Steve Lillis is a longtime boxing commentator who has been with BoxNation since the channel’s inception in 2011. Steve has been ringside for some of the biggest events internationally and is one of the most respected members of the press in the United Kingdom. I recently spoke to Steve and talked to him about the recent Pacquiao vs. Horn result and his opinions on the fight. I also talked to Lillis about Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor and if he thinks that fight is bad for the sport. Additionally, I get Steve’s views on Canelo vs. Golovkin and his prediction for the bout. Here is what Steve Lillis had to say.
Robert Brown: It’s been a few weeks since Pacquiao vs. Horn happened. What were your thoughts on the decision?
Steve Lillis: It was no robbery, it was a very close fight. I had it 115-113 to Jeff Horn, Horn was magnificent. I was fortunate to be in the BoxNation studio in London and watched it from there, and I had it 115-113. As the fight was going on, all of us had the Twitter feed going and we couldn’t quite believe what was coming out of America. We were like, “Are we watching another fight here?” To me, Jeff was the deserving winner, he was absolutely magnificent on the night.
When the bell sounded for round ten, that was when Pacquiao became an old man. Pacquiao couldn’t finish Jeff off in the ninth round when Jeff was there for the taking, and in the tenth round, Jeff bounced back brilliantly. But as well as Jeff bounced back, that was when Manny Pacquiao became an old fighter. Jeff Horn is not getting enough credit for what he did, everyone is queuing up because they think they’ll beat him.
Horn’s no speedster, but he’s a tough, big welterweight and I hope he makes an absolute fortune. What we have to look at as boxing people is what that win has done for boxing globally, people are talking about it all over the world.
Robert Brown: Should Manny hang the gloves up now?
Steve Lillis: I don’t see a problem with him going for the rematch, but whatever the outcome of the rematch, I would like him to retire after that. I got no problem with him going for the rematch, he feels hard done by it. Some people think he won, and most of America thinks he won, but outside of America most people think that Jeff Horn won. Lets have the rematch and get it settled once and for all and then let Manny ride off into the sunset. Whether he will, I don’t know because he’s got an entourage that’s so big, and their lives depend on him for wages and stuff. I think he will carry on boxing until his legacy is severely dented.
Robert Brown: What are your thought on the Mayweather-McGregor event?
Steve Lillis: It’s a farce. Mayweather owes a lot to boxing, he should just go out there and beat him in the first round, that’s it. Just as if they were in the octagon or cage, whatever these guys call it, the minute McGregor got Mayweather on the floor, Mayweather would be tapping out in ten seconds. It’s a different sport all together, different gloves, you’re fighting twelve rounds, they throw punches differently. Mayweather could possibly knock him out with a jab.
I think Mayweather will struggle to keep him up. There’s so much money to be made from this, Conor McGregor will sell the fight brilliantly, but you know what? He will get under Mayweather’s skin, and he’s a bit brighter than Mayweather in how he sells himself but he may get under his skin and Mayweather might go and knock him out in the first two or three rounds. Mayweather will struggle to keep him up.
Robert Brown: Who are you favoring in the Golovkin vs. Canelo fight?
Steve Lillis: Yeah Box Nation has bought the rights to it, so I’ll be there. I think it’s a fantastic fight, I think it’s the best middleweight fight of this generation without a shadow of a doubt. As mad as it sounds, I think Canelo is going to win. I’ve been big on Canelo since the day the fight was even being mooted. I’m really big on Canelo winning that fight, I just think he’s good defensively, he’s sharp. Obviously I’m not writing off Golovkin, he can knock anyone out. I just think all around, Canelo is better.
When Canelo fought Mayweather, that may have been the greatest paid and the greatest learning fight ever, because he just improved ever since. I think he has improved and gotten better and better, and if you look at their last fight, Golovkin has come off a hard fight with Danny Jacobs, where as Canelo got a win against Chavez. Canelo is going into it and all he’s had this year was a twelve round spar, where as Golovkin has had that tough fight, and Golovkin is older.
Not really.. pacquiao was not a legitimate welterweight, you have to consider that punch impact of smaller guy to bigger was not much.
jeff horn is not only a decade younger than manny pacquiao, but he appeared to be around 170 lbs fight time. it’s a size mismatch and a dirty one. plus, there was an article that said the team admitted that jeff horn had to take or get a “____ adrenaline” shot to defeat manny.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cdeqk6FLyG4
You forgot to brought up the dirty and illegal tactics of the Hornet in the fight. I think you are being biased and blinded with your analysis. Just be fair and honest the next time you write an article Mr.Lillies.
Steve Lillis is dead wrong man. That WBO rescore result was set up to protect their reputation because that body was the one who chose those incompetent officials. And it’s not only in America that Pacquiao won. Ask the boxers and experts all over the world. Steve, have you asked Lennox Lewis? On the contrary, only in Australia that Horn is celebrated as the winner. He came to America recently and I’m striving hard to find news articles about it. Nada. Steve Lillis is a boxing commentator and so is Teddy Atlas. Who’s more credible between the two then?
Steve lilkus is a cert GAY He likea the dick of Horny Horn
Holy shit why don’t you tell that to Floyd Mayweather jr the so called greatest boxer ever who haven’t had knock out anybody in years. I guessed You expect too much from Pacquiao to knock out Horn. Horn is the taller, bigger and heavier fighter but did nothing to hurt Pacquiao. Those judges eyes couldn’t see those punches from Pacquiao , they were so fast. .Sorry to say that When you’re fighting in a foriegn country like Australia or africa don’t expect to win when you come to a descision. You have to knock your opponent otherwise it will always be a hometown descision. Horn busted face speak for itself.
Dear Steve,
Your assessment of the Pacquiao vs. Horn fight is based off “opinion” and the fact that Jeff Horn appears to be your “Great White Hope”. Every credible professional boxer claims Pacquiao won that fight. Boxing is a sport that has been dominated by minorities for decades and anytime a “white” fighter with subpar talent comes along, he is automatically revered based of Caucasian decent. I get it. People are automatically going to side with who they can relate with and unfortunately, it is the color of their skin. Steve, just admit it!! You believe Horn won because you can relate to his white skin. I get it, Horn is a humble guy with humble beginnings. He is a school teacher for crying out loud. But lets be real and admit that Horn lost that fight. Steve, I hope your days as a boxing commentator are coming to an end because clearly, your assessment on this fight is way off.
Pacquiao
In my opinion, this was not a fight that showcased Pacquiao showing his age at all.
I truly believe Pacquiao thought he was winning the fight and just like in the Margarito fight he is concerned of his opponents condition and made the wrong decision to leave the outcome to the judges.
fuck you steve waterlillis why would you ask manny to retire? you motherfucker Satanist never wanted a Christian to dominate the sport. manny is still capable of beating top level boxers like Thurman, spence jr., brook, etc….. he just took it lightly on jeff thorn. we still want to see that motherfucker midget fight. he was just robbed of that win from that idiot jeff swoon. fuck you steve waterlilllis.