Boxing Monthly hits the web

Colin Harris
27/04/2015 3:10am

A new dawn breaks in April 2015.  As the world around us changes and evolves, as the planet spins and the clocks tick, we find the Boxing Monthly website having a renovation makeover of which even Kevin McCloud might be proud. During a very emotional period in BM history, and like almost every funeral, Glyn Leach’s shocking departure brought old faces together, all united in grief to pay their respects.

Postol ready to deliver

Mark Butcher
27/04/2015 1:00am

Viktor Postol has been biding his time. The WBC’s No.1 contender at 140lbs has been waiting patiently in the shadows for his shot at unbeaten champion Danny Garcia ever since earning the mandatory position with an impressive 11th round knockout of dangerous Selcuk Aydin in May 2014. Ukraine may be torn by conflict and civil unrest, but Postol’s achievements have provided a measure of solace for his fellow countrymen. Postol, 31, harks from the same elite amateur system that produced the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and the Klitschko brothers. It is little wonder that WBC title-holder Garcia has been in no rush to fulfill his mandatory obligation against the skillful Ukrainian.

Mauricio Sulaiman: The Green Lives on

Mark Butcher
25/04/2015 9:00pm

The iconic green and gold WBC championship belt is forever associated with boxing’s elite fighters. Legends like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran and Julio Cesar Chavez have all worn that unmistakable leather strap around their waists on their path to greatness and, for so many fighters, the WBC belt still remains ‘the’ title to win. Mark Butcher spoke to WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman about his vision for the future in our September 2014 issue.

Long road to glory – The Amnat Ruenroeng story

Mark Butcher
24/04/2015 9:00am

Many of the best stories are about redemption. The fulfillment of a distant dream when chances are few and all hope seems lost. Not many lives have undergone the radical transformation of Thailand’s current IBF flyweight champion and former convict Amnat Ruenroeng. His story seemed destined for sadness until boxing took him down an unlikely path to salvation and ultimately glory. Mark Butcher talked to the Thai hero in our December 2014 issue - here is his incredible tale. 

The under-appreciated genius of Guillermo Rigondeaux

Mark Butcher
23/04/2015 1:00am

Genius is not always appreciated in its own time. Unnatural brilliance is too often misunderstood. The mercurial talents of Guillermo Rigondeaux have proven especially divisive. Mark Butcher caught up with the Cuban master during the latest stop in his world title roadshow in Macao for this feature in our September 2014 edition.

The art of stopping a fight

Mark Butcher
18/04/2015 8:40am

In a sport synonymous with brutality, some of boxing’s most memorable moments are paradoxically associated with compassion. Trainer Eddie Futch gently pushing down a near-blinded Joe Frazier as he rose to face Muhammad Ali in the 15th round under the 120 degree lights in Manila was boxing at its most stirring. But it usually rests upon an impartial observer, the referee, to decide the precise moment a fighter has had enough. 

The reinvention of Kevin Mitchell

Mark Butcher
17/04/2015 10:00pm

Popular Londoner Kevin Mitchell had to lose his way before he found himself as a fighter. In our February 2015 edition, Mark Butcher spoke to the WBC's No.1 contender at 135lbs as he inched ever closer to his world title destiny.

Storm Warning: The return of Tim Bradley

Mark Butcher
17/04/2015 9:00am

In our December 2014 issue, we talked to a philosophical Tim Bradley as the four-time world champion returned from his first pro defeat against Manny Pacquiao with more titles on his mind. The articulate Californian reflected on his incredible journey from dishwasher to pound-for-pound rated fighter with trademark honesty.

David Lemieux - Handsome Devil

Mark Butcher
16/04/2015 7:00am

There are few more scintillating sights in boxing than middleweight David Lemieux tearing out of his corner with his mind set on destruction. In Boxing Monthly's August 2014 issue, the Montreal menace promised Mark Butcher that he would be 'the face terrifying many fighters'.