Nick Ball vs. Brandon Lee Figueroa & Andrew Cain vs. Alejandro Jair González Díaz RBR.

Let’s be honest, sporting and social events were way more toxic in the 80s and 90s – peak booze, peak drug-taking, peak football hooliganism and straight-up violence. These days most young lads aren’t out scrapping; they’ve got their heads buried in phones. I had a bloke literally bump into me yesterday because he was scrolling while walking.

That’s the real damage now: modern tech. People turn up to events for the social media shot, not to be present, and COVID poured petrol on it by shoving everyone online where algos reward the loudest culture-war nonsense and basically tell people what to think, even though the same 10% (low-functioning narcs and bored housewives) pump out 90% of the content. It’s created huge echo chambers of groupthink, and if you’re rich enough you can buy a platform or build your own and get an outsized say in the narrative. My rule’s simple: if someone’s posting nonstop and isn’t a genuine authority or building anything real, I mute/block them. It’s not soft, it’s mental hygiene. Protect your headspace and starve the attention economy.

 

What a great time it must have been . The world and people’s mentalities seemed like they were normal back then. I don’t fit in in this world, born 25 years too late.

 

But not a phone in sight. Beautiful.

 

Can’t they just watch the fight and say what they see ? There was a narrative in the fight but it was the opposite to theirs. Figueroa was getting stronger by the round and appeared to be heading towards a points win. According to the arseholes commentating led by the worst commentator in sports, Smith, Ball was handling it like Stevenson did against Lopez last week. I know I’m like a stuck record but Smith is ruining boxing for me and once again I blame the people on here who when Smith disappeared off our screens for 5 glorious minutes said ‘ oh, I hope Adam comes back soon, I do miss him and he’s not been very well. I know last week I was insinuating he was a sexual deviant, but I really miss his growling and his inability to have a mind of his own. ‘ You know who you are.

 

The commentary was dreadful last night.

Figueroa had Ball on the back foot all night and it wasn't mentioned once.

 

If you're after that proper old-school feel, just head to Hull, mate – the town's basically frozen in the exact spot it was when I was at Uni, back when Oasis were smashing it at the Adelphi in front of a sea of hammered students.

 

I go to a number of business meetings every month and before the meetings start I always ask people to turn off their mobile phones. The argument I always get is people feel they are disconnected to the rest of the world.

I'm sick of all the mobile phones and wish I could go back 30 years

 

Very interesting fight. Mostly neutral even tho I am a brit, but I favoured Fig to win I think as I think Ball wrestles a lot and gets away with it.
I though Ball was slightly up, I thought a lot of Fig's punches were landing on gloves and the ones that landed in the middle rounds looked weak. Compubox stats corrected that one for me + the one that landed on Balls face, but Compubox also showed Ball landing more.
Suppose this this just shows that this was a bloody tight fight.

 

After 11 rounds, two judges had Brendon Figueroa leading 106-103 and one scored it 107-102 in favour of Nick Ball.

 

Cain set a precedent that it was okay to throw your toys out of the pram; it galvanized the crowd to throw bottles and drinks because they saw Ball's corner acting so immaturely. I think his team would've been scared at the potential of a riot in an arena with hundreds of coked-up thugs throwing projectiles, which can easily turn ugly quickly, and they are completely outnumbered in the centre of the ring.

 

Surprised no one mentioned the Latinas celebrating. They looked rather yummy.

 

Vile society . Never their fault , always the victims.

 

It was awesome mate.... No mobile phones, no cameras. Just socially interaction

 

I live in Hull, I love it...

Best atmosphere I ever experienced ever was at Hull ice arena for Curtis Woodhouse British title fight

 

Sounds very fun.
I have plenty of Hull blood in my veins. Maybe that contributes to how I am.