A Boxing Memory: Sugar Ray Robinson

A Boxing Memory: Sugar Ray Robinson By Garry White ‘You never got me down, Ray.” Did he say it? Not a chance. On the wrong end of the white heat of Ray Robinson’s lightning rod punches, it is doubtful whether he was capable of saying anything at all. That Valentine’s Day in 1951 proved to … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Sugar Ray Robinson →

A Boxing Memory: Mike Tyson vs Danny Williams

A Boxing Memory: Mike Tyson vs Danny Williams Danny Williams had a pre-fight dream that he would knock out Mike Tyson. In truth, that looked all it could ever be. A dream, a fantasy not born on any semblance of reality. Three fights before Matt Skelton had outpointed Williams. The two fights after offered little … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Mike Tyson vs Danny Williams →

Ryan Rhodes: “It was my goal to become British champion and anything after that was a bonus.”

Ryan Rhodes: “It was my goal to become British champion and anything after that was a bonus.” By Matt Elliott In the mid to late nineties, the Ingle gym in Sheffield was flying. Senior pros such as Fidel Castro Smith, aka Slugger O’Toole and Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham were coming towards the end of their careers, … Continue reading Ryan Rhodes: “It was my goal to become British champion and anything after that was a bonus.” →

Prince Naseem Hamed: The Final Dance

Prince Naseem Hamed: The Final Dance Prince Naseem Hamed brought drama, excitement and noise, and plenty of it when he was showboating his way to the pinnacle of his sport. But his career ended with little fanfare, retirement seemingly unannounced, and unnoticed. In many ways, Hamed had outstayed his welcome. And you suspect he knew … Continue reading Prince Naseem Hamed: The Final Dance →

A Boxing Memory: Tony Tucker

A Boxing Memory: Tony Tucker There are many heavyweights from the 80s who you could label the biggest waste of talent in that era where virtually every leading heavyweight was fighting demons and the politics of the time. Ambition sucked away from that by being pawns in a promoter's game who had money at the … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Tony Tucker →

Mike Tyson: The Twilight Years

Mike Tyson: The Twilight Years At one time the boxing life of Mike Tyson had stability. Cus D'Amato, Kevin Rooney, Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton you sensed all had the best interests of Tyson at heart. But one by one, for different reasons, they all left the fold. If they had stayed, or at least … Continue reading Mike Tyson: The Twilight Years →

Roberto Duran: The Twilight Years

Roberto Duran: The Twilight Years Roberto Duran fought on way too long. He was 50 when he finally hung the gloves up in 2001. There were too many sad defeats against fighters who wouldn't have touched him in his prime. But Duran's decline still had a couple of gems. Little reminders of the phenomenal fighter … Continue reading Roberto Duran: The Twilight Years →

A Boxing Memory: Tim Witherspoon vs. Frank Bruno

A Boxing Memory: Tim Witherspoon vs. Frank Bruno Tim Witherspoon rode into London to fight Frank Bruno in 1986, looking less than fit. He blamed it on a large consumption of orange juice. Not many believed him. His night ended with his 30-strong security army trying to protect him from a thousand-strong drunken mob enraged … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Tim Witherspoon vs. Frank Bruno →

A Boxing Memory: Nigel Benn vs Gerald McClellan

A Boxing Memory: Nigel Benn vs Gerald McClellan They fought for personal supremacy, pride, a meaningless bauble, one fighter left the ring fighting for his life, the other had endless cold baths in a futile attempt to rid his aching body of the sustained intense pain it felt. And probably a mind haunted forever by … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Nigel Benn vs Gerald McClellan →

A Boxing Memory: Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno

A Boxing Memory: Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno On a freezing cold October morning in Wales, the pre-fight words dropped the temperatures even further. Words like 'You're not a true Brit, and Uncle Tom' filled the air, and lawyers got involved and made some money, probably a lot of it. Make no mistake, this was … Continue reading A Boxing Memory: Lennox Lewis vs Frank Bruno →