Time for the Pacman to Call it a Day
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on 11th November, 2016: http://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/time-pacman-call-day/
Following a short-lived “retirement” from boxing, Manny Pacquiao returned to action on Saturday night and reclaimed a portion of the welterweight title for the third time. Once again the Pacman demonstrated that he is levels above the vast majority of 147lb boxers in the world, dominating and widely outpointing a respectable, ambitious world champion 10 years his junior. Read more
Kovalev Less Than Convincing
This article was first published on TheFightCity.com website on July 12th, 2016: http://www.thefightcity.com/kovalev-less-convincing-sergey-kovalev-isaac-chilemba-andre-ward-russia-boxing/
In a tougher-than-expected defence of his WBA, IBF and WBO light-heavyweight titles, Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev unanimously out-pointed Malawi-born challenger Isaac Chilemba on his home-turf in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Although prevailing widely on the official scorecards, the judges’ tallies of 117-110, 116-111 and 118-109 were perhaps a tad disingenuous to the African challenger and certainly didn’t tell the story of how difficult a contest this was for the defending champion.
Pacquiao-Bradley I Scoring Re-Visited: Heist or Hyperbole?
This article was published by TheFightCity.com on April 8th, 2016, prior to the third Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley fight: http://www.thefightcity.com/pacquiao-vs-bradley-i-heist-or-hyperbole-manny-pacquaio-timothy-bradley-robbery-boxing-las-vegas/
On Saturday night, the MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas, sees the third installment of Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley’s welterweight trilogy, in what is likely to be the Filipino legend’s final outing in the ring. While officially the fight serves as the rubber match in their three-fight series, many would argue that in reality Pacquiao should be entering the “decider” with a 2-0 lead, owing to the controversial nature of their first meeting. In June 2012, Bradley was awarded a split points victory over Pacquiao, relieving him of his WBO world title. Here, I take a look back at one of the most high profile, contentious decisions in modern boxing history, and question whether the judges’ verdict that night was deserving of the widespread outrage it caused.
Eubank vs Blackwell: Brave, Brutal, Blameless
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com on April 1st, 2016. Thanks to Michael Carbert, Editor-in-Chief, for his help and patience in producing and publishing the edited version: http://www.thefightcity.com/eubank-vs-blackwell-chris-eubank-nick-blackwell-tyson-fury-billy-joe-saunders-boxing-great-britain/
“Boxing is the magic of men in combat, the magic of will, and skill, and pain, and the risking of everything so you can respect yourself for the rest of your life.” – F.X. Toole
Over the course of 10 ferocious rounds of boxing, Chris Eubank Jr. and Nick Blackwell’s titanic battle for the British middleweight championship epitomized the very best and very worst aspects of the sweet science. Two men who went into the contest as loathsome enemies ended their struggle with a newfound and heartfelt respect for each other, enthralling and finally sickening their audience, encapsulating how this sport is at once so compelling and yet, at times, so disturbing for even its most ardent followers. Read more
Catch 22: Solving The Floyd Mayweather Puzzle
Part i: The Sugar Man
After taking an early lead in the fight, Mosley came out blazing in the twelfth round as both fighters stood toe-to-toe amid the wild screams of a euphoric crowd. The fight was close, but after catching the judges eyes with his flashy bursts of accurate, powerful combinations throughout the previous twelve rounds, ‘Sugar’ Shane got the exclamation mark he was looking for when he staggered his opponent in the final round with a huge right hand, wobbling his legs for a moment, barely managing to remain upright. “A star is born here”, exclaimed Ian Darke, commentating for Sky Sports, as the final seconds ticked down on the clock. “There really is a new Sugar Man” concurred his co-host Glenn McCrory. Read more 
Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 