Boxing Thread

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Boxing thread has been dead for nearly a month so heres big Fraudley to liven it up with another comedy skit...


Audley Harrison sets sights on Klitschko brothers

Audley Harrison says he will target the Klitschko brothers if he manages to dethrone European heavyweight champion Albert Sosnowski in London on 9 April.

Harrison, 38, added that he is not interested in fighting WBA heavyweight champion and fellow Briton David Haye.

"No disrespect to David Haye, but no-one is talking about David Haye," said Harrison, an Olympic champion in 2000.

"They're all talking about the Klitschkos, so if I beat Albert, I want the Klitschkos."

Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC heavyweight champion, while his younger brother Wladimir owns the IBF and WBO belts. Either one is expected to fight Haye later this year if Haye defeats John Ruiz in April.

However, Harrison, who won promoter Barry Hearn's Prizefighter tournament last October to keep his career afloat, admitted that defeat to his Polish opponent at Alexandra Palace would end his career.

He said: "All I'm interested in at the moment is Albert Sosnowski and he will not give up that belt easily. The worst thing I could do is look past Albert. If I can't get past him then there's nothing in the future."

Harrison won gold in the super-heavyweight division at the Sydney Olympics, but four defeats in eight fights left his career in the balance before Prizefighter offered him a route back.

But Harrison admits he nearly walked away from the sport and almost gave up on his oft-stated dream of winning a world title.

"I have a personal mission to be a world champion. Call me delusional or crazy but I call it reality," added Harrison.

"When my contract with the BBC ended [in 2003] I lost my feel for boxing and the passion for boxing died. I left England and almost didn't want to box as I was that disheartened - you saw that in my performances.

"I was a shell and I had no desire. I was a totally broken man and it took a long time to recover from that. It took a lot of soul-searching and I asked myself what I wanted to do and I said to myself I wanted to achieve my goals.

"I had to lick my wounds and go back to the drawing board. Ability gets you to the top but character keeps you there.

"I had certain characteristic flaws but it's been part of my learning and journey. I wasn't ready to be the next Lennox Lewis in 2004 and it was almost a blessing that I lost as I had a chance to grow through adversity.

"I've been through so much in my career but I'm still here, still believing, still persevering and that's what character is. My moment of destiny is really close but I have a real obstacle in front of me.

"If he beats me to a pulp then I will know it's over. If Albert Sosnowski beats Audley Harrison fair and square then there will be no excuses as I'm 100% physically, mentally and spiritually ready to win.

"I want to get my London fans in their St George's T-shirts and I want to get nostalgic and hear chants of 'Audley', 'Audley', 'Audley'.

"I want to hear the fans of boxing, the fans of Audley, the fans of perseverance and the fans of overcoming adversity and get back to boxing."

Sosnowski, who is based in Brentwood, Essex, but originally hails from Warsaw, claimed the title with an emphatic points victory over Italian Paolo Vidoz in December.

But the 30-year-old is best known for a shock stoppage win against Harrison's long-term rival and current British champion Danny Williams in 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8528898.stm

Seen that yesterday. Wild man Audley The highlighted bit is my favourite. What's the Pole like? Does Fraudley have any chance? Is this fight on Sky?

[Club Rossa]

If the Pole can even lace up a pair of gloves,then Audley is in big trouble.
I shudder to think what either Klitschko would do to Harrison.

[DirtyDozen12]

Quiet on the Pacman / Clottey fight tonight?  Foregone conclusion for Pacman??  Clottley could cause problems, he is one big big welterweight and in my opinion was robbed of the decision against Cotto.

[Paul Mc Graths Da]

Manny on points for me.  He won't have the power to fell Clottey but it should be a straightforward victory due Mannys speed (foot & hand) and Clotteys 'peekaboo' defensive style.  I'm assuming Duddy is the first televised undercard fight tonight.  He'l no doubt make a meal out of a shite mexican fighter,  but it could be entertaining.  I'm looking forward to seeing Humberto Soto in the chief support fight, a class act!

[DirtyDozen12]

Under card fights, tasty enough looking ties:

The first of the fights will be John Duddy vs Michael Medina, this light middleweight bout sees Duddy as the strong favorite, currently he has just one loss to his record.

The next fight will be Alfonso Gomez vs Jose Luis Castillo, people may remember Alfonso Gomez from the first series of the TV Show 'The Contender', he currently holds the WBC Continental Americas Welterweight title and is the favorite for this fight, some sources are claiming that this is a title fight, however currently it is unclear.

The final undercard fight will be Humberto Soto vs David Diaz, this fight is scheduled for 12 rounds and will be for the the currently vacant WBC lightweight title, Soto is the current favorite for this fight at around 1-6, whereas Diaz is at around 4-1.

[unitedireland]

anyone know any internet links to free streaming?

[Carmen Stateside]

Middleweight John Duddy (29-1, 18 KOs) scored a workmanlike ten round split decision over Michael Medina (22-2-2, 17 KOs). Scores were 96-93, 96-93 for Duddy, 96-93 for Medina, who was deducted a point for a low blow at the end of round eight. Duddy is now in line for a showdown with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

http://atdhe.net/8921/watch-manny-pacquiao-vs-joshua-clottey

[new devil]

Thats duddy fighting in yankee stadium in july,on the cotti bill

[DirtyDozen12]

Clottey was really dissapointing Saturday night.  he definately had a bit of power behind him to hurt Pacman but he never went for it at all, very frustrating to see.  You may has well have been knocked out trying to win the fight than stand with your gloves covering your face and throwing the odd punch now and again.  Poor stuff from Clottley, made for a one sided affair.

Duddy is not that good and i reckon would get tore apart by a really world class fighter.  Why does he continue to fight nobodies??

[JimStynes]

Pacman was outstanding aswell tbf but i agree Clotty was very dissapointing. I really hope Floyd and Pacman can get a fight sorted sometime this year.

Lee, Duddy, Dunne, etc all very average fighters hyped up to the balls by Irish mediia. We are as bad as the English for hyping up our own!!

[The Iceman]

Duddy is not that good and i reckon would get tore apart by a really world class fighter.  Why does he continue to fight nobodies??

Because he is a cash cow for his promoters and fills MSG with stupid Irish (kilt wearing) Americans who think Corned Beef is the meat of choice in Ireland and every one has ginger hair

[heganboy]

Americans who think Corned Beef is the meat of choice in Ireland and every one has ginger hair

begorrah, seems entirely reasonable to me, and top of the morning to ya

[Doogie Browser]

Duddy has no great power from what I can see plus he has poor defence to be a 'world chempion', he was lucky yer man did not go for broke earlier on Sat night as when he let fly in the last Duddy was under pressure. 

[gallsman]

Pacman was outstanding aswell tbf but i agree Clotty was very dissapointing. I really hope Floyd and Pacman can get a fight sorted sometime this year.

Lee, Duddy, Dunne, etc all very average fighters hyped up to the balls by Irish mediia. We are as bad as the English for hyping up our own!!

While true to a large extent with Duddy and Dunne, Lee is a quality boxer. The Vera fight was a complete and utter shock and while I don't think he'll ever be able to mix it with the likes of Pavlik, he's probably our best hope of a true world champion since Collins.

[The Iceman]

Americans who think Corned Beef is the meat of choice in Ireland and every one has ginger hair

begorrah, seems entirely reasonable to me, and top of the morning to ya

We should write a book and dispel all the myths!

The funny thing now is that "real" Irish people are not as accepted anymore because we don't fit the stereotypical view Americans have.