Andreas Katzourakis (6-0, 5 KOs) is in serious shape. Every edge of his torso is sharp, and his defined abs look painful, chiselled into his skin. This isn’t just an average fighter travelling overseas to make up the numbers or keep moral...

Understanding the level of fact-checking used for editing Wikipedia pages forms a large part of honestly constructing a sportsman’s story. Anybody – fan, statistician, or journalist – can edit them, with cult-famous footballers, for e...

“I remember the first time I smoked heroin; I went missing for three months. I went up to Big Bear on a camp with [Shane] Mosley for eight weeks, and I was trying to get a hit up there, but it is a really small city about 80,000 feet up.�...

Despite the recent successes of IBF cruiserweight champion and World Boxing Super Series winner Mairis Briedis and MTK Golden Contract winner Ricards Bolotniks, Latvian boxing hasn’t just sprouted out of thin air. Combat sport – alongsi...

The tree that’s inked onto the chest of Kali Reis – a lonely alien sprouting healthy branches and boasting strong, dark roots – is a symbol of growth. The tattoos that race up and down the Rhode Island-native’s chiselled arms tell t...

“The people who knew me best, they knew what happened in that fight. So, they all know that I risked a lot to win, and to put on a good show for the fans, always. I think, for that reason, it was worth doing.”  You’d be forg...

Devon’s Jamie Speight has entered the New Year in explosive fashion. With a very public, internet break-up with his partner of eight years on Christmas Day, and the recent, growing success of his little stable on the south coast, he’...

“Do you want this shit? Or do you want the titles?” asked coach Barry Hunter, both panicked and passionate, frantically removing the weave from the top of Franchon Crews-Dezurn’s head as she entered the 10th and final round. The ...

The recent surge in returns to boxing for damaged, older fighters – although not entirely new – is surely linked to our tolerance of loud, aggressively marketed ‘fights’ between dot-com, trending athletes. There is a time, place, an...

It’s just two months shy of five years since former two-weight champion Felix Sturm (40-5-3, 18 KOs & 1 NC) made his way to the boxing ring. A lot has happened, it’s fair to say, but ahead of his eventual return this Saturday eveni...

There’s something slightly O Fenômeno about Cuba’s latest heavyweight talent, Jose Larduet (4-0, 3 KOs). That grinning, innocent face with a wide jaw line – enjoying success in his chosen sport and defying those who’d never bel...

With the global pandemic affecting the sport of boxing in a multitude of ways, former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas (26-5, 22 KOs) had suffered uniquely. Currently training his three sons, the household was split as he and his w...

Despite enjoying his rapidly growing success, Edgar Berlanga (15-0, 15 KOs) finds himself in an unusual spot. He’s rapidly approaching title contention, but he doesn’t actually know how he’ll fare over 12 rounds. With every ...

South African cruiserweight Thabiso Mchunu (22-5, 13 KOs) has managed to step out of his father’s fighting shadow, by boxing for world titles, and competing in the United States and Russia, as well as domestic venues in Pre...

From a land steeped with the importance of tradition, it’s little wonder that Kazuto Ioka (25-2, 14 KOs) has been searching for his own, unique and storied success. Born into boxing in Sakai, Osaka, the four-weight world champion has clos...

“The best form of saying is being.” – Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. The Mausoleo del Che Guevara, with its imposing 22-foot tall bronze statue of the revolutionary, draws tourists from all corners of the world to Santa Clara, Cuba. ...

Aspiration is sparse amongst the kids hustling in certain neighbourhoods in the Bronx, New York. Chasing money over dreams becomes paramount, and settling for the sounds of the streets can allow lost figures to finally feel at home. &n...

From the foot to the hip, you’d be forgiven for thinking of another heavyweight. Long, athletic legs, bouncing off the canvas, met at the thigh by white trunks, decorated only by a single, vertical navy stripe at the side. It’s simple; ...

“I always remember asking Mickey Duff if he ever got nervous before fights. We were about to walk down the stairs towards the ring, and he told me, ‘No, I don’t get nervous. When we get to the bottom of the stairs, you go that way...

The Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia knows all about war. Its roots date back to the Middle Ages, but it rose to prominence during the 1930s and 1940s. Now home to the nation’s largest arms manufacturer and the grounds of the Ukrainian Royal A...

“I’m relaxed and I’m ready; this is an opportunity of a lifetime for me to fight on a pay-per-view, in front of so many fans out here in the boxing Mecca. It’s a wonderful fight. I claim that I’m going to win this ...