Terry Flanagan vs. Diego Magdaleno RBR

Bunce interviews Frank W., saying that Billie Joe Saunders had commented that Flanagan's was, in his opinion, the best pound for pound British performance of the year.

Frank says it was unbelievable, and that he wants to put Flanagan on a card in December, since he only had to go 2 rounds today and "might want a Christmas bonus".

 

I was actually just about to make a post about this. I disagree - they way they brought Flanagan along is perfect. He progressed steadily (but not in a rush) from janitors to notoriously tough, professional distance-goer journeymen like Senkovs & Laight, and then dipping his toes in deeper waters slowly but surely, assessing where he stood after each step up and not getting hurried along, grabbing solid domestic wins in Sykes and Matthews, taking a step back to stay busy with the Coveney tuneup, then beating ex-champ Nate Campbell, some more staying busy, fringe Euro-level and better-than-his-record Mizsei Jr., tuneup, Gethin, tuneup, and then starting with Ormond has finally revved up to nonstop decent competition and has dominated, arguably not losing a round.

 

Well, had it been a KO2, which Flanagan nearly got, the fact that it was only a 3-rounder wouldn't be much of an excuse...

Matthews was actually hurt in all three rounds, given a standing eight count in the 2nd, and it could've been a cuts (from punches) stoppage too.

 

Well, having read earlier today about how Naoya Inoue and Omar Andrés Narváez are set to rematch (provided Narváez gets past Diego Pichardo Liriano tonight), I guess there are no lows to which this business will stoop in turning a quick buck with a repeat of a non-competitive shellacking. :verysad

 

Flanagan really stole the show. Liam who?

 

By the way, there is more boxing tonight on BeIN Sports' companion station, BeIN Sports Español (which is also widely available to US cable subscribers, and included automatically with most packages that have lots of sports channels)

Ramón Álvarez vs. Ben Tackie is the main event. Card goes on the air live @ 11pm EST.

Álvarez, if the name sounds familiar, is an elder brother of Canelo (not the one that got a gift over Nobuhiro Ishida for the WBA interim title, Rigoberto Álvarez; nor the one that got a gift over Rod Salka on the Maidana vs. Broner undercard, Ricardo Álvarez), and is a junior middleweight prospect whose best scalp to date is another guy living in his famous brother's shadow, Omar Chavez.

Tackie has fought just once in the last 5½ years, and that was nineteen months ago knocking out a tomato can at home in Accra following a six loss skid and brief retirement.

There shouldn't be any overlap with the PBC on NBC Sports Network card, which is running from 8-11pm EST. :good