BoxRec

I really wasn't bothered about this Saturday's fight the pay per view angle,Frankie not really being deserving of a shot etc.However Kell has a chance to make a statement Frankie other than Khan is as close a domestic rival as he has so I'm gonna buy it and watch with interest.
I fully expect Brook to demolish him inside the distance and with some venom nothing else will do.
It needs to be a total shut out and I believe it will be.
Where that leaves Frankie is?
Nowhere you could argue he is still developing and will come again but I feel unless he wins Saturday he is destined to become a gate keeper an also ran.
If he pushes Brook close he will be avoided if he gets a hiding he becomes a benchmark to get past before an assault on world honours.
Thoughts?

i see nothing more than quite a boring points win for Brook , i dont think brook is busy enough to catch Gavin with much to hurt him / stop him and will rely on single shots catching gavins head and gavin getting out the way of the follow ups , its could be a stinker and i anticipate it to be.

I think Brook will stop Gavin and pretty convincingly.

I've nothing against Gavin but the Bundu fight showed his level and if he gets beaten handily here be interesting to hear what Hearns reaction is.

ShadrachSimmo wrote:I think Brook will stop Gavin and pretty convincingly.

I've nothing against Gavin but the Bundu fight showed his level and if he gets beaten handily here be interesting to hear what Hearns reaction is.

He'll probably throw him in with Eggington and call it the battle of Brum (despite Sam being from Stourbridge in the Black Country) and make it pay per view!

In all serious though I think Frankie's being massively underated by some over this fight. Obviously Brook starts as favourite but I won't be surprised to see Gavin cause Brook problems.

Gavin has no chance against brook, different league.

If Bundu had no problem getting to Gavin then it really shouldn't be an issue for Brook. It feels like Kell is potentially on the brink of becoming the UK's next crossover star, an explosive win is needed here to keep that momentum building.

Not sure where Frankie would go from there in all honesty. You're probably right in that he'll end up being an opponent for those on the rise to world level, a decent name to have on the CV.

Ian1973 wrote:Gavin has no chance against brook, different league.

Agreed. And at present, I don't see how anyone can think otherwise. Frankie is not ready for this, his shot has come much, much too soon for him to capitalize on it.

Frankie would have been better served in going for one of the 3 World titles which Floyd has vacated.

Crease wrote:Frankie is not ready for this, his shot has come much, much too soon for him to capitalize on it.

Gavin's been a pro for 6 years & is nearly 30 - if he's not ready now, he'll never be ready.

Brook should be able to do what he likes here without worrying too much about what's coming back power wise,i don't think it will be a 2 or 3 round blow out but can see Frankie getting taken apart gradually by about the 6th round and getting stopped on his feet,i would like to see Brook blow him away though to increase the interest in a Khan fight.

Boxerbeetle wrote:Gavin's been a pro for 6 years & is nearly 30 - if he's not ready now, he'll never be ready.

It isn't a matter of time or age, it's a matter of progression. Who has Frankie actually beat to make you think he could match up against Brook? A faded Junior Witter perhaps?

Crease wrote:

Boxerbeetle wrote:Gavin's been a pro for 6 years & is nearly 30 - if he's not ready now, he'll never be ready.

It isn't a matter of time or age, it's a matter of progression. Who has Frankie actually beat to make you think he could match up against Brook? A faded Junior Witter perhaps?

I'm not disagreeing mate. Gavin's not beaten anyone to suggest he could match up against Brook & I don't think he'll be able to match up against him on the night. I was just making the general point that it's a bit late to be talking about progression given his age & the length of time he's been a pro - it's basically sink or swim time for him.

Boxerbeetle wrote:I'm not disagreeing mate. Gavin's not beaten anyone to suggest he could match up against Brook & I don't think he'll be able to match up against him on the night.

Then we agree that this is a mismatch.

Boxerbeetle wrote:I was just making the general point that it's a bit late to be talking about progression given his age & the length of time he's been a pro - it's basically sink or swim time for him.

I tend to disagree with your assessment. Taking an overview of Frankie's career he's progressed fairly well thus far, he won the British title, won it outright, won the Commonwealth title and had a couple of defenses...

But for me, his next logical step should have been fighting for the European title. In my opinion, he came unstuck against Bundu because it was too much, too fast - and he's making the same mistake this weekend.

In sport every athlete takes little steps to improve, there are no big leaps... Because they very rarely work. It's the same reason that Chris Eubank Jr lost to BJ Saunders, he wasn't ready for him.

Crease wrote:
I tend to disagree with your assessment. Taking an overview of Frankie's career he's progressed fairly well thus far, he won the British title, won it outright, won the Commonwealth title and had a couple of defenses...

But for me, his next logical step should have been fighting for the European title. In my opinion, he came unstuck against Bundu because it was too much, too fast - and he's making the same mistake this weekend.

In sport every athlete takes little steps to improve, there are no big leaps... Because they very rarely work. It's the same reason that Chris Eubank Jr lost to BJ Saunders, he wasn't ready for him.

I thought the Bundu fight was for the European title?

Gavin isnt a genuine welterweight, he could arguably still make lightweight.

Brook is a big welterweight, who in time could go up to light middle if he wanted.

Brook will be far too much for Gavin, the fight is a mismatch.

ste1983 wrote:

ShadrachSimmo wrote:I think Brook will stop Gavin and pretty convincingly.

I've nothing against Gavin but the Bundu fight showed his level and if he gets beaten handily here be interesting to hear what Hearns reaction is.

He'll probably throw him in with Eggington and call it the battle of Brum (despite Sam being from Stourbridge in the Black Country) and make it pay per view!

In all serious though I think Frankie's being massively underated by some over this fight. Obviously Brook starts as favourite but I won't be surprised to see Gavin cause Brook problems.

Lol sam doesnt like this he was born and grew up in smethwick hes only been in stourbridge with his gf for acouple of years yet is now billed from there

Crease wrote:

Boxerbeetle wrote:Gavin's been a pro for 6 years & is nearly 30 - if he's not ready now, he'll never be ready.

It isn't a matter of time or age, it's a matter of progression. Who has Frankie actually beat to make you think he could match up against Brook? A faded Junior Witter perhaps?

I agree with this. Frankie has been matched poorly. His former promoter does not have the budget to invest in decent opponents. It's happening now with Liam smith.

I hope Frankie does well but I think the difference in physical strength will be decisive. I am not sure the things that Frankie is technically good at will matter for much against somebody like brook. I think kell will dramatically beat him, and I can see Frankie dropping down to 140lbs for his comeback later this year or early next. He could and should have been handled so much better.

Boxerbeetle wrote:I thought the Bundu fight was for the European title?

It was. And we all know how that fight played out. I mean in his current state of progression he should be looking at winning that elusive European title and maybe spending a busy year fighting four/five European-level opponents, and tuning himself up for the big time. The current European Welterweight champion is the wily old Gianluca Branco - I'd favour Frankie to take him.

Then maybe a couple of European defenses against Jo Jo Dan, Selcuk Aydin & David Avanesyan.

Then, that could really bring Frankie on leaps and bounds... Rather than just using him a s a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.

Crease wrote:

Boxerbeetle wrote:I thought the Bundu fight was for the European title?

It was. And we all know how that fight played out. I mean in his current state of progression he should be looking at winning that elusive European title and maybe spending a busy year fighting four/five European-level opponents, and tuning himself up for the big time. The current European Welterweight champion is the wily old Gianluca Branco - I'd favour Frankie to take him.

Then maybe a couple of European defenses against Jo Jo Dan, Selcuk Aydin & David Avanesyan.

Then, that could really bring Frankie on leaps and bounds... Rather than just using him a s a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter.

I agree with all that but ultimately it takes investment in the fighter and I think Frankies former promoter lacked the budget to fund such development, and his current promoter is cashing in instantly by throwing him with the wolves straight away. Eddie cannot lose on this one, he has both fighters. I feel sorry for Frankie.

jonp wrote:

ste1983 wrote:

ShadrachSimmo wrote:I think Brook will stop Gavin and pretty convincingly.

I've nothing against Gavin but the Bundu fight showed his level and if he gets beaten handily here be interesting to hear what Hearns reaction is.

He'll probably throw him in with Eggington and call it the battle of Brum (despite Sam being from Stourbridge in the Black Country) and make it pay per view!

In all serious though I think Frankie's being massively underated by some over this fight. Obviously Brook starts as favourite but I won't be surprised to see Gavin cause Brook problems.

Lol sam doesnt like this he was born and grew up in smethwick hes only been in stourbridge with his gf for acouple of years yet is now billed from there

The black country seems crazy, some people are very partisan over a couple of miles - yam yams etc.

Crease wrote:he came unstuck against Bundu because it was too much, too fast

he lost to Bundu because he wasn't as good as him.

Still don't understand this bizarre line of thought that Gavin failed at X level because he 'wasn't brought along properly'. He failed at that level because he can't crack an egg, doesn't throw any punches, has no physical strength, etc. In short, isn't a top pro, never was, and never had the potential to be

He lost to Bundy because his opposition had not given him the grounding and experience to go up a level; he did well to stick it out and make it close on the cards.

Brook will KO Gavin any time he wants, miles apart.

palooka wrote:He lost to Bundy because his opposition had not given him the grounding and experience to go up a level; he did well to stick it out and make it close on the cards.

X2.

Wow.

Guys, I truly believe James Hare should have made it to the big time, but it's such a shame he 'wasn't ready' to be put in with Cosme Rivera...

Riddick Blowe wrote:he lost to Bundu because he wasn't as good as him.

And do you still hold to that? If Gavin fought Bundu today, would you be expecting the same outcome?

Riddick Blowe wrote:Still don't understand this bizarre line of thought that Gavin failed at X level because he 'wasn't brought along properly'. He failed at that level because he can't crack an egg, doesn't throw any punches, has no physical strength, etc. In short, isn't a top pro, never was, and never had the potential to be

You are going overboard in your criticism of Frankie. He does have some pedigree, his achievements in the amateurs should count for something, not to mention his impressive achievements before he bumped in to Bundu.

And just because Frankie might lose badly this weekend doesn't enforce your views that Frankie is a bum.