A very exciting British rivalry

James DeGale

Everybody likes to watch a rivalry unfold, think of classic boxing rivalries such as Muhammad Ali versus Joe Fraizer or Lennox Lewis against Mike Tyson. The passion, hatred and trash-talking are all a great part of it and this will be no different when George Groves takes on James DeGale.

These men are two of the hottest British boxers today and they have been waiting for this fight for some time now. Both men have made a stunning start to their professional careers with a series of well-deserved victories meaning they are both still unbeaten.

DeGale is well known after winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics when representing Great Britain. Groves boasts an impressive amateur record and the plunge into being a professional hasn’t seemed to worry him.

Both men have been touted as future World Champions and it was merely a matter of time before the two collided. I am already very excited for the fight, which takes place at the O2 Arena on May 21. It’s going to be a huge event for British boxing to see two of our best stars battling each other and I think it will bring in even more fans for the sport.

The O2 Arena in London will host the bout

The thing that has been most noticeable so far though is the bitter rivalry between the two fighters. Groves and DeGale were sparring partners for each other in their amateur days but the two have stated they were never friends. Groves actually beat DeGale in an amateur fight, DeGale disputes the decision to this day.

Trash-talking always plays a huge part in boxing but the build up to this one has been unbelievable as the two British stars have been on at each other all the time. It has been great entertainment and has had me in stitches of laughter at times. DeGale has decided to keep calling Groves ‘ugly kid’ while Groves has a more calm approach and just states that he has beaten him before and it will be easy to do it again.

This has to be one of the biggest British rivalries in years and one of the most anticipated fights. The winner will go on to get a bigger title shot so we should see an exhilarating fight. If I was asked who I would pick as the winner, I would be on the side of Groves. Although DeGale has quality, he doesn’t seem to be able to jab properly and his cockiness seems too much. I like Groves as he is laid back and he seems like he means business.

I just hope lots of you tune into this fight because it looks as though it could be a classic. It will also be a great showcase for Brtish boxing and I feel it will interest lots of different people. I am very excited for this fight and you should be too.

Watch this hilarious video of Groves and DeGale on Sky Sports, serious trash-talking.

Fast, exciting and full of knockouts

Sky Sports has a real gem with this hugely exciting series

I set this blog up with the intention of getting people to learn more about British boxing and also for them to start watching it or even competing. If there was ever a more appealing way to do this then this post is it.

When I watch boxing, I like to see two men going hell for leather and putting on a great show. Don’t get me wrong, I love the skill and athletic side to the sport as well but there is nothing like the thrill of seeing two guys going for it, and this is where Prizefighter comes in.

The Prizefighter series is a knock out system boxing tournament aired on Sky Sports every few months or so. Eight fighters compete in 3x3 minute rounds starting with four quarter-finals followed by two semi-finals and then the final. To top it all off this action packed tournament takes place all on one night.

Another great point about it is that the winner gets to take home £32,000, which means there is even more desire and passion shown in the ring. So far there have been 16 tournaments with the most recent just gone by this past week.

The thing I love about it though is the fact that it has a good mixture of fighters, which adds even more excitement to it all. For instance there maybe some amateurs who want to win to kick-start their career, some professionals who are looking to make even more of a name for themselves and even boxers coming out of retirement to put on a thrilling spectacle. The series has well-known competitors so far such as Audley Harrison, Danny Williams and Gavin Rees.

With there only being three rounds this means that the fighters have to go for it straight from the off and there is no holding back. Every edition I have watched of this series has given me the pleasure of seeing some thrilling fights and some brutal knockouts to go with it. I also now look out for fighters I have seen in it when they have other fights because Prizefighter has helped me get to watch them.

I just think it’s a brilliant concept for anyone interested in watching or taking part in boxing. If you are a young boxer and you are working up the ladder then Prizefighter might be an opportunity to make a name for yourself whilst also winning a good sum of money. If you are reading this and you aren’t much of a boxing fan then give it a go because it’s only three rounds and the fighters put on a great show. Lastly, even if you are a big boxing fan and you know a lot about the sport, still give it a watch because it’s a concept like no other and it is built for pure entertainment value.

So guys and girls, I suggest watching some highlights of past Prizefighter events to get a feel of it and then keep your eyes peeled for the next Sky Sports showing because I am sure you will love it.

The battle between ITV and Sky for our British stars

ITV and Sky are battling to obtain British star Amir Khan

If you’re into boxing, you will probably know that the two ways to watch a fight are on ITV or Sky. Well if you didn’t know this, you do now. British boxing is always high in demand to be televised, so I wanted to look at the battle between coverage on ITV and Sky and also what you can expect to see from both channels when the Boxing is on.

ITV first obtained the rights to show British boxing in 1984 under the control of British promoter Frank Warren. This wasn’t very popular and it was axed in 1990. But then came a big period for ITV, they changed their name to ‘The Big Fight Live’ and featured some of the biggest fighters including Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Nassem Hamed. This lasted from 1991-1996 and it was a successful time for boxing on ITV but this is where Sky came into play.

Sky knew how successful ITV had been and also how popular boxing was becoming so they decided to buy the rights to show the biggest fights in 1996. This dominance lasted nine years and ITV rarely showed any fights, only occasionally on ITV 2.

In 2005, ITV won the rights to show one of Britain’s current biggest talents Amir Khan. His fight against Mario Kindelan achieved audience figures of 6.3 Million meaning ITV decided they wanted boxing back again. Frank Warren left Sky and brought his ‘Sport Network Fights’ back to ITV. This resulted in British fighters such as Amir Khan, Joe Calzaghe and Audley Harrison appearing on ITV.

So after that brief historical lesson, you are probably thinking what happened next and where are they now?

Well, Amir Khan has become one of the brightest and most talented British boxers of the current day. So ITV having him on their bill was a huge asset but not anymore. Khan moved to Sky in 2008 and Frank Warren pulled out of ITV. Khan did however come back to ITV in 2010 when he took on Paulie Malignaggi, so it shows that ITV can still draw interest.

ITV boxing is now owned by Hennessy Sports with the majority of the fights being shown on ITV 4. This has never really got going as it shows mostly mediocre fighters which people aren’t interested in.

Meanwhile, Sky has started to move into a new era of boxing with the interest more popular then ever. All of the best British fighters are licensed to Sky including Heavyweight champion David Haye, Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch and Super Featherweight champion Ricky Burns.

Sky looks to be moving forward with fighters such as Ricky Burns

Sky also has it’s own boxing programme every Friday night from 10pm until 12. This is named ‘Friday Fight Night’ and it shows some of the best British talent each week. Also with Sky offering so many big name fights on Box Office it’s fair to say they are in control.

In my eyes, the difference between boxing on ITV and Sky is huge at this moment in time. Sky now has the best fights, fighters and presenters whereas ITV showcases less talent and also the whole production has a cheap look to it.

But as you have already seen, ITV can still bring in people such as Amir Khan and as long as they are still around they will be a threat to Sky. The power has been switching back and forth down the years and I wouldn’t be surprised if it carried on for many years.

For now, if you are looking to watch the best British talent tune into Sky but maybe one day ITV will come good again.

Check out this video which shows how big boxing on Sky has become in the last ten years with lots of British fighters included of course.

The wait is finally over

As you have most probably heard the fight between our very own David Haye and Wladimir Klitschko has been confirmed. They have been calling on each other to make this fight happen for months now and they will square off for the WBA, IBF, and WBO world heavyweight championships.

In my previous post, I explained why Haye needed this fight and I am absolutely delighted it has finally been sealed which is a view shared by most of the British public.

The two have agreed a summer showdown on either the 25th June or 2nd July this year in Germany. It's also good to see in the contract if Wladimir pulls out as he has done on so many occasions, his brother Vitali will step in, so one way or another Haye will be fighting a Klitschko this summer.

As I stated before, I believe Haye will have too much speed for Wladimir and he will win this fight comfortably. Don't get wrong, Klitschko is a great fighter and he has dominated the heavyweight division for many years but Haye is a new breed of fighter with a goal to become the undisputed champion.

This could be Haye's last fight in his glittering career, so I am sure he will want to make a big impact and shut Klitschko up. He has to be careful though as Klitschko will be his toughest task yet and he can't take him lightly.

The mind games have already started with Haye saying he will knock Klitschko out and the Ukrainian responding by saying it's one of his easiest fights.

One thing for sure is that I am amazingly excited for this fight and I hope the rest of Britain share my excitement. So come on David, DO IT FOR BRITAIN!

Why Haye must fight Klitschko

Haye will be looking for more title belts

David Haye is currently the most talked about boxer in Britain. He is the heavyweight champion of the world, a superb athlete and a true gentleman. But, there is one thing that he needs to do before hanging up his gloves and that is fight one if not both of the Klitschko brothers.

Haye has already suggested that he is planning to retire by the end of this year and time looks to be running out in his attempts to take on the Ukrainian brothers. Haye currently holds the WBA heavyweight championship so a showdown with IBF/WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko or WBC champion Vitali Klitschko would give him the chance to unify the titles and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.

It sounds simple, why doesn’t Haye just fight both men and earn his place as one of Britain’s greatest ever fighters? Well you see, it’s not that easy. Haye and both Klitschko’s have been in talks for over two years now and they still haven’t been able to come to an arrangement.

Some say the brothers are scared to fight Haye, while others predict it’s the other way round. It’s also been reported that Klitschko wants a bigger share of the prize money and also he wants to choose the venue for the fight. This has also been argued that Haye wants to promote the fight himself on his terms.

All of these arguments seem very childish and I am sure most of us just want to watch these men fight. Boxing shouldn’t be about the money, it should be about pride and success. One thing I know about David Haye is that he is one of the most passionate and success-fuelled sportsmen out there. The claims about him being worried or having him as a promoter aren’t true in my mind because I know he wants this fight more than anything.

I have watched Haye for many years now and have followed his rise from the cruiserweight division to heavyweight. He is an extraordinary boxer as he isn’t one of the biggest heavyweights but his speed and agility is something that can’t be stopped. He does have arrogance about him but great fighters can be arrogant, just like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather.

The Klitschko’s have been running away in my book. Haye has been calling for these fights for some time and they always have a way out. Haye was set to finally face Wladimir Klitschko this summer in July but once again the Ukrainian decided to pick another fight against average Englishman Derek Chisora.

Haye needs to keep battling to make one of these fights happen, preferably against Wladimir as he is known as the better of the two brothers. This would be a huge event for British Boxing and would also bring a lot of the British public together too support one of our best fighters.

Negotiations with Wladimir Klitschko are back on.

It would also be the perfect way for Haye to finish his career, as the undisputed champion and as a British icon. It would also be fair for fight fans because we have now been waiting far this fight for too long.

The good news is that Haye has recently stated that negotiations with Wladimir Klitschko are back on after the Ukranian pulled out of his fight with Chisora. Hopefully this huge clash will take place this summer and I am confident that Haye will win.

If he does get the victory, he will then have conquered the heavyweight division giving him a place in British Boxing history and surely there can be no better motivation to make this fight happen then that.

Take a look at this video from 2008, where Haye spots Wladimir Klitschko in London, very funny.

Hate to say I told you so

Matthew Hatton sustained a nasty cut during his bout with Alvarez

I was proved right on Saturday night as the undefeated Mexican Saul Alvarez beat Matthew Hatton. This is something I predicted in my previous post and it’s a shame to see a British fighter losing on the big stage.

For those of you who weren’t lucky enough to see it, the fight was won by a unanimous points decision with Alvarez winning every round. It was a total domination and you could tell the difference in the class of the two fighters.

The fight should have never really taken place, Alvarez weighed in much heavier but it still went ahead as Hatton wanted this shot so badly. I do respect his passion to fight for a world title, but this was a lesson to show that he was out-classed and not good enough to be a world champion.

Hopefully now Hatton can pick himself up and get back to basics. Maybe if he puts the hard work in and gets a few more wins under his belt, he may get another shot one day but honestly I just don’t think he has the class.

It’s hard for a guy to be successful when his brother was one of the greatest British boxers around. Matthew is compared to Ricky all the time and people need to realise that they aren’t the same fighters and they don’t have the same quality.

Hatton looks to be punching above his weight

Matthew Hatton in action against Gianluca Branco

Matthew Hatton, brother to fan favourite Ricky has been handed a world title shot when he faces Mexican Saul Alvarez this Saturday night. Both men will be fighting for the vacant WBC light-middleweight title after the belt was vacated by Filipino star Manny Pacquiao.

But, I have to question if this is the right move for the 29-year-old from Manchester. As of yet, Hatton hasn’t really faced anyone with real quality and has moved himself up the rankings with wins against mediocre fighters nearing retirement.

Don’t get me wrong, Hatton has improved a great deal and I have to respect the way he has battled to gain some pride because being the brother of a successful boxer has made it hard to make a name for himself.

He hasn’t lost in eight fights with some impressive victories over seasoned pros such as Ben Tackie, Gianluca Branco and Yuriy Nuzhnenko. This form has taken him to winning the European welterweight title and also moving him up the rankings to being the number 1 welterweight in Britain and 11^th best in the world.

So, yes I do believe he deserves this chance but the outcome could be a very painful and disastrous one. Alvarez is currently one of the hottest prospects in the world of boxing with an outstanding record of 35 wins from his 36 fights with 26 ending by knockout. His only fight that didn’t end in victory was the draw against fellow Mexican Jorge Juarez in 2006 but this was at an early stage of his career.

Oscar De La Hoya’s ‘Golden Boy Promotions’ signed up the 20-year-old and he is considered to be the next great champion from Mexico. Thus far, Alvarez has hardly been challenged in any of his fights and I can’t see Hatton being the first person to do this.

I would love to see Hatton prove me wrong and silence all the doubters as Ricky did when he beat Kostya Tszyu in 2005 but Matthew will need to be working very hard in training if this is to happen. Defence training has to be a must because Alvarez is a sluggish fighter who like’s to come forward and go for the knockout.

Alvaerz will win the fight in the middle rounds as I think his power and speed will just be too much for the Mancunian. It’s a great chance for Matthew to prove us all wrong and show he can do it against the world’s best and I have to respect him for stepping up and taking this fight.

Whatever the outcome of the fight, I am sure Hatton will gain experience and respect from it. Hopefully us Brits go over to California and give him as much support as possible because it’s now time to forget about Ricky Hatton and concentrate on the brother who could shock the world and become a new British icon.



Could you be the next British superstar?

One of the first things I wanted to address in this blog was ways in which people can get involved in boxing. Many see it as cruel and barbaric but I have too argue that it’s a very skilled and well controlled sport.

To get started in boxing, you would have to start out as an amateur and this is a great first step because it’s a form of exercise that brings social, physical and mental well-being.

There could be many reasons why someone would want to start boxing such as gaining confidence and self esteem. Others also enjoy it, as it’s a way to get stronger and overcome situations such as being bullied or being stressed out.

I took up boxing myself when I was younger because it felt like a way of showing people that I did have the motivation and strength to take part in a highly dangerous sport. Since giving it a go, I have never looked back as a person as it helped me with confidence and also made me into a more mature adult.

The best way to start to pursue amateur boxing is to join a club around your local area. You may think there isn’t any clubs around my area but you will be surprised how many you find with a bit of research. The ‘GB Boxing’ website has a superb directory with all the clubs in Great Britain located with contact numbers.

It is worth giving a session a go to try it out and see how you feel about the whole experience. I remember my first session as being very daunting but once the physical side began it felt like something I really wanted to carry on with.

Clubs will help you progress if you want to get to a higher level but this will mean extra training in your own time. Hopefully, more of you young people will start to get into boxing in Britain and we may well see more British World Champions in the near future.