Showtime has approved David Banks (18-4, 3KO) as an opponent for Dirrell to be their ShoBox main event on 3/28.
You'll remember Banks as the guy who learned how to fly (and crash) when Edison Miranda launched him through the ropes on ESPN last year.
You may also remember him from the Contender. No, he's not the guy who won. No, he wasn't the runner up either. He got sent packing in the second round, IIRC, by Englishman Paul Smith. Who? Exactly.
Banks has won his last three fights since being KO'd by Miranda. Unfortunately two of those fights were against guys with .500ish records. :nonono:
Why is Dirrell wasting his time with someone who is not even a top 50 SMW? I could understand if he needed a stay-busy fight, but he will have had almost 5 months off since an easy fight with Oganov; he should be fighting top 15 opponents at this point to prove that he deserves the title shot he's gunning for.
Banks presents NO THREAT to Dirrell; Banks has a terrible KO rate against BUMS and was clearly hand picked to make Dirrell look good with minimal risk to his untested chin.
Anyone else disappointed by this?
It is simply a stay busy fight. Dirrell is the WBO mandatory challenger and in line for a title shot after Balzsay gets his optional defense. No reason for him to take any fight that he might lose in the meantime.
Do you have this fight?
I cannot, for the life of me, find this fight, and I really want to see how bad this can be. People talk about how Taylor-Spinks was a good fight compared to this.
I don't have that fight for you, but I remember it and can confirm your last sentence. I'd rather be in rush hour traffic rather than see that fight again.
Miranda already has a fight. Same with Codrington. Same with Green.
The only one who doesn't have a fight is Peter Manfredo, or the dude who beat the shit out of him, Sakio Bika.
I agree completely with this thread; Dirrell is wasting his time and actually seems to be "stepping down" his competition from the last time he fought. He'd be better off fighting someone like Allan Green...
Dirrell Stevens was such a horrible showing by Dirrell, he has to fight on Showtime.
He killed his big chances on HBO with that dreadful showing. Kind of like Junior Witter did fighting Zab Judah.
He's fought better since but I think he would revert to old form fighting a big puncher.
Do you have this fight?
I cannot, for the life of me, find this fight, and I really want to see how bad this can be. People talk about how Taylor-Spinks was a good fight compared to this.
Showtime really needs to fire the people who deside which matches they are going to allow because all this does is waste there boxing budget which in turn hurts the fans that dont want to pay for PPV all the time. Can't say Dirrells going to get any more fans with this type of fight and he better hope to god he KTFO of banks.
I'm on the fence with Dirrell and seeing him fight Banks isn't going to make me a fan. I keep hearing he should get a title shot by the end of this year, and if he's too green right now to fight Miranda, then no way he deserves to fight for a strap.
It just seems like he's being protected, when at this stage of his career they should be matching him with guys who can test him and prepare him for the elite of the division. He seems to have a lot of talent and good physical tools; I hate to see him waste his time on a fight like this (although I will say he's not the only fighter, especially at SMW, guilty of this).
yeah i definitely get you
i dont think he's title holder material just yet. miranda would wreck him TBH
Dirrell's too green right now.
Miranda would KO him (I'm a Dirrell fan)
I'm on the fence with Dirrell and seeing him fight Banks isn't going to make me a fan. I keep hearing he should get a title shot by the end of this year, and if he's too green right now to fight Miranda, then no way he deserves to fight for a strap.
It just seems like he's being protected, when at this stage of his career they should be matching him with guys who can test him and prepare him for the elite of the division. He seems to have a lot of talent and good physical tools; I hate to see him waste his time on a fight like this (although I will say he's not the only fighter, especially at SMW, guilty of this).