Alan Minter – BOXINGWRITER.CO.UK

Article first appeared at Roundtable Boxing

On Saturday night, Conor Benn, he of the chequered relationship with the sport’s barely imposed confines, will box for the second time as a Middleweight in his rematch with Chris Eubank Jnr. The fixture will require of the 35-year-old Eubank, who clearly won their first encounter, another brutal purge of his frame to dip down to 160 pounds however fleeting the visit will be.

The classic weight class has provided a platform for a parade of great fighters from the UK. Many of whom have progressed to achieve ever more on the world stage at the neighbouring Super-Middleweight division – not least Benn and Eubank’s fathers, Nigel and Chris Snr., thirty years ago.

Ranking those who boxed in the Middleweight division will always be clouded by the accomplishments in the neighbouring weight classes and as such, any listing of the best is a difficult undertaking. It is an opinion not a science, but here are three of the best Middleweights from the UK, with apologies to Bob Fitzsimmons – more famous for his accomplishments at heavyweight, Terry Downes, Alan Minter (who, like Fitzsimmons, won a World Title at Middleweight) and Tony Sibson, among many other distinguished omissions.

Continue reading →

Article first appeared at Roundtable Boxing

As Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn emerge from the darkness and drills of their respective training camps and into the dwindling light of boxing’s gaze, their shared animosity, whether real or contrived, is a reminder of the many great rivalries that have been woven into the tapestry of British boxing history.

The dynastic element of their story is a unique one and elevates their place in the folklore of the sport beyond the sum of their respective abilities. Nevertheless, rivalries like the one the families of Benn and Eubank have shared since 1990, when Nigel and Chris first fought, is a rich thread on which to pull and a cascade of memories from across the decades of rematches and trilogies shared quickly tumbles in to view.

Continue reading →

Article first appeared at BigFightWeekend.com

In the unrehearsed punk opera of boxing, beguiling and bewildering such as it is, lurching from the sublimity of Terence Crawford’s victory over Saul Alvarez to the absurdity of Tank Davis versus Jake Paul, there is much to be said for listening to an old standard or two to nurture the soul.

A British and Commonwealth Middleweight title fight at the York Hall, Bethnal Green is just such a song. Northampton’s Kieron Conway, 23-3-1 (7) enters as the champion with much at stake. Across the ring will be the ‘Billericay Bomber’, George Liddard, he of the Olly Murs grin and the urgency of youth.

Continue reading →