Boxing News 17th February 2022

JOHN RYDER GETS IT! Our verdict on the decision that outraged Daniel Jacobs

and other great boxing quotes

THE WORLD’S BEST FIGHT MAGAZINE EST. 1909

WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE .NET

FEBRUARY 17 2022

THE PRESS ARE BEER-SWILLING SLOBS

KHAN vs BROOK

How will the story end?

IN-DEPTH PREVIEW & ANALYSIS

£3.99 VOL. 78 NO. 07

CONOR BENN ★ TYRONE M c KENNA ★ RONNIE RUSH, R.I.P. ★ CANELO vs GGG III

just

£1 per issue

13 Issues for £13 Enjoy these exclusive print subscriber benefits: FREE delivery of every issue to your door ENJOY the digital edition of every issue UNLIMITED online access to our content PAY a fraction of the shop price!

Order now: visit shop.kelsey.co.uk/suboffer/BXN13MAG or call 01959 543 747 and quote BXN13MAG UK Direct Debit offers only, You will pay £13 for your first 13 weekly issues. Your subscription will continue at a rate of £24.99 every 3 months.. Discounts are calculated on the full cover price. For overseas and UK credit/debit card o­ffers, visit our website at shop.kelsey.co.uk. Order lines open 8.30am-5.30pm, Monday-Friday. Full T&Cs can be found at shop.kelsey.co.uk/terms. Kelsey Publishing takes your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your account and to provide the products and services you have requested from us. We will only contact you about our special o­ffers via the preferences you will indicate when ordering and you can update these at any time by emailing us at cs@kelsey.co.uk or by calling us on 01959 543 747. Calls charged at your local network rate.

Contents February 17, 2022

18

KHAN v BROOK: THE STORY SO FAR The long and winding tale approaches its end

K H A N v B RO O K

>> 4 IN THE BEGINNING

28

When the rivalry was first mentioned

>> 5 ‘I CAN’T MAKE MISTAKES’

BEST OF THE REST

>> 8 MEMORIES FROM LIVERPOOL Bunce reflects on a much-missed event

>> 10 CANELO-GGG III

Amir Khan on his punch-perfect plan to knock Kell Brook into retirement

Will another feud be settled this year?

>> 7 EXPERTS’ VIEW

Conor stays busy against fading star

Where are they placing their bets?

>> 24 THE BN PREDICTION

Examining the evidence to make a call

>> 26 SUPPORTING CAST

Previewing the Manchester undercard

SUBSCRIBE: £13 FOR 13 ISSUES! THEN JUST £9.99 A MONTH. SEE PAGE 2 FOR FULL DETAILS...

Visit SHOP.KELSEY.CO.UK/SUBOFFER/BXN13MAG

>> 12 BENN REVEALS NEXT FOE >> 14 TYRONE MCKENNA

He insists he can beat Regis Prograis

>> 16 RONNIE RUSH

A tribute to a brilliant Welsh trainer

>> 28 RYDER GETS IT!

Our verdict on the win over Jacobs

>> 31 MISERY FOR MCGREGOR An eventful card in Bethnal Green

>> 36 SUPREME LIP SERVICE

A selection of great boxing quotes

>> 40 STARS OF THE FUTURE

Ringside at the Youth championships

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 3

EDITOR’S LETTER

Photos: GETTY IMAGES

DESTINY: Khan and Brook as they looked when a potential fight between them was first reported [below]

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

Cover photography BOXXER & GETTY IMAGES

BRAGGING RIGHTS It is nearly 17 years since a Khan vs Brook fight was first mentioned in Boxing News N August 2005, a potential contest between two freshfaced prospects with bright futures – Kell Brook (8-0) and Amir Khan (1-0) – was discussed for the first time on the pages of Boxing News.

Nearly 17 years later, the pair are at last set to collide Matt in a prize ring.

Christie Seventeen years @MattCBoxingNews that included 71 further fights against Editor other opponents.

Seventy-one weight-draining training camps, another 421 rounds in which they suffered a cumulative total of 15 knockdowns, seven stoppage defeats, two broken eye sockets, broken hands, broken noses, a chipped elbow and 10 stays in hospital where they endured at least six operations. It is fair to say they are not so fresh-faced anymore.

Both are 35 years old now, unquestionably damaged by the sport.

Yet the drug-like pull of boxing can only be understood and appreciated by those brave enough to do it. Neither can say goodbye. Not until one of the longestrunning feuds in British boxing history is settled, at least. Bragging rights should not be so important, some will say. Life is too short and precarious already. But this is boxing where different rules apply.

Back in 2005, with their subsequently

I

4 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

much discussed amateur sparring sessions still fresh in the memory, Brook spoke more respectfully about Khan than he does today. If he genuinely hates Khan now, that is the result of how their relationship developed in the public eye, and not how it began, behind closed doors.

“He’s brilliant kid and we got on very well,” Brook said about Khan all those years ago. Khan was fresh off his pro debut after his silver medal at the 2004 Olympics while Brook had begun his paid career with little fanfare. “I’d have loved to have gone to the Olympics, but the ABA knew I’d turn pro as soon as I could.

It’s weird to think what’s happened to Amir since we sparred… I am jealous of what he’s got now, with his profile and so on.”

The great Brendan Ingle was by Brook’s side that day. The amazing maker of men who had first seen Brook as a nine-yearold doing acrobatics and handstands in his gym. “Kell Brook will beat Amir Khan because Kell’s been training as a professional since the age of nine,” Brendan said. “His style and power will be too much for Khan.”

Then WBO cruiserweight beltholder and stablemate Johnny Nelson agreed. “It’s all about having the right ingredients,” Nelson said. “Some fighters have fast hands but slow feet, some hit hard but they’re chinny. Kell’s got all the ingredients. Fast hands, fast feet, power.

He’s not intimidated, and he’s got a very good chin, a ‘Eubank chin’ as he calls it… I think he’ll beat Khan.” Nelson will carefully watch this weekend in his role as a Sky Sports pundit.

There was a note of caution from Brendan’s son, Dominic Ingle, who has trained Kell intermittently since he was a boy. “We just need the penny to drop about maintaining a good

weight between fights,” he said. “Talent is important, but you’ve got to work incredibly hard, keep listening and learning. Personal relationships outside the ring count too. Kell needs to keep all those things in mind… he’s the one that’s got to do it.” Dominic will be in the corner on Saturday night, guiding Brook once more.

If 19-year-old Kell believed in 2005 that he had encountered a superior fighter in Khan when they trained together, he didn’t show it. “Khan has faults – he comes at you in straight lines.

I got his measure when we sparred. I’d definitely beat him – it’s about good lateral movement. Also, his punches are sharp and fast, but he doesn’t have my serious, dense power. He’s not the best at taking a punch either.”

That issue of punch resistance has haunted Khan throughout his career.

After his skull was twice fractured, it haunts Brook, too. But here they both stand, courageous and proud, readying themselves for the final chapter, 17 years, 71 fights, 421 rounds and countless blows to the head since a fight between them was first talked about. Never underestimate how far they have come nor how much of themselves they have already sacrificed.

We do not know what happened between them when they were amateurs.

Nor does it matter. What matters now, for Khan and Brook at least, is what happens in the ring on Saturday night.

Bragging rights may not mean much to those of us who worry about their futures. When the glory days, their best of days, are a distant memory. But to Khan and Brook, here and now, they mean everything and more.

Follow us and keep up to date @BoxingNewsED

BoxingNewsOnline

l YOU can get a print and online subscription for the bargain price of £4 for four issues, then just £9.99 per month thereafter. l FOR more information on all the subscriptions plus our special bookazines, please visit www.shop. kelsey.co.uk or call 01959543-747. l THE next issue will be in shops on February 24 and available to download on February 22.

The Opening Bell... l THE BN podcast has been described as the ‘most impartial and informative podcast around.’ l THIS week we talk about the Khan-Brook showdown, look back on RyderJacobs and Chavez-Haugen is ‘This Week’. l Listen (for free) via Apple, Spotify and all major platforms. l NEW episode available to download (for free) every Thursday.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

GUEST COLUMN

‘I’LL DESTROY HIM. HE’LL NEED TO RETIRE’ Photo: WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES

NO LOVE LOST: Khan and Brook have a history that will finally be played out

I have to win this fight. If this is one of my last big fights I want to make sure I shine Y job is just to go in there and do what I do best.

With Kell Brook, he’s very emotional because he’s wanted this fight for a very long time. He’s very emotional because he’s seen my career Amir do so well in Khan America, come The 5/4 underdog back to UK, sell against Brook out arenas and make a lot of money.

The weight was one issue. I was never happy making 149lbs. Two pounds makes a massive difference, people don’t understand that, especially when you’re cutting weight. I thought, you know what, I’m going to go ahead with it, we’re going to make the fight happen and I agreed.

I’m glad that Sky were on board.

M

www.boxingnewsonline.net

If it was to do with the money I think I would have definitely gone with Eddie Hearn but then that means less people are going to see the fight, it’s not going to be promoted the same way as Sky, so that’s the reason I went with Sky. With Kell, he’s always had that bit of jealousy, he’s always had that chip on his shoulder and look, I’ve gone my own way. I’ve surpassed whatever he’s done in boxing. It’s more jealousy than anything.

I think his punch resistance is gone. Literally gone. I honestly believe that he’s doing this fight for that pay day. I’m doing it for the public, giving the fans what they want.

The way I’ll destroy him, I think he’ll need to retire. This will be his last fight.

I have to win this fight. If this is one of my last big fights I want to make sure I shine. I want to look good in it.

I have to be smart in there and I have to just give him a boxing lesson. Me being over-confident that’ll never happen because I’m at that age where I can’t afford to make any mistakes.

I cannot afford to lose this fight. It’s not pressure, I think it’s only going to bring the best out of me. I know for a fact I’m going to go in there and do everything punch perfect. That’s one of the reasons I’m came out here to Brian McIntyre. I knew it was going to be hard. I knew I was going to be pushed. I know for a fact that if I went back with Virgil Hunter I could still beat Kell Brook. But I needed to make sure 100 per cent I’m going to knock this guy out. That’s why I came out here to Omaha and came out to Colorado Springs because I know the way these guys train me is going to be so brutal.

Bo Mac is a very good trainer,

‘I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE HARD. I KNEW I WAS GOING TO BE PUSHED’

the way he breaks down a fight.

When I fought Terence Crawford, the way they were making me miss, the way they fought me. They had their gameplan from watching my whole amateur career, my whole professional career, seeing the small little points, the mistakes I make and capitalising on that. Why is Crawford one of the best out there?

He has a really good team, who push him, motivate him but do all the behind the scenes work. Why I thought it was a brilliant idea to be with them is because they know me inside out. They watched so many videos when they were fighting me that they know my style, how to improve me, how to make me a better fighter. Secondly they know Kell Brook as well. They fought Kell Brook, they beat Kell Brook so they know Kell really well.

I’ve never felt this strong in my life. and I do feel I’ve got a lot left in me. Even after this fight I think I will have a few more fights left in me.

I didn’t think I had this much in me. Come fight night, February 19, I’m going to be more than ready.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 5

ON TWITTER @BoxingNewsED

LETTERS

ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/boxingnewsonline

LETTER OF THE WEEK

THE RIGHT MAN WON argue against. Ryder was excellent in the middle rounds but Jacobs, surely, was the better fighter overall. I don't blame him for storming out of the ring.

Esther Mackie

WHAT a delight it was to see John Ryder's hand raised after 12 rounds with the American, Daniel Jacobs. Jacobs was well ahead in the first half, but Ryder pushed hard and Jacobs started to look ragged. The Londonder then began picking up points.

At the end of 12 entertaining rounds, it could have gone either way. And I'm so pleased the decision went Ryder's way because he did just enough to edge it.

Well done to Ryder and his team. His desire got him through and, after some dodgy decisions in the past went against him, this time he can bask in the glory.

Patch Hammond

after round John's physical strength and ring generalship was taking over. This must rank highly with one of the great wins by an Englishman on home soil.

Daniel Jacobs is a highly decorated and accomplished fighter. I hope John turns this win into a world title shot.

Mike Hills 10-9 POINT SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING ANOTHER controversial decision. The varying scorecards for the John RyderDaniel Jacobs bout display the failings of the 10/9 scoring system. Of 12 rounds, all three judges agreed in only five of them.

Dave Evans

CHANGE THE NARRATIVE EVERY gymnasium should have a wall poster with the words, 'Head punches causes brain damage'. It's time the authorities began to think outside the box (no pun intended) and introduced new rules to protect those who put their health at risk. Long term dementia is a threat to every single boxer.

Max Winberg

BRAVO, JOHN RYDER CAN I please say how impressed I was with the performance of John Ryder on Saturday. He really did put a smile on the faces of his North London army of fans.

I also scored it 115-113 to Ryder. John thoroughly deserved the decision. Round

JACOBS DESERVED BETTER JUST because John Ryder has been on the wrong end of some close decisions in the past doesn't make it okay that he just got gifted a decision against Daniel Jacobs.

I felt the American won eight of the 12 rounds and seven of those were hard to

STEP UP, CONOR CONOR BENN is going to knock Chris van Heerden silly. Then all we'll hear about is what a top fighter Benn is. If that's the case, why the reluctance match him with a 'live' opponent?

Billy Goodhall

CLOSE FIGHT: On social media the majority believe Jacobs deserved the decision but the opinion among BN readers is split

Photo: ALEX DAVIDSON/GETTY IMAGES

6 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022 BBN_2022-02-10_Ringcraft_QP.indd 1

www.boxingnewsonline.net 07/02/2022 11:26

ON INSTAGRAM boxingnewsonline

EMAIL bn.ed@kelsey.co.uk

POST Boxing News Letters, Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL

10 COUNT THE PANEL

TAYLOR MADE

WHAT’S YOUR PREDICTION FOR AMIR KHAN vs KELL BROOK?

Arguably the UK’s best fighter, Josh Taylor returns to action next week against Jack Catterall in Glasgow. Here are 10 of his best wins…

1 JOSÉ RAMÍREZ To really prove his dominance at super-lightweight, Taylor travelled to America during a pandemic and went toe-to-toe with fellow titleholder Ramírez in 2021. He lived to tell the tale, too, dropping Ramírez twice en route to a decision win.

Frankie Gavin Fought Kell Brook I think, in their prime, it would have been Kell Brook all day long. But right now it’s anyone’s for the taking. It will depend what Brook has left.

Barry Jones Former WBO belt-holder I’m tentatively going for Khan.

I think he’ll start fast and navigate the middle rounds where Brook puts him under pressure and possibly has him in trouble. But Khan will hold on ( just) to win on points.

Mickey Helliet Manager & promoter Khan vs Brook is about who has deteriorated the least. I’ve got a hunch that will be Brook because he’s had fewer very hard fights.

Chris McKenna Sports reporter It’s really hard to pick because of how much both are beyond their best. I feel if Khan isn’t too rusty after so long out of the ring then he might just be the fresher of the two and box his way to a points win.

Win, lose or draw I hope both retire and are proud of their careers.

WAS THE DANNY JACOBS VS JOHN RYDER POINTS DECISION CORRECT? Frankie Gavin I’m a big fan of Ryder’s but he never won that fight. Jacobs looked like was cruising. He did take his foot off the gas but still won in my opinion.

Barry Jones I had Jacobs winning by three points. But I also think the uproar immediately after the fight was uncalled for. I had two rounds I could have easily given to Ryder, but saying all that, I still had Jacobs as the winner.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Mickey Helliet I would have leant to Jacobs for the decision. Marcus McDonnell was closer to my view.

They both had their moments.

Maybe Jacobs should have forced the fight more intensely being the away fighter? I always tell fighters not to think they will win decisions by pinching rounds away from home.

Chris McKenna I watched the fight back a day later having known the result and about the controversy over the scoring.

I had it to Daniel Jacobs by two rounds. It was a poor decision in my view.

2 REGIS PROGRAIS Taylor and Prograis met in the final of the 2019 World Boxing Super Series, with both unbeaten. Twelve rounds later, we had seen a classic and only Taylor came away with his zero still intact.

3 IVAN BARANCHYK To win his first world title, Taylor had to extinguish the considerable threat of Russian hard man Baranchyk, who took the fight to the Scot in 2019 but had no answer to his superior ring craft and boxing ability.

4 VIKTOR POSTOL A serious step up in class at the time, Taylor showed no signs of nerves when outboxing Postol, a former world champion, in 2018. He took a unanimous decision at the fight’s conclusion.

5 MIGUEL VÁSQUEZ This fight in 2017 was Taylor’s first against a former world titleholder and he passed the test with flying colours, becoming the first man to stop Vásquez when finishing him in round nine.

6 OHARA DAVIES Hard to believe now but in 2017, when this fight took place, Davies and Taylor were considered competitive rivals. No one felt that way that once Taylor got hold of Davies and stopped him in seven rounds, however.

7 RYAN MARTIN Considered a prospect going in, American Martin was undefeated in 22 fights but still no match for Taylor, who dominated and stopped him in seven rounds back in 2018.

8 WINSTON CAMPOS An unknown short-notice sub from Nicaragua, Campos got the chance to fight Taylor in 2018 only to find himself dropped twice in the second round and stopped in the third.

9 DAVE RYAN In what was Taylor’s first pro title fight, he broke apart a game Ryan inside five rounds to rip from him his Commonwealth super-lightweight belt in 2016.

10 APINUN KHONGSONG Notable only for it being a first-round knockout, this, Taylor’s last fight, was a strange mismatch in which Thailand’s Khonsong appeared out of his depth from the word go.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 7

THE BUNCE DIARIES

REAL FESTIVAL OF BOXING Photos: GETTY IMAGES

Remembering a missed tournament that showcased the great, the good, and the unknown

N 1998 I saw an odd and telling handwritten sign in an old bar at a fight hotel where I was staying: ‘Moet $50’.

Simple and to the point.

There was nothing unusual or exceptional about paying 50 bucks for a bottle of champagne in Steve 1998, but the hotel Bunce was in Liverpool @BigDaddyBunce city centre and Voice of boxing for the fifth-year running, the Russians with wads of dollars and long fur coats had taken over the great fight city. I was tempted to say invaded.

Incidentally, the Russian and Ukraine contingents held up the bar each and every night, splendid, rich and noisy.

In 1999, the Russians and Ukrainians were not in the city for the sixth Liverpool Festival of Boxing, a truly great long-lost tournament. The Festival really did become one of the most prestigious amateur events during its brief run of eight years from 1994 to 2001. In 1999, the Russians and Ukrainians were off somewhere secret and hostile preparing for the World championships that summer in Houston.

In 1999, 121 boxers from 19 countries fought over six days for the prestigious title. Carl Froch was a loser in the semi-finals. It was the sixth year.

I had not missed one; it was ideal prep for the Olympics in Atlanta, the World championships in Budapest and the Worlds later in 1999 in Houston. It was always top-heavy with quality, no novices. In 1994, the first year, 97 boxers arrived in Liverpool; word spread about the hospitality and that number increased each year.

The Russians loved it in Liverpool.

The women came in fur coats, which they sold and the men liked Rolex watches, which they bought in bulk.

I

‘THE FESTIVAL WAS A GLORIOUS GAME-CHANGER IN MANY WAYS’ 8 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

And they bought and sold a lot. It gave me a modern window on the history of Cold War boxing officials, the men from the Soviet Republics who packed their little Adidas bags with 100 per cent proof vodka and illegal caviar. There was a lot of trade and Liverpool was a great city for trading.

The man behind the adventure was Paul King, at the time the city council’s boxing development officer. It was his baby, he drove it, he made it possible, he was the man with enough flair,

flexibility and available finances to gatecrash the established order of major international events.

Wladimir Klitschko won gold at the Festival before winning gold in Atlanta at the Olympics. Somluck Kamsing of Thailand won a gold medal in Atlanta after the Festival.

There was, in addition to the two future Olympic gold medal winners at the first three Festivals, a seemingly endless list of quality boxers who took part in one or more of the Festivals.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

PROVING GROUND: Over its eight-year run, the Liverpool Festival of Boxing, run by Paul King [right] hosted a multitude of boxers who went on to great achievements.

Left: David Haye won three times and went on to be the first British boxer to reach a World championship final.

Below: Audley Harrison[right] won Olympic gold at Sydney, the first for a British boxer in 32 years.

Two other Olympic gold medal winners, Alexander Povetkin and Audley Harrison, fought at later Festivals. I have found over 20 good world champions on my results sheet; it was exceptional.

In 1999, it was announced that the 2000 event would be an Olympic qualifier; the 1999 version was being used by several countries as an official qualifier for the World championships that summer in Houston. As I said, King knew how to do a deal.

King also knew how to move objects

www.boxingnewsonline.net

to make things fit. In 1997 five Ugandan boxers arrived from nowhere; there was no record of them applying. King let them in, put them up and fed them.

They all lost quick, but somewhere in a boxing gym in Kampala there will no doubt be a picture of King, arm in arm with one of the Ugandan fighters. Word spread in Africa and in 1998, South Africa and Kenya sent a team.

In 1999, the Chinese arrived with a full team of diplomats; in China Town there were banquets each night.

The boxers posed outside the Cavern and there was a sordid slot-machine paradise called Las Vegas; most of teams seem to spend their 10-dollar a day allowance in there, chasing a lost cause.

The Festival was a glorious gamechanger in many ways and came at the end of a period when GB boxing was in a deep and disturbing wilderness.

It’s no wonder there was an Early Day motion in Parliament to congratulate King and Liverpool City Council for their international efforts. It was an event long, long before its time.

David Haye was there in 1999, just 18 and real a danger at light-heavyweight.

Haye won three times and got a bye in the final; in the final his opponent, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Courtney Fry withdrew. Haye went to Houston later that summer and lost on points to the eventual gold medal winner.

Festival veterans Froch, Haye and Harrison managed to transform British amateur boxing in just nine months in 2000 and 2001; Harrison won Olympic gold in Sydney, the first for a British boxer in 32 years; Froch won England’s first medal at the World championships in 2001 in Belfast and at the same event, Haye became the first British boxer to reach a World championship final. That is a fine legacy for the Festival.

Not everybody was happy in 1999; the Americans threatened to never return after a couple of dubious decisions. “Don’t worry, I will sort them out,” said Kingy to me with confidence one night in the St. George’s hotel bar – the one with the dollar sign. “I will send a wife off to Shakespeare’s house and make a few promises.” Kingy was getting ready for a high-ranking role in the old amateur game.

In 2005, King personally delivered a 50-page document to Paris to secure the right to stage the 2008 European championships in Liverpool. The city beat off the competition from Sweden, Finland and Estonia.

In 2011, long after the Festival had vanished, Paul King ran for president of AIBA, as the body governing the amateur sport was known back then, but lost. He was then banned for two years on a trumped-up charge, which he managed to get overturned. Kingy was an operator, make no mistake.

The eight consecutive Festivals are a special piece of British boxing history and they should never be forgotten.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 9

BOXING MEDIA REVIEW

Examining the best and worst of the sport’s weekly coverage

Photo: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES

WAITING GAME: There is still a sense of unfinished business between Canelo and GGG

CANELO-GGG III ON THE WAY? The Mexican considers his options as Matchroom and PBC battle for his signature, writes George Gigney

WEBSITES

CANELO ÁLVAREZ – boxing’s biggest star – is using his free agent status to determine what will likely be some of the biggest fights of the year. Given his standing in the sport, any time the flamehaired Mexican fights is an enormous event, but recent reports suggest he is eyeing up some special fights this year.

ESPN claim that Canelo is leaning toward a $85m two-fight deal with DAZN, which would see him fight Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight before moving into a blockbuster trilogy fight with Gennady Golovkin at supermiddleweight. Álvarez would need to beat Bivol – in a fight slated for May 7 – and “GGG” would also need to prevail in his upcoming fight with Ryoto Murata, which has yet to be rescheduled after it was postponed last year due to COVID-19.

The other offer on the table was a $45m fight with Jermall Charlo, which came from Al Haymon’s PBC. That is looking increasingly unlikely, particularly

10 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

as reports emerged in the past few days claiming Charlo had been arrested.

He has allegedly been charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury of a Family Member, though further details remain thin.

Though it seems Canelo is most likely to take the DAZN deal, his trainer, Eddy Reynoso, posted a statement on Twitter discrediting these reports and claiming no decision has yet been made about his charge’s next fight.

Even without Charlo’s troubles outside the ring, this seems like a no-brainer. On the face of it, the DAZN deal guarantees more money but it also presents Canelo with further opportunities to pursue greatness.

Bivol is a very tricky fight at 175lbs and would pose more problems for Canelo than Charlo would. Plus, there’s then the prospect of a third fight with Golovkin.

Though time is against the Kazakh, it’s still an intriguing fight and, based on their first two, will surely produce fireworks.

As ever, Canelo is leading by example.

Unfortunately, the current crop of lightweights aren’t following suit, as things stand. George Kambosos Jnr, after his stunning win over Teófimo López last year, is on the hunt for another big fight and it looks as though it’s going to take place in his native Australia.

According to BoxingScene, funding for Kambosos’ next fight will come from the Australian government, which views significant sporting events as tourism opportunities.

However his promoter, Lou DiBella, told the same website that negotiations with Devin Haney’s team have fallen flat. He claims he sent an offer to DAZN, with whom Haney is aligned, only for Eddie Hearn to send back an “insulting,” “preposterous” and “ridiculous” counteroffer.

DiBella wouldn’t go into further detail as he “[doesn’t] believe in negotiating in the press” – an attitude that more promoters should adopt – but insisted he needed to speak out because he felt Hearn had been “lying” when he claimed

www.boxingnewsonline.net

he and Haney’s team had received no offer for a Kambosos fight.

Kambosos and Haney have been trading barbs on Twitter for what now seems like decades, highlighting just how frustrating the 135lb division is becoming; it’s all just foreplay. Kambosos himself seems intent on fighting the best; after defeating López, he was on the road trying to drum up interest in fights with the likes of Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

In fact, his next fight could be against the Ukrainian wizard. López, apparently, is moving up, while Haney’s next move is unknown, as is that of Gervonta Davis.

Ryan Garcia is returning to action soon after a brief hiatus to address mental health concerns, though he recently announced a change of trainer.

He has left Reynoso and will now train under Joe Goossen. Some people bizarrely claimed this was because Garcia couldn’t hack the hard work required at Reynoso’s gym, which ignores the fact that Goossen is a notorious taskmaster.

What this all equates to is a stalled weight division. Despite there being numerous big fights that could be made, still none of them look close.

YOUTUBE Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano took part in a press tour to promote their superfight later this year. At a press conference in London, Serrano said: “I’m a woman for equality. If Katie Taylor’s willing, I’m ready and willing to make this 12 rounds of three minutes [each].”

It’s a sentiment we’ve all been sharing, and good on Serrano for using this stage to make the bid. Surprisingly, Taylor shot down the idea when she said: “I don’t really feel like that will make a huge change. The fight is already iconic the way it is.”

Having already done so much to raise the profile of women’s boxing, it seems odd that Taylor wouldn’t push for parity with men’s boxing for such an important fight. Of course, the contracts for the fight are already signed and will have stipulated two-minute rounds.

Also, the decision to change the duration of rounds will surely have to be made higher up the chain. After all, if two male fighters decided they wanted to increase their round length to four minutes, for example, it’s unlikely the authorities would allow it.

Matchroom Boxing appear to have

launched a revamped ‘From the Corner’ series, which sees host Fraser Dainton sit down with several prominent coaches.

In this latest episode, it was Andre Rozer, Tony Sims, Dave Coldwell and Mark Tibbs.

It was a really interesting discussion and it’s a great format. If it’s set to continue, then we can look forward to more excellent content from it, particularly when several big trainers are all in one place during fight week.

BROADCASTS DAZN held their first British card of the year at Alexandra Palace in London and it produced some cracking fights and bizarre scorecards.

One thing that stood out was the prominence of fledgling heavyweight Johnny Fisher’s fight – he was chief support in a six-rounder, which served as his fifth professional fight.

The 22-year-old is incredibly popular and had sold thousands of tickets for the event, which goes some way to explaining why he was so high up the bill.

He also seemed to handle the pressure well, earning a decision over a veteran opponent.

CHIEF SUPPORT: Johnny Fisher’s ticket-selling success bumped him up the bill for his win over Gabriel Enguema

Photo: ALEX DAVIDSON/GETTY IMAGES

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 11

NEWS AND OPINION

Van Heerden the frontrunner to fight Conor Benn next, writes John Dennen

C

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

HRIS VAN HEERDEN is the frontrunner to face Conor Benn, Boxing News understands, on a show the UK star expects to headline

on April 16.

Benn’s team has also been in talks with Maurice Hooker and Robert Guerrero but those former belt-holders are less likely to get the fight with the Briton next.

Van Heerden, 34, has not won since 2019 but has a respectable 28-2-1 record. The important thing for Benn is to be busy himself. He intends to fight at least three times this year.

Benn says he’s happy to box anyone.

“Anyone, anyone top 10, anyone. I’d have [Yordenis] Ugás next. I’d have anyone,” he told Boxing News. “I just leave it to my team to pick the opponent and I go okay, let’s go.”

“It will be in the month of April [when

he fights]. We’ll just keep working hard, keep grafting and when the opportunity presents itself, as in a fight date, then we’ll make sure we’re ready,” Benn said.

As well as London, he’s open to headlining in other cities across the country, whether it’s Liverpool, where he fought last, Manchester, Newcastle or elsewhere. “It’s just nice that I’m able to fight in front of the fans up North,” he says. “[The support] is overwhelming. It’s like, what did I do to deserve this? I think I just give people value for money and I love to entertain the public. I fight with my heart on my sleeve. It just encourages me that what I’m doing is right and I love the public for it. It’s just warming. It’s very warming for me.”

Benn has also suggested an unlikely

fight with Chris Eubank Jnr, the son of Chris Eubank, the legendary rival of Conor’s father Nigel Benn, at an 154lb catchweight. “It’s very realistic,” Conor insisted. “I’m walking around at supermiddle now so 154 is not problem for me to make at all.”

It was watching Eubank’s recent bout with Liam Williams that prompted Benn to make the challenge public.

“It was an awkward performance,” he said of Eubank. “Awkward to the eye that’s for sure, in terms of it was just an odd fight. He [Eubank] can fight but he’s an awkward boxer. He looks awkward to the eye but he can fight.”

Benn versus Eubank at present is more of a thought experiment. For the time being his career is going to continue to build, with this outing in April looming

‘ANYONE, ANYONE TOP 10, ANYONE. I’D HAVE UGÁS NEXT’

Building to world level Photo: JAMES CHANCE/GETTY IMAGES

BUILDING UP: Benn intends to fight three times this year, and doesn’t mind who

12 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Photo: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM

next. Before that, on March 19, European welterweight champion David Avanesyan, an opponent many would like to see testing Benn’s potential, defends his European title against Finland’s Oskari Metz at Wembley Arena.

European cruiserweight champion Chris Billam Smith is expecting to box on Benn’s April undercard in a mandatory defence against Italy’s Fabio Turchi.

“He’s quite tough. Can be a bit wild at times, a southpaw obviously. Tommy McCarthy had quite a close fight with him. Short, stocky, looks quite strong.

I think it’s a good fight for me,” Billam Smith said of Turchi.

Billam Smith was also the British champion, but had to vacate that belt, unable to box both the mandatory for that title and the European mandatory in time. “It’s a nice problem to have in a way, various different mandatories for various different belts,” he said. “I was gutted about it but I need to keep the European and I’ve got a mandatory for that, it helps with my world rankings. It

www.boxingnewsonline.net

JUGGLING ACT: Billam Smith had to vacate the British title to keep the European

makes business sense and that’s what the team around me are there for. For me it’s just about taking the right fights, getting up to world level and keep progressing.”

A good win over Turchi would set him up for an active year. “We’ve got this fight in April then we need to have a sit down and plan the route after that towards world level and see what’s next and decide what we want to do as a team,” Chris said. “I want to fight in Bournemouth. I’d love to do that after this one, whoever it may be. I’d love to fight back home... People are always asking me when’s a show coming down there. In terms of actual titles, look at this defence and see where we’re at and see what’s going on with the world titles and then look towards an eliminator towards the end of the year. But you never know.

Opportunities might come up in the meantime and we might have to take

them. But like I said, sit down with the team, with Jake and Shane McGuigan, with Eddie [Hearn] and see what the best thing to do is.”

Billam Smith’s gym-mate Lawrence Okolie holds one of the four alphabet titles and is boxing on February 27, but otherwise it’s unclear what the other cruiserweight belt-holders will be doing.

“It’s something we’ve got to look at and see if any of the champions will be available to fight or have mandatories.

There seems to be lots of talk at the moment of various different belts,” he said. “Whether it’s their mandatories, [Arsen] Goulamirian was meant to fight [Alexey] Egorov a number of times, still hasn’t and so I’m not sure what’s going on there. It’s just wait and see what’s going and if they are tied up, then keep getting meaningful fights that are going to progress my career.”

‘IT HELPS WITH MY WORLD RANKINGS. IT MAKES SENSE’

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 13

NEWS AND OPINION

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

FAN PLEASER: McKenna’s style is always entertaining Photo: JAMES CHANCE/ GETTY IMAGES

14 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Prog Rock TRADDLING the line between genius and crazy, Tyrone McKenna’s approach to boxing is one that separates him from many of his peers.

Whereas for some boxers the priority tends to be self-preservation, McKenna wants to bleed, and hurt, and feel, and give fans their money’s worth. Similarly, whereas some boxers prefer to cherrypick their opponents, identifying the path of least resistance, McKenna only feels alive if he is chasing the most dangerous opponents available and therefore putting himself in harm’s way.

It is an admirable, fan-and-promoterfriendly approach to the sport and it has resulted in McKenna becoming one of Ireland’s most popular fighters. Better yet, it has helped land the Belfast man a brilliant opportunity against former super-lightweight titleholder Regis Prograis on March 19 in Dubai.

“It was first mentioned about two or three weeks after my last fight (against José Félix in August 2021),” McKenna explained to Boxing News. “I was told MTK (his promoters) were talking to Prograis’ manager, trying to make a fight between us. It came as a complete surprise but obviously I wanted it.

“At the start of the year, I was told it was no longer happening.

“Then out of the blue, the day before it (the news) got released I received a phone call telling me the fight I was supposed to have – against a UK fighter – was now off but the Prograis fight was back on. I was buzzing. That’s the fight I wanted. I’m a guy who wants a test. I don’t want to be fighting domestic fights.

I want to see how good I can be.

“The best available fight in the world for me right now is Regis Prograis. Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall are fighting each other (on February 19), so the next best person for me to fight is Prograis.”

Knowing he has it all to do, McKenna, 22-2-1 (6), has been preparing for the fight – or at least a fight – since the beginning of January and has already sparred many rounds with Jack Catterall and Paddy Donovan. He says camp has so far been “perfect” and knows it will need to continue in this vein if he’s to have any chance of defeating a man some believe is operating at a level or two above him.

“I’ve seen all the doubters and the people giving me s**t on Twitter and Instagram, saying, ‘Tyrone is out of his

S

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Tyrone McKenna is thriving on not being given a chance to beat Regis Prograis, writes Elliot Worsell

BIG GUN: Prograis is an almighty step up for McKenna Photo: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES FOR TRILLER

depth,’ or, ‘He won’t last two rounds’,”said McKenna. “But that just fuels me. It spurs me on. I’m buzzing to see people write me off. I love being the underdog and love training with that kind of mentality.

I want to fight people who are expected to beat me because there’s no pressure on me in that scenario. It’s all on him.

According to everyone in the boxing world, he’s already won the fight. That drives me in training. I get up in the morning and make sure I have everything covered.”

In terms of having everything covered, McKenna doesn’t have to look too hard for footage of Prograis, 26-1 (22). Easily the biggest name he has faced to date, McKenna is fighting someone about whom he already knows plenty.

“I obviously watched the ( Josh) Taylor fight, which was an unbelievable fight, and a close fight. But that’s the only fight

of his I have watched live,” McKenna said.

“I’ve watched some of his others since our fight has been confirmed, which is enough to know he is a talented fighter and a world-class fighter. But he’s also a beatable fighter. I think I have a much better work rate than him, and a bigger heart than him, and more balls than him.

These are the things I will be bringing to the table on the night.”

While winning remains the ultimate goal for McKenna, there is also a sense the 31-year-old places a far greater emphasis on entertaining fans than most fighters. It is for this reason McKenna, in an ideal world, would have liked the Prograis fight at home in Belfast rather than away from home in Dubai.

“I do love feeding off the fans and fighting for the fans and I would have loved it to be in Belfast,” he said. “But I still believe there will be lots of Irish out in Dubai. I should still be able to feed off them and their energy. I’m hoping it will feel like home.”

Regardless of where the fight takes place, and regardless of the opponent, McKenna is certain of both his own strategy and the type of battle this will ultimately produce.

“I’ve got the mentality now where I just expect to go to war,” he said. “In training camp that’s all I prepare for: a non-stop war. Obviously, I’m 6’1 and he’s 5’8, so I should be on the back foot, keeping him away and outboxing him. But that might win you fights but it won’t win you fans.

That’s what I want. I want to entertain fans and I want to be in wars. Fans will forgive you if you’re exciting and lose, but they’ll never forgive you if you’re boring and win.

“If I go in there and box 10 rounds on the back foot, I feel dejected and feel like I’ve let people down. If, however, it’s been bloody, there have been a few knockdowns, and I’ve had to dig in and bite down on my gum shield, I feel a lot better. And that’s certainly what is going to happen on March 19.

“I can’t see anything but a war. I know Prograis will be overlooking me and thinking he is going to get me out of there in three or four rounds, but I can guarantee you he won’t. I’m going in against one of the very best in the world but will be coming out on top.”

‘I EXPECT TO GO TO WAR. I WANT TO ENTERTAIN FANS AND I WANT TO BE IN WARS’

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 15

OBITUARY NEWS AND OPINION

POTENTIAL: Ronnie Rush spotted something in Steve Robinson [right] and took him to the top

Remembering Ronnie Rush Gareth Jones pays tribute to Welsh boxing’s very own Fairy Godmother

TRAINER Ronnie Rush, who died on February 9 at the age of 87, was the man who made the most iconic phone call in Welsh boxing history.

It was answered by one of his pupils, Steve Robinson, who had just polished off pie and chips at his girlfriend’s house.

Would he be interested in fighting for a ‘world’ title? The day after tomorrow?

The Cardiffian, whose modest 23-fight record included nine defeats, was needed to face John Davison in his native North-East after WBO featherweight king Rubén Palacio had tested positive for HIV. Promoter Barry Hearn was desperate to save an ITV show and, with the WBO (no doubt keen to keep their sanctioning fee) prepared to overlook the fact that Robinson was unranked, the match was made.

Steve, despite having to shed six pounds to make the nine-stone limit, outpointed the home fighter and the legend of the “Cinderella Man” was born.

But Ronnie Rush was so much more than a messenger. He was alongside Robinson every step of the journey as the unassuming Welshman made his circuitous way to the top, developing the skills that enabled him to see off seven challengers – including former beltholders Colin McMillan, Paul Hodkinson

16 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

and Duke McKenzie – before running into the then unstoppable Naseem Hamed.

Ronald Reginald Radcliffe Rodney Rush was born at Paracleat, on the Caribbean spice island of Grenada, although he was raised in neighbouring Trinidad. At school he shone at football, cricket, table tennis and athletics, but did not step into a boxing ring until he was 18 – and then only after going to the gym to train as a weightlifter.

By then he had already – to spite his barber – adopted the shavenskulled look that was to become his trademark.

Despite having only a dozen amateur contests, Rush claimed three national titles before, in 1956, he crossed the Atlantic and ended up in Wales.

The 21-year-old lightweight did not travel alone. Fellow fighters Egbert Jordan and Eddie Bee accompanied him and the trio joined the stable of the diminutive Benny Jacobs, who marketed them as the “Calypso Boys”. They even formed a steel band to foster the image.

In a 35-bout career, including three

in Australia, he won 14, lost 17 and drew four. After a break he returned as a welter with Maesteg-based manager Billy “Kid” Hughes, who appealed in Boxing News for promoters to hire his new charge. The only reply was a request for an autograph. Ronnie took the hint and hung up the gloves.

For the next few years he focused on raising a family, while working on the railway and later as a self-employed decorator. It was only when his son, Randy, took up the sport with Ely Boys’ Club that Ronnie adopted the role of instructor. Randy’s interest soon waned, but Rush stayed, coaching the renamed Ely Star ABC. It was there that he first met the nine-year-old Steve Robinson, who followed brother Paul to the gym on the sprawling estate at the western edge of the Welsh capital.

The youngster drifted away, but a chance meeting brought him back into the fold.

“I bumped into Ronnie at the dole office,” recalled Steve.

“He said I should go back to the gym, that I had the talent to go all the way. So I gave it another try.”

At the time – and for the first few years of his pro career – few outsiders saw what Rush had seen. But not only did he spot the latent promise, he had the ability to bring it to fruition.

Robinson was not the only Ely boy he guided to ‘world’ honours. When Barry Jones returned home after a year’s sabbatical in Ireland, he found that Rush had opened a new establishment, ‘Ronnie’s Gym’, amid the shops on Grand Avenue. It was just down the road from the Jones boy’s home, so he called in. The pair hit it off and Rush led the corner when Barry outpointed Colombian Wilson Palacio to claim the WBO superfeather belt.

With Robinson training at the Fleur-de-Lys gym of manager Dai Gardiner, Ronnie also helped look after future WBO bantam ruler Robbie Regan, though Gardiner was always the main man.

Rush may have been an unlikely Fairy Godmother. But his part in one of boxing’s great Cinderella stories will never be forgotten.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

RANKINGS

World rankings In conjunction with the Transnational Boxing Rankings.

As of February 14, 2022

HEAVYWEIGHT over 200lbs/14st 4lbs Champion: TYSON FURY 1. Oleksandr Usyk 2. Anthony Joshua 3. Dillian Whyte 4. Deontay Wilder 5. Andy Ruiz Jnr 6. Joseph Parker 7. Joe Joyce 8. Luis Ortiz 9. Otto Wallin 10. Michael Hunter CRUISERWEIGHT 200lbs/14st 4lbs Champion: MAIRIS BRIEDIS 1. Lawrence Okolie 2. Yuniel Dorticós 3. Ilunga Makabu 4. Thabiso Mchunu 5. Aleksei Papin 6. Michał Cieślak 7. Mateusz Masternak 8. Noel Gevor Mikaelyan 9. Brandon Glanton 10. Richard Riakporhe LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT 175lbs/12st 7lbs Champion: ARTUR BETERBIEV 1. Dmitry Bivol 2. Joe Smith Jnr 3. Gilberto Ramírez 4. Maxim Vlasov 5. Joshua Buatsi 6. Callum Smith 7. Dominic Boesel 8. Anthony Yarde 9. Marcus Browne 10. Callum Johnson

SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT 168lbs/12st Champion: CANELO ÁLVAREZ 1. David Benavidez 2. Caleb Plant 3. David Morrell 4. Lerrone Richards 5. Carlos Góngora 6. John Ryder 7. Danny Jacobs 8. Billy Joe Saunders 9. Pavel Silyagin 10. Fedor Chudinov MIDDLEWEIGHT 160lbs/11st 6lbs Champion: Open

www.boxingnewsonline.net

1. Gennady Golovkin 2. Jermall Charlo 3. Demetrius Andrade 4. Carlos Adames 5. Jaime Mungía 6. Chris Eubank Jnr 7. Zhamibek Alimkhanuly 8. Maciej Sulęcki 9. Sergiy Derevyanchenko 10. Felix Cash SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT 154lbs/11st Champion: Open 1. Jermell Charlo 2. Brian Castaño 3. Erickson Lubin 4. Tim Tszyu 5. Sebastian Fundora 6. Tony Harrison 7. Patrick Teixeira 8. Israil Madromov 9. Jesus Ramos 10. Magomed Kurbanov WELTERWEIGHT 147lbs/10st 7lbs Champion: Open 1. Errol Spence Jnr 2. Terence Crawford 3. Yordenis Ugás 4. Vergil Ortiz Jnr 5. Jaron Ennis 6. Keith Thurman 7. Radzhab Butaev 8. Cody Crowley 9. David Avanesyan 10. Conor Benn SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT 140lbs/10st Champion: JOSH TAYLOR 1. Regis Prograis 2. José Carlos Ramírez 3. Jose Zepeda 4. Arnold Barboza Jnr 5. Gervonta Davis 6. Sandor Martin 7. Montana Love 8. Subriel Matías 9. Robert Easter Jnr 10. Jack Catterall LIGHTWEIGHT 135lbs/9st 9lbs Champion: GEORGE KAMBOSOS JNR 1. Teófimo López 2. Vasiliy Lomachenko 3. Gervonta Davis 4. Devin Haney

8. Jason Moloney 9. Rau’shee Warren 10. Gary Antonio Russell

5. Ryan García 6. Isaac Cruz 7. Emmanuel Tagoe 8. Joseph Diaz Jnr 9. William Zepeda 10. Richard Commey SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT 130lbs/9st 4lbs Champion: Open 1. Shakur Stevenson 2. Roger Gutiérrez 3. Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov 4. Miguel Berchelt 5. Kenichi Ogawa 6. Jamel Herring 7. Chris Colbert 8. Lamont Roach 9. Robson Conceição 10. O’Shaquie Foster FEATHERWEIGHT 126lbs/9st Champion: Open 1. Mauricio Lara 2. Emanuel Navarrete 3. Mark Magsayo 4. Gary Russell Jnr 5. Kiko Martínez 6. Josh Warrington 7. Kid Galahad 8. Eduardo Ramirez 9. Luis Alberto Lopez 10. Leigh Wood SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT 122lbs/8st 10lbs Champion: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX 1. Stephen Fulton 2. Murodjon Akhmadaliev 3. Daniel Roman 4. Brandon Figueroa 5. Azat Hovannisyan 6. Ronny Rios 7. Angelo Leo 8. Ra’eese Aleem 9. Takuma Inoue 10. Marlon Tapales BANTAMWEIGHT 118lbs/8st 6lbs Champion: Open 1. Naoya Inoue 2. Nonito Donaire 3. John Riel Casimero 4. Emmanuel Rodríguez 5. Guillermo Rigondeaux 6. Nordine Oubaali 7. Takuma Inoue

SUPER-FLYWEIGHT 115lbs/8st 3lbs Champion: JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA 1. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai 2. Román González 3. Kazuto Ioka 4. Jerwin Ancajas 5. Joshua Franco 6. Francisco Rodríguez Jnr 7. Andrew Moloney 8. Jesse Rodriguez 9. Donnie Nietes 10. Kosei Tanaka FLYWEIGHT 112lbs/8st Champion: Open 1. Julio Cesar Martinez 2. Sunny Edwards 3. Junto Nakatani 4. Artem Dalakian 5. Moruti Mthalane 6. Ricardo Sandoval 7. Muhammed Waseem 8. McWilliams Arroyo 9. Cristofer Rosales 10. Giemel Magramo LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT 108lbs/7st 10lbs Champion: Open 1. Masamichi Yabuki 2. Hiroto Kyoguchi 3. Felix Alvarado 4. Jonathan González 5. Kenshiro Teraji 6. Elwin Soto 7. Mark Vicelles 8. Sivenathi Nontshinga 9. Esteban Bermudez 10. Daniel Mattelon STRAWWEIGHT 105lbs/7st 7lbs Champion: Open 1. Knockout CP Freshmart 2. Petchmanee CP Freshmart 3. Wanheng Meenayothin 4. Masataka Taniguchi 5. Erick Rosa 6. Rene Mark Cuarto 7. Vic Saludar 8. Ginjiro Shigeoka 9. Ayanda Ndulani 10. Melvin Jerusalem

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 17

KHAN vs BROOK

18 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

STORY OF THE FIGHT

www.boxingnewsonline.net

DAMAGE LIMITATION

The fight and the fighters are years past their sell-by-date but, regardless, Khan versus Brook remains a fascinating spectacle… even if we have to watch through our fingers, writes Elliot Worsell Photo: WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 19

KHAN vs BROOK

T

STORY OF THE FIGHT

HE overriding emotion we all expected to feel when receiving confirmation that Amir Khan and Kell Brook were finally going to share a ring was relief.

This would have been the case, too, had the year been 2014 and not 2022 and had the fight taken place when it made more than just financial sense. Now, though, the only ones relieved are Khan and Brook; relieved, that is, to know they have managed to land one more payday en route to retirement. For everyone else, relief will come only once it’s over.

Ten years after they shared a bench on Sky Sports’ Ringside, what makes the prospect of Khan and Brook fighting in 2022 even sadder than the fact that they have seen better days is the fact that the fight in its current state is diminished in every conceivable way. It is diminished in terms of the skills on show, obviously, but also in terms of the money on offer, which, we were led to believe, was the very reason they couldn’t come to an agreement all those years ago.

It is in many ways, then, not so much a fight for supremacy as an admission on the part of Khan and Brook that they got it wrong.

Do it now and they are settling for the idea that something is better than nothing, even if ‘something’ isn’t a patch on what it would have been during the time both were encouraged to put their egos aside and do business.

Which is all it ever is, of course: business. We can all appreciate that. But whereas before the business element married with the competition element to offer some kind of illusion of there being more at stake, now the business behind Khan vs Brook shouts louder than anything either man can say to sell the fight. They speak of bragging rights and legacy and there has been talk, too, of how neither could fathom finishing their career without scratching this particular itch. Yet, in the end, the fight still amounts to little more than a consolation prize. Worse, it feels like a once-married couple trying to reconcile decades after the termination of their toxic relationship, their damage now shared. They have wasted their best years on other people

and other experiences and now, although they have always suspected they belonged together, it is too late. Too much has been said. Too much damage has been done.

Or, then again, maybe not. Maybe there’s a reason this fight, despite its questionable motives, remains a compelling one to think about. This could be because Khan and Brook remain compelling personalities in their own right or it could be because, at this juncture, we feel even more invested in their stories, their words, and their wellbeing. For while undoubtedly past their best, they feel like a pair of fully-formed characters now, two men with no secrets. With them, we have seen it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Moreover, it is easy to tell ourselves the same lies they tell themselves. We can convince ourselves, for example, that faded fighters awash with flaws have produced some of history’s greatest fights, ignoring in the process the many that either flattered to deceive or were simply downright depressing.

At this stage, nobody knows what we will get with Khan and Brook on Saturday night. Frankly, this unknown element is part of its rugged, unconventional beauty. For who can say with any certainty that Brook’s previously broken face will hold up under duress? And who can say with any certainty that Khan’s waning punch resistance won’t betray him completely when he needs it most?

If anything, it’s not knowing the extent of their combined damage that makes the fight still so wonderfully poised. The talk, when predicting an outcome in 2022, is now all to do with how much they have left rather than how much they have to offer, as would have been the case years ago. Somehow, their damage and inactivity have made them mysteries to us all over again, the fight all the better for it.

Ordinarily, with one of the boxers recording a fourth-round stoppage in their previous outing, there would be no cause for alarm. However,

AUG Amir Khan wins silver at 2004 Olympics in Beijing SEPT Kell Brook turns pro, outpointing Peter Buckley

Detailing the twists and turns of the rivalry

20 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

given Amir Khan’s last fight took place in July 2019, and was against a former featherweight belt-holder in Billy Dib, we tend to look at his recent form – the word ‘recent’ used lightly – in more of a negative light than a positive one. His last fight was, in truth, not only a mismatch but a sign of where Khan was headed. In taking place in Saudi Arabia, it was an unashamed cash-grab and seemed to herald the winding down of a thrilling and, at times, brilliant professional career. It was a victory lap. An exhibition.

Nobody took issue with it because it was easy to forgive and understand. Khan, having given the sport so much, was now taking from it and would soon disappear, riding off into the sunset a rich man.

He did, too. He disappeared from the ring and appeared only on television as a celebrity, his wife by his side and gloves nowhere in sight.

At 35, he appeared content, both with what he had accomplished and what the future had in store. Two months ago, he was overweight and had no desire to train.

Only Kell Brook, he said, could change that.

Brook, meanwhile, also 35, may not have boxed at all last year, but did fight twice in 2020. That February he stopped Mark DeLuca in seven rounds, then in November he was broken down inside four by the great Terence Crawford, the last man to have beaten Khan. Defeat to Crawford, of course, is no great shame. Nor, it should be said, is it all that revealing in the context of Brook’s demise. (Crawford would have likely defeated Brook at any point in the Sheffield man’s 42-fight pro career and is, it could be argued, the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet right now.)

What was revealing about that defeat, however, was the inevitability of it and the speed with which Brook unravelled. Swift and conclusive, Brook came apart that night like a man who both expected it and, thanks to previous wars, feared it. He gave his all, as he

THEIR DAMAGE AND INACTIVITY HAVE MADE THEM MYSTERIES TO US ALL OVER AGAIN

JUL Khan beats David Bailey inside a round on pro debut AUG Khan v Brook mentioned for the first time in Boxing News JUL 2007 Khan rises to beat Commonwealth lightweight boss, Willie Limond

FEB Khan goes 12 for the first time, beating Gary St Clair JUN Brook beats Barrie Jones for vacant British welterweight title JUN Khan survives tougher than expected scrap with Michael Gomez

SEPT Colombia’s Breidis Prescott thrashes Khan in 54 seconds at the MEN Arena NOV Brook stops Kevin McIntyre in round one DEC Khan returns with two-round victory over Oisin Fagan

www.boxingnewsonline.net

UNKNOWN QUANTITY: Khan’s last outing was a mismatch in 2019 Photo: AL BELLO/GETTY IMAGES

always does, but seemed acutely aware of how much he had to offer, how much he had left, and how much prior defeats had stolen from him.

Interestingly, there was a similar feeling when Khan boxed Crawford in 2019. In that instance, Khan was floored in round one and played second fiddle to his American opponent throughout. He was not so much beaten up physically as tortured mentally, prevented from doing anything he wanted to do or had planned on doing. He then got out of the fight in the sixth round when a Crawford low blow left him unable to continue.

As brave a boxer as the UK has produced in years, there was never a question of Khan not fancying a fight that night. Yet it nevertheless made sense for him to take a clearly signposted exit as opposed to facing up to what by then appeared inevitable. Like Brook, he was conscious of his own limitations and tolerance to damage. He knew a career-ending fight when he saw one. He also knew the power of his brand and knew there was still money to be made in future fights. Easier fights. Fights he could pick.

Fights he could win. Three months later, Khan, 34-4 (21), was bullying Billy Dib in Jeddah and counting his money.

“He’s mugged the boxing game for as long as he can,” Brook, 39-3 (27), said. “It’s come to the stage now where he’s got nowhere else to go.

“He’s never been super-confident that he could beat me. If he had been, he would’ve got rid of me a long time ago.”

Whether a mugging or not, Khan’s Saudi Arabia adventure was short-lived. Come 2022, in fact, he would find himself preparing to fight Kell Brook while training alongside Terence Crawford, their common opponent, in Colorado Springs. Brook, forever sceptical, will call his foe’s about-turn one final bank raid. Khan, on the other hand, will call it one final roll of the dice.

“A couple of months ago I put on some weight and mentally I wasn’t prepared,” Bolton’s Khan said to the Daily Telegraph. “What prepared me to get back in the gym and train hard was Kell Brook. Everywhere I went I would hear that name. I thought, I’m going to do this fight and give him a good beating. That was my motivation. If it was another fight against somebody else it might have been a little bit

MAR Khan wipes away the remnants of Marco Antonio Barrera JUL Khan outscores Andriy Kotelnik, wins WBA light-welterweight strap.

On the undercard, Brook obliterates Michael Lomax

SEP Brook halts Michael Jennings in five rounds DEC Khan wins war with Marcos Maidana. Brook then calls out Khan

www.boxingnewsonline.net

JUN Brook taken the full 12

by Lovemore N’Dou. Khan publicly criticises Brook’s performance JUL Khan looks superb while stopping Zab Judah DEC Lamont Peterson scores big upset, beating Khan on points

MAR Brook outpoints Matt Hatton before Khan, on Twitter, makes accusations about Brook’s private life JUL Danny García wipes out Khan in four rounds OCT Khan and Brook have a slanging match on Sky Sports’ Ringside

APR Khan gets up off the canvas to decision Julio Díaz JUL Brook eases past Carson Jones in a rematch following struggle the year before OCT Brook blasts Vyacheslav Senchenko in four

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 21

KHAN vs BROOK

STORY OF THE FIGHT

Photo: GEORGE WOOD/GETTY IMAGES

SCEPTICAL: Brook thinks Khan is all about the money

MAY Khan drops Luis Collazo three times before winning on points AUG Brook takes IBF 147lb title from Shawn Porter SEP Brook survives machete attack in Tenerife DEC Khan dazzles against Devon Alexander

22 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

JAN Khan rules out fight with Brook MAR Brook returns to thrash Ionut Dan Ion in four MAY Khan outpoints gutsy Chris Algieri MAY Brook too good for Frankie Gavin, winning in the sixth

JAN Khan annoyed when Brook signs to fight Kevin Bizier in March MAY Khan knocked out cold by Canelo Álvarez SEPTEMBER Gennady Golovkin breaks Brook’s right eye socket en route to fifth round win

MAY Brook’s left eye socket fractured during defeat to Errol Spence Jnr

www.boxingnewsonline.net

READY: Khan says the Brook fight means everything, and he’s never felt so good Photo: NATHAN STIRK/GETTY IMAGES

different. But because it’s me and him and there’s bragging rights, it’s everything.”

One tell-tale sign with fighters who have seen better days is that inactivity tends to be viewed as a positive rather than a negative and is regarded as a freshening up period as opposed to something that will lead to ring rust. Khan sees his time off in much the same way, saying, “Normally you’d think with me getting older I wouldn’t be at my best, but I think those breaks I had between fights did me the world of good.

Mentally I’m nice and chilled and sharp and I’ve never felt so good.”

Without doubt, the last thing Kell Brook needed after being stopped by Terence Crawford was to be fighting again not long after. Similarly, Khan, someone also prone to punishing defeats, has often been at his best following a layoff and some regrouping.

The concern, though, is that the type of damage accrued by Khan and Brook throughout their respective careers is not the kind that can be remedied by time off work. Some of Khan’s knockout defeats have been hard to watch, while Khan himself has recently referenced the eye socket injuries Brook suffered in losses to Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jnr and expressed his own concerns. When not selling, he has said he is worried about Brook’s face holding up and has stressed he hopes both come away from the fight unscathed.

In that sense, he talks like a mature man now; a husband; a parent; a semi-retired fighter. They both do. It’s a shame, too, that the damage both carry into this fight was accumulated in fights they were warned against taking and took only due to the financial upside. A fight, for instance, against Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in the case of Amir Khan, and a fight against Gennady Golovkin in the case of Kell Brook. Both those stoppage defeats aged the two Brits more than they probably even know. They did, it’s true, also set them up for life.

If that was the pair’s goal from day one, and of course it should have been, it makes it all the more frustrating to think this fight didn’t happen before 2022, when it would have made them considerably more money. Not only that, if we accept both are money-driven and businessminded first and foremost, it should put our own

MAR Brook knocks out Sergey Rabchenko in two APR Khan stops Phil Lo Greco in one SEP Samuel Vargas drops Khan but loses decision DEC It is reported that Khan-Brook could happen in March 2019

‘THOSE BREAKS BETWEEN FIGHTS DID ME THE WORLD OF GOOD’ minds at ease when watching them punch each other on Saturday night. It should be a reminder that this is their decision, the decision of already rich men, and that these are their bodies and these are their brains. The risk therefore, given

APR Terence Crawford dominates Khan, winning in six JUL Farcical mismatch sees Khan demolish Billy Dib

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEB Brook knocks out Mark DeLuca in seven NOV Terence Crawford stops Brook in four rounds

all they know, and given the payout, is evidently one worth pursuing, one they have volunteered to take. Furthermore, it was one they have had ample time to weigh up and contemplate. And don’t we know it. bn

NOV Khan vs Brook confirmed for February 19, 2022

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 23

KHAN vs BROOK

THE PREDICTION

BREAKING DOWN

Because we don’t know how much either fighter has left Khan-Brook is almost impossible to call, writes Matt Christie ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ K H A N - B RO O K

AGE AND PHYSICAL EQUIPMENT IT is difficult to name another contest of this magnitude – a sold-out pay-per-view event – where both fighters were so far past their best.

The positive in that, some say, is that matching two 35-year-olds with significant miles on the clock makes it an even fight. Perhaps. It certainly makes it a fight that is hard to call. A dangerous fight, too.

As the showdown draws close, expect both Brook and Khan to claim they’re born again.

Already Khan has said he feels like he did when

he was in his mid-twenties. But replicating the form of their peaks inside a prize ring is frankly an impossible ask at this stage of their careers.

There might be just enough left to produce a stirring contest, however.

Inactive since July 2019, Khan has been unconvincing since he was torn from consciousness by the mighty right hand of the much bigger Canelo Álvarez in 2016. That sickening fall was the ninth of his professional career. That tally now stands at 11, after being dropped by Samuel Vargas in 2018 and Terence Crawford the following year. And it is Khan’s performance against Crawford that should be a cause for concern. Though his arms remained fast, his punches lacked snap. More worrying

VAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Khan has consistently faced top class opposition in a way his opponent has not Photo: NATHAN STIRK/GETTY IMAGE

were his feet; in spots, they were out of time with the rest of his body. Also, Khan underwent surgery in 2016 and 2019 to repair longstanding hand and elbow injuries.

Some will argue that Brook is the fresher of the two. Though he was stopped in four rounds by Crawford a year after Khan lasted until the sixth, he was briefly competitive in a way that Khan was not. But the torture his body has endured over the years makes for uncomfortable reading. For a large portion of his career, he did not ‘live the life’ and making weight has been a perennial struggle. Brook always looks gaunt and ludicrously unhealthy on the scales. That has to take a toll. He has survived a stabbing (2007) and a machete attack (2014) outside the ring. In an expedition to middleweight in September 2016, Brook’s right eye socket was broken by Gennady Golovkin.

In his next bout, back down at welterweight just eight months later, he somehow shed significant pounds before Errol Spence Jnr fractured the Briton’s left eye socket. His skull has been rebuilt – Brook calls himself “The Terminator” – but the psychological scars remain. Evidence of such could be seen as Kell instinctively (and understandably) turned and covered his face when Crawford attacked in 2020.

The winner of this contest, then, may not be the best fighter but the least damaged.

STRENGTHS At his best – likely back in 2014 during highly impressive victories over Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander – Khan was a supremely fast and dangerous technician. He could bang with authority and, when he retained his focus, box to orders in a manner that left his rivals beaten and befuddled. Brook has long called Khan ‘amateurish’ due to the way he jumps in and out of range. However, when executed with care (and it isn’t always) it is a very effective style.

Khan’s chin will always have a bad reputation but when referencing that, one must also point to his immense courage and will to win. The 11 knockdowns he’s endured came in eight contests. In four of them, he regained his balance and won the fight. Perhaps the greatest nod to his warrior spirit came in 2010 when he remained standing throughout a hellacious slugfest with Marcos Maidana and emerged with his arms raised.

Finally, while consistently fighting at the top level, Khan has been educated by some of the best trainers in the world. Oliver Harrison, Freddie Roach, Virgil Hunter, Joe Goossen, Bones Adams and now Brian McIntyre have imparted their wisdom into Khan’s ears.

The peak Brook was a brilliant boxer-puncher who could switch stances effortlessly and effectively. His standout performance came in 2014 when, on away soil, he outpointed a very

24 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

good Shawn Porter. However, while Khan can choose from fighters like Maidana, Alexander, Collazo and Zab Judah when it comes to naming his finest hour, Brook’s list starts and ends with Porter. Regardless, it is arguably the best victory either can boast.

Like Khan, Brook has proved his toughness numerous times. Though below par, he gutted it out to get past Carson Jones in 2012 and, even though he lost, nobody can criticise his efforts against Golovkin and Spence.

Brook’s desire to get this fight with Khan must also be seen as a strength here. While I don’t believe Khan was running from Brook, there can be no doubt he was less interested. Khan has been on Brook’s mind for a long, long time and that could manifest itself in the kind of determination required to win a hard fight.

Brook also appears to be the harder puncher.

Just under 70 per cent of his victories came inside schedule, with plenty by way of a onepunch finish. Throw in Khan’s perceived frailties and Kell’s power could be a significant factor.

Terence Crawford, a brilliant fighter who has beaten both Amir and Kell. McIntyre studied Brook carefully in 2020 before plotting the gameplan that saw Kell stopped in four rounds.

Dominic Ingle is again Brook’s trainer. He has known Brook since the boxer was nine years old.

He will be acutely aware of Kell’s ability at this stage and formulate a plan to get the best from him. Ingle will know Khan well, too. Over the years, Dominic has said Brook has the beating of him, stating it for the first time in 2005.

THE OUTCOME This can be no more than guesswork. Neither man will know for sure how their bodies will react in combat. This contest could end at any moment due to a punch or injury. It is also plausible that it could be scrappy in the extreme, and goes the full 12, as neither fighter manages to find their range or rhythm.

So how will the story end? The long and

winding narrative to this point suggests Khan has the upper hand. From the start of the rivalry, he dictated the terms and conditions. Eager for attention and respect, all Brook could ever do was give chase. Khan’s focus was often elsewhere but he never wasted an opportunity to put Kell in his place. With all that in mind, Khan may always have been destined to be a thorn in Brook’s side.

It would be cruel if Brook, after waiting for so long to do battle, is simply too damaged to do so.

However, the feeling – and it is nothing more than a feeling – is that Khan is the more faded of the two. And that Brook will engineer an opening in the first half of the bout, maybe as early as round three or four, that drops and ultimately stops a battle-worn Amir.

This is fascinating in many ways. Maybe Khan and Brook can produce something resembling the contest we yearned for several years ago.

Regardless, we hope that both warriors settle their feud with their health intact.

WEAKNESSES Khan’s punch resistance will not have improved and Brook’s lingering doubts about the cracks in his skull will surely remain. Training camp for both will unquestionably have been an almighty slog, too. The contracted catchweight of 149lbs won’t be easy for either to make.

Khan’s desire to stand and fight has been a blessing and a curse. It created one of the most exciting fighters this country has ever produced.

At the same time, it has made certain fights that appear simple on paper – like Michael Gomez, Julio Díaz and Samuel Vargas – significantly harder than they needed to be. His gung-ho attitude played a part in more than one of his defeats, too.

Against Crawford in 2019, Khan was showing signs of fading reflexes and reactions. Some may say that his two-and-a-half year break from the ring has done him good. In truth, it has merely prevented him from taking any further punishment. It is unlikely he will be a better fighter at the age of 35 than he was at 32. The same applies to Brook, of course.

Though every inch an ‘Ingle fighter’ he was never as elusive as, say, Herol Graham or Johnny Nelson. Brook used to take more chances – and punches – while looking to land his own blows. Logic dictates that his advancing years will only make him more hittable. It is perfectly conceivable that he will be outboxed or overcome as he goes looking for the KO finish.

TRAINING TEAMS Brook has criticised Khan for joining up with Brian McIntyre – “BoMac” – in America, suggesting he is unsettled. It could yet be a masterstroke. Khan has been training alongside

www.boxingnewsonline.net

LONG TIME COMING: Brook has been calling for Khan since 2005 Photo: JUSTIN SETTERFIELD/ GETTY IMAGES

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 25

KHAN vs BROOK

THE UNDERCARD

RISK-TAKER: Natasha Jonas is moving up to super-welterweight Photo: DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM

MUST WIN

Natasha Jonas has a third shot at a belt she craves and Olympic star Frazer Clarke goes pro on the Khan-Brook undercard, writes John Dennen ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ U N D E RC A R D

N

ATASHA JONAS needs some silverware. The Liverpudlian was the first female British boxer to qualify for an Olympic Games. She was one of the élite talents to come out of the GB programme. A quality professional she was unfortunate to be held to a draw by Terri Harper for an alphablet super-featherweight belt and she also pushed Irish star Katie Taylor close.

Well-supported, talented, an Olympian who’s

26 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

fought the best available opposition, despite all that her career still would feel somehow incomplete if it finished without her winning one of the significant belts. But at 37, Jonas is running out of time.

That’s why, as a natural super-feather or lightweight, she’s gambling by leaping up to super-welterweight to box for the vacant WBO strap at the Manchester Arena on Saturday (February 19). To complicate the risk calculation, a replacement opponent was confirmed with just over a week left to go as Chris Namús came in for Ewa Piatkowska. Namús hasn’t won since 2019 and Jonas is yet to fight in this weight class.

A curious ‘world title’ fight, then.

Namús is a Uruguayan who’s been operating

at super-welter since 2017. She has boxed good opposition too, losing to then welterweight champion Cecilia Brækhus over 10 rounds in 2016 and was outpointed by leading superwelter Marie-Ève Dicaire. But Namús has also lost to poor opposition. Her most recent fight was in 2020 against Ema Kozin, who was in the UK earlier this month to box Claressa Shields. The latter is the middleweight champion and while Kozin was a hefty underdog, her challenge was still underwhelming. She appeared unambitious and let Shields dominate proceedings. Jonas will have noted too that Namús’ two most recent defeats both came against southpaws like her.

Despite being more accustomed to the weight, Namús is only fractionally taller than

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Photo: MIGUEL ROJO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Jonas. Natasha does have good punch power at those lighter weights, whether she will carry that power up with her remains to be seen. Namús is likely to have heavier hands and Jonas has been stopped before, caught out by Viviane Obenauf back in 2018. The Briton will want to rely on her footwork and southpaw skills to outbox Namús.

But she should be able to win a points decision.

“Nothing’s changed for me,” Jonas said. “She’s still a tall and rangy opponent and probably more attack-minded than Piatkowska from what I’ve seen. They’re very similar in stature and how they box. But it’s all about me and what I do.

“It’s a disadvantage to me that she’s a natural middleweight, but it’s an advantage for me that she’s had short notice for the fight. This fight is all about me executing my game plan more than me worrying about hers.”

One of the stars to emerge from the Olympic Games, Frazer Clarke will make his professional debut on the bill. The big man from Burton spent years on the international amateur circuit. He amassed a wealth of experience going to every major amateur tournament and was also a force in the World Series of Boxing, the quasi-pro league that saw élite amateurs boxing in ferocious five-rounders. That is a good grounding for his future as a pro.

The highlight of his career was winning an Olympic super-heavyweight bronze medal. He was GB Boxing’s captain at the Tokyo Games and was an indefatigable presence in the Kokugikan arena throughout the tournament, roaring on his team-mates to success from the stands, a key part of the side that secured British boxing’s largest Olympic medal haul in 100 years.

Clarke has a well-rounded skillset and he packs a heavy punch. He’ll certainly have a role to play in the heavyweight scene over the years to come.

On the last Boxxer-promoted show in

SHORT NOTICE: Chris Namús stepped in at the 11th hour to fight Natasha Jonas

Cardiff, it was the English title fight between Sam Antwi and Conah Walker that proved the most thrilling of the night. Charlie Schofield and Germaine Brown will hope to emulate that when they fight for the English supermiddleweight championship. Scofield has only lost once in 18 fights, a points reverse Mickey Ellison that Scofield avenged in an immediate rematch. Brown is a perfect 11-0 and has fought the higher level of opposition, beating Dmitrii Chudinov in Minsk. He made his last bout against unheralded Ondrej Buder harder than it needed to be but could have the edge in this well-matched contest with Schofield.

Bradley Rea is only 23 years old and has a knack for delivering excitement. He came through a thrilling fight with Jez Smith last time

out and the Stretford middleweight meets fellow unbeaten Craig McCarthy in a scheduled eight-rounder. Rea should be able to continue his momentum with another victory here.

After boxing in Tijuana, Dubai and Las Vegas, cruiserweight Viddal Riley has his first pro bout in the UK on this bill. Riley is known as the trainer of youtuber KSI and for building up his own following on the platform. But he’s always been a good boxer, representing West Ham ABC in his successful amateur career. He takes on 39-year-old veteran, Wilbeforce Shihepo (who has lost to Arthur Abraham and Callum Johnson in the past), over six rounds.

Hassan and Adam Azim, brothers just starting out in their professional careers, get runs out on the bill too.

WELL-MATCHED: Germaine Brown could have the edge against Shofield Photo: JACQUES FEENEY/GETTY IMAGES

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 27

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

CLOSE CALL John Ryder gets the decision and a precious victory over Danny Jacobs in London

MUSWELL HILL

F E B RUA RY 1 2 ★★★★★ MAIN EVENT ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ U N D E RC A R D ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

F John Dennen

@BoxingNewsJD RINGSIDE

OR John Ryder, when he edged out Danny Jacobs on a split decision at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, it was the fairy-tale victory he’d

been waiting for.

The Islington fighter was the underdog against an American star and for John this was a triumph against the odds.

It comes after his long road through a hard career that’s seen him lose close fights with the likes of Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith but also rack up a sequence of impressive performances

to earn a shot at a big-name opponent.

That finally arrived when Jacobs came to the UK for this 12-round clash.

For much of the first half of fight, Jacobs served up a reminder of his quality. After all, he’d given Gennady Golovkin plenty of problems when they fought in 2017 and had been a worthy opponent for Canelo Álvarez. In Ryder’s hometown, Jacobs seized the ascendancy from the start, moving deftly from side to side, firing swift, straight jabs into the target. Thudding crosses stopped Ryder from closing in, allowing Jacobs to take control of the first half of the contest.

But he didn’t close Ryder out of the fight. Instead the English southpaw managed to cuff shots at Jacobs when they were up close. Ryder exploded to life in the seventh round, catching up to

Jacobs, hurting him when he dug stern left crosses through. The American tied him up in clinches, no longer looking to manhandle the smaller man but trying to stem John’s attacks as he pushed forward.

In another miscalculation Jacobs switched southpaw time after time in the second half of the fight. If he intended it to throw Ryder off, he was mistaken. The American opened himself up to John’s attacks and Ryder seized his opportunities to land shots, his clubbing right hook effective.

What had begun with Jacobs seemingly in cruise control ended as a close fight. The decision was split, two judges, Jean-Robert Laine and Mike Fitzgerald, scoring 115-113 for Ryder and one, Marcus McDonnell, by the same margin for Jacobs. Boxing News similarly finished with Jacobs two rounds ahead. That

‘I’VE GOT THE CAREERDEFINING WIN THAT’S EVADED ME SO LONG’

FAIR RESULT? Ryder celebrates in the ring as a disgusted Jacobs storms away

28 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

TIDE TURNING: Jacobs loses what appeared complete control as Ryder raids up close Photos: MARK ROBINSON/ MATCHROOM

makes the American unlucky. He is right to feel aggrieved, although the decision wasn’t an outrage. It was close. After starting so well, Jacobs let Ryder back into the fight and build momentum.

“When I’ve had these big nights, I feel like I’ve been on the wrong end of them.

So tonight is my night and I’m going to enjoy it, I’m going to take it in, embrace it and remember it for the rest of my life,” Ryder said. “I’ve got the career-defining win that’s evaded me for so long.

“I’ve joined an élite club now that I’ve beat Danny Jacobs. Take the [Dmitry] Pirog fight out of it, he’s been beaten on points by Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Álvarez and myself now.”

Steve Gray refereed.

Ryder was quick to pay tribute to his trainer Tony Sims, who had a successful evening. He also guided his middleweight Felix Cash through a tricky encounter with Magomed Madiev. Cash recovered well from a hellacious left hook that dropped him to the canvas in the second round. Under pressure in that round, the man from Wokingham saw out the danger. Repeated jabs kept the

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Russian at bay and Cash began to catch him with hard rights. More mobile on his feet, Felix built up an unassailable lead.

But Madiev had him in desperate trouble in the 10th and last round. With another booming shot he put Felix over again.

Cash was hurt. He had to survive the round. Wrapping Madiev up in clinches saw referee Mark Lyson deduct a point but it was enough to get Cash through.

Cash took a unanimous win, 95-92 for Yury Koptsev and Robert Tapper and 94-93 for John Latham.

Catford’s Ellie Scotney underperformed against Jorgelina Guanini. When Scotney stepped off and made space for her work, she landed clean shots. But with a bad cut opening over her left eye in the third round, too often she let the Argentine bustle forward and look the busier with scrappy combinations. Scotney won a unanimous decision after 10 rounds, 96-94 for JeanRobert Laine and Marcus McDonnell and 95-94 for Mike Fitzgerald. Steve Gray refereed. Still only 23, Scotney is capable of much more.

Johnny Fisher made a spectacular

HARD NIGHT: Cash outpoints Madiev [above] while Scotney struggles past Guanini [left]

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 29

ACTION

SUNDAY SCHOOL

SPITEFULL: Pattinson works with pace, variety and timing to win

Three of four new starts victorious BIRMINGHAM F E B RUA RY 1 3 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW

entrance with a legion of fans singing and cheering him into the ring.

Going into just his fifth pro fight the “Romford Bull” has become a ticketselling phenomenon. But he is a novice heavyweight. He didn’t find it easy to catch Spain’s Gabriel Enguema on the end of his jabs. He put his weight behind the right hands he swung, though too often they were inaccurate. Nevertheless he landed enough to win the six-rounder clearly, 59-55 for referee Mark Bates.

Alnwick’s Cyrus Pattinson settled quickly into his bout with Evgenii Vazem. The Russian backed off, moving from side to side as Pattinson looked to mark him out with southpaw jabs. Cyrus found his range and attacked the body, spiteful right hooks scoring along Vazem’s ribs. The visitor felt those, tucking his elbows in tight as he sucked up air and his movement slowed. Pattinson varied his work from the body to the head well, slipping Vazem’s cross and countering with a hard left. Vazem had to rely on his toughness make it to the final bell, clearly losing 60-54 for referee Marcus McDonnell after six rounds.

Hopey Price was too tall, too sharp and too powerful for fellow southpaw Ricardo Roman. In the first round he sent long straight lefts streaking into the Mexican, and blasted a thumping cross down to knock Roman into the canvas.

He continued to batter his opponent,

30 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

dropping Roman again in the fourth round. He rose only for Price’s continued assault to force referee Mark Bates to end it moments later, at 1-09.

London’s Shiloh Defreitas teed off on Alexey Tukhtarov, landing combinations, clipping the Russian with left hooks but he did not shake up the determined journeyman. Defreitas took a 60-54 points win after six rounds for referee Mark Bates.

American southpaw Austin Williams chopped Javier Francisco Maciel off his feet with a left hook in the first round.

In the sixth of a scheduled eight rounds, a flush left put the Argentine down again. Williams unleashed fast punches, wobbling Maciel on the ropes and prompting referee Marcus McDonnell to stop him at 1-02. bn THE VERDICT Jacobs can count himself unlucky, but this was still a close fight.

A SHOW is no longer seemingly a show unless it includes a liberal sprinkling of debutants and this Sunday evening offering at Edgbaston’s H-Suite was certainly no exception with no less than four new starts occupying the six home berths.

First debutant up after Burford’s Tom Brennan had opened proceedings with a 39-37 success at the culmination of a decent tussle with Brummie Josh Hodgins was Exeter welter Shannon Willey who duly handed Blackburn’s experienced Naeem Ali an 80th career defeat, referee Mr Messer, who also oversaw the opener, having him ahead 40-37 at the finish.

Already trailing, the Blackburn man wasn’t helped when a clash of heads early in the third left him with damage to the bridge of the nose though it certainly fired him up and that penultimate session proved the closest of the bout.

Wolverhampton-based Italian Traian Tudosache (essentially a home boxer) had drawn his only previous outing so probably no real surprise that he should turn in by far the best performance the away corner saw all evening, contributing to a highly entertaining four against Walsall first-timer Darnell Duut and fully meriting a 38-38 share of the spoils on the card of Chris Dean.

Kings Norton’s Connor Goodchild conceded both height and weight to Warminster’s experienced Paul Cummings but it mattered not, a series of combinations upstairs along with a few decent right uppercuts ensured it was he who secured the 40-36 verdict of referee Messer whilst there was a 39-37 win from Mr Dean for Worcester’s Ameen Khalid who, after having a previous debut cancelled when the opponent failed to show up, got the better of still winless Swindon-based Romanian, Constantin Radoi.

West Bromwich light-heavyweight Josh Stokes, who returned recently after a long spell of inactivity, brought down the curtain with a one-sided 40-36 win over Croatia’s Stanko Jermelic who, circling throughout, switched stance to little effect.

Chris Dean was the third man.

F U L L R E S U LT S

F U L L R E S U LT S

John Ryder (167lbs), 31-5 (17), w pts 12 Danny Jacobs (166½lbs), 37-4 (30); Felix Cash (159½lbs), 15-0 (10), w pts 10 Magomed Madiev (159lbs) 15-1-2 (4); Ellie Scotney (121¼lbs), 4-0, w pts 10 Jorgelina Guanini (119½lbs), 9-4-2 (1); Austin Williams (161¼lbs), 10-0 (8), w rsf 6 Javier Francisco Maciel (166¼lbs), 33-16 (23); Hopey Price (125lbs), 7-0 (3), w rsf 4 Ricardo Roman (124¼lbs), 14-13 (5); Cyrus Pattinson (150¼lbs), 3-0 (1), w pts 6 Evgenii Vazem (150½lbs), 9-22 (4); Shiloh Defreitas (143½lbs), 3-0 (2), w pts 6 Alexey Tukhtarov (143¼lbs), 4-24-6 (3).

Tom Brennan (156 1/2lbs), 3-2, w pts 4 Josh Hodgins (160lbs 2oz), 0-12; Josh Stokes (178 1/2lbs), 6-0 (2), w pts 4 Stanko Jermelic (173lbs 10oz), 0-14; Ameen Khalid (133 1/4lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Constantin Radoi (133 3/4lbs), 0-5; Connor Goodchild (151lbs 2oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Paul Cummings (155lbs 2oz), 2-56-1; Shannon Willey (150lbs 10oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Naeem Ali (158lbs 14oz), 2-80-1 (1); Darnell Duut (148lbs), 0-0-1, d pts 4 Traian Tudosache (139 1/4lbs), 0-0-2.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

ACTION

SPECTACULAR Dignum wrecks Dennis while McGregor hits a bump in the road, writes Daniel Herbert from ringside

BETHNAL GREEN F E B RUA RY 1 1 ★★★★★ MAIN EVENT ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ U N D E RC A R D ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

DANNY DIGNUM took a while to find his rhythm and range but when he did, he spectacularly dismantled Grant Dennis for a sixth-round stoppage at York Hall.

This 10-rounder topped the MTK Global show and saw Dignum retain his WBO European middleweight trinket.

That in itself might not mean much but it keeps the Bowers Gifford (Essex) southpaw on course for an alphabet body eliminator.

Yet in the early going such ambitions seemed in doubt as Dennis’ movement and hand speed troubled Dignum, who followed him around the ring but couldn’t quite catch up.

Chatham’s Dennis took the first two rounds and in the third added to Dignum’s woes by cutting him on the left eye with a good right. Danny responded

by taking that session and the fourth, courtesy of an improved output, but when Dennis edged the fifth it put him a round up at the halfway mark.

However Dennis had expended a lot of energy – and when Dignum stepped on the gas in round six, the fight changed completely. Solid combinations had the Kent man backing up, cut on the right eye, and down three times, with referee Bob Williams calling a halt after the third count.

Time was 2-31 and unrequired judges were Marcus McDonnell, Terry O’Connor and Phil Edwards.

Another 10-rounder saw Edinburgh’s Lee McGregor fail to win for the first time as a pro when held to a draw by Argentina’s Diego Ruiz. Referee Kieran McCann scored 95-95, suggesting five rounds apiece. I had it 96-94 McGregor, but several rounds were close and level pegging was a reasonable interpretation.

McGregor has accumulated the British, Commonwealth and European bantam belts in just 11 fights, but this non-title bout was up at super-bantam and the Scot didn’t look as sharp as usual.

And Ruiz, who two years ago lasted in the ninth against Michael Conlan at

Photo: WARREN LITTLE/GETTY IMAGES

DISMANTLED: Dignum steppped up a gear in the sixth to beat Dennis

F U L L R E S U LT S Danny Dignum (159 1/4lbs), 14-0-1 (8), w rsf 6 Grant Dennis (159lbs 9oz), 17-4 (3); Lee McGregor (121lbs 5oz), 11-0-1 (9), drew 10 Diego Alberto Ruiz (122lbs 3oz), 23-4-1 (12); Paul Ryan (155lbs 2oz), 3-0 (2), w rsf 1 CJ Wood (157 1/4lbs), 3-2-2 (1); Jordan Flynn (137lbs 3oz), 4-0, w pts 6 Marian Marius Istrate (135 1/2lbs), 3-12; George Mitchell (160lbs), 3-0 (1), w pts 4 Vasif Mamedov (160lbs 3oz), 2-10-2; Joe Giles (170lbs 3oz), 2-0, w pts 4, Lewis van Poetsch (180lbs), 9-138-2 (2); Bilal Fawaz (154lbs 5oz), 1-0 (1), w rsf 3 Vladimir Fleischhauer (153lbs 5oz), 1-13.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

featherweight, is a quality operator. He showed defensive skill backed by a sound chin and good movement. He went onto the front foot at times, landing enough to bruise and swell Lee’s face.

The Scot advanced steadily throughout, doing his best work with body shots and uppercuts – yet Ruiz’s handspeed enabled him to find gaps.

McGregor bloodied Ruiz’s nose in the fourth, only for the Argentinian to return the favour by cutting Lee under the right eye in the fifth. It was that sort of fight, with the fighters taking turns to have a good spell before ceding the initiative.

It seemed McGregor’s persistent body work might have tipped things his way, but it was not to be.

Former English national amateur champion Bilal Fawaz finally made his professional debut and showed no mercy to Vladimir Fleischhauer, stopping the Russian in the third of their superwelterweight four-rounder.

Kilburn’s Fawaz, trafficked to the UK as a child and for years held back by red tape, has no time to waste – and didn’t waste any here. He took a good look for two rounds before opening up in the third to land a dozen hard lefts and rights. With Fleischhauer’s head being jolted time and again, referee McCann rescued him at 1-41.

Oxford lightweight Jordan Flynn, trained by former world title challenger Kevin Mitchell, opened the show with a six-round points win over gritty Spainbased Romanian Marian Marius Istrate. Referee Chas Coakley scored 59-55 to Flynn.

Another six ended at just 2-26 of the first round as southpaw Dublin superwelter Paul Ryan stopped CJ Wood (Middlesbrough). An onslaught put Wood down in the first half-minute and when a left hook to the body dropped him for a second eight count, referee Coakley waved it off.

Two four-rounders produced 40-36 points wins for popular young unbeatens with “Gorgeous” George Mitchell beating Vasif Mamedov at middleweight for Mr McCann and supermiddle Joe Giles defeating Lewis van Poetsch for referee Coakley.

Mitchell, from St Albans, used his height and reach advantages to bloody the Russian’s nose, while Wickford’s Giles also made good use of his long limbs as he outboxed Lydney journeyman Van Poetsch, who was sprightlier than usual.

THE VERDICT Dignum stays on course but the talented McGregor fails to impress.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 31

ACTION

CLARET: Both men were bloodied in a close fight, won by Billy Allington on a split decision Photo: PHILIP SHARKEY

BRENTWOOD F E B RUA RY 1 2 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

IT was always going to be close. The eight-round draw they shared in Bolton last year showed that. And so it proved.

With nervous anticipation, Bolsover’s Essex-born Jamie Robinson and Egham’s Southern Area champion Billy Allington waited for MC Jonathan Millard (a finalist in Matchroom’s 2018 Search for an MC competition) to announce the decision. It was split.

Lee Every scored 97-94 for Robinson.

Terry O’Connor liked Allington by the same score. The deciding vote, 97-93 from Phil Edwards, was for “the new English super-lightweight champion, Billeeee Allington.”

It was Allington’s constant movement and variety that caught the eye. After a cagey opener, Billy landed uppercuts on a more static Robinson. However, the “Ginger Rocket” improved, bringing a roar from his supporters in the fourth and blood from Allington’s nose in the fifth.

Neither man would take a backwards step and Billy showed the signs of battle by the eighth as blood seeped from a wound near his left optic. Robinson’s work-rate dropped alarmingly in the ninth and Allington’s engine saw him home for a deserved victory. Bob Williams refereed.

When both Jack Martin and Rainham’s Liam Wells’ opponents dropped out through injury, promoter Lee Eaton suggested they fight each other. Admirably, and without hesitation, both agreed to put their unbeaten records on the line.

The pair unloaded explosive headshots from the off as each tried get the upper hand, however it was Southminster’s Martin who drove Wells to the ropes in round two with crashing shots to his jaw. Liam was down for a count soon after and, at the start of the third, he was stopped on his feet. Trialist referee Sean McAvoy ending matters at 1-11. Lee Every was the unused scoring referee.

The same pairing oversaw Boy Jones (Chingford) comfortably notch a 60-54 verdict over shaven-headed Stockport

THE ONLY WAY IS ALLINGTON Billy wins English belt atop entertaining small hall show, writes Philip Sharkey from ringside

F U L L R E S U LT S Billy Allington (139lbs), 10-1-3, w pts 10 Jamie Robinson (139lbs), 11-5-2 (3); Jack Martin (153lbs), 8-1 (3), w rsf 3 Liam Wells (155lbs), 4-1; Ellis Zorro (201lbs), 11-0 (6), w ko 1 Ossie Jervier (198lbs), 6-19 (5); Boy Jones (139lbs), 19-4-1 (8), w pts 6 Jamie Quinn (138lbs), 8-123-2; Lenny Fuller (149 lbs), 11-1 (1), w pts 6 Petar Aleksandrov (150lbs), 3-16 (2); Bradley Haxell (130lbs), 5-0, w pts 4 Sam Melville (136lbs), 1-2; Alfie Winter (153lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Kevin McCauley (160lbs), 15-222-12; Lewis Southgate (126lbs), 1-0 (1), w rsf 2 Mohammed Al Warith (125lbs), 0-2; Franklin Ignatius (235lbs), 3-0 (1), w pts 4 Luke Batstone (226lbs) 0-1; Charlie Wise (117 lbs), 1-0, w pts 4 Reiss Taylor (118lbs), 3-14 (1).

32 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

centurian, Jamie Quinn. On leaving the ring Jones was heard to remark what an awkward chap Quinn is to fight, as he bettered a four-round draw the pair had in 2015.

Although winning 60-53 on Lee Every’s scorepad, Maidstone’s Lenny Fuller made hard work of Petar Aleksandrov.

Starting slowly after a near two-year hiatus, a meaty left hook staggered the Bulgarian visitor back to the ropes, where a sustained burst of body shots put him down just before the bell to end the fifth.

A fourth six-threes ended after just 76 seconds, with Bob Williams counting out Willesden trier Ossie Jervier in his own corner after being on the receiving end of unanswered right hands from unbeaten Bromley Cruiser Ellis Zorro.

Jervier rose from the canvas to uncover a very large puddle of crimson that had poured from his left eyebrow.

In a free swinging affair, Bradley Haxell gained win number five over six pounds heavier Sam Melville. A knockdown following a right hand clip saw the Marple man take an eight-count, he was up at “three” to confirm Mr Every’s mark of a 60-53 verdict to the Maidstone fighter.

Priority Promotions’ well-attended evening also featured four debuts.

Starting in the away corner, Wednesbury’s tall Luke Batstone acquitted himself well. I witnessed many punters giving him a well-deserved pat on the back as the venue emptied. Lee Every, however, adjudging Dagenham heavyweight Franklin Ignatious a 39-38 winner after a lively contest.

Charlie Wise found Reiss Taylor a difficult target as the diminutive Brummie ducked so low he was often level with the second rope. Mr Williams handing the Hove newbie a 40-36 tick. Another Maidstone boy got off to a dream start when Lewis Southgate thumped in heavy hands as he forced Sean McAvoy to step in after 2-01 of the second to save Liverpool’s Mohammed Al Warith.

The McAvoy/Williams pairing rewarded Guildford’s Alfie Winter a 40-36 shut-out over teak-tough circuit favourite Kevin McCauley. It’s never easy to shine against the heavier Stourbridge veteran, but Winter will be one to watch with Kevin Mitchell in his corner and respected boxing PR guru Richard Maynard selecting him for his first managerial signing.

THE VERDICT A terrific small hall show; nobody came to just survive, all were here to win.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

ACTION

CH-CH CHANGES It ain’t over til the Fat Ballerina succumbs, writes Andy Whittle from ringside

SHEFFIELD F E B RUA RY 1 2 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

LATE changes and withdrawals to an already fairly mediocre looking card resulted in a truncated and decidedly low-key affair at Ponds Forge Arena.

Conisbrough heavyweight David Allen disappeared from the bill at the eleventh hour as did Sheffield’s Muheeb Fazeldin while Rotherham’s bill-topping heavy Kash Ali, initially set for a 10-round outing, instead found himself in over six against a three-fight Halifax novice.

The self-proclaimed “Fat Ballerina” Rhys Kaney was the opponent. He had just a pair of victories to his name and was having only his second outing since early 2018.

Kash duly triumphed, as expected, with just 34 seconds of the bout remaining, the towel coming in after the Halifax man, his nose badly bloodied but never really previously looking in any real danger, had been floored twice in quick succession.

It wasn’t Kash’s best performance, he’ll doubtless be the first to admit, and he

seemed to spend too long looking to Richard Towers in the corner for approval rather than just getting on with the job in hand. That said, a win is a win and hopefully next time it’ll be back to 10 rounds against better quality opposition.

The evening’s only other early finish came in a scheduled six between popular local lightweight Keanen Wainwright, nicknamed “The Wolf” and urged on by several mask-wearing, howling supporters, and Birmingham’s Sean Davis who, dazed and down in front of his own corner, was counted out 70 seconds into the third by referee Mr Brook.

Southpaw Wainwright had taken the opener while the next had been closer, but there had certainly been nothing to suggest an early finish might be on the cards prior to the short left-right combination that sent the former English super-bantamweight champion in slowmotion to the canvas.

A four against heavier opposition saw Sheffield cruiser Perry Howe bounce back from a stoppage loss to outpoint Rotherham’s winless Christian Donfack Adjoufack 39-37. It wasn’t pretty and offered precious little for the connoisseur to admire, with holding from the tired pair increasingly the norm.

FULL R E S U LT S Kash Ali (249 1/4lbs), 21-1 (12), w rsf 6 Rhys Kaney (254 1/4lbs), 2-2 (1); Tommy Hodgson (138lbs 2oz), 4-0, w pts 6 Lee Connelly (141lbs 6oz), 7-69-6; Keanen Wainwright (139lbs), 7-1 (4), w ko 3 Sean Davis (139lbs 5oz), 14-19; Zak Miller (129lbs 3oz), 8-0 (2), w pts 6 Cristian Narvaez (133lbs), 16-34-6 (1); Perry Howe (197 1/4lbs), 4-1-1 (1), w pts 4 Christian Donfack Adjoufack (212 1/2lbs), 0-6; Conner Daubney (156lbs 6oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Dale Arrowsmith (156 1/4lbs), 3-53-2 (1); Matty Heppenstall (176lbs 6oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Ryan Hibbert (183lbs 1oz), 2-18 (1); Zane Clark (162lbs 3oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Genadij Krajevskij (168lbs), 0-27.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

DISTRACTED: Ali celebrates but he can be so much better

A fourth successive win came the way of talented North Shields operator Tommy Hodgson who was adjudged a 59-55 winner over Derbyshire’s Lee Connelly by referee Howard Foster after six watchable rounds. Connelly say’s he’ll call it a day when he gets to a hundred bouts and this was number 82. He still regularly puts a shift in as was the case here, providing a great learning fight for Tommy who is one to watch.

Liverpool’s Genadij Krajevskij, winless in 26 going into his supermiddleweight bout against Sheffield new start Zane Clark, can sometimes be guilty of just fiddling his way through with an eye on things to come but that certainly wasn’t the case here. In what was the best I’d seen him box, he proved increasing up for it, having conceded the opener, and gave as good as he got before losing out by the narrowest of margins, referee Mr Brook scoring 39-38.

Another day he might have sneaked a draw. More of the same please.

Another local first-timer, super-welter Conner Daubney, got off to a winning start against experienced opposition in the shape of Hyde’s Dale Arrowsmith, referee Mr Foster awarding him all four rounds. Daubney, nicknamed “The Dog” and with John Fewkes in the corner, found the target with a trio of right uppercuts in the opener and busy behind the jab was well worth his victory.

A third debutant Barnsley light-heavy Matty Heppenstall was another to benefit from a 40-36 Howard Foster decision after bossing proceedings throughout against Irlam journeyman Ryan Hibbert.

Matty had an easy night and, mixing things up nicely from the off, never looked in danger of slipping up, a steady stream of left hooks saw him well ahead going into the last and a three-shot salvo merely emphasised his authority.

The same Doncaster official credited decent Ashton-under-Lyme puncher Zak Miller with a 60-54 victory against a regular visitor in the shape of Nicaragua’s Cristian Narvaez.

Up against it throughout, Narvaez moaned about a low blow in the second when the shot was actually quite legal and he earned a few moments respite in the next while a loose bootlace was tied.

Falling victim to an increasing number of glancing rights and uppercuts when he ducked low, which was often, Cristian was well beaten.

THE VERDICT Kash has to bide his time and it’s left to Wolf Wainwright to supply the fireworks.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 33

Photo

ACTION

HARDING BACK WITH A WIN TO LW O RT H F E B RUA RY 1 2 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

OUT of the ring for 16 months, John Harding Jnr punched out a clear win over Padiham’s Seamus Devlin at Tolworth Leisure Centre. Referee Kieran McCann scored the four-rounder 40-36, which was fair but didn’t reflect Devlin’s contribution. Devlin came to fight, and scored with counters as Harding came in.

Harding (New Cross) used his height and reach advantages effectively but the only time Devlin looked under pressure was in the third, when Harding got close, worked the body and denied Devlin room to hit back. Otherwise Devlin kept on the move and countered stubbornly.

It was Harding’s first outing since losing an English middleweight title bid to Linus Udofia in October 2020. Devlin lost for the 18th time in a row – but he’s several grades above your normal “serial loser.”

Nine more four-rounders completed the bill.

In the official top-liner, Sutton’s Aaron Prospere made it three straight wins by outscoring Russian Rustem Fatkhullin, referee Chas Coakley scoring 40-36.

The loser played his part, hitting back as Prospere pressed forward. Prospere was always more solid, and more on target but the visitor never looked in any danger.

The one early finish came courtesy of heavyweight debutant Alfie Porter (Brixton), who halted Bulgaria’s Mladen Manev in 19 seconds of round two.

Looking much bigger, Porter took control from the outset, landing solidly with both hands. A right to the body had a delayed effect, Manev sinking down moments later, and Porter was on to him as soon as referee McCann completed the eightcount. The bell came to Manev’s rescue, but Porter opened up at the start of the second and finally Manev went down by the ropes – the towel came in, and Mr McCann signalled the end.

Another first-timer, Northampton’s popular Yousuf Ibrahim, scored the only other knockdown of the night, a right to the head sending Stephen Jackson (Chorlton-cum-Hardy) half-

Simon Euan-Smith sees game Devlin outworked

CLEAR WIN: John Harding Jnr won his first outing in 16 months

way through the bottom two ropes in the third. Grinning, Jackson easily beat the count and lasted to the end, referee McCann scoring it 40-35 for Ibrahim.

The closest bout of the night was the female four-twos curtain raiser, which saw Portsmouth’s Ellis Booth pip Estonian Polina Golubeva by 39-38 for referee McCann. This was always lively, with Booth generally a shade more on target. Golubeva landed a fair right in the second but Booth promptly came back with two or three – and that would be the pattern.

Portsmouth’s Matthew King countered effectively to beat Chichesterbased Zambian Mwenya Chisanga by 39-37. Chisanga pressed forward, occasionally switching to southpaw, but King was always that bit more accurate.

McCann refereed.

Tony Bange (Brixton) used his height and reach advantages to take Mr Coakley’s 40-36 verdict over Nicaragua’s Berman Sanchez – and Mr Coakley turned in the same scoreline for Londonbased Dutchman Martin Foru against Bulgarian Konstantin Aleksandrov.

Foru dominated throughout.

Mr Coakley also had 40-36 wins for Tottenham’s Jeff Ofori against Poland’s Jakub Laskowski, and Godstone’s Luke Pearson over Hull’s 4rr.

A Blvck (sic) Box Global promotion in association with new promoter Anthony Oparaocha.

THE VERDICT A packed house sees all the home fighters win.

F U L L R E S U LT S

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER The rearranged Burns Night show is a success, writes Allen Payne RENFREW F E B RUA RY 10 ★★★★★ WHOLE SHOW ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ AT M O S P H E R E

DUMBARTON’S Martin Harkin returned to winning ways as he took on Ukraine’s Vitalii Maksymiv.

It also marked his first fight since appointing Scottish boxing royalty, Gary Jacobs, as his head coach.

Martin started well with a solid jab and powerful combinations.

But Vitalii would respond, hoping to deter the home fighter. The Ukrainian bounced out for the third round but the Scotsman was more than happy to exchange and made Maksymiv regret his ambition. A big right hand sent the Eastern-European to the canvas. Although he got up, referee Kevin Mcintyre rightly waved the contest off.

Cumbernauld’s Andy Tham had been out for nearly three years before Thursday night when he took on Sandeep Singh Bhatti. The Indian held a winning record and his head-pushing at the weigh-in showed he was coming to win. Andy started well and looked sharp, but ended up drawn into Sandeep’s fight in the middle rounds.

The two would trade heavy shots on the inside, producing an entertaining fight. Despite a tired looking Tham finishing strong, he found himself on the wrong side of Mr McIntyre’s scorecard, who awarded a 59-56 victory to his opponent.

Cardonald’s Josh Campbell opened the night in four-rounder with Blackpool’s Craig Sumner.

The home fighter dominated, catching the Englishman throughout.

Campbell’s confidence grew in the second half of the fight, upping the tempo and punished Sumner’s body with pounding bodyshots, cruising to a 40-36 on McIntyre’s scorecard.

F U L L R E S U LT S

Aaron Prospere (143lbs 9oz), 3-0 (1), w pts 4 Rustem Fatkhullin (144lbs 5oz), 8-20 (3); Tony Bange (157 1/4lbs), 9-1, w pts 4 Berman Sanchez (157lbs 3oz), 29-14-3 (21); Martin Foru (167lbs 2oz), 7-0 (2), w pts 4 Konstantin Aleksandrov (162lbs), 10-52-4 (3); Luke Pearson (120lbs 5oz), 4-0, w pts 4 Luke Fash (124lbs 2oz), 2-74-3; Alfie Porter (230lbs 1oz), 1-0 (1), w rsf 2 Mladen Manev (225lbs 3oz), 3-13 (2); Ellis Booth (120lbs 1oz), 2-0, w pts 4 Polina Golubeva (120lbs 3oz), 1-5 (1); Matthew King (145lbs), 3-1 (1), w pts 4 Mwenya Chisanga (144lbs 1oz), 1-9-1; John Harding Jnr (164lbs 3oz), 9-2-1 (2), w pts 4 Seamus Devlin (166lbs 6oz), 0-18; Jeff Ofori (138lbs 5oz), 11-3-1 (3), w pts 4 Jakub Laskowski (138lbs 6oz), 4-12-1 (2); Yousuf Ibrahim (122lbs 6oz), 1-0, w pts 4 Stephen Jackson (120lbs 3oz), 1-11 (1).

Martin Harkin (150lbs), 14-2 (6), w rsf 3 Vitalii Maksymiv (149lbs), 3-16; Sandeep Singh Batti (127lbs), 6-2, w pts 6 Andy Tham (130lbs), 2-1 (1); Josh Campbell (156lbs), 2-0, w pts 4 Craig Sumner (160lbs), 1-6.

34 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Photo: MANJIT NAROTRA/MSN/BCB

ACTION ROUND-UP COMFORTABLE WIN: Gevor was untroubled

by Kalenga Photo: RONNY HARTMANN/BONGARTS/GETTY IMAGES

F E B R UA RY 1 1 CONCORDIA, ARGENTINA

AYRTON GIMENEZ, 14-0 1NC (3), makes it seven consecutive victories as he decisions JONATHAN ARENA, 11-11-1 (4). Gimenez boxed on the back foot over the first half of the contest, scoring constantly with accurate counters and blocking or dodging Arena’s attacks.

From the sixth, Gimenez took the fight to Arena and despite suffering a cut in the 10th emerged a comfortable winner.

Scores 100-90, 99-91 and 98-92 for 22-year-old Gimenez. The No Contest on Gonzalez’ record came in a fight that was abandoned due to a riot. Arena was coming off an unexpected win over useful 20-3-3 Kevin Acevedo.

NEW YORK, USA

Super-bantamweight ARIEL LOPEZ, 18-1-1 (11), continues to rebuild with a unanimous decision over Colombian WILNER SOTO 22-10 (12) on scores of 80-72 twice and 79-73. Second consecutive win for Lopez who was unbeaten in his first 16 fights before losing on points against Chilean Jose Velasquez in May last year. Born in Mexico, Lopez moved to New York with his parents when young and won a New York Golden Gloves title but his immigrant status is unsettled, so that hangs over him, even now. Fifth loss in his last six fights for Soto.

F E B R UA RY 1 2 R I G A , L AT V I A

NOEL GEVOR, 26-2 (11), boxes his way to a clear victory over YOURI KAYEMBRE KALENGA, 27-7 (20) in a cruiserweight fight that never really generated much heat. Kalenga did the better work in the first round, landing a couple of meaty hooks as Gevor flitted around the ring just prodding with his jab. Gevor’s leads were more positive in the second and drilled home some straight rights.

Kalenga upped the pressure in the third and shook Gevor with a left hook just before the bell and Gevor was showing a small cut over his right eye. Kalenga applied plenty of pressure at the start of the fourth but Gevor had his jab working well and just edged the round. Gevor had his best round so far in the fifth. He was finding gaps for his jabs catching the oncoming Kalenga with right counters and sliding away from Kalenga’s attacks.

He then outboxed the slower Kalenga over the sixth and seventh. Kalenga looked to be tiring and from the eighth Gevor began to take some chances and stood trading punches, scoring with hooks from both hands. That allowed Kalenga to also score and make the eighth close but Gevor’s more accurate punching gave him the ninth clearly.

There was little that Kalenga could do to change things. He was just too slow and

www.boxingnewsonline.net

GEVOR BACK IN CONTENTION Win for cruiserweight contender the highlight of the international action, writes Eric Armit

too tired and Gevor stuck to his back foot boxing slotting home jabs and scoring on the advancing Kalenga with straight rights and boxed his way comfortably to the last bell. Scores 119-109, 118-110 and 117-111 for Gevor. Gevor’s losses have come against Krzys Włodarczyk and Mairis Briedis. Kalenga is powerful but slow and never really threatened Gevor in this fight.

B E R A Z AT E G U I , A R G E N T I N A

HECTOR SOSA, 13-0 (8), was to have defended his South American superbantamweight title on this card but when his original opponent dropped out, Sosa had to settle for a victory over MAURIO BARRIOS, 5-5 (1), in a non-title fight. Sosa was in control early with some choice body shots and looked close to ending the fight in the fifth. A standing count allowed Barrios a chance to recover. The pace slowed over the next three rounds with Sosa still having the edge but Barrios did enough to take the ninth and floored Barrios in the 10th, with Sosa hanging on to the bell. Scores 97-91 twice and 96-94 for Sosa. Barrios is the son of former

WBO super-featherweight belt-holder Jorge Rodrigo Barrios.

HYÈRES, FRANCE

University student BRUNO SURACE, 21-0-2 (3), the French middleweight champion, kept busy with comfortable win over VICTOR GARCIA, 8-11-4. No real problems for Surace as he took the decision on scores of 79-73 twice and 78-74. After a couple of early draws he has won 18 in a row.

M A L Á G A , S PA I N

Promising Spanish lightweight SAMUEL MOLINA, 19-1,1NC (10), stopped VICTOR JULIO, 16-3 (8), in five rounds.

Third win in succession for Molina as he rebuilds after an inside the distance defeat against Artem Harutyunyan in September. Colombian Julio showed some good defensive work at the start of the fight but, bit by bit, Molina upped the pressure and finished the fight in the fifth as Julio went down under a series of punches and the fight was stopped.

Three fights outside Colombia in a row and three losses in a row for Julio.

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 35

Quotes that will inspire you, that will make you laugh, and make you think

I’m gonna win the heavyw

the world, earn a million d

chauffeur-driven, t

with built-in hi-fi, television and te

the world sit up and t

‘Wow, this kid is t Cassius Clay (after winning gold at the 1960 Olympics) 36 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

www.boxingnewsonline.net

yweight championship of

n dollars and get me a

n, tomato-red Cadillac

d telephones. I’m gonna make the

d take notice and say,

s the

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 37

“When I retire I want to get very, very fat just once. I’m gonna stay up late and inhale the fumes of good jazz in nice, smoky nightclubs with good jazz combos. I’m gonna sleep late in the mornings and never run again. I’ll burn all my training clothes and hang my gloves way up out of reach. My wife will hide my dusty scrapbooks and my picture albums and I’ll have to walk down to the gym every day and shoot the bull with the other old timers, as I watch the kids and think to myself that I could’ve beaten all of them in my time. That’s an old fighter’s privilege.”

Archie Moore “Boxing is a contest of will and skill, with the will generally overcoming the skill, unless the skill of one man is much greater than the skill of the other.”

Cus D’amato

“I would go to school and just think about making no mistakes in the gym that night.

If I didn’t I would sleep well. I knew how to tie him up in a certain way, take certain risks, wear them down and I know when they are fatiguing. When I get in the ring I know what it is going to take.”

Floyd Mayweather Jnr

“The press are all beer-swilling, gin-swilling slobs.”

Joe Bugner “You don’t go mad. You don’t shoot yourself. Soon this will be old news. Maybe a plane will go down or a great man will be assassinated. That will be more important than me losing. I’m not crying.”

Muhammad Ali (after losing to Joe Frazier in 1971)

“I know fighters don’t age gracefully. I know fighters get hurt. But I also know in my heart, I gotta fight. At least one more time. Why? I’ll tell you why; Love.”

Paulie Malignaggi “Fighters struggle when they aren’t in the limelight no more and things are going badly for them. They finish boxing and the promoters tell them they should have saved their money. Yeah, I should have saved it, but sometimes we aren’t paid enough and every ha-ra-ra that’s around us thinks: ‘I wanna be around him because he’s on top of the world.’ But, man, when it falls down around you, it’s just you by yourself.”

Iran Barkley

“I had offers to make a comeback but I wasn’t going to get any better. I wanted to take care of myself. It’s no use being the richest corpse in the graveyard.”

Jack Bodell

“Everyone suffers defeats and disappointments in life. But in boxing it happens in front of thousands and it’s online for millions to see. You have to live

38 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

with it forever. The worst thing is taking a physical beating from a man in public. It’s not like losing a game of tennis.”

Andy Lee

“The man hasn’t held the title for 11 defences for nothing.

He’s a great champion and he proved that tonight. I have to say that and I’ll say this too: it was a damn good fight.”

Thomas Hearns (after losing to Marvin Hagler) “I can’t dance, I can’t write, I can’t sing, but man, I can fight.”

Dennis Andries

“I grew up the youngest of nine children. I was always being told that I was nothing.

I was the kid who cried. I was the kid who was very sensitive and all the other kids would talk about me and poke fun. They

www.boxingnewsonline.net

“Shakespeare? I ain’t never heard of him.

He’s not in no ratings. I suppose he’s one of them foreign heavyweights. They’re all lousy.

Sure as hell I’ll moider dat bum.”

Tony Galento

“Everything is a sacrifice.

The diet, your family, getting your body into shape with the extreme training. But you have got to give it everything you have to get to your goal.”

Julio César Chávez

would talk about my clothes, they would talk about my momma. They made me so mad that all I wanted to do was fight.”

Evander Holyfield

ringing. It’s one of the most brutal sports inside that ring and outside the ring’s just as brutal sometimes. It’s tough, man.”

John Murray

“You are there to win at all costs. It’s the killer instinct. If I saw a man with a cut eye I didn’t think, ‘Oh dear, what a terrible eye.’

I said, ‘Good! Wallop! Take that! Take that!’”

Henry Cooper

“When you get hit cleanly on the temple or chin, it’s like someone unplugs your computer. Everything goes black.”

Michael Bentt

“I look at my life and it’s a miracle that I’m here. I was between a heroin addict and a crack addict. How did I make it out of that?

I don’t know. It is funny because those hardships and struggles, all those things forge you into what you are. You bring all of that into the ring. When people look into your eyes, they can see it, they can see ‘he has been through something.’”

Andre Ward “Hey, I’ve been on my own since I was 15. My life was hell.

I slept in cars. I went to school with holes in my sneakers and put cardboard in ‘em but the snow still came through. I got beat up by gangs all my life.

Life is a mother f**ker.”

Leon Spinks “It’s hard being black. You ever been black? I was black once – when I was poor.”

Larry Holmes

“Sugar Ray Robinson may have been great but I am greater. Robinson held the title several times, but that’s because he kept losing it. I’ll only hold it once because I’ll never lose. That’s great.”

Carlos Monzón

www.boxingnewsonline.net

“I don’t think beyond one fight now. At one time I used to make plans, but I realised that is such a precarious business that one fight might be the last.”

Sylvester Mittee “Life can get boring sometimes. At least when you’re fighting there’s a little action, something to live for, something to get fired up about. Life can be pretty humdrum sometimes. Fighting is very exciting. You train, you have a sense of purpose all the time. There’s something happening. Every fight can change your life. You can be riding high; you fight some bum and lose – hey, you’re in trouble. You beat a guy ahead of you, you jump up another rung of the ladder. It’s like history-making time.”

George Chuvalo

“I couldn’t pass judgement on no one.

I haven’t been perfect myself.”

“Asking me to fight again right now is like asking a woman who was just in nine hours of labour to have another baby.”

Bernard Hopkins

“They don’t need judges for my fights. I’ve only been 10 rounds “Don’t feel sorry for me. once in 39 fights. A lot of people Nineteen years of boxing was think you have to get in the ring Sonny Liston paying off for me when I took a and spend an evening there. great fall. I’m the one who kept The longer you are in there, thinking one more fight, one more fight. It the more chances of getting hurt. Fatigue just didn’t happen, not the way it should makes cowards of us all.” have.”

Jerry ‘Wimpy’ Halstead Ray Seales “It was pain like I’d never known before.

“I couldn’t relax at the start. With 9,200 That’s why I said ‘never again’ when screaming Glaswegians willing you on, you someone suggested a rematch with Benn. would have to be a zombie not to feel the I never wanted to see that man opposite pressure.” me in a ring in my life.”

Jim Watt Chris Eubank (after beating Nigel Benn) “I zigged when I should have zagged.”

Jack Roper (after being blasted out “For most of my life, nobody listened to inside a round by Joe Louis) what I had to say. Now, wherever I am, everyone pushes and shoves, trying to get “I never lost a fight on a foul in my life. so close they can hear me.”

I’d give ‘em the head, choke ‘em, hit ‘em Marvin Hagler in the balls, but never in my life used the thumb. You’re fighting, not playing the “When I was fighting, I was a very popular piano, you know.” fighter. I had lots of friends. It’s funny.

Fritzie Zivic Literally overnight your phone stops

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 39

AMATEURS

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 01959 541 444

Starring style BARNSLEY F E B RUA RY 1 1 - 1 3

HARPSTYLE southpaw Nelson Birchall starred when the Youth Championship reached its conclusion over three days at the Metrodome.

He won the Youth title at 60kgs with a unanimous points decision over Sherrington’s left hander Danny Lynch in one of the best of the finals.

Though all five judges had Birchall ahead at the final bell, he had to work hard for victory.

Lynch pinned him on the ropes for spells in both the second and third rounds, but Birchall landed clean punches under fire to get back to the centre of the ring.

He stiffened Lynch’s legs in the third and followed up to hand him an ‘eight’ count.

Birchall also took a count after being caught off-balance and proved he wasn’t dazed by getting on the front foot when the fight resumed, making sure of a

S

third win in as many days and another national title.

Sharpstyle had a good weekend, with Levi Barnes and Thomas Varey also winning titles.

Barnes and Osama Mohammed (Lions) had shared their previous four bouts and their 63.5kgs final was as tight as it promised to be.

Barnes switched stances and punched from his waist, while Mohammed was more orthodox, keeping his guard high and trying to land his jab.

Barnes was the quicker to find his range and finished better as well, landing several eye-catching uppercuts in the final minute to make sure of a 4-1 split verdict.

The 57kgs Cadet final between Varey, the 2019 European Schoolboy champion, and West Ham southpaw Connor Mitchell, the son of Kevin Mitchell, was desperately close. There could only have been a punch or two between them in each of the three rounds.

Three of the five judges had Varey landing enough clean rights to be ahead at the final bell.

In the Youth category at 67kgs, Lewis Lawton (Impact) proved unstoppable.

Lawton, with father and former pro

Photos: ANDY CHUBB/ENGLAND BOXING & CLIVE WOOD/ENGLAND BOXING

DESPERATELY CLOSE: Varey [left] pips Mitchell in the 57kgs final

40 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

The Youth championships conclude, with good showings for Sharpstyle and other clubs. Matt Bozeat reports from Barnsley

Scott in his corner, was a unanimous points winner over 2019 European Schoolboy champion Ellis Panter (Burton Park) in the semi-final.

Panter, who decided to bypass the Cadet class after winning the Junior title in Hereford last October, boxed well enough from the outside to leave the bout in the balance going into the last for me.

Lawton had more left in the tank for the final three minutes, closing the gap to land hard punches on the inside and leave Panter with his nose bloodied.

That set up a final against John Dugdale, who came through a ferocious final round against Andra Manning (Phil Thomas School of Boxing) in their semi-final to win unanimously.

Lawton kept Dugdale under pressure throughout, setting up everything with a long, thumping jab, and the 4-1 split verdict came as a surprise. Lawton looked to have clearly dominated the contest.

Clubmate Sophie Shore brought another title back to the Stoke-on-Trent gym, winning the 63kgs final against Abby Briggs (Hunslet) unanimously.

Briggs had won when they met in the semi-finals of the Junior championship at 70kgs last October, but at 63kgs, Shore came out on top, making sure with some thumping body shots in the last.

Elsewhere in the Youth Championships, Mikey Tallon (Lee Jones) impressed in the 48kgs final.

Tallon, possibly a shade fortunate to reach the final after Whitley southpaw Reuben Muston was ruled out in the dying seconds of their semi-final with a cut, unanimously outpointed Macauley Kelsall (Tom Hill).

Under pressure in the opening seconds, Tallon unloaded a blizzard of punches to body and head that left Kelsall with a bloodied nose by the bell to end the opening round.

Kelsall was back on the front foot in the second, while Tallon tried to find the openings for whipping hooks and uppercuts.

Tallon got his timing just right midway through the second round, finding Kelsall’s chin with a southpaw right hook to knock him off balance and force an ‘eight’ count.

On the resumption, Kelsall rallied and

www.boxingnewsonline.net

WORK FOR VICTORY: Birchall finds a body shot against Lynch

www.boxingnewsonline.net

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 41

AMATEURS

STYLES: Sharpstyle’s Levi Barnes beats Mohammed [left] and Lawton [right] powers on

PINPOINT: Crow stops Samuel [left]; while Kerrigan finishes strongly to beat Hussain [right]

Tallon had to fight his way off the ropes before picking the cleaner punches off the back foot when the pace dropped in the last.

Luke Thomas (Phoenix Fire) outslicked Qasim Khan (One Nation) at 75kgs to win unanimously and up at 92kgs, Powerday Hooks southpaw Damar Thomas did a good job of keeping Zac Nearney (Cleethorpes Trinity) on the end of his long, straight punches to win unanimously.

At 54kgs, Emily Whitworth (The People’s Gym) faced Lauren Mackie (Burton Park) in a repeat of last year’s Junior final that went Whitworth’s way.

It was desperately close. Mackie threw more punches, but Whitworth landed enough clean shots for three of the judges.

In the last four, Whitworth boxed well on the outside and from the centre of the ring to outpoint Amy Nelson (Right Stuff), while Mackie jumped up a couple of gears after a close opening round against Libby Ellis (Rumbles) to dominate the last two and win unanimously.

Zara Aitchison became Leicester Lightning’s third national champion this season. She took only 90 seconds to stop Madison McKay (Halliwell) in their

42 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

60kgs final.

Southpaw Aitchison was soon landing solidly with both hands and the referee gave McKay a couple of counts before waving the bout off.

In the Cadets, there was a split verdict at 63.5kgs where Dan Kerrigan (BoxSmart Elite) claimed the title with a decision over Yusuf Hussain (Burton Park).

The 4-1 vote went Kerrigan’s way after he finished strongly, but Hussain had his moments and never let Kerrigan find the rhythm he found in his semi-final win over Paddy Cash (Finchley).

Tall and slick, Kerrigan boxed his way home after listening to his corner’s instruction: “No more trading.”

Daniel Whittington (Moulescombe) relied on all-out aggression to claim the 71kgs title with a unanimous points win over Emmanuel Buttigieg (Newham).

Buttigieg had looked very stylish during his semi-final win over Sam Shillinglaw (Wolverhampton).

He walked Shillinglaw onto jabs, forced a count in the second and when they exchanged in the last, Buttigieg landed the harder shots to force another count.

He was never able to settle against Whittington, who got on the front foot at

the opening bell and stayed there.

Whittington loaded up and Buttigieg couldn’t find an answer. Every time he tried to get his jab working, Whittington jumped all over him and when Buttigieg tried to punch with Whittington, he was forced to give ground.

John Mongans (Ardwick) had his supporters on their feet in the last minute of the 92kgs final as he threw everything he had at Dempsey McManus (Wodensborough).

McManus stayed on his feet and though Mongans looked disappointed after the 3-2 split decision went against him, McManus had put a lot more than him into the opening two rounds.

At 52kgs, Leo Wood (Guildford) was a 3-2 split points winner over Anthony O’Donnell (Powerday Hooks).

O’Donnell tried to control the bout from the centre of the ring, but Wood pushed him back into the corners and found his chin with enough clean shots to get the decision.

In the female final at 57kgs, Lia Crowe (Queensberry Police) stopped AnnaMay Samuel (Maidstone) in the third round.

The referee waved it after Samuel was left on rubbery legs by a pinpoint right to her chin. bn

www.boxingnewsonline.net

AMATEURS

RECOGNITION Brendan Warburton on receiving an MBE for services to the sport and Sheffield City’s community SHEFFIELD CITY coach Brendan Warburton received an MBE at Windsor Castle earlier this month, for services to boxing and to the community in Sharrow in Sheffield.

“Flattering really,” Warburton said. “It’s not what I’m in it for, awards and pats on back but it’s nice to be recognised.

“Bob Wright from Parson’s Cross amateur boxing club he got his the day before me, so he briefed me on what to expect!” he added.

Warburton has been coaching in Sheffield for 20 years. “Especially in this area where it is, in Sharrow, it’s quite a rough and tough area in the city of Sheffield,” he said. “Through lockdown I think there were eight shootings round Sharrow.

“I see the gym as an important alternative for young people.

“Through lockdown we were one of the only user groups that could manage to open in some capacity here. There’s a lot of

different groups running round this area but we managed to open up.

We moved the gym outside,” he explained. “That allowed us to open in some capacity.”

They were getting 400 people in every week. “We’re kind of starting again as an amateur club,” Warburton said. “It’s been a massive blow to us but we’re picking up again now, hopefully we’ve seen the back of it and we’re thinking positive and moving forward. We had a first show in October which was a real success.

We’ve got another one in April. We’re back up and running.

“We’re back on it.”

As well as the competitive core of the amateur boxing club, they run development programmes in conjunction with local schools.

“We’re all back to normal. The gym’s thriving again. We do a lot of work in schools. Kids that are

BOCSKAI GOLD

Whitwell and Davis win the Bocskai in Hungary SHONA WHITWELL and Kerry Davis both won gold medals for GB at the Bocskai tournament in Hungary on Saturday (February 12).

Whitwell outpointed Brazil’s Rebeca Santos de Lima to win the lightweight final, taking a split decision. “Home from my first tournament of the year and nothing feels better than finishing on top,” she stated. “Winning two fights in two days against experienced opponents from Belarus and Brazil, I’ve gained valuable experience and confidence in my ability.”

At middleweight Davis was also a split decision victor when beating Mozambique’s Adosinda Rady Gramane.

British flyweight Hamza Mehmood had to settle for silver when he lost a unanimous decision to Hungary’s Attila Bernath in their final.

Welterweight Jodie Wilkinson reached the semi-final, beaten by Brazil’s Beatriz Soares on a split decision in the final four.

Super-heavyweight Delicious Orie met experienced Croatian southpaw Marko Milun. A clash of heads saw Orie pick up a cut with Milun receiving a unanimous decision when it went to the cards.

www.boxingnewsonline.net

struggling with their education for whatever reason. We’ve just been awarded some funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner so we’re getting four or five schools a week through the doors, which is really good. That’ll continue for the next year. It’s back to where we were really,” Warburton said. “We work with special needs schools as well as people who are struggling with education.

We’ve got an inclusion unit at a local school that bring their kids down and it’s all about just trying lift their self-esteem, and get them back into education is the ultimate goal. I see that as very important.”

“But more important is actually creating these champions and people who are going to become role models for everybody else,” he continued. “Producing good kids, male and female, then they’re your role models and then we

have people feeding into that, be it schools, youth groups, whatever.

But if you’ve got them role models established then you’ve got your conveyor belt. They’re examples to everybody else that if you do what we’re telling you to do you could become like X, Y or Z.” The club also has good links to the two universities in the city.

“The first university session we had this year, we had 106 people turn up,” Brendan said. “That just adds to the diversity of the gym.

It’s so diverse our gym, you’ve got people from all backgrounds, all races and religions and then you’ve got students coming in. I’ve had brain surgeons in here, I’ve had aerospace engineers, nuclear physicists have been in… It inspired some of our amateur boxers to go to university because they didn’t realise you could still box when you went to university.”

The club hopes to continue to expand. “We’re looking to get a lease from the council which will enable us to apply for funding to get a bigger space,” Warburton said.

“We need it desperately.”

Their next show is on April 8 at the Sheffield United football ground.

SPRINT TRAINING

FOR BOXING

ONLY

$47

Everything a boxer or their coach needs to know about sprinting and gaining power

This course includes training programs for you to follow and leads to a certificate showing your learning. For more information visit

www.wakesportscoaching.thinkific.com/courses/sprint-training

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 43

YESTERDAY’S HEROES

The Death of Private Sampson The forgotten story of a young royal marine

Miles Templeton Boxing historian

MONG the saddest experiences I’ve had as a boxing historian is discovering longforgotten contests in which one of the protagonists died at the hands of his opponent. Since the war there have been a number of fatalities in British rings, some involving well-known fighters, but thankfully these happen far less frequently than they used to do.

Back in the early days of the gloved game, and onwards throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the safety side of the game was considerably overlooked, with just one doctor typically in attendance at professional tournaments and medicals for applicant boxers, so routine today, unheard of. Referees often allowed boxers to suffer considerably more punishment than would be allowed today and the general public, hardened as they were by both the Great War and the huge number of children dying at a young age, had a more lenient attitude towards death in general. A boxer dying in the ring did not hit the headlines in the way that it does today.

I recently came across an old postcard of a Royal Marine, Private Sampson, whose name seemed particularly familiar to me. When I looked at my records for him, I saw that he had died in a contest at the Cosmopolitan Gymnasium

A

in Plymouth in March 1914. I think it would be appropriate to honour this unfortunate young man by telling what I know of his story.

William James Sampson was a member of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and at the time of his death he was serving aboard HMS Majestic, a pre-dreadnought battleship. The RMLI produced many good professional boxers at this time and most of them fought frequently at the ‘Cosmo’, as this famous old venue was known by fight fans of the period. Sampson, a native of Taunton, had his first contest in February 1911 while serving with the Navy.

At the time of his demise he was 26 years old. He had 14 professional contests and every one of them took place at the Cosmo.

After losing the first three contests that I can find for him, he outpointed Dick Hillson, of Plymouth, in December 1912. This was the first of a string of victories that would lead to his two final contests, both of which were against one of Plymouth’s best men at the time, Young Lippo. Throughout 1913 and the early part of 1914 Sampson was unbeaten in eight contests, and these saw him progress from six-rounders to eight, then 10, and eventually to 15-rounders at the top of the bill.

On 13 February 1914 Sampson was matched against Lippo in his first 15-round bout. Sampson had fought the previous week, when he created something of a surprise by knocking out Seaman Bob Savage in four rounds. He came in as a very late substitute against Lippo, who had originally been due to box the Frenchman, Auguste Dumas.

Lippo was a cut above Sampson in class and few gave the Marine much of a chance against him. The BN headline read, “Private Sampson creates a sensation” in describing the game struggle that Sampson put up against Lippo. After running out of steam in the ninth, and ahead on points, Sampson retired.

The two were immediately matched for the West of England lightweight title and three weeks later they met again. Again, Sampson took the fight to Lippo, flooring him in the third, but once more he ran out of steam. In the 12th, he suddenly fell to the canvas. He was carried to his dressing room but he never regained consciousness. Private Sampson died the following afternoon. According to referee JT Hulls, Sampson was leading at the time of his collapse.

His ship, the Majestic, lasted just a year longer, being torpedoed at Gallipoli with the loss of 49 of Sampson’s comrades.

SAMPSON PROGRESSED TO 15-ROUNDS AT THE TOP OF THE BILL

ESSENTIAL READING Some interesting publications are showcased at London’s latest meeting

Simon Euan-Smith

simonoldtimers @googlemail.com EBA correspondent

THE London EBA’s February meeting was lively as always, with the raffle raising £433.

Essex EBA Secretary Raymond Lee was there, with two new books I thoroughly recommend. One is the British Boxing Journal 2022, which fills the gap left when Barry Hugman’s British Boxing Yearbook was discontinued. Full results of every British promotion during the year are set out, with names of referees (and judges) and scores of every fight going the distance. Plus details of every British boxer fighting overseas.

There are also articles on past fighters, such as Dave Crowley, by my old friend and former Croydon EBA Chairman Derek O’Dell, and Tommy Farr by Welsh EBA stalwart Wynford Jones.

The other book is the second volume of 50 Years of the L.E.B.A put together by

44 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Raymond and Essex Chairman Tommy Burling. This covers the years 1982-1991 and is crammed full of articles by the late Ron Olver, who did so much for the EBA movement, and reproductions of Seconds Out, LEBA’s long-running monthly newsletter. This really is a terrific series – there will of course be five books, one for each decade of LEBA’s existence.

LEBA’s 50th Anniversary Luncheon takes place this Sunday (February 20) at the New Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden. Fifteen world champions are due to be there, with about the same number of British and European rulers.

In his President’s Report, Stephen Powell paid tribute to two former Repton stalwarts who have passed away – Bobby Beck and Billy Taylor. Both were included in the Minute’s Silence, along with Home Counties EBA Vice-President Johnny

Berry and member Albert Carroll’s son, Eddie. We were all sorry to hear that member Harry Holland had been involved in a road crash, and wish him a full and speedy recovery. As a promoter, Harry put on some great-value small-hall shows – as a manager, he really cared for his fighters.

LEBA’s March meeting is the AGM and will be held on the second Sunday (March 13) to avoid clashing with the BBBofC’s Annual Awards Lunch, which now takes place on March 6.

The Merseyside Former Boxers’ Association newsletter, Mug’s Alley, February issue has a fascinating article entitled “The Liverpool Olympics.”

Most people know the first Olympic Games under the modern rules were staged in 1896, in Athens – but it was preceded by The Liverpool Olympic

www.boxingnewsonline.net

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

OVERLOOKED: Left: Sampson’s final two contests were against Young Lippo. Above: Lippo was losing on points when Sampson collapsed

TRIBUTE: The late Mark Rowe is remembered for his boxing style

Festival, which started in 1862 and ran for five years annually. That really paved the way for the Olympic Games as we know them.

There’s also a tribute to the late Mark Rowe, former British and Commonwealth middleweight champion – who first made his mark as an amateur, winning the Commonwealth Games light-middleweight crown in 1966. To quote LEBA Chairman Bob Cheeseman: “To watch him box was a pleasure. I used to be mesmerised watching him slip punches.” An interesting comment for those who remember him as a pro, forever pressing forward and wearing opponents down with body-shots.

Merseyside’s next meeting will be at their HQ, The Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, at 12.30 pm on Sunday, March 6.

Manchester EBA Treasurer Gail Hill is standing down after 10 years. MEBA’s

www.boxingnewsonline.net

current newsletter pays tribute to her, noting that she “has done a fantastic job… and will be sadly missed in the demanding post.” Demanding indeed, but every Association needs members willing to give their time and support. I hope someone takes Gail’s place soon.

As usual, there’s a story by Boxing Scribe Lawrence Yearsley, this time on an amazing character called Robert BoBo Bradbury – who combined a boxing career (he met Daniel Mendoza, amongst others) with that of a clown! Yearsley gives a fascinating account of Bradbury’s life, not glossing over some unsavoury incidents – happily, unlike so many ex-fighters (past and present) Bradbury died (in 1831, aged 57) a very wealthy man.

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

FEBRUARY 17, 2022 l BOXING NEWS l 45

SIXTY SECONDS

CYRUS PATTINSON John Dennen speaks to a musician and a fighter Photo: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM

‘THERE’S NEVER AS MUCH TIME AS YOU THINK, SO ALWAYS DO IT NOW AND NOT TOMORROW’ leading the way. He’s got all the money. He’s got all the belts. He’s got all the power.

Last film/TV show you saw: Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man. Have you ever been starstruck: Sparring Linares [in 2017] was a bit of an eye opener. You’re used to seeing him on a TV screen. But I gave a really good account of myself and they invited us back for more.

Last time you cried: When my granddad died in November.

Best advice received: Never take criticism from someone you would not take advice from.

Worst rumour about yourself: It’s hard to say because most of them are true!

Something not many people know about you: I love music. Grew up playing the guitar since I was about four. DJ’d around the North East, had an interest in piano.

FAST FACTS

When and why you started boxing: I was getting into trouble at school and out of school. I was fighting and took an interest in boxing and changed my life. I was about 13.

Favourite all-time fighter: Growing up it was Sugar Ray Leonard for the fact that he turned professional to look after his family.

Best fight you’ve seen: Recently it was Troy Williamson-Ted Cheeseman! A proper barnstormer.

Neither one deserved to lose really because that was a fantastic fight.

Personal career highlight: One of my favourite memories is when I won the Tri Nations title while my mum was in hospital and then I took the gold medal straight into the hospital for her. That title got me onto GB as well.

Toughest opponent: Souleymane Cissokho was a good operator, very hard to hit early on in the fight, very elusive. He was very talented and if I was going to say from sparring, Jorge Linares was very good and Pat McCormack.

Best and worst attributes as a boxer: I’d say my strength is my drive and my weakness is being over-critical.

Training tip: There’s never as much time as you think, so always do it now and not tomorrow.

Favourite meal/restaurant: I’ve got a really sweet tooth, so cakes and bakes and biscuits. In particular Biscoff, it blows my mind.

Out of camp, those sort of things Best friends in boxing: Calum French and all the Birtley boys.

Other sportsperson you would like to be: I’d say Canelo. He’s top of the game,

Age: 27 Twitter: @cyrusramone Height: 5ft 9in Nationality: English From: Alnwick Stance: Southpaw Record: 3-0 Division: Welterweight Next: Pattinson hopes to get six fights in this year.

[ NEXT ISSUE ON SALE FEBRUARY 22, 2022 (DIGITAL) AND FEBRUARY 24, 2022 (PRINT) ] ESTABLISHED 1909 BOXING NEWS Kelsey Media, The Granary, Downs Court, Yalding Hill, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6AL EMAIL firstname.surname@kelsey.co.uk DIGITAL & PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS https://help.kelsey.co.uk / +44 (0)1959 543 747 / www.shop.kelsey.co.uk/boxingnews EDITOR Matt Christie ART EDITOR & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Nick Bond ONLINE EDITOR John Dennen SUB EDITOR Rachel Graham SENIOR WRITER Elliot Worsell MANAGING DIRECTOR Kevin McCormick PUBLISHER Oswin Grady SUBS MANAGER Oliver Jones ADVERTISING Richard@360publishing.co.uk PRINTING William Gibbons & Sons Ltd DISTRIBUTION Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP / 0330 390 6555; Distribution in Northern Ireland and the Republic Of Ireland – Newspread +353 23 886 3850 PUBLISHED BY Kelsey Media 2022 © all rights reserved.

Kelsey Media is a trading name of Kelsey Publishing Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with permission in writing from the publishers.

On Twitter @BoxingNewsED

46 l BOXING NEWS l FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/boxingnewsonline

Incorporating

www.boxingnewsonline.net

BRITISH BOXING BOARD OF CONTROL

U L N S C D H R E A O W N A

2022 I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

Sunday, 30th January 2022

Royal Lancaster London, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY COMMENCING AT 1pm

PLATINUM TABLE £2700 l Table of 10 in a prime location l Sponsorship of an award - to include guest member of table presenting award l Full page advert in the evening’s brochure l Souvenir digital photo SILVER TABLE £1600 l Table of 10 in a preferred location

GOLD TABLE £2000 l Table of 10 in a premium location l Full page advert in the afternoon’s brochure l Souvenir digital photo £130 per head/£1250 for a table of 10 All tickets include a three course meal, half a bottle of wine and the awards ceremony

EVENT SPONSORSHIP l Two platinum tables l Two full page adverts in the afternoon’s programme l Sponsorship of ‘Boxer of the Year’ award - to include guest of table presenting award

To book, for more details or to advertise in our awards programme contact awards@bbbofc.com

BEHIND THE SCENES & IN THE RING WITH THE GYPSY KING

Order your copy of the brand new 100-page bookazine today for just £7.99

Visit: bit.ly/tysonfurymag