Gavin Duthie

I love boxing.

Chavez Jnr chance to be great

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Image: Chavez Jnr chance to be great

By Gav Duthie: I’ve almost considered Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr 50-2-1 (32) a semi retired fighter over the last 5 years. Despite turning professional in only 2003 he amassed a 46-0-1 record by 2012 before he faced Sergio Martinez. This is a rate of over 5 fights per year, contrast that to today where since the Martinez loss he has fought only 5 times in 5 years.

Chavez is looking to get back on track with a May 6 fight against Saul Alvarez in Las Vegas on the Mexican holiday weekend of ‘Cinco de Mayo’ (May 5th) at a catchweight of 164.5lbs.

Hayemaker Ringstar signs Tony Yoka

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Image: Hayemaker Ringstar signs Tony Yoka

By Gav Duthie: Super heavyweight Olympic gold medalist Tony Victor James Yoka is one of the first big names to sign with the newly formed promotional company Hayemaker Ringstar developed by David Haye and Richard Schaefer. Yoka who recently signed a TV deal upon turning professional with Canal+ for four years is said to be only the first of many big names to join this new venture.

Tony Yoka: Boxing Bio

Rematches I would love to see in 2017

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Image: Rematches I would love to see in 2017

By Gav Duthie: Its only January but 2017 is shaping up to be a fantastic year already. We have already seen a cracking unification bout between Badou Jack and James Degale, Joshua v Klitschko has sold over 80,000 tickets, Canelo v Chavez Jnr will likely do the same. The #1 and #2 middleweights Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs are signed to fight but one of the fights I’m looking forward to most is the rematch between Carl Frampton and Leo Santa Cruz. To make 2017 a top year here are 5 other rematches I would like to see happen.

Vasyl Lomachenko 7-1 (5) v Orlando Salido 43-13-4 (30)

DeGale v Jack: The Aftermath

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Image: DeGale v Jack: The Aftermath

By Gav Duthie: In many ways it’s like the James DeGale vs. Badou Jack fight never happened, no belts have changed hands nobody wins, nobody loses but for those guys in there and anyone lucky enough to watch it you know that was one hell of a fight.

The decision to score the fight a draw and the post-fight comments particularly from Jack himself and promoter Floyd Mayweather Jr. have raised more questions than answers. Was Jack robbed? Will we get a rematch? Is Jack moving up to light heavyweight? What happens with the WBC title? Where do the fighters go next?

Making a case for Bellew: Heavyweights v Cruiserweights

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Image: Making a case for Bellew: Heavyweights v Cruiserweights

By Gav Duthie: David Haye versus Tony Bellew, only a money fight surely? Bellew first called David Haye out after he spectacularly knocked out Illunga Makubu to win the WBC Cruiserweight title. If you’d asked me the day before that fight to name 20 possible next opponents for David Haye, Bellew wouldn’t be on there.

It seemed bizarre but now here we are, they will fight in March for nothing other than pride and of course lots of cash. A win over Bellew does nothing really for Haye in the heavyweight division. He could have secured a WBO title shot as mandatory against Joseph Parker and he is also well ranked with the other organizations.

My 2017 Wish List

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Image: My 2017 Wish List

By Gav Duthie: There is an air of expectation for an exciting 2017 as some big fights have already been announced. Two unification bouts have been organised by Eddie Hearn with Anthony Joshua taking on Wladimir Klitschko (WBA, IBF heavyweight) and James DeGale faces Badou Jack (WBC, IBF super middleweight).

A third unification bout will also take place between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman to be shown on Al Haymon’s PBC. Add this to likely rematches between Carl Frampton v Leo Santa Cruz and Andre Ward v Sergey Kovalev we are off to a great start. To attempt to make 2017 a perfect year here is my boxing wish list for the next 12 months.

A year of contrast for George Groves

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Image: A year of contrast for George Groves

By Gav Duthie: An incredible year for George Groves 25-3 (18) has ended bittersweet. On the one hand 4 victories in 2016 has secured him a WBA Super title shot against Fedor Chudinov but George’s last opponent Eduard Gutknecht spends Christmas and new year in an induced coma.

Groves form supreme

Many see Groves as a nearly man, after 3 failed attempts at securing a world title is he good enough to win one? The best preparation to find out is to fight others in a similar situation. Martin Murray has fought for 4 titles (Felix Sturm, Sergio Martinez, Gennady Golovkin, Arthur Abraham) with Gutknecht twice (Stiegletz, Juergen Braehmer). Groves showed his superiority over these two by not only winning but winning easily where former champions had struggled. Add this to his wins early on in the year against Andrea De Luisa and the previously unbeaten David Brophy its been a great year for George.

Why Kell Brook should fight Spence over Khan

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Image: Why Kell Brook should fight Spence over Khan

By Gav Duthie: The night is nearly over and the nightclub is closing. Your desperate to get some company for the evening and there aren’t many options left. The girl you’ve been avoiding all evening now starts to look appealing. Amir Khan finds himself in this situation selecting his next opponent. He has nowhere to go after the Canelo defeat and the 4th loss of his career. He realises nobody else will make him anymore money, respect or credibility than Kell Brook. Brook is like the kid in the sweet shop when he is allowed whatever he wants. He has craved nothing more than to fight Khan for years.

Despite that burning desire to end Khan’s career I think he should fight his IBF mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jnr. Here’s 3 reasons why:

Boxing overlooked by BBC

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Image: Boxing overlooked by BBC

By Gav Duthie: Once again boxing has been snubbed as a sports by Britains BBC ‘Sports personality of the year awards’. Pound for pound the UK is probably more successful with boxing than any other sport yet rarely gets a mention. Carl Frampton recently unleashed a tirade against the BBC branding it ‘anti-boxing’ and ‘anti Northern Irish’. As for the boxing comment I can’t disagree, Frampton achieved super stardom this year yet has no nomination for the award. As a result I thought I would give my own UK Boxing personality award for the year.

Malik Scott: Too good not to box

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By Gav Duthie: Malik Scott: Too good not to box but too scared to succeed? Last Saturday night, I witnessed one of the meekest, most feeble, timid and frightened performances I’ve ever seen in a boxing ring. Malik ‘King’ or ‘The Noble Artist’ Scott talked his way into a fight with heavyweight bogeyman Luis ‘King Kong’ Ortiz 27-0 (22). You would have thought Malik was fighting the actual King Kong the way he ran around the ring avoiding confrontation.

The main reason for my dismay was that I actually like Malik Scott. He is such a talented fighter and the way he moves, his foot speed and hand speed for a man his size he should be a genuine contender. It’s mentally where his problem lies, he has been boxing for 25 years but he didn’t want to take a punch. Where has it went wrong for Malik Scott, Why was he so reluctant to go out and win and did he expose Ortiz to any extent in his 12 round decision loss.