Tye Fields will face Monte Barrett on the undercard of the PPV HBO- televised Manny Pacquiao vs. David Diaz fight in Las Vegas.
Monte is a big step up from the pool boys and janitors that Fields has been fighting. However, Arum promised the public that he would be fighting Rahman in June. What happened to that? Did Rahman decline or did Fields decline that fight? I have a lot of respect for Barrett but his best days are definitely behind him. Even though he avenged the loss he still just got starched by Cliff Couser last year. I think that Monte is faded and taken too many punches. In his prime he would have given Fields a boxing lesson but at this point I think this is another basically a set up fight for Fields. Fields UD10 Barrett
At least Fields has agreed to a decent opponent. Certainly, Barrett is not an upper tier heavyweight contender, anymore.....as he once was thought to be (or never was, I forget which), but he is what I'd call somewhat of a world class heavy, I guess. Good to see Fields finally take the plunge. This will tell us alot about how far Fields can go with his combination of amateurish skills, ........freakish size, good chin....... and apparently good KO power. What a combination that is.!! If he handles Barrett with a decisive win, he may have some potential to go on. But if he stuggles against Barrett, I won't have much hope for him........as if I had any hope, to begin with. LOL
I agree. I've always liked Barrett, but that loss to Couser just looks awful, you have to think he's finished at this point. Guys, believe me, I'm the first one to bash Tye Fields, I saw him several times years ago on the midwest circuit beating up farm boys, and to me he looked obviously juiced up and incredibly slow and awkward. He has definitely improved. His hand speed isn't much better, but I think his team saw he just didn't have the snap on his punches to be a devestating knockout type fighter so they worked on his stamina and turned him into a volume puncher. He threw nearly 100 punches a round against Kendrick Releford and I honestly believe Kendrick may be a better fighter than Monte at this stage. Monte doesn't have the power to keep Fields off him and will probably get seriously outworked in this one. Fields actually has a chance against heavyweights that fit his style. I think he'd beat Rahman and probably guys like Thompson and maybe even Valuev. Just keep him away from huge punchers like Peter or Wlad, because his only real weapon is workrate and reach, the openings are there to be exploited. Arum is probably looking to beat Barrett then try and work up some press for a money fight against Golota or someone like that.
It was a club fight, so I doubt it. Based on that alone, I'd still say he doesn't have a good chin. Barrett is shot. Fields might well KO Barrett early.
