may2011 edition
DESCRIPTION
May's free boxing magazineTRANSCRIPT
Guest writers wanted
If you are looking for a new
way to get your wri�ng no-
�ced, this online magazine
maybe just what your looking
for. Its completely free and
will be read by boxing fans
world wide.
Submit your ar�cles for considera�on to:
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Writers Contacts
2
Editorial When I think of the various advantages and disadvantages of an E-
magazine over a printed magazine, it is hard to see the upside of print.
Ok so you cant fold this under your arm and take it to the toilet for 15
minutes, but as long as your have your pc, laptop, Ipad or smart phone ,you
have your boxing mag.
This month we have some big fights to break down.
The spot light returns to the Heavyweight division for the first �me in nearly
ten years as David Haye takes on Wladimir Klitschko. Carl Froch has another
Super Six toughie and will Mosley get through 12 rounds with the formidable
Manny Pacquiao. We are also turning our a3en�on to the 2012 Olympics.
There is so much going on in boxing over the summer I could have easily pro-
duced another 10 pages.
If you want to give any feedback to me or any of the writers send them to:
You can also find us on twi3er and facebook.
Enjoy
Jamie Hooper
Editor
Welcome MAY 2011
3
4
CONTENTS MAY 2011
6
18
24
28
Previews
11
15 Coaches Corner - Left Hook
22 Gamboa/Donaire boxing new elite
30 GB boxing– Build up to 2012
34 Historical Article - Marcel Cerdan
Haye - Klitschko : Writer Prediction Will Haye get his first Klitschko scalp ?
DeGale-Groves
Pacquiao-Mosely
Hopkins-Pascal
Froch-Johnson
5
DeGale vs Groves
BritishBritishBritishBritish BoBoBoBoxing'sxing'sxing'sxing's
Shot Shot Shot Shot at Redemptionat Redemptionat Redemptionat Redemption By Daz Pearce
6
Who feels let down by the farce that
was Haye vs Harison let November?
More than anything, who was le9
with the impression that their stated
'rivalry' and 'broken friendship' was
talk between two mates to sell �ckets
and earn each other a huge payday?
It's more than possible that this thesis
may be correct, but I'd urge anyone
of that persuasion not to turn their
back on Bri�sh boxing in this regard
and give it one last opportunity. On
21st
May we see two fighters with
enormous poten�al ge<ng it on at an
unexpectedly early point in their ca-
reers. Moreover, this is a real rivalry
based on real dislike and verifiable
history. Promoters may indeed be
using it to sell �ckets, but there is no
doubt that this �me they have a right
to.
Their rivalry goes back to an amateur
fight in which Groves edged out
DeGale en route to an ABA �tle. Now
analysis of boxing matches is subjec-
�ve, but I saw a close and compe��ve
fight in which Groves did enough to
get the nod. Many saw a one-sided
bashing up while there are s�ll a few
out there who believe DeGale nicked
it. Such is the wide range of interpre-
ta�ons of contests that the result
o9en brings anything other than final-
ity. Groves claims that his beaten op-
ponent refused to subsequently
shake hands with him and that the
move to the Bri�sh Olympic scene did
DeGale a massive favour as it got
Groves out of sight and out of mind.
Even a9er a superb performance in
Bejing to take the gold medal with
some silky, accurate boxing, DeGale
was described by some as “the best
fighter at the Olympics and the se-
cond best in his own gym”. For his
own part, DeGale, seen by many as a
'cocky' fighter, cannot help but resort
to personal abuse when Groves'
name is men�oned, revealing a
frayed nerve every �me he spouts the
words “ugly kid” to describe his rival
(for what it's worth, I've long held the
view that 5% of the popula�on are
univerally a3rac�ve, 5% are univer-
sally repulsive and the rest of us make
up the other 90% where it's all a sub-
jec�ve thing. Both Groves and DeGale
would appear to be in the 90%, but
maybe as a man I'm not best placed
to judge.)
Cosme�cs aside, it would be a wild
stretch of the imagina�on to describe
these two as friends, and the parallels
with Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank on-
ly serve to add extra spice to the con-
test. When two men who are genu-
inely not keen on each other meet in
the squared circle, there is the sense
that there is that bit more feeling be-
hind the punches, and in the circum-
stances it could come down to who
can take the emo�on out of the occa-
sion.
We very rarely say this but – kudos to
Frank Warren. It is not a common oc-
currence for the Sports Network su-
premo to risk one of his brightest
stars in a high-risk fight like this one.
Sure, the Bri�sh and Commonwealth
straps may be up for grabs, but with
both men looking like highly probable
world level performers in the future,
it would have been understood if
these two had been kept apart
un�l the prize on offer was more
high-profile. Adam Booth at Haye-
maker has a reputa�on for match-
ing his fighters compe��vely, but
Warren gets a great deal of cri�-
cism, some of it jus�fied in my
view, for leading his prospects
through a string of mismatches
where the educa�onal value is
zero. Maybe the loss of some stel-
lar names in recent years has
woken him up to the changing
dynamics of the sport?
Less than a year ago, many would
have had Groves as a clear favourite.
Following his impressive (if slightly
premature) stoppage of King Charles
Adamu (a man who took Carl Froch
the full twelve) on the Haye-Ruiz un-
dercard last April, the conven�onal
wisdom was that Groves had adjusted
to the paid ranks that bit quicker than
DeGale had. His boxing skills, while
not exactly silky smooth, are solid and
well-schooled.
Their rivalry Their rivalry Their rivalry Their rivalry
goes back to an goes back to an goes back to an goes back to an
amateur fight in amateur fight in amateur fight in amateur fight in
which Groves which Groves which Groves which Groves
edged out DeGale edged out DeGale edged out DeGale edged out DeGale
en route to an en route to an en route to an en route to an
ABA titleABA titleABA titleABA title
7
He has well above average (though not absolutely mur-
derous) power and he cuts the ring off and puts oppo-
nents in bad spots with considerable exper�se. DeGale,
while progressing reasonably enough, was perceived to
be suffering something of an amateur hangover, an ina-
bility to shake some of the habits which work so well in
one form of the game but not the other.
Two fights would rapidly change this analysis.
On the undercard of that Haye-Harrison bout last No-
vember, Groves was floored, ouJought and in serious
trouble for four rounds against the tough but limited
unbeaten Scot Kenny Anderson. 'The Saint' eventually
mounted an unlikely looking comeback, turning the
�de in the fi9h before ending it in the next round. How-
ever, being in such dire straits in a fight at this level
opens up a serious ques�on about
how and why a fighter of Ander-
son's calibre enjoyed so much early
success. The amount of leather he
had to eat would suggest that the
ability to take a shot was not the
fundamental issue. Was the game-
plan from Booth basically the wrong
one, or was Groves execu�ng a cor-
rect strategy in a haphazard fash-
ion?
One month later, DeGale ripped the Bri�sh �tle from
another limited but spirited fighter in Liverpool's
Paul Smith. The view of many going in was that
'Chunky' had too much technical skill and ringcra9 to
let the opportunity slip away, but the clinical manner
of the performance along with the finish, with a visi-
bly demoralised champion taking unanswered
punches on the ropes, suggested that for all his
brash talk and perceived lack of respect, DeGale may
be the real deal where it ma3ers. At this point, the
analysis was turned on its head, and Groves became
a heavy underdog in any hypothe�cal matchup.
The intensity and personal ill-feeling of this contest
mean that some spiky exchanges can be expected to
punctuate the early rounds. Both men may have their
moments, and it is just possible that either could get
caught up in a war and allow emo�on to get in the way.
My feeling on this though is that the longer it goes, the
more likely DeGale's faster, more accurate punching is
to prove decisive. The most likely outcome would ap-
pear in this instance to be a late stoppage win for
'Chunky', with the prospect of a rematch further down
the road enough to keep Groves mo�vated and the rest
of us interested in the rivalry.
8
9
Over the last few years this fight has been a
rollercoaster of excitement and frustra�on, I
decided to forget about it un�l the contract is
signed and sealed, which thankfully it now
has.
At the �me of wri�ng in April the details
are:The event will take place at the Hamburg
Imtech Arena(55,000), Germany, July 2nd
. HBO
has it in the US, Sky box office in the UK.
Due to the history of this fight, the announce-
ment of the contract comple�on hasn’t really
ignited excitement around the boxing world.
This is only because us boxing fans don’t what
to get our hopes up again, some fans have
stated that they will start le<ng themselves
get excited when the fighters start their ring
walks.
The heavy weight division has been a bit a
meaningless farce over the last few years.
Both Klitschko’s have hardly been out of first
gear when dispatching o9en overweight and
poorly condi�oned challengers. This has led to
HBO sta�ng that aside from Haye/Klitschko,
they have no interest in the Heavyweight divi-
sion.
Will Haye get his first
Klitschko scalp?
11
Since moving up from cruiserweight Haye
has breathed new life into the division, tar-
nished recently by the Haye/Harrison
farce. He always goes into his fights ripped
and ready to win, something that has been
missing in the recent challengers of both
Klitschko’s.
David Haye may bring a blip of life back to
the division, but that’s all this fight will do.
The heavyweight division in the past has
brung mass
appeal to box-
ing that the
lighter divisions
o9en fail to do.
If anything this
fight will show
younger boxing
fans what the
Heavyweight
division was
once about.
When this fight
is over and any
possible rematches are out the way the
heavyweight division will go back into hi-
berna�on.
“Both Klitschko’s have
hardly been out of first
gear when dispatching of-
ten overweight and poorly
conditioned challengers.“
Pu<ng that dim outlook to one side, lets
look at the fight its self. I have asked the
other writers to chip in with analysis and
predic�ons for this fight, some shrieked
and ran away other step up to the plate.
Jamie Hooper: It’s hard to put aside what you
want to happen and instead write what is most
probable. If I think too long about this you can easi-
ly come up with likely scenarios for both guys win-
ning. As providing two scenarios then si<ng on the
fence is not a sa�sfactory op�on, I will go for the
first one that came to me.
David Haye Wins. The fight goes
something like this:
Wladimir is ready for his fast mov-
ing powerful opponent, he comes
out with his right hand �ghtly
against his chin and his le9 hand
out to control the distance. Haye is
le9 with the prospect of ge<ng
past the jab then avoiding a
righthand before detona�ng a shot
of his own. There will of course be a
lot of failed a3empts but each �me
Wladimrs senses the danger I think
he will become more and more gun shy and opt to
defend as Haye comes in, instead of trying a short
hook or right upper cut.
Once Haye has landed with his first power shot I
think Wladimir will react in a disorganized panicky
fashion allowing Haye further openings to follow
up. This may happen a few �mes before Haye
achieves a stoppage victory around the eighth
round.
Or
Haye can’t get past Wladimirs jabs, gets caught
with heavy rights as he tries and ul�mately re-
sults in an easy Klitschko victory. Sorry I had to
add that.
12
Cain Bradely: Klitchsko - Haye is for me one
of the hardest fight's possible to call. A9er the
first round it will be much easier to call as I
don't think the fight will be one that changes
mid fight. Haye really needs to get under Klitch-
sko's skin. If he does this he becomes the fa-
vourite. I feel a Wladimir that s�cks to his usual
tac�cs will
probably
win the fight
with a deci-
sion by
about 7
points. I'd
say I'd lean
65% towards
Klitchsko in
that in-
stance.
“Haye
really
needs to get under Klitch-
sko's skin. If he does this he
becomes the favourite..“
If Haye has got him riled up and wan�ng to
kill him I feel the advantage goes to Haye by
about 70%. Neither have brilliant chins but I
would s�ll give the edge to Haye knocking
out Wlad. Wlad could knock out Haye as
Haye doesn't have a brilliant chin however
Klitchsko's knock outs are usually on �red
opponents at the end of a fight whom he
has worn down. I don't believe Haye will get
under Klitchsko's skin which means he will
take the unanimous decision.
Jasveer Singh Gill: When a fight is this long in the
making, your mind goes through every possible even-
tuality. And this is truly a fight where anything could
happen.
There could be a knockout either way. Both men have
tremendous power in their fists. Haye may be the most
explosive
heavyweight
since Mike Ty-
son but many
boxing experts
feel Klitschko
is the hardest
puncher in
boxing today.
Whenever
Klitschko sits
down on his
punches and
unleashes eve-
ry opponent
has crumbled.
The fight could go all the way. We all saw how Haye
dealt with the size and range of Nikolai Valuev; on the
back foot, making him miss and landing the cleaner
shots. Wladimir Klitschko, as anyone who has followed
his career will know, can happily fight 12 rounds using
his jab, which is o9en enough to beat opponents.
However, especially since he is saying he will re�re
which means he is not a valuable commodity to TV
companies anymore, Haye will definitely not win a de-
cision against Klitschko the same way he did against
Valuev.
Many will think that Haye can obliterate Klitschko in
the same way Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster did,
but those fights were over seven years ago. Since
then legendary Kronk Gym trainer Emanuel Stew-
ard has trained Klitschko and turned him into a
completely different machine.
13
It could come down to prepara�on. Haye will be well
prepared to face a lumbering, giant heavyweight,
while Klitschko will find it difficult to find someone to
replicate Haye’s explosive style. Klitschko though will
be well versed by Steward into how to �e up and
slow down someone like Haye. The very first ex-
change will be absolutely pivotal. Once each has had
a taste of the others power, how will they react?
“Emanuel Steward has trained
Klitschko and turned him into a
completely different machine.”
I feel both will be weary of the others power so it will
turn into a standoff. Do not be surprised to see either
man hit the canvas but in Germany, over 12 rounds,
Wladimir will take a controversial unanimous deci-
sion .
Jessica Sinyard: As one of the most infamous
spor�ng stalemates of recent �mes, the hotly an�c-
ipated clash of David Haye and a Klitschko has been
debated and dissected by fans and pundits alike.
While I believe that there are a number of possible
outcomes, for me there is li3le doubt that of the
current heavyweights on offer, David Haye stands
the most viable chance of bea�ng a Klitschko - or at
least truly tes�ng their reign over the division.
Haye is agile and swi9, able to close distance at
speed and make his presence felt with legi�mate
power. I feel that much depends on the confidence
and consistency of Klitschko’s jab, and how effec�ve
Haye will be at taking it away from him.
Haye’s adaptability and ring intelligence could be
key in this fight as it is likely to demand mul�ple
transi�ons between aggression and cau�on. I see
the earlier rounds as largely being a power struggle,
with Klitschko aiming to assert himself with the jab
and Haye circling and countering at range, using an-
gles and speed to iden�fy and exploit gaps in the
hope of landing a heavy right hand.
“David Haye stands the most
viable chance of beating a
Klitschko .”
I consider each fighter a genuine threat to the
other, with Klitschko especially likely to con-
trol the pace of the fight the longer it pro-
gresses. But I’m expec�ng Haye to strike sud-
denly, landing something of significance be-
fore it goes to the scorecards. Haye KO9.
14
I was only 19 when I started coaching boxing
at my University club. As the second in com-
mand I was offend - or more accurately al-
ways - the one that taught the complete be-
ginners the basics of boxing, whilst the head
coach was at the sharp end preparing boxers
for competition.
Teaching jab, cross ,
uppercut and right
hook is fairly
straight forward,
but then comes the
left hook.
The left hook is a
skill in its-self. If
you look at the fundamental basics of box-
ing, 6 basic punches, stance, movement and
defensive moves. All of these are easy to
teach just by demonstration; if you try
demonstrating a left hook to a beginner they
look at you with disbelief.
Its hard for them to grasp that power can be
generated with such little arm movement.
As a result of not investing in the skill of the
left hook, they find their own way of gener-
ating the power either by looping the punch
outwards then bring it back or by slapping it
down ( this results in hitting with the inside
of the glove which should be illegal).
As all fans of the sport know there are some
high profile slappers out there. Joe Calzaghe
being the most noted, more recently I spot-
ted a fair number of slaps being thrown by
James DeGale in his last fight.
So is it really worth investing
in learning to throw a proper
left hook if other boxers have
managed to slap their way to
world titles? The answer is yes,
nine times out of ten it will
make you a better boxer.
I don’t think a textbook left
hook would have improved Calzaghe
though. He would blitz opponents with
punches, technique is almost irrelevant
when your blitzing.
Imagine if Tyson or Frazier hadn’t learned
to throw a left hook properly, both of these
guy’s wouldn’t be half as good as they were
without a good left hook.
The left hook is a skill.
Invest the time or
become a slapper.
15
Left HookLeft HookLeft HookLeft Hook
Step ONEStep ONEStep ONEStep ONE
Stand in your boxing stance:
If you now extend a straight right cross, with your punching arm
still held out, note the position of your hips. The left side of your
hips should have rotated backwards from its starting position.
This is the ideal hip position to throw a left hook.
STEP TWOSTEP TWOSTEP TWOSTEP TWO
From your guard position cock your left hip back to the position
it was in when you held the straight right cross out. Note that
this does telegraphy the left hook but as you get better you
won’t have to cock your hip.
Now forget about your hooking arm, the power of this punch
comes from this move I’m about to describe.
STEP THREESTEP THREESTEP THREESTEP THREE
From the cocked position screw the ball of your left foot into
the ground – like your stamping out a cigarette butt – as your
foot turns your hips will turn with it, your hips should rotate to
a point were you are almost side on to your opponent.
Repeat this movement several times. Eventually, it should become
a sharp and explosive movement but for now just concentrate
on getting if fluid.
16
STEP FOURSTEP FOURSTEP FOURSTEP FOUR
I have left the ‘left arm’ to last as it is the least important aspect.
As your hips turn in, your elbow will move up to a 90 degree angle,
as your arm comes up and you continue to rotate, your fist will
start to head toward your opponents chin. Follow throw where your
opponents chin would be, but only by a couple of inches then stop it
dead, sharply move back to the starting position.
Warning!
Don’t be tempted to follow through by more than a few inches for
two good reasons. You will massively compromise your balance by
following through too much. Secondly you will expose your entire
left-side to your opponent, if your opponent throws a counter right
cross, you will go down.
17
18
This is a difficult fight to preview. By the time this magazine is released the hype machine will
be in full swing as the promoters inflate Mosley’s chances of upsetting the odds which at last
look were 10/1. So I have to decided, do I try and hype it up a bit too or just tell the truth.
A few years ago a fight with Mosely was a bit too dangerous for team Pacquiao. As the years
have gone by the dangers have subsided, now the fight hardly looks competitive.
The questions flying about now are not will Pacquiao win, but will he be the first to KO Mose-
ly.?
Presently I feel Mosely is just too past his prime to mount a significant challenge to Pacquiao.
He had two decent rounds against Mayweather before being completely shut out. Mosley had
no answers to Mayweathers lightning fast and precision timed potshots; ok no one can pot shot
like Mayweather but Paquiao’s lightning fast attacks will have the same effect.
What really struck me in the Mayweather fight was how gun shy Mosley became after the se-
cond round, he simply did not want to compromise his defence by throwing his own shots.
Mosely couldn’t cope with Mayweathers speed and I think the same will happen against
Pacquiao.
Mosely’s last outing was a draw against the good but not great Sergio Mora. Mosely hardly re-
deemed himself in this fight . As Mora boxed in and out, side to side; Mosely struggled to pin
Mora down, hardly bodes well for a fight with Pacquiao.
Is there any hope for Mosely?
I personally don’t think so. I must however cover all the bases here and outline why some box-
ing media people believe this fight to be competitive – including Larry Merchant - .
Mosely’s chances in this fight revolve around the fact that Pacquiao can and does get hit. Cot-
to and Margarito both got to him. Pacquiao being a southpaw will be open to a counter right
hand and this will be the main danger for him in this fight. If Mosely catches Pacquiao like he
caught Mayweather, but then follows up with body shots you can see a scenario were Mosely
could ask a few question of Pacquiao.
If you think along these lines the fight actually starts to sound competitive and intriguing.
Preview: Pacquiao Vs Mosley
19
So why do I disregard this?
It must be noted that Pacquiao took solid shots
from Cotto and Maragrito and barley flinched as
a result. Any big punch Mosely lands will have
to be followed up with a brutal succession of
punches to make a dent in Pacquiao iron chin.
I think Freddie Roach will have Pacquiao fully
prepared for Mosely’s right hand. With
Pacquiao’s fast eel like movement I don’t see
Mosely hitting the target too often.
I have read a few pro Mosley articles and I
think they are all just writers trying to show a
different point of view, we can’t fool ourselves
into believing that this is a real fight just be-
cause we want to see one. As sad as it is to say
it, an old Mosely just
doesn’t have the tools
no more.
Prediction
Any game plan that
Mosely takes to the
ring will probably fall through in the first two
rounds. Pacquiao’s speed will cause Mosely
problems from the first bell. Against May-
weather it’s true that Mosely had a couple of
moments and I believe at some point in this
fight he will catch Pacquiao with a right hand.
You can imagine the reaction from the crowd if
Mosely lands, I can see Pacquiao being tempted
into a crowd pleasing exchange during these
times.
I think Mosely’s work will be smothered by the
speed of Pacquiao and when Pacquiao’s punch-
es start landing we will see the same gun shy-
ness that we saw in the Mayweather fight. In
the mid to late rounds I think we will see a
proud warrior taking a beating.
Will Pacquiao be the first to KO Mosely?
If Clottey, Magraito and Cotto can go the dis-
tance then you would expect Mosely to be able
to go 12 rounds. Mosely was very close to being
stopped by Mayweather with
Pacquao’ added aggressiveness
he just might get the KO but I
will stick to my original opinion
that Mosely will hang on and
see the 12th round out.
Chances of an upset
I should start by saying that anything can hap-
pen in boxing. For the sake of boxing in general
I hope I am proven wrong and Mosely does
make this a competitive fight.
Fight camp 360 will do its best to show that
Pacquiao is taking the fight too lightly or is dis-
tracted by his political commitments; at the
same time as showing Mosely train like Clubber
Lang in Rocky 3. All this may excite interest
among the fans for this match up.
Yes anything can happen in boxing, but I
wouldn’t go betting on it.
20
21
Gamboa
&
Donaire
Boxing’s new elite
One is a black, athletic, Olympic med-
allist tearing through the featherweight
division. The other is a Filipino known
for his devastating left hand currently
dominating the bantamweight division.
Go back ten years or so and these de-
scriptions could be fitted to Floyd
Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio re-
spectively. As the two shining stars of
boxing start to fade out (and let’s not
get into the debate of whether they will
fight each other) it seems two new
icons are coming through that could
every bit as good.
Yuriokis Gamboa (the current IBF and
WBA featherweight champion) and
Nonito Donaire (current WBC and
WBO bantamweight champion) are
coming of the most impressive perfor-
mances of their careers so far. They
are now entering the premier part of
their careers; for both fighters it is now
super fight time.
Gamboa has been heralded as a future
great ever since he decided to defect
from Cuba’s communist regime to
seek a career as a professional boxer.
Gamboa was one of the world’s best
amateurs for a long time, having won
gold medals at first the Pan-American
games in 2003 and than the 2004
Olympics before he decided to defect
in 2006. Having just won the 2006
boxing World Cup, Gamboa snuck out
of his training
camp and
somehow
found a way to
Germany,
where he ap-
plied for a visa
to enter the
USA. Around
this time Gamboa had to sell his gold
medal to support his family.
Donaire was born in the Philippines
(where he went to the same school as
Pacquaio) before he moved to Califor-
nia with his family aged 11 in 1993.
His father was a former amateur boxer
in the Philippine army and had his two
sons (Nonito has an older brother
called Glenn) sparring from an early
age. Donaire entered amateur tourna-
ments to great success as a youngster,
including gaining silver medals in the
Junior Olympics in 1999 and the US
national amateur tournament in 2000.
Gamboa turned pro to great media
interest, having been known as one of
Cuba’s great amateurs
the press wanted to see
how he would fair as a
pro. With 8 stoppages
in his first 10 fights,
Gamboa proved his
speed, accuracy and
skill could be trans-
ferred to the pro game
with ease and in just his 10th bout
Gamboa fought for a version of the
WBC title. Within his first 20 bouts
Gamboa has currently stopped 16 op-
ponents, fought two former world
champions and defended his WBA ti-
tle five times. The meteoric start to
Gamboa’s career has seen fans and
pundits alike rave about his talent.
As the two shining stars
of boxing start to fade
out it seems two new
icons are coming
through that could every
22
Gamboa
&
Donaire
Boxing’s new elite
ments to great success as a youngster,
including gaining silver medals in the
national amateur tournament in 2000.
interest, having been known as one of
Cuba’s great amateurs
the press wanted to see
how he would fair as a
pro. With 8 stoppages
ferred to the pro game
Gamboa has currently stopped 16 op-
champions and defended his WBA ti-
All has not been plain sailing though,
as already Gamboa has hit the canvas
five times in his career. This has not
really shown a weakness with his chin
as Gamboa has not looked truly hurt or
close to getting knocked out. The
problem is that Gamboa can some-
times fight arrogantly. His tremendous
speed and reflexes means he can get
reckless, whilst he has also been going
about his career like he is in a rush to
make up for lost time, when he was
not allowed to become a pro boxer as a
native of Cuba.
Donaire’s career started far less spec-
tacularly. After losing his second pro
bout on points Donaire had to prove
himself. His first bit of redemption
came when he became the best super-
flyweight Asian boxer, winning the
WBO Asian Pacific title. Having than
gone on to win all his next bouts, in-
cluding winning and defending the
North American super-flyweight title,
Donaire still had to wait six years for a
shot at the world title, where he was
fixed up as an easy opponent for the
than dominant Vic Darchinyan.
Donaire won the bout along with The
Ring magazine’s knockout and upset
of the year when he stopped
Darchinyan in five rounds. Since than
Donaire has fought in nine consecutive
world title fights and stopped all but
one of those opponents.
Although comparisons to Mayweather
and Pacquaio may be easy it is not cer-
tain the two stars will ever get to that
elite status. Both fighters are in very
tough divisions. Donaire is set to fight
WBA champion Anselmo Moreno
next and than has the likes of Mexican
starlet Abner Mares, Japan’s Koki Ka-
meda and Yohnny Perez that he could
face if he is looking for more challeng-
es in the bantamweight division.
Gamboa too has a whole plethora of
quality opponents that he could face,
including another prospective super-
star in undefeated champion Juan Ma-
nuel Lopez, as well as the likes of
Chris John, Celestino Cabellero and
the legendary Rafael Marquez.
Donaire and Gamboa are exciting
fighters that are both right now looking
to become superstars. The best fights
in a boxer’s career normally come
when they are still looking to become
superstars, as all the trappings of suc-
cess can often have a negative effect
on a fighter.
So before they achieve all they are ca-
pable of and start to lose the hunger to
fight the very best (yes that is a dig at
Pacquaio and Mayweather) keep your
eyes fixed on these two future legends.
Donaire and Gamboa your time is
now.
Gamboa has not looked
truly hurt or close to
ge<ng knocked out
23 Jasveer Singh Gill
By: Jasveer Singh Gill
24
Hopkins Vs Pascal 2: Preview
“I wanted to go to Montreal and kick his ass again. Right in his own backyard. I know what a move like
this means for my legacy.”
At the age of 46 years old, with the record for consecu�vely defending the middleweight �tle the most
�mes, a pantheon of some of the biggest names in boxing as his vic�ms and a cer�fied place in the box-
ing Hall of Fame, Bernard Hopkins is s�ll figh�ng for his legacy.
Bernard Hopkins is a true tribute to the sport of boxing. Many fighters nowadays simply look to make as
much money whilst taking the least amount of risks as possible. It is hard begrudge any fighter re�re-
ment from the rigors of what is probably the most demanding sport in the world. But the reason so
many love boxing is because it shows, in the modern era, true gladiators. People love boxing because of
people like Bernard Hopkins.
Aesthe�cally Hopkins does not have the most pleasing style; hardly a savage knockout fighter such as a
young Mike Tyson and not as fluid or as honed in technique as a Floyd Mayweather. It is not his style
that makes people love him though. People do not love him because he is the nicest person in boxing
either, as he can be braggadocios and is also a convicted felon. The reason boxing fans love Bernard
Hopkins is that he is a true modern day warrior. His desire to compete at the highest level has stayed
the same for 20 years plus.
Whenever someone looks like a threat in and around his weight class, Hopkins instantly wants to fight
them. Already with a stellar career of 39 fights and just 2 losses (one on his debut fight and another to a
prime Roy Jones Jr on points), including 13 defences of his middleweight �tle, Hopkins jumped at the
opportunity of figh�ng Felix Trinidad in 2001. Puerto Rican Trinidad was 40-0 at the �me and had just
torn through the welterweight division before winning �tles at light-middle and than middleweight.
Whilst everyone avoided figh�ng Trinidad, known for his devasta�ng power, Hopkins took him on and
stopped him a9er 12 rounds.
25
Other contenders have come and gone, Hopkins
s�ll remains. Oscar De La Hoya, Jermain Taylor,
Winky Wright, Joe Calzaghe, Antonio Tarver and
Kelly Pavlik. This list contains some of the best
champions of the modern era and Hopkins went
out of his way to fight
them all. Although he has
lost some of those bouts
Hopkins has never been
even close to dominated
let alone knocked out. He
has pushed all of those
fighters to their limits.
Even in his losses Hop-
kins has been impressive.
Hopkins has been ques-
�oned on his age for a very long �me. He is meant
to lose and give up his thrown for someone
younger but Hopkins refuses to relinquish it whilst
he s�ll has the ability. And Hopkins most certainly
has the ability.
Hopkins is a true master of the science that is box-
ing. Never blessed with amazing speed or power,
Hopkins has learnt how to neutralize an opponent
whilst crea�ng openings for his shots. Hopkins al-
so knows how to keep his pace, so he can fight as
hard in the first round as he does in
the last. Having lost his first ever
bout it could be that Hopkins was
afforded more �me to develop.
However he did it, over the years
Hopkins has learned how to win
boxing matches.
Now plying his trade in the light-
heavyweight division Hopkins took
�me to gain revenge on Roy Jones
Jr but was always looking for bigger
fights. A bout for a cruiserweight �tle did not
come off and Hopkins unbelievably even wanted
to fight heavyweight champion David Haye.
“I wanted to go to
Montreal and kick
his ass again.
Right in his own
backyard. I know
what a move like
this means for my
legacy.”
When neither of these came off Hopkins decid-
ed to take on the new ‘man’ of the light-
heavyweight division; Jean Pascal.
Pascal had beaten two of the division’s best
fighters in Adrian Diaconu and more poignantly
Chad Dawson, holding the WBC �tle. With box-
ing going through a renaissance period in Cana-
da (thanks to the likes of Pascal, Lucian Bute
and David Lemieux) Hopkins was happy to go
into the proverbial lions den and fight Pascal in
his hometown of Quebec, Canada.
Pascal was always going to be a difficult op-
ponent. A very athle�c fighter, Pascal possesses
great hand speed, good power and had been
known to fight at an unmatchable pace. Pascal
had only lost once at that point, against Carl
Froch in a war which also paid tes�mony to
Pascal’s heart and chin.
The fight itself was a great spectacle. Pas-
cal started very aggressively and had Hopkins
down in the first (with a controversial shot to
the back of the head) and than third round.
This however, only prompted Hopkins to kick
into gear. From the 5th
round to the 11th
it was
clear Hopkins won every round, taun�ng Pascal
throughout as the Canadian was simply not
able to deal with the array of shots and ring
cra9 that Hopkins was showing. The 12th
round
was closer as both fighters stood their ground
and brawled. However, most thought Hopkins
had clearly won.
Controversy erupted as – not for the first
�me – Hopkins came off on the bad side of a
close contest. The fight was called a draw but
most boxing pundits voiced their opinion that
Hopkins had been the vic�m of a hometown
decision.
A9er the bout Hopkins called for an imme-
diate rematch and he got one. De La Hoya’s
Golden Boy promo�ons, of which Hopkins is a
minority shareholder, won the rights to show-
case the fight. Head of Golden Boy Richard
Schaefer said Hopkins insisted the bout again
take place in Canada, just to show that he
could beat Pascal before his own fans.
In the lead up to the fight Pascal, usually
very respecJul before bouts, has tried to get
into Hopkins head. He has accused Hopkins of
using performance enhancing drugs and asked
for extra tests to be carried out. This ploy
shows that Pascal realizes he must try to get
every possible advantage in this match up.
Even at 46 years of age Hopkins is scaring op-
ponents.
Scheduled for the 21st
of May this year in
Montreal, Hopkins is clear as to why he has to
con�nue to prove himself by taking on the best
possible opponents.
“I am asked why am I s�ll figh�ng, the ques�on
I am asked the most. It is who I am. All the
money in the bank is not as important as who I
am.”
Pascal possesses
great hand speed,
good power and had
been known to fight
at an unmatchable
pace.
27
Froch VAnother potential
Super Six final!
When he finally steps into the ring on the 4th of june Carl Froch might realise just how close he
is to super-stardom. Winning the super six tournament would send him into the realms of super-
stardom that only Calzaghe and Hatton had reached in the last ten years. The path for
Froch has been a long winded one seeing him go from Dagenham to Hollywood
to Connecticut to Herning to Helsinki and now he finally heads for New Jersey. He will be
taking on Glen Johnson, the 42 year old Jamaican, for a place in the final of the super six
tournament against either Andre Ward or Arthur Abraham. With arguably the easier semi
final Froch must feel he is one step closer to being Super Six champion.
The super six was meant to revolutionise boxing. The idea was a great one in principal but
so was communism. From the 6 original fighters, 3 are left standing. Injuries to Kessler +
Dirrell really devalued what was looking like a promising last round. A flaw was also the
structure of the tournament. Unlike the Bantamweight: Winner takes all tournament in
which the finalists would both have won their last fight to reach the final whereas Arthur
Abraham has lost twice on the bounce and looks a different fighter. The two semi finals on
paper look quite uncompetitive and a final between Froch and Ward is the most likely and proba-
bly the most marketable. However before the final comes the two semi finals.
The first will take place in the middle of May between Andre Ward and Arthur Abraham and An-
dre Ward is favourite. Knowing who he will be fighting in the final, if he wins, could be a disad-
vantage for Carl Froch. His opponent Glen Johnson is not one to be taken lightly. Moving to
America at 15, he was late bloomer who started boxing at 20. He would be 24 before he made his
professional debut. He got through fights quickly, winning 32 fights in 52 months. He'd then lose
to Bernard Hopkins before going on a bad run, winning 7 of the next 16 fights including the Hop-
kins fight. Despite this he got a shot at Clinton Woods' IBF title. He would go on to draw that
fight, setting up a rematch for 2004. 2004 would be the year that will put Johnson in the hall of
fame.
If it becomes a brawl
then Glen Johnson
becomes a much
tougher proposition
for Froch
28
Cain Bradely: Fight Preview
Froch Vs Johnson Another potential stumbling block to the
He'd beat Clinton Woods, with a
unanimous decision, and his reward
would be a unification bout with Roy
Jones Jr who had just lost to Tarver.
The losing streak would continue as
he was knocked out in the 9th round.
He'd then take on the other man at
the top of the light-heavyweight divi-
sion, Antonio
Tarver. This
time he'd get a
split decision.
With victory
over them two,
Johnson would
be name The
Ring fighter of
2004. Since that
year he has gone
9-5 with wins
against Griffin,
Mack and Green while he lost to
Dawson (2), Cloud, Tarver and
Woods. After losing to Tavoris
Cloud and the withdrawals from the
Super Six, Glen Johnson would be
offered a fight with Allan Green as
part of the super six. The winner
would qualify for the semi final.
Johnson would stop Green in
the eighth.
A distinguished amateur, Carl Froch
would turn professional in 2002. Af-
ter 23 unbeaten fights he finally got
his shot at a world title. It was
against Jean Pascal and it would pro-
duce the one of the fights of 2008.
Carl Froch would narrowly get a de-
cision. The first defence of his title
would be against Jermain Taylor.
Despite Taylor dominating the fight,
knocking Froch down for the first
time in his career, Froch would
knock him out in the final round. It
was after these two performances
that Froch received a place in the
super six.
The super six tournament would give
a real opportunity for Carl Froch to
become a superstar. When he beat
Dirrell with a hotly-debated decision,
you sensed that the stars might be
aligning for Froch. A defeat against
the Danish warrior, Kessler, however
would leave Froch teetering on the
brink of not qualifying. However
with withdrawals from Dirrell and
Kessler the fight became a fight
which would decide the semi final
matches rather than competitors.
Carl Froch would win with a solid
performance out boxing Abraham.
This left him the 'easier' semi final
against Glen Johnson.
Glen Johnson will surely be looking
to apply pressure to Froch. His admi-
rable work rate, throwing 883 against
Cloud last August, will probably
slightly edge Froch who threw 613
against Dirrell. Carl Froch will be
unlikely to have the power to stop
Johnson as only Hopkins stopped
him and even then Johnson was still
standing. However if Froch can pro-
vide another performance similar to
what he did against Abraham then he
will probably be too quick and out-
box Johnson. Unfortunately for
Johnson I don't see him having the
power to knock out Froch but he
could hurt him. If Froch lets it, the
fight could end up a brawl reminis-
cent of Pascal - Froch.
If it becomes a brawl then Glen
Johnson becomes a much tougher
proposition for Froch and he could
manage to out-brawl him to a sur-
prise victory. To win Froch will need
to box smart like he did against
Abraham. He should box behind the
jab and let the jab dominate early
picking up the rounds on route to a
big unanimous decision!
Prediction: Froch Unanimous deci-
sion 118-111
If it becomes a brawl
then Glen Johnson
becomes a much
tougher proposition
29
THE GOLD RUSH
Medals, Milestones... and Arnold Schwarzenegger
An Olympic preview by Jessica Sinyard
The compe��on was fierce long be-
fore the Games have even begun. Vi-
brant would-be hosts in the in�mi-
da�ng shape of New York, Paris, Mos-
cow, and Madrid, all jostling for their
chance to welcome the world and the
grand spor�ng spectacle that is the
Olympic Games. Sorry, world, but this
one’s got our name on it. London was
elected to host the 2012 Olympic
Games and will welcome elite athletes
from all over the world. With the pres-
ence of the dedicated, dazzling ama-
teurs of Team GB boxing, it is not
mere op�mism to expect our strong
prospects to make a las�ng impres-
sion, sending a global message that
a3ests to the current quality and cali-
bre of Bri�sh amateur boxing. To qual-
ify for an Olympic event in any disci-
pline is a staggering accomplishment,
but the added dimension of repre-
sen�ng the host na�on is truly a once
in a life�me opportunity.
Olympic boxing in 2012 will feature 10
men’s weight categories, from Light
Flyweight (46-49kg) to Super Heavy-
weight (over 91kg) and will be joined
by a women’s compe��on for the first
�me in the sport’s 108 year Olympic
history. Ironically for those who con-
sider the decision a break in tradi�on,
the Olympic Games has a strong tradi-
�on and commitment to advancing
the par�cipa�on of women in events.
As recently as the year 2000, for exam-
ple, the Sydney Olympics welcomed
women into the weightli9ing compe�-
�on for the first �me. In 1992, the
same was true of judo, with
earlier landmarks s�ll for the
marathon, 800m track and
field, equestrian dressage,
showjumping, rowing, and a
number of others. To date,
the Olympics has repeatedly
been true to its word.
Perhaps the most recent indi-
ca�on of the depth of talent
now present in the GB squad
was earlier in April this year,
when the team flourished at the Gee
Bee tournament in Helsinki winning
seven medals in all - three gold, two
silver and two bronze, with highly
promising GB bantamweight Luke
Campbell named Boxer of the Tourna-
ment.
The event round-
ed off an excep-
�onally successful
week for GB box-
ing, which had
also seen broth-
ers Khalid and
Gamal Yafai win-
ning the gold and
bronze medals
respec�vely at
the Felix Stamm Memorial Tourna-
ment in Poland. Khalid Yafai
(flyweight) is a 2008 Beijing Olympian
and 2010 European Championships
silver medallist, and his bantamweight
brother Gamal has also accumulated a
wealth of amateur experience and
medals. Poland saw a strong perfor-
mance from Gamal but ul�mately a
tough break, as he lost out to Ireland’s
John Joe Nevin by a single point in the
semi finals.
The top ten fighters in each divi-
sion - meaning
nalists and the
top sixteen elim
tual winner and runner up
qualify
Luke Campbell:first Bri�sh European Champion since
1961
The GB bantamweights can cur-
rently be considered a highly com-
pe��ve division with Yafai flanked
by Andrew Selby, gold medallist at
the Bocskai Memorial Tournament
in Hungary 2010, and 2008 Europe-
an Champion Luke Campbell who
hails from glorious, sunny, under-
rated Hull (alright, that is my neck
of the woods), named in 2009 as
the Ken Jones Amateur Boxer of
the Year, largely in recogni�on of
his achievement of becoming the
first Bri�sh European Champion
since 1961. (Some readers may re-
call that a year earlier, the recipi-
ent of the same award was Olym-
pic
Gold
med-
allist
and
cur-
rently
hotly
dis-
cussed pro, James DeGale.)
The achievements of the remaining
GB squad divisions are no less nu-
merous and impressive. Feather-
weights Mar�n Ward (2009 Euro-
pean Youth Championships) and
Iain Weaver (2010 European Cham-
pionships) have Gold and Silver
medals between them, while gi9ed
lightweight Tom Stalker, winner of
both the 2010 Olympic Athlete of
the Year (BOA) and Amateur Boxer
of the Year (Boxing Writers Club),
established himself as perhaps the
prime lightweight candidate in Brit-
ain when he won the Gold medal
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
in Delhi, where fellow GB boxer
Simon Vallily (heavyweight) also
won a gold medal. Despite argua-
bly being one of the most tumultu-
ous in recent memory (corrup�on
scandals, squalid accommoda�on,
and dodgy scales, anyone?) the
Commonwealth Games in Delhi
was a remarkable triumph in the
face of adversity for team GB, not
only considering the success of
Stalker and Vallily, but also with
squad boxers Bradley Saunders,
Callum Smith, and Anthony Ogogo
all returning home with silver med-
als.
The achievements of the remaining
squad - Sco3 Cardle, Warren
Baister, Obed Mbwakongo, Tommy
Stubbs, Fred Evans, and Danny
Price - consis�ng in total of a two-
�me ABA champion, double EU
Championship bronze medallist, EU
Championship gold medallist,
and 2010 Commonwealth Box-
ing Championship Gold medal-
list - all bolster what amounts
to an impressive (and truly in-
�mida�ng) roster of Bri�sh
talent for 2012.
The ranks are further enriched
by the presence of the wom-
en’s prospects who will com-
pete at three weights in 2012: Fly-
weight (48-51kg), Lightweight (56-
60kg), and middleweight (69-75kg).
They will have just one chance to
qualify in May 2012 at the Wom-
en’s World Championships, and
flying the flag for the females in
the squad are some remarkable
athletes. Natasha Jonas, a four-
�me ABA Champion and Gold med-
allist from the 2009 EU Champion-
ships in Bulgaria (where she nota-
bly beat her rival squad member
Amanda Coulson in the quarter fi-
nal stage) fights at lightweight with
fellow squad members Ruth Raper
and the aforemen�oned Coulson, a
three-�me ABAE Na�onal Champi-
on who recently racked up the
highest number of points at the GB
training camp and boxing tourna-
ment in Crete, where fellow squad
member Nicola Adams (flyweight)
also impressed and won a gold
medal.
The top ten fighters in each divi-
meaning the eight quarterfi-
nalists and the two boxers of the
top sixteen eliminated by the even-
tual winner and runner up - will all
Tom Stalker:winner of both the 2010 Olympic Athlete of
the Year (BOA) and Amateur Boxer of the Year
Adams herself is a two-*me AIBA Women’s World Cham-
pionship silver medallist (2008, 2010) and became the
first English female boxer to earn a medal in a major
tournament when she picked up the Silver medal in the
2007 European Championships in Denmark. Flyweights
Nina Smith and Lynsey Holdaway, and the only female
middleweight in the squad Savannah Marshal round off
the staunch female prospects with Marshal having won a
silver medal at the 2010 AIBA Women’s World Champi-
onships in Barbados. Considering that the acceptance
and addi*on of women’s boxing is a rela*vely young
one, the considerable success and array of accolades our
athletes have already achieved seems all the more com-
mendable.
The first qualifying event for the Games is a mere five
months from the *me of wri*ng in April, beginning in
September of this year with the World Amateur Champi-
onships in Azerbaijan. There is everything to fight for
with quarterfinalists automa*cally snagging their Olym-
pic place. The top ten fighters in each division - meaning
the eight quarterfinalists and the two boxers of the top
sixteen eliminated by the eventual winner and runner up
- will all qualify. For heavyweight and super heavyweight
contenders, the process is slightly different with only the
top six boxers qualifying for the Games. The second qual-
ifier is scheduled to take place in Istanbul in the spring o
2012.
It is worth no*ng that as hosts of the Games, Team GB is
also subject to some special condi*ons. We have, for ex-
ample, a reserve of five places for the men’s divisions
should team GB qualify fewer than five boxers in Azerbai-
jan. In which case, the team would then nominate its re-
served weight categories before the European tourna-
ment. Selec*on would normally have rested on the re-
spected, capable shoulders of Rob McCracken, but a re-
cent controversial decision handed down from on high
(AIBA) has meant McCracken has had his license revoked
due to his links with the professional ranks. The full im-
pact is s*ll being felt by the squad in stages, with Khalid
Yafai recently commen*ng in his Boxing News blog
the eight quarterfinalists and the two boxers of the top
sixteen eliminated by the eventual winner and runner up
will all qualify. For heavyweight and super heavyweight
contenders, the process is slightly different with only the
top six boxers qualifying for the Games. The second qual-
of
It is worth no*ng that as hosts of the Games, Team GB is
also subject to some special condi*ons. We have, for ex-
ample, a reserve of five places for the men’s divisions
should team GB qualify fewer than five boxers in Azerbai-
jan. In which case, the team would then nominate its re-
served weight categories before the European tourna-
ment. Selec*on would normally have rested on the re-
spected, capable shoulders of Rob McCracken, but a re-
cent controversial decision handed down from on high
(AIBA) has meant McCracken has had his license revoked
due to his links with the professional ranks. The full im-
pact is s*ll being felt by the squad in stages, with Khalid
Yafai recently commen*ng in his Boxing News blog
(BoxingNewsOnline.net, 15-04-11) that he and McCrack-
en had a ‘good rela*onship’, and credi*ng McCracken
with teaching him ‘how to be so professional in every-
thing [he] does’. But should we fail to qualify further box-
ers in the second compe**on in Europe, the team would
then be permiFed to allocate boxers into the previously
selected weight categories. (The women from Team GB
are also granted the reserve of one place.) Fortunately,
the format of the Games themselves are significantly
simpler, where the winners of two semi-finals in each
weight category will fight for the Gold Medal, with the
losing boxers of the two semi-finals each awarded a
Bronze.
With Britain’s big day drawing ever nearer (not that one;
the Royal Wedding will mercifully be but a distant
memory by the *me of publica*on), enthusiasm and
publicity for London 2012 are due to go into joyous over-
drive. The internet, as ever, is saturated with useful (and
useless) informa*on, with the intriguing addi*on of the
Games’ own YouTube channel, London2012. It is here, in
fact, that the ever-colourful Arnold Schwarzenegger can
be heard in his brief interview as rightly calling the Olym-
pic Games the ‘ul*mate sports compe**on’, where ath-
letes ‘do the impossible’ and set an inspiring example for
the rest of the world ‘to par*cipate in sport and fitness’.
Arnie adds that people can be tempted to become ‘couch
potatoes... siHng around’, and presently comple*ng this
ar*cle in bed with tea and toast, this writer can hardly
differ. But perhaps even more persuasive is Mr
Schwarzenegger’s belief that London has the opportunity
to create a truly ‘historic Olympic Games’. With lon-
don2012.org currently running the sta*s*cs as 26 Olym-
pic sports in 34 venues, 10,500 Olympic athletes, 20,000
press and media and more than 9 million *ckets - never
was a truer word spoken.
33
LOOK BACKLOOK BACKLOOK BACKLOOK BACK HISTORICAL ARTICLES
When it was all said and done few
fighters can say they achieved what
French fighter Marcel Cerdan
achieved. Cerdan had the adulation of
three countries, a well publicized so-
cial life, a laudatory military service
during World War 2, and one of the
most accomplished records in boxing
history. Like many pugilists before
him, Cerdan never really wanted to be
a boxer it was either fate or perhaps
an overzealous father who convinced
him that being a prizefighter was the
road to glory. Marcel Cerdan was
born to French and Spanish parents in
Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria in July 22,
1916. The country was known as
French Algeria at the time and Cerdan
would also spend a good portion of
his early life in Casablanca, Moroc-
co. The biggest sports passion for
Cerdan was soccer, but his dad saw
Cerdan winning a prize fight at the
age of 8 and his association with
French boxing Manager Lucien
Roupp opened a window of oppor-
tunity for Cerdan. As a result, at the
young age of 16 Cerdan was fully
committed to a boxing career with his
father as his manager.
Cerdan would fight mainly in Casa-
blanca in the early part of his ca-
reer. The most prominent fights were
his battles with Omar Koudiri. When
Cerdan arrived in France he would
meet Koudiri again for the French
Welterweight title in 1938. The fight
was a labored struggle that saw Cer-
dan outwork Kuidiri in 12 strenuous
rounds. The win gave Cerdan crosso-
ver appeal in his lineage homeland of
France. Thousands called him the
“Moroccan Bomber”; to boxing afi-
cionados his style was classified
swarmer or pressure fighter. Cerdan
was one of the greatest examples of a
fighter who can throw numerous
punches and still retain stami-
na. Moreover, Cerdan was an accu-
rate puncher that could lift an oppo-
nent off the ground with either
hand. When you add a great chin and
solid ring intelligence this creates a
formidable fighter. These ingredients
along with a never say die attitude
helped Cerdan have an impressive 46-
0 record to start his professional box-
ing career.
The first loss in Cerdan’s career oc-
curred in the National Sporting Club,
London, England. Cerdan was dis-
qualified after 5 rounds due to a dis-
puted low blow foul after most ob-
servers had him clearly winning the
fight until the DQ. The loss didn’t
discourage Cerdan it made him only
hungrier and more determined. He
would go on to win his next five con-
secutive matches to set up a shot for
the European Welterweight title
against Saverio Turiello in Italy on
June 3, 1939. The two had fought in
France in the past but this time it
would be in Turiello’s homeland. De-
spite fighting under the fascist led
Mussolini the poise Cerdan got the 15
round win. The crowd in frustration
attacked Cerdan and even destroyed
his trademark blue robe trunks which
was given to him by his mother years
ago, Cerdan escapes with his life, and
it won’t be the last time that Cerdan
fights in a fascist occupied coun-
try. The precision, footwork, and
hunger were too much for Turi-
ello. Cerdan would always credit his
soccer skills that enabled him to de-
velop his footwork in boxing. He
ARMANDO PAZ
Look back at the life
and career of
Marcel Cerdan
34
He would suffer his second loss in
70 professional fights, once again via
disqualification to Victor Buttin in
Algeria. Before avenging that loss,
Cerdan would fight in Nazi occupied
France and dismantle Jose Fer-
rer. Ferrer was a Nazi sympathizer
and was from Franco’s dictatorship
in Spain that was officially a Fascist
government. However, Ferrer was
simply too inexperienced and his ge-
neric skills were no match for Cer-
dan. The fight ended via a first run
knockout, and actually should have
been stopped within the first minute
of the fight.
The French middleweight title would
be a prize possession that Cerdan had
wanted for some time. He finally
made the most of it when he knocked
out Assiane Diouf out in three
rounds. Robert Charron would give
Cerdan a game challenge for 12
rounds for that very title. Both fight-
ers would land hellacious shots that
would send a lesser man out. Cerdan
would still be able to elude most of
the Charron jabs and made him pay
when he missed. The two knock-
downs that Cerdan scored against
Charron would also help him get the
victory in Paris. His next opponent
would be the biggest step up in class
for Cerdan. He would fight Ameri-
can Holman Williams who himself
had scored wins against people like
Archie Moore and Charles Bur-
ley. Williams after nearly 200 fights
when his career ended had a KO per-
centage of less than 20%. What the
made fight compelling was that Wil-
liams who had great speed and could
have gone to his bike instead often
traded with Cerdan. The fact that
Cerdan had also injured his right
hand early on and Williams had also
injured his leg later in the late
rounds. Cerdan would win the nar-
row decision and to some already
certify himself as the greatest French
fighter ever in eclipsing names as
George Carpentier, Robert Cohen,
35
. Adams would take his corners
advice and press the action and
make things more interesting. The
decision still would go to Cerdan
Now Cerdan was a household name
in both sides of the Atlantic and
throughout Northern Afri-
ca. Cerdan would fight in France,
Canada, UK, and US in his next
few fights. After 110 fights, Cer-
dan had lost only twice, and both
were due to disqualifications. This
would change when he fought Cy-
rille Delannoit in Belgium in May
1948. The fight was a brutal dis-
play of courage as both fighters
took a lot of punishment. Cerdan
had fractured his leg two days be-
fore the fight, and still didn’t can-
cel. He felt he did enough to get
the win but lost the decision to the
hometown fighter. As expected
any close fight will go the fighter’s
home country, so they had a re-
match and Cerdan this time beyond
a shadow of the doubt carried the
fight.
The dream for Cerdan was to get a
crack of the World Middleweight
title. The champion Tony Zale was
past his prime but still managed to
knockout Rocky Graziano in three
rounds in his previous fight. In ad-
dition, the fight would take place in
New Jersey giving the champion
the home advantage. The fight had
a lot of clinching in the middle of
the ring and both fighters trading
solid body shots. However, Cerdan
was able to land with accurate com-
binations on the inside and slowly
pick Zale apart. After 10 rounds,
Zale had lost a lot of his will and
legs were spaghetti. In round 11,
there were many unanswered left
hooks to the chin of Zale and he
was dropped by a overhand right as
the bell rung that made the Cham-
pion’s corner decide to stop the
fight. Marcel Cerdan was now the
middleweight champion of the
world and the fight would win Ring
magazine’s fight of the year for
1948. Cerdan would earn an im-
pressive win against Dick Turpin in
England and fight against Jake
Lamotta in Detroit in June
1949. The first round of the fight
would have Lamotta appeared to
throw Cerdan to the canvas that
resulted in a separated left shoul-
der. In fairness, the shove was not
as malicious as some made it out to
be, it was more of the awkward
landing that caused the problem.
Fighters have pushed past, present,
and surely will in the future. When
asked by his corner about retiring,
Cerdan responded “I am a fighter
and not a dressmaker and can fight
with one hand.” This courage al-
lowed Cerdan to win some of the
early rounds of the fight. However,
it was apparent that with an injured
left the ring savvy Lamotta realized
that he only had to worry about the
right hand. Finally Cerdan retired
in the 10th round and suffered his
only stoppage loss in over 100
fights. Due to the injury, there was
great anticipation for the scheduled
rematch. Unfortunately, Cerdan
died on October 27, 1949 in flight
36
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1 Floyd Mayweather jr
Last fight: UD Shane Mosley
Next fight: TBA
Floyd Mayweather is the best. Sure it's been 10 months and no ac-
tion with none being lined up with his upcoming court case.
However if you look at his last four opponents; De La Hoya; Hat-
ton; Marquez; Mosley all were ranked pretty highly but May-
weather destroyed them. De La Hoya was the only one getting
relatively close. Mayweather is the next level ahead of any-
one else.
2 Manny Pacquiao Last fight: UD Antonio Margarito
Next fight: 07/05/11 Shane Mosley
Manny Pacquiao is an inspirations to not on- ly
Filipino's but people all over the world. Who would have thought
in 1999 when Medgoen Singsurat beat him he would be an eight
world weight world champion. While that is mightily impressive
I've never been as impressed with Pacman as I have been with May-
weather recently. His last five opponents have been cherry picked
in my opinion and I believe that Pacman has
3 Sergio Martinez
Last fight: Serhiy Dzinziruk TKO8
Next fight: TBA
Martinez has always been a dangerous fighter.
33 years would be his first real chance at a title
with an eliminator. He won it and waited 18 months for a shot at
interim title. His big break really begun when he got his fight with
'the most avoided man in boxing' Paul Williams. In one of the
fights of the year Williams grabbed a debatable majority decision.
It was his next three fights which have him at number 3. Dominat-
ing Pavlik to win Middleweight titles, destroying Williams and
obliterating Dzinziruk means that Martinez is one of the best
fighters around. The fight apparently being lined up is Manfre-
do and despite it being a drop in class he deserves an
easier fight.
4 Juan Manuel
Marquez
Last fight: Michael Katsidis TKO9
Next fight: TBA
The last four fights Marquez
failed to win were against May-
weather, a debatable decision against Pacquiao, a
hometown loss in a boring fight against Chris John
and a draw after being knocked down three times
against Pacquiao. In between this his last six fights
have been wins over very good opposition. Marquez
should be applauded for taking on who he does with
a fight against Mayweather not one that he needed
but above his optimum weight took on. Marquez will
fight anyone and hopefully a big fight will be
5 Juan Manuel Lopez
Last fight: Rafael Marquez
RTD8
Next fight: 16/04/11 Orlando
Since 2008 begun Juanma has had 10
fights. 9 have had world titles on the line. 5.4
rounds a fight shows the power the southpaw has.
Ponce De Leon and Penalosa were big stoppages in
the super bantamweight di
he took on at super bantam
ity with Luevano one of th
coming fight against Salido is build up towards a
fight with Chris John or Y
is the first under 30 on the list
38
Last fight: Michael Katsidis TKO9
The last four fights Marquez
failed to win were against May-
weather, a debatable decision against Pacquiao, a
hometown loss in a boring fight against Chris John
and a draw after being knocked down three times
against Pacquiao. In between this his last six fights
have been wins over very good opposition. Marquez
should be applauded for taking on who he does with
fight against Mayweather not one that he needed
but above his optimum weight took on. Marquez will
fight anyone and hopefully a big fight will be
5 Juan Manuel Lopez
Last fight: Rafael Marquez
Next fight: 16/04/11 Orlando
Since 2008 begun Juanma has had 10
fights. 9 have had world titles on the line. 5.4
rounds a fight shows the power the southpaw has.
Ponce De Leon and Penalosa were big stoppages in
the super bantamweight division. The three fighters
he took on at super bantamweight were all top qual-
he best in world. His up-
coming fight against Salido is build up towards a
fight with Chris John or Yuriorkis Gamboa. JuanMa
is the first under 30 on the list
6 Nonito Donaire Last fight: Fernando Montiel TKO2
Next fight: TBA
The love of the internet. If people on here tend to use forums
only, then you'd be hard pushed to decide who was the best
fighter in the world. Pacquiao or Donaire! He seems to me to
be just a tad over-rated. His big fight wins are Darchinyan,
Concecpion and Montiel. He is a good fighter to watch
and often will provide knockouts in
big fights. His big wins aren't as big as
any above him and for that reason he is
7 Timothy Bradley Last fight: Devon Alexander TD
Next fight: TBA
Timothy Bradley is the possesor of possible the best abs in
boxing. He is also possibly the best light welterweight
around. A list of wins including Junior Witter, Nate Camp-
bell, Devon Alexander is an impressive resume. He also shows
a willingness to fight anyone with his unification bout
against Alexander and a fight against Khan lined up. A win
against Khan would edge him near my top three.
8 Bernard Hopkins Last fight: Jean Pascal Draw
Next fight: 21/05/11 Jean Pascal
The wily veteran is the oldest man on this list. His
draw with the man who had beaten the man showed
he is still competitive at 46. His last loss, and it was
debatable, was against Joe Calzaghe one of the prem-
ier fighters of recent years. Hopkins also 4 fights ago
took apart Kelly Pavlik and has been responsible I be-
lieve for his self destruction. B-Hop will remain on
here until he can longer keep up with the best. He
will be here for a long time at this rate! 39
9 Giovanni Segura
Last Fight: Manuel Vargas RTD7
Next Fight: 02/04/11 Ivan Calderon
A must watch fighter with pure, unrelenting aggression. It's been a
whirlwind 24 months for Segura who in 2009 knocked out Canchil-
la to win a light-flyweight world title. He would defend it three
times, none of the fights went over 6 rounds. Late 2010 he'd moved up to Fly-
weight and was given a fight against the unbeaten Calderon. Calderon was
ranked highly on pound 4 pound lists but Segura pressurised him and even-
tually the swarming was too much and a body shot finished Calderon in
the 8th. A win in the rematch will solidify Segura as a top quality fighter.
10 Andre Ward
Last fight: Sakio Bika UD
Next fight: 14/05/11 Arthur Abraham
Andre Ward is one of 7 medallists at the 2004 summer Olympics who
are all fighting at a high level. I have rated Ward the highest out of
the lot of them. I wasn't sure he belongs this high and belive that from
around 8th downwards it gets very competitive. Andre is in mainly for his
dominance over Kessler and two solid wins since. Andre Ward is for me one
of the most boring fighters on this list and his last four fights against op-
ponents that are of a good quality have all ended in decisions. Win-
ning the super six would probably cement Wards place in the top 10.
11 Jean Pascal
Last fight: Bernard Hopkins Draw
Next fight: 21/05/11 Jean Pascal
Jean Pascal is one of my favourite boxers in the world and I feel he is much more comforta-
ble at light heavyweight than he was at super middleweight. It shows just how good he is
that he was able to go to Froch's backyard and brawl with the Cobra. Both showed incredi-
ble heart and good hands in of the best fights in 2008. He moved up to light heavyweight
where he won the belt off Diaconu. He then beat the best the light heavyweight had to of-
fer and a high ranked fighter in Chad Dawson. Pascal never receives credit he deserves for
this and he battled Hopkins to a draw. Hopkins has barely aged as a fighter and a draw
against him is brilliant. Pascal never backs down from a fight and will take on all-comers
which is now a rarity and he is just edge out my top ten.
40
12 Paul Williams
Last fight: Sergio Martinez Loss KO2
Next fight: TBA
Paul Williams is one of the most avoided men in boxing.
Campaigning between welterweight and middleweight he is
one of the tallest fighters in all of the weights he fights in. At welter-
weight he beat Margarito and exchanged wins over Quintana. Since then
he has only campaigned at light-middle and middleweight. Wins over
Wright and Phillips didn't set the world on fire, however his next fight
against Martinez was special. He then defeated Cintron controversially
before his knockout loss to Martinez. A loss to Martinez is not a huge
negative and a ending to their trilogy would be well received.
13 Miguel Angel Cotto
Last Fight: Ricardo Mayorga TKO12
Next fight: TBA
Miguel Cotto has been a top boxer since 2004. The names on his
record are some of the best around. Pinto, N'dou, Corley,
Torres, Malignaggi, Quintana, Judah, Mosley, Margarito, Clottey, Pacquiao,
Mayorga. The defeat against Margarito will remain etched on my mind and
probably his for a long time. Who knows if Margarito was adding illegal
substances to his hand wraps, if he was then not only has he endangered
Cotto but deprived the fan of a star. Since the Margarito fight Cotto just
hasn't been the same
14 Roman Gonzalez
Last fight: Manuel Vargas UD
Next fight: TBA
Standing at 5'2 Roman is the shortest boxer on this list. He is also pretty un-
known due mainly to the fact he has campaigned at straw-weight and light fly-
weight. The youngest man on this list at 23, first dominated at straw-weight he
then moved up to light flyweight. He quickly won the WBA belt and is looking
for the winner of Segura- Calderon. Either of these fights would be great for
the viewers with Gonzalez able to fight as an aggressive swarmer but just as
good technically. He will pose problems for the winner and if Gonzalez was a
few weights higher he would be much more exposed.
CAIN’S P4P
41
15 Amir Khan
Last fight: Marcos Maidana UD
Next fight: Paul McCloskey 16/04/11
Amir Khan is a prime example of just how good Freddie Roach is.
Watching pre-Roach and post-Roach is like a different fighter.
Khan is establishing himself as one of the top fighters in the light
-welterweight division. I was a critic of Khan however have really warmed to
him with masterful performances. Malignaggi and Maidana both stick out in my
mind. Khan will hopefully fight Bradley to unify the belts.
16 Chris John
Last Fight: Fernando Saucedo UD
Next fight: 17/04/11 Daud Yordan
Chris John has been un-noticed for years but he has been a top
featherweight for years. His first big win came against Marquez in 2006. It was
by no means terrible judging in Indonesia but he never got the recognition. A
big reason for the lack of recognition was that the first time he ventured in-
to America was 2009. He got a draw in the first fight which he deserved to win
and in the second fight dominated. He needs to keep in the mix fighting top
Featherweights like Lopez and Gamboa.
17 David Haye
Last fight: Audley Harrison KO3
Next fight: TBC
David Haye is perhaps the loudest and cockiest on this list. A
trash-talking Brit, David Haye made his name in the Cruiserweight division, first
taking Mormeck titles away from him in Paris after he stopped him in the 7th
round. He would then rip the WBO belt from Macrenelli knocking him out in
round two. He moved up to Heavyweight stating his intentions of fighting the
Klitchsko brothers. Negotiations could never be agreed on and Haye went out
to win a title from Valuev. He won a decision and has defended his title twice.
Negotiations with both Klitchsko brothers are ongoing.
42
18 Yuriorkis Gamboa
Last fight: Jorge Solis TKO4
Next fight: TBA
The kid from Cuba is well and truly swimming in the shallower
end of the pool. Some quality opposition would do this kid no
harm. Solis, Salido, Mtawga are the most notable names, but I
think with Gamboa's potential he belongs at the top of the division. Time for
Gamboa to sink or swim.
19 Wladimir Klitcshko Last fight: Samuel Peter TKO10
Next fight: TBC
Possibly the most boring fighter on here, Klitchsko is not an ap-
pealing heavyweight champion. He doesn't have knockout power in abundance
or lightning fast hands. He has a massive jab that he wears his opponents down
with. It's worked 55 times with his chin letting him down thrice. Assuming he
does fight David Haye next he hopes it ends like the majority of his 58 fights.
20 Carl Froch
Last fight: Arthur Abraham UD
Next fight: Glen Johnson 04/06/11
Carl Froch will go some way to proving he deserves to be in here over the next
year. With wins over Abraham, Dirrell, Pascal his loss against Kessler is often
overlooked. I have put Froch in ahead of Kessler because his wins are slightly
better and I feel he could beat Kessler. If he manages to win the Super six he will
jump up the rankings.
CAIN’S P4P
43
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