BBN spoke exclusively to British, Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental middleweight champion Tommy Langford about the new season’s big fights coming up.
The Birmingham-based 28-year-old is waiting for his own fight date to be confirmed to defend his Lonsdale belt for the first time against mandated challenger Jack Arnfield.
Whilst patiently waiting, he has taken time out from the gym to provide his thoughts on the imminent clashes that are set to grab the headlines over the next few weeks:
Mayweather v McGregor
“I’ve heard a lot of people talking about the Mayweather v McGregor fight, taking place on August 26th in Las Vegas, especially since the huge press conference tour where they slated each other, the Paulie Malignaggi sparring footage, the weird techniques that Connor uses in training…
“How anyone can pick McGregor to win this fight is beyond me and they are completely delusional if they think that he has a chance.
“I really like the Irishman and wish him well, he has remained the same person that came into the limelight all those years ago with his larger than life character and hilarious trash-talking.
“What I like about him the most is that he is very quick-witted and can trash talk with the best of them, he has audiences eating out of the palm of his hand and no one stands a chance against his roastings.
“He came into the UFC doing all of this, putting on a show and whipping up the fans, and has continued to entertain – win, lose or draw.
“If the build-up to this mega-money fight is a battle then he has certainly won the battle. He is too sharp, too funny and likeable for Mayweather to compete with but that won’t translate into any points in the ring.
“He may have won the battle but he will not win the war."
“It is a boxing match and Mayweather is one of the best fighters ever in history; arguably, the greatest defensive boxer of all-time.
“He has beaten 24 world champions at the top of their game and he has schooled many of his opponents, including current pound-for-pound star Canelo.
“I don’t confess to be a fan of UFC or MMA but I have watched enough to know that the fighters in those mixed combat sports cannot throw a punch properly.
“I respect Conor McGregor because he can actually throw a decent shot but can he deliver that as well as a boxer? No. Has he ever taken a proper punch from a boxer? Again, no.
“Mayweather has been hit by some of the biggest punchers in boxing and never touched down once. Three-weight World champion Sugar Shane Mosley wobbled him in May 2010 but he recovered very well and went on to win 119-109 on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
“Any other boxers that may have gotten to him for a split-second during a 12-round, 36-minutes contest, such as DeMarcus Corley, have only been able to infiltrate that famous, unique stance for that small instance only, and that was the height of their success during the contest, most going on to lose widely on points.
“If McGregor goes out there on August 26th and gets his arse handed to him, like he should, it’s good for him because he cashes in and it’s what’s supposed to happen.
“But everything about this match is all pointed towards it being bad for boxing:
Mayweather KO:
“If Mayweather wins by knockout and McGregor gets badly hurt then it’s bad for boxing because words like irresponsible and greedy will be thrown around and that someone’s life was put at risk in the name of money. But this is fight is all about wealth above health.
“If it’s an early KO within the opening rounds then everyone will be complaining about not getting their value for money after paying out on hugely inflated PPV prices.”
Mayweather Points:
“If Mayweather wins on points then everyone will say that the apparent best boxer in the world – and self-professed ‘TBE’ – was taken the full 12-rounds by a debutant with no amateur pedigree.
It will draw many ludicrous comparisons to other boxing legends and fuel a load of debates on how McGregor would have gotten on against Pacquiao and Mosley and Gatti and so on.”
McGregor KO:
“If the unbelievable were to happen then boxing will be a sport disrespected by all for their ‘top boy’ being beaten by a mixed martial artist. Boxing would never hear the end of it and there will be an unending stream of UFC fighters making a crossover to boxing to ‘hand it’ to the other big stars of the sport.
McGregor Points:
“To win on points, the Irishman will have to match or exceed the skills of the biggest boxing star of the past 15 years, one that no one else has really been able to trouble. If a debutant boxer with MMA background can do that…again, very bad for boxing.”
Gennady Golovkin v Saul Alvarez
“All of this, which is best described as a freak show, and three weeks later there’s the real fight of the year – Gennady Golovkin v Saul Alvarez for the fearsome Kazakh’s WBC, WBA Super, IBF and IBO World middleweight titles.
“No one’s giving it the attention it deserves because of the circus that is Mayweather v McGregor, taking over social media and sports channels.
“Here’s a fight between pure boxers, both heavy-handed, each putting it all on the line, and it’s going to make for a terrific fight.
“It’s a fight that the boxing world has been calling for and rewarded with in a timely fashion. Not like May v Pac, which happened, but far, far too late.
“When you get two of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world in a 50/50 fight, it should make for the fight of the decade.
“You simply cannot pick a winner, it’s straight down the line, equal, can’t be split, and I’m still swaying back and forth on who I think wins.
“Hopefully, the world watches May v Mac on August 26th and continues to stay interested in boxing long enough to watch a proper fight just weeks later on September 16th.
“I campaign in the middleweight division so I’m very interested in watching it, although I still can’t call it.
“If we get the GGG from the Kell Brook and Daniel Jacobs fight then he gets beaten, but if we get the GGG from the David Lemieux fight and the one that we all know, then he’ll break the 27-year-old Mexican down over the course to win via knockout or on points.
“Golovkin, 35, isn’t just a freak of power but a very good, technical boxer as well. He didn’t look great in his last fights and maybe he believed in his own hype too much. He took far too many punches and had no respect for his opponents’ boxing abilities.
“Canelo will shine, regardless. He’s going to fight a good fight because he always does. He only ever looked average against Mayweather, back in September 2013, because he wasn’t ready for it. That said, he’d still get beaten by Mayweather now, but he would be that much better and wiser."
Saunders v Munroe Jr
“In terms of the only other middleweight belt that my stable-mate Billy Joe Saunders has – the WBO – the fight for that title will be on the very same night, obviously a strategic move to pair up the winners next.
“While Golovkin and Canelo dance under the lights of the T-Mobile Arena in the boxing capital of the world, WBO champ Billy Joe Saunders will defend his belt against Willie Munroe Jr in London.
“Technically, it’s a real good boxing match. Munroe was beaten, and beaten well, by Golovkin and previously knocked out cold by Darnell Boone, who is a terrific puncher and the first to knock down Andre Ward, with a vicious uppercut.
“As I well know from my last fight with Avtandil Khurtsidze, anyone can get caught.
“Munroe quit against Golovkin, shaking his head in the sixth round because he didn’t want any more. He was dropped three times on the way to losing, it was just too much for him as he was getting heavily beaten. You can say that he quit but when Golovkin is standing in the opposite corner then it’s a bit of a harsh word, I suppose.
“I think if we get the BJS version from the Artur Akavov fight, especially after being so inactive, then he’s in trouble. When he’s fit and focused, he can beat anyone; and when he throws combos, he lands well.
“He was a bit cagey and economical against Andy Lee but he was very fit and sharp and boxed well to win, but against Akavov, he was poor.
“I gave up my WBO Inter-Continental belt for Willie Munroe Jr and Gabriel Rosado to fight for in September last year, and was I hoping to get the winner of that fight – Munroe won on points – but then I got the British middleweight title shot followed by the interim WBO World title opportunity.
“Munroe will be coming to England with real ambition to win, he’s got the crack at the WBO belt that he earned with a good win over Rosado and he’ll be fully focused and fit to do what’s required of him.
“The best Billy Joe Saunders beats Munroe, but if we don’t get the best version then he won’t.
“If Munroe wins, it’d be very interesting because I can’t see him fighting Golovkin again. Once was enough for him.
“Hopefully, Billy Joe wins – and I think that he will – and we get a unification bout. It’s good for boxing to have an outright champion and also good for my division to bring attention to the middleweights, where there’s lots of talent right now.
“I hope my stable-mate Billy Joe wins and I wish him the best of luck, I also hope that he looks good doing it, as it sets up a bigger unification fight down the line.
“Good for British boxing, the fans and the future…unlike Mayweather v McGregor.”
Tommy Langford v Jack Arnfield
British Middleweight Championship
Date and Venue TBA
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Tommy Langford would like to thank his sponsors TX ODDS, UK Display Stands, JS Wright & Co Ltd, Denco Thermal, All Car Leasing, Bartercard UK, Pro-Gains, Strategy Plus Web Design, Atlas Pain Relief, Ringside UK and Agent Tim Rickson
This article is proudly sponsored by Pro-Gains – Nutrition made simple