So much for DeGale and Cleverly eh Brits?

The non homer British boxing fans know that Cleverly, DeGale and Groves are your classic hypejob Britbums.

95% of our fighters suck, they get hyped but they can't fight for ****.

 

Well, Calzaghe was a more versatile fighter than most anyway. Look at someone like Julio Cesar Chavez. He made a career out of one style. Calzaghe was more versatile than Chavez but I know who the better fighter is.

I don't think it's important for a fighter to be versatile if they perfect one style, though they need to know what to do in other situations as well, partly to lure the opponent into their fight and partly in case an opponent refuses to engage. DeGale needs to learn how to boss a fight and he needs a trainer to tell him how to do that. A fighter can have all the tools in the world but without a trainer to tell them what to do, it's useless. It's like having the fastest car in the world but if you don't know the directions, you aren't going to win a race.

Realistically, how many prospects are more technically gifted than DeGale is? I can't think of many, honestly. He's a genuinely elite fighter in the making but that doesn't mean he's a world beater now. He still needs to know what to do in the ring, especially as he lacks pro experience, but as far as the tools go, what else could he want? A little more power and speed perhaps but that's only little changes. He's technically brilliant and does a hell of a lot right.

One of the reasons I was against this fight is because I knew the loser would almost be written off. It's not as bad as I thought it could be, no, but DeGale is getting very underrated after this loss. He lost to a guy with a better gameplan but he showed a lot of ability in doing so. I think it's unfair to write him off because of this loss or talk about his failings. If you look at his ability, there aren't many guys who are so green who are better.

By the way, I'm not even a DeGale fan. His personality annoys me but this suggestion he isn't very good is nonsense. Like I said, his technical ability stands up to anyone in the Super 6. If you think guys like Ward blow him away, you're wrong. He would lose, yes, but he wouldn't be disgraced against anyone in the world. He's an elite level prospect who will become an elite level fighter.

 

Jack, why are you so fair-minded and forgiving, almost touchy-feely when discussing British up-and-comers that have experienced adversity -- but when you talk about similar American fighters refer to them in harsh terms, such as "coward" and "cheater" or as lacking qualities of entertainment?

Can you help us reconcile this schizophrenic attitude?

 

That depends on who you're talking about. There weren't many people who said Ortiz was still an elite fighter after he lost to Maidana. When everyone was calling him a coward and a quitter, I didn't go along with that and said he'd be back. I always made posts about how overrated Alexander was, and I was proven right, but after he was beaten, I said that he'd be back and he will be. I still think Jacobs is a future world champion despite the loss to Pirog and would beat him in a rematch. Berto can pick up several more world titles before the end of his career.

Who exactly are we talking about here? If I think a fighter is overrated, I say so. If I think they then get underrated after a loss, I'll also say so.

 

Shame they both fought like ****s on the weekend.

Give Clev another 18 months and Chad, Cloud and a few others may get a shock. He is vastly improving and has a fantastic attitude. He wasn't getting carried away on the weekend, if anything he was a bit embarresed by the ref stopping the fight and by having the WBO belt in such a fashion.

 

According to Groves (scene):

"We treated this fight like I was fighting Dirrell, who does everything
better than DeGale. Lucky for me my forehead is tough, it took some solid
butts and I took some solid elbows on the chin, [DeGale] is a dirty fighter."

Everything better. Jack? Dirty Fighter? Even-handed Jack?

 

I'm impressed by your honesty.

 

Degale reminds me a lot of Dirrell, both posses execelent phsyical attributes but both lack that undefined quality that lets some boxers grit their teeth dig in and overcome the odds. Both degale and dirrell will have plenty of time to change this in the futre but imo the biggest crime in this thread and many others is the dismissal of groves as a future champ and star.

 

Cleverly , DeGale and Groves are in there early to mid twenties ! DeGale and Groves have barely had any pro fights ! What do u really expect from them at this very early stage of their careers ?? I am not saying they are going to be world beaters but to write them off as hype jobs at the moment is laughable ! Give them a chance ! And u can't really call someone who wins a Gold Medal a bum ( unless his name is Audley Harrison , lol )

 

Do you think Groves, who has a mutual dislike with DeGale, is really going to say Dirrell, someone who he seems to be friendly with, isn't a better fighter?

Come on. He's kicking a man when he's down. If you believe what he's saying, you're a fool.

 

Dawson, Dirrell and Ward are not prospects.

Give me 10 prospects with better technical skills than DeGale.

Your analysis is laughable, by the way. You know nothing about boxing. You should listen to me too, unless you want another embarrassing situation like we had with Alexander.

 

So once a prospect loses they become a hype job... dumbass

 

Degale elbowed Groves in the face multiple times. It was a more flagrantly dirty move than anything Andre Ward as done.

Regarding Dirrell, the evidence seems to point to him being better than Dirrell, corroborating Groves view. After Groves beat Degale.

Do you mean to say you think the "green" Groves is a superior operator than Andre Dirrell?