Something’s missing

By Marj Moore 24 September 2017, 12:00AM

It says quite a lot when there is more passion displayed in the boxing ring after the announcement of the outcome of a 12 round bout, than during it.

And that the passion didn’t come from either of the two boxers themselves. 

This was certainly the case at the Fury-Parker fight in Manchester when Hughie Tyson’s cousin, former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury went bonkers in the ring over the decision which saw Lupesoliai retain his WBO title. .

For many of us who love watching top sport of any kind, this should have been a sitting on the edge-of-your-seat experience.

It was not, and all the pre event hype and promises came to next to nothing.

Sadly one of the boxers was one we claim as our own who we have watched rise up the world ladder of boxing over the past few years.

Lupesoliai is a sports promoters dream in that he epitomises so much of the best values and characteristics of a top sportsperson.

What’s not to like?

But there’s just something missing from his boxing style somehow and in his last several fights it has become more apparent.

Yes he has continued to win, yes he looks superbly fit and yes, you can tell that he is one of those sports people who listens to his coach and trainer and does everything he is told. 

But call it the ‘x factor’ or a bit of ‘mongrel’ – those things are not there in Lupesoliai or if they are, we are yet to see them.

And is he is going to go up against Anthony Joshua, he is going to need to have them in his arsenal because simply playing it safe and going through the motions showing your technique, will not be enough.

Where was the knock out we were waiting for?

Oh for the days of Muhammed Ali when he would not only predict a knockout, he would name the round when it would happen and then make it true!

So while we send all our congratulations to Lupesoliai, his team and supporters,  some of us will be heading home to seek out those old DVD’s of boxing’s greatest – Ali, as we said, Sugar Ray, Joe Louis, Mike Tyson and even some of David Tua’s best moments.

By Marj Moore 24 September 2017, 12:00AM

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