first six rounds and got a draw or he lost this fight, because the last six were IMO all Belghecham.
But I’m betting Barker gets the duke.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I had it 8-4 Barker
I think I gave Barker 1-6, 9, 12 and Belgencham 7, 8, 10, 11… Barker threw more, landed more, and was more accurate… I thought he won but can’t complain with 115-113 for Belgencham as it was that close… 118-110 is absurd, 116-112 is the limit for Barker and that’s how I scored it…
I figured so much
The judges filled out their scorecards before the fight even started.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
There's NO way Barker won more than 8 rounds
And that’s being extremely generous. I can maybe see a legitimate 115-113 Barker card if you give him the first 6 and the 12th. But Belghecham clearly won rounds 7 – 11.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And I'm assuming the one round where Barker had the nice flurry (but was dominated the rest of the round) was scored for Barker
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Barker-Belghecham official scores
116-112
118-110
116-114
Darren Barker via unanimous decision
New European Middleweight Champion
Jesus Christ, 118-110. Thanks for being so good at your job, dummy.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
European judges love their 10-10 rounds.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
118-110 is appalling
That’s as bad as the 119-109 Williams card for Benoist
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I compared it to 118-110 Diaz over Paulie in the post, but yeah. Same sentiment.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
So Johnny Nelson points out that Barker didn’t do anything at all in the second half of the fight, and the studio team literally freezes up like he just said the Queen is an old bitty.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Wait a minute....Audley Harrison knocked someone out?
Audley Harrison threw a punch?
Seriously I just saw it. Brutal shot.
UFC is to Larry Fitzgerald as Strikeforce is to Plaxico Burress. One is the most dominant in their league, while the other shoots itself in the midst of progress.
Yeah
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
What did you guys think to Audley?
I cannot believe the way the man ‘fights’. Someone needs to open his shorts and check there isn’t a reverse Caster Semenya job going on there. Fair enough he injured his shoulder but why were his corner none the wiser? Gutted for Sprott, I’ve got an irrational soft spot for British heavyweight journeymen it seems and he fought his heart out and was seconds away from the win. I so badly want to bash Audley for that but the shoulder injury was legit it seems.
What did you guys think to Audley?
How much time do you have?
I’d accept a Haye-Harrison fight just to get his career over with.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I'd like to know what you think
Like I said, I really want to berate him for that performance but if he could only fight with one hand then he’s done a decent job of surviving at the very least. He’s like a big black rabbit in the head lights though. I also think someone should introduce him to Anthony Small, they’d have such fun together. He seemed to want to wait for Sprott to throw single shots and then counter but Sprott wasn’t doing that and in any case he doesn’t seem to have the speed needed to fight like that. People overlook the fact that he’s 38 too, I think
Harrison is a C+ fighter on his best days. He had all the talent in the world but almost everything else was missing. He’s 38 and it’s over. He shouldn’t have won this fight, but hats off to him for being ballsy and for landing a great, great shot. It was a tremendous knockout.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Sprott just lost to a guy who had 4 previous pro fights
And Harrison still almost lost to him.
Frankly, Harrison just doesn’t have the conditioning to be a top level fighter. For him to go 12 rounds, he needs to throw only 30 – 40 punches a round, or else he gasses out.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I’d be terrified of that fight. I mean I’d be almost completely confident that Haye would just blitz him and satisfy us all, but part of me would watch mortified of the idea that Audley was going to throw that one goddamn punch that he occassionally throws and win a title with it. Ugggh. I’d rather put him in against Vitali to end him since Vitali might be able to take it if it were to somehow land.
oh god
Vitali-Audley would be hideous.
I’m pretty sure Haye’s first cracking right ends the fight. I mean it put Ruiz down fast, and old Ruiz is a hell of lot tougher than Harrison’s ever been.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I’m gutted for Sprott. Really gutted.
I’d love to see Tyson Fury Vs Harrison now. (Actually I wouldn’t mind seeing Mike Tyson Audley now).
I think Derrek Chisora (who I absolutely fucking hate) whoops Harrison every day of the week.
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
Why do people HATE Audley so much? Why?
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Apr 9, 2010 10:45 PM EDT reply actions
You have to ask a Brit that question
because we in the USA don’t really care about him, wouldn’t you say?
by FrankinDallas on Apr 9, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Because he’s extremely arrogant and has never backed it up. His career has been a complete flop and he’s been smug for 98% of it.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 9, 2010 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
There's a common theme amongst most of the 'hated' boxers in Britain
I’ll let you guess what it is. DeGale, Khan, Chisora, Audley, Small.. some well deserved, some not so. The guy won a gold medal for our country, Khan a silver and people can’t wait to see them fail.
To be fair, all of them except Khan are genuinely easy to dislike. Arrogance bothers a lot of sports fans. I don’t mind DeGale, but Small, Chisora and Audley have often behaved like total pricks.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 9, 2010 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I like none of the named fighters.
I’m British, but I don’t like ‘smug’….
Now, Tweek, boxing is a Man sport. There is nothing in the world more Man than boxing. It is Man at his most Man. So when you spar with Ned here, just dig deep into that most Man part of you. (Uncle Jimbo, South Park: Tweek vs Craig)
Ted
Cos he’s a big mouthed, scared to commit- let alone throw more than one punch at a time-shit house, talks a pile of bollocks about himself, he was paid a shit load of money by the BBC which could have been spent televising “decent” fighters and has never lived up yo his hype. Plus he’s a tosser.
by Phill on Apr 10, 2010 3:42 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
He's a dick
and he sucks and he’s excruciatingly boring to watch.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Are you British? You know so much about Audley! I’ve somehow avoided ever seeing him fight…..and I spend a fair bit of time in the UK…
I am not
But I watch a lot of UK boxing because it’s really easy to find and their progress system actually is effective and interesting.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on Apr 9, 2010 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I lived in the UK 1992-1993 and saw some great fights, mostly involving Nigel Benn and/or Chris Eubank. Now, when I visit (my daughter) the young guys have no idea who fighters like Froch are, but they do know Hatton and Khan and Haye. Even Calzaghe was not that popular….among English in London anyway. I realize that’s a lot of generalization, but let’s fac it, football rules in the UK…everything else is in second place.
Thank you for your replies.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Apr 10, 2010 10:08 AM EDT reply actions
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