BoxRec

I hear on the grapevine that Hunter is to vacate his european title rather than face Pickering in a rematch

That means it will be pickering and dunne for the vacant title

Shame really that hunter didnt give pickering and the public the chance he said he would after the first fight which was lets face it one of the closest and most entertaining scraps of last year

hopefully dunne fight will be interseting although cant help feeling disapointed?

What does everyone think the outcome will be all round?????

Seems strange that Hunter would just vacate , the only reason i see for vacating would be if he had a world title shot, anybody know of Hunters plans ????

Hunter may well be granted an extension regarding his European. He's hardly been inactive and the word round the campfire is he's either set for a IBF world title eliminator on November 3 or a straight shot against the Molitor - Vabaza winner at a later date. Pickering kept him waiting long enough so Esh can hardly grumble, though I agree a return would be just the job. Mickey really, really fancies the job but Matchroom want to go down a different route I think.

What an excellent fighter Molitor is, he's up against it in Africa but might just pull it off.

Then back to the UK for Hunter

I agree MW. Molitor one of the smoothest, slickest operators out there, pound-for-pound, in my opinion. Love watching him and can see him winning in South Africa if he gets a fair shake. Him and Hunter would be funny. Fury against finesse in the extreme methinks...

Yeah, Molitor is excellent operator. Very good counter punchers with good movement. I remember watching him out punch and out move Nicky Booth and thinking this wouldn't be the last we hear of this guy.

Hey Mcanuff, it has been rumoured for a while now that Hunter would vacate for the IBF but im just a tad curious where u got the info from and how reliable it is???? Purse bids for HunterVPickering were invited for submission for Sept1 so I rekoned it might have been another week or two before we get official confirmation but im hopeing its true.... Not that im a hunter fan (far from it) its just that he has been running scared of Dunne (most likely as a result of seeing his last shut-out of Martinez) and this will put Dunne in pole position to meet Pickering in Dublin.

Looks like we have a new champion in waiting (and its not pickering!)

"he has been running scared of Dunne". Do behave! We'll see who does the running when they meet. The consensus seems to be that Dunne will be too skilled, powerful and classy for Hunter. I remember them saying very simlar things about one Esham Pickering. The ONLY thing that scares Hunter is the bell for last orders when he's not in training. I know Michael well and he would fight Dunne tomorrow. It's not talk either. He more than fancies doing a job on him. Hope I can get some 5/2 with the bookies a la Pickering.

Whos Dunne beat to be a threat?

Max Molyneux wrote:Whos Dunne beat to be a threat?

Exactly, im with TheGoods, lets see what happens when it happens, you think what you guys wanna think but Michael is game as a badger i know for a fact he would fight him tomorrow (and this aint bravado either).

The 'running scared' comment was silly - I dont think anyone would believe that. (its not as though Hunter has to worry about trying to preserve his good looks is it? :) )

It would make a for a terrific fight if it comes off, which I am sure it will sooner or later..

Look lads lets call a spade a spade... Hunter done very well to beat pickering but since then he has rested on his laurels (or his mgt team are handpicking fights 4 him). I mean the 3 opponents he has faced havent been up to much and im still struggling to figure out how these guys got title shots in the first place, even his mandatory against Guartos was a joke (how the fcuk he got a shot at hunter is beyond me, he didnt even look fit!!). Since acquiring the belt he hasnt been tested, now I dont begrudge him a few paydays and i dont doubt he has a big heart but im thinking that he has limited TALENT and his workrate disguises this plain and simple fact. The Dunne V Hunter fight (if it ever happened) would be a case of class Vs guts, and class usually wins out (we have yet to see how Dunne would perform under pressure but i dont doubt he too has guts). Im certain that Hunters camp would see the Dunne fight as a very dangerous fight and one which he couldnt possibly win (as most of you agree with) and it is obvious this is why hunters camp decided to fight Pickring and not Dunne. Anyway its immaterial now because hunters camp have decided they will have more success at the IBF and good luck to them but I have my doubts. And so to Pickering V Dunne, only one winnerin my mind but I think the Hunter fight would have ben more of a spectacle as the contrasting styles would have made a right good scrap, I actually think the Hunter fight would have been an easier fight for Dunne because he would have been a sitting duck for them body shots but im still confident Dunne will win out. Come on the Paddiessss

FightingIrish wrote:Look lads lets call a spade a spade... Hunter done very well to beat pickering but since then he has rested on his laurels (or his mgt team are handpicking fights 4 him). I mean the 3 opponents he has faced havent been up to much and im still struggling to figure out how these guys got title shots in the first place, even his mandatory against Guartos was a joke (how the fcuk he got a shot at hunter is beyond me, he didnt even look fit!!). Since acquiring the belt he hasnt been tested, now I dont begrudge him a few paydays and i dont doubt he has a big heart but im thinking that he has limited TALENT and his workrate disguises this plain and simple fact. The Dunne V Hunter fight (if it ever happened) would be a case of class Vs guts, and class usually wins out (we have yet to see how Dunne would perform under pressure but i dont doubt he too has guts). Im certain that Hunters camp would see the Dunne fight as a very dangerous fight and one which he couldnt possibly win (as most of you agree with) and it is obvious this is why hunters camp decided to fight Pickring and not Dunne. Anyway its immaterial now because hunters camp have decided they will have more success at the IBF and good luck to them but I have my doubts. And so to Pickering V Dunne, only one winnerin my mind but I think the Hunter fight would have ben more of a spectacle as the contrasting styles would have made a right good scrap, I actually think the Hunter fight would have been an easier fight for Dunne because he would have been a sitting duck for them body shots but im still confident Dunne will win out. Come on the Paddiessss

Im not gonna argue cause it could go allday. Obviously Dunne is a dangerous fight... And "if" micky loses it will wont do his crack at a world title any good, but if he can fight for a title now why not get the title (which will be his dream) then fight Dunne later date or whatever... I know for a fact what Dunne would do if he was in mickys position... The same as micky...

Max Molyneux wrote:Whos Dunne beat to be a threat?

Well, they've got one opponent in common on both their records. Hunter took six rounds to get rid of Sean Hughes. Dunne took just two.

Looking at their records, Dunne's had the more impressive opponents if anything, with a few decent names from the other side of the Atlantic on his list, including a current South American champ and IBF Intercontinental champ.

I know Hunter and Neil fannon trainer are in Los Angles end of this month training so could well be he is being lined up for someone

Dara wrote:

Max Molyneux wrote:Whos Dunne beat to be a threat?

Well, they've got one opponent in common on both their records. Hunter took six rounds to get rid of Sean Hughes. Dunne took just two.

Looking at their records, Dunne's had the more impressive opponents if anything, with a few decent names from the other side of the Atlantic on his list, including a current South American champ and IBF Intercontinental champ.

Jusy cause it took him 6 it doesnt mean shit... If you wantched the fight Hunter was takin it easy, to get the rounds in. That statement doesnt mean crap.

It's always naive to try and predict a winner by a one fight form guide as we all know that syles make fights, Dunne removing Hughes 4 rounds earlier means little to me. Dunne i don't think is as good as some people think, he was highly touted in America but cam home to Ireland, didn't make the grade perhaps? This was a guy allegedly handling Mosley in the gym.

Look forward to this clash between Hunter and Dunne though, Hunter isn't running scared i wouldn't say of anyone, he comes across as a guy who relishes a challenge.

I think we are all making a massive mistake totally underestmating Pickering in all this.

Everyone is banging on about Hunter and Dunne and how they think that that will be such an exciting scrap. When it is clearly obvious to me that Pickering has the potential to not only beat but also knock out both of them.

We have been discussing the quality of opponent faced by Dunne and Hunter and its obvious to me that Pickering is clearly the most experienced of the three.

Pickering knocked out Brian Carr to win the British title and although he was faded had never been on the canvas. He also decked Hunter with ease in rounds 1 and 2 of that fantastic scrap last year. If his power was ever in doubt there is your answer!!!!!
He is also clearly a very talented and stylish boxer, that has never been under question.
He beat a man in gigliotti that was coming off a World title tilt to win the title and that itself massively outweighs the quality of opposition faced by either dunne or hunter.

Hunter got lucky beating Pickering in what was at best a ridiculously close decision, and by whats been said in the press, the worst night of pickerings life and the best of hunters. Apart from that night against pickering holds no other creditable wins to warrant a world title shot and even that win was too close to call.

I just feel sorry for pickering and dunne that they aren't going to get the chance to expose hunter for the boxer that he really is, that pleasure looks to be in the hands of steve molitor.

Macanuff wrote:I think we are all making a massive mistake totally underestmating Pickering in all this.

Everyone is banging on about Hunter and Dunne and how they think that that will be such an exciting scrap. When it is clearly obvious to me that Pickering has the potential to not only beat but also knock out both of them.

We have been discussing the quality of opponent faced by Dunne and Hunter and its obvious to me that Pickering is clearly the most experienced of the three.

Pickering knocked out Brian Carr to win the British title and although he was faded had never been on the canvas. He also decked Hunter with ease in rounds 1 and 2 of that fantastic scrap last year. If his power was ever in doubt there is your answer!!!!!
He is also clearly a very talented and stylish boxer, that has never been under question.
He beat a man in gigliotti that was coming off a World title tilt to win the title and that itself massively outweighs the quality of opposition faced by either dunne or hunter.

Hunter got lucky beating Pickering in what was at best a ridiculously close decision, and by whats been said in the press, the worst night of pickerings life and the best of hunters. Apart from that night against pickering holds no other creditable wins to warrant a world title shot and even that win was too close to call.

I just feel sorry for pickering and dunne that they aren't going to get the chance to expose hunter for the boxer that he really is, that pleasure looks to be in the hands of steve molitor.

No one is disregarding Pickering but the convo leant towards Hunter and Dunne cause thats the fight people really wanna see...

I have to agree with Mcanuff on one point and i already made it in my earlier post, Pickering would represent a much stiffer challenge to Dunne than Hunter would (but Dunne still wins out this one by a big margin), probably because I feel Dunne could totally outclass Hunter and Hunter doesnt have that many strings to his bow other than guile and guts. I also think that Hunter is a flawed champion, he got lucky against Pickering and has been defended 3 times against very poor hand picked opponents.

And steve your post "Dunne i don't think is as good as some people think, he was highly touted in America but cam home to Ireland, didn't make the grade perhaps? This was a guy allegedly handling Mosley in the gym." is completely wide of the mark and ill-informed. Dunne quit America for a number of reasons, the primary reason being that his then promoters SRL quit the promoting scene as Ray Leonard got tied up with the TV series "The Contender" so he was released as a free agent and he did what he achieved to do in the states which was to learn his trade and make a name for himself (all but one or two of his 14 pro fights in the states were televised). He always planned to come home but only when he could top the bill for pro fights here in Dublin so your comment is perhaps a tad inaccurate & ungracious seeing as he is still unbeaten and ranked in top 10 in current world listings.

And as for Hunter not running scared, he is vacating the european belt (with all the paydays that come with it) for an elimator is he not????? so he is guaranteed nothing at the end of the day and I still see this as a clear move by his management team as an easier route than coming up against Dunne regardless of any other bullsh*t mickeys mates post up here!!

At what point did Hunter "get lucky" against Pickering by the way? If anything he got unlucky walking onto those shots that put him down in the first two rounds. After that he outworked him and anyone who reckons the decsion was a gift clearly needs to stay off the crack. He'll beat Ben Dunne. 100% sure. And if he fights Esham again he'll stop him.

TheGoods wrote:He'll beat Ben Dunne. 100% sure.

How many times have you seen Dunne fight to make yourself so sure of that?

500 QUID??? HUNTER wont beat PICKERING or DUNNE!!!!!!!!

TheGoods wrote:At what point did Hunter "get lucky" against Pickering by the way? If anything he got unlucky walking onto those shots that put him down in the first two rounds. After that he outworked him and anyone who reckons the decsion was a gift clearly needs to stay off the crack. He'll beat Ben Dunne. 100% sure. And if he fights Esham again he'll stop him.

[quote="TheGoods"] He'll beat Ben Dunne. 100% sure.

Now I know you are full of sh*t, hunter is a flawed champion who hasnt defended his title against ANYONE OF ANY REAL PEDIGREE, he is 1 or 2 fights away from being found out for what he is (an average boxer) and Dunne would cut him to pieces if they ever met. Im sure I will be referencing back to this post in a few months time when Dunne is sitting on the european belt and Hunters camp are hopping up and down looking for a crack at it after coming undone with their IBF ambitions. Just because Hunter defends 3 times against "handbags" doesnt make him world class....Dunne to win everytime and I would glady put my money where my mouth is if they ever met!!!!

Right, I think I've got this sussed: All the Irish lads think a Hunter fight would be a piece of piss for Dunne. The Hartlepool massive are convinced Dunne wouldn't stand a chance. Any neutrals got a view?

I haven't seen Dunne since his return from the states, so I can't really comment. He didn't impress me massively in the fights I did see, but I'm told he's improved. As for Hunter, yes, he's got his flaws, but he's a tough, rugged bastard as well. He showed against Pickering that he can come back from an early crisis as well. If you put a gun to my head, I'd pick Hunter to win, but as I say, I haven't seen enough of Dunne recently for that to be any more than a gut feeling.