because although a good puncher and reasonably skilful he had a rice paper chin and was going nowhere!
Clifton fought in some very high profile fights and around 1994 he looked like the future of the British Heavyweight scene. Lennox had just lost and Mitchel had just won the British title.. Oyebola then came along and beat him and i think exposed him to a certain extent.. The biggest night i think was a fight abroad v Zeiljko Mavrovic.. He was great at British level but never faced anyone of amazing note from the World scene with a success.. The best fight i ever saw him win was a solid win over Levi Billups in the UK.. He looked like a man with a future but it all went downhill.. I remember when Barry Mcguigan first backed him as a top prospect , he launched his career as an Irish , Black heavyweight under the name of Irish Paddy Reilly... It went down like lead balloon.. His career fell very short after the Mavrovic loss and he never looked the same again.. He now works as a ringside security man for certain network shows in the UK, He was a very hard puncher but was also rather slow and soft chinned.. Brendan Ingle made him into a very versatile guy but he was never a world beater..
True Met MItchell after a show in Derby, a few years ago, had a few drinks with him and his mate. Nice fella.
You know what , you are absolutely right, Oyebola beat him in his only challenge for the title , he was touted for so long as the best of British that i think everyone seemed to beleive he was the man, but Oyebola devistated the dream.. I was so sad to hear about Big Bad James.. I liked James Oyebola..
