THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE GREATEST 21ST CENTURY FIGHTER
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Contents August 5, 2021
38
TOKYO STORY Medals, heroism and heartache galore at the 2020 Olympics
UNMISSABLE
>> 12 LUKE CAMPBELL
18
HIGHLIGHTS
>> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER
The lightweight explains his retirement
Why retiring at the right time is so hard
>> 16 KIRKLAND LAING
>> 5 PETER MCGRAIL
How ‘The Gifted One’ said goodbye
Gutted to be home but full of optimism
>> 18 LEIGH WOOD
>> 8 RANDALL ‘TEX’ COBB
Ringside at a simply brilliant showing
Bunce on the heavyweight hellraiser
>> 24 GALAHAD-DICKENS
>> 10 DAZN UNDER REVIEW
In-depth preview of Fight Camp II
How did the new team do on UK debut?
>> 30 MANUEL CHARR
>> 14 LEON WOODSTOCK
The heavyweight talks candidly about the WBA, Don King and getting shot
A deep dive into a fascinating mind
>> 28 BELFAST BONANZA
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Conlan and McGregor ready to impress
>> 34 THE WAR REVIEWED Hauser’s verdict on Hagler-Hearns book
>> 44 YESTERDAY’S HEROES The life and death of Chic Calderwood
>> 46 LEVI KINSIONA He refuses to spill the X-rated beans
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AUGUST 5, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 3
EDITOR’S LETTER
Photo: TIM WARNER/GETTY IMAGES
TOP PRO: In his final outing, Campbell stings Garcia
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Cover photography GETTY IMAGES
THE RIGHT DECISION Campbell’s retirement was heartening and in sharp contrast to the comebacks of De La Hoya and Bowe UKE CAMPBELL announcing his retirement with a smile on his face while describing what’s truly important in life, his family, is right up there with my favourite moments of the Olympic coverage so far. Retiring at exactly the right time is Matt rare in our sport Christie and Luke looks like @MattCBoxingNews he’ll be among the lucky ones. The Editor boxing afterlife is tough to negotiate and even Campbell, long since financially secure, will have moments when he yearns to put on the gloves, hear the crowd roaring his name and step between those familiar old ropes again. Too many walk away from the sport and are persuaded to return or, more commonly, succumb to the voices in their own heads telling them they’ve still got it. Two recent cases in point are Oscar De La Hoya and Riddick Bowe who, like Campbell in 2012, got their first taste of worldwide adulation at the Olympic Games. Bowe picked up a silver medal in 1988, four years before De La Hoya went one better. Neither could find comfort on the other side of the ropes despite their significant achievements as professionals.
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We often criticise, without being in a position to truly empathise with, those who choose to fight on. Yet unless we’ve experienced the highs and lows of elite combat or the suffocating emptiness that too often follows, perhaps we’re not the best people to comment. We shouldn’t blame any boxer for wanting to come back. However, there simply has to be a duty of care. The California State Athletic Commission’s decision to sanction 48-year-old Oscar De La Hoya’s eightround comeback in October as a professional contest is woeful. I know the rounds will only be scheduled for two minutes apiece but that alone should set alarm bells ringing. If they’re having to change the regulations to accommodate De La Hoya then we really have to ask why those regulations were created in the first place. I can’t fathom those who pat the legend on his back when he’s talking about fighting Canelo Alvarez after he’s had a couple of warm-up bouts. The notion that De La Hoya, who likely peaked as a super-lightweight 25 years ago, can somehow rebuild following his punishing loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2008 to take on Alvarez, is utterly ridiculous. Furthermore, that even a prime De La Hoya could have beaten a super-middleweight of Alvarez’s size and calibre is barely arguable. Bowe’s case is even worse. Damon Feldman, the founder of Celebrity Boxing and the man responsible for providing a comeback platform to a 53-year-old with clear neurological damage, should not be allowed anywhere near the sport regardless of the level of competition he’s organising. De La Hoya getting himself back in shape is to be admired, particularly after the years of turmoil he’s experienced.
So those who say Oscar training to fight again is better than him heading to rehab again, or that Bowe returning to some level of fitness will be of benefit, do have a point. Yet they’re also missing the biggest one: boxing is a young person’s game and changing that truth will only heighten the potential for disaster. Although 40/50-something boxers may get fit again, lose some weight and feel better than they’ve felt in years and therefore con themselves into believing they feel better than they’ve ever felt, they simply cannot defy the physics of ageing. A boxer who peaked in their twenties will not come close to reaching those heights in their forties and fifties. And don’t get me started on George Foreman because for every Big George – who returned aged 37 after 10 years of clean living to slowly work his way back – there are hundreds of wrecked brains. It’s time we focused on those brains rather than licensing the damage of more. There are signs, like in Campbell’s wise decision to retire, that boxers are starting to understand the dangers of fighting too long. In recent years we have seen several top class fighters hang up their gloves at exactly the right time instead of punishing themselves further. That is the message we must champion. l IF Campbell’s decision to retire was heart-warming, the efforts of the boxers at the current Olympics has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. At the time of writing there’s still lots to be decided but already GB are set for their best Olympic medal haul since 1920. That is an incredible achievement that speaks of a sport with a bright future in this country. 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.’ l IN this week’s show (free to download every Thursday) we catch up on all the recent action including: Olympics, Joe Joyce and Leigh Wood. We also look ahead to the Kid GalahadJazza Dickens sequel. l Listen (& rate & subscribe) via Apple, Spotify and all major platforms.
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GUEST COLUMN
‘I’LL BOUNCE BACK’ Photo: FRANK FRANKLIN - POOL/GETTY IMAGES
SO EAGER: McGrail and Butdee exchange blows
It was horrible to lose at the Olympics but I’m still really excited about the future OW, after losing to Chatchai Butdee, one minute I’m thinking about turning over and it’s exciting. Then I remember what happened and what it was like, and you get a bit gutted Peter and think McGrail to yourself imagine if I’d Team GB done this, what Olympian if I’d boxed like this, what if I’d had just a tiny different mindframe walking in. If I’d boxed like I’d boxed against some kids in the 2019 Worlds it probably would be a different story. I don’t even usually box like that. It’s all how you perform on the day. I was in the best shape of my life. I was fit and strong. I was positive. There were no doubts in my mind. I had in my head, ‘I need to go at
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him.’ Those were the tactics I had in my head. Obviously it worked out to be the wrong thing. I played into his hands, he was catching me as I was coming in. Maybe I could have been a bit more clever about it. Towards the end of the first round, there were a few eye-catchers from him. It’s hard in a three-round fight. That first round is vital in the amateurs. Two more rounds and I might have got him out of there! But it’s only a three-round fight. I’m not taking nothing away from him. I was trying to sort out in my head the things that went wrong because I proper believed in myself, I thought I was going to beat him. I thought I was going to be too sharp, too fresh and too clever. I knew it was going to be a tough fight. It wasn’t that I underestimated him. It was just that I was a bit too eager. Rushing a bit, forcing it a bit too much. Too eager to land my own punches instead of staying relaxed and using my own experience. He was just nice and relaxed through the fight. I was too tense. I’m not normally like that. I’m normally
relaxed, using my head movement and my angles and stuff. Over the years, I think a bit like a Manny Pacquiao, I go into the ring laughing and smiling, nice and relaxed. Whereas here I was thinking, ‘I need to go at this kid, I need this first round.’ A bit too fired up and overeager. I didn’t have patience. I pushed the fight too much and was getting caught with shots. In my last two fights I’ve probably been caught with more shots than I have in the 10-20 fights previous. I’ve had a belter amateur career. I don’t know if any male British boxer has won two World championship medals before. That’s an achievement in itself and I was the first ever Scouser to win a European gold. When I did that in 2017 that was amazing and it’s always going to be with me. And I’m always going to be an Olympian, but I’m always going to hate the fact that I’m an Olympian because I’m always going to remember what happened! I properly just wanted to complete the collection. It would have been good to have a medal
at every major, and the Olympics. That’s what I believed I was going to do. It is a horrible thing. But I’ll show my character and I’ll be bouncing back. I’ll be made up for whoever gets medals, I’ve trained alongside them for years. It’ll be nice to see anyone of the team doing well. I’ve got my coach, Paul Stevenson. I’ve been at Everton Red Triangle since I was 10. I’m excited about getting back in our gym full time with Paul and getting back to work with him. We’ll speak to a few people and see what’s the best options for me and look forward. It’s exciting. It’s been a boss few years on GB, all the coaches, all the staff, they’re proper boss people. You couldn’t say a bad word about any of them. You’ve got the lads, the team, you’re with them week in, week out. It’ll be a big change but a big change that I’ve thought about for years and been excited for. It’s a new lease of life, hopefully everything I’ve done in the amateurs gives me a good starting point and I just build on that now.
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LETTERS
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LETTER OF THE WEEK
BRING BACK THE STANDING COUNT AFTER watching another refereeing decision come under scrutiny and criticism (Steve Gray’s stoppage in the Joe Joyce vs Carlos Takam bout), I believe it’s high time we reintroduced the standing count in the professional code. As an amateur (England Boxing) referee, I’m given an eight-second window of opportunity to step in and assess the responsiveness of the stricken boxer, without having to gamble on waiting for a knockdown or moving in too soon. Eight seconds is a luxury compared to the snap decisions required in the pros. Ultimately, it’s safer for the boxers too. Kev Bullus CREDIT TO HEARN AND DAZN PRINCIPLES went out of the window when late Saturday afternoon I gave in by adding DAZN to my existing Sky Sports and BT Sport subscriptions. Eddie Hearn
is not always easy to like but he does pack his bills with quality fights. I was rewarded with an evening of thoroughly entertaining and well-matched boxing. David Hibbert AT LONG LAST! APOLOGIES for the late email. I would like to take this chance to congratulate Boxing News for your stand against the various sanctioning bodies regarding their world titles. At long last someone comes along and says enough is enough. I would like to think others may follow your lead but I’m not going to hold my breath. Personally I’m not too bothered. Boxing News has, and always will be, the place to go for genuine, honest and fair coverage of all that happens in boxing. Your ratings will be my go to source for the best in and around each division. Also, a big well done to everyone for the outstanding job you have done over the entire pandemic. Week-in, week-out,
the magazine has been a treasure. I don’t know how you managed to fill it every week with such excellent content. This email would not be complete without mentioning the podcast. Well done to the team and Alex Steedman, it’s addictive! I think that’s enough bouquet throwing for one day. Dave McCann THRILLED BY THE NEW RANKINGS I FEEL compelled to thank you for taking a stand against the proliferation of ‘world’ titles. I actually wrote in suggesting you do exactly that some time ago and I’m thrilled you made the decision to take this stand now. Even better is the decision to support the Transnational Boxing Rankings, this should really set the bar for all other media to follow and I hope you publish world rankings at each weight on a weekly basis. Well done! Darren Maguire
THE WINNER: But Joyce’s latest victory was not without controversy
Photo: QUEENSBERRY
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10 COUNT THE PANEL
PERFECT ENDING
WHO DO YOU THINK LEIGH WOOD SHOULD FIGHT NEXT?
Leigh Wood’s triumph over Xu Can was just the latest in a long line of fights that delivered their most dramatic moments in the final round 1. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ VS MELDRICK TAYLOR The greatest of all last-round, come-from-behind knockout wins, Chavez was down on two of three ringside scorecards when he managed to suffocate and stop the fleet-footed Taylor with just two seconds to run in their 1990 thriller.
Paul Edwards Amateur coach I think he should fight the winner of Jazza Dickens and Kid Galahad, why not? Great fight, and keep it in the country.
Lisa Whiteside C’wealth Games gold medallist The winner of the upcoming bout with Jazza Dickens and Kid Galahad makes sense. They fight for the IBF strap soon and it would be a great all-British fight for the fans with their belts on the line.
Thomas Stalker 2012 GB captain I would like to see Leigh Wood get a few handy bouts in to earn some more money and then go for a big fight against Leo Santa Cruz.
Chris McKenna Sports reporter I think the winner of this week’s clash between Kid Galahad and Jazza Dickens would be a good fight for him. There’s history there with the Ingle Gym if it’s Galahad, while Wood would be after revenge against Dickens. He should keep the momentum going now.
WAS THE REFEREE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY MOURAD ALIEV AGAINST FRAZER CLARKE? Paul Edwards The referee was 100 per cent right. I hate that. If you throw a head butt in boxing you should be disqualified straightaway, let’s get it right. You throw the head in, as soon as the referee sees that you should be disqualified straightaway. It was no thing for me.
Lisa Whiteside The disqualification seemed a little harsh and it’s not the way Frazer would have wanted the win. But after the deduction of points for the warning think Frazer would have gone on to win on points regardless. Hopefully he can go all the way with the other remaining members of a great GB boxing team.
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Thomas Stalker Yes the referee was right to disqualify Mourad Aliev. His head was going in too much, and Frazer has deservedly earned a medal. I’m pleased for him.
Chris McKenna I thought it was incredibly harsh, to be honest. I think the point off would have been enough and would have swung the bout firmly in Clarke’s favour. The GB boxer was already starting to take control, anyways. Then if the Frenchman continued to use the head, a disqualification on the next warning. I think Clarke would have won either way, though.
2. JAKE LAMOTTA VS LAURENT DAUTHUILLE II Dauthuille had beaten LaMotta once and seemed on his way to repeating the trick in September 1950, only for LaMotta, with 13 seconds remaining in the 15th round, to this time turn it all around and stop the Frenchman. 3. MIKE WEAVER VS JOHN TATE In one of the last ever 15-round heavyweight title fights, huge underdog Weaver, behind on all three scorecards going into the final round, knocked out Tate, the WBA heavyweight belt-holder, with less than a minute left of their 1980 encounter. 4. CARL FROCH VS JERMAIN TAYLOR Froch knew he had to produce something special to retain his WBC super-middleweight title against Jermain Taylor and that is exactly what he did, trapping Taylor and stopping him with 14 seconds to go in the final round of their 2009 fight. 5. CHRIS EUBANK VS MICHAEL WATSON II Soured by its tragic conclusion, the Eubank vs. Watson II battle in 1991 remains a British classic primarily due to the way Eubank rallied to stop Watson in the very last round. 6. FELIX TRINIDAD VS FERNANDO VARGAS Puerto Rican superstar ‘Tito’ Trinidad waged an all-out war with Fernando Vargas in December 2000, trading knockdowns with the brave Mexican-American ahead of closing the show in the 12th round. 7. BERNARD HOPKINS VS FELIX TRINIDAD Not content with pitching a masterclass, Hopkins put the seal on arguably the best victory of his career by stopping Trinidad in the 12th round of their 2001 middleweight battle. 8. SHANNON BRIGGS VS SIARHEI LIAKHOVICH Briggs’s come-from-behind knockout of Liakhovich in the final knockings of their 2006 heavyweight scrap fight pumped life into a career many believed was dead. 9. SHANE MOSLEY VS RICARDO MAYORGA I Narrowly ahead on the scorecards heading into the 12th round, Shane Mosley found an extra gear to take the result out of the judges’ hands and stop Ricardo Mayorga with one second to spare in their 2008 fight. 10. JAMES TONEY VS CHARLES WILLIAMS Though Toney could barely see out of his left eye going into the 12th round of his 1994 fight against Williams, he finished him with a stunning jab-cross combination.
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THE BUNCE DIARIES
THE HELLRAISER Imagine if Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb had been an Olympian...
ALWAYS SMILING: Cobb jokes around as he waits for the funeral procession of Muhammad Ali
ANDALL “TEX” COBB would have been a great Olympian, fighting in one of those Cold War classics from the Seventies or Eighties. After the carnage in Tokyo when Ricardo Torres Jnr beat Cuba’s Dainier Pero, they should be made obligatory. Steve Cobb would Bunce have relished a @BigDaddyBunce fight with Teofilo Voice of boxing Stevenson or the great and neglected Soviet, Igor Vysotsky. It never happened and we had to accept the big Texan raising hell with a generation of very good heavyweights. And he was very good at raising hell. He beat Earnie Shavers and he built a stand-up routine from his 15-round fight against Larry Holmes at the Astrodome in Houston in 1982. He fought a very good Holmes, survived the distance, took a brutal beating and had the jokes to prove it. It was also Holmes at his most vicious, something he often hid behind humour. It was after the Shavers fight that Tex refined his theory about boxers and laziness; he insists that he could never work a real job, labouring away for hours on end. Boxing is the perfect sport for the lazy in Tex’s theory. “Take Shavers, laziest man alive,”
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he said in a lost interview from 1989. “He wanted to win so bad, he’d do anything to keep from having to work. He punched me below the belt and as I leaned over he head-butted me and then he grabbed my head and began punching me. The ref finally steps and says, ‘Aw, Earnie.’” He pauses there to laugh and you know there is a classic Tex punchline coming. And there is. I would have loved to have been doing that interview. “I say to the ref, ‘Don’t bother the man, he’s busy.’ Earnie had to let me go, he was laughing so much. Sweetest man ever lived.” Shavers was stopped in eight rounds one night in Detroit in 1980; Shavers went to hospital after the fight. Big Tex with his damaged face certainly knew his way around a late-night ER. The fight with Shavers was the first fight in an impressive sequence; three months later Cobb dropped a split to Ken Norton and just a few months after that, Michael Dokes scraped home after 10 rounds. Dokes was unbeaten in 20, being groomed, a rising star in the fight game. Dokes, we too easily forget, was a terrific fighter before the crack pipe ruined his life. On the night, one judge had it even, the other two went narrowly for Dokes. It was an escape, make no mistake. It was also a harsh and priceless lesson – Dokes won a version of the world title the following year, just six fights later. Cobb has no regrets about his role in the business and he finally quit in 1993 after 51 fights; Cobb won 42, lost just seven times. It is a typically
overlooked record from a time when so many boxers were coming, going and vanishing. He was the ugly face, which is harsh, of the Lost Generation. He lived in tough heavyweight times. “Shavers hit me so hard, I’m surprised I’m alive,” said Cobb. It seems that a lot of people were surprised he lived so long, took so much punishment in the ring and seemed to be in the wrong place so many times. He once faced-down a bar packed with men brandishing baseball bats and announced: “I sure hope this is the softball team.” It was not, and Cobb left with a broken arm. It suits the Randall Tex Cobb image to focus on the fights (the boxing version) that delivered the best lines, not necessarily the best wins. Make no mistake, the man with the unforgettable face, could really fight and he enjoyed it. In all fairness, that is why he had the unforgettable face. “I never cared who was in the other corner,” insisted Cobb. “I just never wanted to go to work.” After the Holmes loss, Cobb spent the entire purse of 600,000 dollars going wild in Australia. It makes no difference if the story is true or false, it just seems pure Tex. “They called me a fat, cowardly, cocaine-snorting, fight-fixing cheat. Who they calling fat?” said Cobb. He was clearly a delight for the hacks and that self-deprecatory humour is always a winner. “I can’t take it serious – all I do is hit people.” And get hit. Obviously, the one-liners from the Holmes fight are now boxing legend, but his part in the 45-minutes of savagery are often forgotten. He took so many punches and stumbled and rolled and talked during the fight that it takes on a cinematic quality; a raw version of a Rocky movie. “Larry never beat me, he just won the first 15 rounds.” Holmes still shakes his head and smiles when Cobb’s name is mentioned. Peter Dexter, friend and author, once said of Cobb: “I know him, he won’t cheat himself. And after it’s over – it doesn’t matter how many times he’s hit in the face – he’ll be able to look in the mirror and not be afraid of what he sees.” Cobb had his arm broken in the baseball-bat brawl defending Dexter. I would suggest that makes Tex a rarity in the modern heavyweight business – an old-school fighter and a man not afraid of his own reflection in a mirror.
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BUMPS AND BRUISES: Cobb could really fight, and boy did he enjoy it Photo: RONALD C. MODRA/ GETTY IMAGES
‘I SURE HOPE THIS IS THE SOFTBALL TEAM.’ IT WAS NOT; HE LEFT WITH A BROKEN ARM www.boxingnewsonline.net
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BOXING MEDIA REVIEW
Examining the best and worst of the sport’s weekly coverage
OFF TO A FLYER Hard to find fault in the production as DAZN make their British broadcasting debut, writes George Gigney as he reviews the first Fight Camp of 2021
BROADCASTS DAZN and Matchroom Boxing kicked off their 2021 version of the Fight Camp series in style. The card itself suffered when its main event – Conor Benn vs Adrian Granados – was scrapped earlier in the week due to Benn testing positive for Covid-19, but in reality this didn’t take too much away from the event. In fact, Leigh Wood’s unexpected triumph over Xu Can was just the sort of emotional high that caps off entertaining nights of boxing so well. In terms of production, it’s hard to fault DAZN. Some users reported a few glitches with the app, though from my own experience there were no hiccups in the broadcast. Plus – and this is a huge plus – there were minimal adverts, and certainly none during the break in between rounds
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of boxing. Will that change as DAZN becomes a larger platform in the UK? Perhaps, but for now it’s a welcome change of pace. The setup of Fight Camp was not that different from last year, except of course the Sky Sports branding being replaced for DAZN’s. There was also a small crowd of 300 fans in attendance, which helped add to the festival/garden party vibe. What was perhaps most impressive about the show was that nothing felt out of place. At this stage, DAZN have plenty of broadcast experience but they were still broaching a new territory, yet the event ran smoothly with every presenter seeming at ease.
ENGAGING HOST: Maya Jama pieced the show together Photo: IAN WALTON MATCHROOM
DAZN were also able to roll out their roster of on-screen talent, spearheaded by host Maya Jama. She was mainly tasked with piecing the show together and providing punditry with Tony Bellew. Jama will be the first to admit she’s not the most qualified when it comes to breaking down the technical aspects of boxing, and that wasn’t really her job here; instead, she was providing jumpingoff points for Bellew to elaborate on with his expertise. Jama is an engaging presence and an excellent television host, though the punditry might have benefited from having one more former (or current) fighter with whom Bellew could bounce off. Sky honed this formula
LLOYD DIDN’T IMPOSE, AND LET THE BOXING SPEAK FOR ITSELF
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pretty well with the likes of Carl Froch, Natasha Jonas, Anthony Crolla and many more providing excellent insight and analysis. Laura Woods adopted more of a roving reporter role on the broadcast, providing backstage updates and also interviewing the fighters and promoter Eddie Hearn. As expected, based on her previous broadcast experience, she was terrific. With Mike Costello in Tokyo to cover the Olympic Games, it was up to Chris Lloyd to lead the commentary team and he too was stellar. He didn’t impose himself on the action too much and let the boxing speak for itself at times. He also gave co-commentators Darren Barker and Andy Lee the space to share their expertise and thoughts. They made for a great team and further proved DAZN has invested in boxing experts. Overall, the card was clearly a success for the streaming service. It was, predominantly, paced well though dragged a little at times in between some fights, and perhaps could have offered up some way of watching earlier fights live, such as Sandy Ryan’s debut. Apart from that, there’s a lot for fans to be excited about as the platform develops its offerings in the UK.
WEBSITES It now seems that Canelo Alvarez won’t be fighting Caleb Plant in September, according to ESPN. The agreement – which would have brought the Mexican superstar to PBC on FOX for at least this one fight – was reportedly on the verge of being finalised, but is now dead. The issue appears to have been over contracts, with Plant claiming that Canelo and his side were simply making too many demands. “I question whether legacy or money is their real motive. We’ve been waiting for him to get done with his wedding, shooting his TV show, his golf tournament and now have tried to give him everything he wants and more to make this fight,” he told ESPN. “I’m more than willing, able and ready to fight Canelo Alvarez on any date. Those are the real facts and if anyone has something to say differently, we have the paperwork to prove it.” It’s a shame the fight isn’t happening as Plant is Canelo’s last main threat at 168lbs, if you discount a potential move up in weight from Gennady Golovkin. The silver lining is that Alvarez, according to Hearn, is eyeing up an enticing
alternative; a meeting with unbeaten light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol. The Daily Mirror has reported that Daniel Dubois and Tommy Fury will make their American debuts on the undercard of Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley on Showtime pay-per-view later this year. If true, the move would open the pair of prospects up to a huge new audience. The Mirror also claims Fury will sign a two-fight deal with the broadcaster, aiming to build to a fight with Paul. That would make Fury the first actual boxer that Paul has fought. Whatever your opinion on the Paul sideshow, this move will do wonders for Dubois and Fury’s profiles should they perform well in their respective fights. Plus, if Fury were to fight and beat Paul, he would become an instant star. His older brother, Tyson, still hopes for a megafight with Anthony Joshua and his co-promoter Bob Arum made some strange comments to Sky Sports about that fight happening in the UK. The veteran claimed both fighters owe it to the UK fans to stage the fight there, despite previously agreeing that such an event would have to take place in a territory that could stump up more money. A Fury-Joshua fight at Wembley Stadium would be transcendent though.
WILLING, READY AND ABLE: Plant is frustrated at the delay
Photo: RYAN HAFEY/PREMIER BOXING CHAMPIONS
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NEWS AND OPINION
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SHOCK DECISION: Campbell is hanging up his gloves to spend more time with his family
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Campbell says goodbye UKE CAMPBELL has retired. The decision was not expected, he is just 33 years old, but has to be admired. The pinnacle of his career came when he won the Olympic gold medal at London 2012. He was one of the most successful amateur boxers GB had ever had, becoming the first Englishman in 47 years to win the European championships and also winning World championship silver. Turning professional in 2013, he filled arenas in Hull with his dedicated fan base, headlining at an open-air stadium twice. He competed at the highest level as a pro. Jorge Linares edged him out on a split decision when they boxed in California and Campbell fought a brilliant Vasiliy Lomachenko at the O2 in London for the WBC, WBA and WBO lightweight belts. Mostly recently he boxed rising star Ryan Garcia, dropping the American before being halted himself inside seven rounds. “It’s hard to express the words because I’ve never been in this position before with these feelings and emotions,” he told Boxing News. “I’ve been sitting on this decision for six months.” His reason for retiring is simple and compelling. Family. “I committed myself for 22 years in the sport of boxing and I’ve been on the road for 20 years. I’ve been away, in training camp, travelling the world with GB and as a professional I’ve been away non-stop. For weeks on end, having one or two days back home every weekend and that’s it. Then I’m back away again. I’ve sacrificed so much now. I have given it my all. Now I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the fruits of the labour, what I’ve put in,” Luke, a father of three, explained. “Before I announced it, I tried to picture myself going away, going back in training camp, away from the family. Then I’d just think ‘I’m wasting time’. I’m going to be stuck away back in training camp, blocked off from everything else and think I’m literally just wasting time. Time I’ll never get back and that’s the way I’d think of it in the last month or two.” Spending more time with his family during lockdown also shaped his thinking. “Massively. I’ve never spent so much time at home and it made
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The Olympic gold medallist retires at 33 years of age, writes John Dennen
me realise, actually I love being home with my family, and that was a massive spanner in the works for my career. It certainly was. If Covid never came and we didn’t go into lockdown then who knows? I most likely probably would still be fighting. It opened my eyes to what I’ve actually got and had and still got,” Luke said. “Some people don’t have a choice. I’m very fortunate and lucky enough to be able to have a choice.” For Campbell this ending is coming at the right moment. “I actually forgot about this but when I turned professional, I said to myself it would be good to finish around the Tokyo Olympics. I’ve classed everything in Olympic cycles because that’s what I’ve done for many years in the amateur boxing. I thought I’d do two Olympic cycles as a professional boxer,” he said. “Probably subconsciously it was always the goal, to finish around the Tokyo Olympics. I never wanted to continue fighting after the age of 34 anyhow. My goal and dream was always the Olympics. The professional side of boxing was to financially secure my family’s future. The two things I wanted was to secure my family’s future and win the respect of the fans and I feel like I’ve done both. “I’m very blessed to have such an awesome city behind me, and not just
the city but also the fight fans that follow me and support me. Without them it wouldn’t have been possible.” As an Olympic champion, Campbell is in very select company. “That was my dream. I never really looked past that point,” he said. “I thought let’s see what I can do in the professional ranks but that was never the goal or the dream. But I did alright. “I could easily have been crowned world champion the night I fought Linares, but they gave it to him on a split. It is what it is but they could have raised my hand that night and me being crowned world champion, no one would have batted an eyelid. I thought I won seven clear rounds out of a 12-round fight but it is what it is. It wasn’t meant to be,” he continued. “[Lomachenko] beat me fair and square and it was a great night. The fans certainly won that night and it went from there. But I don’t need titles or medals or anything like this to make me happy in life. I’m happy. “Now that I’ve finally closed that door, I feel like a couple of other doors have opened in the world of boxing. I’m very knowledgeable in the sport. I’d love to keep skin in the game and be a part of boxing, because it’s what I’ve done my whole life.”
‘I’D LOVE TO KEEP SKIN IN THE GAME AND BE PART OF BOXING’
OLYMPIC KING: Campbell’s exploits in 2012 cement his place in history Photo: SCOTT HEAVEY/ GETTY IMAGES
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Fourth time lucky LTHOUGH Hackney superfeatherweight Lyon Woodstock has always known the importance of patience, never has his been tested as much as it has in the past two years. Aside from the general chaos caused by a global pandemic, Woodstock has had his own uniquely personal stumbling block to overcome, in the form of a frequently postponed British superfeatherweight title shot against Northern Ireland’s Anthony Cacace. That fight, postponed three times so far, has been Woodstock’s own kind of virus for almost two years, but has now, much to his relief, been rearranged for the fourth and latest time on August 28 in Birmingham. The pair’s first proposed date – July 10, 2020 – fell by the wayside when Cacace, 18-1 (7), withdrew after suffering an infection following some dental work. There were then further complications which caused a second date – October 10, 2020 – to be pushed back as well. More recently, a date of February 27, 2021, as chief support to Carl Frampton vs. Jamel Herring, was scrapped when Woodstock contracted COVID-19 during fight week and had to isolate as a result. “I’m cool,” Woodstock, 12-2 (5), told Boxing News upon hearing of the fight’s new date. “I’m just happy to be in the position I’m in and looking to get in the ring. “I’ve been working on a lot of stuff and I feel like I’ve grown up a lot during the two years I’ve had out of the ring. I’ve had time to reflect, time to grow, and time to look back on decisions I’ve made and the way I’ve carried myself, not just in boxing but in life in general: as a man, as a father. It has given me time to reevaluate things. I’m now looking forward to getting back in the ring and doing what I was designed and created to do.” If good things come to those who wait, Woodstock will be forgiven for approaching his title shot later this month with high expectations and perhaps even a sense of entitlement. He will approach it, too, believing it is a fight Cacace, the champion, could do without. “I ain’t left. I’m still here. I haven’t gone away,” Woodstock said. “I don’t know if he [Cacace] still thought I would be here but I am. We’re going to fight and I’m ready. I just hope he is.
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Lyon Woodstock’s patience has been tested like never before, as he explains to Elliot Worsell
“There was nothing between us to start with but the way he has carried himself hasn’t been good. You can’t address me the way he has, and you can’t act the way he acts, when a lot of the reason why we haven’t fought is because of him. But that’s just the way it is. I’m not bothered. Our time will come. Just know that when I get in the ring, it’s showtime.” In his most recent outing, back in June 2019, Woodstock came up short when trying to win the vacant Commonwealth super-featherweight title against Zelfa Barrett. A disappointment at the time, Woodstock has since managed to reframe the loss, his second as a pro, as both a learning experience and the lesson he needed to be taught. “They were the defining moments for Lyon Woodstock,” he said. “Without them, the man I am today would not exist. I’m very grateful for that experience. I wouldn’t change a thing. It allowed me to look at myself and hold that mirror up and be 100 per cent honest with myself. We only see as far as our noses and a lot of the time we feel sorry for ourselves, but there is a polarity with positives and negatives. You’ll take
from both whatever it is you need.” Whereas most defeats tend to set a fighter back, stalling their momentum for a while, Woodstock’s loss to Barrett has done nothing of the sort. One could even argue a British title shot in his very next fight represents an upgrade. “That’s always something I’ve wanted to attain, even before I was a professional,” he said of the coveted Lonsdale Belt. “It’s a big belt and I have the utmost respect for it. Once I get in there, I’m taking it.” Certainly, there’s no question Woodstock sounds ready for it. Having waited long enough, he has had ample time to think it over and has, better yet, used his time away from boxing wisely, working on himself, training his mind as well as his body. “I’ve never been afraid to hold that metaphorical mirror up and address myself,” Woodstock, 27, said. “I think a lot of people try to avoid that because when they do that they then have to hold themselves accountable for everything: the positive and the negative. A lot of people are not ready to do that, evidently. If you look at the world today it’s full of fabricated bulls**t. We’re surrounded by distractions. Years ago, there were more iconic and great people. Times were harder back then but because there were not as many distractions, in terms of technology, there was a greater emphasis on people and communication and thinking. People would sit still and think. People would focus. That’s what we’re lacking today: focus. We’re distracted by everything and we want to be distracted because it stops us having to think. “All we have today are one-hit wonders and people looking for their five minutes of fame. It’s so easy to be in the public eye nowadays. Anyone can go viral. People wake up every day and go on social media to get their five minutes of fame. It’s not until you sit down and think about it that you realise how crazy the world is today. I’m looked at as the crazy one but I just think I’m normal, sitting in a world surrounded by madness.” Lyon Woodstock, the thinking man’s fighter, has clearly done plenty of thinking during his two-year hiatus from the ring. But, on August 28, he knows that it’s time for action – at last.
‘I HAVE HAD TIME TO REFLECT, TIME TO GROW AND TIME TO LOOK BACK’
CLOSE RIVALS: Woodstock and Barrett after a training session
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IT’S TIME: Woodstock has done plenty of thinking, and now he’s ready Photo: NATHAN STIRK/ GETTY IMAGES
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A special send off Kirkland Laing is given the perfect goodbye, writes Matt Christie N Thursday ( July 29) Kirkland Laing was laid to rest at St Mary’s Church in Nottingham before his life was celebrated in triumphant style until just before midnight. It was exactly as “The Gifted One” would have wanted. The drinks flowed, the music didn’t stop and stories about the former British and European welterweight champion were the order of the day. “I did everything I possibly could,” Delene Laing, who organised her father’s farewell, told Boxing News. “I did everything to look after him when he was here and I did everything to give him the send off he would have wanted.” The coffin was picked up from Delene’s home in the morning and pulled by six horses on a carriage through the streets of Nottingham. Laing’s favourite reggae songs bounced from the speakers as locals sang along; in keeping with Kirk’s attitude to life, the marking of his death was designed purely to put smiles on people’s faces. But inside the church Delene was overcome with emotion. One of Kirk’s carers said, “I hope my children look after me the way Delene looked after her dad.” “I was shaking at first,” Delene said. “I felt dizzy, especially when I heard the songs, In The Arms Of An Angel and I Will Always Love You. “I will miss him dearly. I will miss that man forever. But the timing was all right. It was time for him to say goodbye. He had a very fulfilled life. He did so much in those 66 years.” Opening the funeral was Simply The Best, and Rebel In Me closed it. Among the 300-strong crowd – of which some had to stand outside – were former professionals Derek Williams, James Cook MBE, Tony Adams and Levi Stevenson. One of the pallbearers was his former opponent, Rocky Kelly, who Laing stopped in five rounds to retain his British title in 1987.
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Photo: GETTY IMAGES
“It was an amazing day and exactly what Kirk would have wanted,” said Stevenson, Laing’s old sparring partner. ”I remember when I used to be in the ring with Kirk. I thought I’d be able to handle him but it was like trying to hit a ghost. I could never get near him, let alone touch him. “But he hit me and I’d see three of him. He had so much power, particularly in his right cross, which was his favourite punch. But he was the one who really taught me how to box properly, to position my feet, to move in the right way. He was a great fighter and a great man; he should have been up there with [Marvin] Hagler and [Sugar Ray] Leonard. “Kirk would have been overwhelmed with the amount of people who came to say goodbye. He had no idea how many people loved him.” At the wake there was a boxing ring in the middle of the room. Kids shadow boxed inside it. The adults danced. The waiting staff wore yellow, red and green t-shirts bearing Laing’s nickname. Boxing trophies adorned every table. Images of him, both as a boxer and a family man, were on every wall. “Once I was there, I lit up,” Delene laughed. “I wanted everyone to have a good time because that’s what my dad would have wanted.” Laing’s mother, Louisa, made sure she enjoyed herself. “My grandma walks with a walking trolley and she slowly made her way to venue,” Delene explained. “But when she got inside she just stopped and looked around. She said, ‘ Oh Delene, you’ve done him so proud!’ “By the end of the night she was drinking a pint of beer with a straw in it. There was a half-pint glass there as well and I thought that was hers. But she made sure she had a pint to say goodbye to Kirk. She’s 95!” Due to a mix-up on a local radio station announcing the funeral details, some turned up at the church on Friday only to find out they were a day late. One can imagine Laing chuckling at the thought of that.
‘IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO SAY GOODBYE. HE HAD A VERY FULFILLED LIFE. HE DID SO MUCH’
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THE GIFTED ONE: Laing remains a hero to many
UNFORGETTABLE DAY OF MEMORIES A celebration as four British boxing heroes are remembered
FAMILY AFFAIR: Delene [right] with her siblings Marcus and Candice
THERE was a full-house at the Azur in St Leonards on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the lives of Alan Minter, Johnny Clark, Geoff Hopcroft and Vince Heckman. The event was organised by Dave Harris, the founder of Ringside Charitable Trust and one of the great figures in the ex-boxers community. “What a day!” Harris told BN. “It was wonderful. People were able to celebrate the lives of those four special people and I think it was the first time a lot of them had been out [since the pandemic] so they really went for it! Everyone was so united, it was great to see.” Providing speeches were Ross Minter (for his dad, Alan Minter), Terry Waller (Johnny Clark), Peter Hopcroft (for his dad, Geoff Hopcroft) and John H Stracey (Vince Heckman). Also in attendance, among many others, were Maurice Hope, Duke McKenzie and Ronnie Davies. Ross Minter brought the room to their feet as he sang My Way and there was also a rendition of the Ringside Charitable Trust anthem, Never Give Up, Never Give In. “We need to do more for our fallen heroes,” Harris said. “We should always remember them, always celebrate them and never forget them.”
WELTERWEIGHT contender “Showtime” Shawn Porter takes a break from training at the Charter Oak Boxing Academy (COBA) in Hartford, Connecticut to give some words of wisdom to local up and coming boxers Naomi Cortes, Jada Wyatt and Janyia Lumpkin.
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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
Sensational Leigh Wood scores a spectacular victory over Xu Can
BRENTWOOD J U LY 3 1 +++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D + + + + + AT M O S P H E R E
HINA’S Xu Can, the “Monster,” came to the first show of Matchroom’s Fight Camp series on Saturday with the reputation of a fearsome volume-puncher. But he left soundly beaten. Leigh Wood nullified him almost from the start. Can marched into the centre of the ring with his gloves up, only for Wood to whip hooks round his defences, screw his jab through that guard and follow up with crosses. For fleeting moments Can opened up with attacks, chopping at the Nottingham man with firm rights when he could. But
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John Dennen @BoxingNewsJD RINGSIDE
as the contest progressed more and more he simply covered up without firing back himself, failing to respond to Wood’s attacks. If he was running out of ideas, Wood was not. He cycled through his repertoire of shots, offsetting Can and marking him up. He left Can a forlorn figure, looking increasingly adrift. Wood was roundly outboxing him. But he provided the final flourish in the 12th. A booming right hook thumped round Can’s guard in the last round, dropping him onto the seat of his shorts. He was hurt and Wood set about him, harrying him across the ring and into the ropes. Can could not muster a response even though referee Marcus McDonnell gave him more than enough time. The official had to step in to end it with 17 seconds left in the bout. As Wood celebrated the breakout win of his career, quietly Xu walked to all four sides of the ring and bowed briskly to the crowd around him before he departed. A ‘regular’ WBA belt passed to Wood, a strap which in turn is secondary to the WBA’s ‘super’ belt that Leo Santa
Cruz hasn’t defended since 2019. What matters here is the fight and the performance. Leigh Wood shone. Conor Benn was originally due to headline this event against Adrian Granados. But he failed a Covid test the week of the fight and was ruled out of that contest. That saw Wood elevated up the bill. It gave him a platform and he made the most of it. Wood has earned a fight with a big name. A showdown with Josh Warrington, if he comes through his September 4 rematch with Mauricio Lara, would certainly be appealing. Bournemouth’s Chris Billam-Smith and Tommy McCarthy fought one another to a near standstill at times. In the first round McCarthy shook him up with a huge right. But Billam-Smith weathered it and regrouped. He began to tag the Belfast man with solid jabs and brought in heavier shots with his right. The Englishman made in roads in the fifth round, trapping McCarthy on the ropes as he attacked. But McCarthy came back, changing the momentum again. He shifted
Photo: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM
BIG UPSET: Can was nullified from the start by Wood’s attacks
‘Monster’ tamed 18 O BOXING NEWS O AUGUST 5, 2021
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Cullen backed off and tagged the toosmoothly on his feet, bringing through a stationary Yildirim with jabs before strong right uppercut to set up his hook. scraping combinations through the He swept those punches into Billamvisitor’s open guard. But Yildirim came Smith from unexpected angles, having to on more in the second half of the 10 shrug off the effects of a cut by his right rounder, thumping his right over the top, eye himself. Billam-Smith seemed to tire, damaging Cullen’s nose and heaving left his mouth hung open as he sucked in hooks into the body. It had appeared air but he managed to land firm blows enough to make the bout close, but the to the body and the head. They had to judges were widely in favour of Cullen. fight desperately hard all the way through Jean-Pierre Van Imschoot scored 100to final round. It was Billam-Smith who 90, Diana Drews-Milani 98-92 and Bob edged just ahead. Williams 97-93, all for the Briton. Marcus The decision was split. John Latham McDonnell refereed. scored 115-114 for McCarthy, while Mark Anthony Fowler set up an October 9 Lyson had it 115-114 and Ian John-Lewis showdown with Liam Smith in Liverpool 116-112 both for Billam-Smith. Victor as he defeated Germany’s Rico Mueller. Loughlin refereed. Competing only a few days after Billam-Smith won McCarthy’s becoming a father, Fowler was in control. European cruiserweight title, the He drummed straight shots into Mueller’s vacant British title and defended his high guard, slowly battering through and Commonwealth belt. marking up the German. Little Lever’s “Meat Cleaver” Jack In the eighth round Fowler Cullen defeated Avni smashed a right uppercut-left Yilidirm, the Turkish fighter TOUGH DEFEAT: hook combination through, who had been such an McCarthy fought wobbling the German. The underwhelming opponent for hard, but lost Liverpudlian clubbed him into Canelo Alvarez in February. a split decision
the ropes, punishing him there. Referee Bob Williams was watching closely and eventually when Mueller’s legs buckled he had to step in and end it at 2-12. Campbell Hatton, the son of British boxing legend Ricky, picked up the third victory of his professional career, staying on Jakub Laskowski as he diligently winged wide right hooks into the Pole and took a 40-36 points win from referee Mark Bates. Sandy Ryan, a top amateur who has won a World silver medal and the Commonwealth Games in years gone by, had hoped to be boxing at the Olympic Games. But she didn’t get to go to a qualification event and made her professional debut on this show at Matchroom’s HQ. Pensnett’s Kirstie Bavington caught her up in clinches but the higher quality work came from Ryan over the course of their six rounds. She took a 60-54 win from referee Mark Bates.
FULL R E S U LT S Leigh Wood (125¼lbs), 25-2 (15), w rsf 12 Xu Can (125¼lbs), 18-3 (3); Chris Billam-Smith (199¼lbs), 13-1 (10), w pts 12 Tommy McCarthy(199¼lbs), 18-3 (9); Jack Cullen (163½lbs), 20-2-1 (9), w pts 10 Avni Yildirim (163lbs), 21-4 (12); Anthony Fowler (155¼lbs), 15-1 (12), w rsf 8 Rico Mueller (156lbs), 28-4-1 (19); Campbell Hatton (135½lbs),30, w pts 4 Jakub Laskowski(135½lbs), 4-5-1 (2); Sandy Ryan (144½lbs), 1-0, w pts 6 Kirstie Bavington (144¼lbs), 3-2-2 (2).
THE VERDICT Leigh Wood took his opportunity to shine.
Photos: IAN WALTON/MATCHROOM
GOOD START: Ryan bosses Bavington
THROUGH THE MIDDLE: The right hand of Fowler plunges into Mueller
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PROGRESS: Hatton hooks Laskowski as he cruises to his third professional win
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ACTION RAPID PROGRESS: Collins wears his new belt with pride Photo: KYNOCH BOXING
EASY DOES IT Collins has no trouble seeing off Ghana’s lacklustre Williams H A M I LTO N
FULL R E S U LT S Nathaniel Collins (124 3/4lbs), 8-0 (3), w rsf 3 Felix Williams (127lbs), 29-3 (22); Dean Sutherland (144lbs 14oz), 11-0 (3), w rsf 7 Jose Antonio Delgado Velazquez (146lbs), 10-2 (2); Alejandro Jair Gonzalez (120 1/2lbs), 10-2-2 (6), w pts 10 Billy Stuart (121lbs 6oz), 10-1 (3); Jordan Grant (182lbs), 3-1, w pts 4 Scott Williams (182lbs), 0-14; Ben McGivern (173lbs 14oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Lewis van Poetsch (182lbs), 9-127-2 (2); Kevin Duris (153 1/2lbs), 1-0 (1), w rsf 3 Gary McGuire (151lbs 14oz), 1-18; Gary Ducie (127lbs 2oz), 2-0, w pts 4 Luke Fash (124lbs 10oz), 2-62-2; Corey McCulloch (158lbs 10oz), 4-1-1, d pts 4 CJ Wood (159lbs), 0-0-1.
J U LY 3 1 +++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D + + + + + AT M O S P H E R E
MORE than 20 years have passed since Mike Tyson took all of 38 seconds to demolish Texan Lou Savarese on a horrible, rainy night at Glasgow’s Hampden Park. Though this Sam Kynoch and Dennis Hobson show wasn’t quite as high profile, the weather at Hamilton’s New Douglas Park thankfully proved more favourable as open-air boxing returned to Scotland. The vacant Commonwealth featherweight title was the prize in the main event but only Bearsden southpaw Nathaniel Collins could take the belt home after Accra’s Felix Williams, also a leftie, came in one-and-a-half pounds overweight. British fans may remember Williams from a previous visit to the UK when he was outscored over 10 rounds by Josh Wale in 2019. But hearing the final bell never looked likely this time as he fell victim to the relaxed and confident Scot’s accurate punches, which repeatedly found their intended target. Williams, not only overweight but overwhelmed, was rescued by referee
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Mike Alexander in the third round. It was the right call and Collins, a recent Kynoch Boxing signing, takes his place in a division full of elite domestic talent. The Ghanaian visitor might not have been as tough as expected but it was hard to fault Williams here. With a small army of supporters urging him on, Aberdeen southpaw Dean Sutherland attacked Jose Antonio Delgado Velazquez from the get-go before breaking down the Mexican in the second half. Fighting over 10 for the first time, Dean began full of confidence and increasingly dominated to take the contest to his opponent, slowly but surely destroying his resolve. The pressure increased to such a degree that the visitor was relieved when third man Howard Foster signalled the end in the seventh. Impressive stuff from Dean who notched his third stoppage from 11 straight wins. Also in a scheduled 10-rounder against a Latin fighter was Macduff super-bantam Billy Stuart who faced a significant step up against 21-yearold Mexico City resident Alejandro Jair Gonzalez. At the conclusion of
a cracker in which heavy and spiteful shots were exchanged, the home fighter lost a majority decision. The consensus was that there wasn’t an awful lot in it but Billy, who gave this everything, was on the wrong end of 98-93 and 96-94 tallies with the third all square at 95-95. Doncaster’s Mr Alexander refereed. Having been made to wait a couple of years longer than he wished to make his pro debut, local favourite Kevin Duris, something of a stoppage merchant as an amateur, ensured his numerous supporters had plenty to cheer about when he stopped fellow Scot Gary McGuire with 42 seconds of the third (scheduled for four) remaining. The man from Castlemilk, his nose bloodied, had found himself on the receiving end from the very outset as the eager to impress debutant stormed forward. So it was no real surprise when McGuire finally wilted – going down in a delayed reaction – from a right to the body. Referee Mr Pringle waved it off despite Gary rising at a count of eight. Having been halted last time out, Arbroath super-welterweight Corey McCulloch had been hoping to return to winning ways in the show-opener against Middlesbrough debutant CJ Wood but he was forced to settle for a share of the spoils after being caught and dropped by a cracker of a left in the dying embers of the second. Corey had started well but was then caught and floored after missing with an intended uppercut. While he looked to have done enough to take the third, there was precious little daylight between the pair in the last. Scaffolder Wood picked up cuts both above and below the right eye. Referee Mr Pringle scored 38-38, which was fair overall. Glasgow feather Gary Ducie found journeyman Luke Fash in combative mode but still had more than enough to condemn him to his 62nd career loss, with referee Kevin Maxwell scoring him a 40-36 winner. The win, wasn’t completely without incident as he picked up an early nick beside the right eye. Jordan Grant, bounced back from a points defeat at the hands of Tommy Fury with a distance victory, though he didn’t have things all his own way during a 39-37 win against Trafford super-middle Scott Williams. Coatbridge light-heavyweight Ben McGivern finally got underway as he decisioned Lydney entertainer Lewis van Poetsch 40-36.
HEARING THE FINAL BELL NEVER LOOKED LIKELY
THE VERDICT Mixed fortunes for the home fighters as boxing makes a welcome return north of the border.
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ACTION
SUPER STRAND Bradley bludgeons Maguire in exciting bill-topper, writes Gary Shaw from ringside
ON THE ATTACK: Munn raids Krajevskij
LIVERPOOL J U LY 3 0 +++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D + + + + + AT M O S P H E R E
DESPITE a number of contests being called off at late notice, Pat Barrett’s Black Flash Promotions show at The Devonshire House Hotel in Liverpool saw seven solid bouts that, although sometimes lacking in quality, more than made up for it in terms of excitement for a packed and partisan crowd. With English super-flyweight champion Marcel Braithwaite, rising star Nick Ball plus recent Commonwealth super-bantamweight title challenger Carly Skelly all seeing their contests cancelled for varying reasons in the days preceding the show, Everton Red Triangle’s talented former ABA champion Bradley Strand topped the bill and he gained his fifth win from five with a fine stoppage victory over Middleton’s always awkward southpaw Stephen Maguire.
After a scrappy start to their fourrounder that saw referee Jamie Fitzpatrick break them apart on more than one occasion, Strand’s timing and solid right hands caused Maguire problems as the visitor was repeatedly caught coming forward. This was shown to spectacular effect in the second when, after receiving another flush right hand from the home fighter, Maguire’s gum shield flew out of the ring and landed in the lap of timekeeper Chris O’Connor. After the restart, another right from Strand forced it out again, but, once back in situ, Maguire managed to survive the round. Told by his corner to step up a gear, Strand piled on the pressure again in the third and the end came at 1-26 when a series of rights set Maguire up for a crashing visit to the canvas. Up at eight he was in no state to continue and was counted out on his feet. Mozambique-born but Liverpooldomiciled, Dexter Makaza’s disciplined approach seemed set to get him a clear win on referee Mark Lyson’s card when a wide right hand caught Croatia’s Stanko Jermelic flush on the side of the face
Photo: KAREN PRIESTLEY
F U L L R E S U LT S Bradley Strand (124 lbs), 5-0 (2), w ko 3 Steven Maguire (119 1/2lbs), 1-22-1; Dexter Makaza (169lbs), 2-0 (1), w rsf 4 Stanko Jermelic (173 1/2lbs), 0-8; Rebecca Ainscough (132 1/2lbs), 1-0 w pts 4 Vaida Masiokaite (133lbs), 2-8-4 (1); Josh Breeden (173lbs), 2-0, w pts 4 Ryan Hibbert (183 lbs), 1-12; Jay Munn (157lbs), 4-0, w pts 4 Genady Krajevskij (157lbs), 0-15 (5); Mick Minard (176 1/2lbs), 1-0 (1), w ko 1 Karl Dobbin (175lbs), 0-1; Leon Willings (167lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Seamus Devlin (168lbs), 0-1.
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with just seconds left in their fourrounder. Although he didn’t go down, Jermelic’s legs danced for a second and Mr Lyson did well to step in and wave it over with Makaza about to attack again. The end came at 2-58 with the visitor bleeding from the nose and with a cut, checked by the doctor in the third, under his right eye. Local lightweight and former MMA star Rebecca Ainscough outpointed Lithuania’s Vaida Masiokaite 40-37 on referee Jamie Kirkpatrick’s card after an impressive debut over four two-minute rounds against a much taller opponent. Working well to get under the visitor’s long jab to score with solid shots to both the head and body, Ainscough showed guile and patience to grab a win that, when it was announced, received the loudest cheer of the night from her many and vocal supporters. Another popular winner with the crowd, that included at least one coachload from his hometown, Widnes’ Josh Breeden gained his second victory from two, with a straightforward, walk your opponent down and hit him at will, 40-36 points win over an outmatched Ryan Hibbert. Referee Mark Lyson had a close look at Hibbert on occasion, especially in the fourth when the Salford man came under pressure but often failed to respond. Cardiff middleweight Jay Munn also sent his numerous supporters home happy with a 40-36 win over Liverpoolbased Latvian, Genady Krajevskij. Neat and efficient, Munn, with trainer Gary Lockett in his corner, showed good variety and was rarely in trouble. Mr Kirkpatrick refereed. With a sizeable crowd outside still trying to gain access to the sold-out venue when he made his own entrance, local favourite Mick Minard scored a sensational winning debut when he stopped fellow debutant Karl Dobbin with a crushing left hook to the body that left his opponent gasping for breath on all fours in his own corner. Both fighters started well behind their respective jabs, but it was Minard’s left hook that quickly began to dominate and a long shot to the head dropped Dobbin for eight just two minutes in. Not long after, the same shot, this time to the body, ended the visitor’s night at 2-36. Mr Lyson refereed. The opener also featured two debutants with Widnes’ Leon Willings gaining a straightforward 40-36 win over Padiham’s Seamus Devlin who was rarely in it. Mr Kirkpatrick refereed. THE VERDICT Plenty of rough and tumble in the main event.
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ACTION ROUND-UP
Andre Dirrell returns Photo: MADDIE MEYER/GETTY IMAGES
BACK IN ACTION: Direll’s first fight since 2019 saw him floor Booker three times, forcing a stoppage
... though heavyweight Jonathan Rice is arguably the star of the show, writes Eric Armit as he rounds up the worldwide action
J U LY 2 8 V E R B A N I A , I TA LY
Super-middleweight IVAN ZUCCO (140) made a successful first defence of the Italian title with third round stoppage of IGNAZIO CRIVELLO (7-8-1). Big puncher Zucco floored Crivello in the second. Crivello survived but looked to have injured his left shoulder in the third and as Zucco continued to land heavily the fight was halted. Twelfth inside the distance win for southpaw Zucco. J U LY 3 0 T I J UA N A , M E X I CO
Local middleweight MARCOS VAZQUEZ (19-0-1) was gifted a disqualification victory over PAUL VALENZUELA JNR (26-10). Vazquez was winning well going into the sixth round when he floored Valenzuela with a fierce punch to the
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back of Valenzuela’s head. Valenzuela went down and stayed down. He was receiving medical attention in the ring and one of Valenzuela’s corner team climbed into the ring. The rules in Tijuana say that no seconds are allowed to enter the ring when a fighter is receiving attention for a punch to the back of the head until the fighter has received medical attention for five minutes, so Valenzuela was disqualified due to his second entering the ring before the stipulated time.
pressure. The superior skill of Leon took him to a close but deserved win on scores of 97-93, 96-93 and 96-95. T I M I S OA R A , RO M A N I A
Hometown fighter FLAVIUS BLEA (201) came out on top against Mexican IVAN ALVAREZ (31-12-1) in their superwelterweight clash. Blea had to fight hard against the aggressive Alvarez but won 97-93 on the cards and gets his seventh consecutive victory. Southpaw Alvarez had scored a win over Jorge Paez Jnr in April.
M E X I CO C I T Y, M E X I CO
Venezuelan ERICK LEON (15-1-1) boxed his way to an unanimous verdict over Mexican JUAN RODRIGUEZ (10-4) at super lightweight. The tall Leon used his longer reach to box on the outside with Rodriguez rolling forward applying
ACC R A , G H A N A
Ghanaian featherweight prospect JOHN LARYEA (9-0-1) remained unbeaten as he stopped Namibia’s SEBASTIANUS NATANAEL (14-3) in four rounds. Laryea had a slight lead when the fight was
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stopped in the fourth, with the doctor ruling Natanael was unable to continue due to a cut. J U LY 3 1 N E WA R K , U S A
Fighting at light-heavyweight ANDRE DIRRELL (28-3) returned to action with a third-round stoppage of CHRISTOPHER BROOKER (16-8). This was Dirrell’s first fight since December 2019, so he took a couple of rounds to shed some rust. He found his range in the third and floored Booker three times to force the stoppage. He is looking to work his way to another title shot, but at 37 he may have left it too late. The heavyweight fight on this card produced a big upset as unfancied JONATHAN RICE (14-6-1) stopped previously unbeaten MICHAEL POLITE COFFIE (12-1). Coffee was the cause of his own failure as he just tried to walk through Rice’s punches and left himself open to some booming counters from Rice. Coffie fell apart in the fifth as Rice connected with a series of head punches that had Coffie reeling and defenceless, forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight. Rice had lost his last two fights but nine of his wins had come inside the distance. Coffie, 35, has a rebuilding job to do now. At super-lightweight KARL DARGAN (20-1) floored IVAN DELGADO (13-4-2) with a perfectly timed right uppercut in the third, which effectively
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ended their fight, and unbeaten middleweight hope JOEY SPENCER (130) decisioned JAMES MARTIN (7-3) on scores of 79-73 twice and 80-72. ATLANTIC CITY, USA Super-featherweight hope CHRISTIAN TAPIA (12-0) impressed in scoring a second-round kayo of experienced MASON MENARD (36-6). After an even first round Tapia drove Menard to the ropes with some clubbing rights and then connected with a vicious left hook to the body, which sent Menard down and he was counted out. Eleventh victory by KO/TKO for the young Puerto Rican. In a bantamweight contest DYLAN PRICE (14-0,1NC) just had too much speed and skill for EDWIN RODRIGUEZ (11-6-2). He built an early lead and then boxed cleverly to hold off a late charge from Rodriguez, winning on scores of 79-73, 78-74 and 77-75. Price, 22, is a former US Under-17 and Under-19 champion. In his first fight since May 2019, Atlantic City welterweight ANTHONY YOUNG (22-2) had to fight hard to outpoint a competitive TODD MANUEL (19-18-1). Young had some problems with getting inside against the 5ins-taller Manual, but had done enough to have a winning lead and put the result beyond doubt by dropping Manual in the eighth round. Scores 78-73 twice and 79-72 for Young. He had scored a big win by beating rated
Sadam Ali in that May 2019 fight but the pandemic stopped him building on that. BADEN WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY On a good night for Ukrainian boxers PETRO IVANOV (14-0-2) wiped out Mexican RAFAEL ORTIZ (14-4-1). Ivanov floored Ortiz twice in the first round and put him down and out with a body punch in the third. Ninth inside the distance win for super middleweight Ivanov. Welterweight KAREN CHUKHADZHIAN (19-1) handed out steady punishment to Nicaraguan ROBERTO ARRIAZA (18-3) who eventually went down on one knee in the third and was counted out. Nineteenth consecutive victory for Chukhadzhian. In the best fight of the night, middleweight ANDRIL VELIKOVSKYI (19-2-2) and Mexican JOSE de JESUS MACIAS (2810-4) ended up all square after 10 entertaining rounds. Scores 96-94 for Velikovskyi, 96-94 for Macias and 95-95. Macias had stopped world-rated Canadian Steven Butler in April. LEONES, ARGENTINA CARLOS CORDOBA (14-7,1NC) made a successful defence of the national super lightweight title as he outpointed EMILIANO DOMINGUEZ (25-9) on scores of 99-93, 97 ½ -94 ½ and 97 ½ -96. This was the second defence of the title by Cordoba.
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PREVIEWS
Previewing the best upcoming fights around the world
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SEEK AND DESTROY: Kid Galahad won’t be holding back Photo: NIGEL RODDIS/ GETTY IMAGES
CHANGES +++++ MAIN EVENT + + + + + U N D E RC A R D
ID GALAHAD and James ‘Jazza’ Dickens’ clash in a rematch almost eight years in the making at the top of the second Matchroom Fight Camp bill on Saturday night (August 7) The pair met at Rotherham’s Magna Centre way back in 2013 for the vacant British super-bantamweight title and went hell for leather until Galahad found a superb finish midway through the 10th round. But much has changed since then. They are now both campaigning up at featherweight and will this time do business at Matchroom Square Garden. With Galahad No.4 and Dickens No.9 in the world this is an important bout in the featherweight division. The vacant IBF belt relinquished by Josh Warrington earlier this year will be on the line. Galahad has boxed just once since he was beaten by the Leeds man for the same strap in 2019, when he forced Claudio Marrero into an eighth-round retirement in the February of 2020. Dickens, meanwhile, has been the busier of the two, beating both Leigh Wood and Ryan Walsh during 2020. Indeed, since his back-to-back defeats to Guillermo Rigondeaux ( July 2016) and Thomas Patrick Ward (May 2017), Dickens has rebuilt steadily and is now on an eight-fight winning streak, which has resulted in his surge up the world rankings. But, although eight years have passed since their first fight, they have hit each other regularly since then. With the two southpaws both based in the north of England, they have shared many rounds of exceptional sparring and both have expressed how much the other has improved since 2013. It’s clear there is vast mutual respect between the two but it will matter little once the ring clears. “When I boxed Claudio Marrero, I actually sparred Jazza Dickens,” Galahad said. “I’ve known him for a long time and we’re friends. “But at the end of the day, when we get in there, friendship will be pushed to the side. It’s about seek and destroy. I’m not here to make friends. I can’t wait to get in there and take what’s mine.”
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Galahad and Dickens have both developed since their first encounter. They meet again to headline the second Fight Camp bill, writes Declan Taylor
LONG TIME COMING: Nearly eight years in the making, Galahad and Dickens meet again Photo: LEIGH DAWNEY/ GETTY IMAGES
Dickens said of Galahad: “He’s a humble guy deep down. I know he is. He’s not stupid and he knows he shouldn’t judge this fight on the first one. “I want the KO. I want revenge. I remember back then it was tough losing. It was tough on my ego and humbling. It was a humbling experience. “It was either swerve it or carry on and win a [IBF] title and get a revenge, and that’s where I am now.” Over the years, showdowns between two southpaws have sometimes failed to deliver and this one certainly has the potential to be cagey, given just how much they know about each other. Galahad can be about as awkward as anyone in world boxing when he wants to be but he does it with intelligence in order to collect the rounds on the cards. Dickens will have to set a high pace from the off to avoid falling behind and giving himself a hill to climb in the second half of the fight. It looks like a tall order for the man from Liverpool, who might struggle to pin Galahad down with any real conviction. Although their first encounter ended early, it looks like a distance fight this time around. Given their respective styles, do not be surprised to see all three
judges return 7-5 cards either way. And, based on overall pedigree, the result last time and his performance against Warrington – albeit in a losing effort – expect Galahad to nick it. While two little men top the card, there are heavyweights galore further down. First, Fabio Wardley and Nick Webb, who both won in Gibraltar four months back, have been matched together this time. Before that night, not many would have picked against Wardley to stop his fellow Brit Webb, who was beaten inside the distance by both Dave Allen and Kamil Sokolowski during 2018. But he bounced back in 2019, winning the heavyweight Ultimate Boxxer and continued the rebuild by stunning German Erik Pfeifer in March. That night, Wardley moved to 11-0 (10) with a fifth-round stoppage of former Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder opponent, Eric Molina. However, he was hit more often in that fight than any other and Webb will fancy his chances of a second successive upset win. With all that being said, the everimproving Wardley looks much the fresher and will have learned a lot in his fight with Molina. He clearly carries power and should be able to catch up with Webb inside the 10-round distance. One fight just about guaranteed to finish early is Alen Babic’s showdown with Mark Bennett. Babic is now 7-0 and none of his opponents have made it beyond three rounds. It seems that every time he fights, the suggestion is that whoever can absorb the power in his wild hooks and uppercuts will beat him easily. Nobody has even come close to doing so yet. “The Savage,” however, is not the biggest heavyweight and could quite comfortably be competing at cruiserweight. Indeed, two of his last four opponents have weighed in below 200lbs. “Bad News” Bennett has not been below 250lbs since March 2019, so it will be interesting to see how Babic handles that extra weight. The feeling is he should do so quite comfortably. Bennett, 7-1, has won just once inside the distance so it does not seem like he carries the requisite power to keep Babic off him for any length of
MUTUAL RESPECT WILL COUNT FOR LITTLE ONCE THE RING CLEARS
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PREVIEWS
Photos: GETTY IMAGES & DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM
IMPROVED: Wardley looks fresher than Webb
REBUILT: Webb fancies his chances
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Ebanie Bridges and Bec Connolly, time. Whatever happens, this looks like will meet each other in a bantamweight the sort of tear-up from which only one clash. Bridges had a memorable scrap man will emerge standing and conscious. with Shannon Courtenay in April while As ever, Babic inside three seems a very scaffolder Connolly lost to both Ellie smart bet. Scotney and Ramla Ali in differing “Bennett was a potential opponent for bubbles either side of the turn of the my previous fights but he rejected the year. Based on her performance against offer,” said Babic. Courtenay, Bridges will be too much for “I’ve had seven fights, seven knockouts, Connolly and win a decision. all within two or three rounds. This is There are also outings for undefeated going to be no different. Mark Bennett is pair Ellie Scotney and Aqib Fiaz. going to feel the Savage, I already For Scotney, this will be the know. first time she will box “I’m not coming to box ODDS-ON in front of fans after Mark Bennett. I destroy GALAHAD is priced at racking up her first people.” 1/3 to beat Dickens (9/4) two professional wins Completing a hatwith the draw at 18/1. No other inside behind-closedtrick of heavyweight fight on the card is deemed doors bubbles. fights is the young competitive by the bookies The highly-touted Romford Bull Johnny with Wardley (1/9), Babic Fiaz, meanwhile, is Fisher, who takes (1/16), Fisher (1/41) and bidding to move to 7-0 on Danny Whitaker Bridges (1/16) all huge early on the card and in the third fight of his favourites. will finally get the chance professional career. Fisher to box on Hearn’s lawn nearly was supposed to be facing a year after falling ill on the eve Josh Sandland in a clear step of his scheduled clash with Kane Baker at up but the man from Halifax withdrew, Fight Camp last August. which meant Whitaker got the nod. Fiaz and Baker eventually met in Whitaker has had a difficult 18 months October with the former winning an having been stopped by Webb and David eight-round decision in what was his first Adeleye as well as dropping a decision fight against an opponent with a winning to Chris Healey for the vacant Central record. He will be hoping to build on Area title last month. Fisher should add that display this time around. bn to those defeats but won’t have it all his own way. Two of the real characters of THE VERDICT Familiarity should Matchroom’s post-Covid offering, breed quality.
SAVAGE: Babic is 7-0. Will he make it eight against Bennett?
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PREVIEWS
TIME TO ROLL THE DICE
Photo: AUL DEVLIN - SNS GROUP\SNS GROUP VIA GETTY IMAGES
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JOHN McCALLUM says that at 33 years old and after more than a decade as a pro, it’s “time to roll the dice and see how far I can get”. He failed to pull off Mission Impossible last November when he took on 2016 Olympic champion Evgeny Tishchenko in Russia at two weeks’ notice, losing in two rounds. Next for the Edinburgh boxer is an eight-rounder against Kazakhstan’s Issa Akberbayev at York Hall on Saturday night ( July 31). Mo Prior promotes a show that will be screened live on the Fightzone app. Akberbayev is a 37-year-old from Kazakhstan with a 20-2 (15) record that it’s taken him 11 years to compile and shows defeats in his last two, against common opponent Tishchenko and Kamshybek Kunkabayev, a world-class amateur who was making his pro debut. Now based in Surrey, where he’s trained by Charles Oliver, McCallum turned pro in 2010 weighing 170lbs, had a spell at 154lbs, went back up to 168lbs and is now campaigning at 200lbs.
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John McCallum insists his best days are still to come, writes Matt Bozeat
McCallum got up as the referee’s count reached ’10.’ “People might laugh because he beat me in two rounds, but I honestly believe that with an eight-week camp I could have beaten Tishchenko,” he said. “I only had two weeks’ notice for the fight and had to lose 12kgs – and I hadn’t fought for nearly two years either.” Twelve months before he beat McCallum, Akberbayev toughed it out for six rounds against him before retiring on his stool. Akberbayev had been down in the fifth, again from a body shot. That snapped the Kazakh’s 20-fight winning streak, spread over 10 years, and was followed by a loss to Kunkabayev, twice a World championship silver medallist as an amateur. As for McCallum, the other loss on his 12-2 record came on cuts against Leon McKenzie at 168lbs in October, 2015. We simply don’t know how effective McCallum will be at 200lbs. He says the best days of his career are ahead of him, but he would, wouldn’t he? Akberbayev has fought internationally at 200lbs and has a points win over Julio STRONGER: Cesar Dos Santos, a game Brazilian taken John McCallum out in five by Tony Bellew here. feels suited to cruiserweight We go for him to beat McCallum on points as well. Also at York Hall, there’s a good match up at 147lbs between unbeatens Dan “I used to knock people over in the Morley (6-0) and Louie Isaacs (6-0) gym and then drain myself down to fight and the undercard includes a pair of and struggle to win on points,” explained prospects who can punch. McCallum, who stands 6ft 2ins, around Heavy-handed featherweight Masood an inch shorter than Akberbayev. Abdulah, the 2019 Elite and Tri-Nations “The older you get, the harder it is champion who fled Afghanistan when he to lose weight and anyway, I feel much was eight years old and settled in Barnet, stronger at cruiserweight.” marked his pro debut in February by McCallum put that to the test last teeing off on the durable Taka November when, with only Bembere (1-16) until the two weeks’ notice, he faced referee stopped it in the Tishchenko, a towering EXPERIENCED second, and Watford left-hander who had AKBERBAYEV will be making cruiserweight Anees won all seven pro his first appearance in the UK Taj also has pop in fights after an amateur as a professional fighter. Yet his punches. career that peaked this will be the ninth different On his pro debut with gold in Rio. country the Kazakh has fought in November, 2019, McCallum in. All 14 of McCallum’s bouts Taj, who won 27 of admitted that even have taken place on 36 amateurs, took only manager Prior didn’t British soil. 48 seconds to leave the give him much hope, but 6ft 8ins Imantas Davidaitas McCallum fought with real (6-32-1) crumpled on the fire for a round, launching rights canvas with a right hand, and that punch at the Russian as he sat on the back foot brought him another exclamation-mark and had a look. finish in his last outing, in Belgrade in The second was very different as May. Dejan Veljkovic (2-4) was left on the Tishchenko manoeuvred the Scot into canvas for a couple of minutes. corners and after McCallum swung and missed with a right, he shipped a countering body shot that left him on THE VERDICT A second tough fight his knees. in a row for McCallum.
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PREVIEWS
Photo: CHARLES MCQUILLAN/GETTY IMAGES
For Michael Conlan to continue his rise he must defeat TJ Doheny at Falls Park, writes Elliot Worsell
BURNING BRIGHT: Conlan is all-action, charismatic and has superstar potential
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IKE any good crossroads fight, Friday’s (August 6) super-bantamweight clash between Michael Conlan and TJ Doheny features one former belt-holder and one potential champion coming together at different stages in their respective careers. Not only that, though they will meet in the same place (Falls Park, Belfast) at the same time this weekend, they have experienced vastly different journeys to get there, guided by different approaches to the same goal. In Conlan, you have the darling of Northern Irish boxing, someone who won countless international medals as an amateur before rising to fame at the 2016 Olympics. He has since turned pro, raced to 15-0 (8), and has been both built up carefully and backed to the hilt by Bob Arum and Top Rank. All-action and charismatic, he has superstar potential, no question, and has been treated accordingly by promoters and managers. In Doheny, meanwhile, you have someone who for so long operated in the shadows and therefore had no option but to take the scenic route. Far less known, and nowhere near as outspoken as Conlan, the man from Portlaoise, Ireland spent the formative years of his pro career boxing in Australia, where he built his record on opponents primarily from Thailand. He then had his Cinderella moment in August 2018, when travelling to Tokyo, Japan to outpoint Ryosuke Iwasa and take the IBF superbantamweight belt. That win, one few saw coming, brought Doheny to relevance and shone a light on his story and the gruelling nature of his journey. He followed it with victory against Ryohei Takahashi, whom he stopped inside 11 rounds, before eventually losing the belt against talented American Daniel Roman in April 2019.
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Since then, Conlan, 15-0 (8), has got busier and burned brighter, and Doheny, a former belt-holder with miles on the clock, has become that most appealing of commodities for up-and-coming prospects and contenders: prey. At 34, he now not only promises action and a stiff challenge but brings some name value and is considered, by some, to be in the Indian summer of what has been a successful and somewhat surprising nine-year professional career. His last fight, an eight-round decision loss against Ionut Baluta in March 2020, only adds credence to this theory, while Conlan’s last fight, a 12-round (majority) decision win against the same opponent in April 2021, suggests Conlan is more
than ready to fight Doheny next. Still, if there is one career box left for TJ Doheny to tick, it will be ticked this weekend, when, for the first time as a pro, he competes in Belfast. Better yet, if at this stage of his fighting life “The Power” is in need of extra motivation or inspiration, he will get all he requires and then some at Falls Park on Friday night. “This will be my first time fighting on Irish soil, and I can’t think of a better homecoming,” Doheny, 22-2 (16), said. “It doesn’t get much bigger than this for an all-Irish clash, and the fans are in for a real treat. This is the kind of fight that I have been craving since my close majority-decision loss to Daniel Roman. Top opposition is what
‘THIS IS THE FIGHT I HAVE BEEN CRAVING, I CAN’T WAIT’
Photo: MELINA PIZANO/MATCHROOM
INDIAN SUMMER: Doheny is ready to confound the doubters
motivates me and helps me raise my game. I cannot wait for this.” Historically, boxers in the lower weight classes age quicker than their heavier counterparts and most will presume, because of this, a 34-year-old superbantamweight to be nearing the end of their career. Whether that’s true or not, a fighter like Doheny, at this point in his career, is clearly in need of an opponent like Michael Conlan and a fight like Friday’s if he is to have any hope of both reaching the levels of old and confounding the doubters all over again (as he did in Tokyo against Iwasa). Without it, he is liable to tread water, go through the motions, and perhaps even come unstuck. Without it, there is a temptation to dine out on past glories. Here, he has the fight he needs and the fight he wants and this alone could elevate both Doheny and the fight itself. If nothing else, it will certainly raise the stakes and ensure Conlan, 29, is at his best. “It will be an honour to share the ring with TJ,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for him and his achievements. I believe it’s my toughest fight to date and, with that, I will make my biggest statement in my quest to become a world champion.” Given this is the first time Conlan has come up against a former belt-holder in his pro career, he has, despite Doheny experiencing some patchy form of late, every right to call his fellow Irishman his toughest test to date. However, in the cold light of day, it is Conlan who has the momentum and the more developed set of skills and it is Conlan, five years Doheny’s junior, who has the benefit of entering the ring confident Father Time has no interest in him this weekend. Unfettered by this belief, he can outpoint Doheny over 12 rounds. Neither fighter is ranked in the world top 10 but the winner will be knocking on the door. Also on the Falls Park card, a decent one, is a European bantamweight title fight between Lee McGregor and unbeaten Frenchman Vincent Legrand. Admittedly, Legrand’s 32-0 (17) record looks and sounds great, but is, in truth, far less frightening when analysed, with most of his wins coming in France against unfamiliar names and much of his best work coming at flyweight. But Scotland’s McGregor, 10-0 (8) and ranked nine in the world, is moving in the right direction nonetheless and this fight is just the latest in a line of fights signalling his ambition. In other action, Tyrone McKenna, 21-2-1 (6), fights Mexico’s Jose Felix, 39-4-1 (30), at super-lightweight and Padraig McCrory, 11-0 (5), puts his undefeated record on the line against Russian Sergei Gorokhov, 11-2-2 (7). THE VERDICT Conlan can outpoint the older Doheny over 12 rounds.
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Elliot Worsell catches up with Mahmoud Charr, the much-maligned ‘titlist’ with a hefty rap sheet, who unknowingly exposes the daft policies of the WBA while revealing the inner workings of his own mind Photo: MARTIN ROSE/GETTY IMAGES
T could be argued there is no better embodiment of the current state of the heavyweight division than Lebanon-born, Germanybased WBA ‘regular championin-recess’ Mahmoud (Manuel) Charr. At 36, and with almost two decades of fighting experience behind him, he has done it all. He has won fights and he has lost fights. He has taken fights for noble reasons and he has taken fights for money. He has come up short in title shots and he has won a title that most feel is not a title. He has fought boxing politics and fought inactivity. He has fought drug cheats and has failed a drug test of his
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own. He has thrived in Germany, his adopted home, and is now hoping to one day do the same in the Middle East. “My inactivity was a very big problem,” Charr said of his recent three-and-a-half-year absence from the ring. “I had depression; I was sick in my head. “Don King has destroyed the careers of many fighters. He would always say, ‘We make the fight,’ and every time I was in training and sparring but the fights never happened. “No TV network wanted to work with Don King or pay for his fights. But the WBA never stop Don King. He has been around a long time and he was a close friend of Mr [Gilberto] Mendoza. It’s all about politics. They are ashamed to go against Don King because he is so old. They don’t want to upset him.
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But how many fighters has Don King had who never fought?” In May, Charr boxed undefeated 306-pound American Christopher Lovejoy, another man whose career has been impacted, for better or worse, by Don King. He stopped Lovejoy inside two rounds that night and now intends to fight again in September, politics permitting. “I have no situation with Don King,” Charr wanted to point out. “He has to make clear that the next fight is between Trevor Bryan [the WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight bauble-holder] and Charr. But Don King wants me to sign with him because he doesn’t want to lose his money when Trevor Bryan loses against me. “If I sign a two-fight agreement with him, he can then earn his money back when I fight [Anthony] Joshua after beating Bryan.” Charr, 32-4 (18), may be many things but stupid he is not. He knows as well as anyone that for as long as he remains in the picture, belt or no belt, he represents a lucrative option for elite heavyweights in need of an opponent with an ability to sell. Adept in more than one language, and with pull on more than one continent, Charr is confident opportunities will soon be his. “I’m the champion in recess and they stole my belt,” he said. “Everyone knows I was ready to fight Trevor Bryan in the US. I had the visa. But Don King never signed the agreement, so I never flew to the US. “I will now give Trevor Bryan a pass to fight anyone. He can fight Dillian Whyte, or he can fight Joe Joyce. But the WBA have to give me the green light to fight Joshua. I want Joshua. I’ll give Don King the solution: make Trevor Bryan vs. Dillian Whyte or
Joe Joyce for the [regular] title, and I want the fight against Joshua. I will make the belt free.” For the longest time Mahmoud Charr has been Mahmoud Charr’s best promoter and, at times, his only promoter. He worked his way to relevance the hard way, matched relatively tough from the outset, and he made a habit, circa 2012, of gatecrashing press conferences and calling out some of the biggest names in the heavyweight division. His story is one he knows better than anyone else and is one he considers potentially lucrative in a sea of sameness. “When I was in Lebanon, I lost my father in the war and then I got my first gunshot in my leg when I was four years old,” Charr said, matterof-factly. “I had an operation in Lebanon and after this my mum flew with us to Germany and we had the hardest time. I was not German and I was not Lebanese, either. To be accepted in Germany was so hard for me. “After I fought [Vitali] Klitschko [in September 2012] I lived a good life. But until then my life was so bad. I always had fights and always had problems with the police. There was a lot of struggle. You live in Germany with no German papers, every day is hard.” Even Charr’s boxing journey was an unconventional one. A kickboxer at 16, he became a K1 champion in that discipline at 19 and was then invited to spar Nikolay Valuev, the WBA belt-holder, in a boxing ring at 20. Charr, at the time, had just 10 amateur boxing matches to his name, but travelled to Berlin, Germany to spar Valuev and made such an impression on both the seven-foot giant and those watching the session that they wouldn’t let him leave without him signing a professional
IF YOU HAVE THE POWER YOU HAVE EVERYTHING. YOU WILL ALWAYS WIN”
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DONE IT ALL: Charr’s life has been one of extremes, but he’s determined to leave his kids a legacy Photo: MARTIN ROSE/GETTY IMAGES
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contract. “After that my life changed,” Charr said. “I became a pro and I became disciplined. I then understood that the discipline you get from boxing transfers to life.” At 21, Charr beat Cuban amateur standout Pedro Carrion over eight rounds, and followed this with other noteworthy pro victories against the likes of Nigerian Gbenga Oloukun, American veterans Sherman Williams and Michael Grant, Britain’s Danny Williams, and Ukraine’s Taras Bidenko. His first title shot then arrived in September 2012, when thrown in deep against then-heavyweight leader, Vitali Klitschko. “It was very frustrating,” Charr said of the night he was stopped on cuts inside four rounds. “When Klitschko fought Lennox Lewis [in 2003], did you see his cut? He fought a few rounds with it because they gave him an opportunity to fight with a dangerous cut. I had a small f**king cut and the Klitschko doctor stopped the fight straight away. They put me in the red corner and my corner was the blue corner. We didn’t even have a chance to stop it. “I was feeling that it was my night, you know? Everyone, if they have this chance in their life and are stopped by a small cut, will act crazy in the ring. Everyone. “I had 10 amateur fights, 21 professional fights, and went to Moscow to stand against the best heavyweight in the world. I was not scared. At the weigh-in, I got in his face. Every heavyweight who went head-to-head with Vitali was scared. But I wasn’t. He looked in my eye and saw I had no fear. I was sure I was winning that fight, I swear.” Be that as it may, Charr didn’t. He was stopped because of his cut and was then stopped inside seven rounds, due to punches, in his next big fight against Alexander Povetkin in May 2014. “I fought him just a few weeks after going 10 rounds with Kevin Johnson,” Charr recalled. “I was not in shape. I was not ready. I just made the fight for the money, to rescue my family from Syria. Povetkin was in the best shape possible and, as you know, many times in the past they catch him for drugs.” On the subject of drugs, Charr said, “It’s in every sport: football, athletics, cycling, everything. Who has the drugs? The best teams with the most money. They always win. You have the money; you have the power. Drugs cost a lot of money. If you want a good doctor, a good doctor costs a lot of money. How can a normal fighter pay this kind of money? They can’t. If you have the power, you have everything. You will win always, every fight.” As for Charr’s crowning achievement to date, that occurred on November 25, 2017, when he outpointed Russia’s Alexander Ustinov over 12 rounds to lift the (rightly) much-derided WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight gong. It was both a belt he treasured more than most and a belt he would never get around to defending, owing, sadly, to a failed performance-enhancing drug test (for drostanolone and trenbolone) in 2018 – something he still strongly denies – and the antics of the WBA and Don King. “I beat Ustinov seven months after two hip operations,” Charr said. “This was the biggest present for myself. For 33 years the world gave me pain, but on this night I gave all the pain back to the
world. I paid back every hater, every idiot, every crazy person, and every person in my life who was not my supporter. I did it with one win.” Away from the boxing ring, Charr has of course had tougher fights and far greater victories. On September 2, 2015, for instance, he was shot three times in the stomach during an altercation outside an Essen kebab shop, the impact of which left him not only bleeding out but believing his time was up. “After the shooting I said goodbye to the world,” he admitted. “I did not believe I would sit up again after those three shots to my stomach. I said goodbye to everyone. I said goodbye to my mother. I called my wife to tell her I love her. “After the operation, I sat up and opened my eyes and did not understand where I was. I was not in my room. I was not at home. I then looked at my stomach and it was very, very bad. I said, ‘God, thank you for the second life.’ Now I have two birthdays: September 2 and October 10.” He has room for one more birthday, too. “I hope Eddie Hearn understands that Anthony Joshua needs to fight me in Saudi Arabia,” Charr said. “I speak Arabic very well and I think that would be a good promotion there. I have fought Klitschko and so many big-name fighters. People know me. [Oleksandr] Usyk [Joshua’s next opponent] is an Olympic medallist but I think this fight will not be interesting for the fans. Usyk will run and run and Joshua will have to chase him. “If Joshua fights me, it will be an explosive fight. We will go bam-bam-bam. We will give action. I will not run from him and he will not run from me. We will stand in the middle of the ring and make a fight. It will be more interesting than Joshua and Usyk. “I could be the new ‘Prince’ Naseem for the UK,” Charr went on. “I am a refugee from Syria, I lost my father in the war, I got shot in my leg at four, I went to prison, I got out, I got shot again three times in my stomach, and then I became heavyweight champion. If I lived in the UK or the USA, I would be one of the biggest stars in the world and my life would be a movie. My book is going to be called From the Street to the Stars. After that, we make a movie and I will play myself. I am the best actor ever.” Few will be brave enough to dispute this, especially given Charr’s confidence and the trajectory of his life to date. But if you dare accuse him of chasing paydays, expect the intense 36-year-old to accuse you of not understanding his story. “I don’t care about a payday. Who gives a f**k about a payday?” Charr said. “I care about legacy. For me, money is nothing. Money comes and goes. But a legacy stays for life. I do this for my kids. I want them to one day be able to say, ‘My father was Mahmoud Charr, the heavyweight champion of the world.’ Tell me, what is money? It makes you happy for a short time, but how many bowls of spaghetti can you eat in your life?” bn
FRUSTRATION: Charr was cut in his 2012 meeting with Vitali Klitschko and WKH ȴJKW ZDV VWRSSHG inside four rounds, much to Charr’s disgust Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/ AFP/GETTY IMAGES
AFTER I GOT SHOT I SAID GOODBYE TO THE WORLD”
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BOOK REVIEW
THE WAR Thomas Hauser reviews Don Stradley’s new book, The War: Hagler-Hearns and Three Rounds for the Ages
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T’S a line in boxing’s record book: April 15, 1985 Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas
- KO 3. Hagler-Hearns was marketed as “The Fight” and later became known as “The War.” The combatants, United Press reported, fought like men fought “before the discovery of fire or the invention of the wheel.” “The way it turned out,” famed sportswriter Jim Murray wrote, “we’ll all have nightmares for weeks.” Reminiscing about the first round, Larry Merchant recalled, “It was as though you couldn’t breathe for those three minutes. There’d been an electric buzz around the fight all week, but people were expecting a traditional boxing event. Once it started, there was a new story and the realization that this was something they’d never seen before.” Don Stradley revisits this epic fight in The War: Hagler-Hearns and Three Rounds for the Ages (Hamilcar Publications). His work comes on the heels of Brian Doogan’s book, The SuperFight, which chronicles the historic encounter betweeen Hagler
and Ray Leonard two years later. In some respects, the books cover similar terrain. But The War stands on its own as an excellent recounting of a landmark fight – “boxing as it appears in our imagination,” Stradley writes, “wild and unbridled.” The War gives readers the usual biographical details about Hagler and Hearns. Hagler, Stradley recounts, was “the eldest child in a fatherless family of seven, an introverted lonesome boy, likely to sit alone on his fire escape, playing with pigeons and injured animals. At fourteen, he dropped out of school and went to work in a toy factory to help support the family.” Hearns, Stradley tells us, “dropped out of Detroit’s Northeastern High School during his senior year to pursue boxing full-time. His amateur career had taken him around the country and to Asia and Europe. But his schoolwork suffered; he’d been required to repeat eleventh grade.” Stradley also sprinkles in lesser-known facts. Writing about the collection of animals (including a macaw, a bulldog, and a cougar named “Atomic”) that Hearns maintained on his estate, Stradley reports, “There was the crazy night when Hearns wanted to prove he was indeed quick as a cat and started shooting his right hand in the vicinity of Atomic’s head. The animal whirled, opened its mouth, and clamped down on his fist. Horrified that his moneymaking knuckles might be damaged, Hearns had to choke the cat with his left hand to get his right hand out of its mouth. Hearns bled all over his expensive home.” As for Hagler, Stradley writes, “Alex Wallau, executive producer at ABC sports, allegedly told Hagler’s camp that, if he wanted to be known as ‘Marvelous,’ he should go to court and make it official. This was typical of the way Hagler was treated at the time. ABC never had a problem calling Ray Leonard ‘Sugar Ray,’ but wouldn’t call Marvin ‘marvelous.’” There’s a long section in the book – maybe too long – on the difficulties encountered in making the fight, which
LAS VEGAS WANTED HEARNS TO COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN
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FRENZIED ATTACK: A bloodied Hagler savages his prey
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was first announced for May 24, 1982. There’s also an entertaining recreation of the 14-day, 21-city pre-fight publicity tour when the promotion finally got off the ground. Stradley hits his stride in describing the scene in Las Vegas in the days leading up to the fight. Al Bernstein told him, “Las Vegas was on fire that week. The event took on a life of its own. During that period, Las Vegas was in transition. It was between the Rat Pack era and the corporate era. And Las Vegas was not a respected place. People thought of Las Vegas as an absurd cliché, some cornball place your uncle went to.” But that week, Bernstein continued, “you could feel the energy flying through the air. I really believe Hagler–Hearns put Las Vegas over the top.” The scene on fight day is particularly well told. A few samples: * “Hector Camacho occupied a spot by the Caesars Palace swimming pool in nothing but some gold jewelry, blue sneakers, and a leopard-skin
slingshot bikini. Trying to snatch a bit of spotlight for himself, the twenty-twoyear-old Puerto Rican lightweight burst into a loud rendition of Madonna’s hit from the previous fall, Like a Virgin. While Camacho sang and strutted, artist LeRoy Neiman sketched him. When Neiman presented the finished drawing, Camacho asked him to pencil in more muscles.” * “There was certainly reason to believe the Las Vegas casinos would’ve preferred a Hearns victory. The money being dropped on Las Vegas that week wasn’t coming from Boston. It was Hearns’ followers coming down from Detroit. So of course, Las Vegas wanted Hearns to come back again and again. Hearns brought the high rollers. It was all Detroit street money.” And there was Pete Hamill’s take on the scene: “They came piling out of cabs and airport limousines: cartoon Detroit pimps, overdone fancy ladies, bi-continental drug dealers weighed down by chains, medallions and Rolexes.
They were here for Hearns and Hagler. But Sinatra was at the Golden Nugget for two nights so you could also see second-rate hoodlums from the East. All wandering through the neon wilderness of girlie shows, ninety-nine-cent breakfasts, and the pervasive intoxicating apparatus of gambling.” Hagler was 30 years old. Hearns was 26. Marvin had been an early 6/5 favorite. By fight week, those numbers were reversed. Eventually, the odds wound up even. Hagler preferred the traditional 15-round championship distance to the newly-implemented 12-round limit but pledged to “put fifteen rounds into twelve.” Asked about the fact that many people were picking Hearns to win, Marvin said simply, “We all have our ideas about this fight, but only Tommy and me can get at the truth.” As for Hearns’ prediction that he’d knock Hagler out in the third round, Marvin responded, “He says he’ll knock me out in three because he can’t count past three.”
PURE VIOLENCE: Hearns’ right hand bounces off Hagler
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The fight was contested on a Monday evening. Closed-circuit television was the driving economic force behind it and, in those days, most theaters were unavailable for boxing on Saturday night. Saturday was “movie date” night. The weigh-in, as was standard practice, was held at 8am on the day of the fight. Hagler’s fight plan was simple. Tony Petronelli’s father managed Hagler and his uncle trained Marvin. “We were not training for a boxing match,” Tony told Stradley. “We wanted a street fight. We knew Hearns was a gunfighter and he’d trade punches with you. So it was all a matter of whose chin would hold up. We knew Marvin had one of the best chins ever, and Hearns wasn’t known for having a great chin. The plan was to have Marvin
jump all over him. It wasn’t a gamble.” “This fight comes down to who can take the hardest shot, who can take the most punishment,” Hagler prophesied. The War unfolded accordingly. Hearns broke his right hand in round one. After that, Stradley writes, “Hagler was fighting to do damage, while Hearns was fighting to survive.” The end came with a minute left in round three and Hearns no longer able to defend himself. Al Michaels and Al Bernstein handled the closed-circuit commentating duties. Barry Tompkins and Larry Merchant called the fight on a tape-delay basis for HBO. “They both left everything they had in the ring,” Merchant said later. “They poured everything in their minds and bodies into their fight. Those eight
‘THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE MARVIN JUMP ALL OVER HIM. IT WASN’T A GAMBLE’
minutes transformed Hagler from a terrific pro into a star and one of the great middleweights of all time.” As for the fact that there was no rematch, Merchant observed, “I can’t imagine a rematch being as good. It’s a beautiful picture that has been framed and can’t be duplicated. That was the way it was supposed to be. That’s the way it stands.” The saga of Hagler-Hearns is a good story and Stradley tells it well. The War ends with a nod to the future. HaglerHearns made Hagler vs. Ray Leonard inevitable. But there’s also a poignant nod to the past. Hours after the Hagler-Hearns fight ended, Wallace Matthews (who had covered the bout for Newsday) was introduced to Sugar Ray Robinson, who was suffering from dementia and would die four years later at the much-tooyoung age of 67. They chatted for a while and the greatest fighter who ever lived asked Matthews, “Did I ever fight those guys?” bn
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@ gmail.com. His most recent book – Staredown: Another Year Inside Boxing – was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honour – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
IT’S ALL OVER: A jubilant Hagler celebrates after Hearns is rescued by Steele
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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: LUIS ROBAYO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
STRUGGLE: McCormack tries to contain the excellent Iglesias, a London 2012 Olympic champion in great form
THE HIGHEST LEVEL McCormack held to Olympic silver by brilliant Cuban Iglesias, writes John Dennen
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UBA’S Roniel Iglesias took his performance to another level to hold Pat McCormack to an Olympic silver medal in the final of the welterweight competition at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo on Tuesday (August 3). Early in the first round they looked to establish their jabs. But Iglesias, a sharp southpaw, put his handspeed to
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work, landing a fast cross. He edged into the bout, striking the body and firing through a quick jab again. McCormack snapped his left hook across but needed to raise his output for the second round. However, it was in that round that Iglesias made his breakthrough. A booming left hook caught McCormack’s chin. He lost his footing, falling to the canvas only for the ref to rule it a slip. Iglesias pressed that advantage through the rest of the round. McCormack opened up with his attacks in the last, knowing he had to win it big. His jab connected and he hammered at Iglesias with a right hook. He clubbed at the Cuban with his right again, but Iglesias
absorbed it and provided the final flourish. A clean jab hit Pat and then a firm left cross landed flush, shaking through McCormack as he stepped back. Iglesias took a unanimous decision victory and McCormack is a silver medallist at these Olympic Games. “I was up against a top fighter from Cuba. He’s an Olympic champion. I thought I’d won the first round but he just edged the second two,” Pat said. “I have got no complaints. I lost to a very, very good fighter. It is what it is, I am ready for the pro ranks now. “I’m proud to be part of the team. We have broke all the records from the last squad and got the most medals here, so
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OVERCOME: Seesondee celebrates after a composed win against Dubois Photos: GETTY IMAGES
we’ll go down in history as one of the best teams ever.” To guarantee his place in the medalwinning bouts McCormack contained rough Uzbek Bobo-Usmon Baturov in their quarterfinal. Baturov came on strong though. He roared as he clattered forward. But it was classy counterpunching from McCormack that secured him the first two rounds. He landed his crosses in exchanges and pivoted clear from Baturov to showcase his movement. In the third round Batuov ramped up the intensity even further, jumping into the Briton. A head clash cut McCormack just by his right eye but the Uzbek could not deny the Birtley boxer his split decision victory. Pat had been due to box Aidan Walsh in the semi-final, but Ireland’s welterweight withdrew having sustained an injury after his last contest. McCormack, who’d handily beaten Walsh in the qualifier, took a walkover straight into the 69kgs final on Tuesday. Walsh had outboxed and outpointed heavy-handed Cameroonian Albert Mengue Ayissi, winning a unanimous decision, first. Then he’d outscored Mauritius’ Merven Claire to secure his bronze medal. Leaping to celebrate could have caused the ankle strain that ruled him out of the semi-final. Belarus’ Aliaksandr Radzionau had certainly shown grit as he looked to charge down Pat McCormack in their opening contest. But the tournament’s number one seed was too clever for him, whipping in hooks and solid lead lefts as he manoeuvred round the ring. McCormack won by unanimous decision. Galal Yafai worked with relentless intensity to overcome Cuba’s Yosbany Veitia in their 52kgs quarterfinal. Both southpaws, Veitia looked good when he could find space with his movement to pick out shots. So Yafai denied him room to breathe. He stayed close in the pocket and reeled off a stream of constant punches, breaking through to outwork and outhustle the gifted Cuban. The Briton sustained that all the way through to the end of the last round and took a split decision. He earned an Olympic medal, guaranteeing himself at least bronze, and GB six boxing medals overall, their largest tally in the Olympic boxing tournament since 1920. To reach that quarter-final Yafai had beaten Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba although the judges had those three rounds much closer than they appeared. Yafai had closed Chinyemba down in the first round and handed him a standing count in the second. The split decision
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was finely balanced but it did go to Yafai. He will box Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov at about 6.45am UK time on Thursday (August 5) in the semi-final. GB 60kgs Caroline Dubois came close to an Olympic medal. But Thailand’s Sudaporn Seesondee deployed clever tactics. The two southpaws stood off one another
behind their jabs initially, but as the bout progressed the Thai managed to shrug off Caroline’s right hook and fired through clean lefts of her own. She remained composed in the last round, her patience and accuracy making the difference as she edged the tactical battle to take a split decision win. Dubois had won a high quality preliminary bout with America’s Rashida Ellis. The result was in the balance in the third round, but Ellis’ discipline let her down. Hitting Dubois when the referee called break, she had a point deducted, meaning Dubois could calmly box off the back foot to see out a points victory, winning a split decision. The Briton had begun her Olympic campaign on July 27. Dubois’ swift southpaw jab carved out rounds against Kosovan lightweight Donjeta Sadiku. The latter barrelled into the Londoner, making it awkward at times, but the quality shots came from Dubois, securing her the unanimous decision win. Ireland’s Kellie Harrington guaranteed herself an Olympic medal when she advanced to the lightweight semi-finals. Harrington overcame a towering Imane Khelif, moving under the Algerian’s long shots to pop through her combinations. Harrington’s footwork helped her diffuse Khelif ’s attacks and made sure of a unanimous decision win. Kellie unanimously outpointed Italy’s Rebecca Nicoli in the opening contest.
GUARANTEED MEDAL: Yafai [left]reels off a constant stream of punches to beat Veitia
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BRONZE GUNNER
Soldier Karriss Artingstall ĆQLVKHV KHU ĆUVW 2O\PSLFs ZLWK D EURQ]H PHGDO ZULWHV John Dennen
Photo: UESLEI MARCELINO/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
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B’s Karriss Artingstall finished her first Olympic Games with a bronze medal. In a tremendous featherweight semi-final on Saturday ( July 31) at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. Artingstall, a gunner in the British Army, was left it all to do after the first round. Japan’s Sena Irie boxed cleverly in the opening three minutes, lively with her work as she ducked shots and countered. But Artingstall came storming back in the second round, slamming through her southpaw left cross and working the body and head with right hooks. The contest was in the balance in the third. Artingstall worked hard, grinding forwards behind her punches. But Irie still grabbed counters when she could, connecting. There was almost nothing to separate them. But a split decision just went to Irie. “I knew it was close, I started slowly and catching up is a nightmare. Ask any boxer in the world, dropping that first round and trying to catch up is absolutely horrible,” Artingstall said. “I tried my best and managed to pick it back up in the second and I know not many girls can match my fitness so I thought I’ll stick it on her chest – I was getting caught here and there – and I was doing well. But I am not going to moan about the decision.
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BALANCE TIPPED: Artingstall congratulates Irie after a tight contest that saw a bronze go to GB Photos: GETTY IMAGES
“It felt very close, I thought I did enough but it goes to show winning that first round makes a hell of a difference.” Irie would go on to take the gold medal. Artingstall had won her quarterfinal on Wednesday ( July 28). After a nervy three rounds she secured a split decision over Skye Nicolson. The Australian, a southpaw like Artingstall, moved off and popped through right jabs. The Briton gradually upped her workrate, catching Nicolson with a fine left cross in the second. But it all came down to the third round. Artingstall’s greater aggression and activity secured her a close victory. The bronze medal leaves Karriss determined. She is already looking at the next Olympic Games, Paris 2024. “Come Paris, I will be taking that title,” she said. “I’m going to go to Paris. I want to turn pro at some point, the pro game I’m just not ready for it at the minute. I want to tick all the boxes off as an amateur. I’ve got a World medal, European medal, now an Olympic medal. I need a Commonwealth medal and a European Games medal and then I’ll be making my way over to the pro scene.” “This Games has shown I can mix it with the top girls and I have that belief.” British super-heavyweight Frazer Clarke is guaranteed at least a bronze medal. Boxing difficult French southpaw Mourad Aliev in the quarterfinal on Sunday (August 1), Clarke had picked
up a cut. The contest was in the balance and then, after clearly being told off for head butts, the referee saw Aliev’s head going in again, docked him a point and disqualified him. The Frenchman lost his composure and finished bellowing at the referee and everyone around him as the contest came to an abrupt but extraordinary end. Aliev sat on the ring apron after the end of the bout, declining to leave as the French protested. The Boxing Task Force did look at the bout again and ruled the ‘unsportsmanlike behaviour’ a disqualification offence as well, so the result stands. “I really wanted to fight against the injustice, so that was my way to show that I don’t agree with that decision,” Aliev explained afterwards. “I fought my whole life. I prepared my whole life for this event, so getting mad for something like that is natural.” Frustrating as it was for the Frenchman, the referee’s actions were within the rules. “I felt there was a couple of heads going in there if I’m honest. Whether it’s intentional or not I don’t know. Orthodox boxing a southpaw, it often happens,” Clarke said. “The referee’s done his job, I was just in there to do mine.” “I told him [Aliev] to calm down. I’ve been in these situations myself, often you’re not thinking with your head, you’re thinking with your heart and your emotions are all over the place,” he added. “I know it’s hard, and I know he’s angry at the time, I’ve been there before. But the best thing to do is calm down and just go back to the changing rooms and vent your anger to someone else.” Clarke, the GB Boxing team captain, won his Olympic debut on Thursday ( July 29). He was in control throughout against Tsotne Rogava, marshalling the Ukrainian with jabbing. Clarke maintained his form, cracking down his right cross when Rogava stepped in. The Ukrainian snuck hooks into the body but soon felt the weight of Clarke’s punches as the Briton landed the eye-catching shots. He won a 4-1 split decision to advance. Ben Whittaker is an Olympic finalist. He defeated strong Russian light-heavyweight Imam Khataev in Sunday’s semi-final. Khataev came
‘THE REFEREE’S DONE HIS JOB, I WAS JUST THERE TO DO MINE’
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MARCHING ON: Denied in the semi-final, Artingstall can look confidently to the future
AS IT HAPPENS VISIT www. boxingnewsonline.net for more coverage of all the elite boxers in Tokyo, including our day by day reports, reaction to Ben Whittaker’s Olympic final as it happens, the semifinals and more
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forward, looking to fire in his hard right. But Whittaker sidled off to the sides, peppering the Russian with quick jabs. The Briton upped his output in the second round, throwing his own cross more frequently. Khataev’s harder punches cracked into the body but Whittaker only let him land single shots, rolling under follow up blows and maintaining his perpetual motion. The Russian’s aggression kept it close throughout but Whittaker took a split decision victory. “When I came back from the first round and they said 3-2 [ judges’ scoring] the other way I thought, ‘Oh my God, here we go’. But I pulled it out in the second and I won the third. There were times in there when I thought, ‘You know what, Ben, take a risk, push it.’ But I’ve seen him all week knocking kids out and I didn’t want to become a video on Instagram getting knocked out. I just thought to keep the discipline, get the win, it will come. There were two more rounds to change it and I did,” Ben said. He assured himself a medal in the
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quarterfinal, though only just edged out Brazil’s Keno Machado. The Briton controlled the distance between them over the first two rounds, making Machado miss but not vastly out-landing the Brazilian. The third round was crucial. Machado worked hard, going for the win, but Whittaker swung back up close and pipped him to take a split decision. Previously his footwork and well-placed jabs had been too much for Abdelrahman Salah. The Egyptian could not catch up to him and Whittaker took an assured unanimous points victory. Visit Boxing News Online for all the action and reaction from Whittaker’s Olympic final. Lauren Price confirmed an Olympic medal in an assured performance over Panama’s Atheyna Bylon in their middleweight quarterfinal on Saturday ( July 31). The Panamanian was a former welterweight World gold medallist, who had beaten Price once in the past. But the Welsh boxer was composed throughout, countering
Bylon, making her miss clumsily and striking in southpaw one-twos and rapid right hooks to keep on scoring. Bylon’s discipline deserted in the third round as she suffered a points deduction. GB’s Price was a wide unanimous decision victor. It makes her Wales’ first female boxer to win an Olympic medal. “I’m making history all the time, it’s a bit crazy really. But I am just loving the journey. It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I’m an Olympic medallist, but I’m over the moon,” she reflected. “This has been my dream since I was an eight-year-old. Just to be an Olympian, let alone medal.” “I was a bit emotional in the ring as soon as it finished,” Price added. “It was kind of hard to hold it in, but it’s been emotional this week as well seeing the whole team medalling.” Price had shown she was in form against Mongolia’s Myagmarjargal Munkhbat in her first bout. The Welsh star drilled Munkhbat with sharp straight shots when the Mongolian stepped in range. After rocking her with a left cross, Price had handed Munkhbat a standing count in the first round and dominated
NOT HAPPY: Clarke [left] and Aliev argue during a clash that saw the Frenchman refuse to leave the ring Photos: GETTY IMAGES
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THE BREAKS: Price [left] wins but Davison loses to China’s Yuan [right]
Davison is a mother of three who’d on the judges scorecards, winning a taken seven years out of the sport, before unanimous decision. returning in 2019 and being selected by Her semi-final, against familiar rival GB the following year. She didn’t medal Nouchka Fontijn will take place on but she demonstrated at this tournament Friday (August 6), at 6am UK time. that she belongs among the world’s elite. Charley Davison, the GB flyweight, As does GB 63kgs Luke McCormack. saw her Olympic dream come to an end. He met brilliant Cuban Andy Cruz Clipping her with sharp, hard-to-read before the medal stages. The shots, the unpredictable Chinese latter, who’s won gold flyweight Chang Yuan, the at the last two World number two seed, won a championships, unanimous decision to showed why he is eliminate the Briton such a favourite at on Thursday ( July 29). this competition. “You panic, you have He landed jabs with to win that first round lightning speed, or you have to catch using the shots to set up. I think everything up harder crosses and just got to me and I the occasional uppercut. didn’t box how I would McCormack was undaunted. normally do. I should have He dug solid blows into got behind my jabs and taken CLOSE THING: Ragan the body and fired his own my time but I didn’t, I got [right] beat Walker punches into their exchanges, flustered and got beat,” she in the quarterfinal fighting back in the last said. “I think the nerves got to round. But he could not sway me a little bit. I did not box the decision. Cruz took a unanimous to my ability, nowhere near. Obviously verdict to eliminate the twin brother of it was a different opponent, but I think I GB welterweight Pat McCormack. was way off where I was in the first fight.”
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GB 91kgs Cheavon Clarke worked hard against tall Brazilian southpaw Abner Teixeira on Tuesday ( July 27). He directed to his attacks to the head and the body, good uppercuts and hooks flying in, but Teixeira could land long shots and edge him out on a split decision. Irish featherweight Kurt Walker secured a tremendous victory when he outpointed Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, Uzbekistan’s strong gold medal favourite. His lateral movement and swift punchpicking made the difference against the marauding aggressor as he won a split decision. But in the quarterfinals he lost a split decision to America’s Duke Ragan. “I haven’t watched [the bout] back, but I just felt like I’d done the better work in the second and third, but it was so close. He took the first,” Walker said. “He’s very good, but I believe on my day I’m better.” Irish middleweight Aoife O’Rourke also has a bright future ahead of her. She brought hard work to bear against China’s former World gold medallist Qian Li but couldn’t break through, losing a unanimous points verdict. bn
OUTSTANDING: Whittaker [above left] boxes cleverly while Cruz [above right] doesn’t get drawn in against Luke McCormack Photos: GETTY IMAGES
AUGUST 5, 2021 O BOXING NEWS O 43
YESTERDAY’S HEROES
Great Scot Chic Calderwood was one of Scotland’s fine fighters who died too young
Miles Templeton Boxing historian
COTLAND has produced many great champions within the past one hundred years and, as regular readers of this column will know, I rate Ken Buchanan as Britain’s finest boxer since the war. Unfortunately, quite a number of these men have met a tragically early end. Benny Lynch is the most obvious case that springs to mind. This wonderful fighter was dead at 33, largely due to his dependence on alcohol. Before Benny, Johnny Hill looked like becoming a world class fighter and, whilst in training for his 1929 clash with Frankie Genaro for the world flyweight title, he died of pneumonia at the age of 24. Jackie Paterson, another flyweight champion of the world, met a violent end in 1966 whilst living in South Africa. Another excellent fighter who died young was Craigneuk’s Chic Calderwood. He is largely forgotten today but at one time it appeared that he too could reach the very top level. Chic came from fighting stock, his father winning six from seven professional contests during the 1930s under the name Kid Farlo. By the time he was 20, Chic had won three consecutive Scottish amateur championships at middleweight, made two ABA semi-
S
finals, and had represented his country on numerous occasions. He turned over in 1957, joining the stable of the leading Scottish manager, Tommy Gilmour, and it did not take him long to make his mark. He won 13 contests within 13 months, most of them inside the distance, and then he picked up the Scottish lightheavyweight crown by dismantling Dave Mooney in five rounds at the Kelvin Hall. Within two years he repeated the trick by winning the British title after a series of further victories against good opposition. The title had become vacant following the retirement of Randolph Turpin and Chic stopped Arthur Howard in 13 tough rounds to become Scotland’s first British champion at the weight. The Commonwealth title followed and soon Chic was being matched with the leading Americans, the most notable of which was Willie Pastrano, who he outpointed in a 10-rounder at the Kelvin Hall. Suddenly the young Scotsman was ranked number two in the world, behind champion Archie Moore and leading contender Harold Johnson and everything was falling into place. He then suffered a broken nose during a victory over Sonny Ray and this injury came back to haunt him in his next contest, his first loss, against the unheralded American, Von Clay. Whilst this defeat could perhaps be excused due to the injury, his next one, a comprehensive unanimous
points loss at the hands of Henry Hank in Chic’s first, and only, US contest could not. His stock plummeted. From then on Chic’s career became topsy-turvy and he lost seven of his last 22 contests. In the dreadful parlance so often used today he would be classed as merely being “British level” as, whilst he succeeded in winning the Lonsdale belt outright, he failed in his attempt to annex the European crown and he never regained his high world ranking. He continued to operate around the margins of the light-heavyweight division for another four years before he was surprisingly given the chance of a world title contest against Jose Torres in October 1966. He had to travel to San Juan to box the Puerto Rican and few gave him a chance. Torres became champion after slaughtering Willie Pastrano and had defended against Wayne Thornton and Eddie Cotton. In hindsight, it would appear that Torres fancied an easy defence in front of his home fans, but Gilmour had done an excellent job in negotiating the opportunity. Chic was knocked out in the second round in what was to be his final contest. Within a month he was dead, having crashed his car on a lonely road a short distance from his home, and another great Scottish champion had gone far too soon.
TEAM OF CHAMPIONS A fundraising effort for Ringside Rest and Care will take place in America
Simon Euan-Smith simonoldtimers @googlemail.com EBA correspondent
I WAS delighted to hear from Hastings EBA Chairman Dave Harris that Hastings were able to meet last month – for the first time since lockdown. “People were still very careful, and a bit apprehensive,” Dave said. “But it went very well. It was the usual format – meeting first, then karaoke. “We had visitors from London and Brighton – and I must mention one man from London who really deserves a medal, Tommy Mulholland. He’s a great supporter of all EBAs. “Tommy loves our meetings, and he took a taxi to the station – but it arrived late, and he missed the train. And the next train was cancelled. So Tommy hired another taxi to bring him all the way down – at a cost of £150! That just shows the commitment many people have to the EBA movement.”
44 l BOXING NEWS l AUGUST 5, 2021
Dave, of course, is the prime mover behind the Ringside Rest and Care Home, and talked enthusiastically about the latest developments. “A team of champions are going to America – Orlando, Florida – in October,” he said. “This is a joint fund-raising exercise for Ringside and Children Battling Cancer – one of the biggest cancer charities in the US. “There will be a dinner-show, and a Question and Answer session. Fourteen champions will be going from the UK, including nine world champions. Each will be sitting at a different table, so as to meet members of the public. “The champions include Steve Collins, Robin Reid, Robbie Reagan, Tony Sibson and Eddie Avoth, and – this is really nice – Ross Minter will be going, on behalf of his late father, Alan. Alan’s very
highly thought of over there [he won the world middleweight title by outscoring reigning champion Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas in March 1980]. “It’s all being co-ordinated by David Moth in America and Gary McCarthy – head trainer at Repton ABC – in this country. They’ve both put so much work in. “We’re currently negotiating to team up with two major charities in the UK, and that would get us tremendous input. We’re looking to put on a big show in London, similar to the one in Florida. “We’re getting tremendous support from abroad – Australia, America – with people sending us shorts and other memorabilia. And in the UK, I must mention Charlie Edwards – he’s donated his hand wraps from when he beat
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VICTORIOUS: Calderwood knocking out Bob Nicholson in 1964 BEFORE THE TRAGEDY: Calderwood and his trainer in 1966. Chic would be killed in a car crash that October Photos: LARRY BRAYSHER
TOP MAN: Harris [left] devotes so much time to ex-boxers Photo: DEREK ROWE
Cristofer Rosales for the WBC flyweight title, as well some photos. “And EBAs generally have shown such commitment to the cause.” That’s all good. Boxing people generally are known for their generosity, and when they get behind a cause they support it totally. This Sunday (August 8) sees the Home Counties EBA Summer BBQ, at Bricket Wood Social Club, Oak Avenue, St. Albans, Herts. It’s 12.30pm for 1 o’clock, and everyone’s welcome – but it’s important that the hosts know the numbers, so if you’re planning to go, please contact HCEBA Secretary Kieran McCann (07718-150-456, or email kiers20@ hotmail.com). This is always a good afternoon. The “Members in Action” feature
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in the current Seconds Out (London EBA’s monthly newsletter) includes a photo of Billy Aird’s October 1976 final British heavyweight title eliminator against Denton Ruddock at Seymour Hall, Marylebone. Two months earlier Ruddock had gone to Cardiff and halted big-punching Welshman Neville Meade in seven rounds in an official eliminator – but he couldn’t get past Aird, who won the scheduled 12-rounder via 10th-round stoppage. Aird (now an enthusiastic LEBA member) would go on to lose two British title bouts, against John L. Gardner and Gordon Ferris – while Neville Meade actually won the title, sensationally KO’ing Ferris inside a round in October 1981. That’s boxing. EMAIL simonoldtimers@googlemail.com with your ex-boxer association news.
AUGUST 5, 2021 l BOXING NEWS l 45
SIXTY SECONDS
LEVI KINSIONA John Dennen talks to a lasagne-loving lightweight
‘I KNOW WHERE I WANT TO BE AND I WILL GET THERE’ 100 per cent Sunny Edwards, you always see us together. Other sportsperson you would like to be: Cristiano Ronaldo. You’d want to be a footballer. Last film/TV show you saw: Space Jam, not the new one, the old one. Who would play you in a film of your life: I’d get my brother to play me actually. He’s an actor. He’d portray me the best. Have you ever been starstruck: I’ve met celebrities but knowing they’re people who started where I started, I don’t think I’d ever be starstruck because I know that they were once in my position. I know where I want to be and I know I will get there one day. Best advice received: Probably: ‘It’s not the worst thing that’s happened.’ There’s always something worse that’s happened, there’s always something worse that’s going to happen, so just take it in your stride and keep moving. That’s how I live my life day to day. Worst rumour about yourself: They’re all a little bit X-rated!
FAST FACTS
When and why you started boxing: I’ve got eight brothers, three sisters and they all boxed. Whenever we’d have any little troubles in the family it was like alright, you can fight it out. Favourite all-time fighter: Roy Jones Jnr, without a doubt. His achievements and his character in boxing. Best fight you’ve seen: One of my favourite recent fights anyway was Dereck Chisora vs Dillian Whyte (first fight). That was like an old school throwback fight. If we’re talking old school, that would be Gatti-Ward. Personal career highlight: I class myself as still a prospect. This year I want to win the English title so if I do that, that’s going to be my biggest highlight of my career so far. I won national titles in the amateurs but you just keep moving. Toughest opponent: My toughest opponent was my one and only loss, Nathan Bendon. I thought I was handling it well but just got caught with a shot. So he was definitely my toughest opponent. Best and worst attributes as a boxer: My worst attribute is I love a fight. My best attribute is I’m very tall and I can box. I’m a switch-hitter, I can box southpaw so I can be very, very awkward and I can make anyone’s night a nightmare. Training tip: Train hard, train smart and listen to your coach. Favourite meal/restaurant: I do like a Chinese, but my favourite actual meal is a lasagne. Every restaurant that I go to I’ll have a lasagne. Best friends in boxing:
Age: 25 Twitter: @levi_kinsiona Nickname: ‘The Real Deal’ Height: 6ft Nationality: English From: Sheffield Stance: Orthodox Record: 7-1 (1) Division: Lightweight Next fight: Kinsiona will box at the Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield on August 27.
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