BoxRec

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

davie wrote:James Degale
Liam Smith
Kell Brook
Terry Flanagan
Lee Selby
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Lee Haskins
Jamie Mcdonnell
Anthony Crolla.
Andy Lee (according to Horse)

We maybe don't have a Calzaghe but thats an impressive list regardless of the ABC titles and strength of competition.
Imagine we added the unified heavyweight world title to the list......

How many more could we potentially add to this list in the next year or so?

How many of that list are likely to become 'the man' in their division?

My point was basically that, despite us not having anyone p4p ranked or 'the man', to have that many world title holders is impressive.

Some are good world champions some are borderline fringe type guys who are perhaps fortunate to hold a title.
But thats just boxing these days, you could say that of any nation with 5-10 world champions.
But to be leading the pack in terms of numbers is no mean feat for a nation of 60m people.
And taking into account we have a few guys lining up title shots, we could add to that number quite easily.

Fury, AJ (dare I say Haye) all potential belt holders at heavy, Khan lurking in the background, Callum Smith not a million miles away.

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

EXACLY DD

The UK is doing very well, even if some of your champions are on the softer side (see Liam Smith--could be a standout fighter but he still has much to prove and Thompson was levels below world class). I would love to have the type of boxing scene you guys have, as there's pretty much no quality boxing in Canada outside Quebec (which of course is at the other end of the country from me ).

campfire wrote:

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

EXACLY DD

It's difficult to actually pin down the best in any one division. Very few weight classes have a definitive proven no1

A case could be made for Flannigan being the top lightweight,
there's probably no one better than Degale in a weak supermiddleweight division,
Brook is regularly listed among the top names in WW,
is Mcdonnell better that Yamanaka? His 2 wins over Kameda are better than anyone else could boast at bantam.
The winner of Quigg and Frampton will be ranked no1 (although we all know Rigo is the man) could either get a win against Rigo? It's not unimaginable
Selby won't be a million miles from the top of the feather weight division.

Of course you could pick through these one by one and make a case for each of them not being no1.
But again, just having so many names in contention for the top spot is surely a position British boxing has never been in previously.
And I'd also make the case again, that no nation with 5-10 world champions will be claiming that they are all no1 in their respective weight class

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

davie wrote:James Degale
Liam Smith
Kell Brook
Terry Flanagan
Lee Selby
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Lee Haskins
Jamie Mcdonnell
Anthony Crolla.
Andy Lee (according to Horse)

We maybe don't have a Calzaghe but thats an impressive list regardless of the ABC titles and strength of competition.
Imagine we added the unified heavyweight world title to the list......

How many more could we potentially add to this list in the next year or so?

How many of that list are likely to become 'the man' in their division?

Tyson Fury

Tyson is the only British champ you can really count as no 1 in the division

Coco wrote:Tyson is the only British champ you can really count as no 1 in the division

I think most would regard Degale as no1 at SMW

davie wrote:

Coco wrote:Tyson is the only British champ you can really count as no 1 in the division

I think most would regard Degale as no1 at SMW

As I've said in another thread I fancy Jack to beat Degale but very 50/50 for me. Now Ward has gone there is no main man and its up for grabs.

As for a Heavyweight everyone agreed Wlad was the man no question before Saturdayand as Tyson Fury won he is now the man.

As a legendary wrestler once said 'To be the man you gotta beat the man WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

Naandrew wrote:

davie wrote:

Coco wrote:Tyson is the only British champ you can really count as no 1 in the division

I think most would regard Degale as no1 at SMW

As I've said in another thread I fancy Jack to beat Degale but very 50/50 for me. Now Ward has gone there is no main man and its up for grabs.

As for a Heavyweight everyone agreed Wlad was the man no question before Saturdayand as Tyson Fury won he is now the man.

As a legendary wrestler once said 'To be the man you gotta beat the man WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!

I think some on here over rate Degale if anything. But I still have him beating Jack.
I wasn't overly impressed by Jack vs Groves and if anything that win was largely down to George looking very ordinary

Abraham is a solid champion but again I think Degale has enough for him. In fact one of my biggest criticisms of Degale is his lack of work rate, so Abraham would be the perfect opponent as he'd happily give James plenty of breathers.

As you say, with Ward, Frock and Kessler gone the division is weak. But for me James is no 1.