Frankie Gavin Withdraws From Friday Fight, Frank Warren "Sick and Tired of It"

by Scott Christ on Oct 27, 2011 2:35 PM EDT in Boxing News Analysis

Patience with Frankie Gavin may be running low after he canceled his scheduled Friday fight. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

BoxingScene.com reports that British junior welterweight/welterweight prospect Frankie Gavin has pulled out of his scheduled Friday fight, and promoter Frank Warren sounds like he's at the end of his rope with the talented but troubled fighter:

"He’s just gone. I heard he went to [former trainer] Anthony Farnell’s house. I’m sick and tired of it. I wouldn’t even talk him into fighting because if I did and something happened it would be my fault," said Warren.

Gavin (11-0, 8 KO) is a very, very talented fighter, but his alleged laziness made it impossible for him to make 140 pounds any longer, which necessitated a move up to 147 pounds, where he has not looked in good shape, and hasn't looked like much of a fighter at all, really. Gavin's last two fights dropped his stock, as he lethargically defeated Young Mutley in May, and two months later, returned to nick a split decision over Curtis Woodhouse.

After those fights, Gavin said he was going to get serious about his career and his training, and return to 140 pounds. That is, apparently, not to be just yet, and you have to wonder where he's at. Many have expressed disappointment with Gavin, both UK fans and media, and Warren has publicly admitted he wasn't pleased with his performances.

But nobody ever raked him over the coals more than Sky Sports analyst and Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan did, who said live on the air this year that Gavin is in line to be the "biggest waste of talent" in the history of British boxing if he didn't get his act together:

A lot now depends on what Warren thinks the truth worth of the 26-year-old Gavin really is at this stage. It's not inconceivable that Warren could just cut ties with him -- if the promoter feels the fighter simply is not worth the investment, talent alone won't overcome what he and perhaps his other top people see as a fighter not worth the investment, the time, the money. I don't think it's likely, but this could be the final straw. There's already been a lot of frustration with Gavin. Frank Warren may decide he doesn't need the headache, especially now that he's pulling out of fights.

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What a twat

by Sweet science on Oct 27, 2011 4:30 PM EDT reply actions

I’m sorry to hear this.

Gavin has a really good range of techniques, and he’s very fast, even though his lean-forward, dropped-right-hand style is just asking for trouble.

I rewatched the Woodhouse fight before posting, and in that fight he didn’t look like he had any real initiative or creativity to take control, something that looked to me like he could have done fairly early. He looked flat, as I think one of the commentators said.

by DrRck on Oct 27, 2011 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

Cant see him ever advancing to European level at this stage. Just hours before his fight with Mutley, we had our pic took with him outside the o2. He was smoking. Seemed so surreal and unprofessional.

by Shitali Klitschko on Oct 27, 2011 5:18 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Maybe it’s a virus. Seems like a lot of them are falling out of boxing this week—Lemieux won’t train, Pavlik won’t, after all, leave Youngstown, Canelo is beating people up on the street, Gavin won’t fight, etc, etc.

There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else--James Thurber, 1939

by BoxAnne on Oct 27, 2011 5:19 PM EDT reply actions

Even Kelly Pavlik would probably say ‘What is up with this guy?’

Frankly, Frankie has done nothing as a pro. He had the most skills out of any of the British guys turning pro after the 2008 Olympics and is slowly pissing away any of the potential that he had. He is 26 now and still fighting journeymen and half-decent domestic pros after more than ten fights. Given how he looks after himself time may actually be running out and Audley Harrison’s legacy is starting to look brighter.

Although I find Degale annoying, Gavin could learn a lot from him in terms of how to apply himself to the sport and where he should really be after 10-12 fights, and it isn’t fighting on the domestic lesiure centre/exhibition centre on a Friday night.

Nobody will read this and care and why should they?

by Eoin_not_ian on Oct 27, 2011 5:23 PM EDT reply actions

Does any know the reason why he dropped out yet?

by Phill on Oct 27, 2011 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

Highly likely just through his well documented lack of discipline and/or lack of ambition in the pros.
He’s been like this since he failed to make weight for the Olympics and his heart just doesn’t seem to be in it.
I have to say i was never as big on his potential as some are and while Scott calls him a “very, very talented figther”, i see him more as just a “talented fighter”. He’s wasting what he has though, fro sure.
Personally, i think his lack of power would have worked agaisnt him in a major way anyway as he moved up in level, especially at the 147, even at 140.
The kid has little muscular definition and is not particularly well built.
He looks like a lightweight to me, maybe moving up to 140 as he matured more, but there’s no way he should ever be at 147, imo.

by Matt Mosley on Oct 28, 2011 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions

Cheers Matt.
Maybe he’ll become known as “part time Frankie”.
What do you reckon ;-)

by Phill on Oct 28, 2011 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions

"part time Frankie".

That might be a bit kind too, Phill.
Haha. Good one. :)

by Matt Mosley on Oct 28, 2011 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions

“No Show Frankie”??

by Matt Mosley on Oct 28, 2011 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions

by Phill on Oct 29, 2011 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions

I always thought the story that he was too big to get to lightweight a bit strange. There are loads of lightweights that look bigger for the weight than Gavin. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though. However, not making 140lbs is just lack of dedication.

Nobody will read this and care and why should they?

by Eoin_not_ian on Oct 28, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

I always thought the story that he was too big to get to lightweight a bit strange.

Yeah, when you consider that Brandon Rios can get his relatively big frame down to 135 yet Gavin says he can’t do the same, it seems quite ridiculous, imo. Rios looks at least as big if not bigger than Gavin, imo, and i’m not sure i believe the Boxrec stats that have Gavin as 2" taller than Rios at 5’ 10".
I could well be wrong and maybe Gavin is bigger than he looks on tv, plus he does fight out of a bit of a crouch, but he just does not look that big to me. He certainly doesn’t look as tall as Amir Khan, for example.
I’d bet Rios can easily go up to welterweight in the next few years and hold his own, while, as i said, i have strong doubts that Gavin could. In fact, i know he couldn’t..
BTW, this Top Rank talk of Rios vs Gamboa for mid-2012 just does not appeal to me.
Gamboa is much smaller than Rios and i’m not sure he could hurt the bigger man.
Top Rank often/sometimes seem to know what they are doing with this somewhat unusual matchmaking but i would much prefer Gamboa v Donaire, if only Gamboa would hang around a while at 126-130lbs.

by Matt Mosley on Oct 28, 2011 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I knew of Frankie growing up in Birmingham, and he always loved a night out on the town. Prior to the Olympics, there was talk of him turning pro, and I always assumed he would go on to great things. A really prominent and well known boxing figure in Birmingham (who knew Frankie very well) told me at the time that he would stake his house on the fact that Frankie would fail in the pro’s, based on his attitude and general boxing ability (not being suited to the pro’s). Looks like his prediction could be coming to fruition.

by casualjack on Oct 28, 2011 3:30 PM EDT reply actions

This is interesting. I’m not surprised by the assessment based on his habits, but I am surprised by the assessment of his skill.

by DrRck on Oct 28, 2011 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I had heard similar stuff from some amateur boxers i know who fought at the same time as Gavin; that his style was wrong for the pro’s.
Imo, in the pros, if you don’t have much power you have to be either absolutely top notch defensively, very fast, very dedicated/disciplined, and/or not to mention tough.
Maybe all of the above.
Gavin is very good defensively, but i don’t think he’s ever going to be the next Pernell Whitaker or Floyd Mayweather, he’s not all that fast, we know he’s not all that dedicated (or so it seems) and the toughness is debatable at this stage.
The more i see of him in the pros the more i can see why some thought his style was more suited to the amateurs; a point winning style, imo.

by Matt Mosley on Oct 28, 2011 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions

These are very good points, Matt; thanks. I almost always forget the the qualitative differences between amateur and professional boxing.

I should probably watch a few more Audley Harrison fights, and his apparently utter terror at being hit hard.

by DrRck on Oct 29, 2011 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions

Thank you, DrRck

I’m not saying i’m right and i’m certainly not hating on Gavin and wanting him to fail, but he’s making some strange career choices.
If he really isn’t sure about what he wants boxing is too dangerous a sport to be indecisive and non-committal, as we know, and maybe he should do something else.
It would certainly be a waste though, because if he could get down to 140 or even better (imo) 135lbs i think he could have become a contender on the world scene.
This latest episode looks bad though and there has still been no explanation. He just left withgout saying anything,
Yeah, Audley is a good example of someone who was much more suited to amateur boxing, although he just seemed like he didn’t want to fight at all, most of the time.

by Matt Mosley on Oct 29, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I should be clear here so i don’t look like i’m contradicting myself: I think Gavin does lack power and stand by what i said in the first post there, but i think he could get around that at lightweight and maybe even at 140.
But at 147 he’s just not gonna be able to deter the bigger guys or keep them off him.
They would walk him down and not even the top, world class guys.
European levels guys would probably walk throuhg his punches at 147, imo.

by Matt Mosley on Oct 29, 2011 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions