If you collect boxing memorabilia you surely will be interested to know that the annual boxing memorabilia fayre is taking place next month, it’s possibly not that well advertised thank’s to the trade paper Boxing News showing little if any interest in helping it gain any exposure! though for a paper that boasts that Lloyd Honeyghan was a World amatuer champion, and that the ill fated Joe Bugner-Ulric Regis fight was the last professional show to have featured in the London borough of Hackney back in 1969, when it clearly wasn’t, Darren Barker our European middleweight champion boxed at the Hackney Empire in 2006! it clearly show’s that there writers might just be out of the achne stage let alone Hackney! talking of Bugner-Regis, looks like they would’nt know the difference from Bognor Regis, let alone Bugner-Regis! and possibly it would be in there interests to attend such a show! maybe they’d learn a thing or three!
I’ve attended this fayre for the last three years now and I can’t recommend this enough, I’ve purchased some rare and hard to obtain items at this fayre and the amount of various memorabilia on offer is amazing, from book’s, gloves, magazines, boxing video’s and dvd’s, photos to anything that’s boxing!
London Boxing Memorabilia Fayre, October 15th. Regent’s Park, London.
Boxing returns to the Elephant and Castle!
Boxing returns to South London, where many a show has taken place over the years, they have all boxed here, Honeyghan, Calzaghe, Duke Mckenzie, the latter even created history here when he beat Gaby Canizales to replicate Bob Fitzimmons as only the second British boxer to win three World titles in three different weight divisions!
Miranda Carter’s Left Jab promotions present an afternoon of boxing
Miranda Carter puts on a Sunday afternoon show at the York Hall in the East End of London on September the 18th.
Brighton boxing show, Pro-Am June 11th 2011.
On Saturday the 11th of June former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Scott Welch promotes a Pro-Am show at the Brighton Metropole hotel, the scene of his title winning effort against the late James Oyebola.
Goodwin promotions present an evening of boxing.
It’s a case of history in the making on Saturday the 4th of June at the historic hall that’s been dubbed ‘the spiritual home of boxing’ as Olivia Goodwin will create boxing history in the promotional sense when she become’s the youngest ever British boxing promoter!
Q & A with Lenny Lapaglia
It was August 1987 when I first read the name Lenny LaPaglia, mmmmm correction possibly a few month’s earlier when I read somewhere in the English trade paper Boxing News about an Italian American called Lenny LaPaglia wanting to fight the then World I.B.F super middle champ Chong Pal Park after dismantling one of Park’s former challenger’s in Marvin Mack inside of a round, Mack had taken Park the full course!
Let’s roll forward a few month’s and I read that my hero Doug Dewitt has got a win over a certain Lenny LaPaglia and was back to winning way’s after the shattering loss the previous Febraury at the hands of Puerto Rican puncher Jose ‘Pepo’ Quinones.
Q & A with Daniel Woodgate
Margate’s not particulary that well known for it’s fistic prowess in the fight game, Sven Hamer a Swede and Takaloo an Iranian formed the gloved threat from the seaside resort from the South coast in good old England some years ago…..British fighter’s from the postcard setting of the famous seaside resort have been few and far between until now that is……..enter Jack ’13′ Morris and the very subject of this interview fellow Margate native Daniel Woodgate, as you possibly know I’d done an interview with Daniel before that touched on his early day’s in the fight game and his even earlier days as a kid in a tough part of Kent called Sidcup. {please check under my name for our first interview if you missed it}
However since our last interview Daniel has fought quite a few times though he seemed unlucky to lose on points to fellow prospect Sammy Couzens over four rounds, Daniel has bounced back with two win’s in as many week’s and since the Couzen’s defeat there’s been a few changes made in team Woodgate and also on a happy note in his personal life Daniel became a father for the first time when on Christmas eve his baby daughter Evilyn was born.
Daniel has got back on track since the Couzens defeat, 2011 has I just mentioned as got off to a flying start with win’s over tough uncompromising type’s in Jodie Meikle and the big punching Elvis Dube, however prior to his daughter’s birth just after the loss to Couzens Daniel relocated away from his family and friends to Manchester to try and get some much sought after guidance from the Manchester fight scene, and notably Daniel’s come on in abundance!
Manchester a place best known for Coronation street and the great red-blue divide due to that of the city’s great footballing rivalry {though don’t tell Daniel that, like me his a staunch West Ham supporter} however it’s no surprise why Daniel relocated to the Northern city as it’s considered British boxing’s home, James J Braddock, yes the Cinderella man was born there and moreso Ricky Hatton amongst other’s put Manchester on the boxing map, World heavyweight champ David Haye’s last two defences of his W.B.A heavyweight crown have also been there so it tell’s you the type of place boxing wise were talking here.
Goodwin boxing promotion, York Hall, Bethnal Green, London. March 5th 2011
At the York Hall this coming Saturday March 5th, Steve Goodwin put’s on a marathon twelve fight show at the famed York Hall in Bethnal Green.
Miranda Carter present’s an afternoon of boxing at York Hall, Bethnal Green.
ON this coming Sunday afternoon Febraury 20th in London’s East End at the famed spiritual home of boxing Miranda Carter promotes a nine fight card in this her eleventh show of her so far short but successful promotional career as British boxing’s busiest female promoter!
Wembley Arena Championship boxing February 5th
O’Donnel-Watson……a case of history repeating itself at the venue of legends or a case of sweet revenge?
Prizefighter the light heavy’s “13″ could well be the luck of the draw!
On Saturday January 29th at Olympia in posh Kensington in London, Barry Hearn’s Matchroom promotions put on the second Prizefighter at light heavyweight.
Gary Mason {1962-2011}
It was in the mid eighties or there abouts that I first saw Gary Mason box on the telly, as it happens
it was October 1986 to be precise against a certain Donnie ‘master of disaster’ Long who didn’t last that long against the powerful chunkily built Mason who obliterated his American adversary in devastating fashion.
It’s the season of joy the Savoy!
Mickey Helliet put on a three fight card at the recently £220 million refurbished Savoy Hotel in the Strand in London as part of a charity event to raise money for the Antony Nolan charity that helps Leukemia patients get matches for transplants.
Movie Review: Ten Percent
It’s the first time I’ve ever done a film review and I felt compelled to do so as it was about the heavyweight championship of the World, it’s a title that has many stories behind it and possibly more so than any weight division in our glorious sport that is the noble art!
HAYE DESTROYS HARRISON, WELL SORT OF!
In my experience as a boxing fan and historian I’ve never witnessed such a poor excuse for a World heavyweight championship fight, I felt ashamed to call this a fight, it was more of a farce as it happens!
Mayfair October 14th 2010
On an Autumn evening in posh Mayfair, Michael Helliet of the Mayfair sporting club put on a three fight dinner show in the plush surroundings of the Millenium hotel opposite the Grosvenor square on a Thursday evening all part of a dinner show.
Interviewing Jay Darrell Ingleton….. the hardest kid at school 1982-1986. part one
It was 1982, when I first moved from East London to further afield, Essex to be more precise in Gants Hill, a mostly Jewish area, I did’nt really want to move further out but my stepfather Richie Ward was bettering himself, business was booming and his small motor spares shop in the Mile End road was getting bigger, his wallet fatter and he wanted a better life for his co habitar, my mother and her son, me!
Memorabilia fayre 2010
Yes it’s that time of the year again almost, the annual boxing memorabilia fayre.
I attended last year has I did the year before and can say on each occasion as a boxing collector that I was amazed at what was on offer, as I entered the hall and paid my entry fee of hat goes to a worthy cause to the ex boxers charity, I was in awe of the huge amount of various items for sale, everything from old fight posters, program’s art prints, vhs tapes, books, photos….etc….etc…. to everything boxing related that you could imagine and hey it’s very reasonably priced also.
Q & A with Daniel Woodgate
It’s possibly no surprise that your wondering why I’m interviewing a guy whose boxed only once in the professional ranks, a points win against Welshman Adam Wilcox, but I felt it needed to be done, what with Margate having few names boxing wise, other than Sven Hamer and Takaloo many years ago, {I know hardly a couple of English men}, however we now have some home reared talent from the famous seaside resort, has there’s Jack “13″ Morris who like Woodgate is a super middle, and also you have the Woolford brother’s Scott and Vinnie, who seemingly are more often than not in the role of journeyman status nowadays!
So on a Summer’s evening from home I made the call to Daniel Woodgate, the latest offering from Margate, the interview went good and I liked the way he answered my question’s with truthful answer’s, this guy comes across as down to Earth and is obviously a realist in his view’s on how he hopes his career to pan out, answering my question’s in a direct and positive tone Dan sure seemed a no nonsense type but at the same time a nice chap, with a voice that sounds a little like former W.B.C 168lb king Carl Froch’s and a build more like that of a scaled down Frank Bruno with a similar muscle definition to that of big Frank, obviously Dan would one day like to emulate both in the ring and become a World champion, especially that of fellow super middle Froch, he certainly does’nt seem to be a fancy Dan, but in time Dan could well be the man!!!!!!!
Hennessy promotions present professional boxing.
On Friday September 10th at the mecca of East End boxing, at the York Hall in London’s East End, Mick Hennessy makes a welcome return to boxing has he promotes a eight fight card.
Goodwin promotions present championship boxing Sept 11th, York Hall, Bethnal Green, London
On Saturday September 11th at London’s York Hall, Goodwin promotions put on a interesting show, featuring no fewer than eleven fights in an almost marathon show, however topping the bill are two title fights featuring Pat McAleese who takes on over ten at light middle, Lee Noble.
World Boxing Council gala awards dinner
Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, Wales
So it was on a Summer’s day that myself and Frank Warren corner man and good friend Lennie Lee, made the two hundred or so miles journey to Cardiff, in Wales in my trusty old scrap heap from my home in Colchester in Essex.
Doors could be opening for Daws!
Morden’s Lenny Daws showed great ring generalship as he made a second successful title defence of his British light welterweight title has he turned back bloody but brave challenger Steve Williams after ten rounds.
Williams last time out had beaten Tottenham’s Michael Grant for the vacant English bauble back here at the York Hall in Febraury on the undercard to Daws first defence which ended in a draw against Welshman Jason Cook.
However to begin with it was Williams who got off to a rip roaring start as he outfought the notoriously slow starting champion, who did very little compared to the challenger whom kept in close banging away with both hands on the inside as Daws could’nt match the workrate being metered out by the determined Liverpudlian.
In the second Lenny did seem to pick things up a bit more and when he did he showed the better accuracy of the two if not the determination of Williams, it seemed to myself that Daws was mearly saving something for later on, Williams though seemed to skate the first three rounds with ease.
Fourth round action saw things pace wise dip a little, but when both did spring into action Daws found himself backed up, but it was the champion who now and again showed some nice combinations as he found his range, and was it seemed to be testing the water as he fought mostly in spurts as if he was testing his man skill wise and obviously conceded the early rounds though Williams was missing more than Daws, it was with greater conviction and overall workrate that Williams was applying himself, throwing four punches he was landing two or three, but they were two more than Daws was throwing!
The fifth saw a turn in the tide as Daws, true to form started to ease his way in as he started to land with flurrys, even one burst of shots opened a cut over Williams right eye as Daws took control of the fight from the ring’s centre and it was the challenger who was looking rather disorientated due to Daws better accuracy, the blood from the afforementioned cut did’nt help matters as Daws notched up the fifth.
From thereon it was all Daws has he blocked most of Williams attacks and countered nicely, it was more than evident that Lenny was doing a job, however in the Seventh Williams workrate dropped, Daws was now controlling the destiny of the bout and it seemed it was a matter of time until the fight was eventually awarded in favour of the champion, but in boxing it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings’ and though there seemed from here on that Williams was’nt going to pull out a miracle punch, it was his right hand that did land now and again on Daws unprotected chin, but it seemed unlikely to say the least that Williams could turn the tide, Daws himself had his signature punch, a left hook that kept landing as Williams had defeat written on his face at times.
In the next stanza the eighth Williams was drinking in the last chance saloon as the blood flowed from the cut over his right eye, coming out throwing himself at the champion with a fusilade of leather, but Daws had his number as early as the second it seemed before moving up the gears, in the ninth Williams again kept trying gallantly and found the target on the odd occasion, but still Lenny evaded most of the attacks coming his way and counter punched effectively on the open target that was Williams!
At the start of the tenth Williams had a little more success as he landed twice with combinations, but has he came on the inside, it was there that Lenny tied up his man in the clinches before again finding his range and outboxing his man, at the end of the round third man Ian John Lewis was called over to the challenger’s corner where Williams remonstrated as he was over ruled by his corner and Ian John Lewis waved it over with the challenger on his stool.
So what next for the champion, Daws who a brilliant tactician and technician could be in line for a shot at Northern Ireland’s European champion Paul McCloskey in a battle for the British and European titles.
{For the record, the judges officiating had thing’s almost level at the end, I wonder what fight these so called professional’s were watching?, I has a few other observant ringsider’s had Daws leading}
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Tyson show’s his fury, senior that is!!!!–WATCH ON GFL
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It was a case of repeat or revenge since last year’s controversial points decision in favour of the giant Manchester heavyweight Tyson Fury, local lad John Mcdermott was hoping to avenge a loss that he and many in the fight game felt belonged rightfully to himself in a controversy that had shades of Henry Cooper -Joe Bugner from 1971.
Conspiracy Fury? who they kidding John!
So it’s a case of repeat or revenge, Manchester’s Tyson Fury fights for his old title this Friday at the Brentwood International centre just off the A12 against the man he won it from John Mcdermott last September in a highly controversial decision that the fight fraternity deemed a robbery that lent in favour of the Mancunian beanpole!
The Beckham of boxing? Introducing Jack ’13′ Morris, boxing’s new golden boy.
Boxer’s as a rule have always been known as having rather ugly faces, for example the boxers nose, the cauliflower ear, scar tissue, the high cheek bones, are what are usually remarked about of the boxers face.
Results from York Hall
York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, England
March 21st 2010
Miranda Carter put on her first show of the year, featuring a good looking card which saw the return of Leon Williams in his first start since losing his unbeaten record to Hastings Rasani.
A good card featured many devastating finishes, one not particuarly pleasing to the eye as you’ll read, other than that a good value for money show all round!
PRIZE FIGHTER: THE LIGHT MIDDLES
So it was the turn of the light middles in Barry Hearn’s Prize Fighter series.
However this particular tournament turned out to be more one for the purists, as no particular bout failed to produce a inside schedule win.
As I walked into the York Hall, I could’nt find a spare seat in the press row, so I noticed over the other side a couple of empty seats, on finding them I noticed an athletic looking chap sitting there, it was…..Anthony Small the current reigning British and Commonwealth champion, it seemed the King was here to keep an eye on his hopeful predecessors!!!!