To answer your question, I wouldn’t rate him very highly.
I’m a bit biased, as I’ve found the pillow-soft route to opportunities and the _infinite f*cking patience_ shown when he hasn’t performed to be really annoying. But it isn’t titles or ticket sales that make a fighter, it’s the fights. To turn the question round, what is Mick Conlan’s best performance as a pro? 7 good rounds against Leigh Wood? Who is his best win? Jason Cunningham? His two opponents before Lopez had a combined age of 72 which is the story of his career.
I don’t blame Conlan, but trying to get him an easy route to a title so he could then milk defences in front of Irish American crowds has ended up ruining his pro career.
If he does fight on, I hope he stays in Belfast and concentrates on being in the good fights his talent deserves, then hopefully when he does retire, we can look back fondly on the last stage.
Great write up as always Steve.
To answer your question, I wouldn’t rate him very highly.
I’m a bit biased, as I’ve found the pillow-soft route to opportunities and the _infinite f*cking patience_ shown when he hasn’t performed to be really annoying. But it isn’t titles or ticket sales that make a fighter, it’s the fights. To turn the question round, what is Mick Conlan’s best performance as a pro? 7 good rounds against Leigh Wood? Who is his best win? Jason Cunningham? His two opponents before Lopez had a combined age of 72 which is the story of his career.
I don’t blame Conlan, but trying to get him an easy route to a title so he could then milk defences in front of Irish American crowds has ended up ruining his pro career.
If he does fight on, I hope he stays in Belfast and concentrates on being in the good fights his talent deserves, then hopefully when he does retire, we can look back fondly on the last stage.