by James Slater: Shortly after David Dolan came second in promoter Barry Hearn’s “Prize-fighter” tournament of heavyweights back in April – losing in the final to Ireland’s tough Martin Rogan – I wrote a piece saying how the talented 28-year-old should perhaps drop down to cruiserweight. Well, tonight in Liverpool, on the under-card of the David Barnes-Barry Morrison clash, Sunderland’s Dolan did just that – winning by KO in four rounds against Brazilian puncher Elvicio Sobral..
Now off to a running start in a new weight class, the gifted fighter can look forward to meeting more men his own size. Dolan, at approx 216 pounds, was never going to be big enough to make it to the top in a division where fighters can weigh anything upwards of 250 pounds. Now, however, with the cruiserweight limit being a much more realistic and appropriate 200 pounds, the 28-year-old will have a real chance of becoming a world champion.
The cruiserweight division, with the departure of David Haye, is something of a wide open division, too. Quite simply, there are a load of intriguing and quite possibly exciting bouts out there for the man from the north east of England. Steve “USS” Cunningham, the current IBF cruiserweight champ, is probably the best in the division post-Haye. But that fight, should it even be on Dolan’s radar, will not happen for quite some time yet. But once he gets a few more wins under his belt in his new division – ideally impressive KO wins – Dolan could well be a future world title challenger.
In terms of fellow British fighters (the British title at cruiser is currently vacant), Dolan could be a future opponent for Enzo Maccarinelli – or maybe even Herbie Hide. Such fights would almost certainly be seen as attractive bouts in the eyes of U.K fight fans. While on the European scene, Dolan could soon be matched with the likes of former Haye victims Lasse Johansen of Denmark or Jean Marc Mormeck of France (should he decide to fight on). Or even further down the line, Dolan could challenge the winner of the upcoming Giacobbe Fragomeni-Rudolf Kraj clash (set to be for Haye’s vacated WBC belt).
See the pattern? Yes, Dolan could set himself up, by fighting a number of “The Hayemakers” former opponents, as the successor to David Haye. With Britain in need of a new star at cruiserweight (begging Maccarinelli and Hide’s pardon), David Dolan could very well be the man to replace the big-punching Londoner.
Judging by the kind of form and power he showed tonight in Liverpool against the 8-1(8) (going in) 27-year-old from Brazil, David Dolan will certainly be a welcome addition to the weight class immediately below heavyweight.