candyslim wrote: ↑29 Dec 2017, 10:00
Sergey Kuzmin, 11 - 0 – 1
At 30 this promising fighter seems to be ready to step up. It’s a shame about the ending of the Amir Mansour fight, I had really been looking forward to that.
Trevor Bryan, 19 – 0
Is this guy serious or what?. A year or so ago he and Jarrell Miller were neck and neck in terms of potential, experience, world ranking. Now Miller has left him eating dust. Two fights in 2017 against Sandy Soto and Francois Russell – combined record 4 wins and 44 defeats says it all
Otto Wallin, 11 – 0
Has overtaken Adrian Granat as Sweden’s number one heavy prospect more a result of Granat being exposed by Dimitrenko rather than anything Wallin has done. Wallin is big, is a reasonable boxer, but appears to have little power. I don’t expect him to progress beyond European level.
Zhilei Zhang, 18 – 0
Might not be the best heavy in China. Might not even be the best heavy in China called Zhang, but that’s not to say he isn’t decent. Former Olympian who has been flattening some respectable journeymen but at 34 he needs to make a move now if he’s going to.
Gerald Washington, 18 – 2
Decent boxer but lacks the mental fortitude to really succeed. I can’t see him getting any further.
Tom Schwarz, 19 – 0
Young German has time on his side but hasn’t done much yet. I’d like to see him fight compatriot Michael Wallisch to determine Germany’s top prospect (Kabayel no longer considered a prospect as European champion)
Kyotaro Fujimoto, 18 – 1
I don’t rate this guy at all I’m afraid. Maybe I shouldn’t hold the Haumono loss against him, it was a long time ago but it’s hard to shake those memories of him as someone quick and mobile but lacking in physical presence.
Bogdan Dinu, 18 – 0
He has some respectable journeymen on his record and looks pretty impressive but at 31 he needs to start fighting tougher opposition if he is going to make any kind of international impact in the sport.
Simon Kean, 12 – 0
I like the look of Simon Kean. He was a good amateur and is progressing nicely. Next up is Solomon Haumono. He’s 28 now so he can afford to gradually raise the level of his opponents.
Michal Cieslak, 15 – 0
A cruiser up until this year. He seems decent enough but couldn’t stop Ivica Bacurin which the top heavyweights generally manage to do. I can’t see him progressing beyond Euro level.
LaRon Mitchell, 16 – 0
I think this guy is serious about his career … as a schoolteacher. Boxing? … not so much.
Alexander Ustinov, 34 – 2
Always overrated in my opinion and he’s not getting any better or any younger. I don’t expect to hear much about him in the future.
Junior Fa, 13 – 0
Won twice lost twice against Joe Parker as an amateur. Huge man who has decent boxing skills and good power but has turned in some lacklustre performances this year until destroying 9 and 1 Fred Latham Jnr. I think Daniel Tai is a damn good journeyman but even so a majority decision over him was pretty disappointing by Fa. He remains one of my top prospects though.
Jermaine Franklin, 15 – 0
Only 24 and with good amateur experience this guy could have a good pro future. My only worry for him is that 6’ 2” is short for a heavy these days and he doesn’t have the style that can turn that lack of stature to his advantage.
BJ Flores, 34 – 3
In a word ... “Shite”.
Miljan Rovcanin, 18 -0 -1
A split decision draw over Dimitrenko should have been a win had he not suffered two points deducted to Dimi’s one. That result shows he is no mug and at 24 he has time to get a lot better.
Senad Gashi, 15 – 0
Seems content to beat up fighters of very limited ability. At 27 he has time on his side but I don’t really expect this to change.
Onoriode Ehwarieme, 16 – 0
Definitely one of the best heavies on the African continent. Has early knockouts over Emilio Zarate and Sebastian Ceballos which suggests he has some potential but he’s 30 now so needs to be increasing the level of his opposition each time out.
Michael Wallisch, 18 - 0
At 32 he needs to be fighting tougher opponents now.
Herve Hubeaux, 29 – 2
Lost Euro title to Kabayel. He’s young but I can’t see him progressing much further.
Jean Pierre Augustin, 17 - 0 – 1
I’ve watched him in one of his fights against Solomon Maye. I wasn’t impressed but that was a long time ago. His last opponent was 10 and 0 and he stopped him in 4 which suggests he might have improved since then.
Justin Jones, 21 - 0 – 2
He’s been a pro for 10 years at a respectable level but don’t expect him to start pulling up trees.
Matteo Modugno, 20 – 0
Another who seems content to treat his career like it’s a way to keep fit and pay a few bills. I’m sure he could have progressed a lot further if he was motivated but I think it’s not going to happen now.
Yakup Saglam 40 – 4
He has come up short any time he has tried to step up. He’s forty now so won’t be getting any better.
Who would I add to the list?
Obviously Hrgovic, Yoka, Dychko, Joyce, Dubois, Srirenko are excellent prospects but the fewest number of fights on the OP’s list is eleven so I won’t include any of these.
Oleksandr Teslenko 11 – 0
He’s on his way to the top, maybe not the very top but we’ll see.
Zhang Jun Long 19 – 0
Well if you’re going to include Zhang Zhilei, this guy is rated by some on here despite being an inexperienced callow youth of 36. Beat an over-the-hill formed cruiser champ last time out which I guess has to count for something.
Oscar Rivas 22 – 0
Former top amateur who has plenty of talent but dodgy peepers. Presently domiciled in Canada presumably where it’s easier to get licensed.
Izuagbe Ugonoh 17 – 1
That KO defeat against Breazeale almost went the other way. Izu may have stamina issues but I wouldn’t write him off on the basis of one defeat against that tough s.o.b.
Actually I’ll stop there because now we’re getting into the prospects so I’ll just throw in a casual mention to a few who don’t yet meet the criteria but show good potential … Rostislav Plechko, Marcin Siwy, Ezren Rrustemi, Nathan Gorman, Mladen Miljas, Martin Bakole Ilunga, Demsey McKean, Cassius Chaney, Bogdan Zsolt, Umut Camkiran, George Arias II, Tyrone Spong, Raphael Tronche, Darmani Rock, Nick Webb, Stephan Shaw, Efe Ajagba, Willis Meehan, Conn Sheehan … and so on and so forth.
