Do you enjoy watching knock outs?

I love KO's as part of the game. I don't like seeing someone taking totally uneccesary punishment though. They way a KO can turn a fight, the great equaliser, carries as much wonder for me as a boxer putting on a clinic.
Having said this, it's far more pleasing to the eye when a KO comes from a well timed shot, or a serious combination rather than someone just windmilling it and hoping for the best. When a fight is turned on its head by power i think there's nothing more exciting. I think you would struggle to find any one who did not find Froch's destruction of Bute compelling and exciting. At the end of the day what fighter is not trying to land a KO punch at least a couple of times a round?

I love watching a real back and forth contest, where the favour swings back and forth, a real battle of wills. One of the best fights for me in recent years, that wasn't really much of a technical fight but more of a war was froch v pascal. A great fight between two guys who were on pretty much the same level at the time. A KO would probably have ruined the fight as a spectacle, so in one sense i'm glad no one got KO'd in that fight.
I think that a KO can be a by product of someone who is a great technical fighter. Someone like Floyd for example.
I think saying you are not a fan of KO's in boxing is like saying you don't enjoy your footies team scoring goals to be honest

Holmes said:

I love nothing more than watching a boxer get ko'd but not by a wild shot, but ad DF says a nicely set up ko. I love watching the set up shots just before the gamechanger is thrown.

I'd also say body shot ko's are a nicer finish than a head shot. The beauty of good inside work before the killer punch is a beautiful aspect of boxing and is often forgotten. Nowadays most fighters fight like amateurs in point winning contests and only look for the headshot finish if a fighters guard is down or they find a hole like uppercut through the middle. Hatton gets some shit but his finish of Castillo was one of my fave ever finishes.

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Butlers finish at the olypmia last friday was a good example of a great body shot finish

sean87ph said:

There are a few instances where a KO could spoil a great war between 2 evenly matched fighters, usually they cant put the other fella away because they are so similar.

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I would certainly agree on this, esp with froch and pascal. Obvbiously their careers have taken different paths, but at that particualr moment in time there was not much to choose between them, both have very solid chins.

sean87ph said:

They both matched well in toughness, pascal had the edge in speed early doors, but fatigued down the stretch where Froch stamina held up. might watch it again in a bit ha ha.

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Wouldn't blame ya mate....think froch had him hanging on in the later rounds, but credit to pascal, always answered carl's work. Never get tired of wathcing that fight.

Wickio said:

I think Froch against Kessler is another good example of this.

We're fight fans, we love a good knock out, but I agree that a KO, especially early doors, can spoil what is otherwise a very evenly contested fight.

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Excellent example indeed. When Kessler KO'd Allan Green, i was Glad, because i don't think there would have been much chance of it being a back and forth toe to toe war really. Think it might've been a bit of a bore fest really, whereas a KO would in froch v kessler would have been a travesty. A few knock downs would have been nice to test the resolve of each fighter though. Maybe we'll see that in a future froch v kessler fight

Holmes said:

Yep I thought the same when I wrote about Hatton. Very similar shot to be fair. I've rated Butler ever since I was told to watch him by a scouse mate of mine and I expected him to be a good fighter but just a talent rather than a special fighter but imo Arnie was right in saying the kid could go all the way. He is very grounded, eager to learn and eager to fight. Strikes me as a lad who loves the game and wants to be a boxer, add that with his talent and a good career beckons.

Another is Bradley Saunders, not long since he turned pro but I know he's a nice body puncher too. Look forward to seeing him step up in level and seeing him work. He's put a few away in the AMs with them bodyshots.

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I saw Butlers debut live, and have thought ever since then he could have something special. The big benefit he has in his weight class is the lack of depth in this country. It means though that if he's got it, he'll get to a higher level quicker, so he needs to continue improving and progressing as he has been.
Arnie is rarely wrong though, and i think he could bring Butler along further