Zuffa Boxing 7: Chris Billam-Smith vs. Ryan Rozicki & Jack Massey vs. Cheavon Clarke RBR.

Belatedly caught up with the replay (nicely packaged on Paramount+ .... a refreshing change of pace from the sucky DAZN app).

Wotta a couple of great fights! Wow! Keep e'm coming, Zuffa!

 

Rozicki is surprising slow and bereft of explosiveness for a guy with all those KO's. He's just a slow attrition puncher with zero head movement or ring IQ. For all his idolatry of Dempsey you'd think he would learn to bob and weave. He just pushed all his chips into the center of the table and crapped out

 

I said in the British RBR that I got the impression that pretty much every fighter on the card went out of their way to try to impress Dana White in person. That’s why we saw so much so many tear ups on the card (as well as decent match making in general tbf). Wouldn’t surprise me if Dana White offers out UFC style incentives for KO of the night etc.

 

Seems like he’s got the rough-n-tumble, “not one step back” energy of Dempsey down though.

 

But Dempsey was quick twitch and had defense. RR is strictly tough man or bare knuckle material.

 

I watched the Paramount replay of this fight on their app, and while it's nice they cut the commercials from the replay, they also go straight from the end of one round into the beginning of the next immediately. I'm accustomed to the minute break along with the fighters and appreciate seeing (if there's not commercials) how the fighters are doing and what advice the corner gives, etc. But also I can look away a sec, sip a beer whatever. Watching this, you already have to watch every second. Which was easy with this insane fight, what a slobberknocker, credit to both, my God. But this excising of the mid-round minute made the end of this fight equally and especially a letdown, as it went from the thrilling end of the 7th, to just CBS standing there with the ref. Like wtf happened?

Zuffa's put on some good fights so far. I don't love all their production choices.

So natch I had to head to the ESB RBR to get the real story. You guys are an international treasure. Always appreciate the span of wisdom, insight and quality yuks from this joint.

Now I'll go back to rarely posting/

 

I don't want to start anything but lately your scoring and opinions have been a bit wild I used to agree with you on pretty much everything but dno if it's cos you hate the saudis/zuffa or just love a underdog your getting crazy in here

 

Surprised Rozick’s corner pulled him out. That could have easily gone the other way.

 

Not sure Rozicki is human.

 

Good work by the corner to stop it. Damn that was a great fight though! Feel bad for Roz cause watching that fight you could sense just how badly he wanted that win. Warrior.

 

Didn't he put a cheque on the table when he announced his bout of the night or whatever he did?

 

Ramirez?

 

Sorry, I meant as in competitive.

The Zurdo fight was so one sided imo.