Duddy will probably be the 1st to get get a shot either at 154 or 160.Arum wants him to face Pavlik but Burns wants him to drop to 154 where winning a belf will be no easy feat Macklin looks like the type of fight that Abraham would be interested in, after all they have a common opponent in Elcock.Macklin has a better resume than most who have fought AA recently. McCloskey if he gets past Olusgen should get his shot at Branco and i think he can definitely win this fight.Then i would like to see him go after Kotelnic who is good but beatable. McCloskey looks like the best bet to win a title but he has a lot of work to do in the meantime.I can't see any of the middleweights winning a title while Pavlik and AA are around, maybe Lee if he bides his time for about 18 - 24 months
Duddy should get his shot early 2010, whether he will be ready to face Pavlik then i don't know, But he is in good hands with Pat Burns and looks like he's hit a learning curve adding some nice boxing skills to his all action brawling style. Still needs a lot more defensive work but he's looking much better than this time last year when he could have been made a sacrificial lamb for Pavlik. I think Paul McCloskey is at least a year to 18 months away from challenging for a World Title, By that time i don't see Kotelnik still being in possession of his WBA belt. Light Welterweight is probably the hottest Division in Boxing at the moment, With Campbell, Pacquiao and possibly Marquez all moving up to join Hatton, Bradley,Torres, Holt,Kotelnik,Malignaggi,Ortiz and the rest. I have a feeling we could see Amir Khan up at Light Welterweight by then as well and that could be a massive fight for McCloskey in Dublin, Belfast or Manchester in about a years time.
Patrick Hyland looks like he may be one to watch too. McCloskey has been very impressive apart from the Nigel Wright fight. Olusegun also had problems with Wright so this looks to be a good fight and I think if McCloskey can win which I believe he will, he will take Branco's European belt for sure if this match is made. Duddy has looked very good since the terrible showing against Smichet, but I still do not see him being a match for Pavlik.
Patrick Hyland looks good enough alright but its a bit of stretch to be pitching him in here amidst the talk of our prospective next world titleist. I think he is the best of the brothers by a long way but I find his handling a little frustrating. They threw Paul in against some Peurto Rican window washer and he got beaten so that may have made the father cautious about matching them. But then he goes and gets Eddie (the least talented of the bunch IMO) an EBU shot. While at the same time Patrick is still fighting tin cans even though he is the best prospect. 16 tin cans is more than enough. And people can talk and bull**** about how his last opponent was a step forward etc.. but the fact is the lad was 12-8-1 going into the fight. It's frustrating because he is taking too long with Patrick. Everyone is allowed a few tin cans to get them going but 16 is way too many. I know there is a gulf in class but lets look at other Irish boxers 16th fights Dunne -v- Voronin (24-3-1) Duddy -v- Pudwill (21-2-1) McCloskey -v- Bazan (47-9-1) Lee -v- Vera (15-1-0) Hyland -v- Guevara (12-8-1) I think daddy Hyland has got his priorities a bit arse to front at the moment. I know Napa getting beaten was a spanner in the works for Paul but you have to be able to react and adjust. He seems to have locked in on one course (not nessicarily the right one) for each of his lads and has no real plan B. Paul was to fight Napa for the EBU and now thats gone out the window so he is firmly back in no mans land (not that he ever left but the EBU shot would have got him moving) Patrick is wasting away fighting lads that can't be helping him sharpen his skills in any real way and there is no real sign of change on that front. Eddie is being pitched in way over his head despite being the lesser of the three brothers. I mean I hope he can pull it off against the Belarussian but chances are that he is way overmatched here. It just all seems a bit strange to me
ROGAN BANDWAGON COMES TO BELFAST http://www.setanta.com//uk/Articles...-Rogan-bandwagon-comes-to-Belfast/gnid-46648/ ROGAN TO FIGHT SEXTON IN BELFAST http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7974245.stm INTERNATIONAL INCENTIVE TO KEEP FIGHTER ON THEIR TOES http://www.irishnews.com/articles/597/556/2009/3/31/614075_377088104626Internatio.html
thought rogan might have had this next fight in sligo, seeing as he's from here originally.. anyway...the news that u2 are playing sligo this summer makes up for it.. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d100/dougm1970/bea162c8.jpg .
I hope Rendall Munroe fighting this guy for the commonwealth title is an April Fools Day trick, can you imagine the amount of stick Dunne would have got if he was fighting a boxer with a record like that when he was already Euro champion! If this is his tune up fight for a possible world title shot against Dunne, he must be underestimating the challenge big time.
doug rogan is originally from sligo u say?.................... Will you be coming to beautiful/beirut belfast for his fight? Just thought Macklin is a good shout to be on this card. he is controlled by warren and he has said hes gona stick a couple irish fighters on the card as well to make sure of the crowd.
my money would be on stephen haughian to fight for the celtic title on this card and also for andy murray to defend his E.U belt . what about Duddy , if he makes light work of his opponent this month . i dont think macklin will be on this card as he will sell birmingham out as a headliner defending his belt with gavin on the undercard
What venue would he fight in sligo? Great news that u2 are pulling a peters and going round the country . Even if they are talentless wankers.