Price dumped out of Olympics

Big David Price, all 6ft 8 of him, took two standing 8 counts and failed to score in his semi final contest with Italian Roberto Cammarelle. Price appeared to land more than one scoring shot but without the clarity for the five ringside observers to press their blue buttons together. Bronze remains a solid achievement for the giant Brit but for once aggression and combination punching prevailed. The Italian, the betting favourite according to the BBC’s Jim Neilly, was the more aggressive, positive fighter from the first bell.

Continue reading “Price dumped out of Olympics”

Guest Article: A score needs settling in the Olympic ring

Guest writer Andrew Mullinder gets hot under the collar about the peculiarities and weaknesses of scoring in Amateur boxing, suggesting the quest to eradicate the blatant favouritism displayed in Seoul 88 has actually diluted the sport to such an extent it has become little more than a be-gloved version of fencing. As always, Andrew thinks its time somebody did something about it.

Continue reading “Guest Article: A score needs settling in the Olympic ring”

Big Danny Williams victorious in up and downer in Spain

kiplingCongratulations 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. Continue reading “Big Danny Williams victorious in up and downer in Spain”

Hatton v Witter, goes down the ……

It was painful to view. And my scorecard reflected my desire to prolong the feint hope of Junior Witter finally securing the chance to face arch-rival Ricky Hatton before both got too old or too fat for anyone to care. Placing the credit for the victory at the door of Ricky Hatton, given it was young Timothy Bradley in the ring throwing punches, would be ungracious and unfair but there was certainly a shadow of the wealthy Hitman over the split decision triumph for the American. Continue reading “Hatton v Witter, goes down the ……”

Golota got a lota shot

GolotaUrban legend states you are never more than ten yards from a rat when in London. If you frequent some of the fast food establishments I have you could probably reduced that by 50% with some confidence. There is also an Internet phenomenon and modern day parlour game which believes nobody in movie history is more than six steps removed from actor Kevin Bacon. Continue reading “Golota got a lota shot”

Rusty Chagaev still too smooth for Skelton

ChagaevFew fighters are more honest, fearless and hard working than Bedford’s big bear Matt Skelton. We knew that before his fight with Ruslan Chagaev in Germany last weekend and though the contest represented Skelton’s first venture in to true world class, he further substantiated that repute. Sadly, he couldn’t add either the technique or knockout power required to prevail at this elite level. Continue reading “Rusty Chagaev still too smooth for Skelton”

Trinidad plays heavy-lightweight to Jones’ light-heavyweight

PensionersRoy Jones begins the week with a characteristically wry smile and a less familiar sore right hip following his impressive defeat of Felix Trinidad over the weekend. True, both fighters are mere shadows of their respective primes, but despite advancing years they engaged in hefty action throughout the contest. Continue reading “Trinidad plays heavy-lightweight to Jones’ light-heavyweight”

Guest: From boos to boohoo

Union Jack FansRegulars will notice this site has become dormant of late, a case of poor timing given the buoyancy of the sport. In a bid to maintain currency and to showcase a broader range of opinion pieces I invited submissions from those contemporaries for whom I have respect and who I believed would provide entertaining and challenging copy for the growing readership. The first of these Guest pieces is from Andrew Mullinder, taking up the thorny and topical issue of booing National Anthems. 
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Haye Delivers On Promise

Union JackTonight, amid a partisan French crowd, London’s David Haye delivered one of the most thrilling performances by a British fighter in a foreign ring since the glorious nights of John H. Stracey and Lloyd Honeyghan. By depositing Cruiserweight champion Jean Marc-Mormeck on the canvas in the seventh round with a thunderous right uppercut and swinging right cross Haye announced himself to the boxing world and secured the Cruiserweight world title. Continue reading “Haye Delivers On Promise”

Standing room only; the Calzaghe bandwagon

GlovesThe only thing quicker than Joe Calzaghe’s fists on Saturday night, aside from how quickly one could predict the outcome of the entire under card, was the alacrity post-fight pundits demonstrated hoisting the Welshmen from ‘over-protected’, ‘unfulfilled veteran’ to ‘all-time great’. I cannot extract myself entirely from the criticism of such unsavoury haste having maligned Calzaghe more than once for the injuries and timid matchmaking that wasted much of his youth. I was never guilty of saying he couldn’t fight though. Continue reading “Standing room only; the Calzaghe bandwagon”

The Plot Thickens and so do WBC coffers

TankReports today suggest giant American contender Jameel McCline has filed an official protest with the World Boxing Council following his points defeat to Samuel Peter recently. McCline opines that he feels not only did he win the bout, but more specifically, that the scorecard of Bill Costello, who had the fight to Peter 115-110, represents a significant injustice.

Continue reading “The Plot Thickens and so do WBC coffers”

Holyfield; Please, Please Continue

Evander5Evander5Instantly noticeable in the aftermath of Evander Holyfield’s, 42(27)-9-2, latest attempt to annex a portion of the fractured heavyweight title was the lack of demand for his retirement. Ronnie Shields and Freddie Roach both spoken openly of their preference for the 45 year old to hang up his gloves, it’s becoming a habit for Roach who distanced himself from his own charge, James Toney in recent months too, but the en mass clamour for his retirement hasn’t reached the fever pitch it did following his slam-dunk losses to Larry Donald, in 2004, and the aforementioned Toney in 2003. Continue reading “Holyfield; Please, Please Continue”

Archive: Jennings Survives British Barnburner

Jennings27th October 2005 

Chorley’s Michael Jennings, the Welterweight contender to whom the WBU pay homage as their world champion, returns to the ring on the 28th, headlining a Guild Hall, Preston card on which he stays busy versus sturdy Ukrainian Vladimir Khodovoski; a fighter durable enough to go the distance with classy campaigners like Stevie Johnston and Kendall Holt. The bout is close to two years on from Jenning’s tumultuous British title defence with Bradley Pryce, his last successful defence of the classic title before losing the belt to Young Muttley in early 2006. Continue reading “Archive: Jennings Survives British Barnburner”

Boxing: No More Ugly Duckling, Witter Emerges

Witter3In preview I opted for the height, reach and thudding straight right hand of Vivian Harris, in retrospect I should never have found a way to doubt Junior Witter. True, there is little escaping the subdued nature of his victories against Colin Lynes, Andreas Kotelnik and latterly DeMarcus Corley and Arturo Morua, but Witter reengaged the viewing public with a sharper, more decisive performance and made a mockery of the suggestion he may already have peaked.

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Pugilistic Dementia; Something old, something new?

MikeQFew writers met the news of Oscar DeLaHoya intention to continue fighting with the type of disappointment expressed by Bill Dwyre at the LA Times. Is every other writer too entrenched in the hushed, unspoken agreement to keep boxing relevant, to comment objectively? Is Bill the sole voice of reason? Recycling the last remaining superstars of the 1990’s is a tired but reliable format after all. Continue reading “Pugilistic Dementia; Something old, something new?”

Hatton still the hook; Witter, Harris, Castillo and all that

The DomeAccording to Mick Hennessy, promoter of Junior Witter, Vivian Harris – who Witter tackles in Doncaster in September – is a tougher foe than Jose Luis Castillo who provided Ricky Hatton with his most prized scalp since Kostya Tszyu. True, I maintained throughout that Hatton would demolish Castillo in 4 or 5 rounds, but I thought I was the only one with such vision? Damn it.

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Elcock’s Trainer Wins Eastman Purse Bids

ELCOCKBirmingham’s prominent Middleweight hope, Wayne Elcock will face Howard Eastman, the British and Commonwealth Champion, on a card promoted by his own trainer and Pat Cowdell following their successful purse bid for the bout. Continue reading “Elcock’s Trainer Wins Eastman Purse Bids”

Boxing: American heavyweight hope Kevin Johnson wins

GrantThe American quest to find a legitimate heavyweight champion continues, last night Atlanta’s Kevin Johnson took another step toward contendership with victory over Damian Wills in a ten round bout. According to Marc Abrams at 15rounds.com, Johnson appeared eager to please the attendant crowd.  Continue reading “Boxing: American heavyweight hope Kevin Johnson wins”

Who do you think you are kidding Mr Kipling?

PropagandaOver at SecondsOut.com, the first barely audible whispers of a potential third bout between Danny Williams and Matt Skelton are being heard. According to the newly svelte Williams, a rubber match with Skelton will hopefully precede a second shot at one of the four major belt holders. Now where have I heard that line before?

Continue reading “Who do you think you are kidding Mr Kipling?”

Povetkin and the Klitschko Two Step

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. Continue reading “Povetkin and the Klitschko Two Step”

Larios and Amonsot Released From Hospital

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!”

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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Is Hopkins The Greatest Athlete to Ever Box?

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? Continue reading “Is Hopkins The Greatest Athlete to Ever Box?”

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

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!”

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

So Near So Czar: Katsidis ‘defends’ Interim belt

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? Continue reading “So Near So Czar: Katsidis ‘defends’ Interim belt”

Rees The Next Unbeaten Brit to Step Up

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

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. Continue reading “Plucky Gomez Talks About Gatti Victory”

Vargas and Mayorga Look Real in Play Fight

VargasMost of the boxing world has moved on since the slap and tickle excitable duo Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga indulged in at their press conference but I can’t quite shake it. Why? Well I’m trying to conjure a more contrived exchange from the long list of press events that have ended in controversy and fisticuffs in recent years. True the two looked pretty genuinely annoyed with one another in the end, but the opening gambit in the push-me-pull me was a feeble back hand slap from Mayorga and suggested more than a little choreography was involved.

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Oh Danny Boy! Green Stops Griffin in 3.

AustraliaAustraliaWorld Light-Heavyweight contender Danny Green took a step closer to a world-title shot with a third round TKO victory over Otis Griffin. The 34 year old from Perth joins the list of potential foes for Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Clinton Woods et al but could, theoretically also figure in the future of Joe Calzaghe – a fighter set to step up to the 175 pound class once he’s overcome fellow Super-Middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler. It’s unlikely but Calzaghe will be a Light-Heavyweight cheque every contender would like to cash.

Continue reading “Oh Danny Boy! Green Stops Griffin in 3.”

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