Martin Bakole Ilunga vs. Michael Hunter & Lee McGregor vs. Thomas Essomba RBR.

Point is he was throwing that right hand with no signs of discomfort after shielding it for the entire 9th round. Then raised both arms after the fight to give a high five. I’ve had a recent rotator cuff injury that I rehabbed with physio and no surgery and when I suffered the injury it was agony to raise my arm in certain movements. And that was a minor injury with no muscle tear. I guarantee you Bakole won’t require surgery and his injury wasn’t bad enough to stop him from boxing on but some fighters are braver than others (Haye for example).

 

Billy knows him far better than any of us and I can only assume he was sure Bakole would get through it.

From the outside it didn't look good. Bakole wanting to retire on his stool, getting ignored and sent back out and then getting smashed around and stopped.

Like I said, a trainer is there to get you through really tough times with advice, encouragement and even a telling off but they are also there to protect you, if something isn't right then they should know.

Bakole was saying he wasn't right, he was taking a lot of flush shots with two arms as it was, I just think that old saying "save a fighter for another day.." could have been used tonight.

It will be interesting what both of them say when they are next interviewed.

 

It was far more reckless of Billy to send out Burns after he broke his jaw to Beltran but remember Ricky wanted to box on. Different fighters have different levels of bravery at the end of the day. I personally thought Bakole was weak in there and showed poor heart and I understand that may sound foolish as a fan who doesn’t lay it on the line in the ring, but I don’t care tbh, it’s my view

 

Yeah true, and that's the difference Burns wanted to fight, Bakole didn't and when a fighter don't want to fight any longer and you send him out there then you are playing a very dangerous game if it goes wrong.

Don't misunderstand me, Billy Nelson is a excellent trainer and knows far far far far far more about the sport than me.

All I'm saying is Bakole could have been saved for another day maybe, and yes hindsight is a wonderful thing and if Bakole had landed a haymaker and turned it all around I'd probably be on here saying what a great performance by Nelson in his corner.

It just didn't sit well with me, a one armed fighter being push back in there, taking flush shot after flush shot and there was no sign of a towel knowing that he was struggling and one armed.

 

He’s getting slaughtered on Twitter that’s for sure.

 

True will be interesting. Bakole

martin should be disappointed with his performance. He

im just disappointed with Martin he really could have won that but looks like his dedication and hearts not in it.

 

I saw 25 somewhere for B. Illunga. Yeah.... I'm not buying that for a second