A tale of good Manners

James Oddy
11/04/2016 10:19am

Nick Manners has an ambition. “I want a piece of history. I boxed on the Elland Road pitch as a fighter and won. I want to go on the pitch as a trainer and win,” he told Boxing Monthly. Manners is one of the Leeds boxing scene’s most colourful and well-known figures, who debuted in 1990 and compiled a record of 11-5-1 (10 KOs). His experience has led to him opening a thriving gym, Precise Accurate Training, and also becoming part of popular Leeds ticket-seller Josh Warrington’s camp. “I started boxing when I was 20,” Manners told BM. “It was a fantastic experience, taking me to places I wouldn’t pay my own money to go. I was in Romania two weeks prior to the revolution. Not sure if that was owt to do with me, like! I was in East Germany, still dust falling from the wall coming down."

Gamble pays off for Hearn on night of firsts

Mark Butcher
10/04/2016 2:33pm

New IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s violent dethroning of ‘Prince’ Charles Martin marked a night of firsts at the O2 Arena on Saturday evening. The Londoner became the quickest heavyweight champion in history in terms of rounds boxed (34) and also the first fighter promoter Eddie Hearn has steered directly from pro debut to a world title. This whirlwind journey has taken place in just two-and-a-half-years as Joshua has ripped through the heavyweight division with 16 KOs in as many contests and transcended the sport to appeal to ‘casual’ boxing fans. In the early hours of Sunday morning at the post-fight press conference, a delighted Hearn reflected on the milestone and mapped out the short-term future for his new champion with a first defence pencilled in for 9 July in London. 

Asian boxing scene: Zoda displays force

Marcus Bellinger
09/04/2016 11:16am

Marcus Bellinger brings you the latest news and views from the electric Asian boxing scene including more glory for Iwan Zoda and ones-to-watch Hinata Maruta, Muhammad Waseem and Kazuki Tanaka.

Tyson Fury: The king speaks…

Terry Dooley
08/04/2016 12:25pm

“It doesn’t feel too good, to be honest,” answered Morecambe-based traveller Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) when Boxing Monthly asked the heavyweight world champion how it feels to be number one in his division. “I feel as if the limelight’s on me. Everywhere I go, people want a picture of me and everything I say is picked up - I don’t have my own life anymore.” Fury’s sentiments echo those of previous champions, some of them could not go out in public without being recognised, approached and pestered. People wanted autographs in the past, selfies in the present and both take time. Fury is happy to oblige when at fights or on his own. It is a different matter if he is out with his wife, Paris, and their children.

 

Revitalised Macklin knows career on the line

Shaun Brown
08/04/2016 10:16am

Matthew Macklin understands why Brian Rose is the favourite going into their sink or swim middleweight bout on Saturday night. Recent performances from the 33-year-old three-time world title challenger have not suggested he is capable of summoning up the displays that pushed Felix Sturm to the brink and gave the gifted Sergio Martinez a hard night’s work at Madison Square Garden in 2012. Macklin (34-6, 22 KOs), now trained by his younger brother Seamus, is honest enough to admit that defeat to Rose (28-3-1, 8 KOs) at London’s O2 Arena will put a 40-fight, 15 year career into retirement. “It’s been a rollercoaster,” Macklin told Boxing Monthly when he looked back on his career to date. “Lots of ups and downs. I’ve had a lot more highs and lows. I’m glad the lows happened as well because it makes you appreciate the highs, the good times and it builds character, the mental toughness."

Martin-Joshua breakdown & prediction

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
07/04/2016 6:09pm

Michael Montero breaks down the IBF heavyweight title fight between American champion Charles Martin (23-0-1, 21 KOs) and 2012 British Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua (15-0, 15 KOs). The bout will be aired live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on Showtime Championship Boxing, starting at 5pm ET/2pm PT, in the United States.

The Selby brothers: Family business

Paul Zanon
07/04/2016 3:29pm

As the Selby brothers battled with traffic from Barry, Wales, to the Bristol Boxing Gym, Boxing Monthly was given an extremely warm welcome by the Sanigar family. A warm smile and a firm handshake from boxing veteran Chris Sanigar (who manages the Selby brothers with son Jamie) was swiftly followed by a guided tour of the brand new premises. In his other hand, he held a massive mug of what looked like pond water. Walking and talking, Chris explain, “Coconut water, broccoli, spinach and loads of other stuff. You chuck it into the NutriBullet and it’s ready in no time. Tastes great (whilst motioning the mug over to offer a sip – which for the records was declined). Treat your body well and it will treat you well.” Chris then pointed to a long list of champions on the wall whom he’d worked with over the years and, just as he started to praise his current cohort, on cue - in walked Lee and Andrew Selby.

Jose Ramirez’s fight for water

Ron Borges
05/04/2016 10:18am

For every prizefighter, water is a most essential nutrient. It cools the body, calms the soul and, at times, revives a flagging mind knocked half unconscious. Without water, no fighter, no matter how resolute or gifted, can last for long. Every fighter knows this but none more so than young American junior welterweight prospect Jose Ramirez, a 2012 Olympian now fighting under the banner of Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions. He knows this in an intimate way few other boxers could understand, which is why he is part of a fight for water equality in his native state of California that has put him in the forefront of a political movement as well as in the middle of his daily firefight to make a life for himself in boxing.

Pacquiao-Bradley 3 breakdown & prediction

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
04/04/2016 10:16am

Michael Montero analyses the third fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley in just sixty seconds. Bradley won a controversial split decision in their first match back in 2012 while Pacquiao won the 2014 return by unanimous decision. The 9 April undercard features several great bouts with established veterans, top contenders and rising prospects including Arthur Abraham-Gilberto Ramirez, Oscar Valdez- Evgeny Gradovich, Jose Carlos Ramirez-Manuel Perez and more.

Doran now a 'monster' middle

Shaun Brown
02/04/2016 2:54am

Sky Sports may have inadvertently created a middleweight monster in the shape of Tom Doran. The unbeaten 28-year-old Welshman (16-0, 6 KOs), managed by Dave Coldwell, was at the centre of criticism last November when the former Prizefighter winner came in half a stone over the 160lbs middleweight limit for his contest against Rod Smith. Doran finished Smith off in the third round with a crippling left hook to the body in what was supposed to be an eliminator for the British middleweight title. “I picked up a calf injury and it just stopped me on my roadwork. Struggled to get the last bit of weight off really,” Doran explained to Boxing Monthly. “I wasn’t happy about it myself as I’m sure a lot of other people weren’t. I was absolutely slated on Sky Sports, but I was saying to someone the other day, in hindsight it’s probably the best thing to happen to me because it really has created a monster. That negative criticism, which I’ve not been used to, I’ve not had it before. It really has made me step it up a gear.”