Bad Left Hook Live Boxing Results and Commentary: Ryan Rhodes v. Luca Messi
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 3:15 PM EDT
in Live Boxing Coverage (Round-By-Round)
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Today's Sky Friday Fight Night features the return and first title defense of European junior middleweight titleholder Ryan Rhodes, as the Sheffield native is at home to face Italian challenger Luca Messi.
Live coverage will start at 5pm EDT.
Rhodes (43-4, 29 KO) is a worldwide top ten junior middleweight, in part because it's a weak class. In his last bout in October 2009, he thrilled us all with an excellent comeback win over Jamie Moore in a much-hyped British clash. Overall, Rhodes has won eight in a row since a 2006 loss to Gary Lockett. An interesting career (which included the division's British title in 1996) has Rhodes looking like he may be peaking at 33.
But those eight wins weren't all serious quality, and Messi (36-7-1, 12 KO) is little more than a 35-year-old journeyman. Since being stopped by Michele Piccirillo in 2006, Messi has won six straight, but the combined record of those six men coming into the fights with Messi comes to 25-80-7, and not one of them came in with a record at or above .500.
In fact, only 11 of the 36 wins on Messi's record came over guys who entered the fight with winning records. That means you can essentially dismiss 25 of Messi's 36 wins. Also, none of those guys had serious records, so...
Messi's not a real challenger. Rhodes is being provided with a very easy mark for his first defense.
I'm not sure what else Sky is going to show. They did have Martin Murray-Francis Cheka lined up, fighting for the vacant Commonwealth title at 160, but Cheka is out and replaced by Lee Noble (11-13-2, 2 KO). Overall it's a really weak card. But I do like Ryan Rhodes, so we'll be here. Join us!
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Wasn't Luca Messi in the Godfather?
Good, so it can’t go any deeper – Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone
by The Midnight Rambler on May 21, 2010 3:33 PM EDT reply actions
Lionel, right?
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
How do u guys get the chanel to see these fights ?
by LJchamp on May 21, 2010 4:18 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
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Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions
“Hardened Italian” is how they’re choosing to describe Luca Messi.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Martin Murray will be fighting, and so will Stephen Foster.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
and Andy Morris apparently
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions
“He’s won his last six and been in with world title challengers before.”
If Messi gives Rhodes any trouble, Rhodes should go ahead and stay the hell away from anyone on the world level.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
The Ring is lazy and don’t seem to realize that Dzinziruk’s inactivity (which wasn’t even his fault) doesn’t mean he should come back in at #9. He’d dominate Rhodes. Sechew Powell being ahead of Dzinziruk is hilarious. Also, Alcine. It’s really indefensible, IMO.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Alvarez at #10 is ridiculous too, to think his body of work is wins over Miguel Vasquez, who’s #4 at lightweight, and Jose Cotto, also a lightweight/light welterweight. 2-0 over blown-up decent fighters beats Deandre Latimore who got chucked out…
Joachim Alcine is fighting Angulo next right? Good luck with that Joachim.
It’s weird because Alvarez probably isn’t staying at 154 to begin with. They did a 150 catchweight with Cotto.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
The wonders of The Ring rankings, apparently the best in the business.
Martinez is now a middleweight, Cintron is 1-1-1 in his last 3, Rhodes lost to Gary Lockett… That division is the weakest in boxing IMO.
I’d go with 130.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
by Scott Christ on May 21, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem with 154 is that it’s like a revolving door for the big name fighters. Mosley, DLH, Mayweather, Pacquiao (hinted), Williams, Martinez and now Cotto have all tried and experimented at 154, but none of them stayed for long.
It’s very similar to cruiserweight, where they think they’ve found a star to stay, but that star then moves up to middleweight/heavyweight.
130 for sure
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Although 122 is pretty damn weak too now
since everyone good there moved up. Especially if Poonsawat is also moving up.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Rhodes-Messi R1
Rhodes fighting southpaw to start and throwing plenty of power shots already. Messi complains of a rabbit punch. This is England, Luca. This knife of Sheffield steel.
Rhodes just dominating Messi in the first two minutes. Messi hasn’t done anything but come forward and try to keep his face covered up. Left hand and DOWN GOES MESSI! Messi’s bitching about the ring decals or whatever. It’s a knockdown, though.
Messi back up, Rhodes hooks to the body and throws another left down the pipe. Rhodes is toying with Messi. This is a terrible mismatch. Messi has no handspeed and is way out of his depth.
Rhodes 10-8
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Rhodes-Messi R2
Messi comes out throwing to start this round, but boy, he’s got nothing on those shots. Rhodes is sharp and throwing with purpose. Messi trying to pressure, and he throws in combination in the corner, but Rhodes barely even reacts. He’s getting a bit through to the body, but that’s about it.
Left hand down the pipe again from Rhodes. Left hand again from Rhodes. Very good shot. Another left lands. Rhodes is working his way around the ring and having his way with Messi. Rhodes with a hard body shot. Messi with a left hook, he’s landed a couple of those this round. There’s no zip on the fastball.
They keep talking about Rhodes perhaps not wanting this pace, but it was Rhodes pushing action in the first, and Rhodes cut a tougher pace against Moore anyway.
Rhodes 10-9
Rhodes 20-17
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Rhodes-Messi R3
Down goes Messi on another straight left down the pipe as he just stands there waiting for Rhodes to punch at him. They had just called him tough and durable. He’s really neither.
Rhodes storming on him now. Messi is on his bike. Rhodes misses a right hand. Left hand stings Messi again. This is about over. Messi just covering up. Right hook staggers Messi. This is as bad as it looked on paper, and made worse with the Sky cheerleaders attempting to make Messi sound like a legitimate challenger.
Messi is doing nothing. Rhodes is beating the crap out of him now. Messi standing in the corner and covering up. Not punching at all. A minute left in the round. Left again from Rhodes. The referee could be forgiven for pulling the plug on this one, but hey, there’s Messi landing a shot!
Rhodes has decided to slow it down and let the round go.
Rhodes 10-7
Rhodes 30-24
Just one knockdown, and not a terrible knockdown, but Messi landed like one punch the entire round and just got hammered.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Rhodes-Messi R4
Last round Watt orgasmed and exclaimed that Messi has “never taken shots like these.” Messi has been stopped four times. So yeah, he probably hasn’t ever taken the shots. Shots like these knocked him down and dominated him before, and they’re doing it again.
Rhodes jabbing with his left now, maybe looking to get Messi in a comfort zone where he thinks it’s safe to come outside and play again. Messi shelled up pretty heavy last round. Messi throwing his hands all over, ripping to the body, but Rhodes lands one shot that equals everything Messi just threw. Messi isn’t lacking for sand, but he’s not even close to good enough.
Right hook snaps Messi back again, and now Rhodes is firing sledgehammer rights in the corner. Messi opens up and throws a right hand back, which gets him out of the corner. “This fella still has loads of strength,” Watt offers. He didn’t have loads of strength in the first place.
Rhodes 10-9
Rhodes 40-33
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Rhodes-Messi R5
When Rhodes goes southpaw, Messi seems to have no real clue how to deal with it. Then Rhodes goes orthodox and mostly just jabs and throws really wide shots. And the jabs are just to set up the wide shots, not much on them. Rhodes has calmed it down some. Giant uppercut misses.
Luca Messi sure has some fans in Sheffield. Now they’re shouted down.
Slowest round of the fight, but there’s Rhodes with a right hook. He wins another round easily.
Rhodes 10-9
Rhodes 50-42
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Rhodes-Messi R6
Rhodes battering him with lazy lefts to start the sixth round. Body shot puts Messi down, and he should just stay there.
He’s up at eight. Two minutes left in the round. That was the hardest knockdown of the fight. Rhodes closing in and pounding away, and the referee mercifully steps in.
Ryan Rhodes TKO-6
Complete and utter mismatch. Messi had no business in there.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
I had to mute the FAIRY TALE RYAN RHODES THE SPICE BOY WHAT CLASS caterwauling. Hopefully Johnny Nelson will be the one guy willing to point out that the win wasn’t really that impressive, but probably not since he’s a big Rhodes fan and has known him since Rhodes was a kid.
Bad Left Hook
"To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day..."
Depends
Honestly, I don’t know. Depends if his previous power was for real or not. Rhodes might be the slickest fighter Margarito will have faced since Maravilla.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
BTW
if you thought this was a weak card, you should check out the next two weeks.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
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