Is Warren going for Sartisan though? We have a thread title that claims he is but thats about it. I don't see Smith as the step up that some people seem to. Good win for a 9th fight but nothing to get that excited about.
True, I've not seen it anywhere but here and the NOTW :rofl I didn't rate Smith at all, he's essentially a lazy 154lber with no power who spoils like ****. But it's the way Degale didn't make the same mistakes far more experienced pros had made that impressed me. If he wasn't being fed to Bute, Magee would've been a perfect next opponent. Outmanouverable but fairly dangerous.
As I've said mate, I think theres a load of interesting, winnable learning fights out there at 168 for DeGale to take this year that don't involve him having to get KO'd in his next fight after that in order to learn something. A nice, steady, logical progression of his career rather than expecting Warren to say "Aw! What the hell, just chuck him in!!"
I don't necessarily think he would get KO'd. He might get battered, but he appears pretty sturdy (for once I'm going on a hunch)
Who's he getting KO'd against exactly? Not Stieglitz or Sartisan thats for sure. As I said, I love how he shouldn't go for this dangerous WBO belt, yet Stieglitz has fought a steady diet of average opponents in Germany. It's the ideal belt for James.
I'm guessing they want to build some fan base to Degale that means 2 things: Either earn some UK fans or some US fans. So to make that happen his next opponents could be, For the UK fanbase: Groves and that's about it, he already beat Paul Smith and Magee is fighting Bute. For the creating some US fanbase there are many options. The best for that would probably be Allan Green , Jesse Brinkley , Edwin Rodriguez. Green is perfect, he's well known because of the super six, and he was highly overrated and probably still is by some. He would get excellent US exposure. You would say Green is dangerous he has power and can box a bit , but I say if he can't beat someone like him he doesn't really has a good future. You gotta agree if Bute Ward Froch Dirrell Kessler meet some1 like Green early in their careers they would've won. There are some downsides , like the fact that he lost his last 2 matches by total domination and getting the f*** ko'ed. I think Brinkley is in the best shape of his life he would be a tougher opponent than Allan , he is a very likable guy also a known name in US because of the contender and more recently because of the decent job and good heart he showed against Bute. Edwin Rodriguez just been on American Tv on FNF is undefeated , a prospect with a very good record(18-0), and has no chance of winning against Degale. The best safe bet , win win situation. There are also guys like Peter Quillin(22-0) , Marcus Johsnon(20-0) and Alfonso Lopez(21-0) who would look good on the poster. The disadvantage this guys have is that they didn't recently had the exposure that Rodriguez had. And... maybe... Jeff Lacy Another good fight would probably be Karoly Balzsay ex-champ very easy fight for him.But wouldn't be the exposure that he needs , tho it will probably be a good learning fight.
Read the post more carefully. I've being saying all along that the problems could come with the defences AFTER he has picked up a belt, not with Sartizin and Sigilitz:good
Can you delve into your crystal ball and tell me the next fight which he's getting KO'd in? It ain't happening, this WBO belt hasn't seen a worthwhile fight in a long time.
Wern't we discussing the WBA belt (I def. was!)? I don't know about getting KO'd as we havn't seen if DeGale can take a shot yet (another "issue") but there are quite a few opponents out there that would want his WBA title that I'd favour him to lose to if they met as a first or second defence. maybe the WBO would be a good option, keep him out of harms away for another year while he develops but then, with Franks track record, DeGale would probably make some easy defences rather than take on meaningful, learning fights and be little the better for it in another years time. IMHO he'd be better off leaving the paper titles alone and take fights where he can develop as a fighter.
He could develop with the WBO belt. Stieglitz has been taking on the ideal fights for DeGale, who is far too good for domestic level (Geoge Groves aside, possibly). It has the advantage of improving his worldwide standing and in 2 years from now he could be fighting in the big fights rather than wasting a year or so now and then getting defences under his belt, and then looking for big fights. He's been fighting a random Euro or two, and Ornelas, which would be great fights for DeGale. Shumenov has shown how its done IMO, and he even had to fight a far harder foe than DeGale will have to.
He COULD develop with the WBO belt but theres just as a good chance that he'll spend the next 18 months fighting bull**** defences, given Franks track record I think the latter is more likely than the former. I'm not advocating he sticks around at domestic level (although thats what I think he ill do for the next fight or 2), I'm saying there are plenty of options for raising the level of opposition without a world world title while retaining freedom of choice in the meantime.
But when you mention Frank, you're acknowledging Frank has a good deal of control over the opponents for the WBO belt. Which is true. He's just as likely to face bull**** opponents without a belt, maybe even more so if you look at the WBO's track record for Stieglitz. Acceptable opponents for DeGale but not really dangerous. The way I see it is you're fighting similar fights for a belt, or without a belt, and even though it is the epitome of a paper title its always better for world standing. Nobody will raise an eyebrow if he's beating on Gutknecht and Balzsay or whatever in a non-title fight but if he's a titlist suddenly the name DeGale is more relevant. Plus I can see this cutting out a few meaningless defences in the future.