Next Commonwealth heavyweight title fight

[Beeston Brawler]

Originally Posted by zxcvbnm

True. Having said that, we do still have more than enough trinkets to go round.

There's all the Area belts as well as the British and International Masters titles etc.

Exactly.... so one out of the way would be great.

A lot of the ''Commonwealth champions'' that we've had are basically area level fighters at the time. Paul Truscott for example.

Those masters titles do my nut in, the sooner they're binned the better.

[zxcvbnm]

Originally Posted by Beeston Brawler

Exactly.... so one out of the way would be great.

A lot of the ''Commonwealth champions'' that we've had are basically area level fighters at the time. Paul Truscott for example.

Those masters titles do my nut in, the sooner they're binned the better.

I agree that we have too many belts, but the Commonwealth belt has history and prestige. And of course, HW is boxing's premier division so it matters more.

Truscott isn't great, I agree, but he's better than either of these two.

A more sensible option than massively devaluing the Comm belt would surely be for the CBC to exercise better quality control.

[zxcvbnm]

It gets worse. McAllister and Groves have been stripped of their respective belts to make way for obscure Ghanaians with padded records.

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Tbf it's not so bad in the lower divisions as some of the guys with padded records are actually decent (Obodai Sai being a good example).

But I don't see why the belt seems restricted to British and West African fighters and why Aussie/NZ/Canada/SA fighters never get a look in. Strange.

If we had someone like Alex Leapai holding the Comm HW belt it would at least maintain some credibility.

[Beeston Brawler]

McAllister is a bum anyway.

[zxcvbnm]

Originally Posted by Beeston Brawler

McAllister is a bum anyway.

Relative to good Euro level fighters like Shafikov, yes.
But I can't imagine him being any worse than this chap:

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And why the fuck has Groves been stripped? What's the logic behind that?
Take a title away from one of the biggest prospects in boxing and get two obscure guys to fight for it instead?
I don't see how this makes sense for the CBC from either a credibility or even a financial perspective.

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by zxcvbnm

Absolutely fucking disgraceful that a once-prestigious title with such a long, proud history has been reduced to this.

When was it ever 'prestigious'?

When it was a cup?

A Commonwealth title fights are either stepping stones for prospects, political match ups of poor fighters (normally Africans), or opportunities for a faded veteran to make a few quid at/near the end of his career.

[zxcvbnm]

Originally Posted by TBooze

When was it ever 'prestigious'?

When it was a cup?

A Commonwealth title fights are either stepping stones for future crowns, political match ups of poor fighters, or opportunities for a faded veteran to make a few quid at/near the end of his career.

It was certainly prestigious until the 1970s and until the mid 2000s it was still held by top 40 guys not far off world level.

It's been in decline since about 2007 but this is the final nail in its coffin IMO.

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by zxcvbnm

It was certainly prestigious until the 1970s and until the mid 2000s it was still held by top 40 guys not far off world level.

It's been in decline since about 2007 but this is the final nail in its coffin IMO.

No...

Some awful fighters have held the cup down the years. This era tends to have far better fighters, fighting for the crowns.

Was the golden era of the Commonwealth title

Dunn/McAlinden?
Sweet/Revill?
Korovou/Betham?
Salisbury/Bosso?
Hughes/Trotter?

[zxcvbnm]

Originally Posted by TBooze

No...

Some awful fighters have held the cup down the years. This era tends to have far better fighters, fighting for the crowns.

Was the golden era of the Commonwealth title

Dunn/McAlinden?
Sweet/Revill?
Korovou/Betham?
Salisbury/Bosso?
Hughes/Trotter?

I'd say those are exceptions. It's a less meaningful belt nowadays.
Anyway, having done a bit of Googling, looks like Boxrec have it wrong. The fight is for something called the CBC African Zonal Title, basically the CBC are now giving out area titles to fighters from different parts of the Commonwealth.

So I'm assuming Price is still the Commonwealth champion....

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by zxcvbnm

I'd say those are exceptions. It's a less meaningful belt nowadays

There are numerous other 'exceptions' too.

Remember the trash Sweet D and Horace use to fight? Benn found many a stellar African who managed to last sometimes into the... second round with him. Mo Hussein/Spider Webb; well Mr Webb nearly lasted into the second minute in that fight.

Oh for the good ol' days of the Commonwealth title.