IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Groves promised to meet Froch in the center of the ring, win the battle of the jab, and crack him with two right hands; two being sufficient proof he would land any number at will. Groves kept his word, punctuating a prophetic first round with a right hand that showed Froch the other side. It was an auspicious start for Groves: he understood his opponent, understood himself, and most importantly, understood what friction would transpire between the two. Keeping his own promise, one inherent in his own insolence, Froch came to and stopped Groves eight rounds later. Their sudden history has bound these men since then.”

Read No Better Path: Carl Froch-George Groves Preview on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Perhaps no professional sport places more emphasis on recent history than boxing, where general inactivity makes last impressions lasting. Adonis Stevenson, who won a unanimous decision over Andrzej Fonfara at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, last night, is the latest example of this phenomenon. Stevenson’s career is in many ways a sprint to separate his years in a criminal flesh trade from his years in a legal one. His success in this endeavor has nothing to do with contrition or atonement, of course, but in giving the public the fights it wants to see. Which is not to say Stevenson’s past does not remain on peoples’ lips.”

Read The Flesh Trade: Adonis Stevenson W12 Andrzej Fonfara on The Cruelest Sport.

IBR on The Cruelest Sport

“Any explanation of Marquez’ continued success must include his inexhaustible surliness. This internal fire manifests itself in the way Marquez disdainfully treats his opponents, how bitterly he takes defeats, and, perhaps by way of extension, in his hulking muscles and acne. Suspicions abound about Marquez, suspicions heightened by his involvement with slimy Angel Heredia, but the mastery Marquez displays is without question the product of talent honed through decades of work. Whatever role shady sports science may play for Marquez, his craft is wrought from a commitment that is rare among younger fighters, who see in every hardship the need to change something. Remember: this is a man who once drank his own urine believing it replenished nutrients—if that does not speak of commitment, nothing does.”

Read An Inexhaustible Surliness: Juan Manuel Marquez W12 Mike Alvarado on The Cruelest Sport.