Get well soon Blackwell

comment by Pride of the North (U6803)
posted 9 hours, 37 minutes ago
comment by Mclanelli (U20318)
posted 16 hours, 39 minutes ago


It wasn't out of concern. He actually tells his son "I don't want this going to a decision " You need to stop him.

M

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That wouldn't really make sense though.

Firstly, he made two points to Jr;

1. 'If you keep hitting his head he's going to get hurt'

If it was tactical why would he not want him to keep doing it? He'd be contradicting himself.

2. 'I don't know why the ref hasn't stopped it', Blackwell is well behind so he isn't going to be winning on a decision. Aim for the body as you just need to see this through. Eubank didn't really need a knockout as he was in control at this point. the only real danger of losing was if he got caught.


That's how it came across to me anyway. It just does't make sense that the two points he made could be tactical because if they were he's be contradicting himself.
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"If it was tactical why would he not want him to keep doing it? He'd be contradicting himself"

Eubank was teeing off on Blackwell with uppercuts and the kid kept coming forwards. I don't know if it was a lack of power in the shots or Blackwells chin or a combination of both; but I have never seen a fighters head snapped back with an uppercut on so many occasions and stay upright. And I've been watching fights since Leonard beat Hagler.

It was tactical because headshots weren't stopping Blackwell and he was still hurting Chris Jr. He could have easily stopped Chris Jr in those final three rounds if he hadn't have been stopped first.

Going to the body might have got a result and up until that point Chris Jr hadn't been throwing any meaningful body shots.

Chris Sr actually said "if you can't stop him here(points to his own face) then you stop him here (points to his own ribs)

He wanted to stop Blackwell and head shots didn't seem unbalance him. He just led on the ropes and took the shots. Not good.

Maybe I've seen it wrong. But I don't think Eubank Sr was really acting out of concern for Blackwell. If Chris Jr had lost that fight, which was still close; then his career would have pretty much been over at an elite level.

For me it should have been called in round six.

I really don't get why people see it as it has to be an either or, to me it was clearly both. He knew Blackwell was gling to get hurt but also not stop, so for both reasons asked to target the body instead.

its not as if if it were out of concern, it wouldn't be consistent with what he has said for years now.

Everything I've seen and heard about the fight, has one recurrent theme. unanimously people are of the opinion that Blackwell took a ridiculous number of savage head shots, flush. I see a few here saying Blackwell was still defending and landing shots. Yes...so was Michael Watson. It's a very fine line between recovering just fine and never being the same again. A line which regardless of what the fighter himself is still able to do, is dictated by the impacts to the head. Part of the referee's job is to stop the fight when one fighter's head has taken/is taking too many of them. No true fighter will ever quit trying to throw punches if he is conscious. His ability to do so is irrelevant if he is getting that badly battered.

I'm in now way for the nanny state thing but in a situation where one punch can be the difference between being ok and becoming a blithering vegetable and the fighter won't go down/stay down (and corners can't really be trusted because a champ is a meal ticket). The refs HAVE to be "On it." to avoid another Michael Watson. People need to remember, that Eubank Watson fight was a less one-sided fight and Watson appeared ok, right up until he collapsed. It's not about removing the risk, it's about minimising it. You can still have the sport and as many good/great bouts, without any more Michael Watsons happening. Sat's ref clearly didn't recall the Eubank Watson fight whilst he stood watching Blackwell take a beating.

Not seen the fight myself, but just seen the Eubank's on sky sports news doing an interview. I know that Snr told Jnr to go to the body because he would be seriously hurt, did Jnr follow these instructions?

I suppose it would be impractical from a boxing perspective to not punch him in the head at all, but would it be feasible to aim jabs at the head and then go for big body shots after, rather than aiming hooks and uppercuts to the head?

its not as if if it were out of concern, it wouldn't be consistent with what he has said for years now.

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I think it's definitely out of concern. Even if just a selfish one. Though it was Watson whom ended up by far the worse off, it clearly bothered Eubank because he was never quite the same afterward. I can imagine it's a horrible guilt to live with because even though they all know the risk and talk trash before fights. Nobody wants to end up like that and nobody wants to see their opponent end up like that. It's every boxers worst nightmare. I'm a father and would definitely want to do everything to protect my son from both.

Completely agree with melton on this. The first thing Eubank Sr said upon entering the ring was a point about the health of Blackwell.

He then made the point that it's odd they would be letting it go to a decision as Eubank Jr (bar being knocked out himself) had the fight won.

So he told him to go for the body, which he would still pick up points for (tactical) but would stop Blackwell taking as much punishment to his head (concern).

All of the boxers i've seen have said the Eubanks comments aren't as compassionionate as most non boxers make out. Just a thought lads

He also said he did not want it going to the judges cards which meant he wanted his boy to stop Blackwell. Boxing is brutal and dangerous and improvements can still be made. Adam Booth was on 5live saying that our rules allow water and Vaseline in the corner while the USA allow isotonic sports drinks which stimulate recovery of the senses thus allowing you to defend better. He said it was not allowed here as boxing board said that it could be tampered with yet he had never had any water used at ringside tested in all his fights. Very innovative thinker is Booth.

comment by derbymanc (U18914)
posted 4 hours, 38 minutes ago
All of the boxers i've seen have said the Eubanks comments aren't as compassionionate as most non boxers make out. Just a thought lads
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Depends if they like or dislike Eubank really. The issue is still they have made the argument into an either or, rather than accepting the possibility it could have been both.

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