St. Louis Pound For Pound List August 2011 – SEF Perspective
Lots of good things happening in STL – even if the national (and world press) is not picking up on all of it. Every now and again I like to look at who is doing what in Arch City’s boxing scene. This is not up for discussion…as always, my opinion is mine so spare me the hate mail. If you have a logical argument, I will listen – it’s only fair. Isn’t that kind of me? Here goes…
1. Devon Alexander – Yeah, yeah, yeah…Devon’s had some interesting fights as of late. He definitely beat Kotelnik – even if it was a thin decision. He lost to Bradley (quitting is a stretch, but he certainly lost) and won another close decision against Lucas Matthyyse last month. Devon has endured a lot of criticism over the past couple of years for not being exciting enough, tough enough or (to some) good enough to be a world champ with staying power. The fact is – he has fought some VERY good competition and the fights have been matched well enough that they were not complete blowouts. He is still a young kid who has not taken much punishment…and has been in some fights that have been educating and are experiences he can build upon. Dev is moving up to 147 to avoid cutting drastic weight and losing muscle…and is currently a free agent. Promoters take notice – he’s going to be #1 again…it’s just a matter of time.
2. Ryan Coyne – Ryan is a better fighter than his last performance indicated. When he is fighting an opponent that is interested in engaging, he’s at his best. He recently declined a fight with Lateef “Power” Kayode next month…and that is to his credit. A fight with Kayode is a big deal – and with less than a month to train, the prospect is too risky for any fighter on the incline. The fan in me knows that the back and forth banter between camp Coyne and camp Kayode is more show and hype than anything at this point…but I also know that if both parties can come to terms financially and with a decent timeline – the fight would be a good one for ShoBox. My biggest concern for the Outlaw at this point is inactivity. However, the fact that he’s still undefeated and pushing toward a world title keeps him high on this list.
3. Deandre Latimore – Bull has had his ups and downs as a professional , and has had to learn about the business through some very tough moments. An early loss to awkward Ian Gardner taught him a lesson in humility. A loss to cross-town rival Cory Spinks showed us a few conditioning flaws – and his most recent defeat to Sechew Powell (via rematch) gave us a scare as he struggled to maintain relevance at 154. Bull has been working on his weaknesses and is again pushing for a world title. Lately, he’s been in the Mayweather camp helping Floyd prep for his fight with slugger Victor Oritz. Bull had been in negotiations with undefeated prospect Vanes Martyrosian…and those talks seem to have cooled – but I’d still look for Latimore to get back into the mix before too long. It’s really up to him.
4. Dannie Williams – I get into arguments in boxing forums and Facebook after every Dannie Williams fight. There are those who feel that Dannie is better summed up in his loss to Eloy Perez than his 19 wins. Something can be said of that, as his competition has been a little on the softer side up to this point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book. I think Rumble Time learned a valuable lesson with Deandre Latimore via the Gardner fight. For now, at least, I will reserve judgment on Dannie’s opposition, but as we all know – at some point you have to see what a guy’s got before touting him as the second coming. That day is going to be upon us soon. Regardless of where he is at the moment, it’s only a matter of time before big fights come calling – and only then will we all have our answer. Dannie will ALWAYS have a puncher’s chance…
5. Cory Spinks – Not much to say about Cory other than he looked good in his last fight against a guy with far less skill and mobility. When was the last time you saw Spinks overwhelm another fighter with power punches (I’ll wait……..)? Cory is still a top draw in St. Louis and can probably still get fights as ‘tune up’ opponent. He’s a small middleweight, and I don’t see him going down in weight any time soon considering he’s been known to walk around at close to 200 pounds. Personally, I think he should consider retiring, but we all know that’s not going to happen. I am concerned that he will end up seriously hurt.
6. Tyrone Chatman – Tyrone is a dichotomy. I like his explosive style and he most certainly has a raw skill set. My concern is that he is a bit too short to be fighting at 140 pounds. In his last fight, he faced a long and lean opponent who was able to tie him up and keep him away – taking away his most dangerous weapons. Tye has an upside – and can bring the fans in if he continues fighting the level of opposition he’s currently being paired with…but at some point (as mentioned above), a fighter has to prove that he’s championship minded – or in it for the money (being an opponent). Right now, I think Tyrone wants more than a payday.
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