Eamonn Magee believes that claiming the WBU welterweight title on Saturday night will put him back in the frame for a rematch with Ricky Hatton.
Magee takes on Jimmy Vincent in Cardiff for the vacant WBU belt, but his long-term aim is another showdown with light-welterweight champion Hatton.
Magee said of Hatton: "I'm the only man to put him on the floor and I nearly had him away.
"I would love a return but I'm not sure he does," added Magee, who stepped in to face Birmingham's Vincent after fellow Belfast fighter Neil Sinclair pulled out.
"I can still do light-welter, but the chance was there to make some money and get back in the title picture, so I didn't hesitate when it was offered.
"I don't know a lot about Vincent but watching him on video tape he is a strong, very fit fighter and he should be British champion.
"He got robbed in his fight with David Barnes.
"But he's wide open as he comes forward and my extra class should be the difference. He's very easy to hit."
Vincent controversially lost to Barnes for the vacant British title in the summer when most observers thought he was a clear winner.
Vincent said: "I thought I did enough to beat Barnes but the referee didn't give me it. Now I have another chance to prove myself."
Magee still wants his pension
Re: Magee still wants his pension
bennie wrote:Eamonn Magee believes that claiming the WBU welterweight title on Saturday night will put him back in the frame for a rematch with Ricky Hatton.
Magee takes on Jimmy Vincent in Cardiff for the vacant WBU belt, but his long-term aim is another showdown with light-welterweight champion Hatton.
Magee said of Hatton: "I'm the only man to put him on the floor and I nearly had him away.
"I would love a return but I'm not sure he does," added Magee, who stepped in to face Birmingham's Vincent after fellow Belfast fighter Neil Sinclair pulled out.
"I can still do light-welter, but the chance was there to make some money and get back in the title picture, so I didn't hesitate when it was offered.
"I don't know a lot about Vincent but watching him on video tape he is a strong, very fit fighter and he should be British champion.
"He got robbed in his fight with David Barnes.
"But he's wide open as he comes forward and my extra class should be the difference. He's very easy to hit."
Vincent controversially lost to Barnes for the vacant British title in the summer when most observers thought he was a clear winner.
Vincent said: "I thought I did enough to beat Barnes but the referee didn't give me it. Now I have another chance to prove myself."
nice honesty by both fighters...
Good piece Bennie, if Magee still has any world title aspirations - and he should he is good enough. Then he should stick to this new weight (if successful) the depth of talent (on a world scene) in this devision is limited. The likes of Thomas Damngard are very beatable, for someone of Magee's talent, yet hold a lofty position in the rankings.
At least this fight gives him the option.
At least this fight gives him the option.
Vincent sold his soul, by accepting the generous purse for this fight for a crap title.
He should have righted the wrong, and took the board ordered rematch with Barnes and corrected the worst of the worst injustices in 2003.
Magee will win easily in my view, and Vincent will be left in the doldrums again.
Shame.
He should have righted the wrong, and took the board ordered rematch with Barnes and corrected the worst of the worst injustices in 2003.
Magee will win easily in my view, and Vincent will be left in the doldrums again.
Shame.
Agree with everything you say about the belt. This fight doesn't need a belt like that. But Jimmy will still be Barnes's mandatory challenger win or lose on Saturday. He's in a good position for once in his career.Kieran wrote:Vincent sold his soul, by accepting the generous purse for this fight for a crap title.
He should have righted the wrong, and took the board ordered rematch with Barnes and corrected the worst of the worst injustices in 2003.
Magee will win easily in my view, and Vincent will be left in the doldrums again.
Shame.
Also, bearing in mind the amount of loses he has already suffered in his career, I feel a loss at this stage still simply won't stunt the public interest in him as it would for other fighters. For this reason, I am hopeful he'll stay in the mix long enough to earn some good money.bennie wrote:Agree with everything you say about the belt. This fight doesn't need a belt like that. But Jimmy will still be Barnes's mandatory challenger win or lose on Saturday. He's in a good position for once in his career.Kieran wrote:Vincent sold his soul, by accepting the generous purse for this fight for a crap title.
He should have righted the wrong, and took the board ordered rematch with Barnes and corrected the worst of the worst injustices in 2003.
Magee will win easily in my view, and Vincent will be left in the doldrums again.
Shame.
Eamonn Magee gets a surprise 'world' title shot when he takes on Birmingham veteran Jimmy Vincent in a mouthwatering clash of hard men at Cardiff on Saturday for the vacant WBU welterweight title (though, frankly, for a fight involving these two, it doesn't need such a spurious billing).
Southpaw Magee, with only one outing this year, gladly stepped in for fellow Belfast man, Neil Sinclair, who withdrew two weeks ago with flu (though he was also known to be unhappy with the fight being moved forward a week).
Linked recently to a big domestic light-welterweight showdown with Junior Witter (before Witter secured a WBO interim title shot with Kelson Pinto next week in Manchester), Magee has never campaigned at welterweight as a pro, but boxed as an amateur there in the 1990 world cup in Dublin (losing a good fight to Robert McCracken on points). He's always been considered a big light-welter anyway. "Eamonn's just turned 32 and it's not getting any easier for him to make the weight," said elder brother and former Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion, Noel. "He's been at light-welter his entire career and as you get older it gets tougher and tougher to make the weight.
"As a light-heavy I was fine, I could generally eat what I wanted, but Eamonn has to watch every little thing and can only pick at his food. The dedication Eamonn has shown for recent fights has been amazing."
Magee's manager, Mike Callahan added: ''The move up to welter will not be a problem. He is naturally very strong, a very hard puncher and I'm totally confident that the extra seven pounds will be an advantage rather than a disadvantage."
And, make no mistake, if Magee brings his power and strength up to welter with him he could prove a real threat on Saturday night. Currently 24-4 (16), the Ulsterman holds two fifth round wins over the normally impervious Alan Bosworth, an impressive six-round stoppage of Jon Thaxton (who gave Ricky Hatton arguably his toughest fight to date), ended the career of ex-amateur star Allan Hall in seven rounds, was credited with a knockdown over Oktay Urkal in his last fight for the European title (Urkal gave undisputed champion Kostya Tszyu all the trouble he could handle in their 2001 'world' title battle), used his brutal southpaw right uppercut to destroy the perenially underrated Paul Burke for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title, and definitely hit harder than Ricky Hatton, nicknamed "The Hit Man", in their WBU title clash last year in Manchester.
Hatton climbed off the floor and turned boxer to win on points.
But there's a downside to his power. Nicknamed "The Terminator", Magee puts so much into every shot he often neglects his boxing and his workrate can also suffer. He essentially blew the Hatton fight through sheer lack of workrate, and nearly did likewise against Shea Neary in a Commonwealth title defence in Belfast in November 2000. Eamonn began brightly in that one, and finished well to nick the verdict, but did very little for much of the middle fight.
He wasn't so lucky in the first fight he had with the cute Burke. He allowed himself to be sneaked out of it on a close, disputed decision.
His opponent, Jimmy Vincent, knows all about disputed decisions of course. As a former 'opponent' on the domestic circuit, he came out on the short end of many a tight decision - and not even tight in some cases. He lost out to David Barnes for the vacant British welterweight title in his last fight in July - the victim of a narrow and highly-contentious decision from referee John Keane (115-114).
"I think Jimmy deserved the victory," said ex-champion Neil Sinclair, originally scheduled to meet Vincent of course.
"He was just a journeyman and then he dropped down to welterweight and suddenly started winning. I've seen his last two fights and he looked pretty good to me."
Magee's trainer, ex-pro John Breen, added: "Vincent has really turned his career around and in my mind is the uncrowned British champion because he was robbed against David Barnes." The Barnes title fight was competitive, but Vincent dominated the early rounds, pushed his young opponent back continually and looked on the verge of stopping him in the eighth. Barnes rallied in the ninth, and put in a decent finish, but the Birmingham warrior still looked to have done more than enough. The Board agreed. They ordered a quick rematch, though Jimmy stepped aside (for no little compensation) to allow Barnes to recover from a hand injury he suffered in the fight and to make a voluntary defence against the Scot Kevin McIntyre next week on the big Manchester show topped by Hatton-Tackie. The abortive Sinclair showdown was another reason of course, a man Jimmy believes he has the beating of and who he had hoped to challenge for the British title, but, after winning a Lonsdale Belt outright, the Northern Irishman relinquished, and Vincent and Barnes contested the vacant crown.
Vincent remains the mandatory challenger to Barnes.
Still, 34-year-old Jimmy finds himself in a win-win position here. He's challenging for a 'world' title and, if unsuccessful, can go back to challenging for the British title. It's a position he deserves after the heartbreaking loss to Barnes and after a 16-year career that has seen him take on all-comers, mostly in their own backyards and mostly conceding a lot of weight. But he was always too good for the role of 'opponent' and proved it when he left Nobby Nobbs to work with Pat Cowdell and captured the vacant British Masters light-middleweight title with a fine win over Jason Williams in 2001 (pts 10). Vincent continued to win and Cowdell continued to crack the whip in training, bringing Vincent down to welterweight, where his man turned in his best performance to date in a British title eliminator against David Walker in December 2002, wearing down and stopping the previously unbeaten Sidcup hope in eight stirring rounds at Dagenham.
At the same venue a fight later, he thought he had licked another unbeaten prospect in Barnes for the vacant British title, but it wasn't to be. It was a decision that triggered off the old debate as to whether the referee as sole arbiter in this country is now antiquated.
One thing isn't in dispute: Vincent's cultured aggression should blend superbly with the hard-hitting - and cagey - style of Magee, who looked back to his best against Urkal last time out in June, despite conceding the verdict. Urkal, after all, is ranked in the top five by all the big governing bodies and challenges Vivian Harris for the WBA title next month in Berlin. Eamonn will certainly have the edge in speed and skill over his naturally bigger opponent (Vincent has boxed as high as middleweight). At his best, the Belfast man bides his time behind a sharp right jab before unloading in quick, dangerous bursts. His speed, elusiveness and canny boxing are real keys to victory. For all his power, it will take one helluva of a shot to unhinge the tough gypsy in front of him, a man who has been in with the likes of Wayne Alexander, Cornelius Carr and Geoff McCreesh.
Jimmy's greater natural strength and workrate could reap real dividends in his pursuit of victory. It will help him that he went 12 hard rounds with another southpaw Barnes last time out. If he can outbusy Magee, keep him quiet and preoccupied with defence, as he did Barnes, then he could walk away with it. If Magee loads up as he did against Hatton all night, Jimmy will walk away with it.
Conversely, it could turn into a war.
Magee is a man who taunted and teased Ricky Hatton in front of 18,000 pro-Hatton supporters - and floored for the first time in his career. He's hardly one to be intimidated. Vincent, too, showed his mettle in that crucial British title eliminator with the previously unbeaten David Walker last year. The fighter's manager and promoter, Mick Hennessy, lined up Walker with all the other fighters of his 'Real Class of 2002' in the ring before the fight. "They won't help you when that bell rings," sneered Walker to himself. And he was right.
So both Magee and Vincent revel in a 'hard man' persona and may look to outmuscle - outman - each other on Saturday. Both are good punchers with good chins. Both are dangermen, who have largely been avoided of late. Both are never in a bad fight. To say this is a coming together of warriors is an understatement.
Despite the late notice he received for this fight, Eamonn had been anticipating a fight on the big Manchester bill next week (there was talk of a vacant British title fight for Magee, given Junior Witter's interim WBO title shot against Kelson Pinto on the same bill), so ought to be in good shape. "His power and all-round ability will be good enough," reckons manager Callahan of the Vincent showdown, before adding: "Eamonn's a high profile fighter and deserves this opportunity."
But his man's reputation won't count for a jot when the first bell rings. Vincent has knocked off a few big names before and is bound to be totally motivated for this 'world' title shot. Four fights ago, he was defending his British masters light-middleweight title against Watford's Ojay Abrahams. Magee, on the other hand, has already enjoyed a WBU title crack.
But the real issue in deciding the outcome of this fight in my opinion, is weight. Vincent is well adjusted to the 10st 7lbs division now. Magee certainly isn't. Indeed, the Northern Irishman, who has never been stopped, may be shocked at the greater natural strength of his opponent and could find himself under real pressure as the fight goes onto the middle and later rounds. Remember Vincent has boxed at light-middleweight much of his career.
Cuts may also be an issue. The pale-skinned Northern Irishman was badly cut in the opening round of his fight with Urkal in the summer, but Mick Williamson did a brilliant job in controlling it. But Vincent's walk-forward style could lead to head clashes and more cuts.
Either way, I feel Vincent is going to pull through on Saturday night. I can see him riding out the early, bristling exhchanges, and gradually building up a points lead with effective head and body attacks. The Brummie showed in the Barnes fight he is no brawler. His hooks and uppercuts are delivered crisply and accurately, and he doubles up to head and body. Magee will have his moments. His hand speed will make Jimmy look slow on occasion and draw oohs and aahs from the big crowd. But at the end of the day, the steady pressure of the unsung Vincent will take him to a points win.
Southpaw Magee, with only one outing this year, gladly stepped in for fellow Belfast man, Neil Sinclair, who withdrew two weeks ago with flu (though he was also known to be unhappy with the fight being moved forward a week).
Linked recently to a big domestic light-welterweight showdown with Junior Witter (before Witter secured a WBO interim title shot with Kelson Pinto next week in Manchester), Magee has never campaigned at welterweight as a pro, but boxed as an amateur there in the 1990 world cup in Dublin (losing a good fight to Robert McCracken on points). He's always been considered a big light-welter anyway. "Eamonn's just turned 32 and it's not getting any easier for him to make the weight," said elder brother and former Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion, Noel. "He's been at light-welter his entire career and as you get older it gets tougher and tougher to make the weight.
"As a light-heavy I was fine, I could generally eat what I wanted, but Eamonn has to watch every little thing and can only pick at his food. The dedication Eamonn has shown for recent fights has been amazing."
Magee's manager, Mike Callahan added: ''The move up to welter will not be a problem. He is naturally very strong, a very hard puncher and I'm totally confident that the extra seven pounds will be an advantage rather than a disadvantage."
And, make no mistake, if Magee brings his power and strength up to welter with him he could prove a real threat on Saturday night. Currently 24-4 (16), the Ulsterman holds two fifth round wins over the normally impervious Alan Bosworth, an impressive six-round stoppage of Jon Thaxton (who gave Ricky Hatton arguably his toughest fight to date), ended the career of ex-amateur star Allan Hall in seven rounds, was credited with a knockdown over Oktay Urkal in his last fight for the European title (Urkal gave undisputed champion Kostya Tszyu all the trouble he could handle in their 2001 'world' title battle), used his brutal southpaw right uppercut to destroy the perenially underrated Paul Burke for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title, and definitely hit harder than Ricky Hatton, nicknamed "The Hit Man", in their WBU title clash last year in Manchester.
Hatton climbed off the floor and turned boxer to win on points.
But there's a downside to his power. Nicknamed "The Terminator", Magee puts so much into every shot he often neglects his boxing and his workrate can also suffer. He essentially blew the Hatton fight through sheer lack of workrate, and nearly did likewise against Shea Neary in a Commonwealth title defence in Belfast in November 2000. Eamonn began brightly in that one, and finished well to nick the verdict, but did very little for much of the middle fight.
He wasn't so lucky in the first fight he had with the cute Burke. He allowed himself to be sneaked out of it on a close, disputed decision.
His opponent, Jimmy Vincent, knows all about disputed decisions of course. As a former 'opponent' on the domestic circuit, he came out on the short end of many a tight decision - and not even tight in some cases. He lost out to David Barnes for the vacant British welterweight title in his last fight in July - the victim of a narrow and highly-contentious decision from referee John Keane (115-114).
"I think Jimmy deserved the victory," said ex-champion Neil Sinclair, originally scheduled to meet Vincent of course.
"He was just a journeyman and then he dropped down to welterweight and suddenly started winning. I've seen his last two fights and he looked pretty good to me."
Magee's trainer, ex-pro John Breen, added: "Vincent has really turned his career around and in my mind is the uncrowned British champion because he was robbed against David Barnes." The Barnes title fight was competitive, but Vincent dominated the early rounds, pushed his young opponent back continually and looked on the verge of stopping him in the eighth. Barnes rallied in the ninth, and put in a decent finish, but the Birmingham warrior still looked to have done more than enough. The Board agreed. They ordered a quick rematch, though Jimmy stepped aside (for no little compensation) to allow Barnes to recover from a hand injury he suffered in the fight and to make a voluntary defence against the Scot Kevin McIntyre next week on the big Manchester show topped by Hatton-Tackie. The abortive Sinclair showdown was another reason of course, a man Jimmy believes he has the beating of and who he had hoped to challenge for the British title, but, after winning a Lonsdale Belt outright, the Northern Irishman relinquished, and Vincent and Barnes contested the vacant crown.
Vincent remains the mandatory challenger to Barnes.
Still, 34-year-old Jimmy finds himself in a win-win position here. He's challenging for a 'world' title and, if unsuccessful, can go back to challenging for the British title. It's a position he deserves after the heartbreaking loss to Barnes and after a 16-year career that has seen him take on all-comers, mostly in their own backyards and mostly conceding a lot of weight. But he was always too good for the role of 'opponent' and proved it when he left Nobby Nobbs to work with Pat Cowdell and captured the vacant British Masters light-middleweight title with a fine win over Jason Williams in 2001 (pts 10). Vincent continued to win and Cowdell continued to crack the whip in training, bringing Vincent down to welterweight, where his man turned in his best performance to date in a British title eliminator against David Walker in December 2002, wearing down and stopping the previously unbeaten Sidcup hope in eight stirring rounds at Dagenham.
At the same venue a fight later, he thought he had licked another unbeaten prospect in Barnes for the vacant British title, but it wasn't to be. It was a decision that triggered off the old debate as to whether the referee as sole arbiter in this country is now antiquated.
One thing isn't in dispute: Vincent's cultured aggression should blend superbly with the hard-hitting - and cagey - style of Magee, who looked back to his best against Urkal last time out in June, despite conceding the verdict. Urkal, after all, is ranked in the top five by all the big governing bodies and challenges Vivian Harris for the WBA title next month in Berlin. Eamonn will certainly have the edge in speed and skill over his naturally bigger opponent (Vincent has boxed as high as middleweight). At his best, the Belfast man bides his time behind a sharp right jab before unloading in quick, dangerous bursts. His speed, elusiveness and canny boxing are real keys to victory. For all his power, it will take one helluva of a shot to unhinge the tough gypsy in front of him, a man who has been in with the likes of Wayne Alexander, Cornelius Carr and Geoff McCreesh.
Jimmy's greater natural strength and workrate could reap real dividends in his pursuit of victory. It will help him that he went 12 hard rounds with another southpaw Barnes last time out. If he can outbusy Magee, keep him quiet and preoccupied with defence, as he did Barnes, then he could walk away with it. If Magee loads up as he did against Hatton all night, Jimmy will walk away with it.
Conversely, it could turn into a war.
Magee is a man who taunted and teased Ricky Hatton in front of 18,000 pro-Hatton supporters - and floored for the first time in his career. He's hardly one to be intimidated. Vincent, too, showed his mettle in that crucial British title eliminator with the previously unbeaten David Walker last year. The fighter's manager and promoter, Mick Hennessy, lined up Walker with all the other fighters of his 'Real Class of 2002' in the ring before the fight. "They won't help you when that bell rings," sneered Walker to himself. And he was right.
So both Magee and Vincent revel in a 'hard man' persona and may look to outmuscle - outman - each other on Saturday. Both are good punchers with good chins. Both are dangermen, who have largely been avoided of late. Both are never in a bad fight. To say this is a coming together of warriors is an understatement.
Despite the late notice he received for this fight, Eamonn had been anticipating a fight on the big Manchester bill next week (there was talk of a vacant British title fight for Magee, given Junior Witter's interim WBO title shot against Kelson Pinto on the same bill), so ought to be in good shape. "His power and all-round ability will be good enough," reckons manager Callahan of the Vincent showdown, before adding: "Eamonn's a high profile fighter and deserves this opportunity."
But his man's reputation won't count for a jot when the first bell rings. Vincent has knocked off a few big names before and is bound to be totally motivated for this 'world' title shot. Four fights ago, he was defending his British masters light-middleweight title against Watford's Ojay Abrahams. Magee, on the other hand, has already enjoyed a WBU title crack.
But the real issue in deciding the outcome of this fight in my opinion, is weight. Vincent is well adjusted to the 10st 7lbs division now. Magee certainly isn't. Indeed, the Northern Irishman, who has never been stopped, may be shocked at the greater natural strength of his opponent and could find himself under real pressure as the fight goes onto the middle and later rounds. Remember Vincent has boxed at light-middleweight much of his career.
Cuts may also be an issue. The pale-skinned Northern Irishman was badly cut in the opening round of his fight with Urkal in the summer, but Mick Williamson did a brilliant job in controlling it. But Vincent's walk-forward style could lead to head clashes and more cuts.
Either way, I feel Vincent is going to pull through on Saturday night. I can see him riding out the early, bristling exhchanges, and gradually building up a points lead with effective head and body attacks. The Brummie showed in the Barnes fight he is no brawler. His hooks and uppercuts are delivered crisply and accurately, and he doubles up to head and body. Magee will have his moments. His hand speed will make Jimmy look slow on occasion and draw oohs and aahs from the big crowd. But at the end of the day, the steady pressure of the unsung Vincent will take him to a points win.
Last edited by bennie on 04 Dec 2003, 12:41, edited 1 time in total.
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thepocketrocket
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 3283
- Joined: 16 Jan 2003, 06:26
Magee for me, but it might be closer than it should be (Magee can be lazy).
Vincent will win a few rounds on workrate alone.
Magee MD.
Looking forward to this one mind! With Hatton vs Tackie and Witter vs Pinto this is a good month to see how far some of more talented fighters can go.
I have said before, and again I do mean this with sincerity when I say....
Well done Sports Network on these fights.
Vincent will win a few rounds on workrate alone.
Magee MD.
Looking forward to this one mind! With Hatton vs Tackie and Witter vs Pinto this is a good month to see how far some of more talented fighters can go.
I have said before, and again I do mean this with sincerity when I say....
Well done Sports Network on these fights.
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TerribleTerry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 5272
- Joined: 29 Aug 2003, 12:30
Positive. The Board have ordered the rematch, but Warren wanted Barnes to have a less demanding fight first. Jimmy agreed to step aside and was rewarded with compensation.Kieran wrote:Bennie,
Are you absolutely sure Vincent keeps his mandatory position ?
That's not my understanding.
By taking this pay day, I understand he relinquished that, and being honest,Frank is not going to expose Barnes to Vincent, now he has an excuse not to.
allegedly said on his website when the Barnes-McIntyre fight was announced two or three weeks back: "David will have at least one fight before taking on Jimmy again," so presumably the McIntyre fight precedes a Vincent rematch (if Vincent loses to Magee of course).
"If they meet then I think David will stop Vincent," continued Warren.
"Jimmy won't be that good again, and I think David will have learned a lot - and improved - after that fight."