Life in the world run by the World Boxing Organisation must be a curious experience. Most of us operate only on the periphery, interested and bemused bystanders to the WBO’s alternative and parallel universe. For those dependent on the Puerto Rican sanctioning body for clarity, objectivity and consistency it must be an entirely frustrating and perplexing existence. Talented and affable Scotsman Alex Arthur is one such subject. Continue reading ““Is that you Arthur?”, Arthur and Guzman await purse decision”
EverGel Glove Wraps and me
As a 3-month novice in the boxing gym I may not be the most punishing barometer for the EverGel Glove Wraps but nevertheless, the good people at Everlast were eager to know what I thought about them.
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Archive: Scott Harrison Looking To Crash Party
Archive: 25th January 2005
I’ve read with interest the numerous articles pertaining to Scott Harrison’s impending return. Owen Slot of The Times probably summarising the topic best. The return of his withdrawn licence, in light of host of misdemeanours at home and abroad, strikes me as a routine decision for the British Boxing Board of Control and the former WBO belt holder will soon be sending shivers down the spines of Super-Featherweights at weigh-ins once more. Continue reading “Archive: Scott Harrison Looking To Crash Party”
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Boxing as a social force
16th century French philosopher Jean Bodin once said; “The study of history is the beginning of political wisdom.”, luminaries including Churchill and Confucius have all similarly opined on the need to understand the past to enjoy success in the future but it is Bodin who captured the sentiment most succinctly.
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Calzaghe gets his trophy opponent
It has been a long time coming. Years in the wilderness of WBO mandatories, late replacements and injury induced postponements left Joe Calzaghe close to “pound for pound” obscurity. Despite an unbeaten record, a dazzling fighting style and acceptance as the premier fighter at 168 pounds it required victories over Jeff Lacy, when decapitation was widely predicted by the American press, and rock hard Dane Mikkel Kessler in an unification bout to introduce Calzaghe to the major leagues. There remained a caveat to his new found status; his record lacks an opponent of historic significance. By April 20th, that will all change.
Continue reading “Calzaghe gets his trophy opponent”
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Golota got a lota shot
Urban 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”
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Rusty Chagaev still too smooth for Skelton
Few 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”
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Setanta Sports: Boxing’s newest friend
Once a upon a time boxing coverage was the exclusive preserve of SKY, the premier satellite broadcast network here in the United Kingdom, but it now appears to have stepped out of the sport for all but the major ‘cash cow’ events. It is a peculiar tactic given the revived pulse and stirred interest in the sport. In fact, from a domestic perspective the boxing scene is arguably at its most buoyant. Continue reading “Setanta Sports: Boxing’s newest friend”
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Trinidad plays heavy-lightweight to Jones’ light-heavyweight
Roy 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”
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Farewell Ali Nuumbembe
News former Commonwealth Welterweight champion Ali Nuumbembe is to return to Namibia following a six-year adventure into professional boxing here in the UK has already been well documented. In fact, Ali’s remarkable life, from the civil war of his youth, the death and disappearance of family members to life in a caravan in Glossop, has also been recorded and retold thoroughly and comprehensively. Continue reading “Farewell Ali Nuumbembe”
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Guest: From boos to boohoo
Regulars 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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Archive: Is the Rocky road boxing’s only path to redemption?
Archive: 20/10/2006
The recent renaissance of interest in boxing has been palpable. Stirred by the success of Joe Calzaghe, David Haye and the impending super fight between Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather the recently beleaguered and oft discarded sport of boxing is back on the sports pages, back on the television and back in the consciousness of the British public. Only a year ago, I contemplated whether boxing was in terminal decline and wondered who or what could provide catalyst to a revival. The greatest comeback fighter of all?
Continue reading “Archive: Is the Rocky road boxing’s only path to redemption?”
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The three ages of boxing romance
Remember, remember. John Gotti was found guilty of murder, Canary Wharf was bombed, Dolly the clone sheep was born and Bill Clinton re-entered the White House. It was also the last time a fight between Dariusz Michalczewski and Graciano Rocchigiani meant something. The year? 1996. It didn’t stop them staging a 2000 rematch and it wont stop both retired parties facing off for a third time next year. Heaven help us. Continue reading “The three ages of boxing romance”
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Taylor guilty of assault
Ok, it was cheap not to put Shannon ahead of Taylor in the title. The quiet retiring Jermaine is very unlikely to ever be found guilty of assaulting a bar-owner who expressed discontent with the fighter groping his wife. He just doesn’t seem the type. The Aussie Shannon ‘The Blaster’ Taylor, is a far more likely candidate.
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Magri, Winstone and Benn make WBC shortlist
Strikes me boxing is acquiring Halls of Fame faster than sanctioning bodies, but I’m never one to ignore faithful recognition of the fighters and fight figures who contribute blood, sweat and tears to the sport. In a press release from the WBC today, a short-list of nominees for potential induction into their version of boxing’s hall of fame has been circulated. British greats Charlie Magri, Howard Winstone and the irrepressible Nigel Benn accompany the likes of Mike McCallum and Larry Holmes on the list. Continue reading “Magri, Winstone and Benn make WBC shortlist”
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Contender, controversial and clap trap
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the premise and execution of the Contender series. Pitching together undiscovered gems, gutsy veterans and nearly men tapped into a global love of the underdog and reintroduced many mainstream and casual fans to the bitter reality of boxing. It told stories, and a fighter story is as compelling a reason for following a particular fighter’s fortunes as his in the ring potential.
Continue reading “Contender, controversial and clap trap”
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Low lefts, heavyweights and David Haye
David Haye’s recent victory over Frenchman Jean Marc-Mormeck will likely prove the Londoner’s last at the 200lb Cruiserweight limit. Much though it will irritate him not to flatten Enzo Maccarinelli, the WBO belt holder, to further confirm his dominance in the division, it is clearly no longer possible for him to squeeze his muscular frame inside the limit. Travellers on the Haye bandwagon believe the heavyweights will prove no greater obstacle to the speed and power of the Cruiserweight champion. Continue reading “Low lefts, heavyweights and David Haye”
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Boxing: Karim Mayfield Sparring Hatton
Young American professional Karim Mayfield, presumably imported to provide a useful facsimile of Floyd Mayweather Jnr. ahead of Ricky Hatton’s seminal Welterweight clash with the pound for pound motormouth, is in Manchester sparring with the Hitman. Like, it would seem, everyone who attends the affable but dedicated Phoenix gym, Mayfield is speaking highly of the 10 stone king and imploring fans to back the tigerish Mancunian come December. Continue reading “Boxing: Karim Mayfield Sparring Hatton”
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Ruddy cheeked and ready, boxing is back baby!
How fickle the fortunes of British boxing, and boxing in general in fact. A year or less ago, every article spoke of the terminal outlook of boxing’s various ills. Naysayers pointed to the rise of Mixed Martial Arts and its most notable body, the UFC. David Haye’s weekend capture of the World Cruiserweight title and Joe Calzaghe’s acceptance as a modern day great are the latest links in a chain of good news that has transformed the complexion of British boxing.
For now, the doom-merchants have been vanquished, the threat of UFC forgotten and boxing galvanised.
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Haye Delivers On Promise
Tonight, 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”
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Standing room only; the Calzaghe bandwagon
The 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”
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Calzaghe Hungrier Than Ever
Doubts about Calzaghe’s hunger for competition as he approaches his 36th birthday were at least partially dispelled today as he weighed in over a pound under the 168 pound limit. A limit the WBO and Ring champion has spent seven years complaining is very hard for him to squeeze his six foot frame into. Kessler, need to strip naked – save the tattoos – to make the limit having originally weighed 2 ounces over. Continue reading “Calzaghe Hungrier Than Ever”
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Maccarinelli faces…erm..someone
Big WBO Cruiserweight belt holder Enzo Maccarinelli is presumably a realist. In interview, he strikes me as a level-headed fighter who understands the sport’s political intricacies enough to realise facing top-line contenders in every bout isn’t possible, he’ll also digest the fact tomorrow night is all about Joe Calzaghe v Mikkel Kessler. But despite that presumed pragmatism he must be frustrated by the search for a worthy opponent to tackle, he’ll certainly wish to avoid the criticism levelled at him following the Bobby Gunn fight. Continue reading “Maccarinelli faces…erm..someone”
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Duddy may pay for bravery
Funny how quickly a fighter’s matchmaker can become emboldened. With the mouthwatering prospect of a world title fight against Kelly Pavlik on the horizon, few would imagine John Duddy’s handlers would be eager to sign up veteran middleweight Howard Eastman to a December date for the Derry born contender.
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Slowly, slowly catchy monkey; Froch still wants Calzaghe
It would be hard to conjure an argument against Carl Froch’s merits as a fighter. Hard-hitting, good selection of shots, fit, brave with quick hands. On the evidence this far, he’s a rounded contender and a stand-out challenger for the winner of Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler’s clash tomorrow night. But I can’t help thinking I’ve been hearing how good Froch is for an awfully long time.
Continue reading “Slowly, slowly catchy monkey; Froch still wants Calzaghe”
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Final Step For Calzaghe?
One of the finest fighters of his generation and certainly, one of the most unflinchingly dedicated professionals boxing has ever produced, Joe Calzaghe enters the ring on Saturday to complete the final step in his decade long journey to unify the Super-Middleweight division. It has been a long time coming for the 35 year old. Continue reading “Final Step For Calzaghe?”
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‘You never know when a fight may be your last.’
I will always remember the first interview of substance conducted with Ricky Hatton and his father, Ray, at the beginning of their bitter divorce from promoter Frank Warren. Expressing their frustration at the stagnation that preceded Hatton’s seminal contest with Kostya Tszyu, Ray Hatton opined “Every fight from now on will be a big one, because you never know when a fight may be your last”, well words to that effect anyway.
Continue reading “‘You never know when a fight may be your last.’”
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Contender Star Paul Smith In Action Dec 8
Unbeaten Contender star Paul Smith Jnr., re-emerges domestically from his successful stint in the third series of the boxing reality show stateside on the December 8th card scheduled for the Bolton Arena (according to frankwarren.tv) or the Reebok stadium (according to Smith’s Myspace circular). Regardless of venue, presumably, it will be a support for Amir Khan’s tangle with Graham Earl.
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The Plot Thickens and so do WBC coffers
Reports 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”
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Gunn Looking to Overthrow Castro
Do you see what I did there? Love him or hate him, plucky pug Bobby Gunn is proving hard to ignore since his crushing defeat to Enzo Maccarinelli earlier this year. Eager publicity agent, Knockout Publicity, capitalised on the usually, fleeting profile afforded to challengers plucked from obscurity to contend WBO belts. People laughed at claims he was the most ferocious fighter since Jack Dempsey, and while I concede mentioning Gunn’s name in the same sentence as the Manassa Mauler pains me, I can’t help featuring updates for the Light-Heavyweight from Hackensack. Jorge Castro is next in his sights.
Continue reading “Gunn Looking to Overthrow Castro”
