Callum Smith: A World Champion in waiting?

One of the biggest questions on the lips of British boxing fans right now is: when will Callum Smith become a world champion?

Like the majority of fans, I have been enthralled by the meteoric rise of Liverpool’s super middleweight sensation Callum Smith. Despite just recently turning 24 years old, and having only started his professional career in November, 2012, ‘Mundo’ Smith has quickly amassed a perfect record of eleven victories with nine knockouts.

As with all new prospects Callum Smith has been matched carefully by his promoter Eddie Hearn. Still, his stunning streak last year of 6 1^st round knockouts is excellent by anyone’s standards. But in his most recent contest, Smith faced what many considered to be his first true test in the professional ranks, when he was matched against Welsh super middleweight champion Tobias Webb in his own backyard in Cardiff, Wales. He passed with flying colours, flooring the big Welshman four times with vicious body shots on his way to a second round knockout.

One suspect’s that even Smith must have been surprised by how he managed to dispose of Webb so quickly, in such ruthless fashion. If he wasn’t, then his promoter Eddie Hearn definitely must have been, because the prime intention of pairing Smith up with such a tough opponent so early in his career was obviously to ‘give him rounds’.

The main problem now is trying to temper his progress and find him suitable competition until he inevitably makes the step up in class to challenge for major titles. Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sports insists Smith will be ready to scale the heights and be involved in massive fights in the super middleweight division within the next 18 months. However, he may be forced to revise his estimation after witnessing Smith’s demolition of a good young domestic fighter like Webb, who like Smith has similar ambitions to take his career to the next level.

Either way, the Mundo Smith juggernaut continues to steam ahead towards a shot at a major title at an impressive rate of knots.

Indeed, Smith, who is already the WBC International Champion at 168lb’s could soon add the British super middleweight belt to his increasing collection of titles, as his older brother Paul- who is currently the British champion at 168lb’s- is set to vacate the strap as he looks set for a world title tilt against Arthur Abraham who holds the WBO title. Negotiations are apparently already underway with Abraham’s promoters to try and arrange the fight in the autumn months and thus Callum could conceivably fight for the title British title vacated by his brother very soon

In any event, it is a foregone conclusion that Smith, who is already showing serious signs that he is outgrowing the domestic scene, will soon claim the British title. If only for the prestige associated with the famous Lord Lonsdale belt and the opportunity to match the feats of his other brothers; Paul, Steven and Liam who are all current British champions in their weight classes.

On the subject of Smith winning the British title and adding to his families’ legacy, he stated to me in an exclusive interview, “I’ve always said the British title is one I would like to win. I’ve seen my brothers all win it and it would be nice to get the set and do something I don’t think will be done again. But that depends on Paul like you said.  For the time being I’m happy with the route Eddies taking me so we’ll just have to see how things go.”

Whatever way you look at it, there are many exciting fights on the horizon for Callum Smith, and there are few young fighters in boxing with a brighter future. For the majority of the boxing world it is a matter of when and not if Callum Smiths becomes a world champion.

When I quizzed on the big fights he could soon be involved in he said, “I think the Froch and Groves fight showed how much the fans love a big domestic fight so if I could be involved in those with the likes of Degale and Groves then that would be brilliant. They are both world level fighters and I’m confident I can reach that level too. If I keep winning, keep improving, then why not?”

Regardless of whether it is at home or abroad, 18 months or sooner, the question on everyone lips will be answered- probably by a vicious left hook to the body from Smith as his opponents crumples to the canvas and he is crowned champion of the world.

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Exclusive Interview with Callum Smith: A star in the making

The future is bright for British boxing with many young and established fighters either currently holding versions of world titles in their weight classes or who hope to fight for the right to call themselves world champions in the near future. But perhaps the best young British talent with the brightest future is 24 year old super-middleweight sensation Callum Smith.

One of the biggest questions on the lips of British boxing fans right now is: when will Callum Smith fight for a major title?

Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sports recently insisted Smith will be ready to be thrown into his 1^st real baptism of fire against an elite opponent in 18 months time.

However, many feel this is a very conservative estimate from Eddie Hearn. Indeed the Matchroom Sports supremo may have revised his estimation after witnessing Smith’s annihilation of a fellow young British prospect Tobias Webb. Webb, the Welsh super-middleweight champion- who had only previously tasted defeat once out of 13 contests- was supposed to represent a real step up in class for the 6ft 3in Scouser. Yet he didn’t even last 6 minutes with Smith, who floored his opponent four times in the second round with crushing body blows- executed with surgical precision, with both hands.

With a body punch like Smith’s who could blame Matchroom for throwing his hat in the ring for the big fights sooner rather than later?

 Smith is already out growing the domestic scene despite only joining the professional ranks a mere 18 months ago. Eddie Hearn has a dilemma on his hands as far as Smith is concerned: does he wait to see how the cards fall in the super-middleweight division before deciding on Smith’s next move or does Hearn strike while the iron is hot and risk  him with top level opposition? There are obviously merits in both arguments. But it seems like Smith may be a victim of his own success, and his precipitous rise through the professional ranks has left his handlers scratching their heads and thinking ‘what do we do with him now?’

It is entirely understandable that Smith’s handlers to do not want to apply too much pressure on him and place him at a huge risk at such a premature stage in his fledgling career, but there is only so long they can be cautious with such a precocious young talent as ‘Mundo’ Smith.

There is a school of thought that says persisting with domestic opposition with Smith will be detrimental to his medium-long term development. What is the point on continuing to pair him up with fighters who are so clearly overmatched? On the contrary, if Smiths older brother Paul manages to secure a WBO world title fight with Arthur Abraham in the coming months then he will vacate his 168lb British title, which will smooth the path for Callum to become the fourth member of his family to hold the famous Lords Lonsdale belt. As previously mentioned, his oldest brother Paul (31) currently holds the British title at super-middleweight whilst Steven (28) was the former champion at 126lb and 130lb, and his other sibling Liam (25) is currently the light-middleweight champion.

Smith would love to enhance the incredible legacy of his brothers and he stated to me in an exclusive interview, “I’ve always said the British title is one I would like to win. I’ve seen my brothers all win it and it would be nice to get the set and do something I don’t think will be done again.”

If Callum Smith does soon capture the British title, then perhaps his promoter Eddie Hearn could try and secure a European title fight with 39 year old Sergey Khomitsky, who recently knocked out fellow British super-middleweight prospect Frank Buglioni, handing him a savage 6 round beating on the way to taking the Londoners title. One suspects a showdown with Khomitsky could serve as a useful measuring stick in gauging Smith’s progress.

On that subject Smith said, “I would have preferred to of fought Buglioni as there was a lot of hype around him and myself and that would have been a big domestic fight. I always felt I had the style to beat him and it would have been nice to be the first to do so. But Khomitsky is a decent fighter. We’ll see what plans Eddie has for me but if that’s a fight he likes then I’m sure it will be a good test and show what level I’m at.”

“By the way things are going it looks like I’m going the WBC route so I think the silver title is one Eddie will look at in a few fight maybe. It’s a good title to win. It was vacated by Degale and other holders are Khan, Bellew, and my brother Stephen. So that shows the level I’d need to be at to win and defend it”

Regardless of the path he takes, it seems inconceivable that Smith’s name will not be mentioned for major fights in the super-middleweight division in the not too distant future.

The future of British boxing is bright, but it will be even brighter when Callum Smith gets his chance to shine on the world stage.

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Carl Froch vs George Groves II: It’s time for the talking to stop and the action to begin

As we edge closer and closer to the second coming Carl Froch vs George Groves, next Saturday, in front of 80,000 fanatical fans at Wembley Stadium, it is nearly time for all the talking to stop and the action to begin.

Although the build up to the much anticipated second fight has been fascinating and full of intrigue- the intensity between the two men seems to have increased since the first fight!- as a boxing fan, who places more merit on action than words, I am delighted that both men will soon get down to business in the ring.

(Full Fight Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xvFXxe-c14)

In many respects the pre-fight hype has been much the same, only this time Carl Froch is far more composed, and seems a lot more comfortable in the company of George Groves. For his part, Groves is once again full of confidence. The young challenger is constantly posing questions about Froch’s lack of ability and boxing skills, while simultaneously stating his conviction that he is ready to put the controversy of the last fight to bed and conquer the champion on his own terms: by ‘knocking Carl Froch out’.

Whilst it is refreshing to see such confidence pour out like sweat from the pores of Groves, his unwavering belief that he has Froch’s number has led me to believe that Groves’ delusions about what he thinks happened in the first fight has unleashed his grip on reality of how the rematch will unfold.

He has stated repeatedly that he is superior in every department, that he dominated the first fight, and was simply the victim of a mugging by the referee who robbed him of glory against Froch.

You simply cannot argue with many of Groves’ convictions: he outclassed Carl Froch for the vast majority of the fight and did look superior in almost every department. But the caveat to Groves’ success is that in spite of being so dominant for the majority of the fight he was incapable of finishing Froch off.

Paradoxically, the success he had in the first fight may well come back to haunt him in the rematch. In placing such emphasis on the premature stoppage and the positive aspects of his performance in the 1^st fight, Groves seems to have totally erased the stamina issues he suffered from his psyche. The young challenger has also conveniently forgotten that he relinquished control of the fight before the contentious ending. Although Groves was still enjoying tremendous success, and was arguably still winning the rounds by getting the better of the exchanges, there was a tangible change in the trajectory of fight from the 7^th round onwards.

Groves was showing signs that the accumulation of punishment he was taking was beginning to have a compelling effect on him at the point at which the damage caused by his punches on Carl Froch were beginning to plateau.

Yet in the build up to the rematch, Groves has focused exclusively on the controversial ending to the action whilst continually calling Carl Froch out on his shortcomings. There has been no acknowledgement from Groves of his failings or his flaws in the first fight, which begs the question: could George Groves’ delusions be his downfall in the next fight?

Much has been made about Carl Froch seeking the services of a sports psychologist in order to combat the psychological issues he suffered from in the build-up to their 1^st encounter. But has George Groves made the same concerted effort to sort out the physical imperfections of his game?

Lest we forget, as the first fight edged closer to the championship rounds it was the 25 year old Groves who was falling victim to fatigue, not the 36 year old Carl Froch. In fact, towards the end, you could have been forgiven for thinking Groves was the older man by over a decade. Just as Froch was beginning to bloom, young Groves’ engine was blowing up.

Although the first fight offered conclusive evidence that Groves is the better boxer, the way the action unfolded also proved that George Groves cannot handle the pace he set in the first half of the bout for the duration of a 12 round fight. Unfortunately for Groves, fighting to the end is Carl Froch’s forte.

Unless Groves can remained disciplined throughout and stick rigidly to the game plan of boxing Carl Froch from range, don’t be surprised if the rematch unfolds in a similar manner and ends in the same way as the 1^st fight. Only the controversial stoppage will be replaced by a ‘natural conclusion’ in the closing stages of a fight that Groves dominates with class, but Froch decides with killer instinct.

Prediction: Carl Froch 10^th Round Knockout

BN24 Fans: What will the result of the rematch be?

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Exclusive Interview with Lee Selby: Will the face of Welsh boxing soon be a featherweight World Champion?

As a keen boxing fan is who reveling in the current renaissance of British boxing I keep a close eye on the up and coming domestic fighters whose talent will ensure the revival of the sport on our shores continues.

27 year old Welsh Dragon, Lee Selby, certainly fits the bill as fighter who is flying the flag for British boxing. Along with the likes of George Groves and Callum Smith, Selby is one of the diamonds in the pack of young British fighters who will be hoping to soon set the heather alight on the world stage.

Since his knockout victory over Steven Smith in 2011-where he won the British and Commonwealth featherweight titles- I have followed Selby’s precipitous rise through the ranks gather pace to point where he is now on the cusp of a world title shot. Selby, who is currently the European and British featherweight champion, has clearly outgrown the domestic scene and now has set his sights firmly on world domination.

After his classy and accomplished victory over a typically tough and durable Mexican challenger, Romulo Koasicha, in a WBC International title eliminator, Selby edges one step closer to fulfilling his lifetime ambition of becoming a world champion.

There is no doubt about it Lee Selby is the real deal. He is man who is utterly devoted to his craft and he is hoping his dedication to the sport he loves will soon pay dividends. Selby lives and breathes boxing, and when I talked to him he gave the impression of man who will stop at nothing until he has a world championship belt wrapped around his waist.

In an exclusive interview with GMS, I asked him about his world title intentions, and whether he feels he is ready to make the step up to elite level.

Selby stated, “I would like to have one or two more fights against high ranked opponents before challenging for a world title”

“I am the highest ranked by the WBC so that is the route I’ll most probably take. I need to work on my defence before going in with Jhonny Gonzales- the current WBC featherweight champion- as he is a really big puncher!”

He is indeed, and Selby is perfectly correct when he says he will need to improve on the defensive aspect of his game before taking on the big punching Mexican veteran Jhonny Gonzales, who shocked the boxing world when he wiped out former three division world champion Abner Mares in 1 round to win the featherweight title.

However, on the rare occasion I have seen Selby’s chin tested he has shown excellent punch resistance and impeccable powers of recovery. But Gonzales is a totally different animal to anything Selby has faced: it would be a real acid for the Welshman, and he knows it. Gonzales is a destructive puncher and Lee Selby would have to adopt a strict game plan and employ all of his pure boxing skills to emerge victorious against the Mexican warrior. Yet someone like Selby, who possesses such accomplished ring acumen and polished boxing skills, has the capacity to overcome a brawler like Gonzales. But he would have to tread very carefully and avoid getting dragged into a close quarter’s confrontation too early in the fight.

When I quizzed him on how he would approach a fight with Gonzales, Selby echoed similar sentiments to myself when he stated, “I’d warm into the fight, try and not get caught with anything silly early on and try to out box him. Then I would pick up the pace later on in the fight”

However, Selby is highly ranked by all the sanctioning bodies at featherweight and he could pursue other paths in his quest to become a world champion at 126lb’s. For instance, former Ukrainian amateur star, Vasyl Lomachenko, will soon fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title against the undefeated Gary Russell Jr, in a bout scheduled for the 21^st June, at the Stub Hub Center, California, USA. The victor of that contest could be a potential opponent for Selby.

Selby is not one to shy away from a challenge and he is under no illusions that every fight now will be a step up in competition. Yet he remains undaunted by the task ahead and stated, “I am happy to fight anybody at featherweight. I’ve never chosen an easier opponent rather than a tough one. I just want to be the best, and to do so I have to try and beat the best.”

Described by many as quiet and assuming away from the sport, Selby comes alive in the ring. So expect his fists to do the talking when he gets his long awaited shot at a world title.

Thanks for Reading:

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Manny Pacquiao re-signs for Top Rank: Is the Cold War set to End?

When I first read the news that Manny Pacquiao has signed a new 2 year deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank promotional company I was pretty shocked, but not at all surprised. Boxing’s only eight division world champion remains blindly loyal to Bob Arum despite the fact that he is a global icon whose worldwide appeal means he could easily promote his own fights.

Yet instead of cutting out the middle man, it seems Pacquiao is cutting his nose off to spite his face by continuing to align himself with the Top Rank and HBO alliance.

At least on the surface, that is what it looks like Pacquiao is doing. However, there are rumblings below the earth that suggest the current landscape of boxing could be ripped up and radically re-arranged, making Pacquiao’s decision to stay tied to Top Rank less prohibitive than it seems.

By delving into deeper into the situation, taking account of the changing dynamics of this so called ‘Cold War’, his decision to re-sign with Bob Arum may suggest that the conflict between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions may soon be resolved, to an extent.

Just yesterday Bob Arum dropped a major hint that he is set to rekindle his working relationship with his former protégé Oscar De La Hoya’s company Golden Boy Promotions. In comments attributed to the Top Rank boss, he stated, “We will see which of these welterweights have been fighting for Golden Boy or on the contract to Golden Boy that Oscar can produce,”

“Once we learn that, we can review those fighters. It could be Amir Khan. Canelo [Alvarez] is fighting too late. He’s fighting in July. So for November, Canelo wouldn’t be right. But maybe sometime next year.”

These comments, which come hot on the heels of Oscar De La Hoya and Bob Arum’s recent meeting to set aside their differences, gives the biggest indication yet that the Cold War is set to thaw. Throw in the persistent rumours of internal unrest within Golden Boy Promotions, caused by the fissures in the relationship between Oscar De La Hoya and GBP CEO Richard Schaefer, and it all amounts to sire signs that the deep wounds caused by the most divisive conflict in boxing are set to heal.

Interestingly Bob Arum mentioned Amir Khan as a future opponent for Pacquiao. The Bolton boxer is now managed by the elusive Al Haymon, who also handles the business affairs of many top young boxers such as Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter. Regardless of whether Al Haymon is reluctant to work with Bob Arum, he is a businessman first and foremost: the financial sense of matching his young prospects up with Manny Pacquiao will more than likely subordinate his trepidation to work with the Top Rank boss.

The other name mentioned by Arum, Mexican sensation Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, makes perfect sense on many levels. Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions have worked tirelessly to turn the 24 year old into a P-P-V star, and a fight against the Filipino superstar could prove to be the tipping point in his popularity regardless of the result of the fight. The Pay Per View numbers would be enormous, and providing Canelo performs well in next few fights, an encounter with Pacquiao has the potential to break records at the box office.

However fight fans must temper their enthusiasm: it is early days yet and definitely not time to rejoice in delight. It could easily turn out to be another false dawn. But many see the current developments as a strong signal that the dynamics of the Cold War are set to change in the coming months.

So from the surface it may seem Pacquiao’s decision to re-sign for Top Rank is a massive disaster yet it may it just prove to be a masterstroke from the Filipino superstar.

Fight Fans: Do you think the Cold War is set to thaw? Is Pacquiao making a perilous decision by staying at Top Rank or will does he know something we don’t?

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Could Richard Schaefer be collateral damage in the Cold War?

There has much been speculation recently about the internal conflict within Golden Boy Promotions, said to be the result of fissures in the relationship between Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer. At the same time, rumours also abound that De La Hoya has made attempts to bury the hatchet with Bob Arum by going to meet the Top Rank boss at his house recently.

Regardless of whether Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya make peace and decide to re-establish a working relationship, the issue between the feuding television networks Showtime and HBO is still not resolved. Still, if De La Hoya and Bob Arum could recapture the bond that was broken throughout their conflict it would certainly be a step in the right direction.

However, Golden Boy’s CEO Richard Schaefer’s appears to the major stumbling block as he has stated repeatedly that he will not do business with Bob Arum.

Schaefer does not seem to care that the Cold War is having a damaging impact on the sport, making it prohibitive to put on great fights for the fans. In fact, he actively encourages the divisive conflict and probably would love nothing more than to bury Bob Arum’s Top Rank in a crudely rendered coffin, on an unmarked grave.

‘I met with Bob Arum to bury the hatchet,’ De La Hoya said. ‘There is a lot of great fights that can be made.’

The only place Richard Schaefer wants to bury the hatchet, though, is in Bob Arum’s back.

Richard Schaefer has repeatedly stated that he would not even entertain the thought of working with Bob Arum, far less actually establish an effective and meaningful dialogue to end the feud that has deprived the fans of fights they really want to see. It seems Richard Schaefer’s purpose of putting on major boxing events and world championship prizefights plays subordinate to his passion of trying to destroy Top Rank. On the contrary, the stubbornness and greed of Bob Arum is just as much to blame for the Cold War as Schaefer’s bitterness toward the Top Rank boss. But it appears Bob Arum wants to usher the water under the bridge, whereas Schaefer wants to take Top Rank into even deeper water so he can drown Arum’s promotional company.

Thankfully, Golden Boy Promotions is not Schaefer’s company. De La Hoya should call his bluff and start working with Bob Arum regardless of Schaefer objections. After all, there are many more bright business minds out there who could take over the mantle as GBP CEO from Schaefer. The loss of a Swiss Banker to boxing would hardly be an earth shattering event, would it? Not many boxing fans would mourn his loss. But De La Hoya’s bank balance may be weeping as he would probably have to dip into his $200 million personal fortune to buy out the remainder of Schaefer’s contract, which is rumored to run through to 2017- although this has not been confirmed.

If De La Hoya and Schaefer do repair their relationship, and he continues to work for Golden Boy Promotions, then he must learn to put aside his personal animous towards Bob Arum in order to protect the health of boxing.

Yet Schaefer seems to have world domination in mind. The former banker smells blood and wants to go in for the kill where Bob Arum’s Top Rank is concerned.

Although if Oscar De La Hoya drops the bombshell on Schaefer that he is going to rekindle his relationship with Bob Arum, then it could be Schaefer who ends up being the collateral damage of the ‘Cold War’. If this was the case, then the end would certainly justify the means by my estimation.

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Manny Pacquiao re-signs for Top Rank: A Mistake or a Masterstroke?

When I first read the news that Manny Pacquiao has signed a new 2 year deal with Bob Arum’s Top Rank promotional company I was pretty shocked, but not at all surprised. The Filipino multi weight world champion remains blindly loyal to Bob Arum despite the fact that he is a global icon whose worldwide appeal means he could easily promote his own fights.

By removing the intermediary- Bob Arum- from his fight negotiations, Pacquiao would also isolate himself from the cold war conflict. Hence he would be free to pursue hugely lucrative fights with the plethora of talent that is signed to Golden Boy Promotions and who perform on the Showtime network. Instead of cutting out the middle man, it seems Pacquiao is cutting his nose off to spite his face by continuing to align himself with the Top Rank and HBO alliance.

At least on the surface, that is what it looks like Pacquiao is doing. However, there are rumblings below the earth that suggest the current landscape of boxing could be ripped up and radically re-arranged, making Pacquiao’s decision to stay tied to Top Rank less prohibitive than it seems.

From the surface it may seem like Manny Pacquiao lacks ambition. Yet by delving into deeper into the situation, taking account of the changing dynamics of this so called ‘cold war’, his decision to re-sign with Bob Arum may suggest that the conflict between Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions may soon be resolved, to an extent.

There has much been speculation recently about the internal unrest within Golden Boy Promotions, the result of fissures in the relationship between Oscar De La Hoya and GBP CEO Richard Schaefer. At the same time, De La Hoya has made very public attempts to patch things up with Bob Arum by going to meet the Top Rank boss at his house recently.

 The olive branch being extended to Bob Arum to Oscar De La Hoya could be great news for boxing, and even better news for Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino Congressman could finally be free to challenge himself against GBP’s burgeoning stable of fighters in the welterweight divisions.

Some see the fact that Manny Pacquiao has basically committed himself to Bob Arum for the rest of his career by signing a two year deal with Top Rank as a sure sign that GBP and Top Rank are about to reconcile their working relationship. Surely Pacquiao would not lock himself into a contract for the remainder of his career with Top Rank if he was only able to feast on the scraps of Bob Arum’s dwindling stable.

I mean the only viable P-P-V fight for Pacquiao that can be made from Top Ranks stable is a 5^th encounter with Juan Manuel Marquez, and the noise of fans demanding they renew their rivalry  has hardly been deafening, has it? Although a 5^th encounter between the two would clearly be a great fight, interest in a fifth installment of their rivalry has been muted at best. Aside from the Marquez fight, there are literally no other viable opponents at Top Rank for Manny Pacquiao.

Of course Pacquiao could potentially face the winner of the Cotto vs Martinez clash for the middleweight title. If the bond between Top Rank and Golden Boy is to remain broken, then one suspects this would be the only course of action that would pacify the fans, who are understandably frustrated that Pacquiao has frittered away the chance of fighting Floyd Mayweather as a consequence of re-signing with Top Rank.

Yet, I am personally of the opinion that Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions will resume a professional relationship- as Oscar De La Hoya quite rightly stated, ‘there are many great fights that could be made’. If bridges can be built with Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya then it stands to reason that their respective promotional companies can re-establish a working relationship.

However, if Pacquiao has signed the rest of his career away to Top Rank without the seeking assurances that the current situation with Golden Boy will be soon be remedied then he will quite rightly be subject to huge criticism from the boxing world.

A boycott of his future fights would not be out with the realm of possibility if the fans are faced with the unpalatable prospect of being forced to watch him fight against Bob Arum’s threadbare stable of fighters in the welterweight divisions. Put it this way, Pacquiao’s already precarious P-P-V numbers will plummet precipitously if fans are fed on a diet of endless rematches against fighters who are simply nowhere near his level.

From the outset it seems that Pacquiao decision to re-sign for Top Rank is a massive disaster yet it may it just prove to be a masterstroke from the Filipino superstar.

Boxing News 24 Fans: Do you think the Cold War is set to thaw? Is Pacquiao making a perilous decision by staying at Top Rank or will does he know something we don’t?

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

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Exciting times for British boxing in the Lightweight Division

As British boxing continues to enjoy a renaissance of sorts, one of the most talent deep divisions at domestic level is undoubtedly the lightweight class. The 135lb weight class if full of excellent fighters, many of whom have treated the British boxing public to a series of massively exciting fights over the last few months.

Just last weekend there was yet another almighty domestic dust up- the rematch of Gavin Rees and Gary Buckland, the sequel to their 1^st ‘Fight of the Year’ contender in February. Furthermore, last month the British fight fans were treated to an epic clash between fellow Manc warriors John Murray and Anthony Crolla in a bout that will live in the memory such was fierce intensity of the action in the ring. T

his thrilling sequence of fights in the 135lb weigh class is set to continue as newly crowned British lightweight champion, and veteran of many pulsating ring wars, Derry Matthews, will defend his shiny new Lord Lonsdale belt against unbeaten Manchester prospect Terry Flanagan (24(8)-0-0) on the 26^th July, at the Phones 4 U Arena in Manchester. (Below is the link to Derry Matthews fight with Martin Gethin for the British Title)

The 30 year old Scouser will put his title on line as he seeks revenge in the rematch with Flanagan, who defeated Matthews in the semi-final of the 2012 Prizefighter tournament, which he went on to win via a split decision victory in the final over Gary Sykes. However, each bout in the popular Prizefighter is only scheduled for 3 rounds and it remains to be seen how Flanagan will cope with the experienced and durable Derry Matthews over a 12 round contest. However, fortunately for the fans, Matthew’s history of being involved in Fight of the Year type slug-fests suggests the second coming of his bout with Flanagan is sure to be a barn-burner.

The lightweight division is a gift that just keeps on giving to British boxing.

The thriving scene domestically, however, is in stark contrast to the largely forgotten lightweight division at world level since the one big name fighter Adrien Broner left to compete in the welterweight divisions.

One suspects many domestic fighters will have serious designs on making a dent at world level in the lightweight division in the coming months and years ahead.

Indeed, former WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns, who recently lost his crown to the new rising star in the 135lb weight class Terrence Crawford, is locked into a WBC title eliminator against the undefeated Dejan Zlaticanin (18(13)-0-0) who he will fight at the Braehead Arena on the 27^th June. Should Burns manage to emerge successfully from his comeback contest then he will surely get a shot at current WBC champion Omar Figueroa Jnr at some stage in 2014, unless of course Figueroa has a unification contest with one of the other champions at Lightweight which include; Richard Abril (WBA), Miguel Vasquez (IBF) and Terrence Crawford (WBO).

Additionally, Kevin Mitchell will contest an IBF world title eliminator against Ghislain Maduma (16(10)-0-0) on the Carl Froch and George Groves undercard on the 31^st May, with the winner hoping to secure a showdown with long reigning IBF champion Miguel Vasquez.

The lightweight division will also receive a shot in the arm when Terrence Crawford takes on the danger man of the division, Yuriorkis Gamboa (23 (16)-0-0), in a hotly anticipated contest set to take place Omaha, Nebraska, USA on 28^th June. This clash between two undefeated fighters and exciting ring technicians will shine light on the division and give the 135lb class some much needed media exposure.

However, this fight aside, there aren’t many really big names in the lightweight division at world level and this could be a blessing in disguise for domestic fighters such a Derry Matthews, Tommy Coyle and Anthony Crolla who all obviously have aspirations to secure a world title shot in the not too distant future.

It truly is an exciting time in lightweight division in Britain and long may the entertaining sequence of fights continue. Let’s also dare to dream that our exciting crop of lightweights at domestic level will make step up and win world titles sooner rather than later.

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

Follow me on Twitter: @F1ghtingTalk

Find me on: https://robbiebannatyne89.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

Floyd Mayweather won’t fight Manny Pacquiao because he is a second generation fighter

Since recently moving to Dubai from my native Scotland, it has become increasingly difficult to stick to my diet of watching live boxing on a weekly basis. This is due mostly to the time difference between Dubai and America which dictates I must stay up all night to ensure I do not miss the action from across the Atlantic.

So I embarked on another of my nicotine and caffeine fuelled all nighters as I eagerly anticipated the Marquez and Alvarado encounter, my appetite already whetted from watching the British fight card in Cardiff, Wales which took place earlier in the evening.

In the interim few hours I went through my familiar routine of watching the HBO Boxing Greatest Hits compilations on You Tube. As usual I watched Manny Pacquiao’s as although I have committed every minute of the video to memory, his awe-inspiring performances never cease to amaze me. However, after becoming enthused by the recent incarnation of Floyd Mayweather and his more exciting, crowd pleasing style he has showcased in his last few fights I decided to watch his Greatest Hits as well. I have only watched once or twice before because, for the most part it is fair to say that I do not find his counter punching fighting style to be particularly aesthetically pleasing.

However, after watching a lot of archive footage, it soon became apparent that while Mayweather’s defensive mastery means he may not be as exciting as Manny Pacquiao, his rise through the weight classes to become a multi weight world champion in such a short space of time is as equally as impressive as the thrilling sequence of fights which saw Manny Pacquiao reign supreme all the way from super bantamweight (122lb) to light middleweight (154lb) from 2003 to 2010.

As fate would have it, after I finished watching Floyd Mayweather’s amazing career highlights compilation I stumbled across an interview featuring Floyd Mayweather Sr. After hearing Mayweather Sr struggle to speak in coherent sentences I was struck by a Eureka moment. The main reason Mayweather will not fight Manny Pacquiao is because he is a second generation fighter who is all too aware of how the brutality of boxing can leave such an indelible imprint on fighters after they retire from the sport.

Floyd Mayweather has, the vast majority of his career, obviously made such a conscious effort to have a conservative fighting style and carefully pick his opponents in order to avoid history repeating itself. Both his father and Uncle Roger are constant reminders of just how brutal the sport of boxing is and how damage suffered in your career can define your life in retirement. In short, he does not want to end up encountering the same problems such as slurred speech that plague his father and his uncle Roger in retirement.

Quite rightly so, and for this reason fights fans should not criticize his fighting style again.

The video footage- I have included the link- of Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao’s second fight provide irrefutable evidence that Mayweather loves exciting, give and take battles between fighters who are prepared to put it all on line- guys who really ‘give the fans what they want to see’. So blown away by the epic action was Mayweather, at the end of the bout he actually jumps on top of his seat and applauds wildly at the efforts of those two great warriors.

Yet although Mayweather has the tools to employ such belligerent tactics, he is reticent to adopt such an aggressive strategy himself because he knows just how permanent the damage suffered by a career defined by hellacious wars can be. Like Mayweather, his Uncle Roger and father were classy technicians themselves but still, they suffer irreversible and permanent speech problems.

However his reticence to fight Manny Pacquiao is not without reason.

Mayweather has witnessed first-hand some of the distressing physical damage Manny Pacquiao has caused to men much bigger than himself, and obviously wonders about the mental toll this seemingly superficial and temporary physical damage will have later on the life of some previous Pacquiao opponents.

Despite being in his autumn years and suffering from a slight recession in power, Pacquiao has lost none of his speed, and has actually become a far more accurate and precise puncher as his career has progressed.

Add in his undiminished ability to ring off 10 punch plus combinations for the duration of a 12 round fight and the risk of suffering brain damage is a very real possibility for Pacquiao opponents. Mayweather knows that he would be able to hold his own against Pacquiao and repel a lot of his relentless attacks with his now trademarked shoulder roll technique. He also has unshakeable confidence in the conviction that he would be able to pepper the Filipino with hundreds of precision counter punches, right hand leads and left hooks.

However, Mayweather, especially at his advanced age, is also painstakingly aware that Manny Pacquiao would penetrate his defence and land of hundreds of surgically accurate punches on him as well.

It is a certainty that both men would bear the brunt of blunt force physical trauma if they were to face each other. The inevitability of heavy, perhaps lasting, physical punishment even in victory for Mayweather, is enough to turn him his attention away from a fight with Manny Pacquiao.

In facing Pacquiao, the risk far outweighs the reward for Floyd, and concerns about his long term health will always prevail. Floyd Mayweather cannot be blamed for the wanting to preserve his health. As he has already stated, ‘Money means nothing when you must walk with a limp for the rest your life’. Wiser words have never been said by the articulate and intelligent Floyd Mayweather.

He only has to take one look at his father, and a cursory glance at his uncle, to realise that fighting someone with the prowess of Pacquiao is a bad idea- no matter how many hundreds of millions are on the table.

The slurred speech of his father Floyd Snr and his uncle Roger will talk far more loudly than the lavish amounts of money on offer in any discussion about a potential fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Thanks for Reading. I look forward to reading your comments.

Follow me on Twitter: @F1ghtingTalk

Find me on: https://robbiebannatyne89.wordpress.com/

Adrien Broner: Floyd Mayweather’s most negative legacy on Boxing?

As Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s 6 fight deal with Showtime edges closer to its conclusion and his retirements looms on the horizon after 3 more fights and one further calendar year in the sport, there is much debate about the legacies he will leave on the sport of boxing.

From the TBE (The Best Ever) debate to the merit and validity of his unbeaten record to his seeming reluctance to facing Manny Pacquiao, everyone has an opinion about the positive and negative legacies that Floyd Mayweather has bestowed upon boxing. There is almost a dichotomy of opinion about how he will be remembered in the annals of history. Many lay the blame at his door for how young boxers with bloated records avoid facing the best competition in order to protect their undefeated records, and insist that he must shoulder the burden of the boring and predictable match making that prevails in modern prizefighting. Furthermore, many more point to the fact that he is unwilling to face Manny Pacquiao, the other greatest fighter of his era, and say this alone makes a mockery of Floyd’s own claims that he is best fighter to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves. However, there also exists a school of thought that reasons Floyd Mayweather’s roll call of amazing accomplishments already guarantees his place among the all the time greats regardless of whether he fights Manny Pacquiao or not.

Personally, I feel his reputation and legacy will tarnished forever unless he conquers his fears and faces Manny Pacquiao before he retires from the sport. Yet I also subscribe to the commonly held belief that he is an all time great fighter, though not in the top 10, he would definitely feature in the top 25 list of all time great fighters, along with Manny Pacquiao, of course.

However, forget Mayweather’s avoidance of Manny Pacquiao, the most negative and oft overlooked legacy he has bestowed on boxing is his ‘little brother’, Adrien Broner. To put it mildly, the 24 year old is a reprehensible human being, a boil on the backside of boxing. Each and every sentence that comes out his slimy little mouth just serves to sully the reputation of boxing even further. Such characters of ill repute like Broner belong in the gutter, preferably bloodied and battered. Yet thanks to the influence of his idol Floyd Mayweather, we must put up with his puerile presence and stomach churning personality. Mayweather made it possible for such cringe worthy personalities to reign supreme in the sport, and he marveled at the similarities between his younger self and his supposed heir apparent as Broner rose through the sport to claim world titles in three different weight classes by the time he was 24 years old. From boasting about his about his material wealth and blasting his opponents with arrogant and disrespectful put downs, to his ill fated attempt at replicating his hero’s fighting style Adrien Broner has done everything in his power to pretend that he is Floyd Mayweather’s heir apparent.

Yet in his delusions of grandeur, he failed to remember that the main reason Floyd Mayweather has risen to his elevated position in the sport is due to his hard work and dedication to his craft. Not only that, but Broner is also blind to the fact that Floyd Mayweather has a deep respect for himself and his opponents which is manifested by how he lives and breathes boxing, training religiously and fanatically for his fights, while simultaneously managing to perpetuate the illusion that he lives the playboy lifestyle. Mayweather said as much himself when he recently commented that Broner concentrates too much on making porn films and pursuing things like his rapping career as opposed to the path of sporting greatness. Instead of training his way to super stardom, Broner has tried to talk his way to the top, and as a result has been badly and brutally exposed.

Everyone can now separate the myth from the reality and it is plain that he is just a crudely rendered copy of his hero, who unlike Mayweather has no redeeming features whatsoever.

After his mauling at the heavy hands of Marcos Maidana it was clear for all to see, in painful clarity, that Adrien Broner was not the Messiah. Instead of the being supposed second coming of his idol Mayweather, Adrien Broner was exposed as nothing more than cheap imposter in borrowed robes who, when faced with one of danger men of the welterweight division, was like a little boy lost. He is nothing more than a dodgy market version of Mayweather; cheap, tacky and tasteless. Yet in his relentless quest to be all things Mayweather, he lacks his own identity and seems like a stranger in his skin, unsure of what his true fighting style actually is.

His self delusion was his downfall, yet his almost unconscionable arrogance knows no bounds and no sooner had he been given the beating of his life he was back to his normal cocky and nauseating self. This monster created by Mayweather is one the most negative legacies he will leave on the sport of boxing. However, Broner is on borrowed time, and his next savage beating is just around the corner, and hopefully his career is finished sooner than later and this embarrassing by product of Floyd Mayweather’s success is buried once and for all. He is a cancer of the sport, and professional prizefighting and boxing in general will be a far better place without his poisonous presence.

The sharks are circling and the scent of Broner’s blood is heavy in the nostrils of all the big name boxers in the welterweight divisions. Let us hope and pray that Broner, the big fish is released from his small pond into the talent deep Ocean of the 147lb division, where he will be ripped apart beyond all recognition, so that this negative legacy bestowed on boxing by Floyd Mayweather will finally be no more.

Thanks for Reading.                                                                           

Follow me on Twitter: @F1ghtingTalk

Find me on: https://robbiebannatyne89.wordpress.com/

BN24 Fans: Is Adrien Broner bad for boxing?

I look forward to reading your comments. Thanks again.