Boxing News

A TREMENDOUS weekend of boxing just occurred. The fights, particularly the main events in Dublin and Las Vegas, were of a very high standard and illustrated what happens when two quality, well-matched boxers are pitched against each other. There were plenty of other talking points. Let’s start with the scoring. Now, I was of the belief that Vasiliy Lomachenko did just enough to beat Devin Haney, but it was not a “robbery”. It was close and not an easy one to score. What did strike me, yet again, is that it’s time to re-evaluate the scoring system. Why do we continue to persevere with the 10-point-must system when the only scores ever rendered, in a round that doesn’t include a knockdown, are 10-9 or, rarely, 10-10? Even if someone gets dropped three…

I’LL be completely honest: I never thought we’d be in this position with Chris Billam-Smith boxing Lawrence Okolie – but it’s one we have to grasp with both hands now it’s here. Lawrence has something that Chris wants. How many more fringe world-level fighters can Chris box? Sky want ‘world title’ fights. Look, we’ve got one; we’re going to go and give it our all. If Chris gets the gameplan right, it’s a winnable fight for sure. He’s naturally a tougher man than Lawrence. He’s naturally more brave. Lawrence has “self-preservation” stamped on his forehead. He doesn’t want to go to the well and that’s why he boils himself down from 108kg to 90kg instead of moving to heavyweight. It’s so, he has an advantage. In everything Lawrence does, he always wants…

WELL DONE to Chantelle Cameron for turning in one of the best performances I have seen in women’s boxing, a code I have been following closely since the 2012 Olympics. It was shortly after those Games when I briefly ventured into the sport myself, so inspired was I by what the girls were doing. I trained for several years at a gym on in Birmingham but that was it - training and the odd bit of sparring was enough for me. The point of my letter is to urge Katie Taylor, the greatest female boxer in history in my opinion, to now retire. She has nothing left to prove and I genuinely fear that in the future, she will be showing the effects of a long and painful career. If that were…

1 LAWRENCE OKOLIE VS CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH There is something compelling about the WBO cruiserweight clash between former gym-mates Okolie and Billam-Smith. Throw in the fact it’s taking place in Bournemouth and it is elevated due to its uniqueness. 2 MAURICIO LARA VS LEIGH WOOD We all saw how well Lara and Wood go together back in February and can expect more of the same in Manchester on Saturday. Last time Wood surrendered his WBA featherweight crown in seven rounds, but was doing well in the fight and therefore earned his chance to correct things. Another epic is expected. 3 LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ VS MICHAEL CONLAN After falling just short in his previous featherweight title shot, against Wood in 2022, Belfast’s Conlan gets a second chance at home, this time against Mexico’s Lopez, last seen upsetting…

ALL that Bradley Rone wanted was the 800 bucks. That is all and he needed it for a special reason. Rone had been banned from boxing in Las Vegas, his home. Marc Ratner put the ban in place to try and protect Rone from his bravery and his need. It never worked; Rone went on the heavyweight road. Rone had fought 53 times and won just seven when the call came in on that July day back in 2003. Rone was at home with his girlfriend, Helen Ruffin. He had no choice, he had to take the fight. It was the following night. Ruffin knew that Rone was banned, she also knew that boxing gave him fast money. He needed it. He was known as TC, short for Top Cat and that…

BROADCASTS IT’S getting harder and harder to stay positive about boxing these days. And yes, despite the relentless moaning in this weekly column, I do try to stay as positive about the sport as possible. But on May 13 we had the travesty of the Rolly Ramirez-Ismael Barroso premature stoppage by referee Tony Weeks, and this past Saturday we were subjected to yet more atrocious officiating of a fight. There weren’t many people – besides the three scoring judges – who came away from that bout thinking Devin Haney had beaten Vasily Lomachenko, although the consensus was that it was a tightly fought contest. But judge Dave Moretti, who should have been put out to pasture years ago, scored it 116-112 for the unbeaten American. He scored the 10th round – a…