Kell Brook Serves the Haters Some Humble Pie
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on February 14th, 2017: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/kell-brook-serves-haters-humble-pie/
Boxing is a tough sport, and boxing fans are a hard bunch to please. Opinions dished out from die-hard behind-the-keyboard fans are usually harsh, though often these criticisms are eminently fair and promote the better values and traditions of the sport (the backlash against Canelo Alvarez and Golden Boy for dropping his WBC middleweight belt like a hot potato in order to avoid facing Gennady Golovkin, after publicly stating they would do no such thing, would be one example). Often times though, the messages spouted on forums and over social media cross the line into the unreasonable, unnecessary or just plain nasty. Sometimes, it seems, a fighter can do no right – even when they’ve already exceeded expectations and dared to achieve far more than most fans ever believed they would. Read more
Super Fight 2016: Sergey Kovalev vs. Andre Ward, “Pound-for-Pound”
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on 15th November, 2016: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/super-fight-2016-sergey-kovalev-vs-andre-ward-pound-pound/
On November 19th at the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, two of boxing’s most highly rated fighters meet in a battle for the WBA, WBO and IBF light-heavyweight world championships. While the bout has not quite captured mainstream media attention in the manner of a Mayweather-Pacquiao type mega event, it is nevertheless a rare meeting between undefeated, elite talents in the prime of their careers. The fighters enter with a combined record of 60-0-1, with 41 knockouts. Below, I analyse the case for each man’s prospects of victory. Read more
Santa Cruz vs. Frampton: Are the Bookies Underestimating the Ulsterman?
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com website, on 29th July 2016. Thanks to Michael Carbert, Editor-in-Chief, for his help in producing and publishing the final version: http://www.thefightcity.com/carl-frampton-leo-santa-cruz-preview-boxing-odds-underdog-showtime/
Following two less-than-scintillating performances in his most recent bouts, Carl Frampton goes into his featherweight title fight against defending champion Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday night as a clear underdog, according to most bookmakers. UK’s Sky Bet, for example, currently have Frampton as a 2/1 outsider, while a bet on a Santa Cruz victory will get you odds of 4/9. (That is, a winning £10 bet on Santa Cruz only pays out £4.44, while the same amount on Frampton would net you a £20 profit). These seem to be wide odds indeed, considering that the fight features two undefeated, finely matched world-class boxers, both in the prime of their careers.
Canelo-Khan: A “Super” Fight, Not a “Superfight”
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com website on April 6th, 2016. Thanks to Michael Carbert, Editor-in-Chief, for his help in producing and publishing the final version: http://www.thefightcity.com/canelo-vs-khan-not-a-superfight-canelo-alvarez-amir-khan-golden-boy-floyd-mayweather-miguel-cotto-manny-pacquiao/
When Amir Khan’s May 7th bout with Mexican boxing icon Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was announced, the reaction among the world’s fight media was, almost universally, one of “welcome surprise”. Outside of the fighters’ camps, few had anticipated a match-up between the newly crowned WBC middleweight belt-holder and Britain’s former 140lb world champion being made. The shock of the announcement was coupled with a healthy dose of enthusiasm though, for what promises to be an entertaining meeting between two of the sport’s most recognizable names.
While I share the sense of excitement for what is undoubtedly a fantastic piece of matchmaking on the part of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, amidst the fanfare I would also caution against exaggerating what the fight means in the wider context of the sport. Canelo-Khan may well be a fascinating meeting between two world-class, world-renowned boxers, but it nevertheless falls short of the vaunted “Superfight” status that many media outlets labelled the contest with.
Mayweather-Pacquiao: Big Fight Preview & Prediction
Part I: The Case for Pacquiao
“We thought Manny Pacquiao was great”, exclaimed Larry Merchant, as referee Kenny Bayless crossed his arms to signal the end of the Filipino phenom’s twelve round hammering of Miguel Cotto in December 2009, in what was arguably his greatest victory to date. “He’s better than we thought”. Perhaps no one has managed to encapsulate so incisively Manny Pacquiao’s unprecedented and at times terrifying rise through boxing’s elite ranks. Read more 
Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 