I WAS delighted to hear from member Rob Benson that the EBA summer barbecue in Brighton was well attended – there were also a few guests from other associations. It is very vital that the EBA supports each other in this way – these events require a lot of organization (in this case from the BEBA committee, with additional assist from Harry Scott) and the lack of support is extremely depressing.

Leeds EBA president Allan Richardson was there, bringing with him his amateur medals – including a 1970 Commonwealth bronze (of course, as a professional, Allan won the British featherweight title). Vince Campbell and his partner Lorraine also arrived by train – it’s a long journey and this time there were a few delays.

However, they made the effort and it was much appreciated – and Vince was delighted to meet EBA Croydon member Trevor Cattouse and discover that he had challenged Tom Collins for the British lithe heavyweight title (at the Leeds Astoria in May 1982 – and Collins won in four rounds). Vince was so content because he was promoting Collins and Tom was training in his basement.

Other participants included John Conteh (who “did great at the auction,” Rob said), Home Counties EBA Chairman Bob Williams, Michael Watson, Derek Williams, Scott Welch and Tommy Welch, Ross Minter, Paul Fairweather, Guy Williamson, Ronnie Davies and Mo Prior.

Well done to everyone who made it such a success.

The current Scottish EBA bulletin includes a photo of the tardy secretary Janice Craig and a heartfelt tribute from SEBA vice-chair Philip Martin, who describes Janice as “truly irreplaceable”. That’s true, of course, but it’s also true what Philip says, that “we should now try to carry on her legacy as best we can.” When someone who has done so much is no longer around, there is a huge void – but it is vital that someone steps up to the plate and continues the good work. The latest SEBA bulletin is of a high standard.

There is a fascinating article about Norrie Sweeney, now 89, who was honored with a star on Paisley’s Buddie Walk of Fame (described as “Paisley’s answer to Hollywood Boulevard”).

Norrie’s ambition was always to own his own gym, so in 1962 he won £1,000 on ITV’s Double Your Money (how many of us remember that?). The money made it possible for him and things got better and better.

His daughter, Kay, said proudly: “The number of his boxers who have written that no one deserves it more: many of them say that he was like a second dad to me… Some of them went crazy and my dad helped put them on the right path and they will admit it. They said: “if it weren’t for him, I would be in prison, or maybe I would already be dead.” Many of them said he literally saved their lives.”

Congratulations to Norrie and the many others who willingly volunteer their time to run these clubs and assist so many people do something worthwhile with their lives. Boxing often gets a bad press – sometimes, unfortunately, for good reason. However, the amount of good it can do is enormous.

The current Mug’s Alley – the bulletin of the Merseyside Former Boxers’ Association – includes an article by former pro Robbie Robinson on Andy Holligan, who turned professional after winning the ABA welterweight title in 1987 and won 27 of 30 contests, including 19 within the distance .

He won the British and Commonwealth super-lightweight titles and the Lonsdale belt outright – but undefeated WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez was too much and after a valiant effort, Andy withdrew after five rounds. Two fights later, he was stopped in three by Ross Hale and lost the titles – but Hale lost the titles to Paul “Scrap Iron” Ryan and Andy stopped Ryan in a round to become champion again. This is boxing.

WBA airy heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol will not defeat unified champion Artur Beterbiev without getting back on his feet and fighting on October 12. Bivol (23-0, 12 KO) will be unable to contain Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KO), turning the fight into a 12-round fight on the track.

Beterbiev cuts the ring too much for Bivol to get away with, and he can’t afford to get tired of staying on the move throughout the fight. Bivol is 33 years elderly and not youthful enough to move for three minutes in each round.

The Bivol vs. Beterbiev fight will be shown live on DAZN PPV at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. According to bookmakers, Bivol is the favorite due to his youth, boxing skills and the fact that Beterbiev is returning from a knee injury.

“This is an incredible fight for my career. Boxing fans want to see this fight,” said Dmitry Bivol conversationSport about his match with Artur Beterbiev. “It’s good that two players have different styles. That’s engaging.

“Of course, it made my career more renowned. I gained a lot of boxing fans thanks to this fight,” Bivol said about his 2022 fight with Canelo Alvarez. “It was a fight that was borderline. If we pass the exam, we can move to another level.”

Fortunately for the fans, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh became interested in organizing the Beterbiev vs. Bivol because we might never have gotten there because of networks and promoters.

“After October 12, I have nothing on my mind. Just this fight for the belts and then we’ll see. I knew this fight would happen sooner or later.” – Bivol said about his fight with Beterbiev.

“It should be a classic. I described it as the airy heavyweight version of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. That’s how close they are and how well they fit together,” said journalist Colin Hart Professional boxing fans. “Beterbiev is a beast when he enters the ring. He is 39 years elderly and should not be where he is at 39 years elderly.

Bivol doesn’t fight like the version of Muhammad Ali who first fought Joe Frazier, and Beterbiev is completely different than Frazier. If anyone, Bivol fights a lot like a younger version Wladimir Klitschko before he began training with Emanuel Steward.

When Wladimir was youthful, he was a combination striker who moved a lot. After Steward caught Wladimir, he added a lot of clinching. He became a bit like Lennox Lewis.

“He is undefeated with 20 fights and 20 knockouts. Bivol defeated Canelo. This gives you an idea of ​​how good he is. So flip a coin. I have to believe that Beterbiev will win. This will be the first time in his life that he has covered such a distance,” Hart said.

It will be arduous for Bivol to go the full 12 rounds against Beterbiev because he has a lot of bad habits that give him a chance to get knocked out. Bivol’s habits:

• Fighting with the ropes: Bivol often leans on the ropes and tries to hide it. It has worked for fighters like Canelo, Gilberto Ramirez and Lyndon Arthur, but I don’t think it will work for Beterbiev.
• Throwing Combos: This is the biggest flaw in Bivol’s game because he has been a hitter in the competition since day one. He likes to throw combinations of two to four punches, and sometimes even seven.

“His only strength is skill. This is what will defeat Beterbiev. He is so skillful and sharp,” Hart said of Bivol. “It’s amazing to think that two Russians will headline Riyad. This gives you an idea of ​​the difference in boxing today from what it used to be.

Bivol’s skills may not be enough to stop Beterbiev, who will force him to fight at some point in the competition. He cannot move for the entire 12 rounds without standing and switching with Beterbiev without risking a decision. The judges will not automatically award rounds to Bivol if he fights defensively, as he did against Lyndon Arthur and Craig Richards. These fights were difficult to watch because Bivol showed no heart.

“It’s a fight people will want to see. “I’m not saying that people on the fringes of boxing will say the same because I’m pretty sure they don’t know much about either of them,” Hart said.

Casual fans probably won’t bother purchasing the Beterbiev vs. event. Bivol on DAZN PPV. However, a good number will watch it on ESPN+ if they have a subscription and stumble upon it on October 12.

Casual fans won’t seek out this event as it’s all foreign fighters and the undercard is mostly UK guys that even hardcore fans won’t be too interested in watching in the US

Author: Sean Crose

Dmitry Bivol did what few people have done before – he defeated the great Canelo Alvarez in the ring. And while some might argue that moving up to airy heavyweight again was a bridge too far for Canelo or that he was starting to show signs of wear and tear when he and Bivol fought in 2022, there was no doubt that defending WBA champion Bivol dominated their fight. If the decision loss to Bivol wasn’t a huge upset, it was certainly close to one. And yet, 33-year-old Bivol is still not fully satisfied with his career.

The 23-0 fighter has an ultimate goal he wants to achieve – to become the undisputed airy heavyweight champion of the world. Fortunately for all parties involved, as well as the entire legion of boxing fans, Bivol will get his chance on October 12, when he will face another undefeated fighter, Artur Beterbiev, owner of the WBO, WBC and IBF airy heavyweight championship belts. The winner will not only be the undisputed airy heavyweight king, but will likely be among the best airy heavyweights in the world – that’s no miniature thing.

What makes this fight fascinating, apart from the fact that both fighters are undefeated and seemingly in the top form of their competitions, is the fact that it is tough to say who will actually win this fight. Stylistically, both men are close to opposites. Bivol is a highly skilled technician and Beterbiev is a highly skilled vehicle of destruction. Apart from the fact that Bivol has more than a five-year age advantage over the elder Beterbiev, there is little about these two that gives one an advantage over the other. That is, not until the first bell rang.

The truth is that this fight has been a long one. Beterbiev’s injury prevented this anticipated clash from becoming a reality for longer than most would like to remember. Indeed, it is said that there is no guarantee that the fight will end in October without obstacles delaying the fight again. However, Booth’s players are clearly ready for this moment. If he wins, there is no doubt that Bivol would be willing to face Canelo again. However, this is just a pipe dream until he defeats Beterbiev. And there is no guarantee that Bivol will be able to do it.