Tonight's official fight thread

[BallchinianMuffwig]

First topic message reminder :

Let's get this party started.
I can't watch any of the action tonight due to being at work, a running commentary would be much appreciated.
Cheers!

[BallchinianMuffwig]

Come on Ormond, do it for my bank account

[Marky]

Is there any chance barker went to the ring with the injury (maybe not as bad as it turned out to be), fought inside as he couldn't move fluently? With a million riding on him getting in the ring I wouldn't blame him.

This. Makes you wonder why David Haye didn't fight Fury with a cut eyebrow for £5m.

Because David Haye has made enough money in his career to be financially secure. This was Barkers first really big pay day.

Financially secure maybe, but he's not exactly Mayweather. £5m win or lose would be very welcome I'm sure! As for the medical, who knows. It's all hypothetical anyway...

[Strongback]

3-1 Ormond.

[Strongback]

Will Ormond need a kO to get a draw?

[Strongback]

4-1 Ormond.

[88Chris05]

Derry having trouble getting on the front foot for any real length of time here and struggling with some of Ormond's quickfire flurries. I think Matthews needs to stop looking for that one big shot or just throwing singles, the little fella just keeps getting around it.

Hampo, you worried as you watch this at all, mate? Haha.

[Strongback]

5-1

The Collins' don't know how to lose. Well when it comes to boxing.

[Strongback]

6-1 Ormond. He's hitting Derry at will.

[88Chris05]

He's just outspeeding Derry right now. Matthews being forced to stick the ear muffs on and suck it up, but that doesn't win rounds.

[Strongback]

7-1 Ormond.

If Ormond had more power!...........

[BallchinianMuffwig]

This is great to hear, but I'm remembering the Coyle fight

[88Chris05]

Two rounds left for Matthews to pull out another miracle. He's looking flat, though. Ormond is fit as a fiddle, just doesn't seem to be slowing at all.

[Strongback]

The ref is dying to take a point off Ormond.
8-1

[Strongback]

If they take it away from Ormond, the Collins will smash Warren.

9-1.

[88Chris05]

Some of the early rounds were close enough, so the cards might flatter Derry, but he's at least four points down on my card. From the mid way point Matthews was never in it.

[Lance]

he hurts his hip when he goes down the second time. its very noticeable.

man you think froch and brook could try and find less excuses and give sturm some credit.

the better man won.

He held it after the first time he went down.

Tony Sims says that's probably it for his career.

I cant see it after the first knockdown. hes certainly in a lot of pain as he tries to get up awkwardly after the second

[hampo17]

I've put my write up of the Barker vs Sturm fight on the journal guys. http://v2journal.com/16/post/2013/12/sturm-dethrones-barker.html

[Strongback]

Tremendous work rate from Ormond. Very quick and jeez can he but 10 punch combinations together.

Derry was outclassed. If Ormond had a bit of power he would be lethal.

He has an engine to match Steve Collins. Ormond saying they worked his guts out doesn't surprise me.

[Seanusarrilius]

Barker made a million for this fight, so injuries or not, fair play to him for securing his future. Why not retire with faculties intact. Good luck to you Dazzler.

Did make Bruno's reign look extensive though

How much of that million does he actually bank though.

I don't know. Point is he maximised the return on his talent.

[sittingringside]

That was a very poor performance from Barker, but you have to also give credit to Sturm for what was clearly a strategy of aggression. He was so well prepared.

[88Chris05]

Just when I thought it looked like Dirrell was falling apart, he comes up with that in round five! Anyone else watching?

[sittingringside]

Round 6 is the round of the year

[88Chris05]

And then Bika comes back to rock Dirrell in the sixth. Not a bad fight so far. I'm surprised.

[milkyboy]

If you're not a fan of the finer aspects of boxing, and like a bit of street fighting, this is your bag.

[BallchinianMuffwig]

Anyone know when Macklin's due on?

[sittingringside]

If you're not a fan of the finer aspects of boxing, and like a bit of street fighting, this is your bag.

I do indeed applaud fine technique in my valuation of boxing, but as a sports fan in general I place skill and technique alongside spirit and will to win as equally important athletic ideals. Both boxers displayed shedloads of the latter two in that round.

[Lance]

antony doesn't have the footwork of his brother

[Strongback]

This is a mad fight.

Bika's winging in some Rocky specials from the back of the hall.

[milkyboy]

You know what you're going to get with bika, and its never pretty, but he comes to fight, unless dirrell gets a second wind, he's looking like he's getting ground down here.

[88Chris05]

Aye, I think Bika has seen off the best that Dirrell has to offer here.

[milkyboy]

antony doesn't have the footwork of his brother

Nor his handspeed, but he can obviously punch... He 's shaken bika up a few times, and bika's one tough mother

[Strongback]

Dirrell likes to complain like his brother.

It's close but Bika's is the aggressor.

[88Chris05]

Bika may have had a point taken off in the 11th, but he ran Dirrell out of town for the rest of the round.

[88Chris05]

Commentator said it all about Dirrell there! "He's an idiot."

114-112 to Bika, for me.

[milkyboy]

Oh dear. Last 10 seconds?? Dirrell.

[Lance]

dirrell looked good until the 6th. after that he was hurt and intimidated. spent the rest of the fight moaning

should be close. dirrell won most of the first 6. none after that

[milkyboy]

Joe pasquale. 116-110? He was the comedian with the squeaky voice right?

[88Chris05]

A draw. I can live with that, just about, given that I only had Bika up by two points. But a draw was the very least Bika deserved and the best outcome you could possibly give to Dirrell, who showed that, like his brother, he has a bit too much of the clown prince about him.

But what the frig was that 116-110 card to Dirrell all about!?

[Strongback]

A draw wasn't that far off I reckon. 116-110 to Dirrell was dodgy.

Fan's will watch that again.

[sittingringside]

Dirrell was mad to do that in the last round, but a draw is fair I think.

[Strongback]

Clear to see this is a step up in fighters.

[John Bloody Wayne]

Just got home in time for the Bika brawl!

Got Lara just barely shading each of the opening 3 on quality of shots so far. How you got it?

[88Chris05]

Lara showing that he's a very, very good and talented boxer.....Just not a particularly inspiring one, however. Certainly showing a tight defence and looks like he might have the wood on Trout, to me.

[88Chris05]

Same as you by the way, JBW. Lara just that little bit better in all three.

[John Bloody Wayne]

Those Cuban feet! As Rigo learned they ooffer you few fans but your opponent fewer options.

Commentators talking like this is the first fight they've seen of either fighter.

[John Bloody Wayne]

Ok maybe Trout took the 7th, maybe I just want him to.

If Lara fought the whole fight like he does when the ten second clapper goes hed have won a KO by now.

[88Chris05]

Lara boxed that eighth round beautifully. 7-1 for me.

[Lance]

awful commentators. seemed to decide lara was absolutely bossing it from the word go and have ran with that agenda all the way through.

hes definitely winning, but hes nowhere near as impressive as they seem to think

[Gerry SA]

My boy Lara has exceptional footwork.

He's making Trout, a top class fighter, look like a no hoper.

But for getting robbed against Williams, Lara would've destroyed Canelo.

[John Bloody Wayne]

Felt that from here!

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