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Archive for July, 2007|Monthly archive page

Arthur Not King Yet

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 31, 2007 at 3:56 pm

Guzman2Guzman2Shrewd matchmaking earned Alex Arthur a shot at the interim WBO Super-Featherweight title recently, a fight he won – having started slowly – and with champion Joan Guzman looking very unlikely to make 130 pounds again, the stop watch on Arthur’s ascension to the full title started. For the time being, the watch is stopped. Guzman is adamant he will make Super-Featherweight to face Arthur.

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Boys to Men: Amir Khan to Face Earl in December

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 31, 2007 at 3:32 pm

bOYS2MENNews Amir Khan is to face Luton’s Graham Earl on December 8th has already been widely reported but coupled with the forthcoming fight in Nottingham, opponent unconfirmed and the recent victory over Willie Limond – 2007 could yet prove to be a fruitful one for the country’s most well known professional. Read the rest of this entry »

Povetkin and the Klitschko Two Step

In Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 27, 2007 at 3:03 pm

PovetkinIt’s hard not to be fond of Alexander Povetkin, the aspiring young contender from Russia, and his ambitious matchmaker. After just 13 bouts he’s signed to fight two- time heavyweight champion Chris Byrd in a crossroads bout that pitches the fresh faced puncher against the cunning old fox. Read the rest of this entry »

Pirates of the Injin Chi

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 27, 2007 at 11:14 am

PiratesAt one time or another we’ve all been bewildered by the actions of the various sanctioning bodies; from the acceptance of Eddie Croft as a challenger to Erik Morales, to the promotion of deceased fighters in monthly rankings, not to mention the creation of spurious interim, inter-continental and emeritus belts to help ensure every fighter, young or old, good or bad has the chance to possess one at one time or another. Read the rest of this entry »

Cliff Couser to face Shannon Briggs?

In Boxing, British Boxing on July 27, 2007 at 10:38 am

Couser2Couser2Thanks to his recent upset victory over Monte Barrett, legendary journeyman heavyweight Cliff Couser is pencilled in to face Shannon Briggs – the former WBO champion bidding to rebuild following his defeat to Sultan Ibragimov. According to Couser at least, the only outstanding formality is Briggs’ signature on the contract. Read the rest of this entry »

Update: Final Bell for Oyebola Today

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 27, 2007 at 7:48 am

BlackFollowing yesterday’s premature news of former British heavyweight champion James Oyebola’s demise, I’m sad to report that the gentle giant’s life support machine, which he’s been dependent on since being shot on Monday night, is to be switched off later today. The 46 year old, leaves a long-term partner and two children behind. To date, there are no developments on the detainment of the  three men who fled the scene following the shooting. As always, thoughts go to James’ family and to those for whom he was more than a former boxer. Read the rest of this entry »

In the shadow of Woodcock; Witter to fight in Doncaster

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 26, 2007 at 4:09 pm

WoodcockWoodcockIt doesn’t feel quite right. First the prospect of Oscar DeLaHoya fighting in England and now, it might be worth grabbing a chair before you read on, the WBC Light-Welterweight belt – once held by the Golden Boy himself, Julio Cesar Chavez and Arturo Gatti – is to be contested in Doncaster. Yep. My home town, the gritty, blue collar mining town of Doncaster. If Bruce Woodcock were still pulling pints at the Tumbler, he might have dropped his glass at the news.

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Oyebola Continues to Fight for his life

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 26, 2007 at 7:55 am

sunIt seems the Sun, to whom this article originally linked, got this wrong and James is still fighting for his life. My apologies to those mislead by the linked article and for my own failure to check the facts the Sun reported at length. And continued best wishes to James in his battle, and those close to him.

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Is Oscar really coming to little old Blighty?

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 25, 2007 at 4:01 pm

Twin TowersThey say the world is shrinking, I’m not sure who ‘they’ are, but they have something to say on most topics and they believe we’ve all grown closer. Travel and communication technology makes everyone your neighbour, or a MySpace pal at the very least, but I never thought the world could grow so small that Oscar DeLaHoya, the most bankable star in boxing, would be seeking to fight in England. Tired, rainy, downtrodden old England? Read the rest of this entry »

Larios and Amonsot Released From Hospital

In Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 25, 2007 at 8:49 am

AmonsotAmonsotFollowing the terrible news James Oyebola is fighting for his life following a shooting yesterday, it was heart-warming to hear that Oscar Larios and Czar Amonsot were both released from hospital fit and healthy following minor bleeding on the brain suffered during bouts on Saturday.

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Beautiful Ugliness; “Boxing is back!”

In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 25, 2007 at 8:11 am

BareKnuckleWhen Bernard Hopkins’ exclaimed “boxing is back” in the post fight interviews over the weekend, I for one felt the words resonate somewhere deep down inside. Although no more than a fan with an opinion, I feel part of boxing, my love of the sport in part defines me. In an age where boxing is a marginal sport, I’m ‘Dave, you know Dave, loves his boxing?’. When Hopkins spoke, I perched closer to the edge of the chair, the same way I do when an ageing champion rallies against a younger foe. Go on boxing! Stick it to him.

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Smoking Gun – James Oyebola Shot

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 24, 2007 at 2:52 pm

BoxershadowFew fighters cut a more imposing figure than 6-9 former British Heavyweight champion James Oyebola, described as a ‘true gent’ by those who knew him, but the 47 year old is nevertheless fighting for his life having been shot in the face in a seemingly innocuous night club incident yesterday.

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Is Hopkins The Greatest Athlete to Ever Box?

In Boxing, Fight Reports, Mike Tyson, Sports on July 23, 2007 at 4:04 pm

Hopkins2Is Bernard Hopkins the greatest athlete to ever lace on a pair of gloves? To even pose the question will doubtless invite a deluge of abusive emails from fans mocking the suggestion. But for all Mayweather’s speed, Tyson’s natural firepower and the unflinching stamina of eye-catching fighters like Joe Calzaghe – to consider just three modern contemporaries – a case for Hopkins must surely be possible to make? Read the rest of this entry »

Joe McEwan and the turning worm

In Boxing, Sports on July 23, 2007 at 2:36 pm

SpiltmilkI enjoy being a vehicle for the Joe McEwan-Bobby Gunn fall out. It’s been entertaining throughout and you wouldn’t believe just how many people have contacted me about the story, whether connected or simply as interested observers. It started with Joe McEwan, Bobby Gunn’s former promoter, who called Gunn “a liar, a thief and a coward”, the latest is an exclusive long missive from Marc Brown – a one time sponsor of McEwan’s boxing promotions who wishes to remind McEwan that “what goes around, comes around”. Read the rest of this entry »

“Tonight Matthew, I’m Going to be Light-Welterweight champion of the World”

In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 23, 2007 at 11:51 am

ReesReesIncredulity, is the only word I could find to describe my reaction to Gavin Rees‘ capture of the WBA Light-Welterweight belt on Saturday night from seasoned champion Souleymane M’Baye. Lucky to get the shot he may have been, lucky to win he certainly wasn’t. Rees outworked, out thought and outmanoeuvred M’Baye from start to finish.

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Archive: “Tonight I’m Gonna Party Like It’s 1999!”

In Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports, TSS.com Archive on July 20, 2007 at 1:56 pm

LighthouseLighthouseExactly two years to the day since this article was first published on thesweetscience.com, Bernard Hopkins continues to deny the obituary, professional at least, I recorded following his defeat to Jermaine Taylor in 2005. The fact, aged 42, he can still compete at elite level – he faces pound for pound great Winky Wright at 170 pounds – is astonishing. Read the rest of this entry »

First Bruno, now Warren Pursues Damages

In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on July 20, 2007 at 1:43 pm

GavelGavelAccording to reports today, Frank Bruno successfully sued the News of the World for damages following a breach of his privacy by the Sunday tabloid and secured a significant settlement. Frank Warren meanwhile, is aiming for more than £300,000 from the Daily Record for remarks printed in relation to the John Simpson v Derry Matthews clash back in March. Read the rest of this entry »

So Near So Czar: Katsidis ‘defends’ Interim belt

In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 20, 2007 at 12:33 pm

KatsidisAustralian strongman Michael Katsidis, one of a host of fighters to expose British champions in recent months, makes the first defence of his interim WBO Lightweight title against Czar Amonsot this weekend. A sentence which will dumbfound the boxing purists; how does boxing create a scenario where interim champions defend the belt simultaneous to the activity of the real champion, in this case Juan Diaz? Read the rest of this entry »

Rees The Next Unbeaten Brit to Step Up

In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on July 20, 2007 at 9:51 am

Ant Hill MobThis weekend’s bout between game Gavin Rees and stylish Frenchman Souleymane M’Baye for the latter’s WBA Light welterweight title isn’t quite another example of an over-hyped British fighter being pitched in with a world class operator only to discover he’s a chasm away from true elite class. Why? Well simply put, because we know Rees is no world beater before the fight.

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Plucky Gomez Talks About Gatti Victory

In Boxing, Contender Series, Fight Reports, Sports on July 20, 2007 at 8:28 am

gOMEZ22I’m not alone in following the career of gutsy Mexican Alfonso Gomez. His heart-warming willingness to face series favourite Peter Manfredo in the opening show of Contender 1 endeared the soft-featured Welterweight to millions around the world. It is that exposure that facilitated his own elevation to elite competition. Notoriety over achievement. Ticket sales over ability. But the difference with Gomez’s opportunity, as opposed to Manfredo’s against Calzaghe is, Gomez delivered. Those who saw him beat the bigger, more seasoned Manfredo weren’t surprised. Read the rest of this entry »

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