Mikey Tapology Boxing Corner!

Alright folks, 

As you might know I'm Tapology Boxing editor. I know the majority of you guys are here for MMA, so was I originally. But for the last year or 2 there is a little more interest in Boxing on the site. 

So here's a place to talk boxing. 

Just watched this video by Rummy. Breaking down the Fury Wilder fight and also it's place among the best Heavyweight fights of the past 30 years and also where it stands as an all time classic Heavyweight trilogy.

As always it's a good watch with plenty of good points and provides enough info for you to try and make up your own mind.  Worth the

@Mikey1903 who is the man to beat Fury? 

Usyk is the only one who I think could beat Fury. 

I'd like to think Usyk could give Fury trouble. Boxing skill and ability I have Usyk above Fury but I can't ignore the 50lbs weight advantage!!! It's not just the weight tho, it's that Fury is a master at using it! The way he uses the clinch, over/ under hooks, makes the opponent carry his weight and the shots he lands, uppercuts in the clinch he is also an expert at using his forearm as a frame and landing hard shots off of that frame.
I'm not sure if Usyk can overcome that??  I still give him a good chance, I'll never write off Usyk, and I'd love to see that fight happen.

Outside of Usyk, none of the current top 10 outside of landing a clean KO shot(always a possibility at Heavyweight!). Maybe an up n comer? I like Hrgovic and Yoka. Also Jared Anderson and Bakhodur Jalolov but they are a ways aways, Anderson still 21 and Jalolov hasn't really transitioned to the pros(he has 8 pro fights but he was still at the Tokyo Olympics winning Gold!)

Maybe the Tyson Fury biggest opponent is himself?! He's a man who openly deals with mental health issues, depression and addiction. He could become unmotivated, get out of shape, something?

So yeah, I think Usyk is the best challenge but it's Heavyweight boxing. It's unpredictable! 

Yeah Ukrainians are kick ass in all styles, Judo, Greco Roman, Sambo, you name it, they are a combat sports people... I was gonna say that French guy Yoka... Yeah well Fury has done pretty well The Bronze Bomber is a beast... If he calls it a day I wouldn't blame him but I think he could be around for a long time...

I agree, I noticed in both of the fights with Wilder that Fury was hanging on him in the clinch, making him carry his weight and just sapping his back and legs of strength over time. You could see him do it more after the big knockdown and Wilder really slowed over the next 3 rounds as a result

Honestly Malik Scott is a charlatan, and he did Wilder no favours by making him put on all that muscle. He doesn't need more mass, he needs better boxing (especially defensively) and a bigger gas tank. Either he's a **** trainer or Wilder is a **** student because I saw zero evolution from him in the third fight.  There's two reasons Fury was clinch heavy against Deontay. Well, three really. It worked in the second fight. Wilder's cardio is dogwater. And the most important one; Fury knew exactly the angle and space he needed to throw that right hand hammer, and he'd clinch him up as soon as he started to frame up or step into throwing it. Fury would either smother him if he was in range or if he was out of it  just let him KO the air. Either way, he made him burn a lot of cash for no result.

Usyk is a different animal to Wilder. 50lbs is a lot but I'd still pick him to beat Tyson. Clincing up a guy who can only move forwards and backwards is not the same deal as trying to do it against a guy who can  pivot/rotate and hit you three times as you're lurching in. I Feel. I very feel.

* Edited at 10.14.2021, 3:27 PM ET *

The US Heavyweight hope and a few of you guys favourite Jared Big Baby Anderson is making a quick return. On the Bud Crawford Shawn Porter undercard. He's got quite a tough fight. The guy he's facing was a big prospect a couple of years ago, he lost, but 1 loss doesn't mean he's ****! 

https://www.badlefthook.com/2021/10/14/22726643/jared-anderson-vs-oleksandr-teslenko-joins-crawford-porter-november-20-boxing-news-2021

I always like to see these behind the scenes, off camera moments from a big fight. 
A lot of people talking about what was said between Tyson and Wilder at the end of the fight, you can see and hear it

That's awesome, I'm glad to see they keep stepping up his competition and I feel like he's being managed well and put into challenging fights instead of just can crushes until he reaches whatever win streak they deem valuable

I think Usyk will give Fury problem with his jab , Wilder was jabbing Fury up to the body before the fight really got started. Watching the Joshua fight, I was really impress with how quick Usyk Jab was. And just to be frank Wilder is not a great boxer compare to Uysk, So that hole might be they're. My biggest worry for Usyk is Fury just using his 60lb weight advantage to just lean on him or bully him. I honestly pick Usyk as I think he won't get pulled to a brawl and outbox Fury, but the fight is a 50-50 fight and my oppine on the fight change on a wim 

By jab, I could also mean just staight punching in general btw, But same point still stand

* Edited at 10.15.2021, 4:41 AM ET *

Right so I am prepared to eat **** on this 1!!!! But I am going to put up a list of boxing underdogs I think have a chance. I actually have a pretty decent record in boxing over the last year or so, I picked Usyk +250 vs Joshua , that lovely +600 Jamie Mitchell vs Shannon ****enay, Valdez +250 vs Berchelt, Leigh Wood +300 vs Can Xu, Joyce +300 vs Dubois, Ugas +400 vs Pacquiao, also Castano vs Charlo was robbed in a draw!!!! He won that ****!! Ha

Anyway, I think I have a decent track record so here goes. Now I am listing them you can say "well yeah you got those correct Mikey, what about all these losers!!!"

To be honest there's not too much I like this weekend in terms of underdogs so I'm reaching a little. Just putting that disclaimer out there!!!

Tonights Top Rank ESPN+ card headlined by Navarrete vs Gonzalez. Although I love Navarrete (I just posted about him the other day) I do think Joet Gonzalez has a chance. As much as I love Navarrete style he does leap in over his front foot and is open to be countered all day long. Still I wouldn't bet him to lose tonight but I do think his run comes to an end soon.
The Co Main is where I see an upset. I've never been impressed with Gio Santillan, he lost to Antonio DeMarco last year was gifted a decision. Whenever I see a guy get a robbery I take note because he isn't going to always get the decision. Angel Ruiz isn't going to win a decision tho, he is a big punching Mexican(born in Mexico US national). He is a very aggressive fighter, not sure if Santillan can keep him off. I can't be the only 1 thinking this because the price on Santillan has shrunk from - 700 to - 350.  I'm not 100% confident but if I'm backing an underdog on this card it's Ruiz by KO.
I was going to be taking a flyer on Hank Lundy vs Lewis Ritson tomorrow but Ritson pulled out sick. So my underdog for the UK card is Jez "The Can Man" Smith vs Brad Rea!! Smith was so unlucky in challenging Spanish European Champion Kerman Lejarraga in his home town early in the year. Smith dropped Lejarraga x2 hard! You think Fury had a long count? (he didn't by the way!) the Spanish referee gave Lejarraga 20+ seconds both Knockdowns!! Smith then tired and was stopped standing in a stoppage that definitely wouldn't have happened if it had been the other way around. Smith is a good boxer, Bradley Rea isn't bad but Smith could outbox him. My only worry is that it's short notice for Smith but he did have a tune up a month ago so should be in shape. He is only +275 so not a huge underdog. I'm 50/50 on the fight so worth a shot. 
The other underdog I think has a better chance than the odds suggest is on the Mikey Garcia DAZN undercard. Co Main event Flyweight World Title fight. Elwin Soto is the Champion, he is a Mexican banger!! But technical he is not. He is there for a boxer to pick apart. His last defence vs Japanese veteran Takayama was giving him big problems. Jonathan Gonzalez at +600 is a much better boxer than Soto, he has a bit of a dodgy chin tho! I am really confident Gonzalez out boxes Soto, my only worry is that Soto catches him and KO's him. It's a chance I'm willing to take!!!  Gonzalez by points is my best underdog of the weekend 

You guys have any Boxers that were/are disliked for whatever reason that you couldn't help but enjoy and root for? My mates always thought I was goofy for enjoying almost all of Andrew Golota's amazing and highly entertaining fights, even the forced vasectomy ones. Him vs Bowe x2, Byrd, Ruiz, Mollo, Sanders, and the Tyson fight were must see TV. Never a dull moment and always some kind of drama, excitement, comedy or just two big dudes throwing heavy hands and driving each other into the canvas. 

Him vs Ruiz is the pinnacle of all of it. I HIGHLY recommend you guys try to find that fight. 
Golota is in my opinion one of the greats and made the 90s Heavyweight era so exciting. 

I'll die on that hill that Castano beat that boy! Robbed of an undisputed and unified Champion all thanks to corrupt Judges. 

Yeah the Golota /Bowe fights were weird maybe bowe was trying to date his sister or something?#$!
Maybe the most ****/ball punching ive seen, aside from Gilbert Yvel of course but he kicked and kneed em mostly.

Man landed one of the most beautiful 3 hit combos into an uppercut I've ever seen and the fact he had to bend so low to get a good leverage on the uppercut made it even more brilliant. 

* Edited at 10.15.2021, 3:28 PM ET *

Golota was a wack job wasn't he!  Haha!
I still can't believe he beat Rid**** Bowes ass then threw it away by constantly punching him in the ****!!!  I think he'd be held in much higher regard if he got that win over Bowe. 90's Heavyweight era really was great!  So many great fighters and great characters!
A couple guys from that era I loved, Razor Ruddock and his lethal Smash Punch!!!  British WBO Champion with the tremendous left hook Herbie Hide was a fun watch!!  Another guy I really liked was The Cat Carl Thompson, his fight vs David Haye was amazing and his 2 vs Chris Eubank were great aswell

I actually watched this recently. It's a decent quality version for YouTube.  I remember the days when the BBC used to show boxing on a Sunday

I remember finding Thompson through his two Eubank fights. Very under the radar fighter in hindsight with how great of a resume he has. Never seen him vs Haye however, once I'm off work I'll give it a watch. thanks Mikey! 

Yeah his fights with Eubank were great. They were Eubanks last great performances. 
I think you're going to enjoy the Thompson vs Haye fight. It's a bit wild!!