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OCTOBER 2020
ANNUAL 2022
CONTENTS
004- THE RISE AND FALL OF -007 THE ’NEW FOUR KINGS’
THE YEAR OF THE UPSET
BY GRAHAM HOUSTON
USYK: ENIGMA VARIATIONS
BY LUKE G. WILLIAMS
JANUARY 2021 IN REVIEW
BY LUKE G. WILLIAMS
FEBRUARY 2021 IN REVIEW
BY JOHN A. MACDONALD
MARCH 2021 IN REVIEW
BY CRAIG SCOTT
028-029
APRIL 2021 IN REVIEW
BY SHAUN BROWN
MAY 2021 IN REVIEW
BY LUKE G. WILLIAMS
JUNE 2021 IN REVIEW
BY JOHN A. MACDONALD
JULY 2021 IN REVIEW
BY CRAIG SCOTT
AUGUST 2021 IN REVIEW
BY SHAUN BROWN
SEPTEMBER 2021 IN REVIEW
046-047
008-011 012-017 018-019 020-021 022-024 025-027 028-029 030-033 034-035 036-039 040-041 042-045 046-047 048-050
018-019
BY MARK BUTCHER
BY LUKE G. WILLIAMS
OCTOBER 2021 IN REVIEW
BY JOHN A. MACDONALD
NOVEMBER 2021 IN REVIEW
BY CRAIG SCOTT
DECEMBER 2021 IN REVIEW
BY SHAUN BROWN
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
PUBLISHING ASSISTANT
DESIGNER
ROB TEBBUTT
MARK BUTCHER
JORDAN POLLOCK ELEANOR RIPLEY
COVER ILLUSTRATION
HARRY PAIN
WRITTEN BY GRAHAM HOUSTON, MARK BUTCHER, CRAIG SCOTT, JOHN A. MACDONALD, LUKE G. WILLIAMS, SHAUN BROWN
JAN 2022
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D E V I N
H A N E Y
T E O F I M O
L O P E Z
THE RISE A N D FA L L OF THE 4
JAN 2022
PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING
G E R V O N T A
D A V I S
R Y A N
‘NEW FOUR K I N G S’ PHOTOS FROM RYAN HAFEY/PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS & TOM HOGAN/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
G A R C I A
CONTINUES
JAN 2022
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EDITOR MARK BUTCHER LOOKS AT HOW AN APPARENTLY ERA-DEFINING RIVALRY WAS FORMED THEN DISSOLVED INSIDE 12 MISFIRING MONTHS AMID A WHIRLWIND OF HYPERBOLE, AND QUERIES THE BALANCE AND OBJECTIVITY OF BOXING BROADCASTERS. hese days almost everyone talks a good fight on social media, but the reality and the rhetoric scarcely match. Fingers are far busier than fists. Don’t believe the tweets or the hype, your average champion doesn’t really want that smoke without almost every advantage stacked in their favour.
...then didn’t fight again in 2021, citing out-of-the-ring issues. Inevitably, none of the ‘New Four Kings’ - Garcia, Davis, Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney - fought each other in 2021, exchanging only verbal rather than physical blows. Par for the course. They were never going to gamble that ‘0’.
We’re locked in an era of risk assessment where too many of boxing’s leading lights are content to avoid one another inside a four-title system that tolerates the path of least resistance, and celebrates it with the award of largely meaningless belts rattling off a conveyor belt in New Jersey.
A cheerleading DAZN waving its metaphorical pom poms and proclaiming a then 22-year-old Garcia as boxing’s ‘second coming’ off the back of one good performance can’t really have helped the Californian’s state of mind. Garcia’s career remains on hold - though he’s backing tweeting ‘burns’ - while the other ‘Kings’ can reflect on a 2021 of mixed fortunes.
At the start of 2021, four gifted and unbeaten American lightweights were lauded…by Americans…as the ‘New Four Kings’ after the marketable Ryan Garcia rose from the canvas to beat a past-his-best Luke Campbell. Desperate for a new poster boy, DAZN’s thirsty hyperbole sent spittle projecting into orbit because Garcia is a good-looking kid with an enviable social media reach. A buoyant Garcia immediately set his sights on big-hitting rival Gervonta Davis:
“I’M ON A MISSION TO KNOCK OUT GERVONTA DAVIS IN TWO ROUNDS. TWO ROUNDS THIS MAN WILL GO DOWN. TWO ROUNDS, THAT’S A PROMISE.” …then Manny Pacquiao: “A dream turned reality. It’s an honour to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out the ring. Here’s to the best man winning.”
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The diminutive Davis is a captivating puncher with crossover appeal, but his affiliation with Al Haymon would seem to proclude him from fighting the other three, currently housed with rival promoters. PBC’s apparent reluctance to let outsiders in would position Davis away from his rivals unless one of the trio jumps ship or the WBA, his sanctioning body of choice, pushes an unlikely mandatory. After his humbling points defeat to George Kambosos, following numerous postponements, Lopez is in turmoil and needs time to rebuild, probably with a new trainer, inevitably at 140lbs. He may have been deposed but is young and talented enough to come again with the right focus. The jury is out, however, after a listless display against an inspired Kambosos, compounded by a delusional view of the events that took place inside the ring.
Under the radar, Haney had the best year of the foursome with solid wins against genuine top 10 players in Jorge Linares and Joseph Diaz. Now petitioning for an undisputed title fight with Kambosos, Haney could emerge from the pack in 2022. The youngest of the four, his career at least seems to be steadily building in momentum. The irony is another American – the unspoken fifth king Shakur Stevenson – is arguably the best of the whole bunch. Two-weight champion Stevenson’s devil and dash in pounding Jamel Herring to a one-sided defeat in October suggests he has a greater role to play in this cautionary tale. Whilst Haney is sometimes lauded as the ‘new Mayweather’, that label may fit Stevenson better if he retains his discipline. This coming year could be the one where current 130-pounder Stevenson reaches for the stars while his rivals choose to DM them. In our criminally diluted sport, it’s highly unlikely that the now fractured, ‘New Four Kings’ Davis, Garcia, Haney and Lopez could ever match the achievements of the grand originals Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard though fighting one another would have been a good start. Talk is cheap, but talk fuels our sport in the social media age. Your average boxing story is about a fight that will never happen. Fighters, promoters, TV networks, the obstacles are many. Comparing this young quartet to the imperious Four Kings, who battled one another nine times while forging an inexorable path to greatness, was pure sacrilege but emblematic of the ‘casual’ broadcaster/fan times we live in. Much of the blame for this rattling hype train rests on the shrinking shoulders of boxing’s TV networks who have somehow jettisoned objectivity and balance to pimp the next star or subpar Pay-Per-View (PPV) of their promoter in situ. Promoters are naturally gonna promote, but broadcasters should be an extension of journalism, rather than the resident fluffer S H A K U R S T E V E N S O N for boxing promotions. Shill analysts are now commonplace on boxing broadcasts, happy clapping the house fighter’s latest, One rues the point where boxing commentary and analysis predictable win. Bristling Larry Merchant figures are desperately swung from sporting context to over-hammed entertainment needed in this era of rampant backslapping and bonhomie. and cold-hearted salesmanship. With rivals regularly swerving one another, television Broadcasters should critique a house fighter, not sell him. Give us cheerleading rubs further salt in the wound for more seasoned an objective and educated opinion, demand better than knock viewers. We’re no longer regarded as fight aficionados, but wide- overs and foregone conclusions. Today, so many boxing matches eyed consumers who, if bombarded enough by a relentless 24are nothing more than appearances, rather than genuine hour news cycle, will purchase any old bunk, if someone flips contests, missing the vital element of sporting doubt and intrigue over a table or fabricates a fake beef at a press conference. that makes boxing so intoxicating on its best nights. It seems PBC will now PPV almost anything (see Charles Martin vs Luis Ortiz, Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios) while recent Matchroom PPV undercards have been more likely to fill the venue’s bars rather than put bums on seats.
PHOTO FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
If TV networks remember their duty to enforce a sense of quality control, then our sport will raise the bar and more meaningful fights will happen. Real kings can rise, rather than hide behind screens.
JAN 2022
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DEC 2021
PHOTO FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING
THE YEAR OF THE UPSET BY G R A H A M H O U STO N
IBHOF INDUCTEE GRAHAM HOUSTON REFLECTS ON A THRILLING YEAR OF BOXING UPSETS WHERE A NUMBER OF UNDERDOGS HAVE TORN UP THE FORM BOOK. JAN 2022
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ne after the other, favourites have been falling. There has never been a year quite like 2021. Massive favourites have lost in bouts where few gave the underdogs a chance. Why are so many upsets occurring? Well, today, fighters usually don’t stay in the gym year-round. So, a boxer has to lose weight as part of the initial training camp. Champions no longer take part in non-title bouts. Boxers simply aren’t as year-round active as once was the case. And, with the day-before weigh-in, a boxer might simply stay too long in a weight class he has outgrown and just doesn’t have it on fight night. (As might have been the case in Teo Lopez’ upset defeat against George Kambosos). Meanwhile, an underdog who is hungry for success, is in optimum fighting shape and who genuinely believes he can win, is always going to have a chance.
For the first four rounds, everything was working out fine for Galahad. He was outboxing Kiko, winning the rounds. But Martinez was always looking to wing over a big right hand. And he nailed Galahad with a big, looping right hand in the closing moments of the fifth round, dropping him hard. Although Galahad got up, he was finished for the night. The bell saved him but he seemed to be in a fog coming out for the sixth and Spain’s La Sensacion landed another right hand for a sensational win.
overwhelming him. But Yabuki withstood the onslaught, fired back, and now it was Kenshiro who was hurt and wilting, and the referee waved the finish with one second remaining in the 10th round. Yabuki was a 6/1 underdog.
AND SO IT WENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
In Russia, South African veteran Thabiso Mchunu was too smart and too slick for the long and lanky Olympic gold medallist Evgeny Tishchenko in an all-southpaw This fight showed that a veteran who is in cruiserweight contest. Mchunu was a 5/1 shape, who has come to win and who can (+500) underdog. In Australia, the battlepunch is always going to have a shot at tested Filipino, Joe Noynay, was much pulling off an upset. too strong for rising star Liam Wilson, who had won all nine bouts but had never Another upset win by a Spanish boxer met anyone as dangerous previously. In saw southpaw Sandor Martin use quick, hindsight, it was a bad match-up from the in-and-out attacks and counter punches Wilson perspective. He just wasn’t ready to bemuse a lacklustre Mikey Garcia. for Noynay, who dropped him four times Perhaps Garcia was unmotivated and and knocked him out in the fifth round. But Let’s look at some of the 2021 shockers. overconfident for what looked on paper Wilson had been looking so impressive I’ve referenced Lopez and Kambosos. like a routine 10-rounder. He likely saw This was one of the year’s major surprises. Martin as easy work. But Martin deserved with his fast, sharp, aggressive style that it’s Both men were undefeated, but Lopez respect as European 140lbs champion and easy to understand why he was installed had won the higher-level fights, including riding a nine-bout winning run. Martin was the favourite. Those who backed Noynay’s experience over Wilson’s promise would an upset victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko, a 9/1 (+900) underdog. have done well at odds about 5/1 (+500). while Kambosos’ best wins were split Surprises were happening all over the decisions over faded veterans Lee Selby Wilson certainly wasn’t the only fancied world. In Japan, Masamichi Yabuki did and Mickey Bey. prospect who lost his unbeaten record the unexpected by stopping undefeated in 2021. In the US, we saw 8/1 (+800) However, Kambosos brought enormous Kenshiro Teraji in the 10th round of their underdog Kenneth Sims outslick Elvis self-belief into the lightweight title bout. 108lbs championship bout. Kenshiro had Rodriguez, the powerful-punching He felt the timing was right for him. And he been champion for four years and was Dominican southpaw who just didn’t fought like a winner, dropping a reckless making his ninth title defence. Yabuki Lopez in the first round and consistently looked a solid fighter and a good puncher seem to be into the fight. Top Rank later dropped Rodriguez from its promotional outboxing and even outpunching him for but he was making an enormous step up roster. And Philadelphia’s James Martin, a split decision that should have been in class. Kenshiro, surely, would be too son of former light-heavy contender unanimous. Down in the 10th round, experienced at the world-class level and Jerry “The Bull” Martin, proved a bit too Kambosos rallied to outwork Lopez in the too talented? But, no, the determined savvy for New Jersey up-and-comer Vito 11th and at this point in the proceedings Yabuki didn’t read the script and he was Mielnicki, who let rounds slip away while he basically only had to stay on his feet no respecter of reputations. looking to land perfect punches. Those to achieve one of the greatest victories Yabuki came out strong and confident who figured Martin had a real chance of an ever achieved by an Australian boxer. and he got off to a great start, jabbing well upset against a talented, hard-hitting but Kambosos went into the bout a 5/1 and timing Kenshiro for hard shots. The relatively untested youngster could have (+500 underdog). challenger swept the first five rounds on snared odds of 10/1 (+1000) on Even more shocking, in terms of betting two of the judges’ cards. The champion the underdog. odds and because of the dramatic ending, was getting hit far too easily. But Kenshiro was Kiko Martinez flattening featherweight is game and he’s a warrior and, blood champion Kid Galahad in the sixth round. streaming from a cut over his right eye, he Not many saw that one coming. Kiko was mounted a huge rally in the 10th round. 35 years old. He’d lost 10 times. Galahad It looked as if Kenshiro had turned the seemed to be boxing better than ever. tide. He was backing up Yabuki, almost Martinez came in as a 7/1 (+700) underdog.
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BUT THERE WERE SO MANY SHOCKERS IN 2021 THAT IF THEY ASKED ME I COULD WRITE A BOOK. HERE ARE THE TOP 10 UPSETS OF 2021 IN TERMS OF BETTING ODDS, NOT FIGHTIMPORTANCE OR GLOBAL IMPACT:
MAURICIO LARA
10/1 (+1000)
J O S H WA R R I N G T O N JAMES MARTIN 10/1 (+1000) VITO MIELNICKI
SANDOR MARTIN 9/1 (+900) MIKEY GARCIA
JASON CUNNINGHAM 9/1 (+900) G A M A L YA F A I
KENNETH SIMS 8/1 (+800) E LV I S R O D R I G U E Z
J O VA N N I S T R A F F O N 8/1 (+800) JAMES TENNYSON
KIKO MARTINEZ 8/1 (+800) KID GALAHAD
JOSE DE JESUS MACIAS 8/1 (+800) STEVEN BUTLER
ANDREY FEDOSOV 8/1 (+800) MAHAMMADRASUL MAJIDOV
GABRIEL ROSADO 8/1 (+800) BEKTEMIR MELIKUZIEV
PHOTO FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
JAN 2022
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E N I G M A VA R I AT I O N S :
THE MANY STORIES T H AT M A D E OLEKSANDR USYK BY LUKE G. WILLIAMS 12
JAN 2022
PHOTO FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
OLEKSANDR USYK IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE BEST BOXERS IN THE WORLD, HE’S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST MYSTERIOUS AND ENIGMATIC. LUKE G. WILLIAMS GOES IN SEARCH OF THE MAN BEHIND THE GAP-TOOTHED SMILE… he Oleksandr Usyk story is best Dortmund and moved his professional told through smaller stories. record to 13-0. Vignettes if you like. Moments from a remarkable life that have shaped a remarkable champion.
LET’S START FOUR YEARS AGO. In many respects. it was a lifetime ago; before the fractured and fractious world of the pandemic, back when Oleksandr Usyk had just defended his WBO cruiserweight title against Marco Huck in
He was a world champion and an Olympic gold medallist but outside of specialist boxing circles or his native Ukraine he was – essentially – still cloaked in anonymity.
“When I think about the times I’ve had with Usyk, the moment that stands out for me is after the Marco Huck fight in Germany,” Anber explains. “Usyk and I left the hotel and we walked a couple of hundred metres down the street. No one bothered us. We went to a kebab shop, bought a couple of kebabs and walked back and ate them in the hotel lobby. Again, no one bothered us.
Usyk’s cornerman, cutman and former trainer Russ Anber told this story to Boxing Social. It’s a story which sheds “I think back to that night and the way that light on what life was like for Usyk back then, and how his life has changed now … Usyk’s world has changed since then is just extraordinary. and forever.
PHOTO FROM WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES
CONTINUES
JAN 2022
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He couldn’t do that any more. That’s a measure of how far he’s come, how much he has achieved and the popularity he now has. He’s recognisable across the world now. Back then we were just two guys walking down the street eating kebab, and now he’s an international star.” After unifying all four cruiserweight titles via the World Boxing Super Series with victories against Huck, Mairis Briedis and then Murat Gassiev, Usyk turned his attention - of course - to the heavyweight division. Much scepticism greeted his desire to campaign in the unlimited weight class, particularly after unconvincing performances against Chazz Witherspoon and Dereck Chisora in his first two bouts at heavyweight. The consensus opinion was that Usyk was too small to make an impact at heavyweight. But his fistic masterclass against Anthony Joshua on a memorable night in September proved the cynics and the sceptics wrong. “He completely dispelled the notion that it is size above all else that is important at heavyweight,” Anber argues. “It isn’t – it’s skill that makes the difference.” Usyk is undeniably skilful, but his appeal extends beyond mere athletic excellence, for the 34-year-old is also a consummate showman. He possesses a zany and endearing smile; his English is broken and sometimes faltering but his inflections and speech patterns are those of a confident comedian, albeit a surreal one. At the media work-out ahead of the Joshua showdown, Usyk even adopted the guise of a circus entertainer, grinning broadly and entertaining the slightly perplexed crowd and media with an exhibition of juggling rather than shadow boxing. And then there’s the post-fight Cossack dancing... “He’s always himself – nothing is for show,” is Anber’s view of Usyk’s almost clownlike persona. “He doesn’t go out of his way to do crazy things. The funny things he does or says are truly a reflection of his character. He is so endearing.”
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ANBER CITES A RECENT EXAMPLE OF USYK’S PROPENSITY TO PLAYFULNESS. IT’S ANOTHER VIGNETTE, ANOTHER STORY. “When I was in New York for the [Vasiliy] Lomachenko-[Richard] Commey fight, they brought in Tyson Fury as a guest to sing happy birthday to Bob Arum. Fury and Arum then lined up for a photo and Usyk photobombed them. It was brilliant. Neither Arum nor Fury knew it was going on and then Usyk went quietly back to his seat. He stole the show, and he stole the show just by being Oleksandr Usyk.”
Take this story told by Usyk back in 2017, in the lead-up to the pivotal Huck fight. “Until I was six years old, I had no worries whatsoever,” he declared. “I just enjoyed life. But in 1991 or 92, when I was six, we moved to my mother’s village as the Soviet Union collapsed. So, when I was growing up, I understood that not everything was easy for my family, especially in terms of finance. To cut a long story short, it was hard.
Yes, in many respects Usyk wears the mask of a clown or a joker – he even donned a Joaquin Phoenix-style Joker suit for his final press conference ahead of the Joshua fight – but there is another dimension to his character which is deadly serious. And for the amateur psychiatrists out there, seeking – ‘Citizen Kane’-style – to find Usyk’s ‘Rosebud’ moment which formed his character and motivations for ever more, there is plenty of evidence to go on.
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
“We all try to reach heights in our lives, I was penniless when I was a child but I was sure my time would come. From when I was a little boy, I would tell my mother that one day I would be very famous. I would have a helicopter and a very large house where we would all live.
why he was so curious, the young Usyk is said to have replied: “Because I will see him soon. I heard my mum speaking with the doctors and they said I was very sick.”
I REMEMBER ONE DAY WE “ WERE SITTING IN THE
And from that day forward, Usyk followed the Christian faith.
Commey fight, Usyk went to church,” Anber explains. “When he then saw me in the hotel lobby afterwards, he gave me one of the icons he’d got from the church. I’ve also got a crucifix that he gave me in the past. These things mean more to me than if he gave me a Rolex. He’s very religious. He’s quite private about it but he and Loma both have a very strong Christian faith.”
It’s a powerful story and Usyk’s faith is certainly a vital component which has helped him develop a seemingly unshakeable confidence in his own abilities.
As well as being motivated by faith and his childhood experiences of poverty, Usyk is also motivated by a desire to honour his father, who died not long after he won Olympic gold in the London 2012 Games.
“My faith has made me stronger,” he has declared. “The sign of the cross protects me from Judas, from unfaithful friends, from the snake and from harm. I am thankful to God for everything I have - for when you believe in God you are a little bit stronger.”
It was his father – a man with a harsh military background - who had to curtail Usyk’s teenage love of football for financial reasons and steer him towards boxing instead.
KITCHEN AND I TOLD HER: ‘WITH THESE HANDS I WILL DO EVERYTHING SO YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO WORK, MY DEAR MOTHER.’ AND SHE LAUGHED AT ME.
”
There’s another story in circulation about Usyk, possibly apocryphal, possibly not.
The priest informed Usyk that it was not the doctors who would decide if he lived or died, but God.
“He was very strict with me,” Usyk once reflected of his father. “Sometimes With those he knows well, Usyk shares his I think he was too strict. When I talk Again, he was aged six, and he was very faith. Indeed, among Russ Anber’s most with other kids of my age their parents ill in hospital. His ward was visited by an prized possessions are two items Usyk weren’t like that. But now I can see that Orthodox Christian Priest. The young has gifted him: a crucifix and an icon. “As such strictness made me who I am now. Usyk asked the priest many questions [Because he’s dead] it’s difficult. about God and when the priest asked him is his custom, before the Lomachenko-
CONTINUES
JAN 2022
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I can’t talk to him. I can’t say things to him. “He doesn’t say anything he just smiles. I can’t thank him for bringing me into it, for Before he passed away, he was sick but supporting me.” in my dreams he is healthy and happy.”
ALL OF WHICH BRINGS US TO OUR FINAL OLEKSANDR USYK STORY. A story about his father that he has told himself. “When I won gold, my father was already sick. He came over one day to [my uncle’s] bar with a collection of five or six expensive alcoholic drinks he had. “My uncle asked him: ‘Where are you going with your collection?’ And he said: ‘I want to treat people because my son became an Olympic champion.’ “About an hour later my father came back. My uncle saw that the bottles were still corked. ‘How come you didn’t treat anyone?’ Dad said with a sigh: ‘I couldn’t find anyone worthy,’ and he left.” Usyk still sees his father sometimes, in dreams before he fights.
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And proud no doubt, surely proud, of the man and the fighter his son has become. One day, Usyk will retreat back home for good himself, for he too is a father. He might be at his happiest then, when the roar of the crowd has subsided and the jokes and the juggling and the Cossack dancing are just for the benefit and private pleasure of his friends and family rather than the gaze of the world’s media. He said it himself after he defeated Joshua, sitting backstage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with his face bruised and cut and his body weary, as he reflected on the months he had spent training away from home and his beloved family. “I wanted to take all four belts. But I wanted to take my kids to school. I wanted to plant trees. I wanted to water the apple trees. I wanted to see my wife more often. I spent three months in camp. I want to live.”
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
IT’S A POWERFUL STORY AND USYK’S FAITH IS CERTAINLY A VITAL COMPONENT WHICH HAS HELPED HIM DEVELOP A SEEMINGLY UNSHAKEABLE CONFIDENCE IN HIS OWN ABILITIES.
JAN 2022
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JANUARY 2021 IN REVIEW LUKE G. WILLIAMS RECALLS A JANUARY FULL OF OPTIMISM THAT FEATURED GIDDY TALK OF AN ALLBRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN BETWEEN RIVAL CHAMPIONS TYSON FURY AND ANTHONY JOSHUA, AND THE APPARENT RISE OF A SUPERSTAR IN MARKETABLE LIGHTWEIGHT RYAN GARCIA. 18
JAN 2022
PHOTOS FROM TOM HOGAN/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS & SEAN MICHAEL HAM/TGB PROMOTIONS
s 2020 gave way to 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic showed no signs of staying down for a 10 count, while boxing’s capacity to amaze and frustrate in fairly equal measure remained the sport’s most abiding characteristic. Januarys often begin with optimism and good intentions – no alcohol, more exercise and less takeaways anyone? and this year was no exception, as boxing did its best to match the long-established tradition of promising to turn over a new leaf with much positive and breezy talk of when and where Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury might finally fight for all the heavyweight marbles. Joshua teased the possibility of a summer Wembley showdown once the strictures of the pandemic had eased, while Eddie Hearn made metronomically upbeat predictions of an impending deal. How the following months played out would make fools of those who assured us that Fury-Joshua was an inevitability, while also hardening the cynicism of those who insist that boxing’s raison d’etre is to shoot itself in the foot with alarming regularity. Inside the ring, January was a month that began with a bang but then went nowhere pretty fast – a description that also can be applied to Ryan Garcia’s year. The California wunderkind featured in the first major fight of the year, climbing off the canvas prior to TKO-ing Luke Campbell in round seven of a thrilling contest on January 2 for the WBC Interim lightweight title. Having demonstrated heart, power and speed in abundance the 23-year-old KingRy’s career looked set for lift-off. Optimistic talk was soon swirling around social media about a new generation of ‘Four Kings’ – Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez – being set to cross swords and raise the sport’s profile to unprecedented post-millennial heights. Garcia himself spoke boldly about wanting to take on Davis next, vowing to destroy him in two rounds.
ring in 2021, while Lopez’s reign as king of the lightweights would end in his first defence of the crown he had wrested from Vasiliy Lomachenko. As for Garcia, he wouldn’t fight again in 2021, withdrawing from a July 9 date with Javier Fortuna after admitting he was struggling with anxiety and depression.
“
STEPHEN FULTON BECAME THE LATEST IN A LONG LINE OF WORLD CHAMPIONS FROM THE GREAT FIGHTING CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. ”
There was no fight action at all in the UK in January, after the country entered another period of Covid-enforced lockdown. But the United States – with customary optimism, even if it was optimism that often ignored science – soldiered on, offering a few precious slices of world title action, including the first of two 2021 ring appearances of a man who, come December, had mounted a decent claim to be named among the fighters of the year. Stephen Fulton became the latest in a long line of world champions from the great fighting city of Philadelphia when he deposed Angelo Leo as WBO super-bantamweight champion via unanimous points decision
on January 23 in a fight that had twice been delayed due to Covid. After the all-action bout, the talented Fulton declared: “I want champions, I want to be undisputed.” Refreshingly, he meant it, too – as before the year was out he would also collect the WBC superbantam title. If Fulton provided the month’s pugilistic highlight then – unquestionably – Bermane Stiverne and Trevor Bryan provided the low light as they squared off for the WBA’s ‘Regular’ heavyweight title in a woeful Don King promoted show labelled ‘Return to Greatness’ on January 29. For the record, Bryan won via 11thround TKO of a fight that – incredibly – was not quite as bad as many feared it would be, but still left all who watched it feeling slightly unclean. One night later, Nashville supermiddleweight Caleb Plant defended his IBF crown for the third time with a shutout points win against former title holder Caleb Truax. Plant would end the year without that title, of course, due to the brilliance of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez who confirmed in early January that his days at middleweight were over, thus putting the world’s top 168lb-ers on notice that he was coming after their belts. The seeds of perhaps the year’s most compelling pugilistic quest – namely Canelo’s insatiable desire to become an undisputed, four-belt champion – had been sown.
The ‘new Four Kings’ hype and talk would prove all too cheap. None of this talented but ultimately pretty well protected and pampered quartet would meet in the
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FEBRUARY 2021 IN REVIEW JOHN A. MACDONALD CASTS AN EYE BACK ON A FEBRUARY TH AT SET THE THEME FOR A YEAR OF UPSETS AS WELL AS FEATURING A STIRRING KO VICTORY FOR OSCAR VALDEZ IN HIS ALLMEXICAN BAT TLE WITH RIVAL MIGUEL BERCHELT.
ritish boxing returned from a Covid-induced hiatus on February 13 with a behind closed-doors event headlined by Josh Warrington. The ‘Leeds Warrior’ was hoping to secure career-defining fights, despite having vacated his IBF featherweight title three weeks previous rather than face mandatory challenger Kid Galahad for a second time.
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JAN 2022
Warrington felt that 10/1 underdog Mauricio Lara would be a more suitable opponent after 16 months out of the ring. The visitor made a mockery of those odds, dropping Warrington in the fourth round before repeating the feat in the ninth, obliging referee Howard Foster to halt the contest. The inquest started immediately. Many theories were put forward, but one hypothesis that that did
not enter the discussion was that Lara may just be the better fighter. The duo would meet again in September. The chief support almost, and perhaps should have, featured another shocking upset as Zelfa Barrett claimed a contentious decision victory against Kiko Martinez in a super-featherweight bout. The pre-fight perception was that
PHOTO FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
Martinez was a former champion, past his best, being fed to a prospect on the rise. If that was the script, Martinez did not read it, as he applied constant pressure and dictated the terms of the fight. Barrett had his moments late on, but they were few and far between. The judges however saw a different bout altogether and handed victory to the Mancunian by wide unanimous decision. This was the first time, but certainly not the last, scoring on British shores would be called into question during 2021. On the same night, on the other side of the Atlantic, Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov challenged for the IBF super-featherweight title. His opponent Joseph Diaz lost the belt on the scales as he weighed in three-anda-half pounds over the divisional limit of 130lbs. The pair were evenly matched and produced a solid, if unspectacular fight. Neither man appear to have done enough to conclusively secure victory, which turned out to be the case as the judges scored it a majority draw. On the same bill, Brian Castaño captured the WBO super-welterweight strap with a dominant performance against Brazilian rival Patrick Teixeira. The Argentine’s unanimous decision victory set up a fight with WBC, WBA Super and IBF king Jermell Charlo to potentially crown an undisputed champion at the weight in July. The underdogs continued to spring surprises on February 20. Firstly, Josh Kelly fell short when he challenged David
Avanesyan for the European welterweight title. The 2016 Olympian had been rated as one of the best prospects in Britain and, as a result, had been fast-tracked during the infancy of his professional career. However, the 32-year-old Russian proved too big a step up in class for Kelly. The man from the North East was bigger, faster and flashier in the opening five rounds, but was forced to work far harder than he would have liked. In the sixth, Avanesyan made the pressure count, sending Kelly to the canvas twice before forcing the Englishman’s trainer Adam Booth to throw in the towel. On the same bill, Robbie Davies Jr. became the second home fighter to lose to an unfancied Mexican in the space of a week. Gabriel Gollaz Valenzuela knocked down Davies in the third round, had a point deducted in the fourth frame for punching on the break and survived some questionable scorecards to secure a majority decision victory. Davies was on the verge of walking away from the sport following the defeat but has since looked rejuvenated under the tutelage of Shane McGuigan.
Broner announced that he would be campaigning at 140lbs. However, the day before the weigh-in, the fight was moved to the welterweight limit of 147lbs. What is it they say about leopards and spots? In the early stages of the fight, Broner appeared as reluctant to let his hands go as he had been in previous fights, with his opponent Jovanie Santiago outworking him. Broner finally displayed some urgency and quality in the latter stages, doing enough to earn a contentious decision victory, his first win in four years.
Oscar Valdez continued the run of surprising results later that same night as he dominated Miguel Berchelt, dropping his rival three times en route to a 10th round technical knockout victory to win the WBC super-featherweight crown. Valdez had spent years as a proponent of the manly art of no defence but produced a display of smart boxing, mixed with crisp punching under the shrewd guidance of Eddy Reynoso.
On February 27 in Miami, boxing’s Pound-For-Pound Numero Uno Canelo Alvarez began his 2021 campaign to seize the undisputed super-middleweight championship of the world with a third-round retirement win over WBC mandatory Avni Yildirim. Despite being a total mismatch, it was a necessary evil for the Mexican superstar who had to deal with the WBC’s undeserving challenger before facing rival champions Billy Joe Saunders and Canelo Plant in unifications later in the year. But in this Covid-19 affected era, Canelo’s drive and activity lifted the sport through some dark times.
Adrien Broner returned from a two-year absence, with claims that he had turned over a new leaf. As a show of good faith,
PHOTOS FROM TOM HOGAN/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS & MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING JAN 2022
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MARCH 2021 IN REVIEW 22
JAN 2022
CRAIG SCOTT REVIEWS A MARCH WHERE DILLIAN WHYTE FOUND REDEMPTION ON THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR AND CRUISERWEIGHT KING LAWRENCE OKOLIE ANNOUNCED HIMSELF AS A SERIOUS PLAYER ON THE WORLD STAGE, WITH SUPER-FLYWEIGHT PHENOMS JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA AND ROMAN GONZALEZ SERVING UP A CLASSIC REMATCH IN DALLAS. PHOTO FROM DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
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G ONZALEZ EMERGED WITH PLENTY OF CREDIT AFTER SEEMINGLY PROVING THERE’S LIFE IN THE OLD DOG.
pring had truly sprung this year, with boxing experiencing a mixture of resurrections and definitive endings. March marked the one-year anniversary of the strictest pandemic restrictions and, as boxing twisted and turned to maintain its frequency of events, the month kicked off with the self-styled ‘GWOAT’ winning yet another fight, as Flint, Michigan’s mouthy talent Claressa Shields toppled Canada’s Marie Eva Dicaire. It felt like business as usual; Shields by unanimous decision, and a sense of bemusement as the fight tried to steal a sizeable payper-view bounty. Shields spent the year switch-hitting, not from left and right stances, but between boxing and MMA.
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March 20 was an enormous night for an enormous British talent, as Lawrence Okolie faced Krzysztof Glowacki for his maiden world honour, the WBO cruiserweight title. We’ve heard all about Okolie’s former career, earning minimum The co-main, a rematch between former wage serving up burgers and fries, and Queen and supremely dominant, multion this night he looked as cold as an ice division champion Cecilia Braekhus and cream sundae (I know, I know). In facing the tenacious Jessica McCaskill was a Glowacki, Okolie was facing a genuine cliched question of repeat or revenge? contender and former champion; he Braekhus had suffered her only loss at was clinical, punishing and unforgiving. the hands of McCaskill in the autumn Glowacki couldn’t reach the fifth round, of the year previous and, sadly for the with Okolie battering the Pole into Scandinavian, both hands remained firmly submission under the tutelage of new at her side once again. McCaskill is now trainer Shane McGuigan. a real player in women’s boxing and it CONTINUES appears Braekhus has done enough. showcasing two of the super-flyweight division’s best, not now, but ever. For Estrada, talks of a third fight were initially welcomed, but he left with a split decision win and a couple of shiny trinkets.
Just a week later, Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom USA venture visited Dallas’ American Airlines Center, as two of the sport’s highly-anticipated rematches took place on the same card. Nicaragua’s superstar, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, was expected to lose to Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada, with the pair last squaring off eight-anda-half years prior. On that occasion, the former emerged victorious, but on this night in Texas the Mexican toppled his former conqueror – albeit somewhat contentiously. Gonzalez emerged with plenty of credit after seemingly proving there’s life in the old dog yet… but hasn’t fought since. It was a wonderful fight,
PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING
JAN 2022
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WHATEVER YOU THINK OF WHYTE, HE COMES TO FIGHT AND HE FACES ADVERSITY HEAD-ON.
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The Londoner’s career appears to one of the nation’s most promising and, thankfully, carrying the weight of British boxing on his back shouldn’t be an issue – it’s enormous. Run-outs for Anthony Fowler and Chris Billam-Smith crowned a successful evening for the McGuigan stable, with ‘The Gentleman’ following Okolie’s progress just a half-step behind. A delightful performance from Catford’s Ellie Scotney lit up the opening of Matchroom’s card that night and you’d imagine that next year she’ll own a portion of those world titles herself. Joe Cordina beat Faroukh Kurbanov, but questions remain: How does the Welshman crack the top table at super-featherweight? And then, there was Gibraltar. As if Dillian Whyte’s head wasn’t intimidating enough on posters and media coverage, they had to mould it into official currency. Rumour has it that Eddie Hearn still believes the referee is administering the 10-count from Whyte’s shocking loss to Russian spoiler Alexander Povetkin in 2020, but the brash, affable promoter had no fear staging an event on ‘The Rock’ and placing faith in one of his most exciting
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heavyweights. The Brits travelled to Gibraltar as lockdowns began to ease slightly, and the beautiful backdrop seemed to have everybody excited. Truth be told, Povetkin – despite being decked out in a garish tracksuit and accompanied by a terrifying rogues’ gallery - wasn’t at the races. He’d
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THE BRIXTON MAN WAS FOCUSED AND HIS THUDDING PUNCHES WERE TELLING EARLY. ”
recovered from Covid-19 though had never recovered from being in his forties, but Whyte had a job to do, nonetheless. The Brixton man was focused and his thudding punches were telling early. Povetkin, although seasoned and often happy fanning the flames of the fire, couldn’t withstand the relentless onslaught. Whatever you think of Whyte, he comes to fight and he faces adversity head-on. On that night, on that Rock,
Dillian Whyte rolled away the stone and returned to elite, professional boxing. Now, we wait. Whyte’s undercard featured his own Usual Suspects, with Chris Kongo stepping up to tackle the ever-tricky Michael McKinson. While plenty fancied the South Londoner to set the pace for his manager’s performance later that night, Portsmouth’s McKinson dazzled yet again. Many have been guilty of doubting the Brit, but his domestic resume is as good as any, and now, as he starts to see some of the best in the world ranked just above and below him, it’s time to push on once more. Does McKinson challenge at the top of the toasty welterweight tree? It’s a huge ask, but I’ve been wrong about the unbeaten fighter before.
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
APRIL 2021 IN REVIEW SHAUN BROWN LOOKS BACK AT A MONTH WHERE A BELFAST BOXING ICON CALLED IT A DAY, SUNNY EDWARDS PUT ON A CLINIC AGAINST ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ESTABLISHED WORLD CHAMPIONS AND THE RISE OF CONOR BENN CONTINUED APACE. he beginning of April brought the memorable career of Carl Frampton to an end. Dubai played host to ‘The Jackal’s’ historic attempt at becoming Ireland’s first ever three-weight world champion. However, a good big man (WBO super-featherweight champion Jamel Herring) proved too fresh and powerful for a great little man. Herring needed just six rounds to retire a faded Frampton. The former two-weight world champion is now a staple of BT Boxing’s coverage and has his own podcast entitled ‘A Different League’. With more fight locations than ever, the action on April 3 shifted from Dubai to Uzbekistan as Murodjon Akhmadaliev, Israil Madrimov, Shakhram Giysasov and Hasanboy Dusmatov
PHOTOS FROM DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
all delivered the goods. Eventually, the super-bantamweight division got itself down to two champions and in 2022 we may just see Akhmadaliev and Stephen Fulton battling it out for undisputed glory. One week later and Conor Benn was a win away from moving his record to 18-0 and a month shy from a beard transplant #boxing. Benn was in destruction mode against the ‘best before 2018’ Samuel Vargas. Matchroom’s plans to mould a welterweight AJ continued as Benn crushed it in the ring with an 80-second demolition job.
CONTINUES JAN 2022
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BUT IF EVER A FIGHTER NEEDED AN ILLUSTRIOUS AND CAREER DEFINING YEAR IN 2022, IT’S ANDRADE.
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he same night at the Copper Box played host to Shannon Courtenay becoming the WBA bantamweight champion at the expense of high-profile Aussie Ebanie Bridges. Six months later, Courtenay’s career would end up in a mess for excuses that were best left unsaid. As Benn sent TV hyperbole into warp speed, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis didn’t play with his food either making light work of Sergey Lipinets. The highly-rated welterweight contender is the most credible threat to 147lb bosses Terence Crawford and Errol Spence. Demetrius Andrade’s middleweight reign of terror moved to Hollywood (Florida). ‘Boo Boo’ still isn’t anywhere near awards season but proved to be a level above Wales’ Liam Williams on April 17. But if ever a fighter needed an illustrious and career defining year in 2022, it’s Andrade. Jake Paul threw some punches at an MMA fighter in Atlanta and on the same show Regis Prograis showed what a real boxer looks like against Ivan Redkach, as he reminded us that ‘Rougarou’ is still very much a force around the 140lbs and 147lbs limit. The once unified super-lightweight champion had hoped to face Mikey Garcia in 2021 and is now linked to a fight with Belfast’s entertaining Tyrone McKenna. A marquee fight is a must for Prograis in 2022. A few days later, Marcus Browne put his fists to good use against Denis Grachev to book a world title date with Artur Beterbiev in December. Soon afterwards, Ryan Rozicki became Canadian
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JAN 2022
PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING & QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
cruiserweight champion, but little did he know he was six months away from a fight for the… WBC bridgerweight world title. In the final week of the month, Denzel Bentley put his British middleweight belt on the line in his first defence against Felix Cash. The Commonwealth champion left Matchroom HQ for a night and popped over to Queensberry, ending a fight, that had some of the British boxing community purring, in just three rounds. Too powerful and too experienced, Cash proved he is ready for the next level while his promoter Eddie Hearn likely had a grin the size of the chain of Nando’s.
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MTHALANE WAS LIKELY SEEING THREE SUNNYS IN THE RING SUCH WAS THE BAMBOOZLEMENT IN FRONT OF HIM.”
Callum Johnson won a three-round donnybrook with Emil Markic on the same show and now challenges Joe Smith for the WBO light-heavyweight title in January 2022, while heavy David Adeleye received some boxing education from Kamil Sokolowski. The Frank Warren hope was given a gift of a decision from referee Marcus McDonnell that should have proved any inexperienced heavyweight prospect would do well to stay away from the Pole, as underlined later in the year. The best of April was saved for the last. The braggadocious Sunny Edwards strolled into the York Hall uber-confident he would dethrone IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane. By the end of the fight, Mthalane was likely seeing three Sunnys in the ring such was the bamboozlement in front of him. The former flyweight boss still couldn’t hit the one in the middle as Edwards ran away with the fight and proved beyond doubt that he is an outstanding boxer and a worthy world champion. Unifications and The Ring belt are on Edwards’ 2022 wish list.
PHOTOS FROM QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
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MAY 2021 IN REVIEW
LUKE G. WILLIAMS REFLECTS ON A MONTH THAT SAW THE SPECTACULAR COLLAPSE OF THE LONG-TOUTED TYSON FURY VS ANTHONY JOSHUA MEGA-FIGHT BUT ALSO PRODUCED SOME OF THE PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR WITH STELLAR SHOWINGS BY JOSH TAYLOR, CANELO ALVAREZ AND THE AGELESS NONITO DONAIRE.
ay traditionally signifies the beginning of summer, and with it the promise of better things to come – including longer days and brighter weather. Yet a sense of gloom pervaded the heavyweight division in May 2021 with the news that an arbitrator in the United States had ordered Tyson Fury to grant Deontay Wilder a trilogy fight, thus stymieing the much anticipated and long-mooted showdown between the WBC champion and British rival Anthony Joshua. Many viewed a third meeting between the ‘Gypsy King’ and ‘Bronze Bomber’ as a futile exercise. In time, they would be proved oh so wrong, but that was for later in the year… In the ring, meanwhile, May began with Dereck Chisora and Joseph Parker headlining a Sky Box Office show at the Manchester Arena.
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PHOTOS FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK & ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING
The Kiwi heavyweight survived being knocked down just seven seconds into the contest to eke out a win that left Chisora – once again – on the wrong end of a close points verdict. “I’m getting upset now,” ‘War’ said after the fight, as he disputed the split decision. “I bring everything, and this is the treatment I get from boxing. I think they don’t like me… But you know what? I won’t let them slow me down. No way. I will go again.” Among the highlights of a packed undercard, Craig Richards impressed in pushing Dmitry Bivol the full 12 rounds for the WBA Super light-heavyweight crown, while Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas conjured an exciting repeat performance of their memorable battle at the London 2012 Olympiad for the undisputed lightweight crown – and once again it was the Irishwoman who had her hand raised. The next three weeks of a highquality month saw a trio of unification showdowns. First up – on May 8 - all eyes turned to the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – the consensus pound-for-pound king – embarked on leg three of his four-stage quest to be crowned undisputed supermiddleweight champion in front of a record indoor US attendance for a boxing match of 73,126. In the opposite corner to Canelo was undefeated WBO king Billy Joe Saunders, long trumpeted in some quarters as the sort of slippery southpaw who might give the Mexican fits. However, the 31-year-old from Hatfield was stalked and then brutally dissected by Canelo, a savage right uppercut causing horrendous damage to his right eye socket in round eight. Trainer Mark Tibbs mercifully halted proceedings before the start of the ninth.
Ramirez in Las Vegas. It was a tight contest that deserved better promotional ballyhoo behind it. The Californian had the edge early on, but the Scot made the necessary adjustments and turned the tide by scoring dual knockdowns in rounds six and seven. In a rare display of unanimity among officials, all three judges scored the fight 114-112 for the Tartan Tornado, who became just the fifth ‘four-belt’ male champion in recent boxing history. A busy month of high-quality action Equally devastating was Brandon concluded in Las Vegas with successful Figueroa’s May 15 KO of Luis Nery world title defences for WBC lightweight in a fascinating tussle between two ruler Devin Haney against Jorge Linares undefeated fighters for the WBC and WBA and WBC female super-lightweight ‘Regular’ super-bantamweight crowns. champ Chantelle Cameron against ‘The Heartbreaker’ Figueroa pulled off Melissa Hernandez. an upset victory thanks to his sheer Meanwhile, the same night in Carson, relentlessness. Nery tried to box and was California, the ever popular and ahead on the cards but tiring fast when in seemingly ageless Nonito Donaire round seven Figueroa caught him with a reinforced his already burgeoning Hall mighty left to the body to secure the finish. of Fame credentials with a fourth-round “I know everyone doubted me,” a jubilant stoppage of Nordine Oubaali to win the Figueroa commented after the fight. “But WBC bantamweight title, thus becoming here I am with the belts. We just took it – at 38 – the oldest man to hold a major to him. That was the plan, to break him.” 118lbs crown. Before the year was out, Figueroa would After the fight the popular Filipino be back in the ring in a further unification declared: “I believe that it matters not contest against another unbeaten foe – what your age is, it matters how you are Stephen Fulton. mentally, how strong you are mentally. I’m Josh Taylor rubberstamped his credentials ready for the next one!” It was an inspiring as one of the sport’s premier pound-forend to a month that delivered action and pound talents by unifying all four supersignificant contests in spades. lightweight belts on May 22 against Jose
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I KNOW EVERYONE DOUBTED ME...BUT HERE I AM WITH THE BELTS. WE JUST TOOK IT TO HIM. THAT WAS THE PLAN, TO BREAK HIM. ”
Brandon Figueroa
PHOTO FROM SEAN MICHAEL HAM/TGB PROMOTIONS
JAN 2022
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JUNE 2021 IN REVIEW
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JAN 2022
JOHN A. MACDONALD REVIEWS A MONTH WHERE DANIEL DUBOIS STARTED THE ROAD BACK TO HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENTION, ‘MONSTER’ NAOYA INOUE WREAKED MORE HAVOC AT 118LBS AND GERVONTA DAVIS CLAIMED A TITLE BELT IN A THIRD DIVISION.
PHOTO FROM AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME
JAN 2022
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y June, some semblance of normality was starting to emerge across the globe as Covid-19 restrictions eased, and the boxing world was no different as fans started returning to events to varying extents. Daniel Dubois kicked off the action for the month as he faced Bogdan Dinu on June 5. The bout saw the Londoner return to the ring for the first time since suffering a crushing defeat at the fists of Joe Joyce in November 2021. Since that loss, ‘DDD’ teamed up with trainer Shane McGuigan. There were signs of improvement from Dubois, but as he finished the fight in less than two rounds it will require sterner tests to evaluate his progress. On June 6, at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, the semi-retired Floyd Mayweather did what he does best and made a lot of money fighting a marketable but over-matched opponent. In a bout that had boxing purists watching through their fingers, but held curiosity value for so many others, YouTuber Logan Paul used his youth, size and a 34 ½lbs weight advantage to last the full eight rounds in an exhibition with the 44-year-old Mayweather. Floyd later insisted that he would have won in the first round if it was a ‘real fight’, but 0-1 pro Paul felt he left with a moral victory.
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Dennis Hobson staged a series of four events in the car park of Sheffield Arena throughout the month to coincide with the launch of the streaming platform FightZone. Is there anything more British than drunken people watching two men fight outside during the summer? The main events were all competitive with Matt Windle’s unanimous decision victory over Neil McCubbin, in a domestic fight of the year contender, being the pick of the bunch. It was the end of an era on June 12 as Eddie Hearn put on the final show off his nine-year partnership with Sky Sports. Rather than finishing with a flourish, Matchroom opted for a low-key event, representative of the diminishing standard of non-PPV fight nights in the final years of their deal. Lewis Ritson topped the bill against Jeremias Nicolas Ponce in a final eliminator for the IBF super-lightweight title. The man once dubbed the ‘Geordie Golovkin’ suffered a torrid evening as the relentless Argentine targeted his body from the opening bell. Ritson finally wilted under pressure as he slumped to the canvas in the 10th before his father threw in the towel only for referee Steve Gray to throw it back out to allow the bout to continue. It was reminiscent of Mickey Vann’s action in Graham Earl’s war with Michael Katsidis.
PHOTO FROM DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
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CHARLO OFTEN CUT A FRUSTRATED FIGURE AS HE FAILED TO SECURE THE PREDICTED KNOCKOUT.
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However, there was no Earl-esque comeback as Ritson suffered two subsequent knockdowns in the same frame, obliging the third man to halt the fight. On the same night, Shakur Stevenson edged a step closer to becoming a two-weight world champion as he captured the WBO Interim super-featherweight title against Jeremiah Nakathila. Stevenson dominated every minute of the fight, but was unable to secure a stoppage. His failure to halt his resilient but limited opponent led many to question whether he had the devilment necessary to become the sport’s next PPV superstar. Stevenson addressed those concerns later in the year. Consensus Pound-For-Pound No.2 (at the time), Naoya Inoue returned on June 19 defending his IBF and WBA superbantamweight crowns against Michael Dasmarinas. The ‘Monster’ was as destructive as ever, despatching his rival in the third round. In a rare promotional misstep, Top Rank has failed to secure meaningful fights for Inoue, with his only other outing of the year not televised in the US. On the undercard, Mikaela Meyer staked her claim as the best in her division with a comfortable decision victory over Erica Anabella Farias in a defence of her WBO super-featherweight title. Meyer handled the Argentine challenger with greater ease than current undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill did in two previous encounters.
That same night, Jaime Munguia earned a one-sided victory over Kamil Szeremeta. The Pole was never expected to pose a threat to Munguia, the only real question was would the former superwelterweight titleist be able to halt Szeremeta quicker than the seven rounds it took Gennadiy Golovkin six months previously. The answer was yes, as Munguia ground down his opponent’s resolve in the sixth. On the same bill, Gabe Rosado pulled off one of the upsets of the year with a one-punch knockout against then-undefeated Bektemir Melikuziev. Munguia and Rosado would clash later in the year. The action for the night concluded with Jermall Charlo taking on the awkward Juan Macias Montiel. Charlo often cut a frustrated figure as he failed to secure the predicted knockout. The Houston man retained his WBC middleweight title by wide unanimous decision but failed to cement his place as No.1 in the post-Canelo 160lbs landscape. The month concluded with one of the lightweight ‘Four Kings’ in action; unsurprisingly, not against one of the other three and, oddly, not at 135lbs. On June 26, Gervonta Davis displayed, once again, why he is one of the most exciting boxers on the planet with an assured performance against Mario Barrios. ‘Tank’ knocked down Barrios three times en route to an 11th round victory, capturing the WBA ‘Regular’ 140lbs belt in the process. Davis looks a Pound-For-Pound talent on the eye-test and, hopefully, he gets the big fights to prove it.
PHOTOS FROM ESTHER LIN/SHOWTIME, MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK & QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS JAN 2022
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JULY 2021 IN REVIEW
CRAIG SCOTT LOOKS BACK AT AN EARLY SUMMER OF FISTICUFFS WITH LEIGH WOOD PROVIDING ONE OF THE STORYLINES OF THE YEAR AFTER A ROUSING FINAL ROUND STOPPAGE OF THE FANCIED XU CAN, 154LBS KINGPINS JERMELL CHARLO AND BRIAN CASTAÑO BATTLING TO A STALEMATE IN TEXAS AND THE ‘JUGGERNAUT’ JOE JOYCE ROLLING ON TOWARDS A FUTURE WORLD TITLE SHOT. 34
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PHOTO FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
ight fans buckled up for suntan (sun burn/factor 50) season. And with summer in full swing, it was time for boxing to throw up one of many, many upsets in 2021. But we’ll get to that. Frank Warren decided to revisit the Albert Hall, a beautiful venue, criminally underused, to stage Lyndon Arthur’s return to the ring after that victory over Anthony Yarde. The proud Mancunian stopped his overmatched opponent in the ninth round and the rematch hype-train rolled on for everybody other than Arthur. He didn’t seem up for it, he wanted to move on, but this is boxing, and often – too often – the fighter isn’t king, even if it’s in his ring name. The card underwhelmed overall, with Zach Parker, Archie Sharp and Dennis McCann beating somebody. Karol Itauma looks a true talent though, and he ran through Tim Ventrella like a Warren show through a curfew. San Antonio, Texas, was blessed with an undisputed superwelterweight bout in July, as Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño met in the middle, battling for all the belts. Many liked the chances of the less commercially viable Castaño, a man from Argentina, trying to rekindle the glory days of his countrymen Marcos Maidana, Sergio Martinez and Carlos Monzon. Castaño was tricky – some had him beating the smaller Charlo sibling. Sadly for him, all three judges were not of that school of thought. The bout was ruled a draw and Charlo, in his hometown, also left the venue disappointed. These undisputed fights are so hard to come by that you have to wonder if that ship has sailed at 154lbs. Fans flocked in their tens and twenties to London’s Wembley Arena, partly for the boxing, but mainly for Joe Joyce’s ring walk song, ‘Big Juggernaut’ by rap artist, Eyez. You truly don’t want to war with… Big Juggernaut, Big Juggernaut, as Carlos Takam can attest. Joyce took care of the heavyweight gatekeeper and the train keeps steaming ahead. He now waits, patiently, for his shot at a world title. Joyce also continued confusing boxing fans; he’s slow, he’s predictable, but he bludgeons opponents into submission and never tires, which is remarkable, carrying a chin constructed of solid concrete. While the belts are tied up, the Putney native gives any of the champions a torrid time. On the last day of July, Matchroom Boxing pressed ahead with one of their better Fight Camp cards. Jack Cullen bizarrely fought former WBC title challenger Avni Yildirim and emerged victorious, by unanimous decision.
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JOYCE TOOK CARE OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT GATEKEEPER AND THE TRAIN KEEPS STEAMING AHEAD. HE NOW WAITS, PATIENTLY, FOR HIS SHOT AT A WORLD TITLE. ”
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
Campbell Hatton continued learning his trade and that boxing at the top level demands an element of luck. The co-main event, a cruiserweight scrap between Chris BillamSmith and Tommy McCarthy, was one for the purists. They had traded verbals and McCarthy seemed extremely confident in the build-up when accompanied by Peter Taylor and Carl Frampton in the corner. But the Bournemouth fighter scraped by via split decision, adding the European title to his collection. Billam-Smith and McCarthy were well-matched and it set up the evening’s main event nicely, which was supposed to be quite the opposite… Nottingham’s Leigh Wood wasn’t meant to trouble China’s USbased world champion Xu Can. Don’t forget that. But one of the best (and sometimes worst) things about boxing is that form, expectation, odds and past achievements can be thrown out the window. Xu, regularly touted as an opponent for Leeds’ favourite Josh Warrington, was menacingly dubbed ‘The Monster’. Yet Wood – under instruction from Ben Davison – peeled his hands back from his eyes and faced his fears with a balance of respect and refusal to submit. Few fancied Wood. In fact, many – including this writer – completely doubted his ability to achieve at that level. But he couldn’t be stopped. As the rounds wore on the tiring Chinese champion, the Englishman grew in confidence. It wasn’t a Hail Mary last round stoppage, a la Carl Froch vs Jermain Taylor, it was a steady beating. And in the 12th round, with Nottingham standing on its tiptoes, Wood forced the monster back under its bed. It was a brilliant performance to round off a relatively warm month of boxing, but one thing was for sure – the sport was heating up nicely. With autumn approaching, talk of Anthony Joshua’s next fight permeated boxing’s fan base. Fearless Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk would travel to Tottenham’s brand spanking new stadium and challenge the reigning, unified poster boy of British boxing. What could go wrong, right?
JAN 2022
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AUGUST IN REVIEW 2021
SHAUN BROWN REMEMBERS AN AUGUST THAT SAW NEW STARS BORN AT THE TOKYO OLYMPICS, THE END OF FILIPINO LEGEND MANNY PACQUIAO’S STORIED CAREER AND A NIGHT TO REMEMBER IN BELFAST AS MICHAEL CONLAN TEED UP A WORLD TITLE SHOT WITH A HOMECOMING VICTORY AT FALLS PARK. 36
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PHOTO FROM AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME
oxing tends to enter a mild cooling off period in August, but the Olympic Games ensured that eyes turned to Tokyo to gaze upon the stars of the future. As has been the case since 2016, professional fighters have been allowed to participate and the delayed 2020 competition was no exception to the rule. Uzbek heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov had already racked up eight professional wins, all inside the distance, and came away from Japan with the super-heavyweight gold medal. Britain’s Frazer Clarke, who has since turned over with BOXXER and Sky Sports, took home a bronze medal after failing to halt Jalolov in their semifinal. Subsequent Top Rank signing Richard Torrez, who makes his pro debut on February 5, renewed acquaintances with Jalolov in the final, having previously lost to his rival in the 2019 World Championships. Although the American managed to hurt Jalolov in the opening round he came up short in the end. It was double disappointment for the American team on the same day as Top Rank’s newly acquired hot prospect Keyshawn Davis, who already had three professional victories under his belt, lost to the speedy Andy Cruz in the lightweight final. The McCormack twins were recently announced as the latest additions to the Probellum stable and it was Pat who took home one of Team GB’s six boxing medals after winning silver. The 26-yearold fought Olympic 2012 champion Roniel Iglesias in the welterweight finale and, despite remaining competitive, couldn’t quite match the Cuban in all departments. Brother Luke was eliminated by Andy Cruz at the last 16 stage of the lightweight tournament.
Northern Ireland’s Kurt Walker, who stunned the No.1 ranked featherweight Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov at the Games, signed professional terms with Conlan Boxing and Top Rank in November. Walker lost to eventual silver medallist Duke Ragan, who is currently on a multi-fight deal with Bob Arum and his team.
While dreams were coming true for some in the Japanese capital, former London 2012 Olympic medallist Michael Conlan continued his path to a world title fight after outclassing ex-champion TJ Doheny in front of a cauldron of support at Falls Park in Belfast. It was arguably the most Caroline Dubois left the Olympics empty complete performance of Conlan’s fourhanded but has now joined her brother year career and now the unbeaten Daniel as part of the professional scene. featherweight can look forward to a shot The 20-year-old Londoner united with Ben against WBA title holder Leigh Wood early Shalom’s team at BOXXER in September next year. but is still to make her pro bow.
Twenty-four hours later, Kid Galahad fulfilled his long-regarded potential by winning the vacant IBF featherweight title during the second instalment of Matchroom’s Fight Camp 2021. `The Sheffield switch-hitter, denied controversially by Josh Warrington in his first world title tilt, stepped up the pace at the right time against a brave and determined Jazza Dickens who couldn’t keep up. It was a career-best performance by Galahad, who received his crowning moment when a battered and bloodied Dickens was retired by his corner at the end of the penultimate round. As the newly decorated British Olympians celebrated their successes back home, a bronze medallist from the Rio 2016 team passed the first serious litmus test of his pro career.
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Joshua Buatsi, so long tipped as a future world champion, was asked to prove the believers right against MTK Golden Contract winner Ricards Bolotniks. In the final week of Fight Camp, Buatsi, working with new trainer Virgil Hunter, showed the ability and heart to diffuse the constant threat of the powerful Latvian. Buatsi’s class eventually shone through and, in the 11th round, he finally broke Bolotniks’ will as a long, left hand dropped the visitor and emptied his tank. Buatsi is now recovering from a hand injury, which forced him out of an intriguing fight against fellow contender Maxim Vlasov. He faces a career-defining year in 2022. The action continued in Utah when rising welterweight star Vergil Ortiz halted Egidijus Kavaliauskas in round eight of an absorbing encounter. While in California, the same could not be said for the WBO bantamweight title fight between champion John Riel Casimero and Cuban stylist Guillermo Rigondeaux. Kudos to any fight fans who stayed awake through the soporific 12-rounder, won by the Filipino via split decision. August 2021 also produced the final fight in Manny Pacquiao’s celebrated career in Las Vegas. The Filipino fight icon bowed out after his 72nd bout against Yordenis Ugas, a late replacement for WBC and IBF 147lbs king Errol Spence. In the end, WBA Super champion Ugas was fresher, quicker and ensured Pacquiao’s fountain of youth finally ran dry. Pacquiao lost on points and announced his retirement soon after to focus on his alternative career as a politician. Meanwhile, boxing’s ‘Problem Child’ Jake Paul defeated ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley over eight rounds in Cleveland. Daniel Dubois and Tommy Fury picked up victories and American exposure on the undercard while Amanda Serrano remained on course for a super-fight against Katie Taylor after beating Yamileth Mercado to retain her world featherweight titles.
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PHOTOS FROM AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME & MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
THE ACTION CONTINUED IN UTAH WHEN RISING WELTERWEIGHT STAR VERGIL ORTIZ HALTED EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS IN ROUND EIGHT OF AN ABSORBING ENCOUNTER. PHOTOS FROM AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME,TOM HOGAN/ GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS & RYAN HAFEY/PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
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SEPTEMBER IN REVIEW 2021
LUKE G. WILLIAMS DISSECTS A MONTH THAT CARRIED MAJOR REPERCUSSIONS FOR THE HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION WITH A MASTERFUL OLEKSANDR USYK TOPPLING UNIFIED CHAMPION ANTHONY JOSHUA AND DERAILING HOPES OF AN ALL-BRITISH UNDISPUTED TITLE FIGHT WITH TYSON FURY. 40
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eptember was a quiet month that nevertheless showcased the second most well-attended boxing event of the year – with a staggering 66,000 fans in attendance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, north London, for Anthony Joshua’s WBA Super, IBF and WBO heavyweight title defence against former cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk. The month began with one of the sport’s premier poundfor-pound talents – Japan’s four-weight world titleist Kazuto Ioka - successfully defending his WBO superflyweight belt after a tough 12-round battle against the highly experienced Francisco Rodriguez Jr. The 32-year-old looked set to put his title on the line again before the year was out against Ryoji Fukunaga, although contests against the stars of the 115lbs division – namely, Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras – appear unlikely, given that quartet look set to continue their seemingly perpetual round robin series of showdowns well into 2022. There was disappointment for both Mauricio Lara and Josh Warrington on September 4 – as well as the 20,000 plus fans in attendance at Headingley, Leeds – when their much-anticipated featherweight rematch ended in a technical draw after just two rounds of action.
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING
Adding insult to injury, Valdez was doubly fortunate to keep hold of his title, winning a disputed but unanimous decision against Brazil’s 2016 Olympic gold medal winner. After such a quiet and disappointing month, the eternal pessimist The ringside doctor quite reasonably concluded that the 23-year- that lurks within most boxing fans expected Oleksandr Usyk’s old Mexican was in no state to continue after an accidental clash challenge for Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight titles on September of heads left him with a hideous gash over his right eye. It was 25 to end in farce, chaos or some form of embarrassing an outcome that left neither man satisfied and both wondering scorecards farrago. where they go next. Remarkably, none of these fears came to fruition. Instead, the On the undercard, Katie Taylor - a Leeds United fan no less – incomparable Ukrainian conjured a performance of artful and comfortably beat Jennifer Han on points as she extended her strategic brilliance to leave Joshua battered, bruised and well perfect unbeaten run to 18-0. beaten after 12 rounds of balletic, pugilistic brilliance. Birmingham warrior Sam Eggington is no stranger to a fight of the By the end of the fight, Usyk was in such command that Joshua year contender, but he somehow surpassed those breathtaking was slumped on the ropes and in danger of being stopped for wars of years past with a barnburner against dogged Frenchman the second time in his career. Bilel Jkitou before a rapt crowd at the Coventry Skydome on IT WAS A CONVINCING PERFORMANCE BY September 10.
USYK THAT EVEN THE JUDGES COULDN’T SPOIL, ALTHOUGH HOWARD FOSTER’S FAR TOO NARROW 115-113 CARD IN USYK’S FAVOUR WAS A TYPICAL HEAD SCRATCHER.
This was a hammer and tongs encounter with Eggington dishing out furious punishment only for the game visitor to roar back for more in a thrilling 12-rounder promoted by Mick Hennessy and broadcast free on Channel 5 in the UK. Just when Eggington’s sometimes exhausting career seems to have With his victory, Usyk extended his unblemished pro record to run dry, he always finds more in the tank. The Brummie virtually 19-0 and also reinforced his reputation for fearlessly taking on guarantees entertainment. world level competitors on their home turf, having now bested Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland, Marco Huck in Germany, Mairis Mexican super-featherweight Oscar Valdez endured a Briedis in Latvia, Murat Gassiev in Russia and Tony Bellew and controversial month. The 30-year-old WBC champion had now Joshua in the UK. impressed earlier in the year in blowing Miguel Berchelt away, but in the build-up to his title defence against Robson With Joshua promptly exercising the inevitable but tiresome Conceicao he was found to have the banned substance contractual right to a rematch, the duo are expected to do battle phentermine in his system. once again in March or April 2022. Whether the 32-yearThe WBC and Pascua Yaqui Tribal Athletic Commission hosting the fight ruled that the drug was banned only in competition – not pre-fight – and therefore allowed Valdez to keep his title and fight as planned. Even by the morally dubious standards that seem customary in boxing, it seemed a wilfully perverse ruling.
old Joshua can reinvent himself and turn the tables on the wily Usyk seems unlikely, but not impossible. A scorecards fiasco that returns his titles to him is - of course - a more than plausible scenario.
Lawrence Okolie defended his WBO cruiserweight title for the first time with a third-round KO of the overmatched Dilan Prasovic on an uninspiring undercard that was utterly unworthy of a payper-view event. It was therefore something of a relief that Usyk and the main event more than lived up to expectations, ensuring that the stage was set beautifully for October, when two more of the world’s top heavyweight attractions would take centre stage…
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OCTOBER IN REVIEW 2021
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JOHN A. MACDONALD RECALLS A MONTH DOMINATED BY THE THRILLING RESOLUTION OF THE HEAVYWEIGHT TRILOGY BETWEEN TYSON FURY AND DEONTAY WILDER, AS WELL AS A FIREFIGHT BETWEEN LIVERPOOL RIVALS LIAM SMITH AND ANTHONY FOWLER, AND A MASTERFUL DISPLAY BY SHAKUR STEVENSON. fter hopes of an all-British fight to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion crumbled at the end of the previous month, boxing fans were in need of some high-quality action to raise their spirits and October produced them in abundance. The post-Eddie Hearn era for Sky Sports began in October with the maiden BOXXER card, promoted by Ben Shalom. David Avanesyan topped the bill, defending his European welterweight title against Liam Taylor. The Russian followed his impressive victory against Josh Kelly earlier in the year with another destructive performance, halting the challenger in the second round. It may have been a different promoter, but the show felt reminiscent of Matchroom’s latter Saturday Fight Night offerings with room for improvement. A week later on DAZN, Eddie Hearn put on one of the best cards on British shores this year, headlined by a Liverpool derby between super-welterweights Liam Smith and Anthony Fowler. Rio 2016 Olympian Fowler started brightly, but ‘Beefy’ sent his younger rival to the canvas in the fifth round.
PHOTO FROM MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
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“
THE UNDERDOG WHO NEVER LOST HOPE. ”
Fowler rose on unsteady legs, but battled on valiantly before Smith finished the job in the eighth, dropping ‘The Machine’ again and obliging the referee to halt the bout. Smith’s victory keeps his hopes of another world title tilt alive. On the same bill, Troy Williamson captured the British super-welterweight title in a war against Ted Cheeseman. ‘The Big Cheese’ played his part in a domestic fight of the year contender, but a brutal left hook in the 10th round ensured the night That same evening, Jason Cunningham belonged to Williamson. produced the perfect ending to his Further down the card, Shannon fairy-tale year, adding the British and Courtenay suffered the second defeat of Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles her career as she lost to Jamie Mitchell to the European belt he won in May, as via majority decision. Courtenay had been he defeated Brad Foster by unanimous stripped of her WBA bantamweight title on decision. The tattoo on Cunningham’s the scales as she was above the divisional chest sums him up: ‘The underdog who weight limit; the less said about her never lost hope.’ justification for failing to do so, the better. Later that night, on the other side of the Courtenay was incredulous in defeat Atlantic, Tyson Fury defended his WBC proclaiming: “She was throwing loads heavyweight title against Deontay Wilder of shots, but they weren’t landing.” The in the final chapter of their trilogy. This bruises on her face told a different, more was a bout that only Deontay Wilder, his accurate, story. promoter and an arbitrator wanted to see, yet it proved to be the fight of the year. Fury had, in the eyes of many, outboxed the Alabama banger in their first fight and beaten up the ‘Bronze Bomber’ in the second. There was a perception that the ‘Gypsy King’ could win the third meeting in any manner he chose. Well, if the bout played out as Fury intended, he is a masochist. Fury found himself on the canvas twice in fourth round while Wilder was knocked down in the third and 10th frames before being on the receiving end of a highlight-reel knockout in the 11th. The fight was sloppy but enthralling. People don’t watch heavyweight boxing to witness fleet footwork or defensive ability, they tune in to see two behemoths attempting to hurt each other with every shot and that is exactly what Fury and Wilder delivered.
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FURY SUMMED IT UP IN THE RING AFTERWARDS: “IT WAS WORTHY OF ANY TRILOGY IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT.” AMEN. On October 15, Emanuel Navarrete defended his WBO featherweight title in a surprisingly tough fight against Joet Gonzalez, retaining his crown by unanimous decision. Navarrete’s combination of switch-hitting and workrate are usually too much for opponents to handle, but Gonzalez was able to match his punch-output at times, resulting in a thrilling contest.
PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING & MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
The Mexican’s future seems to lie at 130lbs and a fight with Oscar Valdez has been mooted for 2022. In Fresno, California, on October 16, Sandor Martin etched his name into Spanish boxing folklore by pulling off a colossal upset against four-weight world champion Mikey Garcia. Martin’s sharp counterpunching proved too much for Garcia on the night and enough for the Spaniard to win a majority decision. Compatriots Martin and Kiko Martinez (see November’s review) can argue amongst themselves as to whose win was the greater shock in 2022. A week later, Shakur Stevenson became a two-weight WBO world champion by halting Jamel Herring in the 10th round. It was a near punch-perfect performance from the gifted Newark 130-pounder. The 24-year-old displayed the ruthless streak which was missing during his run at featherweight. The 2016 Olympic silver medallist’s promoter Bob Arum has mentioned that he would like to match Stevenson with Vasiliy Lomachenko in the New Year. A victory would catapult Stevenson way up the Pound-For-Pound rankings. On October 30, Northampton’s Chantelle Cameron unified half the belts at 140lbs with a dominant decision over American Mary McGee. Cameron made the most of her opportunity in the spotlight and will aim to become undisputed champion when she faces the other unified belt holder Kali Reis for all the marbles in 2022.
PHOTOS FROM MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM BOXING & MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
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NOVEMBER 2021 IN REVIEW 46
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CRAIG SCOTT REVISITS A THRILLING MONTH THAT SAW POUND-FORPOUND STARS SHINE AND A SERIES OF IMPROBABLE, EYE-RUBBING UPSETS AS THE BOXING YEAR CLOSED STRONGLY. ith rain teeming off the windows and storms winning by unanimous decision up-anddown the country, we hit November, a month crammed full of upsets and intrigue. Bookies everywhere were peeking through their fingers as the results trickled through – did you back the underdogs? On the evening of November 6, boxing’s undisputed, pound-for-pound, pay-per-view superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez attempted to complete a politically tricky jigsaw. He had toppled Callum Smith, brushed aside Avni Yildirim, battered Billy Joe Saunders, all within the previous 12 months; so, who was left standing? Only IBF champion Caleb Plant. The Nashville stylist started well enough, moving and picking his punches, without much power. But Canelo persevered and
PHOTO FROM AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME
The thing that sets Crawford apart from most of the division’s lesser fighters is his vicious finishing ability, unorthodox angles and slick, interchangeable lateral movement. Those three unique identifiers eventually proved the difference. Crawford, sat on his stool before coming out for the 10th round, was stunned when hearing the judges could potentially have Porter ahead on points. His response? Pure savagery. Porter was down - then up - and down again. Though he looked steady enough on his feet when rising for a second time, the towel was waved more than thrown by his father/trainer Kenny Porter in the 10th. Crawford had proved himself an exceptional, brutal problem solver and the wait for another foe of repute continues. One thing is for certain, that was Porter’s last dance as he hung up his gloves. The Greek-Australian, Spartan mentality of George Kambosos was evident in every interview, but it could surely only take him so far. Teofimo Lopez was coming off that win against Vasiliy Lomachenko, a wizard in his own right, and the young HonduranAmerican was deemed one of the sport’s best. But Kambosos knew that this was his time. And despite having Lee Selby and a tired Mickey Bey as his best wins, he stormed into Madison eventually clobbered Plant with a monstrous left hook to the Square Garden like it was his battle ground. He floored Lopez temple. It signalled the beginning of the end for a man who’s in the opener and the pressure rarely relented. Despite tasting overcome an outrageous amount of adversity. Canelo left with an the canvas himself late on, Kambosos emerged a lot heavier, 11th-round victory, all the super-middleweight division’s belts and weighed down by multiple world title trinkets. It was a huge upset not an ounce of remorse. and a massive night for boxing.
COULD CRUISERWEIGHT REALLY BE NEXT? LET’S SEE IT…
On the same evening, Stephen Fulton tackled Brandon Figueroa at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Another tremendous battle saw Fulton emerge with the unified WBC and WBO Sheffield hosted two of the year’s most shocking upsets on one super-bantamweight titles via majority decision, but left fans night. This card didn’t promise drama, but delivered absolute madness. Alycia Baumgardner – confident and brash throughout desperate for more – maybe 2022 will demand the rematch. Fulton marches on with his slick, technically astute style while fight week – absolutely stunned WBC 130lbs belt holder Terri Figueroa regroups, still holding some chips after stopping Luis Harper. She caught the defending champion clean, sending Harper into a state of shock while standing, still wondering what Nery in his preceding fight. This is what boxing needs and long may it continue. had happened. It was over. Baumgardner has since become a darling of the boxing community and you must wonder whether Harper fancies that rematch. She is young and gifted enough to build herself back up. The story isn’t quite over yet. Kiko Martinez hugging referee Steve Gray is one of the boxing GIFs of the year. The Spanish warrior, previously falling victim to Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg, was very much the B-side. When nobody gave him a hope in hell, Martinez whipped out one of the sweetest punches of his career to floor reigning IBF champion Kid Galahad at the end of the fifth. Shock and awe. Galahad somehow made it back to his corner, but his fight was done. Martinez landed a bomb early in the sixth and Galahad was out cold. That is boxing at the highest level. Many in the fight game had placed Omaha, Nebraska’s Terence Crawford in the top three-to-five of the sport’s elite. But a few detractors remained. His resume at 147lbs hadn’t set the world alight and, on November 20, he faced what was generally considered his toughest test – two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter.
PHOTOS FROM ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING & ESTHER LIN/SHOWTIME
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DECEMBER 2021 IN REVIEW SHAUN BROWN LOOKS AT A VIBRANT, SHOW-CLOSING MONTH OF DECEMBER WHERE ANTHONY YARDE GAINED EMPHATIC REVENGE, ARTUR BETERBIEV REIGNED SUPREME IN A BLOODY BATTLE AND JOSEPH PARKER OVERCAME A SPIRITED DERECK CHISORA IN A PLEASING REMATCH PUNCH-UP. ith 2021 winding down, December decided to go out with a bang, bringing boxing fans some early gifts in the form of star names, knockouts, controversy and an unexpected fight of the year candidate. Spain was the first port of call as Jack Flatley attempted to sink reigning European super-welterweight king Kerman Lejarraga. Bilbao’s boxing hero dropped the Bolton fighter three times in a successful defence, which ended in round nine with a heavy knockout. British champion Troy Williamson, a genuine threat on the 154lbs scene, is keen to have a shootout with ‘Revolver’ next year.
couldn’t beat the count in round seven after a body shot proved one dig too many for him to overcome. Lopez now finds himself as the No.1 contender to Kiko Martinez. A fascinating prospect. The drama reached London’s Copper Box Arena the day after on December 4. The career of Frank Warren’s big 175lbs hope Anthony Yarde was on the line against rival Lyndon Arthur and the charismatic contender from Ilford rose from the ashes with his best performance to date.
From warmer climes on the Med to a different kind of heat inside York Hall. The grand old venue staged yet another thriller as Isaac Lowe and Luis Alberto Lopez fought at a frenetic pace in their IBF final eliminator at 126lbs.
After being out-thought and out-jabbed 12 months prior in their first fight, Yarde chose to walk through fire this time around as he beat Arthur up in just four rounds. It was dramatic, memorable and unexpected. Yarde and his lions in the camp are back with a vengeance, thanks in large part to wise head James Cook. A second world title opportunity for the improved Yarde is now a realistic prospect.
Lowe made too many mistakes and paid for them early, visiting the canvas in the first two rounds. His machismo and bravery ensured he stayed competitive, but the ‘Westgate Warrior’
The undercard provided one of the most controversial moments in the sport this year. The seasoned Bradley Skeete was giving the touted Hamzah Sheeraz a boxing lesson before he was
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PHOTO FROM QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
dropped in the eighth round. What followed proved a strong case for disqualification as Sheeraz punched Skeete while he was helpless on the floor. Skeete decided to continue but ran into trouble in the ninth when Sheeraz tore into the veteran once again, but the damage had already been done. Over in Las Vegas, with new lightweight king George Kambosos ringside, WBC belt holder Devin Haney trumped former world champion Joseph Diaz. Getting the win was all that mattered for Eddie Hearn’s young American star who says he is willing to travel to Australia to face Kambosos for all the belts next year. The weekend culminated in Gervonta Davis headlining at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on a Sunday. Late-sub Isaac Cruz replaced Rolly Romero in the challenger’s corner for the WBA’s Regular lightweight belt. The fight didn’t produce the fireworks many hoped for but ‘Tank’ charges on with an eye on the leading players at 135lbs. The following weekend was just as busy. Russian rival Dmitry Bivol and Sunny Edwards successfully defended their WBA light-heavyweight and IBF flyweight titles respectively. Meanwhile, in Liverpool, Conor Benn continued his ascent at welterweight with a highlight reel, fourth-round knockout of ex-champ Chris Algieri. Stateside, ageless WBC bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire continued to sip from the fountain of youth with a fourth-round KO of previously unbeaten compatriot Reymart Gaballo. While Vasiliy Lomachenko proved his loss to Teofimo Lopez was perhaps a blip in the ‘Matrix’ when he outclassed the battle-tested Richard Commey over 12 rounds. Another of boxing’s superstars Naoya Inoue emerged from the shadows to defend his bantamweight crowns against Aran Dipaen several days afterwards. An eighth-round win arrived later than expected, as fans remain frustrated at Inoue’s lack of activity, leaving 2022 as a potentially pivotal year for the Japanese phenom. Artur Beterbiev looked back to his vicious best on December 17 in Montreal. His dismantling of Marcus Browne, while crimson masked, was a spectacle of beautiful brutality. Like Inoue, the fearsome Russian needs to stay busy with a fight against Bivol an intriguing possibility. The last big show of the year landed in Manchester, headlined by a second fight between Joseph Parker and Dereck Chisora. Social media had billed it as the rematch no-one wanted but any doubters were quickly glued to their screen as the duo set about one another from the opening bell.
CONTINUES PHOTOS FROM MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING, ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM BOXING & ESTHER LIN_SHOWTIME
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The memories of their lacklustre affair in May were swiftly put to bed. Parker’s uppercuts and hand speed were at a level Chisora couldn’t really match but the British brawler didn’t relent and his stoicism was remarkable at times. Parker was taken the distance despite Chisora receiving three counts before roaring back for more. Hours after Parker and Chisora had exchanged pleasantries with fists then shared burgers from Five Guys, Jake Paul produced an award candidate of his own. The internet star turned boxer wiped out Tyron Woodley in the sixth round of their rematch in Tampa. Paul had been scheduled to face Tommy Fury, but Tyson’s younger brother withdrew due to a combination of illness and injury. Paul continues to put bums on seats and his status as a Pay-PerView star with Showtime shows no sign of disappearing. The ‘Problem Child’ proves that, in boxing, you should usually expect the unexpected.
SPORT’S CRAZIEST SHOW IN TOWN WILL NO DOUBT CONTINUE TO THRILL, SURPRISE AND FRUSTRATE US IN 2022. WE CAN’T WAIT. 50
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