Frankie Gavin going to Matchroom?

[stevedoc]

Makes sense of why he stuck Frankie in with skeet if skeet won he had a new star and he could let Frankie go

[palooka]

Skeete didn't seem that bothered if he won or not in that one.

A change might be good for Frankie; he seems a really sound bloke but looks to have been relying on his natural talent; he doesn't seem to have improved like you'd imagine a professional, training every day for 5 or 6 years would. If I started going to the gym for half hour a day I reckon I'd at least look athletic after 5 years.

What is frustrating is that he can be really good - the Vassell bout was a real showcase but he seems to have an impressive bout and then 2 where he looks like he wants to do as little as possible to win.

[ScottDetonator]

What is frustrating is that he can be really good - the Vassell bout was a real showcase but he seems to have an impressive bout and then 2 where he looks like he wants to do as little as possible to win.

I thought the Vassel stoppage was Frankie arriving on the scene but as you say, he doesn't seem to have progressed into the fighter everyone thought he would.

All said, Bundu was tougher than expected, similar to Price-Thompson, but for Frankie, he was as ready as he could be, wasn't he? It really is all on the line for him now.

[palooka]

I thought better of Frankie for giving it a real go v Bundu, who is a very good boxfighter though proven not world class. At least in that one Frankie tried and when it was hard he got stuck in and tried to win a different way. Pro boxing isn't just amateur boxing but with 12 rounds.

[bripez]

If I started going to the gym for half hour a day I reckon I'd at least look athletic after 5 years.

That's what I don't get.

The likes of Gavin, Fury and Boomer are all naturally gifted athletes to get to their levels, however they all look as though they don't train and live on a diet of one steak pudding a day ..... that weird skinny fat look

[expe]

It is times like this I feel sorry for his (now ex) promoter .....

I am guessing he signed him on a decent deal 6 years ago and got him British, Commonwealth and European title shots at home - let's not forget, Gavin does not have a particularly crossover fan friendly style or an engaging personality to attract fans / sponsors.

I wonder what deal he has signed ? - I can only imagine it will involve Kell Brook and/or Amir Khan. Other than that he will be sent over to America to get beat up by one of the top lads in a "life changing opportunity" or some shite.

I think Frank will be pleased to see him go, he'll have been on big money, even after signing a new contract, probably the sort of money that fighting at Wolves Civic Hall isn't going to cover. Either there was big money coming in from allegedly for the shows, or they were losing money on them. He hasn't sold in the way they would have expected when he turned pro and he's going nowhere at welterweight. Good move for both parties, Frank cuts his losses and moves on, opens up the possibility of fighting Brook for Frankie.

[freddydoesdallas]

Interesting comment on twitter from Gavin. He said he could make lww but wouldn't be able to perform at the weight. I know sport science is pretty good at all this stuff these days but has he fought at 140 before?

Anyway, good luck to the fella

[expe]

Interesting comment on twitter from Gavin. He said he could make lww but wouldn't be able to perform at the weight. I know sport science is pretty good at all this stuff these days but has he fought at 140 before?

Anyway, good luck to the fella

Once when he fought Michael Kelly for the Irish title, September 2010, fought at welterweight since then. Made the weight when he wasn't training or dieting the way he should be, now he's gone from claiming he couldn't make it, to saying he can but he wouldn't perform. He was a weight below Bradley Saunders in the amateurs, now it's the other way round, but Saunders still looks miles bigger and when he fought Shikukutu, I think, he said that he woke up, had a bit of a breakfast, then weighed in 10st 7. I'm almost certain he could get down to 10st, but I don't think he really thinks he can and no one seems willing to tell/make him to go down a weight.

[Yes We Can]

I was really big on Frankie when he first turned over, but something just never quite clicked. I dont think he's ever showcased any massive boxing abillity in the pro ranks, certainly not matching to his amateur credentials.

[Boxerbeetle]

Gavin missed the Olympics due to weight issues, didn't he? Wonder if it affected him psychologically & has given him no confidence in himself that he can drop weight successfully even now?

[crusader]

He strikes me as someone with an EBU-level ceiling. Obviously not at the same level professionally that he was as an amateur, but still a solid fighter.

[Yes We Can]

Gavin missed the Olympics due to weight issues, didn't he? Wonder if it affected him psychologically & has given him no confidence in himself that he can drop weight successfully even now?

or did they force him down to a weight for to long? did the Amatuers take to much out of him?

[TheCobra]

I do think there are a lot of excuses made for the lad to be honest. There haven't ever been quite the right noises coming from the kid himself. Look at someone like Froch for an example of how to be a consumate pro, maintain your weight between fights, have the right diet, live the life. But you've got to WANT it and I get the feeling Gavin is just a naturally talented kid who lives off the back of that rather than being a massively driven demon trainer.

E.g. Hatton was an absolute demon once you got him in the gym and he got himself in tremendous shape and always got down to a hard weight for him. Gavin never looks in particularly great shape, I agree about the skinny fat comment, he never looks properly lean and hasn't developed the correct physical body shape over the years that you'd expect him to have done if he'd followed the right diet and weight regime. Again this sort of seems to suggest he has lived off the things he's good at rather than working like a demon to iron out the weak parts of his game.

I feel Frankie is a bit unmotivated and mentally not quite strong enough to be a world level boxer - all this weight stuff and having one good fight then 2 iffy performances seems to bear this out in reality.

[Pugilist-specialist]

E.g. Hatton was an absolute demon once you got him in the gym and he got himself in tremendous shape and always got down to a hard weight for him. .

Much the same as this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcJeFRD ... p_mobi=yes

[stevieb_8006]

Didn't think he beat skeete tbh.

He seems his own worst enemy at times. Seems like he's always feeling sorry for himself.

Good luck to him tho, he's a nice lad.

[ste1983]

Both were sold out were they not...

They both might have just about sold out late on but there was probably around 300-500 at each there for Frankie. Didn't he sell over 1000 tickets for his debut in Brum?

Fickle fuckers them Brummies I've got no doubt they'll all jump all over a fight (even if its a meaningless one) if its in Brum and on Sky....but they couldn't make the effort for the Bundu fight.

[freddydoesdallas]

Both were sold out were they not...

They both might have just about sold out late on but there was probably around 300-500 at each there for Frankie. Didn't he sell over 1000 tickets for his debut in Brum?

Fickle fuckers them Brummies I've got no doubt they'll all jump all over a fight (even if its a meaningless one) if its in Brum and on Sky....but they couldn't make the effort for the Bundu fight.

To be fair to the brummies, they came out in numbers to begin with and then saw nothing of him locally for ages. Nothing to do with Frankie himself, more just a plan not working for W_rren. He wanted to showcase his Olympians nationally and build a British support base for them all rather than having their own regional base of fans.

Personally, i was ready to make the short trip to Birmingham in the early part of his career and did but the only other times he has been given the opportunity to box in the West Midlands when local fans who got the initial hype will have lost interest.

[ste1983]

Both were sold out were they not...

They both might have just about sold out late on but there was probably around 300-500 at each there for Frankie. Didn't he sell over 1000 tickets for his debut in Brum?

Fickle fuckers them Brummies I've got no doubt they'll all jump all over a fight (even if its a meaningless one) if its in Brum and on Sky....but they couldn't make the effort for the Bundu fight.

To be fair to the brummies, they came out in numbers to begin with and then saw nothing of him locally for ages. Nothing to do with Frankie himself, more just a plan not working for W_rren. He wanted to showcase his Olympians nationally and build a British support base for them all rather than having their own regional base of fans.

Personally, i was ready to make the short trip to Birmingham in the early part of his career and did but the only other times he has been given the opportunity to box in the West Midlands when local fans who got the initial hype will have lost interest.

Maybe, but watch all the football/darts types come back if he fights in one of the arenas in brum

Matchroom is all about those types of fans anyway so I'm sure it'll be a match made in heaven to be fair.

[whiteboy]

Both were sold out were they not...

They both might have just about sold out late on but there was probably around 300-500 at each there for Frankie. Didn't he sell over 1000 tickets for his debut in Brum?

Fickle fuckers them Brummies I've got no doubt they'll all jump all over a fight (even if its a meaningless one) if its in Brum and on Sky....but they couldn't make the effort for the Bundu fight.

Was more than 500 at wolves - friday night 20 miles down the road shows the base is there.

[ste1983]

Both were sold out were they not...

They both might have just about sold out late on but there was probably around 300-500 at each there for Frankie. Didn't he sell over 1000 tickets for his debut in Brum?

Fickle fuckers them Brummies I've got no doubt they'll all jump all over a fight (even if its a meaningless one) if its in Brum and on Sky....but they couldn't make the effort for the Bundu fight.

Was more than 500 at wolves - friday night 20 miles down the road shows the base is there.

Yeah but 400-500 there just for Frankie, I'm not knocking Gavin by the way I consider myself a Frankie Gavin fan I'm really knocking his fickle support. Like I say I'm sure the move to matchroom will work out well I'll be there at one of the arenas come May but how many of the other thousands would have been at Walsall Town Hall or Wolverhampton Civic Hall!

As for 20miles yeah but Brum to Wolverhampton has easy transport links can get there for £2 and 15 mins on the train after 7pm

[TerribleTerry]

Frankie was at the Blues today.

Think the plan is a fight on the Brook undercard followed by an NIA show with the other Brummie lads.

That will be a cracking home coming show if it comes off!

[ste1983]

Frankie was at the Blues today.

Think the plan is a fight on the Brook undercard followed by an NIA show with the other Brummie lads.

That will be a cracking home coming show if it comes off!

So was were both Yafai's weren't they? Maybe one day they could all fight there be nice for there to be a crowd at St Andrews for once

Have seen Frankie mention the european a lot, I'd expect him in a tune up on the Brook card (just to get him out there on a Matchroom show) then possibly Branco at the NIA/NEC (I hope the NIA its right in the city centre) in May.

Matchroom have a presser in Brum tomorrow, I'm hoping its to announce Frankie signing and the show but it might just be him signing.

[CheckHook]

I think Frankie would benefit from a regular visit to a psychologist and a complete change of regime. He always seems dejected and down on life and seems to struggle to get motivated. We've heard him say things like 'this time its going to be different' after poor performances, but I just don't feel like he ever really believes that himself. He's pushing 30 now so should be right in his prime but I feel like we've probably seen the best of him. On his night he'll have some success, but I think he'll always be well short of what he achieved as an amateur.... I hope he can find a way to dedicate himself to boxing over the next few years, because he still has bags of talent and could still carve out a solid career, its just hard to see it right now.

[jameswilson]

It is going to be interesting to see whether he sticks at Welterweight or what. Obviously it will be a can on the Brook undercard, much like Saunders had to start himself off, but yeah I'd expect possibly a European shot at whatever weight he ends up at on the Brum card or a fight of that kinda level.

[palooka]

He needs to have a word with himself, it's clear now that talent alone will not get him to the top of the tree. He has to be clear that he's very fortunate to have the ability he has and a way to provide a good life for himself and his family; maybe if he took 3 months off and got a job he'd appreciate the position he's in and be a bit happier about it. He should give himself a timetable and put everything he's got in to it over the next 18 months, if he were a serious trainer he'd be a very strong welter by now. It may be that the levels he dreamed of getting to are beyond him but there are millions in the same boat.