Rocky Fielding faces Brian Vera on Friday and The Panel analyses his prospects
McCrory, Moore and Nelson serve it up.
Friday 26 June 2015 11:02, UK
Facing Brian Vera, Rocky Fielding will have to be at his best to steal the show on a packed Liverpool card on Friday night. Does The Panel think he is someone with world class credentials?
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Rocky Fielding will fight in front of his home fans against American Brian Vera, and with rival super-middleweight Callum Smith headlining the bill, he will be desperate to make his mark.
Unbeaten in 20 fights, the 27-year-old has gone about his business quietly while other super-middleweights such as James DeGale, George Groves and Paul and Callum Smith hog the exposure - but has he been underrated by the press?
In the experienced Vera, he faces a thorough examination of his skills both offensively and defensively. The 33-year-old is stepping up from middleweight but has successfully fought at super several times and has not been stopped since a 2008 defeat to James Kirkland.
Vera also boasts a victory over current WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee.
So where does Fielding stand in the pecking order of a packed domestic 12-stone scene? Let's hear from The Panel...
Glenn McCrory
It could be a rocky road with Brian Vera! I'm a fan of Rocky Fielding. He's developing in to a really good fighter. This is a tough opponent and he's going to have to be at his best.
It's the sort of fight that Rocky will learn from. I think it will do him good to get some rounds under his belt at this level.
Vera could make it a hard, long night for Fielding and he may have to win this fight the hard way, which will be a good learning experience for him.
Vera hasn't been stopped in a long, long time. He's very tough and it's the sort of fight that Rocky will learn from. I think it will do him good to get some rounds under his belt at this level.
Glenn's prediction: I think it's a points win for Fielding. I think it will really benefit him to do the distance and I think he will.
Jamie Moore
It's tough to tell who's better out of Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding because Rocky, I feel, is underrated. He's not been given as much credit as he deserves.
Rocky has had a few good wins and done better jobs on certain fighters than George Groves did when he fought them.
Rocky has had a few good wins and done better jobs on certain fighters than George Groves did when he fought them. At the time Groves won those fights they were classed as good victories, too.
For my money, the Smith v Fielding fight is a 50-50 and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. It's one of those fights where no matter who wins, there's still a massive future for the loser.
Brian Vera throws punches from all sorts of angles and is a difficult fighter, don't get me wrong, but it was a shock when he beat Andy Lee.
Jamie's prediction: I think Rocky will beat him. Someone like Brian Vera is made for Rocky because Rocky likes people to walk on to his shots and he likes to whip them up through the middle. Vera is pretty open to the uppercuts.
I think Rocky's going to look good. He may have to come through a few sticky patches in the first few rounds when Vera is forcing it but I think eventually he'll walk on to one and I see Rocky getting him out of there around halfway.
Johnny Nelson
Brian Vera presents the biggest threat out of any of the visiting fighters but every time I've doubted Rocky Fielding, he's come up trumps and stepped up to the plate, delivering the goods. I think he'll do it again.
This is what any progressive young fighter needs to go through to say 'I deserve to be in this mix.'
Fielding understands this is his toughest test to date and that on paper, he's got it all to do. This is what any progressive young fighter needs to go through to say 'I deserve to be in this mix.'
He definitely has the hardest fight of the night because Vera has been in with some serious fighters, including world middleweight champion Andy Lee.
Johnny's prediction: I think Fielding comes through for a hard points win. It's a perfect fight at a perfect time because Fielding is too young, snappy and full of life.
Watch Fielding v Vera, Callum Smith v Chrostopher Rebrasse, Tony Bellew v Ivica Bacurin and Martin Murray v George Beroshvili live on Friday from 7.30pm, Sky Sports 1
