Speak out Steve!

I've never been a big fan of Steve Bunce and his over-hyper nature when he has been on TV or even his writing for that matter. At the moment Mr Bunce works basically as the face of subscription TV channel "Box Nation" hosting not only his own weekly magazine show but also featuring on near enough every live card the channel has so far shown.

Personally I feel that Steve often comes across much like a child who has been eating sweets all day then been told to sit on TV. His hyper-activity and crazy rants are often misconstrued as enthusiasm for the sport rather than one mans love affair with his own vocal chords and more tellingly his views are all to often see through. Be it Bunce's pro-British stance or negative views towards certain fighters (notably a rant on Ismayl Sillahk) his opinion is shouted out at the TV...much like a fan of the sport. In fact it's because Steve is a fan of the sport that I'm writing this entry on the blog. First and foremost Steve comes across as a genuine fan, he shares his views an awful lot and comes across as unprofessional as a result. If you will he's a fan and then a journalist, not a straight journalist.

Because Steve Bunce strikes me as a fan of the sport I need to make a public plea, can EVERY British Boxing fan urge Steve to speak out. Bunce is one of the men who has a solid voice on Box Nation and is also one of the fans of the sport, he of all people should know what WE, the fans want to see, we want to see the same thing he wants to see. WE boxing fans, want to see good, 50-50 fights, not mismatches, not cynical attempts to cash in on a fighter and no over the top hyperbole to sell a fight.

Recently we've all heard that unbeaten Nathan Cleverly (23-0, 11), the WBO Light Heavyweight Champion of the World will defend his title against the almost unknown Tommy Karpency (21-2-1, 14). Box Nation will be showing this fight live and yet EVERY boxing fan you can find is happy to tell you that this isn't a fight they want to see. The 25 year old Karpency has shown that he isn't the sort of quality that a world challenger needs to be, he has suffered losses to journeyman Rayco Saunders and former Cleverly victim Karo Murat as well as a draw with journeyman Demetrius Davis, he has yet to beat a fighter of any note at all. Now whilst it's fine for Frank Warren (Nathan Cleverly's promoter) to try and hype the fight, it would be awful for Bunce to push the fight as a good one. If Bunce attempts to pull the wool over our eyes we should just give up with the guy as he would sadly have proven he lacks the integrity that boxing fans deserve.

So again, I call on the boxing world to tell Bunce to Speak out!