Bunce on Khan/McCracken, Degale/Groves etc

[whiskey]

20.10.10

Boxing pundit Steve Bunce took time out of his busy boxing diary to speak to the grass root fans on Livefight.com and to share his thoughts on some of the most recent topics being raised in our sport today.


*Question from Meatball* - With Haymaker losing Setanta, Hennessey losing ITV, Warren struggling for a box office fighter and Hatton having a lot of bad publicity with revelations about his personal life, how does you see the UK promoters in 12/18 month’s time? Could some of the US promoters namely Golden Boy enter the UK market?

I think the British market is ripe for others to enter. Golden Boy could in theory walk in, but here’s the problem, they talked about walking in 8 months ago, they talked about it again 6 months ago, the talked about it again 4 months ago and 2 months ago and they haven’t. And part of that problem is that Hatton, who works with them are getting on with their business on Sky or Hatton TV, Hayemaker are so focused on their individual shows even though Golden Boy have got a bit of that action and Khan is just busy trying to get as much publicity and as much money as possible. I don’t think any of them companies, except Hatton, are looking to the future and that’s why people like Barry Hearn are ticking along very well, Frank Maloney is ticking along very well and allegedly is still going great guns and putting on great shows.

allegedly is a show or two away from a whole year of big fights is the way I look at it. He is putting people in great positions. Frank’s always played a long game and is what makes him one of the best promoters in history and one of the best promoters in the world. Me and Frank haven’t spoken for a year, but the reason that Frank is such a great promoter is that he plays the long game.

Franks not planning for 2011, Franks planning for 2012. Franks plotting shows with the guys he’s going to sign after 2012, and that’s why 2012/2013 he will be 1 step ahead because he plans and his vision is longer than other promoters, it’s as simple as that.

*Question from Aaron* - What do you think of Richard Schaefer’s proposed plans for matching Amir Khan against Floyd Mayweather as early as next year?

I think Khan and Mayweather is the type of fight that could get Mayweather out of his on and off retirement. Apart from Pacquiao, I don’t see anyone else out there that’s going to make Floyd get back in the gym and let’s say Amir does a job next time round against Maidana, which will be brilliant, then again against someone else, Amir will be pushing.

The Americans seem to like him, he’s not a PPV fighter yet but the PPV crossover would come in a fight against Mayweather. I wouldn’t rule it out. I think possibly that one could happen because if you think about it, who else would get Mayweather's juices flowing, I can’t think of anybody, I really cant.

*Question from Red* – What do you make of Amir, Shah and Haroon Khan’s view that Robert McCracken was freezing him out of the Team GB selection?

I think the Twitter comments by Amir Khan, the press comments by Shah Khan and the interview comments from Haroon Khan were disgraceful. I think the three of them need to send a letter of apology to Robert McCracken and GB Boxing because in the grand scheme of things and Haroon Khan’s ply, there were 5 or 6 other guys who weren’t at the Commonwealth Games who have a bigger claim to be there than Haroon, the difference is that those guys don’t have a big brother who’s a World Champion and don’t have a brother who can get views in the press.

Trust me Haroon Khan isn’t in the top 6 of kids who have a right to complain and I don’t think Haroon’s got a right to complain.

I think it was really distasteful stuff to be honest with you and I think some of the British Press need to look themselves in the mirror because it was a disgrace the way some of them handled it.

*Question from Grizzly Adams* – What do you think of the standard of amateur boxing in this country at the moment and who would be his pick from the national teams and team GB squad to do well as a pro after 2012?

The way McCracken set the Team GB squad up is what annoyed me so much (Khan's comments) because McCracken has been in the business a long time.

Shah Khan as many people DON'T know is a trainer up in Bolton so Shah should know better he’s worked for years and years behind the scenes and the way it works at the moment is as fair as it’s ever been !

Ask your readers to look at the case of Frankie Lucas or look what nearly happened to Clinton McKenzie a few years ago, look at those two cases and you will realise that Haroon Khans argument is a completely empty one.

But with regards the question - Going into 2012 we’ve got a GB podium squad, we’ve got some fighters in Scotland who think they should be on it, we’ve got some fighters in Wales who think they should be on it and we’ve got loads of fighters in England who think they should be on it, and in fact this Saturday which is Saturday 16thOctober, there’s going to be a box off for the final five places in the England squad to take part in the GB championship which is going to take place on the 12th/13th November.

It can’t be any fairer and you will still have a dozen shouting and screaming that they should get their chance but at the end of the day you can’t give a chance to sixty fighters, at some point you have to narrow it down to an elite twelve or fifteen as you go towards 2012.


After 2012, who do I like? I think possibly If a guy called Frank Buglioni from the East End.

If he comes through the England trials, he’s a dangerous fighter, plus he’s going to sell tickets.

There’s a kid called Anthony Joshua, a Super Heavyweight, he’s going to be a superstar. Tommy Stalker is going to do some damage up in Liverpool. Iain Weaver, hes like a little Rocky Marciano, he’s going to be fantastic. Then we’ve got Lou Campbell who is an absolute brilliant stylist coming through.

We’ve got Martin Ward at lightweight, we are spoilt for choice at the moment and that’s what upset me so much about Amir’s comments and Shah’s comments, is that they know how difficult it is for selectors and they know that selectors took a big chance putting Amir in the squads for the European Championships in 2004 when he was just seventeen. He lost way before the medal stages by a guy he went on to beat, so they know how difficult it is and I thought some of their comments were way below the belt, I really do.

*Question from Aaron* - With Mayweather constantly hinting at retirement, and Manny only wanting a couple of more fights according to reports, who do you see as the PPV attractions of the sport when they are gone?

Well we’ve had a situation in the last 3 or 4 years with the end of Oscars career, with Ricky Hatton making a fantastic impression in Las Vegas with Floyd still at his peak and Manny still at his peak and I think we might look back on the years 2006 to 2010 taking into account the Margarito vs Pacquiao fight and think in them 4 or 5 years there were some super fights in that period. We’ve had Mayweather and De La Hoya that’s going to take a lot to beat in terms of box office revenue.

Pacquiao’s doing damage in Dallas at that stadium with attendances. I think we’re going to struggle to find guys to become as big as they guys we’ve just mentioned and before people laugh look at Ricky’s stint out there, he went out there unbeaten and in the 4 or 5 fights he had, he took over 120,000 people. That’s 120,000 Brits who booked a flight, booked a hotel and booked a ticket to see Ricky in his fights over there, it’s staggering. Do I think we will see another fighter like that? I’d like to think so, but I’m not sure.

*Question from 7777* – In the last interview, you felt that Tyson Fury was our best British Prospect. Is that still the case of has your view changed with others developing well?

I still think Tyson’s a terrific fighter. I’d like to see him sort out his training situation and get his head down properly and it’s clear that as much as I like him, he’s not really knuckled down as much as he should have. He’s naturally talented but I would still put him joint 1st with other guys. I like Ronnie Heffron, it’s no surprise that I’m a massive fan of Frankie Gavin, I think that David Price is really good.

I feel that we’ve got 20 really good fighters including Groves and DeGale, I think we’ve got a great group of fighters who are really going to carry us on and that’s before you even get to guys like Nathan Cleverly and Kell Brook.

I think there all interchangeable, if Tyson isn’t the top guy, then in my opinion, Gavin is, If Gavin isn’t the top guy then its DeGale, if it’s not DeGale, its George Groves. I like Fury because he bring something different to the table in the sense that he’s got a great personality and a bit of a following already.

I think there’s 10 or 12 guys who I would put in equal 1st place and that says something about our depth and all of these kids have loads of International amateur boxing experience.

*Question from Tomatron* – Who is the best trainer in the UK?

That’s tricky; you can look at guys who have been training fighters for 30 or 40 years. People like Jimmy Tibbs are going to show up with a good fighter every 5 or 6 years, Dean Powell will have a good fighter every 5 or 6 years, Anthony Farnell has a rich stable at the moment, Joe Gallagher is dragging them through from the bottom up. Brendan, Dominic and John Ingle are still producing great fighters. David Caldwell is churning out fighters from nothing, there are people from all over that are churning out good fighters.

Robert McCracken and the work he has done with Carl Froch and all those other fighters within the last year, Nelson up in Scotland and what he did for Ricky Burns. If you’re giving an award out this year it’s probably going to be Nelson for what he’s done with Ricky Burns, if you’re giving an award out for last year it would be for what Jimmy Tibbs did with Kevin Mitchell in the Prescott fight.

I think it changes each year, and so it should.

*Question from Socrates* – What do you make of the Manny Pacquiao steroids rumour?

Manny is from the Philippines so I don’t rule anything out. Every time you see Manny he is surrounded by more and more diplomats, members of the Philippine assembly and members of the Philippine Government and you know it’s no shock and you only have to look at stats, If you goggled World’s most corrupt countries, trust me, the Philippines will be quite high ranked!

I wouldn’t say Manny is as clean as they come, but I wouldn’t rule out many of the thousands of people that call themselves Manny Pacquiao’s advisor.

Question from Tuco – What are your thoughts on Floyd Mayweather’s use of Xylocaine, a banned substance in all but one state in North America. There has to be a reason it is banned in all bar one State?

Can you imagine if Manny Pacquiao admitted to using a drug for any part of his body, even it was for an ingrowing toe nail, if it was only permissible in one state? Imagine the field day that Mayweather would have.

You have to look at it in perspective and you would have to speak to a specialist and if a specialist said there is absolutely no way that can enhance Mayweather’s ring performance then I would have no problem with it, but I would also like to know why it is banned round all the other states.

*Question from Deck* – Do you see DeGale -v- Groves being made in the next two years or do you feel that the supposed negotiations are being just being used as a marketing tool for both fighters?

There’s no marketing strategy behind these negotiations because allegedly dislikes Hayemaker and Hayemaker immensely dislikes Warren, there is no intention marketing tool.

I know allegedly and James DeGale are desperate for the fight, I know that David Haye, Adam Booth and George Groves would take the fight if they considered the terms to be slightly more favourable to them, but this fight is a great fight in any circumstance and in any era, trust me, I just hope the two of them remain unbeaten so when we actually have it, at somewhere like the O2 which would sell out in about 10 minutes as far as I’m concerned in a few year’s time.

And let’s assume James is the British Champion, not that I’m assuming he will beat Paul Smith, but that’s a brilliant fight and let’s say that George Groves is maybe the European Champion, the fight could be for both titles but I think they both need a few more fights so they can do a hard 12 rounder together then that fight in November 2011 would be sensational.

But I don’t think it’s an intentional marketing ploy. Saying that I told both allegedly and Adam Booth that the fight made no sense whatsoever now, they both disagreed with me and their both wealthy men, so their right and I’m wrong!

*Question from Bud01* – How good was Edwin Valero and could he have beaten Manny Pacquiao?

Wouldn’t it have been fun, Valero and Pacquiao, what a couple of evil men inside the ring they are. I wouldn’t rule out Pacquiao getting dropped and I would rule in Valero getting dropped and that Pacquiao would win it but what a fight that would have been. Can you imagine that as a Super fight next year? I said on Setanta 3 years ago that by 2010 a guy called Edwin Valero against Floyd Mayweather would be a super fight.

I had then assumed that Mayweather would have taken care of Pacquiao, but Valero against Pacquiao was a dream fight.

*Question from Laney* – Froch vs Abraham, who wins and why?

I think Froch wins a potential fight of the year. I think there will be screams from Froch, Hennessy and McCracken between now and November 27th about how desperate they are not to get shafted. I think on the night it will be incredibly fair and I think Froch will win a tight decision but of course in Germany, there’s no such thing as a German guy losing a tight decision, they either get knocked out or they win.

For Abraham to stay on his feet for 12 rounds and lose on points is unheard of, that’s why there will be screams.

I think Sauerland’s, German TV, Arthur and his thousands of fans will go mad but I think Carl will win on points and that it will be a tight victory, a clear but tight victory.

We may see something special from Froch, that loss to Mikkel Kessler may have been what sometimes happens to fighters and makes them better fighters.

*Question from Aaron* –Williams vs Martinez 2 who wins and why?

I like Paul Williams, I think he’s been shafted by being a little bit safety first, a bit awkward, a bit big, a bit strong. It would be a real pity if he didn’t get a bigger fight so I just fancy him to win this one and I really, really wish he was slightly bigger.

Wouldn’t it be great if he knocks out someone like Shane Mosely? Then he’s got a chance of getting one of the big names out there and maybe a catch weight fight against Mayweather. All boxers seem to want to get Mayweather out of his diamond encrusted retirement!

*Question from Grizzly Adams* – Marquez vs Katsidis, who wins and why?

I think Marquez because he is one of the best modern day fighters, I think he’s fantastic. He’s been there, done it and written the book, he’s a brilliant fighter and I think that he will fight a sensible fight.

I honestly feel that if Mitchell not lost his mind in the walk from the changing room to the ring and had of kept to Jimmy Tibb’s plan then he would have beaten Katsidis. Katsidis looked sensational that night because Mitchell allowed him to. Marquez will win this and it will be a cracking fight, a contender for fight of the year and if it’s not then I’m a Dutchman!

*Question from StyleDoctor* – What is your most surreal Vegas moment?

Doing Photographs in a swimming pool in December when it was freezing with the Sports Personality award. I was personally in charge of it and had been booked on a flight to take it over with me for Joe Calzaghe and I had this idea to do some pictures, so I’ve got on my wall at home a big 10 x 8 picture of me, freezing, in the swimming pool, in Las Vegas, holding up the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award and if anybody from the BBC ever found out about it, I would be sacked, but I don’t work for them now so it makes no difference!

*Question from Bud01* – Who would you most like to take on in a Charity Boxing match?

Nobody because what people forget is that even fighters who haven’t fought for 30 years are still fighters and I can remember when I was a 16 or 17 year old, boxing and sparring with people who were good amateurs but had stopped.

They were guys of 40 who had been a good lightweight, 20 years earlier, and I was about a welte,r but they were still good fighters and that’s why in America they used to do this really stupid thing where the press thought they could fight and there were charity fights with old fighters and the amount of times that the press ended up getting knocked out because they were absolutely clueless - so the answer is no one.



* Steve Bunce's book, The Fixer, is avaliable at Amazon and all good book shops.

[whiskey]

Interesting how he likes the look of Frank Buglioni.

I remember Frank getting shafted against Vijender Singh (India's Beckham) during the first round.

He cracked him with a belting shot and robbed Vijender of his senses, who then got a 34 second count until the bell signalled the end of the round !

[Final round]

A nice Q&A with some detailed reply's thanks, shame I would have liked to ask Bunce a question.

BTW Buncey show us the picture of you in pool with the award or it didn't happen

[crusader]

Manny is from the Philippines so I don’t rule anything out.

[King Haye]

id ask if does he smoke crack because he must if he believes Tyson Fury is the potential leauge of Frankie Gavin potentially one of the worlds best boxers

[lefty]

Is it just me or did some of those answers not seem to tally up with the questions?!

[FIGHTFANs]

Is it just me or did some of those answers not seem to tally up with the questions?!

Think buncey talks a lot of b2ull shit,

[jessi]

i asked buncey on his road show who he thought had more chance of making it as a pro out of george groves and frankie gavin, he said gavin has more potential but lives badly hence his nick name "funtime", so he went for george groves, in all fairness i think george groves was still in the room, but tyson fury ! i like fury alot but his not in the other twos league.

[terminator]

Manny is from the Philippines so I don’t rule anything out.

Pretty stupid comment from Buncey. This is the kind of crap you hear from the Mayweathers

[FIGHTFANs]

i asked buncey on his road show who he thought had more chance of making it as a pro out of george groves and frankie gavin, he said gavin has more potential but lives badly hence his nick name "funtime", so he went for george groves, in all fairness i think george groves was still in the room, but tyson fury ! i like fury alot but his not in the other twos league.

Thats what i mean full of bull s5hit

[King Haye]

Frankie is a real pro he is very dedicated to the sport and I think will go all the way.

[freddydoesdallas]

Buncey is great for hype and knowledge but when there's a fighter around there's no point asking anything sensible. His show on setanta used to be ok but he was very OTT about every single fighter and pretty much contradicted himself week in week out depending on who was in

[Buncey]

Everything is moving..including the train when I did that interview- I struggled to hear some questions!
Small correction.... Me and Mr.Allegedly are speaking and have been for a couple of years...but we have gone a year or more without being civil...
The Tyson/prospect questions deals with a lot more than just raw talent...if that was the case then Gavin, who by the way lives like a Saint now, would win hands down.

Adios.

[sendo]

Good stuff Steve, nice read

[Frankie Gavin]

i asked buncey on his road show who he thought had more chance of making it as a pro out of george groves and frankie gavin, he said gavin has more potential but lives badly hence his nick name "funtime", so he went for george groves, in all fairness i think george groves was still in the room, but tyson fury ! i like fury alot but his not in the other twos league.

Well his never seed it to me maybe he should then I will ask him y I here this all the time maybe as an am I weren't the best liver but my I never had the knowledge bout dieting I do now I used to starve but I'm hardly ever out an in Manchester live 2 mins from my gym an my trainer so just focusing on being a boxer an helping my son have a better life until there is proof I live bad or I get beat or even put in a bad performance there's no need to criticise

[hurlock]

humour it then if it bare's no truth

& if i was to ask buncey somthing off the record, i wouldnt broadcast it like some mug on a forum. but im from sarf.

& in buncey's defence he is very flippant with his waffle & changes like the wind.

[FIGHTFANs]

i asked buncey on his road show who he thought had more chance of making it as a pro out of george groves and frankie gavin, he said gavin has more potential but lives badly hence his nick name "funtime", so he went for george groves, in all fairness i think george groves was still in the room, but tyson fury ! i like fury alot but his not in the other twos league.

Well his never seed it to me maybe he should then I will ask him y I here this all the time maybe as an am I weren't the best liver but my I never had the knowledge bout dieting I do now I used to starve but I'm hardly ever out an in Manchester live 2 mins from my gym an my trainer so just focusing on being a boxer an helping my son have a better life until there is proof I live bad or I get beat or even put in a bad performance there's no need to criticise

Frankie you a top kid like i said before he talks sh=it thats my thoughts and it has sweet..f..a to do with any one how you live out side of boxing mate

[NoMas]

I think Buncey is quality, I used to love his show, wish they would bring it back on TV...

[Frankie Gavin]

i asked buncey on his road show who he thought had more chance of making it as a pro out of george groves and frankie gavin, he said gavin has more potential but lives badly hence his nick name "funtime", so he went for george groves, in all fairness i think george groves was still in the room, but tyson fury ! i like fury alot but his not in the other twos league.

Well his never seed it to me maybe he should then I will ask him y I here this all the time maybe as an am I weren't the best liver but my I never had the knowledge bout dieting I do now I used to starve but I'm hardly ever out an in Manchester live 2 mins from my gym an my trainer so just focusing on being a boxer an helping my son have a better life until there is proof I live bad or I get beat or even put in a bad performance there's no need to criticise

Frankie you a top kid like i said before he talks sh=it thats my thoughts and it has sweet..f..a to do with any one how you live out side of boxing mate

I know that mate but it's still not nice when cause of a nickname I get wrong stick most fighters drink wen not in training so along as when not in training who cares I don't

[robpalmer135]

Frankie I have spoken to Buncey about this and what he said is "frankie can be the best if he sticks to living well and doesn't fall into the traps" he said your living well now.

[adamwillan]

Frankie to be fair buncey did say in his reply on this topic that you now live like a saint so I wouldn't be too hard on him.

I still miss my thursday fix of bunce, I didn't care that it was all hype most of the time. It was fun, tongue in cheek and a blessing to have someone passionate about boxing on tv compared to the publicity drones we are fed on sky.

[jessi]

humour it then if it bare's no truth

& if i was to ask buncey somthing off the record, i wouldnt broadcast it like some mug on a forum. but im from sarf.

& in buncey's defence he is very flippant with his waffle & changes like the wind.

im not broadcasting it like some mug on a forum as it was off the record, i also remember buncey saying the same thing once on setanta live, buncey obviously got his information from someone else, if frankie gavin was a bad liver as an amateur then its frightening how good he can be with the right nutrition as a pro. as for buncey his a legend and my comment wasent to attack him, boxing needs more people like him and it must be hard interviewing so many boxers and not making comments that could upset someone !

[Buncey]

Boxers change the way they live as they progress - most improve, some get worse.
Frankie has settled down and is now far more disciplined - a year is a long time in a developing fighters life.
Since last year George Groves took a risk and beat Adamu - so, whatever I said last October now looks good.
Frankie, as anybody who listens to the BBC London show will know, gets rave reviews week after week after week. His latest interview where he talked about where he is at the moment was brilliant.


Adios.

[jessi]

well said steve, great show by the way last night as always, nice to here sam storeys story ! and the guy talking about the amateurs on bbc has got my mouth watering, cant wait to watch weaver v campbell, whos the phillipino who you said the pros are talking about already ?