Lomachenko’s World Title Credentials to be put to the Test

10/16/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

lomachenko7 By Robbie Bannatyne: Society’s obsession with credential-ism is mirrored by the boxing worlds various sanctioning bodies alphabet vacant and interim titles which dubiously bestow the title of ‘world champion’ on fighters. These paper championship belts are now woven into the business fabric of boxing. They are essentially bargaining chips which are used as leverage to sell fights to the fans. Another of their principal purposes is to secure up and coming boxer’s big fights and even bigger paydays.

Vasyl Lomachenko, the Ukrainian double Olympic and World Amateur Champion certainly has the credentials which legitimize the hype that surrounded his professional debut on the undercard of the Timothy Bradley vs. Juan Manuel Marquez WBO Welterweight title fight at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, last Saturday night.

Timothy Bradley- The Pupil that took the Teacher to School

10/14/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: Placing the word intelligence in the context of hand to hand combat fighting seems almost like an oxy-moron. But anyone who watched the Timothy Bradley vs Juan Manuel Marquez WBO Welterweight title fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night will appreciate how important a factor ring intellect played in Bradley’s career defining victory against the Mexican legend.

His performance was the polar opposite to his display in his last outing against Russian slugger Ruslan Provodnikov, which ironically endeared him to the boxing public despite it becoming dangerously close to being the death knell for his career. That night Bradley allowed his heart to rule his head and nearly paid the ultimate price as he was close to being knocked out on numerous occasions.

Boxing is a Fickle Mistress

10/09/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: The Sport of Boxing is a typically tempestuous arena where every fighter, no matter their standing, is only ever one defeat away from disaster. Two consecutive losses however, is perceived by the boxing public to be a full blown crisis, a fact Miguel Cotto will attest to.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Amir Khan: Business is Boxing

10/02/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: To many it is common knowledge that Boxing is a Business first. Sport second. And the growing talk that Amir Khan will be Floyd Mayweather Jr’s next opponent proves this conviction to be unequivocally one of truth.

Boxing is a harsh and unforgiving environment. A landscape where one can toil for a long time yet rarely reap what one sow’s. Unless of course, their face ‘fits’ into the financial picture of the promoters and television networks, whose rapacious pursuit of wealth renders such qualities as merit and virtue a redundant currency in the sport.

Garcia vs. Matthysse: Separating the Myths from Reality

09/25/201309/25/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: They say the facts don’t lie. But they can be deceiving, and at times, downright surprising. As was the case in the Light-Welterweight title bout between Danny ‘Swift’ Garcia and Lucas ‘Machine’ Matthysse, the penultimate fight on the Mayweather vs Alvarez undercard.

Despite being the challenger, Matthysse was a massive favorite to win the fight, but Garcia put on vintage display- mixing pure boxing with brawling- to rip up the script and retain his WBA and WBC titles making sure his unbeaten record remains intact.

As surprising as the outcome was, the compu-box fight statistics are even more astonishing and seem to separate some myths from the reality of what both men bring to the table.

Did Beltran know too Much?

09/13/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: When the fight between Ricky Burns vs. Raymundo Beltran commenced last Saturday at the SECC, Glasgow, Scotland I was intrigued to see the 1st statement of intent from the 32-year-old Mexican challenger Beltran, a long time sparring partner of the great Manny Pacquiao. Having admittedly not seen much of Beltran in action, I initially thought his ultra composed approach was simply his favored fighting style. But, then, as the rounds wore on, on it occurred to me that something seemed to be having an indelible influence on Beltran’s approach.

Burns vs. Beltran: The Rematch

09/12/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: I recently submitted an article about how Ricky Burns must ‘Abandon a Rematch with Beltran’ on the premise that Beltran, although thoroughly deserving of a rematch, was just too dangerous an opponent for Burns to once again risk his title against, especially after suffering a broken jaw in their 1^st clash.

This conviction attracted a lot of consternation in the comments from readers who vented their ‘rage’ and insisted that I was talking, as one reader put it, succinctly, ‘a lot bollocks!’

Ricky Burns must abandon rematch with Beltran

09/10/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: Despite the rhetoric coming from Eddie Hearn, Matchroom supremo and promoter of Ricky Burns, that the World Champion ‘may never box again’ after suffering a broken jaw in his highly controversial draw over Mexican Raymundo Beltran, it now appears, at least according to the comments made to the BBC, by his manager Alex Morrison, that the Scot, told ESPN that he will “definitely fight again, one million per cent.”

So many Fighters so little time for Floyd Mayweather Jnr

08/29/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

floyd45 By Robbie Bannatyne: Ever since it was announced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. sealed a lucrative 6 fight contract with Showtime and its parent network, CBS, all the cream fighters from the current vintage crop of Welterweights have been falling over themselves to land one of the Golden tickets left to face the former multi-weight World Champion, and current holder of the WBC welterweight and WBA light middleweight straps.

And although there have been a few long term hiatus’ and a false dawn in the form of a brief retirement from the sport in 2008, Floyd Mayweather Jnr will be 38 years old upon the conclusion of the 30 month contract he signed in February. So this series of fights will almost certainly be followed by a full stop to mark the end of a career punctuated by greatness.

Are you entertained by Floyd Mayweather Jr’s fighting style?

08/09/2013 by Robbie Bannatyne

By Robbie Bannatyne: In a documentary aired in the build to his recent clash with Robert Guerrero, Floyd Mayweather repeatedly stated how he was duty bound to ‘entertain’ the fans during his fights.

It seemed a tad ironic considering how his most of his prize fights get pilloried by fans who boo at his boring performances.

But Mayweather is an entertainer. Sadly, though, his most exciting and explosive performances are almost always reserved to the confines of a press conference, as opposed to inside the parameters of the ring, where, incidentally, Pacquiao never fails to entertain- win or lose.