Browne Vs Towers - Heavyweight Commonwealth Eliminator.

"Big Daddy" Vs "The Inferno" - 2nd November, Hull.

Richard Towers - Lucas Browne

Next Saturday will hopefully be 3rd time lucky for both Browne and Towers to fight for the chance to face David Price for his Commonwealth Title, with this fight having been postponed twice before, it is a fight I am very much looking forward too.

6′ 4″ Browne brings a record of 17 fights, 17 wins, 15 by KO and is currently ranked 15th by the WBC. His last fight was in July against Travis Walker, a fight that Lucas won in the 7th after dropping Walker 3 times, however he was dropped himself in the first round.

6′ 8″  Towers has a record of 14 fights, 14 wins, 11by KO and is the former EBU- EU heavyweight champ. His last fight was against Tony Gregory for that belt back in June 2012. Many think that ringrust will play an issue with Richard having been out of the ring for so long, however having been busy as a sparring partner with both Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye, I'm not sure that will be a major problem.

Outside the ring both Lucas and Richard are good friends and have sparred several times with each other, however come fight night that will be put to one side as they fight to get that shot at Price. Lucas had this to say to V2Boxing about the bout - “Towers was a complete gentleman when I was last here and we got along very well. I don't want to be fighting Towers but we both understand it has to be done and this is the sport we have chosen. We sparred a few times and I'm sure we have both taken something from those exchanges, but in saying that, it was a while ago now and I know I've improved ten fold from then so it will be interesting. I'm pumped to finally get this fight because I want the Commonwealth title. I don't really care where the fight is, as long as I get a chance to fight for the belt and get a chance to show the world what I can do. I've got a decent following over here and I'm very thankful to the UK fans for getting behind me like they have. When it comes to fight time it doesn't matter where I am, I'm there to do what I do best”.

Matt Clarke (Browne's manager) had this to say to Hatton Promotions, (Ricky Hatton is the promotor for both fighters) - "It certainly is third time lucky, I believe we're going to see a career best performance from Lucas. He's preparing extremely well, without any distractions and he's ready for this next step. His fan base in the UK and Ireland is growing rapidly and a good performance here might see him face defending Commonwealth champion David Price in his next bout."

Richard Towers is certainly looking forward to the fight saying - "I have been hanging in limbo since the Australia fight was called off. I was supposed to fight Johann Duhaupas and that didn't happen so I'm excited about the fight with Lucas being on again. I don't want to slag Lucas off because he's a good guy and I consider him a friend but I think he is getting carried away with the stars a little  because he's banging these guys out"

Whether the winner of this fight will actually face David Price in 2014 for the title is very much up for debate and we will have to wait to see what Price's next move is going to be.

This is certainly going to be an interesting fight and is a clash of styles. Browne goes forward at every opportunity, whilst Towers, likes to use his reach to keep others at bay. With a 4" height advantage Towers is going to attempt to use his reach and his jab to keep the big hitting Lucas at bay, however I feel if Lucas can get inside and work to the body he will get some great success, eventually he'll get to the chin of Towers and that will be that. 

So yes, whilst this is a tight fight on paper I believe that Lucas will have too much power for Towers and whilst the loser of this fight will have a tricky road back it certainly won't be the end of the road, not yet...

I wish them both well.

David Price - What Next?

David Price - What Next?

David Price - Some decisions to make..

Having seen his attempt at trying to avenge a defeat to Tony Thompson turn to dust it must seem like a very lonely world to David Price at the moment. Even 3 weeks after he was stopped in the 5th, the future will very likely seem uncertain and he'll view it with a lot of trepidation.

So what next? What can he do to turn those 2 Thompson defeats into "glitches" on his path to world glory? Lets not forget he is still the British and Commonwealth Champion..

A lot of people are questioning his chin. This is a myth. He wasn't hit flush on the chin in the first fight, but just under the ear. Anybody who has been hit in this area will know the effect it has on your balance and the equilibrium of the body. Tyson Fury was put on his backside by a blown up cruiserweight, does he have a suspect chin?

Others are questioning his heart. Again this is a myth. To want, demand in fact, a rematch with Thompson to try to avenge that first defeat showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage. You can however, have all the heart in the world but if you have no gas in the tank then it means absolutely nothing and that is the first thing he needs to do.

Before any talk of possible opponents, Price must sort out his conditioning. He must ensure he is able to fight beyond 6 rounds without being gassed. He has power and precision but a lack of stamina will mean he may as well not bother. 

He also needs to sort out "his" team. Is it Maloney and Smith or Lewis and TeamLennox? I don't think there can be a mixture of the two. Different aims and techniques will result in Price being totally confused going into his next fight just as he was coming out for the 5th against Thompson - his corner telling him one thing, Lewis hollering something else from ringside. Some tough decisions need to be made.

Possible opponents need to be looked at carefully. I've seen talk of fighting Lucas Browne or Manuel Charr when he returns to the ring. These fights would be far too risky as a "return" fight. On a couple of undercards Vs Lewison or the like away from Liverpool would be a good starting point. It will take a lot of hard work mentally to get himself back to where he was confidence wise 3 fights ago.

I wish him well...

Lucas Browne - The Dark Horse Of Heavyweight Boxing.

Lucas Browne - The Big Daddy..

Lucas Browne

Lucas Browne was part of a blog I wrote in April 2012 under another name, he is also mentioned in my picks of 2013 - Click here for that blog. I have written a blog about him when he was due to fight Richard Towers in an eliminator for David Price's Commonwealth Belt and I have been a big cheerleader of his on various fans forums, twitter and facebook.

Suffice to say I am a huge fan of "BigDaddy".

Why am I a big fan? Why am I a big fan of a fighter who is based on the other side of the world from where I live? Ask yourself why is Ricky Hatton Lucas' promoter...

Lucas has had 15 fights winning all of those 15, 14 of which he has won by KO. He has a style that I like with a huge punch. Once he connects correctly then there will only be one outcome. His last fight was against the Japanese heavyweight Masataka Takehara who was dispatched by KO in the first round. Takehara had previously fought Alex Leapai, (Australian No1 by some), and had gained a draw over 6 rounds. Lucas' KO of Takehara in the first round should not be swept aside as many are trying to do. 

Alex Leapai

Lucas' manager Matt Clark and promoter Hatton Promotions obviously think he is heading upwards and onwards as his next fight is against James "Lights Out" Toney. Toney is a legend of the ring and although his best years are far behind him this is a big test for Lucas, he has a lot of experience (74 fights), and has never been stopped, (7 defeats). 

"Lights Out" Toney

This is the "name" that Lucas needs to propel him into the same breath as Charr, Wilder, Boytsov & Helenius, who are all seen as potential world title challengers. In my very honest opinion Browne beats Wilder, Boytsov and Helenius now. Charr will come with a few fights more to gain experience.

I see Browne being the first boxer to KO Toney and then he will have to relocate to Europe to further his career. To have a 16-0 record with 15 stoppages will alert a lot of people in and around the myriad of belts and titles, I could see a shot at the commonwealth title next and then 2 more fights before a title shot, perhaps against Fury...

Time will tell. First he needs to dispatch Toney and then perhaps look at a fight with the like of Ruslan Chagaev or similar in the UK to futher enhance his profile.

Heading for the top...

What I can say without doubt is that Lucas is quite clearly a ferocious talent with TNT in his fists, who will have a shot at the title.

I wish him well... 

Edit - Browne easily defeated Toney with a unanimous points decision, winning every round of the fight.

Browne Vs Toney - Full Fight, CLICK HERE.

With thanks to Hattonboxing.com  for the video..

Edit - Lucas will fight Richard Towers on 25th July in an eliminator for the commonwealth title.
 

 

Richard Towers - The Forgotten Man Of British Boxing?

Time for a reminder...

Richard Towers

Richard "The Inferno" Towers is the forgotten man of British boxing, who had some rare headlines this week, thanks to uncertainty surrounding the Price Vs Thompson fight. Towers claims he was offered the fight at a few days notice for peanuts and quite rightly turned it down. A fight against Price would need a couple of months preparation, to have taken it at a few days would have been just asking for a defeat to be added to your record. It turns out that Maloney was covering his bases in case Thompson's medical records didn't arrive in time.   

Frank Maloney

Richard Towers is the 33 year old current undefeated EU Heavyweight Champion based in Yorkshire with a record of 14 fights, 14 wins with 11 KOs. His last fight, in June 2012, was against the Former French champion Gregory Tony, who Towers stopped in the 9th round. Tony had previously been in with both Perez and Helenius and was a big step up for Towers, who although rocked slightly in the 5th did well to recover and win.

Towers is a very good cagey fighter with some tremendous power in his punches. This would be one of the reasons why he is a regular sparring partner for the Klitschkos and why he is currently ranked number 13 in the world by the WBA. He was also due to fight Lucas Browne in Dec 2012 in an eliminator for David Price's commonwealth title. A fight Towers was forced to pull out of due to an injury.

Towers & Browne

What lies ahead for Towers? Currently he is "between" fights. I would like to see him fight Browne in the rescheduled commonwealth eliminator. Price is likely to relinquish the title to pursue his quest for a shot at the title, so a fight between Browne and Towers could be for the actual title. There was some mentions of Francesco Pianeta as a possible opponent back in October, this could also be an option.

David Price Commonwealth Champion

Whatever his next fight is and wherever it leads him, after the personal problems Richard had in the past and has overcome, I think his boxing career will be a walk in the park in comparison.

I wish him well...

Browne Vs Towers - Commonwealth Eliminator.

Browne Vs Towers - Commonwealth Eliminator.

David Price Commonwealth Champion

On Dec 11th Hong Kong is to host a much anticipated fight between 2 undefeated heavyweights for the right to fight for The Commonwealth Title, currently held by David Price.



 Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne currently has a record of 13 fights, 13 wins, 12 by KO.

Lucas Browne

Richard "The Inferno" Towers currently has a record of 14 fights, 14 wins, 11 by KO. He is also the current European heavyweight title holder.

Richard Towers

Whilst these two men are friends outside of the ring and have sparred on more than one occasion there will be no "favours" inside the ring come December 11th, although Browne has this to say about the fight
“Richard and I spent some time together training and sparring and we got along like best mates. It’s a shame that one of us will end up with a loss after this fight because of the other person, but at the same time it’s business and I’m sure it’s not going to affect the friendship.”

This fight seems to have been overlooked by the press and media this side of the world. The clamour for a Price Vs Fury fight probably has something to do with it as does the fact it's in Hong Kong. It's being promoted by Ricky Hatton's Hatton Promotions in their first excursion into the asian boxing market.

Having fought his last 2 fights in the UK, Browne has clearly impressed Hatton "People are talking about this man now as a world class puncher so it’s a great opportunity". This is an opinion I also share.

Whilst both men carry a big punch the "smart" money would be on Towers who has the better experience and who is currently sparring with Wladimir Klitshcko in Austria. Pretty impressive company in order to prepare for your next fight!!

This is certainly a massive fight for both fighters and it makes a refreshing change for two up and coming undefeated boxers to put their records on the line in order to try and climb the career ladder. 

Hatton says “Here we have two high flying and unbeaten heavyweights. Both are at similar stages in their careers and have a similar number of fights, but now they have an opportunity to catapult their way into the world rankings"

This is certainly true and a case could be made, especially with the backing of Hatton for the winner to be placed into the top 20. A fight for the Commonwealth title will also enhance that ranking. World title fights on the cards for the winner? Not yet, but is a big possibility...

The World Title Holders

My personal opinion on this fight is that it will be fast and furious with both fighters taking and throwing huge hits. I don't anticipate this going more than 3 rounds and will I feel end by a KO. 

My Winner? I think it is going to be Browne. Having seen both men fight I think Browne's power and style are going to be too much for Towers. One thing is for sure, it is going to rank as one of the best fights of the year.

Towers Vs Browne

The winner gets to fight for the Commonwealth Title, will that be against Price or will he vacate to step up his world title push in 2013? That is a question for another time...


Good luck to both fighters.