Category: Boxing

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

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“The outcome was as expected: Tim Bradley won a unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov last night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. But the expectation that Bradley, openly frustrated with his career, was being given a palliative in Provodnikov was quickly turned on its ear. Over the course of twelve harrowing rounds, Bradley was repeatedly pushed to the threshold of his resolve by the incorrigible Provodnikov. However much the boxing community may have considered Bradley an imposter on the throne, Provodnikov treated him like a king, and, against such distinguished opposition, looked to overthrow royalty.”

Read A Ruthless Scrutiny: Tim Bradley W12 Ruslan Provodnikov on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

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“Vastly superior minds have struggled to evaluate far more significant performances than the one that transpired last night at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, where Tavoris Cloud was schooled by 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins over 12 dreary rounds. Kierkegaard for example, dedicated the opening chapters of Fear and Trembling to exploring Genesis 22:1-19, trying to understand the nature of faith and responsibility to God through the performance that, to him, produced humankind’s greatest hero. If we are looking for some perspective on last night’s performance then, it is certainly available to us (although perspective is largely ignored by those eager to construct a Khajuraho monument to, well, anything).”

Read “Another Khajuraho Moment: Bernard Hopkins W12 Tavoris Cloud” on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

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“Bernard Hopkins, now 48, and at the mercy of increasing corporeal limitation, has adopted his own, inflexible, difficult, and dull approach; he too, trying to reduce the possibility of error, lest some such mistake sees him deprived of his daylights. There have been a few false moves along the way, including a draw with Jean Pascal and a majority decision loss to Chad Dawson in April. But in Hopkins’ rebellion de jour—directed this time against Chronos, Hopkins having largely dispensed with the anti-establishment rhetoric when Golden Boy came courting—he has managed to throw a fire blanket over the burning desires to cook his goose.”

Read “All Action Requires Forgetting: Tavoris Cloud-Bernard Hopkins Preview” on The Cruelest Sport.