SBW vs Chauncey

[Daneo]

I'd like to see SBW a bit more fluid with some head movement and less upright. He's a little bit stiff and robotic but I guess that stuff comes with experience of which he has none really..... You can't go 10-12 rounds like that in the pro's as I'm sure we'll see if Chauncey can come in fit enough - it really is Chauncey's fight to lose IMHO
Sonny will be super dangerous for the first 4-5 rounds given his athletisism but if TBDWG is still around after that with enough gas in the tank I see the fight in his favor the longer it goes - again he needs to be active in the later rounds to win this not just a mobile punching bag.

[diehard]

Daneo, yes I agree about SBW's head movement and robotic style, but that would mainly hurt him against a counter puncher or a slugger.  Chauncy is neither.  Chauncy's strength is his in close fighting, his body shots, and his ability to make a fight ugly.  And of course his resilience.  SBW needs to be smooth, fight at distance, and not get sucked into Chauncy's style of fighting.

[Steven]

I think Chauncy is big enough to get close to SBW. He took everything Ustinov was throwing, on top of the damage Browne did to his eye.

It doesn't matter how dangerous SBW is, neither guy will go down. But Chauncy is up against Khoder Nasser judges. Will have to land at least 2 to 1 for a chance of getting the decision.

[diehard]

SBW says US giant a 'bit daunting'

NZ Newswire

January 7, 2015, 1:03 pm

4 Post Comment

Sonny Bill Williams rates his next heavyweight boxing bout as more of a challenge after winning a controversial decision over Francis Botha almost two years ago.

The 29-year-old cross-code star believes Chauncy Welliver is more durable than the South African but is backing his superior fitness to come out on top against the giant 137kg American at the inaugural Footy Show Fight Night in Sydney on January 31.

Williams says he will wear the 70-fight veteran down over eight rounds due to his greater athletic ability but is mindful of his opponent's experience.

"He's a classy fighter. You can't train experience, you've got to be in the ring doing it," he told reporters in Hamilton on Wednesday.

"It's definitely a challenging fight but with the occasion I knew I had to take on a fighter of this calibre.

"It's a little bit daunting but hopefully I get over the top of him and have a big year this year."

Williams, who's switched back to rugby after two seasons with the Roosters in the NRL, has impressed Chiefs coach Dave Rennie by setting a personal best in pre-season fitness training.

"He's phenomenal. He's in good nick and it's a really good signal him coming in and being in such good condition this early in the season," Rennie said.

He has no concerns about the safety of his marquee player entering the ring with a big hitter.

"From our point of view it's been really positive him boxing, as it puts him in the sort of condition he is in now. It's highly motivating for him and you need that variation," the coach said.

"We have a few issues around concussions already.

"It's just part of the game. It's part of the risk you take boxing and it's no different playing footy and training."

Williams, whose previous bout was cut short by two rounds with him seemingly heading to defeat against Botha, remains philosophical about the fight when asked if he had a point to prove to himself and others.

"It may seem like that from the outside looking in but I'm just motivated by the challenge."

[diehard]

Boxing bout mentally and physically important for Sonny Bill Williams


EVAN PEGDEN

Last updated 17:09, January 7 2015



Bruce Mercer/Fairfax NZ
BACK INTO IT: Sonny Bill Williams at Chiefs training today. The multi-talented star is also preparing for his latest foray into boxing on January 31.

Sonny Bill Williams says the psychological high of winning a big boxing match is just as important to his rugby as the obvious physical benefits leading into the Rugby World Cup.
And that is precisely the reason he believes it is vital he go through with his scheduled January 31 bout against American Chauncy Welliver in Sydney, even though it comes just before the Chiefs' final pre-season outing against the Waratahs in the same city.
"It's just so physically challenging. Every session is a tough one and for myself it refreshes me mentally, keeps me away from everything else – rugby or league – and just puts me in a place where I'm just thinking about the fight.
"Once that's over I'm feeling physically in the best shape possible and mentally obviously pretty good as well."
But Williams said it would not be the same to just do the boxing training to benefit his rugby without the fight at the end of it.
"You have to [have the fight]. I'm only speaking from my experiences, but because it's so foreign, so scary and so daunting working your way up there that once you do it you know nothing on the field will faze you.
"The mental achievement is just so uplifting you just feel that much more confident – not just as a rugby player but as a person."
The beauty of it was that the benefits were twofold – mental and physical.
"The downside is that I might get knocked out but I think that all adds to it and that's why you train as hard as you do.
"I just know I've played my best footy off the back of my boxing campaigns."

Williams said the birth of his daughter had not only not encouraged him to give up boxing but had added an extra motivating factor.
"It is scary but it is the same thing as playing footy, playing cricket, playing anything – you can get injured."
Williams sees Welliver as more of a challenge to him than his last boxing opponent of two years ago – veteran South African Francois Botha – in terms of his durability.
His own advantage would be his fitness and athletic ability but Welliver also had the advantage in terms of experience.
But Willams said his comprehensive preparation this time meant he would be confident of going the entire eight rounds if necessary.
In fact that fitness is already being proved on the rugby training field since he returned to training with the Chiefs on Monday.
Head coach Dave Rennie said Williams had put in a personal best score in the yo-yo test among a myriad of personal bests already set by the squad in testing.
"He's phenomenal," Rennie said of the shape that Williams was in on arrival back at Chiefs HQ in Ruakura.
"He did a 20.1 in the yo-yo the other day which ranked him about fifth in our group but it's his [personal best] and in fact we've had 59 pbs since we came in in December in various strength categories and conditioning.
"Sonny was impressive and it certainly motivated Anton Lienert-Brown, who was running next to him, to keep going and do a 20.3 to stay ahead of him. Tom Marshall was top with a 21.3 and Damian McKenzie did a 21.2.
"[Sonny's] in good nick and it was a really good signal him coming in now and being in that sort of condition on January 5," he said.
Rennie said Williams' boxing had always proved a big positive for his rugby and he could just as easily injure himself playing rugby as boxing.
Williams said he wanted to take his return to rugby one step at a time and firstly establish a starting spot with the Chiefs, but to be part of an All Black team that became the first to defend a Rugby World Cup title was certainly one of his biggest goals for 2015.

[Cosmic Drop]

Awesome post die. You got to love the temperament of Kiwi boxers no egos but all business stepping into the ring.

[diehard]

SBW sparring:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/64755180/sonny-bill-williams-class-in-the-ring-with-david-nyika

[mippy]

His sparring looks quite good. He's keeping his guard up a bit better than he was previously

[diehard]

SBW is sparring amateurs.  Which is ok, but he needs a down and dirty fighter who will challenge him in close.  King Afa comes to mind.

[Daneo]

Really don't like that they've got him using the low left hand and rolling the shoulder to defend......It's a terrible habit to start off with in the boxing game IMHO, it also makes for really boring fights...... Ishe Smith vs Anyone comes to mind....