REGRETTABLE SITUATION
THE stunning first-round KO of Dominic Breazeale by Deontay Wilder underlined the sheer excitement of world-class heavyweight boxing. The skill and tenacity of Tyson Fury cannot be denied, nor the charisma and all-round ability of Anthony Joshua. These three heavyweights represent the very best of the best, so why can’t the fans get what they want and have these boxers face off against each other to establish who is the undisputed world heavyweight champion? Because each boxer is linked with a different broadcaster, any potential deal has to involve negotiations between these large corporations with their legions of lawyers. It’s so regrettable that boxing doesn’t have one single independent world governing body to enforce such championship fights. Until then, the ultimate power at the top of world-class boxing rests not with the boxers or even their own management/promoters, but within the boardrooms of American media conglomerates. David Doe
THE NICE GUYS
I HAVE been attending boxing shows for over 30 years. I regularly used to head to London with my father to watch Frank Bruno at Wembley Arena. I was even lucky enough to be taken into the dressing room at Wembley to meet big Frank. Fast-forward 30-plus years and I headed back to Wembley Arena last month with my 12-year-old son, Oliver. Five years ago, we watched Jack Catterall on a small show in Manchester – we’ve been following him ever since. Shortly after arriving at Wembley Arena, my very good friend and one of the nicest guys in boxing, Kerry Kayes, rang me to see where we were, as Jack had asked if Oliver would like to carry his WBO Inter-Continental belt to the ring. Within minutes, we were in Jack’s changing room with Kerry and coaches Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis. They couldn’t have made Oliver feel more welcome as he watched Jack warming up. Jack made his way to ring proudly followed by Oliver carrying the belt. Jack, Kerry, Jamie and Nigel gave a young lad a moment he’ll never forget. I want to thank them again. Jack is a fantastic ambassador for the sport and a great role model, while I am truly honoured to have Kerry as a friend.Richard Bamber
MASSACRE-MAKERS
THE term ‘matchmaker’ in boxing literally means someone who makes a match. Not someone who makes a massacre. While watching Chris “The Natural” Norrad fight Hughie Fury, I found myself questioning what was natural about the flabby and inept Norrad. I wondered whether the fight would go beyond the first round, and it only barely did. Later that night, I watched Michael Hunter’s fight. His opponent, Fabio Maldonado, entered the ring looking scared stiff and lacking any muscular definition or appetite for a fight. As with the Fury-Norrad bout, my thoughts were simply how early would this farce end. As it happened, it was another fast and facile walkover.Les Carr
