Long before the Buena Vista Social Club beguiled audiences around the world, revolutionary Cuba’s sporting heroes enjoyed global renownOn a warm evening in a Barcelona suburb 24 years ago, the air thick and heavy, the light-grey and gold, Cuba and the USA met in a baseball game that was as much a contest of ideologies as an Olympic semi-final. As the two teams lined up to shake hands before the semi-final, each Cuban presented his opponent with a commemorative pennant. The Americans had come empty-handed.The USA team consisted of college boys, some of them on the brink of Major League-careers. The Cubans were veterans of their domestic league, unbeaten in almost 70 internationals. After a scoreless first hour, it was...
David Haye’s threats to Tony Bellew’s life and the pair’s insults and aggression showed boxing at its worst after a desperate few weeks for the sportThe bar was set low but at the Dorchester hotel on Wednesday David Haye and Tony Bellew still managed to crassly limbo under it.A press conference to announce their fight in March fast descended into a 20-minute slanging match, during which Haye promised to put his opponent in hospital and – for good measure – warned him his life was on the line. Then, as the pair butted noses during the face-off, a push from Bellew was met with a left hook from Haye. As bouncers waded into the chaos, there were numerous shouts and...
The ferocious Jamaican puncher delivered a knockout blow to his reputation by quitting in the seventh round of his world title fight against Vasyl LomachenkoThe ugliest word in boxing is “quit”. Muhammad Ali wouldn’t do it when he fought all the way to the finish with a broken jaw against Ken Norton.Danny Williams wouldn’t do it when he knocked out Mark Potter with a dislocated right arm. Audley Harrison, often derided, came from behind nursing an injured shoulder to knock out Michael Sprott in the final round. Don’t even start with the bare-knuckle boys. Related: Ken Norton: a jaw-breakingly good fighter and myth buster | Kevin Mitchell Related: Orlando Cruz stopped by Terry Flanagan in WBO lightweight title fight Related:...
Many will feel the Russian was robbed of victory by home judges. But fights between two skilled operators can be incredibly tough to callKathy Duva is no stranger to disappointment. The veteran promoter behind Sergey Kovalev has been on the wrong end of more than a few controversial decisions in her nearly three decades in the sport. Call it an occupational hazard.But that experience doesn’t assuage the sting of Kovalev’s disputed unanimous-decision loss to Andre Ward on Saturday night in Las Vegas, a verdict that stripped the Russian champion of his light heavyweight titles and saddled him with the first loss of his professional career. Related: Andre Ward scores controversial points victory over Sergey Kovalev Continue reading...
Froch is 39, he’s been retired for 30 months and only Canelo Álvarez can offer Golovkin the career defining fight he craves before he hangs up his own glovesThere are several reasons Carl Froch would come out of retirement to fight the most dangerous opponent he could imagine, Gennady Golovkin.And, without even reading between the lines of the latest rumours, you already know what they are: the noughts on whatever upright digit the middleweight champion’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, comes up with. I’m guessing it would have to at least look as pretty as this for the former super-middleweight champion: £2,000,000. Related: Carl Froch, the Cobra who just loved fighting | Kevin Mitchell Related: Álvarez-Golovkin is the new mega-fight, but we’ll...