Prizefighter tonight - who have you got?

:good

Yeah he needs activity and needs direction in his career. Tonight whether he won or not he performed poorly IMO. He met a unheralded fighter and i think Craig found him a awkward customer and we must remember Larry's a Welterweight and his shots made no affect on the guy at all IMO.

Craig needs a domestic title fight, i don't think PF was ever for him really. He has a fair bit to work on, never been to sure what he's about personally but there obvious talent there. Just needs a direction in his career Broony. The lads got no clear signs in his career even winning tonight would he get fights?. As you say maybe losing actually benefits him..

 

Just thinking though...this is perfect for Froch if Bute grinds it out or wins a **** decision. There will still be interest in the rematch in Canada, still money in it, and this fight is not going to completely restore Bute's confidence at all. When he figures he got pushed around by Grachev he's going to struggle to build confidence for a Froch return. Not great for us fans, but great news for Carl Froch.

 

Please let the trainer say to Bute ''That mofo Froch has destroyed you son!'' He knows he wants to tell Lucian that :yep.

 

I've got a less harsh but similar view to you lol. Agree totally that his style makes no sense, he was successful when fighting on the back foot as he was very elusive and can counter with the best of them. Now he's fighting more of the front foot but, like you say, has no power to hurt the opponent.

Again I'm not claiming to be to most knowledgeable boxing fan but I do know that Craig could be at least European level/lower world level, he's just missing the direction/identity you're talking about. Crunch time and some big decisions to be made, I'm hoping he makes the right ones cause it could be the difference between a Euro title and boxing at Meadowbank for the next 5 years.

 

Grachev's head is pretty unreal. It's one thing taking clean shots its another walking through them all night long.

 

Most of that was a bad round for Bute but came back at the end.

 

On that performance I may be talking complete bollocks when I say Bute will beat Froch in the rematch?

Oh well **** happens.

 

Could be a good fight for him some would say. Took some hard shots against a strong guy and took them and found a way to win and did it.

For me he's damaged goods mentally, he's been hurt on the sly a few times and covered it up well. Froch would just need to be focused and up for the fight and he'd take Bute out again. Bute's shown out a few times tonight. He's not so poker face anymore, he was pushing his punches at end of 6th like a man worried and in stress.

Froch owns him :yep.

 

Golden Boy still have a fight on his contract but he'll be fed to a 30-0 Mexican, needs a few wins domestically like you say. Work to be done but I have faith, he's just gotta start relying on his talent and hard work rather than his heart. Good to get your opinion though mate, I'm sure my bias does overshadow my judgement a little.......I'll be on here defending Stephen Simmons too if he goes through a rough patch haha.

 

Better for Bute... Like I said, he's fighting his demons in there and he gained some confidence at the end there.

 

I think he's suffered being in the US more than he's benefited. Being in deep in sparring is good occasionally, but if he was getting moved around regularly and was out of his depth that's not really conducive to developing a fighter to reach his maximum potential on a longer term basis. I can't believe Craig was ever doing that well with the Miranda's, Hopkins', Wright's of this world and instead of being fully focused on he was just some Scottish dude in the Wildcard gym.

Plus some of the stuff Roach seems to have shown him in the time he did have has left him in a confused state where he doesn't know what he's doing. You can see at times his instinct is to be aggressive and throw volume, but then defensively he's trying to think about utilizing a lot of upper body movement and reflexes, then he gets hit...then he starts throwing more, and he doesn't really integrate the various ideas into an effective style.

I think he may be a case in point that going to the US isn't the only or best way for everybody. I think he'd have done better going the traditional way over here, Scots get behind their boxers and he'd have had the correct learning fights, sparring right for his level, he'd have built his profile over here and wouldn't be in the position where he's unknown and struggling for fights.

Bit late now IMO.

 

:good No probs mate.

 

Grachev is tougher than he looks... And he looks pretty damn tough.

 

He got his confidence back there!

 

Somewhere tonight Carl Froch smiles..

Oh and it pisses me that Silakh lost to Denis..