Category Archives: Boxing

SUPER SIX: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE FINAL: WARD-FROCH PREVIEW

Posted on by

After many twists, turns, wars, upsets and withdrawals, Showtime’s Super Six super middleweight tournament will finally crown its winner when Britain’s Carl Froch takes on American Andre Ward at the Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday 17th December 2011.

Originally scheduled for October 29th at the same location, the fight was put back after WBA champion Ward suffered an injury in training. Delaying the fight will only create more anticipation for an intriguing fight with classic boxer-versus-puncher potential.

WBC champion Froch made to the final by winning a majority decision over Jamaican-born US warrior Glen Johnson at the same venue. It was a workmanlike performance, with Froch arguably eyeing up the bigger fish he would be meeting in the final. Nevertheless, he was in command throughout (despite one judge scoring the fight 114-114) and got the win.

Ward’s route to the final came with a virtual shutout points win over the tournament’s biggest disappointment, Arthur Abraham. The Armenian was dominated by Froch in his previous tournament battle, and his confidence was gone by the time Ward showed him the exit.

It can be argued that Andre Ward is the surprise of the tournament. Mikkel Kessler was the tournament favourite coming in, and he was dominated by Ward in the first round. A cut eventually led to a technical decision victory for Ward, and suddenly all bets were off. Given that Kessler then defeated Froch by unanimous decision, it looked like anybody could win the trophy on any given night. Since that win, Kessler, Jermaine Taylor and Andre Dirrell have left the tournament for different reasons, and replacements Johnson and Allen Green have both been dispatched.

A Froch-Ward final makes perfect sense, and an exciting prospect. We still haven’t really seen Ward in a punishing fight where he has to dig deep to win. This is partially down to his brilliance and command of the ring, but also down to timing. It could be argued that he caught Kessler at the right time, and that Froch fought the wrong fight against the Dane, making him look better than he actually was. Defeating Allen Green on points doesn’t look that great when you consider Johnson knocked Green out in the eighth round in his next fight. As for Abraham, he had lost to Dirrell and Froch in his previous fights, and only made the semis because of the three points he scored by knocking out the shell of Jermaine Taylor. That is not to take away from Ward’s performances, which have been excellent. It could come down to the fact that he’s just too good.

This fight will provide the answer.

The only thing we can guarantee in this fight is that Ward will finally be involved in a punishing fight. Froch is an absolute monster in the ring, and makes you fight hard for 36 minutes of a contest. He stopped Jermaine Taylor when behind on points with just 14 seconds left in their fight; such is his determination to win. If you step off the gas for a second, you will be punished. ‘The Cobra’ has also showed excellent boxing skills though. After the 12 round war with Kessler (that resulted in the former champ pulling out of the tournament because of injuries suffered in the contest) saw the decision go against him, Froch shocked everybody by using his brain and out-smarted and out-boxed Abraham in his next fight. The jab, non-existent in the Kessler fight, kept Abraham at bay all night long.

It was a virtuoso performance. Froch’s trainer Rob McCracken told The Daily Mail that he favoured his man to win because he’s had the tougher fights throughout his career. He said: “Carl and Ward have pretty much proved themselves as the two best in the division. Carl definitely has, and we feel he’s done more in the division than Andre has.”

“We’re expecting a fantastic fight between two tremendous boxers.”

Whatever happens in the ring, the Super Six tournament has been the making of both men, and should be held in high esteem for creating an environment in which the best fighters fight each other, regardless of politics, and that is a lesson to be learned across the whole landscape of boxing.

MICHAEL KATSIDIS: HAT-TRICK HERO OR BURNS VICTIM?

Posted on by

Australia’s blood-and-guts warrior Michael Katsidis is hoping to make it 3-0 on British soil as he returns to our shores to face Scotland’s Ricky Burns at Wembley Arena in London on Saturday 5th November.

Katsidis destroys Mitchell

Katsidis has already destroyed the world title aspirations of Graham Earl and Kevin Mitchell in epic matches (in 2007 and 2010 respectively) and is looking to complete a successful hat trick against Burns in a bout for the “interim” WBO lightweight world title.

Burns has had a terrific 12 months since upsetting the previously unbeaten and highly touted Puerto Rican Roman Martinez in September 2010. The fight was for the WBO super featherweight title and was a Fight of the Year candidate. Burns was down in the first round but fought back brilliantly to take the fight to Martinez and pull off the victory. Three title defences followed before Burns vacated the title to move up to lightweight. But it has to be said – with no disrespect to those fighters – that not one of those opponents will have prepared Burns for the hurricane that is Michael Katsidis.

There are not many fighters in the world who can match Katsidis for work-rate, heart and determination in the ring, and not many fighters are as dangerous early. Kevin Mitchell, so masterful against Manchester’s John Murray recently, was walked-through by Katsidis, and Pound-for-Pound modern legend Juan Manuel Marquez was dropped heavily and punished early before stopping Katsidis in nine rounds in November 2010.

Only the very best fighters have beaten Katsidis, and none of them have done it without receiving pain and punishment. Joel Casamayor was never the same fighter after his war with the Australian in March 2008. Casamayor won by tenth round TKO, but was behind on points and down in round six before Katsidis grew over-confident and walked on to a big left hook.

First visit: Earl is beaten by Katsidis

Every time Katsidis is beaten, the question marks appear. Is he shot? Are his powers on the wane? Frank Warren has made this error of judgement before with Mitchell. One wonders if he has made the same mistake again.

Following the victory over Mitchell, Katsidis suffered two bruising defeats on the bounce to Marquez and Robert Guerrero, but seemed fine in a routine three-round win over Michael Lozada in August, the fight taking place in his native Australia.

The trouble for Ricky Burns is that he is not a big puncher even for a featherweight, let alone a lightweight, as only 9 stoppage wins from his 32 victories will attest. It is hard to imagine Katsidis being pushed back or kept at bay by such a light-punching fighter, albeit one with fast hands, good skills and the heart of a lion.

Katsidis should complete his British hat-trick between the rounds 8-10, but not before Ricky Burns has shown why he belongs at world level.

Then we will see if Kevin Mitchell can entice the Australian back for a fourth visit. It will be one that everybody would want to see.

Burns will need another Martinez-like performance if he is to become a two-weight champ

DAVID HAYE RETIREMENT STATEMENT

Posted on by

Well, now it’s official: David Haye has retired from boxing – as he always intended – on his 31st birthday. Below is his retirement statement. It’s funny, refreshingly honest and makes some very good points about his standing in the sport. It makes for a great read, so please read on:

Today’s date is Thursday, October 13, 2011 and I’ve just turned 31 years of age. As the clock struck twelve last night, my professional boxing career came to an end.

The decision to finish my career at this point was not a spur of the moment thing, nor was it something forced upon me.

In fact, it has been my intention to retire from the sport of boxing on this particular day ever since I first laced up a pair of gloves as a skinny ten-year-old at the Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club in Lambeth.

I even remember sitting in a KFC on Oxford Street with my trainer, manager and friend Adam Booth, shortly before turning pro as a 22-year-old, and discussing this decision in great detail.

Over a bargain bucket and coke, we outlined three mission objectives and agreed wholeheartedly to do everything in our power to make it all become a reality. The three-part mission objective went something like this:

1. Win as many genuine titles as possible. 

To begin with, I won the European cruiserweight title and defended it three times, defeating two unbeaten contenders in the process. I then travelled into foreign territory to win the WBC, WBA and The Ring magazine world
cruiserweight championships from Jean-Marc Mormeck, the consensus number one 200-pound fighter in the world.

I also added the WBO world cruiserweight title to the collection with a win over Enzo Maccarinelli, and unified the division in the process.

I then relinquished all those belts, moved up to heavyweight to win the WBA heavyweight championship of the world from Nikolay Valuev, and twice successfully defended that particular title. I took world titles from three
champions and did so by fighting on my opponent’s terms (promotionally) each and every time.

2. Generate as much money as possible and financially secure my future.

My entire heavyweight career has been showcased and screened live as part of massive pay-per-view events, and each heavyweight bout generated healthy seven-figure-plus paydays. Financial security is vital for any boxer,
especially given the dangerous nature of the sport, and I am proud to say I maximised my earning potential throughout my time in boxing.

3. Get out of boxing in my prime, aged 30 and in perfect physical and mental health. 

I didn’t want my speech to become any more slurred than it was when I first entered the ring, and was keen not to one day look like an extra from Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ video.

Other than a few fractures (which healed perfectly within a couple of months), a faulty little toe, and some superficial cuts around my eyes, I believe the third and most important objective has been achieved.

All in all, I have achieved nearly everything I could have hoped to achieve at this point in my professional boxing life. It would have been great to have beaten Wladimir Klitschko in July to unify the world heavyweight titles, but, while I’ve always strived for perfection, it sometimes doesn’t work out that way in life.

Aside from the loss to Wladimir, I am proud of everything I have achieved as both a cruiserweight and heavyweight and truly hope that the boxing fans and media will remember and view my overall career achievements in the
right context.

Yes, I was outspoken and controversial in the lead up to many fights, but I truly believe the hype and drama I brought to the ring – especially as a heavyweight – helped create major pay-per-view happenings and also brought
boxing back to mainstream attention, if only for a short period of time.

Britain boasts very few genuine world champions in this day and age, and I am delighted to say that I was one of them.

Many genuine fight fans will recall me winning WBC, WBA and WBO world cruiserweight titles as a cruiserweight and travelling overseas, as an underdog, to defeat Jean-Marc Mormeck, the best fighter in the world at the
time.

I then unified the weight class against Enzo Maccarinelli, in a fight hardcore fans will remember as the biggest and most anticipated all-British world title showdown since Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn locked horns in the
nineties.

I am pleased to say I was part of nights like those as a cruiserweight.

Sure, I fell just short of fulfilling my ultimate dream as a heavyweight, but I am still satisfied with what I was able to bring to a division that was desperately in need of an injection of excitement.

I helped make the division relevant and important again for three years, and scored wins that led me to the WBA world heavyweight title.

In order to grab the belt from the seven-foot giant Nikolay Valuev, I again had to travel overseas and conquer a favoured champion on foreign soil. It’s easy to rewrite history, but very few were backing me to beat ‘The Beast
from the East’ at the time.

I’ve never claimed to be the greatest and I’m not foolish or arrogant enough to think my place in history will be defined through by I achieved as a heavyweight.

Even the dominant Klitschko brothers will have a tough time being viewed as heavyweight greats in this era, as the talent pool simply hasn’t been deep enough since Lennox Lewis hung up his gloves in 2003.

I never expected to go down as an all-time great heavyweight champion, but the move to the top division was one inspired by a need to challenge and test myself having conquered the cruiserweights.

Despite being undersized, I’d always dreamed of one day ruling the same division my heroes Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis both dominated.

As of this day – the 13th and my 31st birthday – that plan hasn’t quite unfolded yet. Wladimir got the better of me in July and I’ve had to accept the defeat and move on.

Vitali Klitschko did show an interest in sharing a ring with me in 2012, but since that initial declaration we have heard the wrong kind of noises from Team Klitschko, which has left me thinking there is little chance of the fight ever coming to fruition.

I would have very much enjoyed the idea of putting my retirement on hold for six months and going in against another champion that no one gave me a chance of beating.

I thrive on those sort of fights. Ultimately, though, Team Klitschko are a business, and they rarely take on tough opposition unless they are forced to.

That is why Wladimir now fights my old victim Jean-Marc Mormeck on Dec 10 and Vitali will likely fight Chris ‘Pass the Corona’ Arreola in two unattractive matchups that will send the heavyweight division straight back to the doldrums.

In the meantime, my life will go on and I’ll use my energy to pursue other interests. I plan to kick-start an acting career in the new year and will continue to train and stay in the best possible physical shape.

I love boxing and will always be connected to it in some way, shape or form.

In closing, I’d like to thank each and every fan that supported me along the way, either through purchasing a ticket, ordering a pay-per-view, buying a ‘Hayemaker’ t-shirt or by simply just roaring me on to victory.

I always tried to please the fans and did my best to generate excitement both inside and outside of the ring. I’d also like to say a big thank-you to the fans and members of the media who followed my career long before it became fashionable to do so.

I’m talking about those that tracked me up and down the country, from small halls to leisure centres, and then did the same when I ventured abroad to win my first world title.

You know who you are and you know who I was and still am.

DAVID HAYE: CAN HE WALK AWAY WITHOUT REDEMPTION?

Posted on by

The British Boxing Board of Control announced today that Britain’s former cruiserweight and heavyweight champion of the world David Haye will not be renewing his boxing license, giving credence to the fighter’s word that he will retire on his 31st birthday.

David Haye with all the Marbles

Internet forums and social networking sites are awash with a mix of criticism and praise for the Londoner, whose last fight was a
comprehensive points defeat to division number one Wladimir Klitschko. There was talk of a possible “last hurrah” against Wladimir’s 40 year old brother Vitali, but those plans seem to have been abandoned.

The idea of a final fight “for the fans” for Haye doesn’t really make sense, as he never truly engaged with a wider audience.  His conduct in the lead up to his fights with fellow Londoner Audley Harrison and Wladimir are testament to that, and the
manner in which Haye dealt with the Klitschko defeat – blaming his lacklustre effort on a broken toe – has seen him widely ridiculed by writers, fighters and fans alike. He joins Harrison in a less-than-prestigious club of fighters who talked the talk but – when it truly came down to it at heavyweight – didn’t walk the walk.

Haye was an excellent cruiser, the off-the-floor victory over France’s Jean-Marc Mormeck for the undisputed title in 2007 was the pinnacle of his career. If he’d faced Tomasz Adameck and Steve Cunningham and beat them, we’d be talking about Haye in the same breath as Evander Holyfield. But he moved up, which is fine, Holyfield did too. But by the time he moved up to heavyweight, something changed. The mouth was now getting Haye the fights, not his performances. Monte Barrett was the perfect opponent for a KO debut, but Haye’s title-winning victory of Nicolai Valuev is now a registered cure for insomnia.

The heavyweight adventure was a perfect exercise in money-making and marketing, but it has also damaged Haye’s standing in the eyes of the boxing world. The run-up to the Klitschko fight – including the delayed ring entrance – should be studied by sports psychologists and trainers for decades. File it under “How to Disrespect Your Opponent, Fail at Mind Games, Alienate
Your Fan Base and Embarrass Yourself in Public”.

Above all else, Lennox Lewis shouldn’t be made to wait for anybody.

Haye-Valuev: A Cure for Insomnia

A five-minute highlight reel on YouTube will show an explosive fighter with the looks and the gift of the gab. That will be enough
for casual fans. But boxing aficionados will look back on his career as a wasted opportunity. If he was more active and more honest with himself as a fighter, he would have endeared himself to the public more, win or lose.

Ricky Hatton was knocked out by the best two fighters in the world, having given it everything and been respectful all the way. His stock has risen on both sides of the Atlantic in retirement – despite the blips along the way as he struggled to adapt – because of the way he conducted himself inside and outside the ring.

David Haye may struggle with retirement for completely different reasons, but the world should wish him all the best with the rest of his life.