Buddy McGirt Flying Blind in Next Fight with Dillian Whyte
On November 26, heavyweight fighter Dillian “The Body Snatcher” Whyte (28-3, 19 KO’s) will face Jermaine Franklin (21-0, 14 KO’s). The match, to be staged in Wembley Arena, will be the first assignment for Whyte with his new chief second James “Buddy” McGirt. 3Kings Boxing reported on this recently cemented partnership and wondered how much, if any, it would benefit Whyte, 35, at this point in his career.
Now this inquiry for some, deep concern for others, has just intensified. This is due to rather troubling comments that McGirt made at the final presser for the upcoming match. While it’s common for fighters to say that they don’t watch tape of upcoming opponents, this is not typically what the trainers say.
WHAT’D YOU JUST SAY?!
As the mastermind of the fight game plan, one would think that it’s imperative for the chief second to scout the upcoming opposition. Yet, Buddy rather boldly stated that he’s never seen Franklin fight before. Even more shockingly, McGirt also admitted that he’s never even seen Dillian Whyte fight!
“I’m going to be 150% honest with you, I don’t study anybody. I’m not going to sit and worry about what the guy I am training, who he is fighting, I don’t worry about what they do because I am preparing my guy for any and everything. I believe if you prepare for one thing, and you see something and you look for it and it don’t happen in the fight, it’s too damn late! But if you are prepared for any and everything, no matter what the other guy does, you got an answer for it and that’s the key. Here is the funny part, I never seen Dillian fight either!”
CAREFREE COACHING
To hear McGirt say these words, it really does make one wonder what he does in training camp! On the outside looking in, this sounds like the height of incompetence. One thing is for certain, if Whyte is defeated or looks substandard in the ring it will only make McGirt, a former welterweight champion, will look horrible. And considering that The Body Snatcher has lost two of his last three matches, now is not the time to be unduly laidback and lackadaisical. Luckily we don’t long to wait to see if his “blind-style” of training bears fruit or ends in the shambles that one would imagine it would.
By: Bakari Simpson
