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OLYMPIC PREVIEW Your indispensable guide to the Tokyo Games

Castaño & Charlo prove formula works THE WORLD’S BEST FIGHT MAGAZINE EST. 1909

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JULY 22 2021

BEST VS BEST

GIANTS STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF

How Joshua, Joyce and Clarke plan to progress

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Contents July 22, 2021

12

JOSHUA vs USYK The fascinating clash of 2012 Olympic gold medallists is made official

UNMISSABLE

>> 16 JOYCE vs TAKAM ‘The Juggernaut’ takes his next step towards the big fights at heavyweight

24

HIGHLIGHTS

>> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER When the best fight the best, boxing wins

>> 5 STEVE BROUGHTON >> 24 CHARLO vs CASTANO

Joe Joyce’s trainer on the task at hand

A great fight and a baffling scorecard

>> 8 STEVE BUNCE >> 28 JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

The pleasure of being back in the gyms

On his blueprint for boxing greatness

>> 14 SAM MAXWELL >> 32 PERNELL WHITAKER

Opportunity knocks against Ennis-Brown

Remembering the magic of ‘Sweet Pea’

>> 18 CHRIS JENKINS >> 38 OLYMPICS PREVIEW

The humble champion is dreaming big

This will be a Games like no other before

>> 22 YORK HALL

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Stepping back in British boxing history

>> 26 ACTION ROUND-UP Featuring the latest Japanese starlet

>> 44 THE LONG COUNT FIGHT One of boxing’s most controversial bouts

>> 46 ALESSANDRO RIGUCCINI An Italian who is thriving in Mexico

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JULY 22, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 3

EDITOR’S LETTER

Photo: AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME

BEST vs BEST: Castano and Charlo prepare for war

Time to subscribe l THERE are numerous ways to subscribe, including special offers.

Cover photography MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM (JOSHUA), KARL BRIDGEMAN/ GETTY IMAGES (CLARKE) & QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS (JOYCE)

THE WINNING FORMULA Matching the best versus the best should be the aim for every division ITHOUT wishing to labour the point we’ve been making in recent weeks, but instead to make it abundantly clear, matching the best against the best all but guarantees a terrific contest.

More importantly, if we’re looking at the long-term retention of fans and the Matt creation of new Christie ones, best versus @MattCBoxingNews best exhibits the sport exactly as it Editor should be exhibited.

It’s also important to point out, after perhaps appearing overly negative in recent weeks in regard to the state of the sport, that we’ve had three male world championship fights in 2021 between two of the three top fighters in certain weight classes. All three bouts are leading the way in the Fight of the Year stakes. That the very simple best versus best formula works deserves to be championed.

Those fights were Juan Francisco Estrada vs Roman Gonzalez (world champion vs No. 2 contender at superfly), Josh Taylor vs Jose Carlos Ramirez (No. 1 vs No. 2 at super-light) and, last weekend, Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano (No. 1 vs No. 2 at super-welter).

Matching the best fighters with the best fighters should of course be the natural order of things. It’s not rocket

W

4 l BOXING NEWS l JULY 22, 2021

science, after all. But the business of boxing has already scuppered Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua (world champion vs No. 1 contender at heavyweight) and, at the time of writing, was messing with the proposed clash between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant (No. 1 vs No. 2 at supermiddleweight).

We all know about the Fury-Joshua saga and the multiple moving parts that made it impossible for everyone to stand still for long enough to shake hands and agree to fight. Alvarez, meanwhile, is considering other options after Plant’s team supposedly stalled on negotiations because they – PBC and Al Haymon – are reluctant to do business unless they get a share of the Canelo business. Haymon’s work at 154lbs has been exemplary, it must be said, but we’re going to need some give and take among the superpowers to get anywhere near utopia.

Canelo is one of the few elite fighters actively chasing his closest rivals; should Plant’s team fail to get their man in the biggest fight of his life, it’s been said that Alvarez will aim for world 175lbs champion, Artur Beterbiev, or No. 1 contender, Dmitry Bivol. Both excellent fights but it would be a shame if politics prevented him from ruling at 168 beforehand.

I’ve heard more experienced voices than mine recently suggest that boxing is boxing and will always be ‘boxing’ so we should just accept the flaws and get on with it. But that kind of attitude allowed the sport to spiral out of control and will surely get us nowhere.

Too many accepted it in 1978 when the WBC stripped Leon Spinks for agreeing to take on Muhammad Ali in a rematch. Prior to that bout, the world heavyweight championship had changed hands on 25 occasions. Since then, and

not including any interim or regular type hogwash, we have seen 65 holders of one or more of the WBO, WBA, IBF and WBO belts (so that’s 25 in 87 years and then 65 in the next 43). If anyone tries to tell me that the sport hasn’t been harmed as a consequence, that we keep quiet and just embrace the mess, I’d urge them to think again.

However, I do agree that we need to focus on the positives. Because this is a mess we can get out of; Estrada vs Gonzalez, Taylor vs Ramirez and Charlo vs Castano are proof of that. Best versus best really is as simple and effective as it gets. l ONE thing that a simple rankings system can’t solve is the matter of scoring, however. Judge Nelson Vazquez’s score of 117-111 in Charlo’s favour was exceptionally hard to fathom.

One can argue that this kind of madness on the cards is why we have three judges (in the hope that at least two get it right) and few can dispute that a draw wasn’t a fair result. Also worth noting that bad scorecards are not quite as common as many would have you believe. They are, however, too common. l IT is time for the Olympics. As amateur editor John Dennen highlighted so eloquently in a recent Guest Column, this is where the best do fight the best.

There’s no jostling for position, no delays to the settlement of rivalries: You win a bout, you progress to the next round.

It promises to be a fascinating few weeks; we advise that you watch closely because this is the tournament where future superstars are born. We wish all involved the very best of luck.

Follow us and keep up to date @BoxingNewsED

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The Opening Bell... l THE BN podcast has been described as the ‘most impartial and informative podcast around.’

There is at least one new episode every week to enjoy. l IN this week’s show (free to download every Thursday) we examine JoshuaUsyk, preview the Olympics and look back on Castano-Charlo. l Listen (& rate & subscribe) via Apple, Spotify and all major platforms.

BoxingNewsOnline

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GUEST COLUMN

‘THERE IS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO’

ROCK SOLID: Joyce is a force to be reckoned with

Joyce will not take Takam for granted nor presume that he will soon get a title shot HAT you see with Joe Joyce on television and read in interviews is exactly what he’s like in real life. He doesn’t get flustered when he’s in the ring with heavyweights who are trying to knock him Steve out so he Broughton most certainly doesn’t get Joe Joyce’s flustered by trainer anything that happens outside of the ring.

Nonetheless, it hasn’t been an easy eight months since he knocked out Daniel Dubois. The narrative going into that fight was the winner would get a shot at the vacant WBO title against Oleksandr Usyk but then Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fell through and we’re no further along with that. We’re being told that if Joe beats Carlos Takam this weekend

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he’ll be in line to face the JoshuaUsyk winner. But will that really happen? Probably not. We know that if Usyk wins it will be probably be a Joshua rematch and if Joshua wins he’ll be moved towards Fury.

The situation with the sanctioning bodies is ridiculous. Suddenly Dubois, who lost to Joyce, is the mandatory with the WBA before Joe has even fought. How does that work?

But Joe is a patient guy and he will continue to fight until he gets his chance for the world championship.

We don’t want a situation like Dillian Whyte finds himself in but we are being realistic about the future.

Joe and I are similar in many ways and that’s why we work so well as a team. We don’t get stressed or overexcited. We understand each other.

Apart from the three weeks he spent with former trainer Ismael Salas last year, we’ve been working together as fighter and coach for a year.

I understand Salas as a trainer and several of his methods remain.

But I have implemented some different things with Joe over the past 12 months that are working

well. Salas’ style was typically Cuban; it was based on rhythm, technique and co-ordination. He’s the type of trainer who would watch a video of a fighter throwing a hook and identify that they’re not turning their hand over correctly.

I’ve spent more time on working on Joe’s defence, getting him to deflect shots and to work on the inside, which is too often undervalued. Joe is a good student, he will always listen and is willing to try new things. But he’s not one of those fighters who will pick up new techniques immediately, they need to be drilled into him over time.

From my perspective, I see the subtle improvements in his defence that no one else sees, I see him putting those combinations together that we’ve been working on so tirelessly. It takes time, but Joe gets it.

Takam is the ultimate heavyweight gatekeeper and I mean no disrespect by that. He’s fought the top guys but he’s lost to the top guys. We’ve watched Takam at his best and we’re preparing for that version of Takam but, even then, there’s nothing I see

that sets him apart from the kind of competition Joe beats all day long.

That said, we’d be fools to take him lightly. He’s no Joe Frazier but he does bob and weave and bowls shots over as he comes in. We are aware that though he’s short, he has long arms – longer than Joe – so we have considered that. He also has a good palate of punches to choose from. He’s solid in many areas.

Joe has had excellent sparring against top amateurs like Natty Ngwenya, whose dimensions are very similar to Takam. We’ve also used Alen Babic. He’s been a bit different. He’s not as technically good as Takam but he came ready to go to war. If Takam wants a war, we are ready. If he wants a boxing match, we can do that too.

We know Takam is strong but we’re not as fearful of his power as we were someone like Dubois, for example. Takam can bang but he rarely puts the lights out with one punch. Joyce will not be complacent, it’s simply not in his nature. Not about this fight or about his future.

There is still a lot of work to do.

JULY 22, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 5

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LETTERS

ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/boxingnewsonline

LETTER OF THE WEEK

THE RIGHT DECISION I’M writing in to congratulate Boxing News on its decision to recognise the Transnational Boxing Rankings ahead of any sanctioning body rankings. This is a brave decision, but the right one. By focusing on one non-biased set of rankings, and by ignoring the many variations of ‘world’ titles awarded by the sanctioning bodies, it’ll make it easier for fans to follow the sport. Any match in another sport featuring an authentic world No. 4 against an authentic world No. 9 (to use the example of the upcoming Kid GalahadJazza Dickens fight) would, and should, attract attention, prestige and the right remuneration for the athletes involved.

I sincerely hope that your actions are followed by other outlets and that they lead to a wider range of reforms in the governance of boxing. eg. A reduction in the number of sanctioning bodies, as well as a streamlining of weight classes.

Rob Kearns

UNMUDDYING THE WATERS FINALLY, the boxing business seems to be slowly dragging itself out of its current confusing and difficult situation, with Boxing News making a decision that could impact the sport positively moving forward. Of course, I’m referring to the sensible, wise, even brave decision from BN to stop recognising the alphabet belts as world titles. It’s been a long time coming and the team behind the move should be commended. Incorporating the Transnational Boxing Rankings is another positive step in unmuddying the stagnant waters boxing often finds itself in.

Mark Massow (Manager/Trainer/ Matchmaker) THE SIMPLE TRUTH THE recent announcement that Boxing News will no longer be recognising sanctioning body belts as world titles brought to mind a question that my eight-year-old son once asked me:

“Why are there four ‘world’ champions when there’s only one world?”

David Page PROPS TO GOLDEN BOY GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS can quite often receive a lot of unwarranted criticism. Most of the time, I think that the criticism has more to do with their sometimes-controversial figurehead, “The Golden Boy” himself, Oscar De La Hoya. For whatever reason, De La Hoya has become somewhat of a marmite character, but love him or hate him, his team are leading the way in terms of matchmaking. The recent show that was headlined by Gilberto Ramirez vs Sullivan Barrera featured a quality undercard, and this wasn’t a one-off. Personally, I think that the Golden Boy cards are the highlight of the DAZN schedule.

Matchmaker Roberto Diaz and his team are putting together some great fights.

James Ingleby

GOLD STANDARD: De La Hoya and Jaime Munguia

Photo: SYE WILLIAMS/GOLDEN BOY

6 l BOXING NEWS l JULY 22, 2021

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10 COUNT THE PANEL

AWARD WINNERS

WOULD JOE JOYCE BEAT THE WORLD’S TOP HEAVYWEIGHTS?

The Val Barker Trophy has been awarded to the ‘outstanding boxer’ at each Olympic Games since 1936. Here are 10 famous past recipients 1. DICK McTAGGART (1956) Regarded by many as Britain’s best-ever amateur boxer, McTaggart had to overcome the stiffest of competition to claim the Val Barker Trophy, as the legendary Laszlo Papp was one of his fellow gold medal winners.

Lewis Richardson GB middleweight You can’t really write Joe off after what he’s achieved in both the amateurs and pros. His style isn’t the most pleasing on the eye but he’s so efficient and effective. My personal opinion is he wouldn’t beat the top heavyweights but he deserves his shot.

Tony Jeffries Olympic medallist I don’t think Joe is there yet with only 12 pro fights but I think he will get there soon.

Takam will be a proper test.

Charlie Sims Boxing manager I think Joe Joyce will give Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua a hard night’s work with his work rate and size. I think both Tyson and AJ will be too experienced for him, both are great boxers technically and have been at top level for some time. Tyson and Joshua both edge hard-fought points victories.

Chris McKenna Sports reporter Would I rule him out against any of them? Certainly not. Joyce is an Olympic silver medallist and has improved a lot since turning pro in 2016. Someone as skilled as Tyson Fury or has well drilled as Anthony Joshua may just be a step too far for him but Joyce would be in both fights thanks to his jab, engine and durability.

WHO ARE YOU TIPPING TO WIN GOLD AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES? Lewis Richardson GB Boxing have a special team in Tokyo. I believe any one of them could medal, but if I had to pick one to win gold it would be Pat McCormack. What a story it would be for Frazer Clarke though. Oleksandr Khyzhniak and the Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev are my other tips for gold. But come on Team GB!

Tony Jeffries I think the McCormack brothers are some of the most talented fighters GB has seen in a long time and have got a great chance of gold, as well as big Frazer Clarke.

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Charlie Sims Pat McCormack, Frazer Clarke and Peter McGrail.

All have been outstanding through qualifiers and major tournaments in the build up. I can see Ben Whittaker has the talent and Galal Yafai has the experience to knock on the door too. GB’s women have bundles of talent, I think any of them can medal.

Chris McKenna For GB, the favourites to get a gold have to be Pat McCormack and Lauren Price. I think Ben Whittaker can be the star of the Games if he gets a good draw.

Ireland have a smaller team but keep an eye on Kurt Walker, Kellie Harrington and the Walsh siblings - Aidan and Michaela.

2. NINO BENVENUTI (1960) After being presented with the Val Barker Trophy, Italian idol Benvenuti went on to carve out a Hall of Fame career as a professional. One of the boxers that he pipped to the award was a certain Cassius Clay.

3. TEOFILO STEVENSON (1972) Arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all time, Cuban colossus Stevenson secured a hat-trick of Olympic golds from 1972 to 1980. During the Games in which he won the Val Barker Trophy, he stopped all of his opponents.

4. HOWARD DAVIS JNR (1976) A member of a star-studded US team, Davis demonstrated incredible fortitude to earn the Val Barker Trophy while grieving the recent death of his mother. Among those he was selected over were Teofilo Stevenson, Sugar Ray Leonard and the Spinks brothers, Michael and Leon.

5. ROY JONES JNR (1988) One of only three boxers in history who was awarded the Val Barker Trophy at a Games in which he did not win a gold medal, the gifted Jones was desperately unlucky to return home to America with only a silver.

6. ROBERTO BALADO (1992) Winning the Val Barker Trophy over greats like Felix Savon and Oscar De La Hoya, Cuba’s Balado was considered as one of the premier amateur boxers around when he tragically died in a car accident at just 25.

7. VASSILIY JIROV (1996) Prior to excelling as a pro cruiserweight, Jirov boxed his way to Val Barker honours. The Kazakh outshined the likes of Oleg Saitov, Felix Savon and Wladimir Klitschko in receiving the trophy.

8. OLEG SAITOV (2000) Russian Saitov followed up gold in 1996 with another first-place finish in 2000 – the year in which he took home the Val Barker Trophy. Felix Savon and Guillermo Rigondeaux were also in contention at the 2000 Games.

9. VASILIY LOMACHENKO (2008) Another two-time Olympic champion (2008 and 2012), Ukrainian marvel Lomachenko was the recipient of the Val Barker Trophy at his first Games.

10. CLARESSA SHIELDS (2016) Women’s boxing was introduced at the Games in 2012, but the first female Val Barker Trophy was not given out until the 2016 event. America’s Shields, a double Olympic gold medallist, was the inaugural winner.

JULY 22, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 7

THE BUNCE DIARIES

COMING ON NICELY: Sheeraz is 12-0 and a promising prospect Photo: JAMES CHANCE/GETTY IMAGES

8 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS What a joy it is to be inside the boxing gyms again

OUR of the finest boxing nations have their flags draped high above the two rings at the Hodbox gym.

The first ring has Cuba and Kazakhstan, powerhouses in the amateur game, and above ring two, the Russian Steve flag and Gypsy Bunce nation’s distinctive @BigDaddyBunce flag flutter gently Voice of boxing in the hot air. And it is very hot inside the Hoddesdon Boxing Academy, also known as the bear cage.

It’s getting close to midnight when Hamzah Sheeraz finishes his session and it is still hot. The amateurs are long gone. The heaters hanging from the roof are also burning; Sheeraz fills a bucket with sweat by wringing out his clothes.

It will make a nice online hit and it did.

Weight is not an issue, just something that boxers built like Sheeraz deal with.

Equally, weight is always an issue, but controlling is the key. Sheeraz looked happy.

Five hours earlier, the gym had been heaving, both rings full, the floor areas packed with shadow-boxers and boys and men waiting to spar. There was also a doctor in the office completing the follow-up checks on the 107 boxers that will have cards this season.

And at one end, the mums and dads filed in and out, waiting for their little Johnny or Henry or Mohammed. Or Susie. “Was it all OK with the doctor?,” Henry’s mum asked. It was, he makes his debut on the club’s show at the end of July.

The more experienced boxers arrived a bit later, some familiar faces and all with so much raw ambition and hope. The lifting of Covid restrictions, shows planned and fights schemed has changed the atmosphere, altered the dynamic as they say. Outside the doctor’s makeshift office, the talk was about fights, trips to Portsmouth, weight, plans for the first show since Covid hit. Anticipation, expectation – boxing was back, they would get to fight again.

It’s quite simple now: All the sessions, the clandestine meets, the hopes, the journeys with parents from Kent, the

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long hours lost on the M25 and all that waiting is nearly over.

“They just keep coming through the door,” explained Sab Leo, who has been at the gym since 1992. He has nine other coaches in rotation now, but there have been times when it was just Sab on his own, times when the glory train slowed. That happens at all amateur clubs; the test for any club is surviving the lean years, the years when another local club has success. Sab has that secret formula tucked away in his pocket, make no mistake.

On the walls are hundreds of framed vests, a testament to the club’s endless conveyor belt of talent: Billy Joe Saunders – USA York Hall 2007; Jordan Reynolds – Lionhearts Kazakhstan 2018; John Hedges – Glasgow 2016.

Alfie Price, Ashley Sexton, Francie Doherty, Hamza Mehmood in locations as grand as Beijing and as ordinary as Rotherham. There are dozens of other names. It’s a wall of glory, an impressive montage, a truly inspirational backdrop.

Sexton boxed just a week or so earlier in Spain, his first fight for five years and another win on one of boxing’s circuits. He works with the juniors at Hoddesdon, his son is about to have his first contest. Ash is looking for a British title fight, 11 years after a wafer-thin split draw in his first British title fight. He boxed next to Billy Joe on the road as club boys.

Ash is also the man who delivers the knockout in the most watched boxing clip ever – the one where Usman Ahmed dances to the ring and is then flattened.

That’s Ash and that was in 2010.

Sheeraz never boxed for Hoddesdon, but he sensibly used the place to improve. “I used to come down here for sparring and I got chased all over the ring by one of those fighters,” Sheeraz tells me as he points up at the far end of the wall. I think he looks at the kid’s vest each time he files in at 8pm to start his late-night session. Sheeraz is a very honest kid. “I was like the invader; he was a good fighter. But I kept coming back.” The kid was a good fighter and then he was 18 and then he vanished.

It happens. Sab has stopped thinking about the boxers he has lost.

Sheeraz is an old 22, a veteran of

12 fights, wise and now a survivor of that dreaded Southern Californian tour of fighting gyms. They are the pitiless gyms where nothing is sacred, where everybody is equal under the watchful eye of men like Freddie Roach. The bell sounds and it is war, it really is that simple. The Mexicans and exiled Argentinians impressed Sheeraz. “And no, I don’t know most of their names – they just came to fight,” Sheeraz admits with a smile. There were also some big names, some great sessions in those foreign rings. As I said, he feels like a veteran and a long tour like that can change a fighter forever.

It’s the ancient Kronk philosophy; fight or flight, baby. We all know the stories about “fresh meat” at the Kronk, the savagery of the attempts to break Dennis Andries, Errol Christie and Andy Lee in that great pit of excellence in Detroit. Manny Steward talked about the local workers coming in at lunchtime, grabbing a chair, eating their sandwiches and watching the sparring.

It had to be good.

In LA now there are a few other hellish gyms, places where outsiders have to prove they deserve to be insiders. Sheeraz arrived, knowing he had to prove a point.

Sheeraz stayed and fought, spending four months of this year in Los Angeles.

That’s sacrifice and he now works with Ricky Furnez, another long-time survivor of the old game. A genuine Californian veteran with the scars and the stories and the life to share from his years at the Ten Goose gym. Furnez has been part of a lot of memorable corners, part of some great teams, worked with Roach and with his own long-term mentor, Joe Goossen.

At Hodbox, Sheeraz and Furnez, worked nicely together. Furnez liked the gym, he likes real gyms.

Both Roach and Goossen also like what they have seen of Sheeraz. Furnez speaks to both on a regular basis. It is rare to find experienced trainers so openly talking about sharing things with other experienced trainers. It is not a weakness, it’s an asset. It’s great to be out in gyms again and talking to real fight people. It is just such a delight and privilege.

‘I USED TO COME DOWN HERE AND I GOT CHASED ALL OVER THE RING’

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 9

BOXING MEDIA REVIEW

TUNE CHANGED: But Hearn has long warned about the dangers of over-saturation Photo: JAMES CHANCE/GETTY IMAGES

HEARN: PPV ON A KNIFE EDGE Eddie makes some pertinent points about box office boxing while selling the subscription model, writes George Gigney

YOUTUBE THERE was a time - not that long ago, in fact - when it would seem bizarre to hear Eddie Hearn heralding the death of pay-per-view in boxing. For so long the unofficial spokesperson for PPV boxing on Sky Sports in the UK, Hearn is now in bed with streaming service DAZN. Speaking to Boxing Social, the Matchroom Boxing boss gave his view on the American PPV market, and he doesn’t hold much hope for it.

“You live in a world now, where, payper-view in America, you’re on a knife edge every time you fight, because it’s so saturated,” he said.

“It’s not saturated at £19.99, it’s saturated at 80 bucks a pop. Obviously, you had Gervonta Davis [against Marrio Barrios on pay-per-view], now you go into [Deontay] Wilder-[Tyson] Fury getting

10 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

another pay-per-view, and then you go into [Manny] Pacquiao and [Errol] Spence, a great fight, but another pay-per-view.

Before that you have Jake Paul-Tyrone Woodley. These are $80 at a time.”

Obviously, due to his alignment with DAZN, Hearn isn’t approaching this with an unbiased view, but in fairness to him he has been speaking about the over-saturation of the broadcast market for several years now.

Unsurprisingly, he went on to say that he would advise fighters to seek out the guaranteed purses offered up by the likes of DAZN, rather than “gamble” on a share of PPV revenue.

The question is: does he have a point?

It’s hard to argue with his assessment of American PPV price points; they are

simply too high and while it’s hard to track legitimate viewing figures for these shows, it’s no secret that boxing is easily one of the most expensive sports to watch on television.

Add to that the fact that the main broadcasters of PPV shows in the US Showtime, ESPN and FOX - are regularly pumping out cards that subscribers need to pay extra to watch and it becomes easier to see how the market might be in trouble.

As Hearn outlines in the interview, people consume content very differently nowadays and that is fast beginning to apply to sport as well. Aside from platforms like DAZN and ESPN+, streaming giant Amazon Prime is picking up more and more sporting content, from

‘IT’S NOT SATURATED AT £19.99 BUT IT IS SATURATED AT 80 BUCKS A POP’

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live tennis to the Premier League.

So, is PPV a dying industry in the US? At this stage, no. Fights like Fury-Wilder III would be almost impossible to make without the added injection of cash from PPV sales and a lot of the biggest names operating in the US still seem to prefer that model. There’s a reason Floyd Mayweather chose a PPV platform for his recent exhibition against YouTuber Logan Paul.

In fact, ESPN reported that talks are in an advanced stage for Canelo Alvarez to fight Caleb Plant on a FOX PPV later in the year. The Mexican superstar has fought on DAZN for the past few years but is now a free agent, meaning he’d be able to fight on FOX - if a suitable purse is offered, of course.

News has also emerged that Canelo is exploring the option of facing lightheavyweight destroyers Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol if the Plant fight doesn’t come off. If that’s true, it just further proves how determined Alvarez is in his pursuit of true greatness.

Plus, it’s also been reported that Gennady Golovkin has been approached about fighting Canelo later this year in what would be a long-awaited trilogy bout

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between the two. ‘GGG’’s team reportedly expressed that the Kazakh star is ready and willing to take that fight.

Whomever steps out of the opposite corner against Canelo in September, it seems they will be a top-drawer name.

While Plant appears to be the current frontrunner, Beterbiev would be the most intriguing option out of those presented.

Super-lightweight king Josh Taylor also spoke with Boxing Social, and made some interesting comments about Gervonta Davis. The unbeaten Scot, when asked about a potential fight with ‘Tank’, was typically bullish in his response.

He said: “He is a very good fighter, very skilful, but he was getting outboxed by Mario Barrios. Listen, I’d absolutely destroy him. It’s a good fight, a big fight, but I’d absolutely smash him to pieces.”

This is undoubtedly one of the best fights that can currently be made in the sport; Davis is developing into something of a crossover star while Taylor has already proven himself one of the most elite fighters in the world.

However, based on recent comments from Davis’ team, the chances of that fight happening anytime soon look slim at best.

WEBSITES Fury-Wilder III has officially been pushed back to October 9 after the Brit and several members of his camp tested positive for Covid-19. Thankfully, Tyson remains mostly free of any symptoms from the virus.

The Athletic’s Lance Pugmire made the interesting point that the postponement could actually work out well for all involved. He noted that ESPN and FOX - who are sharing the PPV - will be able to plug the fight off the back of their NFL coverage, with the regular season beginning on September 9.

Plus, as mentioned on these pages, it means the fight takes place just weeks after Anthony Joshua’s title defence against Oleksandr Usyk, which hasn’t officially been announced but is set to go down on September 25. If Joshua wins, he’d be ringside for Fury-Wilder, right?

Dillian Whyte remains unhappy with these developments though, calling Fury all sorts of names in an interview with The Sun and suggested the positive Covid-19 test was manufactured.

NO THANKS: Watching Jake Paul in action comes at a substantial cost Photo: ESTHER LIN/ SHOWTIME

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 11

NEWS AND OPINION

Highlighting the best of the week’s stories WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET

ON A MISSION: Joshua is chasing widespread recognition as heavyweight champ

E have spent the last few weeks grumbling about the sanctioning bodies – rightly so, too – but now and again they do create quality fights that probably wouldn’t have occurred without them. Though the merry-go-round of nonsense atop the heavyweight division has been driving us all bonkers for what seems like an eternity, Oleksandr Usyk, by virtue of his mandatory position with the WBO, taking on Anthony Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25 should provide some welcome relief.

Joshua, the No.1-ranked heavyweight contender, quickly moved on from his disappointment at not getting a shot at world champion Tyson Fury to instead focus on defending his alphabet belts against a fighter who would be many fans’ second choice to “The Gypsy King” as an “AJ” opponent. Team Joshua deserve serious credit for that.

Usyk is largely unproven at heavyweight, hence his No. 10 ranking, but there is significant potential for the upset. The Ukrainian won titles galore as an amateur, including the heavyweight 2012 Olympic gold when Joshua ruled the division above. He cleared out the cruiserweights with aplomb before rising in weight in 2019. Only two bouts have followed, wins over Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, but Usyk remains one of the most accomplished and talented fighters in the entire sport. He’s had Joshua in his sights for many years.

But those years may have taken a toll.

Usyk, 18-0 (13), will be 35 in January and looked a shade slower when outscoring Chisora last October than in his days as the world cruiserweight king. The bout against Joshua will be his first at elite level since November 2018. In that time, Joshua, 24-1 (22), has split two fights with Andy Ruiz Jnr and knocked out Kubrat Pulev. Nonetheless, Usyk is a southpaw with charisma to match his bewitching boxing skills and can take his place alongside Wladimir Klitschko and Ruiz Jnr (in the rematch) as the most threatening opponents Joshua has faced as a professional.

“The date is set and we are fully locked

W

Consolation prize Excellent ĆJKW EHWZHHQ -RVKXD DQG 8V\N LV RIĆFLDO ZULWHV Matt Christie

12 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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‘THE STAGE IS SET AND I AM READY TO HANDLE BUSINESS’ in,” said 31-year-old Joshua. “We are two Olympic gold medallists who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges.

“The stadium is exceptional, the atmosphere will be electric, I’m honoured to be the first person to fight in such an awe-inspiring venue. The stage is set and I am ready to handle business.”

That stage has been crucial in the making of this contest. We’re told without the 60,000-paying fans it would have struggled to generate the required revenue. One hopes that the everunpredictable pandemic doesn’t again tighten its grip on the nation and force the government to rethink their current loosening of restrictions.

“If we don’t have a full crowd by the end of September we might as well pack up and go home,” promoter Eddie Hearn said recently. Since then, we have seen fans in their thousands attend sporting events in the capital.

Boxing News understands that the contest comes with a rematch clause but one that is carefully weighted in Joshua’s favour. That means should the Englishman win, he will not be forced by Team Usyk to go over old ground; the path will be clear for him to next year face the winner of the rescheduled October 9 fight between Fury and Deontay Wilder. But recent history tells us not to look too far ahead.

“The path will be mastered by the walking one,” said the ever-cryptic Usyk who has recently shaved his head and added bulk to his 6ft 3ins frame. Even so, his dimensions are a sharp contrast to Fury, who Joshua spent several months preparing for his 6ft 9ins nemesis.

The last time Joshua had a switch of opponent he found himself on the wrong end of a massive upset as Ruiz Jnr stepped in at six weeks’ notice in June 2019. Hearn insists lessons were learned.

“AJ’s just taken his time to reset and reset camp and do things properly. Rather than going early or mid-August, we go end of September,” the Matchroom boss told BN recently. “You’ve been sparring for three or four months thinking about Tyson Fury, now you’ve got a fighter with a completely different style. When we did the same thing with Andy Ruiz with just a few weeks and got a few sparring partners in, it was a big mistake. We all learned from that. So I’m pleased.”

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BRING IT: Usyk was born ready

Joshua’s trainer, Robert McCracken, will be finished with his Team GB duties on August 8 at the latest so will be back in time to prepare his star pupil.

In the UK and Ireland, the event will be broadcast by Sky Sports Box Office with DAZN broadcasting in other territories.

It will mark a reunion of sorts for Hearn and Sky after the promoter signed an exclusive broadcast deal with DAZN last month. This will be the last bout on Joshua’s current UK deal with Sky Sports.

“We’ve followed Anthony Joshua’s enthralling journey since the very start,” said Sky Sports’ Adam Smith.

“The unbeaten Usyk is returning to the city where he struck gold at the same Olympic Games as ‘A J’… I couldn’t be more delighted after working for two years to secure spectacular heavyweight showdown at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”

Joshua’s WBO, IBF and WBA belts will be on the line.

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 13

NEWS AND OPINION

Highlighting the best of the week’s stories WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET

Photo: CHARLES MCQUILLAN/GETTY IMAGES

ON THE RISE: Maxwell is ready for his big test

14 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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Maxwell’s rise Sam 0D[ZHOO KRSHV WR FRPH WKURXJK DJDLQVW (QQLV %URZQ for WKH %ULWLVK DQG &RPPRQZHDOWK WLWOHV ZULWHV John Dennen AM MAXWELL has had a hard five years working his way through the professional ranks. He had been a talented amateur on the Great Britain squad, a Commonwealth medallist who was overshadowed first by Josh Taylor, now the super-lightweight world champion, and then an excellent Pat McCormack, who represents Team GB in his second Olympics this week. But Maxwell has advanced diligently as a pro, taking a good points win over Joe Hughes last year. Having outscored Ben Fields earlier this year, he is now 15-0 (11) and has the date set for the most significant contest of his professional career so far.

On August 28 at the Arena Birmingham he will box Akeem Ennis Brown for the British and Commonwealth super-lightweight titles.

“It’s been a long time coming but I feel like it’s at the right time. It’s come at the perfect time for me and I’m really looking forward to it.

Winning this I’ve got so many options after it. It’s giving me more incentive to win,” he told Boxing News. “I definitely feel like my career has progressed. Each fight I’ve added something new to my game and my experience so I’m definitely ready.

“I’m a mature pro now.”

“I’m looking forward to the fight. I think it’s going to be a good fight, I’m in a good place,” he added. “I’m definitely going to beat him, I know I can beat him and I’m excited for it.”

Some spite has been exchanged between the two. “He’s always mentioning my name, messaging me, commenting on my posts. I was responding to it early on, but now I’m just letting it to fuel me to train harder and just making a positive out of it,” Sam said. “I just think as soon as the camera goes on him he feels like he has to act a certain way. Let him get to it. Whatever works for him. But it’s not affecting me. I’m training hard and I can’t wait till the fight.”

S

He’s been working with new trainer Steve Maylett. “You get a new lease of life, a bit of freshness. I’m training around Terry Flannagan,” he said. “I train hard, I’ve got great experience from [Steve], he’s been to the top level himself and also we’ve got Terry in the gym. So I’m learning a lot from him as well. I’m just really enjoying it. It’s hard training but I feel like I’m in a great place and it’s going to get the best out of me come fight night.”

Maxwell has boxed Josh Taylor as an amateur, losing to the Scottish star in the semi-final of the Commonwealth Games. As a professional Sam is looking to climb the sanctioning body rankings to force a shot at one of the bigger names.

“Josh Taylor might have a couple more fights or move straight up, vacating [the sanctioning body belts]. It puts me in a great position once I beat Akeem. So it’s definitely something to look at. Not focusing on it, but it’s definitely something to spur me on after this fight,” Maxwell said.

“I’d love that [rematch with Josh Taylor]! He’s phenomenal.

“I trained alongside him, I’ve done so many rounds with him. He was good in the amateurs but he just took himself to the next level and he’s the best in the world. He’s not had it easy. He’s had tough fights from early on and he’s just come through them and progressed.

Now look where he is. Completed the game.”

But he added, “I feel like I used to hold my own with him in training and I think my fight with him was a great fight and a close fight. So from what he’s done, it gives me confidence knowing how good I must be as well.”

On the same August 28 bill in Birmingham Leon Woodstock fights Anthony Cacace for the British superfeatherweight title while Anthony Yarde gets a tune up ahead an expected rematch with Lyndon Arthur in October.

Stoke’s well supported Nathan Heaney will also be in action.

‘I USED TO HOLD MY OWN WITH JOSH TAYLOR AND HAD A GOOD FIGHT WITH HIM...

THAT GIVES ME CONFIDENCE’

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YES XU CAN Leigh Wood takes short QRWLFH ĆJKW ZLWK ;X &DQ LEIGH WOOD only had six weeks’ notice that he would be boxing China’s Xu Can on Matchroom’s Fight Camp show on July 31. But he didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity.

“I was in the gym, I wasn’t training elite but I was in the gym ticking over, doing some big sessions,” he told. “The financial side took a little longer [to agree] but it took a few minutes [to accept the fight].

Sometimes these opportunities come when you least expect them.

It’s in the name, professional boxing, you have to be professional. You have to live the life as a professional.

You have to be professional in and out of the ring. I always have been and it’s going to pay off. I got this fight at short notice, they expected me not to be ready in time.

“I really do think they’ve made a mistake here. And like they say be careful what you wish for.”

Xu Can was on course to fight Josh Warrington, until the Leeds fighter suffered a shock loss against Mauricio Lara. But Wood does not consider himself a warm-up. Leigh stopped Reece Mould earlier this year to win the British featherweight title. He is adamant that he can and will win this fight.

“I want to prove where I belong. I want to prove that I can mix at that level no problem and not only mix at that level, be victorious,” he said.

“He is elite, he’s high volume.

I’m not sure if he can crack a bit.

He likes to think he can. Looking at his record, I don’t think he can.

He’s more of a volume puncher,” Wood noted of Can. “I know what to expect, I’ve been working on what I’ve got to do and going into fights like this, you have to work to your advantages and take away your opponent’s advantages. Ben [Davison] is a very good coach and he’s been around at that level a number of years now. Every time he’s been to that level, he’s come through.

“I believe in everything I’m doing.”

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 15

PREVIEWS

Previewing the best upcoming fights around the world

+ + + + + O U T S TA N D I N G + + + + G O O D + + + FA I R + + D I S A P P O I N T I N G + RU B B I S H T h e s t a r r a t i n g s i n d i c a t e h o w w e l l t h e w r i t e r b e l i e v e s t h e f i g h t e r s m a t c h u p, t h e f i g h t ( s ) ’ c o n t e x t u a l s i g n i f i c a n c e , a n d h o w g o o d t h e f i g h t ( s ) w i l l b e

LOOKING UP: Joyce wants to test himself against the biggest names Photo: JACK THOMAS/ GETTY IMAGES

ON THE MARCH Joyce aims to keep his momentum going against Takam, writes Paul Wheeler

+++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D

S the No. 7 heavyweight contender in the world, Joe Joyce is firmly in the mix for fights at the elite end of the division.

His sights are particularly set on the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk contest, though the plan, assuming Joshua wins, is for “AJ” to take on Tyson Fury afterwards, so long as Fury defeats Deontay Wilder in their rescheduled trilogy bout. So for the time being, Joyce

A

16 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

must ignore these ifs and buts and simply concentrate on maintaining his lofty position in the rankings – a position that Carlos Takam wants to take from him.

This Saturday ( July 24), Joyce and Takam collide on a Queensberry promotion at Wembley Arena, live on BT Sport 1 in the UK. Now 40 years old, it could well be Takam’s final chance to force his way into the upper echelons of the heavyweight division once again, as the Cameroonian-Frenchman is a former contender himself, having mixed with some quality opposition in the past.

After winning all but one of his opening 30 contests, Takam came up against the talented Mike Perez in January 2014 and seemed unfortunate to only come away

with a majority draw. Five months later, he soundly outpointed the dangerous Tony Thompson on a unanimous decision, which led him into an October clash with Alexander Povetkin on hostile territory in Russia. Takam held his own until the accomplished local favourite uncorked a devastating knockout blow in the 10th round.

Takam’s next significant fight came in May 2016 against Joseph Parker – then a touted prospect, now the No. 8 heavyweight contender. Once again competing on his opponent’s home turf, Takam dropped a competitive but fair unanimous verdict in New Zealand.

The away days continued for the stocky slugger when he came in as a late

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substitute to oppose Anthony Joshua in the amateurs. European bronze in 2013 and Commonwealth gold in 2014 on British soil in October 2017. Joshua was followed by World bronze in 2015 was coming off a stirring victory over and Olympic silver in 2016. This was in the illustrious Wladimir Klitschko, but addition to an extensive and fruitful spell Takam made life difficult at times for the in the World Series of Boxing, where renowned Brit, before succumbing to a among Joyce’s long list of victims was Filip much-debated stoppage in round 10.

Hrgovic, of whom big things are expected Nine months after the Joshua loss, in the pros.

Takam returned to the UK for a dramatic While the 6ft 6in Joyce is four-andscrap with the unpredictable Derek a-half inches taller than Takam, the two Chisora. The muscular visitor was in the share a very similar reach. They are ascendancy going into the eighth round, both strong, come-forward fighters who but Chisora turned the bout on its head boast high work rates. Joyce’s engine is by delivering a brutal fight-ending finish. especially formidable, as he marches Since this defeat, Takam has won four out ahead relentlessly, unloading heavy of four, albeit against rivals from outside hooks to head of the top tier. and body, as well Last time out 12 as thumping onemonths ago, he TALE OF THE TAPE twos. Cool, calm was brought in as and menacing, he a late replacement JOE JOYCE CARLOS TAKAM keeps things simple to face the decent @JoeJoyceBoxing @carlos_takam and employs an Jerry Forrest.

Sep 19, 1985/35 DOB/AGE Dec 6, 1980/40 awkward style Despite tiring Putney HOMETOWN Henderson, NV that is difficult to somewhat in the English NATIONALITYCameroonian-French overcome. His later stages, Takam 6ft 6ins HEIGHT 6ft 1 1/2ins defence is not was the recipient 80ins REACH 80 1/2ins the tightest, but of a deserved 12-0 (11) RECORD 39-5-1 (28) his solid chin unanimous vote.

Orthodox STANCE Orthodox and supreme Like Takam, Joyce Oct 20, 2017/32 DEBUT/AGEDec 10, 2005/25 conditioning make fought twice last 92 KO PERCENTAGE 62 up for this. year. In his most WWWWW LAST FIVE FIGHTS WWWWL Like Joyce, recent outing in No. 7 RANKING n/a Takam [below] can November, the be tagged, yet he Putney powerhouse is known for his took on Daniel toughness.

Fighting out of Henderson, Dubois in a highly anticipated battle of Nevada, the well-travelled veteran Britain. Someone’s ‘0’ had to go in this aggressively bulls forward, launching mouth-watering matchup, and it turned clubbing hooks and booming uppercuts. out to be Dubois’. Prior to the contest, the He will meet Joyce head-on and attempt marauding Joyce had been categorised to unsettle the younger man, but sparring by many observers as an effective but with the all-action Alen Babic will have rather one-dimensional aggressor. prepared Joe well for this type of tactic. By Yet in the fight itself, “The Juggernaut” grinding Takam down with hurtful, precise demonstrated his considerable boxing punches, Joyce can emerge victorious skills by breaking Dubois down with a sometime in the second half of this tremendous, punishing jab. The giant 12-rounder.

Londoner’s accurate attacks fractured the left eye socket of Dubois, resulting in a 10th-round KO win for Joyce, who left the THE VERDICT The likes of Joshua and ring as the British, Commonwealth and Usyk are for another day. The European champion. present for Joyce is Takam.

The impressive triumph over Dubois enhanced Joyce’s ledger to 12-0 (11).

Other notable names on the 35-year-old’s CV include an out-of-shape Bermane Stiverne (rsf 6 – February 2019) and a spirited Bryant Jennings (ud 12 – July 2019). Having turned professional 12 years later than Takam, Joyce unsurprisingly possesses far less pro experience than his upcoming foe, whose record reads 39-5-1 (28).

Although Takam is the more seasoned pro, his amateur pedigree is not as stellar as Joyce’s. A 2003 African gold medallist and 2004 Olympian, Takam achieved substantial success in the unpaid ranks, but Joyce collected an array of major medals during his time

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DUAL DEFENCE Jenkins defends his two titles against Essuman in an intriguing encounter IN the chief support, Welshman CHRIS JENKINS, 22-3-3 (8), puts his British and Commonwealth welterweight titles on the line against Nottingham’s undefeated EKOW ESSUMAN, 14-0 (5) [above].

Jenkins unanimously outscored the rugged Johnny Garton to claim the British belt in March 2019, before adding the vacant Commonwealth crown five months later with a razor-thin nine-round technical decision over former successful amateur Paddy Gallagher. The Garnant man rounded off the year with a defence of his titles in November against the improving Liam Taylor. Just as in the Gallagher fight, Jenkins suffered a cut that brought an end to proceedings. However, in this instance, as four full rounds had not yet been completed, the bout was declared a technical draw.

The standout win on Essuman’s record came in March 2019 against ex-British super-lightweight champion Tyrone Nurse, whom he overcame on a majority verdict.

(Nurse had previously both drawn with and beaten Jenkins.) Most recently in September last year, the Botswana-born 32-year-old vanquished two-time Conor Benn opponent Cedrick Peynaud on a unanimous vote.

Having been out of action for 20 months, ring rust could be an issue for Jenkins, who, as well as being plagued by cuts, has also been dropped in his last two bouts. Neither man is regarded as a huge puncher, yet they both jab with authority, target the body effectively and set a high pace. Jenkins turns 33 next month and possesses the greater experience as a pro, but Essuman is the fresher fighter. With the challenger being on an upward trajectory, he can dethrone Jenkins by prevailing on points.

Unbeaten prospects HAMZAH SHEERAZ and CHRIS BOURKE feature further down the bill in 10-rounders. Super-welterweight Sheeraz meets EZEQUIEL GURRIA, while superbantam Bourke vies with JAMES BEECH JNR.

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 17

Photo: MORGAN HARLOW/GETTY IMAGES

18 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS

STILL DREAMING

BIG British and Commonwealth welterweight king Chris Jenkins has been a stellar servant to boxing over the past two decades but he’s still waiting to get the rewards he really deserves INTERVIEW: GLYNN EVANS

EVEN as a longstanding British and Commonwealth champion, life’s been very, very hard. You’re on the breadline.

Even with two successful defences, I still live in rented accommodation, here in Rhiwfawr [a hamlet of just 40 houses in the Swansea valley]. It’s very barren, very rural.

It’s so frustrating. I’ve always been an honest fighter. I turn up in shape, give of my best and I’ve been involved in several of the most exciting fights in the division over the past decade but I’m stuck out in the valleys, 20 miles from Swansea. No one talks about me, no one writes about me.

Perhaps I’m to blame cos I’m not vocal enough on Twitter and don’t be an asshole at press conferences. I’ve always respected opponents. My pride means more than money.

Around here, they’re all old miners, survivors, very humble people and I’ve never been a material person myself.

Fashion-wise, I don’t care what I look like.

As a kid, my parents did everything they could for us but, if the money weren’t there, we just didn’t have it. I was always

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Hi-Tech never Adidas! My kids and my wife are my only priority now.

Because of my commitment to the boxing [training] from such a young age, I never had much of a childhood. I didn’t have many friends, missed out on invites to parties and, later, missed out on drinking sessions and chasing girls.

Besides, as a kid I was a real ‘header’ [head case], a bit of a boy. At 12 and 13, I was burning fires, setting bins alight, robbing caravans.

It’s been a real struggle but, when I reflect, 20 years on, boxing’s done me no harm. I’d not really change anything bar the cuts. Let’s just say, today I’m only a good-looking man when it’s dark!

But boxing’s guided me, made me behave. In addition to teaching me how to take care of myself physically when required, boxing has taught me values.

Respect. Respect for others but also respect has been reciprocated back to me because of my achievements. That’s why, when I find out people are bad mouthing me, I just rise above it, refuse to bite. I’ve grown up.

I’ve always felt the runt of the litter, the outcast of my own family. Sadly, I’ve not spoken to my parents for a couple of years. But I’m a free ranger. As long as my wife and kids are happy. When I’m done, I’d like fans to remember me as someone

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 19

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

who never gives up, not just in boxing but in life...’

Back in the amateurs, I boxed at two World championships and two Commonwealth Games. I won three senior Welsh ABA titles and a Four Nations gold medal. So when I joined the pros in 2012, others might have expected I’d win a British title but, truthfully, my goal was just to fight. I never had any ambition whatsoever to be a champion so I think I’ve done alright.

I started out with 16 straight wins, coached by my uncle, Ronnie Morris.

I won Prizefighter and the WBC International [superlightweight] title but suddenly became jinxed.

There were those close decisions to Tyrone Nurse [a draw and a split points loss in 2015 British superlightweight title spats]. The loss to Nurse was definitely my hardest, not physically but from a mental point.’

Twelve months before I finally became champion, I came very close to quitting.

I was getting cut, forced to fight short

notice to save shows. After being dropped in round one, I’d boxed Phil Sutcliffe’s head off for the next nine rounds but got robbed blind over in Belfast. I lost on cuts to Akeem Ennis Brown in his hometown of Gloucester [round 5, May 2018], then, next fight, my brows gave out again versus Darragh Foley [TD3, cuts, August 2018].

Afterwards, I phoned the wife to tell her I was packing up. I just didn’t want to do it, no more.

But then a very close mate took his own life which hit home hard.

Too much heartache left behind. That forced me to re-think, open up to those who really cared.

Thankfully, the wife [Helen] persuaded me to dig in, push on for one more year. She’s brilliant, allows me to pursue my dream while she tends to the house and kids. [Manager] Mo Prior and Richie Garner also helped me financially with a bit of sponsorship. I literally can’t do anything else other than fight so had to keep going with my boxing.

Joining Gary [Lockett, his current

‘TWO OF MY FRIENDS HAVE TAKEN THEIR OWN LIFE... IT F**KS WITH YOUR HEAD’

20 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

DECORATED: But Jenkins works very hard for every opportunity

trainer-adviser] after the loss to Nurse was also huge. I needed a change and he instilled my needed self-belief. I’m naturally pessimistic but Gary gets all negative thoughts out of my head. He’s stopped me brawling all the time. I’ve a decent dig but needed to use my smarts to realise my full potential.

Gaz somehow kept me motivated and just six months after Foley, out of the blue, I finally got an unexpected third British title shot against Johnny Garton at the Royal Albert Hall [in March 2019]. If I’d lost, I’d definitely have hung ‘em up, but that night I boxed out of my skin. I was always one step ahead of Johnny. That was my ‘coming out’ fight. It was also my hardest. I was pissing blood afterwards.

Then, shortly after, another close mate took his life. It f**ks with your head, man.

Unfortunately, winning the title didn’t bring the credit and benefits, I’d anticipated. Fighting on the road doesn’t bother me but, as champion, you expect some advantages. Defending my British title in Belfast against Paddy Gallagher, I was made to enter the ring first and he got announced second; against all the sports traditions.

Walking towards the ring, Paddy’s fans

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would put their hands out for a shake then pull it back and making vulgar gestures, name calling. After the fight, more of the same.

But, that night, I delivered the blueprint on how to beat Gallagher. My cuts were definitely ‘heads’. When you’ve been cut as many times as me, you just know. Though I lost the round when I was dropped [body shot, round six], it was only 10-9. I half expected to get robbed but, luckily, justice was served. [ Jenko was ahead 86-85 on all cards when cuts rendered the Welshman unable to continue after nine rounds].

The old eyes again gave out in my second defence, also on the road.

[Dumped by Middleton’s Liam Taylor in round two, Jenkins’ face resembled a ketchup commercial following repeated head banging. He was just four seconds from conceding his belt on a technical decision when referee Steve Gray curtailed his thrilling second defence late in round four]. The cuts were all heads and, besides, it’s not a four-round fight. It’s 12 rounds.

Look, I broke my nose four weeks out and couldn’t spar because of the pain. I also had a tooth out but, proper champion. I battled through it.

CHAMPION: Jenkins pounds Garton to win the British title

The knockdown, from a punch round the back of the head, was more a balance thing but it woke me up and I thought: ‘OK, let’s go to war.’ Liam was knackered by the third and fourth and I’m very confident I’d have stopped him late on, had it continued.

But after earning well from three title fights in 2019, I’ve not fought since. I was five weeks into my camp for a rematch with Johnny Garton and had shelled out a lot of money in expenses when the April [2020] date got pulled.

Lockdown has been mental. My employers shut down shop. For a while, there was no money coming in. Worrying times. Lately, I’ve been working with my sponsor Sammy from S.P Motor Recovery at his garage, some days cleaning duties, others washing cars. It’s been a lifeline.

I’m a self-employed jack of all trades. I also clean windows, do a bit of painting anything, to earn a pound for my family. A champion’s life is very glamorous!

Spending some family time with my kids, I’ve come to fully appreciate how hard it is for my woman who’s with them on her own when I’m away because my kids [nine year old twins Jacob and Jaxson and three year old Jenson] are nuts…I mean really nuts! But they’re healthy and that’s all I care about.

Provided they’re bathed and fed, the house is looking nice, happy days.

Thankfully, I managed to maintain general fitness through Covid. It’s so picturesque around here, it inspires you to run up the mountains. Plus we’ve a big garden. I attach my punch bag to the kid’s swing and I do ‘ab’ work and circuits there.

Unfortunately, the best contenders in the division are signed to a different camp. The politics haven’t been kind to me. Conor Benn was my mandatory and I’d have loved that fight. Big money.

Finally, fighting someone better known than me. It was my chance to prove wrong people inside and outside of boxing who don’t rate me. But a few days before purse bids, Benn pulled out.

I’d have been very confident. All Conor has over me is raw power but I’m more experienced and a far better boxer. He actually looked good in his last fight but, let’s just say, he’s benefitted from very good matchmakers and promoters. It’d be squeaky bum for a few early rounds but I’m confident I’d keep him mid to long range and beat him.

Josh Kelly was another. But [European champion] David Avanesyan had not read the script. Avanesyan is no easy fight.

One tough man. Was Josh rushed? Who knows?

If anything, I’m improving with age. I

might be 32 now, but I certainly don’t feel it. I don’t drink or smoke so I feel great in myself. Four or five years ago, when I lost for the British to Nurse, my style was all over the shop. Now I’m British and Commonwealth champion and not getting caught with punches. The only post-fight bruising I suffer is from heads.

Of late, we’ve brought conditioners on board to assist with the science side, the diet. Marginal gains. At 32, I’m still fitter than these younger kids in the division and I’ve got good technical boxing ability; a very good jab when it’s on point, good feet since I was a youngster, good distance. I know when to throw, when not to. The way I feel, I’ll fight another 15 years!

I’d love to own a house, so a big payday against someone like Amir Khan or Kell Brook would be nice but my sole focus is on winning the Lonsdale Belt outright; something to pass through future generations of the family. Become part of our local history. I want everyone around here to know about it. I’m not materialistic. Honour and pride are far, far more important to me than the money. I need two more wins.

Once achieved, I’ll happily have a go at anyone. The [belt-holders] at welterweight, Spence, Crawford, Pacman, are different level but maybe winning the Lonsdale might lead to a shot at the European [Avanesyan].

Anything beyond British champion, I’ll have over achieved.

This fight with Essuman was originally due to take place in March but sparring a young unbeaten lad, I was caught on the ear with a right hand.

Suddenly there was a buzzing sound and everything became muted. I continued the spar but my balance wasn’t the best. After my run that night, the missus mentioned blood was coming out of my ear. Perforated drum. More rotten luck but Essuman said some very unpleasant, disrespectful things. He’ll pay.

It’s nice to finally receive a firm date even if I’ve only had three weeks’ notice - I know the challenger had far longer than me - so it’s just a case of moving training from gear three straight up to gear five with Gary in Cardiff.

I have to accept that if things don’t go right, if I lose decisively, Essuman could possibly be my last fight. I know he has 14 wins, zero losses but hasn’t really boxed anyone. If he thinks because I’ve been out for 20 months, he’ll catch me unfit, he’s hugely mistaken. I worked my nuts off to get the belts and I’ve no intention of giving them away. I’ve the experience, the IQ to retain. I can box his head off or slam him in close. My choice.” bn

‘SOMETIMES I’M CLEANING, SOMETIMES I’M WASHING CARS. IT’S A LIFELINE’

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JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 21

STEP BACK IN TIME

The magic of York Hall is explored in detail in a brand new Boxing News podcast, writes Matt Christie HERE was something eerie about York Hall during the series of Queensberry Promotions events staged inside the all but empty arena at the height of the pandemic. One could almost hear the old hallowed venue creaking and groaning without spectators inside to enliven it.

After a break of 16 months, York Hall is preparing to welcome fans up its stairs and inside its walls to watch boxing again.

To celebrate its return to life, Boxing News – courtesy of Darren Rees – has produced a 90-minute audio documentary on the spiritual home of British boxing.

“If you’ve never been to York Hall, I’d say, for goodness sake, go,” revered commentator John Rawling says in the documentary. “The East End of London has been the heartland of boxing for decades and York Hall is still there and still provides those atmospheric nights… You get so close to the fighters, you’re right there in the heat of the action, you can feel the intensity of the punches landing.”

York Hall was once one of many small halls around London that would stage boxing. Since 1980, forty-one long years ago, it has stood alone. But the iconic boxing stage, which opened for business in 1929, was of course designed for a very different purpose.

“People would attend these places [public baths] to stay clean,” historian Miles Templeton explains. “They would not go along to swim for fun, it was to stay clean and healthy. It performed a very vital public service.”

Though it’s believed that boxing of some kind would have taken place at York Hall before World War II, it was the 1950s and 60s when it really became a regular haunt for fight fans. They would queue round the block to watch the early stages of the amateur national championships and youngsters like Joe Bugner would throw their first punches for pay long before David Haye and co regularly appeared inside the old building.

During pre-production of the documentary, Rees canvassed opinion on the most memorable contests to take place inside York Hall. Mickey Hughes’ stunning knockout of Gary Jacobs in 1990 was among

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22 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

the frontrunners. “I had Chris Eubank in my ear the whole fight telling me I had to pull my boy out,” the promoter of Hughes, Barry Hearn, remembers about that fight.

“Eubank was telling me Hughes was going to get killed, accusing me of being a very unfair person and I should protect my fighter. Then, wallop [Hughes wins with one shot]. That’s part of the reason I was so happy. Yes, I was delighted that Mickey won but it was great to get one over Eubank…

“It was one-way traffic for seven rounds then it showed you what boxing was about; one punch can change a fight.”

Johnny Tapia’s pilgrimage to York Hall in January 2002 remains the event that fans talk about the most. Richie Davies was the official who raised the legendary fighter’s arm in victory after he thrashed the mismatched Eduardo Alvarez inside 90 seconds.

“I remember arriving at the venue and I’d never seen so many people at York Hall and I’d been going there for 50 years,” Davies recalls about Tapia’s showcase. “[Before the fight] I went up to Johnny’s dressing room and there was only him and his promoter in there. As I opened the door he came running across to me and gave me a hug. He said, ‘Hello Richie, I’m so pleased you’re refereeing my fight.’

I was thinking, ‘How the bloody hell does he know who I am?’ I was astonished. We ended up speaking about our families, I really had to pinch myself.”

Being the man in the middle at York Hall is no easy task. Stationed directly above the ring apron is the balcony containing vociferous fans with the best view in the house. Inside the ring, the feeling of being surrounded is difficult to ignore.

“You get in the ring and your stomach is churning,” former top class referee Mickey Vann explains. “It’s not that you’re excited, it’s because you’re thinking, ‘I better not make a balls of this, I must be on song.’

When you’re in York Hall, you’re nervous.

You stand in the ring and it’s risen. You

go up them three or four steps and you’re nearly there at the balcony.”

Refereeing a contest brings its own pressure. But Sam Maxwell, who has fought at the venue several times as an amateur and professional – including against the formidable Vasiliy Lomachenko in the World Series of Boxing – describes how the inescapable claustrophobia of York Hall heightens the terror of one-on-one combat.

“It is insane,” Maxwell remembers. “I remember being in the changing rooms.

There’s no room to move round, you’re in this little box. You can hear the crowd because you’re right near the entrance and you can hear everything outside.

“Because the rooms are so small you can hear your opponent in the room next door doing the pads. I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, now I’ve got to fight this kid.’ You could hear the speed and power of his punches. It was like a machine gun going off.”

Frank Smith of Matchroom Boxing is acutely aware of those changing rooms and the compressed and gritty nature of the entire building. It can’t last forever.

“It will need to have work done [to survive],” he says.

“The changing rooms alone are tiny. You have eight or 10 fights and those rooms are crammed with fighters and their teams. The venue itself, the access points, the bars will need work done. It essentially needs to be brought forward into the new generation. But it will always be that gritty, grimy venue in East London. I don’t think that will ever change.”

Steve Bunce says it best: “You’re going to be stepping back in time and into something that, if you squint your eyes and ignore the glow from mobile phones, you’re going back to the 20s, the 30s, the 40s, to some of the greatest names in British boxing appearing there…

“You’re stepping back in boxing history.”

YOU COULD HEAR THE SPEED AND POWER. IT WAS LIKE A MACHINE GUN GOING OFF”

O Listen FREE to York Hall via The Opening Bell, the Boxing News podcast from July 23. It is available via our website and all reputable podcast providers.

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Photo: GETTY IMAGES

ICONIC: York Hall in Bethnal Green

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JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 23

ACTION + + + + + O U T S TA N D I N G + + + + G O O D + + + FA I R + + D I S A P P O I N T I N G + RU B B I S H Re p o r t e r s ’ s t a r r a t i n g s fo r m a i n e v e n t s a n d u n d e rc a r d s a r e b a s e d o n i n - r i n g e n t e r t a i n m e n t , c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d w h e t h e r o v e r a l l e x p e c t a t i o n w a s m e t

Another unfathomable scorecard steals the headlines from the terrific CharloCastano contest, writes Sean Nam

S A N A N TO N I O , T X J U LY 1 7 +++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D

N the few (all too few) occasions that boxing manages to carve out for itself some measure of respectability, all it takes for it to revert to its usual sordid form, it seems, are a few hare-brained strokes of a judge’s pen.

The name Nelson Vazquez may not yet trigger a visceral reaction in boxing fans, the way that mentioning either Adalaide Byrd or CJ Ross is known to cause ulcers and migraines – but the veteran boxing

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judge of nearly 1,000 bouts from Puerto Rico might have secured a place in the sport’s Hall of Shame with his most recent tally, a mind-boggling distortion of empirical fact.

Saturday night at the AT&T Center, Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano swapped punches for 12 rounds in a super-welterweight bout that had ebbs and flows, dramatic exchanges, and the kind of fiery competitiveness that one expects when the stakes include the vacant world championship and, in a rarity, the four major sanctioning body trinkets (Charlo’s WBA, WBC, and IBF titles against Castano’s WBO). That should have been the story. The fight ended up going the distance and, on a somewhat anti-climactic note, was declared a split decision draw.

In and of itself, a stalemate was not

particularly controversial, as it simply reflected the dogged nature of the contest, although it might be said that the verdict was especially kind toward Charlo, who looked overwhelmed at times by Castano’s relentless pressure.

(Boxing News had Castano winning seven rounds to five.) Judge Steve Weisfeld favoured Castano, turning in a close scorecard of 114-113, and Tim Cheatham had the action a dead heat at 114-114.

But it was Nelson’s 117-111 scorecard for Charlo that had observers in a tizzy and editors reworking their headlines.

Whether it was an act of malfeasance or simple incompetence no one will likely ever know, but the point is that on a momentous night in which boxing was hard-pressed to do any wrong, the sport still found a way to enmesh itself

Photos: AMANDA WESTCOTT/SHOWTIME

RELENTLESS: Charlo struggles to keep the aggressive Castano at bay

Dazed and confused 24 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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CLASSY DEMOLITION: Romero blazes through Yigit

in its usual cloak of skulduggery and disappointment.

Simply put, this was not a fight in which Charlo won nine rounds, even if he was the one responsible for landing the most eye-catching shots of the night.

The first of such punches occurred in the early going. With a minute left in the second round, Charlo caught Castano barrelling forward with a counter left hook, instantly chastening the Argentine.

Charlo then jumped on the woozy Castano as retreated along the ropes. For a moment, it seemed that Castano was a marked man, but he was able to survive.

Round three was waged mostly on Charlo’s terms. Using his length, Charlo kept Castano at the end of his punches.

Yet, in an inversion of the previous round, Castano roared back toward the end of the round with an ambitious sally. During that exchange he whipped two left hooks across the right cheek of Charlo, the second of which buckled the Houstonian’s knees and had him nearly sitting on the bottom ropes.

The tenor of the fight now shifted to Castano, who began letting his hands go and cutting the ring off against the more economically minded Charlo. In the sixth round, however, Charlo had some minor success stemming Castano’s fervid pace by working behind his jab.

But Castano would not stay subdued for long. He bullyragged Charlo in the eighth, from start to finish, and at one point staggered Charlo with a pair of hard overhand rights. Castano kept it up in the ninth, outgunning Charlo once again, landing hard left and rights.

Just as it appeared that the fight was slipping away from Charlo, he responded with his strongest sortie in the final three

rounds, particularly in the 10th, when he visibly hurt Castano with a hard left hand.

He was rewarded for his clutch effort: all three judges scored the final three rounds for Charlo.

Post-fight, Castano expressed his desire for an immediate rematch, while Charlo was strangely noncommittal.

Hector Afu refereed.

On the TGB Promotions undercard, lightweight heel Rolando Romero ran roughshod over Swedish southpaw Anthony Yigit, dropping him three times before stopping him in the seventh round of what was at times an ugly 135pound contest (set for 12).

Romero scored the first knockdown right at the end of the bell of the fifth

WE HAVE A DRAW: Charlo and Castano must do it again

round, a right hand that landed high on Yigit’s forehead. The punch came immediately after Romero was deducted a point by referee Rafael Ramos for hitting during a break.

By that point Yigit, who came in a whopping five pounds overweight after taking the fight on short notice, was out of answers, despite acquitting himself well in the early rounds.

About a minute into the seventh round, Romero dropped Yigit once more with a right hand. Moments later, after some wrestling on the inside, Romero connected on a booming left uppercut that dropped Yigit to the canvas for the third time, thus compelling Ramos to halt the bout at 1-54.

Middleweights Amilcar Vidal and Immanuwel Aleem put on a spirited donnybrook (set for 10) before the Uruguayan Vidal came away with the victory, courtesy of two favourable tallies.

Judges Ruben Carrion and Glen Crocker turned in scorecards of 97-94 for Vidal, and Anthony De Los Santos had the bout even at 95-95. Ellis Johnson officiated.

There were plenty of momentum shifts throughout, with Vidal outworking Aleem on the inside with torrid body shots, while Aleem, of Richmond, Virginia, scored on left hooks and uppercuts.

The fight reached a crescendo in the ninth round, as both fighters stood their ground in the centre of the ring and traded punches.

FULL R E S U LT S Jermell Charlo (153lbs), 34-1-1 (18), d pts 12 Brian Castano (153 1/4lbs), 17-0-2 (12); Rolando Romero (135lbs), 14-0 (12), w rsf 7 Anthony Yigit (140 1/4lbs), 24-2-1 (8); Amilcar Vidal (161 1/2lbs), 13-0 (11), w pts 10 Immanuwel Aleem (162lbs), 18-3-2 (11); Bakhram Murtazaliev (157 1/4lbs), 19-0 (14), w pts 10 Khiary Gray (155 3/4lbs), 16-6 (12); Pablo Rubio (131 1/2lbs), 13-0 (4), w pts 6 Eric Manriquez (131 1/2lbs), 7-12-1 (3); Amed Medina (127 3/4lbs), 3-0 (3), w rsf 4 Reginald Hinson (128 1/2lbs), 1-1; Robert Zavala (254lbs), 2-0 (2), w rsf 4 Levi West (199 1/4lbs), 0-1; Xavier Nunez (129lbs), 2-0 (2), w rsf 4 David Alfaro (128 1/2lbs), 1-5.

THE VERDICT The draw is fine, but the 117-111 scorecard stinks to high heaven.

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JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 25

ACTION ROUND-UP

Sizzling Shigeoka In his international round-up, Eric Armit wonders whether we have another Japanese prodigy on our hands

J U LY 1 4 TO K YO , J A PA N

No. 8 strawweight GINJIRO SHIGEOKA (6-0) exchanged hard punches with TOSHIKI KAWAMITSU (6-1) in the first round then floored him with a right in the second. Kawamitsu beat the count but was then staggered by another right and a straight left, before the fight was stopped.

Southpaw Shigeoka, 21, was 56-1 in his time in the amateurs. Another Japanese prodigy?

J U LY 1 6 TA L I S AY C I T Y, P H I L I P P I N E S

Some clever boxing from No. 10 strawweight MELVIN JERUSALEM (17-2) saw him outpoint TOTO LANDERO (116-2). Jerusalem boxed for most of the fight on the back foot, scoring well with his jab at distance and countering the advancing Landero, who never stopped coming forward. The scores were 118-110 twice and 116-112 for Jerusalem. On the undercard, flyweight DAVE APOLINARIO (15-0) stopped CHARLIE MALUPANGUE (9-5-3) in four rounds. Meanwhile, at

featherweight, JEO SANTISIMA (21-3) destroyed ALAN ALBERCA (11-5) in 101 seconds. Santisima floored Alberca with a left hook to the body and then put him down and out with a left hook to the head. Santisima’s only loss in his last 20 fights was on an 11th-round stoppage against the No. 3-ranked Emanuel Navarrete in February last year.

him in five rounds at super-lightweight.

Theroux was put down by a short right hook in the second, and was dropped again by a right in the fifth. Theroux beat the count but just walked back to his corner in surrender. Ulysse had lost a competitive decision to Ismael Barroso in December 2019.

L A D I S P O L I , I TA LY

C I U DA D J UA R E Z , M E X I CO

Despite some strange scoring, LOURDES JUAREZ (32-2 1NC) deservedly defeated DIANA FERNANDEZ (23-4). Fernandez took the opening round but then Juarez dominated the action. She was on the front foot, taking the fight to Fernandez and landing with power and speed. Juarez looked to have won clearly, but the judges saw a much closer bout. The scores were 96-95 and 95-94 for Juarez, against 96-94 for Fernandez. Juarez’s WBC female super-flyweight belt was on the line.

S H AW I N I G A N , C A N A DA

YVES ULYSSE JNR (20-2) floored DAVID THEROUX (16-5) twice and stopped

MATTIA FARAONI (7-1-1) won the Italian cruiserweight title when champion FRANCESCO VERSACI (21-4-1) retired after five rounds with an injured right shoulder. These two had met in March, with the bout being ruled a technical draw after one round when Versaci was unable to continue after a punch to the back of his neck.

G RO S S E TO , I TA LY

Champion VAIRO LENTI (9-4-1) had no trouble retaining the Italian lightweight title as he outboxed perennial challenger LUCA MACCARONI (16-7-4). Lenti constantly found openings for his jab and used some slick footwork and accurate

Photo: JOHN THYS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

ONE-SIDED: Merhy wallops overmatched Zhang

26 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

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Photo: MARTIN ROSE/GETTY IMAGES

counters to pile up the points. Despite Maccaroni’s constant pressure, Lenti never lost control of the fight. The scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Lenti. It was a fourth unsuccessful challenge for a national title for Maccaroni.

J U LY 1 7 B RU S S E L S , B E LG I U M

Cruiserweight RYAD MERHY (30-1) scored three knockdowns and halted China’s ZHAOXIN ZHANG (10-2-1) in the eighth round. Merhy put Zhang down in the second but it was more of a slip. A solid left hook floored Zhang in the third and he took steady punishment before a left hook put him down again in the eighth, leading the fight to be stopped. Zhang came in as a substitute on only five weeks’ notice and his lack of experience showed.

In two super-lightweight fights, HOVHANNES MARTIROSYAN (12-0) beat RENALD GARRIDO (25-29-3) when the Frenchman retired after eight rounds with a jaw injury, while ANTOINE VANACKERE (17-1) was lucky to squeeze past NAZRI RAHIMOV (9-3) on scores of 95-93 twice and 95-94. Elsewhere, superfeatherweight MIKO KHATCHATRYAN (13-0) floored Ghanaian MICHAEL PAPPOE (26-8) twice and KO’d him in three rounds. Cruiserweight YOURI

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KAYEMBRE KALENGA (27-6) knocked out MIKHEIL KHUTSISHVILI (31-44-6) in the first round with a ‘phantom punch’, while strong French super-middleweight KEVIN LELE SADJO (16-0) decisioned experienced Argentine JAVIER MACIEL (33-13) on scores of 79-72, 79-73 and 78-73.

SUWALKI, POLAND Vastly seasoned cruiserweight KRZYSZTOF WLODARCZYK (59-4-1) returned to the ring for the first time in 20 months with a win over VADYM NOVOPASHYN (6-3).

After a slow start, Wlodarczyk began to find the target, rocking Novopashyn in the fifth and easing his way to a clear victory on scores of 80-72 and 79-73 twice. In other action, middleweight FIODOR CZERKASZYN (18-0) impressed with a first-round destruction of DAMIAN BONELLI (24-9). A fearsome left hook put Bonelli down and although he made it to his feet, he was taking too much punishment and the fight was stopped.

ROCK RAPIDS, IOWA California-based Ukrainian SERHII BOHACHUK (19-1) blew away BRANDON BAUE (16-24) in the first round at middleweight. After shaking Baue with an uppercut, Bohachuk drove home a left hook to the body and Baue dropped

to a knee and was counted out. All 19 of Bohachuk’s wins have come inside schedule. In the co-feature, RONALD CRUZ (18-1) extended his winning streak to 16 as he outpointed CHRIS GRAY (13-23-1) in a welterweight contest. The scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice.

THE AVENGER: Eifert levels the score against Dzemski

MAGDEBURG, GERMANY Light-heavyweight MICHAEL EIFERT (7-1) outpointed TOM DZEMSKI (171) to avenge a loss from August. Eifert took a majority decision on scores of 97-93 twice and 95-95. Also on the bill, heavyweight hope PETER KADIRU (110) decked Bosnian ADNAN REDZOVIC (21-6) in the first and stopped him in the second. At light-heavy, ADAM DEINES (20-2-1), in his first fight since his defeat to world champion Artur Beterbiev in March, dropped BERNARD DONFACK (23-27-4) in the first and fourth rounds, with Donfack not coming out for the fifth.

LESNIKI, UKRAINE Another California-based Ukrainian, DMYTRO MYTROFANOV (11-0-1), used tireless aggression to grind down Nigerian RILLIWAN BABATUNDE (13-1) at superwelterweight. Mytrofanov, who claimed a victory over Asinia Byfield in December, defeated Babatunde on scores of 99-90, 99-91 and 98-92.

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 27

HOW TO BE GREAT Juan Francisco Estrada rebounded from tragedy at a young age to become one of the most respected fighters of his era by following the old school formula – challenge the best to be the best

By THOMAS GERBASI Photo: ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM

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JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 29

ORTY-EIGHT hours. No food, no water, nothing. If you believe what you’ve seen on the internet, that’s what Juan Francisco Estrada endured to make weight for his first bout with Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in November 2012.

“At least that part of what you read on the internet is true,” said Estrada through translator/manager Juan Hernandez. “I actually was not able to drink water or eat for a really long period in order to make weight, and I believe that affected my endurance and resistance in the fight because I felt a little weak. But I still put up a great fight.”

Calling it a great fight might be underselling it, as Estrada and Gonzalez waged war for 12 fast-paced rounds that ended in a unanimous decision victory for the Nicaraguan 108-pound champion. It was a disappointing result for Mexico’s Estrada, who had previously fought in the 112 and 115-pound divisions. But to get a title shot and to compete in the United States with the platform that provided, the then-26-1 Estrada made the sacrifices necessary to make it to fight night.

“The reason I believe I take this so seriously is because, at least that fight, I saw it as this huge opportunity,” he recalled. “It was my first fight in the U.S., it was against a great champion like Gonzalez, and whenever I have to make the weight, even if it’s a difficult task, I always want to make sure I’m a professional, not only for myself, but for my team, for the fans, and for the public in general. I feel that responsibility.”

Estrada met that responsibility and went above and beyond the call of duty in a fight that took him from obscurity to a new level of recognition, first among the hardcore fanbase, then even to casual followers of the sport.

Today, nearly nine years after his first meeting with Gonzalez, the native of Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico is a tenured member of the pound-for-pound list and the all-conquering world super-flyweight champion. And though he could walk away from the sport today and have a spot waiting for him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, the 31-year-old still has plenty of fight left in him.

“From the very beginning up until now, I’ve always used my family as my motivating engine,” he said. “When I had fights when I was coming up, I would always think about my family and use that as motivation, and I still do that now. And I believe I’m even more motivated now to keep winning more titles. Now that I’ve compiled four [sanctioning body] belts, I think I can keep accomplishing more things in the sport for me and my family.”

If you ask any fight fan, the one thing they will all want for Estrada is a third fight with “Chocolatito”. In March, the two warriors met for a second time and quickly set a high bar for the 2021 Fight of the Year race with another epic battle, this one taking place at 115 pounds. And while the level of world-class action was the same, the outcome was different, with Estrada evening the score via split decision. It was a verdict that drew some controversy, mainly concerning Carlos Sucre’s 117-111 score in favour of Estrada, but what everyone could agree on was that these two friendly rivals need to do it again, with

F

October 16 being the reported date for part three.

“I’ve read the rumours,” said Estrada of a rubber match with Gonzalez. “We are talking about October, but it’s only in the negotiation stage. Hopefully we can make it official soon because it would be a great fight again.”

Estrada and Gonzalez producing fireworks is as close to a sure thing as there is in boxing, and a third fight would likely produce the same scenario.

So what’s the secret of the chemistry between these two?

“I believe we have a lot of similarities,” said Estrada. “We both have an equal will to win, but also aggression and great technique, so I believe everything meshes together to make a great fight.”

Correction, two great fights, with another one hopefully on the way. And no matter what happens in the conclusion to their trilogy, it will have its place alongside great series like Ali-Frazier, Zale-Graziano and Gatti-Ward, Gonzalez-Carbajal and BoweHolyfield. That’s the dream of so many fighters, to not just win titles and gain individual glory, but to share that glory with a rival in a series of fights that transcend the sport. Estrada has that with Gonzalez, and that came as a bit of a surprise to “El Gallo”.

“Like a lot of other fighters, when I first started, I did want to try to get to a point where I could have big, meaningful fights that could go down in history,” Estrada said. “The one thing that surprised me or is a little different is that I really didn’t expect to have these amazing two fights with a Nicaraguan. Because of my weight division, I always thought that my biggest fights would be against an Asian champion because of the smaller weights. But it ended up being that my two biggest fights were against a great Nicaraguan champion like Gonzalez, and hopefully we can make the third fight and make it the same or even better.”

That doesn’t mean Estrada hasn’t had other great rivals over the years, and it wouldn’t be out of line to suggest that the quartet of Estrada, Gonzalez, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras have been the lighter weight class and modern version of the legendary Four Kings (Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns). That’s high praise, and Estrada is humbled by such a suggestion.

He even has a couple more names to make it the Six Kings.

“I definitely appreciate that possible scenario that people consider those fighters, including me, as a possible Four Kings, similar to the era that people talk about,” he said. “I believe there are also a few other guys in the same weights that could also be considered kings in the division, which are [Jerwin] Ancajas and [Kazuto] Ioka.”

Estrada has yet to throw hands with 115-pound belt-holders Ancajas and Ioka, but in his bouts against the other three members of the New Four Kings, he is 4-2, proving that in a day and age when the big fights often don’t happen, Estrada and his cohorts have gone to great lengths to make sure they’re fighting the best night in and night out.

That’s earned Estrada respect from fans, the media and his peers, and it’s clear that he’s left his mark on the sport since turning pro in 2008. The only sad part about his journey is that it was a devastating tragedy that may have been the catalyst for Estrada to find

I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT WHEN WE’RE COMPARED TO THE FOUR KINGS”

30 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

SWINGNG RIGHT: Estrada forces Viloria to defend en route to split decision win

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BARNBURNER: Estrada and Gonzalez do what they do best Photo: ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM

the sport as a youngster.

“You never know what life can bring at you, but just because of the timing and the tragedy of my mother’s passing, when my mom passed away, I had to relocate from one state to another, and because I relocated and started living with my aunt, that’s when I was introduced to boxing,” said Estrada who was only seven years old when his mother died of leukemia. “I believe there is a chance that had my mom not passed, then I wouldn’t have relocated to a different state and maybe I wouldn’t have been in boxing. But things happen in life for a reason, and I use that as a motivation as well.”

Estrada’s father would pass away when the future world champion was 14, and at the age of 21, Estrada lost Lupita, the aunt who raised him. That’s a lot of heartbreak for anyone at any age, but particularly for a young man just trying to find his way in the world.

But Estrada has a fighter’s heart, and he persevered and succeeded. It would have been some celebration for his mom and aunt to see where their little boy wound up.

“I believe my mom would be very happy to see that I’m now in a successful position in the sport

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and doing well financially also,” Estrada said. “And when my mom passed away, I relocated because I was living with my aunt, Lupita, my mom’s sister, and I was living with her when I was introduced to the sport and she was very happy that I was a boxer and that I was winning tournaments and titles. And I believe my mom would also be very happy like her sister. I just wish that they were still around so they could see my success and also so I could help them out financially.”

It’s the only dark cloud in a sunny future for Juan Francisco Estrada. Maybe that’s why he’s not always smiling, joking or appearing to be enjoying what has been a memorable career thus far. That may be only half-true, though, as he does admit to being satisfied with the way his life is these days.

“I consider myself a little bit of an introvert in public,” he admits. “But I’m definitely enjoying my career, I love fighting and obviously I love winning.

I’m aware that I’m not a big talker, and I don’t like to make a lot of noise, but I like to prove everything in the ring. And with my family and my private circle, I probably let loose a little more, and I’m definitely enjoying the ride.” bn

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HILE both stuck in time and stuck inside, my boxing comfort watch at the peak of last year’s COVID-19 lockdown seemed to be anything that involved Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker.

And there were, I think, several reasons for this.

The first reason was an obvious one: Whitaker was, having sadly passed away just six months before the world stopped, both a fighter still fresh in my mind and a fighter sorely missed. But, as well as that, more than that, I likely turned to Whitaker in solitude, when trapped inside the same four walls for days on end, because there is no one better than Pernell Whitaker to demonstrate how to remain creative and

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productive in the tightest and scariest of spaces. This was, after all, his forte. His gift. His magic trick.

A world-renowned disappearing act, Whitaker, in his prime, successfully made a career of sitting in the pocket with opponents, always putting himself in harm’s way, and would, time and time again, somehow not only avoid being hurt in these situations but also find openings to land punches of his own, doing so with the sneakiest of pivots or twists. Rarely would fans see Whitaker run and rarely did the claustrophobia or danger of being trapped on the inside with an opponent – sometimes bigger, sometimes stronger – ever seem to adversely affect him. Boxing’s Houdini, what to most were dead ends were to Whitaker ways out; escape routes.

Another reason why the appeal of Sweet Pea

THE ESCAPE One year on from his untimely passing, Elliot Worsell talks to rivals, friends and admirers of Pernell Whitaker who explain the wizardry of ‘Sweet Pea’

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increased during the past 12 months owes to the nagging suspicion that fighters of his ilk – genuine craftsmen with nuance and layers to their game – are in danger of becoming a dying breed in a sport now geared towards fans with short memories and attention spans, as well as a thirst for one-punch knockouts. It is tough, for instance, to imagine a fighter like Whitaker flourishing in 2021 the way he did during his fighting prime, both in terms of the attention and respect given to him and the money on his table.

Never one for shortcuts or the spectacular finish, Whitaker demanded patience on the part of the spectator and, moreover, required from them a certain level of knowledge and appreciation of what it was they were looking at. He often entertained but would always, always educate. At his best, he would do both simultaneously, striking a perfect balance between clean, precise, textbook counterpunching and ego-driven showmanship – which, as a combination, made him quite the spectacle and his fights fun to watch.

So-called master boxers today, by contrast, struggle to hit that same sweet spot. They find themselves easy to ignore as a result and their fights, even ones of the supposed ‘super’ variety, tend to flatter to deceive and, for the most part, lack the razzmatazz and sense of peril Whitaker used to inject in his when staying in the firing line and refusing to budge.

Indeed, when returning to them during lockdown,

Whitaker’s fights moved me in ways a lot of the big fights today don’t. Why that was, I can’t be sure, but I do know the stakes for some reason seemed higher and the skills on display seemed, at times, otherworldly. The goal, too, was often to dominate rather than simply win, an art lost on many.

Suitably enthused, after gorging on Whitaker for weeks, and with plenty to talk about but nobody to listen, I decided to consult a few men with knowledge of what made Whitaker so special.

One of these men was HBO’s Larry Merchant who, unlike me, had the privilege of watching a great deal of Whitaker’s Hall-of-Fame career from a ringside seat.

Merchant, in his role as analyst, got to see Whitaker both young and old. He got to see him at his best and at his worst. He didn’t just watch him; he studied him.

“He materialised out of a place that doesn’t produce a lot of top fighters in Norfolk, a port city in Virginia,” Merchant said.

“Several fighters have come out of a naval background, and the American navy always used to have a boxing mindset when they were out at sea and would have fights onboard.

Roy Jones, for example, came out of Pensacola, where there was also a big naval presence.

“Whitaker, though, was a star amateur and won the [Olympic] gold in ’84, which meant he was a popular fighter long before even turning pro. He was, to me at least, a showy version of Willie Pep. He had some crash and dash to his movement and seemed to always be in control of the fight. People enjoyed

HE WAS A SHOWY VERSION OF WILLIE PEP”

MASTERS AT WORK: Whitaker tags McGirt

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watching him because of this.” Pressed to name his favourite Whitaker performance, Merchant, now 90, had to first pause to appreciate the sheer number of Whitaker fights he had watched, either from ringside or from home. He then eventually settled on Whitaker’s revenge victory over Jose Luis Ramirez in August 1989, which cleared up Whitaker’s first career loss, a controversial one, the previous year.

“Ramirez was a difficult opponent and a tough guy,” Merchant recalled. “It was a spiky fight. Both of them were like that: spiky. It was an aggressive brawler against a master boxer and the brawler did well at times but Whitaker found a way to get the better of him overall.”

It could be argued that Whitaker, around the time of the Ramirez rematch, was at his very best. He was, after all, the proud owner of the WBC and IBF lightweight titles and had, in winning the IBF version, delivered one of the finest examples of pure boxing on record against a hapless Greg Haugen in ’89.

Yet, despite his brilliance as a lightweight, it was at welterweight Whitaker secured his biggest paydays and it was at welterweight Merchant feels he proved himself as more than just a master boxer.

“Whitaker was that rare pure boxer who had a lot of followers,” he said. “They were entertained by his movement and his boxing ability. He was a difficult guy to fight because he was always moving even when he was standing still. But that kind of flashy style was a good style and I liked him.

“He also had a certain tough-mindedness which I liked. I remember the fight that was supposed to lead to his big match against [Oscar] De La Hoya [April 12, 1997] and he was having problems in this fight. Knowing this, he went after his opponent the way ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard would if in a spot of bother.

Leonard would box you until he had to go after opponents and make an impression and Whitaker that night did the same.

“That was the only time I can remember in his later fights where I saw Whitaker know he needed to do something special – and he did it. Normally by the time he had got into the second half of the fight he had already won the fight. On this occasion there were questions about it but he stepped on the gas, put the opponent on the back foot, and put an end to things in the 11th round.”

Diosbelys Hurtado, the Cuban in question, did better than most when sharing a ring with Whitaker in ’97. He had scored flash knockdowns against Whitaker in rounds one and six and was leading on the scorecards going into the 11th, the round in which an urgent and out-of-sorts Whitaker gradually broke him down. In defeat, Hurtado not only brought out the best in Whitaker – that is, the other side of Sweet Pea’s game – but also showed Whitaker, at 33 years of age, was perhaps coming towards the end. (Hurtado would in fact be the last man Whitaker officially defeated, with subsequent fights against De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Carlos Bojorquez ending in defeat and a win against Andrey Pestryayev becoming a No Contest due to Whitaker failing a performance-enhancing drug test for cocaine.)

Another man who brought the best out of Whitaker as a welterweight was Scotland’s Gary Jacobs, the only British boxer Whitaker faced during his 46-fight professional career. Jacobs, a long-time

European welterweight champion, earned his shot at Whitaker’s WBC welterweight crown in August 1995 at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City and was duly outpointed by the American over 12 rounds.

The scorecards were wide, too wide for his liking, but Jacobs still recalls the Whitaker experience with fondness.

“He was obviously the most decorated fighter I fought in my career,” Jacobs said. “We went 12 rounds and I remember every single minute of it.

I think I did much better than the judges gave me credit for but he was a great fighter, Whitaker. I was up against it, with the fight being in America and Whitaker being a star, but it was a great experience.

I remember it so vividly.

“He was a talented, talented man, and it was not easy hitting him clean. He was a five-time champion of the world at different weights – and one of the pound-for-pound greatest fighters of all time – for a reason. He was just a brilliant all-round fighter. You can’t beat what you can’t hit and he was proof of that.”

Aware of all this going in, Jacobs trained for four weeks in the Catskill mountains and entered the fight with unwavering self-belief. This belief then grew considerably when the challenger sensed that Whitaker, a man prone to lapses in discipline, had struggled to make the 147pound welterweight limit. “I think he was pretty tight at the weight around that time,” Jacobs said. “I remember him jumping on and off the scales very, very quickly.”

Regardless, Whitaker was the champion Jacobs had wanted for some time and was someone he had been preparing to fight, if mentally more than physically, throughout his reign as European welterweight king. If some seek the easiest possible route to a world title, Jacobs, to his credit, pursued the toughest.

“He was the champion I wanted,” he said, “and it was down to me that the fight happened. Mickey Duff was my manager at the time but I was the one who made sure it was Whitaker I fought.

“To be honest, I wanted to fight him because he was the fighter who would give me the most recognition if I came away with the win. I was right, too. Twenty-six years later, we’re still talking about it.”

THE LAST VICTORY: Whitaker rallies late to defeat Hurtado in 1997

HE PROVED YOU CAN’T BEAT WHAT YOU CAN’T HIT”

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TUMBLING: Whitaker is too good for the very good Jacobs

IF HE DIDN’T LIKE YOU HE WOULD TELL YOU TO YOUR FACE” 36 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

It seems a redundant question to ask of anyone who has shared a ring with Pernell Whitaker but it is one you feel moved to ask anyway: “Was he the best boxer you ever faced as a pro?” In this case, the answer appears obvious enough – that welterweight title fight was Jacobs’ only shot at world honours – but Jacobs, when asked this question, was quick to remind me of a relatively nondescript 10-rounder he had in New York some six years before challenging Whitaker.

“I thought James ‘Buddy’ McGirt was a better fighter than Whitaker, if I’m honest,” said Jacobs, outpointed

by McGirt in August 1989. “He was exactly the same: a counterpuncher fighting people off the back foot. But when I fought McGirt it was my first time at that level and I think he beat me fair and square. The Whitaker fight, in my opinion, wasn’t one I lost. I was up against it with the judges and I even scored a knockdown they didn’t score as a knockdown.

“I chased Whitaker for 12 rounds. I was like, ‘Hey come here,’ and was trying to just keep him in one place. I was much more well-equipped when that fight came around. I’d been in with McGirt and I’d been defending titles.

“Only the good fighters beat me and McGirt was the best opponent I faced, definitely. But, saying that, you can’t take anything away from Whitaker, either, because he did beat McGirt.”

Whitaker and McGirt did in fact box twice as professionals and both times ‘Sweet Pea’ came away with his hand raised. They fought for the first time in March 1993, with McGirt’s WBC welterweight belt on the line, before doing it all over again in October 1994, the rematch deemed necessary due to the close nature of the pair’s original encounter.

“The first fight I thought I should have got a draw,” said McGirt, “and even George Foreman thought the

same. But in the second fight I employed a stupid strategy because I really didn’t give a s**t, to tell you the truth. The fire was gone; the fire in my gut just wasn’t there. But the thing is, a man I came to know as Uncle Sam was writing and sending me these letters, so I had no choice but to go through with the fight.

“It was rough for a few years. Uncle Sam wouldn’t let up. He wouldn’t take his foot off my neck. He was putting a lot of heat on a brother and for years was not letting me breathe. At that time in my life everybody disappeared.”

McGirt’s memories of his two fights against Whitaker are clouded by personal problems, frustrations, an injury, and the prolonged sinking feeling he experienced when knowing his best days were behind him.

Something he does remember, though, is how mentally taxing the two Whitaker fights ended up being and how Whitaker managed to form with his esteemed coach, George Benton, perhaps the most intelligent one-two combination in boxing.

“He was the best,” McGirt said of Whitaker. “The best.

“He also had one of the best trainers in his corner, George Benton. There are interviews with Georgie, which you can find on YouTube, where he says Pernell Whitaker was his masterpiece. He said to me after the first fight, ‘Buddy, you almost f**ked up my masterpiece.’

“He was right. Pernell was his masterpiece. He was slick, he was smart, and he was a good listener.

Whatever Georgie told him to do, Pernell executed.

“I have six losses on my pro record and four of those losses were to George Benton-trained fighters. Georgie trained Frankie Warren both times we fought and was the best trainer out there. In

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DEFENSIVE GENIUS: Oscar De La Hoya [above] and Andrey Pestryaev [below, left] have a hard time trying to pin down Whitaker, who goes on the attack against Chavez [below]

fact, during the press conference for our first fight, I remember turning to Pernell and saying, ‘Pernell, I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about that man sitting right there.’ That man was George Benton. He was a master.”

Thankfully, rather than keep Benton’s wisdom all to himself, Whitaker, in retirement, generously passed on a lot of what he had been taught to other fighters.

These lessons were appreciated by all the boxers with whom Whitaker worked, including Dorin Spivey, Calvin Brock, and Joel Julio, while sticking around the sport in a coaching capacity gave Whitaker some renewed sense of purpose as well as some much-needed routine in retirement. Trouble still found him, of course, for his elusiveness sadly never stretched beyond the ring, but Whitaker nevertheless left his mark and created countless fighters in his own image, often without even knowing it.

“I learned defence first,” said Zab Judah, the former world welterweight champion and belt-holder at super-lightweight. “That was the first thing my father (Yoel) taught me. He said the art of fighting is this, and had a slogan: ‘If a man can’t hit you, a man can’t beat you.’ Basically, the more you hit him and he doesn’t hit you, the better it is for you.

“My dad then allowed me to go ahead and train with Pernell Whitaker when I was 16, so I went to camp with Pernell to spar and learn.”

Before sparring, and before even learning, Judah would just watch. He would watch the way Whitaker, notoriously truculent, interacted with people outside the ring and he would then watch the way Whitaker, just as awkward when in gloves, disciplined people in sparring.

“Oh my God, it was amazing,” Judah recalled. “He was a different kind of guy. He was different. Pernell was to the point. If he rocked with you, he rocked with

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you. If he didn’t, you knew he didn’t. There was no fake s**t with him. He didn’t say, ‘Hey, how’re you doing?’

He just wouldn’t say s**t to you. He’d say to your face, ‘Hey, man, you know I don’t like you, so I’d advise you to stay over there.’ He was a blunt guy like that.

“He was amazing in the ring, though. It was like being in the ring with somebody you can’t hit. You don’t know the frustration you go through until you try it. It’s super, super, super overwhelming.”

In September 1996, Judah, then 18, defeated Michael Johnson via second-round stoppage to mark the start of what would become a glittering professional career. That fight took place at Miami’s James L. Knight Center on a card headlined by Pernell Whitaker (who successfully defended his WBC welterweight title against Wilfredo Rivera), and this proved to be just one of many stages and connections the two American southpaws would share as their careers overlapped. A year later, Judah would appear in Whitaker’s corner during Whitaker’s superfight against Oscar De La Hoya at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, while in 2011 Whitaker was working Judah’s corner the night he stopped Kaizer Mabuza to win the IBF super-lightweight title (the same belt Whitaker held in ’92).

Eight years after that, Whitaker was dead at 55, killed when crossing a road, and Judah, four weeks after being treated in hospital for a brain bleed, was left to mourn the loss of a great champion and friend, comforted only by the belief that Whitaker’s legacy lives on. It lives on, Judah believes, in the moves of other fighters; it lives on in the fights these fighters now watch on YouTube in the name of either research or inspiration; and it lives on because no matter who tries, or how many try, the things Pernell Whitaker was able to do in a boxing ring cannot be replicated and must be seen to be believed. bn

HANGING WITH THE COWBOY: Whitaker and Judah sandwich James ‘Quick’ Tillis

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AMATEUR SCENE

The very best action, previews and news from Olympic-style boxing With JOHN DENNEN | @BoxingNewsJD

SEND us your club's news, results or upcoming events to john.dennen@kelsey.co.uk or 0195 954 3747 Photo: BARRINGTON COOMBS/GETTY IMAGES FOR BRITISH OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION

IT’S HERE

John Dennen previews an Olympic Games like no other as GB head into Tokyo with a strong squad

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INALLY it’s here. Tokyo 2020 will be an Olympic Games like no other. For a start it’s happening in 2021, delayed by a year due to Covid-19. The Olympics has been cancelled before, because of World Wars, but never successfully postponed. Nor has an Olympic Games ever been staged during a global pandemic. The boxing will take place at the Kokugikan Arena, Tokyo’s historic venue for sumo wrestling, without crowds, beginning on Saturday (July 24) and finishing on August 8.

Coronavirus brings plenty of complications. The athletes’ movements will be restricted within the Olympic environment, all will be under the pressure of having to pass regular Covid tests or else be forced

F

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HIGH HOPES: There is heavy expectation on Great Britain’s boxing team

into isolation, potentially even missing out on their events. How these additional pressures affect the individuals in competition, time will only tell.

For Britain these Games are still a golden opportunity. This might just be the best GB Olympic team since 1956. Of course there have been excellent British squads in recent cycles. GB secured three medals at Rio 2016 and Beijing 2008, as well as a remarkable five at London 2012. Those squads have produced brilliant Olympians like Nicola Adams and professionals like Josh Taylor, Anthony Joshua and James DeGale to name but a few. But going into Tokyo what this squad has throughout its 11 members are seasoned international medal winners in virtually every category. The GB Boxing programme has done an excellent job at keeping this unit together, with so much uncertainty blighting amateur boxing over

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the last year. Every British boxer going to Japan has real potential, although whoever finally finishes with medals will depend on the draw and maybe even a dose of luck along the way too.

Considering the boxers’ achievements over the last five years, perhaps GB can consider themselves unfortunate to only have two of their number seeded in the top four. But those two are outstanding. Pat McCormack and Lauren Price have led the way for this team. Both are hitting their stride at the right time in the build up. If they can peak for these Games, they are real gold medal contenders.

Both won the European qualification event in Paris in June and in the process confirmed their place as world number one in their respective divisions. For McCormack his final was especially satisfying. He beat his Russian rival Andrei Zamkovoi, who had defeated

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AMATEURS

him in the final of the last World championships.

McCormack got his revenge in a high intensity, high quality European final, which for the Briton came at the perfect time.

“He’s been on my mind since I lost to him in Russia, when we had a head clash, he cut my eye open and then the fight got stopped. He’s been on my mind since then because he’s World champion and I’ve been dying to get him back,” Pat, now a two-time Olympian, said.

“It’s like I was taking over the throne.”

“I feel like I’m going to peak perfect at Tokyo,” he continued. “I’d rather be the number one seed expected to win gold, than be like an underdog… I’ll be going there with confidence to bring back the gold medal.”

Lauren Price [inset], the reigning 75kgs World gold medallist, also beat stern Russian opposition in the final of the qualifier. Zenfira Magomedalieva was a World champion herself up at 81kgs and, having moved down, she is a big, physically imposing middleweight. Yet Price used her speed and skill to calmly pick her off. Her quick feet and sharp reactions will be crucial. The Welsh southpaw will also need to be ready for Holland’s Nouchka Fontijn.

The two have boxed one another time and again in major tournament finals and across the European circuit, handing one another defeats and taking victories. Their personal battle could well continue in Tokyo.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was eight years of age to go and become an Olympian now. To call myself an Olympian, it’s a dream come true but I’m not going to stop here. I’m going to go and win a medal, hopefully gold,” Price said. “I’ve won the Commonwealth, the European, the World [gold] and I’ve got one more to get.

That’s what motivates me.”

But even for the most talented, medalling in a major tournament let alone an Olympic Games is never guaranteed. Peter McGrail suffered a surprise defeat to good Hungarian Roland Galos at the qualifier (only after the Liverpudlian had secured his place at these Olympics). But he is a pure boxing talent who has medalled at the last two World championships and the previous two Europeans. Once a Youth Olympian, going into the main event McGrail is still a seasoned international winner. But his path to possible glory in Tokyo is complicated by how competitive the 57kgs division is. The Uzbek, Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, the Cuban, Lazaro Alvarez are outstanding. Even the Hungarian’s good. McGrail is in one of the must-watch divisions. “It’s fired me up for the Olympics more,” McGrail told Boxing News. “I’m going to be a completely different animal in these Olympics.

“I’m just looking forward to my first fight and performing in front of the world watching. It’s going to be special.”

63kgs, Luke McCormack’s division, also contains a constellation of stars. Andy Cruz, another Cuban, is

superb. The American, Keyshawn Davis, at his best is a very hard man to beat and the Frenchman Sofiane Oumiha is a formidable opponent. But Luke was neck and neck with Oumiha the last time they boxed and can fight with ferocity and focus. Succeeding in Tokyo alongside his twin brother Pat could become one of the stories of the Games.

As could be Caroline Dubois. It’s too early in her career to say that Dubois could become the best female boxer the UK has produced. She is just 20 years old. But don’t overlook her potential. No one has done what she accomplished at Junior and Youth level. She won the Youth Olympics and World Youth championships and never lost a bout in those age groups. She has tasted defeat twice as a senior, and does not care to do so again. She is capable of becoming a star at these Games.

As is Ben Whittaker. He has only just turned 24 and at light-heavyweight he is in an exciting weight class. He is a stylish, slick boxer. But the rough, tough men in this division will try to drag him into brawls and disrupt him to prevent him from putting those skills to work. How he adapts to that over the course of this tournament will decide whether he gets among the medals.

Galal Yafai enters his second Olympic Games. At Rio 2016 he was essentially a novice. Now he is experienced, one of the veterans of this team. The southpaw puts opponents under real pressure over the course of three rounds, unleashing unrelenting combinations of punches.

But he will have to contend with the reigning Olympic champion in the division, Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan and many more threats.

Another Briton with a crowd-pleasing style is Cheavon Clarke. The heavyweight bounds forward with heavy punches and works well on the inside. But at 91kgs there are slick boxers, like Spain’s Enmanuel Reyes, and the dangerous, rugged Kazakh Vassiliy Levit, not to mention the leading Russian in the imposing Muslim Gadzhimagomedov.

It’s remarkable that Charley Davison is lining up alongside the world’s elite at these Games. A mother of three children, she had seven years out of the sport before being brought on to the GB squad only at the start of 2020. She was a surprise inclusion on the Olympic team. But in her recent performances she’s hardly looked like an international newcomer.

She’s boxed with poise, good movement and fine judgement of distance. Reaching these Olympics is a landmark achievement for Davison, but qualifying alone is unlikely to be the end of her journey.

Karriss Artingstall becomes the first female soldier to box at an Olympics. She stands out at 57kgs not just by being sharp on her feet but through landing shots with real power. Artingstall felt the very real pressure of qualifying in Paris. Now she expects to fight more freely in Japan. “The opposition over in Tokyo is

MARCHING ON: Artingstall believes she can demonstrate her full potential at the Olympics

TO CALL MYSELF AN OLYMPIAN IS A DREAM COME TRUE. BUT I’M NOT GOING TO STOP HERE”

40 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

SKILL THRILL: McGrail is a brilliant boxer, in a featherweight division with outstanding international rivals

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THE FUTURE: Slick Ben Whittaker is capable of dazzling at light-heavyweight

HER TIME: Dubois is the youngest British boxer in Tokyo but can compete with the very best

SUPER MUM: Charley Davison is a powerful example, and ZLOO EH D ȵ\ZHLJKW WR be reckoned with

TWO-TIME: Galal Yafai goes into his second Games a far more seasoned veteran than he was in Rio

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Luke McCormack will line up alongside his twin brother Pat as they take on these Olympics

HEAVY DUTY: Cheavon Clarke is ready to rumble in the exciting 91kgs division

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LEADING LIGHTS As well as the top seeds, here are other gold medal hopes MEN’S 91&KGS Top seed: Bakhodir Jalolov (UZB) Other contenders: Kamshybek Kunkabayev (KAZ), Frazer Clarke (GB) MEN’S 91KGS Top seed: Muslim Gadzhimagomedov (RUS) Other contenders: Vassiliy Levit (KAZ), David Nyika (NZL) MEN’S 81KGS Top seed: Bekzad Nurdauletov (KAZ) Other contenders: Arlen Lopez (CUB), Ben Whittaker (GB) MEN’S 75KGS Top seed: Oleksandr Khyzhniak [below] (UKR) Other contenders: Gleb Bakshi (RUS), Eumir Marcial (PHI) MEN’S 69KGS Top seed: Pat McCormack (GB) Other contenders: Krishan Vikas (IND), Andrei Zamkovoi (RUS) MEN’S 63KGS Top seed: Sofiane Oumiha (FRA) Other contenders: Andy Cruz (CUB), Elnur Abduraimov (UZB) MEN’S 57KGS Top seed: Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov (UZB) Other contenders: Lazaro Alvarez (CUB), Tsendbaatar Erdenebat (MGL) MEN’S 52KGS Top seed: Amit (IND) Other contenders: Mohamed Flissi (ALG), Shakhobidin Zoirov (UZB)

42 O BOXING NEWS O JULY 22, 2021

LAST DANCE: After boxing for GB across the world for years, Frazer Clarke goes into his last tournament Photos: GETTY IMAGES

STAR MAN: Welterweight Pat McCormack is the world number one and in form

obviously going to top class because it’s all the best boxers at the pinnacle of the sport,” she told Boxing News. “I’m there, I’ve done it. The only thing for me now is to treat every bout as if it’s a final and get myself on that podium.

“I’ve not got there for no reason. I know I’m capable of mixing it with every single one of them. I just need to make sure I turn up on the day, relax into it and just perform.”

“They’re all on fire,” she adds of her GB squad.

“The atmosphere from now compared to before the qualifier is a completely different atmosphere.

“It does make me confident going away with the team and obviously the likes of Pat McCormack and Galal that are two-time Olympians, it’s a good team to be going away with.”

GB team captain Frazer Clarke encapsulates the

spirit of the side. He has never given up. Anthony Joshua was ahead of him during his first Olympic cycle, Joe Joyce took the super-heavyweight place in his second. He stuck to his dream, even through the Covid postponement, and after 11 years of work he will box in his first Olympic Games. But being there won’t be enough for him. He has the punch power to get himself out of trouble, the physicality to compete with the biggest men of this division and, when switched on, the technical prowess to control and win rounds.

It’s hard to predict a medal tally, especially when so many factors will come into play in this most uncertain Olympics. But if this GB team performs to its full potential it is capable of matching the best medal hauls of any British boxing team in recent editions of the Games. The talents of this generation have to go out and show they are a heavyweight boxing nation.

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IRELAND

IRELAND have a team of seven through to the Olympic Games. Their stars are Kellie Harrington in the 60kgs division and Michaela Walsh at 57kgs. For Harrington following in the august footsteps of Katie Taylor is hardly easy. But Harrington won the World championships in 2018, took silver at the European Games in 2019 and has been in fine form so far this year. At the European qualification event in Paris she boxed in style, winning her first three bouts in the tournament unanimously, including handling professional world belt-holder Maïva Hamadoucheb DW KRPH ZLWK DSORPE EHIRUH beating Britain’s impressive Caroline Dubois in the final.

Michaela Walsh also reached the final of the European qualifier, losing there to Italian Olympian Irma Testa.

But Walsh is hard to beat when she gets into her rhythm and is in a very competitive but unpredictable division.

Flyweight Brendan Irvine, who became a two-time Olympian in London last year just before the qualifier was suspended, captains the side. “We are excited to just get stuck in now. We have a strong team, with every single person going into the Olympic Games with a real opportunity to do something special,” he said.

Irvine and Harrington were selected to carry the flag for Ireland at the Opening Ceremony.

At 57kgs Kurt Walker will be a boxer to watch.

Although he suffered a shock defeat to Germany’s Hamsat Shadalov at the qualifier last year, his high world ranking ensured he received an Olympic quota place. He is the reigning European Games gold medallist and has a budding rivalry with Britain’s Peter McGrail.

Aoife O’Rourke is a very able middleweight who sooner or later will break through to the top tier of international boxing. Aidan Walsh, the brother of Michaela, is mobile, drops his hands and aims to pocket punches before frustrating his opponents. That approach qualified him for the Olympics but he may have to change it to beat the elite. Battling light-heavyweight Emmett Brennan forced his way through to the Games in a high pressure Olympic box-off. Whomever he’s drawn against, Brennan will come to fight.

USA

AMERICA is not sending the team they expected to have at these Olympic Games. The pandemic meant the Americas qualification event and subsequent World qualifier were called off this year. Through the Boxing Task Force’s revamped qualification system the US gets an Olympic team of nine based on ranking points accrued. But three of those boxers had already turned professional. Even though AIBA’s rules permit pros to return, this normally would be contrary to USA Boxing’s selection policy. But these are not normal times. Troy Isley, at 75kgs, Keyshawn Davis, at 63kgs and Duke Ragan, at 57kgs, are back in the picture. They have had two, three and four professional bouts respectively, keeping themselves busy with punching for pay this year.

But the allocation of their Olympic places was based on their achievements in amateur boxing, which have been substantial. Duke Ragan won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in 2019 and was already a World silver medallist. Keyshawn Davis was a highly impressive World finalist two years ago. Troy Isley too has medalled in international competition, his Pan American bronze was vital to getting him to Tokyo. But transitioning to the longer distance of the pro game, and then having to recalibrate for the faster, shorter Olympic-style sport is not ideal preparation. It’s hard to predict how ready they will be for the Olympics themselves.

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Outside of the three pros the US does have other Olympians to watch too. Richard Torrez might be widely known for suffering a heavy knockout loss to Bakhodir Jalolov, but he is well-regarded among the super-heavyweights. Oshae Jones at 69kgs won the Box Am and Standja tournaments in Europe last year and is a Pan American Games champion. Experienced Virginia Fuchs, at 51kgs, who missed out on Rio 2016, becomes an Olympian. Rashida Ellis (60kgs), Delante Johnson (69kgs) and Naomi Graham (75kgs) complete the team.

LEADING LIGHTS As well as the top seeds, here are other gold medal hopes

INTERNATIONAL

The rule that now allows professionals to enter the Olympics, if selected by their national teams, may have originally been intended to tempt some superstars into the Games but it’s also let athletes from smaller boxing nations earn during the year long wait for the postponed Olympics and get some rounds in too. New Zealand heavyweight David Nyika for instance qualified for the Tokyo Games last year. Since then he has had a pro bout, a meaningless 29 seconds with a hapless opponent. But Nyika is skilled, exciting to watch and the fourth seed at 91kgs. Dabbling in professional boxing has its risks. Australian super-heavy Justis Huni qualified for Tokyo, only to damage his hand in his fifth pro bout, as recently as June, and therefore rule himself out of the Olympics. The Uzbek team has managed juggling nascent professional careers with Olympic-style boxing.

Bakhodir Jalolov is 8-0 as a pro but is still the leading super-heavyweight in Tokyo. But his preparations have including multiple Olympic-style tournaments, including this year’s Asian championships, where he won gold, this year’s Governor’s Cup in St. Petersburg, where he won gold and this year’s Strandja tournament, where he won gold. He’s not the only formidable Uzbek in Tokyo.

Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov is the top seed at 57kgs for good reason. Elnur Abduraimov is going to be in some thrilling bouts at 63kgs.

Europe has some exceptionally strong boxers coming through. Marauding middleweight Oleksandr Khyzhniak could be due another duel with heavyhanded Russian Gleb Bakshi. (Although expect the Philippines’ Eumir Marcial also to have a say at 75kgs.)

At 63kgs is Cuba’s Andy Cruz, who might just be the best boxer at any weight in this competition. But beyond him Cuba might not be quite as dominant as they have been in Olympics gone by. Lazaro Alvarez has had to drop down to 57kgs, enriching that fantastic division. Gold medallists at Rio, Julio La Cruz and Arlen Lopez are both qualified but both have moved up divisions. It will be interesting to see how Lopez fares at 81kgs but for La Cruz 91kgs might just be too great a leap in weight. Welterweight Roniel Iglesias is still going, still qualified but it’s been a long time since his brilliant gold medal winning performances at London 2012. Younger men are taking over.

Indian legend Mary Kom, a record-breaking sixtime World gold medallist, has superbly managed to qualify for these Games. But to medal at this stage of her career would be the stuff of fairy tales. India will likely be looking at Vikas Krishan, at 69kgs, and Amit, at 52kgs, for potential podium finishes. Also at 69kgs Sewonrets Okazawa might just be the host nation’s best hope for a boxing medal. He will be a handful, but how he’ll miss not having a home crowd to roar him on.

The boxing tournament at the Tokyo Olympics runs from July 24-August 8. Visit www.boxingnewsonline.net for all the latest details. bn

WOMEN’S 75KGS Top seed: Lauren Price (GB) Other contenders: Nouchka Fontijn [above] (NED), Zenfira Magomedalieva (RUS) WOMEN’S 69KGS Top seed: Busenaz Sürmeneli (TUR) Other contenders: Oshae Jones (USA), Gu Hong (CHN) WOMEN’S 60KGS Top seed: Kellie Harrington (IRL) Other contenders: Beatriz Ferreira (BRA), Caroline Dubois (GB) WOMEN’S 57KGS Top seed: Lin Yu-Ting (TPE) Contenders: Michaela Walsh [below] (IRL), Irma Testa (ITA) WOMEN’S 51KGS 7RS VHHG %XVH 1D] DNÈURJOX (TUR) Contenders: Chang Yuan (CHN), Tsukimi Namiki (JPN)

JULY 22, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 43

YESTERDAY’S HEROES

The long count fight Looking back at one of the most controversial bouts in boxing history

Miles Templeton Boxing historian

EGULAR readers of this column will know that I usually write about British boxers and their history, but I do occasionally like to stray across the Atlantic and cover some of the more interesting aspects of the world heavyweight championship, and its rich history. When I first became interested in this championship, back in 1973, there had only ever been 24 champions, and as a 15-year-old I watched, with great interest, how the most recent of these, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, were engaged in their titanic struggle for superiority.

Inspired by their exploits, I wanted to know more about their predecessors and so, with no internet to assist me, I took myself along to Newcastle Central Library and requested the bound copy of the local newspaper for the third quarter of 1927. Within those pages I could read how the second contest between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney was reported at the time. I had seen some grainy footage of the bout on television and, knowing that it was the richest fight in the history of the sport and the one that contained the most controversial incident, The Long Count, the bout fascinated me more than any

R

other, and it still fascinates me today.

Recently, while spending an interesting day perusing the collection of my good friend Larry Braysher, I came across a photograph that caught my attention, and I reproduce it here [see facing page]. Dempsey and Tunney fought each other twice, in Philadelphia and Chicago, and both contests were scheduled for 10 rounds. I think that, even to this day, they are the only two championship contests to be contested over this unusually short distance. Partly because of this, I presumed that Tunney, the master of defence, simply outboxed his rival and, despite infamously being floored for around 14 seconds in the 1927 Chicago fight, generally kept out of harm’s way, and cantered to a straightforward victory, as he had done in 1926. It certainly looked that way from the footage I had seen.

In recent years, the film of this fight has been colourised, but neither the original, nor this new footage, reveal the true extent of the damage that Tunney’s persistent and accurate jabbing did to Dempsey’s face. This accompanying photograph certainly does. One can see that poor Jack is in a bit of a mess.

I suspect that the picture was snapped during either the ninth or 10th round. By this time, Jack had had his brief period of success when, by failing to go to a neutral corner after flooring Tunney in

the seventh, the count only commenced after Tunney had already been on the canvas for around five seconds.

Tunney responded brilliantly, knocking Dempsey down in the eighth, before steadily beating him up over the course of the last six minutes. I should have read Boxing News more carefully, for in their report of the bout it was stated that in round nine, “Tunney ripped lefts and rights to the face so rapidly that Dempsey fell into a clinch and the champion seemed to be bathed in blood, but it was Dempsey’s, as he himself was practically unmarked.

Dempsey had been almost shot to pieces at the gong.” In the last round, the report added that “Dempsey was being mercilessly pounded all the time and was practically out on his feet when the final gong went.”

Dempsey was in a very bad state when the bout ended, as is shown in the picture, and had it been scheduled for 15 rounds, rather than 10, I don’t think that Dempsey could possibly have gone the full distance. Gene Tunney was, in my opinion, one of the most underrated of all heavyweight champions and one hell of a fighter.

Around a fortnight after the bout, the fight film arrived in the UK and it was shown, in its entirety, in cinemas the length and breadth of Britain, to great interest.

TRIPLE CENTURION Peter Buckley will be a special guest at the Home Counties Summer BBQ

Simon Euan-Smith simonoldtimers @googlemail.com EBA correspondent

AS reported, Home Counties EBA had a “brilliant” meeting last month at the newly refurbished Bricket Wood Social Club – and they’re due to meet again this Sunday ( July 25), 12.30pm for a 1pm start.

To quote their latest newsletter: “We hope to have a great attendance as we will be finalising our Summer BBQ.” This is set for Sunday August 8 (again 12.30pm for 1pm) and among the special guests will be Birmingham’s Peter Buckley, who had an incredible 300 pro bouts. Peter will be selling signed copies of his autobiography, priced £20. If you’re thinking of going, and would like a copy, please contact Secretary Kieran McCann (kiers20@hotmail.com), who can let Peter know how many to bring.

The BBQ will be free, but everyone’s asked to buy a raffle ticket and put a donation in the buckets at the food

44 l BOXING NEWS l JULY 22, 2021

stand. And Kieran says: “Please bring new people along to see the fantastic work we do.” That’s so important – not every person who comes as a guest will join, but they will come away with a better idea about what EBAs do, and maybe tell their friends. I hope both meeting and BBQ go well, and look forward to receiving reports.

The Scottish EBA held their first meeting since the pandemic this month, and I was pleased to hear from Secretary Janice Craig that it was successful, though not many members attended. “People are still apprehensive about going out and mixing,” Janice said, but added that they would still hold the meetings, no matter how many (or how few) turn up. That’s good to hear, and SEBA’s next meeting (for members only) will be on Sunday August 8 at Hutchesontown Bowling

Club, 9 Oatlands Gate, Glasgow, starting at 12.30pm.

The latest SEBA newsletter reproduces a report of a sensational bout at Paisley Ice Rink in February 1961, which saw Glasgow’s “Cowboy” John McCormack survive three knockdowns and eventually gain a 12-round verdict over Phil Edwards in a British middleweight title final eliminator. McCormack had already won and lost the title to Terry Downes (later Home Counties EBA’s first president), and would go on to win the European title, but was stopped in six rounds when he met George Aldridge for the British title stripped from Downes for failure to defend. There’s also mention that this month ( July 11) marks the 60th anniversary of Downes winning the world middleweight title, forcing defending champion Paul Pender to retire after nine

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Photo: LARRY BRAYSHER

CONTRASTING APPEARANCE: Dempsey looks far better in a suit than he does alongside Tunney in the ring

BUSY FIGHTER: Buckley in one of his 300 professional contests

rounds at Wembley. There’s an in-depth look at the Scottish scene in 1959. On February 10, Glasgow’s Peter Keenan defended his British and Empire (now Commonwealth) bantam titles against local hero Freddie Gilroy at a packed King’s Hall, Belfast. Gilroy was oddson favourite, and delighted his fans by halting the champion in the 11th round – it was the worst beating of Keenan’s distinguished career, and he never fought again. To quote: “The large crowd gave a noisy rendition of When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and were joined in song by the defeated Keenan. In recognition of his sportsmanship, the crowd spontaneously followed up with I Belong to Glasgow and Auld Lang Syne. Great sportsmanship, indeed, from both Keenan and the Irish fans – and that, sadly, is something we don’t always see today. It’s great to support

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a local boxer, but it shouldn’t descend to disrespecting the opponent.

Light-heavyweight Chic Calderwood (who is also pictured in the newsletter, along with “Cowboy” John McCormack and Wishaw’s Dave Mooney) had a good year, with eight straight wins – culminating in a seventh-round stoppage of Jack Whittaker (also at Paisley Ice Rink) in a final eliminator for the British lightheavyweight title (vacant at the time). And in his first outing of 1960 Calderwood won the title, halting Arthur Howard in 13 rounds – and he followed that with a 12th-round cuts stoppage of Tonga’s Johnny Halafihi, for the vacant Empire belt. Tragically Calderwood was killed in a road crash in 1966, aged just 29.

EMAIL simonoldtimers@googlemail.com with your ex-boxer association news.

JULY 22, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 45

SIXTY SECONDS

ALESSANDRO RIGUCCINI Paul Wheeler talks to a man who could live off pizza and tacos Photo: MATTEO INNOCENTI BOXING PHOTOGRAPHY

culinary specialities.

Best friends in boxing: The two-time Cuban Olympic champion Hector Vinent really helped me when I first arrived in Cuba to begin boxing training.

I also owe a lot to my manager, Marco Piccini, who has given me so much support.

Other sportsperson you would like to be: As a child I wanted to play football.

Last film/TV show you saw: My favourite movie is Goodfellas and my favourite series is The Sopranos.

Who would play you in a film of your life: I’d like to be played by Robert De Niro in his heyday.

Have you ever been starstruck: When I went to the 2018 WBC Convention in Kiev, Ukraine, I saw legends like Roberto Duran and Oscar De La Hoya in person.

Best advice received: It was news rather than advice, but I remember being so happy when my manager Marco told me that I was going to be fighting Ivan Alvarez in Florence in 2019. It was my first fight back in Italy for over seven years.

Worst rumour about yourself: I can’t wait to silence the people who have said that I’m not up to fighting the top boxers in the welterweight division.

FAST FACTS

When and why you started boxing: Back when I was a kickboxer, I went out to Cuba to improve my pure boxing skills. This started my passion for boxing.

Favourite all-time fighter: Sugar Ray Robinson became a legend in one of the toughest eras.

Best fight you’ve seen: The first fight between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera showcased their determination and technique.

Personal career highlight: I’m proud that I’ve won all 26 of my fights so far.

Toughest opponent: Juan Ruiz retired with a broken rib after the third round [in October 2019], but those three rounds were very difficult for me. He was tall and had remarkable power in his punches.

Best and worst attributes as a boxer: My best attribute is definitely my punch power, especially with my right hand. A weakness, however, is my lack of an extended amateur career in boxing. I turned professional after only 13 amateur boxing bouts, although I had well over 150 kickboxing bouts, amateur and pro.

Training tip: Generally, I dedicate the morning to physical preparation and running, while in the afternoon I train in the gym, sparring and working on my boxing technique.

Favourite meal/restaurant: Being an Italian, my favourite food is pizza. There are so many excellent pizza restaurants in Italy.

When I’m training in Mexico, where I prepare for my fights, I love to eat tacos and all the other Mexican

Age: 33 Twitter: @alexwarrior88 Nickname: ‘Rognoso’ (‘Mangy’) Height: 5ft 6 1/2ins Nationality: Italian From: Sansepolcro Stance: Orthodox Record: 26-0 (22) Division: Welterweight Next fight: Riguccini will be aiming to maintain his perfect record when he next takes to the ring.

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