Author: Sean Crose

Last weekend I attended a fight event in my hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. For the first time in about 50 years, a fight card appeared in the city. Willie Pep once fought there in front of 20,000 people, but those days are apparently long gone. However, those who thought it would be foolish to bring boxing back to society found out that they were very wrong. More than a thousand spectators gathered at the Palace Theater in the city center to watch local fighter Michael Kimbel try to climb the ladder. The main event was a thriller. As do most of the cards leading up to this.

Kimbel knocked down his fighter in the first round. However, his opponent, the very competitive Edgar De Leon, came back and knocked down Kimbel. Not once, but twice. The staggered Kimbel was barely able to hold himself up. But the thing is, he actually stuck to it. After surviving the round, he took control of the fight and basically beat the crap out of destitute De Leon. The fight was stopped a few seconds before the end of the eighth and final round. No one argued that the referee made the wrong decision. De Leon’s face felt like a punching bag and there was no need for him to take further damage at this point.

After the fight ended, the crowd in Waterbury, long known to be a crafty place, erupted in celebration. Indeed, it was a wild night of boxing, with relatives trying to jump into the ring and fans shouting four-letter obscenities for a full three minutes of each round. Unfortunately, some people brought their children there. Quick Tip… Don’t take your kids to a boxing match until they’re senior enough to handle nuclear bombs and the effects of solemn alcohol consumption. After the season ticket expired, one of the theater employees, who was used to musicals, concerts and other performances, decided that now that he had taken up boxing, he needed a drink.

Point well made. Here’s the thing though… The little fight cards are fun. Adult oriented but fun. Yes, there are people who make drunk fools of themselves. Yes, there are people who can’t lend a hand but scream as if they know anything they’re talking about, but it’s still a great feeling to have as many as 2,000 people screaming their approval and really engaging with the action taking place in front of them. What’s more, it’s great for the players involved. Fight critics don’t understand that fight fans love watching fighters win even more than they love watching them lose. That’s quite a distinction. When you fight at the local level, there is a sense of community.

There will undoubtedly be a sense of community in Atlantic City on Saturday night as Boxing Insider Promotions presents another of its popular live cards. The key to such events is not to show the stars of the day, but to show the rising stars of tomorrow. These people are hungry and want to impress. This makes for a good viewing experience, especially when a fan watches the entire broadcast live and in person. The truth is that boxing needs more of this type of thing. Players need to be seen growing in front of an audience. Petite cards like Saturday’s turn out to be a testing ground for future talents.

It’s great to be able to say that you knew a popular player even though no one knew who he or she was. There is a sense of community for viewers who have been there from the beginning. This is all worth the attention of boxing fans.

Manny Pacquiao has had 73 professional fights to date, but there is one man who is grateful that his planned clash with the Filipino icon did not materialize, calling his withdrawal a “blessing in disguise.”

Many fighters, true legends of this sport, dream of sharing the ring with one of the greatest boxing fighters; the only boxer to win a world title in four different decades and the only world champion in eight divisions.

Pacquiao is now chasing another feat, hoping to break his own mark as the oldest welterweight champion of all time, having last held the WBA welterweight title at the age of 42 years earlier. he lost to Yordenis Ugaswho stepped in as a challenger when Errol Spence Jr. withdrew.

I keep talking Ward’s Art PodcastSpence admitted he was glad the fight with “Pac-Man” didn’t happen, fearing that the eye injury that caused him to withdraw could seriously impact both his career and life.

“The whole camp I felt bad, I felt really bad, I was screwed up. I’ll say it again, I don’t know if it’s life or God or whatever. I got hit in the eye while sparring and I was actually still sparring at the time and stuff like that.

“I went to Vegas and had to take an eye test, it was shadowy, I saw clouds, something was wrong, I went to the eye doctor and I think he saw it, but he wanted me to tell him, so he said, ‘Can you see any clouds?’ And I said, ‘No, I can’t see anything.’

“He said, ‘Are you sure?’ And I said, “No, I can’t see anything, everything is clear, everything is fine.” I wanted to get permission, but he said, “Man, your eye is messed up.”

“I tried to tell the doctor to let me fight and that everything would be fine, that I would sign whatever you wanted me to sign. I told him I would make sure he [Pacquiao] don’t hit me in the eye!

“He said, ‘No, man, if you get hit in the eye the right way, you can go blind in the eye. I can’t let you fight.’

“I think it was a blessing in disguise because if I had taken that fight and something had happened, I would be wearing an eye patch right now and I wouldn’t have had the fights that I had or made the money that I made.”

Spence returns to action against Tim Tszyu next month, ending a three-year period of inactivity with intriguing tests in the super welterweight division.

In response to Whittaker’s comments, Chelli said his victory over Morrell was more than just a lucky blow.

“He didn’t do it [fought anyone]. I just saw his recent interview where he said my fight was a lucky shot,” Chelli told Sky Sports Boxing. “You don’t get a lucky shot against a two-time world heavyweight champion, who took a beating in the fight against David Benavidez.

“You don’t get a lucky shot in boxing, especially at this level. Maybe against a smaller guy. At this level, against a guy who is prepared to take a lucky shot and is trained for it. I wouldn’t say I envy him, but I think he regrets not taking that fight. I don’t think he would have done the job if he had taken that fight.”

Despite criticism of Whittaker’s record, Chelli says he would welcome a fight with him.

“I don’t see him as a real competitor, but he’s a large name. Why do we box? Are we boxing for money, fame or belts? He’s the one I want in the WBC right now. So if I know his name, of course, I’ll gladly take it,” Chelli said.

Chelli also revealed that the two were once members of Team GB and claimed he dumped Whittaker during a sparring session.

“We were good friends at one point. We were in Team GB, we shared the same rooms and were close. I think we were fighting for the English title in the final and I think something screwed up there. We had a sparring session. I dropped him in the sparring session,” Chelli said. “You can ask the witnesses there that I dropped him in sparring but he was still selected for the Commonwealth Games.”

Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KO) holds the WBC International lightweight heavyweight title and last fought in April, defeating Liam Cameron in the second round of their rematch in Birmingham. Chelli’s upset win over Morrell was the biggest victory of his career and put him in position for more essential fights in the 175-pound division.

“I don’t see him as competition.”

Zak Chelli speaks out about Ben Whittaker 👀 pic.twitter.com/JBILvEC3Rt

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) June 17, 2026