Selby decisions Simion, but struggles and looks poor

By Boxing News - 07/13/2013 - Comments

selby544By Scott Gilfoid: Lee Selby (16-1, 6 KO’s) came down to earth tonight in winning a closer than expected 12 round unanimous decision over WBC International featherweight champion Viorel Simion (16-1, 7 KO’s) on the undercard of the Kell Brook vs. Carson Jones fight at the Craven Park Stadium, Hull, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The final judges had the fight scored 118-110, 115-113 and 116-112. I agreed with the 115-113 score. It was a very, very close fight.

Selby really fell apart in the last four rounds of the fight, and looked like he was hurt in the 11th and not competitive in the 12th. Simion, 31, had a better engine and he really wore Selby down with his relentless pressure.

The fight was a rude awakening for Selby because it showed how far apart he is with the top fighters in the division. I mean, if he had to go life and death with a fighter like Simion, what do you thinks going to happen when Selby gets in the ring with WBC champion Abner Mares. It won’t be a fight because Selby’s not in his league. The same goes with the other champions Evgeny Gradovich, Chris John and Mikey Garcia. Can you imagine what a slugger like Mikey Garcia would have done to Selby had it been him in the ring with him tonight instead of the light hitting Simion. It would have been over quick, no matter how much running Selby did, and believe me, he would likely run as much as he could.

Selby is going to have to find some power somewhere because he won’t be able to beat guys in height and reach or playing it slick like he’s been doing at the domestic level. The top guys will cut off the ring on him and chop him down with head and body shots. Selby and his promoter Eddie Hearn are kidding themselves if he thinks he would beat the likes of Mikey Garcia and Abner Mares fighting like he did against Simion. Those guys would knock him out quick with the shots that Simion was hitting him with.



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