Ricky Burns more Ally McLeod than Craig Brown
Full Stop
As Max Bygraves (Ask yer granny!) once said – you need hands. Unfortunately for David Haye, one of his has broken down – it means he has had to withdraw from his bust up with Manuel Charr. It seems that he can fight with a broken toe but the hand is clearly another matter!
Charr is unlikely to hang about looking for a new opponent as it was neither a title bout nor an eliminator but one young man who will be taking advantage of such misfortune, the mishap that befell Kell Brook is Lee Purdy. Purdy takes on Devon Alexander in Atlantic City and has claimed he is ready to shock the world. For Brook, a rematch with Carson Jones looks like it is on the cards for July.
The weekend also has two rematches that have us salivating at the thought – Carl Froch stands across the canvass from Mikkel Kessler whilst Nav Mansouri will once again face Nathan Graham for the English middleweight tile in Sheffield on Friday night. Both should be all out wars and we hope live up to the pre show hype but also follow on from what has already been a great month for the noble art of boxing.
Flash Back
It was a cornucopia (Ask yer English teacher…) of delights in Glasgow but before we go there it was a fantastic result as Britain got another World Champion with Jamie McDonnell beating on Julio Ceja for the IBF Bantamweight crown on a majority decision in Doncaster. If there is a World Champion who will need to be helped to retain the accolade it’s McDonnell. The bantamweight division has many dangerous customers and some good management to avoid some dangerous people until he adds to his experience would be good. But he’s a World Champ and a worthy one at that!
Stuart Hall also won in Doncaster, beating Sergio Perales for the IBF Intercontinental bantamweight title whilst super featherweight Stephen Foster won on points in Manchester against Scott Moises.
On Monday in Leicester super middleweight Jahmaine Shmyle won on points over 4 against Tony Shields whilst super bantamweight Rendall Munroe made a successful and explosive return to the ring with a technical knockout of Laszlo Fekete in the 1st round of a scheduled 6!.
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Another Burns night as he prepares to take on Gonzalez?
THE major news conference this week was for the 15th May contests that have Deontay Wilder against Derrick Chisora as the headline act. The man who finally sent Audley Harrison into retirement against the man who believes he should get another world title shot is nothing short of utterly fascinating.
How Chisora will get past Wilder will no doubt become apparent in the weeks ahead but David Haye has pointed out how he will get past Manuel Charr – speed. Haye believes that his speed is his greatest weapon in the heavyweight field as there are none as quick as him. I have to agree – I am a Haye fan though – and this is yet another contest which has thrills all over it.
For Scottish fans Willie Limond has confirmed that on the 7th June he will take on Mitch Prince in Bellahouston for his Commonwealth lightweight title. Should be another cracker to add to the domestic fights with high levels of expectation in May!
Burns warms up for Gonzalez at Glasgow's St Enoch Centre. Photo by Matthew Harold
Finally Manny Pacquiao is back in the ring in November as he has decided to take on Brandon Rios to try and regain some credibility. The incredible story though is Amir Khan claiming he wants a Mayweather fight... Really?
The rise and rise of Ricky Burns
WHENEVER I watch the television these days I hear a proud and commanding voice say “Scotland might surprise you”.Now you might be wondering what the voiceover provided by Neil Oliver, star of BBC’s Coast, for the Visit Scotland tourism campaign has to do with boxing but the message could not be more appropriate.
Ricky Burns is one of British boxing’s biggest surprise stories, let alone Scottish boxing.
After losses to Alex Arthur and Carl Johanneson early in his career, the 30-year-old from Coatbridge was left in limbo as to whether he would ever challenge at the highest level.
However tomorrow night, the “Rickster” will enter the newly constructed Emirates Arena in Glasgow with the WBO lightweight title strapped firmly around his waist as he defends it against Puerto Rico’s Jose A. Gonzalez live on Sky Sports.
Video: Floyd Mayweather ready for Robert Guerrero challenge
Floyd "Money" Mayweather puts his 43 fight unbeaten record on the record against Mexican Robert Guerrero.
Mayweather, who last fought at 154 pounds against Miguel Cotto just under a year ago, weighed a pound less than Guerrero at 146 pounds.
With Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez both shunning re-matches with Manny Pacquiao to face each other, hopes are high that the Pacman could finally face Mayweather in November. However, it's more likely a Mayweather victory in Las Vegas will pave the way to a bout with Saul Alvarez.
Video: Wladimir Klitschko v Francesco Pianeta preview
Vladimir Klitschko weighed in four pounds heavier than his latest opponent, his old sparring partner, Franscesco Pianeta.
Floyd Mayweather v Robert Guerrero, and dust ups and disappointments
LAST weekend was an absolute war and joy for those of us who write about boxing. It had it all; brilliant fights, debates and disappointments. More of that soon but first Carl Froch has noted that not only is he right up for his rematch with Mikkel Kessler as it is likely to be absolutely brutal in their fight on the 25th May. On the undercard of the Froch fight George Groves will be fighting Uruguayan Nat Gonzalez Aleska. It is another big fight but one that Groves should progress through. The brutality of the pro game has also captured Gold Medallist Luke Campbell who has confirmed that he shall join Anthony Ogogu and Tom Stalker in turning pro later this year. Ogogu got his pro career off to a great start with a knock out so it is a pathway that may well be a well advised one. Ogogu, along with Amir Khan are talking of going to the USA to pursue their careers. Neither are surprising, Khan has always found the US better fare than here whilst Ogogu is signed to Golden Boy, based in the US. Khan will have noted Danny Garcia’s victory over Zab Judah to remain unbeaten and retain the belts he took from Khan.
As they look west apparently Floyd Mayweather Jr is looking east to a UK fight sometime in the future!
The fight game is never shy of giving advice and Nathan Cleverly has been advised to go over to the US and get some coaching from Freddie Roach. Roach has, in the past, said he really admires the young Welsh boxer and could do some good for him. Cleverly is one of our most enduring World Champions and a text book Olympics to World Champion study but seems to have less kudos than the likes of Khan.
Video: Diaz to be Amir Khan's last UK fight
AMIR Khan says his next fight Juan Diaz on 27 April is likely to be his last in the UK.
Khan, who is hoping for a re-match at some point with Lamont Peterson or Danny Garcia, says it's too difficult to get the world's top fighters to travel across the Atlantic to face him.
Boxing: Heartache for Kell Brook
Full Stop
It is heartache for Kell Brook as his latest injury postpones his contest with Devon Alexander for a 3rd time. It must seem like a world title is as far away from him as ever now, but he is the mandatory challenger and as soon as he recovers he will still be no 1 contender!
Darren Barker is realising that he is not, however Mathew Macklin’s no 1 contender as Macklin has confirmed that, if he beats Gennady Golovkin for the WBA Middleweight belt he will not be looking to face his domestic rival.
If Brook and Barker look like they will be idle we can concern ourselves with a bout that has been 15 years in the making. Steve Collins has a licence! His long awaited grudge match against Roy Jones Jr can now take place. Collins is being coy as to who gave him a licence but the coyness will disappear soon enough after all this is a man who beat Eubank AND Benn – TWICE EACH!
Another man coming out of retirement is Rendall Munroe. He announced that he was out the ring after Scott Quigg defeated him in a 6th round knockout but he has confirmed that, on the 9th of May you can pay to watch his comeback in Leicester.