THE KALLE SAUERLAND STORY

GOING DEEP INSIDE THE CURIOUS MIND OF THE WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES BOSS
JANUARY 16 2020 THE AWARD-WINNING WORLD’S BEST FIGHT MAGAZINE EST. 1909
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JOSH
TAYLOR
HIS MOVE
TO TOP RANK
IN FOCUS

DONNY
LALONDE £3.99 VOL. 76 NO. 02

WHY SUGAR
RAY STILL
HAUNTS HIM

The Wilder rematch draws closer but time may already have run out for Fury

COUNTDOWN LOUIS vs WALCOTT + LIAM CAMERON + KELL BROOK

Available in newsagents, or order at
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 Contents January 16, 2020

12 ALL CHANGE
Josh Taylor links up with Top Rank and targets the undisputed crown

Photos: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE & WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES

UNMISSABLE HIGHLIGHTS

>> 18 SAUERLAND SPEAKS

18 >> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER
The many different faces to the Why Deontay Wilder has the advantage
World Boxing Super Series supremo
>> 5 GUEST COLUMN
>> 24 NAME VALUE Perspective is needed regarding Shields
Leonard, Lewis, Hearns and Atlas –
Donny Lalonde has lots of tales to tell >> 16 MADE AN EXAMPLE OF
Liam Cameron has his say on the
>> 28 MAN IN THE MIDDLE four-year ban issued to him by UKAD
The story of Joe Louis vs Jersey Joe
Walcott at Madison Square Garden >> 34 160lb SHOWCASE
Jaime Munguia does what is expected
>> 32 MAKING HISTORY of him against Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan
Claressa Shields becomes a three-
division world titlist in record time >> 36 PREVIEW ROUND-UP
Julian Williams prepares to defend his
two world titles against Jeison Rosario
DOWNLOAD OUR APP TODAY >> 40 AMATEURS
For more details visit The road to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics
WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET/SUBSCRIPTIONS
>> 46 60-SECOND INTERVIEW
‘I DON’T HAVE MANY WEAKNESSES,
ALTHOUGH I DO STRUGGLE GETTING
UP EARLY IN THE MORNING!’
Jack McKinlay

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 3

 EDITOR’S LETTER

Photo: RYAN HAFEY/PBC

Coming
next time
l ONE week
before he
steps back into
the ring, we
talk to WBO
middleweight
champ,
Demetrius
Cover photography
RYAN HAFEY/PBC
Andrade.

l NIGEL
COLLINS will
be ringside in
PART TWO: Philadelphia for
Is Fury as up for the Julian Williams’
second ight as he defence of
was the irst?
his WBA and
IBF super-
welterweight

ADVANTAGE WILDER titles.

l WELSH hero
Colin Jones
Why Deontay should be an early favourite to beat Fury in the return talks us through
a career that
saw him twice
HEN analysing engineered the opening and confident won’t go into detail about his split with fail in brave
the outcome of that his subsequent work has made him Davison, a man who drew the very best 1980s bids for

W a rematch there’s
two things to be
considered before
all others: What
happened in the
first fight and what’s
happened since.
Those two factors
alone make the
sequel between
WBC heavyweight
champion
Matt Deontay Wilder
Christie and challenger
@MattCBoxingNews Tyson Fury truly
Editor fascinating.
Their respective
journeys to fight one - Fury’s physical
and mental turnaround or Wilder’s
ongoing quest for respect - are also
worthy of consideration, but I believe
events since the afternoon of December
1, 2018, will play the biggest role in
deciding the result of the sequel.
Fury deserved the decision in
their opener, in my opinion. That he
outboxed Wilder for long periods will
unquestionably provide comfort to
the Englishman. That he was knocked
out in the last round, albeit not for the
required 10 seconds, will also play on
his mind. In a similar way, Wilder will
remember how tricky and skilled his
opponent was and, behind the scenes,
consider the possibility that he may not
find the finisher this time. Yet he will
be upbeat that, after the most difficult
11 rounds of his entire career, he
a better fighter.
It’s Fury’s activity between fight one
and two that should make him an early
underdog for the return. In that time,
Wilder flattened Dominic Breazeale
in a round and calmly stalked crafty
old foe Luis Ortiz, before knocking
him out in the seventh of a fight he
did not have to take. Fury, meanwhile,
has rollercoastered through signing a
lucrative deal with Top Rank that ended
negotiations for an immediate return,
a mismatch with Tom Schwarz, a deep
cut and 12 gruelling rounds courtesy of
unfancied Otto Wallin, a highly lucrative
adventure with the WWE before his
year came to a halt when he parted
ways with one of the best young trainers
in the sport, Ben Davison.
It’s true that the highs and lows of
that ride have boosted Fury’s profile in
the USA. That, Bob Arum will tell you,
was all part of the plan to make Wilder-
Fury II an even bigger event than it
would have been a year ago. But though
that is undeniably true, it may also have
cost Fury victory.
Tyson will tell you he is focused and
in-shape (though he appeared to be
carrying some timber at Monday night’s
press conference in Los Angeles), and
knows all he needs to know about
Wilder. What Fury won’t tell you is
that, while Wilder has gone from camp
to camp to camp (he stopped Ortiz
as recently as November), the cut he
endured against Wallin has surely
hampered his own preparation. He
from Fury and probably knows more world titles and
about the style of Wilder than almost we track down
anyone. Nor will he admit that money, perhaps the
fairly and wholly understandably in this most unlikely
dirty business, is now what drives him. heavyweight
Because if getting his titles back was his challenger in
priority, this bout would have happened history, Tim
last year. Tomashek.
“I’m putting shape on top of shape
on top of shape,” Wilder said in L.A. “I’m l AVAILABLE to
always sharp in rematches, I understand download from
what they plan on doing and what January 21 and
they’re capable of doing. I take away the print edition
what they did in the first fight and I is in stores on
prepare for that. We both been busy January 23.
since the first fight but I fought better
fighters. I went to the mountain top On the
and climbed it, he just played in the website
playground.”
Tyson has conquered two moutains l JOE
already (upsetting the odds against GALLAGHER and
Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and Deion Jumah
the moral victory over Wilder). discuss the
One wonders if his motivation can impending clash
possibly be as strong, if his focus is with Sam Hyde.
as intense and if his new trainer – the
l FOR all the
knowledgeable Sugar Hill Steward – has
news you need,
enough time to build the kind of close
read Boxing
relationship that brings the best out of
News At Five.
Tyson. It’s true there were doubts about
Davison not so very long ago, too.
But the early feeling, after the
opening press conference and all that
has happened over the last 13 months,
is that it’s very much advantage Wilder.
Follow us and keep up to date
@BoxingNewsED BoxingNewsOnline

4 l BOXING NEWS l JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 GUEST COLUMN

‘SOME PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE’

Photo: STEPHANIE TRAPP/SHOWTIME

DOMINANT:
Was Shields’ latest
win worthy of
breaking records?

Shields’ achievements are impressive but let’s also be realistic when writing the headlines

T really is way to landing three divisional titles professional level – as well as the lack warrior who brought the action and
a notable in quick time. of any real depth within the weight excitement every time out. No one

I achievement
to win multiple
world titles in
three divisions,
particularly in
10 fights, but
there is no
way we should
be putting
Claressa Shields
alongside
the men and
John declaring her as
Scully the first boxer
Former world in history – as
title challenger many leading
media outlets
did over the weekend – to achieve
the feat so quickly.
It is not comparable. It is two
different codes. In sports such as
tennis, for example, the records of
men and women are kept separate.
Same goes for every other organised
sport on the face of the earth. The
level of opposition Shields had to
defeat does not compare, in any
way, to levels that men like Oscar
De La Hoya, Jeff Fenech and Vasyl
Lomacheko had to defeat on their
For further context, there are
only 34 women in the entire
world qualified to be ranked at
middleweight (one of the divisions
she has won titles in), while the same
division in the men’s game has 1,561
to choose from. This of course is
not Shields’ fault, but some form of
perspective is essential before we
lose ourselves in needless hyperbole.
As a lifelong and real boxing
person, I have to speak as I see it.
It may not be ‘politically correct’.
Women’s boxing and men’s boxing
are different and there is absolutely
no way around that. We cannot
sit back and pretend otherwise
and, frankly, the women – who are
breaking boxing boundaries on their
own – deserve better than for the
industry to do so.
From the two-minute rounds,
and the 10-round championship
fights, to the inexperience of the vast
majority of female boxers – at least at
‘IT IS NOT COMPARABLE. IT
IS TWO DIFFERENT CODES’
classes, it should become clear we’re
dealing with two entirely separate
codes. Claressa herself understands
this, as she has been a vocal
advocate for increasing the length of
rounds from two minutes to three.
Obviously, then, she understands the
dynamics of it in that regard.
Please don’t get me wrong nor
mistake this column as some anti-
women’s boxing rant. There is talent
and passion and a real dedication for
the game that has always inspired.
I trained Elizabeth Mueller to the
IWBF (International Woman’s Boxing
Federation) lightweight title way back
in 2001 and she was as gutsy and
determined as any other professional
that I’ve ever trained.
I think there have always been
talented females within the sport.
Just look at films of Lucia Rijker in
action for example. Look at Christy
Martin’s fights as another example.
Christy was a blood and guts
could watch her and say they didn’t
get their money’s worth. That era was
a strong one, particularly if you throw
in Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe, too.
Is Claressa on target to be better
than all of them? She has the talent
but it’s still far too early to judge. We
don’t have to put labels on her and
make false headlines. She’s doing
well enough without them. Yet we
live in the age of the internet when
claims are made and passed off as
legitimate in the blink of an eye. But
then, we shouldn’t be too harsh on
her for calling herself the greatest.
She’s certainly not the first to do that.
Shields is obviously a legitimate
talent. She’s a serious fighter and
she now has the name to go with
the skills to put herself in position
to fight the best opposition in and
around her weight class at this point
in the game. She’s young and with
continued success she will get her
chance to prove herself in a truly big
fight. The only issue might be not
having a dance partner in terms of
another girl in her weight class with a
similar level of public notability. But
time will tell.

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 5


LETTERS
LETTER OF THE WEEK
HEAVY IS THE HEAD…
DANIEL JACOBS’ fight with Julio
Cesar Chavez Jnr was one of
the final televised bouts of the
year and I hope that it also marks the
final appearance of Chavez’s chequered
career. Whereas earlier on in his pro
career he dined out on the name of his
legendary father to his benefit, it is now
his name that others – such as Jacobs
and Canelo Alvarez – are dining out on.
Having the Chavez scalp on their records
is something that appeals to fighters. It is
unfortunate that this ill-disciplined son of
a legend could never handle the weight
of his father’s crown.
Paul Thorpe
GHOSTS OF PHILADELPHIA
I HAVE just finished reading the Ghosts
of Philadelphia feature in the December
19 issue. What a fantastic piece of writing
by Tris Dixon. The legendary names and
places that he mentioned made me
Photo: ED MULHOLLAND/MATCHROOM
6 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
again hear the sounds of boxing boots
on resin and canvas, and of boxers using
the skipping ropes, punching the bags
and the focus pads. I could hear the
drumming of the speed ball, and could
almost smell the sweat, the rubbing
oils and the stale scent of most boxing
gyms. Above all, I could actually feel the
atmosphere that his writing created. I
really believe that this article deserves
some sort of real recognition. Well done,
Tris. Let’s have some more.
Mac Eden
FROM BOYS TO CHAMPS
TOWARDS the end of last year I released
a book (available on Amazon) called
From Boys to Champs on Middlesbrough
boxing legend Marty Turner. Marty gave
42 years of his life to grassroots boxing,
from the amateurs right the way through
to the pros. In my opinion, the real old-
school boxing coaches like Marty are a
ON TWITTER ON FACEBOOK
@BoxingNewsED www.facebook.com/boxingnewsonline
dying breed today. It is men like him who
do it all for free and put in years of hard
work behind the scenes, helping to keep
kids off the streets, which should never
be forgotten when some of these kids
eventually turn over into the pro ranks.
Marty coached Middlesbrough’s greatest
ever pro, Cornelius Carr, among others.
He was one of the proper coaches – the
true royalty of the sport.
Jamie Boyle
100 GREATEST AMATEURS
I READ with interest Malcolm Meredith’s
list of the 100 greatest amateurs ( January
9 issue). I respect any man’s opinion
when it comes to the noble art, and
ranking fighters from different eras is
always fraught with difficulty. However, I
don’t believe there have been 37 better
amateur boxers than Mark Breland. He ENOUGH IS ENOUGH:
was an absolute phenomenon. Jacobs halts Chavez
with the minimum
Derek Bilton of fuss
www.boxingnewsonline.net
 ON INSTAGRAM EMAIL POST
boxingnewsonline letters@boxingnewsonline.net Boxing News Letters, 120 Leman St, London, E1 8EU

10 COUNT
THE PANEL
SHIELDS OF GOLD
IF YOU WERE RUNNING THE NEXT SEASON OF THE How to unify three weight classes in 10 fights, by Claressa
Shields.
WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES, WHICH DIVISION
1. FRANCHON CREWS DEZURN
WOULD YOU TARGET AND WHY? Shields, a two-time Olympic champion, makes her
professional bow in November 2016 against fellow
debutant Franchon Crews Dezurn. The fight in Las Vegas
goes the full four rounds and Shields wins every one of
them. Dezurn went on to win a world belt at 168lbs.

2. SZILVIA SZABADOS
Shields meets Szabados in what is her first title
fight in March 2017. It’s for the vacant NABF female
middleweight title and Shields wins in the fourth.
Michael Wayne Declan Nigel
3. SYDNEY LEBLANC
Conlan Alexander Taylor Wright
Not only is this Shields’ first eight-rounder as a pro but
Featherweight Former EBU Boxing Former English LeBlanc manages to extend her the distance. Shields
contender champion journalist champion takes every round, of course.
I would go for I would choose Assuming I’d have I would love
either super- lightweight. It has the pick of all the to see all the 4. NIKKI ADLER
featherweight or three undefeated, top guys it has to heavyweights Shields’ first stab at gold arrives in August 2017 when
middleweight. champions be heavyweight. go for it with all she battles Adler over 10 rounds for WBC and IBF super-
Both divisions are who could all Even beyond the belts on the middleweight belts. Adlerm is undefeated in 16 pro
stacked and there win – Gervonta Anthony Joshua, line. No politics fights but is stopped inside five rounds.
are some very Davis, Teofimo Deontay Wilder involved, just get
interesting fights Lopez and Devin and Tyson Fury on with it and find 5. TORI NELSON
that I would love Haney – as well the likes of Joseph out the identity of This January 2018 fight sees Shields successfully
to see as a fan. as future Hall- Parker, Oleksandr the world’s best defend both her WBC and IBF titles against Nelson
of-Famer Vasyl Usyk and Dillian heavyweight. It but have to go the full 10 rounds for the first time as
Lomachenko, Whyte would would be great a pro. Nelson, like Adler before her, is unbeaten but
who would be the serve up a superb value and we completely overmatched.
favourite but need mixture of fights. would see plenty
6. HANNA GABRIELS
to be at his very Wouldn’t be of knockouts and
Just when it all seems to be getting too easy for
best to beat the cheap, though. some great fights.
Shields, she slugs away with Gabriels in June 2018
rest.
and finds herself decked for the first time as a pro in
round one. She rallies back to win, but this drop down
IF JOSH TAYLOR IS NOW ON THE HUNT FOR A NEW to middleweight, where she won vacant WBA and IBF
titles, comes with a warning.
TRAINER, WHO SHOULD HE GO WITH AND WHY? 7. HANNAH RANKIN
Scotland’s Rankin is next up for Shields in November
Michael Wayne Declan Nigel 2018 with three middleweight belts on the line, the
Conlan Alexander Taylor Wright vacant WBC crown having been added to the WBA and
Josh has a lot of I would suggest He has so many It’s disappointing IBF belts Shields won against Gabriels. Rankin is plucky
options. I think he goes for either options if he stays when you see but doesn’t win a round.
Adam Booth Adam Booth or in the UK and a boxers split from
(Conlan’s coach) Mark Tibbs. Both good one would coaches. It’s 8. FEMKE HERMANS
would be a good are still young be Ben Davison, normally because Shields whitewashes Hermans in December 2018, less
choice if he is to and ambitious who has time on of a defeat or than a month after beating Rankin, and barely gets out
stay in the UK and have proven his hands after they might of first gear.
to train. Adam they can produce splitting with need a change
9. CHRISTINA HAMMER
could add to Josh’s champions with Tyson Fury. He – but Taylor and
In April 2019, Shields and Hammer collide for all the
game in terms of different kinds of could also follow McGuigan were
middleweight marbles in Atlantic City. Shields proves
defence. If he’s styles. They also his old stablemate on fire. It’s looking
her superiority over the 10 rounds shared.
willing to move have a good crop Carl Frampton like he will go with
abroad, however, of young fighters to Jamie Moore, Freddie Roach 10. IVANA HABAZIN
I would say Buddy in their camps to which would now, but I think Now at super-welterweight, Shields has seemingly
McGirt would be help push Josh to undoubtedly he should patch retained the dominance she showed as a middleweight
a good choice. I stay on top of his work. If Taylor things up with and super-middleweight and starts her reign with a
think he would fit game – which is decides to head to McGuigan and put 10-round thrashing of Habazin to take the vacant WBC
Josh’s personality. the hardest part America, Derrick their differences and WBO titles.
once you become James would be a aside. This is a
champion. superb fit. very short career.

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 7

 THE BUNCE DIARIES

KELL AND KID SHINE

Brook and N a ring at the 12x3
gym in Paddington
are close to perfect examples of what that
sacred gym has been trying to create in
with efficient grace between the pair,
catching shots, calling shots and blocking
Galahad have
their heads in
the right place
I last week it looked
more like a rehearsal
for a flamboyant
modern dance scene
every fighter that has ever pushed his or
her way through the heavy door during
the last six decades.
Last week it was a training session to
shots. The boxers, both in the same
Kronk t-shirt, formed a seamless pattern
in front of Ingle’s hands, often a blur;
southpaw, orthodox, front foot, back foot,
than three proper remind people that Brook is still fighting, in close – it was a joy to watch the feet,
for 2020 boxing men inside still looking for the Amir Khan fight and the hands, the concentration and hear
the ropes. that Galahad – I prefer his stage name to the punches. They moved so smooth it
In the centre was his real name – is still chasing a rematch looked choreographed and not a routine
Dominic Ingle, jeans with Josh Warrington. I’m not sure, to tell perfected through years and years of
and no frills, and the truth, if either of those fights will ever graft. Too many people missed it, intent
each side of him in happen. Still, they each box in Sheffield on on telling me why Teofimo Lopez will
seemingly perfect February 8 (Brook takes on Mark DeLuca fight in Saudi Arabia. “Watch this,” I said.
Steve
harmony was Kell while Galahad faces Claudio Marrero). “It’s class.” It was.
Bunce
@BigDaddyBunce Brook and Kid However, watching the three friends “When I first walked in the gym [the
Galahad, separated and men in that ring was a great reminder Ingle’s Wincobank gym] Dom was taking
Voice of boxing by a few pounds of just how close a top trainer can be Junior [Witter] on the pads, Johnny
but united by a life to his best fighters, the ones that really [Nelson], Amir [Khan] and Kell [Brook]
under the same roof in another gym, one know what they are doing. Big Dom were all in the ring body sparring –
on a hill on the outskirts of Sheffield. They had the pads, was moving smoothly and Brendan [Ingle] was watching,” Galahad,
Photos: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM

CHASING GLORY:
Galahad hopes to secure
another world title shot
in 2020

8 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net


then known simply as Barry Awad, told
me. The Galahad tag came courtesy
of Brendan’s humour, his genuine
eccentricity: Galahad joined a Slugger,
Tony Montana, a Killer and a dozen other
ring sobriquets. Men you have never
heard of came and went with names that
would make you chuckle. They are names
they probably still use now.
“I was only about 11 or 12 and I
couldn’t believe how big they were – they
were all massive, giants. I was tiny, I was
just a kid. I will never forget that first day,”
Galahad continued. Galahad was taken on
the road, like a stowaway on nights and
days in odd cities and foreign lands and
walked in the same footsteps as Naseem
Hamed and Brook. They had both been
given a unique boxing education as kids,
backstage at shows where just 200 paid
and often left the promoter broke and
others where 20,000 packed a sold-out
venue. Brendan loved a stray. “Who gets
a boxing education like that now” Ingle
asked me. The answer is nobody.
Galahad at 29 still looks like the
boy from a few years ago, but Kell has
www.boxingnewsonline.net
changed, his face has become far more
distinguished, far nobler, a bit like a
famous actor. I remember seeing that
switch in Mike Tyson one night in Las
Vegas in about 1999, some grey in his hair
and a lifetime in his eyes. The child has
been replaced in Kell and that is totally
understandable at 33 after hard years,
an attempt on his life and some truly
gruelling world title fights. However, he
looked magnificent during the workout,
possibly the best I have ever seen him
this far from a fight. It’s no secret – he has
done the weight properly. “I look good,
don’t I,” he asked as he started to unload
on a speed-ball. He did, that’s for sure.
This will be Brook’s 17th different year in
the pro business, this his 41st fight and he
was just 18 when he made his debut.
There is a decent argument that
fighters like Brook, men that started on
tiny shows fighting for peanuts, will not
have long, fantastic careers, win world
titles and have in excess of 40 fights in the
future. He could be part of a dying breed.
Warrington, it has to be said, shares that
type of ancient apprenticeship; it is hard
WILY CAMPAIGNER:
Brook is entering his
17th year as a
professional boxer
to see it happening anytime soon with the
way British promotional companies sign
just about any boxer with the tiniest bit
of talent. Brook benefited from learning
under the radar, make no mistake and
so would a lot of the hot-house flowers
currently being touted.
“It was never easy, there were fights
in some right tiny places,” said Brook.
He fought in Worksop hotel ballrooms
and some dirty leisure centres before
early-shifts as the 4pm boxer on big bills.
He had fights at the very start where the
promoter ended up in tears, broken and
skint. Kell had to drive back to Sheffield
– eight to a car – without his money; the
money would often arrive in dribs and
drabs. We will never sit down again at the
O2 to watch a boxer with the same type of
history as Kell in a fight against a man like
Gennady Golovkin.
At the 12x3 gym last week – a fine
modern advert for our cosmopolitan
game – three men took control of a ring
to dance brilliantly for an old and a new
audience. It was a pleasure to be there
with a foot in both camps.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 9

BOXING MEDIA REVIEW
MIXED REVIEWS FOR
The streaming giant continue to make headlines while
Deontay Wilder begins his charm offensive for Tyson Fury
return, writes George Gigney
WEBSITES
WITH more and more insiders pitching
2020 as a crunch yeah for DAZN, the
streaming service has entered the new
year off of a strong 12 months in 2019.
As reported by Deadline, based off
figures released by DAZN, they had a 98
per cent rise in total streaming hours in
2019, to 507 million from 256 million.
Sixty-two per cent of those hours were
spent watching football - six of the 10
most-watched events on DAZN in 2019
were football matches. Baseball was their
second most popular sport, with boxing
sitting behind motorsports and American
football. While this might suggest that,
despite the enormous amount of money
DAZN has already spent on it, boxing
may become less of a priority for the
outlet, their most watched event of 2019
was Anthony Joshua’s rematch with
Andy Ruiz in December. Expect their
relationship with “AJ” to continue; they
won’t want him going anywhere else.
What was really interesting was DAZN’s
confirmation that mobile was the most-
used method of consumption by their
subscribers, accounting for 26 per cent
(closely followed by streaming sticks at
23 per cent). It isn’t necessarily surprising,
but does suggest that a significant chunk
of those who watch DAZN are less
inclined to be a hardcore fan who plops
down in front of the telly on a Saturday
night for a few hours to watch the
boxing, and instead are more casual fans
who will catch sport on their phone as
and when they can.
These are all global figures, and in
continuing to specifically look at DAZN’s
performance in the US, esteemed writer
Thomas Hauser sees far less reason to
“YOU SAY YOU’RE THE BEST, I SAY I’M
THE BEST, NOW YOU ARE TRYING TO
TEAM UP? IT’S UK VS USA”
10 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
Examining the best and worst
of the sport’s weekly coverage
Photo: MATCHROOM
be positive. In the second part of his
DAZN piece for boxingscene.com, Hauser
argues that DAZN is fighting a losing
battle within an already over-saturated
market.
With more prominent streaming
services and sports platforms, Hauser
claims that DAZN isn’t getting enough
subscribers. He cites industry sources
who say that by the end of 2019 DAZN
had 800,000 subscribers in the US – a
fair bit shy of their reported ambitions
for 3.5 million. Hauser also notes the
importance of Canelo Alvarez for DAZN
– their subscriber numbers see a bump
every time he fights.
In fairness, Hauser concludes with a
reminder of Amazon’s history, and how
the online colossus was haemorrhaging
money for years before it became the
staggering success it is now.
YOUTUBE
Deontay Wilder may have been
named an ‘Ambassador for Peace’ by
Pope Francis, but that hasn’t stopped
him labelling Joshua and Tyson Fury
“b**ches” and “motherf***ers.” Speaking
to TheBoxingVoice, the WBC champion
responded to Joshua and Fury’s public
‘agreement’ to spar each other in order
to help Tyson prepare for his rematch
with Wilder.
He said: “I saw it. Look at those
b**ches, that’s what I said, they’re all
some b**ches. Who tries to team up on
someone, you know?
“You say you’re the best, I say I’m the
best, now you motherf***ers are trying to me to hold my chest out and lift my
team up with each other. I guess it’s UK head up a little bit more higher and walk
vs USA. through the room like I’m the man.”
“It builds my confidence up, it allows IFL’s Andrew McCart dropped the ball
in an exclusive chat with unified super-
lightweight champion Josh Taylor, which
came in the wake of Taylor’s split with
the McGuigans and subsequent signing
for Top Rank and MTK Global. There’s
some interesting exploration of Taylor’s
desire to go up to welterweight, but bar
an apologetic question at the very end
www.boxingnewsonline.net
DAZN
of the interview, there were no questions
around the state of the situation nor
about who would now be training Taylor.
Boxing Social picked up news from
various prominent British trainers during
the week. Dom Ingle discussed his
rekindled relationship with Kell Brook,
and it certainly sounds like Brook’s
ready to just go for broke now at this
stage of his career. He also spoke about
two-weight king Billy Joe Saunders, who
has worked with Ingle but for his next
www.boxingnewsonline.net
STILL EARLY DAYS:
But DAZN’s performance
continues to draw attention
fight will join back up with Ben Davison,
according to Dom. He spoke about how
Saunders needs “one to one” attention
from a trainer and with Davison no
longer working with Fury, he should be
able to focus more on Saunders.
Boxing Social also spoke to Joe
Gallagher, who stated that he has spoken
to Canelo’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, in
person about the Mexican superstar
facing Gallagher’s charge and super-
middleweight boss Callum Smith.
“ONCE YOU WALK
DOWN THAT PATH
YOU HAVE BURNED
THE BRIDGE, SO
YOU MIGHT AS
WELL DOMINATE”
According to Gallagher, Reynoso wants
Smith to be in the opposite corner to
Canelo for his next mooted outing in
May. Interestingly, Gallagher also claimed
that Reynoso ruled out Saunders as the
next opponent for Canelo. As Gallagher
knows, that’s just one man’s word, and if
a Canelo fight fails to materialise, he and
Smith are likely to move to light-heavy in
pursuit of big fights.
PODCASTS
Joshua gave a revealing interview to Sky
Sports’ new Sidelines podcast in which
he explored the psychological challenges
he faced in 2019. Speaking about the
anxiety every fighter goes through before
they walk to the ring, he said: “What if I
turned around and said: ‘I can’t do this?’
Everybody is there. The opponent is in
the ring.
“You’ve come too far, so you have to
just deal with the anxiety.
“Once you walk down that path you
have burned the bridge behind you, so
you might as well dominate.”
It follows a string of interviews with
the unified heavyweight champion that
have revealed more about his psyche
and internal processes than we’ve seen
before - a refreshing change in tact from
a man who’s been criticised for being
too guarded and prepped for media
appearances.
After his riveting sit-down with Micky
Ward last year, Tris Dixon spoke to Ward’s
half brother and trainer Dicky Eklund
on his Boxing Life Stories podcast. It’s
not necessarily an easy listen - Eklund
discusses his stints in prison and battles
with addiction - but it’s yet another
example of how Dixon’s podcast is fast
becoming one of the top listens for
boxing fans; it’s full of interviews you
won’t find anywhere else.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 11
 Highlighting the best
of the week’s stories
NEWS AND OPINION WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET

TAYLOR TO TOP RANK

Photo: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM

PASTURES NEW:
Taylor is targeting the
biggest opportunities

12 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 Josh Taylor moves to promotional powerhouse Top Rank by to see Taylor and his titles soon
after his victory over Regis Prograis
as he eyes undisputed battle with Jose Ramirez last year. “The first [Scotsman to unify]
since Ken Buchanan over 50 years ago,
it’s unbelievable,” he said. “Two guys
HE unified IBF [wins]. I boxed Postol about 18 months from the same area really… He’s from
and WBA super- ago. He’s only had two fights since then. Edinburgh, I’m from Edinburgh… It’s

T lightweight
champion
Josh Taylor has
announced that he
I’d expect Ramirez to come through
that,” Josh said. “Hopefully he [Postol] has
still got plenty of fight left in him but I’d
expect Ramirez to come through. If not,
crazy how similar our stories have been.
It’s great.”
If Taylor continues to chase
greatness, there are superb, pound-
will sign with US the rematch with Postol, why not? for-pound calibre fighters in Top Rank’s
promotional powerhouse Top Rank. He “I don’t think it’ll be a walk in the park promotional stable. Vasyl Lomachenko
has also linked up with management but I think [Ramirez] will come through. is in the division below, although
company MTK, departing from Cyclone “Whoever’s got the belts that’s who I Taylor does not expect him to move up
Promotions. His next fight will be want to fight.” Given that Ramirez is also another weight class. Taylor previously
screened on ESPN in America. promoted by Top Rank there told Boxing News how he
“Josh Taylor is one of the world’s best should be few obstacles to FIRST TARGET: “was supposed to fight him
Arum and Ramirez
fighters and he is a fight fan’s fighter, a making a fight between the pose with the belts
[Lomachenko] in the WSB
tough guy willing to fight anyone we two. Taylor wants [as an amateur]. I had to pull
put in front of him,” declared Top Rank But while he waits for that out because I smashed my
chairman Bob Arum (the most powerful showdown, he might hand up, I broke my hand
man in the sport in the 2019 Boxing well have to make a against [Domenico]
News Power List). “Whether it’s Jose mandatory defence. Valentino… I wanted
Ramirez in a fight for the undisputed The contender to fight him but you
junior-welterweight title or any of the for his IBF belt can’t fight a guy
welterweights out there, he’s ready for would be like that with one
the biggest challenges. I want to thank Thailand’s Apinun hand.
Josh’s advisors at MTK Global, who have Khongsong, not “You can’t
the same goal as us, which is to make a glamorous stand off him
him an international star.” opponent but because he
Former promoter, Cyclone a must-win comes at you and
Promotions, expressed disappointment nevertheless. “Every changes his angles.
at the Scotsman’s move, saying that “Josh fight’s the same,” [You’ve got to] go at
Taylor is under an exclusive worldwide Taylor said. “Every him and f**king push
promotional contract” with them. Taylor fight is a world title fight. him. Really just break
stated in response: “I terminated my Especially now that him down, just go for
promotional agreement with Cyclone as I’m unified champion. him and keep on top of
a result of various breaches of contract Everyone’s going to want ‘I THINK him. You’ve got to be
including, in particular, breaches relating
to a conflict of interest on the part of the
to take these belts… It’s
up to me to keep them, THE MORE physical with him, use
the size, the strength, get
promoter. That allowed me to search for
a new promoter.”
to keep hold of them,
and keep my dreams
LUCRATIVE on top of him and just
keep breaking him down
Taylor’s ultimate ambition has been
no secret. He wants that fight with Jose
which is to become
undisputed champion.”
FIGHT WILL BE really. I was up for it.”
Terence Crawford,
Ramirez, the holder of the WBC and It’s impressive though IN VEGAS OR the world’s leading
WBO belts, for all four world titles and
the undisputed crown. “I would love it to
that already, in just 16
professional contests,
NEW YORK’ welterweight, is also
promoted by Top
be in Scotland, in Edinburgh Castle,” he Taylor has unified world Rank. He is a more
previously told Boxing News. “That would titles. It marks him out as the new star in realistic opponent for Taylor in the
be iconic.” British boxing and probably, pound-for- long run should the Scot move up to
But he noted, “I think the more pound, the finest fighter in the country 147lbs. Taylor has a healthy respect for
lucrative fight will be over in the States, right now. “Between myself and Callum Crawford. “He can do it all, he can box
Vegas or New York… Go over there and Smith,” mused Taylor. on the backfoot, he can box coming
fight for big money, but if we get it in “It’s unbelievable,” he continued. forward. He is effective at both orthodox
Scotland, happy days.” “I’m just a wee guy from Prestonpans… and southpaw, just as fluent. He can
Ramirez is fighting Viktor Postol, a Getting invited here, there and think. He’s a good thinker in there. He
former champion and former Josh Taylor everywhere, it’s been brilliant.” punches hard and he can box as well.
victim, on February 1 in China. Naturally He is following in the footsteps of He’s got it all,” Josh said.
the Scotsman is targeting the winner. “I fellow Scot, boxing legend and near “I’ll fight anybody,” he added
think it’s a good fight. I think Ramirez neighbour Ken Buchanan, who dropped cheerfully. “I’ll fight my own shadow.”

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 13

 Highlighting the best
of the week’s stories
NEWS AND OPINION WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET
THE LAWS
Joe Laws is THE unwritten
rule of sparring
making – however many
rounds you say
waves at an you’re going to do,
early stage you do,” declares
Joe Laws. Devin
in his career, Haney, as far as Laws is concerned,
writes John violated that understanding.
A prospect from Benwell in Laws sharing
Dennen a ring with Devin Haney, a budding star in
America who already has been awarded
and stripped of a WBC world title, might
seem an unlikely proposition. But Laws,
on a holiday in Las Vegas, crossed paths
with Haney and the two still exchange bad
tempered tweets on the subject.
Joe takes up the story. “I was hungover
in Las Vegas, I was on holiday. Me and
Jordan Reynolds went out,” he says. “I
woke up, I said to Jordan there’s no way
I’m sparring today. Jordan gave us a good
pep talk, he said, ‘Listen bruv, we’re in
Vegas man.’ I go aye, had a black coffee
and went in the gym. And I was sparring
Devin Haney, we were doing six rounds.
I turned up to do six, the first two rounds
I couldn’t hit him. The third round I
come with a big left hook and the whole
gym went, ‘Ooh.’ In the fourth round I
absolutely tanned him, I punched his head
in. After the fourth round they started
pulling him out.”
Laws was unimpressed. “He got pulled
14 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
out,” he said, before adding with a laugh,
“So technically I stopped Devin Haney in
the fourth.”
Before his last fight, one the undercard
of Lewis Ritson vs Robbie Davies in
Newcastle, Haney addressed the subject
on social media. “That just proves how
vexed I’ve got him. I’ve rattled his casket,
haven’t I? I’m just speaking facts. I’m just
speaking facts of how the spar went. I’m
not badmouthing him, because I want to
be where he is,” Laws said
cheerfully. “He’s got the
titles, he’s got the success,
he’s got the money. I’m
‘TECHNICALLY
just speaking facts about I STOPPED
what happened in the
sparring session.”
DEVIN
Laws is quite happy to
glove up and take to the
HANEY IN
ring, anywhere and any THE FOURTH
time. “Regardless of if I’m
on holiday, training camp, ROUND’
whatever, I train every
day,” he says. “Whatever you do, do it at
100 per cent.”
He was on holiday in Mexico when
another sparring opportunity arose. “I
was speaking to the waiter and the waiter
says we’ve got this rough gym two hours
away. I went, ‘Can you take me after you
finish your shift?’” Laws explained. “It took
us two hours to get there, it was dark,
in this rough town in Mexico… This little
CONFIDENT:
The world
awaits for
Joe Laws
hut thing. I walked in. There was about
50 Mexicans there with their tops off just
staring at us.
“I said I’ve got no gloves, the guy
handed us a pair of gloves and a
headguard, they were sweaty, they were
mouldy, they were horrible and I had two
four-round spars.”
“I’m game, I’m down,” he continued.
“I’ve sparred all over the world and I’ve
realised a spar’s a spar… As soon as you
step through them ropes
there’s only you and your
opponent.”
The same devil may
care attitude can be seen
in the way he fights. He
flings himself into his
opponent, letting punches
fly with either hand. He
was exciting to watch
as an amateur and has
continued to be as pro,
attacking with gusto when
he plunges into a bout.
Looking back Laws enjoyed his time
in the amateurs. “You rocked up at a
social club, you had a fight, you’re with
you’re pals. It was mint. I had a successful
amateur career, I boxed for England, I
seen the world,” he said. But he’s always
been himself. “My style, as soon as I step
through them ropes it’s all or nothing,” Joe
said. “Some fighters can be like 30-0 but
they don’t get recognised because they’re
not exciting.”
Laws is proud to represent his
hometown too. “Benwell, it’s a rough place,
it’s a rough area but I’ve always lived there.
I grew up there, I made all my friends
there. I’ll die there. Hopefully not too
soon,” he said with a smile.
He is generating quite a following in
the North East. Crowds are turning out to
watch him, even against the little known
opponents he is facing at this stage of his
career.
“I’ve got time for everybody. I’ve sold
thousands and thousands and thousands
of tickets. I’m humbled by it,” he says. “I’ve
got some of the best supporters in the
world so why not test myself. I’m young.
I’m hungry. I took my chance at the arena,
it’s going to be electric. I’m making noise
and I’m living the dream. I am.
“I’m a young lad and the dream when I
was growing up watching the likes of Ricky
Hatton, in these press conferences and I
would say to myself one day I’m going to
be on these shows,” he continued.
“I’m not scared of anybody. I’m not
scared of getting beat. I’m taking my
chance.”
www.boxingnewsonline.net
 Photos: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM

TO THE BODY:
Laws outpoints
Justice Addy in
Newcastle in
October

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 15

 Highlighting the best
of the week’s stories
NEWS AND OPINION WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET

FOUR LONG YEARS Photo: ACTION IMAGES/JASON CAIRNDUFF

Liam Cameron talks to Elliot

Worsell after retiring
following a four-year
UK Anti-Doping ban

N handing former
Commonwealth

I middleweight
champion Liam
Cameron a four-
year ban for traces
(25 nanograms) of
benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine,
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) have achieved
their goal of making an example of him.
That would be their line anyway, the
so-called hard line, though it’s hard to see
how making an example of a boxer like
Cameron will cause so much as a ripple
in sewer water teeming with drug cheats,
rich but morally bankrupt men in suits
and backstreet doctors who specialise
in guiding boxers on a dirty path to
enhanced performance. Regardless, four
years is the punishment, confirmed once
and for all last Monday ( January 6), and
Cameron has now decided to cut his
losses and retire.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” Cameron, 29,
told Boxing News. “I’m just being strong
at the minute because that’s all I can do. I
can’t let it get me down. I did that a year
ago and I was in bed for four days. I was
drinking all the time. I was depressed.
“I have to be strong this time. I’m going
to have to get a job and my plan is to
get a gym. But first I’ll have to save some
money up to get some equipment.”
Cameron’s last fight was a
Commonwealth title victory against Nicky
Jenman on April 27, 2018. It was shortly
after this defence he received a letter
from UKAD informing him of an adverse worn rubber gloves. It’s crazy. shorter and he would, in the two years
finding in one of the drug tests that “Even the professor at UKAD said the that have passed since his last fight, IT’S ALL OVER NOW:
cost Cameron a thousand pounds of his amount was that little it wouldn’t have probably have appeared in the ring a Cameron is going to
£2,700 purse to pay for. had an affect on my boxing. That’s why handful of times by now. retire following his
“I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was I’ve still got that [ Jenman] win [on my But just as he can’t clear his name, ban from the sport
going to have a heart attack,” Cameron record] and it’s still classed as a defence Liam Cameron can’t change his name.
said. “I knew there was going to be a drug [though on BoxRec it appears as a Nor can he shake the suspicion that the
test because I was informed eight weeks no-contest]. What they’re saying, though, reason he is no longer a boxer is because
before the fight. So why would I then is if they let me off, everyone else has to his absence from the sport affects
take something stupid like cocaine to be let off.” nobody except Liam Cameron. Without
humiliate myself and my family? If Liam Cameron went by a different him, money will still be made, pay-per-
“I have to go to pubs and clubs to get name, the ending to this story might view events will still take place, and the
ticket money for my fight, because if I be different. If, for instance, his name schedules of television networks will
don’t sell tickets, I don’t get paid, and this meant something to promoters and to remain unaffected, leaving Liam Cameron
means I have to be around drunk people sanctioning bodies and to television the ideal scapegoat to first punish and
sometimes. UKAD said was I should have networks, the ban would perhaps be then forget.

16 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net


“You’ve got [Saul] Canelo Alvarez, a
mega star, boxing again months after
failing a test [for clenbuterol],” Cameron,
21-5 (9), said. “He shouldn’t be having
clenbuterol in his system. He shouldn’t be
eating cows over there [in Mexico] if he
knows the meat is contaminated.
“I’ve been made an example of over
here. I’ve been told I should have worn
latex gloves whenever I go to a pub or
club. But shouldn’t they say something
similar to him? Wouldn’t it make more
sense to make an example of Canelo,
someone who is a huge name in the
sport?
“You’ve got people out there doing
drugs and not receiving any real ban
at all. Look at Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller.
He got done for three different drugs
(GW1516, human growth hormone and
erythropoietin) and got only six months.
It’s crazy.”
An admission of guilt would have
seen Cameron’s ban reduced, yet he
chose instead to fight to clear his name.
He spent two years
trying only to discover
on January 6 that his ‘THEY SHOULD
four-year ban had been
upheld. MAKE AN
“I’m a grown man and I
would admit it to you if I
EXAMPLE OF
had done it,” he said. “But
why would I risk 20 years
A HUGE NAME
of hard work? I’ve won IN THE SPORT
a Commonwealth title
and got myself to an 11
INSTEAD’
ranking with the IBF. Why
would I risk it all over a stupid bit of white
powder?
“Two years ago, UKAD offered me a
16 months deal to plead guilty. But I still
wouldn’t admit it now. No way. What do
they want me to do, lie and said I’ve taken
it when I know for a fact I haven’t? I’ve
served my time.”
In two years, Cameron will be free to
box again, having served his four-year
ban and cleared the obstacles currently
preventing him from doing so. But that’s
not to say he will want to.
“I hope I don’t get the urge [to return]
because I’m going to be an old man in
boxing, at 32,” he said. “I’ll be 34 by the
time I box for another title. How can I get
back into boxing after four years away? I
was just at the start, just starting to take it
seriously. I had got a dietician to help boil
me down to make middleweight.
“I’m sick to death of the sport now
anyway. This has crushed me. I had
dreams of doing things in boxing, but I
www.boxingnewsonline.net
haven’t made anything from this sport. No
money at all. I was getting peanuts. For
my last Commonwealth title fight I got
£2,700. That just shows you what a bulls**t
sport it is.”
UKAD, yet again, find themselves in the
centre of the controversy.
An organisation never quite as
inconspicuous as they would like to
be, whose reluctance to explain their
decisions leaves them wide open to
criticism and, worse, growing scepticism.
“They’ve been absolute arseholes,”
Cameron said. “They gave me a lawyer
at first who was a free lawyer of their
choosing. The lawyer was part of their
setup and worked for them. How was I
ever going to win my case?
“It cost £15,000 on my side, which
I luckily had paid for me, and £15,000
on UKAD’s side. We could have done a
deal; we didn’t have to go to court. They
could have just given me the original 16
months. But they didn’t. They wanted to
make a big example of me. It took months
and months for them to
respond to me and give
me a court date. They
took the absolute p**s.
“I can never forgive
UKAD for what they
have done. They haven’t
thought about what this
has done to me. I have a
child now and have to get
a job. I’ve gone back to
being a 17-year-old boy.
Boxing was my GCSEs. I’m
starting again from scratch now. If I win
the lottery, I am suing them. I’m buying
a lottery ticket – and I don’t even know
when the lottery is on these days.”
Cameron laughed about that, still
able to somehow see its funny side, but
became noticeably more serious, sombre
even, when adding: “This will be the final
time I do an interview as a fighter so it’s an
emotional time for me.”
It’s at that point you remember power
in boxing has little to do with a boxer’s
fists and is something far greater than
that. In this case, a lack of it has meant
Liam Cameron has had to retire and
ensured his last interview with a magazine
he has read since the age of eight is tinged
with regrettable frustration and bitterness.
And, frankly, the only thing sadder than
that is the reality that an abundance of
drug cheats, those with a lot more power
than Liam Cameron, will continue this
year to have their stories told, their fights
covered, and their transgressions ignored.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 17
YEAR-END
REPORT
Ringside Rest and Care had
a productive 2019 but it was
just the beginning
IT was a year of significant
progress for Ringside Rest and
Care in 2019 and Dave Harris –
the inspirational man behind the
scheme to bring a residential care
home for ex-boxers to Britain – is
optimistic that by the end of 2020,
they will have raised £1m.
It’s a huge target but Harris,
who has a history of proving
people wrong, is rolling up his
sleeves and getting ready for the
challenge ahead. After all, over
the last 12 months, mountains
were scaled, and many miles
covered in ventures that saw the
money start to pile up.
“We’ve already shown what
we’re about by getting this far,”
said Harris. And that is very true.
Though Harris’ idea was embraced
by the British boxing industry, and
relentless work among the sport’s
various communities raised
significant cash for the cause,
those with the resources to make
the biggest difference failed to
step forward.
Harris and his team carried on
regardless. It’s not an easy process
securing charity status but that
was achieved within nine months.
Waiting behind the scenes are
backers ready to show their
financial support once the charity
has shown it is sustainable.
Several boxers and ex-boxers
in need have already been a
beneficiary of that charity. But
it was just a tiny amount of help
compared to what this venture
will ultimately be capable of.
The year ahead sees the release
of a charity single and fundraisers
are in place for Park Lane, London.
Harris and his team of trustees
– who have not taken a penny
from the pot – would like to thank
everyone for their support in the
past year and implore more to get
involved.
In turn, Boxing News would like
to thank Dave and his team for
their tireless efforts; it’s a brilliant
cause and one we should all be
supporting.
VISIONARY Kalle Sauerland has been described as a party animal, an imposter and even a
saviour. As Matt Christie inds out, there’s many different faces to the man who
drives the World Boxing Super Series with ierce determination

ALLE SAUERLAND oozes Kalle’s first babysitter. Now approaching 43 years

mischief. It leeks from his old, and with a self-confessed “addiction” to body-

K
Joker smile and slicks back his
dark brown hair in goodfellas
style. But to mistake that
mischief – or perhaps a better
way of putting it, his public
persona – as a clue that
Sauerland isn’t taking his role as one of the most
powerful figures in world boxing seriously, that he’s
winging it and making it up as he goes along (or
as social media might have you believe, that he’s
regularly hoovering white lines from the bare chests
of ladies drunk on champagne), would be doing the
man a huge disservice.
“I like being known as a party animal, it makes
me feel young,” a chripy Sauerland tells Boxing
News of a reputation that grew from an age-old
nervous tick in his jaw being misinterpreted
as gurning while high as a kite. “I don’t KALLE
mind the bad boy image, I don’t give a
s**t. But let’s be serious, if I partied +SAUERLAND+ Taylor-Regis
like people think I do, seven nights a EXCLUSIVE WITH
week with private planes, 50 chicks
in the hot tub and 100 bottles of
champagne a night, as much as it sounds
like my kind of life, well, it would also be
completely ridiculous. I was pretty wild in my
twenties but, man, when you hit your forties… The
key for everyone is to find some balance in life,
whatever you’re doing. Whether you’re the CEO of
an international company or a road sweeper, you
have different challenges every day, you need that
balance.
“I love to bring the bad boy out once in a while,
no doubt about it, but the days of me doing that
day in, day out are long gone. For me, life is very
simple. I have four pockets: My sport, my family, my
social and my business. But when one takes over,
one of the others has to give. You only have one
life, do what you have to do, do what you enjoy, but
don’t p**s about with it.”
That life has involved boxing from the start;
for context, John “The Beast” Mugabi, who was
managed by Sauerland’s father, Wilfried, was
building that stems back to 2008, the super-fit
Sauerland has emerged from a rollercoaster year
with his ambition and focus, not to mention an
impressive physique that bulges beneath his polo-
neck sweater, very much intact. The World Boxing
Super Series has been a triumph since its inception
as its format delivered a blueprint on how the sport
should be done: Eight of a division’s best fighters
whittled down to one via quarters, semis and a
final; a sprawling narrative it might be, but one that
ends, as all major sporting events should end, with
one undisputed winner left standing.
Oleksandr Usyk and Callum Smith were crowned
leaders of their divisions following a first season
decorated by memorable moments. But it was the
second season, which spawned two of the best
fights to grace the sport in recent years
(Naoya Inoue-Nonito Donaire and Josh
Prograis), that amplified
the beauty of his competition. At Boxing
News, we have long called Sauerland’s
vision a ‘boxing utopia’, one that
dispenses with the headaches of warring
promoters and broadcasters and egos
and delivers the fights that the fans want
to see. It’s all so simple on the surface but, of
course, the reality is far from.
Such audacious ventures often live life on a knife
edge – especially at the beginning. The opening
ceremony, staged in Monaco, was a lavish affair.
No expense was spared at any of the subsequent
events. It seemed inevitable, particularly in
this boxing world where generating
regular and substantial
profit is a perennial
problem, that
the money
would
run
out.
³

18 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 CONTENTMENT:
Sauerland is happy
after a gruelling year
Photo: VALERY SHARIFULIN\
TASS/GETTY IMAGES

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 19

Photos: WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES
³ That moment came midway through season two
when broadcasting partner MP & Silva (after the
French Tennis Federation joined a long line of short-
changed organisations and took them to court) went
into liquidation a little over 12 months ago.
“They had other things like the French Open, Serie
A, La Liga and all were chasing money,” Sauerland
reflects. “But we were a start up! Imagine your
broadcaster goes bust in the middle of the season.
But we had shareholders who stepped in and said,
‘We believe in it, we’ll put our money where our
mouth is.’ And they did it, and they backed it.”
Even so, payments to boxers had been postponed
and the vultures, who had been circling since day
one, prepared to land. Sauerland batted them away.
The money to save the WBSS was raised within
48 hours from more robust shareholders but it
took Kalle much longer to erase the doubts. It was
reported that Ivan Baranchyk was going to drop
out. Regis Prograis apparently wanted no part of it
20 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
anymore. There where whispers of discontentment
from other parties, too. In the end, the super-
lightweight and bantamweight competitions reached
glorious conclusions with the latest cruiserweight
final set to follow in March this year.
“Last year was a huge one for us, I lost hair up
here,” says Sauerland – who is more expressive than
a drama student’s showreel – while tilting his head
and pointing to his temples. “I had a lot of sleepless
nights. But in the end, it was proof of concept. We
did exactly what we said we were going to do. There
were big offers made to the finalists to get out of
their contract [with us]. But the finals happened,
like I said they would. [Ivan] Baranchyk fought in
Glasgow, like I said he would. [Regis] Prograis fought
in London, like I said he would. Those were moments
when we knew we had to deliver for the brand.
“It strengthened us. We showed everyone that we
will come with the biggest, baddest lawyers, we will
come with everything we can use in our arsenal, we
www.boxingnewsonline.net

WE SHOWED
EVERYONE WE
WILL COME WITH
will freeze them if they don’t
fight, we will take them THE BIGGEST AND
to the cleaners… All those
points were put on the table
BADDEST LAWYERS”
and boxing is a small world,
it spreads quickly with the amount of big mouths. We
showed everyone what we’re about.”
The World Boxing Super Series is here to stay,
Sauerland insists. He admits it’s not yet profitable
if you look simply at the money coming in and the
money going out. But as a brand, as a concept
capable of reinventing the sport, it’s priceless.
“Yes, you can go off and make a ton of money on
one event,” he says. “Boxing is a predatory business.
Look at the way that boxing actually exists in terms
of brands and the top names. We have Top Rank,
Matchroom, Team Sauerland, Frank Warren, Golden
Boy, PBC – and I’ve probably gone through the
biggest promotional brands on the planet there – but
those brands are always secondary to the fight. Now
www.boxingnewsonline.net
there’s Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder II and that in itself LAVISH:
The WBSS sets
is a brand. It’s brand that’s being sold until February new standards
22 and then on the Sunday, the morning after the in production
fight, it’s gone, it’s finished.” Kalle rubs his hands values
together, claps and then bangs the table between
us. “But in that time, from inception to the fight,
you have capitalised on that brand in that time. And
that’s boxing. It’s predatory. It’s opportunistic. That’s
beautiful… in a way. It’s almost working.
“I looked at that and thought, how can we get it
to work all the time? How can I bottle the goods and
get what people ultimately want? And what they
ultimately want is to find out who the best is. You
always need to remember where your end consumer
is. You end consumer is not the likes of you and
I – we’re happy. You and I would watch a battle of
donkeys at York Hall on a rainy January night because
we like boxing. We’ve done it all our lives, it’s in our
blood and we love watching it. We’re always there.
My focus is on the fan with a passing interest, one
who will read about it now and again in the papers.
They’re the ones I want.
“Then I create a bantamweight tournament.
‘Bantamweight? That’s not going to draw in causal
fans, that’s not going to be sexy.’ But by the end of
it, we’d had one of the all-time great fights in Naoya
Inoue-Nonito Donaire. That was the end-
product of all the branding, of the storylines.
“There is a huge benefit to having a
storyline going in. But you
can get tired as a promoter
of being asked what comes
next before the fight your
promoting has even started.
It shows the storyline might
not be strong enough.
There’s great promoters out
there: Eddie [Hearn] does a
great job, especially on his
social media platforms; Bob
[Arum] is Bob; Oscar De La
Hoya has a great face in the Latino communities in
America; and Frank [Warren] is Frank, he’s a great
matchmaker, he always has been, he knows how to
put on great fights. But I’m looking at ways of making
the promoter’s job, not redundant, but focused more
on the fighters. You know when they sign up for a
tournament, the fighters mean f**king business.”
Which is perhaps why some promoters have
been a little dismissive of Sauerland’s ideas. But
the promoters’ approval is secondary to that of the
fighters. Kalle takes obvious pride from creating a
competition that – in time, he hopes – all boxers
will want to be a part of.
“Inoue signed up for the WBSS without even seeing
a contract,” Sauerland continues. “He announced it ➤
JANUARY 16, 2020 l BOXING NEWS l 21
 Photo: NAOKI FUKUDA

➤ in the ring after he had knocked out [Jamie]

McDonnell, he didn’t even know what money was WHAT A FIGHT:
involved. But for him, that was it, he wanted to prove Donaire swallows a
right from Inoue
himself. So if we talk about the best moment of the during their thriller
WBSS, for me personally, it was when Inoue said –
without me knowing – that he was going in the World
Boxing Super Series. Forget what I might say about
it being the Champions League of boxing, when a
fighter of that standing comes out and says that, you
think, ‘Right. Okay. We’re there’.”
Sauerland, a Spurs fan, often compares the WBSS
to the Champions League. But the promoter has
had to make some tough decisions along the way
to ensure the two competitions have comparable
qualities; particularly when faced with trying to find
the right TV network in the early days.
“People wondered why we were putting fights on
our own channel online,” he explains. “But the first
thing you do when you build a brand is you own
that brand. You control it. Under no circumstances
do you give away that control. The first way to lose
that control is to give it to a network; a network
that doesn’t appreciate and understand your brand.
We had a massive offer, and I mean massive, from
the US during season one after the quarter-finals
when people started to realise, ‘Shit, this is good’.
We turned it down. Now, as a promoter, it’s like
going up to the roof and jumping off the building.
It was business suicide. But as a brand, it was the
best decision we made because we found DAZN,
who understand and love the brand.
What happens? Last year we have two
of the best fights of the year. That’s
repaying the faith.
“But that was all only possible if we
have the partners, the right partners,
who understand the overall storyline
of the WBSS. What if we agreed a
one-off deal for a semi-final yet that
broadcaster then refused to show the
final? The storyline has to flow. And
don’t forget that it’s the broadcaster,
and not the promoter – whatever
some promoters might tell you – who
tell the story. As promoters, we can
YOUNG MAN: set the scene, but we can’t tell the
Fresh-faced whole story, that’s what the broadcasters do. Which
Sauerland in
2010
is why certain things are so important to us when
we agree on the broadcaster: We wanted the trophy
included in the graphics, the presentation ceremony
had to be on-air. All little things, maybe, but imagine
watching the Champions League final and the
broadcast switches off before the trophy has gone
up. Our business model is not a boxing promotions
model – otherwise we’d be doing something wrong.
We are building a brand.”
A brand that is not here to radically change the
sport, then, but to compliment it. While he would
like nothing more than to be hosting 17 WBSS
tournaments every single year he realises that it’s
unlikely to be achieved in the current market. But it’s
a vision he hopes his fellow promoters share as the
sport moves forward in decades to come.
“We welcome all promoters because we’re not
trying to encroach on them,” Kalle explains. “That’s
the way we need to keep it. In an ideal world, yes,
of course I want it in every division, every year. We’d
then have that utopia that you speak of. But in my
lifetime, with the set up we have now, it would be
impossible to implement. But to say it would be
impossible in the future is another matter.”
While assistance from promoters is vital, it can be
argued that the sanctioning bodies – the WBC, WBA,
IBF and WBO – are not so pivotal in the competition’s
success; after all, if the WBSS could begin to fulfil
that vision of utopia across the whole sport, the

22 l BOXING NEWS l JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 Photo: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE
AWE-INSPIRING:
Taylor attacks
Prograis en route
to a tight victory
importance of those titles would, in turn, diminish
DELIVERANCE:
Usyk celebrates
substantially. Sauerland agrees but, outwardly at
with Sauerland least, only to an extent.
“We will work with all the sanctioning bodies and
we want world champions in at the start. But if, for
whatever reason, under their rules they can’t do that
then we will go our way. For us, it’s different. People
are not going to go out and defend the Muhammad
Ali Trophy, we’re not trying to set up any kind of rival
organisation here. The winners may want to parade
the trophy in their first fight after winning it, but did
Liverpool take the Champions League trophy
to their next game? No. But it stays in the
trophy cabinet and it is a very important
trophy.
“We’re not trying to
take over from any of
the federations like I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA
some others. There
was a time when
IS TO CRINGE FOR. IT’S A
I heard PBC were
going to make their
HORRIBLE THING, IT’S FULL
own belt. We’re not OF WEAK AND SUPERFICIAL
doing that, we’re just
trying to sit there and PEOPLE... WHO CARES?”
unify a division. But
we don’t need to have the belts to do that because
by the time the final comes along it’s clear that
they’re the best two fighters out there. Everyone
knows that whoever wins that trophy becomes the
man to beat in that weight class.
“It’s not a takeover. It’s to the fighters’ benefit,
the managers’ benefit, the promoters, the trainers
and even lower down, with the exposure on
the undercards, where we will showcase young
boxers from the local area. It should also be to the
sanctioning bodies benefit, should it not? They can
charge their sanctioning fees and everything else.”
So what’s next? Sauerland hints that the super-
middleweights could again feature in the next
season. Women’s boxing too is high on his agenda.
But he cannot start planning, seriously planning,
until the last of season two’s finals are out of the
way. For a WBSS to work he needs eight fighters with
www.boxingnewsonline.net
clear schedules and finding eight fighters with clear
schedules and, more importantly, the flexibility to
commit to a tournament, is not an easy process.
Utopia, then, is some way off. But Sauerland will
retain that goal, even if it’s one that’s scored long
after he’s gone. Such foresight has made him one
of the most exciting, controversial and underrated
promoters to come along this century. He recognises
the party-hard playboy image adds to his appeal in
certain markets; it’s a role he’s happy to play because
it has no bearing on his reality. People should be
more careful what they believe, he jokes.
“When I see people and they’re painting
their lives as this perfect picture, b*****ks,”
Kalle snipes. “I think
social media is to
cringe for, I think it’s
a horrible thing.
I think when you see
people who feel the
pressure to paint this
picture to the outside
world, it’s a very weak
person. ‘I’m in the
gym!’ What, again?
Great. Who cares?
It’s all so superficial. Half of them have gone into the
gym to have a coffee just so they can tell everyone
they’re in the gym. If you want to show photos of you
in the gym, fine, there are people who do it for the
right reasons, but many more that don’t.
“I have 120 followers on my private Instagram
account. People I have known for at least five years
on there. That’s me on there. That’s what I’m really
like. Now I’m probably going to get people trying to
hack that account – ‘that’s where the real uncensored
s**t is, man!’ – but that’s what I want to show my
friends and family, the people that really matter.
“We have the Sauerland social media accounts, we
have a social media team, but I don’t want that to be
some robotic account, I want to have a bit of a laugh.
I enjoy that, but I also see people who are trying
hard, far too hard, to paint a picture of this perfect
life. A perfect life? There’s no such thing.” bn
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 23
 TALES OF
GOLDEN B
Former WBC light-heavyweight champion Donny Lalonde
fought Sugar Ray Leonard, sparred Lennox Lewis and had
exhibition bout with Thomas Hearns. He reveals all the d
to Matt Bozeat, as well as discussing that Teddy Atlas st

24 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 ON TOP:
Lalonde ploughs into
Mustafa Hamsho in 1987

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

DONNY
+LALONDE+
TALKS TO

THE
BOY
d an
details
tory

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 25

Photo: GETTY IMAGES
DEFINING MOMENT:
Lalonde is still
haunted by this 1988
loss to Leonard
HE feeling was, the ight between Sugar Ray
T
Leonard and Donny Lalonde may prove to be
no ight at all. Lalonde went along with that.
“I was overconfident,” said the Canadian,
actually a sizeable underdog going into his
second defence of the WBC light-heavyweight
championship in Las Vegas in November
1988. “I didn’t care how slick he was. If a
175lb guy hits a 147lb guy on the chin, it’s
over. I could be behind on the cards, but if
I hit him on the chin, that was it. I thought
I was invincible. I thought it was a mismatch.”
If Lalonde was to knock out Leonard, it
would surely be with his right hand. Because
of an injury to his left shoulder picked up
playing ice hockey in his teens, Lalonde
struggled to throw his lead hand with
authority. HBO commentators went as far
as to describe him as a “one-handed fighter”
during the Leonard fight and as Lalonde
revealed in an honest interview with Boxing
News from his Costa Rican home, he had
problems with his good hand as well.
“I broke my right hand in my fourth fight
[a third-round stoppage of Jimmy Green in
1981),” he said, “and my coaches got me
punching accurately because I couldn’t afford
to land on the top of their heads or elbows.”
“Golden Boy” Lalonde was considered an
easy touch for a fighter like Leonard, albeit
a 32-year-old version who hadn’t boxed since
a points win over Marvin Hagler 19 months
previously and was out of his weight class.
The WBC also shamelessly sanctioned the
fight for their inaugural super-middleweight
championship, giving Leonard the chance to
win world titles at two weights in one night
and therefore equal Thomas Hearns’ feat of
winning world belts in five divisions.
The weight wasn’t an issue for Lalonde,
who had scaled 172 1/2lbs for a defence
against Leslie Stewart six months earlier, and
after three rounds, HBO’s Larry Merchant,
who had described the fight as “a Ferrari
26 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
against a pick-up truck,” had him three
rounds up. At the bell to end the third,
Leonard shot a look at Lalonde as he was
heading back to his corner that said: ‘Who
does this guy think he is?’
“He underestimated me,” said Lalonde,
“and after a few rounds, he knew he was
in a real fight. He was shocked to find out I
was at his level. I was out-jabbing him and
hitting him with clean left hooks he didn’t see
coming. People say how great Ray Leonard
was, but I was in there with him outboxing
him.” Until the fourth round.
“When Ray went down, I thought:
‘Next time I hit him, this is over’
and I changed
how I fought,” said
Lalonde. “Before the
knockdown I was
moving, making him
I SCREWED IT UP
reach and catching
him. I had him doing
AND SPENT THE
what I wanted him REST OF MY LIFE
to do. After the
knockdown, I just FRUSTRATED BY MY
wanted to hit him
with one clean shot
PERFORMANCE”
and that helped him
get some momentum. I got off track and
after seven rounds I realised how much the
fight had changed.”
Commentators said the eighth round was
“like a movie fight.” Both were dazed and
early in the ninth, Lalonde caught Leonard
cleanly again and sensing the finish was
only a clean punch or two away, he went
for broke. I was looking at [referee] Richard
Steele because I wanted him to stop the
frigging fight,” said Lalonde. “I thought: ‘Do
you want me to kill this old man?’ These
were the days before George Foreman and
Bernard Hopkins and we thought 32 was old.”
Steele did intervene, but only to warn
Leonard for a couple of low blows and on the
resumption, the fight shifted again.
“Ray wasn’t afraid to fight a little dirty,”
said Lalonde. “He hit me in the liver, the
kidneys and he wasn’t afraid to go a bit low
either. If you watch the fight back, you will
see the punches that finished the fight were
a left hook and right cross to my throat.
I don’t know if that’s legal or not, but I would
never do that to somebody.”
Lalonde says Leonard “did what he had to
do to win fights” and added: “I only blame
myself. I screwed it all up. What an idiot. The
unfortunate truth is I have spent the rest of
my life frustrated by my performance that
night. I should have blown him away. I should
have knocked him out easily. It was in my
hands to win that fight and I found a way not
to win it.”
Things might have turned out worse for
Lalonde, now 59 years old.
Teddy Atlas revealed in his autobiography,
Atlas, that on hearing Lalonde was fighting
Leonard, he planned to hunt him down and
shoot him.
Atlas had trained Lalonde and was
frustrated he was ditched when the big
fights came in. “He was so negative and
derogatory,” said Lalonde, “and the 10 or
11 months we had together was the worst I
boxed in my career. [Manager] Dave [Wolfe]
used to ask: ‘What’s wrong with you’ and I
used to say: ‘I just don’t feel as good.’ I didn’t
have the same fire. Teddy sucked some
of the life out of me. He must have been
frustrated to see me earning so much money
after I left him, but that’s how boxing works.”
Lalonde has better memories of an
exhibition bout with Thomas Hearns.
“It was just before he fought Pipino
Cuevas [for the world welterweight title in
August 1980],” he said. “They wanted to
raise funds for Ralph Racine, who was in a
coma after a Canadian title fight [against
Gaetan Hart]. Ralph was known to
the Kronk gym because he had fought
Hilmer Kenty and
they wanted to help
out. They couldn’t
find anyone to fight
Thomas Hearns in
this exhibition. I was
1-0 at the time and
he was 28-0, but I
said: ‘I will do it.’
They said: ‘This is
the Thomas Hearns.’
I was comfortable
with that.
“From the beginning, I always understood
boxing. From my first spar, I always thought
it was straightforward. We had a good
exhibition. I hit him with a right-hand counter
over his jab and his butt hit the bottom rope.
Technically, it wasn’t a knockdown, but he
was hurt. Emanuel Steward used to say when
he saw me: ‘Here’s the white guy who taught
the Kronk gym how to throw a right hand.’ Gil
Clancy was there and he said he hadn’t seen
anyone with my lateral movement and right-
hand counter-punching since Emile Griffith.
The next day, I quit my job and decided to
www.boxingnewsonline.net
box full-time.”
Lalonde only had 15 amateur bouts – 11
wins – and said: “I learned in the gym. I
would drive around the States and spar
whoever was in the gym. I wanted to find
the best sparring. I read that Marvin Johnson
was knocking everyone out in sparring, so I
went to his gym in Indianapolis to spar him
and I must have done 500 rounds with Iran
Barkley.”
Lalonde was determined to become a
world champion.
“My father was a paedophile,” he said. “He
abused young children and when mum found
out, she took her four kids away from him.
I was only three years old when we left him
and I’m lucky we did. I’m glad he wasn’t there.
But the fact my father wasn’t at home made
me feel he didn’t care about me and because
of that, my whole youth I felt a need to prove
myself. I wanted to prove to people I was
worthy of their respect and love. It made me
want to be champion of the world.”
After 29 wins in 31 fights – 18 inside three
rounds – Lalonde got his shot in November
1987. In the opposite corner for the vacant
WBC light-heavyweight title was Eddie Davis,
outpointed by Michael Spinks in a previous
world title bid three years earlier, and all
Lalonde needed to beat him was his right.
“It was scary,” said Lalonde of the second-
round finish. “We were scared for his health.
He was very, very hurt. I didn’t want to throw
that final punch. If you watch the fight, you
can see me hold it back. I didn’t hit him as
clean as I could have done because I knew he
was out. He was down for several minutes.
His legs were twitching on the floor. Nobody
did that to him. He had a war with Spinks and
I annihilated him. I could fight.”
The fight was at a football ground in
Trinidad and Tobago, with local favourite and
former WBA champion Leslie Stewart lying in
www.boxingnewsonline.net
wait for the winner. through the night afterwards
HAZY DAYS:
“We fought in the middle of Hearns and Lalonde and the next day I was still only
the afternoon at the hottest time around the time of 159lbs.”
of the year,” said Lalonde of his their 1980 exhibition After Leonard took the belt off
defence against Stewart. “When Lalonde, he vacated and the WBC
he beat Marvin Johnson there, paired Britain’s Dennis Andries
Marvin collapsed afterwards with Tony Willis. Andries
because of the heat. regained the title he had
Before I fought there, lost to Hearns by mauling
Dave [Wolfe] would go the American in five
to the stadium every rounds and next, he
afternoon and see was set to defend
where the sun shone against Lalonde.
and which direction “I would have killed
the wind blew. The or been killed to win
idea was to keep me in the world title,” said
the shade and Leslie in Donny, married to
the sun.” Christy and with two
Moments after being grown-up children. “That’s
buzzed in the second, how important it was to me
Lalonde had Stewart over and to legitimise myself. I had low
the back-and-forth drama went self-esteem from my father losing
on. Stewart won the fourth well but interest in me when I was a child.
then found himself on his back in “After I won the world title, I didn’t
the next, Lalonde’s have that fire. I
right hand putting didn’t really know
him there. Stewart
pulled himself up I WAS THE WHITE why I was fighting
Andries and when
and Lalonde really
went for him. “A right
GUY WHO TAUGHT I hit this guy in
sparring, he went
hand,” screamed THE KRONK GYM down and I thought
the commentators
as Lalonde teed HOW TO THROW THE he was dead. I said:
‘I don’t want to do
off, “and another
right hand… and
RIGHT HAND” this anymore.’ Dave
thought I was trying
another.” to cut him out. He
Eventually, Lalonde was dragged off the thought I was trying to talk my way out of
groggy Stewart, but for a moment or two, our relationship and to show him how little
Donny thought he had lost! money meant to me I said: ‘I’m going to
“I was so exhausted I wasn’t sure if I had retire.’ I didn’t have it in me to fight people
won or lost,” he remembered. “I was delirious I love over money or hurt people anymore.”
from the heat. When the referee waved his One fighter he couldn’t hurt was Lennox
arms, I thought: ‘Who’s won?’ I ate and drank Lewis.
“I met him when he was 12 and I was 17,”
remembered Lalonde. “We were in the same
gym. Around five years later, I was fighting
FAMILY LIFE:
Lalonde with his for the Canadian title. It was live on national
wife and two TV, it was a big deal, but I had no sparring. I
grown-up children hadn’t seen Lennox for five years and I rang
him up and asked: ‘Are you still boxing?’
“He laughed: ‘Yeah, I’m still boxing, champ.
Are you sure you want to do this?’ He walked
in the gym and he must have been 6ft 4ins
and 220lbs solid. He said: ‘Are you sure you
want to spar?’ I said: ‘I have to.’ I remember
getting under his jab, landing a right hand to
the body and it just bouncing off him. It was
like hitting a brick wall and every time he hit
me, my whole body rattled.”
Lalonde would fight on until he was 43,
losses to Bobby Czyz and Virgil Hill leaving his
record as 41-5-1 (33).
“The only reason I fought on so late in
life,” he explained, “is because I wanted to
show what I could do with two hands. I felt
I never really got the chance to show what
I could do with a healthy body, but I got
a badly damaged eye in sparring about a
week before I fought Virgil. We were sitting
together afterwards and he said: ‘You hit me
so hard in one round, you only had to touch
me again to put me over and you didn’t.’
I said: ‘I couldn’t see you.’ I knew it was the
end.” bn
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 27
NOT EVEN FOR
John Jarrett tells the story of Joe Louis’ Madison Square Garden clash with
Jersey Joe Walcott, and how the integrity of referee Ruby Goldstein never wavered
UBY GOLDSTEIN was having The fact that Joe Louis was a very good friend of

R
a tough day, working for
the big Schenley distillery
with Christmas only three
weeks away. But Ruby had
something else on his mind
that December day in 1947.
Back in his New York office,
he called his wife, Mae, at home. “Any
messages for me?” he asked.
Mae sounded excited. “Yes, yes,” she
blurted out. “You have to call the
commission as soon as possible.”
A few minutes later, Ruby, a
licensed referee, was on the
phone to the offices of the
+GOLDSTEIN+
New York State Athletic MAN IN THE MIDDLE other as they worked in the ring. When
Commission. He was told to
be at Madison Square Garden
at eight o’clock that night.
Ruby knew what that meant,
he was going to work the big one.
Joe Louis and Jersey Joe Walcott for the
heavyweight championship of the world.
He was still smiling by the time he got
home.
A quick shower and he had something
to eat as Mae packed his bag, putting in
the gray flannel shirt and trousers, the
black bow tie, the boxing shoes. Then Ruby
was off, heading for the subway, already
crowded with people going to the Garden
for the fight.
his didn’t bother Ruby one little bit. He would later
admit, “At no time did it occur to me that, as Joe’s
friend, I was in a singular position. I did not have
to say, even to myself, that I would allow my great
liking for Joe to sway me in the slightest.” Their
friendship went back three years, to 1944, when
both the big African-American champion and the
little Jewish ex-fighter were serving in Uncle Sam’s
Army.
Sergeant Louis was with the Army’s Special
Services Branch when he reported to Camp
Shanks, near New York. Joe became friendly
RUBY with Sergeant Goldstein and they worked
together on the camp boxing shows,
sharing referee spots, kidding each
the top brass decided to send Louis on
a tour of bases in the Aleutians, Joe took
Ruby along with him.
Out of uniform, the heavyweight
champ returned to the ring while Ruby took
a position with Schenley, a sort of travelling public
relations emissary. He also retained his interest in
boxing. A top liner in his ring days as a lightweight
with a terrific punch and a flair for the sport that
made him a tremendous attraction, Ruby drew
packed houses to the Garden fighting guys
like Ray Mitchell, Sid Terris and Jimmy
McLarnin. They called him the
“Jewel of the Ghetto”.
But Ruby had one
major flaw in his ³

28 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

A FRIEND

LOUIS GOES DOWN!

Walcott stands over the
fallen champion
Photo:
REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 29

FIGHTING ³ fistic make-up. He just couldn’t take a stiff belt on probably okay,” he told friends, “but I don’t know him,
BACK:
the whiskers. It proved his downfall in the big ones, he could be a gambler, and it wouldn’t be nice for me
Louis attacks
Walcott but against Ace Hudkins, Terris and McLarnin. He couldn’t as a referee if such a picture turned up sometime.”
almost all stay away from the ring however, becoming a referee With that outlook on his duties as referee, it is easy to
observers while in the Army, and he was still in service when he see how Ruby arrived at Madison Square Garden with
believe he’s
applied for a licence with the New York Commission. a clear and open mind that December night in 1947.
lost at the
inal bell Out of uniform, he soon became one of the top “I took the subway to Manhattan, read a newspaper
Photos: officials in the game. on the way, got out at 49th Street and walked across
AP/SHUTTERSTOCK Ruby took his job seriously, adopting strictly to the Garden.” At 10 o’clock, the officials appointed
impersonal feelings to people he knew in boxing. for the main event were announced. Goldstein would
Nobody got any favours when Ruby was be third man in the ring, judges at ringside
working a fight, he called them as he saw were Frank Forbes and Marty Monroe.
them, no matter who they were. And as his World heavyweight champion for 10 years,
prestige grew, so did he 23 challengers sent packing,
become ultra cautious. If Joe Louis was 33 years old,
he saw someone walking balding on top, heavier for
towards him whom he knew
from his days on the East
EVERYONE YELLED this fight than for any other
at 211 pounds, with Walcott
Side, he would cross the AT ME, SOME TRIED scaling 194 1/2. But “The
street to avoid a meeting.
Once, when a stranger asked
TO SHAKE MY HAND, Brown Bomber” was still the
number one ring attraction
if he might be photographed
with him, Goldstein
OTHERS PATTED ME as a crowd 18,194 paid a
record gate for the Garden,
diplomatically refused. “He’s ON THE BACK” $216,477. As champion,

30 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 Joe would receive 37 1/2 per cent, with Jersey Joe attempt of Louis to make up for lost time. It was his
collecting 22 1/2 per cent. best round.”
Although only four months older than the “For the rest of the night,” recalled Louis, “Walcott
champion, Walcott had been kicking around the fight got on a bicycle – like a black Bob Pastor – he was
game for some 18 years. He had quit half-a-dozen determined to stay the 15 rounds, and he just fought
times to work at any kind of job in order to support in spurts. When the fight was over, I just wanted to
his family of six. A cagey boxer with a mean punch in get out of the ring. I was so disgusted with myself
either mitt, Joe claimed to have decked Louis when and the way I had fought that I started climbing out
he was hired as a sparring partner. In denial, Louis before the decision was announced. I didn’t care
said he hit Jersey Joe too hard in sparring and he quit about the decision. I knew I won, since Walcott didn’t
camp, never to come back. Now he was back, and he come to me. After all, I was the champion, and he had
was still hungry. to take the crown from me.”
The original plan was for Walcott to box Joe in a Ring announcer Harry Balogh took his microphone
10-round non-title bout, the Jersey veteran as the huge arena fell silent. “Judge Frank
having to score a knockout to take the title. Forbes scores six rounds Walcott, two even,
But Col. Eddie Eagan of seven for Louis.” The fans
the New York Commission didn’t like that one. “Ruby
summoned the champion’s Goldstein has it seven
managers and promoter Sol
Strauss, standing in for the
I JUST WANTED TO rounds for Walcott, two
even, and six for Louis.”
ailing Mike Jacobs, to insist GET OUT OF THE They liked that and a great
that the fight between Louis cheer filled the Garden.
and Walcott must be for the RING. I WAS SO Then Balogh looked at the
title over 15 rounds instead
of an exhibition of 10.
DISGUSTED WITH final card. “Judge Marty
Monroe has nine rounds
The window dressing
didn’t change the odds.
MYSELF” for Louis…” The rest of
his announcement was
When the two Joes climbed drowned out by the storm of
into the ring, Jersey Joe was any price, Louis being booing that must have been heard in New Jersey. Joe
quoted 1/11 favourite. In fact, so little was thought of Louis had retained his title on a split decision.
Walcott’s chances that an enterprising car salesman Ruby Goldstein recalled that as he stepped down
offered him $250 for exclusive advertising rights on from the ring, “Men and women yelled at me as the
the soles of his boxing boots in the floodlit ring. Yet, special police opened a path, some tried to shake
before the first round was over, it looked as though my hand, others slapped me on the back.” He wasn’t
the offer had been made to the wrong guy. looking for praise. He had just done his job the best
“In round one,” said Louis in his autobiography (Joe way he knew how, even if it did mean calling the fight
PROUD MAN:
Louis: My Life), “Walcott hit me with a bunch of left against his good friend Joe Louis. Goldstein is
jabs and hooks right away. When I pressed forward, “It remained for Joe to say now all I could wish from remembered as
Walcott stopped dancing long enough and hit me with anybody,” said Ruby. “I was proud when I read what one of the best of
a solid right to my jaw and floored me for a two-count. he said. ‘I know Ruby. He calls them as he sees them all oicials
I lost my head then, and I tried to take him out with and that should be good enough for anybody.’” bn
lefts and rights, but Walcott ran away… In the fourth,
with the round less than a minute old, Walcott smacks
a right to my jaw and down I go again. When I got up
after taking a seven-count, my head was ringing.”
“The crowd was in an uproar at the spectacle of the
champion on hands and knees,” wrote Nat Fleischer,
editor/publisher of The Ring magazine. “When Louis
got up he held the challenger until referee Ruby
Goldstein, who did excellent work as third man in
the ring, ordered the men to break… As round after
round kept slipping away and it became obvious
that the crowd was with Walcott. Mannie Seaman,
the champion’s trainer, kept pleading with him to do
something: ‘Get out and punch more often.’ In the
ninth, Louis did just that and almost succeeded in
accomplishing what the fans had expected him to do.
“The champion caught up with his foe in that
round. For a spell Walcott couldn’t romp around as
fast as he did in the other rounds and Louis set sail
for him. Several jabs sent Walcott back on his heels.
A right to the jaw jarred Walcott. A left opened a cut
under his left eye. A right crashed him against the
ropes. The crowd was for Louis this time and the yells
and screams to finish Walcott rent the air.
“Walcott was pinned in a corner and Louis let go
rights and lefts to head, face and jaw that was a
reminder of the real ‘Brown Bomber’. Walcott finally
got free and fought back... but the champ wouldn’t
back away. He kept tossing the punches, winging
away with short rights, one of which grazed Jersey
Joe’s chin and almost toppled him. A left to the body
stung the challenger, but he wouldn’t go down. Both
were cheered when the gong ended this furious

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 31

ACTION + + + + + O U T S TA N D I N G + + + + G O O D + + + FA I R + + D I S A P P O I N T I N G + RU B B I S H
Re p o r t e r s ’ s t a r r a t i n g s fo r m a i n e v e n t s a n d u n d e rc a r d s a r e b a s e d o n i n - r i n g e n t e r t a i n m e n t , c o m p e t i t i v e n e s s a n d w h e t h e r o v e r a l l e x p e c t a t i o n w a s m e t
Photos: STEPHANIE TRAPP/SHOWTIME

BELTS GALORE:
Shields celebrates
her latest victory

THE AUTHORITY
Dominant AT L A N T I C C I T Y, N J WBC and WBO belts with a 10-round
unanimous decision over outclassed
only attacked in spurts. Her 30-year-old
Croatian adversary had very little to offer
Shields wins JA N UA RY 10 Habazin at the Ocean Casino Resort other than courage and conditioning.
uniied titles (Salita Promotions). The best action came in the fifth and
++ MAIN EVENT Shields was scheduled to face Habazin sixth rounds. Shields unleashed a flurry of
in a third +++ U N D E RC A R D on October 5 in Claressa’s hometown of scoring punches in the fifth that brought
weight +++ AT M O S P H E R E
Flint, Michigan. The match was cancelled a roar of approval from her fans. They
after Habazin’s trainer, 68-year-old James had even more to cheer about in the
division Ali Bashir, was sucker-punched at the next round when the two-time Olympic
HE outcome of the weigh-in by Shields’ brother, 28-year- gold medallist floored Habazin with a
Claressa Shields- old Artis Mack. He was arrested and is wicked right to the body.

T Ivana Habazin
bout was practically
preordained. The
poster for the
fight read: “Her
awaiting trial on the charge of assault
with intent to do great bodily harm less
than murder.
Although Shields dominated and
won by wide scores of 99-98, 100-90
“Andre Ward said, ‘Sis, take her to the
body,”’ Shields said. “I was throwing all
body shots in the first minute [of round
six] and then boom, she went down.”
Habazin wore a look of agony as she
Story On The Boardwalk,” and it didn’t and 100-89, the rescheduled bout was pulled herself erect inside of referee
mean Habazin. It was, therefore, no not a particularly inspiring one. It was a Sparkle Lee’s count. Somehow she
Nigel surprise when united middleweight sloppy affair marred by an abundance of survived until the bell.
Collins title-holder Shields dropped down to mauling, pushing and clinching. Perhaps recuperating from her
RINGSIDE super-welterweight to garner the vacant Shields displayed a reliable defence but all-out effort in the previous round,

32 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

Shields allowed Habazin to bull her into
the ropes in the seventh, where she
hammered away at the body with little
or no effect.
Shields stepped up the pace in the
ninth and 10th rounds, letting her hands
go with more urgency than before.
Habazin, however, was determined to
finish on her feet, grabbing and holding
at every opportunity.
“I just want to become a better fighter.
That’s all,” Shields said. “I want to grow
women’s boxing. I want to share a card
with Deontay Wilder and Errol Spence.”
Shields-Habazin suffered badly in
comparison to the sizzling 10-round
war between super-middleweights Elin
Cederroos and Alicia Napoleon-
Espinoza for Cederroos’ IBF and
Napoleon-Espinoza’s WBA titles.
The taller Cederroos is a well-schooled
boxer with admirable footwork and
an excellent left jab, with which she
stung Napoleon-Espinoza repeatedly
throughout the fight. She also snapped All three judges scored it 95-94 scheduled 10-rounder.
straight rights into her foe’s face on a for Cederroos, which was slightly Eyubov was in over his depth and Ennis SPLENDID FIGHT:
regular basis. generous to Napoleon-Espinoza. The tore into him with a barrage of non-stop Cederroos tags
In the second round Cederroos bout – refereed by Benjy Esteves Jnr – combinations. Eyubov, who was four Napoleon-Espinoza
during their close
caught Napoleon-Espinoza on the chin was supposed to lead to a showdown inches shorter than Ennis, was knocked
encounter
with a counter left hook for the fight’s between Shields and Napoleon-Espinoza. down twice in the first round and took
only knockdown. When she got up, the Judging by her performance against a beating in the second and third. When
33-year-old Napoleon-Espinoza was still Napoleon-Espinoza, Cederroos would be the onslaught continued in the fourth,
buzzed but Cederroos couldn’t find the a fine substitute but she laughed when referee Albert Earl Brown stopped the
right punch to end it. asked if she wanted Shields next. contest 38 seconds into the round.
Napoleon-Espinoza, from Linenhurst, “I’ll go home to Sweden to get back in “He was a good fighter but wasn’t
New Jersey, connected with several hard training,” Cederroos said. “I want more really that strong,” Ennis said. “I was
blows to the head in the third before a belts. I need to build up my name.” Her getting hit a little too much but we were
rally by Cederroos edged a close round. showing against Napoleon-Espinoza was setting him up for power shots. I just had
Late in the fourth round Napoleon- a big step in that direction. to calm down. I was too hyped. Once I
Espinoza backed her 34-year old Undefeated Philadelphia calmed down and got into my rhythm,
Swedish adversary into the welterweight Jaron Ennis had that was it.”
ropes and landed a series TALKING no difficulty dispatching
of head punches. What POINT mismatched Kazakh THE VERDICT Shields needs better
was shaping up to Bakhtiyar Eyubov in opposition to reach her full
be a relatively easy IT remains to be seen what
the fourth round of a potential. FULL
win for Cederroos
Shields’ most effective weight is. R E S U LT S
Since 2016 she has had significant
suddenly turned into a success at 168, 160 and now 154. Claressa Shields (153
competitive fight. Cecilia Braekhus, 36-0, currently
OVERMATCHED: 1/4lbs), 10-0 (2), w
The seventh was resides at 147 and spoke of her pts 10 Ivana Habazin
Eyubov has no chance
Napoleon-Espinoza’s desire to fight Shields at the against Ennis (152 1/2lbs), 20-4
best round. She jarred end of last year. (7); Elin Cederroos
Cederroos several times (166 1/2lbs), 8-0
with clubbing blows to the (4), w pts 10 Alicia
head. Cederroos rallied as the round Napoleon-Espinoza
drew to a close but it wasn’t enough to (164lbs), 12-2 (7);
overcome Napoleon-Espinoza’s early Jaron Ennis (145
3/4lbs), 25-0 (23),
work. The eighth was another close
w rsf 4 Bakhtiyar
round. Napoleon-Espinoza landed Eyubov (146 1/4lbs),
the harder blows, while Cederroos 14-2-1 (12); Apti
connected more frequently. Every time Davtaev (255 1/4lbs),
one of them appeared to be pulling 19-0-1 (18), w rsf
ahead, the other rallied back, much to 3 Keith Barr (207
the delight of the audience. 1/2lbs), 20-13-1
Napoleon-Espinoza suffered a cut over (8); Joseph Bonas
her left eye in the ninth, only to return (152lbs), 7-0 (6), w
rsf 2 Glenn Mitchell
the favour by bloodying Cederroos’s
(149 1/4lbs), 3-5 (3);
nose. That set the stage for a blood- Jacobs Bonas (146
smeared final round with both boxers 1/2lbs), 5-0-1 (2), w
trading at a rapid pace. It was a perfect pts 4 Christian Rivera
ending to a splendid fight. (146 1/4lbs), 1-1-1.

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 33

 ACTION

Photo: TOM HOGAN/HOGAN PHOTOS/GOLDEN BOY

S A N A N TO N I O , T X
JA N UA RY 1 1

+++ MAIN EVENT

++ U N D E RC A R D

WHEN a fighter the calibre of Jaime

Munguia is treading water the solution
invariably becomes to change trainers
or weight divisions. Munguia took it a
step further by doing both – adding Erik
Morales to his team and giving up the
WBO super-welterweight title to compete
at middleweight. It was not exactly like
Munguia’s career was in need of a facelift.
His record is perfect, with five successful
title defences to its credit. Despite that,
he has failed to live up to expectations as
the next Mexican superstar. The man from
Tijuana has underperformed in some
fights he was expected to win handily.
Maybe it is time to accept that
Munguia, 23, is simply a very good
fighter and nothing more. There is no
shame in that. But because of what was
forecast for Munguia after he destroyed ON THE ATTACK:
Sadam Ali to win his world title, it is hard Munguia lines up his
to rid ourselves of the perception he is a right hand for
special talent. Certainly his middleweight O’Sullivan to sample
showcase against Gary “Spike”
O’Sullivan, a 35-year-old warhorse from

MIDDLEMAN
Cork, Ireland did not discourage that.
By most measures O’Sullivan was the
perfect opponent. Although the Irishman
is a fighter of substance, every time he
has stepped up in class he’s been beaten
comprehensively, yet Spike can swat with Munguia stops punishment was adding up. At the end Local Hector Tanajara won a
both hands so the proverbial puncher’s of the 10th round O’Sullivan’s trainer, unanimous 10-round decision over
chance was always in play the moment
O’Sullivan up Packie Collins, was planning his man’s Mexico’s three-time world title challenger
the bell rang at the Alamodome (Golden at 160lbs, exit. When O’Sullivan was battered on Juan Carlos Burgos by scores of 99-91
Boy Promotions). But things played out writes Jack the ropes the towel came flying into (Ruben Carrion) and 97-92 ( Joel Elizondo
as expected. Munguia dominated in the ring. O’Sullivan went down as it was and Ellis Johnson). Wilfredo Esperon
stopping O’Sullivan at 2-17 of the 11th Hirsch being stopped. refereed.
round after being in charge throughout. Munguia got the job done, but the Burgos landed well to the body, but
Afterward he predictably spoke of how reality is that he performed no better or Tanajara, boxing in his hometown for the
much stronger he felt at middleweight worse than expected. first time, was too strong and quick over
and how having Morales in the corner What happened to defending WBC the course of the match.
helped. and WBO super-middleweight champion Austin, Texas’ Travell Mazion
Munguia jabbed wonderfully, while Franchon Crews Dezurn in her match admitted that he did not expect the
showing good hand and foot speed. with Mexico’s Alejandra Jimenez left hook to the liver to hurt seasoned
On a couple of occasions O’Sullivan did was a first. Her corner did not pull the Mexican Fernando Castaneda to the
break through with a solid blow that plug, they pulled the rug. With Crews extent that it did. Castaneda went down,
temporarily shook the Mexican, but for Dezurn’s wig apparently affecting her struggled up and then fell to the canvas
the most part he was a step behind. vision, trainer Barry Hunter had the rug in agony where he was counted out by
In the sixth round Munguia had a removed in the corner, over the fighter’s referee Rafael Ramos at 58 seconds of
point deducted by referee Mark Calo-oy objections, right before the 10th and final the opening round of a 10.
for landing a flagrantly low blow. The round started. As upsetting as that was A barrage of blows from San Antonio’s
to the Baltimore boxer, losing her titles Joshua Franco had Guadalajara’s Jose
by split decision was worse, especially Burgos in serious trouble when referee
F U L L R E S U LT S since it appeared she had done enough Ramos stepped in at 2-13 of the ninth
Jaime Munguia (159 1/2lbs), 35-0 (28), w rsf 11 Gary O’Sullivan (159 1/2lbs), to retain them. Judge Ed Pearson had it round of their 10. Franco had been in
30-4 (21); Alejandra Jimenez (164 1/2lbs), 13-0-1 (9), w pts 10 Franchon Crews 97-93 for Crews Dezurn, as did I, but was control throughout.
Dezurn (168lbs), 6-2 (2); Hector Tanajara (134 1/2lbs), 19-0 (5), w pts 10 Juan overruled by Glen Crocker’s 97-93 and Dallas’ George Rincon dropped
Carlos Burgos (134 1/2lbs), 33-4-2 (21); Joshua Franco (115lbs), 16-1-2 (8), w Juan Ocampo’s 98-92 for Jimenez. John Buenos Aires’ Diego Perez three times
rsf 9 Jose Burgos (114lbs), 17-3 (14); Travell Mazion (153 1/2lbs), 17-0 (13), w
Schorle refereed. in the opening round of a scheduled six
rsf 1 Fernando Castaneda (159lbs), 26-14-1 (17); George Rincon (139 1/2lbs),
10-0 (7), w rsf 1 Diego Perez (142lbs), 13-10-1 (11); Hector Valdez (121 1/2lbs),
Both looked far from polished as they before it was stopped by Esperon at 2-53.
12-0 (8), w rsf 3 Luis Rios (122lbs), 25-6-1 (17); James Wilkins (129 1/2lbs), 9-1 flailed away wildly. The skill level was not
(6), w rsf 6 James Early (129lbs), 4-6; Tristan Kalkreuth (184lbs), 4-0 (3), w rsf 1 first-rate but the entertainment value THE VERDICT Munguia makes his
Blake LaCaze (182lbs), 4-8-2 (2). was. first move at middleweight.

34 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 ACTION
PHILLY KRYPTONITE
Hopkins Nigel Collins
conqueror RINGSIDE
Smith claims
another AT L A N T I C C I T Y, N J
Philadelphia JA N UA RY 1 1
scalp ++++ MAIN EVENT
+++ U N D E RC A R D
THE storyline going into the Joe Smith
Jnr-Jesse Hart light-heavyweight match
was that Hart wanted to avenge mentor
Bernard Hopkins’ knockout loss to Smith
in December 2016. Instead, the son of
Philly left hook artist Eugene “Cyclone”
Hart came perilously close to suffering
the same fate as Hopkins.
The major difference was that Hart
lasted the 10-round distance, only to
lose a split decision, which should have
been unanimous.
If Hopkins had anything to do with
the methods Hart employed against
Smith, Jesse needs a new mentor. He
spent practically the entire first round
moving laterally around the ring with
his back to the ropes, hardly throwing
a punch. It turned to be his modus
operandi for much of the fight, but what
originally appeared to be a battle plan
soon morphed into a survival tactic.
Photo: MIKEY WILLIAMS/TOP RANK
F U L L R E S U LT S
Joe Smith Jnr (174 1/2lbs), 25-3 (21), w pts 10 Jesse Hart (175lbs), 26-3 (21); Steven Nelson (167 3/4lbs), 16-0 (13), w rsf 8 Cem Kilic (167 1/2lbs), 14-1 (9); Jeremy Adorno (121 1/2lbs), 4-0 (1), w pts
4 Fernando Ibarra (121 1/4lbs), 3-2; Sonny Conto (218lbs), 6-0 (5), w rsf 1 Curtis Head (271lbs), 5-5 (3); Chris Thomas (170 1/2lbs), 14-1-1 (8), w rsf 1 Samir Barbosa (168 1/4lbs), 37-17-3 (26); Hector
Garcia (135lbs), 14-7-4 (8), d pts 6 Joseph Adorno (136lbs), 14-1 (12); Shinard Bunch (147 1/4lbs), 6-1 (5), w rsf 6 Dennis Okoth (145 1/2lbs), 4-3-1 (2); Xander Zayas (147 1/4lbs), 3-0 (2), w pts 4 Corey
Champion (146 3/4lbs) 1-2 (1).
www.boxingnewsonline.net
Smith gave chase but couldn’t catch
Hart until the second round, when a series
of body shots and cluster of chopping
right hands to the head hurt Hart.
Still, he stopped running long enough
in the third to land a three-punch
combination, momentarily slowing
Smith’s attack. Smith kept coming and
Hart was forced to take few body shots,
but then moved away, countering well as
Smith surged forward.
Smith almost ended matters in the
fourth round. He stunned Hart with a
right uppercut to the chin that produced
a collective gasp from the gathering of
3,415 at the Mark G. Etess Arena. To his
credit, Hart tried to fight back but Smith
kept landing right hands until the round
ended, albeit, with Hart still standing.
The Philadelphian was in full retreat in
the fifth round, but on the rare occasion
Smith got close enough, the Long
Islander slammed home a hard punch or
two before Hart could escape.
Smith applied constant pressure in
the sixth, digging to the body as Hart ran
and clinched. Hart had grabbed and held
from the start but referee Harvey Dock
never warned or penalised him. Had Mr
Dock enforced the rules, it’s questionable
whether or not Hart would have lasted
10 rounds. A right to the head scrambled
Hart’s equilibrium so badly in the seventh
ONE-SIDED:
Smith is in total
control of Hart
he touched the canvas with his right
glove in an effort to keep his balance.
It was correctly ruled a knockdown.
Smith began to tire in the eighth but
continued to apply steady pressure and
began to connect on a regular basis again
in the ninth. Hart was teetering on the
brink when he suffered a cut near his
right eye.
Mr Dock, usually a very good ref,
had a bad night. He immediately,
and seemingly unnecessarily, called a
time-out and escorted Hart back to his
corner. The ringside doctor examined
the wound, which seemed to be minor.
You couldn’t even see any blood from
ringside.
The fight continued, but the delay
broke Smith’s momentum and gave Hart
time to take a much-needed breather.
He took advantage of it and rallied for he
remainder of the round.
Hart finished strongly in the 10th.
He never hurt Smith, who was pooped
from chasing him, but landed enough
punches to take the round. He might not
punch like his father but Jesse inherited
Cyclone’s balls.
Judges Henry Eugene Grant and Joseph
Pasquale scored the bout 97-92 and
98-91, respectively, for Smith. Then came
the bombshell. Judge James Kinney voted
for Hart, 95-94.
“That judge should be banned from
scoring a fight – and I promote Hart,”
Bob Arum said. “How can you ever score
that fight for Jesse Hart? It was a terrific
fight, good for boxing, good action fight,
and then you have a damn judge who
screws it up.”
“I thought I had him a few times,”
Smith said. “He was a little slippery and
he tied me up well. [Hart’s] got a lot of
heart. He’s very tough. He had the will to
make it through the fight.”
“I hurt my right hand a week ago,” Hart
said. “You can see it’s messed up. I don’t
want to make no excuses, because Joe
fought a great fight.”
Both boxers had rabid support that
degenerated into a wild brawl after the
fight was over. Security had trouble
restoring order and the fighting spilled
out of the arena and into the lobby.
THE VERDICT Smith Jnr marches on
to leave Hart’s future, at least at
175lbs, in the balance.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 35
PREVIEWS + + + + + O U T S TA N D I N G + + + + G O O D + + + FA I R + + D I S A P P O I N T I N G + RU B B I S H
Previewing the best
upcoming fights
around the world

T h e s t a r r a t i n g s i n d i c a t e h o w w e l l t h e w r i t e r b e l i e v e s t h e f i g h t e r s m a t c h u p, t h e f i g h t ( s ) ’ c o n t e x t u a l s i g n i f i c a n c e , a n d h o w g o o d t h e f i g h t ( s ) w i l l b e

Williams ++ W I L L I A M S - RO S A R I O
TGB Promotions stage the event, while Gallimore dropped a majority verdict to
BoxNation (UK) and FOX (US) televise. Williams.
returns to JULIAN WILLIAMS was involved in “Seeing all the stuff that I saw growing Like Rosario, Williams, 27-1-1 (16)
Philly as a one of the best fights of last year. In up [in Philadelphia] made me hungry, 1NC, has suffered just one reverse. That
May, the 29-year-old challenged the made me want to get out and make a came via fifth-frame KO in December
uniied world previously unbeaten Jarrett Hurd on better life for myself,” Williams said. 2016 versus the undefeated Jermall
away turf in Fairfax, Virginia, with the “All you have to do is walk Charlo. Williams was decked
champion, pair combining to produce a highly outside and go down on three occasions during
writes entertaining encounter. After 12 action- Lancaster Ave. If that
TALKING a hectic clash. He has
packed rounds, underdog Williams took doesn’t act as motivation POINT improved markedly
Paul a deserved unanimous points victory, for you then nothing IN an applaudable move, since this setback, as
Wheeler as well as Hurd’s WBA and IBF super- will.” Williams has declared that he
will only defend his world titles
evidenced most clearly
welterweight straps. Since drawing with by his impressive
A rematch between Williams and the inconsistent Mark against boxers who are willing to showing against Hurd,
undertake at least 90 days of
Hurd was pencilled in for late 2019, but Anthony Hernandez in whom he outworked
VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping
the former titlist decided against going February 2018, Rosario, Association) testing prior
and outsmarted with
straight back in with his conqueror. With 19-1-1 (13), has strung to the contest. considerable skill and
a sequel out of the running, Williams together five decent wins mettle.
instead takes on Miami-based Dominican on the spin, including a ninth- Rosario is strong and can
Jeison Rosario this Saturday ( January round stoppage of Hernandez in a punch, but he lacks the experience
18). The site of “J Rock’s” opening title return bout 11 months ago. The sole loss and pedigree of his opponent. With
defence is the Liacouras Center in on the 24-year-old’s record came in April Williams’ snapping jab, sharp uppercuts
Philadelphia, meaning that he will be 2017 against the dangerous Nathaniel and spiteful hooks to head and body,
performing in his hometown for the Gallimore, who floored him three times expect the champion to retain his belts
first time in more than eight years. and stopped him in the sixth. A year later, on a clear decision.
Photo: DARRYL COBB/TGB PROMOTIONS

J-ROCK STAR

IN FORM:
Williams is targeting a
sixth consecutive win

36 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

RETURNING STORM
Photo: NOAH K MURRAY/USA TODAY SPORTS
Alvarez gets back to action almost a year after losing to Kovalev
+++ A LVA R E Z - S E A L S
THIS Saturday ( January 18), Eleider
“Storm” Alvarez has his first fight since
losing both his unbeaten record and
WBO light-heavyweight crown to Sergey
Kovalev in February last year. Alvarez was
outboxed and unanimously outscored
by Kovalev, despite having knocked the
fearsome Russian out in seven rounds to
win the title just six months previously.
An injured left foot kept the Montreal-
based Colombian out of action after
his rematch loss, but he returns at the
Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona,
New York this weekend.
Up against Alvarez, 35, is former
college American football player
Michael Seals – a 37-year-old bruiser
from Mobile, Alabama. Unlike Alvarez,
who has vanquished the likes of Isaac
Chilemba, Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal,
www.boxingnewsonline.net
BATTLECRUISERS
Jumah and Hyde collide in an
interesting domestic dust-up
FOCUSED:
Alvarez has
regained itness
++++ JUMAH-HYDE
and is looking
to bounce back WOODHOUSE PARK LIFESTYLE CENTRE in Wythenshawe
hosts an intriguing English cruiserweight title clash between
champion Deion Jumah, 12-0 (7), and challenger Sam
Hyde, 15-1-1 (8), this Sunday ( January 19). The 10-rounder
also serves as a final eliminator for the British belt currently
held by Richard Riakporhe – the man who, in November
2018, inflicted the only defeat of Hyde’s career so far.
A grotesque swelling by the Sale man’s left eye caused the
bout to be called off in the eighth round. At the time of the
finish, Hyde, 26, was ahead on all three scorecards.
In contrast to Hyde [below], Jumah’s ‘0’ is still intact.
The Hammersmith-born 30-year-old claimed the vacant
English crown four months ago with a fifth-frame stoppage
of former Commonwealth king Wadi Camacho, who
announced his retirement afterwards. Following ABA
title wins in 2011 and 2012, Jumah turned pro under the
Sauerland banner in 2013, but injury, illness and inactivity
stunted his progress. The ripped portsider penned a
managerial deal with Steve Goodwin in late 2017 and has
boxed four times since – all at the famous York Hall in
Bethnal Green.
Trained by Joe Gallagher – whose company, M22
Promotions, stage this show – Hyde puts his shots together
well and makes good use of his physicality. The Gary Logan-
coached Jumah, meanwhile, utilises smart upper-body
movement and shoots out southpaw jabs and booming lefts
from a crouched stance.
This is a tough one to call, but we edge towards Jumah
on points.
Photo: ADAM HOLT/ACTION IMAGES
Seals’ résumé is largely made up of
unheralded opponents. The most
significant name on his ledger is that of
ex-super-middleweight contender Edwin
Rodriguez, who stopped him in three
topsy-turvy rounds in November 2015.
Nicknamed “Cannon Handz”, Seals,
24-2 (18), can certainly dig. The former
cruiserweight is taller than Alvarez and
also boasts a longer reach, yet he does
not possess the experience or quality
of his South American rival. A 2008
Olympian with a powerful right hand,
Alvarez, 24-1 (12), combines a shooting
jab with clever footwork and accurate
attacks. Coming off a defeat and sharing
the ring with a heavy-handed adversary
like Seals, he likely won’t take too many
risks. The pick, therefore, is for Alvarez to
triumph on the scorecards.
Top Rank promote this light-heavy
10-rounder, while ESPN+ broadcast.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 37
 RANKINGS

HEAVYWEIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHT LIGHTWEIGHT SUPER-FLYWEIGHT

over 200lbs/14st 4lbs
1. ANTHONY JOSHUA 23-1 (ENG)
2. TYSON FURY 29-0-1 (ENG)
3. DEONTAY WILDER 42-0-1 (USA)
4. ANDY RUIZ JNR 33-2 (USA)
5. DILLIAN WHYTE 27-1 (ENG)
6. KUBRAT PULEV 28-1 (BGR)
7. JOSEPH PARKER 26-2 (NZL)
8. DERECK CHISORA 32-9 (ENG)
9. OLEKSANDR USYK 17-0 (UKR)
10. MICHAEL HUNTER 18-1-1 (USA)
160lbs/11st 6lbs
1. GENNADY GOLOVKIN 40-1-1 (KAZ)
2. JERMALL CHARLO 30-0 (USA)
3. SERGIY DEREVYANCHENKO 13-2 (UKR)
4. RYOTA MURATA 16-2 (JPN)
5. DEMETRIUS ANDRADE 28-0 (USA)
6. CHRIS EUBANK JNR 29-2 (ENG)
7. ROB BRANT 25-2 (USA)
8. WILLIE MONROE JNR 24-3 (USA)
9. KAMIL SZEREMETA 21-0 (POL)
10. LIAM WILLIAMS 22-2-1 (WAL) [above]
135lbs/9st 9lbs
1. VASYL LOMACHENKO 14-1 (UKR)
2. TEOFIMO LOPEZ 15-0 (USA)
3. LUKE CAMPBELL 20-3 (ENG)
4. RICHARD COMMEY 29-3 (GHA)
5. JAVIER FORTUNA 35-2-1 (DOM)
6. YVAN MENDY 44-5-1 (FRA)
7. RANCES BARTHELEMY 27-1-1 (CUB)
8. DEVIN HANEY 24-0 (USA)
9. GERVONTA DAVIS 23-0 (USA) [above]
10. LEE SELBY 28-2 (WAL)
115lbs/8st 3lbs
1. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA 40-3 (MEX)
2. SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI 47-5-1 (THA)
3. KAZUTO IOKA 25-2 (JPN)
4. KAL YAFAI 26-0 (ENG)
5. JERWIN ANCAJAS 32-1-2 (PHL)
6. FERNANDO MARTINEZ 11-0 (ARG)
7. ANDREW MOLONEY 21-0 (AUS)
8. GIDEON BUTHELEZI 22-5 (RSA)
9. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ JNR 33-4-1 (MEX)
10. ISRAEL GONZALEZ 25-3 (MEX)

CRUISERWEIGHT SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT FLYWEIGHT

200lbs/14st 4lbs
1. MAIRIS BRIEDIS 26-1 (LVA)
2. KRZYSZTOF GLOWACKI 31-2 (POL)
3. YUNIER DORTICOS 24-1 (CUB)
4. ARSEN GOULAMIRIAN 26-0 (FRA)
5. KRZYSZTOF WLODARCZYK 58-4-1 (POL)
6. ILUNGA MAKABU 26-2 (COD)
7. THABISO MCHUNU 22-5 (RSA)
8. NOEL GEVOR 24-2 (GER)
9. KEVIN LERENA 23-1 (RSA)
10. ALEKSEI PAPIN 11-1 (RUS)
154lbs/11st
1. JULIAN WILLIAMS 27-1-1 (USA)
2. JARRETT HURD 23-1 (USA)
3. ERISLANDY LARA 26-3-3 (CUB)
4. BRIAN CASTANO 16-0-1 (ARG)
5. JERMELL CHARLO 33-1 (USA)
6. TONY HARRISON 28-3 (USA)
7. LIAM SMITH 29-2-1 (ENG)
8. PATRICK TEIXEIRA 31-1 (BRA)
9. TERRELL GAUSHA 21-1-1 (USA)
10. ERICKSON LUBIN 22-1 (USA)
130lbs/9st 4lbs
1. MIGUEL BERCHELT 37-1 (MEX)
2. RENE ALVARADO 32-8 (NIC)
3. JAMEL HERRING 21-2 (USA)
4. TEVIN FARMER 30-4-1 (USA)
5. LEO SANTA CRUZ 37-1-1 (MEX)
6. ANDREW CANCIO 21-5-2 (USA)
7. MASAYUKI ITO 26-2-1 (JPN)
8. SHAVKATDZHON RAKHIMOV 15-0 (RUS)
9. JASON SOSA 23-4-4 (USA)
10. MIGUEL ROMAN 62-13 (MEX)
112lbs/8st
1. CHARLIE EDWARDS 15-1 (ENG)
2. JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ 15-1 (MEX) [above]
3. KOSEI TANAKA 15-0 (JPN)
4. ARTEM DALAKIAN 19-0 (UKR)
5. MORUTI MTHALANE 39-2 (RSA)
6. CRISTOFER ROSALES 29-5 (NIC)
7. VINCENT LEGRAND 31-0 (FRA)
8. GIEMEL MAGRAMO 24-1 (PHL)
9. MAXIMINO FLORES 25-4-2 (MEX)
10. JAY HARRIS 17-0 (WAL)

LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT WELTERWEIGHT FEATHERWEIGHT LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT

175lbs/12st 7lbs
1. ARTUR BETERBIEV 15-0 (RUS)
2. CANELO ALVAREZ 53-1-2 (MEX)
3. SERGEY KOVALEV 34-4-1 (RUS)
4. OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK 17-1 (UKR)
5. DMITRY BIVOL 17-0 (RUS)
6. ELEIDER ALVAREZ 24-1 (COL)
7. JEAN PASCAL 35-6-1 (CAN)
8. JOE SMITH JNR 25-3 (USA) [above]
9. MARCUS BROWNE 23-1 (USA)
10. BADOU JACK 22-3-3 (SWE)
147lbs/10st 7lbs
1. ERROL SPENCE JNR 26-0 (USA)
2. TERENCE CRAWFORD 36-0 (USA)
3. SHAWN PORTER 30-3-1 (USA)
4. MANNY PACQUIAO 62-7-2 (PHL)
5. DANNY GARCIA 35-2 (USA)
6. KEITH THURMAN 29-1 (USA)
7. YORDENIS UGAS 24-4 (CUB)
8. EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS 21-1-1 (LTU)
9. RAY ROBINSON 24-3-2 (USA)
10. SERGEY LIPINETS 16-1 (RUS)
126lbs/9st
1. GARY RUSSELL JNR 30-1 (USA)
2. JOSH WARRINGTON 30-0 (ENG)
3. KID GALAHAD 26-1 (ENG)
4. CAN XU 18-2 (CHN)
5. TUGSTSOGT NYAMBAYAR 11-0 (MNG)
6. SHAKUR STEVENSON 13-0 (USA)
7. OSCAR ESCANDON 26-5 (COL)
8. CLAUDIO MARRERO 24-3 (DOM)
9. EDUARDO RAMIREZ 23-2-3 (MEX)
10. JESSIE MAGDALENO 27-1 (USA)
108lbs/7st 10lbs
1. KEN SHIRO 17-0 (JPN)
2. HIROTO KYOGUCHI 14-0 (JPN)
3. CARLOS CANIZALES 22-0-1 (VEN)
4. ELWIN SOTO 16-1 (MEX)
5. FELIX ALVARADO 35-2 (NIC)
6. EDWARD HENO 14-1-5 (PHL)
7. REIYA KONISHI 17-2 (JPN)
8. TETSUYA HISADA 34-10-2 (JPN)
9. DANIEL VALLADARES 21-1 (MEX)
10. TIBO MONABESA 20-1-2 (IDN)

SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT STRAWWEIGHT

168lbs/12st
1. CALLUM SMITH 27-0 (ENG)
2. BILLY JOE SAUNDERS 29-0 (ENG)
3. CALEB PLANT 19-0 (USA)
4. DAVID BENAVIDEZ 22-0 (USA)
5. JOHN RYDER 28-5 (ENG)
6. LIONELL THOMPSON 22-5 (USA)
7. ANTHONY DIRRELL 33-2-1 (USA)
8. AVNI YILDIRIM 21-2 (TUR)
9. JUERGEN BRAEHMER 52-3 (GER)
10. FEDOR CHUDINOV 22-2 (RUS)
140lbs/10st
1. JOSH TAYLOR 16-0 (SCO)
2. REGIS PROGRAIS 24-1 (USA)
3. JOSE RAMIREZ 25-0 (USA)
4. VIKTOR POSTOL 31-2 (UKR)
5. IVAN BARANCHYK 20-1 (BLR)
6. PABLO CESAR CANO 33-7-1 (MEX)
7. KIRYL RELIKH 23-3 (BLR)
8. JOSE ZEPEDA 31-2 (USA)
9. EDUARD TROYANOVSKY 28-2 (RUS)
10. MARIO BARRIOS 25-0 (USA)
122lbs/8st 10lbs
1. EMANUEL NAVARRETE 30-1 (MEX)
2. REY VARGAS 34-0 (MEX)
3. DANIEL ROMAN 27-2-1 (USA)
4. TJ DOHENY 22-1 (IRL)
5. RYOSUKE IWASA 27-3 (JPN)
6. ISAAC DOGBOE 20-2 (GHA)
7. BRANDON FIGUEROA 20-0-1 (USA)
8. RONNY RIOS 32-3 (USA)
9. TOMOKI KAMEDA 36-3 (JPN)
10. AZAT HOVHANNISYAN 18-3 (ARM)
105lbs/7st 7lbs
1. KNOCKOUT CP FRESHMART 20-0 (THA)
2. WANHENG MEENAYOTHIN 54-0 (THA)
3. WILFREDO MENDEZ 15-1 (PRI)
4. VIC SALUDAR 20-4 (PHL)
5. BYRON ROJAS 27-4-3 (NIC)
6. JOSE ARGUMEDO 23-4-1 (MEX)
7. PEDRO TADURAN 14-2 (PHL)
8. NKOSINATHI JOYI 29-5-1 (RSA)
9. JOEY CANOY 15-4-1 (PHL)
10. GINJIRO SHIGEOKA 5-0 (JPN)

BANTAMWEIGHT
O If a fighter has been inactive for over a year, he will be removed from the rankings, 118lbs/8st 6lbs
unless he has a fight officially scheduled. Once removed due to inactivity, a fighter 1. NAOYA INOUE 19-0 (JPN)
cannot be reinstated until he has fought again. 2. JOHN RIEL CASIMERO 29-4 (PHL)
O Each fighter is ranked on the results they have achieved in their own 3. NONITO DONAIRE 40-6 (PHL)
specific weight division (excluding the pound-for-pound list). 4. NORDINE OUBAALI 17-0 (FRA)
5. EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ 19-1 (PRI)
O Each fighter is ranked in the division in which their most recent significant fight
6. JASON MOLONEY 20-1 (AUS)
took place. With regards to catchweight fights, common sense will (hopefully) prevail.
7. LUIS NERY 30-0 (MEX)
O If a fighter is suspended for failing a drug test, he will be removed from 8. TAKUMA INOUE 13-1 (JPN)
the rankings. He will be eligible for reinstation after completing a ban, 9. CARLOS CUADRAS 39-3-1 (MEX)
but will be removed indefinitely if he reoffends. 10. JOSHUA GREER JNR 22-1-1 (USA)
POUND-FOR-POUND
The best of the best
1. CANELO ALVAREZ 53-1-2 (MEX)
2. VASYL LOMACHENKO 14-1 (UKR)
3. NAOYA INOUE 19-0 (JPN)
4. TERENCE CRAWFORD 36-0 (USA)
5. OLEKSANDR USYK 17-0 (UKR)
6. ERROL SPENCE JNR 26-0 (USA)
7. GENNADY GOLOVKIN 40-1-1 (KAZ)
8. ARTUR BETERBIEV 15-0 (RUS)
9. LEO SANTA CRUZ 37-1-1 (MEX)
10. MIKEY GARCIA 39-1 (USA)

38 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 DIARY

Photo: ROSIE COHE/SHOWTIME

JANUARY
FRIDAY 17
WinnaVegas Casino & Resort, Sloan,
Iowa (BoxNation 3am & Showtime)
Vladimir Shishkin v Ulises Sierra;
Shohjahon Ergashev [pictured] v Adrian
Estrella; Jarico O'Quinn v Oscar Vasquez;
Brandun Lee v Miguel Zamudio. (Promoter:
Salita Promotions).

SATURDAY 18
Liacouras Center, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania (BoxNation 1am & FOX)
Julian Williams (holder) v Jeison Rosario
(WBA & IBF super-welterweight titles);
Chris Colbert v Jezzrel Corrales; Ricky
Lopez v Jose Luis Gallegos; Luis Orlando
Del Valle v Clay Burns. (Promoter: TGB
Promotions & King's Promotions &
Sampson Boxing).

Turning Stone Resort & Casino, Verona,

New York (ESPN+)
Eleider Alvarez v Michael Seals; Felix
Verdejo v Manuel Rey Rojas; Christopher
Diaz v Adeilson Dos Santos; Victor Bisbal v
Devin Vargas; Jonathan Guzman v Rodolfo
Hernandez; Abraham Nova v Pedro
Navarrete. (Promoter: Top Rank).

Centro Multiusos El Esparragal,

Puerto Lumbreras, Spain
Mary Romero v Ivanka Ivanova (vacant
European female super-bantamweight
title).

SUNDAY 19
Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre,
Wythenshawe
Deion Jumah (holder) v Sam Hyde (English
cruiserweight title); Mark Jeffers v Ben
Thomas (vacant Central Area super-
middleweight title); Marcus Morrison v
s/o; Connor Lynch v s/o; Osian Williams v
s/o. (Promoter: M22 Promotions).
FRIDAY 24
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow
Neil McCubbin v s/o; Marc Kerr v s/o; Jay
Carrigan-McFarlane v s/o; Craig Morgan v
s/o; Abie Tweedlie v s/o; Wayne Kenny v
s/o. (Promoter: Kynoch Boxing).
SATURDAY 25
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
(BoxNation & Showtime)
Danny Garcia v Ivan Redkach; Jarrett
Hurd v Francisco Santana; Stephen
Fulton v Arnold Khegai. (Promoter: TGB
Promotions).
Convention Center, Minneapolis,
Minnesota
Caleb Truax v David Basajjamivule.
Work Your Champ Arena, Hamburg,
Germany
Abass Baraou v Abraham Juarez; Artem
Harutyunyan v Miguel Antin; Osleys
Iglesias v s/o; Jose Larduet v s/o.
(Promoter: Universum Promotion &
Team Sauerland).
THURSDAY 30
St. Andrew's Sporting Club, Glasgow
Martin Harkin v James Moorcroft; Andy
Tham v s/o. (Promoter: St. Andrew's
Sporting Club).
Meridian at Island Gardens, Miami,
Florida (Sky Sports Action & DAZN)
Demetrius Andrade (holder) v Luke
Keeler (WBO middleweight title); Tevin
Farmer (holder) v Joseph Diaz (IBF
super-featherweight title); Daniel Roman
(holder) v Murodjon Akhmadaliev (WBA &
IBF super-bantamweight titles); Anthony
Sims Jnr v Roamer Alexis Angulo; Otha
Jones III v Juan Santiago; Austin Williams
v Donald Sanchez; Movladdin Biyarslanov
v Nicolas Velazquez; Alexis Espino v
Vincent Baccus; Avril Mathie v Angelina
Hoffschneider; Jake Paul v AnEsonGib.
(Promoter: Matchroom Boxing).
Legends Casino, Toppenish,
Washington (UFC Fight Pass)
Jade Bornea v Ernesto Delgadillo;
Connor Coyle v Miguel Dumas; Santiago
Dominguez v Vitor Jones. (Promoter:
Roy Jones Jr Boxing Promotions).
FRIDAY 31
Gilvenbank Hotel, Glenrothes
Emma McCulloch v Dani Hodges; Eftychia
Kathopouli v Siobhan O'Leary. (Promoter:
SM Promotions).
Princes Hall, Aldershot
Chezerae Nihell v s/o; George Lamport v
s/o; Naylor Ball v s/o; Sam Horsfall v s/o;
Pete Nurdin v s/o; Alfie Clegg v s/o; Joe
Louis D'Santo v s/o. (Promoter: Shamrock
Promotions).
Hirsch Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
(Showtime)
Ruben Villa v Alexei Collado; Taras
Shelestyuk v Alejandro Davila. (Promoter:
Thompson Boxing Promotions & Banner
Promotions & Bishop Promotions).
FEBRUARY
SATURDAY 1
Ulster Hall, Belfast (iFL TV & ESPN+)
David Oliver Joyce v Lee Haskins; Sean
McComb v Mauro Godoy; Gary Cully v
Joe Fitzpatrick (vacant Irish lightweight
title); Lewis Crocker v John Thain; Steven
Donnelly v William Warburton; Padraig
McCrory v Lewis van Poetsch; Sean Gerard
Duffy v Jamie Quinn; Callum Bradley v
Taka Bembere; Ruairi Dalton v Luke Fash;
Pierce O'Leary v Liam Richards; Damien
Sullivan v s/o. (Promoter: MTK Global).
Devenish Complex, Belfast
Eric Donovan v Cristian Montilla; Sam
Carroll v s/o; Owen O'Neill v s/o; Dominic
Donegan v s/o; Aaron Gethins v s/o;
Senan Kelly v s/o; John Joyce v s/o; Tony
McGlynn v s/o; Francy Luzoho v Stephen
Webb; Kelvin McDonald v s/o; Conor
Doherty v s/o; Katelynn Phelan v s/o; Rhys
Moran v s/o. (Promoter: Dennis Morrison).
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Biloxi,
Mississippi (FOX Sports 1)
Yordenis Ugas v Mike Dallas Jnr; Michel
Rivera v Fidel Maldonado Jnr; Jose Miguel
Borrego v Jimmy Williams. (Promoter:
TGB Promotions).
Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and
Casino, Ruidoso, New Mexico
Austin Trout v Rosbel Montoya. (Promoter:
Tapias Promotion).
Yantarny Sports Palace, Kaliningrad,
Russia
Sergey Vorobiev v Karen Chukhadzhyan;
Samuel Carmona v Jose Antonio Jimenez;
Rustam Tulaganov v Norbert Dabrowski.
(Promoter: Patriot Boxing Promotions).

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 39

 AMATEURS

VESTED INTEREST Meet the personalities

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With JOHN DENNEN

READY TO LAUNCH
Hopes are high WENTY-twenty is a at £5 (adults) and £2.50 (concessions) for major competitions, so they are coming
year for excitement weekday sessions. Register interest now at into 2020 in a good run of form. The
as the dates
for the London
Olympic
qualiier are
T in amateur boxing.
The Olympic Games
will begin in July,
but first of all the
qualification events
www.boxingroadtotokyolondon.org.
Eight men and five women from
Britain will be selected to compete here.
In total up to 450 men and women from
as many as 50 countries will be entering,
qualifier will be very tough, as a lot of the
European nations are strong in boxing,
so it is good that it is taking place in this
country. Hopefully the home support
will spur our boxers on and help them to
inalised will take place, at a with 77 Olympic places at stake. 50 perform at their best.”
variety of locations qualification places are available for the Ben Whittaker, the young light-
across the world. The men and 27 for women. heavyweight who won European silver
Continental qualifier After this there will and World bronze,
for European boxers only be one more chance is emblematic of the
has been announced to qualify, the last World ‘I’M AT THE strength GB have
John
Dennen
for March 14-24 at
the Copper Box in
Qualification Event is in
Paris, from May 13-24.
DOORSTEP throughout their squad.
“It’s another ring, another
@BoxingNewsJD London. The decision to hold NOW. IT’S venue, I’ve just got to
This is a tough the event at the Copper keep doing the job,”
Amateur Editor
event; Russia, Box has been welcomed GOING TO Whittaker said. “When I
Azerbaijan, Ukraine and more, all
formidable teams will be taking part.
by the Mayor of London
no less. Sadiq Khan said,
BE A GREAT first started I didn’t think
[the Olympics] was my
But as Cheavon Clarke says on page
41 opposite, the British boxers will be
“London is the sporting
capital of the world and
OPPORTUNITY’ dream because I didn’t
think I’d get there. Now
scared of no one and expect to make an it’s fantastic we’re hosting yet another I’m at the doorstep it’s going to be a great
impression themselves. world-class event. Londoners and visitors opportunity for me.
In the previous Olympic cycles this alike can look forward to a thrilling “I remember watching [London 2012],
qualifier has been far afield, in Samsun spectacle at the Olympic Park in March, seeing all the crowd, the boxers winning
and Trabzon in Turkey, tough places to as Europe’s best boxers compete for a gold medals, the emotion of them
box. In London now a sizeable squad place in the Tokyo 2020 Games.” winning. I thought I wouldn’t mind doing
of GB boxers will be hopeful that they GB Boxing’s Performance Director, that. So I went down to the gym, did it
can take the essential step here towards Rob McCracken added, “Our boxers properly.”
their Olympic dream. Tickets go on sale had a very good year in 2019, when the He is getting his chance now to follow
at 9am on Friday January 17. Prices starts men and women won 16 medals at four the path himself.
Photo: RUPERT HARTLEY/GB BOXING
THE CRUCIAL STEP:
Whittaker at the
event to announce
the London
qualiier

40 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020 www.boxingnewsonline.net

 MISSION
ON TWITTER ON FACEBOOK ONLINE
@BoxingNewsJD www.facebook.com/boxingnewsonline www.boxingnewsonline.net
2 02 0

CAROLINE
DUBOIS
Photo: RUPERT HARTLEY/GB BOXING FROM England
STANCE Southpaw
TITLES Youth
HITTING THE BIG Olympic & World
TIME:
Youth gold
For the irst time
Clarke will box for
GB in England IN the Olympic year
Caroline Dubois is
stepping up to senior
level.
She has not boxed in
the Elite age group
yet, but has been a
superb Youth and
Junior. The Londoner
has won everything
possible so far,
culminating with
her Olympic Youth
and World Youth
gold medals. Dubois
is unbeaten, the
younger sister of
British heavyweight
champion Daniel
Dubois and could
be one of the future
stars in the sport.
She has already been
the BBC’s Young
Sports Personality of
the Year.
At this very moment
she has joined the
the senior GB squad

‘NOW THEY FEAR US’

GB heavyweight Cheavon Clarke
looks forward to the Road to
Tokyo event in London
ARE you excited for the Olympic
qualifier?
I’m excited to go out and perform.
We’re in the training process right
now, we train, just focus and develop
ourselves, get better and when the time
comes do what we have to do.
I’m very much looking forward to this
event. You know why? Because since I’ve
been on the programme we’ve boxed
everywhere else in the world, except for
at home. It’s an important tournament
and where else better to have it than at
home?
I don’t know if we get an advantage
but I will say this: when we fight a home
boxer anywhere else anything 50-50
seems to go to them! So I’m hoping that
will be the case here. I’m hoping that the
only advantage is every punch we throw,
the crowd will be shouting. That will just
give you so much of a boost. It’ll be like
nitrous in there for you.
and is with them on
a training camp in
Colorado with the
US squad. She needs
to win her place on
the British team to
earn selection for the
Since being on the programme I’ve I came back, I had one fight, I won the
Olympic qualifier in
been to every other country, every other ABAs, I got my call up for team GB. My
nation, it’s finally great to have a main first tournament I fought the Olympic
her home city.
“The qualifiers
event here. champion [Evgeny] Tishchenko. I fought should have been
What are the other teams to look him before the European championships, last year and the fact
out for? I fought him in another tournament, and that nobody has been
We [at GB] we are the best, we have I did an even better job [there]. allowed to qualify
the best facilities, we have the best Did you feel unlucky so far has been a
coaches and we have the best boxers. against the Russian (Muslim blessing in disguise
Before when Great Britain used to go Gadzhimagomedov) at the Worlds? for me really,” she
to tournaments, people wanted to draw I beat him up for two rounds, in told the BBC. “If
someone from GB had
us but now people are scared of us. the first two rounds… I believe that
been able to qualify
When I first got on, it was the Cubans. everything will come right in the end, last year at 60kgs
Everyone was scared of the Cubans. Now with consistency. They can only do that then that would have
you see them losing quite a bit. Galal for so long. been it for me.
[Yafai] beat a Cuban in the Worlds and it’s I just take it as it comes, I don’t think, “For those of us who
just us, everybody’s scared to box us. ‘I need to get you back.’ That’s not what are younger and just
When we turn up, we have quite a it’s about. It’s about being the best of you, coming through it’s
presence where we go, I don’t know learning from each experience, and just made for us, really.”
where we got it from. We have quite a getting better.
presence, and you just see them look, To qualify in London, you should
we don’t play on it, we just do our own need to reach the semis, but do you
thing. want to win the gold medal here?
In 2012 (when the last Olympic Of course, I want to get a gold medal
boxing event was held in London), at home. It’s never I just want to get the
where were you with your boxing? semi-finals. In my head that’s a losing
I had started but I wasn’t dedicated. mentality. You go there to win. Nothing
I wasn’t dedicated to boxing in 2012… I else. Everything else is substandard, in
was just doing my own thing then. my opinion.

www.boxingnewsonline.net JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 41

 AMATEURS
AMATEUR SCENE
SEND us your club's news, results or upcoming events to john.dennen@boxingnewsonline.net or 020 7618 3478
OWEN READY TO STEP UP
Macauley Owen grabs close
win over Luke Bibby, writes
Matt Bozeat from ringside
N E W D I G AT E
JA N UA RY 1 1
BULKINGTON southpaw Macauley
Owen grabbed a desperately close
points win over Luke Bibby (Perth
Railway) at Newdigate Colliery and
District Sports and Social Club. For
Owen, it was his first bout since
he scalped Elite and Tri Nations
champion Masood Abdullah
(Islington) on his way to being
named Boxer of the Tournament at
last summer’s Haringey Box Cup.
The 22-year-old had his hands full
with Bibby, a Scottish champion at
Novice and Intermediate level.
The first round was clearly
Owen’s. He was able to make Bibby
fall short and clip him with clean
counters that brought applause
from an appreciative crowd. Bibby
didn’t land a punch of note until
the final minute of the round when
Owen shipped a right hook that
made him grab.
The 19-year-old Scot had more
success in the second when he
was able to get his head on Owen’s
chest. Owen did get through with
body shots in the closing moments,
but still it looked to be Bibby’s
round.
The third started with an
exchange in the centre of the ring.
ALLARDYCE REMEMBERED
Matt Bozeat pays tribute to the head coach of Belgrave ABC
ALEX ALLARDYCE, the former
head coach of Belgrave ABC, died
just before Christmas after a spell
of ill health.
The father of seven was 67
years old.
Allardyce was at the Leicester
club during a successful spell.
Sheldon Purdy, now a professional,
won ABA Novice honours with
Allardyce in his corner, but he will
42 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
The cleaner, harder punches came
from Bibby but then Owen came
back into it chipping away with
twos and threes. By the last minute,
Bibby had reloaded and was ready
to let his hands go again.
After the split decision was
probably be best remembered
for his success with Tommy
Ward. In 2005-2006, Ward was
an unstoppable heavyweight,
storming into the Junior ABA
Championship and adding the
Three Nations gold by flattening
the Welsh champion in just 10
seconds. He afterwards gave
Allardyce his gold medal.
Elder brother David Ward
The very best action, previews and
news from Olympic-style boxing
With JOHN DENNEN | @BoxingNewsJD
AMBITIOUS:
Owen is looking to
progress as an Elite
boxer this year
announced, Bibby sat with his head
in his hands and there were those
at ringside who had sympathy for
him.
Next for Owen, an NABC
champion in 2018 and twice
Haringey Box Cup gold medallist
thrashed Elliott Clayton, a super-
heavyweight semi-finalist in the
ABAs, on a memorable night
at the club’s Checketts Road
headquarters with Allardyce in his
corner.
Others who shone under him
included slippery southpaw Inolee
Kiyimba, Simon Henry and his son
Lewis, who showed heavy hands
during his brief amateur career.
who has had 66 bouts, is the
British Universities and Colleges
Championship that gets underway
this month. Owen is currently
studying for a Masters in Sports
Science at Coventry University and
after missing out last year because
of his studies, he plans to enter the
Elites.
“I’ve been around the pros for a
couple of years,” said Owen, “and I
thought about turning professional.
“But there’s all the stress of selling
tickets so I thought I would stay
in the amateurs, go in Box Cups
around the world and enjoy my
boxing. I will see how far I can go
in the amateurs and if Great Britain
want to have a look at me, I won’t
say no.
“I’m confident in my ability
now. There’s no reason why I
can’t compete with the best in the
country.”
Welterweights Jack Corcoran
(South Normanton) and Zak
Fummey (Perth Railway) met,
Corcoran winning unanimously
and deservedly so – but what a
fight. After an even opener when
Fummey jabbed and moved and
Corcoran pressed, Corcoran, the 21
year-old son of ex-pro John, got on
top. The referee might have given
Fummey a count in the second
after Corcoran knocked him into
the ropes with a looping right and
then crashed a clean left hook off
his jaw.
Fummey showed his discomfort
later in the round when Corcoran
targeted his body.
The third was more competitive
and though the crowd got behind
Fummey when he rallied, he
couldn’t match the compact
Corcoran’s workrate and punch
variety.
The award for Best Newdigate
Boxer went to 13 year old Michael
Pearson-Spencer, a second-
round winner over Leyton Hyde
(Willehall Town) in one of the bouts
of the night.
At the bell Hyde really put it on
Pearson-Spencer, launching hook
after hook at him. Pearson-Spencer
kept his boxing together, banged
in some solid body punches and
bloodied Hyde’s nose.
www.boxingnewsonline.net
 AMATEURS
Photo: ENGLAND BOXING
MELTON FORCED TO CLOSE
A great club is coming to
the end, writes Matt Bozeat
AFTER more than two decades
of turning out champions and
colourful fighters, Melton Amateur
Boxing Club has shut. Head coach
Trevor Booth says the decision to
close the Leicestershire club was
made after the landlord of their
Rosebery Avenue gym decided to
sell it for redevelopment.
“There’s nothing we can do
about it,” said founder member
Booth, approaching his 71st
birthday and a coach for around
40 years. “We could have tried to
EAST LONDON BOXING ACADEMY IN FOCUS
Daniel Herbert sees Sam Fazil catch up with Shadrack Williams to end the ELBA show with a bang
EAST LONDON Boxing Academy
held an open show at the Ghousia
community centre - and the 18-bout
event ended with a bang courtesy
of Sam Fazil. A couple of months
earlier the exciting middleweight
had created a stir in the Novice
Championships when he scored
three stoppages before being
edged out in the London final. Now
Shadrack Williams can testify that
Fazil’s power is still there. For two
rounds the taller Stonebridge boxer
resisted well, but when fatigue
slowed his movement in the last he
www.boxingnewsonline.net
carry on somewhere else, but me
and [assistant] Royce [Dawson] are
both in our seventies and nobody
seemed keen to take it on.”
Between them they produced
a national champion and four
professionals. “We did OK for a
small town,” said Booth. “We turned
out some good lads, some tough
lads.”
Paul Butlin is the best
known fighter to emerge from
Melton ABC. He had a couple
of devastating knockouts in
his 12 amateur bouts and as a
professional, Butlin won Midlands
honours and fought Anthony
Joshua, Dereck Chisora (twice)
walked onto a crunching Fazil left
hook that sent him crashing down,
with the bout waved off at once.
Williams recovered quickly and won
best Away Boxer, while Fazil won
the Best Home Senior prize.
Best Home Junior/Youth on
the December 14 show went to
Hamza Hajee for his unanimous
win over Earlsfield’s Marley Watts.
The Moor Lane camp was unhappy
when Ellis Adcock lost unanimously
to Uzair Maqbool at Youth 52kgs.
But while Adcock gave as good as
he got initially, he faded in the last.
and more. Butlin also steered Josh
Quailey to the gym after working
alongside him on the doors.
Quailey reached the Elite super-
heavyweight final in 2017 and is
currently a 2-2 professional. Two
other fighters from Melton turned
professional. Carl Griffiths was a
game lightweight who retired after
winning two of seven and David
Kealy had a couple, winning one
and drawing one after turning over
at 30. Booth regards Kealy as one of
the best talents he trained and says
that had he not taken a break from
boxing after joining the Army, he
could have won the British title.
“Kealy would look at a bloke and
The novice flyweight three-twos
between Fisher’s Hassan Hashim
against Saif Akmal did produce
something bizarre. Hashim, a semi-
finalist in the Novices and Boys
Clubs, struggled to land cleanly until
the last - by when he’d received two
standing counts as Akmal boxed
smartly. Hashim though was a
surprise split winner.
OTHER RESULTS (ELBA unless stated): Junior:
Riley Isaacs (Pinewood) outpd Ryan Mulvihill (St
Pancras) unan; Imad Bashart outpd Mehdi Letit
(Cricklewood) split; Jonjo Lee (Pinewood) outpd
Anthony McDonagh (White Hart Lane) unan;
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 43
FINALIST:
Josh Quailey was a
Melton boxer who
reached the Elite
national inal
figure him out straight away,” said
Booth, “and you couldn’t hit him.”
Kealy always put his elusiveness
down to the size of the ring at the
club. “We measured it at 11 feet,”
said Booth and boxers who learned
the sport in there tended to be
either slippery or tough.
Nick Ross was one of the tough
guys. Booth called him “a piece
of rock” and his bout with Matt
Johnson (Heart of England) in
February, 2002 was described by
the excitable local reporter – me
– as “a bout never to be forgotten
by those who saw it.” After six
knockdowns, Ross got the verdict
and Johnson never boxed again.
Jibreel Sheikh outpd Paddy Cash (Westside)
split; Johnny Crittenden (Pinewood) outpd
Jimmy Mannion (White Hart Lane) unan; Saif
Akhtar outpd Owen Jarvis (MK Victors) split;
Zayn Ahmed (Pinewood) outpd John McDonagh
(White Hart Lane) unan; Mark Curtis (Moor Lane)
outpd Erkan Huseyn unan; Nawab Ejaz outpd
Seamus O’Neill (Moor Lane) unan; Zeeshan Ali
outpd Fred Levy (Moor Lane) split; Jabir Sitar
stpd Harris Ali (Cricklewood) 1st. Senior: Hassan
Hashim (Fisher) outpd Saif Akmal split; Joshua
Oduraju (Newham) outpd Shaan Qureshi unan;
Mohammed Hussain (Stonebridge) stpd Joe
Stanley 3rd; Omar Kabba stpd Derek Adams
(Finchley) 3rd.
 YESTERDAY’S HEROES
R.I.P AL WHITE
Remembering HE 1965 ABA
lightweight champion,
the life and
career of
T Al White, sadly died
last week. Al was a
decent professional in
the mid to late 1960s,
when there were
much fewer active pros around than there
are today. Those that did turn over from
the amateur game had to be very good
indeed, and the Middlesbrough man was a
typical example of this. In 1963, he won the
NABC Class C featherweight championship
when boxing for Grangetown ABC. Later
that year he moved down to London
to progress his boxing career and as a
carpenter he would have found work
pretty easily in the capital. He joined the
Stock Exchange BC where big-punching
Sugar Bill Robinson was the star. Al and
Bill both represented England in an
international against Scotland in 1965 and
I believe that this is the only time that the
famous old club provided two England
representatives in the same international.
Al punched his way to an ABA semi-
final in his first season at his new club,
although he was beaten in that semi by
the Midlander, Tommy McEvoy. Al put
things right the following year when,
after winning the North-East Divs and the
Miles London finals for the second year running,
Templeton he once again appeared at the Royal Albert
Boxing Hall as one of the last four contestants in
historian the ABA lightweight division. After beating
PAYING TRIBUTE
Saying goodbye ONE death that somehow didn’t get
to members of the recorded was that of fine featherweight,
boxing fraternity Percy Lewis, who passed away in
October at the age of 91. I’m grateful
to London EBA member Robert High
for giving me the news, and Percy was
included in the Minute’s Silence at LEBA’s
January meeting.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Percy
turned pro with the legendary Jim Wicks
(who of course guided Henry and Jim
Cooper, amongst others). He had 30
bouts in all, winning 19 and drawing
one. He met some of the best, twice
going the distance with future world
Simon champion Hogan “Kid” Bassey of Nigeria
Euan-Smith – the second time was a challenge
simonoldtimers for Bassey’s Commonwealth title, and
@googlemail.com Lewis had the champion down in the
EBA 10th round. After Bassey relinquished
correspondent the title, Lewis won the vacant belt by
44 O BOXING NEWS O JANUARY 16, 2020
Tommy Joyce, who also became a good
pro, he outpointed southpaw Bobby
Gwynne to win the final. Joining Al on the
winning rostrum was clubmate Robinson,
who won the middleweight crown.
Al was omitted from the 1965 European
Championships as Johnny Eales, another
North-Eastern lad, was sent in his place.
This rankled with him and it wasn’t long
before he was snubbed again. He was
not picked for the England team to meet
Poland that October and
this was the final straw.
Although he was selected
to represent London
THOSE THAT
in two forthcoming DID TURN
internationals against
Frankfurt and Hannover,
OVER FROM
Al declined the invitation,
greatly upset at the way
THE AMATEUR
he was being treated as GAME HAD TO
an ABA champion. He
therefore decided to turn BE VERY GOOD
professional and earn
some money with his fists. He signed with
Wally Lesley, who was best known at the
time as the manager of Dick Richardson,
a European heavyweight champion. He
won his debut within a round, stopping
Joe Babbington of Leicester at the National
Sporting Club. By the end of 1965 he had
won two more, both by stoppage, and he
looked like being a bright light.
In 1966 he won nine straight, the first
five of them before March was out, and
halting Charlie Hill in 10 rounds. He
successfully defended against future
champion John O’Brien, of Scotland, but
lost to Ghana’s Floyd Robertson, whom
he had previously beaten in a non-title
bout. He boxed in Europe and Africa, as
well as the UK, signing off in 1962 after
dropping a 10-round verdict to another
quality Ghanaian, Joe Tetteh, in Accra.
After retiring he became coach for the
Oxford University team. He was also a
LEBA member for many years. In paying
tribute to him, President Stephen Powell
described him as “quiet and unassuming
– a gentleman.”
Stephen also paid tribute to former
BN amateur correspondent Brian Pigden
(“a lovely man who produced first-class
reports – a real friend to boxers”); former
WBC super-lightweight champion Saoul
Mamby; star referee Larry O’Connell,
he had climbed to nine in the BN rankings
at lightweight. He was only 21 years old
and he appeared to be quite a threat to
the champion, Maurice Cullen, and to
the other main contenders, Vic Andreetti,
Spike McCormack, Ken Buchanan and Phil
Lundgren. After four more victories in 1967
he was matched against the first of this
batch of contenders, Lundgren.
The two met at the World Sporting Club
in Mayfair, and the Bermondsey fighter
proved a right handful.
BN stated that it was the
best scrap of the evening
as the two fought each
other “to a standstill over
an eight-round course
that contained not one
dull moment.” Al took the
decision and Fred Pontin,
who saw the fight, offered
both lads a free holiday
at one of his camps.
Another observer offered
a prize of £250 to the winner of a rematch.
This duly took place a couple of months
later at the Empire Pool, Wembley. Once
again, Al proved victorious in another
humdinger, but this proved to be the peak
of his career as he won only two of his
next 10 contests and he retired in 1969.
He suffered with Alzheimer’s towards
the end of his life and his brother
Freddie, who also boxed professionally,
predeceased him.
who was a LEBA member for many years,
regularly attending meetings; and singer
Kenny Lynch, who loved boxing and
more than once put on a show at LEBA
functions.
Among those present were promoter
Harry Holland, Michael Lordan from
Home Counties, Tom Burling and
Raymond Lee from Essex EBA and Joy
and Stan White from Bournemouth.
All EBAs need to come up with ideas
for different functions, and member
Claudia Keston suggested a fun night at
a casino. The Committee agreed to look
into it. If you’ve got any suggestions for
things your Association might do, do tell
someone on the Committee.
The current Seconds Out, LEBA’s
monthly newsletter, includes the
second of three articles by Alex Daley
on the career of Ricky Porter, Swindon
www.boxingnewsonline.net

PERCY LEWIS: His record includes some ine talent
www.boxingnewsonline.net
welterweight from the ‘60s and ‘70s
and now a keen LEBA member. The
article deals in part with Ricky’s 1972
York Hall battle with future world,
British and European champion John
H. Stracey – one disputed loss in 22
outings. East Ender Stracey was the
promoter’s man, being groomed for big
things. Porter hadn’t been brought in
to win, and he didn’t – but he went the
full eight, losing by just two rounds. I
wasn’t reporting then, but there was no
way I was missing that – and it was a
tremendous bout. I was talking to Ricky
about it, years later, and he said simply:
“I always came to win!” I think of that
sometimes when I watch a ‘house’ fighter
take on a journeyman, who makes no
attempt to win and is happy to go the
full four or six, lose by 40-36 or 60-54,
and turn out again next week and do
UNDERRATED:
Al White in his
ighting days
exactly the same. I know promoters are
glad of these journeymen, and if they
made a habit of upsetting ticket-sellers
their paydays would stop. But I’d far
rather watch someone like Ricky. Porter
won the vacant Southern Area title in
September 1972, beating Bedford’s Des
Morrison on points – but Morrison got
revenge the following July, and that was
Ricky’s last bout.
Croydon EBA hold their AGM on
Sunday January 26 at the usual venue
– The Orchard, Cherry Orchard Road.
Anyone who wants to come on the
Committee, or has a motion to propose,
please contact me as Secretary – and
please do your best to attend. It’s your
Association.
EMAIL simonoldtimers@googlemail.com
with your ex-boxer association news.
JANUARY 16, 2020 O BOXING NEWS O 45
 SIXTY SECONDS

JACK McKINLAY
Paul Wheeler talks to a man who struggles with early starts

Photo: SIMON DAVID PHOTOGRAPHY

When and why you started
boxing: ‘WORST RUMOUR?
I first started when I was 13. I went
to the boxing gym with a mate of
MY MATE SAID
mine and just carried it on from
there.
THAT I GOT RUN
Favourite all-time fighter: OVER BY AN ICE
Julio Cesar Chavez because of his
style and the fact that he went
CREAM VAN!’
undefeated for so long.
Best fight you’ve seen: Last film/TV show you saw:
Aaron Pryor against Alexis Arguello Jaws on Netflix. It was my favourite
– the first fight. film growing up.
Personal career highlight: Who would play you in a film of
I’d have to say turning professional your life:
[with a four-round points win over My favourite actor is Robert De
William Warburton in September Niro, so I’d have to say him.
last year]. Have you ever been starstruck:
Toughest opponent: No, I never have.
In the amateurs, I boxed one of Last time you cried:
my current gym-mates, Jonathan At my stepdad’s funeral.
Walsh, and he won. I was weight- Best advice received:
drained, which made it tough for ‘Keep your hands up.’ That’s
me. I just had a bad night, to be from [coach] Paul Stevenson and
honest. everyone else who’s ever trained
Best and worst attributes as a me.
boxer: Worst rumour about yourself:
My stamina, fitness and mental I went on holiday and my mate
strength are my best attributes. spread a rumour that I got run over
I don’t really see many weaknesses by an ice cream van! When I got
in myself, although I do struggle back home, everyone was asking if
getting up early in the morning! I was alright!
Training tip: Something not many people
Be consistent and never give up, know about you:
no matter how hard it gets. Probably that I box, because I don’t
Favourite meal/restaurant: really tell people that I’m a boxer,
I don’t really go out much to eat, so unless they ask.
I haven’t got a particular restaurant
that I like to go to. Meal-wise, my
favourite would be a roast dinner
with lamb.
FAST FACTS

Best friends in boxing: Age: 30 Twitter: @jackmckinlay18 Nickname: ‘The Ripper’ Height:
Everyone at the Everton Red 5ft 11ins Nationality: English From: Liverpool Stance: Orthodox
Triangle gym. We’re all good mates Record: 1-0 Division: Welterweight Titles: n/a Next fight: McKinlay
there. is set for a four-rounder in his hometown of Liverpool on Friday February 28.
Other sportsman you would
like to be:
A football player for Everton.

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