A Virtuoso Performance
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com on July 29th, 2023: https://www.thefightcity.com/spence-vs-crawford-virtuoso-performance-boxing/
When the chips are down, great fighters step up and do great things. In the biggest fight of his life, in front of an electrified crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford showed up and produced a masterclass performance that will define his legacy. On paper, the Spence-Crawford superfight looked like a 50/50 contest. But in the event, Crawford proved to be a level above, completely dominating his rival and winning by ninth-round stoppage, to become the undisputed welterweight champion.
Welter Wars: 30 Years of 147lb Super-Fights
This article was published on TheFightCity.com on July 29th, 2023: https://www.thefightcity.com/welter-wars-thirty-years-of-superfights-boxing/
As the hype dials up for the mouth-watering Spence vs. Crawford clash for undisputed welterweight supremacy, it’s impossible not to draw comparisons with classics of years past. The 147lb division has always been a hotbed of elite talent, with old-time legends like Ted “Kid” Lewis and Jack Britton, golden era greats like “Sugar” Ray Robinson and Kid Gavilan, and modern era kings Roberto Duran, “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns all leaving their mark on the division’s storied history. The tradition has continued in more recent times, with many of boxing’s top pound-for-pound showdowns taking place at welterweight. Tracing the story of the division over the last 30 years, here’s some of the biggest superfights that paved the way to Spence-Crawford.
Spence vs Crawford: The “IT” Factor
This article was published on TheFightCity.com on July 27th, 2023: https://www.thefightcity.com/finally-spence-vs-crawford-preview-boxing/
It’s taken almost five years, but the superfight we’ve been yearning for is finally here. Saturday sees two of boxing’s finest practitioners square off in a showdown that will crown an undisputed, undefeated welterweight champion. Errol “The Truth” Spence, 28-0 with 22 KOs, brings the IBF, WBC and WBA belts to the table, while Terence “Bud” Crawford, 39-0 with 30 KOs and already a former undisputed champ at 140lbs, brings the WBO strap. The best fighting the best; all the belts on the line. It really doesn’t get any better than this.
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
Five Myths About Judging Fights
An edited version of this article was published on TheFightCity.com on December 22nd, 2016: http://www.thefightcity.com/five-myths-about-judging-fights-kovalev-vs-ward/
In the aftermath of the unanimous decision for Andre Ward over Sergey Kovalev, a lot of attention has been focused on the scorecards turned in by the 3 ringside judges, with the usual barbs being tossed around on social media about “corrupt officials” and a so-called “robbery”. While the decision was certainly a controversial one and everyone is entitled to their opinion, there’s several scoring clichés that could do with a healthy dose of reality. Here are five of the most common to be aware of: Read more
Matt O'Brien
Boxing Philosophy 