Sports Journalist · 257 articles
Despite the grainy footage and the constant torrent of encouragement yelled at a young prospect known only as ‘Gordo,’ the talent and the frustration of his impromptu sparring partner is on display in equal measure. The taller man, topless and wearing what appear to be loose-fitting ankle high sneakers, had turned up at the gym […]
Despite the wind slapping entire rows of Coatbridge housing and the rain forcing intricate head movement of its own accord, a fighter’s roadwork cannot wait. Spring in Glasgow is very grey this year, with hailstones tormenting the windscreens of vehicles, just desperate to make their way back to the comfort of a local parking space. […]
Sunday starts the same as all the rest for retired world champion and busy, working actor, Carlos Palomino; it starts with hundreds of sit-ups. Age – although frequently downplayed as just a number – has been kind to the Mexican-born fighter. “I can’t run anymore because of my knees, but I walk five miles every […]
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 morale ticking over in the gym after national publicity; it’s a war machine. The […]
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 example, claiming thousands of goals from just hundreds of games. It’s always worth that additional clarification; especially with boxing’s more outrageous […]
“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.” Edinburgh-born boxer Jamie Robinson (2-0, […]
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 – alongside ice hockey, football, and basketball – has always been important in cities like its capital, Riga. It’s a nation […]
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 tales of torment and triumph; while the metal studs that pierce her cheeks are […]
“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 forgiven for thinking ‘it’ was damaged hands, trembling under the […]
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’s left wondering what the next 12 months has in store. Speight is one of boxing’s […]
“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 Baltimore fighter and her head trainer were in tough – and they both knew it. Fighting relatively […]
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, and a forgivable motive for a return to a professional career that’s long past its prime. For example, […]