Can Dean Francis win at title aged 39 ?

[nigeltsport]

Dean Francis won the latest fight in his second comeback when he outpointed Arturs Kulikauskis in Bristol on Saturday, but does he still have it in him to challenge for the Lonsdale belt ??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgSNaRnQ ... e=youtu.be

[orbtastic]

Don't think so, no.

[pyenest77]

He is 39, has a history of shoulder injuries & he beat Arturs Kulikauskis who sounds like a Latvian lemming so as far as I am concerned he wont.

[warriorbox]

There was a time when I thought Dean Francis was one of the best British boxers to never win a world title, that time has been and gone.

[welshlad1972]

Natural talent that he had,Dean could and should have won world title no prob,he had it all .......

[expe]

He is 39, has a history of shoulder injuries & he beat Arturs Kulikauskis who sounds like a Latvian lemming so as far as I am concerned he wont.

For a Latvian, he's actually half decent. Lost on a MD to Dimitri Sartison and shut out Leon Williams over 8 rounds.

[Dan Dares]

He is 39, has a history of shoulder injuries & he beat Arturs Kulikauskis who sounds like a Latvian lemming so as far as I am concerned he wont.

For a Latvian, he's actually half decent. Lost on a MD to Dimitri Sartison and shut out Leon Williams over 8 rounds.

Yeah he's not bad.

[CharlesListon]

At British Title Level who do you think will beat him? It's not a challenge, I'm just interested where he would feature in the current British scene.

[ShadrachSimmo]

A rematch with Mckenzie will show what he has left.

[polecateddy]

I get told off by the admins everytime I err question his Prizefighter 'loss' to Buster Keeton. Anyway, I've always been a fan. And if the shoulder is holding up he's a tough match for anyone, domestically at least. With better luck he would have elipsed Glen Catley and given the Richie Woodhalls of this world nightmares. Calzaghe would always have been a bridge too far though. In reality I suspect the right shoulder is pretty compromised, and his ability to throw regular, quality right-hands is restricted.

[mickey1975]

At British Title Level who do you think will beat him? It's not a challenge, I'm just interested where he would feature in the current British scene.

DeGale, Groves, Anderson, Smith, Magee, Blackledge, Fielding... Anyone who can do a few rounds and hit back.

[pyenest77]

Maybe on this occasion I stand corrected. But for me this is the biggest blight currently in boxing. The amount of Eastern Europeans that come over here & are not there to win. Now I know boxing is tough etc & they have more courage than I have by actually getting in the ring, but I have paid my hard earned to watch this.
Obviously as well I am not tarring all Eastern Europeans with the same brush as I watched Rabchenko v Rhodes live & have to admit he is a class act.

[polecateddy]

At British Title Level who do you think will beat him? It's not a challenge, I'm just interested where he would feature in the current British scene.

DeGale, Groves, Anderson, Smith, Magee.

Hold on, isn't he a light-heavy? I think he could beat Enzo and Danny McIntosh.

[mickey1975]

At British Title Level who do you think will beat him? It's not a challenge, I'm just interested where he would feature in the current British scene.

DeGale, Groves, Anderson, Smith, Magee.

Hold on, isn't he a light-heavy? I think he could beat Enzo and Danny McIntosh.

Yep, sorry. Thinking about his peak!

[whiskey]

Good luck to the guy, he obviously still enjoys his boxing and training. So if he can fight and something comes out of it, then fair play to him.

With regards titles, well 10 and 12 rounders are a different kettle of fish to to the short distances he has likely been doing lately.

He would be facing far younger, fresher and fitter opponents - so it's unlikely, but you never know.

[Khaosai-Galaxy]

He still fighting 1 armed?

[Autobarn]

dean francis made a fine comeback years ago stopping tony oakey in one of the best domestic light heavyweight fights i've seen. he then followed that by moving up in weight and losing in cruiserweight prize fighter.

he seems to be a terrific student of the game, a success story who came back from a prison sentence and the obvious injury he lives with. to do what he did vs oakey, whom cleverly could not hurt, is a fine achievement. i don't think it's going to go much further than that.

[polecateddy]

He still fighting 1 armed?

He's not one armed exactly, but has to be careful throwing the right as his shoulder has a tendency to re-injure easily. I would think he could beat Anderson, who isn't the fastest around. Even old Robin Reid was having some success for a while with him.

[Coco]

Didn't Calzaghe beat him first round in the ABA's?

[orbtastic]

Yeah, gave him a bit of a shellacking. To be fair, Francis was game but a little green. Calzaghe was light years ahead in experience.

[IronLiver]

Deano is currently training like a machine. In the gym 5/6 days a week. He's a very fresh for 39 due to the long spells out of the ring.

He recently beat 11-0 Justin Hugh very comfortably after three years out.

He's also back with old trainer and manager chris sanigar.

[SamWise72]

If he's beaten someone who beat Williams, then that's a good indication. Williams was a dreadful British champ, but he was champ. You'd have to like his chances against Shane McPhilbin too. Against some of the better LH and Cruisers, he'd have to prove himself more, but I'd put money on him against either of those two recent champs tomorrow!

(Even at super middleweight, many of the names mentioned wouldn't be between him and a British title, because they're way past that)

[IronLiver]

If he's beaten someone who beat Williams, then that's a good indication. Williams was a dreadful British champ, but he was champ. You'd have to like his chances against Shane McPhilbin too. Against some of the better LH and Cruisers, he'd have to prove himself more, but I'd put money on him against either of those two recent champs tomorrow!

(Even at super middleweight, many of the names mentioned wouldn't be between him and a British title, because they're way past that)

Cruiser is out of the question. As dean said himself its light heavy or maybe super middle for the right fight.

[SamWise72]

I bet cruiser wouldn't be out of the question if either of the aforementioned gents were still incumbent :)

[IronLiver]

Deano vs enzo would be an interesting fight. IMO