Are we too hard on British fighters?

Chris the fighter · Post by **Chris the fighter** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:55

Is it a case that we want them to do well too much or is it the British sports fans who always play down their teams chances. To be honset I think the only great British fighter was Lennox in the last ten years though Hamed was very very close. Can any current fighter match them?

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:57

In a word. No.

Chris the fighter · Post by **Chris the fighter** » 11 Jun 2004, 11:58

Short and to the point
Thanks

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 11 Jun 2004, 12:06

Chris the fighter wrote:Is it a case that we want them to do well too much or is it the British sports fans who always play down their teams chances. To be honset I think the only great British fighter was Lennox in the last ten years though Hamed was very very close. Can any current fighter match them?

Good question. We are hard on our fighters but I think it's a case of: if we don't nag we don't care. As you mention, British sports fans moan in general; it's just our way. As for the best current fighters. I'm still a great believer in titles making the man. European titles count for more than the WBU and even the WBO in my opinion. Thus Junior Witter and even Howard "Where the hell are you?" Eastman are up there. Ricky Hatton is beginning to see the light. Craig Docherty challenges for the European title shortly: he could be a dark horse.
Such a shame Joe Calzaghe pulled out of his genuine title shot with Glen Johnson. He needs to win a proper title to establish himself in my opinion.

DIRT SUGAR · Post by **DIRT SUGAR** » 11 Jun 2004, 12:07

Calzaghe and Hatton could if the requisite people could produce the goods and get them real world-class opposition. Calzaghe winning the IBF light-heavy title would have been a good start and Hatton v Sharmba Mitchell would have been good too, but we know the chances of that...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 11 Jun 2004, 12:14

I should have added Esham Pickering and Nicky Cook to the list of current European champions from this country.

AlexY2K4 · Post by **AlexY2K4** » 11 Jun 2004, 13:27

Not at all! We used to have a wonderful tradition of fighters. In fact, we have many very talented fighters whom of which are potentially world class.

It's all about management, and call me harsh if you want, but I think the cancer of British boxing is the Evil allegedly and his Sports Network. These ridiculous WBU, WBO, IBO, WBF titles don't help either.

I am a firm believer of the old fashioned British, Commonwealth, European then world title route.

kevo · Post by **kevo** » 11 Jun 2004, 13:30

AlexY2K4 wrote: I am a firm believer of the old fashioned British, Commonwealth, European then world title route.

Most serios fans are, but when a boxer sees he can fill arenas defending one of these tin-foil titles, they often neglect this route.

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 11 Jun 2004, 13:46

Ha ha, you said "hard-on." ;)

The Devil In Roy Jones · Post by **The Devil In Roy Jones** » 11 Jun 2004, 14:48

I don't think we are too hard. Boxing is meant to be a competitve sport. The matchups we have been paying to see, or paying Sky subscription for, during the past several years, have been for the most part uncompetitive affairs for fringe world titles like the WBO.

If you use a search engine and look up articles from 2-3 years ago and beyond, you will find the same mantra about 'setting up a real title fight later in the year' or how 'next year will be so and so's year', etc. I remember really believing this shit about 3 years ago, then started to have doubts about 2 years ago (I think). Either way, I, and I'm sure many other boxing fans, feel we have been conned/ fleeced by a business plan that has been in effect all along.

Like someone mentioned earlier in this thread, the upper body of British Boxing is not dead; the world talent is there. It has a large, poisonous tumour hindering it though, that needs to be lanced off.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 11 Jun 2004, 17:00

We are somewhat hard in some respects, although in most cases we are right to be hard. I believe we have some talented fighters, alot would get exposed at elite level (like the light middles of a few years ago). However, given the facilities and the training techniques here compared to elite americans we shouldn't be expected to win (although, if they were that determined they would travel and get the best attention). I mean, Oscar De La Hoya takes some 14 different types of vitamins every day for various aspects of his traning and also takes tablets as a prevention for Brain damage / dimensia. Some of our trainers still encourage their charges to spit the water out in between rounds, the coaches should encourage them to drink it if they knew anything on Sport Science.

We are to leniant though in other aspects, for example people are shouting from the roof tops for Evander Holyfield to retire, don't here that about Julius Francis.

Are we too hard on British fighters?

Are we too hard on British fighters?

Re: Are we too hard on British fighters?