Dream it, believe it, become it… Or something of that ilk. East London’s undefeated light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde (16-0, 15 KO’s) seems pinned firmly between the latter two – seemingly desperate for a significant step-up in opposition. I’m trying really hard to ‘believe it’. Honestly, I am. Yarde’s astonishing appeal as a commercial brand ambassador is […]
Boxing is a sport of extremely fine margins. You’ll often see the ultra-cliché ‘boxing is not a game’ printed boldly across some meme of a battered Ruslan Provodnikov. Now, whilst it doesn’t share its scoring system with golf; or mirror the risk involved in track-and-field; boxing is a game. It has winners and it has losers. Last […]
The cacophonous roar of the wild Spanish crowd pinned the challenger to the floor. Surrounded by militant fans, it was an atmosphere designed to smother any slither of confidence. It worked. A tough task in Bilbao on a stuffy Spring evening proved a step too far, yet even the best and most respected within our […]
The electrifying main event between Jack Catterall and Ohara Davies could find itself vying for ‘Fight of the Night’ honours this Saturday, as Frank Warren takes two exciting, undefeated prospects to task in Leicester. Lyon Woodstock (11-0, 5 KO’s), the current WBO European champion at super-featherweight, returns to action following a points victory over Edwin […]
For over half of the calendar year, Mdantsane, South Africa scintillates at over forty degrees celsius. Children litter the streets as an after-thought, seeking the simplest of relief. In the peak of the Eastern Cape’s summer earlier this year, children tragically drowned after desperately throwing themselves into the Bridle Drift Dam for hydration. Only thirty-five […]
The storied career of George Groves is boxing personified. The potent combination of demoralising defeats and vital victories have led the Hammersmith man to riches, acclaim and, of course, his coveted World title. After being stopped by the enormous Callum Smith in Jeddah, does Groves still feel those nagging pangs of hunger for success? Often […]
The rain lashes off the window, posing an interference with its pitter-patter jabs. The wind continues to howl, leaving destruction in its path. Derailed trains; fallen trees; broken fences and road traffic accidents. Although the world appears to be crumbling around me at the epicentre of ‘Storm Ali’, the words of Scunthorpe’s only boxing prospect, Dec […]
The small, sharp figure twisting-and-turning its way over the concrete squared-circle was majestic. On moving back to Glasgow, he’d been brought to my attention as ‘the one to watch’. The enormous 16oz gloves strapped onto the tiny arms of our subject looked almost-ridiculous. I got the sense they weren’t there for his protection. As a […]
Have you ever heard the parable of the old man, the young boy and the donkey? The trio travel from town-to-town, sharing time aloft the donkey and time on foot. Their long, arduous journey continues to split opinion with the residents of each town. Some believed the old man was deserving of his place on […]
As I trudged and stumbled around a frozen section of Lake Ontario, I pondered to myself, ‘Who could live in a place like this?’ The cold sliced my face, carving its disjointed pattern on my skin. It was -17; in March; in Ajax, Ontario. Known for its music, its baseball and its ice hockey, Toronto […]
The shadows are generally reserved for the quieter figures in any given narrative. Dark, gloomy and hidden; they preserve secrets and retain a sense of underlying mystery. It’s unusual, then, that one of the greatest kickboxers in history finds himself trapped in boxing’s blindspot. Surinamese heavyweight Tyrone Spong (11-0, 11 KO’s) had clawed his way […]
The pupils of his eyes narrowed. They could have pierced metal, tearing holes through opponents with an eerie sense of calm. The predatory gaze of the understated Russian carried menace, no doubt. From Khasavyurt, Dagestan to Montreal; from much-revered amateur prospect to troubled, gifted champion; the only World title holder with a one-hundred-percent knockout ratio […]