Gennady Golovkin Defeats Murata and Chases His Stolen Greatness

By Peter Silkov

Writer at The Boxing Glove

Gennady Golovkin overcame 16 months of ring rust and the encroaching shadow of father time, to stop Ryota Murata in 9 rounds on Saturday night. This win adds Murata’s WBA belt to the IBF title belt which he already held. The victory reignited GGG’s career, making him a ‘unified champion’ now that he holds two world middleweight title belts, but this fight was for a lot more than the increasingly random and frustrating world boxing belts. Murata held the ‘super’ WBA world championship belt, but then the WBA has a long record of being able to come up with seemingly never-ending variations of the world championship belt, from, interim, to regular, and silver to super. In reality, the belts were an afterthought, this was GGG making his first appearance in the ring after 16 months of inactivity, against an opponent who figured to be a worthy test. Fighting just one day after his 40th birthday, Golovkin was seeking to prove that he is still a relevant force in the division that he once dominated so thoroughly, that many top contenders spent their whole careers avoiding him. It's difficult to remember another world champion in recent times (aside from Guillermo Rigondeaux) who was reduced to chasing his challengers rather than having his challengers chase him.

Despite having a fan-friendly style, which has made him one of the most popular and exciting fighters of his era, Golovkin struggled to find big names willing to share the ring with him. Perhaps this was because, as well as being exciting, GGG was also destructive. Devastatingly destructive.

Canelo made GGG wait about 5 years before he finally agreed to face him in the ring. Following a prolonged and acrimonious build-up during which Canelo played a good impersonation of a blushing bride as he hedged and dodged fighting GGG until Golovkin was 35 and already showing some signs of slipping from his formidable peak. In his contest, prior to the first Canelo match, GGG had been taken the full 12 rounds for the first time during his title reign after a lackluster performance against Daniel Jacobs. Canelo’s management had bided their time masterfully.

The record books will tell you that on September 16th, 2017, Golovkin and Canelo fought each other to a spirited 12-round draw. Then, almost exactly one year later to the day, the two men met in a rematch with Canelo winning a majority decision, after another highly charged encounter. The truth though, as many well-versed boxing followers will tell you, is something rather different from what is on the record books.

To start with, very few, (including Canelo’s usually fanatical fan-base) believed that the first fight should have been anything other than a clear decision win for GGG. Though the fight was competitive, GGG won many rounds clearly and dominated with his heavier punching and higher activity. Yet not for the first time (nor the last, unfortunately) the fight turned out to be judged by the three blind mice. Even the one card that voted for GGG was far too close. If the judging of the first fight was bad, the rematch wasn’t much better. This time the fight was genuinely closer, with GGG’s superior strength from 12 months earlier having noticeably waned. Was this due to the encroachment of age (GGG was by now already 36 years old) was there some other reason for Canelo’s sudden increase in strength? The whole Mexican meat episode is well known now, yet safely swept under the carpet by most fans and the media, but the difference in Canelo’s performance in the space of one year may still be more telling than some would like to imagine.

The decision itself was again judged unjust by the majority of the crowd and even Canelo’s usually die-hard fans greeted the verdict with boos. Canelo had his ‘victory’ and that’s all that mattered in the history of this gravy machine. Already there were signs that Canelo could never be beaten on points. Certainly not in front of his fans at the T. Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Four years on, and memories fade fast in boxing, especially when they are inconvenient. The well-crafted and expertly guided cash cow has been maneuvered into world titles at two more weights since his second match with GGG and is now regularly hailed by many in the press as p4p number one in the world. He is even feted as the greatest fighter ever produced by Mexico. GGG meanwhile has been left chasing shadows, trying to recapture the glory that should have been his but was cruelly taken from him, not once but twice.

Imagine if Golovkin had officially won those fights against Canelo, imagine if he had won even one of them? His career trajectory, his standing in the sport, would be so much different today.

GGG is not bitter, he doesn’t whine about the Canelo fights, yet he has spoken strongly about his treatment by the judges of both those fights and how he believes that he was robbed of victories twice.

Canelo made GGG wait for 5 years before their first fight; he has now made him wait for four years for their 3rd meeting. Turns out GGG fans weren’t wrong when they claimed that Alvarez would never agree to a third fight until Golovkin is past his 40th birthday.

On Saturday night Golovkin entered the ring… one day past his 40th birthday, knowing that a win against Murata may well open the door for that long-awaited 3rd match with career nemesis, Canelo. Soon it became clear that with every fight he has, GGG is now increasingly fighting two opponents whenever he now enters the ring. His physical opponent and that old foe of fighters and athletes throughout history, father time.

Watching GGG now is akin to seeing a classic old rock band performing in their 60s or 70s, (athletes age faster than musicians). The brilliance, which once lit up every performance, has become more of an occasional spark here and there. This might sound harsh, but it is difficult to imagine the GGG of seven or ten years ago being troubled by Murata the way he was on Saturday night.

Murata started the match very strongly and with confidence, which belied his underdog status. To be fair Murata is no spring chicken himself at 36, but the Japanese-born slugger has only had 18 professional contests compared to GGG's 42, and that comparative freshness showed, at least in the early rounds of Saturday night's fight.

From the beginning, it became very clear that this was not the Golovkin of old, but rather an ‘old’ Golovkin. The old ability to take control of the center of the ring was missing as GGG found himself unceremoniously outpunched and outworked by a visibly faster, fresher, and stronger fighter. The action was intense from the beginning, but it was Murata, (who won Olympic Gold at the 2012 Olympic Games) rather than GGG who was forcing the action. When Murata landed the weight of his punches was visible, and on occasion, GGG was visibly moved even shaken, especially by some of his opponent's body shots. Golovkin’s punches on the other hand seemed to be bouncing rather harmlessly off Murata.

The first four rounds of the fight followed the pattern of both men meeting mid-ring and trying to attain domination with a continuous exchange of leather. Though GGG was certainly having his moments, it was Murata who was able to land more often and with more effect and GGG who was finding himself in the uncomfortable position of being put onto the back foot, a position which he has rarely found himself in during his stellar career.

Golovkin was being drawn into that weird twilight zone that older fighters begin visiting more and more often as their careers reach their ends. It is a place where they begin to find themselves slipping out of time with the present, as they face fighters who are suddenly faster and stronger and seem to be moving in a higher gear.

GGG has always been seen as almost the perfect fighting machine, but the GGG machine spent much of the first 4 rounds misfiring. His defense, never his strongest feature, was alarmingly porous at times, as Murata’s punches, especially the right hand, found his time and again. Golovkin's speed, once razor-sharp, has noticeably waned in recent years, but at times against Murata, he seemed a significant half-second or so behind the punching speed of his opponent. Also, of concern was GGG's movement. Though never a fleet-footed mover, GGG used to use economical and swift footwork, which always seemed to have him in the right place at the right time.

On this night though GGG started with legs that seemed almost rooted to the canvas at times. When he did move it was with the heavy hesitancy common to the older fighter.

After four rounds GGG needed to do something to turn the tide in a fight that seemed to be getting harder and harder for him. GGG found that something extra in the 5th round and showed again that extra ingredient that marks out the true champions. The ability to turn a fight around when visibly up against a faster and stronger opponent.

In the fifth round, the GGG machine finally found a higher gear, and his hands started to move with greater speed. The real turning point came midway through the round when a Golovkin punch ripped Murata’s mouthpiece from his mouth, sending it flying across the ring.

From that moment Golovkin had reached out of his personal twilight zone and turned back the clock. From the 5th round on, Golovkin began gaining the upper hand in the action. The battle was still raging toe-to-toe, but now it was GGG who was landing more frequently and beginning to display his wide variety of punches.

With Golovkin in the ascendance, Murata began to slow, as he began to take more and more punishment. Yet Murata’s courage never wavered, and at every point where it looked as if GGG was about to gain overwhelming control, Murata would come back with punches of his own. Yet Murata’s attacks were becoming more tired and desperate as the rounds flew by.

GGG may be faded and past his 40th birthday, but his fitness and determination remain impeccable. This along with his heart and granite chin has much to do with him finally overcoming Murata.

The end finally came in the 9th round, which started as a strong Golovkin round as he opened up seemingly looking for a knockout, Murata withstood a withering attack by GGG, but rather than going down actually launched a brave mid-round counterattack. At one point it looks as if GGG may have shot his bolt and punched himself out trying to finish Murata. However, Golovkin then struck back with a ….. to send Murata spinning down to the deck like a broken doll. It was at this point that Murata’s corner sensibly threw in the towel, just as the referee was waving the fight over. GGG had broken down another challenger.

One could be too critical of Golovkin’s performance, and the truth is that though he is visibly faded in comparison to the GGG of the past, he remains a formidable and brave fighter. Also, there is the aspect of his 16 months of inactivity before this fight and how much of his early frailty was down to ring rust rather than a permanent decline. Murata also deserves credit for his performance and for pushing GGG into such a difficult fight.

This fight underlined that GGG while not the fighting machine of the past remains formidable and with the kind of fitness that would still push the very best at his weight. With this win, GGG has reignited his career, and his visible vulnerability is liable to make him a more attractive prospect to many top fighters.

But what now for Golovkin?

Though there will be several options that GGG could follow right now, one looms large above all the others. As much as he might not want to admit it, and even with two world title belts to his name, GGG is still chasing. He is chasing that elusive 3rd fight with Canelo Alvarez, and a final chance to inflict an official defeat upon the man many feel he has already beaten twice.

photo: dazn

As always with Canelo, nothing is certain until the ‘Golden Goose’ of boxing decides to announce his intentions. Yet it is expected that if he gets past Dmitry Bivol on May 7th, then he will next meet GGG for their long-awaited 3rd fight, sometime around mid-September.

After the second match between Golovkin and Canelo, it was a common joke among some boxing followers (mostly those not blinded by the Canelo media machine!) that Canelo would probably make Golovkin wait until he was past 40 until he got a third match. Ironically that is what seems to be about to happen. Canelo and his team have bided their time masterfully and now GGG seems ripe for the 3rd fight. Still exciting, still a big draw, but certainly a far less dangerous proposition than he was four years ago.

Should GGG even take the third fight with Canelo? He will know now that the chances of gaining a decision over Canelo are beyond slim, even if he is deserving of it, and beyond that, there is only the stoppage route to victory, something which even five years ago GGG wasn’t able to get close to achieving. For all the hype, dodgy judges, and cherry-picking (not to mention other shady stuff) there's no doubting Canelo’s toughness. Whatever may be behind it.

If Golovkin couldn’t stop Canelo 5 years ago, it's highly unlikely that he will be able to stop Canelo today in his present reduced form.

photo: stubhub

What also needs to be taken into account is the likelihood that the 3rd fight will take place at 168 pounds, a weight that will overwhelmingly favour Canelo rather than GGG. Golovkin is currently and has always been a natural 160-pounder(who seldom gains more than ten pounds between fights) rather than someone who comes down from over 190 pounds for his fights as Canelo has always done.

The purpose of a third fight with GGG for Canelo has always been to score a definitive defeat over Golovkin. Hence part of the reason for the long wait between the 2nd and proposed 3rd fights. Canelo has only been interested in fighting GGG again if he was secure in the belief that he could score a non-controversial victory this time. Ideally, he would like to stop or knock out Golovkin.

Canelo still bristles over the controversy surrounding his two matches with Golovkin and would like nothing better than to end the rivalry with a stoppage victory over Golovkin.

Certainly, the Golovkin who struggled with Murata did not look equipped to deal with Canelo at 168 pounds. Sadly the man who was once a feared and much avoided fighting machine now seems very mortal and vulnerable. He is ripe for Canelo to pick for his much-wanted ‘definitive’ victory.

Having followed Golovkin throughout his spectacular career, and after seeing him robbed by the judges twice against Canelo, I would rather not see a reduced GGG fight Canelo a third time at a point in time where it suits no one but Canelo.

After watching Golovkin battle past Murata, even taking into account his ring rust and the ability to improve himself between now and September, it is clear that time has moved on for GGG. Those tools which once made him the best in the world will never be quite as sharp nor so deadly again. A fight between Golovkin and Canelo now would be a poor reflection upon a fair fight between the two in their primes. GGG was already past his prime when Canelo finally fought him for the first time and now he is past the point where he will be a danger to Canelo.

No one knows this more than Canelo and his team which is why the fight is finally being made.

Golovkin is a warrior and the chances are that he will still take the third fight against Canelo despite any advice he may receive to go in a different direction.

Following their fight, GGG visited Murata’s dressing room and gave him back the WBA belt. It was the kind of classy gesture that makes a true champion and gives a fighter the kind of greatness that can't be bought by a crooked judge's scorecard. GGG may never beat Canelo Alvarez officially on paper, but he holds something over Canelo which is perhaps more precious than any victory in the ring. Integrity. It is that, above all else which underlines Golovkin's true greatness.

No cherry-picking can beat that.

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KHALID YAFAI VS ROMAN GONZALEZ: GREAT AGAIN! ROMAN GONZALEZ ROLLS BACK THE YEARS

Khalid Yafai vs Roman Gonzalez:

Great Again: Roman Gonzalez Rolls Back The Years

The Big Fight Review

By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove

Greatness. An often overused word in the modern era of boxing, an era where greatness is probably harder to find than in just about any previous generation in the sport's history. Yet amongst the mediocrity and the disappointments greatness is still to be found if you know where to look. Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez is a great fighter. A throwback fighter who would have been comfortable competing in any of the sports past era's. Roman has always had skills that are often overlooked. Little nuances that see him able to slip and block punches while coming forwards in one of his fearsome full-throttle attacks. He has always boxed with a kind of relaxed smoothness that only the greats can carry, champions like Jose Napoles and Roberto Duran had the same relaxed way about them as they moved in to destroy their opposition. As did Roman's fellow countryman, idol and former trainer when he was an amateur, Alexis Arguello.

Yet in recent Years Roman's career had crashed to earth spectacularly, and many of his former supporters had been left wondering if we had seen the end of him.

On Saturday night Roman did something which served to underline his greatness. He came back from defeat. After being written off by so many, Roman became a world champion for the 5th time, (the second time at Super-flyweight) after clinically breaking down Khalid Yafai, to take the WBA world super-flyweight championship.

In an era where that undefeated 0 is often seen as a mark of greatness by itself, no matter whom it has been defended against, many have lost sight of the fact that for almost all great ringmen of the past one abiding facet marking them out as special was their ability to come back from defeat.

In September 2016 Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez was riding high in his career. He had just become the first Nicaraguan boxer to win world championships at four different weights, Minimumweight, Light-flyweight, Flyweight, and Super-flyweight. Gonzalez had also done it the hard way, beating the best in every division rather than cherry-picking a title before quickly moving on to a higher weight. 'Chocolatito's victory over Carlos Cuadras to win the WBC world Super-flyweight title had also solidified Roman's status in boxing as the number one pound for pound fighter in the world, a very rare status for a fighter of the lower weights

Yet just six months after his victory over Cuadras, in what was probably the greatest yet hardest won victory of his career, Gonzalez lost it all. 'Chocolatito' was outpointed after 12 bloody and ferocious rounds by Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, losing his WBC world Super-flyweight title, his unbeaten record, and his status as the best fighter in the world pound for pound. What had taken over a decade to build up was gone in one night.

Six months after their first fight Gonzalez met Rungvisai again, on September 9, 2017, and was shockingly knocked out in brutal fashion by the hard-hitting Thai. After he failed to win the rematch in such dramatic fashion, many feared that his days as a top-flight warrior were over. His lack of activity over the past three years seemed to underline this feeling.

Yet on Saturday night, in just his 2nd fight in 17 months, Gonzalez produced a brilliant display of skilled aggression to outhustle, outmaneuver, and outpunch defending champion Khalid Yafai, before finally dispatching him with a clinical right hand in the 9th round.

By coming back to the top like he has, Gonzalez's performance didn't simply revive his career, it has enhanced his legacy. After being unbeaten so long and being seen as indestructible Gonzalez had to face new fears after his defeats, he had to try and regain his stature without his former cloak of invincibility. During this time Gonzalez also had to deal with the sudden death of his long time trainer and father figure Arnulfo Obando just a few months after he had guided Roman to his record 4th world title over Carlos Cuadras. The loss of Obando in his life and in his corner had a devastating effect upon Gonzalez and a strong influence upon what happened in his two matches with Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Many fighters, even some of the great ones, fail to rebound from such setbacks, others like Gonzalez do come back, and their return from defeat becomes part of their legacy.

Yafai was brave, yet from early on it was clear that Gonzalez was a level above him. The main question was, did Gonzalez at 32 and with just two fights in 2 and a half years have the fitness and stamina to keep up the terrific work rate that he was unleashing upon the defending champion. Yafai would have been wiser to try and stay on the outside and box but by the fourth round, it was clear that he just couldn't keep away from the little buzzsaw coming at him. Gonzalez came forward constantly, throwing punches with a merciless beautiful rhythm. Even the visible size advantage of the champion did nothing to dissuade 'Chocolatito'.

By the 6th Gonzalez was visibly breaking down the defending champion. Even the opening of a cut over the right eye from an accidental head-butt failed to stem Roman's attacks. If anything they just grew more intense.

The beginning of the end came near the end of the 8th round when a bombardment of blows sent Yafai down for the first time. Although he beat the count it was clear that he didn't have much left, if anything. Roman wasted no time when the bell rang to start the 9th and was soon upon the champion again, and a straight left followed by a swift right hand sent Yafai crashing down onto his back by the ropes, and the referee called the fight off as Yafai struggled to regain his feet.

It was a great victory for Gonzalez after what he has been through over the past 3 years. 'Chocolatito' did more than just win, he gave the kind of performance which seems to indicate that he has a lot more left than people suspected.

Sometimes we can write off the special fighters too quickly because we are so used to them being seemingly unbeatable. Gonzalez seems to have regained his passion and his confidence for fighting. Rather than looking like an old 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez looked pretty much like the old 'Chocolatito'. The man who terrorized four divisions over the course of a decade and 16 world title fights, the man who was once ranked pound for pound the best in boxing.

The victory over Yafai will not instantly return Gonzalez to the top of the pound for pound rankings, and if you wanted to be critical you could say that he took too many punches against Yafai and his own punches were not quite the venomous strikes of lightning which they were a few years ago. One of Gonzalez's main problems at 115 pounds is that he is more often than not facing fighters who look more like natural bantamweights or even featherweights, while he still looked like a slightly puffed up flyweight. It remains to be seen if Roman can overcome this discrepancy in his future fights. The future looks like it will be exciting at 115 pounds. Gonzalez announced straight after his victory that he wants to unify the world titles, the hunger to do great things is still within this little warrior. The other world titleholders at Super-flyweight are Gideon Buthelezi (IBO champion) Kazuto Ioka (WBO champion) Jerwin Ancajas (IBF champion) and Juan Francisco Estrada (WBC champion). By far the most attractive fight available for Gonzalez would be a match with Estrada, who holds the WBC title which once belonged to 'Chocolatito'. The two men have already fought once, back in 2012, when Gonzalez successfully defended his WBA world light-flyweight title against Estrada, winning on points after a fight which is regarded by boxing purists and hardcore followers as one of the fights of the past decade.

A rematch between the two men has ever since been much talked about and much-awaited. Now it may finally happen.

Estrada is now regarded as 'the man' at Super-flyweight after his points victory over 'Chocolatito's nemesis Rungvisai last April. Although he has spent much of his career as one of boxing's best-kept secrets, some now believe that Estrada is the superior boxer to Gonzalez today, even after Gonzalez's impressive victory over Yafai. The Mexican born Estrada is three years younger than Gonzalez, fresher, and the better all-round boxer. He also seems better suited than Gonzalez to the higher weight.

Yet as we saw on Saturday night, you write Roman Gonzalez off at your peril.

Just ask Khalid Yafai.

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Khalid Yafai vs Roman Gonzalez : LAST CHANCE FOR CHOCOLATITO

Khalid Yafai vs Roman Gonzalez
Last Chance For Chocolatito

The Big Fight Preview
By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove

WBA world super-flyweight championship. Yafai is making the 6th defense of his world title, but it is fair to say that he hasn't been setting the world on fire since he won the championship. title fights. 'Chocolatito' had put the 'little men' on the boxing map by becoming one of the very few flyweights to be recognized as the best boxer in the world pound for pound. One would have to go back to the days of the great Ricardo Lopez to find a flyweight/light-flyweight who had gained such wide recognition throughout the boxing world. Usually, boxing's lightest champions are only appreciated by the connoisseurs and hardcore boxing fans, but Gonzalez, with his exciting brand of skilled destructiveness, changed all that. Then it all went wrong for 'Chocolatito'. First, he lost his WBC Super-flyweight world championship to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on March 18, 2017, on a very controversial points decision after a brutal war. Six months later the two men fought again, with 'Chocolatito' expected to avenge his dubious defeat, and regain his world title, however, Gonzalez crashed to a shocking and disastrous 4th round knockout defeat to the heard punching Thai, and in the eyes of many looked to be a spent force. Since that defeat almost two and a half years ago, 'Chocolatito' has fought just twice, winning both, but against lower-tier opposition. His most recent outing in December, a 2nd round stoppage of Diomel Diocos, was Gonzalez's first match in 15 months after having knee surgery. Tomorrow night (February 29) he faces the unbeaten Khalid Yafai, at the Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, for Yafai's

WBA world super-flyweight championship. Yafai is making the 6th defense of his world title, but it's fair to say that he hasn't been setting the world on fire since he won the championship.

A clever boxer with a somewhat awkward style, Yafai has so far been retaining his title over somewhat limited opposition, without really impressing. Perhaps he's been needing a challenge from someone like Roman Gonzalez to really be able to bring the best out of himself?. Yafai often looks like a boxer who does just enough to win, and the better his opposition the better he performs, yet we still don't know just how good he is when pushed to his limit. If Gonzalez is anything like the fighter he used to be then we should find out tomorrow night whether Yafai is a genuine world-class 'world champion' or whether he falls a level below the elite. The biggest question is at the age of 32, how much does 'Chocolatito' have left in him. While the layoff at this point of his career may well have done him good, how much has a decade of fighting the best in 4 divisions taken out of Gonzalez. One of Gonzalez's problems is that he is a small super-flyweight. The other top men at the weight, including Yafai, are visibly bigger than him in height and build, and this natural size difference played a big part in the problems which Gonzalez had in his fights with Rungvisai and his war with Carlos Cuadras before that. While Gonzalez may not be able to make the flyweight limit anymore, he is still not a natural super-flyweight. Certainly, Gonzalez is suffering from the effects of competing at the very top for over a decade, despite his skills, the wear and tear of 17 world title fights is inevitable.

In recent training footage, Gonzalez looked noticeably slower than in the past. He will be hoping that he can summon up the strength and power to wear down and perhaps overpower Yafai in the later rounds. If Gonzalez is even just 70% of what he used to be then he will give Yafai a very tough night. Yafai is not a great puncher but is fast with an elusive awkwardness which could pose a lot of problems for 'Chocolatito' at this stage of his career. If Yafai sticks to his boxing, then he may well be able to outbox the faded Gonzalez, to win a competitive but clear decision. If Yafai chooses to try and slug it out with Roman, however, in an effort to impress, then he would be making a mistake. Roman's best chance of victory is to make the fight a toe to toe war and hope that he has the fitness and strength to wear down Yafai.

While not being a big puncher Yafai has a sharp punch and can throw a lot of punches. It is possible that if Roman has slipped enough, and can no longer fighter at his former pace or with his previous stamina, then Yafai could force a stoppage in the mid to late rounds.

It would be good to see Roman come back from the boxing twilight zone to regain a world title so that both he and his fans can enjoy some more great nights as they did in the past. However, the truth is that when a fighter falls apart as spectacularly as Gonzalez did in 2017, they very seldom manage to come back all the way to the top again. Unfortunately Yafai, despite not being close to the level of Roman when he was at his best, id the kind of fighter who will be awkward for a Gonzalez who has slowed down and has been inactive for the past two and a half years. Tomorrow we may see the dying light of the most outstanding fighter of the last decade. Roman, with his huge fighting pride is bound to do everything in his power to try and get the win, but my feeling is that in the end, he will come up short and perhaps go out on his shield in the later rounds.

While it does seem harsh to write off such a magnificent champion like 'Chocolatito' the fact that he has been such a great champion over the years makes it hard for one to see where he could go if he loses this match. Especially if he loses it badly. One suspects (and hopes) that Gonzalez has too much pride to allow himself to carry on if it becomes apparent that he can no longer compete successfully at the top level.

Hopefully, this is one prediction that I have got wrong and 'Chocolatito' will turn up tomorrow and prove all the doubters to be fools for writing him off so quickly.

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TYSON FURY VICTORIOUS IN VEGAS!

Huge shout out to Tyson Fury!. This man has been the best heavyweight in the world ever since he beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015!. There's been some huge bumps and holes in the road (some holes were as big as sink-holes!) since then but it doesn't change the fact that a heavyweight champion can only really lose his title in the ring, not in a boardroom at the hands of a bunch of suits!. Last night Tyson showed just how versatile and intelligent a fighter he is by switching from the counterpuncher to the aggressor and attacker. Yet it was intelligent aggression, intelligent pressure. Tyson broke Wilder down, forced him back and nullified his power, while literally beating him up with his left jab. While it was the right hand that floored Wilder for the first time and really ended the fight as a competitive endeavor in the 3rd round, Fury had already softened Wilder up in the first two rounds with a left jab that was landing with the force of a lamppost. How inspiring it was to see this man regain what was rightfully his after everything he has gone through over the past 5 years, including being robbed in his first fight with Wilder. Anyone who has been through or suffers from depression will understand just how difficult an illness it is to beat and to see Tyson come back all the way as he has is, without doubt, the most inspirational comeback I have ever seen in boxing. The thing is we have still only just started to scratch the surface of this man's true talent. Tyson has a ring IQ like no-one else in the division today and last night he showed strength and power to go with his usual speed and boxing skills. It's nights like last night which can still make boxing the greatest sport in the world! (unless you are a Wilder fan!).  Speaking of Wilder lets give him credit for his courage, he took a hell of a lot before Breland wisely threw in the towel. Fury actually looked like he was easing up on Wilder at times and felt sorry for him. Also, rumors of the state of Wilder's chin have finally been shown as false. If he was really chinny he wouldn't have lasted past the 3rd round. Last night Wilder came up against a better Fury than the rusty one who he faced in their first match. Just as he did in Germany against Klitschko in 2015, last night Tyson Fury showed that he is head and shoulders above everyone else in the Heavyweight division.

The only person who can beat Tyson Fury is Tyson Fury, and hopefully, we won't see that happen again.

On a side note! look how pissed referee Kenny Bayliss looks in this photo?.  He must have put money on Wilder methinks?.  (Only joking!).

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