Author: Steven Donnell

Views on upcoming fights in UK and world scene

Linares vs Campbell -Review

Saturday night seen Luke Campbell push Jorge Linares in a way I didn’t think he had in him. The Ex-Olympian really put in a coming of age performance and was unlucky not to bring the titles home.

Linares vs Campbell

From the start as you would expect these two started very tentatively in the first round ,bur even this early you could see the tactics Luke Campbell was going to use to try and and keep the technician Jorge Linares off him . As i said in the preview Luke Cambell has a very good jab to work off , but we could see early that Campbell was also using jab to stop Linares getting close enough to go to work.

In the second round it was a bit of more of the same Jorge looking busy , but Campbell was  doing well  to minimise Linares’s work by good movement and judging distance relatively well ……well that was right to the the off the round when a momentary lapse in Campbell’s concentration let him down . As he was backing off Linares he made the mistake of coming back in a straight line , a mistake a man like Linares will punish given the chance . Linares landed a beautiful lightning quick  combination that sent Campbell to the canvas , although Campbell didn’t look hurt it was a warning for him that mistakes like that , at this level will be punished .

For the next few rounds where much better for Campbell , but without picking up any rounds on 0n my scorecard, but instead of getting his head down after the knockdown , he done the opposite ,Campbell cut out the mistakes and really started to use his jab brilliantly, keeping Linares at bay and really frustrating him as the rounds went buy , after 6 rounds i had 5-1 Linares (plus Knockdown so 6 points up)

Going into round seven and Campbell himself really looked to be growing in confidence . Not only had Campbell stuck to his game plan but he was moving round the ring and following up the jab , landing some nice shots . Jorge Linares was looking more and more frustrated , he just couldn’t get close enough to Campbell to make anything count , and when he was getting close he was being tagged by that Campbell jab . Round eight was more of the same , Campbell was really Starting to enjoy himself in there . I said in the preview that Campbell had never really impressed me since turning pro , well on Saturday he looked like he belonged in there with the best in the division .

Round nine was a close round ,and a round where Linares had changed his tactics . Instead of going for the lightning quick combos , Linares had started landing single shits when inside then getting back out as up until that point Campbell was catching him very regularly . It was a funny round Linares clearly took the early  stages but Campbell had his moments before a decent end to the round for Linares .In round ten we could definitely see Linares’s workrate going up , but Campbell was still in there plodding away with that jab but not as much work coming behind it now. Linares was mixing it up a bit more , but still only looking to land single shots at a time .

Going into the last two rounds Jorge Linares looked to have found a second wind just as Cambell may be starting to feel the pace . Campbell had fought a very well disciplined fight but maybe he was just slowing down ever so slightly which was giving Linares the chance to get inside more regularly , but make no mistake Jorge Linares really needed to up the pace when he did . Going into the final round you could see the respect Linares had for Luke Campbell , both men met in the middle of the ring with raised smiles before going to war for one last round . In the end Campbell went out to try and fight fire with fire , and did have successes in the round but most of the the eye catching stuff came from the champion Linares .

(DjayBoxing Card 7-5 Linares + knockdown 116-113)

So to the score cards we go and after last weeks debacle I’m sure there where a lot of nervous people in that arena Victor Laghlan 113-115 Campbell……Max Deluca 114-113 Linares , Zac Young 115–112 Linares and for me the right man won , god knows where Laghlan got that card from.

Now just before i leave you guys i would like to just say a massive well done to Luke Campbell . The news broke today that his fathert had passed away a couple weeks ago , for that lad to go out there and be that focused and push a guy like Linares to the very limit just shows how strong the lad is mentally .

Steven Donnell

Linares vs Cambell – Preview and Prediction

This weekend any fan of the technical side of boxing will be in for a real treat as Jorge Linares takes on Luke Campbell for the WBA Lightweight , WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine titles in California which will be shown on Sky Sports .

Now any fan of the page will know I am a massive fan of Jorge Linares as Linares is an absolute joy to watch . His speed , quick footwork , volume of punches and power makes him one of the best offensive boxers in the sport today . Linares in his last two fights took Anthony Crolla apart , and everybody knows how tough an opponent Crolla is  . In those fights you seen what Linares does best , using his lighting quick speed and reflexes ,he took Crolla to Skool . I first became aware of Linares when he got up off the canvas to put in a fantastic performance against Kevin Mitchell ,stopping the Englishman after a slow start . As I said Linares is one of the best Offensive boxers in the world , but their are flaws in his game . Anytime we have seen Linares look unsettled and pick L’s is when things get a bit rough and dirty , its also claimed Linares is a bleeder which I don’t really agree with but what I would say is anytime he has bled he doesn’t handle it well .


Luke Campbell is a Gold Medal Olympian who had a very good amateur career , but as is so often the case with good ameaturs I feel he has struggled to utilise his skill set to become a top pro . That being said Luke Campbell is a very compitient boxer , who does move well and has a decent jab to work behind . Since Campbell lost to Mendy the hype behind  him has slowed down a bit , as Mendy took Campbell to a place he never been and Campbell did not handle it well at all . Slowly Luke Cambell has been working back from that loss which has seen Campbell earn this shot at Linares through merit , who knows maybe putting Campbell in with Linares will finally see Campbell step up and fulfil his potential .

prediction :

As you probably already know from reading the above , i can only see this going one way . Jorge Linares is just to good for Luke Cambell and come fight night it will show . I’m not saying Linares is unbeatable what I am saying is Cambell just doesn’t have the skill set to beat him . Campbell’s only hope is to drag Linares into a dog fight and anybody who knows Cambell knows that’s not the kind of fighter he is . I think Linares will stop Cambell anytime after the sixth , the way in which Cambell fights is made for Linares . My advice to anyone who hasn’t seen Jorge Linares box before is to make sure you set a reminder on your TV , it really is a joy to watch this technician at work .

Steven Donnell

 

 

 

Sweet and Sour ….GGG vs Canelo Review

So what a weekend of action and  controversy , yet again it was things outside the ring that stole the show in Las Vegas .

GGG vs Canelo at T-Mobile Arena ,LV

This was the fight that all boxing fans have been dreaming about for the past 2 years and my god it delivered . From the very get go in this fight you could see that these two had styles that would put together and make a fight . Early doors you could feel the tension, and for the first couple of rounds at least the underdog Canelo just looked to be that bit quicker on his feet and to the punch but without landing anything to significant . Canelo definitely looked the more fluent of the two but in the third round that changed , GGG started upping the pace and although i thought Canelo won the round he wasn’t getting a break between exchanges , GGG was certainly making Canelo throw more and testing that gas tank . Into the fourth i had it 2-1 Canelo (scoring on my fourth time watching it due to excessive alcohol consumption) but GGG really started to get the jab going, he also cut the ring off very well stopping Canelo moving ,trapping him on the ropes but instead of opening up , GGG was patient , not giving Canelo a chance to counter any big shots, instead choosing to keep Canelo on the of his jab .

The story was pretty much the same for the next couple of rounds . Now anybody that follows me twitter will see i have a go at Abel Sanchez quite lot , but on Saturday night Sanchez was fantastic, When he was telling GGG to fight for  the full 3 min of a round and to stop letting Canelo have a break on the ropes, his advice was to get Canelo on the ropes and keep him there making him work every second . Going into the seventh round i had it all square, Canelo showing superb work and skill off the ropes in the Sixth but it really was a hard round to score and GGG’s work rate was really starting to have an affect on Canelo . For the next two rounds GGG’s jab just took him to another level , what a weapon to have your disposal and it was making the Mexican have to think constantly .As Canelo was starting to slow down , GGG was finding the mark a lot  more regular with his jab. Canelo on the other hand was looking to load up in rounds seven and eight and apart from a lovely uppercut ,he just didnt have an answer to that GGG jab .

Now the Ninth for me was the most interesting round ,it was like Canelo could see the fight getting away from him and decided to try and turn up it . Coming out at the start Canelo was doing a lot of shoe shinning but again that GGG jab was grinding him down, that was until Canelo timed GGG coming in and caught him with a monster of a overhand right, and to GGG credit he didn’t even blink before charging forward again . This round for me stopped the rot for Canelo but it was very close as GGG jab was a constant factor, so i can see an argument for both winning this round . The tenth was more of the same, Canelo maybe landing flashier shots but that GGG jab was constant throughout the fight .

In the eleventh round Canelo really surprised everyone, he came out like a guy knowing he needed these last two rounds to keep it close, and for the first time in 5 rounds he was outworking GGG , maybe not catching clean but definetly catching the eye . The twelth round was pretty much the same with Canelo knowing he needed the round he came out to take it . What we must say is that Canelo was throwing what he had left at the older GGG , yet GGG looked like he could do another twelve rounds , this man is a machine .

As the fight ends i have GGG winning 7-5 (canelo rounds 2,3,5(sr),11,12)(GGG rounds 1(sr),4,6,7,8,9,10(sr) , this fight was superb, the skill on show was unreal , both showed they are made of something special but GGG’s work rate was Canelos undoing and the diffrence between the two …….So then comes the first scorecard “Byrd scores it 118-110 Canelo” ……Oh my fucking god , the biggest fight in years by two warriors and this happens AGAIN . The other two judges cards (Moretti 115-113 and Trella 114-114 )i don’t really have a problem with , but that Byrd card is down right corruption , there is no other word for it , its an embressment to the sport .

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Due to the way this battle ended the fight itself has been forgotten , i think Canelo proved a lot of people wrong as did GGG . I thought maybe age would have caught up with GGG , and in some ways it has but anybody who can fight with that intensity and have that jab can still do great things in this sport . As for Canelo his defence and counter punching was a thing of beauty, also he managed his gas tank well to have enough left for a late flurry , we just didn’t see enough over the twelve rounds for me to give Canelo the win . That 118-110 score card has robbed Canelo of any credit in this fight, it has also robbed the fans who’s paid a lot of money out of any legitmacy in this result . This result will damage Canelo’s reputation and if he doesn’t get back in the ring soon for the rematch i don’t think it will ever recover .

Steven Donnell

GGG vs Canelo – Preview and Prediction

This weekend we have the biggest fight in years when GGG takes on Canelo Alvarez to see who is “The King of the Middleweights” . This fight has been what the promoters call “marinating” for 2 years to long now ,but hey lets not get hung up on that now and just enjoy these two superstars putting on a show which i think is guaranteed to deliver .

What can be said about GGG that hasn’t already been said over the years. Here is a guy who has the best jab in boxing for me, and if HBO are to be believed it is also the most accurate jab in boxing . GGG’s high KO ratio means very rarely do people actually comment on his jab, but come Saturday night this weapon could be the tool that see’s Canelo come unstuck . Another of GGG’s best talents hidden away behind that KO ratio is the way he can cut off the ring, manoeuvring his opponents into a corner until there is nowhere to run ,leaving him free to open you up with his power shots . Galovkin does have flaws tho, as we seen against Danny Jacobs he is willing to let opponents land taking advantage of that granite chin, but eventually that will give out . It also looked against Jacobs as if GGG was that half a step slower, and maybe his hunger and intensity not what it was a couple of years ago .

Saul Canelo Alvarez is the Mexican poster boy and pretty much the biggest star in world boxing . After turning pro at just 16 years old he has alway been tipped for superstardom , but after taking the Vacant WBC Middleweight title by beating Cotto at a catchweight a few years ago ,this GGG fight has been a thorn in his side , aswell as a stain on his legacy up until now . Now Canelo is up at Middleweight , and looks to have filled out in all the right places . Canelo’s main strength is his counter punching, which could very well be tailor made for GGG . The way in which Canelo covers up teams up perfectly with his well timed counters, which could see GGG frustrated and see his cool facade tested .

Prediction: 

I am going to go agaisnt grain here and say Canelo is just going to sneak this fight on the cards . I think Team Canelo have stood there ground and let time take its toll on GGG ever so slightly . If GGG can work Canelo’s body early there is every chance Canelo might very well be stopped , but i think Canelo will counter those shots early and take them off the table . Earlier i said GGG has the best jab in boxing but what i didn’t mention is how Canelo pivots ready to pounce with power on any lazy jabs left out there, it really could be the Kryptonite to that fantastic jab . All in all this fight is going to be one for the history books and for any boxing fan worth there salt , this is a MUST SEE .

Steven Donnell

Preview + Prediction Huck/Usyk and Gonzalez/Rungvisai

What a way to get rid of the sour taste the McGregor/Mayweather fight left in our mouths  ,instead of having a freakshow forced down our throats , this Saturday night is a night all fight fans should be going crazy for . On both sides of the Atlantic boxing fans will be in for a night of action packed drama , and I’m even going to predict we will see “2017 Fight of The Year” .

Usyk vs Huck (WBSS Cruiserweight’s)

Lets start with the highly anticipated WBSS match up between Olaksander Usyk and Marco Huck in Berlin , a show which DJayBoxing will be attending. This tournament since it was announced had a special feel to it , and with some of the names on show i am confident we are going to have some special nights over the coming months .

Marco Huck is one of those boxers who doesn’t do any one thing brilliantly but does all things well , and when you team that with fact that he’s as hard as an old East German car ,the former world champion still has the ability to to cause anyone problems. His style of just walking opponents down, bullying them ,roughing them up and wearing them down has worked well for him over the years , making him very popular among fans as his fights are usually exciting .

What can be said about Usyk thats not already been said . Coming into the WBSS as favourite and No1 seed , Usyk has picked Huck for one reason ….to make a statement . Usyk has came to the pros from a very successful Ukrainian  team after being a top class amateur , a lot like Vayl Lomachenko , and like Lomachenko he has had no problem adapting to the pros . Although Usyk might not have that fearce one punch power, he has superb footwork and a work rate that Marco Huck will struggle to keep up with .

Prediction: I can only see one winner here and that is Oleksander Usyk, Usyk is getting Huck at the right time for me. Huck will no doubt have his successes in the fight early doors but he will fade fast. i think the safe money goes on Usyk by very wide UD , but to make that statement i spoke about we might see Usyk stop Huck late .

Roman Choclatito Gonzalez vsSor Rungvisai II

Back in March we seen the remarkable first instalment of this fight, a fight which seen P4P superstar Roman Choclatito Gonzalez 46 fight unbeaten run come to an end when he came up against this very tough Thai Sor Rungvisai . The fight itself was an amazing specticle which for me showed why Gonzalez really is elite level . Knocked down early and cut badly by repeated headbutts , Roman was really under the cosh but where so many would have struggled and failed ,Roman recomposed and really took the Rungvisai to skool at times in the second half of the fight , for me Gonzalez done enough to win but it really was to close call .

Now i have to admit Sor Rungvisai was totally unknown to me before this fight , but my god this guy can fight . Like most Thai’s this guy has heart with really heavy hands , early in the last fight i think Gonzalez was really shocked by his power . Rungvisai is also rough and proved in the last fight he is not shy useing his head , a tactic surly the ref will be looking to make sure is not a feature in this fight . Coming in as a deserved champion if Rungvisai can pull this off again, i dare anyone to leave him out there top 10 P4P list .

Prediction: My god this is a hard fight to pick, on one hand i think Roman had Rungvisi worked out in the second half of the first fight and will take that into this fight , on the other hand every fighters time comes to an end and Rungvasi might just be that bridge to far for Gonzalez……..On this occasion i am going to go with my heart and pick Roman Gonzalez , and although i can’t say that with to much confidence he will win , what i can say is that we are in for another classic battle .

Also watch out for Cudras/Estrada also on the Superfly Card , Which will be shown on Sky Sports 

Steven Donnell

Breaking Taboo -Boxing and Depression

It is often said boxing is a sport like no other , a sport that can give the ultimate highs and the deepest lows .Whilst the world celebrates and looks to join In with these warriors in there success ,the fighters at the other end of the spectrum are ignored and all to often left to face there demons alone , which can have tragic consequences .

I have got to an age now where my hero’s of the the ring have all but disappeared from the sport . One of my all time favourite boxers was Ricky Hatton , who has long since hung the gloves up after becoming a superstar within the sport in this country . After reaching the dizzying heights of boxing , Hatton knew when it was time to bow out , but as is so often the case with boxers, knowing when to hang them up is one thing , dealing with it is another . Ricky Hatton had a very pubic breakdown, battling drink,drugs and deep depression ,Hatton even admitted to trying to take his own life on several occasions. This once iconic warrior brought to the edge by a mental illness which Is rife throughout boxing but is hid like a dirty little secret  .

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I tried to kill myself several times,” Hatton said in an interview aired on BBC Radio 4.”I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark crying hysterically..”

Boxing has already lost so many young men who over the years just couldn’t cope with life outside the ring ,going back to Sonny Liston, Billy Collins jnr or more recently Arturo Gatti  all died young men struggling with depression , yet this epidemic is still rarely talked about withing the sport .A superstar like Iron Mike Tyson admitted to having severe depression whilst still fighting and going on a mission to destroy himself, yet across the press and boxing world he was ridiculed at the time .Just recently we had Nick Blackwell be very heavily criticised for sparring just months after being told he could never box again due to a bleed in the brain,which he picked up in his fight with Chris Eubank jnr . Now on one hand yes it does seem stupid to risk your life and it should never have been allowed , but take a step back and look at this from a different perspective . Nick Blackwell had his career taken away from him whilst still being a young man , all those years of work just taken away in the blink of an eye , surly that would be hard for any man to accept ? surly this spar should be seen as a cry for help .

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Mike Tyson: I used to equate sickness to blisters and dripping not psychological

So what’s the solution ?
When I was  interviewing Alex Arthur we spoke about his battles with depression when he gave up boxing , he agreed that boxing needs a better support structure for boxer’s suffering from depression after there final round is over. Boxing like society has to face up to this problem ,between fans,promoters and the boxers themselves setting up some sort of support network should be easy enough to fund . Boxing could learn from the British Army, when young soldiers are leaving the military they have the option of resettlement training which the army picks up the bill , rather than throw young boxers on the scrap heap why not give them the option to redirect there life . Most importantly I think boxing has to do more to acknowledge the problem itself as far to often guys like Ricky Hatton , who gave us some of the best nights of our lives ,are left to fight these battles alone  .

Steven Donnell

“The World Boxing Super Series” Is Fantastic For Boxing

We are now a month away from the start of one of the most eagerly anticipated sporting events in recent memory, I am of course talking about The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) .On the face of it this tournament has everything fight fans want to see spread across two weight divisions. The cruiserweight division has the best of the best including Olecsander Usyk and Mairis Bredis willing to put it all on the line, whilst the Super Middle Weight division might be missing some of the division’s champions but still throws together guys like George Groves and Callum Smith, among other top Brits,which must be exciting for fans in the UK with the potential of massive domestic match ups to see  who will take the Mohammed Ali Trophy home .

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This tournament comes at a time when boxing is on a high, but whilst fights like Floyd Mayweather vs Conner McGregor are looking to cash in on the sport ,the WBSS Is looking to promote boxing and take it to another level .I have big hopes for this tournament, this is a chance for us boxing fans to see the best fight the best ,and hopefully throw up a few battles in the process .The WBSS has the chance to raise the bar and expectations of boxing fans so no more will we just sit back and accept the fights that some promoters want to spoon feed us ,and with fights taking place all across Europe it will open more fans eyes to the world of boxing and not just events in our own backyard.

Even though the WBSS hasn’t kicked off yet it has already showed its trying to be different . At its launch event in Monte Carlo, it had the feel of an Oscar’s ceremony until the seeded contenders appeared on stage one at a time to select an unseeded contender then have a face off , it was superb TV ,especially when George Groves selected Jamie Cox ……I loved it

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So roll on September 9th when we can get this tournament started when Usyk takes on Huck in Berlin, a fight I will be attending . It is early days yet but I am predicting the WBSS to be a massive success .
Steven Donnell (@DJayBoxingblog)

Follow The World Boxing Super Series @WBSuperSeries

Trouble In Paradise : Is this the Beginning Of The End For Matchroom/Sky Partnership ?

For years now the Matchroom/Sky Sports partnership has been at the heart of most major events in UK boxing but now with the competition starting to get its act together, are we now seeing cracks beginning to appear in their marriage? The alarm bells really started going for me last year when at first Kel Brook, then Tony Bellew both became Eddie Hearn’s latest fighters to move from Sky Sports Saturday Night Fight shows to PPV, leaving a very weak stable to fill the sky sports shows .

Whilst the rest of the boxing world has flourished in 2017, Sky Sports has found itself struggling to find headliners. We have went from guys like Tony Bellew and Kel Brook headlining for Sky Sports, to guys like Martin Murray and Frank Bugglioni and no matter how you dress it up are Domestic to European level at best. Recently we have also seen one of Eddie Hearn’s top prospects, Ohara Davies take on Josh Taylor in a fight which saw him quit like a dog  on a card shown on C5 (free TV) which has put most of Sky Sports cards in 2017 to shame .

“There is only one person who can take the blame for this and it has to be Mr Eddie Hearn”

There is only one person who can take the blame for this and it has to be Mr Eddie Hearn. For too long, Hearn and sky sports had the monopoly in the sport in the UK and with compitition weak, Hearn knew the power he had and used it as a weapon within the sport. As Boxnation (Frank Warren) struggled along and Cyclone (McGuigans) had to work with C5 on small budget shows. Eddie Hearn was the the top of the pile with the might of Sky behind him….what could go wrong?

Eddie Hearn’s biggest mistake has has came from his own success in the PPV market. With Anthony Joshua being a marketing phenomenon and with Hearn making fights  like GGG/Brook and Bellew/Haye, he was printing cash but neglecting non-PPV fighters. Whilst Hearn was concentrating on the cream, Frank Warren had signed a very lucrative deal with BT Sport and right away Warren went about signing all the best young talent in the country, even taking guys like Warrington and Nurse from Hearn. Warren had seen the the standard of Sky Sports shows had dropped and made his move to strike. When BT have went head to head with sky sports, it is sky who looked to be struggling to keep the pace. We have also seen Cyclone finally get a formula that works for them, promising to put on closely matched fights on free TV, with guys like Carl Frampton and Josh Taylor signed to them, they must be taken seriously in the business now. At the same time, Hearn has been told by Sky they want more and more PPV shows (worrying when you think Eddie is struggling to fill Sky Sports slots) and Kel Brook – A PPV Fighter, has just came off two losses, quitting in both .

“Why would AJ need Matchroom to take a big lumps of cash if he could keep the lot “

There is one final crack that must be looked at by Eddie Hearn. A small crack just now but one with the potential to bring his empire down. It’s looking more and more likely that Anthony Joshua is looking to step into the management/promotion side of things. Joshua Buatsi has already signed with the Heavyweight champion and as AJ signs more and more talent the need for Matchroom becomes smaller. Why would AJ need Matchroom to take a big lumps of cash if he could keep the lot? If Joshua did split and go it alone, I would be confident Sky Sports would want to deal with AJ rather than Hearn. After all, he is the biggest star in sport in the UK .

Steven Donnell

Taylor vs Davis and Easton vs Jamoye Review

Well guys what can we say about Saturday nights Josh Taylor vs Ohara Davis show ? . Well from the start I think we should acknowledge that Cyclone,Channel 5/Spike have really made a massive statement that they intend to not only bring boxing back to the masses for free,but also intend to challenge the big boys like BT and Sky Sports whilst doing so.

Before lasnights main event we seen one of the fights of the year when Jason Easton took on the very experienced Steve Jamoye for the IBO Intercontinental title , in only Easton’s tenth fight. 

Jason Easton Interview with DJayBoxing

“Jamoye showed so much bravery and made Easton work every second of every round ,and this was a test I’m sure will push Jason Easton onto the next level .”

From the off Jamoye tried to force the pace and not let Easton get settled and had great success using this tactic . Jamoye just wouldn’t let Easton breath which saw both men trade blow for blow for most of the early rounds. As the fight went on Easton was regaining his composure and landing the cleaner,crisper shots ,really testing the Belgian chin ,but each question asked by Easton was answered with quick counter punches from Jamoye, which was making the youngster really have to think about his attacks . This battle finally came to an end in the eighth when Eastons relentless barage finally made the referee stop the fight before Jamoye’s bravery seen him take more punishment than he  had to take, a good stoppage in my opinion . Both fighters recived the well earned adoration of the fans , A fantastic test for Jason Easton, Jamoye showed so much bravery and made Easton work every second of every round ,and this was a test I’m sure will push Jason Easton onto the next level .

Jason Easton Interview with DJayBoxing

“Nowhere to run,nowhere to hide” came blaring out and  the crowd went wild , and as we where about to witness this song choice was spot on

After that great apitiser we where all set for the main event .Ohara Davis walked to the ring to the music of WWE Wrestler “The Undertaker” ,well at least that’s what I thought it was as the music was drowned out by the boos from the Glasgow crowd,which didn’t look to have phased Davis  .Then it was Taylor time “Nowhere to run,nowhere to hide” came blaring out and the crowd went wild , and as we where about to witness this song choice was spot on . As we got underway I honestly didn’t know what to expect , but half way through the first round it was easy to see that Davis was struggling to get anywhere near Taylor . Shane McGuigan and Josh Taylor had clearly came up with a plan to negate Davis long reach ,a simple plan really which seen Taylor always move to his right ,which looked to have Ohara Davis absolutely stumped . In the second round Taylor looked to be the more busier of the two whilst making Davis miss big . We had never really seen Davis being hit before, but as the second round came to a close Josh Taylor really started unloading on Davis body which saw  his defence lower considerably,and even though he shook his head it was clear to see he was hurt . As we moved into the third it was more of the same. Davis just couldn’t get near Taylor whilst Josh was getting more and more viscous with his own attacks. Even when both got up close  it was  Taylor who seemed to be more comfortable and picking the better shot which in turn seen him send Davis to the canvas . As the rounds whizzed by it was becoming more clear Taylor was levels above Davis . This really was a pasting Ohara Davis was taking ,looking slow,jaded and disheartened it was  becoming clear that this fight was not going the distance. In the seventh round Taylor looked to draw Davis in and open himself up . Now Ohara did catch Josh with a few nice shots but his flailing arms just didn’t have the power to trouble Taylor and as Davis tried to pressure Taylor In the corner, Taylor walked him right onto a beautiful right hand, that quick if you blinked you would have missed it ,which sent Davis down again and left him looking bewildered. Davis did make it up before the count but as Taylor went to press him Ohara Davis broke a golden rule and turned his back on Taylor ,who didn’t stop to take notice that Davis had QUIT and landed another couple of shots before the ref held him back . Davis disrespected  the warrior code and just gave up , the second matchroom fighter to do so in recent memory .

Josh Taylor will certainly go on to be a world champion at 140lbs of that I have no doubt, as for Ohara Davis? Well who knows but a boxer without heart really doesn’t have any place at world level so maybe Davis will have  to have a long hard look in the mirror and decide if this sport is for him .

Steven Donnell

Alex Arthur Interview with DJayBoxing