Carl Froch vs George Groves II: It will be better but will it end the same?

02/24/2014 by Robbie Bannatyne

groves763 By Robbie Bannatyne: After their 1^st ‘Fight of the Year’ contender perfectly encapsulated the brutality and beauty of boxing the viewing public will once again be treated to another clash of the titans when Carl Froch and George Groves renew their bitter rivalry on May 31^st.

The controversial nature of the stoppage, and the perception that the fight did not reach a ‘natural conclusion’ resulted in a fervor among fans which ensured a rematch had to materialize.

The promise of another punishing battle means the paying public will have no problems putting their hands in their pockets to see the rematch.

Will Showtime have to force Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao?

02/13/201402/13/2014 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: After being utterly underwhelmed by all the hubris surrounding Floyd Mayweather Jr’s decision to allow the fans to vote on his next opponent- either Amir Khan or Marcos Maidana- it got me thinking what sort of say do Showtime have in the decision about who he fights?

Surely when the power brokers at Showtime committed pen to paper on such a hugely lucrative, 200 million dollar contract, with the sports Pound for Pound star, they did so with the prime intention of pairing him up with Manny Pacquiao. After all, for any fight fans- barring the notable exception of Floyd’s own followers- the Filipino icon has been the one and only fighter they have wanted to see Floyd Mayweather Jr. face in recent years.

A Storm Brewing: Will we see a Rematch between Omar Figueroa Jnr and Nihito Arakawa?

02/03/2014 by Robbie Bannatyne

fig22 By Robbie Bannatyne: In light of the WBC announcing that Omar Figueroa Jnr. has being anointed as their new Lightweight champion- after they stripped Adrien Broner of the title- a few ringside observers voiced their displeasure that he wasn’t forced to fight for the right to claim his first world title.

Whilst some may feel that Figueroa Jnr. should have earned the title by virtue of facing a similarly ranked opponent for the vacant title, the vast majority of people who witnessed his thrilling 12 round victory over the game and gutsy Nihito Arakawa will agree he earned the title on merit.

Froch has freedom of choice for next fight but defeat will spell disaster for his future plans

01/20/2014 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: Eddie Hearn, the undisputed king of boxing promotion in the UK, recently reignited the debate about the potential for a second coming of Carl Froch vs George Groves. In an interview with Sky Sports, he stated that there is a “great chance” a rematch could occur.

Personally, I have confidence in Hearn’s conviction. In sporting and financial terms the stakes are so high that plans for a rematch surely must materialize.

However, any scheduled plans for a second bout will play subordinate to Froch’s ambition to do battle under the bright lights of Las Vegas or another famous venue in America. This ambition is the one stumbling block that could be insurmountable with regards to the rematch between Froch and Groves.

Let the Talking Stop: When will Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao announce their next opponents?

01/13/2014 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: The sport of boxing is all set to again embark on another brutal but brilliant year of prize fights in 2014. Hopefully the battles within the confines of the ring in the coming year are able to elicit similar levels of sheer joy and excitement in the way 2013’s many memorable rings wars managed to.

But for now, anyway, the two main issues of contention- both the subject of such speculation and analysis- are who will be the next opponents for Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao. Of course, there is little doubt among anyone with a penchant for logical thought that the only opponents they should be facing are each other. But we all know it will definitely not materialize in this calendar year.

Marcos Maidana vs. Lucas Matthysse: A Storm is Brewing

07/29/201412/19/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: In the immediate aftermath of Marcos Maidana’s stunning victory over Adrien Broner he was quizzed on the possibility of fighting in his native Argentina.

Now it may be entirely coincidental, but my appetite for conspiracy is compelling me to believe there are deliberate attempts to brew a storm between two of boxing’s biggest hitters, fellow Argentine brawlers Marcos Maidana and Lucas Matthysse.

To me, asking Maidana, immediately after the biggest win of his career, whether he was willing to fight in his homeland was clearly a veiled attempt by Showtime to orchestrate a match-up between him and Matthysse.

Adrien Broner: From ‘The Problem’ to the False Prophet

12/17/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: The litany of articles that have surfaced since Adrien Broner’s humbling at the heavy hands of Marcos Maidana seem to invariably label the Argentine’s victory as a ‘major shock’ or ‘stunning upset’. I never subscribed to this school of thought. The only real surprise to me was that Broner was not badly knocked out.

He deserves great credit for having the bravery to still be standing on his own two feet until the final bell. Sadly for him, his impressive punch resistance and reasonable powers of recovery are the only positives he can take from his first ever defeat as a professional.

Will Stevenson and Kovalev be HBO’s secret weapons in battle with Showtime in 2014?

12/13/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: After a memorable year in boxing, I look forward to 2014 with the same sort of enthusiasm children reserve for Santa Claus. I like millions of others, have so many fascinating fights on my Christmas List.

The promotional ‘Cold War’ between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, and by extension, the rival television networks HBO and Showtime respectively, has deprived the boxing public of many great fights. But the great paradox is that I feel the sport has flourished in the last year not in spite of the divisive outside influences, but because of them. Hence, the boxing public should look forward to 2014 with great optimism as there is sure to be transcending Pay-Per-View punch ups in the coming year’s calendar.

Fear of Failure is what keeps Mayweather away from Pacquiao

11/30/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: The sheer volume of articles which have inevitably surfaced about a Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao super fight since the Filipino announced his comeback, with a ruthlessly efficient performance against Brandon Rios, last Saturday at the Cotai Arena, in Macao, China, have been pretty limited in scope, despite their proliferation.

The vast majority of them have only really catered for the two main topics of; who would win and will the fight happen.

However, I have read some fascinating articles which have covered the contentious issue of why the fight has yet to materialize, despite it being the most anticipated match up in decades.

Groves can take pride with performance against Froch

11/27/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: In the build-up to the Super Middleweight grudge match between Carl Froch and George Groves, valid for the formers WBA and IBF 168lb world titles, many billed the contest as David versus Goliath type battle. Personally, I didn’t feel Groves was quite as over-matched. But I fancied a Froch win so much I rushed from the pub to the nearest betting shop to put a note on the Nottingham native winning by a 10^th round knockout, at thoroughly decent odds of 14-1, just before the fight started.

You can deduce from my pre-fight prediction then that I, like many others, was totally surprised that Groves pre-fight rhetoric- that he would assume his position in the centre of the ring and force Froch onto the back foot, from the 1^st bell- translated into reality on the night.