SBNation.com User Blog: BrianBrock

The shortest retirement in boxing?

BrianBrock — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:30:37 -0000

The legend that is Audley Harrison reversed his decision to retire after 28 days. This not an April fool or anything.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/22617997

Its sort of sad but also kind of hilarious at the same time. Just thought I'd share the big news. I don't know if there have been any shorter, or any near as short, in the history of boxing, but my memory doesn't go back too far, so let us know if you do.

The legend that is Audley Harrison reversed his decision to retire after 28 days. This not an April fool or anything.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/boxing/22617997

Pick-em player of the year - who will win?

BrianBrock — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 18:09:44 -0000

Well,

Last year, ulises solis pretty much had the thing won coming into the final season. This year there's maybe 6 people who can win the title, or 7 if you count my near namesake Brockman, who I think can tie if he wins this season and everyone else does badly.

Its kind of interesting to see who's going to hold it together down the stretch in the final season, because if you look at the top 6 in the race from the last season's results, virtually none of them came anywhere - they may as well all have had the season off. sportsfan's win sort of took him into the conversation fo the title, but Radu's two points that he managed to get might well prove crucial.

I think its going to depend on the start. Given how last season went for most of our top contenders, I don't see anyone recovering from a slow start, especially with the Player of the Year title on the line this time. But often a lot of people look at what other people are picking, so maybe its going to come down to who's the bravest to strike out on their own sometimes.

Obviously Radu is in the best position, but I feel like it means the most to him so maybe he's under the most pressure to win it. He has to be the favorite though, as most of the others never managed to salvage anything from last season. Can sportsfan become the third person to win 2 in a row and take the whole thing? Is Hoosier going to save his doubles and trebles and come again with a late surge to take it? Is that ManU fan SweetScience going to make a un this season? (I actually wouldn't mind if he won, as unlike me he wouldn't be insufferable if he did - he's not the worst guy considering who he supports) Is virtually everyone going to completely blow the assignment again and let in Andrew Fruman, who has to make the odds and do the points weighting, win the whole thing? WHO R U PICKING????!!!

I know that most of you have lives and this is probably not that interesting (or even slightly interesting, before some wag pipes up with that) I very rarely do fanposts (I literally average out at less than one a year - what a waste, you're thinking) but I was bored and probably after this rambling I'll do one on actual boxing sometime soon, and like, contribute properly. Thanks for reading and take it easy :)

Well, Last year, ulises solis pretty much had the thing won coming into the final season. This year there's maybe 6 people who can win the title, or 7 if you count my near namesake Brockman, who I think can tie if he wins this season and everyone else does badly. Its kind of interesting to see who's going to hold it together down the stretch in the final season, because if you look at the top 6 in the race from the last season's results, virtually none of them came anywhere - they may as well all have had the season off. sportsfan's win sort of took him into the conversation fo the title, but Radu's two points that he managed to get might well prove crucial. I think its going to depend on the start. Given how last season went for most of our top contenders, I don't see anyone recovering from a slow start, especially with the Player of the Year title on the line this time. But often a lot of people look at what other people are picking, so maybe its going to come down to who's the bravest to strike out on their own sometimes. Obviously Radu is in the best position, but I feel like it means the most to him so maybe he's under the most pressure to win it. He has to be the favorite though, as most of the others never managed to salvage anything from last season. Can sportsfan become the third person to win 2 in a row and take the whole thing? Is Hoosier going to save his doubles and trebles and come again with a late surge to take it? Is that ManU fan SweetScience going to make a un this season? (I actually wouldn't mind if he won, as unlike me he wouldn't be insufferable if he did - he's not the worst guy considering who he supports) Is virtually everyone going to completely blow the assignment again and let in Andrew Fruman, who has to make the odds and do the points weighting, win the whole thing? WHO R U PICKING????!!! I know that most of you have lives and this is probably not that interesting (or even slightly interesting, before some wag pipes up with that) I very rarely do fanposts (I literally average out at less than one a year - what a waste, you're thinking) but I was bored and probably after this rambling I'll do one on actual boxing sometime soon, and like, contribute properly. Thanks for reading and take it easy :)

Wlad's fault this time....

BrianBrock — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:41:36 -0000

I just have to get off my feelings on Haye-Klitschko here, because I just feel very strongly that at this point it is not his fault that the fight is not going ahead. I ranted a bit to Rich a few days ago, and reading Scott's view that Haye seems 'uneasy' about taking the fight has set me off again.

Its a fact that Haye has pulled out of two fights and I personally used to think that he simply didn't want any part of the brothers. His lines seem cheap to me and Booth has never come over that impressively to me either (used car salesman comes to mind, and only a fraction as convincing). I think either Wlad or Vitali would knock him out. But it is also a fact that if he made the fight now, he would get infinitely more money than if he followed through on either of the previous occasions. He's had his easy, virtually free money fight against Audley. He's backed himself into a corner with his 'retirement deadline' - whether he plans on extending it or unretiring, he has to be seen to do everything he can to make the fight now.

He dropped the main stumbling block (which I always thought was a very convenient excuse to hide behind) that he should keep all the UK PPV money and Wlad the German split, so its now 50-50. Even if he gets knocked out, he gets a huge pay-off into 'retirement'. There was nowhere for him to go now, he had to make the fight and he was ready.

Nothing at all, generally, has been made of the fact that Boente/Klitschko putting forward a July 2 date after a fight on April 30 is an absolute joke. Wlad has fought THREE TIMES in the past TWO YEARS, and now he's going to have two fights in 9 weeks? Forget about Chisora being a nobody, 9 weeks is nowhere near long enough anyway for what would be the biggest heavyweight fight for the last 8 years. Thats a complete non-offer; Haye can't be expected to wait until April 30 to lodge for an extension to his mandatory with the WBA and they are hardly going to let him sit on it for that long anyway. And for what, a July 2 date that is simply not realistic?

Klitschko clearly didn't want the fight now. Maybe he's sick of Haye jerking him around in the past so he thought he'd have a go. The negotiations would have been very short indeed if he made clear Right From The Start that come what may, he was fighting Chisora prior. Why have the idea of moving Khan's fight mooted? why discuss May-June? And then throw in at the end, when July 2 is agreed on, 'oh and we're doing April 30 with Chisora'. Maybe he wants to make some free money with Chisora like Haye did with Audley. He's been apparently been chasing this big mouthed ducker Haye for so long, it inspired his amateur dramatics on youtube, its apparently all so personal but when he finally has Haye agreeing to fight, he wants the soft option. And Then, word comes out for a fight against Adamek, not for late July, or August, but SEPTEMBER.

I understand that he might want to leave it to Vitali, as Haye wouldn't even have a puncher's chance there, but I think its very clear on this particular occasion that he wanted to go for easier fights, and for someone who would have been a heavy favorite, I think thats shameful.

I'm sorry to rant on, I hope no-one fell asleep and I'm glad to finally finish my first fanpost....its probably just about time I did one :-)