BoxRec

I was glad to read over on secondsout that Dean Francis was to return to the ring. He is only 31 and he left on such a sad note vs Barney.

BUT, very shocked to read that Francis will return at Cruiserweight. This is not just for the one fight because he might be a little bit heavy with the inactive, but he is planning to stick around this weight. He even contimplated a full time return at Heavyweight.

He is only 5 foot 10 and I haven't heard any rumours about him struggling in the past to make 12 stone. He has made 12 stone without much problem after long absences in the past. This sounds to me like a silly mistake - I hope his team know what they are doing.

I could see some sense of a move to Lightheavy, as Matthew Barney who he essentially beat with one arm is ranked in Europe there and Clinton Woods holds a solid version of the world title.

Cruiserweight - yes, there appears to be a big gap of decent world champions with Jirov and Toney at Heavyweight - but to get to that level he has got to go through some pretty mean domestic opposition.

For me, he was one of the most gifted fighters we have had in a long time, I can't help but think that he is neglecting a few of his assests, power and strength by this move up. If his arm goes again, he would take a beating at Cruiserweight.

http://www.secondsout.com/UK/news.cfm?ccs=228&cs=15979

Oh god, this is a disaster! I thought his arm was permanently wrecked? Why on earth is he coming back at this weight.

Maybe they'll strap a massive lamb chop round his bad arm so he weighs 200? That's just ridiculous he's never a cruiser.

This just sounds mental, putting a guy is a light heavyweight at best who has a serious and long term shoulder injury in with much bigger punchers and naturally bigger men just sounds inexplicable to me.

It also concerns me, why has he left the Bristol Boys gym. I am wandering/speculating that perhaps his trainers down there were not too happy with this comeback plan.

I remember reading over at secondsout a while ago that Francis' old team where going to go to the US for a second opinion on his shoulder - so obviously they did want to give his arm the benefit of the doubt, so why is he no longer there? Did the specialist not give good news?

It does sounds like though he has been relicenced (although, it doesn't actually say that in the report). Surely the medical team doing the licence would have been pretty stringent on the shoulder.

I am a big fan of Francis, who has been dealt a tough set of cards in his pro boxing career both with his arm and the rediculous sentence he recieved for helping a woman in distress. I don't want to see him getting sprawled in a couple of rounds vs a Maccrinelli - this is what I fair will happen. He is way too small. Huge mistake.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:This just sounds mental, putting a guy is a light heavyweight at best who has a serious and long term shoulder injury in with much bigger punchers and naturally bigger men just sounds inexplicable to me.

worked for james toney

Touche

Some of the modern Cruisers, at the higher 200lb limit, are gonna seem like monsters compared to fighters like Barney, a Super-Middleweight with no punch.

Surely Dean can make 175 with work....

Didn`t he struggle to make supermiddle when he first started out?

If its true he`s coming back he may just start at the 14stone mark and work himself down.
I think he was one of the better prospects that really could have done something.

tonyevs wrote:
If its true he`s coming back he may just start at the 14stone mark and work himself down.
I think he was one of the better prospects that really could have done something.

Thats what I would have liked, but the article appears to suggest that it is a planned weight.