British Boxing Dying ??

We had Bruno/Lewis with the WBC strap at heavy. With Hide WBO and Akinwande in the top ten. Alex Stewart was still around too though just outside the top ten.

Carl Thompson at cruiser (WBO) with Johnny Nelson thereabouts and Terry Dunstan on the fringes. Chris Okoh and Darren Corbett prob top 15.

Light heavy was pretty bare at world level though we did have a fabulous European class fighter in Crawford Ashley. Ashley was about 7th in the world.

Super Middle we had Nigel Benn (WBC), Steve Collins/ Eubank (WBO), with Henry Wharton well established and in the world to 5-6. We also had a rich bunch of fighters coming through in David Starie, Robin Reid, Dean Francis and Clinton Woods.

Middle, we had Richie Woodhall and Robert McKraken who were top contendors. Howard Eastman was 18-0 (17ko's) or something. Glenn Catley was lurking too.

Light middle we had Paul Jones (WBO), we also had Chris Pyatt coming to the end of the road. A fairly in form Steve Foster and the incredible punching Ensley Bingham all around the top ten. Mediocre records but proven quality fighters who had fought there way to contention. Adrian Dodson to was beginning to make some noise.

Welter we had Kevin Lueshing and Gary Jacobs in the top ten. Jacobs was an established world class performer. Lueshing just short of that gave a very credible performance against Felix Trinidad. Add to that the excellent Adrian Stone.

Light welter was talent laiden at domestic level. Ross Hale was WBO number one contender but we also had the likes of Andy Holligan, Bernard Paul, Jason Rowland, Georgie Smith, Paul Ryan, Charlie Kane, Shaun Cogan and a host of others keeping the domestic scene exciting while the world level stuff was quiet.

Lightweight.... Billy Schwer and Micheal Ayers established top ten, also Paul Burke a cracking performer. Some good fighters coming through like Charles Shephard, Wayne Rigby and PJ Gallagher.

Super Feather... world class Floyd Havard, though it was a little bit quiet domestically.

Feather... Naseem Hamed, Duke Mckenzie, Colin Mcmillan, Steve Robinson all world class, Jonjo Irwin quality domestic fighter and various others like Richard Evatt, Dean Pithie and Mike Gomez coming through.

Super Bantam... world class Wayne McCullough plus Spencer Oliver and Mike Brodie turning over euro class fighters with regularity. Pat Mullings, Neil Swain and Paul Lloyd and Richie Wenton also on the fringes.

Bantam and below... Paul Weir (WBO), Robbie Regan (WBO) and Francis Ampofo all borderline world class.

Now tell me that the game hasn't declined. Please.

 

It was during the 90s heyday that coverage started to drop away - how many national newspapers covered Ayers in British title fights, Ashley in British/European title fights, Regan in world title fights, Brodie in domestic bust-ups, Hale's defences? It was a great time but volume/quality ruined it for coverage - trust me. I could list 60 fights involving the above where just one or two journalists were present...I could produce the copy: Ashley in France, Nelson in France, Brown in Italy, Angol in France and that is just the overseas fights that went right under the radar!
There are more title fights now, the boxing magazines sell more, there are more pro boxers, more amateur boxers...sure, we are missing a Lennox, a Eubank, a Naseem, but how many times in a Century do you think we will get a Lennox, a Eubank and a Naseem?
We can work with what we have - it will be richer in 18 months when the protected prospects (DeGale, Groves, Murray, Price, Jeffries, Sutherland, Gavin, Saunders etc - to be followed by Heffron, Khan II, Saunders, Cunnigham etc) are let loose. That will be a great time. Remember, we insist that our prospects are loved and sell tickets - we don't breed fighters like Devon Alexander, Chad Dawson and Tim Bradley for a TV market and fights in front of nine people and a retired stripper.
I can see the first debate at the first live show, which will be in Manchester on 22nd Sept, being a bit lively!


Adios.

 

Top one Buncey. I really hope your right. What are your thoughts on Warrens matchmaking policies and the quality of his fight cards?

 

Its on a bit of a slump after the slight boom in world champions we had at one stage recently (Enzo, Haye, Cook, Hatton, Witter, Woods, Calzaghe) - should pick up again in a couple of years. Patience is necessary I guess.

 

Yassine El Maachi was very good last night. Can see him figuring at top domestic level if opponents don't shun him.

 

Jeff, I really hope that I'm right!
But, and it's a big but, the good fighters need to be matched against otehr British fighters. It's that simple. I wish that Macklin v Barker was on, perhaps it will happen down the road, perhaps Macklin is getting more for fighting Finland's Amean Arselickin. But, if Macklin is getting less, if the Barker fight never happens, then it is safe to say that British boxing has suffered. What can we do to stop that happening, to stop good fighters beating reliable/losers for years and years and years?
Answers on a postcard to BunceLive somewhere in Manchester on Sept 22nd!

Adios.

 

Cheers for the reply Steve... i'll have a think and reply to this later.

 

we have got to ditch the overprotection policy we need tournys like the upcoming one featuring froch kessler etc at domestic level this will help identify genuine fighters who can mix at world level and thus put pride and belief back in the fans both casual and hardcore, buncey states that in a couple of years all the talent we have will come through but that simply wont happen for starters you can put a line through all the warren fighters as he will never leave his worse fight for best money policy the only hope we have is that the next generations of promoters like haymaker can make an impact, his career is a good example of how it should be done he was chucked in against the old fox thompson and that defeat taught him more than any victorry did and he then moved on to dominat the divison by taking high risk fights like goin to france and ripping the belt from the champion yet that barely raised an eyebrow in the mainstream press however hatton who is a prefect example of a protected fighter whilst promoted with warren had very few real tests( he did beat kostya but he had had one fight in 27 months and was well past it despite the press making him out to be in his prime) so when hatton did move up he was embarrased by mayweather and proper mugged off by pacman if hatton had been given real fights early on i fancy he would have fared better.
that brings me to calzaghe he had the tools to do the job but it was nt until late on that he actually believed in himself he really could have been a world atg but got protected from day one.
but they both made a fortune as did warren so it aint gonna change and this is the way our sport will continue for years to come so you better get used to it

 

That doesn't mean that we should have world champions by right. Im just saying we do pretty well for the size and for the type of country that we have.

 

Yeah I would agree but having said that I dont think its dying more lost its way

 

Internet Dan!