Wilder vs. Ortiz & Boxing’s PED Problem
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com website on October 5th, 2017: https://www.thefightcity.com/wilder-vs-ortiz-drugs-boxing/
Last month boxing fans were treated to the news that WBC heavyweight champion, “The Bronze Bomber” Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs), would defend his title against one of the most feared contenders in the division, Luis “King Kong” Ortiz (27-0, 23 KOs). In what has already been a stellar year for the sport of boxing, this promised to be yet another excellent contest, with sharply contrasting perceptions of champion and challenger providing the backdrop for an intriguing clash of styles. Read more
“Who’s The Champ?” Well, That Depends…
An edited version of this article, with the title “Undisputed Chaos”, was published on TheFightCity.com website on September 25th, 2017: https://www.thefightcity.com/undisputed-chaos-title-belts-boxing/
This past weekend witnessed a special event in boxing, as WBO/WBC 140lbs belt-holder Terrence Crawford swept aside IBF/WBA ruler Julius Indongo to become just the third man in history to unify boxing’s “Big Four” sanctioning belts. With each of the four governing bodies naming a minimum of one titlist across seventeen weight categories – not to mention various pointless distinctions between “super”, “regular”, “interim”, “diamond” and “emeritus” champions – the anointment of a truly undisputed king, albeit in a single division, provides a welcome reprieve from boxing’s messy landscape. Read more
Super Flyweight Super Card #2
This was a preview of the Superfly 2 card, published by Boxinginsider.com on September 8th 2017: https://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/super-flyweight-super-card-2017-just-keeps-giving/
“I think 2016 should go down as one of the worst years in boxing history, maybe the worst.” – Oscar De La Hoya, October 2016.
The Golden Boy’s sad assessment of the state of boxing almost a year ago may have been somewhat of an exaggeration, but it’s fair to say 2016 was not exactly a banner year for the sport. Still recovering from the stench of the Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-letdown in 2015 and facing the prospect of being usurped as the world’s No.1 combat sport by a surging UFC, boxing was certainly in need of a serious shot in the arm. Read more
Mayweather-McGregor: A Reflection of the Times
post-truth adjective
relating to a situation in which people are more likely to accept an argument based on their emotions and beliefs, rather than one based on facts
Conor McGregor is an interesting character. If you listen to him in an interview, he can be witty, polite and genuine. When he forwards an outlandish prediction, he does so with calm and conviction. Speaking in front of a large audience, McGregor is often animated, fiery and profane, yet manages to maintain a sense of humour. He has charisma. He knows how to captivate the public’s attention. Regardless of setting, he always emanates a cast-iron certainty in his own ability to bend reality to his will – a quality shared by some of the most successful people in history, most notably the greatest boxer ever, Muhammad Ali.
UFC boss Dana White was recently quoted on Twitter as saying: “If you sit in a room with @TheNotoriousMMA for two minutes, you’ll believe him too.”
Many people don’t even require that long. Read more
Ranking Wladimir
This article was published by BoxingInsider.com on August 10th, 2017: https://www.boxinginsider.com/columns/ranking-wladimir-klitschko/
With the recent announcement that Wladimir Klitschko is officially retiring, a page was turned to end an era of heavyweight boxing. And while many would have gladly viewed a return of last April’s gripping contest with Anthony Joshua, few would have predicted a different result. At 41 years of age and following such a tremendous effort, now would seem the perfect moment for the Ukrainian to call time on his illustrious career. Which begs the question: where does his legacy rank in the annals of heavyweight history? Read more
Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 