Eddie Hearn has told Anthony Ogogo that he will have to learn from Saturday’s upset loss to Craig Cunningham if he is to achieve his full potential in the paid ranks. Ogogo was pulled out by his corner in round eight due to blurred vision, but had been harried and out-hustled by his opponent at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena.
Floored by a right in the second, the 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist worked hard to stay in the contest only to be pulled from the fray with the fight, and his sight, slipping away from him. Hearn promoted the Sky Sports-televised bill, he believes that Ogogo has only himself to blame for the loss. “Ogogo showed big heart to come back in the fight,” said Hearn when speaking to The Sun. “He came back and started winning rounds after that but never really seemed to recover from getting hurt earlier on. Maybe that was a lack of experience, maybe he wanted to get involved when he shouldn’t have.”
He added: “It was a massive victory for Craig. He was a big underdog in that one. I said to him ‘If you win that fight then there will be some big fights’ … and there will be. He has probably changed his life with that fight but that’s what boxing is all about—taking opportunities.”
Now 11-1 (7), Ogogo has a big rebuilding job on his hands in 2017. Cunningham, though, has opened up plenty of avenues of opportunity and the 20-1 outsider will be looking forward to his next job after upsetting the odds in his hometown.
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