Boxing News

In 1881, following the assassination of Czar Alexander the second, the Russian Government started an anti-Semitic drive restricting Jewish rights and sponsoring attacks on their people. This led to mass emigration to the USA, Britain and countries within the British Empire with the majority of these uneducated exiles settling close to where their ships docked. Around 100,000 came to rest in East London spawning a teeming ghetto famous for its prostitution, crime and urban poverty. It was in 1894, just six years after Jack the Ripper started his own clean up campaign in the area, that Gershon Mendeloff was born into this 'Outcast London', growing up to become Ted 'Kid' Lewis, one of the greatest British fighters of all time. More...

We all know boxing is great, and one of the reasons is, it is as a sport totally unique. And for all the massive advantages this “uniqueness’ gives the sport, there are some draw backs. One of the saddest is we often see our heroes of yesteryear destroyed in front of us. Saturday night in Mexico, hopefully the last ring appearance of Julio Cesar Chavez occurred. And as “last ring appearance’ go, it wasn’t a total humiliation, as Chavez won a points decision. It was of course helped that his opponent was former foe and equally ancient and shot Frankie Randall. But let’s not dwell on this; let’s look back in fondness at the great Mexicans legacy. More...

The Cat

Nigel Benn, Naseem Hamed, Chris Eubank?, hell you might even get a Lennox Lewis in there, all the above are plausible answers when asking who was the most exciting British fighter of the last decade? A name that wouldn’t get too many mentions (at least not amongst Joe public) would be Carl Adrian Thompson, also known as “The Cat’, but the fact is pound for pound Thompson delivered more ups and downs and frills and spills than a weekend in Vegas. More...

“There’s no way I could ever beat him. He’s just too big and too strong. I’m just glad he didn’t kill me. He’s a magnificent fighter.”

The words of a drug free; free thinking; lucid speaking Mike Tyson; after the bout with Lewis. High praise indeed from a fighter who despite massive flaws; knows his boxing history. So after his retirement where do you place Lennox in heavyweight history?

Below is my take on the 12 other “Greatest Heavyweights’ and how Lewis compares to them;
James J Jefferies; It is hard enough to compare fighters who fought within 10 years of each other, let alone in this case 100 years, but here goes. Jefferies was tough; he had a rock solid chin and would have been the first heavyweight champ to retire unbeaten, if not for and ill thought out comeback against Johnson. Jefferies was a national hero who dominated the division for 10 years, and turned back some serious opposition like Corbett (twice), Sharkey and Jackson. More...

KEN NORTON - SHOULD HE REALLY BE IN THE HALL OF FAME?

Seven and a half years ago the very personable and popular Ken Norton was enshrined in Boxing’s Hall of Fame. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I met Ken a couple of years ago in Canastota. His rapport with the fans and his willingness to mingle and sign autographs endeared him to the crowd. Being an ambassador for boxing is one thing and being a Hall of Fame caliber boxer is another. After watching Jimmy Bivins wait for years to be rightfully inducted it made me wonder what the qualifications really are. Does Ken really deserve to be enshrined? Let’s examine his career. More...

For most of the 1960’s and part of the early 1970’s Canadian George Chuvalo was a mainstay in the talent rich heavyweight ratings. RING Magazine founder Nat Fleischer called George on of the most durable fighters he had ever seen. In his long distinguished career the rock jawed Chuvalo was NEVER off his feet. Amazing seeing the competition he faced. For the sake of space let’s start looking at George’s career from 1965 on. More...

30th of September 1995, as far as I’m concerned it all started to go down hill from there. Naseem Hamed had just relieved Steve Robinson of the WBO featherweight title and should have been on the road to being a boxing legend, but as we all know it didn’t work out entirely to plan.

A star is born

Turning pro at eighteen years of age Naseem Hamed was the main attraction on terrestrial television after only twelve fights, the previous eleven had been against the usual suspects, but fight number twelve saw Hamed pit himself against the teak tough and defending European Bantamweight champion Vincenzo Belcastro of Italy. At the time many an expert thought this might prove a step too far for the relatively inexperienced Hamed, but what followed was a completely one sided affair as Hamed did as he pleased with the vastly experienced Italian dropping him on several occasions and not to the liking of some taunting his beaten foe for the final three minutes. More...

THE FORGOTTEN GREAT WHITE HOPE

As Muhammad Ali ruled the heavyweight division in the mid 60's, white hope contenders came and went. Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo and Karl Mildenberger all were vanquished by the "Greatest". When Ali was forced to relinquish his crown in 1967, the best of the white contenders was probably Jerry Quarry. By 1969 a huge brute of a man named Jack O'Halloran had compiled an impressive 16-1-1 record. Standing at around 6'6 and weighing in the vecinity of 125lbs., Jack struck fear into opponents by his mere bulk. In 1969 he upgraded his opposition with mixed results. He dropped decisions to Joe "King" Roman, Joe Bugner and Tony Doyle. On August 19th he was halted by rugged "Florida" Al Jones. In turn he outscored Carl Gizzi and stopped Mexican contender Manuel Ramos in seven rounds. More...

If ever a boxer was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it was Puerto Rico's Esteban De Jesus. This former one time claimant of the W.B.C. lightweight title may have been the best Puerto Rican 135 pounder since Carlos Ortiz. Unfortunately he boxed during the era of possibly the greatest of all lightweights, Roberto Duran. This occurred on November 17, 1972 at Madison Square Garden. Esteban floored Duran in the first round and then boxed his way to a decision win in a non-title bout. Then he twice whipped the respected Ray Lampkin in bouts for the American Lightweight title thus establishing himself as the top contender. More...

There was a time in the mid 60's that revolved around who would be Muhammad Ali's next opponent. The former Cassius Clay was chewing up and spitting out challengers with alarming ease. His hold on the heavyweight title was reaching the point of fan boredom. Few could see any serious contenders on the horizon.
Then a tremendous boxer-puncher of Puerto Rican heritage exploded on to the scene. He was really a blown up middleweight with an extensive and successful amateur background, but boy could he fight ! More...

Marvis Frazier - The Lost Son
The camera rolls and the highlight clip begins. It shows a young, undefeated but green Marvis Frazier dancing while taunting heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. In the blink of an eye Holmes unloads a right hand sucker shot that sends Marvis backward and into a sprawled position on the canvas. Marvis showing he is a true Frazier gamely arises. Quickly Holmes pins him in a corner and pummels him unmercifully till the ref intervenes. More...

Born November 16th 1961 in Hammersmith London England, Bruno was the youngest of six children.

Bruno’s first experience of boxing was in 1973 whilst at Oak Hall School in Sussex (an establishment for “problem’ children). As an amateur he won 20 out of 21 contests boxing for the Sir Philip Game Amateur Boxing Club. In 1980 at the age of 18 Bruno would win the ABA (amateur boxing association) heavyweight championship and switch to the paid ranks two years later, opening his account with a first round knockout of Lupe Guerra at the Royal Albert Hall (London England). More...