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M AG A Z I N E D E D I C AT E D TO BR I T I S H BOX I N G

MAY previews. .frochkessler .burnsgonzalez .mcdonnellceja JazzaDickens NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Coldwell

SUMMER SHOWS

JasonWhite

FIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

and...

FIGHT MONTH

MAY DAY

BOXING BABE

M AY I S S U E

MAYHEM!

V I S I T W W W. B R I T B OX M AG . C O. U K

FRESH OUT THE FRYING PAN,INTO THE FIRE.

REMATCH FROCH VS KESSLER ii

£ 1. 9 9

BRITBOX

EDITOR'SNOTE PROMO ISSUE FEATURING OLD AND NEW ARTICLES FOR MAY

Hi, we’ve released this free issue to promote BritBox and attract new readers, whilst still giving our existing ones some new content in the busy fight month of May. Some of the articles included are previews from the April issue and a look forward to the June issue.

Next month we’re bring double the amount of new content as we continue to grow and deliver the best magazine possible. We will have content from sports fitness coaches and nutritionists as well as quality interviews and more.

We’re looking forward to Froch vs. Kessler II at BritBox and will enjoy it from ringside as a new boxing legend may be cemented in history.

Ricky Burns has his chance to further his title reign and Jamie McDonnell gets his chance at the ‘big time’. More importantly, there are tonnes of small hall shows across the UK and we are trying to cover as many as possible to give exposure to the prospects and not just the limelight scrappers. Thanks for reading and helping spread the word!

-Sean

THECONTENTS

.CREDITS .EDITOR SEAN POLLOCK

@SeanPollo

.BOXING WRITERS JOHN MACDONALD ELLIOT FOSTER SEAN POLLOCK JOHN WHARTON JACK BOWERS

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.PHOTO JASON WHITE .DESIGNS SEAN POLLOCK

.SOME DESIGN ELEMENTS VIA DAVE SMITH

.Contact Us CONTACT@BRITBOXMAG.CO.UK @BRITBOXMAG BRITBOXMAG.CO.UK

.SPECIAL THANKS TO BODY FUELS LTD MAYHEM BOXING

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PRICE VS THOMPSON

Ahead of the rematch between 15-1 David Price and 41-yearold American Tony Thompson, former boxer turned Salisbury ABC personal trainer and coach Paul Edwards talks of his ex-stablemate’s chances of redemption.

Edwards believes that Tony Thompson will bring to the table the same tactics as he did when he inflicted a shock first defeat on Price in February. There have been a number of questions asked about the defence of Price and and added worry was there when he was knocked out inside just two rounds six weeks ago.

“He’ll come over again with the same tactics,” insists Edwards.

“I think he’ll want to prove that the first result was not a fluke.”

Price, 29, has to correct the mistake that he made earlier this year and the decision he’s taken to have the rematch straight away will only help the 6ft 8in Scouser in the pursuit of a world title fight.

Look at fighters like Ricky Hatton & Amir Khan, both have suffered losses in the past. Hatton failed to recover from his defeats to Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquiao, while Khan – who’ll make his comeback in Sheffield on April 27 against Julio Diaz – has

struggled to overcome losses to Breidis Prescott, Lamont Peterson and, in particular, Danny Garcia.

In taking the rematch, Price, by winning, will be able to avoid the mental anguish and show the Liverpool public, and the boxing public in general, that his shocking loss to Klitschko victim Thompson was nothing more than a blip.

The British and Commonwealth heavyweight champ is also right to fight him straight away before Thompson fights someone else and loses.

“Nobody wanted the rematch as much as him [Price],” Edwards, the former 9-2 (3) flyweight stated.

He knows what he has got to do and he’ll do it.”

Dereck Chisora makes his comeback in just under three weeks’ time at Wembley Arena against Ondrej Pala (32-3, 22KOs). There had been rumours of, if Price were to have beaten ‘The Tiger ’ in the first fight, that he [Price] and ‘Del Boy ’ would have fought in the summer.

That fight will now be put to the back burner because of the Thompson rematch, but I asked Edwards whether there is any chance, in the future, of the pair

meeting in the ring. “I hope so,” was his reply.

That question was one that I had to ask and I asked it on the back of an interview heard recently with Chisora, in which the 15-4 (9) heavyweight said he’d fight Price for the right money.

On the rematch, Price’s promoter Frank Maloney, said: “There was a rematch clause in the original contract, but it was still far from easy to make it happens.

“Because it was such a big win for Thompson there was a lot of interest in him from rival promoters, but we got there and he has signed.

There were other options for David also, but he and his trainer Franny Smith were adamant they wanted Thompson again.

“There have been a lot of nasty things said about David since the first Thompson bout, but this proves his fighting heart. Not many fighters have begged me to jump straight back in with someone who has beaten them.

“The fans in Liverpool have been magnificent to David over the last 12 months and I am sure they will respond and get behind the fight.”

BRITBOX / promoter

DAVE COLDWELL

SUMMER SHOW EXCITEMENT

by JACK BOWERS This summer is set to be exciting for British boxing fans.

Promoters have been working hard to bring entertaining fights to various cities around Britain and, on paper they have not disappointed.

Big names, title fights, comebacks, rematches and the small matter of Froch v Kessler mean that without doubt, the next few months are going to be great for fight fans.

And one man who is at the heart of the entertainment is David Coldwell.

Whilst he may not be putting on the ‘biggest shows’ there is no denying that Coldwell has been one of the most consistent promoters in Britain in recent years. His shows always entertain the fans, and this is set to continue over the next two months as he has a busy schedule of three thrilling shows.

With constant small-hall sell outs providing great atmospheres, a stable of the best young fighters, as well as bigger names such as Curtis Woodhouse, his upcoming shows will certainly be worth watching.

“The shows are coming along really well. The Sheffield show (May 17) at Ponds Forge is the first one. Then we have the Bowlers Arena (June 1). Obviously we’ve done Bowlers before which has been great and the third show coming up is at the Liverpool Olympia (June 7) which I’m really looking forward to, so it’s really exciting times for us.”

Headlining the Sheffield show will be ‘troll warrior ’ Curtis Woodhouse who lost under very controversial circumstances to Shayne Singleton, but Coldwell admits the pair are just focusing on the future now.

“Curtis woodhouse is back in the Sheffield show and it will be his first fight at lightweight. He was gutted after the defeat but he’s alright now, he has put it behind him and moved onto other things. If he gets another option for Singleton down the line fantastic, if not we’ll carry on.

“We have also got the rematch between Nav Mansouri and Nathan Graham which was in the top three of most peoples fight of the year last year, so that should be another great one”.

But arguably his most exciting fight this summer will be ‘Bring the Noise’ at the Bowlers Arena in Manchester.

The atmosphere at his last show in the Bowlers Arena was emphatic, easily one of his most noisy shows and Coldwell is hoping for even more noise this time around.

“I’m excited for ‘Bring the Noise’. Barnes v Watson is a great fight it’s a cracking Manchester derby and it’s a 50-50 fight, people just don’t know how it is going to go.

As well as that we’ve added Singleton and Tyrone Nurse onto it which is another great fight.

“I love Bowlers shows because the atmosphere we get is fantastic. The support we have got and that the fighters have is great; it is like a football match at times.

“I love the great atmosphere it’s not all about results, for me it’s about putting on good shows with good atmosphere what fans will love. Look at Liam Hanrahan, who was boxing in a 4 round fight and it was noisy, like he was fighting for a world title.”

His third show epitomises everything that Coldwell promotions are about, finding the next generation of fighters. There’s nothing better than watching a fighter in

his second or third fight, following his progress and going on that journey with the fighter. Coldwell gives fans the opportunity to do that with his next generation shows, and the Liverpool one should be fantastic.

“I’m really excited about the Liverpool show; it’s basically a show for the next generation, so we’ve called it ‘New Kids on the Docks.

“It’s a show to highlight and showcase the next generation of fighters coming out of Liverpool. We’ve made some fantastic signings recently Robbie Davies jnr and Steve Jones jnr, and they will be making their debut.

“I do like to focus on youth because it’s all about long term. We like to put on the bigger names like Barnes v Watson but you’ve got to blood the people coming through so that’s what we are doing with the Liverpool show.”

Big arena shows aren’t what Coldwell is focused on at the present time but it’s his eye on the future that could soon provide him with the tools to put on a massive, big arena show.

“Clearly Eddie Hearn’s shows are different level, big title fights in big arenas which are great but were not doing that stuff were building the next generation. For example, kids like Hanrahan and Robbie Davies jnr could be the kids that are our headlining acts. We’re building them up and building them through.

If you are unable to see any of his shows then there’s no reason to worry. One of the great things Coldwell has brought out is the Colwell TV app. With Matchroom signing a deal with SKY and Frank Warren having his Box Nation, Coldwell knew he had to make a move.

“We couldn’t just sit back and wait for television to come to us we need to strive and do it ourselves as nothing was coming. There are now around 12,000 people who have got it on their phones or tablets which is really good going.

“And now we’ve got channel 192 on sky so we get a weekly half hour slot so we can give exposure to our fighters and in June it should be moving up to an hour which means we can do more.”

It’s certainly exciting and busy times for Coldwell Promotions but maybe, this is just the beginning for them.

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ithin the histor y books of Liverpool boxing lingers a plethora of talented pugilists who have laced up their flat soled boots and tied up their leather gauntlets to wage war in the ring. Names such as Conteh, Rudkin and Hodkinson feature predominantly amongst passionate Scouse debate, but there remains one unsung welterweight warrior who possessed as much skill as any of the aforementioned—Johnny Cooke.

During a half hour of reminiscence, one line stood out to encapsulate the level of Cooke’s ability, “Angie [Angelo] Dundee said he’d take me to America, said he’d make me world champ, but ‘The Boss’ said no. And that was that.”

Of course, Dundee was the trainer of the now legendar y Muhammad Ali—he knew talent when he saw it.

Dad, I’m gonna be a boxer!

Cooke looked straight ahead, almost aloof, as he seized a pensive moment to vividly recall his first and enticing taster of professional boxing, “My dad was sitting eating his tea and there was a fight on the radio that night [18/09/1946]; Joe Louis, the heavyweight champion of the world, was defending his title against Tami Mauriello. I said, ‘ey dad can I stay up and watch the fight?’ So he let me; it was about 2 o’clock in the morning.

There was a Canadian commentator, Stewart Macpherson, and after about a minute he was screaming, ‘He’s down!

He’s down!’ I could hear the noise of the timekeeper who keeps the time for the referee to pick up. BANG. BANG. I could hear it, that banging on the canvas, I said, ‘Dad I’m gonna be a boxer.’”

I was nine when my uncle Billy took me in [to a gym]. I was unbeaten in the amateurs for five years. One year I won the nationals, boxed the semi-final in the afternoon then the final in the night.

My uncle Billy took me home after it and my dad answered the door joking, ‘get beat again ey?’ Billy said, ‘meet

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Sean Pollock spends time with the 60’s welterweight champion and reports how hardwork helped Johnny reign as British Champion.

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the new Grade-A Northern lightweight champion!’ My dad didn’t care until I won, then he followed me all the time,” he recalled.

Rumbling with a rival Cooke had an extraordinar y amateur career. In his local, national, army and England boxing exhibitions he amassed an incredible 342 wins in 368 contests.

“I worked as hard as an amateur as I did as a pro,” said the Bootle brawler. His irrefutably superior work ethic allowed him to tussle with the upper-echelon of the unpaid ranks. His greatest rival was Dick McTaggart (MBE), who purportedly won 610 out of 634 contests, Cooke approvingly referred to him as, “ the best amateur to ever come out of Great Britain.”

Despite the many years that have trickled away, Johnny can still accurately recite the honours of McTaggart; who he fought six times and beat twice.

The Scotsman was a man he clearly respected and profusely admired, “He won five ABAs [1956, 1958, 1960, 1963 and 1965] a bronze medal in ’60 and a gold the games before in Melbourne 1956—he won the award for the best boxer in the games that year.

“He couldn’t handle me though. He beat me four times, but two of them I got robbed—even the Scottish papers said it. Dick said I was one of the hardest he’d ever boxed, he said, ‘he hit me with his fists, he hit me with his wrists, his knee, his boot. He hit me with ever ything and the referee never said anything!’” >>

>>Cooke lost in the 1958 ABA final to his Scottish counterpart, but then redeemed himself with a bronze medal in the same year at the Cardiff Empire and Commonwealth games, “I beat an Indian and then got beat by an Irish feller in the semi-final [James Jordan, NIR], who got beat by McTaggart in the final,” said Cooke.

A contentious decision forced the Liverpool welterweight to turn professional at the particularly late age of 26; that verdict came against his ever masterful adversar y McTaggart, “He was a southpaw; led with the right…I fucking hated them! I wasn’t going to turn pro, I wanted the Olympic gold medal, but for the fight in Scotland against McTaggart to get a place in the Olympics, I lost and all the papers said I got robbed.

He went on to win the bronze that year.

I wasn’t having that anymore, so I turned pro.”

Early days…

‘Cookie’ chalked a healthy 15-1-2 record in his early professional outings under the cigar room guidance of a character he referred to as ‘The Boss’. “‘The Boss’, Johnny Campbell, I used to call him ‘The Boss’ he was a great manager.”

Subsequently, his first title came in the form of a Central Area lightweight strap, which he ironically secured in a 12-round derby against his cousin, David Coventr y (who he’d previously boxed to an eight-round draw.)

Life as a prize-fighter was a hectic, but enjoyable vocation for Cooke, “I loved it, but I was working ever y day. I’d run twelve miles in the morning, six days a week and I kept doing that all the time; except when I was boxing abroad and wouldn’t run that far because the fights were always two or three days later.

“Sometimes I fought ever y other week, it was a case of doing it for the money— I had a family and a big house to pay for. I often took fights at a day ’s notice!

‘The Boss’ rang me up one day and asked, ‘how good is Jimmy Dunne? They want him to go to Italy to fight the Italian champion [Giuliano Nervino]’ I said he was good, but not good enough to beat him! So I told Johnny to tell Dunne I was taking his place. I went and I beat him.”

Domestic dreams In 1964, Cooke was stopped in five rounds by Brian Curvis (29-1-0) for the British and Commonwealth titles; Curvis was then rewarded with a world title shot against Emile Griffith.

It took three years of globetrotting exploits for ‘The Boss’ to land the Bootle stylist another domestic title showdown.

That chance came against the unbeaten Brian McCaffrey (19-0-4) after Curvis vacated his Lonsdale waist piece. “I was too smart for Brian, he was a go-getter and he was ver y, ver y strong. But I was strong, I was always powerful, but I could box. I always prepared to box rather than slug it out, I could slug it out if I wanted to, but I chose to box. When I boxed, the likes of McCaffrey and them, they couldn’t

hit me with a handful of fucking rice! I was too smart for them, too clever.

“From the twelfth round to the fifteenth, that separates the men from the boys. It ’s only nine minutes, but it seems like twenty!

By the twelfth round, I could feel he was tired in his clinches so I kept banging the left and banging the right into his kidneys—he was gone by the end.”

Cooke was victorious in a bloody and viscous affair. Unfortunately, McCaffrey wasn’t ‘gone’ for just four rounds of his fight with ‘Cookie’, he was ‘gone’ for good and never won another professional fight in a trio of squandered attempts.

The likes of McCaffery and them, they couldn’t hit me with a handful of f-cking rice!

Angie Dundee said he’d take me to America, said he’d make me world champ, but ‘The Boss’ said no. And that was that.”

THE JOHNNY COOKE STORY Prime and Prejudice 1967 was a prime year for the now distinguished pugilist.

He was triumphant abroad, defended his British pedestal and capped the calendar winning another of Curvis’ vacated belts, the Commonwealth versus Lennox Beckles (24-5-2). However, in his penultimate bout of the term, he travelled to Liguria, Italy, to face 71kg Rome Olympics silver medallist, Carmelo Bossi (29-1-2) for the European crown.

“He was the European champion, he was too good for me, he wasn’t too strong or anything and I did have a bad night, but I only had a bad night because he made it a bad night for me and he boxed my head off!” said an honest Cooke.

There was little shame in a twelfth round KO defeat against Bossi, who went on to win the world light middleweight WBA and WBC honours in 1970.

A memor y lodged bitterly in the mind of ‘Cookie’ is a 15-round British and Commonwealth welterweight battle with Ralph Charles (22-1-0) in the winter of ’68 at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

“I got robbed there. There were two British title fights that night, Jimmy Revie was fighting Jimmy Anderson—two Londoners— for the vacant lightweight belt and they had a neutral referee from Birkenhead, which was right. And who refereed my fight? Harr y Gibbs – a London docker.

“At the end, Charles was leaning over his corner, his nose was cut and his eye was cut. I had my hand out ready to give it to Harr y Gibbs and he looked at me, then looked at Ralph, walked over to him and put his hand up. I should have won! Ever yone went mad; they had a police escort to take us off the motorway from London. They [my fans] were fighting ever ywhere.”

“It bugs me,” confessed Cooke, referring to the tainted judgement that cost him the Lonsdale belt ‘ for keeps,’ “knowing that I won it [against Charles] but I didn’t get it.

The papers said I got it and even the Londoners did.”

Globetrotter for climates hotter There was a string of losses in the latter part of Cooke’s career that don’t compliment his 52-strong win tally

particularly well, nor do justice to his superb boxing ability.

Although he doesn’t lament the defeats and is proud of his foreign fisticuffs, “Most of the losses were abroad, it ’s hard to win abroad,” said Cooke.

“I boxed the son of Marcel Cedan, a great fighter who lost his world title to Jake LaMotta—I beat him [Cedan Jr.], but I didn’t get it! I had a few like that abroad, but I beat the Sweedish champion in Gothenburg [Bo Petterson, 30/03/1967] and got a draw with the French champion [Robert Gallois, 16/1/1971].

Coming to a close By the close of 1971, the rollercoaster 11-year pro career of Liverpool’s battle-born star was coming to an end. “I boxed a guy in South Africa in my last fight,” and unsurprisingly Cooke, “ won it, but didn’t get it.” He shared the squared circle for 24 minutes with Gielie Buitendag (10-1-0) in Johannesburg; the fight ended as a questionable draw.

“The crowd tore the place to pieces. The next morning we were flying home and ‘The Boss’ says to me, ‘listen, we’ve been offered £12,000 to come and box him again.’

I said I’d come back and knock him out next time. But Johnny [Campbell] said to me, ‘look, you’ve got a nice wife, a nice family, a nice house and two businesses. So I think it ’s time.’ I wanted to go back on my own; he said he’d give me my contract back when we got home. But then ‘The Boss’ turned to me and said, ‘always remember, we’ve been all over the world, we’ve made a lot of money and met great people. So let ’s get out now, before we start having more bad times than good times.’ I just shook his hand and that was that, I didn’t box again.

Despite 776 valiantly fought rounds, a much craved world title shot eluded Johnny Cooke. And long gone are the days of his name echoing around the Liverpool Stadium and booming through the pubs of Bootle, but he will forever be cemented in the histor y books as one of his countr y ’s finest welterweights.

BritBox thanks Johnny for his time.

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BRITBOX

PREVIEWBY JACK BOWERS

BURNS VS GONZALEZ

Ricky Burns takes to the ring for the first time as a Matchroom fighter when he tops a great bill of action against mandatory challenger Jose Gonzalez at the Emirates Arena, in Glasgow on May 11.

Burns has been frustrated with the lack of activity, having not had a fight since September 2012 and has had numerous contests cancelled; a potential glamour fight with Adrian Broner was talked up, but that came to nothing as the American chose instead to move up two weight divisions.

With Burns so inactive it looked like there would be more frustration heaped onto him when The WBO ordered the Scotland’s Burns takes on Puerto Rican Gonzalez or otherwise he could have been stripped of his lightweight crown.

If new promoter Eddie Hearn couldn’t come to an agreement in five days a purse bid would be ordered. But the deal was struck on the deadline and off course, an agreement between Hearn and Gonzalez’s camp was made and the fight goes ahead.

And it certainly will be a fight, Gonzalez hasn’t come to make up the numbers, he has come here to win and has even said he will ‘fight to the death’ to take the crown away from Burns.

The fight will be the 30-year-old Scotsman’s third defence of his WBO lightweight title and he should expect one of his toughest tests, against the hard hitting Puerto Rican.

Gonzalez, 29, is the mandatory challenger for Burns’ title boasting a superb record of 22 wins, with 17 KO’s and will look to take heart from the history books to help him overcome the challenge of the home crowd favourite.

Burns fought another power punching Puerto Rican, Roman Gonzalez, in his first world title fight back in 2010 and was put on the canvas in the first round.

However despite bring rocked by Gonzalez, and having to manage his power, Burns showed tremendous grit and determination that night to get up and win a points decision. That experience has certainly helped Burns as he has gone from strength to strength.

The clash between power and skill make is what makes this fight interesting, Burns will have to use his jab effectively to counteract the power of his opponent. But you would imagine that Burns should still have the tools required to take care of Gonzalez, and in his last outing he showed he has punch-power to go along with his speed and accurate boxing style, when he stopped Kevin Mitchell in the fourth round.

With the home crowd behind him, and looking to impress on his first Matchroom outing you have to back the Scottish hero to defend his title again.

Supporting the Burns fight promises to be an entertaining match-up between John Simpson and Choi Tseveenpurev who fight for the vacant WBO

“ With the home crowd behind him, and looking to impress on his first Matchroom outing you have to back the Scottish hero to defend his title again.”

inter-continental super feather weight title.

Simpson has done well since losing to Lee Selby in 2011 bouncing back with two very good wins by TKO to put him in the position of taking the title, and will be looking for further momentum when he takes on the 41-year-old.

The former British and commonwealth champion, would surely end Choi’s colourful career if he come away with the victory.

It will be the first time the former Prizefighter champion, Choi, enters the ring since losing his IBO title contest against Daud Cino Yordan last November, and Choi will be looking to prove to critics that despite his age, he’s not finished yet.

Choi is much loved in the sport, and always gives a good account of himself; this mixed with Simpsons fighting style makes this fight potentially great, it will undoubtedly be an entertaining scrap and could even upstage the top of the bill.

It will make for great viewing and is likely to be an all out war, rather than a tactical affair like Burns v Gonzames would be.

Elsewhere unbeaten Scotsman Steve Simmons takes on Michael Sweeney. Simmons, who now has a record of seven wins, will be hoping to take the Celtic cruiserweight title. The 28-year-old Simmons has looked untroubled since his pro debut in 2011 but Sweeney should offer more of a challenge than his previous opponents having won his last three fights.

The rest of the undercard features a host of undefeated Matchroom stars and added to the bill is Liverpool fighter Rocky Fielding.

Rocky will be looking to capitalise on a strong performance against Wayne Reed back in April, when he stopped the Sheffield boxer in the fourth.

Rocky, also a prize-fighter winner, will be looking to make it 14-0. After admitting that he has started to use weights in his training camps for the first time, it will be interesting to see if Rocky can add to his seven stoppage wins.

John Slowey, Michael Roberts and David Brophy also feature on the undercard and will be hoping that their unbeaten records stay intact as they continue their progress in the sport.

makes t a h w is e k a s k il l m d n a r e w o p n etwee in g ” t s e r e t in t h “ T h e c l a s h b t h is f ig

JAMIE MCDONNELL When Jamie McDonnell steps in the ring in on 11th May, to fight for the vacant IBF bantamweight against unbeaten Mexican Julio Ceja, he is aiming to cement a fantastic sporting one-two for his town.

Two weeks ago, Doncaster Rovers won the League Two championship with an amazing last gasp victory at Brentford. Now McDonnell is aiming to become Doncaster ’s first world boxing champion, when he fights for the vacant IBF bantamweight title.

Five years ago, a world title bout seemed a long way after successive defeats to Chris Edwards and Lee Haskins. Since then, however, McDonnell has won twelve successive fights - collecting the Commonwealth, European and British titles along the way. McDonnell has become one of the country ’s most accomplished fighters and has now defended his European title four times.

His opponent, the 20-year-old Julio Ceja, is undefeated in 24 bouts, with 22 of those wins occurring by knockout, and holds a win over former WBO bantamweight champion Cruz Carbajal. He is fighting outside of his native Mexico for the first time in his career but remains undaunted by the task.

Ceja responded to his critics fears by stating “I’ve seen videos [of McDonnell] and I respect him, but he’s never fought one single durable opponent. I’m used to fighting in different parts of Mexico, so I don’t believe it [boxing in Doncaster] will affect me. In the ring it’s only me and Jamie, the people won’t help to defend him from my power. I’m very confident I can knock him out. I always have that mentality when I go into the ring, from the first round. Winning the world title is going to be a dream come true.”

The big punching Mexican will represent a tough task for the 27-year-old Yorkshireman. McDonnell will be looking to use his height and reach advantage over Ceja, but will need to be wary of the shorter Mexican who has a good range of punches and is able to work to the head and body. McDonnell will need to work every minute of every round if he is to triumph and his experience in big fights could be enough to see him become Doncaster ’s first ever world champion.

There is also a packed undercard, featuring Darlington’s Stuart Hall, who faces the Texan Sergio Perales for the IBF Intercontinental bantamweight title; while Dronfield’s Lewis Taylor will defend his International Masters Middleweight title against Jason Ball; and local boy Jason Cunningham will fight for the English flyweight title. Rounding off the card are heavyweights Dave ‘The White Rhino’ Allen, Carl Spencer from Doncaster, and Sheffield’s Jamie Sampson.

-John Wharton

BITESIZE Q&A

JAZZA

John Wharton asks Jazza Dickens some quick questions:

John also had a word with Jazza’s trainer, Paul Stevenson:

1) You’re fighting for the British Masters title at the Olympia in three weeks - how does it feel to be topping the bill and fighting for more titles in your home town?

You’ve got OIympia on Lewis, Ryan you looking busy night?

I’m excited and I can’t wait for it now. Glad that I’m fighting in front of my home crowd and I’d like to have defended my English title, but obviously I can’t with Dai being Welsh! But I’m willing to fight whoever Steve Wood and Ricky Hatton put in front of me.

four fighters on the card at the 24th May (Jazza Dickens, Steven Farrag and Nathan Brough) - are forward to what promises to be a

2) How happy were you with your performance against Jon Fernandes last time out, and what have you learned from the fight?

It ’s going to be a good night; we’re all looking forward to it. We’re working hard and we’ve got the lads together preparing for it. We’ve got Jazza fighting Dai Davies for the British Masters title, and he’s one of those opponents who, if you take your eye of the ball, can beat you. He drew with Rhys Roberts recently but if we do a good professional job in the gym, and prepare correctly, we’re confident.

3) Dai Davies is renowned for being a tough opponent and last time out he gave Joe Murray a few problems before losing a close decision are you expecting a similarly tough fight?

We’ve also got Nathan Brough fighting Graham Earl in a great match-up. We’ve got the veteran Graham Earl who’s coming back from a few years off, but Nathan has been pretty inactive lately as well. Nathan is hungr y to get there and Graham Earl is hungr y to get back there. It ’s a good mix of styles, as Earl is a short stocky puncher and Nathan is a tall rangy boxer. But he’s not a typical long range boxer as he likes to plant his feet and land his own big shots.

I know I can box a lot better than that, and I got a bit excited and tried to knock him out. I should have listened to my trainer (Paul Stevenson), but in a way I’m glad Jon Fernandes got up because otherwise I wouldn’t have learned from the mistakes I made, and it ’ll make me a better fighter.

I didn’t see the fight, but I was supposed to fight him last year and he pulled out and fought for a title [in September 2012 Davies fought John Simpson for the Celtic Title in Glasgow]. I know he’s a good fighter but I’m ready for him.

4) You’re part of an exciting British super bantamweight scene, and there has been talk of a bout with Kid Galahad - do you see any other potentially great domestic match ups within the division?

The division is flying at the minute, and I’m really excited to be a part of it. A fight with Galahad would be one I’m interested in, and I’d fight him even if a title wasn’t at stake. I’m not sure about the rest of the division as I don’t watch too much boxing at the minute. I’m just concentrating on my own game and if they want to worr y about me then that ’s up to them.

dickens

revenge or repeat

FROCH VS. KESSLER FROCH VS. KESSLER FROCH VS. KESSLER

John WHARTON PREVIEWS THE SUPERFIGHT FROCH VS. KESSLER ON MAY 25 IN LONDON Revenge is upper most in the mind of Carl Froch later this month when he faces Mikkel Kessler at London’s O2 Dome, at stake is Froch’s IBF super middleweight title and Kessler’s WBA strap. The two first met in Denmark three years ago when the Dane won a unanimous decision over the Nottingham fighter, the fight was closer than two of the judges’ scorecards would have you believe. As incredibly Judge Roger Tilleman scoring the bout 117-111 in Kessler’s favour.

The fight in Herning, Denmark was fought against the backdrop of 2010’s volcanic ash cloud crisis in Europe, after the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

With many flights across Europe cancelled, Froch had to hire a private jet to make his way to Denmark for the bout. For this bout Kessler believes that Froch whose partner, Rachel Cordingley gave birth to their second child may have taken his eye off the prize with the new arrival. Kessler believes that it’s only natural that boxing will take a back seat to the birth of a child and thinks that this may give him the edge.

A serious eye injury kept Kessler out of the ring for over a year after his victory and the Dane has only fought thirteen rounds since his victory over Froch and his most recent fight was a third round stoppage of Ireland’s Brian Magee. Kessler has comeback wins over Mehdi Bouadla, Allen Green and the aforementioned Magee since coming back from a serious eye injury that at one point threatened his career.

Conversely Froch has been busy since the last meeting winning four of his five bouts and completing 44 rounds in the process. Froch looked sensational in stopping the previously unbeaten Lucien Bute in five rounds in Nottingham last year and followed that up with a third round stoppage of American fighter Yusuf Mack. Both fighters have a loss to Andre Ward with Kessler losing via eleventh round technical decision in 2009 and Froch dropping a unanimous decision to Ward in December 2011.

Froch is keen to avenge his defeat from the first fight and told BBC East Midlands that, “everything is clicking in training, and I’ve got that tingle down my spine, I know that feeling well and it means I’m ready to fight.” Froch also added that he felt that this was the biggest fight in Britain for at least ten years and his trainer Robert McCracken also told the BBC that, “Carl is in tremendous shape, he’s very, very sharp and I’m confident he’ll do the business on the night.”

Victory over Kessler would cement Froch’s legacy in the British boxing hall of fame and another incentive

for victory for the Englishman is the recent news that legendary fighter Bernard Hopkins is angling for a fight with Froch provided he beats Kessler at the O2 Dome.

Hopkins who earlier this year broke his own record in becoming the oldest world champion in the sport’s history expressed his interest in the bout, which should it happen would certainly be of interest to British boxing public and the world at large. Hopkins stated that should Froch defeat Kessler, "Froch is top of my wish list. I have great respect for him as a fighter. He is very exciting and our styles would make for a great fight," the 48-year-old told the Daily Mail. "I will happily go over to the UK to make it happen but of course Carl will have to beat Kessler first. I am rooting for him to do it and I think he will win this time.”

Kessler had the home advantage in their last fight and it played a decisive part in the final outcome, now the roles are reversed and the crowd will be predominantly pro Froch. Due to a ticket mix up not many tickets were sold to Danish fans and Kessler expects to have no more than 1000 fans present in the arena. Another factor could be the eye muscle injury suffered by sparring for their first fight. Kessler admits that his career became dangerously close to being over, however he believes that it won’t be a factor, “No I don’t worry about losing my eyesight. I talked to the eye surgeon and he believes that the nerve is healed now. The injury meant I was close to ending my career because if the nerve doesn’t knit together, then they would have needed to operate.” Thankfully however the injury healed without surgery and Kessler was free to continue his career.

The bout on May 25th is a crossroads bout for both fighters and hopefully if the fight is anything like the first fight we can expect a contender for fight of the year. On the undercard is British super middleweight contender George Groves who faces Noe Gonzalez Alcoba of Uruguay, in a bout that is surely little more than a marking time fight while Groves awaits a world title shot. Light heavyweight contender Tony Bellew faces a rematch with Isaac Chilemba who he fought to a draw in March at The Liverpool Echo Arena and Bellew’s coach Mick McAllister believes that the public will see a different Tony Bellew than the one on display in March, “We know we made mistakes that night, but I truly believe that Tony will bounce back to win this one, he knows what he needs to do to win.”

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BIG FOZZY’S FEMALES Some call him Elliot, some call him Foster; but here at BritBox, we call him Big Fozzy. The Foz searches from port to peak of the British Isles to bring you boxing’s best ring girls to look, listen and sometimes drool over in each issue.

For April, ‘Big Fozzy’ has Mayhem Boxing Babe, Carrie McMaster aka. Magic

Who’s your favourite boxer and why?

What’s your nickname and where did it come from?

It’s hard to pick just one! I love to watch Mike Tyson in clips My nickname is Magic after American light heavyweight from the 80s… So fast, the guy’s amazing. I also have to say boxer Antonio Tarver. that after watching Anthony Joshua at the London Olympics Have you ever thought of taking up boxing yourself? last year has made me a big fan!

Yes and no, haha… I enjoy training but I couldn’t fight for Would you ever consider having a relationship with a boxer? real. I’ve been a bit lazy recently but I started Muay Thai last I’m currently in a relationship and have been for two year and I love it! years now, so I would have to say no! Think I could be If not, why not? running the risk of being dumped if I said yes, ha.

The club and people are really nice and I really enjoy If you could go on a date with any boxer, who would it be learning but again, I couldn’t fight! Really don’t like bruises, and why? haha.

I would love to hang out with Floyd Mayweather for a day. As a fighter he’s so cocky, but when you’re that good, How was the night of the Mayhem Babe competition and how why wouldn’t you be! It’d be good to see what’s he’s like on did you feel about winning?

The competition was in November, which seems so long a normal day!

We could go a wee drive in one of his super-awesome ago now! The night was great; I had 20 family/friends there cars or watch a basketball game. To spar with him would just and all the girls were amazing!

When my name was called as the winner I couldn’t believe be incredible. Suppose going on a night out with him and the crew he’s always with could be interesting! Could show it! I even cried a bit because I’m a woos. After all the stages then the build up to the final it was the cherry on the icing on him the haggis bomb (Irn-Bru and Jaeger), ha. the top of the cake to win the Mayhem Boxing Babe 2012 What’s your cup size? Sorry, I had to ask that one, ha! accolade.

Hm, what do you think? I’m a 32E… Straight in there with In the previous issue I interviewed ‘Sweet Pea’ Kerry Brash… the important questions, I see, haha.

What is your relationship with Kerry and the other girls like?

Kerry and the other girls were amazing in the run up to the What’s it like being a ring card girl?

I did my first job in Feb for Mayhem Promotions at a competition which I’m sure they were to everyone. As for the kickboxing event in Cleland. I was so nervous, but the crowd newer girls, some of them I haven’t met yet but the ones I have met and spent the day with at the competition are honestly where amazing and the fights were great.

Also did our calendar shoot in December in Cirque the best bunch of girls you could meet. They ’re so supportive nightclub, Glasgow. That was good fun. The calendars are of each other and a great laugh! I am really chuffed to be part of Team Mayhem and so far loving it! being sold to help raise money for Yorkhill Sick Kids.

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AND Head on the Ground.

The down-to-earth WBA world interim champion gives Sean Pollock the low down on his success so far and why he ‘lives like a monk’ as he nears the limitless heights of his beloved profession.

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QUIGG WITH HIS Feet in the Clouds...

SCOTTQUIGG SCOTTQUIGG SCOTTQUIGG AS top British boxers continue to beat, bludgeon and batter foreign adversaries at the very summit of the sport, the way is paved for lesser known home-grown hopefuls to stake their claim at the pinnacle of domestic pugilism. Amir Khan, David Haye, Carl Froch: all worldwide renowned. And now, on the lips of boxing purists is a name tipped to be THAT next superstar, Scott Quigg (25(18)0-1).

Quigg, 24, entered the professional ranks in 2007 and had stormed into the limelight by 2010 claiming the WBA Inter-Continental title before securing the British super-bantamweight crown from Jason Booth in 2011.

The Bury stylist’s biggest test came just last year when a mouthwatering clash with Rendall Munroe (then, 24(10)-2-0) for the interim WBA strap was called a three-round technical draw following a deep cut to Munroe. However, when the pair met again on Nov. 24, 2012, there was to be only one winner; a meticulous Quigg fired body shots at his elder, crippling him within six sessions on the Ricky Hatton comeback card: “After the first fight I was absolutely gutted because when I was in there I knew how I felt. I knew whatever

happened in the rematch it would have been the same result,” said Quigg.

“In the first fight there was a lot of frustration because of the work I’d put into it and it’d come to a halt. Up until the time when I beat him, from he first fight to the second it was on my mind all the time.

“Going into the first fight I didn’t know what to expect, I’d watched him for years with my dad and said, ‘why is he so difficult?’ He just keeps coming forward and grinds people down, so I thought when I get in there, there must be something different, and when you’re in with him it’s a lot harder.

“There was a lot of frustration but I didn’t let that derail me from getting it done— after the first fight I was back in the gym on Monday! My mum and dad said I was a nightmare to live with for a few weeks!” recalled the 24-year-old.

Ironically, Quigg’s sweetest moment arrived just before one of boxing’s saddest. Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton was left in tears at the fists of Vyacheslav Senchenko on a cold night Manchester night. The media had hyped the return of Hatton and his notorious ferocious body shots; but it was ‘The Hitman’

“ALL I DO IS EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN. I LIVE LIKE A MONK”

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SCOTTQUIGG himself who was stopped with an abdomen assault.

And it wasn’t only the Ukrainian who had honed his downstairs work; Joe Gallagher had Quigg well-drilled.

Numerous, beautifully picked right and left hooks to the sides of Munroe rendered the world title contender useless.

“After the first fight I knew that I’d get to him within 8-9-10, because there’s no way he’d be able to handle the shots he’d be getting hit with. I was confident of hitting him clean. In the second fight—because of his eye—his hands were a little bit higher, so that was the plan in the second fight, to go to the body,” revealed the WBA interim holder.

Quigg describes the experience of supporting a sporting icon as a taster for his own future,“It was good to be around that, as it gives you a taste of it and brings you into it, if I find myself where he [Hatton] is, which hopefully I will be, you already know what’s gonna be happening. Being on the undercard to Hatton, I thrive off things like that that’s when I’m at my best.”

The super-bantamweight may possess a talent set like few others, but he also has a burning desire to succeed, “When I’m in training I have a longer training camp than anyone else. Alls I do is eat, sleep, train. I live like a monk!” Ric Moylan, the Team Hatton fitness coach refers to his client as one of the fittest sportsman in the world, Quigg explains why, “I seem to be able to push myself to the limit more than other people. I try a couple of different little things, but it’s the training and the people you listen to like your coach. If you do the same thing you’re going to get the same result, you just find new ways to get stronger, get fitter and faster. It’s willing and wanting to be the fittest and be the best.”

In a business that may spawn some pantomime rivalries and shameful stunts to sell tickets, there are some genuine ‘rivalries’. Whilst some people may associate a ‘rivalry ’ with bitterness and confrontation, the pairing of Quigg and Irishman, Carl Frampton, sanctions a hugely competitive and respectful dispute—who is the best at 122lbs domestically ?

“My next fight will get my profile up and be a good

test. Frampton is fighting Martinez next, which I think he will come through and get him out of there. Him beating Molitor made the fight bigger, me beating Munroe the way I did made the fight bigger and him beating Martinez will make the fighter bigger again. If I beat this kid, then the fights even bigger! Then we’ve got a massive fight for in the summer,” said Quigg.

There has been an echoing request for the two to settle the ringside debate, “People were calling for it eight months ago, I’m not in the sport for money, but it doesn’t make sense—eight months ago it wouldn’t have sold an arena out, now, me fighting Carl in the summer will fill an arena. That’s what you want, big fights like that, it’s coming along nicely—a fight he wants and a fight I want, it’d be a cracking fight.”

The conveyor-belt of British boxing talent is fruitfully in full flow, with Jazza Dickens and Kid Galahad the latest 122lbs talents striving to reach the levels of Quigg and Frampton, “It’s a really exciting fight [Dickens vs. Galahad], but I’d go with Dickens, he’s got that pop in his shots. They ’ve both got that awkward sort of style, he [Dickens] can go backwards and forwards, but Galahad is a tricky customer.”

As Quigg finds himself only a few posters and bells away from Earth’s most dangerous little men, Nonito Donaire and Guillermo Rigondeaux, BritBox questions his preference between a rock and a hard place, with the two close to signing for a super-fight this year: “I’d say whoever can fight the fight in a relaxed manner. There’s gonna be some serious feeling out, it’s whoever can fight their fight and relax. Whoever gets hit first could go! I’m slightly with Donaire; but you put any fighter in the ring with either of them two and they ’d have more of a chance with Donaire because Rigondeaux doesn’t get hit, it’s all style wise,” said Quigg.

The Bury man holds the interim version of Rigondeaux’s WBA strap, if he keeps winning a meeting may be inevitable,“I’m realistic, I need three fights this year and that’ll get me ready for them. At the minute I’m not experienced enough at the top, I’ve got a lot to learn. But style wise, I’d be looking at Abner Mares, that’s the chance you’ve got. Then you’ve got Rigondeaux—it’s hard to even lay a glove on the kid!

But it’s one of them, I’ve sparred him in the Wild Card [gym] before, I did well, I know I can get to that level.

But it’s alright doing it in the gym, you need that top level fight experience and this next fight will give me a bit of a feel of it as well.”

After witnessing a Vegas fight night with his own eyes for Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV in the MGM Grand, Quigg got a taste for seeing his own name in lights, “It’s a fighter ’s dream, that’s what you work for. The atmosphere gives you the itch for it, as soon as I got back I went for a run— even with the jet-lag! The atmosphere made you want a bit of that, it was different to the Hatton fight— them Mexicans make some noise!”

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REST IN PEACE ANDREW MILLWALL XXX

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JASON WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY IN KENNEDY’S GYM