thepocketrocket wrote:Remember him beating David Starie...horrific news.
Me too. And how's this for a tenuous link. At the time I was engaged to a bird who's step grandad was a boxing manager out of Norfolk way who managed Starie. He was involved with Herbie Hide too & a couple of other names from that way. Great old colourful character he was.
Back to Francis. Best of luck to him. I remember when he turned pro & he was going all the way. Well, that's what many thought at the time. Wasn't his dad the UK Olympic boxing coach or something?
Not sure on the second part (coach) but that is a good story!
tijuana1 wrote:My heart goes out to Dean and his family. I'm currently going through a scare (at Jimmy's Leeds hospital tomorrow) for tests and scans and hopefully a result from my operation 14 days ago. All the best of luck Champ.
Very best wishes to Dean Francis, and to tijuana1 as well.
He had a superb fight with Mark Baker and the KO of Tony Oakley is a classic.
On his comeback - which led to the Oakley win - he absolutely toyed with Ovill McKenzie, who became a very dangerous domestic operator.
Best super middleweight stylist we had - made such easy and economical work of one of the most difficult operators, David Starie - and the best left hand I've seen in British boxing for many years.
So sad to read this. Dean was my pick out of the good crop of supermiddles around at that time; I would have had my money on him beating Calzaghe before his shoulder trouble.
Fingers crossed he proves the medics wrong and gets past this.
tonyevs wrote:So sad to read this. Dean was my pick out of the good crop of supermiddles around at that time; I would have had my money on him beating Calzaghe before his shoulder trouble.
Fingers crossed he proves the medics wrong and gets past this.
They boxed in the ABA semis before Joe's hands and Dean's shoulder had gone.
tonyevs wrote:So sad to read this. Dean was my pick out of the good crop of supermiddles around at that time; I would have had my money on him beating Calzaghe before his shoulder trouble.
Fingers crossed he proves the medics wrong and gets past this.
They boxed in the ABA semis before Joe's hands and Dean's shoulder had gone.
Calzaghe stopped him in the first i think. Dean definitely didn't fulfill his potential, but he would never have beaten Joe.
