One may learn wisdom even from one’s enemies
Aristophanes, Greek Satirist, 445-385BC
It’s traditional to muse on the events of the night before on a Sunday morning. Where once it was the haze of a hangover and wondering what may have been said and done beneath the influence of alcohol, Sundays are now more typically dominated by the injustices and frustrations evoked by Saturday night boxing. In a world of the cynical and sarcastic, of the negative and voyeuristic, being motivated to write by failure, by schadenfreude is a widespread malaise.
Important then, to write when a show has produced entertainment, drama and delivered a large dose of the thunder fight fans all crave. We must, collectively, counteract the all to familiar narratives. For if we don’t, if there is no buzz to compensate fighters and promoters for taking the risk of evenly matched fights, then they will defer to the tried and trusted safety first modus operandi that plagues the sport in the modern day. Their hangover will not be worth the entertainment they share.
Last night’s show, in which the favoured Pretty Boy Josh Kelly was stopped by a 32-year-old Armenian who lives in Newark, David Avernysan, and the loquacious Albanian Florian Marku had to get off the floor to beat Ryan Charlton, there was everything that was good about the fight game.
Please be upstanding for the participants and the matchmaker who compiled such an evenly matched card. There was so much to enjoy.
Continue reading “Avanesyan has his triumph, Kelly’s loss needn’t be a disaster. If fans rally to his side”


Spaniard Daniel ‘Rasilla, ranked #13 at 140 pounds by the EBU has agreed to step in to tackle Paul McCloskey for the European crown next week. While it will underwhelm those hoping speculating about more mouth-watering contests with everyone from Junior Witter to Gavin Rees the Spaniard – according to Barry Hearn – is close to weight, in the gym and eager to take the chance.
The BoxingWriter.co.uk Fighter of Month award has now developed such prestige I’ve been asked if I can make an award more than twelve times a year. I’ve tried to explain how this plan has a numerical flaw but several fight figures assure me they’re 150% sure nobody will care, “look at the 17 sanctioning bodies, they’ll never notice, the fans are daft”. I’ve refused, neither of my readers are daft I protested, so for now I remain committed to a single award per month. Hiatus for July and August, so September’s winner is…
Sheffield’s Ryan Rhodes emerged from a British fight of the year contender to win the European Light-Middleweight crown from Salford’s blue collar hero, Jamie Moore tonight in seven pulsating rounds. 











