BoxRec

Rip champ

RIP

Very sad. Superb boxer who had every punch in the book.

RIP

rip champ

tonyevs wrote: ↑25 May 2018, 10:09 Very sad news.

He was my pick of the young super middle weights coming up in the late 90`s ... he was the only one I feared could beat Calzaghe; Dean was a big tough, strong, and very talented fighter.
If he hadn`t had the shoulder injury he would 100% have won - and kept hold of - a world title.

.

Life can be so cruel!

RIP Dean Francis. Very sad day today.

^^^^^

This. Before his shoulder injury he appeared to have the makings of a truly world class boxer with world class power. He handled David Starie with ease early on. Would have been up there with calzaghe imo.

RIP Dean Francis

Francis v Oakey was British fight of the year, for me, in 2008.

I loved his comeback that led to the Oakey triumph, when he dismantled Ayittey Powers and dismissed Ovill McKenzie very early.

Before that he had a very worthy career leading up to the career changing shoulder injury. He beat down Starie with beautiful offensive skills. (That is how Calzaghe should have been expected to do the job) And the battle of attrition vs Mark Baker was a british FOTY candidate in 1998 few recall - also a fight in which he learned how to pace himself following the disappointment against Ballogou.

RIP, fighting man with fine skills.

Peak Francis vs Peak Calzaghe would have been a dandy I am sure..... at the time people were citing their amateur contest as why Calzaghe would win - but Francis was younger and that would have made a huge different to teenagers.