Moore: time to step up

My old manager used to say you had 20 to learn and 20 to earn and I just worry that Jamie has stagnated a little bit.

Glenn McCrory
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We saw Jamie Moore grind out another win on Friday Fight Night but I don't think I am alone in saying we want more from him - pardon the pun!

I am not necessarily talking about the performance against Andrew Facey because I know from my own experience that second time around it is hard to be as sharp against the same opponent. I am talking about the level Jamie is fighting at.

A couple of years ago, if that, this lad was being talked about as one of our genuine prospects. Even as recently as last September and that sensational win over Matthew Macklin we were all expecting him to move on to the bigger stage.

He beat Sebastian Lujan after that and we all thought that was the start of the move, but as dogged a fighter as Facey was, Moore is still stuck at the same level.

I know after the fight he talked about going for the European title and being a lot sharper for that, but I still didn't get the impression he was champing at the bit.

The manager/promoter and trainer have to have their say, but ultimately it has to be the fighter that is champing at the bit, busting a gut to get the title shot. It has to be like a horse that is held back by it's jockey and let loose at just the right time. And I have my reservations about Jamie right now.

I am going to try and talk to him and his camp to find out a bit more and it may be that I am doing him a dis-service, but I really do think he should have made his move by now.

If he is going to get that European title or even, as many people first thought about him, a world title one day, he has to stick his head over the parapet sooner rather than later.

Stagnated

Jamie is now 29. He's not a baby. His good mate Ricky Hatton is 28 and has been a world champion for a good few years. Jamie has had 31 fights now, which makes me wonder if it is going to happen.

My old manager used to say you had 20 to learn and 20 to earn and I just worry that Jamie has stagnated a little bit.

He should get a long overdue shot at the European champ, but as far as I know nothing has been set in stone yet. The champion, Zaurbek Baysangurov, has only had 16 fights and if I were Moore and his team I would be desperate to get him in the ring.

I hope Jamie is. He is too old, too experienced and too good to have 'ticking over fights' at domestic level because sooner or later he could get caught out and lose it all. He came through against Facey in the end, but I hope he hasn't had too many wars and lost a little bit of motivation because of it.

Sometimes fighters do realise their limitations, but you might as well have a go, set yourself a challenge. When I was fighting I knew there was no way on this earth I was going to get a European title shot because of boxing politics.

But all I had talked about and dreamt of when I got into boxing was becoming a world champion, so I just went down that route instead.

Like I say I don't want to criticise Jamie because he's a smashing lad, but I hope he has not lost that focus. I know he has a young family and what worries me, the more he treads water the more he might lose that drive. Like I say, I will do my best to get his side of things and find out a bit more for next week. I hope my fears are wrong.

Delighted

By then we will also know how many fighters have made it to the Beijing Olympics, via the world championships in Chicago.

I am delighted to say you can see the latter stages here on Sky Sports and even more delighted to say that with the quarter-finals looming, we still have five fighters in with a shout.

For most of them, one more win will be enough to get them to next year's Olympics. And that would fantastic, just sensational for the sport. When you think we only had Amir Khan last time out, to get five through would be amazing - and testament to the work being done by the ABA.

I think everyone expected Joe Murray and Frankie Gavin to lead the way as they have, and the super-heavyweight David Price - who needs to reach the semis to make Beijing - has clearly been using that jab of his to progress. And I am delighted that the north east's Bradley Saunders is also eight minutes away from those Olympics.

The two big surprises for me though have won and lost. Big things were expected of Stephen Smith but he is out, while Tony Jefferies is through having beaten an American. That surprised me because he has only just got back into the Great Britain squad, but I hope he can keep it up for one more fight.

There are still two more qualifiers after this - when the Cubans will no doubt be involved - and hopefully one of my Northumbria lads, David Pendleton, will get his chance in Athens in the New Year. He has just boxed for England in Canada and won both his fights by an impressive margin, so hopefully he will get the chance to emulate the success we have had - so far - out in Chicago.

Hopefully I'll be back with even more good news next week.