Dennis Hobson is certain Jamie McDonnell’s recent performance against Javier Chacon proves he is a fighter in decline.
After successive losses to Chris Edwards and Lee Haskins, Hobson backed Doncaster’s McDonnell and invested heavily to secure home advantage when he beat Mexico’s Julio Ceja to claim the IBF world bantamweight title in 2013.
Subsequently stripped of that belt, McDonnell has picked up the WBA version while boxing under the Matchroom Promotions/Sky Sports banner but struggled badly against Chacon on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s recent win over Nathan Cleverley at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
“I watched his fight and I think he’s gone backwards,” revealed Hobson. “I don’t think he’ll ever be the fighter he could’ve been through messing about and changing something that wasn’t broken. He obviously thinks he’s going to get his unification fight [against WBO champion, Tomoki Kameda], but if the kid’s any good then I can’t see Jamie beating him. And Stuart [Hall] beats him hands down now.
“Chacon was catching him with clean shots to the body and head, and if he could dig at all then Jamie would’ve been in real trouble. Kameda may be the weakest of the world champions, but on that showing Jamie looked anything but world class. I’ve seen a couple of his last outings and he doesn’t look it [world class] at all. Is it because he can’t get up for it, I’m not sure. Kameda is a great fight though, and that’s where we were looking [to match him].”
