Some good points BC but...
Bobby Gunn was shite, we know that now, but he WAS ranked by the WBO and even higher by the WBC. Gurov and Bonin both crumbled in equally as quick a time and yet Haye suddenly becomes the saviour of British Boxing. At least Gunn protested and tried to come out fighting so that's one up on the aforementioned
Gurov was the European Champion at the time and Bonin was Hayes first fight at HW, Haye also wasn't defending a title when he fought Bonin. Where as Gunn had no history at all and it was being billed as World title fight. I know Gunns name is being over used, but he just represents the whole ethic of uncompetitive matches there are numerous other examples Manfredo being another prime example
Thats not a dig just at FW, because I agree with you when you say the fighters are as much to blame and they should be insisting on the top fights even if they're not getting paid what they think they're worth. Very few fighters have the fight anybody, anywhere, anytime attitude these days and their careers seem to be SOLELY based around ££££'s.
Prime example being JC chasing Jermaine Taylor round like a gun dog rather than looking for the fight that everybody was screaming for in Kessler, also when Ottke was about I don't recall JC kicking up a stink about them not getting it on, he was content with the Pudwills. He would have outboxed and outworked Ottke IMO and he should have been breaking his balls to make the fight when the 2 were head and shoulders above the rest of the division
Gunn was NOT the main event on this show and TV, I assume, paid nothing extra for it and the corwd at the venue would have come to see Calzaghe with or without Enzo on the card.
Was Manfredo much better than Gunn, not in my eyes. Virtually the whole card was an embarrassment and every boxing fan who knew a Mayweather from a Buckley was aware of this prior to the show.
To be honest the fragmented belts themselves don't annoy me its the constant mismatches they attract, if Calzaghe-Kessler-Froch-Mundine or Hatton-Castillo-PBF were contesting the WBU belts I'd be happy as Larry. Its just that the minor belts more so than the recognised belts allow a constant flow of these shite matches. When Hatton had his WBU belt he was in the hottest division in boxing, he defended his title umpteen times without being in a fight where he wasn't a 1/20 favourite.
I know every fight can't be a BIG fight, but the mismatch:competive fight ratio needs to be improved. Hopefully Khan can break the SN mould and insist on fighting the likes of Thaxton and not just look for people who are over the hill or insisting they move up from their natural weight. This is why Haye (and IMO Froch) are being hailed as the saviour of British Boxing, no other reason seperates Haye and Enzo other than Haye has taken regular risks through his 19 fight career, Enzo hasn't......til Braithwaite
