Precious few heavyweights polarise opinion in the way Audley Harrison does. Maybe that is part of the fascination with him. Maybe that enigmatic quality is what draws observers back to the story despite a series of tame defeats to mediocre fighters. The Mona Lisa is neither the most beautiful subject nor the most technically perfect painting but it endures as the most famous artwork in history (arguably) because of the interpretation her expression is open to. It isn’t definite. It has depth beyond the brush strokes da Vinci swabbed across the canvas. Much like Harrison, who has conjured few moments of brilliance during his own career on the canvas and yet holds a depth of fascination few others can match. However, despite the critics and the years completed since his first low point of being dropped by the BBC he is on the brink of the title shot he told us all along he would get to. Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged ‘danny williams’
John McDermott: “I don’t want any favouritism, just whoever WINS, wins!”
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on June 4, 2010 at 9:59 am
I met John McDermott once. He was standing at the back of the press rows the night David Haye got beaten by Carl Thompson. An evening more notable for him because he saw Mark Krence flattened by an imported journeyman that looked likely to rule the boxing butcher out of their proposed Eliminator, a contest, John lamented, for which he’d already sold £10,000 of tickets. And that snatched conversation typifies the kind of circumstantial misfortune he has laboured under for his entire professional career. In his forthcoming rematch with Tyson Fury I have a growing suspicion the genial giant may yet have his moment in the sun and overcome that sense of never being in the right place at the right time once and for all. Read the rest of this entry »
Ricky Hatton, Danny Williams and the search for common sense
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on June 1, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Contrasting stories surround two of British boxing’s favourite sons this week. Firstly, and most satisfactorily, is Ian McNeily’s piece at BoxRec News dutifully reporting Ricky Hatton difficulty in summoning the will to commence training while the same site also records a summer fixture for Danny Williams on the other side of the world. News of this proposed clash comes just days after the genial Londoner promised retirement in the aftermath of his capitulation to Derek Chisora. Read the rest of this entry »
Sosnowski, Subbuteo, Sanders, Snooker and me
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Mike Tyson, Sports on May 25, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I’ve always found an attic or loft to be a fascinating place. It probably originates from the joyous isolation it provided me as a child, resplendent with snooker table, dart board, train set and Subbuteo it was a place of dreams, solace and make-believe. On the baize I was Davis AND Higgins, on the Astropitch I was everyone from Peru to Peterborough and with darts in hand I was toothless Jocky Wilson and the Crafty Cockney.
Careful what you wish for; David Haye gets his appointment with destiny
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Mike Tyson, Sports on July 15, 2009 at 9:50 am
Following an unfortunate series of injury induced withdrawals of late, notably Mayweather v Marquez, Kotelnik v Khan, Haye v Wladimir Klitschko, fans will be reluctant to presume David Haye’s mooted September 12th clash with 37 year old Vitali Klitschko is actually going to happen until the two men are staring across at each other with just a referee between them. However, in the interests of positivity – and the sport needs a pick me up following the sad loss of Gatti, Arguello and Caldwell in the past week – I’m willing to celebrate the news David Haye finally has his chance to back up his words with actions. Read the rest of this entry »
Haye, Apollo Creed, Lennox, Rocky and Audley; the truth
In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports on February 25, 2009 at 10:04 am
It is hard to evaluate Audley Harrison either as a fighter or an individual. I don’t know the man, I shook hands with him once and I worked for his website for a while but I don’t really know him. As a fighter he has failed to live up to his claims or supposed potential. Not even the most vehement Audley supporter – and there are precious few of those remaining – could claim otherwise. Now, at the grand old age of 37, with a humiliating loss to Martin Rogan in his last appearance in front of a booing crowd, Harrison has sunk to digging up camp stories from 2006 in a bid to tempt David Haye into a marking-time fight. Aside from saying “Big Issue” on a street corner or entering the Big Brother house I don’t believe the once favourite son of British Boxing can fall further. Read the rest of this entry »
Only in America, sorry Egypt, Williams to face Botha?
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Mike Tyson, Sports on September 19, 2008 at 8:35 am
I love many things about boxing. The occasional absurdity of it is one, the ever-present BritishBoxing.net another. Kevin Taylor’s story today tickled both fancies as he reports British Heavyweight champion Danny Williams, and I think we can now officially add the prefix ‘colourful’ to his title following a meandering roller-coaster of a career, is to tackle Fran Botha in the land of the Pyramid. You can’t make it up. Although, maybe someone has. Read the rest of this entry »
Save the last dance for me; Haye’s search for a partner drifts on
In Boxing, British Boxing, Sports, Mike Tyson, Fight Previews on September 16, 2008 at 9:00 am
They say, whoever they are, that in matters of the heart the chase is all part of the thrill. I’m not sure whether the notion could be extended to finding 250-pound men with a glint in their eye, I suppose it depends on your proclivities. However, David Haye’s quest to find a “top-10″ heavyweight contender to knockout, as he assumes he will, in November has proven about as easy as platting fog. It began with rumours of Hasim Rahman or Andrew Golota but is now much further down the heavyweight barrel. Read the rest of this entry »
Audley, Audley, Audley
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on September 10, 2008 at 9:30 am
Love him, hate him, ignore him, beat him, write him off, mock him, chastise him, heck, tie an anvil to each ankle and drop him in the Thames. It wouldn’t matter, Big Audley would still be believing, still fighting, still chasing the dream. I’m beginning to think Harrison has special powers, the hide of a Rhino, the defiance of the Black Knight and will of Arnie’s Terminator. Despite being jeered to and from the ring, despite failing to overwhelm a man he outweighed by 3 stone and despite the proximity of his 37th birthday, Audley will not give up. Read the rest of this entry »
Video: Amir Khan mimicks Judah’s ‘chicken dance’
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on September 8, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Seeing Amir Khan laid out like a flat-packed bookcase on Saturday, with his head propped against the ring post in the style of a teenager watching Batman re-runs on the portable reminded me of one of the first times he came to the public’s attention. Coincidentally, he was mimicking the Zab Judah inspired ‘chicken’ dance he show-cased when hit by a Prescott punch on Saturday following a less formidable left-hook from Craig Watson back in the Amateurs. Read the rest of this entry »
Audley Harrison and the search for a foe
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Mike Tyson, Sports on September 1, 2008 at 1:48 pm
It isn’t Audley Harrison’s fault Martin Rogan has been forced to withdraw at the eleventh hour but there is an air of inevitability about the doom and gloom surrounding Harrison’s attempt at a comeback. Harrison cannot complain of his misfortune too much, he’s a wealthy man who has lost every fight of meaning in his professional career and aged 36 is very fortunate to be afforded the attention he still attracts. Read the rest of this entry »
Gammer succumbs to Pianeta and broken hand
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on August 30, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Welsh hard-man Scott Gammer was forced to retire from his absorbing contest with German based prospect, Francesco Pianeta, due to a suspected broken hand. An injury he must have sustained very earlier in the fight as he threw precious few during the 8 completed rounds. It was particularly hard on the returning former British Heavyweight champion, as he looked well placed following 3 or 4 rounds to get the job done. Pianeta looked pleased not to be forced to accrue any further damage to his right eye, left damaged by Gammer’s meaty left hook.
Klitschko persistence; Peter in October
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Previews, Sports on August 22, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Vitali Klitschko, 37, was never a great fighter. He certainly wasn’t a great heavyweight champion. In fact, I’d go further I’d say he was a poor heavyweight champion and little more than a mediocre fighter. Like many in the curious, contrary world of boxing his repute grew more in gritty defeat to an ageing Lennox Lewis than in any of his victories, of which I would struggle to summon a single performance of historic significance.
“Hit ‘im wiv the uppercut John!”, Danny Williams prevails
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Mike Tyson, Sports on July 23, 2008 at 11:32 am
Being at the fight is a special experience. True television coverage offers you multiple camera angles, proximity and the benefit of replays for those crucial moments but no matter how effective your Dolby surround sound is or crystal clear your high definition LCD presents the pictures it cannot beat being there. Read the rest of this entry »
Big Danny Williams victorious in up and downer in Spain
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Mike Tyson, Sports on May 30, 2008 at 11:05 pm
Congratulations must go to gutsy, no sniggering at the back, London heavyweight Danny Williams tonight following his 7th round stoppage victory over the previously unbeaten Konstantin Airich in Bilbao. Williams, up lifts his ledger to 39-6 (31 Ko’s) with the win continues to build some momentum despite fluctuating weight suggesting ebbing motivation, he scaled 267 pounds for this encounter. Read the rest of this entry »
Boxing: Scott Gammar Scores Comprehensive Victory
In Boxing, British Boxing, Fight Reports, Sports on June 11, 2007 at 10:47 am
Tough Welsh heavyweight Scott Gammar got his career back on the rails over the weekend overpowering busy trier Paul King, a late-replacement for a replacement, to score a six round points win. Predictable enough result and a performance designed purely to add a W to the record of the former British champion following his defeat to Danny Williams. I’d certainly assume Gammar isn’t booked to learn much from circuit veteran King. Reports suggest he opted to use the whole six round work out rather than close the show.
Archive: The Final Curtain – Tyson, Holyfield & Jones Jnr.
In Boxing, British Boxing, Mike Tyson, Sports, TSS.com Archive on May 31, 2007 at 8:55 am
I penned this article toward the end of 2004 for thesweetscience.com, intended to be the first to provide obituary on the careers of three of the modern era’s finest fighters it now seems premature as only Iron Mike has listened to his body and given up trying to fool opponents and fans that he can still reclaim his unfulfilled youth and potential.
Tyson To Work Sultan’s Corner
In Boxing, Mike Tyson, Shop, Sports on May 29, 2007 at 10:44 am
Boxingtalk.com report Mike Tyson will be a fully fledged member of Sultan Ibragimov’s corner for his challenge to breathless WBO champion Shannon Briggs this weekend. Hopefully, it represents more than a cheap publicity stunt because a place for Mike Tyson’s knowledge of the sport should really be found. Articulate and a once keen student of the sport it would be shame if he doesn’t grasp the olive branch, it would certainly be more dignified to see Tyson passing on his wisdom to young fighters than see him feature in the glorified boxing booth he did late least year. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive: British Boxing’s Road to Redemption
In Boxing, British Boxing, Mike Tyson, Sports, TSS.com Archive on May 1, 2007 at 7:52 am
An article plucked from back in the summer of 2004, in the days preceding Danny Williams’ challenge to Mike Tyson. With a perspective on the significance of the bout for British boxing as a whole and specifically its hope of sustaining significance and resonance with the next generation of sports fans. Read the rest of this entry »
