Prizefighter versus the Lonsdale belt ?

[funso banjo baby]

i dislike the proliferation of spurious titles as much as the next man.

but lets face it..at Hw at least, the british title as been seriously devalued over the years due to the various combinations of fights between Danny Williams/ matt Skelton/ Sprott/ and Audley...its been hard to know exactly who is the british and commonwealth number 1.

then along came Prizefighter and it really seems to have made things interesting...it was a combination of small hall journymen types and up and comers. but it was clear especially at HW that this tournament had wings, and i for one am not surprised that the best in the britain are now competing for the Title.

its a curious thing..the winner of this will have claims (or at least bragging rights) to being the number one.

where does this leave the British Title ? as Historic as the Lonsdale belt is, its been seriously devalued at almost every weight through all the politics and alphabet titles.

the gulf in class outside the british top 5 (and the monopoly that controls access to the british title) has been marked...and the quality is very poor in the rest of the division.

however i think prizefighter could be a regular thing (especially at heavyweight) and would invigorate the division by giving lots more fighters a bite at the cherry.

instead of a selected few getting a crack at the british title once in a blue moon....prizefighter could be every 2 months or so ...and i can see lots of fighters going pro as a result.

what boxing has always lacked is any kind of tv and promotional consistancy...this way a kind of continuity would get a lot of fans back..and maybe away from UFC

remember that Prizefighter (like UFC) provides a full night of entertainment...This is in stark contrast to an average British title fight which offers a (usually) drab undercard.


any thoughts ?

[stujones]

I would like to see a different formatted prize fighter which involves the British title as the ultimate prize. It wouldn't be finished in a night.

Quarter Finals = 6 rounder.

Semi Finals = 8 rounds.

Final = 10 rounds.

Prizefighter winner then gets a shot at the British title.

Quite similar to the "French cup" thing for the French title.

Particularly in the Heavyweight devision - where a claim can be made on Danny Williams, the British champion, could be ranked as low as 7. 1) Haye 2) Sexton 3) Rogan 4) Skelton 5) Sprott 6) Harrison 7) Williams.... Of these only Haye wouldn't accept a fight for the British title (well he might should he lose to Valuev) - and Rogan, Sexton and Harrison have never fought for the British title. So a tournament would give them an opportunity.

[n1ebf]

It doesn't excite me none.

different format, usual suspects involved.

You've got 3 lads in there at least , that are virtual novices, I do not know of a SINGLE fight Carl Baker has been involved in and I average 45 copies of BN a year and watch a lot of boxing. Novices mixing with Williams and Sprott's like (I know Michael Sprott is not contesting it now, understandably).....that's pretty dangerous in itself if you ask me!

then you've got Belshaw who I thought was utterly unwatchable versus Fury , and that leaves Harrison who seems to just linger around like a bad smell, it's almost begging with boxing gloves on to me. "I promise you this, I promise you that, just keep paying me......." the man's a joke. Then he comes out blasting at Haye (a bona fide former World Champ who won his title on the road) over the internet, because he wouldn't give the stink-job a clot on his bill, of his own promotional banner that he'd set up in addition to winning a world title!

It's good when you get the young 'uns like Sexton, Burton, Dolan then a few tough journeymen types with a chance etc.. but as for this load of old recycled cr*p coming up , I'd close the curtains if it was taking place in my own back garden.

[stujones]

I'm still stunned Audley is taking part, for me is the favourite - but when I see him in the press pics I cannot help but think "how the mighty have fallen". From Headline on prime time BBC, to fighting on Sky's prizefighter.

I take my hat of to him actually, dellusional, yes, but he doesn't need this financially - and there is very little for him to gain in terms of exposure really. Remember "its all about the world baby", do you think the world gives an f who wins these 3 rounders. It didn't do Mo Harris any good.

[funso banjo baby]

Prizefighter is massive

ask Martin Rogan whether its a mickey mouse tournament that leads nowhere....hes still only about 14 fights and earning very nicely indeed.

[n1ebf]

hey dude aren't your boys opening the show.......oh what's that...they are the show..

okay matey they got a good gig....that's why your bigging up P/fighter innit?

[n1ebf]

because technically Funso...a heavyweight event featuring a once retired Gammer.....Harrison....Belshaw...Baker...and G*d knows what else....it's not really massive, no.

[n1ebf]

Prizefighter is massive

ask Martin Rogan whether its a mickey mouse tournament that leads nowhere....hes still only about 14 fights and earning very nicely indeed.

I've never actually used the term Mickey Mouse......i said Heavies I and II were fantastic....I just said this next one excites me NONE!

[n1ebf]

what will the tickets cost? 40 quid.....if you paid me 100 quid I might go to see it, maybe a ton fifty actually...not sure I'd do it for a ton.

[stujones]

Prizefighter is massive

ask Martin Rogan whether its a mickey mouse tournament that leads nowhere....hes still only about 14 fights and earning very nicely indeed.

Harrison don't need the cash though. Its a good way for a domestic fighter to get some good domestic fights. But Harrison don't need that. Harrison could get any domestic fight he wants, with the exception of Haye. Winning Prizefighter is not going to get him Haye.

I aint dissing prizefighter... its a great format for all the other guys - just not really for Williams or Harrison.

[funso banjo baby]

Prizefighter is massive

ask Martin Rogan whether its a mickey mouse tournament that leads nowhere....hes still only about 14 fights and earning very nicely indeed.

I've never actually used the term Mickey Mouse......i said Heavies I and II were fantastic....I just said this next one excites me NONE!

once you guys have recovered from the emotional rollercoaster that was the tyson fury fight...you might come on board