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Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Ricky Burns (WBA) v Julius Indongo (IBF) Unification 15th April 2017
It's seven o'clock on a crisp Essex morning and a group of hardened fighters have gathered in a converted farm building.
The men exchange nods before retreating to their thoughts. A sense of foreboding pervades the stale air.
"I'm Tony," says the main man, extending his hand. "Ricky will be here any minute. Cuppa tea?"
Sure enough, a moment later the WBA world super-lightweight champion, Ricky Burns, strolls into the gym, joking with his good pal, Lee Crawford.
"We're about to do the triangle," says Burns. "It's murder." The smile and the message are at odds.
And soon it begins - five laps of a 1.2km triangular course along hilly Brentwood back roads. The boxers set off briskly, running in a pack before fanning out.
Trainer Tony Sims informs each man of his time as he sprints across the line. He's pleased with Burns' quickening pace but encourages him to push even harder when he starts his next lap in precisely 60 seconds' time.
Before his world unification fight at Glasgow's SSE Hydro with Namibia's IBF champion Julius Indongo, the 33-year-old Scot looks powerful as he sheds the pounds gradually to make the fighting weight of 10st.
"I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it," says only the third British fighter, following Bob Fitzsimmons in 1903 and Duke McKenzie in 1992, to win world titles at three weights. "That's the worst bit over for the day."
With sweat dripping from his nose and grinning broadly, he walks back to the gym to start circuit training. It's not yet 07:30.
Burns is 400 miles from home and learning to cope with being away from his wife, Amanda, and their young son.
For him, it's a question of sacrifice: He has to endure these 12-week training camps to be in the best possible shape.
He is as modest as they come. As WBO world super-featherweight champion, Burns kept his Saturday job in a Lanarkshire sports shop just to keep himself grounded.
Were it not for his pal's more upmarket car, his journeys to Essex from Coatbridge would be in an old Corsa.
He's quick-witted, self-deprecating and funny. He and Crawford, his friend from their teenage Thai boxing years, joust verbally almost non-stop, cutting one another down with a series of savage one-liners.
It's the patter of the west of Scotland transported south to Sims' Matchroom gym.
Sims is relaxed, mimicking the Coatbridge pair's accent and chuckling away to himself. He's in charge, but his authority stems from the technical knowledge he imparts and from his record of creating champions, rather than anything more heavy handed.
The boxers know they're on the next train to Liverpool Street if they don't match the commitment he demands.
"I respect the boxers and the boxers respect me," says Sims.
"We end up becoming like a family because we spend such a lot of time each day with each other that you get to know each other's personality.
"I'm not one for screaming and shouting. If they are not doing the work, they know when I'm not happy about it."
Sims is delighted with Burns' attitude to training and is happy to have him in his camp because "the other fighters can look up to a three-weight world champion".
His enthusiasm for a week spent in Ricky's home patch is evident.
"I love coming to Scotland," he says. "I feel like I'm an adopted Scotchman now.
"The fans come up to me and say a lot of good things about what I've done with Ricky, bringing him back to the world titles.
"I always come up the week before and I enjoy being around the people there."
Sims can rightfully be proud of his role in rejuvenating Burns, who had been served so well by Billy Nelson when he won the WBO world super-featherweight (130lb) and lightweight (135lb) titles.
Burns' career looked to be on the slide around 2013 and 2014. He had become disillusioned training for fights only for them to be cancelled close to fight night and was embroiled in a costly court case with his former promoter, Frank Warren.
"I think it was mainly down to his weight," says Sims of Burns' travails back then. "This weight now - 10st - suits him down to the ground. He does it easy and he's strong at the weight."
Sims and Burns have been struggling to view footage of Indongo, but from what they have seen, they expect the Namibian to be "really awkward".
"Jose Gonzalez, Terence Crawford - I have been in with some tough, tricky southpaws," says Burns. "I think this could be another of those cases, but I am confident of going out to get the win, just going out to stick it on him right from the start."
Sims is just as upbeat about Burns's chances.
"As long as he is prepared right, which I know he will be, I think he will be the favourite to unify the titles and put himself in the position for a massive unification fight over in the States, hopefully Las Vegas, which is Ricky's second home town, as he calls it. He loves it there," adds the Scot's trainer.
"That's what we'll be looking for and this is just a stepping stone for that fight."
Ricky Burns sacrifices home comforts for unification bout with Julius Indongo - BBC Sport
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
if you look at burns last 20 ish opponents hes got pretty impressive record
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
I thought he would be finished at the top level after his loss to Crawford and his performances before that but he just keeps defying the odds.
Burns put a great performance by beating Kevin Mitchell years ago and now he is unifying the title. Yet he is on no ones top 5 UK fighters.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
erics44
he should be dude
No he fucking Shouldn't , come on. Look I love Ricky Burns as a bloke, he's a top guy, I love his down to earth story of when he first became lightweight World Champ he carried on working at JJB Sports. And I love that he has taken his career serious enough to move trainers down to London with Tony Sims .
But as a boxer, he has been found out by Beltran, Crawford, Zlaticanin and Figueroa Jr. (although tbf he put up a decent show against Figueroa if memory serves me right.)
He's never fought a top 10 Light Welter , I haven't got a clue how Eddie Engineered a World title shot for him.
and before I get accused of running down the Brits , I stress that I don't begrudge him any of it because I think he's a fantastic bloke, I'm just being honest about where he is, and to further prove it's not an anti Brit thing , I reckon if he fought Ohara Davies and maybe even Jack Catterall, they would be too much for him .
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Primo Carnera
Quote:
Originally Posted by
erics44
he should be dude
No he fucking Shouldn't , come on. Look I love Ricky Burns as a bloke, he's a top guy, I love his down to earth story of when he first became lightweight World Champ he carried on working at JJB Sports. And I love that he has taken his career serious enough to move trainers down to London with Tony Sims .
But as a boxer, he has been found out by Beltran, Crawford, Zlaticanin and Figueroa Jr. (although tbf he put up a decent show against Figueroa if memory serves me right.)
He's never fought a top 10 Light Welter , I haven't got a clue how Eddie Engineered a World title shot for him.
and before I get accused of running down the Brits , I stress that I don't begrudge him any of it because I think he's a fantastic bloke, I'm just being honest about where he is, and to further prove it's not an anti Brit thing , I reckon if he fought Ohara Davies and maybe even Jack Catterall, they would be too much for him .
I think he beat Figueroa, home town decision if I ever saw one
and he has a bad run of 3 fights
although a loss to Crawford isn't anything to be worried about
so there was the beltram defeat (broken jaw in the second), Crawford, the other fella, and the Figueroa robbery :)
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Terrific bit of matchmaking by Matchroom (Hearn). Burns could become a unified 140 champion, about 4 years after he was considered past his pomp, against a geezer that has fought for 30 seconds outside of Namibia.
Burns losses are nothing to be ashamed of, all against top-class fighters, even going back to Carl Johanneson. He arguably gave Crawford his most competitive fight. He fought for 10 rounds with a broken jaw against the cheating cunt Beltran. Zlaticanin proved to be a world-class lightweight by winning a title and arguably beat Figueroa, who was not just naturally much bigger but also had a tag team partner in Laurence Cole.
If he wins he'll probably get a Crawford rematch in the states. Mad.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
He's been done for roids a couple of times
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Just watched Burns fight with Martinez where he won the title 2010 and was knocked down early but won the fight in a excellent war of attrition and skill. Burns is quality.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Just watched Burns fight with Martinez where he won the title 2010 and was knocked down early but won the fight in a excellent war of attrition and skill. Burns is quality.
At LW and 7 years ago, I'd agree with you.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fenster
Terrific bit of matchmaking by Matchroom (Hearn). Burns could become a unified 140 champion, about 4 years after he was considered past his pomp, against a geezer that has fought for 30 seconds outside of Namibia.
Burns losses are nothing to be ashamed of, all against top-class fighters, even going back to Carl Johanneson. He arguably gave Crawford his most competitive fight. He fought for 10 rounds with a broken jaw against the cheating cunt Beltran. Zlaticanin proved to be a world-class lightweight by winning a title and arguably beat Figueroa, who was not just naturally much bigger but also had a tag team partner in Laurence Cole.
If he wins he'll probably get a Crawford rematch in the states. Mad.
Agree with everything you said. Miracle matchmaking from Matchroom and his defeats aren't anything to be ashamed of.
I also hope he keeps this going for as long as possible.
But as soon as he comes up against a top LWW , he'll get beat. That's not me hating on him, it's just stating a fact. No shame in it though.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Primo Carnera
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Just watched Burns fight with Martinez where he won the title 2010 and was knocked down early but won the fight in a excellent war of attrition and skill. Burns is quality.
At LW and 7 years ago, I'd agree with you.
If he wins this title and unification then Burns is up there again​, even by your high standards.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
You are and to think primo trusts you as his promoter/manager.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
You are and to think primo trusts you as his promoter/manager.
That fight definitely happened with someone, I can't remember who it was though
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
You are and to think primo trusts you as his promoter/manager.
That fight definitely happened with someone, I can't remember who it was though
I demand you and primo by association be drug tested.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
You are and to think primo trusts you as his promoter/manager.
That fight definitely happened with someone, I can't remember who it was though
I demand you and primo by association be drug tested.
If actually be clean, I've not touched an illegal substance for about 5 years, Primo is roiding his tits off though
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Master
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Batman
Wasn't it burns that was getting beaten by that skinny legged dude? The other dude was miles ahead and only had to see the last two rounds out and he would have had an easy win but he quit on his stool, I think it was the fight before the Beltran fight...then again I think I could be making this up entirely
You are and to think primo trusts you as his promoter/manager.
That fight definitely happened with someone, I can't remember who it was though
I demand you and primo by association be drug tested.
If actually be clean, I've not touched an illegal substance for about 5 years, Primo is roiding his tits off though
The only drug in me is 100% pure PASTA!
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
The geezer @Batman you're thinking of is Jose Gonzalez. He schooled Burns for about 6 rounds but had his heart broke as Burns wouldn't slow down, bottled it and quit
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fenster
The geezer @
Batman you're thinking of is Jose Gonzalez. He schooled Burns for about 6 rounds but had his heart broke as Burns wouldn't slow down, bottled it and quit
Was Burns coming back into it then at the time that he quit? I thought that Burns would have needed KO to win because the other dude was that far ahead on points.
I might see if it is on YouTube or sommet and refresh my memory
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Well at the time the majority of wally's claimed it was a fix (to save face Eddie paid the PR's mob off).
I was dumbfouded by the quit job at first, as he was winning so easily, however, watching it back it's clear he was wilting badly just before he quit. Then a few fights later quit again when winning a fight. Clearly a dodge pot.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Ricky Burns says he will show Julius Indongo he is far from retirement when they face each other in their super-lightweight unification fight on Saturday.
WBA champion Burns will meet the unbeaten IBF and IBO world champion at the Hydro at the age of 34, the same as the Namibian.
Indongo, when asked about Burns, said: "I thought he was retired by now."
"He is going to find out the hard way, hopefully," responded Burns.
"This is only the second time fighting out of Namibia, so we will see how he is going to like the Glasgow crowd and we will also see how he is going to like it in the second half of the fight when I am sticking it on him.
"It is going to be a good night. Training has gone well. The last week is a pain, with all the things to deal with, but roll on fight night."
Indongo won his belt with a first-round knockout of Russia's Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow in December.
However, Burns, making the second defence of the title he picked up in May, was unimpressed.
"It was the first 30 seconds of the first round, so you can't really take a lot from it," said the Coatbridge fighter, who has his 34th birthday on Thursday.
"He could have caught that boy cold. It could have happened to anybody.
"Before that fight, he had 20 fights and 10 knockouts. Obviously he can punch a bit.
"But I don't think he is this big puncher that he is making out he is, but we are going to find out how good he is on Saturday."
Burns has struggled with southpaws in the past and has been preparing for Indongo's style.
"The big difference in preparation is that the sparring has been with southpaws, getting in a good variety," he said.
"We have been bringing in boys similar to the boy we are fighting; tall, rangy, awkward.
"But I have been handling southpaws a lot better than I thought I would have done.
"Preparation has gone well, sparring has gone well, so it is just a case of taking what we have been doing and producing it in the fight."
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
I'm going to go with Indongo in this fight. Burns has had a few lucky calls and he might be right for the taking.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Alpha
I'm going to go with Indongo in this fight. Burns has had a few lucky calls and he might be right for the taking.
Yet Burns keeps coming back and defying the odds.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
I'm gonna take a chance on Burns stopping him (6/1) even though he's not a puncher.
I watched a little bit more of Indigo other than his 30 second sparko, he's very tall with a rangefinder jab to set up the left hand but looks a rinse and repeat merchant and clumsy going backwards. The only other fella of note he's beat is an old Kaizer Mabuza, on PTS. That one punch sparko looks a bit misleading as far his whackabilty goes.
Burns has the experience at top level against every size and style. Excellent engine, beard and although best from range - jab, right hand - can fight on the inside and targets the body. Expect Indongo to start well but at 35 (probably 40 going by the fudged African ages) with just 21 fights I can see him getting outclassed, forced backed and punished on the ropes. 50/1 rds 9, 10, 11.
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re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Namibia's Julius Indongo plans to take advantage of the flaws he says he has seen in Ricky Burns.
The IBF world super-lightweight champion and Coatbridge fighter Burns, who holds the WBA version at 10st, meet in a unification bout in Glasgow on Saturday.
"He is making a lot of mistakes," the undefeated 34-year-old former Olympian told BBC Scotland.
"If he is not aware of those mistakes, I feel pity for him."
Indongo fought abroad many times as an amateur, but the bout in front of a partisan crowd at the Hydro will be only his second contest outside Namibia as a professional.
His only other foreign fight came in December when he stunned the previously unbeaten IBF champion Eduard Troyanovsky in Moscow within a minute. That took the tall southpaw's record to 21 wins in as many fights, 11 of which have come by way of knockout.
Speaking after taking part in a public workout in Glasgow city centre, Indongo revealed that his country's president, Hage Geingob, had contacted him about the contest.
"I have been sent on a mission by my president, and also by the force, because I work as a police officer," he said.
"I received his blessing and he recommended that I should always keep my guard. He is a man of sport and loves sport very much.
"It is no pressure. It is an honour. I have been given a privilege and I have to take that responsibility.
Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo: Namibian plans to take advantage of Scot's 'flaws' - BBC Sport
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Another pony undercard.
That's Crolla and Burns back-to-back on "free" Sky with a Sunday afternoon yorkhall card. Give them the benefit with Liverpool next week followed by Wembley
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Relikh wasn't considered a world beater going in and I thought he was hard done by. Burns has the experience at world level but he is 2 weight classes above his best weight, has shown signs of slipping and fighting a big 140 pounder. I'm not really worried who wins here but I see the potential for an upset.
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo: Scot facing 'biggest fight of my career'
Ricky Burns believes he faces the "biggest fight" of his career against IBF and IBO champion Julius Indongo.
Burns defends his WBA super-lightweight belt on Saturday, and believes he can overcome his Namibian foe in Glasgow.
Southpaw Indongo won the IBF title by knocking out Eduard Troyanovsky 40 seconds into their contest in December.
"If I can unify the division and add another world title to the collection, it doesn't get any bigger than that," said 34-year-old Scot Burns.
"We know we've got a tough fight on our hands. It's going to be a tricky opponent, but preparation has gone well.
"He's tall, he has a height and reach advantage over me and he's a southpaw which makes him even more awkward, but the sparring has been great. We're confident that whatever comes our way, we'll be able to deal with it.
"Mentally, I'm always prepared for whatever's coming my way and I'm not afraid to lose. I will fight anybody they put in front of me. I will always give it 100%. I'm looking forward to it."
Burns, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, weighed in at 9st 13lb, as did Indongo.
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps...9290_fight.jpg
Burns is only the third British fighter to have won world titles at three different weights, and victory would make him Scotland's first unified champion.
That would open up the possibility of a lucrative rematch with American Terence Crawford, the WBC and WBO super-lightweight champion, who defeated Burns in March 2014.
Steve Bunce, BBC Radio 5 live's boxing pundit, said: "You look at Burns' record - six or seven years of title fights, a three-weight world champion, one of only three Britons to do that in the last 120-odd years... you'd be shocked if Burns walked on to one of those punches.
"If this was a 21-year-old African with a couple of quick wins under his belt, you'd be a bit more alarmed.
"He can bang but I just fancy Burns knows too much. We underestimate Burns, he's been going under the radar too long."
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps...2_13470145.jpg
One huge left hand brought Indongo to prominence. Fighting outside Namibia for the first time in his professional career, it took less than a minute for him to grab the IBF belt from Troyanovsky.
Undefeated in 21 contests, he was unfazed by the home crowd in Moscow and he also fought abroad when he competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
The 34-year-old believes he is fighting on behalf of his country and his continent, revealing the Namibian president had phoned him to wish him luck and tell him to keep his guard up.
"It's going to be an amazing night, when the impossible can become possible, things I never expected in life, whereby the world is going to know where I came from," Indongo said.
"I can promote my country at large, and believe me, the night is going to be an exciting one that nobody will ever have expected it to be. I'm going to give my all. I trust myself and it's not easy to reach this level. Nobody thought I would be where I am now.
"It's not easy to fight outside home, I have to adapt to the situation. My aim is to take victory home. I'm undefeated. He already knows how losing feels.
"My talent will prove to people who I am. I will give what I have and what the world doesn't know about."
Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo: Scot facing 'biggest fight of my career' - BBC Sport
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Evening. Okolie fighting now
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Quote:
Originally Posted by
palmerq
is cardle on now ?
Yes 4 rounds in now.
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Cardle is on now...
He looks pretty shite at the minute, Barrett is boxing rings around him, Cardle knows that Barrett doesn't have any power so he is just looking to take his head off
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
cardle is on now, incase anyone missed the update
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Barrett down in the 5th body shot
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
Cardle fight is on now, Barrett took a knee from a body shot, Cardle is cut, looks pretty nasty but it the blood is going away from the eye
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Re: Ricky Burns v Julius Indongo - rd-by-rd/Sky Sports
good fight this, Barrett looks really comfortable when he is fighting at a distance, Cardle can win this with one big body shot but he is losing at the minute and would be in trouble if it wasn't for the knock downs
oh and Cardle is fighting at the minute