That old cliché that fans from a certain neck of the woods 'know their boxing'

it was obvious from early on that Johnson was on survival mode so why did big Fury not step on the gas a bit, show more aggression & land more long rights off the jab,instead of playing safe prancing about flicking the jab,a win for Tyson but so boring,i was booing from the armchair

 

the kind of fans here in Belfast who go to see Tyson Fury are not exactly purists... most of the old time boxing fans I know here don't rate Fury at all, all of the fans who go to see Fury are young cokeheads, the Belfast purists have no interest in Fury as they think he's limited and that Price would beat him

there, you heard it from the horses mouth.

honestly I seriously wouldn't compare a Tyson Fury crowd to a typical Belfast fight crowd

 

quite right.

honestly, some foreign fighters who used to fight in the kings hall were genuinely surprised and pleased at how many of the Belfast crowd actually knew who they were and applauded them

 

..

 

Bernard Dunne - Ricardo Cordoba fight - they knew what time it was...

 

I don't recall Johnston making an attack bar maybe 1 round. Thought it was a poor performance from him. And the ref gave out about it too. I'm against booing regardless of the reason. It's just bad manners. However I would also like to poing out that I've seen more punches by your average amateur boxer in 3 round fight than I did from Kevin Johnston in 12 rounds last night. If it was professional by definition, it certainly did'nt have any of the characteristics of a professional fight. And these are hard times, I'm sure tickets weren't cheap for that fight! Just saying.

 

In my opinion, and others that ive spoken to, nobody really gives it a 2nd thought. If he wants to call himself Irish then thats his perogative, same as if he wants to call himself english. If a fighter kinda bases himself in the area, shows a bit of integrity, trains (among other places) in local clubs, sparring local fighters, and fighting out of the city, then the local boxing fans will take to him like they have with Fury. By all accounts hes a personable guy and when people are like that then word spreads. Its not the first time its happened here, it happened back in the early 90s with crisanto espana and paul hodkinson, to name but 2.

But, as likeable and good a guy as Fury seems, the 'purists' will not go and spend their hard-earned money to watch him fight because the matchmaking just isnt competitive. OK, every fighter needs weaned on a diet of certain types of fighters to improve their skills and progress up to international and world standard, but for whatever reason Fury isnt doing this (i personally blame Hennessey), ergo, most of the old skool fans wont go to watch him cos they arent mugs. The ****wits, cokeheads and travellers who DO go and watch Fury are another reason why some wont go, and i stress 'some'. You mark my words, if Fury gets beat in belfast there will be trouble at it. (****, theres even trouble when he wins!! i.e. the rogan fight).

Its nothing personal. If he engaged in evenly matched fights, then more would go to see him