Ryder on the comeback trail

Shaun Brown
09/10/2015 7:37am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQweEzGGe7w

It has been an indifferent few years for Islington southpaw John Ryder. “It’s a learning curve. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again,” Ryder told Boxing Monthly when discussing his British middleweight title loss to Nick Blackwell in May. “I watched the stoppage just to see how bad it was and then I went back and watched the whole fight and I felt the stoppage was a bit weird."

Flanagan primed for Magdaleno

Danny Winterbottom
08/10/2015 8:39am

This Saturday night at Manchester Arena, 26-year-old Terry Flanagan makes the first defence of his WBO lightweight title against dangerous American Diego Magdaleno in a contest that promises to reveal the true potential that lies within the gloved fists of the Mancunian southpaw. "I'm fully focused on winning this fight," Flanagan told BM. "I’ve seen tapes of him and he looks like a good fighter, short and strong. But we know what to expect from him. He’s fought outside of America once and he lost [SD12 Roman Martinez, in a WBO 130lbs title tilt at the Cotai Arena, Macao]. It’s going to be a tough fight for us both, but one that I’m confident of winning and winning well. I don’t know why but I feel as though I’m going stop him late in the fight.”

TKO Radio: Wiped Out? The Jerome Wilson Story

TKO Radio
07/10/2015 10:28am

Jerome Wilson fought his final professional boxing match on 12 September, 2014. The welterweight was seriously injured during that fight, suffering a subdural haematoma and spent 10 days in a coma. Fortunately, he came to, but then had to try to make sense of what had happened while attempting to get his life back together. Jerome started writing his thoughts down. One thing led to another and he eventually met writer Mark Turley. 'Wiped Out? The Jerome Wilson Story' was published last month and has received rave reviews. Jerome and Mark were both kind enough to speak with us.

Canadian Corner: Bute, Lemieux and Toney, too

Shawn Smith
05/10/2015 7:49am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r09r-ZzqOqk

Although it’s been a few months since Canada hosted a major show of its own (sorry Adonis Stevenson, but that abomination against Tommy Karpency doesn’t count), the calendar picks up as autumn approaches. The fight between Lucian Bute and England’s IBF 168lbs champion James DeGale has finally been confirmed. It was originally expected for 31 October, then 14 November, but finally fell on 28 November at the Videotron Centre in Quebec.

Matthysse-Postol ringside recap

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
04/10/2015 11:21am

Review, analysis and highlights of Victor Postol's 10th round upset knockout win over Lucas Matthysse. The Ukrainian won the vacant WBC 140lbs title over the vaunted Argentina power-puncher. In the co-feature, undefeated junior welter hope Antonio Orozco scored a unanimous decision over the seasoned Humberto Soto. Another great night of boxing at the StubHub Center in greater Los Angeles.

Sam Eggington: Accidental champion

John A. MacDonald
03/10/2015 11:19am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PbYLJY0ZjA

At just 18, Sam Eggington found himself unemployed and with a young family to support. Having had 31 amateur bouts as a junior, he sought to earn some money in the ring. Boxing was not a career he had ever considered – amateur boxing was just a way to set himself apart from his friends. He wasn’t looking to be a champion, not even a contender. “I was a forklift driver and the only reason I turned professional was I got made redundant and I had a son,” Eggington told Boxing Monthly. “If I didn’t have a son, I probably wouldn’t have boxed because I would just have tried to find another job in the meantime. It’s a mad story. People don’t believe me when I tell them, but for me to get in to boxing was – literally – a fluke."

Langford eyes defence, bigger stage

Andrew Harrison
02/10/2015 11:16am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tVJnRqc27E

Middleweight prospect Tommy Langford is something of an original. A wild-eyed, volume-puncher fascinated with defence and world-rated despite being just inside the domestic top ten, Langford is a convivial soul in an often cold and unforgiving trade. A perfectionist, Langford has since stepped up his defensive drills. “I try to watch a lot of Andre Ward and [Floyd] Mayweather obviously, because they’re so good defensively. I’ve always had an offence. I’ve always been able to throw punches in numbers and been quite accurate. The thing I think I need to always concentrate on and try to work on is defence. They’re so elusive and hard to hit I try to pick things up off them. It’s mainly their feet really – the way they dictate the fight with their footwork and adjusting distance.”

The hunger remains for Donaire

Mark Butcher
29/09/2015 11:59am

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

A deep love of family propels Nonito Donaire. Yet, despite winning titles in five weight divisions and experiencing glories beyond the sphere of most of his peers, a raw, fighting hunger remains. The Filipino-American is a throwback to boxing’s old school, when the best fought the best and those with a world class pedigree, or even a pretence of one, never shirked a challenge. In an astonishing period from July 2010 to October 2014, Donaire took on 12 consecutive world champions and battled many of the dangermen swerved by other fighters. A willingness to engage with all-comers is a badge of honour Donaire wears proudly. “I want to fulfill that desire for fighting the best out there,” the affable Donaire told Boxing Monthly. “I could have just taken it easy in my career. Even when I fought all these champions in a row, some still thought I was fighting patsies. I was fighting world champion after world champion and they thought I was still picking my fights. I wasn’t - I was fighting them because they were champions. I was trying to get their belts."

'Relentless' Henshaw hits the big time

Shaun Brown
28/09/2015 10:22am

There are those who are born to fight. Those who have no choice but to fight and then there are individuals who have the fight forced out of them for their own good. Unbeaten cruiserweight ‘Relentless’ Russell Henshaw (5-0, 2 KOs) falls into the final category. The boxing bug was a necessary remedy for a schoolboy who had fallen victim to one of education’s nastiest problems - bullying. “I got bullied at school and I didn’t dare say anything or do anything,” Henshaw told Boxing Monthly. “I was imploding, not exploding with anger and imploding with being terrified. I didn’t want to feel that anymore so I went to gyms and enjoyed it. I’m not very clever but I can scrap. I just carried it on. I’m pretty sporty to be fair. I love competition. Cricket, football and then I found fighting; kickboxing and boxing and that was it. I got addicted.”

Latest World and British Ratings (October 2015)

Colin Harris
26/09/2015 10:57am

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

Booth joins the Eubank Jr revolution

Mark Butcher
25/09/2015 6:56pm

Few impartial judges dispute the talent of Chris Eubank Jr, but there has long been a sense that something was missing. An elite coach to coax the true potential from the 26-year-old middleweight and fulfill his father’s bold predictions. The final piece in the puzzle may just have fallen into place with the addition of Adam Booth, one of boxing’s most astute trainers, to the Eubank team. “I am a coach first and foremost and if I think there are some technical and strategic things that I can add to Junior as a fighter, with all the ingredients he’s already got, then it should work for a more complete fighter,” Booth told BM today at Trinity House, London, where Eubank Jr’s new promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing was announced.