Conor Benn, Ellie Scotney and Donte Dixon are part of an exciting generation of fighters who are hoping to bring even more title success to British boxing
Friday 1 January 2021 15:43, UK
Britain's best young talent have caught the eye this year, but which rising contender should we watch closely in 2021? The Panel have given their verdict...
British boxing continues to produce an array of red-hot prospects, who will be hoping to emulate current world champions such as Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Josh Taylor and Billy Joe Saunders.
But which exciting fighters have earned recognition from our Sky Sports experts?
Conor Benn. He's still only 24, and he's an exciting talent. He's got the right mindset, he believes in himself and he's entertaining to watch.
I really want to see him fight Josh Kelly, who has got to come through David Avanesyan next.
I watched Conor's last win over Sebastian Formella, he impressed me, even though he had to settle for a points win in the end. You don't always need the stoppage and it will be interesting to see how far he can go.
I'm going to go for Ellie Scotney. Women's boxing has gone through the roof in the last six months and Savannah Marshall produced the best performance, in many ways, of the year.
It's very early days, but I have not seen as good a professional debut as Ellie Scotney showed me, for a long time. I thought she looked like somebody who could go a long way. I've seen her in the amateurs a lot, and she excited me the most out of any pro debutant this year.
Jack Bateson. A former Sky Scholar, this kid is learning his craft under the radar, but he's actually got a lot of depth and he's learning well.
Who is talking about him, who is watching him? But what this kid is doing is winning and his boxing is getting better.
All of a sudden, he's going to be on the scene, and you'll think, 'This kid is unbelievable, where has he been learning his craft?' He's been fortunate enough to do it away from the spotlight.
Donte Dixon. The last two fights he's had on Sky Sports that we've covered, he's really impressed me. He doesn't waste anything. He's got a very relaxed, composed style. Puts his shots together well, his variety, his full repertoire is very impressive.
In his last fight, when Angelo Dragone tried to put the pressure on, he didn't get flustered at all. It's early days and we'll see how he progresses as he steps up through the levels, but from what I've seen so far, I've been impressed with him.
Hopey Price. This kid is absolutely brilliant. He's got the temperament and the attitude that just belies his 20-years. He soaks everything up.
If he has an educational spar that is tough for him, like with the work he got with Kid Galahad, he takes that away with him. He doesn't sulk, he doesn't want to be top dog every session.
He understands that he's got to learn, he's got to develop. That's all part of the process. You see him adapt and you see him change. At his age, he's got the world in front of him, and he's got the charisma and personality as well.
Temperament-wise, he's got the best mentality I've ever seen since I was working around George Groves. I always thought Groves' mentality was unbelievable, ice-cold, nothing fazed him. This kid is the same.
Donte Dixon. Me and Matthew Macklin have done his last two or three fights, and I think he's looked really good. He impressed against Angelo Dragone, which was a great fight to get him at that stage.
I like Dennis McCann as well, but I just think Dixon is very economical and compact. He doesn't waste anything.
