Tag: brittish boxing

World Boxing Super Series – Josh Taylor Presser

World Boxing Super Series – Josh Taylor Presser

Glasgow , 15th October 

This tournament has been described as the Champions League of boxing in the past and when you walk into the press conference you certainly get that feel . Representation from all the major media outlets were in attendance from BBC to ITV (STV) , then you have your big players in the boxing media like Ring Mag and IFL in attendance , but something the WBSS has got right when it comes to the media is that it’s not ” Job’s for the Boys” which is usually the case with these big showpiece events . The World Boxing Super Series have on more than one occasion now made space for small independent outlets like myself which is a breath of fresh air .

Nisse Sauerland got thing’s underway in the presser outlining exactly just what this tournament is trying to do  ….build stars . Nisse also emphasised that this tournament is aimed at a global audience  so although they faced criticism for Season 1 final being in Saudi Arabia they won’t change . Josh Taylor looked in fantastic shape and we found out why . Taylor now has a permanent training base in London which means he isn’t spending the full camps . Taylor said he ready fight now,  a couple of weeks out from fight night and predicts still with some hard training to come in the next two weeks he will be in the best shape of his career .

WATCH PRESS CONFERENCE HERE

After the initial press conference we had time to catch up with Josh and Nisse

Ticket’s start at £35 and this is a show thats not to be missed as Bantamweight World Champion Ryan Burnett will take on Nonito Donair on the same card . Tickets can be purchased here Tickets

Welcome To The Jungle – Hearn Will Never Take Over The US Market

Welcome To The Jungle – Hearn Will Never Take Over The US Market

Here in Britain we really don’t appreciate how simple our lives are when it comes to boxing . Yes we may moan about having to pick up Boxnation and BT Sport on top of our Sky Sports Subscription ( Unless you click on the Satplex picture below which you can thank me for later ) all just to watch boxing . Here in the UK we accept boxing is not one of our main sports but we see it as a stimulant . Our Boxing platforms don’t wrap up boxing in a bow and serve to to us , boxing is there to excel the Liverpool vs Man Utd game that may have took place earlier on in the day , or to keep you tuned In after the Celtic vs Rangers game has finished and do you know what it’s worked , it has came off for guys like Eddie Hearn who have brought boxing to the masses and tapped into that football ( soccer ) mad culture that engulfs all of these small isles .

With the formula of success in his hands who could blame Eddie Hearn for heading to the biggest sports market in the world shouting ” I am here to take over ” . Many people fall into this belief that there is a “western culture” due to there being a McDonnald’s in New York as well as London , due to there being a Taco Bell in Glasgow as well as in LA . The Atlantic Ocean is often overlooked as a pond that separates the UK and the US but it isn’t , it is a massive wild ocean which separates two very different cultures of people and businesses . Eddie Hearn is finding out the hard way that the wars of American Independence of 1775 have made him an outsider , in fact he is now a red coat looking to repatriate the US shouting ” I am here to take over ” .

Hearn has announced he has teamed up with DAZN in an attempt to take over the US , an online streaming platform with Hearn claiming its a deal worth $1B . Now i have been very sceptical about this deal since Eddie announced it , especially since Eddie announced that AJ was not part of the deal , which seems weird as AJ seems to appears on most of there online posters .

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Now a major part of modern American culture is Cinema . With Mafia movies being classed as Cinematography masterpieces . Movies such as the Godfather Trilogy , Goodfellas and Casino being all described as classics in there own right . These movies are powerful due to the fact they show what the modern America was really built on . Instead of being fictional stories they are seen more like documentaries of how some came to the US and ” Took ” the American Dream . Hearn is finding out that there is a MOB mentality ingrained in the US boxing market , with the five families being Top Rank , PBC , Golden boy , DiBella and Tom Loeffler (K2) and like the mafia these people don’t need nor want any outside interference .

As Eddie Hearn has flashed his $1B he has found door after door slammed shut on his face . Hearn didn’t factor into his plans that he is an outsider in a country that is becoming increasingly more insular . With US super powers such as Top Rank already having deals with ESPN , Golden Boy with ESPN + Facebook and PBC now officially teaming up with Showtime there is no need for DAZN . Time and time again we have seen guys like Mikey Garcia, Errol Spence, both Charlo Twins and Adrian Broner say ” Thank’s but no thanks ” .Hearn is finding himself more like Oliver Twist begging for the the scraps from the table rather than the a man who’s landed in the states looking to claim boxing back in the name of King George the III .

Eddie Hearn is a shroud business man who has took boxing and the live boxing show’s experience to a new level here in the UK . There is a whole new generation of boxing fans here in the UK that believe that Hearn invented sport and that the UK is now Mecca in boxing terms . To these people i say the sport needs you but take yourself back away from the pin hole you look through , Mecca is still a bingo hall in the UK , the home of boxing is and always will be in the US . Eddie Hearn is learning the hard way that a big fish outside the bowl will die , whilst the the big fish inside the bowl will fight over scraps .

Steven Donnell

DJay Boxing News Portal – week 2

DJay Boxing News Portal – week 2

(Click on Headline for link to story)

Ohara names new trainer

Ohara Davies does seem to have learned life lessons and is now finally being a bit more fan friendly . If he gets past Catterall that would be massive for him , but that’s is a massive IF .

WBSS ssn 2 Cruiserweight’s announced

Sorry I just don’t get it , we know who is the best in the division….are they praying Usyk moves up and leaves all the belts

The rise of Dogboe (Ring Mag)

Dogboe has announced himself as one to watch . I bet Warren and Hearn are kicking themselves now they missed this lad .

Warren says ignore the lies about Fury

This all came from big Dan Rafael saying he heard Fury was now scared to fight Wilder. Dan said he heard it from a source in the UK ……..good old Eddie up to his tricks again

Peter Fury- Hughie must win big to get decision

Yeah sadly this is true , although I have to laugh at this as the UK has some of the worst judging in the world

Khurtsidze stabbed in jail

Not so long ago this man was going to fight for the WBO World Title

GGG says Canelo done nothin special in first fight

GGG is really upping the the anti in the trash talk war’s , this fights is going to be massive .

Usyk vs Bellew looks set for November

Although I think this fight may be a far gone conclusion but I am actually looking forward to it being made .

Ritson will fight for EBU in October

Loving this lads rise to the top . I don’t see much point in him hanging around at European level

Ultimate Fighter Comes To London

I heard some good thing about this tournament first time round . Part 2 will be at light heavyweight with all 8 fights taking place in London on the same night

GGG/Canelo 2 will be bigger second time round

When it’s all said and done this is what the trash talk is all about .

“Frank Warren Has Signed BoxNations DNR”

“Frank Warren Has Signed BoxNations DNR”

So what a slow couple of weeks it has been for boxing fans . Going through the boxing news looking for inspiration to get an opinion piece out has been painful and disheartening and with interviews not booked in until next week things have been slow . So what could i write about ??? I have never really spoken of my devastation of watching Boxnation “The Home of Boxing” die a slow painful death .

BoxNation was launched back in 2011 the brain child of promoter Frank Warren who had the vison of giving the basket case which is boxing a home . Boxing is a sport like no other when it comes to tv deals due to the amount of platforms world wide that like to dabble in the sport . For so many years international fights could only be seen on dodgy streams online or if YouTube would let people upload the fights without infringing there copyright rules , and if you remember the days before the internet international fight were brought to you through Ring Magazine where you could read reports and even build up relationships with fellow readers across the world by answering adverts and exchanging video tapes via post ….. i am stressed just think about that . Warren had the simple but great idea of giving boxing a home , a place where his stable could be on show to a TV audience who would buy into the idea to have a place to watch these fights and some top class fights from around the world which would otherwise go unnoticed . This idea was met with scepticism across the board as this was a pre Anthony Joshua world we lived in and no matter how you dress it up the sport just wasn’t that big in the UK , boxing was a stop off , a gap filler and nobody is going to subscribe to channel dedicated to it was the cry from many across the board , but for a while they were wrong .

I do not like using the phrase ” Casual ” or ” Hardcore ” for two reasons , one is i think to label yourself makes you a wanker and the second reason is a fan through definition is someone that supports the the sport in some way or another and boxing isn’t a big enough sport for fan snobbery . The ” Hardcore ” element bought into the concept right away, enjoying some great small hall shows and even the prestigious amateur team boxing tournament The World Series of Boxing . As Warren started bringing massive international fights , even securing the rights to bring GGG vs Canelo to the UK screens the ” Casuals ” started to buy into the concept as well and BoxNation was must have for boxing fans .

We all knew from the start that this was never going to to be a massive success and take over boxing but BoxNation did hold it’s own and for a while , it even outperformed the super power that is Sky Sports , forcing Sky to try and compete on the International fight stage , something they had never done before unless there was a PPV attached , as time passed even the most avid boxing fan started to wonder how long this could go on as we had it all and in real terms it wasn’t costing to much to have it either .

For months there had been story’s emerging that the BoxNation was struggling but Frank Warren was in talks with BT Sport , another Super Power in UK sports leading to the assumption that BT Sports would take control of BoxNation and the channel would be safe guarded as long as Warren could keep BT Sports happy , but soon after the deal between Warren/BT Sports was agreed things didn’t seem right . In the beginning BT Sport subscribers were told ” Cancel your BoxNation subscription as it is part of your BT subscription now ” which was fine until the same fans were then told that those who get Boxnation through BT will need to fork out for Canelo/GGG what , what was going on ? Was BoxNation a separate entity ? .With the backing of BT Frank could now attract the like of Carl Frampton and Tyson Fury but in the build up to these domestic superstars shows fans didn’t know if the fight would be shown on BoxNation , which you would think can only be right since people are forking out £12 per month for BoxNation ….well no that wasn’t the case . As it turns out guys like Frampton and Fury were not signed on the same deal that included BoxNation having the rights , which in effect cut this small pioneering tv channel loose . So subscribers were left asking ” What am I paying for ?” Click on picture if you do not want to pay crazy PPV

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BoxNation has just signed fight deals with MTK and Top Rank after a few month of nobody knowing what was going on and the channel showing nothing but re-runs . This deal has diluted the channel to what the Nay sayers had predicted from the start . I for one love what MTK do for there fighters and if you speak to any of the MTK lads they cannot speak anymore highly of the MTK team and brand but small hall shows are small hall for reason . Small hall shows historically have been used as an apprenticeship to the big time in boxing , in the words of Frank Sinatra ” If you can make it there you’ll make it anywhere ” . These guys go and learn there trade away from the cameras so in three years time you might see a 12-0 prospect who has grafted to be on TV , this deal fly’s in the face of that . Another concern i have is that the biggest pressure on small hall fighters I’ve learned through speaking to them is not what they do in the ring , in the ring they are in control , the feedback i get is the pressure of ticket sales can take it’s toll and even make promising youngsters give up the sport , so i don’t see how putting these show on TV will help these guys in the ticket selling department .

It is obvious that Frank Warren has signed BoxNation’s DNR , the channel which kept his credibility through the hard times of playing second fiddle to Eddie Hearn has been cut adrift and i for one am devastated .The effects are already being felt in the UK with massive international fights like Garcia vs Easter Jnr and Kovalev vs Alvarez going untelevised here in the UK in just the past couple of weeks , a couple of years ago we had it all now it’s back to the same old …from where i am sitting BoxNation is all but dead .

Steven DonnellClick on pick if you would like to watch all this on the cheap

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Delboy Chisora Born Again

On Saturday we all watched a show that had come for so much criticism . Yes we expected Whyte vs Parker to be a well matched fight but the rest of the card was looking a bit weak . Well on Saturday took chief support Derek Chisora vs Carlos Takam took the opportunity to take this event by storm and put on a fantastic fight , which by the end of it made Eddie Hearn look a genius .

Set up as the co-main and some people’s preferred fight of the night was Derek Chisora vs Carlos Takam in what promised to be an all out war , and a war is exactly what we got . This fight caught fire right from the off with Takam going straight to work on Chisora . It was hard to tell from the start if Takam was forcing Chisora to the ropes or Chisora was wanting to fight there , but for nearly two rounds of the fight the both boxers never left that two meter square bit of canvas in the corner . Takam was really unloading and you could tell Chisora was hurt , but by using all his experience never looked like he would go down . As the fight went on we seen Chisora throw in little burst during the rounds catching Takam to the body and the head before waving Takam in , inviting him to throw a large volume of punches . I don’t know if Chisora had noticed Takam slow down but from around the fourth round this fight turned into an absolute war . Every time Takam would land two to three punches Chisora had an answer for them off the ropes , to some it may have looked lazy from the Chisora but I actually think he was managing his gas tank , he knew he couldn’t throw at the same rate as Takam so why try . Takam was outboxing Chisora but at no point was Chisora out of this fight . Both guys seemed to be easy targets to hit as the fight went on , both traded bombs as they seemed to throw any notion of defence out of the ring . You really couldn’t take your eyes off of this , it really was fascinating and it got the ending it deserved when Derek Chisora caught Takam with a big looping right hand over the top after a nice feint to the body which sent Takam to sleep . A bit of an upset in some peoples eyes but this was the night that Derek Chisora showed he still has something to 9offer the heavyweight division .

It’s scary to think that Derek Chisora’s name is once again being linked with some of the big names at the very top of the division . Time after time we all right Chisora off , we say he’s shot or that there is many miles on the clock but this performance proves that when this guy is motivated he has the tools to cause anyone problems . Dillian Whyte also scored an impressive win on Saturday putting him in the conversation for a world title shot ……..to think most people i talk to had Chisora beating Whyte in there epic battle, it could have been Delboy in position for another world title shot .

Steven Donnell (DJayBoxing) @DJayBoxingBlog

Taylor vs Postol – Preview + Prediction

Taylor vs Postol – Preview + Prediction

It is so often the case when watching boxing that we usually miss so much of the journey to the top for our best fighters that we don’t really appreciate just how good they are . I dont think there is a better feeling as a boxing fan than knowing your getting in on something great from the start , watching someone fulfil there ambition one fight at a time and bringing you along on the journey , that is how it feels for me every time Josh Taylor fights . This weekend we will see the next step in Taylor’s journey to the top when he takes on Ukraines former WBC World Champion Victor Postol in what promises to be a great night of boxing in Glasgow .

Josh Taylor 12-0-0 11ko’s

After Carl Frampton had his ugly bitter split from Barry McGuigans Cyclone Promotions it really was worrying times for the company and the boxers they had signed under there banner as Frampton was the only household name in the stable . Cyclone needed someone to step up , they needed someone to fill the massive void left …..Step forward Josh Taylor . In the past 18 months Taylor of Prestonpans , which is a small village near Edinburgh has moved on from strength to strength building a fan base that outgrew anything the Scottish Capital could house and that has seen him now fight out of the thirteen thousand capacity SSE Hydro in Glasgow .

Yes the McGuigans have managed Taylor’s career well but the success in becoming the new king of Boxing in Scotland is all down to Taylor himself . Josh is a world class entertainer in the ring who will look to break you mentally as much as he will break you physically . Like all Shane McGugan fighters Taylor does his best work to the body using his superb footwork to get in position so he can land with accuracy around the side of his opponents defence . We have seen Josh Taylor make Ohara Davis quit like a dog , humiliating him in the process and he was also the first person ever to stop Miguel Vasquez . Part of Taylor being so exciting is that not only is he a fantastic offensive fighter but he also takes shots aswell which has been okay up until now but will he need to adjust for a former world champion , we will need to wait and see .

Viktor Postol 29-1-0 12ko’s

Like most i became aware of Viktor Postol when he KO’d Lucas Matthysse , a result i ever seen coming . Postol is a world level boxer as he proved against probably the best in the business Terrence Crawford who used every bit of his superior skill set to beat Postol on points in which was a very entertaining fight . Postol is a rangy fighter who uses every inch of his long arms to his advantage . If you let Postol dictate the distance in the ring that is when he will punish you as he is an expert in keeping opponents on the outside with his jab then hooking round the side of his opponents defence with surprising accuracy . The does have some big flaws though as Crawford showed . If you frustrate him he will rush in and walk right onto a shot , something Crawford sent him down to the canvas with twice . Postol also stands very upright so if you can get inside his body is wide open to the attack , something Josh Taylor will no doubt look to exploit as the fight goes on .

Prediction

I will not be attending this fight due to work commitments but i have to admit i am devastated about it . This is a great step up for Josh Taylor and i have no doubt Postol will be coming to Glasgow looking for the win . Postol is like no one Taylor has ever fought before , all you have to do is look at the respect Crawford gave him in there fight . I think Taylor will start a little more cautious than we are used to seeing but after a couple of rounds he will look to force the pace and get inside . If Taylor can get inside and work the body he may get Postol out of there late on . Postol is a tough opponent though who can be very difficult to figure out . For me this fight looks like it is going to the cards but make no mistake that if Taylor stops Postol that will be a warning shot to everybody at 140lbs going into the WBSS .

DJay’s Boxing News Picks

DJay’s Boxing News Picks

Tap Headline To Go To Story’s

Usyk vs Gassiev Date and Venue Hits The Rocks

If there is one mistake that the WBSS made it was selling the rights to the final of the Cruiserweight as they had no intention of hosting it . Now they have sold the right to the Russians and Usyk is refusing to fight in Russia due to his political beliefs

MTK Announce 12 Fight Deal With Boxnation

I think we are finally seeing what Frank Warren is looking to do with the BoxNation TV Channel after leaving consumers very unhappy in recent times

A Look Back At Ricky Burns Career

This man will go down as a legend in Scottish Boxing being our little nations first 3 weight World Champion

Wilder Accepts Low Ball Deal

Deontay Wilder has called Anthony Joshua’s bluff and accepted there lowball deal . I am still not confident this deal gets made anytime soon as AJ and his team have never shown any signs of wanting it .

Terrence Crawford Announces Himself At 147lbs

For me Crawford is the best fighter in the world to watch at the minute , the guy has everything needed to an all time great except the the CV . Let’s hope Top Rank make him the fights he deserves

Parker vs Whyte Made And Could Lead To A AJ Payday For The Winner

A really good fight this but how it has made it onto sky box office is beyond me . If Whyte gets the win here there is a strong argument for AJ/Whyte 2

Canelo Stripped of Ring Mag Crown

Well this is a turn up for the books as Ring looked to have let Canelo off last month but he now not even ranked by the Magazine

Derveyanchenko and Jacobs Ordered To Fight By IBF

This a must fight for Jacobs as it will give him real bargaining power when talking to the Big Boys such as GGG and Canelo not to mention strengthen his hand when dealing with Eddie Hearn on a promotional deal

Rocky Feilding will Fight Zeuge For The WBA “World” Super middleweight Title

I like Rocky Feilding so it’s nice to see a nice guy get the chance to fight for a world title .

Sanchez Slams IBF For stripping GGG

For once i am total agreement with Abel Sanchez here as GGG has ultimately been punished for Canelo failing a drug test

The Show Must Go On – Frank Warren is having a laugh

The Show Must Go On – Frank Warren is having a laugh

As i sit here writing this article i am watching Matchroom’s Midweek NextGen show at York Hall which will be headlined by Luke Watkins vs Laurence Okolie , a fantastic fight with two young guys who have a great opportunity to to make a big impression on prime time sky sports . Not only is the main event a good fight but Eddie Hearn has made some fantastic match ups on the undercard in a sold out venue on a Wednesday night it really is fantastic promoting , a breath of fresh air after the week Hearn’s rival Frank Warren has had .

Last week I wrote an article called “Why are boxing fans treated with discontent ” which seemed to go down really well with most that read it but little did i know that the best example of this discontent was going to come a few days AFTER i had published . On Sunday the news broke that Billy Joe Saunders vs Martin Murray was cancelled after Saunders pulled out with injury for a second time ……but hey all you people that bought a ticket’s and booked hotels , travel etc to see Saunders vs Murray don’t expect a refund as the show will still be on , just not the main event you paid for .

Rumour has it that this show had only sold around 3000 tickets but it has to asked what was Frank thinking when this fight was made ? It was a fight that nobody was asking for . Since the turn of the year Warren has had nearly as many show’s or fights postponed or cancelled as he has go ahead , it’s actually at the point now were i would advise people not to buy tickets to his shows , and as a boxing fan that really pains me and i would ask what the BBBofC think about this as again fans are being hit in the pocket , not to mention fighters who have paid for full training camps .

I can’t help think that BT Sport have got to be questioning there own decision to partner with Frank Warren to launch boxing on there top class sports platform . Whilst Hearn seem’s to moving on from strength to strength , putting on NextGen shows that could match some of Warren’s card’s , Warren seems to be staggering along like an old dog waiting to be put put his misery .

Joshua vs Parker – Preview + Prediction

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