Lucas Browne to face 7-foot Julius Long on August 14th

By Boxing News - 08/09/2015 - Comments

MDR-160612-Browne-v-Rasani-19By Scott Gilfoid: Undefeated heavyweight contender Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne (22-0, 19 KOs) has yet another replacement opponent for his August 14th fight at The Melbourne Pavilion, Flemington, Victoria.

Instead of facing Icho Larenas, the 36-year-old Browne will be fighting 38-year-old journeyman Julius Long (16-18, 14 KOs). Larenas couldn’t take the fight because of legal problems, according to Fight news. For Browne, he’s really dipping low into the 3rd tier for this fight, and you’ve got to wonder where the gain is for Browne?

I mean, when get to this level of opposition for a stay busy fight, then what’s the whole point of it? This would be a good stay busy fight for Browne if it was his first couple of fights of his career, but not for someone so far along and at such advanced age.

Browne might as well cancel the fight altogether in my view, because he’s dipping so far down in the food chain that he and the boxing fans that are paying to see him fight aren’t going to get anything from this. I don’t even see this fight as sporting. It’s such dreadful mismatch that it’s not even worth taking the fight.

Long has lost 10 out of his last 11 fights. I can’t see him making it out of the 1st round against Browne unless he’s carried to later in the fight. I just wonder how the boxing fans at ringside are going to take seeing Browne knockout some no-hoper in the 1st round. I bet more than a few fans are going to be irate and fit to be tied. They will have spent their hard earned money on tickets, travel and whatever refreshments for the fight. If they’re assuming it’s going to be an interesting fight that goes more than one or two rounds, they might be upset to see Browne obliterate Long in the early rounds, I know I would be. It’s like if you to a baseball game to see your favorite team and the game is called on the account of rain after the 1st inning. I’d be angry about it. If Browne flattens the badly over-matched Long in the 1st or 2nd rounds, I think there’s going to be a lot of angry fans. They’re going to wonder what on earth was Browne doing fighting a guy of this caliber at this point in his career.

Browne was originally supposed to fight journeyman Gonzalo Basile, but that fight was taken off the table this past week after Basile couldn’t make the fight. Larenas was then brought in as the replacement. But now he too can’t make it so Browne is fighting Long. What Browne and his promoters at Hatton Promotions should do is throw their hat into the ring by telling WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder that he’s available for the American talent’s title defense on Premier Boxing Champions on NBC on September 26th. Browne would have plenty of time to train before that fight, and would have chance, such as it is, to try and capture the WBC title.

“It’s part of boxing and again, I’m used to it. I just worry about my performance and I’m happy my team has again secured an opponent,” Browne said via fightnews.com. “I can’t wait to put on a show. Much respect to Julius for taking the fight at such short notice, that’s the sign of a warrior. He’s a big man so it’ll be like I’m preparing for Wilder or Fury!”

Browne says he “can’t wait to put on a show” on Saturday night against the 7-foot Long. How do you put on a show against a 38-year-old journeyman who has lost 10 out of his last 11 fights? Instead of bragging about the fight, Browne should be apologizing about it in my mind, because it’s such a dreadful mismatch that there’s nothing to brag about. I mean, how do you brag about a fight that is unsporting as this one? Browne is just is just so far along in his pro career. He should be way, way beyond fighting guys like Long at this point. The fact that Long is still fighting guys like this is really troubling. His promoters should be having Browne fight better opposition than this, and it just makes me wonder what the mindset is behind this kind of match-making.



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