Time for footy now, says Carl webb
JOSH ALSTON
January 13th, 2010
CARL Webb's trainer Billy Johnstone is not willing to blame a timekeeping aberration for the Cowboy's stunning loss in his professional boxing debut.
Highly fancied to make short work of New South Wales' Scott Lewis, the forward ran out of puff in the third round in Sydney on Monday and the
fight was called moments after he survived a standing eight-count.
Part of the reason behind the loss was that rounds lasted three minutes - confusing spectators, commentators and Webb's trainers. The 28-year-old had been slated to fight over four two-minute rounds and had trained accordingly.
''When it went to two minutes and one second we though something was going on then,'' Johnstone said.
''We trained for four two-minute rounds because that's what we were told we were going to do.
''He wasn't aware of it, we didn't let him know (in between rounds).''
Johnstone said the curve ball was just part of boxing and pointed to the main bout of the night as proof fighters need to be prepared for the unexpected.
''In boxing there are a lot of tricky things that happen,'' he said.
''(Robert) Medley trained for three months for a world title fight (against Anthony Mundine) and then three days before (it) he was told it was not a world title fight that's boxing.
''You've got to be versatile, you've got to be flexible.''
While the loss was disappointing for Johnstone and Webb, it is likely to have positive flow-on effects for the Cowboys. The forward is 100 per cent committed to football now with any future fights to come in the next off-season.
Johnstone said the extra training to prepare for the bout had
Webb in perfect shape to launch a strong assault on this year's campaign and gain bigger minutes on the field.
''The idea from the football department was it's something that he (Webb) really wanted to do and it will help him in football in the long run we think,'' Johnstone said.
`'For example, you compare him to this time last year, he's turned up after Christmas six kilos lighter, which is very important for his mobility on the football field.
''The coach has been talking about playing him in a different role this year, football-wise.
''He'll be carrying less weight and getting more minutes out for the coach, for the team and for himself. That was the main motivation from us in the football department.
''The other side of it was it was something that he really wanted to do and we wanted to support him as much as we could.''
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/01/13/106855_sport.html
