Angulo vs Kirkland: FOTY candidate

The first round has to be the leading candidate for round of the year, considering Kirkland's rebound from a hard right hand by Angulo that put him on the canvas.

Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) came back from his knockdown shaken, but survived, then turned the tables on Angulo (20-2, 17 KOs), who had punched himself out and then took some major punishment from Kirkland the rest of the way in this WBC 154-pound eliminator.

According to HBO's Punch zone, Kirkland landed 206 punches, including 180 to Angulo's head. Angulo landed just 74 punches on Kirkland, before the fight was stopped at 2:01 of the sixth round.

Link to the flight below, 1st round was sensational with both fighters hitting the canvas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSXHrqlFBnc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMclt5Ma4eI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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Can Kirkland go on to be the number one 154 pounder? I feel Canelo will have too much ring savvy for him

Couldn't agree more ATg, absolutely amazing fight, both down in the first round and just an absolute war, Angulo wouldn't allow himself to be beaten and to be honest it seemed as though the chin was a factor again for Kirkland with him going down after the first solid shot taken but full credit, came back as strong as an ox and wouldn't relent.

Have Rios-Acosta and Conception-Marquez above it. But yeah, brutal and Angulo's face looked a mess after that. Angulo looked deadly slow, even more so than normal, possibly the slowest boxer P4P.

Alvarez is a beast physically and always looks so poised and in control, can't see Kirkland beating him.

Yeah Alvarez takes out Kirkland but should be very entertaining!!!

Great fight just a shame it didn't happen a few years back…. Could see a rematch between the two occur somewhere down the line.

Agreed, Alvarez would be too much for Kirkland, but would be entertaining to say the least!

Entertaining, but I really don't see any kind of talent in either. Both slow with no defense whatsoever. They just walk forwards throwing rightleftrightleft... Made Mickey Ward look like a sweet scientist. If either guy can become 154lb #1 then it might just be the division to take the cruiserweight crown of worst of them all.

no chance the quality of alvarez is too much. but one thing with kirkland he will usually get a ko or get koed so hes exciting we need guys like him in boxing.

fantastic fight and credit to Koirkland for coming back and destroying angulo like that, Kirkland is very flawed in defense but that was a hell of a fight

Seanusarrilius wrote:fantastic fight and credit to Koirkland for coming back and destroying angulo like that, Kirkland is very flawed in defense but that was a hell of a fight

nah neither are the most skilled technically but they make any fight interesting with the fact that they can take out any opponent with a big blow.

have to also say full credit to kirkland... a lot ruled him as a no hope hype job after the ishida fight but he really bit down on the gumshield and showed what he was made of, great performance.

Cracking fight, only caught the youtube videos yesterday as i was in no state to watch it online in the early hours. Managed to avoid knowing the result as this had FOTY written all over it.

Will probably get my round of the year (actually it definately will) for round 1, which will be up there alongside the great rounds of years gone past. Utterly amazing opening to the fight.

But FOTY for me? Probably not. From that round onwards Kirkland handed out a bit of a beating to be honest, Angulo's chin was quite simply incredible. Took a pounding to the point he was so slow he would've made Valuev look like Judah.

Cracking weekend of boxing though, what with Burns outlasting Katsidis as well.

Brilliant fight, very raw and wild at times but a lot of FOTY's are like that. Not FOTY for me but makes the Top 5.

Angulo just completely gassed himself in that first round and Kirkland just piled up the punishment until the ref made a very sensible call when he did to call the fight off in the 6th.

I'd like to see Alvarez vs Kirkland, Alvarez should be too skilled but Kirkland will at least give it a go.

The liked it when HBO commented that the fight was a WBC eliminator fight for Alvarez's belt but said after this fight they could see Alvarez ducking Kirkland (or WBC ducking, one or the other).

Kirkland knocks out Alverez simple as that, Jose Cotto rocked Alverez when they fought, Kirkland too powerful

inman124 wrote:Kirkland knocks out Alverez simple as that, Jose Cotto rocked Alverez when they fought, Kirkland too powerful

I'll take that bet at Betfair.

inman124 wrote:Kirkland knocks out Alverez simple as that, Jose Cotto rocked Alverez when they fought, Kirkland too powerful

Whereas Kirkland is made of iron. No chance of Alvarez hurting him.

I remember seeing Kirkland emerge in 2007 / 2008 and thinking he was going to sweep all before him - including a host of belts - at 154 lb over the next five years or so, partly because of that power of his, and partly because the division was hardly packed with talent. You could argue that's still the case now, although the likes of Alvarez and Cotto represent a better quality than what was there three years back or so.

As Alex has said, a fighter like Kirkland is never unwelcome in boxing and I'm sure he'll be featuring in some riotous scraps involving world titles soon. As one of the few who picked him to beat Angulo I do think there is more to him than some others do, although I'd agree with the general feeling that Alvarez is too much for him.

Going to have to go watch this fight as Ive yet to catch up on it. Sounds like 1st round is a barnstormer...FOTY potential I shall judge very shortly. I have yet to see anyone mention the Paul Appleby v Liam Walsh fight this weekend....SHOCKINGLY..as this could be the domestic dust up of the year. Recommend anyone to go watch it....boxer v brawler..grit & determination written all over it...try not to look at the result first!!

I agree with the general consensus on here the 1st round will be round of the year, but the rest was a controlled beat down by Kirkland who picked his shots well and took the fight out of Angulo.

It was quite alarming to see how badly Angulo gassed after his first round onslaught. He did throw a lot of punches but, I think the punches he took and the knockdown aswell took alot out of him. It was a peach of a shot that he caught Kirkland with and with the Ishida fight in mind, went for the kill.

Scottrf wrote:

inman124 wrote:Kirkland knocks out Alverez simple as that, Jose Cotto rocked Alverez when they fought, Kirkland too powerful

I'll take that bet at Betfair.

Lovely stuff

Incredible, hats off to both guys for making that a wonderful show. I thought Kirkland was overrated, chinny and a hype job. He had to prove a lot in this fight and man did he do so!

Not the prettiest fight, but damn enjoyable!

Kirklands loss to Ishida was probably the best thing for him. He reacted better after this knockdown and learnt not to go straight back in to the fight.

Would love to see him in with Alvarez.