Selby needs to step it up to the European level

By Boxing News - 02/11/2013 - Comments

selby45By Scott Gilfoid: In watching British featherweight champion Lee Selby 14-1, 5 KO’s) easily beat Martin Lindsay last Saturday night by a lopsided 12 round unanimous decision in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it’s pretty clear that the 26-year-old Selby is just wasting his time defending the British featherweight strap when he’s capable of a lot more.

I’m not saying Selby has the talent to hang with the world class champions like Daniel Ponce De Leon or Mikey Garcia, because clearly he doesn’t have the power to ever beat guys like that. But Selby is good enough to compete against the top European fighters right now and I think he might be good enough to beat the current EBU featherweight champion Alexander Miskirtchian (22-2-1, 8 KO’s).

It wouldn’t be an easy fight for Selby because Miskirtchian, #6 IBF, is a really good body puncher, and he knows how to make contact with movers like him. However, I think Selby would have a decent chance of beating him and holding down the EBU strap for a little while. It sure as heck beats just being the British featherweight champion in terms of prestige and money.

Selby, #13 WBO, reportedly wants to keep the Lonsdale strap, and he needs one more defense of his British strap to make that happen, but he’s pretty much run out of fodder, and it’s silly at this point for him to be beating these overmatched opponents when he’s not getting anything out of it.

He’s simply too good for the awful opposition that he’s been facing lately, and it’s time to lose the British strap, which is little more than an anchor pulling him down to mediocrity.

Selby doesn’t need the Lonsdale strap because it’s a lot better to have titles that are more respected. Even if all Selby ever accomplishes in his career is winning the EBU title, then that’s still a lot better than him being stuck with the British strap.

Selby made Martin Lindsay look bad last Saturday night in beating him with ease, but it was too easy. When you win like that it tells you that you’re wasting time.