Joshua vs Parker – I Review Sky Commentary , AJ/Wilder …Oh and we Discuss the Fight

Well I’ve took a few days before sitting down to write this review of the AJ vs Parker fight thinking once i had digested it i would be able to find some positives , i thought that I would have put some sort of spin on it by now , but no matter what the sky company men have been saying or even AJ himself since the fight , it was still a very poor fight . I will struggle to keep you entertained talking about it , so i will keep the review of the fight short and sweet and maybe divulge into other aspects of what we seen like one of the worst commentary performances I’ve ever heard and maybe even take some time to clear up this whole Deontay Wilder stuff and hopefully that’s enough to keep you a reader .

Image result for AJ vs Parker — Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination but another win for AJ (pic from daily mail)

The Fight

Since Saturday there has been a spin attached to this fight which started ten minutes after the fight ended and has mothballed into something amusing but so inaccurate at the same time . Just after the fight we had Sky pundits describe how well Joshua boxed then even AJ himself called his performance a “A introduction to the sweet science ” . Now anybody that seen the fight will know this is just pure make believe and I’ve seen enough on social media the past couple of days to know that even the biggest casual fans know what they saw . There is credit to be given to AJ i had him winning 9 – 3 or 8-4 in rounds which is a clear victory against a good opponent but this suggestion of “Sweet Science” is way over the top , and even though the gameplan was the right one by McCracken to get the job done , for the most part i don’t think AJ boxed that well . AJ was happy to keep Parker at the end of his long jab which Parker didn’t have the head movement or ring craft to get past , so for that you have to give Joshua credit but there was little in the way of creativity from Joshua and even tho his jab won him the fight it got progressively worse as the fight went on as two one dimensional fighter plodded away in what was a poor mans game of chess . Another major issue in this turning out a stinker was the referee who was shocking and totally overwhelmed by the occasion . The key to the fight for Parker was him being able to get inside and work on AJ but the ref was far to eager to get in between both guys killing any chance of this one catching fire which you could see was frustrating both fighters as AJ is very good on the inside also . Then I must comment on the poor judging with two judges only giving Parker one round and the other giving him two rounds which is so disrespectful to Parker who for me won a minimum of three rounds clearly and you could add another couple of swing rounds on to that so yet again a big fight is partly killed by officials . In the end Joshua this was a clear winner but Parker can take positives from this fight , he stayed in there and fought for the full twelve rounds against AJ , something no other person has achieved so far and the AJ Hype Train keeps rolling on with now with just one more title to collect to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world .

Image result for carl froch commentary — Carl Froch trying his very best to ruin my night

Sky BoxOffice Show (commentary)

This is not something i usually comment on but i feel obliged to say something on how bad Carl Froch was as part of the Sky commentary team on Saturday night . Now usually i just turn the sound down enough that you can barely hear what’s being said but loud enough to still hear the crowd , after all what you want at home is to still capture the atmosphere and i think that is something that is being lost by most shows shown on the TV as they continually speak all the way though the show but on this occasion i watched it in a friends house so we had to listen to the ramblings of cliche driven mad man . It is obvious that TV commentary teams nowadays have been instructed to have no free air , no prolonged periods of silence , no time to let fans sit and enjoy the fight , which would be fine but it encourages complete drivel to be spoken which if anything distracts you from the fight . Froch was a world class boxer but he is not a fan of boxing and his knowledge of fighters and division is little to none and egged on by Adam Smith , Froch continually makes a fool of himself and it really does make for painful listening . This week we will be putting another classic fight on Casual’s Corner so listen out for how less is more when it comes to boxing commentary . Casual’s Corner

AJ/Wilder

To top off Saturday’s show we finished up with Eddie Hearn pushing this narrative that because Wilder didn’t come over to the UK for the fight he doesn’t want to fight AJ ….What a load of nonsense . Deontay Wilder was booked to come over right up to ten days before the fight when Hearn announced that Wilder would NOT be allowed in the ring to call out AJ , a tried and tested stunt which is proven to drum up interest in a fight After hearing he wasn’t allowed to enter the ring Wilder read what was on the wall , he was going to be hijacked by Dillian Whyte who Hearn is now selling as a gatekeeper to AJ . Hearn jumped in the ring and started insulting Wilder right away about ticket sales etc , he’s spent the past four weeks insulting Wilder’s manager because they dared to expose the emails between both camps showing that Eddie doesn’t want to make AJ vs Wilder . Whilst Eddie Hearn was was mid rant post fight i couldn’t help but think , I’ve watched Wilder/Ortiz five times i don’t think i will ever rematch AJ’s last two fights . Lou Di Bella says it best in a fantastic interview with FightTalk.Net .

( Follow the fight talk guys on twitter @Sam_OReilly1 @craigscott209 @Fight_Talk1 )

Joshua vs Parker – Preview + Prediction

Five years ago i predicted that the heavyweight division was coming into another Golden Era after years of mediocrity , and i predicted this due to the likes of Tyson Fury , Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker all coming of age and with the likes of Deontay Wilder and Alexander Povetkin already around the top of the division the future looked bright , but it hasn’t panned out that way . Tyson Fury had a brief stint at the the top of the division when he beat Wladimir Klitschko but then served a ban due to drugs and had retired from the sport , Povetkin is another who had failed a drug test and since his return to the ring hasn’t looked the same fighter so now there are three and this weekend we will see two of them go toe to toe on Saturday night when Anthony Joshua takes Joseph Parker of New Zealand .

Anthony Joshua 20-0-0 20Ko’s

This weekend the AJ hype train will again roll up in Cardiff as Anthony Joshua looks to get his hands on another World Title to go along with his IBF and WBA straps when he fights Parker for his WBO title on his way to being king of the heavyweights . Over the years the hype that has been built up around Joshua has been like nothing ever seen before in this country which has even swept up the most cynical of us at times , and now building up to one of AJ’s biggest fights we must strip back the all hype and separate the man from the myth when trying to break this fight down . There is no doubt Joshua’s main asset is his power and shot selection , which even after all this time watching the big Englishman still has the ability to shock . We seen a great example of both assets when AJ took on Wladimir Klitschko last year when Joshua caught Wlad with a superb uppercut which nobody saw coming , not even the legendary Klitschko and although that wasn’t the Knockout punch it was the punch that won fight .

Countless times we have seen AJ pull a variety of power shots out of the bag to the expense of opponents like Dillian Whyte and Carlos Takam . For all AJ’s power and shot selection impress there is no getting away from Joshua’s biggest flaw ….his gas tank . We have seen AJ gas out after four rounds against 42 year old Klitschko who showed the world the blueprint to beating AJ is with movement and agility and had Wlad not been so old or inactive i firmly believe Joshua would have picked up his first loss . There has been a lot of talk coming out of AJ’s camp that they are looking to come in light for this fight which would suggest they have been working on his stamina , but is it enough to last twelve rounds ? …..I’m not so sure .

Joseph Parker 24-0-0 18Ko’s

Around 18 month’s ago i wrote a scathing review for the Boxing Asylum on Joseph Parker when he took on Andy Ruiz Jnr in a fight he won narrowly won on the cards . After being high on Parker for a while i had seen him gradually lose all the qualities that made him a top prospect not to mention he looked to be coming in far to heavy . Since then i have found out i may have been a bit harsh on Parker as he was struggling with injuries on his shoulders and elbows at the time , which has since been operated on and i have to admit Joseph Parker is coming into this weekends fight in the best shape i have ever seen him . The best tool in Parkers locker is his lightening quick hands which he will need to use to full affect this weekend . Seeing Parker coming in so light for this fight means he is coming to be mobile , which isn’t really his style but if he does it right he might just be able to pull it off . Joseph Parker can be very one dimensional and has a habit of getting lazy the longer a fight goes on which could be his undoing against AJ .

Prediction

If you would have asked me two months ago who was going to win this fight i would have told you AJ would win easily , but seeing Joseph Parker this week it really does look as if he means business . The talk from Team AJ is that they have been preparing for a twelve rounder and i really hope he has been as i can see Parker employing a hit and run tactic which would kill the engine of Joshua . So who is my pick for this weekend ? ….Well i am going to stick with my original pick of Anthony Joshua but rather than predict it will be a 4 round demolition , now i am going to say a 9th round KO in a game of chess type of fight . I think Parker will implement his gameplan early but he will get careless at some point and that’s when Joshua will pounce .

Anthony Joshua 9th round KO

Great Whyte Attack on Saturday Night

Dillian Whyte has always been a boxer i felt was playing at boxing , someone who has been able to talk himself into big fights and make good money along the way , but on Saturday night we seen an in shape Dillian Whyte using good boxing skills and ring smarts to destroy Lucas Browne and record his best win to date . Before the fight i said Lucas Browne would need to bring his very best game to beat Whyte but after years of inactivity Browne looked far to heavy alongside the well toned Whyte as they squared up at the opening bell .

Right from the opening bell Whyte knew exactly how he was going to beat Browne , by breaking him down with the jab and choosing his times when to follow the jab with big left hands shots over the top . Browne finished the first round with a cut just above his left eye which Whyte used as the bull’s eye on a target and my god he couldn’t miss . Browne was just far to slow in the ring , every time he tried to land something Whyte was catching him a big counter and from as early as the second the writing was on the wall for Lucas Browne .In our preview i pointed out Browne has a habit of throwing punches from the hip and it is a habit the big Australian hasn’t remedied and Whyte was punishing him for it time and time again . Whyte looked agile , quick handed and surprisingly light on his feet in stark contrast to Browne who looked slow ,heavy , laboured and after 3 rounds he was a bloodied mess . It was obvious that after 4 round Browne was fighting with one eye due to the amount blood pouring into his left eye and he was taking a beating and even this early in the fight i was starting to think that Browne’s corner should be thinking of pulling there man out of there . Dillian Whyte could not miss Browne and in the fifth i think myself and most people watching were expecting that towel to fly in at any second but it never came , bravery or foolery from Browne’s corner but there man paid the price early in the sixth when Whyte landed a massive left hook which sent Browne’s lifeless body flat out on the canvas and it took around 5 minutes to get Browne up and away to Hospital but thankfully Lucas Browne is going home to his family in one peice .

Dillian Whyte had fought a fantastic fight , easily a career best for the big Londoner and what a time to do it with HBO beaming the fight in the US . What’s next for Whyte ? The nosies coming from Eddie Hearn is that they want the Deontay Wilder fight which i don’t think Dillian Whyte is ready for . I personally would like to see Whyte fight Big Baby Miller and if he performs at the level he did against Browne on Saturday night i might even back him .

Whyte vs Browne – Preview + Prediction

The heavyweight division at this moment in time is very fragmented . We have at the very top of the division Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder , the next tier is guys like Joseph Parker and Luis Ortiz who have it in there locker to pressure the top two but will just fall short . Then we have the best of the rest and that is what’s on show this weekend in London’s O2 Arena when Dillon Whyte takes on Australian Lucas Browne . This fight has the potential to go either way and could be a modern day classic , well i am using the term classic very loosely , but this fight also has the potential to be a stinker but I’m sure i speak for everyone when i say i am very intrigued by this one .

Dillan Whyte 22-1-0 16Ko’s

Dillian Whyte is one of the best characters in UK boxing due to his lack of media training , what you see with Dillian is what you get and the British public love that . When Whyte signed to fight Joshua it was widely regarded as another easy fight for AJ and even tho the build up brought us some fantastic TV moments , most expected a walkover for the Olympian , but that wasn’t the case . Whyte regrouped after poor start to rock AJ to his core for the first in his career but Whyte just didn’t have enough in his tank to take advantage and went on to be KO’d by Joshua , but i wonder if that missed opportunity still keeps Whyte awake at night . Since then Dillian Whyte has got a lot of TV coverage , i guess being the first man to land a punch on Joshua has it’s benefits . Dillian Whyte is a hard boxer to asses as he is not great at any one thing , he isn’t mobile , he doesn’t have a great jab , he doesn’t have quick hands , his feet look heavy at times , his power is decent but not game changing , but yet he would give most of the heavyweight division problems . Whyte is a big man and that is one thing he uses to his advantage when inside , he will lean , pull , push and grapple which doesn’t always make for the best viewing but can be effective . Whyte has proved he is very tough after taking some massive shots in a gruelling twelve rounds against Derek Chisora which Whyte just edged on the judges cards , not on mine though i thought he lost . Whyte is at his most dangerous when he is inside looping in hooks and is something Lucas Browne will need to be weary of .

Lucas Browne 25-0-0 22Ko’s

Lucas Browne is coming into this fight having only fought twice since 2015 and no matter which way you dress that up it isn’t great . Back in 2016 Browne put in a career best performance against Ruslan Chagaev where he Ko’d the Russian in the tenth round in what really was a great performance by Browne . Since then he has only fought journeyman Mathew Greer which isn’t the best preparations coming into this massive fight in London , that could lead to a world title shot for the winner , which in itself is ludicrous in Browne’s case . Back when Browne beat Chagaev i was very impressed with the big Australian’s footwork for a man his size . Browne also has a very good jab which he likes to work off but he is prone to throwing it from the waist which can leave him wide open . That performance in Russia will mean Browne know’s exactly what he is walking into at the O2 and more importantly that performance show he’s capable of handling it .

Prediction

This is such a hard fight to call as on one hand Lucas Browne has far better fundamentals than Whyte but then on the other hand now at 38 years old and being inactive Browne has got to have lost something , and that something maybe all Whyte needs to put the odds in his favour . If Browne can the bring a performance similar to that of the one in Russia he will wear Whyte down over the distance . If Whyte wants to win this he has to do what he does best and pressure Browne , keep on the inside and don’t give him a second If he can do that he should get the win .

So who am i picking for this one then ? ……… Well although i think Browne is the better boxer of the two i think his time has been and went . I don’t think he will be as mobile as he was back in 2016 when defeating Chagaev and for that reason i am going to pick Dillian Whyte to win by late stoppage .

Askin vs Simmons – Preview + Prediction

This weekend we will see two of the UK’s best cruiserweight’s go head to head when Matty Askin will defend his British Title against Edinburgh’s Stephen Simmons in York Hall this Saturday night which will be shown live on C5 . This fight has been in the making for a while and nearly happened last year but was called off due to an injury to Askin but now it is ready to go after David Haye’s Haymaker Promotions won the purse bids after paying big money for this one , infact i heard it was 4x’s what Frank Warren and his BT backers offered for the rights to the fight .

Matty Askin 22-3-1

I am a big fan of Matty Askin as he is a guy who has came thru the hard way , he’s a man who has took his losses and came back all the better for them . Matty Askin was close to retiring from boxing a couple of years ago as he was falling out of love with the sport but after teaming up with Micheal Jennings , Askin’s has found a new lease of life . Askin is now on a four fight winning streak and coming off a fantastic KO win against Craig Kennedy and he will be going into this fight as the bookies favourite aswell as a lot of fans favourite . Askin’s really does look a nightmare to box with his fantastic head movement and his use of his ring to get into position , then back out before the counter and although his gas tank has been called into question in the past he looks to have mastered how to pace himself by not wasting any work and looking to punish mistakes rather than force the fight . I was really impressed with Askin in his last fight against the highly rated Craig Kennedy as he took Kennedy apart from the first round , but it does have to be said Kennedy did look well out of his depth against the experienced Askin from the opening round . I still think Matty Askin is hiding glass to the body and although he does cover up well to the body with his low stance he really is vulnerable down there , especially in the later rounds .

Stephen Simmons 18-2-0

Stephen Simmons is boxer who has represented Scotland and GB at every level which gives him great pedigree . With only the two losses on his record one against John Lewis Dickenson and the second of those was a poor split decision in Hamburg which Simmons said made him feel like quitting the sport . Now at 33 Simmons is back fit and with a bit momentum behind him after winning the IBF European Title against Simon Barclay last year in a very good and professional performance . Simmons biggest asset is his jab which he uses very well to nullify his opponents work and also lets him get in close where he can use his physical strength to back you up and go to work . There are some question marks over Simmons gas tank which he will need to manage well against Askin . Stephen also told DJayBoxing.com this will be his last year in the sport and he is looking to go out with a bang , but i always feel to announce your retirement 12 months in advance can be dangerous .

Prediction

This one could go either way and i know both guy are really looking forward to this fight . I think if Askin is allowed to box at range he will win the fight it is up to Simmons to use that physical strength and his jab to get inside and work the body . I think Simmons will need the stoppage in this fight because Askins style is one that wins rounds , and i think Simmons can get the stoppage late but it will all depend on him getting inside early and putting money in the bank which he is more than capable of doing . I think if Askin can keep Simmons at distance he takes this fight on the cards and that’s exactly what he will try to do .

Simmons Stoppage rounds 10-12

There Is No Such Thing As Superhuman’s , Only Super-Doping Programmes

This week has been a damming week for sport but not to much of a surprise for a born again pessimist like myself . Earlier this week the UK Government published it’s report into doping and it indicated some of the biggest names in UK sport are suspected of being cheats . The Parliamentary Digital , culture , media and sport select committee came to the damming conclusion that Team Sky (Cycling Team) cynically abused the anti doping system and allowed its athletes to take PED’s , it also claims there is a strong possibility that Sir Bradley Wiggans was also on PED’s in his time with Team Sky . It doesn’t feel to long ago since the fairytale story of Lance Armstrong was proved to be just that …A fairytale .

It was announced this week that superstar boxer Canelo Alvarez test sample came back with trace amounts of clenbuterol , a banned substance . The weirdest thing about this story was that VADA and WBA had verified and accepted Canelo’s story of ” Contaminated Meat ” right away and took the harsh stance of making Canelo finish his training camp in the US (did you sense the sarcasm) . Now i do accept that Canelo may well have ate contaminated meat as it is a confirmed epidemic in Mexico with sportsmen failing tests in every sport including Mexicos U17 football team . Surly if there is a history of contaminated meat in Mexico that makes Canelo and his team more responsible for making sure he is eating the best organic meat around , even import it like Deontay Wilder had done when getting ready to fight Alexander Povetkin in Russia , ironically a fight that was cancelled due to Povetkin failing a drug test . Canelo’s sample came back with 0.8 and 0.6 trace amounts of clenbuterol in his system which doesn’t sound a lot but when you think a cyclist received a two year ban for having 0.5 in his system it really doesn’t look good for boxing .

Also this week we seen Former Olympian Tony Yoka receive a one year suspended ban for missing multiple drug teats . When i read this i have to admit i felt a little dejected , what is the point in that ban . I have yet to see one athlete that has been caught doping that holds there hands up and admits it , there is always some excuse which deflects blame and even makes them the victims . Tony Yoka missing a drug test has to be an admission of guilt the same way that Rio Ferdinand got a lengthy ban from the FA for missing a test whilst playing for Manchester Utd , Yoka needed to get lengthy ban . Another thing that doesn’t sit right with me is on Saturday night we seen Luis Ortiz fight for the WBC Heavyweight title a few months after failing a drug test by testing positive for a drug known to mask doping , of course Ortiz claimed it was medication for high blood pressure that he forgot to declare to testers . This case got even more bizarre when the WBA stripped Ortiz of his title and gave him a ban but the WBC said he didn’t have a case to answer ….very strange .

There are some fans out there who still believe in “Superhumans” people who will take away from the MPs investigation by saying ” who would Trust an MP ” and then there is those who say “clenbuterol isn’t even a steroid ‘ neglecting to acknowledge its on the banned list , those who say ” Ortiz has High Blood Pressure ” and dont care that he never declared he was on medication on the banned list , something all pro athletes MUST DO . If you are one of these people this is something you should take onboard , There is no such thing as a Superhuman there are only Super Doping Programmes .

The Cyclone Promotions Show Review : Taylor vs Campos

This weekend i went to the “Scotlands Finest” card promoted by Cyclone in Glasgow , a card where the main event had been changed as Josh Taylor’s original opponent Humberto Soto pulled out due to a cut picked up in training and was replaced by Winston Campos . From the off I wasn’t to excited by the main event , i thought Soto might have gave Taylor some rounds but there would only be one winner so when Campos stepped in at short notice i was far from excited . There was of course a good strong undercard of Scottish talent which for me was smart promoting from Cyclone and ultimately saved the show .

Jason Easton vs Glenn Foot (Fight Rating 8/10)

Before this fight i had predicted this would be fight of the night and i wasn’t wrong . Right from the off this fight caught fire both men willing to trade . I thought before this fight that with Easton being the bigger of the two he would come in and look to keep Foot at bay with the jab but it became clear that would not be the case . Foot had Easton on the floor in the second as the Edinburgh man struggled to keep Foot off of him . Easton done well to recover and get back in the fight , both men landing big shots but you always felt Foot was just always getting the better of the exchanges . Foot did look to be tiring toward coming up to the stretch but it was also clear to see Jason Easton was feeling the pace . Easton came close to sending Foot to the canvas in the tenth round but Foot done well to survive . Into the Eleventh it was clear to see that both men were feeling the pace , but it was Foot who managed to find that bit extra to finish the fight . All night Foot couldn’t miss when throwing over the top of Easton’s jab and to be honest Easton deserves so much credit for staying in there as long as he did but the straw that broke the camels back came when Foot had Easton got Jason the ropes and started to unload . The Edinburgh man tried in vein to get up only to collapse back to the canvas , which did have me worried watching on as this fight was brutal at times .

This was great fight to watch , all action from start to finish and yes the right man won . Glenn Foot went into the ring as underdog and showed why he must be taken seriously after a career best performance and really impressed as for Jason Easton he has to look at this L as a good thing . Maybe Easton has been pushed on a little to quickly and need’s to step back down a level and perfect his boxing skills . There is no doubt Easton is a talented kid but with mastered fundamentals like a good jab to keep opponents on the outside and a tight guard he will have all the ingredients to come back and beat Foot .

Charlie Flynn vs Ryan Collins (Fight Rating 4/10)

This fight had built up so much excitement in the build up as the last time both men met it went down as a technical draw due to cuts caused by a clash of heads . Both fighters had brought in a decent amount of fans the atmosphere was superb for this one . From the opening bell Flynn looked to have stepped up a level since the last time i seen him , with his quick hands and pressure tactics he was using he was making Collins look out of his depth . That showed when before the first round had ended Collins was down on the floor after Flynn had timers him coming in and landed a beautiful combination square on his chin . Flynn looked in no mood to be messing around which seen Collins looked to hold on whenever he could . This fight looked to be one winner when a cruel twist of fate took victory away from Flynn . In the fourth round Collins was having a little bit more success but all the best work was coming from Flynn then it happened , it was like a De Ja Vu moment when both heads came together opening up cuts on both men , the worst of the cuts being right above Charlie Flynn’s eye . The referee had no choice but to call a halt to proceedings which meant the fight ended n a technical draw , which meant you had to feel sorry for Flynn who was cruising .

This is the second time this fight has needed in this way but after seeing that i dont know if i would like to see part three . Colin’s looked out of his depth at times but you have to give him credit for the way he survived in there for a very tough four rounds for him . This is the fourth time i have seen Charlie Flynn and this was by far the best version of him i have seen . I don’t think there is much point in Flynn hanging around to fight Collins a third time , he is ready to push on a level .

Josh Taylor vs Winston Campos (6/10)

As i said at the start i wasn’t to excited by this fight as i knew it wasn’t going to last long . Josh Taylor is one of the best body punchers in boxing today and from the off Campos found out why . Compose did try to trade but that just played into Taylor’s hands letting the Scotsman go to work on him at will everytime he threw a punch . It was clear from early on that Campos didn’t have an answer anytime Taylor came inside landing big hooks throughout the first round . Taylor really came out and showed his class in the second round landing superb shots to the head and body . Campos can feel aggrieved when Taylor put Campos down it looked to be a punch on the back of the head but there was no question about the second knockdown after Taylor landed a lovely left hand . This fight was all but finished going into the third and after a bit of a bizarre knock down when campos went down due to Taylor’s footwork rather than a punch and that was enough for Victor Laughlin who called the fight off and rightly as Campos was well out of his league .

Josh Taylor really is a pleasure to watch but this guy need to be pushed on , he is at world level so he need to fight world level oponents . This weekend Regis Prograis will fight Indongo for the WBC Intrim title and when i spoke to Prograis he was open to a fight with Taylor , hopefully this will be the level opponent Taylor will be fighting by the end of the year .

Overall show rating (6/10)

First of all i would like to acknowledge the SSE Hydro security who were a match for any airport security in the world ,m even searching wallets for drugs which i thought was superb , also any trouble i did see they had it under control within a minute . There was a strange atmosphere in the arena that felt like it could ignite at any moment . It seems the boozed up , coked up element is here to stay then throw into the mix there was fans from across Scotland which can create “clan mentality” but overall the crowd were well behaved . The SSE Hydro is a fantastic arena for boxing and i would recommend attending a show there to anyone , it is one of my favourite venues .

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 .

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

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.

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

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

djayboxing

"Boxing At Every Level"

Tag: British boxing