Boxing
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βHe canβt call himself a professional boxer because heβs gone in against a novice pro and got absolutely whooped, he got obliterated, βsaid former super middleweight champion Carl Froch.Β
βHe wasnβt really in the fight, letβs be honest. Ok, it was competitive at stages, but look, heβs swinging for the heavens there with that overhand right.β
I mostly agree with Froch here – which is rare. Paul can call himself a professional, but not a good one.
“What a joke, a little over a dozen “fights” between them, and it was built up like Zale-Graziano and on national news. Back in the day, it “may” have appeared in the back pages of the section.”
Boxing historian Jerry Fitch and author of seven critically acclaimed books on boxing
Fitch nailed it.
Yes, I know. Jake Paul will fight again. His story intrigues some. It’s not about his skill. He’s no second coming of anyone. He may be better than Ed “Too Tall Jones, whose day job was playing football.
Maybe.
Paul wants Fury again, who bested him over the weekend by split decision. The split was no surprise – though the fight, as it was, wasn’t that close.
Call me a traditionalist, and I’ll plead guilty. My father idolized Joe Louis and Johnny Bratton.
Skill over shrill.
My favorite fighters are Muhammad Ali and Armando Muniz. One was a natural boxer, the other just plain tough. They both fought everybody.
Fighters.
But I digress.
Fury was obviously the better boxer, which is nothing to brag about. His last name got him the fight, NOT his boxing ability. His big brother Tyson CAN fight.
Little brother Tommy has more hair than his broski.
Fury’s previous eight opponents had a combined record of 24-176-5.
You can’t make this stuff up.
A minute into the bout, it was obvious what it was. My mind flashed on a line from the great movie Rocky, written by Sylvester Stallone.
After being told that he would be challenging the heavyweight champion of the world, Rocky said, “I’m just a ham and egger.”
Honest, unlike the Fury-Paul fight where the ringside announcers acted as if they were witnessing the second coming of Ali and Joe Frazier.
I do get it. Ali and Frazier fought over fifty years ago.
Boxing was so different. THEN it was about skill. The top guys fought each other. More importantly, they wanted to fight each other. Now it’s excuses and silly arguments.
See Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford, for example.
Fury won the fight by using his left hand and being slightly busier. Paul bounced on his toes and let fly with his right – from his corner.
It was not an example of pugilistic glory.
“That” was shown by 39-year-old Badou Jack. Expected to lose by the oddsmakers, Jack stopped defending cruiserweight Junior Makabu in the 12th round to claim his third world title in as many divisions. Thatβs a story about a guy who can fight.
Not some YouTuber and a little brother.
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