Category: All Boxing

A Message To Chris Eubank Jnr …..And Some Words Of Wisdom From Kevin Bridges

A Message To Chris Eubank Jnr …..And Some Words Of Wisdom From Kevin Bridges

At some point in everybody’s life they must step up and leave the security of there parents in order to go out and let the world mould you into your own person . As a child it is your parents job to give you the tools to get this ready for this day when you leave the nest and this is the way the world works . Some go out and flourish right away others might need a bit of time to adjust before succeeding whilst many fall short and never really come to terms with responsibility and adulthood , but make no mistake its the choice’s each individual makes that will determine if you succeed or fail .

The Mirror’s Cameraman Capture’s both men landing

On Saturday night we seen Chris Eubank Jnr take on George Groves in the Semi Final of the World Boxing Super Series in Manchester , A fight that seemed difficult to call on the face of it . Before the fight many bookmakers and pundits alike had picked Chris Eubank Jnr despite his inexperience and a CV that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny , whilst some pointed out that George Groves gas tank was a great equaliser in this fight . As it turned out this fight ended up a fairly one sided affair with George Groves using his jab to keep distance between himself and Eubank Jnr and then countering anything Eubank Jnr tried to do , and when Jnr finally managed to close the gap he couldn’t escape the clutch of Groves who would tie him up, rub his head into the already cut eye of Eubank Jnr . Eubank Jnr had came into this fight with the reputation of being tidy and entertaining but for so much of this fight he looked wild and amateurish . It had been said before the fight that George Groves had “To many miles on the clock” and “Groves is an old 29 year old” , well those claims where half right in the way that Groves was far to experienced for Eubank Jnr and despite both men being of a similar age Eubank Jnr was being “Old Manned” . The big worry before the fight for any of us who picked Groves was his gas tank . We thought Eubank Jnr would force a high pace and hope that Groves faded later in the fight  . What we got was a Eubank Jnr who couldn’t deal with Groves jab and instead of forcing the pace he settled into a pace that Groves could maintain easily for 12 rounds , which we have to give Shane McGuigan and George Grove credit for , they implemented a style and gameplan that Eubank Jnr had no answer for . From early in the fight Eubank Jnr looked mentally weak , he was up against someone who knew how to beat him and Eubank couldn’t change a thing . Rather than Groves having to grind out the win , he strolled to it and even fought half of the 12th round with a dislocated shoulder but was never in trouble , An easy day at the office for the three judges who all had Groves there winner .

Eubank Jnr face is a bloodied mess after the fight (from the Mirror)

What Next for Eubank Jnr ?

This is the second time Chris Eubank Jnr has stepped up to world level and its the second time he’s lost and in both fights he has really struggled to change things when the fight isn’t going his way . On Saturday night i was shaking my head in disbelief when Chris Eubank Snr (father) was getting in the ring to give instructions between rounds as he is not his son’s trainer . In the build up to this fight Eubank Jnr should have been in the gym with his trainer working on different systems , ways to change a fight if plan A is not working . The arrogance of Chris Snr to disrespect what trainers do and to think he knows better is astounding but even more astounding was Eubank Jnr’s willingness to let his dad hijack hi career . Eubank Jnr is a 28 year old man and has the biggest choice of his life to make , does he continue to be the side show to his dads self promoting antics which is damaging his sons career or does he finally leave the nest ,does he finally embrace adulthood and get himself a team that is there to progress HIS career and make HIM a better boxer . I pray it is the latter as it would be a shame to see a talented lad wake up one day and it’s all over , just then to realise he’s been all used up …….. Maybe Chris Eubank Jnr can take some comfort from the words of Kevin Bridges , Enjoy .

Groves vs Eubank- Preview + Prediction

Every so often boxing throws up a match up that absolutely pickles your brain . You will  sway from side to side , change your pick about 20 times and even have sleepless nights arguing with yourself whether you are picking with your heart or your mind . This weekend the Super Middleweight side of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)  will kick off with the semi final between George Groves and Chris Eubank to see who will book there place in the WBSS final in what promises to be a cracker .

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WBSS Oficial Poster
George Groves 27-3-0 20ko’s

WBA Super World Champion George Groves is one of the most popular boxers the UK  . George shot onto the World stage when he fought Carl Froch back in 2013 for the IBF and WBA Middleweight Titles where he came agonisingly close to a shock stoppage against the Cobra before being stopped himself later in the fight . George Groves also fell just short of winning a world title against the very talented Badu Jack back in 2015 in a fight were Groves again had his moments in the fight but just couldn’t capitalise enough which cost him a split decision on the cards . For a while a lot of the boxing world thought that Groves might just be one of those talented fighters who just fall short of winning a world title , well that was until May last year . On Groves fourth attempt at winning a world title he stopped Fedor Chudinov in a career best win to claim the WBA Super World Title and finally get that monkey of his back . Groves biggest asset is his jab which is pretty much a power punch and better still Groves knows how to use it . Since George Groves teamed up with trainer Shane McGuigan he has became a much more complete boxer . George Groves of old was very excitable and boxed with emotion rather than his mind , but now we see Groves be composed and work at his own pace . Like all McGuigan’s fighter he works the body exceptionally well as Jamie Cox found out in his last fight when Groves nearly halved Cox in two with a body shot . There is no getting away from George Groves major flaw ….his gas tank . Every time i watch Groves i always get the feeling he is on the verge of fading and when you see what he has to do to make weight it really is something you must take into consideration when it comes to predicting this fight .

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Sky Sports Capture Both Cocky fighters at Weigh In
Chris Eubank Jnr 26-1-0 20Ko’s 

An accusation often threw at Chris Eubank Jnr is that he lives off daddy Chris Snr’s name , which isn’t strictly true . When Jnr decided he wanted to be a professional boxer he was shipped off to the US with his brother and lived life as a teenager away from his parents and family , going around some top gyms in the states learning his trade , now take what you want from that but i think that deserves a lot of credit . Yes the name Eubank might have opened some doors for Chris Jnr as a rookie bringing in sponsorship etc but Eubank Jnr has exploited those advantages to become one of the most complete athletes in boxing today . Eubank Jnr is also a very fan friendly fighter with his posturing in the ring mixed with his fantastic shot selection which is delivered with expert technique , he really can be a treat to watch . It has to be said that Chris Eubank Jnr is an untested fighter which has its pros and cons , as none of really know how he will handle the step up to to world class level . The one time Eubank Jnr did step up in class he took his first “L” against Billy Joe Saunders , but if i am being truly honest i don’t know how much we can take from that as that was along time ago and Eubank Jnr has improved since that fight . There is a few things that worry me about Chris Eubank Jnr apart from his inexperince , like his size . Eubank Jnr might have the body of a God but he is a very small Super Middleweight who for all his flash doesn’t pack to much bang in his shots . Eubank Jnr also has a tendency to get a bit wild and stand in the pocket looking to trade , leaving himself wide open at times .

Prediction

The reason it has took me so long to get this Preview and Prediction published was i just couldn’t separate the two of them . Even now as i am finally about to hang my hat on one of these guys i am second guessing myself …..and that is what boxing should be like . The way I’ve broke this fight down in my head is that it will be a game of two halves . George Groves has to be the massive favourite in the first half of the fight if there is to be an early stoppage due to his sheer size advantage , and when you factor in Groves really does hit hard there is a chance Eubank Jnr might fall apart early . If this fight is 60-40 in Groves favour in the first six rounds it really has to swing 60-40 in the second half of the fight . With Groves questionable gas tank and Eubank Jnr’s athleticism there is every chance the stoppage could come late for Eubank Jnr . So who’s my pick ? I am going to have to go with the more experienced Groves by Ko in round six . I think Groves would have started to tire by this point and the tide might be turning toward Eubank Jnr , when Eubank Jnr will stay in the pocket to long and get caught by Groves , i honestly think Eubank Jnr could be at most risk in this fight when he has Groves hurt .

This fight has really caught fire this week and has everyone buzzing so lets just enjoy it . For all you lucky people going to Manchester enjoy and stay safe .

Steven Donnell

Zolani Tete Interview – Born in Apartheid to Champion of the World

Zolani Tete Interview – Born in Apartheid to Champion of the World

Let me take you back to South Africa 1948 . This is the year that laws where implemented that would be a stain on humanity for the best part of 50 years , these laws where called Aparthied . Apartheid comes from an Afrikaans (A White south African person who’s decended from Europe , Holland) word meaning Apart-hood . These laws enforced racial segregation in every aspect of life such as education , employment , housing and Government . South Africa had segregation since the turn of the 20th Century but in 1948 these newly passed laws allowed legal enforcement of racism . As time passed political anti-aprthied movements had started with groups like the ANC , but there protests where met with deadly force and even further restrictions where added to the Apartheid laws .Tete's home Township

Now lets fast forward 40 years to 1988 . The world has finally started to take notice of the oppression happening in South Africa . Trade embargo’s , political pressure and a campaign to have ANC leader’s such as Nelson Mandela set free from prison had seen to it that this was the beginning of the end for Aparthied . This is also the year that Zolani Tete was born in the Township of Mdantsane on the eastern cape . Born to a pastor father and a Mother who Zolani describes as a gift from God , Tete has nothing but appreciation to his parents for how he was raised .

” My father is still a Pastor to this day and he has grown us so well . My parents taught us to love and respect our elders and went out of there way to make sure we got a good education and a better life “

On 11th February 1990 Nelson Mandela was freed from prison after serving 27 years locked up , and over the next few years Apartheid Crumbled and the “Rainbow Nation” was born with Mandela being elected President in 1994 . I asked Zolani what was life like growing up in post Apartheid South Africa ? .

” It’s been the best feeling for us youngsters because we never wanted to experience what our mothers and fathers experienced in the past , we where all happy about that . ”

“It’s been good to grow up past the Apartheid times , just think i wouldn’t have been fighting all over the world experiencing what i have experienced and getting all the opportunities i have now . I must give thanks to our former President and the late Mr Nelson Mandela and his colleagues . “

Growing up in Post Apartheid South Africa didn’t mean that Zolani was sheltered from the sometimes cruel world that children in schools and communities from every country face . I asked Zolani if he had always dreamed of being a professional boxer

“I only got into boxing as a way of defending myself with my brother . We were bullied at school from a very young age , i never knew that through boxing you could you could support your family and make a good living , so i might say thank you to those guys who used to bully us at school “.

Zolani had a successful amateur career with 400 fights and only 3 losses so and with life at home being difficult on the family financially he decided that it was time to turn professional.

“It was around 2005 when i thought i could stand a chance at being a World Champion and at that time my family was going through a tough time . My parents were struggling to get work at the time , sometimes my mum would get a job and earning so little it barely put food on the table , so i decided to turn pro so i could help “.

In 2014 Zolani Tete finally realised his dream of being World Champion when he won the IBF Super Flyweight Champion after a unanimous decision win against the Japanese fighter Kinoshita in Japan . I asked Zolani how he was received on returning home to South Africa as a World Champion .

” People give me credit and respect as their champion , i walk down the street and people salute me as i pass by . Boxing is a very popular sport in South Africa thanks to people like Vuyani Bungu and Welcome Nita to mention a few , who have brought glory to this country . People love boxing here especially in my home township of Mdantsane is the known as the Mecca of boxing so you could imagine how they received me .”

Zolani Tete is a name that is now growing in the UK and has been on the rise since Knockout win over Paul Butler in Liverpool . Since that night in Liverpool Tete’s talent caught the eye of Frank Warren and since then Tete has teamed up with Warren in what looks like a good partnership.

“Frank Warren is one of the best promoters in the world . I met with Frank after the Butler fight when he spotted my talent and he wanted me to partner him . We saw this as a great opportunity and we grabbed it with both hands . It has been amazing working with Frank , Queeensberry is my only home now .”

In Zolani’s last fight he became a world record holder when he Knocked out Siboniso Gonya in Belfast whilst defending his WBO Bantamweight title In just 11 seconds , a result that surprised even Zolani .

“I have to admit i was shocked , i knew i was going to win that fight by KO by I didn’t expect it to happen that quickly and in that fashion . Today i am a record holder which is music to my ears .”

After Zolani’s impressive performance in Belfast he called out IBF and WBA Champion Ryan Burnett . This a fight that all of boxing would love to see and really had fans buzzing for a bit until Eddie Hearn (Burnett’s promoter) shot down all talk about the fight being made . I asked Zolani what he thought about Burnett turning the fight down .

“It is so disappointing that Mr Hearn and Mr Burnett refuse to fight me , i dont know why ….maybe they doubt Ryan’s ability or something . I am hopeful that the fight will happen this year .”

There is a bit momentum building up behind Zolani Tete . With BT Sport now in partnership with Frank Warren , Tete is now more known to a bigger audience , so i asked Zolani what he wants to do in the coming year .

“My plan is clear . I want to unify the division . I want Luis Nery and Ryan Burnett . Once i have all the belts i will chase down the monster (Nagoya Inoue) and trust me that will be a fantastic fight .”

I would just like to to finish up by saying a massive thank you to Zolani Tete and his team for arranging this fantastic interview for us .

Steven Donnell

“We Were Promised the Champions League of Boxing ….And They Have Delivered”

Last year when the World Boxing Super Series concept was announced it was described as going to be for boxing what the UEFA Champions League is for football (soccer if your one of my American readers) which at the time seemed like a massive claim but my god they have delivered it . Over the past two weekends we have been treated to the Cruiserweight Semi-Final’s , where all of the boxers where undefeated World Champions . In the space of seven days we seen two unifications featuring the four best in the division fight it out in two fantastic fights which see’s both winners go on to battle it out in the final , to see who is the undisputed champion …..this is exactly what boxing has been needing.

Usyk vs Briedis

This was a fight that i had been excited about for months , so much so i made the journey over to Riga , Latvia in the middle of winter . The Riga Arena was a fantastic venue for boxing but when you add in the very distinct set up of the WBSS and the electric  atmosphere in the arena , it was like nothing i had ever experienced before at any boxing event . A lot of pundits had predicted a snooze fest of a fight , but they couldn’t have been more wrong if they tried . From the start the local lad Briedis was there prove that Usyk was in for the toughest night of his career . Landing some fantastic shots on the Ukrainian throughout the full fight Mairis Briedis showed why he is an elite level fighter . There is no doubt in my mind Oleksandr Usyk had to dig deep within himself to start answering the questions being asked of him . This fight was a masterclass in technical boxing as we seen two men try to out skill the other whilst keeping the action coming fast . Usyk finally took the fight on the cards which i thought was fair , but the same score  for Briedis would have been fine in my book , that is how close this fight was , a fight i would love to see happen again.

.Gassiev vs Dorticos

The dust had hardly settled from the fantastic semi-final in Riga when we had the second semi-final , this time in Adler ,Russia . Murat Gassiev vs Yunier Dorticos had big shoes to fill going into there fight at the Bolshoy Ice Dome and my god did they fill them . Both men were classed as knockout artists so no one really thought this fight was going to go the distance . From the opening bell the Cuban Dorticos was stalking his Russian prey , with Gassiev choosing to back off and go for quality shots rather than quantity . Countless time throughout the fight Gassiev caught the Cuban with beautiful counters which were getting round Dorticos guard , showing exactly how tough this cuban was . The longer the fight went on the more the tide was turning toward the Russian . Time and time again Dorticos was eating shot after shot but all the time hanging in there like a true champion . That all came to an end in the 12th Round when Gassiev timed Dorticos coming in with a beautiful left hook which seen the Cuban go down . Dorticos tried in vain to fight on but the punishment he had took over the 12 rounds had finally caught up with him and as he went down a further twice before the ref stopped the fight .

After the fight in the post match press conference there was a touching moment of humility and sportsmanship . As Dorticos broke down whilst answering a question Murat Gassiev rose from his seat and made his way across to his opponent to embrace him . It was so refreshing to see two warriors keeping boxing a gentleman sport .

On To Jeddah

Now i for one cannot wait for 11th May to see Usyk vs Gassiev fight it out in the final . Two men who have came through very tough matches as Unified Champions of the world go to battle it out in Saudi Arabia . It really does promise to be a fantastic end to and extraordinary tourniment .

Usyk vs Briedis – Preview + Prediction

Usyk vs Briedis – Preview + Prediction

Well Ladies and Gentlemen , boys and girls it is that time again ,a time that makes makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside which can only mean one thing …..It’s time for another round of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) . On Saturday night WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk will take on WBC World Champion Marius Breidis in Riga Latvia , the first of the Semi Final clashes and once again we will be there on the ground taking in this fantastic tourniment in a fantastic city . There has been a lot of talk of whether the WBSS will be back or not so my advice to any boxing fan out there is to embrace the WBSS whilst it’s here.

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Oleksandr Usyk 13-0-0 11ko’s

Right from the start i will admit i am a massive Usyk fan , but I’m sure any of our followers on twitter already know this . Usyk is another product of the Ukrainian Boxing Machine which also boasts the most talented fighter in the world today Vasyil Lomachenko , and when you watch Usyk there is definetly direct comparrisons to Lomachenko . In the last round of the WBSS Usyk made light work of the ageing but very awkward Marco Huck in Berlin . There is no doubt Usyk’s top attribute is his footwork and movement which Huck tried to counter by just storming toward the Ukrainian swinging from the heavens  , but after a couple of rounds Usyk had worked him out and really made the vetren Huck look foolish at times . Despite having a high KO ratio and looking like a man mountain Usyk doesn’t have that one punch KO power , his style is to beat you down mentally and physically , again very much like Lomachenko . There are some unanswered questions when talking about Usyk . In all his fights he has had it all his own way as a pro , we have never seen anyone land any big shots on him yet , how will he react ? What happens to Usyk if someone can negate his movement ? , both questions i hope to be answered this weekend .

Mairis Briedis 23-0-0 18Ko’s

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Mairis Briedis is coming off a win against Mike Perez in the last round of the WBSS , but as the fight was a snooze fest it wouldn’t have won him many more fans outside of Latvia   , but Briedis is a talented fighter though . Briedis is very light on his feet which usually see’s him get out of harms way before taking any unnecessary shots . The Latvian is also very smart with the clinch which he uses to control the tempo of a fight and frustrates oponents, even if it isn’t great for fans to watch . When watching Breidis he can look slow and plodding but then in the blink of an eye he will land something which brings him to life , just like that he will be on his toes and looking to land a left hook or one of his beautiful uppercuts . Breidis comes from a kickboxing background and sometimes it does show . With lapses in concentration he can be slow to bring his guard up and even misjudge distance leaving himself wide open .

Prediction : 

I am really looking forward to this fight as it is each mans biggest test to date . It will be interesting to see who will be able to implement there style on this fight , will it be Briedis with his punch and clinch or will Usyk be to elusive for him . I have seen a few people predict a snooze fest in this fight and i have to say i am not one of these people . I think Usyk will use his superior footwork to be able to side step any attempts by Briedis to clinch . I expect Usyk to rise up and really show he is a different level from Briedis . How will it end ? personally i think Usyk will get a late stoppage after a slow start . I think Usyk’s high output and constant movement will break Briedis mentally and physically which will show in the later rounds .

Round 10-12 stoppage

Steven Donnell

 

Gary Sweeney “I’m Back In The Swing Of Things

When i hear the the old Cliche “Boxing is in my DNA” i pass it off as a template answer , something to fill in a blank ….well that was until i caught up with Irish Cruiserweight Gary Sweeney (23) . Gary comes from a real fighting family with four older brothers being Amateur Champions in Mayo Ireland , with his brother/mentor and now trainer Micheal Sweeney also being a former professional but Gary says it all goes back to his Grandfather .

“My Grandfather never liked talking to us about boxing because he never wanted us fighting and stuff , but he was a bareknuckle boxing champion . He didn’t want us getting into bareknuckle game , he wanted us to just get into the ring and start  boxing “

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Gary’s family comes from a traveling background which seems to go hand in hand in boxing nowadays with stars like Billy Joe Saunders and the Fury’s being some of the biggest name in the UK boxing today . Embarrassingly boxing is not the only thing that seems to go hand in hand with the Traveling community .

“My father used to box back in his day but when he finished he opened an amateur boxing club due to discrimination because he was from a traveling background . So we opened our own boxing club and from there i won 7 ameatur titles.”

Gary was inspired to get into boxing after watching his brother’s . Going to watch them in tournaments at eight years old he decided he wanted to have a go at the sport for himself .

“I remember when i was eight years old i remember i would get hit a punch and i would just smile . Once i was in boxing i just loved it “

Like any young Sportsperson the biggest fear is injury and in 2017 Gary found that out when a back injury kept him out for most of the year , which halted the momentum he had been building .

“It was very frustrating , i have lost 13 months of boxing and the full time I’ve been watching all these fights on TV and on Youtube and i was just eating myself . I had all these injuries with my back and i broke my hand so i had to just sit back and watch all these fights . Then finally christmas was gone and i got myself a fight , and now I’m back in the swing of things ”

“I was meant to go for surgery before my last fight but the surgery didn’t take place so what they done was drain it so its still a bit sore but it’s good enough to get me back in the ring , until i can get the surgery in the summer” .

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Gary will be fighting in a six rounder on the MTK London card on March 3rd and although Gary doesn’t know who his opponents is yet , he is expecting it to be someone who will put him through his paces so he is coming over to Scotland to get some sparring with British Title challenger Stephen Simmons .

“Two weeks before my fight i will be Scotland and I’m going to get a good hard week with Simmons . You couldn’t ask for any better than that , going out and getting rounds of sparring with these guys is good for me. I am part of the MTK Global team and they have me out sparring all over the place which is just brilliant “

Fighting on this MTK London card will give Gary the opertunity of some big exposure in a small hall context due to there partnership with IFL TV who stream the cards on youtube .

“This card will be streamed again on youtube , which is brilliant . Last time they got over 140,000 viewers . To be on any sort of TV is brilliant but anybody can get this for free.

The Full Uncut Interview Click Here

We would just like to thank Gary Sweeney for taking the time out to come and have a chat with us and we are looking forward to seeing him back in the ring . For tickets to the show Saturday 3rd March 2018 Ticket hotline 07876 238286 Ticket prices Tiered seating £40 Ringside tables with waitress service £60 / £70 Doors open 4.30pm . 

Steven Donnell

Who Was Looking Out For Ohara ?

Boxing can be an unrewarding , cutthroat business where you need to get yourself noticed . For young fighters it is imperative they surround themselves with the right people , that they find a manger/advisor and promoter that know boxing inside out and have the boxers best interests at heart .Image result for ohara davies

Ohara Davies is a man who divides opinion up and down the country by playing the pantomime villain . I have followed his career since he won the English title in 2016 . He has always been someone who’s excited me in the ring but in the past couple of years as his stock has risen inside the ring we have seen him become a personality outside the ring , which has turned me off to him . Now i am not naive , it is very clear to me that Davies has been advised to play the bad man which has been a sales tactic in boxing since the sport began, a tactic that keeps you relevant and can help sell tickets to your fans and haters alike . In today’s ultra connected world where everything is instantly out there and accessible this tactic is ever more risky as its a fine line between cocky and down right offensive and in today’s overly sensitive world that is a very dangerous game to play . A few months ago he had a go at Paddy Barnes Wife which for me is disgusting and immature . Before that he was calling the people of Liverpool minimum wage peasants causing massive uproar , but all the time being rewarded with big pay days and slots on big shows , reportedly earning over £100,000 for the Josh Taylor fight , but now it has all turned a bit sour for Ohara . At the beginning of January Ohara Davies sent out a tweet which got him caught up in the murky waters of Liverpool’s city wide Anti Sun newspaper campaign , which go’s back to the newspaper lies about victims of the Hillsborough Disaster . The backlash was massive and in my opinion well over the top . We seen fellow Matchroom stars like Tony Bellew turn against Ohara, Eddie Hearn released a statement and dropped from the Matchroom “British Beef Card” in London

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Who Was Looking Out For Ohara ?

Let’s not make any excuses for Ohara Davies , he is a grown man and every man must take responsibility for his actions . There are people close to Ohara paid to guide this young mans career who should be having a good look at themselves , people like Ohara’s Manger/Advisor and former TOWIE reality show star Charlie Sims . Whilst Sims (24) was laughing along and no doubt egging Ohara on , the rest of us could see this train wreck coming . He has either advised Ohara to adopt this persona or he has failed to get Ohara to tone it down , which has now cost Ohara the chance to fight on a card in his hometown and seen him barred from Tony Sims gym , not to mention the purse money lost . I think Eddie Hearn has missed opportunities to ask this lad to tone it down . At the press conference before Davie vs Derry Mathews fight in Liverpool you could see the £££ in Eddie Hearns eyes as Ohara insulted a full city , and made the bout a grudge match . This time he’s touched on something that can damage the reputation of Hearn’s brand and that’s why Hearn had to act . Time after time Ohara Davies has been rewarded for playing close to the line of what is acceptable behaviour so to now ostracise the lad when he goes over the line seems convenient for some . Hopefully Ohara will realise he has to get people around him who are there to look after him and his interests . Can he come back from this ? , yeah i think he will but you wont see him on any cards in the North West for a while thats for sure .

Steven Donnell

“When You Work This HardYou Appreciate It More” – Lewis Paulin Interview

“When You Work This HardYou Appreciate It More” – Lewis Paulin Interview

For boxing fans it is easy to be drawn to the very top of the sport , whether it be the glitz of Las Vegas , A massive stadium fight at Wembley or even watching the glamours World Boxing Super Series , following some of the biggest names in the sport . I think it would surprise a lot of armchair boxing fan to find out that some of the best fights actually happen in sport centres and halls all around the country , right on our doorsteps . On December 16 Lewis Paulin will fight for the Scottish Super Featherweight title against Stephen Tiffney in the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley . This fight see’s two lads from Edinburgh go head to head to see who is the best in Scotland and someones “0” has to GO and Lewis Paulin can’t wait .

“With us both coming from Edinburgh we are deffo fighting for bragging rights , we know each other , we are roughly the same age , we turned pro around the same time it makes sense for us to meet now and the winner will hopefully progress on.” 

MTK Scotland have some great card on this year but this “Christmas Cracker” did seem a little a strange as its in Paisley which is West of Scotland but the show is headlined by two fighter from the east coast .

“Yeah it is strange that its in Paisley but to be fair the venues in Edinburgh aren’t that great for boxing , Glasgow area does seem to have the better venues “

“Hopefully it will be busy with i being Christmas time , I know the public response shows there is a lot of people buzzing about this fight so i think it will be a busy show and it should be a good atmosphere”

The winner of this fight could be in a great position to push on to challenge for the British Title which is currently vacant , something that Lewis has thought about .

 ” Of course i have thought about that but i can only look at one fight at a time , hopefully i can dominate Scotland and then push on to the bigger things , but that is deffo a road we would look to go down “

At the start we touched on the Glitz and Glamour at the very top end of boxing but i wanted to know what it was like for guys like Lewis who have to find the right balance of  working there family lives and work around boxing .

‘ It is difficult and it is an issue , unless you have big sponsorship and enough backing  do this full time and you don’t have to worry about working , but we aren’t all as fortunate as that . I do work full time , but my work have been really good giving me time off to travel away to England for sparring so thats helped massively and my sponsors have helped so i am appreciative of that . Hopefully after a big win i hope to get another couple of big sponsors and that would make it more likely i could go full time “

The life blood of any sport comes from the grass roots and in the cut throat world of boxing it is so hard hard to make it as there just isn’t enough money to go round . The landscape is filled with young boxers who just couldn’t get the breaks or funding and regardless of there talent have just gave up on the sport .

“Unless you are one of the lucky ones who have made it to the olympic games its very difficult to get sponsorship , those first few years are very hard . Its once you start to prove yourself thats when more sponsors want to come onboard . Right now i train before work , go to work and then train at night , you don’t get any free time . When you work that hard you will appreciate it more .  

When Lewis was starting out as a young amateur boxed for the famous Meadowbank Amateurs who has brought thru some of the best talent this country has produced , a club which is now under threat due to its home in the Meadowbank Sports Arena going thru a revamp which has seen the club evicted with nowhere to go , I asked Lewis about the full situation .

“I am pretty gutted , the Meadowbank does need refurbished but the club have effectively been made homeless which is pretty poor. The club get a lot of people through the door no they lads have to go train in other gyms which isn’t great . 

“Hopefully they get something set for all the young guys coming through” 

Lewis Paulin vs Stephen Tiffney will take place on December 16 in Paisley . For tickets get in touch with Lewis Paulin through this link or here MTK Scotland .

Full Interview Click Here

Steven Donnell

Rigo vs Loma~ Preview + Prediction

Rigo vs Loma~ Preview + Prediction

Well what a year of boxing we have had , a year packed with massive fights and a year that has made me fall in love with boxing all over again . From watching AJ pull one out the bag and stop Wladimir Klitschko to GGG and Saul Canelo Alvarez finally getting in the ring together in another fantastic fight , then there was Andre Wards controversial yet fantastic win over Sergey Kovalev in there rematch . This weekend we have a fight that has the potential to top all of the above when Guillermo Rigondeaux takes on Vasyl Lomachenko in bout which is a boxing wet dream in New Yory on Saturday night and i for one cannot wait .

Guillermo Rigondeaux or Rigo for short is a fantastic fighter who has been a casualty of his own ability . It is widely suspected that many boxers including Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg have avoided fighting Rigo , and for good reason . When it comes to skill Rigo is one of the best boxers on the planet , a man who will punish any mistakes with devastating power and accuracy helped by his superb footwork which always sees him in position to get big shots off . This counter punching style has drawn criticism from of the boxing media , with detractors like Dan Reafel who will swear flat out that Rigo is overrated and boring , which for me is crazy talk . Dan is the kind of guy who thinks walking forward is skill , he has no appreciation of the science of boxing of which Rigo is a master . If Rigo does have a flaw it could be his temperament as we seen in his last fight against Moises Flores .In that fight Rigo was really turning it on against the Mexican when inexplicably Rigo floored him a few seconds after the bell , which seen the fight result in a no contest . Rigo is also coming into this fight as the older, smaller man which could also have an impact on how this fight plays out but admittedly Rigo looked in fantastic shape at the public workouts .

Vasyl Lomachenko is the most exciting boxer in the world . A man who’s majestic footwork is an absolute pleasure to watch . He doesn’t just beat his opponents , he breaks them psychologically by outworking , outmanoeuvring and outthinking them , showboating the whole time , like we seen against Nicholas Walters which seen Walter just quit like a dog on his stool . A massive advantage Lomachenko has is that his style is so unique i really don’t see how his opponents can prepare for him in sparring . Loma is so much more than a mover tho, due to his fantastic footwork we see Lomachenko get into unusual position and unload with devastating power , which sees him score some photogenic KOs . Lomachenko has not come up against anyone near the class of Rigo before so this unique style will be put to the test which just makes this fight even more intriguing .

Prediction:

This fight has an outrageous amount of skill and boxing smarts so picking a winner is proving very difficult . I can see a positive outcome for each fighter , I wouldn’t be surprised if Rigo walked Lomachenko onto one and KO’d him, i also wouldn’t be surprised if Loma just beats Rigo down . How do I think it will go ?. I think after a quick and frantic start the pace of the fight is more than Rigo i used to . In the later rounds i think Rigo will feel everyone of those 37 years of his age which might see Lomachenko get the KO . Realistically i think Rigo will have enough street smarts to see the fight out , which will see Loma win quite convincingly on the cards , maybe after a shaky start .

Steven Donnell