SELBY TAKES HIS SHOT AT STATESIDE STARDOM
The British are coming ... again.
More than 50 years after The Beatles began a journey that would see United Kingdom rock bands take over America, England’s boxing stars are looking to do the same. Premier Boxing Champions has brought boxing to free television, and the Brits took notice of the increased exposure and marketing possibilities.
James DeGale became the first British fighter to follow up an Olympic gold medal with a world championship on NBC in May. Then Carl Frampton, a wildly popular Irishman, traveled across the pond to expand his fan base. Now Lee Selby makes his U.S. debut — and the first defense of his IBF featherweight title — against Fernando Montiel on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
“(America’s) the biggest stage in boxing, I believe,” Selby (21-1, 8 KOs) told USA TODAY Sports. “Back in the U.K. I’m sort of like a star. Every boxing fan knows me; out here, not so much. I want to be a worldwide star, and fighting in America gives me the opportunity to do that.”
For years, U.K. boxers have waited to stake their reputations stateside. Ricky Hatton didn’t debut until his 41st pro fight. Joe Calzaghe didn’t fight on American soil until his penultimate bout. This crop of boxers is getting an early start, and power broker Al Haymon is playing a big part (he works closely with U.K. promoter Eddie Hearn and advises many of his fighters).
Selby won the title with a technical decision against hard-charging Russian Evgeny Gradovich in May in a packed 02 Arena in London and will now settle for a much smaller crowd at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. He’ll also do so as the co-featured bout of the evening, as Devon Alexander will battle Aron Martinez in the evening ’s main event.
The “Barry Boy Assassin” is widely expected to top Montiel, a faded veteran and former three-weight world champion, but Selby says it will be an honor to fight a man who has “done stuff in boxing I’m aiming to do.”
“He’s got bags of experience, by far the most experienced fighter I’ve boxed, and he could be the best (opponent yet) even if he is past his prime,” Selby said. “He mixes it up, he boxes off the back foot. I’m expecting a tough fight.”
A win against Montiel would be a nice building block for Selby, who hopes to fight twice in the USA next year, but it would be just that — a showcase fight. The real appeal of the PBC is the stacked 126-pound division, which features top operators such as Leo Santa Cruz, Abner Mares and Gary Russell Jr.
Santa Cruz, who is undefeated, has called for a bout with Selby, who said he’d like to fight the Mexican buzz saw next.
If he can reach a fight of that magnitude, he’ll be well on his way to realizing his American dream.