ESPN: Artur Asilbekovich Beterbiev vs Oleksandr Sergeevich Gvozdyk RBR

I love how everyone reacts when I get a wrong pick, here they come, beating their chests with an accusatory tone, "Ha! You got one wrong, what do you have to say about that?"

Yeah and? Is that supposed to prove something? We all get picks wrong, yes, even the people gloating about Gvozdyk losing. That's the nature of this sport, if everyone knew how every match was going to play out to a T, we'd all be millionaires wouldn't we? They call betting on sports gambling for a reason, nothing is a sure thing, especially in matches that are literally 50/50, not once did I say there was no possibility that Gvozdyk wouldn't lose by KO. It is what it is.

All of the people who're beating their chests, have taken it on the chin countless times, most of the times on picks they weren't brave enough to make in public and open themselves up to ridicule, so they really have no room to talk. Regardless, we're just picking who we think will win the way people have been doing for years on end. There's literally billions of wrong picks by people who know far more than most of us. So get down off your high horses.

This one really gutted me, I've been a big backer of Gvozdyk's on here since 2014, he was the second Educate Yourselves thread I did, I did one on Beterbiev a week or two later. I pegged both of them for greatness. The first thread I did was for Usyk, and third IIRC, was Billy Joe Saunders, back when they were all kind of nobodies to the casual fan. Yeah, I get emotionally invested in certain fighters because I'm not a soulless, heartless automaton like most people now days. It's also pretty hard not to when the fighter you're rooting for seems like such a good guy, and has such talent, skill, grit and will. You have to be kind of dead inside not to. It is what it is. All the gay jokes are real cute though. Meanwhile most of the ones that make them are the gayest ones on here, for certain fighters.

So, my guy lost, and the guy I use to like, but kind of soured on won. Oh well. I wouldn't have an issue with it or care all that much. But the fickle nature of fans now days, with their obsessive love of 0's, infantile name calling and accusations of someone being a quitter or glass jawed, some even going as far as calling for someone to retire because of one loss is maddening. (Not saying I'm not opportunistically guilty of the same at times) But still, it's damaging to the sport as a whole. Seen through the proper light, tonight should be viewed as a win win, both men's stock went up, they put on a FOTY candidate, the better man on the night won, Gvozdyk showed incredible grit, will, heart and an amazing next level chin. He's an absolute beast of a fighter, and he proved everything I believed him to be tonight. But I'm not naive, and I know morons won't look at it that way. Even though that's the right way to look at it. Which is why I usually react as negatively as I do.

I know the score, the fallout will be bad, mostly negative, disrespectful, and the childish jockeying for brownie points in some fanboy game of one-upsmanship will commence, and the losing fighter will be slandered, criticized and beaten down for years to come. Because most fans are ****ing assholes.

So in a fair world, tonight wouldn't mean much, but the world of social media, is never fair, spin doctors and propagandists rule the day and are tearing the soul and enjoyment out of everything. And that is why I get so pissed when someone I like loses.

But good for Beterbiev, he was the better man tonight. They both fought a hell of a high level masterpiece, they both deserve credit. Both men's stock goes up. Bravo to both.