Gavin McDonnell vs Hozumi Hasegawa

[sammy95]

Hearn all but confirmed this fight was happening in today's press conference; when, where, and who wins?

[stujones]

Get Hasegawa in the UK then I think Gavin has a very good chance.... excellent fight. Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me, this is winnable but far from a gimmie.

I like this fight a lot.

[veriton]

this would be a must-see fight. hasegawa was one of the best in the world a few years back, got wiped out a few times but has since rebuilt. definitely buy a ticket to see him fight live.

[wesshaw1985]

new years eve card in japan?

[expe]

PPV undercard, probably Bellew-Haye, Hasegawa wins, McDonnell puts everyone to sleep again.

[crusader]

Get Hasegawa in the UK then I think Gavin has a very good chance.... excellent fight. Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me, this is winnable but far from a gimmie.

I like this fight a lot.

Who are the best couple of opponents McD has beaten in your view? I think he's been matched quite softly in his run of picking up belts, and I haven't been impressed by his showings.

Hasegawa is shopworn, so maybe McD can beat him at this stage, although the surprising form HH was on last bout would probably be too much.

[stujones]

Get Hasegawa in the UK then I think Gavin has a very good chance.... excellent fight. Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me, this is winnable but far from a gimmie.

I like this fight a lot.

Who are the best couple of opponents McD has beaten in your view? I think he's been matched quite softly in his run of picking up belts, and I haven't been impressed by his showings.

Hasegawa is shopworn, so maybe McD can beat him at this stage, although the surprising form HH was on last bout would probably be too much.

I think his opponents have been worthy of the belts Gavin has fought for. Malinga was a world title challenger (albeit at a lower weight) who gave Hall a tough fight and Hall has since shown he belongs in the world title picture (even if it is the "British" world title picture).

Parodi was a worthy EBU title challenger. Not world class off course, but I consider Gavin a worthy British and EBU champion and that usually means the next step is World title fight. Yeah, its not been a thrill a minute but they have been quite clear cut.

Just my hunch that Gavin will be like his brother and improve as the challenge gets bigger, is HH a step to far..... I think it is a tough fight to call at this stage in HH career and the venue will play a major factor.

[BigDoofus]

Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me

By getting gifted a draw with Josh Wale?

[tigermoth87]

Hasegawa takes this pretty comfortably.

[stujones]

Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me

By getting gifted a draw with Josh Wale?

It was a while ago, I know I am sounding a bit like a McDonnell chairleader, which I am not, but he has shown marked improvements since then. I didn't think the McDonnell who fought Wale would beat Malinga and Parody.

There wasn't that many complaints about Stephen Smith getting a first world title shot, yet his resume since getting sparked by Selby isn't exactly littered with a whose who of World and European boxing.

I think McDonnell has shown he can at least hang with the best at EBU title level - and that usually means a world title shot and a top ten ranking. I'm not saying he is in the Jamie Moore stakes of fighters deserving, but in this day and age (when you think Jazza Dickens got a title shot, George Jupp got a sort of title shot, Martin Ward got a title shot, Stuart Hall has had three title shots), he is quite deserving.

[Autobarn]

Wrong McDonnell getting this fight, surely.

Hasegawa has shown vulnerabilities but has skill, speed (diminishing a bit) and great heart and should win, but hopefully it's a good fight.

Hope Hasegawa comes over here, would love to go and see him fight.

[stujones]

Wrong McDonnell getting this fight, surely.

Hasegawa has shown vulnerabilities but has skill, speed (diminishing a bit) and great heart and should win, but hopefully it's a good fight.

Hope Hasegawa comes over here, would love to go and see him fight.

Can see what you are saying, but I'd like to see Jamie stick at Bantam - if he can still make the weight good enough. Jamie should be fighting Sosa.

If Hasegawa comes here, I see it as a 50:50 fight, mainly because of the reputation of Asian fighters on the travel. I think it would be the first time he hasn't fought in Japan - so he is not like Inchin Chi and used to being the traveling man.

[Autobarn]

I'd like to see Jamie close his tough reign at 118 by finishing rivalries with Haskins and Solis, settling controversial defeat and controversial win alike.

Didn't like the look of how narrow he was in the arms and shoulders last time out though. And it's taking him increasingly long to get started. Does he have a nutritionist already? If not he may need one.

Can see him staying where his title is, if he can continue to make weight. If it's physically possible. Then again his decline may be exaggerated given he was cut, bleeding in the nose and handicapped by injuring his right hand during the bout. Might just have been one of those bad days...


Is a Hasegawa on his last legs or does he have a new lease of life? A few years ago he'd have mostly clowned Hugo Ruiz, maybe having to survive a couple of wobbles, whom he beat in a life and death 9th round last time out.


Don't think Gavin's as versatile or layered in style as Jamie.

[expe]

Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me

By getting gifted a draw with Josh Wale?

It was a while ago, I know I am sounding a bit like a McDonnell chairleader, which I am not, but he has shown marked improvements since then. I didn't think the McDonnell who fought Wale would beat Malinga and Parody.

There wasn't that many complaints about Stephen Smith getting a first world title shot, yet his resume since getting sparked by Selby isn't exactly littered with a whose who of World and European boxing.

I think McDonnell has shown he can at least hang with the best at EBU title level - and that usually means a world title shot and a top ten ranking. I'm not saying he is in the Jamie Moore stakes of fighters deserving, but in this day and age (when you think Jazza Dickens got a title shot, George Jupp got a sort of title shot, Martin Ward got a title shot, Stuart Hall has had three title shots), he is quite deserving.

I don't think he's showed he can compete with the best at European level, Yegorov was a terrible opponent for a European title fight and it's a weak division in Europe, he had the opportunity to prove himself by fighting Jazza Dickens but for the third time he vacated his title and avoided the fight, then beat a Panamanian who didn't belong anywhere near an area title fight, in a world title 'eliminator', and in his only fight since scraped past an 18 year old Nicaraguan by a couple of points.

[crusader]

Get Hasegawa in the UK then I think Gavin has a very good chance.... excellent fight. Gavin warrants a world title fight if you ask me, this is winnable but far from a gimmie.

I like this fight a lot.

Who are the best couple of opponents McD has beaten in your view? I think he's been matched quite softly in his run of picking up belts, and I haven't been impressed by his showings.

Hasegawa is shopworn, so maybe McD can beat him at this stage, although the surprising form HH was on last bout would probably be too much.

I think his opponents have been worthy of the belts Gavin has fought for. Malinga was a world title challenger (albeit at a lower weight) who gave Hall a tough fight and Hall has since shown he belongs in the world title picture (even if it is the "British" world title picture).

Parodi was a worthy EBU title challenger. Not world class off course, but I consider Gavin a worthy British and EBU champion and that usually means the next step is World title fight. Yeah, its not been a thrill a minute but they have been quite clear cut.

Just my hunch that Gavin will be like his brother and improve as the challenge gets bigger, is HH a step to far..... I think it is a tough fight to call at this stage in HH career and the venue will play a major factor.

Was Malinga ever that good to begin with though? His best win is a stoppage of 40 year old Sahaprom, and he was destroyed in 1 by Hasegawa, shutout by up and coming LSC, and clearly beaten by tough but limited Hall. Malinga was also on the slide when he faced McD (he retired after the fight), yet he's arguably the best opponent Gavin has fought.

I don't think Yegorov and Parodi are even among the best 50 fighters in the division (both have padded records), and the last two opponents are hard to take seriously; Sanchez is tiny, hasn't beaten anyone (the #131 ranking fits), and was knocked out one fight after, while Zamora is just 18 and had been stopped by a 3-6 opponent earlier in the year (though McD only beat him 78-76).

If McD hadn't picked up all these trinkets along the way, would anyone be talking about how he deserves world title shots? I remember a similar thread in which another poster stated something like 'McD has won all these titles, and you can't argue with that', as if it were the belts and not the opponents which gave him legitimacy. Even leaving aside the draw with Wale, he just doesn't strike me as a world level operator, whether going by his wins on paper or how he actually looks in the ring.

[Boxing Prospect]

Hasegawa was supposed to have a mandatory with a Mexican chap following his win over Ruiz (if you've not seen that fight yet just get some popcorn and fast forward to round 9). That was a HUGE upset given how base HH had looked in his previous fight, against Carlos Ruiz who probably deserved the deicison. McDonnell has nothing to trouble Hasegawa though, with Hasegawa's limitation being his durability, he's still quick, skilled, and scarily accurate with those counters.

Would be shocked at him coming over here, but wouldn't complain if he did (rumours from Japan a few weeks ago was that he and Yamanaka were going to co-headline in Osaka or Tokyo in Q1 2017)

[PredatorHayds]

I see Hasegawa walking through him in Japan.

Only chance Mcdonnell has if the fights in the U.K. and he doesn't travel well, like a lot of Japanese fighters.

[stujones]

Who are the best couple of opponents McD has beaten in your view? I think he's been matched quite softly in his run of picking up belts, and I haven't been impressed by his showings.

Hasegawa is shopworn, so maybe McD can beat him at this stage, although the surprising form HH was on last bout would probably be too much.

I think his opponents have been worthy of the belts Gavin has fought for. Malinga was a world title challenger (albeit at a lower weight) who gave Hall a tough fight and Hall has since shown he belongs in the world title picture (even if it is the "British" world title picture).

Parodi was a worthy EBU title challenger. Not world class off course, but I consider Gavin a worthy British and EBU champion and that usually means the next step is World title fight. Yeah, its not been a thrill a minute but they have been quite clear cut.

Just my hunch that Gavin will be like his brother and improve as the challenge gets bigger, is HH a step to far..... I think it is a tough fight to call at this stage in HH career and the venue will play a major factor.

Was Malinga ever that good to begin with though? His best win is a stoppage of 40 year old Sahaprom, and he was destroyed in 1 by Hasegawa, shutout by up and coming LSC, and clearly beaten by tough but limited Hall. Malinga was also on the slide when he faced McD (he retired after the fight), yet he's arguably the best opponent Gavin has fought.

I don't think Yegorov and Parodi are even among the best 50 fighters in the division (both have padded records), and the last two opponents are hard to take seriously; Sanchez is tiny, hasn't beaten anyone (the #131 ranking fits), and was knocked out one fight after, while Zamora is just 18 and had been stopped by a 3-6 opponent earlier in the year (though McD only beat him 78-76).

If McD hadn't picked up all these trinkets along the way, would anyone be talking about how he deserves world title shots? I remember a similar thread in which another poster stated something like 'McD has won all these titles, and you can't argue with that', as if it were the belts and not the opponents which gave him legitimacy. Even leaving aside the draw with Wale, he just doesn't strike me as a world level operator, whether going by his wins on paper or how he actually looks in the ring.

As another poster said it is a weak division in Europe, but personally I think Parodi and Yegorov are in the top 10-15 in Europe and worthy to be challenging (in Parodi's case) for the EBU title. I'm not saying McDonnell has proven himself the best in Europe, but I think Parodi and Yergorov are worthy to be fighting for the EBU title, particularly at this weak time. Usually winning and defending the EBU title, particularly against opponents worthy to be challenging for it (at this weak time) is enough to get a title shot. Yes, it is a bad time for the division in Europe, but I'm not sure that should detract from it too much - the EBU title (with good reason) usually means world ranking and McDonell has won and defended against two of the best (not the very best, but of the best), Europe can offer at this stage.

I'm not looking at his fights for these other trinkets.... I'm basing off that he is EBU champion and made a decent defense of it. I don't think he is a lucky EBU champion, he won the title clearly and made a defence against a guy worthy to be challenging for it.

We can argue / debate about Hall's world class credentials, but based on the Haskins' performance if we are calling Hall "tough but limited" then the same must be said of Haskins, cos many thought Hall beat him. For me Malinga gave Hall a decent little fight. No, it wasn't a world title fight if you ask me (even though it was on paper) but I would say had Malinga been European he would been around that EBU title level at Bantam - so for me solidifying Gavin as a solid EBU title level type of fighter who deserves his chance to see if he can step up to the next level.

Scott Quigg aside, pretty much every fight out there for him will be seen as at least a side step if not a backward step. Yes, I'd like to see him fight Dickens also but he doesn't NEED Dickens - Dickens isn't going to him much favours in terms of rankings and all it will to is further solidify himself as one of the best in Europe, which I think he has already done with his wins over Parodi and Yergorov.

McDonnell needs to step up and the logical step up for an EBU champion is the world title.

[Boxing Prospect]

Well...Hasegawa's just retired...

[Autobarn]

Seriously?

Hasegawa-McDonnell AND Haskins-Omori off, very unfortunate.

[Boxing Prospect]

Seriously?

Hasegawa-McDonnell AND Haskins-Omori off, very unfortunate.

Yeah
http://www.asianboxing.info/asian-news/ ... retirement

[Autobarn]

Looks like Hasegawa really did put everything into that last round against Ruiz.

[Andrew]

Seriously?

Hasegawa-McDonnell AND Haskins-Omori off, very unfortunate.

Yeah
http://www.asianboxing.info/asian-news/ ... retirement

Credit to him I remember him getting battered by Kiko Martinez a couple of years back dighters retiring as champions is so rare now.

So looks like McDonnell v Rey Vargas for the vacant belt then. Vargas never seen him fight 28-0 against nobodies so no idea if he is any good.

Never rated Gav much anyway.

[Autobarn]

I think Gavin vs Hugo Ruiz would be a good fight.