Rocky Marciano’s hasty retirement, still unbeaten in 49 contests, following the victory over Archie Moore, a fight in which he was floored, created one of the world’s greatest and most long-standing sporting landmarks. The closest anyone has come to surpassing the Rock’s pristine benchmark was in the early eighties when Larry Holmes, who once suggested Marciano wasn’t fit to carry his jock strap, came within one points decision of equalling the marker. Until of course, a Russian giant appeared on the heavyweight landscape. Continue reading “So can anyone stop Valuev?”
Who Do You Think Your Are Kidding Mr.Kipling?
I often state that boxing can no longer surprise me. As a keen observer of the sport for a number of years its hard to believe boxing could throw up an event or news story that could shock me. The sanctioning bodies and promoters have exhausted every plausible manoeuvre to further their own bank accounts, every unexpected fight outcome has been seen before and no judge or referee’s decision could sink lower than those already catalogued in my time following the sweet science.
Continue reading “Who Do You Think Your Are Kidding Mr.Kipling?”
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ESPN Classic: The Downfall of Iron Mike
I’ve highlighted the availability of some classic archive footage on SKY channel 442 before so I wont keep you too long. Just a brief note to remind British readers – both of you – that the excellent ESPN Classic channel is showcasing Mike Tyson at 6.30pm GMT tonight. Experts will try to establish the factors behind his protracted demise from the most fearsome fighter of the eighties to a tabloid curiosity by the nineties. Continue reading “ESPN Classic: The Downfall of Iron Mike”
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The Fighter: Micky Ward Story Latest
In the embryonic early days of this blog, no single post has generated the level of interest created by the news Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are to co-star in the story of Micky Ward’s life. Certainly, boxing at the movies – or the pictures as those of us of a certain demographic refer to them – is hot news following the success of Million Dollar Baby, Rocky and Cinderella Man but it is possible The Fighter may just prove the greatest formula of all. Continue reading “The Fighter: Micky Ward Story Latest”
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Herbie, Herbie, Herbie. Will You Ever Learn?
Former WBO Heavyweight champion Herbie Hide continued his promotional merry-go-round this week, a ride that has taken him across the Atlantic to no real affect and back to Europe and the one-time dynamite young puncher is no nearer actually facing an opponent. Earlier this week Arena Box-Promotion announced it had signed Hide, alongside a host of Cuban defectors to its German based stable. At last, Hide had found a home for his supposed return as a Cruiserweight, a division more suited to his cocktail of heavy punching and glass jaw.
Sadly, the release was a touch premature. Continue reading “Herbie, Herbie, Herbie. Will You Ever Learn?”
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The Viral Spread of UFC
A brief note to record my bemusement at the growing trend to feature news, interviews and previews on UFC and MMA events on boxing websites. Maxboxing, TheSweetscience (RIP) and BoxingTalk have all committed this particular crime and the reach is spreading. Is boxing so devoid of charisma or the tools required to reach out for the younger audience that it needs to steal goodwill from the aspiring fight code? Continue reading “The Viral Spread of UFC”
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Cotto Staying Busy Against Urkal
Miguel Cotto could never be criticised for inactivity. A busy champion who fights three or four times a year and is willing to face whatever mandatory opponent sanctioning bodies demand is a rarity in the modern world. However, one wonders whether his next fight, against European veteran Oktay Urkal, is just one obligation too many. Continue reading “Cotto Staying Busy Against Urkal”
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Mayweather’s: You Couldn’t Make It Up
But I suspect somebody is. The forthcoming fight between Oscar DeLaHoya, boxing’s poster boy for the past decade and Floyd Mayweather the consensus pound for pound champion, is being hyped as the major fight of the year and perhaps beyond. It certainly brings together two of the most talented fighters of my generation and in DeLaHoya it also delivers the last great cross-over star of world boxing. Morales, Barrera, Pacman, Gatti and Mosley all touched the broader public but nobody has been as effectively marketed as Oscar and he brings all that promotional know-how to this show too. Continue reading “Mayweather’s: You Couldn’t Make It Up”
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Lennox Back? No. Training? Yes. Trainer? Maybe.
Former champions are always news in boxing. Whether Tommy Morrison returning from an HIV enforced absence on the back of suspiciously vague medical clearance, Evander Holyfield entirely just but completely impossible pursuit of the title aged 44 or Mike Tyson’s admittance of drug related problems and subsequent rehab request – champions remain news. Continue reading “Lennox Back? No. Training? Yes. Trainer? Maybe.”
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Boxing’s ‘B&W’ Fighters Would Crush ‘Wide-Screen’ Generation
All sports are burdened and enriched in equal measure by their history. I propose few create the depth of debate boxing does when it seeks to pitch its bygone champions into mythical encounters with their modern day equivalents. Some observers prefer to avoid the debate entirely, pointing out that comparison is futile and propose judgement of individual fighters can only be done within the relative context of their own generation.
Fair point. But where is the fun in that? Continue reading “Boxing’s ‘B&W’ Fighters Would Crush ‘Wide-Screen’ Generation”
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Good Ship Greenberg Avoiding Icebergs
Heavyweight hopeful Roman Greenberg is arguably the most talked about heavyweight that hasn’t achieved anything. His Jewish background, youth and fast hands encouraging the Fight Academy promotional team to utilise every conceivable vehicle to issue a press release, and for a time their frequency and flashes of excellence in Greenberg’s embryonic outings convinced enough observers to track the chunky fighter. Continue reading “Good Ship Greenberg Avoiding Icebergs”
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“Always Pull Marciano Out Thay Ass”
The success of Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood’s emotionally charged tale of a novice female fighter, and before it Will Smith’s plausible facsimile of Muhammad Ali, startled Hollywood but encouraged those with the power to look more fondly on film projects with boxing at their heart. Suddenly, Russell Crowe was able to strike a chord as the Cinderella Man, Sylvester Stallone given the go-ahead to conclude his life-affirming Rocky series and projects detailing the lives of Micky Ward and Joe Louis are at advanced stages with screen figures as popular and talented as Matt Damon and Spike Lee involved respectively. Continue reading ““Always Pull Marciano Out Thay Ass””
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Audley Back Before He Left
Stubborn, defiant, belligerent, delusional? Audley Harrison, staring at 3 defeats in his last 5 fights, remains confident he will return better than ever and at championship level from his latest setback. True the punch that flattened him this time was a cracker, with the small caveat that Sprott isn’t known as a devastating puncher, but alongside his conspicuous knockdown to a glancing blow from Danny Williams and the shiver light-punching Mark Krence sent down his spine, the furthering of his fistic career will be done without the security of an iron chin. Continue reading “Audley Back Before He Left”
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Simply the Pest: Eubank Arrested
Few fighters cut a more distinct figure than Chris Eubank in a giant American truck, but the fearsome former champion is as opinionated as ever and brought a great deal of media attention to a protest against the War in Iraq, and specifically today’s news that third in line to the throne, Prince Harry, is to see active front-line duty. Continue reading “Simply the Pest: Eubank Arrested”
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You Khannot Be Serious: Amir Ranked!
Now far be it from me to tell the WBO how to run their business, nor am I willing to suggest something underhand has occurred to facilitate Amir Khan’s new found status as a world-ranked Lightweight, but Amir Khan – #14, really? A staggering step by the WBO, with whom Khan’s promoter – Frank Warren – has always had a close relationship, considering the Bolton fighter has yet to face an opponent of even moderate renown. Continue reading “You Khannot Be Serious: Amir Ranked!”
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Boxing: Peace Follows War: Benn and McClellan Meet
For boxing fans of a certain generation, namely mine, the fight between Nigel Benn and Gerald McClellan represents a seminal moment in our love of the sport. Retrospectively however, the fight creates disharmony amongst those that saw it. Fans crave to revel in the intensity of the combat, the purity of two men willing to put their mind, body and sense of who they were under the most intense physical pressure imaginable in the name of sport. Respect, and a degree of embarassment given our love of a sport that fundamentally places men at risk, forces restraint because of the sad conclusion to the fight. Continue reading “Boxing: Peace Follows War: Benn and McClellan Meet”
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Shadow Boxing: Matthew Hatton Emerges
A brief note to recognise how important Matthew Hatton’s recent victory on the Hatton v Urango undercard could prove to be. The younger, bigger Hatton slogged away unspectacularly on the undercards of his illustrious sibling for a number of years without ever announcing himself as a talent in his own right, but a change could be on the horizon. Continue reading “Shadow Boxing: Matthew Hatton Emerges”
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The Unwise Return of Tommy Morrison?
I’ve found it hard to fathom quite how American heavyweight Tommy Morrison, 46-3, has been cleared to fight again a decade or more on from the announcement he’d contracted HIV at some unknown point during his sexual voyage through an unquantifiable number of female companions. My bemusement appears to be widespread with conflicting medical opinion on the legitimacy of Morrison’s claim that he is either cured, or the victim of a misdiagnosis. Continue reading “The Unwise Return of Tommy Morrison?”
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Williams v Gammer: Live on the Web
According to www.boxingtimes.comthe British title fight between champion Scott Gammer and Danny Williams will available over the Internet for a price starting at $16.99. An interesting move, and yet another example of the inevitable move toward integrated coverage of the sport. What next, hover-boards?
Barry Hearn, head of Matchroom, and the promoter.. Continue reading “Williams v Gammer: Live on the Web”
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As Old as the Hills – Virgil Faces Maske
The news Virgil Hill, the once long-standing Light-Heavyweight champion, will fight Henry Maske – a fighter he sent into retirement more than a decade ago – has to be met with a shake of the head by boxing fans. Hill is 43, and so far removed from his prime that his hey-day is little more than a pen-pal to the current iteration. Continue reading “As Old as the Hills – Virgil Faces Maske”
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The End of TheSweetScience.com
Many discerning fight fans will shed a tear for the passing of TheSweetScience website, home to some of the greatest writing talents the sport has ever enjoyed. The site will close for business in the next week or so. Rigorous in its editorial control, stringently unique and thought provoking, TSS hosted some of the most ground breaking pieces I’ve read through any media outlet, printed or Internet. Continue reading “The End of TheSweetScience.com”
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Hatton Britain’s Greatest?
Billy Graham, the long-time trainer of Ricky Hatton, today claimed that the British public will one day accept Hatton as the greatest fighter to ever have emerged from the United Kingdom. It seems an ambitious claim given the mediocrity of his recent encounters but considering the achievements of the previous champions from these shores, it isn’t impossible to believe he could succeed in fulfilling that prediction. Continue reading “Hatton Britain’s Greatest?”
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Pittsburgh Ticket Seller Continues Comeback
Paul Spadafora, the unbeaten Junior-Welterweight with a conviction for shooting his then girlfriend in an argument and a fighter who has wrestled with a host of other demons in his life, continues his return from the inactivity forced by his ridiculously short incarceration early next month against Oisin Fagan. Continue reading “Pittsburgh Ticket Seller Continues Comeback”
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Hatton Faces Castillo on June 23rd
Reported everywhere today, so why should this little hideaway be any different, the news that Ricky Hatton is to face veteran – and its noticeable how many media outlets refer to him as veteran since his narrow victory and lacklustre performance last time out – Mexican, Jose Luis Castillo in a fight few fans will want to miss. Continue reading “Hatton Faces Castillo on June 23rd”
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Neil Sinclair’s Career: Take 47
Belfast banger Neil Sinclair, one of the purest punchers from the British Isles in recent memory, made a cautious return to action following a failed attempt to galvanise himself in America last year, beating imported loser Arek Malek. The detour to America went desperatley wrong, a third choice substitute knocked him out on his Stateside debut. A painful lesson in attention to detail for the former British champion in a fight scheduled to enable him to rebuild from the humbling defeat to Taz Jones back in ‘Blighty’ the year before. Continue reading “Neil Sinclair’s Career: Take 47”
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Poleaxed. The Audley Charade Ends
I’ve written dozens of articles, fight reports, previews and message board comments on Audley Harrison in the past five years, his professional career running parallel to my own contributions as a boxing writer – if affording myself that title isn’t too much of an insult to the Putnam, Leibling and Mailers that precede me. In fact, I’ve compounded the crime – mentioning their names close to mine – but hopefully they’ll excuse the indulgence. Continue reading “Poleaxed. The Audley Charade Ends”
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Congratulations Ali!
Just a brief note of congratulation to Ali Nuumbembe, the Glossop based Namibian finally fulfilled his dream of winning a professional title – defeating Commonwealth champion Kevin Anderson by Split-Decision in a tightly contested fight. Anderson was somewhat dismayed by the decision having started by brightly but barely survived the eighth. Continue reading “Congratulations Ali!”
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Boxing: Evander Holyfield, The Prospect
Evander Holyfield, little more than an echo of the fearsome box-puncher he once was, continues his uncoordinated drudge toward another heavyweight title shot away from the brighter lights of mainstream contendership. His latest run, previously stopping off at the backwater of Jeremy Bates – not the former British tennis player, though it may as well have been – and the Puerto Rican village Fres Oquendo next faces Vinny Maddalone. A fighter of orthodox stance and limited ability. Continue reading “Boxing: Evander Holyfield, The Prospect”
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Ali Nuumbembe Faces Final Hurdle
Good luck to Ali Nuumbembe this weekend in his bid to win the Commonwealth Welterweight title from Scotsman Kevin Anderson. I met Ali just over a year ago, with benefactor Richard Parker, at the latter’s pub in Glossop and it is very hard not to be engaged by Ali’s story. Continue reading “Ali Nuumbembe Faces Final Hurdle”
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Chazz Witherspoon: A Rare Bright Light
Amongst the gloom of the American heavyweight boxing scene, Chazz Witherspoon is a rare ray of sunshine. Big, powerful and with improving technique the likeable, affable often softly spoken cousin of Terrible Tim Witherspoon – that famous underachiever from the 1980’s – could prove to be the closest thing America has to a young, dominant heavyweight. Continue reading “Chazz Witherspoon: A Rare Bright Light”
