A decent number of British boxers at 154 that makes for a potentially great domestic scene but are any of them ever going to be able to compete successfully at World level?
Personally I don't think so - Liam Smith would go through all of them without too much fuss. I know you shouldn't put too much emphasis on triangle theories but he absolutely dismantled Eggington without getting out of first gear and in comparison Eggington gave Cheeseman all he could handle. Then you look at the Cheeseman v Fitz/Conway contests which were both close and then Fitz v Fowler. I mean could you imagine Liam Smith going 12 rounds with Brian Rose like Fowler did? No chance. I think Fitzgerald is the most gifted of the bunch but he struggles to keep his head on straight..... whilst Cheeseman and Fowler are extremely dedicated but for me don't carry the natural talent Fitzgerald does.
I think Smith is definitely the best out of the bunch, he’s more proven and I think he beats all the others. As for the rest of them, it’s unclear. They are all at quite a similar level. Fitz won a close one vs Fowler. The Cheeseman fight could have went either way. Would like to see Fowler Cheeseman next and for Fitz to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind before he fights again. Would hate to see him just in unprepared because he needs a few quid. And you know Hearn would happily oblige.
Yeah agree on Fitz. I'd preferably like to see him have 2 fights before he starts going back in with those boys........ seems he is back out next month in surely what will be a "gimme" fight then perhaps maybe put him in a local derby v Brian Rose? 2 fights back, 2 wins... hopefully his head stays on and then lets see him press on
Yep. Hearn would love to feed and unprepared Fitzgerald to Fowler. He's probably realised that Fitzgerald isn't that marketable but a fight vs Fowler would generate reasonable interest domestically.
The Rose fight makes sense. I see it being very one sided but will attract an audience. I think the key for him is staying active. Regular fights, regular training camps and less distraction. I think Hearn will try and push for Fowler v Fitz next and dangle a main event carrot at them.
Aesthetically he looks good, can certainly fight, is unbeaten, is quite the character that people can relate and buy into and he has a massive following up here around these parts so there are quite a few boxes here ticked off in his favour which help make Fitzy marketable. His best is yet to come.
Yeah I rate fitzgerald a lot,couple of little feeler fights to ease his way back in and then we will see him on top form again
It's the legal stuff. I really like the guy but it makes him a very tough sell to a mass market Sky Sports audience. You can get away with it reputationally when you're a world champ, but not someone at his level unfortunately.
I get what you're saying but to counter this, people have short memories. Plenty of boxers have had "moments" and they still successfully forged on ahead with their careers. Plus regards the legal stuff, he was eventually found to be not guilty. We need to remember this fact.
I hope so, let's see. As you know, I really like him so would love that to be the case.. just think it might be a bit late.
By the time he fights again Fitzgerald will have been out of the ring for the best part of two years. All the momentum he had built for himself in 2019 has gone, which reminds me of Kevin Mitchell after he lost to Katsidis. He went missing for 18 months before he comeback to have that great win over John Murray but a year and two fights later he was stopped by Ricky Burns and looked overmatched. Fitzgerald, due to inactivity will not be given the luxury of any easy road back, especially with the depth of the domestic 154ilb division. Like Mitchell if he comes back with a good win, he will immediately be stepped up again. I also get the feeling that he will be intentionally matched hard by Hearn, due to the fact it seems that he clearly prefers dealing with the likes of Fowler, Cheeseman and Liam Smith. It's a shame really, because Fitzgerald really looked like he was going places in 2019.
I think fitzy possibly has. 2 things he has against him tho is age and lifestyle. If we see a fitz 2.0 when he comes back and he's fully focused on his boxing career then I reckon he has a possibility of making it to world level although by the time he gets there he probably won't be around too long because of his age and experience as a pro. Cheeseman is next and he has age on his side but his defence needs addressing. I watched a second time the Metcalf fight on Tues and cheesemans has some lovely attacking skills but his defence is wanting.
