The Boxing Booth Uncut: Part II

Terry Dooley
22/05/2015 10:46am

By the summer of 2009, Adam Booth and David Haye were caught up in the fallout caused by Haye’s decision to withdraw from a world title challenge to Wladimir Klitschko due to a back injury. Setanta, their broadcast partner, folded around the same time; conspiracy theories reigned. Some fans still refuse to believe that Haye was genuinely injured. Booth said that the injury was ‘an insidious thing’ during an interview with Kevin Mitchell of The Guardian on June 5th, 2009.

“If I did use the word ‘insidious’ it’s because he’d herniated a disc in his back - it built up over time insidiously,” explained Booth  to Boxing Monthly. “You don’t know about it until the moment it breaks down. At the time, we were on the floor - it was the worst thing that could have happened - but everything worked out okay in the end. It was part of the journey.”

Bid a fond farewell to Friday Night Fights

Michael Montero & Tiffany Lam
21/05/2015 9:20pm

Michael Montero reflects on the finale of ESPN's 'Friday Night Fights' series, which began in 1998 and will wrap up with the Boxcino tournament finale on 22nd May in Corona, California. The FNF series will end after 17 years to make way for Al Haymon's 'Premier Boxing Champions' (PBC). 

True Fury: Tyson nears destiny

Ben Thomsett
21/05/2015 9:53am

When I first met Tyson Fury, it was on a snowy afternoon at a Dutch ferry port - with the wind howling through the Welkommen flags. I was the only foot passenger hanging around. The vending machines had all broken. I was cold. The car arriving to pick me up and take me into Belgium to the Fury training camp - deep in the forest - contained Peter and Tyson Fury. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8GC8a1-Vlo

The return of Paul Butler

Shaun Brown
20/05/2015 4:37pm

In less than a year, Paul Butler has experienced the high of winning a world title and the low of losing in a challenge for another. "The first shot Tete threw was a jab to the body in the first round. That jab to the body, that power, I hadn’t felt anything like it in my life," the 26-year-old Butler told Boxing Monthly when looking back on his first professional loss to IBF super-flyweight champion Zolani Tete. "That jab was harder than Stuart Hall’s right hand. I’ve never felt power like it, it was unbelievable." A rejuvenated Butler returns on 11th July at Manchester Velodrome. BM talked to the refreshingly honest former IBF bantamweight champion as he plots his route back to the top.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXwK5bSsDXQ

Another one for the road: DeGale and the UK 168s

Andrew Harrison
20/05/2015 10:25am

The super-middleweight division has proven a fertile hunting ground for British boxers since 1984, when Murray Sutherland became its inaugural world champion, after the transplanted Scot outscored the pugnacious Philadelphian Ernie Singletary in Atlantic City. While only Welsh cyclone Joe Calzaghe can lay claim to having been the division’s de facto kingpin in the ensuing 31 years, world class Brits including Chris Eubank, Richie Woodhall and Carl Froch have all - at one time or another - held a piece of the pie. On Saturday, in Boston, Massachusetts, Harlesden talent James DeGale will endeavour to swell their ranks when he contests the vacant WBC title against Michigan’s Andre Dirrell. Yet only three other Britons have managed to win a 168lbs world title on their opponent’s home patch overseas.

 

Gary Cornish and The Chocolatito Express

TKO Radio
19/05/2015 12:35pm

This week TKO Radio is joined by Gary Cornish, the Scottish heavyweight who at 6’ 8” fits the contemporary mould for the division. He’s undefeated, but untested, and his team are ready to move him along now, with a view to the bigger stage. Boxing writer Matthew Aguilar and TKO try to squeeze ourselves on to the Roman Gonzalez bandwagon, after the WBC flyweight boss gave a flawless performance in Los Angeles on Saturday. We also discuss Gennady Golovkin's latest victory and look ahead to the Andre Dirrell-James Degale super-middleweight title fight in Boston this coming weekend.

In conversation with Ohara Davies

Scott Hammerton
18/05/2015 10:56am

Unbeaten lightweight prospect OHara Davies talks about how boxing saved his life, sparring in the Mayweather gym in Las Vegas, gym-mate Kevin Mitchell's world title preparation, working with Darren Barker and much more - ahead of his next fight at York Hall on 28th May.

The four Gs: Golovkin & Gonzalez wrap

Mark Butcher
17/05/2015 3:12pm

The GGG bulldozer rolls on. 'Honorary Mexican' Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin predictably crushed slick southpaw Willie Monroe Jr in six in front of a spellbound crowd at The Forum in Inglewood, California; less predictable was the spirit, success and downright cojones of Monroe Jr whose surprising rally from a near fight-ending second round hinted he will remain a contender for the foreseeable future.

 

The Boxing Booth Uncut: Part I

Terry Dooley
16/05/2015 11:46am

Every so often, we enter a clearing - the moment when we break through the undergrowth of daily choices and are faced with the realisation that we have the time and space to make a life decision that will take us in a new direction. These clearings can be purposefully crafted or forced upon us by destiny. Adam Booth found himself in this position after breaking his leg during a game of football in 1991, just as he was about to turn professional under Mickey Duff following an amateur career that saw him win 30 out of 36 amateur fights. Sadly, the break robbed him of that dream. Instead, it set him on a path as a trainer of champions.