Hearn reveals his Prizefighter Heavyweights 2 predictions - 09/09/2008

Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry Hearn has promoted more than 500 boxing shows but nothing has excited him as much as the Prizefighter Series.

Here he gives his view on the eight contenders in Prizefighter Heavyweights 2.

The odds, courtesy of Sky Bet, are 11/8 – Chris Burton, 7/2 – Sam Sexton and Pele Reid, 7/1 – David Ferguson, 10/1 – Lee Swaby, 12/1 – Darren Morgan, 16/1 – Luke Simpkin, 33/1 – David Ingleby

Chris Burton (Darlington)

“This will be Chris’s first Prizefighter attempt and I wonder whether he knows how gruelling a night he has got in front of him.

“The idea of three round fights sounds easy but it’s three minutes of action in every round rather than the normal minute of action and two minutes of holding and spoiling.

“Chris is a good fighter and his record deserves his favourite status.

“But I believe he will have to be on his toes and ready for a war from the first bell.”

Sam Sexton (Norwich)

“He is the joint second favourite with the bookmakers and a lot of people are tipping him for great things in the future.

“With only one loss in his professional record he has a nice mix of youth and experience which should hold him in good stead.

“I expect him to be there or there abouts at the Metro Radio Arena on the 12th of September.”

Pele Reid (Birmingham)

“I’ve known Pele Reid from back from his kick boxing days and he is an exciting, all-action fighter.

“Again, this is his debut in Prizefighter and I hope he has trained very hard for what will be one of the toughest nights of his career.

“His form in the past has been erratic but on his best day he is a match for anyone in the heavyweight division.”

David Ferguson (Wallsend)

“I think David learnt a lot from his first Prizefighter experience but I don’t believe he was fit enough last time.

“I know he has put that right so he got to be up there as one of the favourites.

“He is certainly going to have the benefit of the local support and he could go all the way.

“At 7/1 with the bookmakers, David may represent terrific betting value.”

Lee Swaby (Lincoln)

“He’s just got back from Macau where he has helped prepare some of our fighters for the Olympics and is bound to be in good nick.

“Lee’s a very charismatic character and his all-action style will suit Prizefighter down to the ground.

“But there remains a question mark over his power at this level. If he tucks his chin in and plants his feet then he could spring an upset.”

Darren Morgan (Swansea)

“Darren is my outside tip to win Prizefighter Heavyweights 2.

“Although his record doesn’t look great, he came within a few seconds of
causing a major upset in Prizefighter 1 when he chinned tournament favourite David Dolan with just a few seconds to go in the second round.

“Darren lost on points but if there had been another 30 seconds to go in that round he would’ve definitely finished him then who knows what would’ve happened.

“I know he will be better prepared and fitter, while the bookmakers aren’t writing him off.”

Luke Simpkin (Swadlincote, Derbyshire)

“The odds tell the story; Luke has got a lot to do on the 12th.

“He comes in as a late replacement for Scotland’s Ian Millarvie, who had a knee injury, so Luke is on a mission with nothing to lose.

“He will enjoy the experience and the three round format will suit him but does he have the pedigree to upset any of the big names? We will have to wait and see.”

David Ingleby (Morecambe)

“He’s the outsider at 33/1 and, while he is capable of springing a surprise, I’m not sure he has the pure power to go all the way.

“He will dig deep because he has got plenty of heart and, as the Prizefighter slogan goes, No Guts, No Glory.

“David has plenty of guts and would love the glory. I wish him the best of luck.”