The last few years have been frustrating for boxing fans. The best haven't fought the best very often and a few potential greats seem to be trying their best to screw up their legacies (Holyfield, Roy Jones, Mayweather etc). As always at the end of a year, people gain optimisim in the hope of a better year ahead. I personally hoped 2011 would bring us all the fights I'd previously hoped for at the start of the last year. I, like everyone else, want to see the best two welterweights fight each other and would much prefer to watch our supposed heavyweight champions in the ring against each other rather than on the news channels more often. Yet on the first 'normal' day back in the new year, boxing fans are instantly fed more garbage from those at the top of our sport and our superfights to look forward to aren't Pacquiao-Mayweather and Klitschko-Haye. Instead, we've been dished up Pacquiao v Mosley and Klitschko v Chisora. Perhaps more of a concern is that these aren't the only disappointments in store for early 2011 either. 48 year old, former great, Evander Holyfield seems intent on finishing his career with serious brain injuries and a few others seem keen to go the same way. Neither of these situations is uncommon in boxing and most sports have had their problems with the politics in the past and present. I'm not sure why I was optimistic for the start of this year as I've been a boxing fan for a while. I should know what was coming shouldn't I? Maybe I'm missing something. Anyway what I'd like your views on is now that we're into 2011, what can we realistically expect and hope for for the year ahead? Will it pick up when we come up to summer and into autumn as last year did? Will at least some of the top fights really happen? Can we see at least some of Huck-Cunningham, Hopkins-Pascal II, Bradley/Alexander v Khan, Lopez-Gamboa? Even DeGale v Groves seems to be in some doubt now. I'll be tuning into Buncey's show a little later in the hope I can get some kind of anticipation and excitement for what we've got coming up in the next few months but not one fight, not even one domestic fight I can think of genuinely has caught my interest in the way that some of them could and should.
Not 1 full week into 2011 yet! Bit early to be bracing ourselves for a year of disappointment! Alexander-Bradley and Donaire-Montiel to look forward to in the early part of the year... Not much on the domestic front yet but it'll pick up. People need to stop focusing on the fights not being made and start focusing on the fights that are. 2011 could be great! Be positive!
You know what, I have no complaint over the last two/three years of boxing. Sure, Haye/Klitschko and Pac/May haven't been made, but I think it's been a splendid year nonetheless, and I think this year will follow suit.
:deal Couldnt agree more...apart from the two fights above that have not been made I think 2010 was a great year for boxing. I imagine Haye vs Klit will happen later in the year - probably September but I wont hold my breath for Pac vs May... :rasta
We've got lots to look forward to with Froch in the super six, Khan stepping up the levels, talent in the lightweights and some great fights in the domestic supper middle and Heavy scene. I think it's going to be a great year and I still think Haye will have faught a Klit before the year is out!!!
this plus Froch-Johnson & Ward-Abraham plus the Final we have the Bantamweight tourney final and 3&4th place final coming up with winner fighting the winner of Donaire-Montiel hopefully. Sam Webb-Bradley Price, Jones-Karass II, so some decent fights to look forward to. we are just missing that mega match, but we may also get Khan-Bradley/Alexander which determines the # 1 at 140.
What a **** thread. We've been treated to some spectacular fights over the last few years and I have no doubt that 2011 will offer more of the same. Ok the Haye v Wlad fight is in doubt but keep things in perspective ffs.
We've got Montiel v Donaire just around the corner. That's two P-4-P top 10 fighters (according to the Ring) clashing with one another. That's a great start to the year. After that, who knows? Too soon to get all down in the dumps though.
I think that it's a bit early to be writing 2011 off. Sure, 2010 was a bit ****, but there were still plenty of quality fights, just a shame that the year was spoilt by pretenders doing nothing but talk for 12 months. I'm not just talking about Haye here
Chin up Roe. As the others have said, theres plenty of action to look forward too in 2011!! At the end of the year the fights I've found myself enjoying arn't usually the "big" fights where there is sometimes too much expectation, it'll be the "lesser" stuff I''ve stayed up late to watch and have a crack in the RbR thread on here (copyright: Ishy).
Well with a few beauties just round the corner, I'm hoping that 2011 is going to keep the momentum from the last few months of 2010. I'm not going to have my spirits downed by Mayweather, Pacquiao and Holyfield.... Kelly Pavlik might though.
Pavlik is a big ko waiting to happen. If he moves to smw the guts at the top there will eat him alive. Most will be able to match his power and probably punch harder too. And they are a diverse bunch with too much variety for him. His best bet is to win the wbo and fight lesser opponents at mw IMHO