Yorkshires finest

Hello to all.

Just back from a short break in Yorkshire and looks like it all kicked off last week! Anyway, whilst I was there, I had a quick visit to Scarborough and found a few fight posters celebrating Scarboro's favourite son and former IBF Featherweight Champion, Paul Ingle. It got me thinking about the division in the respect of UK fighters and it has been a productive weight class over the last few years in particular.

We have had some good, and some very good featherweight world champs recently, including Prince Naseem, Ingle, Hodkinson, Harrison, McMillan and Robinson. Obviously we have people like McGuigan and Winstone of an older vintage but this post is primarily about "recent" champions.

I guess most people would say Hamed is clearly the best of this bunch, and Rowley has already covered his reign in a previous post, but who is best of the chasing pack? For me, I would say Scott Harrison, before his well documented problems would be the one. He was a solid performer, with an aggressive style and underrated skills. Good chin and decent dig on him as well. Had a solid CV both prior to and during his title reign and I would fancy that a focussed and disciplined Harrison would match up well against the other names listed above. You have to admire Robinsons achievement in making the most of his limited talent and I always liked Hoko's style but I have them behind Harrison in the pecking order.

On a side note, I can't understand why DAVE and Rowley are such curmudgeons, all the Yorkshire folk I met were charming people!

If we are talking recent vintage I agree it is a given Naz is a country mile in front of the pack. However beyond this there is not too much between them. Was never overly convinced by Harrison, thought he was tidy enough but didn't do anything spectacular was just huge at the weight and so freakishly strong, do have to wonder how long he would have been able to get his frame down to feather and think had he moved up his best assets would have been negated. That said think he was probably the best of the rest, but it is marginal and he is not too far in front of the likes of Ingle or Robinson.

You are also right, Yorkshire people are lovely. Perhaps Dave and my grumpiness is a consequence of having to interact with southern fairies and one foreigner on here, is enough to test even the most easy going of Yorkshire folk

rowley wrote:You are also right, Yorkshire people are lovely. Perhaps Dave and my grumpiness is a consequence of having to interact with southern fairies and one foreigner on here, is enough to test even the most easy going of Yorkshire folk

If I relocate a few miles up the road to Stoke-on-Trent, will I then have your respect, Rowley?

Chris it's still down south. However as you voted Burley into the 606 HoF you can have a pass today and I will forgive your unfortunate location.

rowley wrote:If we are talking recent vintage I agree it is a given Naz is a country mile in front of the pack. However beyond this there is not too much between them. Was never overly convinced by Harrison, thought he was tidy enough but didn't do anything spectacular was just huge at the weight and so freakishly strong, do have to wonder how long he would have been able to get his frame down to feather and think had he moved up his best assets would have been negated. That said think he was probably the best of the rest, but it is marginal and he is not too far in front of the likes of Ingle or Robinson.

You are also right, Yorkshire people are lovely. Perhaps Dave and my grumpiness is a consequence of having to interact with southern fairies and one foreigner on here, is enough to test even the most easy going of Yorkshire folk

Your right in that his main asset was his strength but he had a relentlessness about him that was impressive to my mind. Some of his punches sometimes looked a touch agricultural, but he cut the ring down effectively and had that sturdiness about him that I think must have been pretty intimidating to some oppo's.

I am in exile in the South Rowley. Cheshire is "home" for me. Does that count as far enough oop North for you!

I believe that Rowley draws the north / south line through Worksop. This does put places like Macclesfield and Chester in 'the south', but Jeff knows best.

You'll have to move to Mablethorpe, Chris.

Harrison was being handily outboxed by Michael Brodie in their fight before catching him with a body shot. Brodie was blown up SBW and Harrison was a SF boiling down to FW in my opinion. brodie made him look silly at times before his natural inclination to brawl took over.

Harrison showed some promise at the start of his career, beating Tracey Harris Patterson on the undercard of Lennox Lewis contest I believe. However, he stalled once he became Champion and whilst there's every possibility his out of the ring lifestyle contributed to it, his stoppage defeat by Manuel Medina must be a career low for him. Medina was a decent fighter but certainly wasn't a puncher.

Can only reiterate Rowley's assertion that dealing with soft southern fairies on a daily basis is the real reason for my allegedly sour disposition...you bunch of ****s!!!!!!

Chesire is virtually Lancashire!!! That is worse than being a southerner (nearly)

DAVE667 wrote:Harrison was being handily outboxed by Michael Brodie in their fight before catching him with a body shot. Brodie was blown up SBW and Harrison was a SF boiling down to FW in my opinion. brodie made him look silly at times before his natural inclination to brawl took over.

Harrison showed some promise at the start of his career, beating Tracey Harris Patterson on the undercard of Lennox Lewis contest I believe. However, he stalled once he became Champion and whilst there's every possibility his out of the ring lifestyle contributed to it, his stoppage defeat by Manuel Medina must be a career low for him. Medina was a decent fighter but certainly wasn't a puncher.

Can only reiterate Rowley's assertion that dealing with soft southern fairies on a daily basis is the real reason for my allegedly sour disposition...you bunch of ****s!!!!!!

Take your points DAVE but I thought he lost to MM on points didn't he?

And Rowley, we are far posher in Cheshire than the toe-rags next door. I am (nearly) offended at that.

Can'treally remember Tino, I just remember him looking like he'd run through a mincing machine and I figured anyone who gets busted up by MM can't be "all that".

Think we've had many 'also ran' type fighter. Maybe Leeds's Wharton would have done much better in an easier era? I think Rhodes is very much on the brink of world level but certainly Naz is flying the flag.

Suppose in the bigger picture my town of Leeds has been pretty dissapointing but at the same time there are some great clubs & fighters in the area which haven't quite done it.

Tin tin tin!

Naz for sure, but it's Woods with his name outside the Town hall!

Rhodes is obviously the man at the minute, hopefully Brook can fulfill some of that potential of his too.

Then there's the undermatched, yet thoroughly scary heavyweight, Richard Towers who's looking to make a name for himself at the minute.

If McGuigan is not modern enough and not British enough to count for our purposes, I'd probably choose either Hodkinson or Robinson as second best to Naz in the modern UK nine stone stakes. Always felt that Hoko was a typical Eddie Shaw fighter - irresistible when going forwards and throwing those lefts to body and head, almost clueless when pushed onto the back foot. Great win against Villasana, excellent results v Cepeda and Benichou as well, but losing to Vargas knocked the stuffing out of him and he was never the same again. I thought, by the way, that Vargas would be the next great Mexican fighter and I have to say that his subsequent career ranks as one of my big boxing disappointments.

Old Cinderella Robinson's career still amazes me at this distance from it. No arguing with his victims, especially McKenzie and Hoko, and he did much better against a peak Naz than plenty of others. On balance, he might get my vote for second.

what about rhodes? he's fighting for the title soon and im backing him all the way (been a yorkshire lad). however, been from yorkshire i dont hold out much faith.

Well Sheffields Kell Brook might be able to change this Fingers crossed. Looks the part for us Yorkshiremen.