Barnes v Morrison May 9
Simpson v Appleby June 6
……..interesting. Brook, Barnes and Appleby the winners for me.
Scots in British title fights
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scrap iron
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 407
- Joined: 02 Jan 2007, 17:38
Scots in British title fights
McIntyre v Brook May 3
Barnes v Morrison May 9
Simpson v Appleby June 6
……..interesting. Brook, Barnes and Appleby the winners for me.
Barnes v Morrison May 9
Simpson v Appleby June 6
……..interesting. Brook, Barnes and Appleby the winners for me.
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DavidPayne
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: 11 Mar 2004, 11:00
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Old bones Ian
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 11806
- Joined: 13 Jul 2004, 07:33
Did you watch Simpson v Morris II?DavidPayne wrote:I'd back virtually anyone versus Simpson.
Simpson has improved a hell of alot, he dominated Morris (who i picked), Appleby is being groomed for big things , but he won't have it easy against Simpson.
When it gets to the later rounds things will get interesting.
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DavidPayne
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 6248
- Joined: 11 Mar 2004, 11:00
Was it Simpson I saw versus Youseff Al Hamidi?
He looked very limited to me. Game fkker, and brave don't get me wrong etc. And I take my hat off to him as a pro fighter and my opening comment was flippant. I apologise.
But I dont believe he's anything special at all. I'm probably being unfair having not seen the recent Morris fights, I saw the Matthews fight.
He looked very limited to me. Game fkker, and brave don't get me wrong etc. And I take my hat off to him as a pro fighter and my opening comment was flippant. I apologise.
But I dont believe he's anything special at all. I'm probably being unfair having not seen the recent Morris fights, I saw the Matthews fight.
Sheffield puncher Kell Brook challenges Scottish revelation Kevin McIntyre for the British welterweight title on the Joan Guzman-Alex Arthur world title bill in Edinburgh on May 3.
Unbeaten Brook, the mandatory challenger, still only 21, has romped to 16 wins since turning pro in 2004 (nine early) and joined the "Who needs him?" club after destroying Notts veteran David Kirk inside a round in London in 2006. A series of eliminators with the likes of Tony Doherty, Gary Young and Mark Thompson subsequently and mysteriously fell through and he's boxed only three times in the two years since Kirk: climbing off the floor to hammer decent Welshman Karl David in three eventful rounds in Cardiff, punching out a six-round decision over Wisbech man Alex Stoda in Nottingham and stopping Walsall's Darren Gethin after three rounds last month in Cardiff. Writer Iain Axon recently labelled the challenger "the most avoided man in British boxing!" Brook has fought one opponent, Stourport journeyman Ernie Smith, three times.
Brook, then, concedes masses of experience to the 29-year-old, clever-boxing McIntyre, who won the title with a dazzling 12-round decision over vaunted fellow Scot Kevin Anderson last November in Irvine and retained with another impressive decision over the same man earlier this year in Glasgow's Kelvin Hall - two huge upsets. The tall Paisley southpaw lives the old adage "You can't keep a good man down". He was belted in eight rounds by Manchester's David Barnes in a previous stab at the British welterweight title back in 2003, dropped to light-welterweight and was also hammered by the quality likes of Nigel Wright and Gary Reid but suddenly 'clicked' on his return to the welters with a shock 10-round decision over Pontypool's previously unbeaten Doherty in Wales last summer and with those fabulous decisions over Anderson. His record tells you he had always had boxing ability: 26-5.
Naturally then, this is the boxer versus the puncher. In such a scenario, the boxer usually wins, but heavy-handed Brook, trained by ex-pro Dave Coldwell, has something of the Wayne Alexanders about him: fluid and dangerous. Plus, he's the house fighter, which always counts for something. The gutsy Stoda did seem to wind Brook momentarily in the last round of their six-rounder with a body shot (probably the only shot Stoda landed; he finished horribly busted up) and the useful David dropped him before that, although schoolteacher David was also largely on the receiving end and the recipient of a horribly late stoppage. Perhaps more ominously, Brook has never done more than six rounds.
In the end, it boils down to how good Brook is. Right now, he's largely potential.
David Barnes defends his newly won British light-welterweight title against former champion Barry Morrison in Liverpool on May 9.
Southpaw Barnes, one of the few domestic fighters to drop down a weight and win a second British title (he previously held the British welterweight title, a title he never lost in the ring), picked up the belt on home turf in Manchester in March with a wide decision over Londoner Ted Bami. It was the culmination of a long road back for the 27-year-old Barnes, who dropped down after a surprise defeat to Ghana's Joshua Okine in June 2005 (his only defeat in 25) and stuttered along until Dagenham's classy Colin Lynes vacated his British title earlier this year and opportunity came knocking.
Ironically, Morrison had lost the title in his own Motherwell to Lynes last year and probably felt aggrieved he wasn't considered for the box-off. Lynes outboxed him on the way to a unanimous decision but has since proved himself one of the best boxers we have and currently holds the coveted European title. Better late than never for Morrison, 28 the day before the fight and nicknamed "The Bizness".
He won the title with a shock decision over Morden's "Lightning" Lenny Daws in London in January 2007, ran into Lynes in his first defence and has since won two comeback fights. In 18 fights, only Lynes and decent Romanian Mihaita Mutu have beaten the tough Scot (the latter on an eight-round decision). Morrison is solid, stiff-hitting and aggressive, with a surprisingly good jab, although Barnes looks to have the edge in skill and natural power. The champion holds a stoppage over current British welterweight champ Kevin McIntyre
This could be a cracker.
Greenock surprise package John Simpson defends his British featherweight title and goes for a Lonsdale Belt outright against talented fellow Scot Paul "Chuckles" Appleby of South Queensferry on June 6.
Simpson looked to be going nowhere when Andy Morris and Stephen Foster outscored him in back-to-back 12-rounders a couple of years ago but he secured a rematch with Morris for the British title and pulled off a cuts win against the run of play and belted tall Londoner Ryan Barrett in five rounds in his first defence and Morris in seven in a stunningly one-sided rematch (this time all Simpson's way). They used to say winning a title improves a fighter and the old adage certainly applies to the slick, iron-jawed, gritty Simpson, who still has improvement in him at 24 and ticked over with an eight-round decision over Dewsbury's tricky Youssef Al Hamidi prior to this, although he picked up a hand injury. Simpson also found the time to floor unbeaten Derry Matthews in a bloody and controversial 12-rounder last year in Liverpool, where he looked a little unlucky not to get the 12-round nod in Derry's backyard (for the WBU title).
Simpson holds a real edge in experience over the exciting 20-year-old Appleby, a hot prospect who has raced to 11-0 (eight early) in just two years as a pro, including sharp-looking displays against Mickey Coveney, Buster Dennis and Ben Odamattey. While Simpson also holds the edge in one-punch power, Appleby hits quickly and crisply to head and body and wears opponents down. He's been sparring Alex Arthur in preparation for this. The youngster has no fear, although he isn't the finished article: he has a reckless streak, which the clever Simpson could capatalise on. Plus, Appleby has never done more than eight rounds.
The challenger is undoubtedly a 'comer' but this one has come too soon. One has to favour the hard-bitten champion.
Unbeaten Brook, the mandatory challenger, still only 21, has romped to 16 wins since turning pro in 2004 (nine early) and joined the "Who needs him?" club after destroying Notts veteran David Kirk inside a round in London in 2006. A series of eliminators with the likes of Tony Doherty, Gary Young and Mark Thompson subsequently and mysteriously fell through and he's boxed only three times in the two years since Kirk: climbing off the floor to hammer decent Welshman Karl David in three eventful rounds in Cardiff, punching out a six-round decision over Wisbech man Alex Stoda in Nottingham and stopping Walsall's Darren Gethin after three rounds last month in Cardiff. Writer Iain Axon recently labelled the challenger "the most avoided man in British boxing!" Brook has fought one opponent, Stourport journeyman Ernie Smith, three times.
Brook, then, concedes masses of experience to the 29-year-old, clever-boxing McIntyre, who won the title with a dazzling 12-round decision over vaunted fellow Scot Kevin Anderson last November in Irvine and retained with another impressive decision over the same man earlier this year in Glasgow's Kelvin Hall - two huge upsets. The tall Paisley southpaw lives the old adage "You can't keep a good man down". He was belted in eight rounds by Manchester's David Barnes in a previous stab at the British welterweight title back in 2003, dropped to light-welterweight and was also hammered by the quality likes of Nigel Wright and Gary Reid but suddenly 'clicked' on his return to the welters with a shock 10-round decision over Pontypool's previously unbeaten Doherty in Wales last summer and with those fabulous decisions over Anderson. His record tells you he had always had boxing ability: 26-5.
Naturally then, this is the boxer versus the puncher. In such a scenario, the boxer usually wins, but heavy-handed Brook, trained by ex-pro Dave Coldwell, has something of the Wayne Alexanders about him: fluid and dangerous. Plus, he's the house fighter, which always counts for something. The gutsy Stoda did seem to wind Brook momentarily in the last round of their six-rounder with a body shot (probably the only shot Stoda landed; he finished horribly busted up) and the useful David dropped him before that, although schoolteacher David was also largely on the receiving end and the recipient of a horribly late stoppage. Perhaps more ominously, Brook has never done more than six rounds.
In the end, it boils down to how good Brook is. Right now, he's largely potential.
David Barnes defends his newly won British light-welterweight title against former champion Barry Morrison in Liverpool on May 9.
Southpaw Barnes, one of the few domestic fighters to drop down a weight and win a second British title (he previously held the British welterweight title, a title he never lost in the ring), picked up the belt on home turf in Manchester in March with a wide decision over Londoner Ted Bami. It was the culmination of a long road back for the 27-year-old Barnes, who dropped down after a surprise defeat to Ghana's Joshua Okine in June 2005 (his only defeat in 25) and stuttered along until Dagenham's classy Colin Lynes vacated his British title earlier this year and opportunity came knocking.
Ironically, Morrison had lost the title in his own Motherwell to Lynes last year and probably felt aggrieved he wasn't considered for the box-off. Lynes outboxed him on the way to a unanimous decision but has since proved himself one of the best boxers we have and currently holds the coveted European title. Better late than never for Morrison, 28 the day before the fight and nicknamed "The Bizness".
He won the title with a shock decision over Morden's "Lightning" Lenny Daws in London in January 2007, ran into Lynes in his first defence and has since won two comeback fights. In 18 fights, only Lynes and decent Romanian Mihaita Mutu have beaten the tough Scot (the latter on an eight-round decision). Morrison is solid, stiff-hitting and aggressive, with a surprisingly good jab, although Barnes looks to have the edge in skill and natural power. The champion holds a stoppage over current British welterweight champ Kevin McIntyre
This could be a cracker.
Greenock surprise package John Simpson defends his British featherweight title and goes for a Lonsdale Belt outright against talented fellow Scot Paul "Chuckles" Appleby of South Queensferry on June 6.
Simpson looked to be going nowhere when Andy Morris and Stephen Foster outscored him in back-to-back 12-rounders a couple of years ago but he secured a rematch with Morris for the British title and pulled off a cuts win against the run of play and belted tall Londoner Ryan Barrett in five rounds in his first defence and Morris in seven in a stunningly one-sided rematch (this time all Simpson's way). They used to say winning a title improves a fighter and the old adage certainly applies to the slick, iron-jawed, gritty Simpson, who still has improvement in him at 24 and ticked over with an eight-round decision over Dewsbury's tricky Youssef Al Hamidi prior to this, although he picked up a hand injury. Simpson also found the time to floor unbeaten Derry Matthews in a bloody and controversial 12-rounder last year in Liverpool, where he looked a little unlucky not to get the 12-round nod in Derry's backyard (for the WBU title).
Simpson holds a real edge in experience over the exciting 20-year-old Appleby, a hot prospect who has raced to 11-0 (eight early) in just two years as a pro, including sharp-looking displays against Mickey Coveney, Buster Dennis and Ben Odamattey. While Simpson also holds the edge in one-punch power, Appleby hits quickly and crisply to head and body and wears opponents down. He's been sparring Alex Arthur in preparation for this. The youngster has no fear, although he isn't the finished article: he has a reckless streak, which the clever Simpson could capatalise on. Plus, Appleby has never done more than eight rounds.
The challenger is undoubtedly a 'comer' but this one has come too soon. One has to favour the hard-bitten champion.