Gary "the rocket" Lockett vs Mayorga @ catchwt 156

That is EXACTLY my point. That match up was slightly more credible than putting me in with Pavlik. No one has ever tried to say Lockett was a legit top 10 guy in the division. A division with SERIOUS drop off after the top guys. The knees were EXACTLY the right thing to do against a finisher like Pavlik. I refer to his style as 'stun 'n gun'. Hurts you and then finishes you. If he had slightly more one hand power, people would go down instead of absorbing more punishment. They would have time to recover. He fights a reserved/controlled pace because he isn't all that fast and would leave himself more open to counters.

 

Nah. Lockett was gutless.

 

He went into that ring knowing he was probably going to take a beating. Hate if you must.:-(

 

Did you see/read the interviews Lockett gave during the build up to the fight? If you did, then you might understand what his attitude was, and maybe you might have a different opinion.

 

Uhhmmm.... lets see how to put this: Bull ****.

Lockett bravely walked out, entered the ropes from which there is no return, and fought as best he could.

gutless would have been Gary locking himself in a locker and refusing to come out, once the time came. He walked to the gallows with his chin held high.

According to Enzo, Gary just didn't follow his plan or he would have wiped the floor with Pavlik's ass.

 

I have followed Gary Locketts career from the beginning, and that was way, way below his best. He could put serious heat on opponents when he wanted to.
Sorry, but whatever way you look at it Pavlik fancied an easy fight, and it was no secret that Lockett had no interest in any glory whatsoever.

He even said so himself.

 

This just gets better. Lockett could have put the heat on Pavlik if he "wanted to"? Pavlik wanted an 'easy fight'? Was it Pavlik that picked the mandatory? Pavlik was at least one, if not two, classes above anything Lockett had ever faced. That is called a 'game changer'.

 

Had you even heard of Gary Lockett before the Pavlik fight?
I bet you never saw his first fight with Yuri Tsarenko. Yuri was a class above Lockett and handed him a fearful beating over 12 rounds, with Lockett trying to knock him out right up untill the final bell.
The beating he took was far worse than what Pavlik handed him, so it's not unreasonable to suggest Lockett did not give his all against Pavlik.

 

Mayorga kills this dude(PERIOD)

 

Lockett's heart wasn't in it. Read this article from before the fight:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7434270.stm

 

Mayorga would kill him

 

"But I've ticked over and when a dream fight like Pavlik lands in your lap, you get the feeling the sporting gods have changed their mind about you and now is the time I must deliver."

 

If Ryan Rhodes at middleweight is your best win, then you don't have a chance at 160.

Rhodes had some personal issues at the time and wasn't really focused - now he has his head screwed on again he can make 154 EASILY....

If they were to fight ten times at 160, Rhodes would win seven times.

 

It seems like they decided to change their mind again come fight night. Gary Lockett knew full well this was going to be his last fight, there was no need to deliver any kind of performance whatsoever.
All he had to do was make sure he didn't get hurt too badly, pick up his fat cheque and get out of the business he disliked so much.

I don't blame the guy for his attitude, I wish him all the best for the future. However, let's not kid ourselves that he went out with any kind of dignity.

It seems the only people defending Gary Lockett are Kelly Pavlik fans trying to justify what was basically a bull**** title defence. The thing is, Pavlik had already earned the respect of the boxing world. He was due an easy fight and nobody begrudged him it, least of all Gary lockett.