So a better trainer like Roach wouldn't have let that happen? I wonder why Roach couldn't 'make' Pacquaio leave the Phillipines a few weeks before the Cotto fight then. Some trainer he is.

Hatton doesn't have the natural ability of Mayweather or Pacquiao, so hard to call Billy Graham on his falings in those two fights. He may never have pounded Castillo out of there in 4 or Tsyzu in 11 under other trainers. He's always been a charge forward, defend with your chin fighter and it was always going to be his downfall against World class boxers with fast hands, or World class counterpunchers. The 2 losses on his record are against probably the best 2 boxers of the last 10 years.

It's not the same thing.

I don't think Roach would've accepted it. Giving Ricky the choice, sort yourself life out when you're not fighting or find a new trainer.

Good fight last night Rendall Munroe v Simone Maludrottu.

Will have to perform much better if he gets his world title shot but I am sure he can and hopefully Frank Maloney can get the Japanese champion over to Leicester or more likely Nottingham to give 2 Tone the best chance of a win.

Top bloke and deserves everything he gets out of the sport.

was definatly a lot closer that the judges got it good scrap from both boxers none deserved to lose. Im a big Monroe fan but he will have to step it up a lot to win the world title

Will not argue with that but worse fighters than him have had their chance at a world title and hopefully if he does get a chance he will raise his game and have the fight of his life and hopefully get the belt.

Froch will not be fighting Kessler to unify the titles. Andre Ward beat him. Didn't see that one coming

No it was a bit of a shock but to be fair unification does not really count until the ultimate winner has been decided in my opinion and Kessler v Froch could yet be the final with all the titles up for grabs.

I hope your right mate im a fan of Monroes so hope he does get a shot he looked a lot stronger in the later rounds friday but fighting for the world title he will have to go for it from the start and not hold anything back. As for Kessler that was a shock i think Froch will go throuigh it undeafeted now

Arthur Abraham is the man to beat in the tournament.

What exactly is the fixture schedule in this tournament, as I read somewhere that Abraham could reach the final without actually winning a belt??

It's possible, especially as both title holders could fail to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament.

---

There are two titles up for grabsStage 1
Arthur Abraham defeated Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch defeated Andre Dirrell (WBC)
Andre Ward defeated Mikkel Kessler (WBA)

Stage 2

Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell
Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler (WBC)
Andre Ward vs. Jermain Taylor (WBA)

Stage 3

Andre Dirrell vs. Andre Ward
Carl Froch vs. Arthur Abraham
Mikkel Kessler vs. Jermain Taylor

Bout points are awarded thus3 points — win by K.O./T.K.O.
2 points — win
1 point — draw
0 points — loss[/list

The top four ranked fighters after stage 3 progress to the semi-finals (1st vs. 4th, 2nd vs. 3rd) and so on.

Did anybody else have the misfortune of wasting a hour of their lives viewing last night's 'fight' between Anthony Small and Tommy McDonagh??

I don't think I have ever witnessed such a poor British title fight....2 guys with absolutely no boxing ability, spent 36 minutes giving a good example of why, sometimes, Boxing can be perceived as dull.

Small, as champion, was completely embarrassing, constantly throwing shockingly out-of-range right handers, which would have made a first fight novice ashamed.

The fight stats at the end were appalling....I think between them they threw something like 700 punches and landed a grand total of 78!!...

Also, the whole debacle was not helped by one of the most incompetent displays of refereeing I have seen in a long time....Why did the ref allow the 2 fighters to continue throughout with their constant hugging and cuddling???

Got so frustrated that I couldn't be bothered to watch the Michael Brodie fight....How did he get on??