Reflections on Kovalev-Pascal 2

Shawn Smith
01/02/2016 7:50am

While the beautiful people of Montreal were out in full force on Saturday night, there was little beautiful about the ugly, violent beating that 'Krusher' Sergey Kovalev put on old foe Jean Pascal at the Bell Centre. The crowd roared as Pascal was introduced, the kind of roar that only boxing fans know. The kind that drowns out a live band, a DJ, and anything else you might have been thinking about. The kind that shakes the ground and gives you goosebumps. But those roars were subsided rather quickly on what ultimately turned out to be a disappointing performance from Montreal’s Pascal, who offered little resistance to the constant onslaught of Kovalev.

Zou rips Coutinho, eyes Ioka

Mathew Scott
31/01/2016 10:07am

Zou Shiming, the poster boy for pro boxing’s foray into mainland China, lived up to his billing, outclassing Brazilian Natan Santana Coutinho on his way to a TKO with 2.17 gone in the eighth round that saw the Chinese star pick up the vacant WBO International flyweight crown. The 34-year-old Zou has been in the game for almost as long as his 21-year-old opponent has been on Earth and he drew on all that experience after an even first round at Shanghai’s Oriental Sports Centre on Saturday night. Zou had begun to pick his opponent apart at will before referee Sawaeng Thaweekoon waved the fight off, landing flashy combinations and showing far more power than previously on display during a fledgling pro career that now stands at 7-1 (2 KOs).

McCullough aiming high

Jamie Roberts
30/01/2016 7:31am

Marco McCullough has set his sights on emulating his uncle and lifting the Commonwealth title the next time he steps into the ring. The Belfast boxer goes up against unbeaten Lancashire fighter Isaac Lowe for the featherweight version of the belt on the undercard to Carl Frampton vs Scott Quigg on 27 February and he is determined to follow in the footsteps of his uncle Tommy Waite, who lifted the title at bantamweight level in 2000. McCullough said: "It would be a dream come true to do the same as my uncle and lift a Commonwealth title. It is giving me extra motivation in this camp and I know this is the fight that could open a lot of doors in my career."

Four point preview: Sergey Kovalev vs Jean Pascal 2

Shawn Smith
29/01/2016 7:01am

No, you’re not seeing double. Last year’s blistering light-heavyweight showdown between 175lbs champion Sergey Kovalev and challenger Jean Pascal is happening again. In their first meeting, an intense effort from Pascal was thwarted by the heavy-handed Russian, who gave Pascal the first TKO loss of his career. This time, with new trainer Freddie Roach in tow, Pascal has promised an even stronger effort. There are many factors to consider heading into what will likely be Montreal’s biggest fight night of 2016.

Wilder trainer on Fury furore

Luke G. Williams
26/01/2016 7:14am

Alabama-born Jay Deas has trained and managed WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder since the then raw 20-year-old walked into the Skyy Gym in Tuscaloosa in 2005. Deas, a boxing fanatic and former crime reporter, started the gym in 1997 with his brother Tommy. Under Deas’ stewardship, Wilder has progressed from a raw novice to an Olympic bronze medallist and now a world champion. Boxing Monthly caught up with the affable Deas to get his take on Wilder’s recent ninth-round stoppage victory against Artur Szpilka, Tyson Fury’s ‘ring invasion’ and other happenings in the heavyweight division.

Josh Pritchard: Licensed to punish

Jamie Roberts
25/01/2016 7:07am

The youngest of the Cyclone Promotions stable is ready to punish anyone who stands in his way of glory. Twenty one-year-old Josh 'The Punisher' Pritchard aims to extend his perfect record when he steps into the ring on 6 February at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel and the featherweight knows just how important the McGuigan set-up is to his progression. Pritchard said: "In my opinion, I'm with the best team in the country. Success breeds success and the McGuigans' experience will help me out massively on my journey to the top.

Rocky retrospective Part 3: ROCKY III (1982)

Luke G. Williams
24/01/2016 4:37am

With CREED now playing across the UK, Luke G. Williams re-examines cinema’s greatest boxing hero - the one and only Rocky Balboa - for Boxing Monthly Online. Today, he assesses the third entry in the series …

Pugilism not Vandalism: boxing and the Sheeran family

Paul Zanon
22/01/2016 7:19am

If I asked you to correlate the connection between boxing and the surname Sheeran, you would probably start to scratch your head and think – ‘worlds apart?!’ Boxing Monthly caught up with Jethro Sheeran – musician, avid boxing fan and cousin to Ed - to discover the uncanny connection which unravels into decades of bona fide pugilistic heritage. The genesis of the Sheeran boxing gene seems to have evolved from Jethro and Ed’s great grandfather James, who was handy enough with his fists to have fought none other than the heavyweight legend Jack Johnson, in an exhibition bout in 1913. Rumour has it Johnson came out on top during their encounter… 

Ranking the great heavyweights: a statistical approach

Luke G. Williams
18/01/2016 9:56am

Author of Richmond Unchained Luke G. Williams introduces his new series rating the lineal heavyweight champions in order of greatness via a special scoring system involving achievement, dominance, style, fortitude and impact. Boxing Monthly’s website will be posting Luke's scores, rankings and thoughts in reverse order throughout 2016.

Asian Boxing Scene: Round-up and hot prospects

Marcus Bellinger
17/01/2016 10:52am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFs7HvjQj4o

It was an enjoyable but hectic time for boxing in Japan with expected knockouts, upsets and young fighters coming through their biggest tests to date. For those who managed to catch the action, well done and, for the publications and UK TV channels who once again ignored it, shame on you. Here’s a quick recap of events from the ‘land of the rising sun’ during the holiday season.

Rocky retrospective Part 2: ROCKY II (1979)

Luke G. Williams
15/01/2016 10:17am

With CREED released in the UK on 15 January, Luke G. Williams re-examines cinema’s greatest boxing hero - the one and only Rocky Balboa - for Boxing Monthly Online. Today, he assesses the second entry in the series, ROCKY II … Despite the runaway box-office and Oscar-award-winning success of ROCKY, a follow-up was far from certain. Back in the 1970s the movie industry wasn’t yet burdened with the surfeit of sequels that currently exist and the success rate of those that did make it to cinemas was patchy. Movies, it seemed, were still movies, as opposed to ‘franchises’ or ‘properties’.