Scott Welch

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:15

What is everyone's opinion on the Brighton Rock Scott Welch?

I personally think he had the tools i.e the power and aggression to hit the top but he was found out in the Akinwande fight to be very fragile mentally

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:18

Not sure about mental fragility, he just didn't have the tools to compete with Akinwande and by his own admission it was a deflating feeling to know you have reached a new level of opponent. For me Scott did pretty well with what he'd got to get the domestic belt and get that WBO crack. I saw him featured on Ringside a few years back and he seems to have used his earnings to set up a series of retirement homes or something. Bright bloke.

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:22

i don't know but my abiding memory of him will always be his trainer Jim Mcdonnell trying to rouse him out of his state of hardly throwing any shots by showing him pictures of his children, against Akinwande.

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:24

He did say much later that he knew immediately he was out of his depth against Henry, and just did not know what to do with him. I can respect that, Welch was a realistic bloke and knew he wasn't more than a strong domestic fighter.

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:32

that may be true but he never seemed to try, just witness his destruction of i think it was Alex Vassiliev in his next fight he just went out and threw bombs and overwhelmed him, surely the right tactics to beat a Akinwande?

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:35

correction it was Youri Yelistratov,

for boxrec's database

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:41

There was a pretty big skills difference between Yelistratov and Akinwande! Henry wasn't as bad as his 2 losses make him look, Manny Steward felt he had the skills to beat anybody when he trained him briefly, but not the mental strength to go with those skills. Henry was unbeatable when he fought guys who he could keep at the end of his jab and long right hand, his problems only came against people who could not be tamed so easily and kept coming at him. Then he was clueless and mentally crumbled, but it took fighters of Lewis and McCall stature to make that happen, Welch was never in that league.

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:47

point taken and reluctantly agreed with

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:52

I actually put £20 on Akinwande for the fight with Evander Holyfield that Manny Steward was training Henry for in 1998. But unfortunately Henry pulled out with a medical problem and it never happened.

abs_of_steel · Post by **abs_of_steel** » 11 Jun 2005, 18:59

chopping right, who do you currently rank as the most exciting heavyweight on the world scene??

Chopping Right · Post by **Chopping Right** » 11 Jun 2005, 19:08

abs_of_steel wrote:chopping right, who do you currently rank as the most exciting heavyweight on the world scene??

Well it ain't Akinwande

I suppose you'd have to go with Samuel Peter, as he's the only guy out there who is knocking people out and causing any excitement. I haven't seen much of him myself but he does seem a bit limited technically so he may have the same problems that David Tua did at the highest level. Brock seems to be the biggest achiever so far of the unbeaten prospects, but he might not have the size and power to go much further. Hasim Rahman has the skills and power to be exciting, but not the aptitude, and as for our Audley, well we'll just have to keep waiting! It's pretty bad, maybe James Toney is the saviour - but at 37?