Most Promising Irish Middleweight

alanceltic

Who in your opinion will make the biggest impact in this weight division....

The steady progress of John Duddy who inches ever closer to a world title tilt?

The up and coming (albeit untested) talents of Andy Lee?

The man living in Lee & Duddys shadows...Matthew Macklin.

I know which order I place them in (I listed them alphabetically to be unbiased) but Im interested to know what others think. Its an interesting division from an irish perspective but I cant see any matchups between them this year (if at all)

Kess73

Matthew Macklin

For me, It has to be Andy Lee. I think he has far more potential that the other two, and would fancy him to beat either at the moment.

ODD-JOB

Well , Theres a lot of hype about Andy Lee at the moment , but he too has shown mistakes , and we have yet to see how he copes with a spell in trouble. All in all , he still has the best chance of topping his game.

E.Stewart has put heaps of his time and energy into promoting Andy Lee's reputation.He'll tell anybody that will listen that Lee is the next W.Champion he will definately get his turn at the top fights, eventually !

I think the Duddy Pavlik fight could turn out to be a little better than some might think. Not that i think Duddy is great , just that I havent really bought into the megahype that has encircled Pavlik, and his last performance didnt convince me any further.

djkray

To me Aandy is the more dangerous fighter has the punches to put someone away however he did show a lack of talent in Limerick the last night but maybe that was hometown nerves etc.
E. Stewert rarely gets it wrong and he knows he is good. I have the inside track from someone who is been taken on by stewert and has spent 4 weeks in Detriot a young Irish cruierweight that we will have to watch out for. Andy is sparring with world champion Cruiserweights in his gym and knocking them about the place they cant get hold of him so that is why Stewert is excited by him.
Just watch out for a young Irish lad Called Sweeney he is 3 and 0 in the pro game a traveler who will make it big if he can get down to lite heavy. You heard it here first lol
Either way Duddy gets first title fight which he will losse andy teh second which he will win

walshb

Matthew Macklin

If you were a gambling man/woman, you would have to back Lee...

He takes the least and the other two don't possess the raw power to
win a world title..

At least with Lee he has what I would consider the better natural skills and he maybe has a little more pop. He's the cleverer of the three...

cowzerp

Matthew Macklin

Andy Lee without a doubt, more power, speed and skill than the other 2..

Judomad

Matthew Macklin

i agree with everybody so far, andy lee hands down has more potential to make it big.

Big Ears

Matthew Macklin

Andy Lee has so much more potential than the other two , however if they were to fight tomorrow I'd back Duddy and Macklin to beat Lee . However I reckon it shouldn't be too long before Lee rises above him , but I hope to god he shows some ability to fight on the inside against Brian Vera .

efb

Lee- the closest we'll come to a world champ, and hopefully get it...

ODD-JOB

Well I'd go with the Bigears.
Andy Lee looks like he might have a good carreer ahead of him ,
BUT........
If I could pick any one of those 3 fighters to beat Pavlik in New York next June.......It would have to be Duddy.

Duddy looks to improve a bit each fight , as he should be ..... but will he have improved enough come Pavlik fight?? Pavlik's only mid-twenties too !

cowzerp

Matthew Macklin

Big ears and odd job your opinion is accepted but to be honest i think lee beats either easily, especially duddy, he would barely get hit and totally counter punch the head off him, Pavlik is going to bust duddy up in about 3 rounds imo, lee would go the distance and then who knows??

theone

Matthew Macklin

ODD-JOB wrote: »

Well I'd go with the Bigears.
Andy Lee looks like he might have a good carreer ahead of him ,
BUT........
If I could pick any one of those 3 fighters to beat Pavlik in New York next June.......It would have to be Duddy.

Duddy looks to improve a bit each fight , as he should be ..... but will he have improved enough come Pavlik fight?? Pavlik's only mid-twenties too !

you posted that before duddy last night so i'll let you off

Lee is the better for me with duddy in behind him I think macklin is a better fighter than duddy but he's yet to prove it.

ODD-JOB

hmmmmmmm.. thanks !!
That was my "Get out of jail free" clause !

Ok , Duddy is about 3 or 4 years older than Pavlik , so Im not too sure how much more Duddy can use the "learning curve" theory........
It's not going to happen now anyway , is it ?

theone

Matthew Macklin

it's looking very unlikely atm with that bad cut he has

might be a blessing in disguise at the same time.I don't think he'll get another chance,so it's now or never for him

alanceltic

No surprises then to see then Duddy has no votes and after last nights performances it appears to be somewhat justified, id love to see him get a big payday as he seems a likeable fella but I fear if he doesnt get a shot this year it will pass him by, he is a very limited fighter IMO, he has very little lateral movement and this causes him to take an awful lot of punishment.

Im surprised that so many have overlooked macklin, he does have a recent defeat on his record but he did take a lot of credit in the manner of the defeat, I firmly believe that his corner were to blame that night for letting him blow his load so early, anyone could see that he could never maintain that pace all night and he was ahead b4 he had no juice left in the tank.... Now that he has a new coach it will be very interesting to see how his style changes but I think he could be a dark horse in the waiting and if you see beyond the Manny Stewart ****etalk its hard to know if Lee is the real deal, of course we all hope he IS but time will tell. It was mentioned 2 weeks ago that there was a possibility that Lee could face the winner of Pavlik-Duddy so is it now a possibility that we could have a Pavlik-Lee fight or would this be just crazy?????

Hero Of College

Matthew Macklin

I know Jake Donovan, a small time Promoter in the States, and he figured, 1 year ago, that Duddy would be a decent challenge for Lee- and he said that one year from then {i.e, now} that Lee would, and I quote "BURY" Duddy.

After Johns fairly poor performance on Saturday, I'd say so too. Like Macklin, he can't change his style when he has too.

alanceltic

just taught I would ressurect this thread as Macklin is making waves, take a bow C1979, of the 30 odd people polled 18 months ago only 2 plunged for macklin

T-K-O

At the moment Macklin without question.

alanceltic

Yeah obviously, but its mad to think that when the poll was posted 18 months ago the results were

Duddy - 1
Lee - 28
Macklin - 2

how things have changed or rather how opinions have changed. I think Lee was undefeated at the time which just goes to show how overrated a zero on the record can be

walshb

Matthew Macklin

alanceltic wrote: »

Who in your opinion will make the biggest impact in this weight division....

The steady progress of John Duddy who inches ever closer to a world title tilt?

The up and coming (albeit untested) talents of Andy Lee?

The man living in Lee & Duddys shadows...Matthew Macklin.

I know which order I place them in (I listed them alphabetically to be unbiased) but Im interested to know what others think. Its an interesting division from an irish perspective but I cant see any matchups between them this year (if at all)

This I don't get. I am not having a pop at you, it's just that Duddy seems to be inching for
so bloody long. Where is the guy going. I cannot see him making it, too defensively poor and doesn't hit close to hard enough at this tough weight. Best win was a war vs the durable and good Eastman

Lee. No No No, on the world scene, he just isn't up to it at all.
Give Lee stamina and versatility and he could do well.

Mackiln never impressed me early on, seems to be having a good run now, but
lets not get carried away yet, really still to be tested.

My order on these is: Mackin, Lee, Duddy. Really, Lee and Duddy are so hard to separate

Initially I selected Lee, things have changed since Feb 2008

Vintagekits

alanceltic wrote: »

No surprises then to see then Duddy has no votes and after last nights performances it appears to be somewhat justified, id love to see him get a big payday as he seems a likeable fella but I fear if he doesnt get a shot this year it will pass him by, he is a very limited fighter IMO, he has very little lateral movement and this causes him to take an awful lot of punishment.

Im surprised that so many have overlooked macklin, he does have a recent defeat on his record but he did take a lot of credit in the manner of the defeat, I firmly believe that his corner were to blame that night for letting him blow his load so early, anyone could see that he could never maintain that pace all night and he was ahead b4 he had no juice left in the tank.... Now that he has a new coach it will be very interesting to see how his style changes but I think he could be a dark horse in the waiting and if you see beyond the Manny Stewart ****etalk its hard to know if Lee is the real deal, of course we all hope he IS but time will tell. It was mentioned 2 weeks ago that there was a possibility that Lee could face the winner of Pavlik-Duddy so is it now a possibility that we could have a Pavlik-Lee fight or would this be just crazy?????

Since Macklin has started to take his career serious - i.e. not going on the pizz in Newmarket-on-Fergus ever chance he gets, we have seen a marked improvement in his performances. Granted the two guys he has just knocked out "could" be put into the "on the slide" bracket. But I would have him down to beat either Lee or Duddy. In fact some say that Lee is the closest thing we have to a world champion - ffs Macklin is in line to fight Sebastian Sylvester in his next fight and I bet that he knocks the INF title holder out!

nacho libre

Matthew Macklin

I still have a feeling that Lee would beat Macklin on points. Lee has a good chin and i think he is a better boxer than Macklin. If he can just sort out his stamina issues and learn to fight on the inside then he could still be a genuine contender for a world title. He's young enough so these issues can still be sorted out.

BDF

Matthew Macklin

I have a feeling Duddy would beat the hell out of Macklin! Yeah I said it His chin is so solid, I can't see him folding like Asikainen or Elcock. It would be Moore V Macklin part II with Duddy coming out on top.
I am also of the opinion that Lee beats both of them on points.

joepenguin

At the mo its Macklin.
Walshb I think when that was posted about Duddy inching closer to the title it was not long after he beat Eastman and had the fight with Pavlik in the bag only for his poor performance against Smichet.

Just goes to show how things chang since then but alot has to do with how Macklin has come on with his training. Its working for him!

Macklin-Duddy would be the fight Id like to see.

dlofnep

Matthew Macklin

It has to be said in retrospect that Macklin is now the most promising, with Duddy second and Lee third. Although, it's as always - you are only as good as your last fight. If Macklin loses one, you could see it all being switched around again.

I still think Duddy has something to offer, despite losing to a journeyman.

walshb

Matthew Macklin

joepenguin wrote: »

At the mo its Macklin.
Walshb I think when that was posted about Duddy inching closer to the title it was not long after he beat Eastman and had the fight with Pavlik in the bag only for his poor performance against Smichet.
.

Yes, well spotted, I had forgot that...thanks

joepenguin

walshb wrote: »

Yes, well spotted, I had forgot that...thanks

Yeah just a few weeks ago i was wondering why damean kellys european title challenge wasnt coming up on the sky+ lol.

alanceltic

joepenguin wrote: »

At the mo its Macklin.
Walshb I think when that was posted about Duddy inching closer to the title it was not long after he beat Eastman and had the fight with Pavlik in the bag only for his poor performance against Smichet.

Just goes to show how things chang since then but alot has to do with how Macklin has come on with his training. Its working for him!

Macklin-Duddy would be the fight Id like to see.

thank you.... saved me from having to explain the date of the post.... also, the only reason why duddy DIDNT eventually get his tilt at a world strap (and the $1.5m+++ pot that went with it) was because his scumbag team were robbing him blind

walshb

Matthew Macklin

Regardless of who is the best, I know I would pay to watch any series of fights with these three. Their styles and difference make for great matches I would imagine. I think Duddy could be a sneaky favorite in a series fight off.

spongeman

Matthew Macklin

walshb wrote: »

Regardless of who is the best, I know I would pay to watch any series of fights with these three. Their styles and difference make for great matches I would imagine. I think Duddy could be a sneaky favorite in a series fight off.

Triple threat perhaps ????????

bamboozler

Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan. Well he does have a belt as well.

Big Ears

Matthew Macklin

Spike is a Light-Middleweight who is still a prospect and with no disrespect to the chap you'd have to bet on him not turning out to be as good as the other 3.

I'm surprised so many are still apprehensive about Macklin's ability.
I think he's proved he's for real and he's such an all round good fighter now.
His defense is so much better than either Duddy's or Lee's, and he comes forward and pressures working of the jab and then fires of short and tidy hooks and straight off that.

Technically the way Macklin fights now(as opposed to the Billy Graham era) is top stuff, and physically he's much quicker and stronger than he's ever been. He's living the life and reaping the rewards and imo he'd stop Sebastian Sylvester.

BDF

Matthew Macklin

Big Ears wrote: »

Spike is a Light-Middleweight who is still a prospect and with no disrespect to the chap you'd have to bet on him not turning out to be as good as the other 3.

I'm surprised so many are still apprehensive about Macklin's ability.
I think he's proved he's for real and he's such an all round good fighter now.
His defense is so much better than either Duddy's or Lee's, and he comes forward and pressures working of the jab and then fires of short and tidy hooks and straight off that.

Technically the way Macklin fights now(as opposed to the Billy Graham era) is top stuff, and physically he's much quicker and stronger than he's ever been. He's living the life and reaping the rewards and imo he'd stop Sebastian Sylvester.

Macklin is a different fighter to the one we saw fight Campas, no doubt, I still think if Lee could get his sh*t together he would beat both Duddy & Macklin though.

The most interesting fight would be Duddy V Macklin. Duddy looks like he's getting back on track training wise now that he's reunited with Keit so I think he would give even the new and improved Macklin a very tough fight.

Matthew's wins over Elcock & Asikainen were impressive but Elcock is getting on a bit and Asikainen had been stopped twice before. It's a totally different story for Macklin against either Lee or Duddy who are both younger, fitter and stronger than the two fighters he just bowled over.

f1dan

I didn't vote on this originally but I would've voted for Lee at the time. Is it too late to jump on the Macklin bandwagon? I was very worried about where he was headed after the Ajetovic fight but his last 2 performamces have been very impressive. He is streets ahead of Lee and Duddy right now.

EDIT: Just after looking at the poll results.
sligobhoy67: Andy Lee
Vintagekits: Matthew Macklin

I guess i'm not the only one who had a change of heart!

makl

Big Ears wrote: »

Spike is a Light-Middleweight who is still a prospect and with no disrespect to the chap you'd have to bet on him not turning out to be as good as the other 3.

I'm surprised so many are still apprehensive about Macklin's ability.
I think he's proved he's for real and he's such an all round good fighter now.
His defense is so much better than either Duddy's or Lee's, and he comes forward and pressures working of the jab and then fires of short and tidy hooks and straight off that.

Technically the way Macklin fights now(as opposed to the Billy Graham era) is top stuff, and physically he's much quicker and stronger than he's ever been. He's living the life and reaping the rewards and imo he'd stop Sebastian Sylvester.

why sylvester and not sturm?

Big Ears

Matthew Macklin

makl wrote: »

why sylvester and not sturm?

Because Sturm's quite a bit better than Sylvester, fights smart and doesn't allow himself to be dragged into wars(anymore). Sylvester isn't as skilled as Sturm and has a very macho attitude, he'll war with anyone.

alanceltic

f1dan wrote: »

I didn't vote on this originally but I would've voted for Lee at the time. Is it too late to jump on the Macklin bandwagon? I was very worried about where he was headed after the Ajetovic fight but his last 2 performamces have been very impressive. He is streets ahead of Lee and Duddy right now.

EDIT: Just after looking at the poll results.
sligobhoy67: Andy Lee
Vintagekits: Matthew Macklin

I guess i'm not the only one who had a change of heart!

FYI there were only 2 votes in favour of Macklin when this poll was put up, me and C1979 - vintagekits wasnt even born in cyberspace back then

walshb

Matthew Macklin

alanceltic wrote: »

FYI there were only 2 votes in favour of Macklin when this poll was put up, me and C1979 - vintagekits wasnt even born in cyberspace back then

I think the "accusation" is that vintage and sligo are the same.

alanceltic

and a good contributor to the the boxing forum.....smells a kangaroo court stirring up