LA Fight Club highlights

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
04/07/2015 11:42am

Highlights from Thursday night's "LA Fight Club" show from Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. This month's offering featured bouts with Diego De La Hoya, Gilberto Gonzalez and Oscar Negrete. The card aired on Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes live from downtown Los Angeles.

'The Blade' is still gleaming

Mark Butcher
03/07/2015 10:13am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GBbLUkQn2s

Neither homelessness nor hospitalisation has been able to blunt ‘The Blade’. Iran Barkley has overcome these trying times with the same inner steel and trademark toughness that saw him blow away Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns in three rounds in June 1988. Despite many a travail, ‘The Blade’ is still gleaming. Back in 2010, after a run of bad luck, Barkley lived on the subway for three months, but now has an apartment in his native Bronx. A few blades have been spotted on the New York subway over the years, but nothing like this one. “I was in the subway for a few months. It was crazy, but it was something I had to go through,” said Barkley. “But God made it better for me, someway and somehow. He had some friends who came for me and put me in the shelter and now I have got my own place and I’m cool.”

Quigg masters university of the gym

Terry Dooley
02/07/2015 10:55am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ZAMkmzcFs

Bury’s Scott Quigg lives and breathes the 'Hard work, dedication' mantra that has become an oft-quoted phrase in modern-day boxing. Indeed, this mindset has not just brought him to the top of his chosen profession, it also led the WBA super-bantamweight titlist into the sport after it became clear that school wasn’t working out for him. “The final straw was when I thought: ‘Right, I’ll give this a go’ and worked hard,” said Quigg (30-0-2, 22 early), when telling Boxing Monthly why he left school at the tender age of 13. It was Mock Exam time and my favourite subject was maths. I did all my homework and concentrated then did the test. I thought: ‘I’ve got it here, I’ve done well’ then got the test sheet back, red crosses on every question."

Bradley-Vargas revisited

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
30/06/2015 6:25pm

Highlights and reflections on the dramatic Bradley-Vargas card from the StubHub Center in Carson, California, which headlined the 1,000th fight celebration of HBO Championship Boxing. Michael Montero provides analysis on Timothy Bradley's exciting victory over Jessie Vargas including CompuBox punch stats and the controversial ending to the fight from referee Pat Russell. Montero also discusses the special media day event he participated in with the California State Athletic Commission.

 

Latest World and British Ratings (July 2015)

Colin Harris
30/06/2015 10:50am

Boxing Monthly’s World and British rankings for July 2015 are explained by Colin Harris, our in-house ratings statistician. Trainer, fighter, manager and promoter queries are welcome.

Mosley: ‘Mayweather would have trouble in another era’

Kelsey McCarson
29/06/2015 10:30am

Shane Mosley, winner of world titles in three different weight divisions and arguably one of the best lightweights in boxing history, isn’t sure today’s premier boxer, Floyd Mayweather, would be quite so successful competing during another era. “Floyd is a phenomenal fighter. He’s sharp and he works hard and does what he’s supposed to do to win fights,” said Mosley. “But you put him in a different era where you have some hungry guys and I think he has some trouble. Like I said, the amateur program messed up these up-and-coming fighters where they’re not fighting the same. Floyd got the scoring from his father and his uncle and stuff like that where he learned that style. It’s going to be hard to beat him. You can’t beat him at that.”

The Russell and Doggett show

Mark Butcher
28/06/2015 1:24pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDGeYu0ljc

Boxing has a tendency to touch the surreal and provide moments where we rub our eyes and wonder ‘did that really happen’? This was again in evidence on a strange weekend of refereeing gaffes on either side of the world which unfortunately overshadowed events in the ring. In Carson, California, Pat Russell incomprehensibly stopped a fight seven seconds early and appeared to hand Jessie Vargas a dramatic, last gasp win over a hurt but recovered Timothy Bradley while, in Bangkok, Larry Doggett allowed Amnat Ruenroeng to bodyslam, chokehold, grapple and even mount a bemused John Riel Casimero.

Rimmer: "Brian Rose is ready"

John Evans
27/06/2015 11:30am

It’s said that boxing is the loneliest sport. But as the brave Sky Sports cameraman followed a furious Brian Rose back to his dressing room moments after his first round stoppage defeat to Carson Jones in February, by his side - as ever - was his longtime trainer and friend Bobby Rimmer. The cameras eventually left the pair alone to pick over the bones of the defeat but not before filming an interview in which Rose, 30, desperately called for a rematch. “For me, we’ve got to be a bit more cautious. That’s all it is,” Rimmer told Boxing Monthly, ahead of the 1 August return at Hull’s KC Lightstream Stadium. “We know Carson Jones can whack and has got a bit of a dig on him so let’s be a bit more cautious and get back to what Brian’s good at. Brian Rose has never been beaten on points. It’s very hard to beat him on points because he's such a well-schooled, great boxer. Let’s say that last time the crowd and everything got to him and this time we’ve got to be a little bit more cautious just to ease ourselves in to the fight a bit more."

Murray eyes overdue glory

Shaun Brown
26/06/2015 11:17am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67DJa2OOBc

Martin Murray has been there, done that and got the middleweight t-shirt, but the fit isn’t quite what it used to be. The days of Murray making the 11st 6lbs limit are now over. Tonight’s fight against George Beroshvilli at Liverpool’s Echo Arena hails the beginning of the 32-year-old’s run at the super-middleweight division. Extra weight = happy fighter. “It’s about me enjoying boxing,” Murray told Boxing Monthly earlier this week. “It’s been hard to make middleweight and it’s going to be a lot better for me. I’ll just generally be a lot happier and a lot healthier at super-middleweight. With me having that bit of weight on there’s no stress, I feel great. I’m just so happier in myself and it’s just about me enjoying it at super-middleweight and reaching my true potential.”

 

TKO Radio: Matchmaking, Limerick and Fighting Men

TKO Radio
25/06/2015 12:19pm

Kevin Campion, Head of Boxing and Matchmaker for Goodwin Promotions, joins TKO Radio to lend some insight into life as a matchmaker and discusses two of the promoter's innovative ticketing ideas. Jonny Stapleton from Irish-Boxing.com adds some early thoughts on the Andy Lee-Billy Joe Saunders clash in Limerick, which will take place on 19 September at Thomond Park while Alex Daley talks about his book 'Fighting Men of London: Voices From Inside The Ropes'. 

Fielding of dreams

Shaun Brown
25/06/2015 10:00am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ6EefaZXSM

Liverpool's unbeaten Rocky Fielding is on the cusp of a title shot at 168lbs and on a collision course with crosstown rival Callum Smith, but first he must defeat seasoned contender Bryan Vera at the Echo Arena on Friday night. "You get what you see with Vera, he’s just there coming at you and throwing all kinds of shots," Fielding told Boxing Monthly. "As the years have gone by, he’s been in some big fights and took some big shots in them. It could be a good, interesting fight and it will probably bring the best out of me. It’s a fight I’ve looked for, I’ve got the butterflies. Everything’s going well, the weight’s good and I’m fully focused on Vera. It’s going to see where I’m at. Get a good performance in, a good stoppage that’ll be even better."