British Scene Weekend Recap: All Square Between Hatton & N'dou

Dave Oakes recaps this past weekend's British action.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Lovemore N’dou retained his IBO belt on Friday night after he and Matthew Hatton (pictured) fought to a draw in an uneventful fight in Stoke.

Neither man stamped their authority on the fight; N’dou seemed to start slowly before picking up the pace slightly in the middle rounds, whilst Hatton looked one-paced and lacking in any ideas throughout the fight.

The first round could’ve gone either way with both fighters seemingly content enough to check each other out whilst hardly throwing any noteworthy punches. Hatton took over the fight for the next few rounds, although that was more down to N’dou’s lack of ambition rather than anything Hatton was doing. Hatton was avoiding most of the South African’s desperate lunges and was having the occasional success of his own, usually with the straight right.

N’dou never really got going early on, he landed two decent looking body shots in the fourth but was looking like an old fighter trying to regain what he used to have. Despite having a well-known name there for the taking, Hatton still looked devoid of ideas as to how to deal with him.

Hatton was allowing N’dou’s disjointed efforts to look far better than they were. Hatton seems to be stuck in a style which is 99% jabs and straight rights; he sporadically throws a hook to the body and the occasional hook to the head but he’s embarrassingly limited for someone who’s had forty plus fights.

With a lot of the previous rounds having been close, Hatton inexplicably let N’dou outwork him in the eighth and ninth rounds. N’dou tried to increase the pace in the two rounds but it was Hatton’s lackadaisical approach to the rounds that swung them in N’dou’s favour. If Hatton had kept plodding along at the pace he had been doing, he would’ve won the rounds comfortably.

To his credit, Hatton realised he needed to finish strongly and forced himself onto the offensive in the final three rounds. He outworked N’dou as he finally let his hands go; he forced N’dou backwards with a steady output of jabs and straight rights, helping him to take all three rounds on my scorecard.

I had the fight scored 115-113 in Hatton’s favour but wasn’t surprised when the official scorecards made it a draw. One judge had Hatton winning 115-114, whilst another had in N’dou’s favour by the same score; the third and decisive judge scored it 114-114.

Hatton was furious after the fight but I feel he’s only got himself to blame. He let a fight that he was capable of winning slip through his fingers, if he’d shown the passion of the last three rounds earlier on, there would’ve been no purported controversy with the scoring.

Hatton has improved over the past eighteen months but still seems a mile away from being capable of winning a domestic title. N’dou, despite retaining his lightly regarded world title, looks like a fighter whose best days are very much behind him. He’s still teak tough but seems to be slowing down in both speed of foot and hand, the best he can hope for in the future is a couple of good paydays before retiring.

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British Scene: Matthew Hatton vs Lovemore N'dou Preview

Dave Oakes previews Friday night's welterweight match-up between Matthew Hatton and Lovemore N'dou.

Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

It must be hard fighting in the shadow of your brother for the whole of your career, but Matthew Hatton has the chance to step out of the shadow and enhance his reputation as a fighter in his own right this Friday night, when he takes on former world title holder and the current IBF #15 rated Lovemore N’dou at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke.

N’dou, 47-11-1 (KO31), is the far more experienced fighter, he’s been a pro since 1993 and has fought much better opponents than Hatton has. He’s been in with five world champions – Junior Witter, Sharmba Mitchell, Miguel Cotto, Kermit Cintron and Paul Malignaggi, who he’s fought twice. He lost against all five but has always proved to be a hard opponent.

The high point of N’dou’s career came when he defeated Naoufel Ben Rabah to win the light-welterweight world title. N’dou and Ben Rabah put on a wonderful display of courage and passion, both fighters gave everything, but in the end it was N’dou’s superior fitness and chin that helped him survive the ferocious exchanges to outlast Ben Rabah. He lost the title in disappointing style in his next bout, a wide points defeat against Paul Malignaggi, before coming close to recapturing it, narrowly losing on a split decision against Malignaggi.

Hatton’s career has been a slow burner so far; he’s been a pro for nine years but has only ventured into domestic title class once, a points defeat to Craig Watson in a Commonwealth title fight eighteen months ago. He’s been criticised for being a protected fighter but what a lot of people fail to realise is that he hardly had any fights as an amateur before turning pro. It’s been a case of learning on the job for the younger Hatton.

The added pressure of being a Hatton has also put him under more pressure and in the spotlight more than most fighters. Having an older brother as famous as Ricky has been both a help and a hindrance for Matthew. Big things were expected of him purely because of his name and he’s received a lot of criticism for not setting the world alight like Ricky did when he turned pro. That said, he’s had the benefit of being on the undercard of big fight cards on both sides of the pond and has benefited from training in the same gym as Ricky.

Hatton, 37-4-1 (KO14), has gone four undefeated since the defeat to Watson, including wins against tough veterans Ben Tackie and Ted Bami. He seems to be improving as a fighter but still lacks versatility and punch variety; he only looks comfortable fighting at mid-range and seems content to throw jabs and straight rights for the most part.

N’Dou is ten years Hatton’s senior at 38 and has been there, done it and bought the t-shirt. It remains to be seen as to how much he’s got left in the tank at this stage of his career; he’s showed no major signs of deterioration as yet, although, I’ve got a feeling Hatton may be facing him at the perfect time.

I’d be extremely surprised if the fight ended early, N’dou’s got a granite chin and Hatton has never been in serious trouble in his career either. I believe Hatton will make the better start; out-jabbing and out-working N’dou before surviving a spirited late charge by the Australian based South African to edge a close and maybe controversial points decision.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Paul Smith Edges Tony Quigley

Dave Oakes recaps this past Friday's British super-middleweight title fight.

Paul Smith claimed the British super-middleweight title on Friday night after an unconvincing split decision victory over Tony Quigley.

It was a scrappy fight in which neither man seemed to settle. Barely anything happened in the first round with both men looking frightened to commit in case they were caught with a counter punch.

Quigley improved in the second round, landing three solid jabs and a nice straight right. Whilst the round was close, Quigley gave the impression he was bossing it due to that fact he was walking forwards whereas Smith seemed too anxious to try and throw anything of any note. Quigley kept switching to the southpaw stance but was having very little success and looked rather uncomfortable in doing so.

The third was yet another close round but it Quigley who was the aggressor and took the round on work-rate alone. A overhand right late in the round from Quigley looked to have hurt Smith but the television replay showed that it was more of a slip or tangle of feet that caused Smith to lose his balance.

Smith finally started throwing punches in the fourth; he landed a nice left hook that seemed to give him the confidence to get involved more. It was still a close round but it was the first round in which Smith showed glimpses of what he’s capable of.

The fight from there on in was a close and scrappy affair with both fighters putting in disjointed performances. Smith was landing the occasional left hook whilst Quigley always tried to respond with a shot of his own. Smith was cut in the fifth round after a clash of heads, it wasn’t a bad cut and with master cutsman Mick Williamson in his corner, the cut was never going to be a problem for Smith.

Round eight was probably the best of a disappointing fight. Smith landed a hurtful left hook to Quigley’s ribs and seemed to be getting the better of the champion until Quigley responded with a big uppercut that had an effect on Smith’s legs. The left hook to the body was the first body shot that Smith had landed in the fight, considering he’s well known for his body punching, it was strange that he wasn’t prepared to throw any early in the fight.

Smith finished the fight the stronger; Quigley was blowing in the final four rounds but gamely fought back whenever Smith was starting to get the better of him. Smith was also feeling the pace in the final two rounds but did enough to edge the rounds.

Despite the MC announcing that it was a majority decision, the scores actually read 116-113, 116-112 in favour of Smith and 116-114 for Quigley making Smith the winner via a split decision. I had the fight a draw (115-115) but a lot of the rounds were very hard to score and the fight could’ve gone either way.

The undercard…

Tony ‘Bomber’ Bellew destroyed Jindrich Velecky inside a round. The heavy-handed Bellew landed a left hook a minute in that shook Velecky to his boots, Bellew is a vicious finisher and went to town with a flurry of shots to head and body. Velecky survived the initial onslaught but was floored twenty seconds later by a huge right uppercut.

The ending came in bizarre fashion, Velecky beat the count but when the referee let the action commence, Velecky was staring at his corner rather than at Bellew, who sprinted across the ring and landed two straight rights that convinced the referee to stop the fight.

Bellew correctly described himself as a smashing machine after the fight. He’s quickly gaining a reputation as one of the biggest punchers in British boxing and has a nasty streak in him that will stand him in good stead when he gets to title level. Keep an eye out for him in future.

Michael Jennings went through the motions in an easy points win over Laszlo Komjathi. Jennings was originally due to fight Kell Brook for the British title but Brook pulled out earlier in the week with flu. Jennings dominated the fight from start to finish and never needed to get out of second gear.

Olympic gold medallist James DeGale smashed the brave but limited Ally Morrison to a third round stoppage. DeGale looked sharp and focused as he put together beautiful combinations that hurt Morrison every time they landed. DeGale is improving quickly and is winning over the fans who disgracefully booed him on his pro debut.

Another former amateur star on the bill looked impressive; Frankie Gavin stopped the tough Steve Saville in the second round after a one-sided beat down. Gavin hurt Saville to the body in the first round and then dropped Saville with a body shot in the second. Saville beat the count but the referee correctly waved the fight over.

Jamie Cox remained unbeaten after his opponent, Manoo Salari, retired after the third round. Cox was always in control but is still smothering his boxing and getting involved too much rather than using his skills. He’s possibly the most impatient boxer I’ve ever known, both in the ring and out off it. He needs to settle down and learn how to pace himself if he’s to stand any chance against the likes of Kell Brook, who he unwisely seems very eager to meet.

Stephen Smith, Paul’s brother, took his record to 8-0 with an easy points victory over Gary Reid. Smith has got to be considered one of the hottest prospects in Britain and is one to watch out for in the future.

Liam Smith kept his unbeaten record intact by beating Darren Gethin on points after a lacklustre performance.

Joe Selkirk stopped journeyman Alex Spitko in the fourth round to take his record to 3-0.

Tobias Webb also took his record to 3-0 after a hard fought points win over Pawel Trebinski.

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British Scene Weekend Preview: Tony Quigley vs Paul Smith

Dave Oakes previews Friday's British super-middleweight title fight between Tony Quigley and Paul Smith.

Tony Quigley makes the first defence of his British super-middleweight title on Friday night in an eagerly anticipated all-Scouse clash against Paul Smith at the Echo Arena, Liverpool.

The fight has generated a lot of interest on Merseyside and has nearly sold out the 10,600 capacity arena. The fact that there seems to be a bit of needle between the pair has only added to the high profile nature of the build up around the Liverpool area. Personally, I’m unsure as to how much genuine bad blood there is between the two, I get the feeling a lot of it has been done to help the promotion.

I do feel there’s a fierce rivalry between the combatants but not to the level it’s been built up to. The supposed bad blood started when Smith did a radio interview in the build up to Quigley’s fight against another Scouser, Tony Dodson. Smith claimed that that he could knockout both Quigley and Dodson on the same night and went on to describe Quigley as a “never will be”. Quigley responded by beating Dodson to win the title and will now get the chance to prove once and for all who the best super-middleweight in Liverpool is.

Quigley, 13-1 (6KO’s) was exceptional the night he beat Dodson. He started the fight in fine style by dropping his rival in round two; he then had to survive a ferocious comeback from Dodson as the fight wore on before a gargantuan effort from him late on helped him to a 12th round stoppage win.

Quigley showed a bit of everything against Dodson, he boxed well in parts, brawled at other times, took some heavy shots, dug deep when he needed to and showed great finishing instincts. It’s even more impressive when you take into consideration that he took the fight at two weeks notice despite never going beyond six rounds before.

Before the Quigley-Dodson fight, Smith was the much better known boxer. He was a top class amateur and received a lot of attention when he participated in the American show The Contender. Smith left the show after just one fight having sustained two bad cuts in his points victory over David Banks.

Smith, 27-1 (15KO’s), is the more experienced fighter, as well as his victory over Banks, he holds wins over the heavy handed Cello Renda and onetime world title challenger Jonathon Reid.

Smith also had an extensive career as an amateur, boxing all around the world. The high point being when he won the silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, narrowly losing in the final to Jean Pascal, the current WBC light-heavyweight champion.

Despite his amateur experience and high profile, Smith has yet to reach the level that was expected of him when he turned pro. His career has never really got going and I get the feeling that this title shot has come at the perfect time for him.

Quigley has a slight advantage in terms of skill and speed but Smith is definitely the puncher in the fight. Smith can be a skilful boxer himself when he applies himself but at times in the past he’s let his heart rule his head and has ended up brawling more than boxing.

I feel the early rounds will be vital; Smith needs to stamp his authority on the fight as soon as possible and try to hurt Quigley. I think Smith will go to the body early, he’s a noted body puncher and Quigley has shown he’s susceptible to body shots before, particularly in the only defeat on his record against Nathan Cleverly.

I believe Quigley will look to box early on before standing his ground more as the fight goes on. If he can outbox Smith early, and avoid taking the energy sapping body shots, I feel he’ll come through a tricky moment or two to claim a narrow points victory.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Rhodes Stops Moore, Napa and Bayaar Win, Rushton Injured

Dave Oakes recaps this past Friday night's Sky show.

Photo © Chris Royle

Ryan Rhodes became European champion on Friday night after stopping Jamie Moore in the seventh round of a classic domestic fight. Rhodes was a massive underdog going into the fight but out-toughed the usually teak tough Moore to claim the win of his career.

Moore started the fight well, repeatedly catching Rhodes with hooks to head and body in the opening round.

Moore continued the onslaught in the second round, he was beating Rhodes to the punch and was landing some hurtful body punches, a couple of which seemed to have an effect on Rhodes. The Sheffield man responded well to the heavy shots he was taking, firing back with his punches that made Moore think before he charged in.

Rhodes was expected to make full use of the ring whilst countering the aggressive Moore; instead he seemed intent on standing his ground and taking on Moore at his own game. This didn’t seem like the brightest of ideas, especially after the third round in which Moore teed off on him from start to finish with powerful combinations to head and body.

At the start of the fourth, it looked like it was a case of when could Moore get the stoppage, not if he could get the stoppage. There mustn’t have been many people in attendance who could have foreseen what was to happen.

Yet again Moore was the aggressor, he was seemingly far too big and strong for Rhodes to cope with. Rhodes was battling bravely and was having his own successes at times but Moore was landing some telling blows, in particular a left hook that rattled Rhodes’ jaw and visibly hurt the challenger. It was Rhodes though who landed the best punch of the round; he landed a vicious hook under the ribs bang on the bell that had Moore wincing and gasping for air as he made his way back to the corner.

The fifth round saw Rhodes getting dropped to the canvas, but it was a clear low blow that put him there. Despite the roars from the back of the arena, the referee correctly ruled it as a low blow and gave Rhodes the adequate time to recover. The round itself was very close, Moore was still pressing forward but Rhodes was increasingly upping his work rate and was now matching Moore punch for punch.

The sixth round was the first clear round that Rhodes won, you could make a case for him in another couple of rounds but this was the round in which he really made his mark. He was catching Moore repeatedly with spiteful body shots and was starting to boss the usually rock solid Salford champion around. To his credit Moore was still trying to force the pace but he was clearly tiring from his efforts in the earlier rounds, the number of heavy whacks to the body he was receiving didn’t help him to much either.

Moore tried to re-establish his superiority in the seventh but soon found himself on the canvas after a well timed counter right hook by Rhodes had him in all kinds of trouble. He managed to beat the count but he looked unsteady on his legs. He then, in typical Jamie Moore fashion, decided to go toe-to-toe with Rhodes rather than clinch and buy himself some time to recover. Amazingly he seemed to have turned the tide midway through the round and was once again hurting Rhodes to head and body.

Just when it looked as if Moore had weathered the storm and was beginning to break Rhodes heart, he inexplicably dropped his hands and was caught with a monstrous overhand right that sent him staggering backwards towards the ropes. Rhodes jumped on Moore straight away and unleashed a non-stop two fisted salvo that left the referee with no alternative but to stop the fight.

It was a remarkable end to a remarkable fight. A lot of credit has to be given to Rhodes, who at 32, showed he still has the appetite to dig deep and come through adversity to win. He’s had a career of many highs and lows but this has got to rank as the most impressive win of it.

It’s hard to believe that Moore will be able to rebuild from the defeat, he’ll still be able to compete at European level at either light-middleweight or middleweight but hopes of a world title shot now seem to have gone forever. It’s a shame that his world title dream has fallen apart after so many years of hard work and after spending the past three or four years begging to be given the opportunity he deserved.

Bizarrely, despite the fight being billed as a world title eliminator, it now seems that Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr has jumped ahead of Rhodes in the rankings and will fight Sergio Martinez sometime next year. Rhodes will have to be patient, let’s hope he doesn’t have to be as patient as Moore was made to be.

On the undercard...

Ian Napa recaptured the British bantamweight title after a close points decision over Gary Davies. A pumped up and emotional Davies started the fight at a furious pace, possibly letting the occasion get the better of him. His work rate was enough to secure him the first two rounds and make the next four close but it was the silky skills of Napa that dominated the fight from there on in.

Davies tried his hardest but was being beaten to the punch on the inside and at range. He had to survive some problematic moments late on in the fight as Napa unleashed two powerful uppercuts and numerous left hooks that had him rocking and rolling but he courageously hung on to hear the final bell.

Two of the judges had the fight in Napa’s favour (115-114 and 116-112) whilst the third judge scored it as a draw (114-114). I scored the fight 116-112; I felt that Napa’s work was the cleaner in the rounds that were close.

Shinny Bayaar produced the performance of his career to capture the British flyweight title after beating Stoke’s Chris Edwards on a split decision. Edwards, who was making the second defence of his title, never seemed to get going. He was unusually negative throughout the fight and only had himself to blame when the scores were announced.

The likable Bayaar was the aggressor for most of the fight, and despite not being able to hurt Edwards or get complete control over him, I felt he was the clear winner. Two of the judges scored it in Bayaar’s favour (117-112 and 115-113) whilst the third had Edwards winning 115-113.

David Price, the 2008 Olympic bronze medallist, won his third fight in the pro ranks after an uninspiring points decision over Yavor Marinchev. Price controlled the fight from start to finish but looked far from the potential world beater he’s being touted as.

Doncaster’s Jason Rushton was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the dressing room shortly after his fight against Brian Rose. Rushton was stopped in the tenth round after a hard fought fight but seemed to be fine initially.

He was induced into a controlled coma after scans revealed a small tear to brain tissue. His condition was described as being stable on Sunday and initial signs are good.

Everyone here at The Boxing Bulletin would like to wish Jason a speedy and full recovery.

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British Scene: Jamie Moore vs Ryan Rhodes Preview

Dave Oakes previews Friday night's SKY show featuring a 154 pound match-up between European title holder Jamie Moore and challenger Ryan Rhodes. Also on the card are two British title match-ups, with Gary Davis defending his bantamweight crown against Ian Napa and Chris Edwards putting his featherweight belt on the line against challenger Shinny Bayaar.

Being called the most entertaining fighter in Britain should be taken as a big compliment but for Salford’s Jamie Moore, it isn’t enough, he feels the time has come to stake a claim for being the best fighter in Britain. He starts this Friday at the Bolton Arena with an intriguing European title defence against former world title challenger Ryan Rhodes, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger to WBC champion Sergio Martinez.

Moore has been desperate to step up to world title level for the past three or four years and is now about to dip his toe into it against the seasoned and dangerous Rhodes. This will be Rhodes (42-4 KO 28) biggest fight since the one year hiatus he took following his defeat to Gary Lockett in the summer of 2006. Rhodes’ career has been one of many ups and downs; he made a blistering start to his career, winning the British light middleweight title in just eleven fights, becoming one of the youngest ever title holders in its history (he’d only just turned 20) before failing in an ambitious attempt at a world title up at middleweight a year later.

The decision to move Rhodes up to middleweight so early in his career is one that still leaves me baffled. He was finding it hard to make the light-middleweight limit but had been doing so without it taking anything away from him, he certainly wasn’t looking weight drained. I believe his camp thought that Otis Grant was very beatable but that decision backfired when Rhodes was out-pointed by the tough Jamaican. I know that Rhodes himself has said that he moved up because he was struggling to make light-middleweight but you have to question the validity of that statement when you consider he can still make the weight now.

The defeat shouldn’t have had a detrimental effect on Rhodes’ career, I’m a great believer in the theory that a loss can sometimes make a fighter. Unfortunately for Rhodes, he suffered another defeat just eighteen months after his first loss, this time for the interim WBO middleweight title. It was in far more brutal fashion though; Jason Matthews knocked him out inside two rounds and almost destroyed Rhodes’ career.

A less than focused Rhodes then treaded water for years, facing journeymen opponents and failing to live up to the reputation he’d made when claiming the British title at such a young age. Even another shock knockout defeat wasn’t enough to fire him up; he looked totally disinterested with the sport when Lee Blundell stopped him in the third round of a fight in which Rhodes should’ve won with ease.

The turning point in Rhodes’ career came after his last defeat, a points loss against Gary Lockett just over three years ago. Rhodes seemed to be regaining his hunger in the four fights he had before facing Lockett but I sensed he rediscovered his confidence after running Lockett close on the scorecards. It was almost as if he realised that he could still be a champion if he fully dedicated himself again.

He regained his British title in 2008, nearly 12 years after first winning it, destroying Gary Woolcombe in brutal fashion. Woolcombe was the defending champion and the betting favourite going into the fight but Rhodes out-boxed him before producing a spectacular finish, knocking him clean out in the ninth round. The victory has definitely been the best performance of the second part of his career; he followed it up with good victories against Jamie Coyle and Vincent Vuma, as well as a routine knockout win over Janos Petrovics in his last fight to confirm that he’s back to his best.

Moore is also no stranger to the ups and downs of professional boxing, he’s suffered three defeats in his career (32-3 KO23) but has comeback from them well each time. It has to be said that his disqualification loss to Michael Jones was very debatable (Moore has two wins over Jones as well as the defeat), and the knockout defeat to Ossie Duran was as much to do with a hip injury rather than any punch Duran landed.

Everyone in Britain knows Moore as being an all action fighter but I feel his technical ability is often overlooked because of his aggressive style. The way he was catching and rolling away from punches in his war with Matthew Macklin was very impressive. He boxed clever as well as trading heavy punches that night and the victory looks even more impressive now that Macklin has become a European champion himself.

Moore has been looking sensational of late, respected European level fighters Roman Dzuman and Michele Piccirillo were both blown away early, neither of them being able to match Moore’s strength and aggression. Moore looks massive for the weight and seems to be hitting harder than ever, he’s certainly showed that he’s now well above European level and should be confident of winning a world title if he comes through on Friday night.

There’s no doubt that Rhodes will be the hardest test of Moore’s career, his switch-hitting style could cause Moore some problems and he has a wealth of experience to draw from. Despite the knockout defeats on their records, both fighters have solid chins, both also have respectable punch power and both firmly believe they’ve got the beating of each other. It has all the makings of a very good fight.

I can see Rhodes being very cagey early on, looking to counterpunch Moore rather than trading with him. Moore will be made to work hard to land clean punches but I think his size, strength and body punching will eventually take its toll on Rhodes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it went the distance but I’ve got a feeling that Moore will want to make a statement and stop him. I think Moore will have to be on top form to do so but I believe he’ll get a late stoppage win.

The Undercard...

The undercard sees two British title fights. Gary Davies defends his bantamweight title against Ian Napa, whilst Chris Edwards defends his flyweight title against Shinny Bayaar.

The fight between Davies and Napa should be an entertaining fight. The improving Davies is coming in off the back of two impressive victories, his second round destruction of Martin Power and his seventh round stoppage of Matthew Edmonds.

Davies is an aggressive boxer who hits very hard; he also has considerable height, reach and strength advantages over Napa. This won’t be anything unusual for the diminutive Napa but he must improve on his last outing if he wants to regain the British title he vacated a couple of years ago.

Napa looked like a fighter on the slide last time out when he lost his European title to Malik Bouziane. He didn’t have an answer to anything Bouziane did and allowed himself to be outworked on his way to a wide points defeat.

It could be that Napa just had a bad day at the office and will be back to form in this fight, but one thing is for certain, if he loses this fight, he won’t have many options left afterwards and would have to consider hanging his gloves up.

I think that could spur Napa on to victory, he’ll be determined to erase the memory of the Bouziane performance from his mind. Napa has always relied on his speed and skills; if he is on the slide then it could prove to be a very hard fight for him because Davies won’t take a backwards step all night. If Napa’s still got something left in the tank, which I believe he has, I think he should be able to outbox Davies to win on points.

Chris Edwards v Shinny Bayaar is an interesting match up. Bayaar has been disappointing so far in his career, losing four times in eighteen fights, usually when he’s tried to step up in class. He’s a hard fighter who looks to have a rock solid chin but unfortunately he doesn’t have much else in his arsenal.

Edwards is a much better fighter than his record (13-13-3) suggests but is no world beater by any stretch of the imagination. He likes to swarm all over his opponents, trying to grind them down with body shots. He doesn’t punch particularly hard but can sicken opponents with his relentless attacks.

I think this fight will undoubtedly go the distance, the early rounds will be close but Edwards’ better fitness and hunger will help win the late rounds to take a wide points decision.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Murray Stops Thaxton

Dave Oakes recaps Saturday's British lightweight title fight between John Murray and Jonathan Thaxton.

Photos © Justin McKie

In a battle of former British champions, John Murray came out on top on Saturday night, stopping Jon Thaxton in the fourth round to reclaim the British lightweight title.

Murray lost the title on the scales last time out and was determined to put things right this time around. Thaxton was also fired up, knowing that victory would secure him permanent possession of the Lonsdale belt, whilst defeat would surely bring an end to his long career.

It was Thaxton who started the better, pot shotting and moving before Murray had a chance to counter. Murray seemed to be taking his time whilst keeping his hands held high and his chin tucked down. His defence has been viewed as one of his weaknesses but his concentration levels were high right from the first bell against Thaxton, who’s a noted puncher early on in fights.

Murray found his rhythm in the second round, he landed an overhand right early in the round that stiffened Thaxton’s legs. Murray normally goes all out for the knockout against a hurt opponent but he seemed intent on not taking any risks in this fight and stuck to boxing behind a high guard and using his speed to counter Thaxton.

Murray dominated the round, landing the overhand right repeatedly and using his speed advantage to full effect. He caught Thaxton with a hard left hook on the bell that seemed to hurt Thaxton again.

Thaxton tried to re-establish control in the third but was being beaten to the punch and was feeling every blow that Murray landed. It was yet another overhand right that had Thaxton hurt midway through the round, this time Murray followed it up with a hard left uppercut and a left hook to the body.

It was increasingly looking like Thaxton was having one fight too many and his usual sturdy punch resistance was starting to let him down. He was hurt yet again towards the end of the round when Murray detonated another heavy left hook onto Thaxton’s chin.

The end came in the fourth when a Murray right hand had Thaxton staggering backwards towards the ropes, the referee jumped in after Murray followed up with a couple of hooks but I felt that the stoppage was a touch premature.

Thaxton wasn’t that badly hurt, and whilst he was more than likely going to get stopped in the next couple of rounds, I felt he deserved a chance to turn things around. He’s been a pro for over fifteen years and has been in the mix at championship level for most of his career, I feel a fighter like that should be given a bit more of a chance to prove he’s okay to continue. That said, I can’t criticise the referee for erring on the side of caution, I’d rather see a fight being stopped a touch early than it being stopped too late.

Murray takes his unbeaten record to 28 fights (16 KO’s) and is keen on fights against Anthony Mezaache and Michael Katsidis. A fight against Katsidis has the makings of a ‘fight of the year’ type fight but I’m unsure as to how easy that fight would be to make.

The defeat must surely mean the end of the road for Thaxton. He’s had many highs and lows in an eventful career that has seen him claim both British and European titles. He always gave his best and can leave boxing with his head held high.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Macklin Annihilates Asikainen

Matthew Macklin claimed the vacant European middleweight title this past weekend in Manchester, making quick work of Finland's Amin Asikainen. Dave Oakes has the recap.

Photo © Chris Royle

Matthew Macklin became the European middleweight champion on Friday night after a stunning first round stoppage of Amin Asikainen. Asikainen was regarded as being Macklin’s toughest challenge to date but he couldn’t survive a round against an on fire Macklin.

Both fighters started cautiously, seeming happy to take a look at each other before firing the occasional range finder. That all change just after the midway point in the round when Macklin landed a huge left hook that dropped Asikainen heavily, it looked as if the fight would end there and then as Asikainen’s head bounced off the canvas.

He managed to beat the count but was on unsteady legs, the referee allowed him to box on but it was clearly only a matter of time before he was going to get stopped. Macklin finished off the job just thirty seconds later when he sent Asikainen sprawling to the canvas after two clubbing right hooks connected to the side of Asikainen’s head. He beat the count yet again, but this time the referee had seen enough and waved the fight off.

Asikainen complained bitterly about the stoppage but his eyes looked unclear and his legs weren’t exactly sturdy either. If the referee had allowed him to box on, I feel he would’ve been dropped again almost immediately.

The win puts Macklin in a great position in the rankings; he mustn’t be too far away from a world title shot. He’s in a weight division that’s fairly devoid of big names and top class talent, so you’d have to think he’d be in with a great chance of winning a world title if he can consistently reproduce the form he’s shown in his past two fights.

He seems to be targeting a fight with Sebastian Sylvester, a fighter who’s won one and lost one against Asikainen. I think Macklin stands a very good chance of beating Sylvester, especially if his promoter can secure him hometown advantage.

Check out Chris Royle's photo gallery of the main-event: Matthew Macklin vs Amin Asikainen

On the undercard...

The undercard was a collection of mismatches that provided a few highlight reel knockouts, the main one being Cello Renda’s obliteration of the previously unbeaten Sam Horton. The light punching Horton unwisely decided to stand and trade with the extremely heavy-handed Renda; he was knocked down early in the second round but didn’t seem to learn from this and walked onto a monstrous left hook just seconds afterwards.

The shot hit him with such force that he was unconscious before he hit the canvas, the referee sensibly decided not to bother with a count and waved for medical help immediately. Thankfully, after a few worrying minutes, Horton got to his feet with nothing more than his pride hurt.

Joe Murray scored the first knockout of his fledgling career, stopping the durable Delroy Spencer in the first round. Murray was teeing off on Spencer for most of the fight forcing the referee's intervention.

The undefeated Scott Quigg kept his record intact with a two round blow-out of the hapless Nico Schroeder. Quigg looks to be a top talent but needs more competitive fights than this to help him progress.

Other results...

Martin Murray bt George Aduashvili KO 1, Mark Thompson bt Gari Abajian TKO 5, Denton Vassell bt Vasile Surcica PTS, Rhys Roberts bt Steve Gethin PTS, Anthony Crolla bt Jon Baguley PTS, Andreas Evensen bt Gianpiero Contestabile TKO 5, Graeme Higginson bt Adam Kelly PTS.

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British Scene: Matthew Macklin vs Amin Asikainen Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's match-up between Matthew Macklin and Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title.

Photo © Justin McKie

Matthew Macklin (pictured after his recent victory over Wayne Elcock) makes the step up to European level this Friday when he faces former champion Amin Asikainen for the vacant European middleweight title at the Manchester Velodrome.

This will be Macklin’s first fight since his impressive three round demolition job of Wayne Elcock earlier this year. That victory was the best of Macklin’s career to date; he stalked Elcock from the first bell, working his way cleverly into range before unloading heavy punches that seemed to shake Elcock every time they landed.

Macklin has been accused of rushing his boxing in the past but that night he seemed to be using a calmer and more controlled method of aggression than he had done previously. Hopefully that’s going to be the style he sticks with for this fight, he doesn’t want to engage in a war with Asikainen as the big Fin is heavy handed enough to hurt Macklin.

Asikainen’s punch power is definitely his main attribute but he’s also a good technician. He keeps his chin tucked down, likes to box behind the jab and waits patiently for openings before committing himself to an attack. The only flaw in his makeup is that he tends to fall apart when he’s going through a difficult period in a fight.

The only two defeats on Asikainen’s record came by stoppage, against Sebastian Sylvester and Khoren Gevor respectively. He was doing okay early in the fight against Sylvester, a fighter he’d previously beaten, but seemed to fall apart when Sylvester started to land some heavy shots of his own. The same goes for the Gevor fight, he capitulated as soon as Gevor began getting his own way. It’s a worrying trend that I feel will show again in this fight.

Macklin has also got two defeats on his record, a debatable points defeat against Andrew Facey and the brutal ‘fight of the year’ knockout defeat to Jamie Moore. Macklin showed incredible courage in the Moore fight and I believe his will to win is far greater than Asikainen’s.

Macklin’s career has been a slow burner up to now, one in which he’s repeatedly changed trainers and promoters. I’ve always sensed that Macklin was trying to find somewhere he felt comfortable. With any luck the new deal he recently signed with his big mate Ricky Hatton will put an end to his flitting between promotional outfits. He needs stability at this stage of his career, at 27, he's just coming into his prime and needs to concentrate fully on his boxing if he wants to achieve his dream of winning a world title.

As a side note, this will be Hatton Promotions first televised card of an eight show deal they recently agreed with Sky. It’s a big night for the new boys on the promoting scene in Britain; it should be interesting to see how they evolve over the next few years.

I think this will be a great fight for Macklin to progress his career with, he’ll have to be careful in the early rounds but I can see him outboxing Asikainen whilst steadily increasing the tempo on his way to a stoppage victory somewhere in the last four rounds.

A packed undercard features prospects Joe Murray, Denton Vassell, Scott Quigg and Rhys Roberts.

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British Scene Weekend Recap: Daws Defeats Morrison To Regain Title

Dave Oakes recaps this past weekend's British light-welterweight title fight between Lenny Daws and Barry Morrison.

Photo © Justin McKie

Lenny Daws (pictured right) captured the vacant British light-welterweight title on Friday night after gaining revenge over Barry Morrison at the York Hall, Bethnal Green. Morrison, the only fighter to have defeated Daws, was stopped in the tenth round after a bruising battle eventually took its toll on the hardened Scotsman.

Daws made an uncharacteristically fast start to the fight, pushing Morrison back with stiff jabs before flailing away with hooks. Morrison responded with hooks of his own but it was the higher work rate of the Londoner that secured the first round.

The frantic pace continued in the second round, though it was Morrison who was bossing the round this time. Both fighters were happy to take a punch to land one, with Daws walking onto a beautifully timed uppercut before retaliating with a classy straight right later in the round.

The pattern of the fight had been set in the first two rounds, with the next four rounds being close, hard fought and difficult to score. Neither man was prepared to surrender ground or slow the pace down, every time one landed a solid punch, the other would land something just as impressive in return.

I had the fight scored even going into the seventh round but felt that Daws was looking the physically stronger fighter. The seventh was another close round but it seemed to me that Morrison was starting to tire late in the session.

Daws won the eighth round comfortably and was starting to push Morrison back with ease. Again, it was noticeable late in the round that Morrison was starting to wilt under Daws’ relentless pressure. At one point Morrison dropped to his knees, even though the referee didn’t issue a count, it was a clear indication as to how tired Morrison was.

Morrison tried to buy himself time in the ninth by spitting his gum shield out twice but it was to no avail as Daws kept upping the pace. Despite the fact Morrison made a valiant effort late in the round, it was Daws who clearly took the round.

The end came midway through the tenth when the tiring Morrison was caught with a three punch combination that sent him sinking to the canvas. His head looked clear but he was visibly exhausted and he elected to stay down on one knee whilst the referee counted him out.

Daws now moves to 20-1 and will be looking to have a more successful reign this time than he had the first time he held the title.

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British Scene: Lenny Daws vs Barry Morrison Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's Sky main-event between Lenny Daws and Barry Morrison.

Photo © Justin McKie

Barry Morrison takes on old foe Lenny Daws (pictured) this Friday when the two face off in a rematch for the vacant British light-welterweight title at the York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Morrison comes in at late notice after Ajose Olusegun chose to vacate the title last week rather than face Daws. Olusegun is now due to fight Romanian Ionut Dan Ion next month in a world title eliminator. His withdrawal has opened the door for Morrison to reclaim the title he lost to Colin Lynes just over two years ago.

Morrison became champion by beating Daws in what remains the only blip on Daws’ record. Their original meeting was an enthralling slugfest that could’ve gone either way, the judges favoured Morrison by split decision but a lot of ringsiders and viewers, myself included, had Daws winning.

Daws has struggled to find his form since losing the title to Morrison and will be hoping that a victory on Friday night will kick-start his career. Morrison has also struggled since their first meeting, losing to David Barnes as well as the aforementioned defeat to Colin Lynes.

It’s also worth noting that Morrison has been fairly inactive of late, having fought only once since his defeat to Barnes in July of last year. Daws has fought three times in that period, albeit against fairly limited opposition. It remains to be seen whether or not the lack of preparation and ring sharpness will influence Morrison’s performance but it doesn’t seem to be the ideal preparation for what will be the biggest fight of his career to date.

I can see this fight being very similar to their first, both fighters will be prepared to stand toe to toe and it could come down to fitness rather than finesse. Daws and Morrison are predictable in their style; they come forward, throw punches non-stop and try to grind their opponents down, they’re never going to box and move but they do what they do extremely well.

I believe the fight will be close early on but I expect Daws’ better preparation and fitness to help him win most of the late rounds. I think Daws will reclaim the title on the scorecards in what should be another entertaining fight for the fans.

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British Scene: Simpson Stops Game Truscott

Dave Oakes recaps the rematch between British featherweights John Simpson and Paul Truscott.

John Simpson retained his Commonwealth featherweight title on Friday night after stopping Paul Truscott in the tenth round of a savage fight that kicked off the British season in style.

Both fighters started at a fast pace with Truscott landing crisp jabs and Simpson landing a couple of solid overhand rights. The round was fairly even but I felt Truscott was landing the cleaner punches and was looking like a much improved fighter from their first meeting.

Truscott was stopped on a cut in their last meeting and it looked like history would repeat itself in the second round when a clash of heads left him with a nasty cut above his right eye. Sensing the fight might be stopped, Truscott changed tactics and elected to stand and trade with the much stronger Simpson. He did well to match Simpson in the round but you had a feeling watching it that the change of tactics would play into the champions hands.

Truscott started the third round in ferocious fashion, firing punch after punch at Simpson. Simpson isn’t one to back down from a tear-up though, and came back with some heavy shots of his own. Truscott was getting the better of the round but disaster struck towards the end of the round when he was cut yet again, this time around his left eyelid.

Truscott’s corner did well to stem the flow of blood between rounds but the fourth had barely begun when Simpson landed a couple of glancing blows that sent blood streaming down the challengers face. The referee took Truscott into the corner to be examined by the doctor, and after a wipe of his face and a brief inspection of the damage, the doc gave the fight the go ahead to resume. Truscott, clearly feeling he was on borrowed time, went on the offensive. Both fighters traded heavy blows in what was a tremendously brutal and exciting round, but it was obvious that Truscott was facing an uphill battle from there on in.

Simpson could sense victory was near and put his foot on the gas in the fifth round. After four close rounds, this was the first round that either boxer had clearly won; Simpson was closing Truscott down quickly, trapping him against the ropes before firing three and four punch combinations at him. Truscott was still throwing his own punches but they were having little effect on the fired up Scotsman.

The sixth followed the pattern set in the fifth, with Simpson battering Truscott with some heavy shots before having to weather the occasional brave flurry from the bloodied but ever so brave challenger.

Simpson took complete control of the fight over the next two rounds, he was landing heavy punch after heavy punch and Truscott’s face was beginning to look like something out of a slash horror movie. To his credit, Truscott still tried to trade blows despite the fact he was struggling to see. At one point, to the amusement of the fans, he used the referee’s shirt as a towel to wipe away the blood from his face. It provided a brief moment of light heartedness in the middle of a fierce battle.

If things couldn’t get any worse for him, Truscott received a standing eight count in the ninth round after the referee wrongly ruled that he’d touched down following a hook from the champion that clipped the side of his head and made him momentarily lose his footing. Perhaps the referee didn’t find the whole wiping his bloodied face on his shirt as amusing as the rest of us did!

The end came in the tenth. With Truscott tiring and taking more and more punches, Simpson went into overdrive, landing shots that were now rocking the challengers head back. Halfway through the round Truscott was trapped against the ropes, he had been before in the fight and had managed to bravely fight his way out, it wasn’t to be this time though as Simpson landed two crushing hooks that had Truscott sagging prompting the referee to jump in to save him from taking further punishment.

Truscott howled with disappointment at the stoppage but it was the correct decision, sometimes a fighter needs saving from his own bravery. Truscott was in tears in the corner afterwards, distraught at losing in front of his hometown fans for the second time in his career, but after such a courageous performance, he can walk around Middlesbrough with his head held high.

Simpson now moves to 20-6 and looks to have finally established himself at domestic level. He’s expected to make another couple of title defences before challenging the talented Martin Lindsay for the British title sometime next year.

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British Scene: John Simpson vs Paul Truscott II Preview

Dave Oakes previews tomorrow night's rematch between between featherweights John Simpson and Paul Truscott.

Paul Truscott will be looking for revenge on Friday night when he challenges John Simpson for the Commonwealth featherweight title at the Eston Sports Academy in Middlesbrough.

Truscott will be fighting in front of his hometown fans once more, as he was when he lost the title to Simpson just over seven months ago. Truscott was stopped in the eighth round last time after a couple of hefty head clashes caused a nasty cut above his right eye. The Middlesbrough man was ahead on two of the judges scorecards at the time but was starting to lose his way in the fight, with Simpson’s marauding style seemingly having an effect on him.

Simpson is the older man by just three years but is a far more seasoned campaigner than Truscott, having had twenty-five fights compared to Truscott’s fourteen. Simpson’s record of 19-6 is a bit deceiving; he was thrown in at the deep end very early in his career and has only lost to good fighters. He’s certainly the best fighter Truscott has ever faced.

Simpson isn’t the fastest, slickest, or even the strongest fighter in the featherweight division, but he’s got a massive heart and is more than happy to take a punch to land one. He also hits harder than his record suggests (just seven of his win have come inside the distance), he hasn’t got one punch knockout power; his punches are the type that have more of an accumulative effect.

One thing for certain is that he’s the puncher in this fight. Truscott has only got one stoppage on his record (13-1) and hasn’t got the power to trouble Simpson, who’s got a solid chin. Truscott is fast, stylish, and better suited to hitting and moving rather than trading punches. He started their first meeting well but seemed to be surprised at how quick Simpson was closing him down. If he’s to stand any chance of winning the rematch he must land sharp combinations to keep Simpson off balance before moving out of range.

I’m impressed that Truscott has decided to take the rematch so willingly; it shows that he believes he’s got what it takes to beat Simpson. There were plenty of other options available for Truscott, who at 22, is still in the learning stage of his career.

I’m having a hard time picking a winner in this fight; I believe it’ll go to the scorecards where there’ll be very little separating them. I give Simpson the slight edge but Truscott’s confidence leads me to think he could snatch a victory if he executes the perfect game plan. He’ll have to be on his toes from the first bell to the last if he’s to win but he’s more than capable of doing so.

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British Scene: Pound-For-Pound Top 15

Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley round off The Boxing Bulletin's preview of the upcoming British boxing season with their updated British Isles (Irish fighters are included) P4P Top 15 list.

There's been some movement since our last list, most notably Amir Khan jumping several spots, and the arrival in the top 15 of rising Welsh star, Nathan Cleverly (pictured landing a right hand on Danny McIntosh's jaw, photo © Justin McKie).

Make sure to check back in with us later in the week, as Dave and Matt will be back with previews of John O'Donnell vs Tom Glover and John Simpson vs Paul Truscott.

The Boxing Bulletin British Isles P4P Top 15 By Matt Chudley & Dave Oakes 1. Ricky Hatton Remains at no.1 on our list, mainly due to David Haye not fighting Nikolai Valuev until November, he may drop a place after that fight. Until then, he’s still got to be considered the best in Britain due to what he’s achieved in the past five years. It’s rumoured that he’ll make his return to the ring in March or April of next year, it’ll be interesting to see what he’s got left in the tank. - Dave Oakes 2. David Haye (vs Nikolay Valuev - Nov 7) After pulling out and opting out of fights with both Klitschko brothers, Haye now finds himself fighting 7 foot Russian Nicolai Valuev for the WBA strap on the 7th November in Germany. Should the south Londoner leave Germany with the trinket, he will be forced to defend against John Ruiz but will have greatly improved his future bargaining position against the Klitschkos. - Matt Chudley 3. Carl Froch (vs Andre Dirrell - October 17) The Cobra will defend his WBC super-middleweight title on October the 17th against unbeaten American Andre Dirrell in the opening round of Showtime's Super Six tournament. With fights against the divisions best assured over the next year, Froch could soon find himself on many full P4P lists. - Matt Chudley 4. Jamie Moore - up 2 (vs Ryan Rhodes - October 23) He jumps two places on our list due to the defeats of Witter and Woods. He’s already no.1 on the most exciting fighter list and is slowly climbing up this list. Moore looks to be the Brit most likely to capture a world title next year, but he must come through a hard test against Ryan Rhodes later this year before he sets his sights on world glory. - Dave Oakes 5. Clinton Woods (lost UD to Tavoris Cloud) He remains at 5 on our list despite his loss to Tavoris Cloud. Woods showed great heart in losing and regained the respect of the American fans that were less than impressed with his pitiful performance when losing his title to Antonio Tarver. The Sheffield man may decide to retire rather than fight again but he can leave the sport with his head held high after achieving far more than what people thought he would when he first turned pro. - Dave Oakes 6. Amir Khan - up 5 (won UD over Andriy Kotelnik) He’s become world champion by picking off the easiest target at light-welterweight. He boxed well against Kotelnik but questions must still remain about how he’ll cope when he’s put in with a decent fighter who can punch. Expect him to make a few easy defences arranged by the wily Mr Warren before stepping up to genuine world class. - Dave Oakes 7. Bernard Dunne (vs Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym - Sep 26) Well rested after his epic truimph against Ricardo Cordoba, Dunne will return on September 26th to make a first defense of his "Regular" WBA 122lb title against Thai Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym. The fight will take place in Dunne's hometown of Dublin, after Dunne's promoter Brian Peters won the purse bids with a minimum bid of $120,000. - Matt Chudley 8. Junior Witter - down 4 (lost to Devon Alexander - did not come out for 9th round) Witter drops down four places on our list after giving up 8 rounds into a WBC title fight with Devon Alexander. He once again faces a hard road back and with his akward style and limited marketability, he may need to get in line for British or European title fights if he is make another run at a world title. - Matt Chudley 9. Rendall Munroe - down 1 The usually busy Munroe has been taking a well deserved break after defeating Isaac Nettey on May 2. With the European scene already conquered, expect him to chase a world title next year. A possible match-up with Bernard Dunne would make sense if the Dublin successfully defends his title in September. - Dave Oakes 10. Ola Ofalabi - down 1 Out of action since his upset win over Enzo Maccarinelli back in March due to promotional and visa confusions, can now focus on his next opponent. Marco Huck recently dethroned Victor Ramirez to claim the full WBO cruiserweight, leaving interim champ Ofolabi expecting a December or January trip to Germany. - Matt Chudley 11. Nicky Cook - down 1 Inactive since losing his WBO super-featherweight title to Roman Martinez, Cook has taken some time out to recuperate before launching a new assualt on the 130lb division. With gym mate Kevin Mitchell out of the picture, a European title run might be in the offing in the near future. - Matt Chudley 12. Jason Booth (vs Michael Hunter - Oct 16) The reigning British super-bantamweight champion is enjoying an Indian summer to his career. It looked to be all over for him after losing to Damaen Kelly in December 2004; it took him two years to shift the demons that plagued him outside the ring before he returned to slowly rebuild his career. He’s gone unbeaten in his past six fights, five of which were for domestic titles. He fights former British and European champion Michael Hunter in October in what should be a really enjoyable fight for the fans. - Dave Oakes 13. Ian Napa (vs Gary Davis - Sep 11) Napa has decided not to move down a weight after losing his European bantamweight title in meek fashion against Malik Bouziane last time out. He now challenges British champion Gary Davis on September 11 in a fight he must win to keep his career at title level going. - Dave Oakes 14. Nathan Cleverly NEW (tko 7 over Danny McIntosh - Jul 19) The young Welsh light-heavyweight, impressively added the Lonsdale belt in stopping Danny McIntosh (check out Justin McKie's photo gallery of Cleverly vs McIntosh) over 7 one sided but entertaining rounds last time out. With little competition left on the domestic scene, it may now be time for Cleverly to make a run at the European title. He returns on the undercard of Sexton-Rogan 2 in October against an opponent to be announced. - Matt Chudley 15. Matthew Macklin (vs Amin Asikainen - September 25) The first marquee pro signed by Hatton promotions, Macklin opted out of an huge all British showdown with Darren Barker in favor of a fight for the vacant European title against Finn Amin Asikainen. Should Macklin come through, a big fight with Andy Lee in his ancestral home of Ireland could be in the offing. - Matt Chudley e-mail Matt Chudley e-mail Dave Oakes

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British Scene Prospect Watch: Tyson Fury

Dave Oakes concludes his look at the top prospects in the UK, with a profile of young Manchester heavyweight, Tyson Fury.

Tyson Fury

6ft 7ins behemoth fighting out of Manchester. He’s attracting a lot of attention around the world just because of his name; he’s currently 7-0 with all seven wins coming by way of knockout.

The Positives:

He’s obviously got height and reach advantages over most other heavyweights, can hit hard and is technically pretty good for a heavyweight. His fitness is improving with every fight and it won’t be too long before he’s fighting for domestic honours.

The Negatives:

No one knows how he’ll react when he gets caught by a big shot and he keeps his left hand dangerously low for a heavyweight. He’s also got to be careful not to believe his own hype, he must remember he hasn’t achieved anything yet and there’s still a lot of work to be done before he does.

The Future:

He fights John McDermott in early September in what should be a good test for him. If he comes through that fight, which he should, then he can start to target fights against the likes of Derek Chisora, Danny Williams, Matt Skelton and the winner of Martin Rogan v Sam Sexton.

For more on the big youngster from Manchester, check out Dave's story from earlier this year: Introducing Tyson Fury: Story & Photo Gallery

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh Jamie Cox George Groves Kenny Anderson Ricky Owen Tony Bellew In case you are wondering where the 2008 Olympians are, Dave decided not to include them in order to highlight some of the other young fighters that haven't yet received the same kind of attention.

British Scene Season Preview British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

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British Scene Prospect Watch: Tony Bellew

Dave Oakes continues his look at the top young fighters in Britain, with a profile of Liverpool's Tony Bellew.

Tony Bellew

A likeable Scouser who’s boxing at light-heavyweight despite winning three ABA titles at heavyweight. He’s currently 9-0 with 6 stoppages.

The Positives:

He’s been busy thus far in his career, fighting nine times in under two years. He’s fought against, and knocked out, heavier fighters and looks like he’s got the punch power to take out anyone in the light-heavyweight division. He’s training at a great gym under the tuition of Anthony Farnell and isn’t too far away from a title shot.

The Negatives:

He’s yet to weigh in at 175lbs and it’ll be interesting to see how easy he can make weight. There are also question marks about his chin after he was dropped against Jevgenijs Andrejevs late last year.

The Future:

He’s targeting a fight with Commonwealth champion, Nathan Cleverly. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him fighting for the vacant title if Cleverly vacates next year. Fights against Tony Oakey, Darren Stubbs and Courtney Fry would all be good step-ups for him at this stage of his development.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh Jamie Cox George Groves Kenny Anderson Ricky Owen

British Scene Season Preview British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

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British Scene Prospect Watch: Ricky Owen

Dave Oakes continues his look at the top young fighters in Britain, with a profile of slick Swansea southpaw Ricky Owen.

Ricky Owen

24 year old stylist from Swansea. He fights in the featherweight division and is currently 11-0 with 4 stoppages.

The Positives:

He’s a fast, slippery southpaw who looks to hit and move. He can be very hard for an opponent to pin down and even harder to catch with a clean punch.

The Negatives:

Has only had 11 fights in over four and a half years as a pro and is still relatively unknown apart from in his hometown. He lacks power, can be guilty of switching off when he’s outclassing his opponent and hasn’t fought anyone of any note yet.

The Future:

He needs to get his career going. Having been a pro for nearly five years, it’s time he took a step up in competition. He should be looking for fights against the likes of Akaash Bhatia, Derry Matthews and Welsh rival, Jamie Arthur.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh Jamie Cox George Groves Kenny Anderson

British Scene Season Preview British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

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British Scene Prospect Watch: Kenny Anderson

Dave Oakes continues his look at the top young fighters in Britain, with a profile of Edinburgh's Kenny Anderson.

Kenny Anderson

A hard punching Scottish super-middleweight who’s currently 10-0 with 7 stoppages.

The Positives:

Boxes in a classic style, he works off the jab very well and throws a beautiful straight right whilst keeping his chin tucked down to his chest. He carries respectable power, looks to have a solid chin and is another fighter with good amateur pedigree.

The Negatives:

Is known to be lackadaisical when it comes to training and has had problems outside the ring, including being charged with attempted murder a couple of months ago. The charges were dropped due to lack of evidence but you have to question him as to why he allowed himself to be put into that position.

The Future:

With the attempted murder charges dropped, he should be looking to keep himself out of trouble and concentrate fully on his career. At 26, he should be trying to manoeuvre himself into a position to challenge for the British title in the next twelve to eighteen months. Fights against Paul David, Tony Salem and Tony Dodson would all be beneficial to him at this stage of his career. A potential meeting with fellow Scot Stevie McGuire is already being talked about with great excitement north of the border.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh Jamie Cox George Groves

British Scene Season Preview British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

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British Scene Prospect Watch: George Groves

Dave Oakes continues his look at the top young fighters in Britain, with a profile of 21 year old George Groves.

George Groves

One of the most hyped prospects in Britain. He fights in the super-middleweight division and is currently 4-0 with 3 stoppages.

The Positives:

A good all-round boxer with knockout power, especially with the overhand right. He can box off the back foot, counter-punch or lead; he looks at home in the ring and has bags of natural talent. He’s a two time ABA middleweight champion and beat Olympic gold medallist James DeGale on his way to the title in 2006.

The Negatives:

Is guilty of holding his hands too low and getting caught with silly shots, hopefully this will be something he eradicates as he progresses. He’s under contract with David Haye’s Hayemaker Promotions, who’ve not got a television contract now that Setanta have gone bankrupt.

The Future:

Having already demolished former British title challenger Paul Samuels in just his third fight, he seems like the kind of fighter who thrives on a challenge. With this in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him being moved more quickly than most prospects. I could see him challenging for the British title within the next two years.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh Jamie Cox

British Scene Season Preview British Scene Season Preview Part One; Simpson vs Truscott, O'Donnell vs Glover, Davis vs Napa, Fury vs McDermott & Olusegun vs Daws British Scene Season Preview Part Two: Macklin vs Asikainen, Thaxton vs Murray, Sexton vs Rogan & Booth vs Hunter

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British Scence Prospect Watch: Jamie Cox

Dave Oakes continues his look at the top young fighters in Britain, with a profile of Swindon southpaw, Jamie Cox.

Jamie Cox

Swindon born welterweight who looks to have plenty of raw talent. At 22, he’s got time on his side to develop into a real star. He’s currently 12-0 with 7 stoppages.

The Positives:

Another of our prospects with a good amateur background having won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth games, he decided to turn pro in 2007 rather than aiming for the 2008 Olympics. He’s an aggressive fighter whose best punches are the left hook and straight right, both of which have accounted for most of his knockouts.

The Negatives:

He tends to rush his boxing too much and is far too eager to trade punches rather than letting everything flow naturally. He’s very impatient and has been calling out Kell Brook for the past twelve months, you can’t fault him for confidence but he needs to keep his feet on the ground and learn how to pace a fight properly before stepping in with someone of Brook’s undoubted talent.

The Future:

He needs to face boxers who can stand up to his aggressive style and throw enough punches back to make him think about his own boxing. His fight against Mark Lloyd was a great learning fight for him and he would benefit from a few more like it. I’d love to see him in with the likes of a Kevin McIntyre or Michael Lomax in twelve months time.

e-mail Dave Oakes

Previous Prospect Profiles Don Broadhurst Stephen Smith Ryan Walsh

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