By Scott Gilfoid: Ryan Rhodes (45-5, 31 Ko’s) talked a good game before his fight with WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (37-0-1, 27 KO’s) last night at the Arena VFG, Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, Mexico, but when it came to putting his words into action he failed miserably, losing by a 12th round knockout to the red-headed young 20-year-old Alvarez.
Rhodes was the equivalent of a wet noodle out there, looking and fighting weak. I’m being kind by saying Rhodes looked pathetic against Alvarez, because the Brit didn’t seem to be even trying. His corner was practically begging Rhodes to fight hard in the last round, telling to go out on his shield if he has to.
What was Rhodes saving it up for? He was a punching bag by the 5th, and might as well have just gone all out and given it a desperate go of it to try and score a knockout or go down trying. What Rhodes should have done is what WBA heavyweight champion David Haye will probably do against IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko on July 2nd.
Haye doesn’t want to get beaten up and have his face rearranged and he’s already saying he’s going to rush Wladimir early to try and take him out as fast as possible before he can start putting hands on Haye and messing up his features. This is what Rhodes should have done. At least you got to try, man. Rhodes fought like a guy just trying to survive and not get knocked out. I don’t see what the point was. If you’re getting the tar knocked out of you wouldn’t it be better to go all out and gamble by swinging for the fences the way that Haye will do against Wladimir?
I think the fear ate Rhodes up and caused him to take much more punishment than he would have absorbed if he had just pounced on Alvarez in a dying death spin attack. What the heck, Rhodes was going to lose anyway so he might as well have gone out with a blaze of glory instead of with a whimper.
Comments are closed.