Bantam bragging rights

The domestic boxing season gets off to a promising start in Doncaster on Saturday night with what should be an excellent bantamweight clash between local man Jamie McDonnell & rival Stuart Hall. It's the logical fight for both men, with McDonnell defending his European & Commonwealth titles, while Hall makes a 4th defense of the British belt in what looks a genuine 50-50 contest

Having overcome the setback of a couple of losses early in his career (down at super flyweight against decent opponents Lee Haskins & Chris Edwards) McDonnell has matured & made huge strides forward over the past two years. The British & Commonwealth titles were won in January 2010 after a split decision victory over Ian Napa, a fight in which McDonnell was the clear underdog against his talented & experienced opponent, but he got the narrow victory after going the full 12 rounds for only the second time. The victory led to a European title shot & he was again given little chance as he travelled to France to face Jerome Arnould, but put in a career best performance to halt the Frenchman in the 10th round

A subsequent defense against Stephane Jamoye raised a few question marks as McDonnell laboured to a majority decision victory, but he put in an improved display in defeating Kenyan Nick Otieno in a Commonwealth defense & appears to have the ability to make an impact on the world stage. Whilst not the biggest puncher, he still hits hard enough to get respect, shows a good variety in his work & has good movement around the ring. Crucially, he also appears to be able to raise his standard when faced with a bigger challenge

At 31, Darlington's Hall is the older man by six years, but he only turned pro in 2008, is fresh & unbeaten with 7 stoppages in his 11 victories. Hall was also a beneficiary from McDonnell's European win as the Yorkshireman subsequently vacated his British belt, leaving Hall to face former champion Napa for the vacant title. It seemed a difficult challenge for Hall in what was only his 10th fight & as it unfolded those predictions seemed correct as he struggled to land against his slippery opponent, with Napa appearing on the way to a comfortable win. However, in what was a surprise to everyone, Napa's corner withdrew their fighter at the end of the 8th round. While he had shown no obvious signs of distress, apparently Napa was suffering with a combination of the heat in the building & problems with making the weight. 

However, despite the slightly fortunate beginning to his title reign, Hall has grown into his role as champion; two quick defenses took place, with Hall impressing as he stopped a pair of former champions in Martin Power & Gary Davies. Outright ownership of the Lonsdale belt was confirmed with a one sided beating of prospect John Donnelly

It's difficult to predict an outcome with any confidence; I think McDonnell is the more talented boxer & potentially capable of moving further up the ladder, but at the same time Hall has been on an excellent run since becoming champion, is growing with belief & has the confidence of an unbeaten fighter. Both men will be in shape & have good stamina so fitness shouldn't play a part & there are no obvious size advantages, both standing at 5'8, tall for the weight division. There is a feeling that McDonnell has been cornered into taking the fight & views it as a step backwards which could be risky against such a dangerous opponent

Extremely tentatively, I'll go for McDonnell on points; he needs to keep moving, forcing Hall to miss & then counter from range. If he is drawn into trading with Hall then it could be a completely different outcome. It should be a strong start to the new season either way

Big Macc

I was reminded of one of the forgotten men in British boxing the other night when watching Enzo Maccarinelli's 2007 victory over Wayne Braithwaite in what probably turned out to be his finest performance.

"Big Macc", from Swansea, is a former WBO World Cruiserweight champion, a hard hitting & entertaining fighter to watch & one of the most likeable men in the sport; it has been a shame to see his career fall apart over the past few years. Although he has 25 stoppages to his name, cementing his standing as one of the biggest punchers in world boxing, the Braithwaite fight surprisingly went the distance. It was a very impressive performance against a respected former world champion as the Welshman won every round, including a 5th round knock down, keeping his opponent on the end of his powerful jab before showing a nice variety of attack, with heavy hooks mixed in with body shots & spiteful uppercuts. It showcased Maccarinelli at his best & as far more talented than just a slugger. The fight was the third of his four successful world title defenses & led into the unification fight the following year with WBC champion David Haye. Which was the beginning of the fall...

Dubbed "Bombs Away", the clash was highly anticipated & pundits were split over the likely outcome beforehand. However the fight didn't live up to expectations; Maccarinelli looked tense & uncomfortable on his ring entrance, in stark contrast to the demeanour of Haye, & he remained stiff when the bell went. The first round was cagey but two big right hands form Haye wobbled Maccarinelli badly in the second  & the Londoner quickly followed up to bring about the stoppage (watch here)

The following year saw Maccarinelli suffer back to back knock out defeats to Ola Alofabi (last seen virtually decapitating Terry Dunstan on the Haye-Klitschko undercard) & Denis Lebedev, and with vague comments on retirement & a flirtation with MMA, it looked like the end was approaching. His fall from prominence was highlighted when he became seen as an "opponent", having to travel to St Petersburg to face unbeaten local Alexander Kotlobay for the vacant European title. However Enzo showed he still retained his ambition & power as, away from home & with no attention from the British media, he pulled off a stunning victory in only 2 minutes

Sadly the celebrations didn't last long as Maccarinelli suffered a 4th knock out in his first defense against unbeaten German Alexander Frenkel. It's worth noting that he was actually fighting well & winning the fight before Frenkel pulled out the huge left hook. Enzo bravely made it back to his feet but had no control of his legs & looked concussed; disgracefully the referee, Erkki Meronen, allowed it to continue & a defenseless Maccarinelli had to endure another two heavy shots before it was ended; he needed treatment from medics in the ring afterwards. It was the most appalling officiating I've ever witnessed, it could have led to a disaster & how that idiot can be allowed to continue to referee is beyond me

There were a lot of calls for Enzo to retire following the brutal defeat & he hasn't fought since (that was back in September 2010) but recent news suggest he is continuing & is to drop down in weight to light heavyweight. He is back working with former trainer Enzo Calzaghe & the target is a meeting with fellow Welshman, WBO champion Nathan Cleverley. I'm not sure how sensible it is; while he is only 30, four heavy knock out defeats in the past three years suggest his punch resistance has gone & it would be horrible if anything more serious was to occur. Yes he can get fit, he can still punch, probably even more devastatingly at the lower weight, & he still has a lot of ability, but none of that will matter if he is unable to take a punch anymore. There is also the issue of a career cruiserweight boiling his 6"4 frame down to 12"7.

Personally I'd like to see Enzo walk away now; he's provided plenty of entertainment,made it to the top when becoming world champion & I don't want to see him risk his health further. Sadly boxing is full of fighters who couldn't resist having "one more" attempt.

A request

I've been struggling to think of new topics for posts over the last week; with boxing having entered it's summer hiatus I'm feeling bereft of inspiration. If anyone has any suggestions that they'd like to see covered please let me know

Thank you

The Big Brawl

Channel 5 must be delighted with their viewing figures from their first foray into televising boxing last Saturday and hopefully this will lead to further involvement with the sport. For an initial attempt I thought they did a decent job & they were rewarded with the best domestic heavyweight fight in a long time as Tyson Fury came through some difficult moments to claim the British title from a portly Dereck Chisora.

Unlike his opponent Fury had got himself into excellent shape & that was ultimately what decided the fight; Chisora carried the threat & hurt Fury a couple of times, most noticeably in the 2nd round, but it was Fury who consistently kept the flow of punches coming & his workrate made him a clear victor. It was an impressive display of boxing from the 22 year old, who put his combinations together well & reduced the patently unfit Chisora to wild, hopeful swings.

The Manchester fighter also came across as genuinely likeable in the post fight interviews & in his respectful behaviour towards his opponent, in stark contrast to the unpleasant pre fight words. With the likelihood of continuing exposure on terrestrial tv he would be well advised to relax & just be himself, leaving aside the posturing & trash talking; it's not his style & it doesn't work.

As for the beaten fighter, if you're going to come in at the heaviest weight of your career (almost half a stone heavier than an opponent who stood 8 inches taller) for such an important fight in front of a large new audience then you deserve to leave without your titles. Chisora may have put effort in during the fight & he deserves credit for lasting the distance, but the fight was lost by the time they stepped on the scales. If you don't train as a champion & attempt to take short cuts then you'll get found out. Wave goodbye to that money making Klitschko fight.....

Huddersfield boxing

There was an entertaining night of boxing at Huddersfield Leisure Centre on Saturday, with all seven local fighters, including British Super Featherweight champion Gary Sykes, successfully coming through their contests.

Sykes had a change of opponent & went in with Bulgarian Valentin Stoychev, and the difference in class was evident from the start. The champion ended it in the 3rd round with a barrage of body shots putting the visitor on the canvas where he stayed as the referee completed the count. While not a great test it was a useful tune-up for the Dewsbury man before his October clash with Gary Buckland & he is always entertaining to watch.

Huddersfield light welterweight Tyrone Nurse moved his unbeaten record onto 18-0 with a 4th round retirement of Ben Lawler. The fight started slowly with Lawler covering against the ropes but gradually warmed up as Nurse managed to penetrate his guard & bring the Skegness fighter out of his shell. Lawler, bleeding from his mouth by the 4th, looked increasingly weary & it was no surprise when the corner signaled they were withdrawing him during the interval. This was only Nurse's second stoppage victory in his 18 fights which may be the reason why he is being brought through so gradually, but they really need to step him up a level next season, he isn't going to learn anything from continuing to fight journeymen who are coming to survive.

The most entertaining fight on the card was between Halifax's Patrick Liam Walsh & Birmingham's Andrew Patterson, over 6 rounds at welterweight. Walsh took the clear verdict & was the constant aggressor as he backed his experienced opponent against the ropes, firing in heavy hooks from a variety of angles. Patterson deserves credit though, he took some solid shots but continued to reply enough to prevent the referee from stopping the fight & there was a constant flow to the contest with no clinching or wrestling. The same couldn't be said of the middleweight clash between Alistair Warren & Dean Walker which was scrappy & untidy, the local man Warren getting in the slightly cleaner work to take the verdict over 4x3's.

Another Huddersfield fighter, Jason McCalmon, was successful in his 5th pro contest, breaking opponent Ian Turnbull's nose on the way to a points victory again over 4 rounds, in the super middleweight division. McCalmon, formerly of Rawthorpe ABC, came close to registering a stoppage as he hurt his opponent on several occasions & looks like he may be worth watching in the future. Entering the ring with a gladiator helmet, he is aggressive & has a crowd friendly style although will need to develop more patience before going for the big shots.

The card was rounded off by a comfortable points win at cruiserweight for Batley's Zahid Kahut over Howard Daley, and Scott Gladwin overcoming some early problems to defeat Anwar Alfadli again on points over 4x3's at super bantamweight.

The home fighters all triumphed as expected, fairly comfortably in most cases, but it was an entertaining evening for the decent sized crowd & a showcase for the young prospects of the area

I could get used to having a ringside seat too...

Fury v Chisora

Channel 5 in the UK make their boxing debut on Saturday night when they televise the British heavyweight title fight between defending champion Dereck Chisora & Tyson Fury. It's good to see them getting involved & they'll hopefully be rewarded with decent viewing figures. Boxing needs a presence on terrestrial tv & with the increasing visibility of satellite station Primetime, the SKY TV monopoly could be ending; not that SKY don't do an excellent job for boxing, they do & they've kept it alive in this country for years, but the more outlets for the sport the better it is for it's long term health

It could be an entertaining fight, both competitors are young, unbeaten fighters and with the dearth of talent in the heavyweight division at present, the winner would put themselves in a prominent position on the world stage. It's just a shame they are a pair of pricks...

Zimbabwean born Chisora is the more complete fighter; he won the title from the empty shell of Danny Williams last May, but holds two victories over decent fighter Sam Sexton. The second of those wins was impressive as Chisora proved more skilful than I'd thought & showed his power in stopping his rival in the 9th. Following that showing he was a surprise choice to face world champion Wladimir Klitschko, but the fight fell through when the Ukrainian pulled out injured; there was always a sense that it was a red herring designed to lure David Haye back into negotiations but Chisora didn't realise that & it must have been a major blow. However Wladimir & his trainer have stated their interest in Saturdays fight & victory would put Chisora back into the mix

Former ABA champion Fury goes into the fight with a 14-0 record, but the level of opposition hasn't been high, with the exception of the underrated John McDermott. The first meeting saw Fury labour to a controversial points victory where he appeared very fortunate to come away with the decision; the rematch saw Fury come through awkward moments to score a 9th round stoppage. The 23 year old may not have looked dominant in either fight but he did get the victories & it could be argued McDermott is better than anyone faced by Chisora at this point

Fury, who comes from a travelling family, has struggled with a back injury over the past couple of years, often appearing over weight as a result. Although he looks the part he has yet to learn how to utilise his height & reach advantages effectively & doesn't appear a terribly hard puncher. At 6'9 he'll tower over the 6 ft Chisora, who moves well & is deceptively quick so Fury will need to use his jab to keep the fight at a distance. Chisora has been out of the ring for ten months but goes in as favourite, he's the more seasoned of the pair but if Fury can use his physical advantages correctly he has a chance

To be fair to Fury, for the majority of the time he comes across as affable & often amusing, it is only when he attempts to get involved in trash talking that a different side appears, which could just be down to youthful naivety. However the comments made this week during a telephone conference call for the press have no place in sport;

"I know I want it so badly, nothing will stop me, I have a wife and two children to provide for. If it means killing you in the ring, that's what I'll do"
"To beat me, you will have to kill me. I'm prepared to die for my family. You are an arrogant little p***k - I'll smash your face in when we fight."

Making a defense of Chisora is a lot more difficult. The ear biting (for which he was fined - "chump change" in Chisora's words) & kissing an opponent were unpleasant but not unique behaviour. However his past convictions for assault which culminated in attacking his former girlfriend last November give a clearer indication of the man. For further evidence of his attitude towards women in particular, the following are his words from a Guardian interview conducted a couple of months before the assault;

"Women never like me," he complains. "I thought when I won the British title things would change. But it ain't happening." Why don't women like him? "I'm a rude person. But men are hunters. We look. We like. We approach. Women don't like the fact I do it with a swagger. They don't like me walking into the room like I got a million dollars in my pocket, when I ain't. But as a boxer you need that swagger."

You can argue that has no bearing on the fight, what sportsmen & women get up to in their private lives is irrelevant, which to a degree is true but when you're marketing someone in order to sell tickets & create a fanbase, it is disingenuous to sell them as " a character" & "mischievous" while ignoring their true character

Mitchell's Redemption Day

With the undercard from Liverpool on Saturday night having proved disappointing, the pressure was on Kevin Mitchell & John Murray to salvage the evening. Fortunately the pair were up to the challenge, surpassing already high expectations to produce a mini classic over 8 brutal rounds, with Mitchell claiming a stunning victory to revive his career.

The Londoner started brightly, his movement keeping Murray at distance as he picked him off, with the uppercut particularly potent as it frequently pierced his opponents leaky guard. As usual Murray's head movement was non existent as he stalked his prey which was to be crucial later on, but at this stage nothing that landed seemed to trouble the Mancunian.

By the third round Murray had closed the distance & dragged Mitchell into his kind of fight as he pressurised him against the ropes, using his physical strength as they wrestled on the inside. Although Mitchell still landed blows, they appeared to have no impact as Murray steadily walked through them to answer with his own shots. As the fight entered the sixth round it appeared to be a typical Murray fight; struggling to catch a slicker opponent early on but gradually grinding him down to dominate the fight, with the only danger being the increasing swelling around his eyes. However Mitchell was to prove a cut above the previous opposition & in the following round seemed to find another gear; he was able to create space for his punches & for the first time they were having an obvious effect as Murray slowed & became laboured in his work, unable to smother the other mans work. On the bell a left uppercut & left hook combination rocked the unbeaten fighter and for the first time in his pro career he looked in trouble

Murray bravely came out for the 8th round, with his right eye almost closed completely but clearly hadn't recovered & Mitchell, a strong finisher, went for the finish with a vicious left hook sending Murray down to the canvas for the first time. There was probably a case for the fight being stopped then but referee Richie Davies gave Murray one last chance; when he was unable to answer the following onslaught he quickly stepped in to end the battle.

With such a stunning victory Mitchell has revitalised a career that appeared in danger of fizzling out & he proved a lot of people wrong (myself included...) and now looks back on track for a world title shot. I was amazed that he appeared so sharp after 14 months out & that there were no signs his confidence had been damaged by the ill fated Katsidis beating. While both fighters are promoted by Frank Warren, I'd got the impression that Mitchell was deemed to have blown his chances of the big time & was instead being served up as a victim to Murray, the new signing & potential superstar; defeat here would have relegated Mitchell from main event status, everything was resting on this fight, so to have come through as he has with a sensational performance is a credit to the fighter.

Whether Mitchell is able to capatilise on this win is another matter; he was hurt several times during the early rounds & Murray is not a puncher which suggests his punch resistance is waning; a dangerous situation were he to face hard hitting WBA champion Brandon Rios, who the Mitchell camp called out after the fight. It's an unfortunate combination of loving to get involved in a tear up whilst carrying a weak chin, Mitchell needs to work on not getting drawn into wars & instead concentrate on using his superior boxing ability to stay out of trouble. Still, that's all in the future, a future few expected him to have before the fight & he deserves all the plaudits that are coming his way

As for Murray, he's young enough to come again, but unless there are major changes in his technique (moving his head would be a good start!) he is never going to move beyond decent domestic level; his flaws were always going to be exposed at some point by higher quality fighters. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to his first defeat as it will end his belief that he can just walk through anything an opponent throws at him. Hopefully he can deal with it positively, learn from his mistakes & look to adapt his style. If he needs an example of how to pull yourself back from the brink & silence critics, he could do worse than look to his conqueror

It was refreshing to a fight conducted without the usual trash talking or needle; both were intense in the build up but refused to say anything negative about the other & this mutual respect continued after the fight. In the ring nothing was held back though & they deserve a huge amount of credit for the fight of the year candidate they produced

Liverpool boxing preview (part 3)

Final part of the preview of tomorrow's show, which will focus on the light heavyweight clash between Tony "Bomber" Bellew & Ovill "the Upsetter" McKenzie as well as Frankie Gavin's meeting with Curtis Woodhouse

The Bellew-McKenzie fight is for the vacant British title & the former's Commonwealth belt and is a rematch following their thrilling war last December. Bellew went into that contest defending an unbeaten record as well as his Commonwealth crown and was a clear favourite, but looked in desperate trouble after he was down twice in the opening couple of rounds, with the second knockdown particularly heavy. However the Liverpool man survived the crisis, fighting back & by the 8th round managed to force a stoppage. The McKenzie camp protested about being stopped as their man was still on his feet, but he'd been taking some thunderous shots & the intervention was justified. There has been needle going into the fight after McKenzie made ill judged & frankly moronic comments suggesting Bellew must have been on drugs to have survived the second knockdown. Unsuprisingly this lead to heated responses from the 'Bomber';


"Does he not remember that we were both tested before the fight?"
"He is a small minded clown and he's bringing our sport down with such stupid accusations,"
"I'm going to come out swinging and hit McKenzie so hard he'll be the one who is high afterwards!"


The accusations are unpleasant but I don't think McKenzie actually believes them, it is far more likely a strategy to antagonise Bellew & goad him into rushing into a war from the opening bell. The 'Upsetter' is better than his 18-10 record suggests & performs at his finest in the role of underdog, but his best chance of victory must be an early finish with the pair of them swinging away & an enraged Bellew leaving himself open. McKenzie was a surprise winner of the Prizefighter tournament up at Cruiserweight last year, is a fast starter & heavy handed but he has tended to struggle over longer fights.


McKenzie's tactic could work as the entertaining Bellew does come across as hot headed at times (see the press conference for the aborted fight with Nathan Cleverley for evidence) & it'll be interesting to see if he can resist the urge to trade bombs. It was a narrow escape last time & he needs a dominant win to keep him on track for an eventual meeting with bitter rival Cleverley. As an aside, I'm glad the fight between them didn't materialise back in May; a weeks notice is nowhere near enough to prepare for such a big fight & to be honest Bellew isn't anywhere near that level yet. It has set up an entertaining rivalry & hopefully Bellew can get a bit more experience under his belt first


I admit to a degree of bias as I'm a fan of Bellew but I don't think he'll make the same mistakes as last time; he should be more wary of McKenzie's early threat & look to take over for a stoppage by round seven.


  

Completing the preview is the welterweight meeting of Frankie Gavin and ex footballer Curtis Woodhouse. There have been a few words in the build up to this too as Woodhouse has been calling Gavin out for over a year, but there is far less doubt about the outcome.


Gavin is the only British fighter to ever have taken gold at the amateur World Championships, which he accomplished in 2007 & was a huge favourite going into the following Olympics; unfortunatley he was unable to make the weight & returned home without competing. Now competing up at welterweight since turning pro, Gavin looks to have the skill & ability to take him all the way in the sport. His movement around the ring & variation in work is excellent for someone at such an early stage of his career and with the talent that he possesses, anything less than a world title has to be considered a failure. The only concerns are that he has already shown a propensity to cut easily & isn't the biggest puncher. Motivation could be an issue too as he was extremely flat last time out against Young Mutley & he may struggle to push himself against opponents of a lower level (having said that, and with all the disappointment in his last display, he still won every single round against a former British champion)


Gavin is a big Birmingham City fan & on Saturday will face someone who was once transferred to his beloved team for £1 million. Woodhouse, who also played for Sheffield United amongst others, decided to become a pro boxer in 2006 after no previous experience and has put together a decent 15-2 record. It'd be hard to knock someone who turned his back on a lucrative & far less painful occupation in order to pursue boxing purely out of love for the sport and I have a lot of respect for him. 


Woodhouse is a decent boxer at domestic level & is clearly going in believing he can win but I'd expect Gavin's class will see him come through.  

Liverpool boxing preview (part 2)

While the Liverpool bill is nominally headlined by the Burns-Cook world title fight, most of the attention is on the lightweight clash between John Murray and Kevin Mitchell. It's a well matched meeting between two talented & popular young fighters, both former British & Commonwealth champions, with the winner likely to be pushed towards a world title opportunity

Manchester's Murray goes into the fight as the betting favourite & with the unblemished record. Like his opponent he turned pro in 2003 at 18, has had two spells as British Lightweight champion and he recently vacated the European title in order for this match to be made (previous EBU rules wouldn't have allowed Mitchell to fight for the belt as he is coming off a defeat). Murray first won the British title from Lee Meager back in 2008 but suffered from extended periods between fights & became frustrated at having not been moved to a higher level sooner; earlier this year he switched promoters to Frank Warren in an attempt to rectify this problem. The first fight for his new promoter was intended as a showcase but it instead exposed a number of weaknesses as he struggled on the way to a points win over awkward Spaniard Karim El Ouazghari, where at times he appeared crude & one dimensional. Murray doesn't carry great one punch knock out power but he is very strong at the weight & tends to wear opponents down with his relentless attacks, particularly to the body; elusive & tricky boxers have caused him problems in the past but up to this point he has always found a way to win

Fourteen months ago it's likely that Romford's Mitchell would have started as clear favourite in this match up. A former British Super Featherweight champion, he had moved up a weight division & was coming off a career best display where he had given Amir Khan conqueror Breidis Prescott a boxing lesson. The injury problems that had forced a break from the sport seemed behind him & he looked on the verge of world honours. A marquee event was staged at West Ham's football stadium with Mitchell headlining against Aussie warrior Michael Katsidis; the plan was for the popular fighter to receive more exposure, hopefully filling the gap in the market left by Ricky Hatton's departure & move onto a full world title challenge in the Autumn. Unfortunately this wasn't made clear to Katsidis who cheerfully went out & destroyed Mitchell in 3 rounds; from the beginning Mitchell looked nervous & unable to deal with the Aussie's power. After the event the Mitchell camp blamed it on personal issues that had affected the build up, but to be brutally honest he looked out of his depth.

The Katsidis clash was in May 2010 & Mitchell hasn't fought since; stories about blowing £100k on alcohol, problems with the police & being out of shape doesn't raise high hopes for his chances. However at his best Mitchell can look a very decent boxer; he's fast, can box from range (as demonstrated so well against Prescott where the Colombian couldn't lay a glove on him) & is a powerful puncher. There are obviously doubts about his chin after his defeat & back in 2008 he was close to being stopped by Carl Johanneson before prevailing in an excellent scrap.

Personally I think Murray will get found out at world class level; hope to be proved wrong, as I enjoy watching him but he's just too easy to hit & only capable of fighting one way, elite fighters will expose these flaws. A fight against Katsidis would make sense as he is a brawler in the Murray mould & it'd give us a better indication of his level. First he needs to get past Mitchell & it's a harder fight to predict than it should be; Murray is full of confidence & should be too powerful for an opponent coming off a heavy defeat, who hasn't fought for over a year & has had problems out of the ring. And yet if Mitchell has got in shape, can stay disciplined & use his superior boxing skills to keep the fight at distance....

It's probably too big an if though so I'm tentatively going for a late Murray stoppage

Liverpool boxing preview (part 1)

The big boxing bill this weekend is at the Liverpool Echo arena with an excellent card headlined by Ricky Burns defending his WBO Super Featherweight title against former champion Nicky Cook. There was already strong support with local fighter Tony Bellew's rematch against Ovill McKenzie and former amateur star Frankie Gavin taking on ex footballer Curtis Woodhouse, and this was strengthened when one of the potentially most exciting domestic fights of the year between John Murray & Kevin Mitchell was added (due to a virus Mitchell had picked up it was moved back form the previous weekend)

If everything goes ahead as scheduled this should turn out to be the best domestic card all season & there really should have been greater media coverage. Although I suppose many of our newspapers have other issues at present...

Will start off with the world title fight which sees Burns, from Coatbridge, Scotland, making the third defense of his title, won dramatically last September from Roman Martinez. I thought that fight was one of the highlights of the year; Burns went in as a huge underdog with many (myself included) not giving him a prayer against the hard hitting champion yet he survived a heavy knock down in the opening round to outbox Martinez & despite a few wobbly moments, ended a convincing winner. I'd not been that impressed previously by Burns; he'd  rebounded after a couple of early career defeats, admittedly against decent opponents, but looked to lack the power to rise above domestic level. However he seems to have gained real belief from his title victory & impressed in his first two defenses

Cook appears lucky to have got this opportunity having only fought once, against a journeyman, since losing the title to Martinez back in March 2009 in his first defense. An earlier world title bid had ended in failure but he took his second chance when scraping past Alex Arthur on a disputed points verdict; it's worth noting that Arthur was one of the two people to have beaten Burns but he was struggling with the weight & seemed past his best by the time he faced Cook. Against Martinez, Cook started strongly but neglected his defense when he thought the Puerto Rican was in trouble & paid for it with two heavy knockdowns in the 4th round to end his brief reign as champion.

A lot of the interviews in the build up have concerned Cook's plans for buying a bar in Tenerife after he retires which suggest a possible lack of focus & with Burns growing into his role as champion I'd expect him to retain the title. He should be capable of using his reach & height advantage to keep the shorter man at range and pick him off for a clear points victory. Cook does have the punch power to hurt Burns though & it's been a while since Burns fought away from his passionate Scottish fan base so it is a fight well worth watching

Still think Burnt or Cooked is one of the daftest names for a card though 

Bute force

There was a suprisingly entertaining boxing card on Saturday night from Bucharest, Romania, topped by IBF Super Middleweight champion Lucian Bute retaining his title with a 4th round knock out of France's Jean-Paul Mendy.

The show was partly funded by the Romanian tourist board to promote the country (which included paying for Michael Buffer to announce the main event) and drew a sellout crowd of 10,000. It was pleasing to see them all in place for the whole show rather then just turning up to watch the main event & they were rewarded with an entertaining featherweight scrap which saw local man Viorel Simion stop Filipino Jun Talape in the 9th round following a vicious body shot. There was also a run out for Romanian heavyweight novice Bogdan Dinu who registered a 6th pro win with a 1st round stoppage. I know it's all about levels & his opposition didn't provide much of a test but he looked a decent prospect; nice style, high guard, moved around the ring well & seems to possess a decent amount of power. Possibly one to keep an eye on

The reason everyone was there though was Lucian Bute. The champion was born in Romania but is based in Quebec, Canada and this was the first time he had defended his title in his native country; judging by the tears during the celebrations after the fight it obviously meant a lot to him. Mendy came in an undefeated challenger but as had been predicted he was several levels below the champion & never looked as though he actually believed he could win. Bute was in control throughout the fight & ended matters shortly before the end of the 4th stanza when he dropped Mendy with a left hook high on his temple.

Bute is an exciting fighter to watch, is still unbeaten & this was his 8th successful defense of his title. However I still think he's rated too highly by many pundits, a number of whom rate him at the top of the division; I'm not saying he isn't very good but he has yet to truly prove it. This has partly been out of his hands as the worlds finest at 12 stone have been tied up in the Super Six tournament for the past two years leaving Bute short of quality opponents. The Romanian has filled his time beating a string of opponents (Miranda, Magee, Andrade) who whilst decent are nowhere near the elite, but he has looked good whilst doing it.

With the Super Six due to finish in November, a logical fight would be the winner taking on Bute, but this seems harsh on either Froch or Ward; they've been through two years of tough, high quality opponents while Bute has had a relatively easy time of things. I'd like to see Bute in with a more challenging opponent first, ideally Mikkel Kessler although the rumour is that a fight with former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik is likely to be next (a decent name & it'd sell but it's still not the toughest fight out there; Pavlik would be coming up in weight & is damaged goods anyway) Still, there are big fights out there in one of the most competitive weight divisions & at some point we'll see if Bute is as good as he looks

p.s. I realise the title doesn't make much sense as you pronounce his name Boo-tay, but couldn't think of anything better....

Best laid plans...

As the dust settled following the Haye defeat, the major story in British boxing this week, aside from the non event that was Ricky Hatton's retirement (we knew already Ricky, even if you didn't), was regarding a potential meeting next year between Amir Khan & Floyd Mayweather. It followed Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer's media visit to the UK where the current plan for Khan was mapped out. They are hoping to follow the fight on July 23rd against Zab Judah with an Erik Morales meeting in the autumn, then a British clash with Kell Brook next spring, before possibly facing Mayweather towards the end of next year

There are a lot of ifs in that equation though; injury could occur, potential promotional problems & the results would have to go the way they hope. I realise the reason for making the strategy public, it has received a lot of coverage in the media and put Khan back in the limelight but personally I find long term plans such as these slightly arrogant and presumptuous. I found it irritating that all the media reports focused exclusively on the Mayweather clash ,with Judah, Morales & Brook afforded barely a passing mention. As things stand Khan would start favourite in all these potential match ups but things can change quickly in boxing.

Judah has looked an improved fighter since dropping back down to light welterweight, he is vastly experienced & seems to have finally matured. His power will be a threat early on, but after 15 years as a pro including six losses, he is nearing the end and I'd expect Khan to be too fresh & too fast

Speaking of how circumstances can change quickly, the view before Mexican legend Erik Morales was due to meet Marcos Maidana in April was that it was a terrible match up that could see the veteran seriously injured. Morales had retired in 2007 after losing 5 of his last 6 contests as time seemed to have caught up on him. He returned last year at a low level, 2 weight divisions up from his prime, while Maidana impressed in his narrow defeat to Khan, almost stopping the champion in the 10th round. However the worries that the hard hitting Maidana would destroy a shopworn & out of shape Morales turned out to be false as, although he lost on  a majority decision, Morales put in his best display in years, using his skill & experience to make Maidana appear a crude & limited slugger.

Despite that excellent display, he still isn't getting younger & the Maidana fight may have been one last hurrah in a superb career that saw Morales become a seven time world champion. I'd imagine Khan's speed would be too much for him at this stage & he'd join his great rival Marco Antonio Barrera on the Bolton's man list of 'past their best' victims.

So assuming everything has been going along smoothly, the plan would then be a War of the Roses meeting with Sheffield's Kell Brook. This would be different as it would match Khan with an unbeaten fighter his own age, who can also match him for speed. Brook has been tipped for the top for a number of years but frustratingly he appeared to have been held back, matched far too cautiously & not tested.  A recent change in promoters, moving to Matchroom, appears to have kick started his career & I thought he was very impressive in the recent victory over Lovemore N'dou. He may not have become the first man to stop N'dou but he hurt him more than I can recall seeing anyone else do previously, he paced himself perfectly as he went twelve rounds for the first time & showed a lovely variation of attack.

I'm hoping that up to this point things do go as they've been planned as a Khan-Brook fight has the potential to be a massive domestic clash; they have already started a war of words over Twitter with Khan contemptuous of his rival's ability. Brook needs a couple of challenging fights beforehand to test him further & improve his marketability but I believe he has the ability & the belief to not only push Khan but to beat him. Which means we're not going to get to Mayweather....

Having said all this, now watch Judah knock out Khan in round one & Brook get pummeled by an unknown east European.....

Haye-Klitschko aftermath

The reaction to the Wladimir Klitschko-David Haye fight in the British press has been predictably negative. There are very few specialist boxing journalists employed by the daily papers these days so in the majority of cases it was the football correspondent sent to report from Hamburg, leading to the usual standard of sporting journalism in this country; everything is either incredible & amazing or it's terrible & the end of the world. It's exactly the same when England enter a World Cup or a British player competes at Wimbledon, beforehand they're world beaters on the verge of history and then after they lose they are walking disasters, they should be ashamed of themselves, all sport in this country is in crisis.... the press don't believe in a middle ground, they are incapable of putting things into perspective. There is also the strange tendency for the journalist to act as though the failure of someone from this country at sport is a personal insult against them; the comments that Haye let everyone down because he didn't live up to his pre fight boasts are nonsensical. The mundane fact is that he tried to live up to them and simply wasn't allowed to by his opponent. One suggestion that he didn't have the heart for it was particularly insulting; Haye wasn't able to get inside the Klitschko jab to throw any meaningful punches but he continued to try for the full twelve rounds. I also take issue with anyone questioning the heart of any boxer from the safety of a keyboard...

The issue with the injury to his toe was unfortunate; Haye did sound like he was making excuses and it has also overshadowed the number of times that he has also admitted the better man won & his respect for Klitschko. Although it could be argued that you may not get the most balanced interview when ten minutes after a fight you stick a microphone in front of someone who is hurt and frustrated. What is also unfortunate is that the injury happened, as despite the mockery from ignorant quarters, it is a serious injury for a boxer that will affect their ability to perform; Frank Warren, Frank Bruno and others have been quoted criticising Haye for not pulling out of the fight

The fight should hopefully see Klitschko finally get a bit more respect; he put in a near faultless performance. While the brothers will never be the most exciting fighters in the world, they remain incredibly effective. They are always in perfect condition (a lesson other heavyweights seem incapable of learning), they follow their gameplan & they make the most of their physical advantages.

What happens next for both men is questionable. Haye is making noises about possibly not retiring in October & maybe looking for a rematch, while its hard to see anything out there for Klitschko. There are no viable contenders; the fact that a potential fight against the winner of the Chisora-Fury meeting has even been mentioned shows how desperate the situation is. The market for Wladimir facing a 14 fight novice is not going to have the tv companies reaching for their wallets.

Have found myself getting increasingly irritated with Klitschko continuing to maintain he was terribly offended with Hayes antics before the fight. For a start I don't believe he is so thin skinned & he's been in boxing for long enough to know how the game is played. He made an approximate £10 million from the weekend, that purse won't be there next time & neither will the worlds media, it all resulted from Haye's behaviour. The two biggest fights from a British point of view this year have been this & the earlier Groves-DeGale meeting, in both cases owing to the bad blood & insults that preceded them. There have been plenty of other excellent fights with respectful opponents; boxing fans were watching but the general public wasn't, so however distasteful the hype can appear, the problem is with society in general and not the sport

Rocky enters the Boxing Hall of Fame

Sylvester Stallone joined boxers such as Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez & Kosta Tszyu as they were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last month at the annual ceremony in Canastota, New York.

I read the recent opinion poll on this in Boxing News with the majority of the fighters asked stating that it was wrong for an actor, someone who has never been in a genuine fight in his life, to be receiving this honour. It's hard not to have some sympathy with this view; they've trained, made sacrifices & taken punches for years, often for little or no reward & then a Hollywood millionaire waltzes in to take all the media attention (well maybe not "all" the attention, Tyson was there too but the media circus that follows him is another story)

However Stallone was inducted into the observer category (commentators, journalists, writers) & as the screen writer for the Rocky series this seems justified. There may have been better films about boxing made (such as Raging Bull, The Harder They Fall with Humphrey Bogart or the criminally neglected Body & Soul from 1947) but it's hard to think of any sporting film that has had the same cultural impact. The term "a real Rocky story" is applied to so many different sports & subjects, the theme music is used constantly over sporting montages & is familiar whether you've ever seen the films or not. The iconic scene of Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art has been copied & parodied frequently and a statue now sits there in tribute.

Most importantly it has inspired generations of kids to take up boxing & training throughout the world & for that reason alone Stallone deserves his ring.

Haye haters




 
It appears as if Wladimir Klitschko and David Haye are finally going to meet on Saturday night, although I still won't believe its happening until the referee is giving them instructions in the centre of the ring. There are 48 hours to go, plenty of time for something to go wrong

There are a flood of previews, predictions & opinions out there already so I apologise for adding to the clutter; while its nice to see boxing getting so much mainstream attention, the downside to a big fight like this are the number of "experts" who appear from nowhere to offer their views. Obviously everyone is entitled to express an opinion but it might hold a tad more weight if you'd actually seen a boxing match since Frank Bruno retired...

Having had a quick look at opinions out there, I must admit I was surprised how many peopele are anti Haye; while the anonymity of the internet & Twitter will always lead to a number of jealous trolls trying to be controversial from the safety of their bedrooms, there does appear to be a large number of regular people who have been turned off by his behaviour. The common complaints are that he is arrogant & needs to be taught a lesson, that his attempts to market the fight are distasteful (see above)

The excellent Sky promo show "Behind the Ropes" probably didn't help; Wladimir came out of it far better, he appeared charming, polite & intelligent, while his opponent often looked childish & petty. However I think a lot of the criticism is missing the point; Haye understands how boxing works & how to sell fights. In order for it to appeal to a mass audience these days it has to be sold off the characters involved in the fight. As wrestling promoters have known for over a hundred years, there has to be a bad guy, someone for the crowd to boo & to hate, and this is the role that Haye has taken on. It doesn't matter if there are 50,000 people at the arena screaming for his blood on Saturday or millions watching hoping to see him knocked out, the important fact is they are there & they are watching.

Hayes' behaviour, going back to his challenge to a bemused Klitschko in London 3 years ago (watch) & the infamous severed heads t-shirt, have sold the fight;  a meeting between Klitschko & a relatively unknown former cruiserweight would not have generated anywhere near this level of excitement & attention. Proof of that is shown by the fact the fight will be screened on HBO in the US, who have refused to show fights involving the Klitschko brothers for years

As to the point about Haye being arrogant - good. If he didn't have such supreme self belief what hope would he stand against a man who has knocked out 49 previous opponents? He could have just shuffled into the ring resembling a man on the way to the scaffold, as so many of the Ukrainians recent opponents have done & would have lost the fight before a punch was thrown. The opinion of others is irrelevant, what matters is how a boxer copes with his own doubts or insecurity & if to overcome this they need to put up a front of complete confidence then so be it

Whether all the belief in the world will actually be enough to beat Klitschko.... we'll see on Saturday (fingers crossed)

Huddersfield date for Sykes

Gary Sykes, the British Super Featherweight champion, gets a run out at the Huddersfield Leisure Centre on July 23rd. The opponent is Kenya's Geoffrey Munika & the fight is an opportunity for Sykes to have a tune up before a projected October meeting with Gary Buckland, the only opponent to have beaten the Dewsbury champion.

The nature of the defeat, a heavy 1st round knock out in the Prizefighter competition, lends spice to the potential encounter which would have been lacking otherwise; Buckland is a solid if unspectacular pro and although he has looked more of a threat since dropping down from lightweight, a meeting between the pair a year ago would of looked a fairly straight forward task for Sykes. Now there are questions about his chin & how he will cope against the man who shattered his unbeaten run

First Sykes needs to take care of Munika on the non televised bill, which also includes four other Huddersfield fighters; unbeaten Tyrone Nurse & Jason McCalmon, Alistair Warren and Jason Thompson.

Tickets are available; 07917 881114

Gary Sykes on Facebook

Cologne controversy

"Never make predictions, especially about the future" (Casey Stengel)


So much for my first attempt at a predicition; still at least I picked the correct winner although only just, as Felix Sturm retained his WBA Middleweight title on a controversial split decision over Matthew Macklin


It's hard not to have symapathy for Macklin, he put in an incredible effort, but I had Sturm shading it. As predicted Macklin started very quickly & over the opening two rounds threatened to overwhelm Sturm as the champion seemed taken aback at the ferocity of the attack, his ribcage glowing red as Macklin had notable success with hooks to the body. Sturm seemed unable to keep his challenger off & create the distance needed to utilise his boxing skill, but he gradually began to get through with a few eye catching shots.


While the beginning of the fight undeniably belonged to Macklin, it's the middle & later rounds that are far more contentious. There were doubts about Macklin's stamina but he had obviously put in a huge effort in training as he continued to fire away with both hands up to the end; however his accuracy began to slip & the majority of the blows were being caught on hands & arms. Sturm was far more economical in his work, probably more than he wanted to be as Macklin's work rate made it hard to get his own punches off, but what he did throw was landing & was scoring.


Scoring the majority of the later rounds is difficult as it comes down to what you're looking for; the aggression & determination of Macklin or Sturm's accuracy & skill. The challenger & his team were understandably furious with the decision, there was plenty of support from Macklins' colleagues & friends within British boxing & even the German commentary gave the win to the Birmingham man. Personally I still think Sturm did just about enough to shade it; Macklin threw far more shots but the majority of them were being blocked, especially from the middle rounds onwards. The cleaner work was coming from the champion, his defense was better and I think to win a world title you need a bit more subtlety & skill than Macklin displayed.


The debate over the result is a shame though as it overshadows the fact that it was an excellent fight. Credit due to the referee too for letting them get on with it & not interrupting constantly; a number of the high profile US referees could learn from him. 

Predictions

The biggest fight taking place this weekend, at least from a British perspective, is in Cologne on Saturday night as Matthew Macklin travels to challenge WBA Middleweight champion Felix Sturm. I know I'm setting myself up for a fall but thought I'd go for a prediction

As with Ryan Rhodes challenge last weekend, Macklin goes in as the underdog & the away fighter. There are differences though as Sturm, whilst a respected champion, doesn't have the superstar aura that Alvarez exudes & although it has historically been difficult for the away fighter to get a decision on German soil the crowd is unlikely to approach the fervour & hostility of Mexico

Sturm has been champion for over four years & has defended successfully against a decent level of opposition without really meeting a marquee name. He's still best known for his loss to Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas back in 2004, when he lost an extremely debatable decision & hasn't appeared too willing to fight outside his home country since. Whilst not a huge puncher, he's a tidy fighter, has a strong jab & high work rate, and has been in with a far better calibre of fighter than Macklin.

In British boxing circles there are a number of judges tipping Macklin but I'm not as convinced; I've never been completely sold on him as a fighter. I don't think the flitting from trainer to trainer throughout his career has helped, and at 29 he really should have been in with bigger names more often. Before Saturday his highest profile fight remains his 2006 war with Jamie Moore down at light middle where he was knocked out in the 10th round.

In fairness, Macklin is unbeaten since, his run includes impressive early blow outs of Wayne Elcock & Amin Asikainen (even if there was something of a shopworn look to both of them) and he can't be blamed for the big domestic fight against London rival Darren Barker falling through twice last year. Macklin admits he's struggled to motivate himself in the past when facing lesser fighters, which might explain his lacklustre display last time out against Ruben Varon, and that he raises his standard against the big names. He'll have to on Saturday; Macklin is the bigger puncher & could get through early on but I think Sturm has too much experience of the big occasions & he'll out work his opponent.

Sturm by 9th round stoppage

The War

April 15^th 1985

The War

‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler v Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns

 

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

"When a man goes into the ring, he's going to war." Marvin Hagler

This incredible fight was the earliest sporting memory I have; how much of it has been coloured by rewatching the worn out VHS tape over the years I can’t tell, but I distinctly remember Dad letting me stay up late to watch it & eating Easter eggs. Having checked, this is slightly confusing as Easter was the week before so I can only guess there must have been a good haul that year & they lasted several weeks….

Also wondering why the fight was on a Monday night. Seems a strange choice but the demand to see the fight was so huge it could have been put on at 6am on a Tuesday morning & millions would still have been tuning in

Hagler vs Hearns was a genuine 50/50 fight; it was for the undisputed World Middleweight title (oh the happy days before alphabet titles,  interim champions, champion in emeritus, “Super” champions, Diamond belts….) Hagler had been champion since 1980, reaching the top after a hard struggle; no golden boy treatment, he learnt the trade the hard way, came back from early career defeats & had to win the title on foreign soil; in London against Alan Minter in a cauldron of racial hatred, leading to shameful scenes afterwards. Hearns, already a two weight world champion & the Ring Magazine’s fighter of 1984, was moving up to middleweight for the first time. He had recently destroyed fellow legend Roberto Duran who had pushed Hagler close for the full 15 rounds in their meeting

  

Never has a fight lived up to its marketing more accurately; the War. Hagler tended to be a slow starter, warming into contests before breaking opponents down late on, but on this occasion, perhaps to confuse Hearns or due to the occasion, he launched a full assault from the opening bell. In the Hitman he found an opponent more than willing to engage & the first round has gone down in history as arguably the greatest round of all time. There was no feeling out process, no caution, they just went straight for full power shots; both were hurt, Hearns broke his hand, but there was no pause in the action. Even watching it today & knowing the outcome, it remains breathtaking

Watch here

The second round saw Hearns try to adapt his game plan due to his injury & turn to boxing rather than fighting but it was too late to change the tone of the fight, they were both in too deep. The third saw a cut open up on the forehead of Hagler  & the blood flooding down his face led to a break as the doctor was called to inspect the wound – it was allowed to continue but was already impacting on his vision & with the likelihood of the fight being called off Hagler went for the finish; with more than a passing resemblance to a lion stalking its prey he drove Hearns onto the ropes, a right hook caused the Hitman’s legs to betray him & he fell to the canvas. Bravely Tommy beat the count but was obviously in no condition to continue and referee Richard Steele ended the contest.  

It’s easy to see why it had such a strong impact on a young mind; it was all down to one man, ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler. As I’ve grown older I’ve learnt to appreciate Hearns for the incredible fighter he was, the Hitman is one of the all time greats & was technically a far superior boxer than Hagler; but to a six year old it was all about Hagler. Just the way he appeared was enough; gleaming bald head & black goatee, muscles bulging all over his compact frame, the blood streaming down his face, a ferocious look of hate & menace etched onto his features…he was terrifying and simply undeniably cool.

The first sporting event I remember and 26 years later, still the greatest

Rhodes to ruin

Sadly despite the hope, goodwill & even optimism that were generated beforehand, Ryan Rhodes was unsuccessful in his bid for Saul Alvarez's WBC Light Middleweight crown.

Rhodes was down in the 4th round but survived until the mid point of the final round when the referee's intervention coincided with the towel coming in from the Sheffield fighters’ corner. While it would have been nice to see Rhodes last the full distance, the stoppage had no impact on the result with Alvarez miles ahead on the cards.

There was refreshing honesty from Ryan afterwards  "Alvarez is a very good fighter. It's that simple, no excuses." The general consensus before the fight was that although it was going to be difficult to get a result, Rhodes' speed & power would at least test the 20 year old but that wasn't how the fight unfolded. For a start Alvarez looked huge at the weight, but the biggest surprise was his speed; he was simply too fast, never giving Rhodes a chance to counter. Extremely accurate too, I can't remember ever seeing Rhodes caught so cleanly & so often.

I had doubts about whether Alvarez was worthy of all the hype surrounding him that has him earmarked as a future Mexican legend, but he answered a lot of questions. It was an incredibly mature performance, he was patient, knew when to launch attacks, moved & feinted nicely, utilised the old pro trick of working harder towards the end of the round to catch the judges eye...if he can do all this at 20 what will he be like when he's fully developed? The comments about lack of experience that the SKY commentary frequently made are misleading though, despite his age he's a veteran of 37 fights

Unclear where Rhodes goes next - he is still talented enough to dominate most fighters in Europe but does he have the desire top go over old ground at the age of 34, when another world title shot seems unlikely? When so much of his ring strategy is based on speed & reflexes, his confidence must have taken a knock to have met a fighter who was so much quicker & who negated all Ryan's strengths.