The Weekend Review - #1
Gill wins in Belfast, Ryan Garcia is back and a crazy UFC card in Austin!
Evening all!
What a weekend…
Not really sure where to start but it was a weekend that had a bit of everything and we managed to nail a few picks, which is always nice!
I guess the biggest story of the weekend is the outcome of the main event in Belfast and what we learned afterwards.
I mentioned in the preview newsletter that this was a ‘loser leaves town match’ and I truly believe that but for Jordan Gill, his career has just been reborn.
BELFAST HURT.
After the final results were read out on Saturday, I felt sorry for Michael Conlan as you could see him coming to terms with what just happened.
Boxing is (slowly) becoming bored of everybody carrying a ‘0’ and the importance of records is becoming less and less by the day but for someone like Conlan, a defeat at this level is crushing.
Losing to the likes of Lopez and Wood you can justify.
No boxer will ever accept defeats but you can justify losing at that level. It’s a game of margins.
But this was a substantial step down for Conlan.
This was essentially a warm up fight.
A fight to see what was left…to rebuild confidence.
It done the opposite and it proved there isn’t much left.
To me, Conlan looked old on Saturday night both offensively and defensively.
Jordan Gill isn’t a big puncher and he hurt Conlan with every shot.
That’s the only sign you need. Forget all the other red flags.
At 32, he is not an old man but there are many miles in the clock.
Unfortunately, it looks like he may have left his best days in the amateur game.
To keep things in context, Michael Conlan has achieved things 99.9% of the population can only dream of.
He has a career and legacy to be proud of but I hope those around him help him make the correct decision.
Because of his profile and his following, there will always be an opportunity for Michael Conlan but he doesn’t need to become an opponent.
Boxing is unforgiving, I hope Michael doesn’t get sucked in to staying in the sport chasing something that isn’t there anymore.
Jordan Gill 2.0?
All the headlines have been about Jordan Gill’s post fight interview and rightly so.
The courage he has shown to bounce back from what was clearly a very hard time is inspiring for us all.
Regardless of sport, that is an example to people for all walks of life and I am so happy for him.
His actual performance was so, so impressive.
Nobody in boxing believed Gill could still produce a performance like that. Even if they claim it now.
I always thought he would cause Conlan some problems but that was mainly because I was worried about Conlan’s vulnerabilities more than I was being complimentary of Gill’s skillset.
From the opening bell, he was so clinical that the finish become inevitable.
If this version of Jordan Gill had been around for the last few years, I have no doubt he would a contender at featherweight but after that win, he is a serious player at super featherweight now.
I don’t know how his path is planned from here but I seen Eddie’s eyes light up at the final bell.
He knows Gill can play his part in big fights in 2024.
And he deserves it.
Roll on 2024!
Undercard Round-Up
The three fights that made up the main card were very good and they all lived up to it…in different respects.
In the fight between McComb and Maxwell, I feel we witnessed the birth of another contender at 140 albeit at a lesser level than Jordan Gill.
I am not suggesting Sean McComb is now a world level challenger at 140 but this was his most mature performance to date.
He methodically beat Sam Maxwell up and although Sam is no longer the fighter he was…Sean McComb won’t care.
Since his first defeat against Gwynne when he essentially quit, ‘The Public Nuisance’ has rebuilt well and this win was a kindly reminder to everyone that he can fight.
Domestically, Sean McComb is going to be in some good fights and I am looking forward to that.
We can’t move on without a respectful word to Sam Maxwell. As a former British and Commonwealth champion, Sam has had a career to be proud of and I was really happy to see him admit it was over in the post fight interview.
He has nothing to prove and can offer so much to the next generation.
Good luck Sam!
Another winner on the card was Caoimhin Agyarko who edged past Troy Williamson by split decision.
I thought this was a very close fight and in parts…Agyarko was exceptional.
The one negative for me in this fight was the commentary.
I thought it was incredibly close (as the scorecards suggest) but they were talking like Troy Williamson didn’t have a prayer.
I found it very disrespectful and it actually overshadowed some of the positives from Agyarko.
It’s what I have come to expect from DAZN but it is disappointing all the same.
Agyarko proved he can box and punch on Saturday which will help moving forward but I don’t see any need to rush to world level.
2/3 fights at this level in 2024, will make sure he is ready when the time comes and Belfast has a contender to be excited about.
A big word to Tryone McKenna before we move on.
It was clear, pretty early, that he was up against it this weekend against Lewis Crocker.
Crocker was bigger, fresher and hit harder but McKenna proved just how important the intangibles are.
McKenna has been born with a chin, a heart and a mindset that is completely unbreakable.
He announced his retirement after the fight and he should be very proud of what he has achieved while entertaining the masses along the way!
As for Lewis Crocker, I think he may be Eddie’s next gem.
People have known about him for a long time but with the correct guidance, he can go a long way.
He is a spiteful puncher and I think he gained a lot of fans on Saturday night.
Eddie will sign him ASAP and then the promotional wheel will start turning.
I’m in!
Garcia Outguns Duarte
Over in the US, it was good to see Ryan Garcia get back on the horse.
The fight week was mental, it’s never good to see a fighter arguing with his own promoter but you wouldn't have thought anything was amiss during the fight.
Duarte is decent but Garcia broke him down and I think in time, that stoppage will earn some respect.
Whether people like it or not, Garcia is a huge name and a huge draw.
Boxing needs characters like him and everyone at 140 should want to fight him.
He is guaranteed entertainment and he will sell fights on his own.
It’s good to have him back!
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2?
Boxing was stealing headlines but the UFC also delivered a ridiculous card in Austin, Texas.
In the main event, Arman Tsarukyan announced himself as THE contender at lightweight after dispatching of Beneil Dariush inside five minutes.
It’s well known that Tsarukyan has already fought the champ in his UFC debut so he was always going to need to produce somethig special to convince the fans that he was worthy of another shot.
He took that literally!
He has always been well rounded but as I mentioned in the final word newsletter, he has sometimes lacked that killer instinct that separates fighters at the top level but to beat Dariush like that is about a big a statement as you can make.
Dariush is universally respected but thats two knockout losses in a row and in a division as deep as lightweight, I worry about how he is matched next.
In the co-main event, Jalin Turner got himself back on the right track with a brutal knockout of Bobby Green. `
To be honest, this is how I always expected this to play out.
Turner lost earlier this year to Hooker but he threw that fight away.
I fully expect him to operate at the top of this division one day (and probably a couple above) so to see him get rid of Green like that was the statement I was hoping to see.
The one negative in the fight was the refereeing.
Michael Bisping described it as ‘shocking’ during commentary and he was right.
The standard of refereeing, on the whole, is exceptional but Kerry Hately got this one so wrong.
Green took 10/11 unanswered punches in that finish and at 37, you have to worry what they will have taken from him.
BONUS CARD.
The top two fights were brilliant but the card had so many stand out moments.
Sean Brady got back in the win column by dominating Kelvin Gastelum and this is another scenario I was convinced would happen.
Brady was wrote off after losing to Belal but he is a serious player and if you let him just grapple without defence (like Gastelum did) he will dominate you.
Welterweight is stacked but Brady is a part of it and he will be in some big fights in 24’.
I could literally go through every fight but aside from the finishes via slam…WTF!?
The other standout was Figueredo who exposed Rob Font and is now firmly in the picture at bantamweight.
I doubted how much ambition remained in Figueredo but he looked dialled in in Texas and if this version keeps turning up, he is a dangerous man up a weight class!
PICKS REVIEW.
Firstly, well done to all the paid subscribers who got an early look at this weeks picks and a bonus pick of Gavin Gwynne to win by KO/TKO and thankfully that flew in on Friday evening.
We also had;
Conlan vs Gill under 8.5 rounds (winner)
Lewis Crocker by decision (winner)
Sam Maxwell to win (loss)
Ryan Garcia to win by decision (loss)
Arman Tsarukyan to win inside the distance (win)
Jalin Turner to win inside the distance (win)
Sean Brady to win (win)
Veronica Hardy to win (win)
A really successful night for us going 6/8 on the night and some big prices in there and it was great to see all the winners in my DM’S on Sunday morning.
If you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, you can get involved below
It’s good to be backing reviewing all the weekends action and we have yet another huge weekend coming up this week.
The Early Picks Post will be out around 8pm Thursday & Friday’s Final Word will follow 24 hours later!
See you later this wee & thanks for the continued support.