Matthew Hatton vs. Roberto Belge RBR

He's good. His intensity seems to come a bit in waves, but that serves him fairly well in pacing himself out. I don't fault him for not stopping a tough customer in Sassou, but it seemed he could have put more of a stamp on the last few frames as he wasn't out of wind.

Someone in the Brit forum said that he had scant amateur experience and has had to learn on the job. Keeping that in perspective, he is a nice looking prospect. I still wouldn't put him anywhere near the best at 122 or 118 (the likes of Nishioka, Vazquez, Donaire, and the upcoming Showtime four-man tournament participants would all spank him) but he could be a couple of years of development away from being a big player in that weight range.

Of the three winners tonight, their readiness to step up is commensurate with their age and experience.

Hatton is as ready as he'll ever be for a world title crack, and will soon be over-ripe for the occasion. Another go at N'Dou for the IBO belt might be his best route of actually winning a "world title", once N'Dou is smashed by Saul Alvarez and comes crawling back to welterweight.

Martin Murray could well be on the doorstep of the "Young Excellent Middleweights Club" that will hopefully be scratching and clawing for dominion over the next 5-6 years. He needs to keep challenging himself and improving - there's no room for backward steps if he wants to make that leap.

Quigg could do with another few tests on the same level as Sassou. A domestic showdown with Munroe or an exiting Booth in 2012 might be good springboards for him.

 

Nobody said that. Learn to read (or learn a bit more about boxing vernacular).

Being just shy of world class is not the same as being just shy of elite.

 

Juan Urango at 140, etc. :thumbsup

 

I've only seen a little of Frampton. He seems to have some of the same good qualities as Quigg and maybe the stonier hands. His career is still in its infancy in comparison, but we do get a common opponent to contrast in Gavin Reid next week.