TYSON FURY VS. DILLIAN WHYTE REVIEW: THE GYPSY KING SINKS THE BODY SNATCHER IN THE SIXTH

 

By Peter Silkov

Writer for The Boxing Glove

Wembley Stadium

If Saturday night proves to be the final night of Tyson Fury’s career, then he will have performed yet another rare feat during his tumultuous boxing career, by becoming one of the very few world champions who chose to walk away while they were still ‘king of the hill’. With his sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte before a record-breaking audience of 94,000, Tyson showed that he is not just the best heavyweight in the world, but if anything at almost 34 years of age, still getting better. Tyson dismantled Whyte with the air of a man watering his garden on a Saturday afternoon. Any fears that the three wars with Deontay Wilder may have taken something out of Fury were shown to be unfounded as ‘The Gypsy King’ first out-boxed, then out-punched ‘The Body Snatcher’ before finally knocking him out of the fight altogether with a clinical right uppercut. Fury did all this with ease, which left the impression that he had barely got out of 2nd gear. In the end, it was easier than many had expected it to be. Whyte was always seemingly a step behind, as ‘The Gypsy King’ showed himself to be a league above his challenger.

Dillian Whyte Enters Ring

The bout began cagily with both men weighing each other up, and few meaningful punches being landed. By the end of the round Fury was already landing with his jab and showing a nimbleness of footwork, which underlined the flat-footed nature of his challenger.

Anyone who believed that Whyte would start the fight fast and aggressively was probably surprised by Whyte's demeanor. Fury is usually always a slow starter, and many felt that the challenger's best chance of victory, (perhaps his only chance) was to go after the champion from the start. Yet Whyte started slowly, stalking Fury but without the fire that might have been expected. Another surprise was that Whyte opened the bout boxing as a southpaw, rather than in his usual orthodox stance. This might have been part of a plan to try and unsettle the champion, but if anything, it seemed to confuse Dillian more than anyone else. Whatever plan lay behind Whyte's change in stance was hastily abandoned after the opening round, and he fought the remainder of the match in his usual orthodox manner. This was always going to be a long shot tactic for Whyte, as Fury is one of the very few fighters who can switch with ease from orthodox to southpaw, so he was never very likely to be bothered by Whyte's rather random attempt at boxing southpaw.

Fury was finding his rhythm by the second round while Whyte was already beginning to struggle with the champion’s speed and movement. Tyson’s greatest attribute has always been not so much his size but the speed and dexterity which he has for a man of his size. Add that to his ring IQ and fitness, which belies his fleshy exterior, and you have a clue to Fury’s success.

It was becoming clear that this was a much sharper and better conditioned ‘Gypsy King’ than we saw against Wilder last October. Weighing in 13 pounds lighter at 264 pounds, Fury’s reflexes and footwork was clearly improved. Fury was displaying the boxing skills that he largely abandoned last October against Wilder, when under trained and ring rusty, he had to resort to going toe-to-toe to win their 3rd and final war.

Fury was pot-shotting Whyte with jabs and the occasional right hand, landing then stepping out of range. As the fight progressed, he was putting more and more weight into his punches.

By the third round, Fury was already beginning to slowly dominate. He was subtly chipping away at Whyte with his left, at times tantalizing his challenger by switching stances that seemed to wrong-foot and befuddle Whyte even more. Always a rather flat-footed fighter, Fury’s nimbleness was making Dillian seem pedestrian and clumsy.

Whyte was already breathing heavily by the 4th stanza and showed some signs of growing frustration as he attempted to drag Fury into a mauling brawl. There were some ugly clinches and wrestling, as the referee seemed to struggle to retain control of the fighters. One such mauling clinch ended with a head butt from Whyte, which ironically resulted in a cut above his right eye.

Fury stepped the pace up in the 5th and some blows visibly hurt Whyte. As well as regularly spearing his challenger with a damaging straight left, Fury was also hurting Whyte with rights to the body. When he returned to his corner at the end of the round, Fury seemed to say to his cornermen ‘Next round’.

The conclusion came near the end of what had been a fairly quiet round. Fury patiently looked for his opening while he jabbed with his left, and Whyte was seemingly out of ideas and constantly tried to hold and maul the champion. When the opening came Fury took it with deadly precision. The end came via a peach of a right uppercut, which deposited Whyte flat on his back. Fury’s hand speed, accuracy, and underrated ability on the inside all came to play into the dramatic finish of this match.

To his credit, Whyte beat the count and tried to convince the referee that he was ok to continue. However, his wobbly and uncoordinated body betrayed the fact that his brain was no longer in charge of his faculties, and the referee’s decision to stop the fight was probably his best action of the night.

It was a brilliant performance by Tyson, who ended the fight unmarked and had barely taken a serious punch. He had outclassed ‘The Body Snatcher’ and underlined his standing in the heavyweight division. Tyson stands head and shoulders over the rest of the division, not just physically, but in all areas which make up a top pugilist.

If anything, judging by this performance, at 34 years of age, Tyson is still improving. After a career plagued by inactivity, (which was usually down to outside issues out of his control) Tyson was finally able to give us a glimpse of what he can do when he is fully trained, healthy, and not coming off a long layoff. Despite the wars with Wilder, Tyson seems to still have a lot left in the tank and a lot more to show if he faces a challenger capable of pushing him more than Dillian Whyte did Saturday night. Should he walk away now while still at his peak? It is a question, which only Tyson Fury himself should decide. Retirement has always been the biggest challenge for most fighters, especially when they are at or near the top of the tree.

Team Fury Celebrating

If he does walk away now, Tyson Fury would be in rare company. Only one other world heavyweight champion has ever retired undefeated while champion and stayed retired, and that was the legendary Rocky Marciano.

Ironically, Britain’s last outstanding world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was also one of the very few to walk away while still world champion, but he was not undefeated, like the ‘Gypsy King’.

On one hand, it would be nice to see Fury face the winner of Usyk vs Joshua, ‘The Gypsy King’ brings an atmosphere and excitement to boxing that no one else can match at the moment, certainly in the heavyweight division. If this was Fury’s final boxing match, then he will most definitely be missed. Yet in a way, it would be fitting for Fury to once more mark himself out from the crowd and walk away from boxing despite the riches he can still make from it. A match with either Usyk or Joshua could earn Fury as much as 100 million pounds. But Fury gives the impression that he is tired of dealing with the constant petty politics that comes with dealing with Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn.

While Tyson was brilliant, when looking at Dillian Whyte’s performance, one does have to wonder whether all the preflight shenanigans, such as Whyte refusing to take part in the fight promotional press conferences and the long-running row regarding the cut of his purse, ended up hurting Dillian rather than Fury. ‘The Body Snatcher’ never seemed as fired up, as you would expect for someone finally getting the chance to fight for the world heavyweight championship. Even on his ring entrance, the challenger seemed strangely subdued and almost drained. One also has to question the tactics that Whyte used during the fight. It seemed Dillian's best chance of victory was to try and land one of his big shots. Yet too often he was trying to box with Tyson rather than drag him into a toe-to-toe war. In the end, Whyte seemed to find Tyson too strong as well as too fast and skillful.

Ultimately Whyte did not look like a challenger who believed that he could win. Something which was betrayed by his pre-fight behavior.

As the dust settles on Saturday night it seems that Dillian Whyte is attempting to excuse his defeat with some bizarre claims, the like of which even Deontay Wilder would have been embarrassed to attempt. In the end, it seems that the hapless Whyte (after receiving a career-high purse for a world title fight that he didn’t deserve) is unable to even be a graceful loser.

Fury has done more than enough in and out of the ring to deserve a long and happy retirement. He has battled back from mental health and substance abuse issues which put him in such a state that many found it laughable when he announced his comeback. Incredibly, what a comeback it has been, despite those who still doubted him (including right up to Saturday’s fight!). Tyson has fought back from being a mental and physical wreck to undoubtedly the number one heavyweight in the world and the best heavyweight of his generation. A victory over either Usyk or Joshua would mean little now in the grand scheme of things. Neither man seems to be a true threat to Fury.

Fury has many other opportunities away from boxing, whether it is as an actor, trainer, or even a promoter. It would be sad to see him make the mistake of so many others by staying too long. There will always be more challengers and fights to take. In the end, too many great fighters find themselves ground down by it all until they are beaten and defeated.

Carry on being different Tyson and walk away now.

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On This Day: Remembering Nipper Pat Daly

By Peter Silkov

Nipper Pat Daly was one of Britain’s greatest ever prodigy, after beginning his boxing career when he was just ten years old. He only fought for 7 years, but in that time, became a sensation in London. At the age of just 16, he was rated in the world's top-ten by “The Ring” magazine, yet by the time he was 18, he had retired, burnt out while still a teenager.

Born ,Patrick Clifford Daley, on February 17, 1913, in Abercrave, Wales, Daley moved with his family to London when he was 5 years old, and he started training at the gym of ‘Professor’ Andrew Newton. Daly showed such an extraordinary talent for boxing, and developed so quickly, that Newton had him turn professional one month before his 10^th birthday.

Daly soon became a sensation with the fans. He had superlative boxing skills, a sharp, and lightning fast left. and could box on the outside while also being adept at infighting. As he went through opposition at an astonishing rate he was soon being matched in 15 rounders against championship level fighters.

Beginning his career at flyweight, Daly was soon moving up in weight, and his battles with the scales would prove to he part of his undoing.

During his career, Daly fought fighters such as Johnny Summers, Tommy Brown, Young Siki, Dod Oldfield, George Garrard, Arthur Boddington, Nicolas Petit-Biquet, Arthur Young Adkins, Packy Mcfarland, Dick Corbett, Kid Socks, Alf Kid Pattenden. Billy Cain, Karl Schulze, Johnny Edmunds, Auguste Gyde, Seaman Tommy Watson, and Nobby Baker.

Daly was so good that there were calls for him to fight for the British title, yet the BBBC had strict rules about anyone under 21 being able to fight for a British championship.

At the age of 16, Daly, by now fighting as a featherweight, was offered a world title fight against Battle Battalino, but Newton would not allow him to go to America, possibly for fear that he would lose him to some powerful American promoters.

Photo: London Ex-Boxers Association

On April 20, 1833, Daly fought Seaman Tommy Watson, and weakened by weight-making was stopped in the 11^th round, after leading the fight early on. Daly suffered a severe concussion, and although he continue boxing for a while, under a different promoter, Daly decided to retire.

Nipper Pat Daly had his last professional fight on a January 27, against Harry Jenkins, who he beat on a 4^th round stoppage. Daly retired with a final record of (99-11-8, 26Koes).

Nipper Pat Daly had his last professional fight on a January 27, against Harry Jenkins, who he beat on a 4^th round stoppage. Daly retired with a final record of (99-11-8, 26Koes).

In his later years, Daly owned his own gym, trained amateurs and some professionals boxers, and ran an Irish dance hall. He died on September 25, 1988, aged 75.

Photo: London Ex-boxers Association: (Nipper Daly, unknown boxer, Arthur Norton)

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Boxing Bonanza at the O2 Arena in London Saturday Night

By Peter Silkov

On Saturday, London will host a boxing bonanza at London’s O2 ARENA. Top of the bill is the heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua (14-0) and Dillian Whyte (16-0) for the British, Commonwealth, and WBC International Heavyweight titles. Both men are unbeaten, and this fight contains some personal history, as the two men fought twice back in their amateur days, with Whyte winning both. There seems to be plenty of needle between the two heavyweights, and this is a genuinely intriguing heavyweight showdown.  Beyond the hype, when both men are compared against each other, there looks to be only one winner, and that is Anthony Joshua. In a career that has yet to see him have to go past the 3rd round, Joshua still has a long way to go and many questions to answer, but there is little doubt that he is a world class fighter with considerable punching power.

Photo: mirror.uk.com

Whyte on the other hand, while being a good fighter, has the look of being a level below that of Joshua. Everyone knows that anything can happen in heavyweight boxing, it only takes one mistake and one punch, when the fighters are so big. This is certainly Joshua’s most dangerous opponent yet, and it will be interesting to see what might happen if Whyte connects with a solid punch to Joshua’s rather untested chin.  Barring any mishaps, Joshua should ease his way past Whyte, with a knockout win in the first 5 rounds.

Also on the bill Saturday night is the WBA world middleweight championship eliminator between Chris Eubank Jr (20-1) and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan (22-1).  This is another grudge fight, with both men seeming to truly dislike each other. The ironic thing about this fight, as in the Joshua vs. Whyte fight, is that it doesn’t need a feud and a build up of animosity to make this match up interesting.  Both Eubank Jr. and O’ Sullivan have the kind of extrovert personalities and fighting styles that could make this clash one of the most entertaining fights of the year.  Again, it is a question of levels. Eubank Jr. seems to have the superior skills, and during his most recent contests, he has shown some breathtaking skills.  Eubank’s Achilles heel seems to be his lack of experience and a complex personality. While coming across as supremely confident, Eubank Jr. seemed to freeze for the first 5 rounds of his fight with Billy Joe Saunders, before ‘waking up’ in the 6th round, and taking over the fight to such an extent that many thought him unlucky not to get the decision against Saunders.  Eubank Jr. has come back with two wins since his only career defeat, and positive changes seem to have been made in his corner since the Saunders’ fight, most notably his Father’s role in the corner during a contest.  Against Dmitry Chudinov in February, Eubank Jr. was especially impressive, showing a mix of sublime boxing skill and vicious offense. There was also that impressive hand speed. On the minus side, Eubank Jr. also showed a tendency to a porous defence, and gives the impression of taking his opponents too lightly at times. Yet, there is no doubt that Eubank Jr. has the raw talent that could one day find him emulating his father and winning a world title, if he is guided properly and learns how to put it all together in the ring. So far, we have flashes of what might be in Eubank Jr.

Photo: Irish Post

The most intriguing thing about his match with O’Sullivan is that, this is the type of fight when we could see Eubank Jr. put everything together for the first time in the ring, and really show the kind of fighter that he can become. O’ Sullivan is a talented fighter in his own right, but does not have the depth of talent that Eubank Jr. has shown. Also, O’Sullivan’s aggressive style is suited to Eubank Jr.’s counter-punching skills. The biggest danger for Eubank Jr. in this contest is that he becomes too confident and allows himself to be drawn into a toe-to-toe encounter, rather than using his boxing skills to pick apart O’Sullivan. This could be a fiery contest with some good toe-to-toe action, but it will be Eubank Jr’s extra speed and boxing skills, which will be the difference. These should take him to a point’s victory over Sullivan, after a clash that may well be the fight of the night.

Photo: WBAnews

Kevin Mitchell (39-3) takes on Ismael Barroso (18-0-2) for the Interim WBA World Lightweight championship. Britains are having a golden time at 135 pounds at the moment and a win in this fight will put Mitchell in the mix for a string of big domestic showdowns against the likes of Terry Falagan, Luke Campbell, Anthony Crolla, Derry Mathews, and Ricky Burns.  This is a fight where Mitchell cannot afford any slip-ups. In his last contest seven months ago, Mitchell lost in a WBC world lightweight title challenge to Jorge Linares, after a brave performance that had seen him take an early lead, before Linares caught up with him and stopped him in the 10th round.  Barroso is an unknown quantity from Venezuela, who is unbeaten in a career that goes back to 2005. His 17 knockout wins indicate that he is the kind of fighter that Mitchell does not want to underestimate. Mitchell should have the skills and experience to handle Barroso, and put himself in line for another world title shot.

Tony Bellew (25-2-1) takes on Mateusz Masternak (36-3) for the vacant European Cruiserweight title, in what looks like being another interesting fight.  For Bellew this is a chance to work his way towards a possible world title shot at cruiserweight, after having failed to win a world title at light heavyweight.  However, Masternak is a tough opponent, and looks set to give Bellew his most challenging test since his move up to the cruiserweight division.

sky sports

Luke Campbell takes on Yvan Mendy for the WBC International Lightweight championship, in what is another step for Campbell towards an inevitable world title fight. Also on the undercard, will be Dereck Chisora, who is still rebuilding after his one sided defeat to Tyson Fury in November of last year. Chisora’s opponent has yet to be announced, but will not be anyone too dangerous as the possibility of a match up between Chisora and the winner of Joshua vs Whyte, is obviously something that promoter Eddie Hearn is looking towards.

All in all, it looks to be an exciting night of boxing, its just a real shame that promoter Eddie Hearn and Sky have decided to put this promotion on Sky Box Office, therefore limiting the fans access to one of the most attractive promotions of the year. You’d think that both Sky and Hearn were already getting enough from there shows so as not to need to dig even more money out of the viewer by using Sky Box Office. Apparently, there is no end to the thirst for new revenue, even if it’s at the long term cost of the sport itself. 

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes towww.theboxingglove.com

Mark Prince Punches to Promote Peace On Our Streets

By Peter Silkov
From London

York Hall, in Bethnal Green, hosted a lively night of boxing Friday, October 23, which was headlined by Mark Prince (23-1, 18koes), who has become British boxing’s Peter Pan, by making a successful comeback to the ring in his mid-40s. This was Prince’s 4th comeback fight since he first returned to the ring on October 4, 2013, at the age of 44, following a lay off from the ring of almost 14 years. The reasons behind Marks comeback are different from those of most fighters who return to the ring after a long absence. Mark is not fighting again to chase glory or a big payday, the motivation behind his return is to bring attention to The Kiyan Prince Foundation, which he set up in memory of his son, Kiyan Prince.

Kiyan was a promising young footballer who had been signed by Queens Park Rangers, but his life, and all the promise that it held, was cruelly snuffed out in 2006, when he was stabbed to death outside of his North London School. In response to his son’s death, Mark set up The Kiyan Prince Foundation to bring awareness and education to the community about the increased level of knife crime upon our streets. Each month brings fresh stories of youths being fatally stabbed, often in broad daylight in front of numerous witnesses. There are many incidences of severe injuries that never get reported. The source of this self-destructive violence amongst our youth can be found in the exploding gang culture, especially in London, and the general feelings of isolation, and alienation, amongst those within this gang culture. When there is a generation growing up with the belief that they have nothing to lose, then you have a recipe for social conflict and violence.

With the backing of the Kiyan Prince Foundation, Mark tours schools, prisons, and community centers giving talks that are designed to steer troubled youth away from crime, and educate about the devastating repercussions of knife crime for all involved.  The foundation is especially geared to try and motivate young people away from the gang culture and show them that there are other avenues and possibilities open for them in life. Mark himself came from a troubled background, until he found boxing in his early 20s and turned his life around. His ‘first’ boxing career saw him beaten just once in 20 contests, and that defeat was in a brave challenge for the WBO world light-heavyweight championship held by the very formidable Dariusz Michalczewski. In the fight, Prince was competitive right up until when he was stopped in the 8th round. Mark would have just one more fight, a 1st round victory over a year later against Kevin Mitchell in November 1999, before a severe knee injury put him into a premature retirement. 

It would be 14 years before he would fight again, motivated by the desire to bring about change with the Kiyan Prince Foundation.

Last night, Mark, who at 14 stone is a cruiserweight, gave away over a stone to a genuine heavyweight, Mathew Ellis(20-12-2, 9koes), who stepped in as a late replacement after Prince’s original opponent failed to catch his flight.

The fight itself was brief, but explosive. At 46 years of age, Prince looks as fit as he was 20 years ago, fitter than many fighters much younger than him were. The only telltale sign of his age, or perhaps his past knee injury, is his flat-footed movement around the ring. Even though he is not fleet-footed, Mark is an expert in cutting off the ring against his opponents. He has also seemingly lost none of his punching power, and with his flat-footed stance, puts an impressive amount of power behind almost every punch. With his punching power and a sound technique, it is not hard to see how Prince rose to a world title challenge in his first boxing incarnation.

Last night his power was just too much for Wayne Ellis. After a minute of both men sizing each other up with some preliminary jabs, Prince started to put the pressure onto Ellis, driving him into the ropes with a series of shots, then putting him down with a right to the body, followed by a right to the head. Ellis beat the count, but the writing was on the wall for him. Prince was on him again quickly, and two lefts to the head had him falling again to his knees, where he stayed as the referee counted him out. It was an impressive performance by Prince, despite the fact that Ellis, a one-time heavyweight prospect, has long slipped into the status of a journeyman, and came in as a last minute substitute. Yet, you can only beat who is put in front of you, and since his comeback, Mark has stopped 3 of his 4 opponents, to take his record up to 23-1 with 17 wins by knockout. Mark’s victory came in front of a packed house at Bethnal Green York Hall, and the crowd was very vocally appreciative of his performance.  After his win, Prince took the microphone and spoke to the crowd, and it was easy to see why he is such a respected, successful campaigner, and speaker against the culture of violence that is taking over our streets.

However, Mark’s comeback has not been welcomed in every quarter. The British Boxing Board of Control, the country’s governing body, which has controlled British boxing for over 100 years, has declined to license Prince, stating that it is ‘in his best interests not to box again.’ This has led to him making his comeback under the banner of the fledgling Malta Boxing Commission, which was sanctioning yesterday’s show and all the fighters on it. The MBC is currently embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with the BBBC over the right to stage boxing promotions in England, in a case that could eventually see an end to the BBBC’s monopoly over British boxing.

It is undeniable that the BBBC is one of the most respected boxing boards in the world and that their safety record is largely impressive. However, given his performances in his comeback, and his impressive level of fitness, it does seem to be something of a puzzle as to why the BBBC continues to refuse to allow Prince a license under their banner. At 46 years old, the obvious obstacle for Mark is his age. Yet, age itself should not be a deciding matter, especially considering that Mark is in visibly better condition than many other fighters who are licensed by the BBBC are.  There is little doubt that if he was to be licensed by the BBBC, Prince would have a much bigger platform from which to gain further support for the Kiyran Prince Foundation. The skeptical amongst us may wonder whether this might not be one of the reasons behind the BBBC ‘s lack of support for Prince, perhaps he is seen in some quarters as being a bit too political. Certainly it is a strange situation, with the sports main governing body in this country keeping their backs firmly turned against a man who given support, could be such a hugely positive role model and ambassador for main stream British boxing. 

Certainly Saturday night’s crowd at the York Hall had no such doubts about Mark Prince and the message he is trying to spread.  Unless there is a reason, other than his age, why Mark Prince should not be licensed, then Mark has more than proved himself deserving of a chance to compete on British boxing’s main stage, rather than being limited to fighting for the MBC. Despite its best intentions, the MBC still has a limited pool of fighters and a much lower profile in British boxing. Mark Prince deserves to be embraced at the highest level of British boxing. It’s frustrating that a sport that often seems to have no problem with promoting negative and divisive role models seems to be hesitant to promote such a positive role model.

Whatever happens with the BBBC, Mark Prince has vowed to continue fighting in the ring, and promoting the foundation made in his son’s name. The more he continues win, the harder it will be for the BBBC to legitimately continue to ignore him.

The main event was supported by 6 undercard contests. Most notable of these was the return of Michael Alldis (25-8, 15koes).  Alldis is a former British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion, and was having his first competitive contest in over 13 years, and at the age of 47.  Such statistics may sound daunting, but fighting at lightweight, Alldis entered the ring looking as if, like Mark Prince, he has turned back the clock, and regained the fitness of his boxing youth. Michael’s opponent, Dinars Skripkins (2-6) was willing, yet from the start, Alldis looked remarkably sharp, considering his age and absence from the ring, took control with a sharp jab and strong body shots.  Skripkins was floored in the 2nd round with a body shot, then took the full count in the 3rd round after taking another sharp shot to the body. While his opponent was limited, it was still an impressive display by Alldis.

The other fights of the night were:

At super middleweight, Manzo Smith (6-2) out-pointed Andrejs Loginov (16-41-1, 9koes) over 4 rounds. Smith stalked Loginov throughout, and was too busy and strong for his opponent, yet, Loginov showed heart by continually fighting back every time it looked as if he might be overwhelmed, and in the end lasting the distance.

Cruiserweight Daniel Mendes (2-0, 1ko) also had to be content with a 4 rounds point’s decision win in his fight with Jody Meikle (10-56-3, 2koes.)  Meikle was out-gunned from the start by the powerful looking Mendes, who is a heavy-punching southpaw.  However, Meikle showed lots of grit and put his extra experience to use as Mendes looked to load up with the big punches. It looked as if Mendes would get his knockout victory in the 4th and final round, when he dropped Meikle by the ropes with a heavy uppercut.  Yet Meikle bravely beat the count and held, moved and fiddled his way through to the end of the fight.

Lightweights Jak Johnson, who was making his debut, and Danny Costello (5-2-1, 1ko) boxed a lively 4 rounds, with both showing solid boxing ability, but Costello being the busier, came away with the points win.

Middleweight Adam Taylor made his debut against Arturs lljins (1-1) and it quickly turned into a nightmare. Taylor looking, it must be said, in less than top condition, against an opponent who looked considerably younger and fitter than him, was in trouble almost from the start of the 1st round, as lljins jumped on him with a wild combination to the body and head. Taylor fell to the canvas under this assault, but beat the count, only to be hurt again as soon as the action resumed. Taylor was soon down again by shot to the head, and while he beat the count, this time he indicated to the referee that he could not continue and the fight was ended.
   
In all, it was a lively and entertaining night of boxing, and the packed crowd showed why the York Hall is one of the most popular and atmospheric boxing halls in the world. For all their quarreling, the MBC and BBBC would do well to stop lining the pockets of lawyers, and recognize that the best way forward for boxing in this country will be if they could learn to operate side by side, rather than in opposite corners.  Whether this can ever really happen in a sport, such as boxing, so riven by inner politics, is another question altogether.  

If you would like to volunteer, donate, or learn more about the Kiyan Prince Foundation, click here:
http://www.kiyan.org/

Or follow Mark on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKPF

Copyright © 2015 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com

Carl Froch vs. George Groves Part 2: The Cobra Bites Back

By Peter Silkov

Carl Froch (33-2, 24koes) retained his WBA and IBF World super-middleweight titles against challenger George Groves (19-2, 15koes) for the second time last night, May 31.  Victory came with a spectacular and conclusive finish that left no room for doubt, or debate, unlike the controversial finish to their first match last year. 

Fighting in front of a post WW2 record-breaking crowd of 80,000, at London’s Wembley Stadium, Froch produced the kind of performance, which the great champions are able to pull out when the chips are down, and the odds seem to be stacked against them.  After being written off by many in the run up to this rematch, with everything from his age, technical deficiencies,  to his trainer, being analysed in a negative light, ’The Cobra’ struck back last night to prove all his doubters wrong, and underline once and for all what an outstanding fighter he truly is.

Britain may have produced cleverer, faster, and more athletically gifted boxers than Froch in the past, but there have been few fighters from this country who have been better warriors than ’The Cobra’, in the post WW2 years. Carl Froch has a toughness and warrior mentality that renders things, like superior speed and technique, obsolete.  

 Both fighters entered the ring to the kind of fanfare that seems to be almost obligatory at big occasions such as this.  While Froch’s entrance seemed well balanced, the challenger Groves journey to the ring, (which included an old-fashioned double decker London bus) seemed to be over long, and possibly draining. There had been some talk in the run up to Saturday’s match that Groves, acting as his own manager and promoter, was spreading himself too thin. Today, only Groves will know the answer as to whether all the meetings and public appearances had any bearing upon his performance last night, but one thing for certain is that Froch prepared for this fight with a monkish focus and dedication, and the result of this was clear in his performance on the night. Whereas, Froch fought the first fight against Groves with the harassed and frantic air of a desperate man, last night, he had a focus and a serenity, which never totally left him, even during the challenger’s best moments of the night.

The fight began accompanied by the roar of 80,000 fans; a sound that few modern day fighters will ever experience.  If the fans were anticipating a 1st round explosion, similar to that seen in the first clash between these two men, then they were in for a disappointment, as each boxer started out cautiously, circling each other, and working behind the jab. Groves had stated in the run up to this fight that he would win the rematch by a 3rd round knockout, but he started much more cautiously than he had last November, concentrating on landing his spearing left jab, and barely throwing the right hand, which had Froch down in the 1st round of their first fight. Meanwhile, Froch was cautious, yet, already noticeably sharper than he had been in the previous meeting, and crucially this time, instead of blindly going after the challenger from the start, ’The Cobra’ was working his own jab. Yet, Groves still edged the opening round as his own jabs landed quicker and cleaner than the champion’s did.

As the second round began to unfold, it became clear that this rematch was following the pattern of many such rematches of the past, where, despite all of the well-publicized dislike between the two fighters, both men were taking into the ring a healthy amount of respect for the others fighting prowess, and boxing a cautious, technical fight.  At one point, a clinch resulted in an exchange of rabbit punches, before Groves was forcibly pushed to the floor by the champion. Froch was warned by the referee, Charlie Fitch, but had shown his challenger that he is going to be the boss in the ring this time. It is an almost insignificant incident, but at the start of a contest of intense physicality, such incidences can prove important.

The action continued and Froch’s jab was already working far better than at anytime during the pairs first encounter.  Groves, still edging the round with his own left-hand, which was faster and more frequent, but Froch, his chin tucked into his chest, and his right hand up as a guard, rides and blocks a good many of Groves punches. Groves sealed the round by landing a good left hook near the round’s end, but this was developing into a technical joust for the purist, rather than the kind of barnburner that many were hoping to see.

The 3rd round unfolds in much the same way as the first two stanza’s, with both men fencing with their jabs, and daring the other to make the first move, which could be turned into a mistake. The crowd at this point began to boo, indicating that like many such crowds, it was made up more of people looking for a night’s entertainment, rather than a night of good boxing. As if in reply to the audience’s displeasure, Froch, always the crowd-pleaser, though too often unappreciated, launched forward, and landed a left-right combination upon Groves, who replied with punches of his own.  It is the first real explosion of the fight and the audience, in all their fickleness, responded with a roar.  Both men go back to their jabs, and Froch’s left is visibly upsetting the rhythm of his challenger, while Groves’ jab has reddened ‘The Cobra‘s generous nose.  There was no sign of Groves even attempting to fulfil his pre-fight prediction of a 3rd round knockout, and although he might have won his third round in a row, he is edging the opening rounds, rather than dominating them, and this is not the ideal strategy against a slow starter such as Froch. 

After all of the talk about Groves needing to pace himself for 12 rounds and box, rather than brawl this time round, the challenger had perhaps held back too much in these opening rounds and allowed Froch to fight at his own pace and work himself into the match.     

    

Froch was visibly more relaxed in the 4th round, as if conscious that the fight is following a different pattern to the one last November, a pattern that is favouring him.  Groves was not putting enough pressure onto the champion, and in this round begins to find himself under more pressure himself as ’The Cobra’ begins to dominate the centre of the ring, and is out-jabbing his challenger for much of the round. Groves skirts the outside of the ring pot-shotting, while there was a better flow about the champion’s work.  Groves returned to his corner at the end of the round with a look of frustration about him.

Groves started the 5th round with two stabbing lefts, which fail to land clearly. Froch landed a good right hand and a left hook, which drove Groves into a corner, where he landed some punches to Groves’s body, before the challenger fought his way out. Groves retaliated with punches of his own, but took a combination to the body and the action heats up.  Both men exchange right hands towards the end of the round, but it is Froch who has held his ground in the centre of the ring, while Groves was forced to maneuver around him. 

In the 6th round, Froch seemed to taking control of the match. Starting the round fast, he drove his challenger into the ropes with a left-right to the head, then switches to the body.  Moving back into the middle of the ring, the two exchanged jabs, with both falling a little short of the target. The last forty seconds of the round found Groves driven onto the ropes twice by Froch attacks, as the champion finished the round on the front foot.  

The challenger came out for the 7th round with more

purpose, landing a good jab and then, moments later, a straight left that drove Froch back onto his heels. The champion looked momentarily shaken as Groves threw the left hand now with more venom, catching Froch flush.  Another left, later in the round, provoked Froch to drive his challenger into the ropes, where he unleashed a two-fisted attack upon Groves’ body, but it is the challenger’s round, just at the point where it looked as if Froch was in command of the fight.

Groves tried to carry over his good work of the previous round in the 8th, as he was noticeably more aggressive and continued to fire his jabs with increased intent. Froch looked a little ragged, as Groves tagged him with jabs, and the occasional right hand.  However, the champion stood his ground, while at the same time, not retaliating recklessly. Groves looked more and more confident as the round progressed, as Froch continued to march forward, taking shots, but landing some good body shots of his own.  Most crucially perhaps, Froch was still keeping the centre of the ring. 

With thirty seconds left in the round, as Groves is maneuvered into the ropes, Froch threw a right hand over a Groves’ left hook, and connected to the side of the challenger’s jaw.  It was as potent a single punch as you will ever see, and Groves was out before he landed flat on his back upon the canvas, with his left leg twisted grotesquely underneath him.  Referee Charlie Fitch, who proved to be a good pick for the third man in the ring, waved the fight off without a count. Somehow, Groves, his fighting instincts impressively strong until the last, dragged himself upright, but only to fall onto the referee, then stagger into his own corner, where he collapsed into the arms of his trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick. It was all over for the challenger.

Meanwhile, Froch was being held aloft by his brother and acclaimed by the crowd, his destiny fulfilled, and his legacy as one of Britain’s greatest modern day boxers assured. It was the kind of explosive ending, that would satisfy any crowd of 80,000, and there were no controversies or doubts left this time.

After the fight, both boxers proved that despite their much-publicized acrimony, each retains the class of true sportsmanship. There were no excuses from George Groves, and Froch praised his challenger, while citing his victory as the greatest of his career.

With the challenge of George Groves behind him, Carl Froch can pick his own path from here.  Although another domestic challenge, in the shape of James Degale, seems to be looming, ’The Cobra’ may choose to travel to America and Las Vegas, to end his career in a multimillion dollar showdown with someone such as Andre Ward, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., or perhaps Gennady Golovkin.

For George Groves, last nights defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow, especially in light of the pre-fight talk and predictions, which seemed to be as much as a burden to him in the rematch, as they were a help in the first fight.  Defeats such as these usually prove to be either the making or the breaking of a young fighter. Groves certainly has the talent to move on from here, but may have to learn some hard lessons from this defeat if he is to fulfil his potential in the future.

The night belonged to ’The Cobra’ who showed a crowd of 80,000 (and millions more on TV) what it takes to be a true champion.    

Copyright © 2014 The Boxing Glove, Inc. Peter Silkov Art. All Rights Reserved. Peter Silkov contributes to www.theboxingglove.com and www.theboxingtribune.com