Boxing world give their early predictions for the Golden Contract super-lightweight tournament
After the featherweight tournament got tails wagging at the weekend, the attention now turns to the super-lightweights, due to clash on November 22 at the same setting in York Hall, London. Althought Ohara Davies and Tyrone McKenna got confused and thought their fight was already on as the colourful characters clashed at ringside!
The talented tournament features former WBC Silver and English champion Ohara Davies; WBC International championTyrone McKenna; IBF European champion and former English super-lightweight champion Akeem Ennis-Brown; WBO Inter-Continental champion Zhankosh Turarov; IBO world super-lightweight champion and former European welterweight champion Mohamed Mimoune; IBF #5 and WBC #13 Anthony Yigit; former Northern Area super-lightweight champion Darren Surtees; and WBO NABO Youth super-lightweight champion Logan Yoon.
As the hype as already started, BBN asked their panel of experts for their early predictions:
Ryan Walsh
British featherweight champion
"I’m going for Yigit; southpaw, decent fighter, travels well. Has experience too, not long ago fought bravely in a world title bid. He’s my pick."
Kieran Gething
Welsh Area super-lightweight champion
"I think Turarov or Ennis-Brown are the likely winners. Turarov seems well-rounded and formidable and Brown is plain awkward. I don’t think the others, bar Mimoune, has the ability to win this tournament with a variety of performances.
It’s something I asked to be involved with and am still fairly hopeful of getting involved if there are a couple of drop outs, but it’s a great tournament and I think we will be talking about these for years to come!"
Robbie Davies Jr
British super-lightweight champion
"Off the top of my head, I'd have to go with Yigit or possibly Mimoune. Both fought at a lot higher level than the others and are two very good technicians.
Some of the fighters I've not seen, and some are just better names then they are fighters. I would like Tyrone McKenna to win it, as many would agree, he's got the fun factor about him and is a good laugh.
But I'd have to stick with Yigit, just."
Jack Hughes
Southern Area title contender
"I’m going with Anthony Yigit, he is class, he’s been and fought at world level and his only loss was because his eye was too bad to continue, I believe he’s been in there with better and has fought at the higher level and that will see him through."
Tim Rickson
Sports Agent
"Ohara Davies is probably the biggest name in there and he's already got people talking when he clashed with Tyrone McKenna at ringside. Those two are big characters and will bring the excitement, but I wouldn't pick either of them as the winners.
My early picks would be Mohamed Mimoune, Akeem Ennis-Brown, and Anthony Yigit, in that order.
Mimoune has operated at a very high level, 'Riiddy' is super talented and plain awkward, and Yigit has also been at a higher level than most others in the competition. Mimoune is my pick at the moment, but I'll reassess after the quarters have all finished!"
Bolu Kareem
Middleweight debutant
"I believe Ohara Davies is very rangey with very good power punches. He needs this competition win and I believe he will not disappoint."