How to solve a problem like Deontay?

11/13/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

wilder04 By Jamie Eskdale: Deontay Wilder, 30 wins 30 KOs, 6 foot 7 inches tall, athletic muscular physique and to top it all off he’s American. Just what the world has been crying out for, a dominant American heavyweight wrecking machine, right?

Well maybe. But you see this is boxing where things aren’t always quite what they seem. Where things can get a little twisted from time to time.

Now at this point I must point out that after Lewis retired I haven’t been a huge fan of the heavyweight division. Don’t worry I won’t start slating the division because let’s be honest probably everyone reading this has done enough of that over the last 10 years or so.

When a Champion isn’t a Champion

11/11/201311/11/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: To Win a boxing world title is supposed to be the pinnacle of ones’ career. A defining night which should signal to the world that you are the real deal and amongst the elite in the division.

The real heavyweight battle

10/20/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: Boxing fans are being denied the right to see some real exciting fights because of Promotional stables unwilling or just out right refusing to work together. Last night Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KO’s) battered Mike Alvarado (34-2, 23 KO’s0 into submission to claim the WBO junior welterweight title.

In the Gutter

09/29/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: 2 weeks have passed since the controversy of one of the judges scoring of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight in Las Vegas on September 14th.

2 weeks isn’t a long time, particularly in boxing where fights generally happen on a weekend. However, this is how long it has taken for the latest controversy to appear. Ladies and Gentlemen strap yourselves in for the roller-coaster ride that is professional boxing.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been accused many times of living off of his famous fighting fathers’ name. He has been accused many times of being given an easy ride by the WBC who’s president Jose Sulaiman is not only a close friend of his fathers but also his Godfather.

Poor judging

09/24/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: In recent weeks we’ve seen for lack of a better phrase some questionable judging in big fights. Having let the dust settle and watch the outrage subside a little I thought now would be the time to write about these types of decisions and why they keep happening.

Heart v skills

08/09/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: To have heart in the boxing context defines one’s ability to take punches, react positively in the face of adversity, take a victory from the jaws of defeat, to ‘suck it up’, being able to take a degree of punishment and come back. To posses courage, intensity, will and desire.

To question a fighters’ heart is almost like questioning his manhood. I think I would be correct in saying most fighter would rather get knocked out than be regarded as a quitter.where giving in or quitting is seen as an easy way out. The very minimum the fans expect from a boxer is heart.

There are plenty of examples past and present of fighters who have been accused of lacking heart. Kermit Cintron, Audley Harrison, Zab Judah, Devon Alexander, and Jose Gonzales.

When does the 0 have to go?

07/09/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

(Photo credit: Esther Lin/Showtime) By Jamie Eskdale: When you first hear of a boxer be it a young contender, a foreign fighter or just someone hyped by a promotional stable generally the first thing you look at is the fighters’ record. 9 times out of 10 these guys will have a perfect record. A 0 in the L column is usually a given. But is it really all that impressive to be undefeated? What does it actually stand for?

Take a look around the sport right now and you will see a whole host of fighters with unbeaten records from untested heavyweights Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder to Adrien Broner, Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin right all the way up to the man who sits atop the tree Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

Is Amir Khan Shot?

06/06/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

khan52 By Jamie Eskdale: Amir Khan has been very vocal these past 4 or 5 weeks of his intention of fighting Floyd Mayweather Junior next year. After his last performance against Julio Diaz it would seem absurd to think that Amir is now 1 fight away from a Mayweather bout. But this folks is the corrupt world of professional boxing were nothing should surprise us anymore.

Khan first came to prominence in 2004 Athens Olympic Games winning a silver medal at the age of 17. He turned professional fairly quickly making his pro debut the following year in the summer of 2005.

Calzaghe: Avoider or Avoided?

05/14/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

By Jamie Eskdale: Joe Calzaghe retired from boxing in February 2009 so I am perhaps going over old ground here. However I am still interested to know people’s opinion on the Welshman.

Joe Calzaghe was WBO Super Middleweight champion for 10 years. He successfully defended the title 21 times. Throughout his career he also held the WBC WBA and IBF versions of the Super Middleweight title and also held the ring title at Super Middleweight and also Light Heavyweight.

In 1997 Joe fought Chris Eubank for the vacant WBO Super Middleweight title.The title was vacated by Steve Collins claiming injury. Though many people at the time claimed he wanted nothing to do with Calzaghe. Collins later retired.

The Klitschkos with no one to fight

05/05/2013 by Jamie Eskdale

wlad#4 By Jamie Eskdale: I will try and examine other issues affecting boxing. Anyone who read my last article will know that I think boxing is currently in a precarious position, we have a situation where 4 governing bodies, promoters and television networks more or less run the sport.

Our Heavyweight division is in quite a dire state. Recently though on various boxing forums and websites(including this one) I have seen people talking it up. I think the general consensus is the Klitschko brothers are nearing the end, wait until their retired and it will breathe new life into the division.