[Earl-Hickey]

I can't work the guy out tbh

3-4 years ago I was quite high on him, but since then he's pretty much dropped off my radar.

He's beating these guys easily enough but the opponents are terrible, I haven't seen any major weaknesses as to why he's being held back, and I think he has the talent to be competitive with the top of the division (which isn't great).

I just get sick of Frank warren doing this with his fighters, he always holds them back, it's disgusting

 

[Lilo]

Call me naive but I believe Frank did try to make both the Hopkins and Shumenov fights. I also think he did all he can for Ricky Burns/Vasquez too. I understand people who say he'd be better off with Matchroom. They'd bash out cards that would sell with Rees and Selby on the undercard. Also more exposure etc.

He's good. If he beats Braehmer then he's made a good leap forward. I think he'll end 2013 with Krasniqi, Braehmer and quite possibly Shumenov on his record. Probably the most low profile unified champion we've ever had, which would be sad.

 

[Post Box]

I think he'll be beat once he steps up a level. He's a KO waiting to happen imo, his beard seems sturdy enough but his defence can be non existent at times and gives up his height advantage far too easily. Things like this can make you come unstuck at real world level

 

[SimonTemplar]

I like him, but am a bit bored by the recent run of fights. I do think that they're serious about getting in with a bigger, better fighter, though, so I'm all ready to become a bigger fan again once he's finished with these mandatories etc.

 

[JamieC]

He has good wins over Murat and Bellew, but a lot of his fights have been pointless, he's good enough for the top names in my opinion. Braehmer would be his best win, if he wins which I expect he will do. He did have trouble when Bellew was using a good, varied, consistent jab, so he'll need to work on that before facing some of the trickier box fighters, but he's got a great engine, good chin, and good output and shot selection. I'd definitely invest if I was Frank and get Shumenov over for him to unify, and to be honest I'd pick Dawson over Hopkins for him right now.

 

[SimonTemplar]

After the Krasniqi fight Warren seemed to be saying that it might not be Braehmer next. I hope that's good news rather than bad!

 

[Grant]

Snoozefest at the moment.

 

[Bryn]

Gotta be someone interesting, the list of recent opposition doesn't make for exciting reading.

 

[SimonTemplar]

Gotta be someone interesting, the list of recent opposition doesn't make for exciting reading.

And this gives you confidence that it has to be 'someone interesting' next why?

 

[Bryn]

And this gives you confidence that it has to be 'someone interesting' next why?

It's based on nothing more than hope.

 

[JamieC]

Grachev for the lineal championship :deal shall we start bombarding Bunce, Warren and Dean Powell to get this hyped and made? It would actually be a fun fight and good win, plus Nathan Cleverly gets the real lineal championship

 

[Bryn]

Grachev for the lineal championship :deal shall we start bombarding Bunce, Warren and Dean Powell to get this hyped and made? It would actually be a fun fight and good win, plus Nathan Cleverly gets the real lineal championship

We should do this. Warren and Bunce will appreciate the marketing angle of the lineal title, Powell gets a chance to use his WBO Matchmaker of the year credentials, Cleverly gets a exciting and winnable fight. Win-Win-Win-Win.

 

[SimonTemplar]

It's based on nothing more than hope.

:lol: Admirable fortitude in the face of evidence to the contrary, given Warren's handling of Burns and Clev.

Grachev for the lineal championship :deal shall we start bombarding Bunce, Warren and Dean Powell to get this hyped and made? It would actually be a fun fight and good win, plus Nathan Cleverly gets the real lineal championship

:deal

 

[JamieC]

We should do this. Warren and Bunce will appreciate the marketing angle of the lineal title, Powell gets a chance to use his WBO Matchmaker of the year credentials, Cleverly gets a esciting and winnable fight. Win-Win-Win-Win.

I actually like the fight the more I think about it

:lol: Admirable fortitude in the face of evidence to the contrary, given Warren's handling of Burns and Clev.

:deal

:deal There must be an unstopped Ghanaian high in the WBO rankings? Whatever happened to Bramokho (cannot recall if that was his actual name) who ticked all the boxes and was number 1 contender, then couldnt get a british licence and just disappeared?

 

[SimonTemplar]

I actually like the fight the more I think about it

:deal There must be an unstopped Ghanaian high in the WBO rankings? Whatever happened to Bramokho (cannot recall if that was his actual name) who ticked all the boxes and was number 1 contender, then couldnt get a british licence and just disappeared?

They have plenty of options - I would have thought that almost anyone could sold as 'teak tough' as long as the YouTube footage is grainy enough.

 

[JamieC]

They have plenty of options - I would have thought that almost anyone could sold as 'teak tough' as long as the YouTube footage is grainy enough.

And they don't have a stoppage on their records :deal

Ideally from a country like Argentina or Ghana where teak toughness is ingrained in national lore. Despite the damage imports like Saldivia, Carrasco and Kotey have done it is a scientific fact these nations produce teak tough warriors, look at Azumah Nelson.

 

[Batkilt]

I don't think much of him tbh. He's got decent wins over Murat and Bellew but other than that he's not done anything to warrant much praise. And as much as I like Bellew he's not a "world class" win; Bellew and some of his fans point to the Clev fight as evidence that he is, and that says it all to me. It's not as if Clev's even running through the over matched guys he's been put in with.

I don't think he's got the power to really trouble opponents that can out box him, and he's not a good enough boxer to get past anyone that is a big hitter; and even if he was he's shown he's willing to get pulled into a fight instead. I'm not convinced he has great ring intelligence.

I reckon old man Hopkins would have no problem with him; handsome Gaby would out box and out class - and out handsome - him on his way to getting robbed; Dawson would turn it into an ugly fight and win a wide points victory. Outside of Cloud and Beibut I don't see any top 175lbs guy that can't beat him; and even then I wouldn't rule those two out entirely, as I think those fights could go either way.

Plus he's a rat bastard.

 

[Bryn]

And they don't have a stoppage on their records :deal

Ideally from a country like Argentina or Ghana where teak toughness is ingrained in national lore. Despite the damage imports like Saldivia, Carrasco and Kotey have done it is a scientific fact these nations produce teak tough warriors, look at Azumah Nelson.

No one from Ghana has ever been stopped. Any fighter claiming to be from Ghana, who has ever been stopped, has been proven to be from another nation. Usually another, lesser, African nation. Those fraudulent Togolese bastards.

 

[JamieC]

No one from Ghana has ever been stopped. Any fighter claiming to be from Ghana, who has ever been stopped, has been proven to be from another nation. Usually another, lesser, African nation. Those fraudulent Togolese bastards.

:lol: where do people stand on one Ghanaian stopping another Ghanaian in the Accra Prison Canteen? Is that possible?

 

[Batkilt]

No. No it's not. The screws need to break it up or it will never end.