Ian Napa Appreciation Thread

[TFFP]

Ian Napa for me put on one of the most outstanding performances of any British boxer in 2008 in winning the European title from Carmelo Ballone. He is one of the biggest improvers and nicest guys IMO.

He looked outgunned and outsized early but rallied to put on an excellent body punching and defensive display causing the Italian to wilt in his corner. He was very unlucky not to get his second stoppage.

Next up he puts his title on the line against Frenchman Malik Bouziane, 20th of this month.

- What did you think of his performance, where did it rank in 2008 in this respect?

- Can he get his second stoppage in this fight? I think the 12 rounds suit him and he seems to have improved his power just a little!

- Where does he go from here?

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[dwilson]

He can not go anywhere. Way below the the world stage.

[TFFP]

:sad2

Probably true, I think. I'd like to see him get an opportunity though, why not? If he makes a few defences I think he'd be in line.

[dwilson]

:sad2

Probably true, I think. I'd like to see him get an opportunity though, why not? If he makes a few defences I think he'd be in line.



Definetly love to see him get an opportunity but he will find it hard getting past eliminators although now he has got a fair few fans behind him he will not likely be jobbed out again.

[TFFP]

WBC
Champ: Hozumi Hasegawa
1. Vusi Malinga
2. Simpiwe Vetyeka
3. Sasha Bakhtin
4. Yonnhy Perez
5. Eduardo Garcia
6. Kohei Ohba
7. Ian Napa
8. Carmelo Ballone
9. Silence Mabuza
10. Daniel Diaz
11. Tshifhiwa Munyai
12. Nestor Rocha
13. Heriberto Ruiz
14. Mauricio Martinez
15. Alejandro Valdez

WBA
Champ: Anselmo Moreno
1. Wladimir Sidorenko
2. Christian Mijares
3. Neomar Cermeño
4. Sasha Bakhtin
5. Tabitimdaeng Narachawat
6. Daniel Diaz
7. Lorenzo Parra
8. Yohnny Perez
9. Eric Morel
10. Kohei Ohba
11. Simpiwe Vetyeka
12. Rolly Matsushita
13. Diego Silva
14. Ian Napa
15. Alvaro Perez

IBF
Champ: Joseph Agbeko
1. NOT RATED
2. NOT RATED
3. Silence Mabuza
4. Vusi Malinga
5. Abner Mares
6. Sasha Baktin
7. William Gonzalez
8. Yonnhy Perez
9. Mauricio Martinez
10. Simphiwe Vetyeka
11. Wladimir Sidorenko
12. Simone Maludrottu
13. Michael Domingo
14. Daniel Diaz
15. Ian Napa

[TFFP]

WBO
Champ: Gerry Penalosa
1. Eric Morel
2. Abner Mares
3. Wladimir Sidorenko
4. Yonny Perez
5. Diego Silva
6. Alejandro Valdez
7. Jason Booth
8. Nestor Rocha
9. Tshifhiwa Munyai
10. Simpiwe Vetyeka
11. Daniel Diaz
12. Bandung Pativakorngym
13. Alvaro Perez
14. Michael Domingo
15. Jason Egera

:lol::rofl

[kosaros]

I really like Ian Napa. I placed him 7th in my list of best british fighters of 2008, which can be seen in this thread:

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[Beeston Brawler]

I take it Booth is with SN?

He hasn't done anything of note since Napa beat him pretty clearly 18 months ago..... though Lee Haskins is next.

[TFFP]

I really like Ian Napa. I placed him 7th in my list of best british fighters of 2008, which can be seen in this thread:

[Only registered and activated users can see links]
I think you were harsh placing Kell Brook above him in honesty. He beat Barrie Jones, okay, and then a Glass Jawed Scot!

I think Napa deserves the nod for picking up the European belt against a very capable opponent.

Agree with the others!

[kosaros]

I think you were harsh placing Kell Brook above him in honesty. He beat Barrie Jones, okay, and then a Glass Jawed Scot!

I think Napa deserves the nod for picking up the European belt against a very capable opponent.

Agree with the others!

Thanks, people think my list is good, but there is always one thing wrong with it! :lol:

[rooq]

WBO
Champ: Gerry Penalosa
1. Eric Morel
2. Abner Mares
3. Wladimir Sidorenko
4. Yonny Perez
5. Diego Silva
6. Alejandro Valdez
7. Jason Booth
8. Nestor Rocha
9. Tshifhiwa Munyai
10. Simpiwe Vetyeka
11. Daniel Diaz
12. Bandung Pativakorngym
13. Alvaro Perez
14. Michael Domingo
15. Jason Egera

:lol::rofl

LMAO. WBO rankings are classic :patsch

[BigEars]

The answer to where does he go from here is he's fighting Paul Hyland if he beats Malik Bouziane and I'd fancy Napa to win both of those fights. Hyland is very quick and is a big Bantamweight but he relies on his reflexes for defense and against quicker fighters(such as Napa) this will be shown up. I also doubt Hyland will be able to land his left hook so easily against someone as cute and clever as Napa is defensively.

I really like Napa but unfortunately I can't see him going anywhere at World level. He should try and defend his European title for a while more and add the Commonwealth title and maybe even the Super-Flyweight British and Commonwealth titles before they even think of a World shot.

[TFFP]

The answer to where does he go from here is he's fighting Paul Hyland if he beats Malik Bouziane and I'd fancy Napa to win both of those fights. Hyland is very quick and is a big Bantamweight but he relies on his reflexes for defense and against quicker fighters(such as Napa) this will be shown up. I also doubt Hyland will be able to land his left hook so easily against someone as cute and clever as Napa is defensively.

I really like Napa but unfortunately I can't see him going anywhere at World level. He should try and defend his European title for a while more and add the Commonwealth title and maybe even the Super-Flyweight British and Commonwealth titles before they even think of a World shot.
Paul Hyland...thats interesting. Is that a definite?

[Kid Lucky]

Napa's a great little fighter and has definitely improved fight by fight over the last couple years.

Considering how powder puff he looked a while back and his poor stoppage record he really stands in range and has a classic hit and don't be hit style. His one stoppage was really when Haskins quit with an injured arm or something (he made a lot of it if I remember right) Good value boxer Napa though.

I can't say that I know the world titlists well enough to say for sure but Maladrottu beat him quite convincingly and although Napa has improved since then I'd say that Euro was his limit.

[BigEars]

Paul Hyland...thats interesting. Is that a definite?

Ya it's on for May(and it's the reason Maloney has had Hyland on two of his cards recently).

Napa was on his way to genuinely stopping Haskins, Haskins was taking a beating and found a way out.

Napa's a great little fighter, shame he wasn't born with a little more pop.

[BamBam]

Napa with a dig is a dangerous fighter. Unfortunately (in 99% of cases) he'd need a bag of rohypnol to knock anyone out. He has learned the game well and is a very effective operator. I find a lot of his fights boring but then again I have no interest in brit domestic level bantamweights. That said, hes very good at the level and his performance against Ballone was brilliant. He's a great little 'working mans fighter' limited and all that but very game and makes the most of what he has. I don't begrudge him any success that comes his way. A very good pro. Part of the fibre of the game.

He'll box the ears off Bouzaine and Hyland. He's the best BW at Euro level that I have seen but the talent in that division is elsewhere. I'd have no problem with him getting a crack at a world title. He's paid his due at Euro level and earned rankings so why the fuck not?

[dwilson]

Hyland needs 10 more fights before a Euro challenge. I bought into the hype abit on the kid but after seeing him perform really poor against a no name Ukrainian in his last fight he is certainly not ready, the result got booed because most people in the building thought that the opponent deserved at least a draw and a few others thought Paul lost. The lad has talent but is still in development. I would hate to think that because of the weak domestic division he got rushed into a loss.


Napa vs Munyai would be the fight I would like to see.

[TFFP]

Napa with a dig is a dangerous fighter. Unfortunately (in 99% of cases) he'd need a bag of rohypnol to knock anyone out. He has learned the game well and is a very effective operator. I find a lot of his fights boring but then again I have no interest in brit domestic level bantamweights. That said, hes very good at the level and his performance against Ballone was brilliant. He's a great little 'working mans fighter' limited and all that but very game and makes the most of what he has. I don't begrudge him any success that comes his way. A very good pro. Part of the fibre of the game.

He'll box the ears off Bouzaine and Hyland. He's the best BW at Euro level that I have seen but the talent in that division is elsewhere. I'd have no problem with him getting a crack at a world title. He's paid his due at Euro level and earned rankings so why the fuck not?
Limited is not a word I'd use to describe his boxing ability. He has the best defence of any British fighter for my money, is a natural counterpuncher and a great bodypuncher.

He's only limited by physical attributes and punch power.

[kosaros]

I'm not limited is a word I'd use to describe his boxing ability. He has the best defence of any British fighter for my money, is a natural counterpuncher and a great bodypuncher.

He's only limited by physical attributes and punch power.

He is our own Floyd Mayweather, apart from the power!

[dwilson]

He is our own Floyd Mayweather, apart from the power!



And he is not a total twat.

[TommyV]

Unfortunately not onto world level.

He certainly isn't beating Hasegawa or Moreno.

[LHL]

Is Dapa not dropping down a weight soon :huh

[Vantage_West]

Is Dapa not dropping down a weight soon :huh

well he said he would drop a weight but only when he is fighting world class operators...main reason he is at 118 is because the domestic comp is far stronger than fly or super fly.

at bantam you have/had power, haskins, munyai, booth even moffet ,

i mean 2 years ago there was nobody to fight at flyweight or super fly except maybe edwards. but he has alot of incocisdency's

but he will go down in wieght at euro level now maybe 3 fights or a world title fight.

[Vantage_West]

He is our own Floyd Mayweather, apart from the power!
i think toney is more accurate