Upcoming Fights **Mod note: Keep discussion to fight night threads**

Danye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118776687#Comment_118776687

Yeah I think it might be worth considering. Look how badly he gassed and how brutal the finish was and that’s not even against a top elite lad.

What would happen to him against a Santa Cruz or even Kiko? Where can he go from here?

Pointless hanging around getting damage.

Tom Mann Centuria

Just proved you don't need all the bullshít that often goes with boxing for one of the best fights in years. Two normal blokes, I'd have been happy for either of them to win it.

fryup

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118776688#Comment_118776688

Ya, Wood is a class act,

Wonder would Conlon shown the same respect had the roles been reversed? I suspect not, he would have been jumping up & down like a mad man with the tricolour wrapped around him, being provocative in front of an English crowd.

Augme

The fight, and fighters, reminded me of the Alex Arthur and Michael Gomez fight. Two fairly even matched boxers giving it their all to produce a classic but both boxers with fairly low ceilings in terms of where they will go from here.

Conlan had it on points and should have had some cop on and discipline to see out the last couple of rounds

Even his corner were telling him not to stand there getting hit

He doesn't have finishing power so getting involved late when he was tired was silly

Not sure where he expects to go at the higher levels with that strategy that he showed last night

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118777591#Comment_118777591

Weren’t his corner telling him he needed the final two rounds?

Morrison J

Says here he went into the 12th thinking he needed to win it well.

https://youtu.be/pKmRYh4pfgw

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118777911#Comment_118777911

Yes, but Wood did a very good job on manoeuvring Mick to the ropes. Mick wasn’t deliberately going to ropes and letting Wood unload.

Mick’s feet weren’t slick enough to avoid Wood’s ring manoeuvring.

and on the ropes , Mick was doing some good work.

I had Mick ahead, but with three to go, he couldn’t afford to give them rds away.

Wood needs to get little bit more praise here. It’s a bit too much sounding like Mick threw it away as opposed to how Wood won it, and I think this is both inaccurate and unfair.

redlad12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778319#Comment_118778319

Wood did very well to win it , but he was clearly outclassed for 75/80% of the fight. I don't actually like Mick so that's just an honest opinion.

redlad12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778502#Comment_118778502

Wood was 6/1 in live betting before conlan was ko ed.

AhFrayedKnot

conlan has zero power and that'll always be the risk at this level

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778502#Comment_118778502

I had Mick ahead as well, but one thing stood out for me that was very telling. Last 3 rds, Wood seemed more the one looking to press and win. Mick’s body language was more trying to get to the finish line..

redlad12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778549#Comment_118778549

Yeah certainly the last 2 rounds , think conlan looked okay in 9th? I think Conlan probably did expend more energy than he needed to for a lot of the fight. Round 1-3 he will look back on and wonder how he didn't get the stoppage

Morrison J

Will be interesting to see what happens next. Wood wants a fight in the City Ground. Can't see Santa Cruz agreeing to going there and I don't see why Warrington would either when he can sell more tickets in Leeds. Only really makes sense if Kiko beats Warrington or they manage to run back Wood v Conlan for the super title.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778164#Comment_118778164

if that's the case then odd that his corner were so badly wrong as all of the judges had him ahead as did most casual observers.

even after the knockdown later in the 11th he was ahead on all of the judges' scorecard

The 12th and final round saw the two men go for broke in search of the victory and it would be Wood who retained his title after knocking Conlan out through the ropes. At the time of the knockout, it has now been revealed that Conlan was ahead on all three judges' scorecards: 104-103, 104-103, 105-102.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1062460/michal-conlan-leigh-wood-boxing-judges-scorecards/#:~:text=The%2012th%20and%20final%20round,%2D103%2C%20105%2D102.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118779358#Comment_118779358

Yes. So the fight hinged on rd 12. Two judges only had Mick 1 point ahead. So to say his corner were badly wrong is simply not true.

this is not an exact science. Coaches are not scoring the fight, albeit they can have an opinion on how the fight is going.

Their job is to ensure their fighter does all he can to get the win. And saying to a fighter that they need the last 3 rds, does not necessarily mean they’re telling their fighter that they’re losing; nor does it mean they’re telling their fighter to be careless/reckless. They’re simply trying to ensure victory..

Mick and his team did not know the scores. I wouldn’t be too critical of them over the last few rds.

Rds 10, 11 and 12 were crucial rds. Neither man could afford to relax and coast and give them away. That doesn’t mean they need to be reckless in pursuit of winning the rounds either.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778294#Comment_118778294

He also says at the end video that he probably gets up had he not fallen out of the ring. Sorry, Mick you were asleep before you fell out of the ring!

The Nal

Not a hope he was getting up. He was sparked.

frosty123

Glad Conlan got his comeupance he's a toe-rag of the highest order 😐

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118779473#Comment_118779473

Conlan should have been far more effective in the last 3 rounds in terms of staying out of trouble.

Standing at the ropes so much, even if tired, is not really excusable.

It's like he had never heard of a jab.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118780630#Comment_118780630

But he still had to be very careful that while “staying out of trouble” he didn’t lose the rounds. Not that easy to do, particularly when you are tiring, and have an opponent still trying to walk you down.

Sorry, he was beaten because Wood made it happen. Not because Conlan didn’t make it happen..

walshb

On Mick’s defence, which was pretty good in my view: problem with his type defence is the risk involved. A lot of his defence involved him not actually looking at his opponents shots. Ducking low and head to floor. And it saw him get hit clean for the KO, and his own words….shot he didn’t see.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118780642#Comment_118780642

Doesn't really augur well for his chances at the highest level imo as he's not going to be getting TKO's or KO's with any regularity so would have to go the distance.

His style of defence that is mainly rolling out of punches really suffers in later rounds as the energy levels drop.

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118778319#Comment_118778319

If Conlon isn't capable of figuring out a way not to get manouvered onto the ropes then he's in big trouble in terms of what he can achieve in his career.

At the end of the day people always learn far more from their loses then their wins so hopefully that will be the real positive from this experience for Conlon.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118781273#Comment_118781273

Indeed....

If his feet and movement aren't good enough, then the only other real way is to hold ground and defend/attack.

I think the issue the other night was that, although he had very good exchange moments with Wood, these moments were really taxing on his system, and hence he needed to back off and move and regroup. Wood was that bit more intense and pressing and strong.

These are 12 rds fights. Wood showed more in the championship rounds than Conlan. More strength, stamina and desire.

Had Mick a wee bit more physicality/strength, and a wee bit more stamina, he likely sees the final bell. Easy saying all this.

AdrianG08

You are f*cked as a pro fighter if you have pillow fists. You need to fight the perfect fight (even against crude punchers) to get the W.

If an opponent has no respect for your power he can give away rounds and walk you down. Every great fighter needs that big equalizer, bare minimum. You are fecked without it.

These glittering Irish amateurs just don't seem to cut it. As a nation we should be producing really good fighters, it's possible these guys are turning over too later. Saying that, turning pro is pretty much like starting a new sport, it's hugely different, the amateur game is no real prep for the deep water that pro boxing brings.

Who was our last great fighter from the South? Our record isn't hectic. Steve Collins maybe? Good fighter rather than great though

walshb

I wouldn't even say heavy hands, just decent pop/power is very valuable in the pro game. Pop that your opponent has to respect.

Unless you are an exception, like say Sweet Pea/Floyd/Loma, then the pro journey with feather fists will be tough.....not that those three had feather fists, more not having heavy hands

walshb

Some people have a feeling MC has a weak chin. I am not sold on that yet.

I thought he showed a good chin the other night. He took some real decent shots and was not fazed. The final shot slept him, but I reckon exhaustion and the circumstance of it played its part.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118776942#Comment_118776942

I re-watched the last 5 rds (8-12). First real sign was end the 8th when camera went to Mick. He looked spent. Drained.

The tide had turned. He won a very close 9th, but it took a lot out of him. Wood then turned the screw and it was the beginning of the end. Wood's steady and insistent pressure really was effective. Mick was constantly moving and dipping and ducking and throwing and landing and missing. Wood seemed more poised and measured and relaxed in his fight these rounds

walshb

I think Warrington should beat Kiko handily. The division is a bit sad, really.

15 years after Kiko knocked out Bernard Dunne, and after quite a few losses himself, and he is a verified FW world champion....

And I have always been a fan of Kiko.....the chap always gives 100 percent.

Then another inactive kind of shot fighter in LSC as WBA champ.

Navarette may be the best of the bunch