Syntax Error wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 11:03
Conor Benn - I thought he'd fall like a leaf in Autumn.
OK, he hasn't reached the pinnacle, but he's a lot better than I thought he'd ever be.
The jury is still out or me when it comes to Conor Benn.
It just can’t get over the fact that Benn’s last five opponents have been (on average) nine years older than himself, with most of them approaching their mid-thirties and considered past-their-primes.
His last five opponents were either on a poor run of form, weren’t natural 147lb-ers or never that good to begin with, when they entered the ring.
Conor Benn has been a pro for more than six years, but his career has progressed at a snail’s pace, especially when you consider how aggressive Matchroom were with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Carl Froch, Dillian Whyte etc.
I feel that six years is a long time and he’s been treading water for quite a while now.
According to the rumour-mill, Eddie Hearn is planning to pit Jose Ramirez against Conor Benn on the 9th July, with the American previously competing at 140lbs for his entire career and will be competing against the Brit outside of his natural habitat.
But if this fight doesn’t happen, then this will suggest that Matchroom don’t have much faith in Conor Benn.
AJ was a top amateur and so was Froch (world amateur champs bronze medallist) so it was easy to progress them quickly. Whyte was initially brought in to lose against AJ but did well and was matched well after that.
Benn had just 20 or so low level amateur fights and looked ropey early doors in his pro career (particularly against Peynoud) so I can understand why they’ve taken their time with him.
For me he’s had one too many fights at his current level and I’d have preferred a real live opponent instead of Van Heerden. He needs to step up next.
oogiebe wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 23:41
tyson Fury
Tye Fields
You know, I actually think Tye Fields is one reason so many people completely discounted Fury. Just another big guy, of course he can beat smaller fighters but he'll be exposed like Fields eventually...!
I didn't think he was another Fields. I kept telling people he'd be a top ten fighter for sure, some day, since he was about 20 when people were already writing him off as a hype job. I never thought he'd be champion though.
oogiebe wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 23:41
tyson Fury
Tye Fields
You know, I actually think Tye Fields is one reason so many people completely discounted Fury. Just another big guy, of course he can beat smaller fighters but he'll be exposed like Fields eventually...!
I didn't think he was another Fields. I kept telling people he'd be a top ten fighter for sure, some day, since he was about 20 when people were already writing him off as a hype job. I never thought he'd be champion though.
Interesting point. To be honest I never made the connection. Fields was my worst call and funniest. Never thought Fury would be as so dangerous in his diversity. Thought he'd always be a flick and move guy. Boy was I wrong. He's a terrific fighter. Fields flat out sucked! LOLOL!
At the start of his career I, for some reason, thought Frankie Gavin was going to grow into the real deal, a great world champion fighter and maybe the guy to take the unbeaten record of Floyd Mayweather, even. I can't remember exactly when I gave up that idea, but for a while I was still convinced that a step up in class was going to get the best of him while he was underwhelming as an early prospect.
On the other hand, while he did lose recently, I was super-low on Teo Lopez and didn't think he had a lick of a chance against Loma, even though I'd even backed Commey to beat him and been badly wrong about that.
I didn't think Usyk could beat Joshua but I was basing that on the early Joshua,
the one that got up and beat Kilitchko, that beat Whyte/Parker/Povitkin. Not the
guy who hit a wall vs Ruiz.
I though Joshua would eventually beat Wilder and Fury on his way to claiming the era as his own.
I think Lennox Lewis said about Joshua vs Wilder something like, 'the person you think will win might not be the person who actually wins.' I took that to mean that he was leaning towards Wilder. I still like the fight.
Syntax Error wrote: ↑25 May 2022, 11:03
Conor Benn - I thought he'd fall like a leaf in Autumn.
OK, he hasn't reached the pinnacle, but he's a lot better than I thought he'd ever be.
The jury is still out or me when it comes to Conor Benn.
It just can’t get over the fact that Benn’s last five opponents have been (on average) nine years older than himself, with most of them approaching their mid-thirties and considered past-their-primes.
His last five opponents were either on a poor run of form, weren’t natural 147lb-ers or never that good to begin with, when they entered the ring.
Conor Benn has been a pro for more than six years, but his career has progressed at a snail’s pace, especially when you consider how aggressive Matchroom were with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Carl Froch, Dillian Whyte etc.
I feel that six years is a long time and he’s been treading water for quite a while now.
According to the rumour-mill, Eddie Hearn is planning to pit Jose Ramirez against Conor Benn on the 9th July, with the American previously competing at 140lbs for his entire career and will be competing against the Brit outside of his natural habitat.
But if this fight doesn’t happen, then this will suggest that Matchroom don’t have much faith in Conor Benn.
AJ was a top amateur and so was Froch (world amateur champs bronze medallist) so it was easy to progress them quickly.
Froch was, of course, developed by Hennessy and not Matchroom
i;d say sunneh edwards, he got dropped i think in 3 earlier fights and i didnt expect his style and utter featherfistedness to carry up the levels like it has. very rare to get a top fighter who has absolutely no power, not even a hint of it
Simon Valily. Watched him win gold at the commonwealth. He had some skills, was fit, could have a row. Had cross over appeal. I thought the promoters would have liked him. His career was stop start and he took some weird fights like against Breidis when he was still a novice. Then he got taken out by Wardley at heavy (no shame in that). I genuinely thought he would turn over and be looking at domestic titles.
I remember the first time I saw Carl Froch. He kept his left arm down really low, and seemed like he was wide open to be decked by right hands, and I kept saying for the first few times I saw him fight. "This guy is gonna get knocked out brutally one of these days with that left arm down bullsh*t"
Never happened, and in fact he won more often than not
Quantrax wrote: ↑19 Dec 2022, 18:41
Ryan Garcia has done well but hasn't developed into the phenomenon I thought he would. He's had some mental health issues apparently.
He is only 24. And yes he has had some issues with his mental health.
The guy has serious potential, and real power. He made Fortuna earlier this year call no mas.
Definitely too early to call his career just yet...
I've been wrong about A bunch of so called fighters in recent times.
Why and how..? Well, Alot of them barely fight anymore.
They talk and do the trash talk gossip Alot more than they fight.
A bunch of disappointments.
I won't even make a list as I feel it's basically unnessasary and pretty self explanatory based on merely ones common sense based observations upon trying to follow boxing.
With you on Fury and Price. I watched alot of Lennox Lewis's early fights and wasn't remotely impressed until he beat Gary Mason. That's embarrassing to admit to.
Fury is a funny one. I actually made a prediction many years ago that Fury would be the guy to dethrone Wladimir Klit. This was when Fury was still fighting Euro level guys and was most famous for uppercutting himself. I claimed with his size and movement he would beat Wlad.
The boxing board I was on at the time laughed me right out of the conversation.
Carl Froch was a big surprise though. I agree with others above that he never passed the eye test. But he had many other entangibles that the eye just didn't pick up on. Toughness, grit and his desire to win made him dangerous every time out.
BJ Saunders I thought was the next Sven Ottke. I thought he was seriously that bad. I didn't believe BJ would ever get beyond Euro level and be protected his entire career.
