Interviews
Bournemouth’s next massive star? One to watch: Lee Cutler
Nearly 15 years ago, Lee Cutler watched Ricky Hatton fail in his attempt to dethrone boxing great Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas in a fight that captured the public imagination.
On Saturday night, Bournemouth native Cutler (7-0, 4 KOs) will find himself in the opposite corner of the Manchester icon when he takes on another undefeated prospect, Bradley Rea, on the undercard of Lawrence Okolie’s vacant WBO cruiserweight world title fight against Kryztof Głowacki at the SSE Arena.
“It’s obviously a bit surreal because Bradley Rea is training with Ricky Hatton,” Cutler said. proboxing-fans.com.
“So he’ll be in the corner across from me, so it’ll be a bit surreal for me.
“My first memory of boxing was watching him box and now he’s in the corner across from me, facing me, so it’s crazy how it works out, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
The 25-year-old began training at just 14, against his mother’s wishes, chasing his dreams while still in school.
After his first fight at the age of 15, Cutler embarked on an impressive amateur career, winning a national title and three Western County titles, among others.
Cutler, who fights at super welterweight and middleweight, says he has an aggressive fighting style and doesn’t mind meeting his opponent in the middle of the ring.
“I’m a bit of a boxer, I can do both, I like to break things up,” Cutler said of his style.
“Depending on my mood, attitude and how I felt before. [I’m] I’m boxing pretty well in the gym, I’m doing a lot of rounds with Ted Cheeseman, guys like Anthony Fowler are doing well. I’m learning from those guys, obviously I’m doing longer rounds now.
“I have eight rounds to play this weekend, I’ve played 10 rounds in sparring with fresh opponents, so I’m more than ready for that.”
Cutler will face a familiar opponent on Saturday evening when he ends a layoff of more than 15 months to face Lancashire’s Bradley Rea.
The pair sparred last year and Cutler believes it set the tone for a fight that could be special and worth paying for, broadcast live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
“We went to Liverpool to watch Chris [Billam-Smith] win the Commonwealth title.
“We went to Manchester over the weekend and spent a few days there before he fought a few rounds with me and my trainer Kev Thornley.
“I had a little sparring, I had an eight-round sparring with Brad Rea, very, very, very good sparring in close contact, tough rounds.
“We know it’s going to be a tough fight, we both know we have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I know it’s going to be a tough fight.
“He’s a very high and long opponent, it’s going to be tough for me to get inside and stuff like that, but I think I have what it takes to get there and win.
“So much respect for Brad that we’re both putting it all on the line, we don’t have to do that. I think he’s a little younger than me, only about a year, we’re both putting it all on the line and I know it’s going to be a great fight, I think it could be a show stealer.”
Cutler is hoping a win over Rea will lead to a maiden title fight either in the Southern Area or at English level in his hometown.
There were reportedly talks last spring about staging a Matchroom Boxing event featuring Chris Billam-Smith in Bournemouth, but it ultimately fell through.
Nevertheless, Cutler admits he is relishing the prospect of sharing the bill with the Commonwealth champion, who will face Vasil Ducar for the vacant WBA Continental Cruiserweight title, and putting Bournemouth on the map.
“It really is a bit surreal, isn’t it. Bournemouth aren’t known for boxing, let’s face it.
“We started out at the same amateur club in Poole ABC. When he turned professional I spent my last year at Parkstone ABC but we both pushed each other, it’s what we both dreamed of and for me to get my first chance at a massive game, to have it with Chris and not be at Bournemouth, it’s a bit surreal really.
“It’s kind of written for us and we’re both under pressure to deliver because last year Eddie Hearn wanted to bring a performance to Bournemouth so hopefully if we both win on Saturday it can happen in the summer which I’m looking forward to, let’s get a win first.”
Watch the full interview with Lee Cutler below:
Eddie Hearn believes Tyson Fury will retire after a legacy-defining clash with Anthony Joshua.
Fury stunned the boxing world on Monday when he announced his retirement from the sport, leaving behind a megafight with Joshua.
The “Gypsy King” announced his shocking decision less than a month after suffering, among other things, second defeat in a row against Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad, but Joshua’s promoter, Hearn, is convinced that the fighter from Morecambe will return to the ring to fight the long-awaited showdown with “AJ”, who is returning after a fifth-round defeat to Daniel Dubois.
“In my opinion, I think he will come back,” the 45-year-old said talkSPORT.
“But I don’t know him well enough to judge that.
“He’s coming back after two defeats, and these defeats hurt the boys.
“AJ was devastated by the defeat to Dubois and I’m sure Fury was too [with his defeats to Usyk]both are winners.
“I don’t know if Fury can leave one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport on the table.
“I know he’s a competitor. I know he will want to give the British fight fans what they want and I hope we see more of him.
“But if we don’t, God bless the speed and all the best.”
Fury hung up his gloves after defeating Dillian Whyte in April 2022, only to return eight months later for a third fight with Derek Chisora, whom he defeated comfortably at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hearn said Joshua will now look to secure a clash with the winner of the February 22 fight between his former rivals Dubois and Joseph Parker, who will fight in Riyad for the IBF heavyweight world title.
If Fury returns to fight AJ, the Matchroom boss insists the loser would have nowhere to go.
“They would both be devastated by defeat,” he added.
“It’s one thing to lose the world heavyweight title, but at the same time losing in a fight of this magnitude is the biggest bragging rights.
“At this stage of their career, the last word is goodbye.
“Whoever loses this fight is finished and whoever wins it moves on and that’s what you fight for.
“You’re not just fighting for a legacy, you’re fighting to save your career.
“It’s a huge fight, but it’s not on the table right now.”
Callum Simpson defended his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles after a second-round victory over Steer Woodall on Saturday at the Park Community Arena in Sheffield.
Simpson (16-0, 11 KO) proved too good for Zak Chelli in his last competition and went on to sweep wide and claim the British and Commonwealth titles last August. Woodall (19-3-1, 12 KO) picked up his best career win, stopping Lerrone Richards in six rounds in an upset in Bolton last June.
This attack ended quickly in the second round, with a right uppercut that left Woodall on wobbly legs, and then another attack punctuated by another right uppercut, leaving “The Stallion” on the deck.
Despite beating the count, referee Mark Bates waved off the fight shortly afterwards.
Simpson dedicated his victory his dead sisterwho died tragically in August in a road accident.
“It’s bittersweet,” the 28-year-old said Heavenly sports after the fight.
“I won these titles in front of all my fans, but there’s one person that I think everyone knows who I wish was here, but I know she’s looking down on me and I make her proud.”
Dubois is tied with Camara
On the card below, Caroline Dubois (10-0-1, 5 KO) made her first defense of her WBC lightweight title against Canadian Jessica Camara (14-4-1, 3 KO), but the fight ended in a technical draw.
The fight was stopped due to a cut to Camara’s left eye from the head collision, and she also went down in the first round.
Forrest stops Miller
Cruiserweight prospect Scott Forrest needed just two rounds to defeat Deevorn Miller.
Miller (8-3, 6 KO) lost once in the first and second rounds, while Forrest (7-0, 4 KO) won outright.
Undercard remaining
In the featherlight heavyweight division, where Billy Deniz defeated Mickey Ellison (15-8, 5 KO) by one point.
Deniz (13-0, 5 KO) won with a score of 77-76.
In the six-round middleweight division, Sam Hickey (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Lewis Howells (3-2) three times en route to a first-round victory, and Mauro Silva (7-0, 3 KO) scored a 59-56 victory against Emmanuel Zion (6-3, 3 KOs).
Ellis Price (2-0, 1 KO) stopped Liam Fitzmaurice (0-1) twice en route to a first-round lightweight victory.
Lauren Price believes Natasha Jonas was pressured into fighting her ahead of their March 7 unification clash.
Price will put his WBA and IBO welterweight titles on the line when he faces IBF and WBC champion Jonas live at the Royal Albert Hall. Heavenly sports.
Jonas’ coach, Joe Gallagher, has said he would prefer to see the 40-year-old retire, and Price, who won Olympic gold in 2021, is doubtful whether her rival wants to face her.
“I don’t think either of them wanted this fight,” the 30-year-old said proboxing-fans.com.
“But like I said, she has two belts, I have three and it’s just a great fight.
“The fight is signed, sealed and announced, so on March 7 we will see who will be the best.
“If you look at my amateur record, Olympic gold medalist, I haven’t lost a single round as a professional.
“The performance I am up against [Jessica] McCaskill in Cardiff against the legitimate world champion, the proof is in the pudding.
“I’ve got it. I’m in my youth.
“She’s coming to the end of my career and I don’t blame her, but in the end she has something that I want and that’s really it, there’s nothing personal.”
Jonas secured the WBC crown with a unanimous decision victory over then-champion Ivana Habazin in December in Liverpool, moments after Price defeated Bexcy Mateus in three rounds on the same bill.
The pair then clashed during a heated post-fight interview to confirm their upcoming match.
The Welshwoman believes that her youth, speed and dominance in the ring will allow her to defeat the experienced Liverpool resident on Friday in eight weeks.
Asked what her advantage was over Jonah, Price added: “Probably my youth.
“Reading the fight, my ring IQ, my speed.
“The little feints, the triggers I do, people reading me.
“Everyone says they will do it, they will do it until I stand in front of them, so we will see on March 7.
“But overall I think I’m just better and I believe I’ll win.”
Watch the full interview with Lauren Price:
Ryan Garcia GETTING LIT at Gervonta Davis vs Frank Martin DRINKING BEER & HAVING A GOOD TIME
Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 • FULL PRESS CONFERENCE • London | DAZN Boxing
Robert Smith Reacts To Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn Announcement
-
MMA8 months agoMax Holloway is on a mission at UFC 212
-
MMA8 months agoCris Cyborg ready to add a UFC title to her collection
-
Interviews3 months agoCarl Froch predicts that Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
MMA8 months agoThe Irish showed up in droves at the Mayweather-McGregor weigh-in
-
Interviews3 months agoArtur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol
-
Boxing6 months agoLucas Bahdi ready to test his skills against Ashton Sylve
-
Interviews8 months agoI fell in love with boxing again
-
Opinions & Features3 months agoDmitry Bivol: The story so far