Moonlighting, Peterface & Heavyweight Boxing Goes All Homer Simpson
I’ve been moonlighting over the past week or so, putting in a couple of shifts for two of the finest boxing sites on the web in The Boxing Bulletin and The Queensberry Rules, both of which are essential reading and which are well worth your time clicking your way towards without delay. I’ll attach snippets and links below which you can peruse as you see fit:
Grading the Boxing Promoters Eurovision Edition.
“Failed jockey, former mayoral candidate, described by Don King as a “mental midget” and a promoter fond of deliberately misspelling fight posters, Maloney is nothing if not colourful. He’s Sky TV’s other main feeder alongside Warren.” (read more).
BANG BANG BANG! Rating Boxing’s Biggest Punchers.
“Every time I hear the idiom “The straw that broke the camel’s back,” I imagine Gonzalez attempting to usurp Roberto Duran’s feat of knocking out a horse. The hits just keep coming for “El Chocolatito” who seems hell bent on carrying the little-guys-can-punch torch lit by Michael Carbajal.” (read more)
British Scene: Steve Molitor vs Jason Booth Preview.
“Jason Booth is about as far away from the fellow who once scavenged cans from the gutter in order to gulp down discarded beer dregs, as he could ever possibly have hoped of being. Here he stands, a one time alcoholic and ne’er do well, ready to do battle with one of the finest super bantamweight boxers in the world for a (still) much coveted world title.” (read more)
British Scene: Molitor Snags in the Traps before Powering to Decision Victory over Spirited Booth in Sunderland.
“Booth began the ninth well and found success with his jab and left hooks, buzzing around his taller foe whilst chopping away like a humming bird with a billhook. Almost on cue now, Molitor rallied at the mid point with heavier counter shots, left hooks up and down with a few sharp rights tossed in for good measure.” (read more)
After completely neglecting to knock up a preview piece for the Booth-Molitor fight (I’d incorrectly assumed that someone else would be doing my dirty work) I had to scrap Friday’s intended blog entry and get cracking with the key slapping. Unfortunately it meant that I failed to score with my intended “shortest fight preview of all time” attempt in anticipation of the mouth watering clash between the dynamic Wlad Klitschko and the svelte Sam Peter, which would have been quite simply:
Peterface.
Which still tickles me (at least I can make myself laugh) and more or less sums up what was another trademark addition to the Klitschko paint drying collection. Also, I’m growing tired of the snooze brothers associating themselves with legends of the past during their ringwalks. If folk start trying to mention Wladimir in the same breath as the pantheon of divisional greats, I’m packing a case and heading for table tennis, pronto.
This weekend is chock-a-block with fight action, from Frank Warren’s bumper Birmingham card to Golden Boy’s offering from the Staples Centre and whilst I’ll probably knock something up separate for at least the British action, I’m still undecided on the Mosley-Mora puzzler (does anyone care what happens in that one?).
Boxing news at home has been flooded with the trials and tribulations of Ricky Hatton, another recipient of the increasingly heinous gutter press and their various undercover stings. Ricky, like a multitude before him, has struggled mightily with his retirement from the sport, no doubt made more difficult due to the one sided drubbing he took from Manny Pacquiao which pre-empted it. Hatton has a close family unit around him which I’m sure will aid him immensely as he gets well over the coming months.
I’ve purposefully avoided footage of last week’s York Hall card as it doesn’t have a hope in the hot place of living up to its billing. Tyson Fury v Rich Power is the stuff of magical cheap fiction. With names like those they should ditch heavyweight boxing and start climbing the social ladder (hey it worked for Homer Simpson)
“Rich Power—he’s the man whose name you’d love to touch…
But, you musn’t touch!
His name sounds good in your ear
But when you say it, you mustn’t fear
Because his name can be said by anyone!”
For those still crossing their fingers, hoping that a stand out candidate for fight of the year is swilling its way down the pipeline, prepare to be disappointed. Only one FOY pick from the last decade (as per Ring Magazine) arrived after the month of July (Morales-Barrera 3) with spring just pipping summer as the likeliest season for the year’s best barnburner.
Here are a few random observations from the Maloney card in Sunderland:
Jason Booth’s brother was ringside with a few other members of the family, all slightly worse for wear and all sitting alongside the friends and family of his opponent. It looked a sticky situation waiting to happen, especially when one of the older boys along for the ride (possibly Booth’s father) launched himself drunkenly at Molitor’s cuts man after round one in order to hurl abuse. Thankfully he was helpfully redirected by security after a cringe worthy moment for all concerned.
After figuring out that I could quite happily stand behind press row and rest my notes on the adjacent stage (where Sky’s panel hang out) to gain a better vantage point, I was feeling quite proud of myself until Frank Maloney began to look in my direction as though I’d broken some unwritten code. I attempted to look as studious as possible and the moment passed without incident.
Former opponent of both the main event fighters Michael Hunter was in the house and acting as chief support to Durham lightweight Martin Ward. When Ward copped a horrible looking left hook in the second, there was no-one more concerned than the Hartlepool man.
Incidentally, Hunter must have been relieved that the build up footage playing on the big screen wasn’t the same that featured during Sky’s build up. I must have seen him battered about a hundred times in succession on the monitor in front of me.
It always surprises me when a fighter leaves the ring on unsteady legs, only to re-emerge in their civilian clothes after a quick shower, pottering their way through the crowds almost unnoticed. It was reassuring to see Ward and another stoppage victim, George Watson looking nothing much more than furious after both taking head spinning power punches.
Former world title challenger Billy Hardy was in attendance, chatting away to ringside commentator Jim Watt like old pals at a school reunion. As an omen for Booth’s chances (Hardy was thrice unsuccessful in world title attempts, twice against Orlando Canizales and once to Prince Naz), Billy’s presence didn’t alter my idea of who the likely winner would be.
RingTV.com’s fantastic “Greatest Ever A-Z” piece was well, fantastic but I have to wonder, Tony Zale over Carlos Zarate? Hmmm, I’m not so sure about that one fellas.
And that’s about as much randomness as I can muster for now friends (I really need a weekly column name for this kind of stuff).
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