F--- boxing

Spirited rumble here from Japan on Dec. 31 for the WBO 115-pound title between Kazuto Ioka (champ) and Kosei Tanaka (challenger). Commentary and graphics are in Japanese, Ioka is the smaller of the two fighters (on the left in the graphic below):

 

A masterful performance Saturday night by Oscar Valdez against Miguel Berchelt ends with one of the scariest knockouts you will see:

 

Why are legit reporters covering some YouTuber engaging in glorified Toughman bouts?

 

I guess boxing has always had that carnival sideshow element and there's more interest among the casuals than there is for real boxing.

 

There basically isn't any more real boxing. That's why the sport is in decline.

 

I spent most of yesterday watching real boxing.

 

Maybe I am at the "get off my lawn" phase of my boxing fandom but flogging Ruiz-Arreola as some kind of PPV-worthy fight is crazy. It's great Ruiz is in shape, he should be after he he embarrassed himself by waddling his title away in his rematch with Joshua. In the 80s this would have been on ABC on a Saturday afternoon with Keith Jackson or Chris Schenkel ringside.

 

There doesn’t seem to be a ton of interest in boxing on the site (last boxing match I watched was probably 10 years ago.) to revive interest, can we set up monthly grudge matches at the tennis courts in Tenafly, nj?
If so, any nominees for the first match?

 

From what I heard it was a really good fight. I thought it would be a fun fight to watch, just not on pay per view.

I watched Joseph Parker vs Derek Chisora in the afternoon. Parker overcame a first round knockdown to win a split decision. I would have been fine with either guy winning but the 116-111 score for Parker was absurd.

 

Canelo picks up a win when Billy Joe Saunders retires on his stool. Saunders probably had a broken orbital bone. Canelo said he could feel it crack when he landed the punch.

It was competitive and Saunders did well for a few rounds. Canelo really hurt him in the eighth and probably would have stopped him in another round or two.

 

I appreciate Canelo wanting to unify 168, but it's such a bad division with nothing to offer him (which might be why he picked it). Caleb Plant is the last titleholder he needs to beat and assuming he does that in September then what. I'd love for him to fight Charlo or maybe go for Beterbiev at 175, but I think he'll probably force Errol Spence to come up 2+ classes and fight him in the 160s. For the top guy, he isn't really doing shit to create the best fights out there.