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LIVERPOOL IS A city I have enjoyed a long association with through my promotion of countless shows over the years. I have managed and promoted many boxers from the region and have always been struck by the steely resolve and spirit possessed by the city’s fighting men. Liverpool
It may not have made headlines over here but in Germany it is a major boxing scandal. One of their favourite fighters, Felix Sturm, faces being stripped of his World Boxing Association super-middleweight belt after failing a drug test following his split decision victory against Fedor Chudinov in February.
Talking of quality fights and fighters on BoxNation, I was impressed with welterweight Errol Spence jnr and the manner in which he disposed of Chris Algieri in five rounds last week. Stopping Algieri was something both Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan failed to do. Spence is certainly a new force in the division and IBF champion Kell Brook would be advised to steer well clear of him.
So, is it finally adieu to the Pacman? Or simply au revoir? It was good to see Manny Pacquiao get it together for what he assures us was one last fling with an emphatic win rather than a whimper in the last of his trilogy with Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas last weekend.
The next few months will provide the perfect illustration of why BoxNation is described as ‘The Channel of Champions’. For on July 9 from the Manchester Arena, it will be the home of ‘The’ heavyweight championship of the world.
Now that the tidal wave of hype that has engulfed Anthony Joshua’s acquisition of the IBF world heavyweight championship in four and a half minutes flat is beginning to subside we can poke our heads above it and provide a few home truths.
We know that BoxNation’s surprise acquisition of the Tyson Fury-Wladimir Klitschko re-match has got up the noses of Matchroom and Sky. Curiously, Eddie Hearn now promises he has ‘a little something’ planned [with Anthony Joshua] for July 9 at Wembley Stadium, the same night Fury meets Klitschko in Manchester. That’s not happening.
AS I MENTIONED yesterday, I strongly fancy Anthony Joshua to snatch a slice of the world heavyweight pie by toppling the IBF champion Charles Martin on Saturday night.
Fifty years ago this week Bob, Arum promoted his first fight, Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight bout against George Chuvalo on March 29, 1966, in Toronto. Half a century on he is still arguably the best at what he does. At 84, he’s showing no signs of slowing down, much less putting his feet up.
Which of tomorrow night’s televised fights will be a turn-on for the viewers? Sky’s showing of Kell Brook’s IBF world welterweight title defence against ho-hum Canadian Kevin Bizier in Sheffield or the domestic dust-up between champion Nick Blackwell and Chris Eubank jnr for the British middleweight title at Wembley on Channel 5?