WBA Pan Africa lightweight champion Jason “Badman” Bedeman (11-0-2, 9 knockouts) will need to sharpen his defensive skills if he is to make an impact on the international boxing scene. This was the view of several fight experts following the 20-year-old Bedeman’s come-from-behind destruction of Ghana’s Bilal Mohammed at Emperors Palace recently. “Hey, this kid Bedeman can really dig deep once he gets hurt, but I have to question his lack of defence” said former ringside correspondent Paul Hetz, who was nevertheless impressed by the way that the Badman rose from two first round knockdowns before halting his hard-hitting challenger from Ghana. “The guy reminds me of Mike Holt the way he ploughs forward aggressively, but he cannot engage in trench warfare every time he enters the ring. What his mentor has to do, is teach him to be less ‘square’ when facing an opponent and box from behind his jab, chin tucked in, instead of just relying on sheer power to win his fights”.
Another fight connoisseur who noted the Rosettenville fighter’s “daredevil approach” is two-time Hall of Famer Brian Mitchell. “Sure Bedeman has courage…lots of it, but he can’t turn every fight into a war, or his career will be very short lived” said Mitchell.
Local man-about-boxing Jeff Ellis agreed and pointed to Bedeman’s stance as a particularly worrying aspect. “Jason’s legs are too far apart and that’s why Mohammed dropped him with two left jabs. Being knocked down by a hook, uppercut or right hand is one thing, but a schooled boxer should not get floored by successive jabs…no way” said Ellis.
Trainer Manny Fernandes wasn’t in the country for Bedeman’s last fight, passing on the corner duties to Gert Strydom, yet after watching a video of the contest, told this writer, “I’m certainly not happy about that wide-legged stance and while I think he (Bedeman) went down more as the result of a slip the first time, his lack of balance accounted for the Ghanaian dropping him with a very hard jab for the second of those knockdowns.” Fernandes was, however, pleased with the manner in which Bedeman came out firing in the second round, plastering his rival with a relentless barrage of punches before the referee stopped the fight. “It’s a sign of his guts and the fiery intensity that he brings into every fight. Personally I feel it would be wrong for us to be overly critical of Jason’s performance, because he’s still a work in progress, but I do agree that he has to sharpen up his guards, especially when he faces a puncher, which Mohammed clearly was”.
And Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman? “Bedeman has a knock-em-down, drag-em-out approach to the sport and naturally that will garner him accolades and truck loads of fans, but it certainly won’t help his longevity as a fighter. No doubt Fernandes will need to impress on him the need to tighten up his defence”
I must agree that Jason must tighten he’s defensive skill. If you watched the match Jason hands where up but Mohammed hit straight through Badman’s gard twice.
Just remember Mohammed hits hard and you could see it each time he through he’s whole body behind the jab, not many boxer’s would have done better.
I do agree once again the he can work on he’s stance and move he’s head a bit more, at the end of the day Jason is still growing as a young man and boxer.
The kid has heart a sheer power in both hands.
I wish him all the greatest wishes for the future.
Two jabs?
A shopworn nose tells many a story. That glass jaw he will carry with him for the rest of his life unfortunately. His face looked worse after 2 rounds than Hekkies’ did after 12!
Amen to that Classy
face looked worse after two rounds????? Im confused Bedeman did not have a scratch or bruise on him even after two of the hardest punches he will probably have ever taken in his whole boxing career!!! I think you need to get your facts straight.
hahaha! my facts straight and your eyes checked…that man was lit up like a friggin christmas tree my friend…
Bedeman is an extremely dedicated fighter whom we are all forgetting came back in that fight with a bang!!! sure maybe he needs to improve on a couple of defense skills , but who does’nt. And I knw this for a fact that the Badman will take those knockdowns as a learning barrier and do everything in his power to correct his mistakes to ensure that it will not happen again. Oh and to say that the Badman has a glass jaw is so incorrect cos clearLy you have not seen any of his other fights in which he has taken extremely hard hits to the Jaw and has not been effected by them whatsoever.Those Jabs thrown by the Ghanian were like to bullets almost impossible to see Im sure and Bilals Jab is most probably one of his best assets when he enters the ring which explains his knockout record. And it is even more impressive that Bedeman could come back from such a mean puncher to gain confidence in himself to knock Mohammed out NOW THAT SHOWS BEDEMAN’S HEART AND DEDICATION AND HUNGER TO WIN.
funny considering I was with Jason in the change room after his fight, went out with him after the fight saw him the next day to face to face and mmmm not one sight of christmas tree lights my friend so obviously you don’t have your facts in tact but all good you intitled to your opinion take care.
ooooooooo nicely said Fan of the Badman could not agree more the Badman did not have one scratch on him hahaha this person is heavily confused shame. WE SUPPORT YOU ALL OF THE WAY BADMAN KEEP PUSHING ON CHAMP NOTHING AND NO ONE CAN BRING YOU DOWM!
I ask again my friends 2 Jabs?
Classy in the beginning I thought you where smart,it seems you did not see the fight and you speak for the sake of speaking.
Jason spars with some of the best in the country every day and you think he has a glass jaw.
Have you ever got in the ring? I do not think so!
You are clearly a fan of someone Jason put on the canves. lol
I just call it how I saw it. He got dropped twice in the same round by a JAB! Ill say it again – A JAB! Heaven help him if he fights a guy who can couple a big jab with a bigger hook! The proof is in the pudding. Sure he valiantly came back to stop his opponent, but lets be serious here, his opponent only had 1 punch.
For all the Badman fans out there – and there seem to be quite a few of you, Im not saying that he is a bad fighter. Im not doubting his heart or desire. Im doubting his chin. Say whatever you like – he almost got KAYOED by a jab! Twice. Alarm bells are ringing my friends.
Remember a chin boils down to genetics – you either have it or you dont! Its not something that improves with work. If he can remain a tenacious big puncher then he will get somewhere. Corrie Sanders is a prime example of this. He had 2 big guns to protect himself with but he had a glass jaw. Rahman loved that glass jaw – a few times. Corrie still ended up a world champion.
As long as the Badman can protect himself with a big arsenal of punches he might end up a world champion, but its alot harder in the talent rich lighter divisions…
LOL, Classy who are you? and who do you support mainly…. interest sake
You are very outspoken and defiantly know all bout boxing Classy!
lol
P.S. Jason has been dropped before!!!!
P.S.S. Defiantly Jason’s family and girlfriend defending him with the above comments – you heading for a war Classy
Im a Fight Fan just like everyone else posting here. I eat, breathe, indulge and live the fightgame! I am a fan of the best fighter on the planet but plenty others too. In fact there might not be enough space to list my favorites here…
Classy, I love you brother…. you speak the honest truth! (for some that hurts) keep it coming!!
When Jason first hurt Mohammed and had him against the ropes, he squared up badly and threw plenty punches that had no sting. It looked awkward. His guts and grit was noteworthy. But he doesn’t look smooth when he fights.
I think it’s just a bit funny that you get dropped by jab ,but hey every good fighter has an off day?
Two jabs, is that all you have on the young man? well as I know, if you get hit on the chin as heavy weight or light weight with just the right amount of power you will go down.
“Tuks101″ if a girl hits you on your chin I am sure you would go down like a bags of bricks.
No attack on people who know what they are talking about.
Every one has there own opinion, but keep it real
The BADMAN has proven people wrong over and over again and if he must continue to do so before he is given the credit he deserves then so be it. We support “THE BADMAN” all of the way through thick and thin because he deserves nothing less!!! Looking forward to seeing him in action on the 29th of march.
Winning is winning whether you win by an inch or a mile and lets face it the badman is UNBEATEN to date( after 13 fights with 9 knockouts to his name mmmm I think it’s safe to say that he is allowed an off day in the ring however it can’t be called that since Bedeman won the fight by coming back to knock Mohammed out… I don’t think most boxers would be able to do so after being struck with two of the most probably powerful and fast Jabs on a lightweight boxer.)
If you think that an off day makes ones chin weaker, then you are all in for a big shock! If that boy doesnt sort his footwork out he is gonna get nailed by someone packing something more then a popgun jab…mark my words!
Hi all
When someone said if you have a glass jaw it’s genetic?
Well if you know any thing about the humen body, the jaw has a nerve that runs through the lower part of the jaw or the mandible.
Well the nervouse system interconnected to brain stem, with just the right amount of power big or small will fall.
No man is made of steel and this has nothing to do with genetics.
Tell that to Bernard Hopkins, Michael Katsidis, Carl Froch, Joe Calzaghe, Jesse Feliciano and even King Arthur Abraham (beat up Edison Miranda with a BROKEN JAW) – some are stronger than others. It has everything to do with genetics!
say what you want BEDEMAN WILL PROVE YOU ALL WRONG JUST WAIT AND SEE.
I happen to not be family of the Badman or his girlfriend for that matter haha lol but I am a huge fan and I think everybody who are taking a dig at him and trying to bring him down will be feeling like fools when he proves you all wrong!
P.S JASON ALSO KNOCKED THE GUY OUT THAT DROPPED HIM BEFORE so ya that says alot.
All I ever doubted was his chin. Check the posts.
You peeps are forgetting one thing . jason is 20 years old and has a long way to go . Yes he was put down by a jab , but i am sure that he got a fright that he was knocked down. manny has seen the Video and will correct those shortcomings . I believe that Jason will improve and will prove his critics wrong . let not break the boy down , but rather get behind him and give him our 200% support.Jason has got staying power and is a hungry fighter .
Jason is the best!
jason is over rated
And you know nothing!