Another World Title Born?

Former WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev (27-1) will taking on undefeated Alexander Povetkin (21-0) on August 27th for David Haye’s former strap WBA heavyweight title. Klkitschko is now super WBA champion.

Freeing up WBA strap allows Heavyweights to fight for a title after all without stepping in the ring with either Klitschko, so we have Chagaev/Povetkin go into war for the WBA title while Wladimir Klitschko is given a made up title for all of his hard work and domination over the last decade or so.

In hindsight the Klitschko’s dream of holding every major title was short lived but surely this would put either Klitschko as number one contender for the WBA title come august 28th?.

You would feel it was only matters of time before the Klitschko’s once again hold every heavyweight title and what do the world boxing association do if it is Wladimir that regains the strap? Invent a super duper title to give other heavyweight contenders a look in? Where does it end?.


In other news Frank Warren told thesun.co.uk that he thinks David Haye should retire now rather than wait until October 13th like previously planned. “Haye has maintained he would retire on October 13th on his 31st birthday but he should bring this forward. His heavyweight career ended last Saturday and there is nowhere left for him to go”.

Warren added he wasn’t happy with the way David Haye flopped to the canvas and looked at the referee if he was hoping to get Wladimir disqualified or deducted points.

It has been said Haye will find out on Monday whether or not he will get the rematch he is so desperately trying to land with Wladimir before deciding his future. Personally I don’t think Wladimir would be too interested in the rematch with little more than a good pay day to fight for. I am sure the Klitschko’s are hardly strapped for cash but we should find out soon enough.

Joe Gallagher ‘You Fight Us All’ Exclusive Part 2

Yesterday I published part 1 of this Joe Gallagher Special where we heard the great man’s words on future blockbuster Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla and his personal reactions to Matthew ‘Mack the Knife’ Knife’ Macklin champion’s efforts in Germany. Now you have had time to take every word in and get your breath back it is time for part two.

With Frank Warren’s master class show case just around the corner that sees European and world titles on display I though it was only fair to get Joe’s thoughts ahead of the North v South battle where John Murray takes on Kevin Mitchell.

Joe; “I am really looking forward to this fight; Mitchell has said he is a step up in class for John, NO WAY. John has fought many times on the top bills in the big stage. John fought on the undercard of De La Hoya v Mayweather in Vegas, that fight is the biggest grossing fight box office has seen for years. Murray also fought on Ricky Hatton’s Vegas bill and put in a career’s best performance in Vegas. John Sparred with Hatton and Shane Mosley in the States, Mosley was also soaring with Katsidis at the time and came over to tell me that John hits harder than Katsidis, and that was way back then”

“Mitchell got destroyed against Katsidis and I know he has been ill with a viral infection but I want the best from Mitchell come fight night. Kevin has some great people behind him in Mark and Jimmy Tibbs and I wouldn’t expect anything less than 100% from them. Mark does some great work with his guys and Jimmy knows he has to deliver. Jimmy knows his stuff and I know he will be under a little bit of pressure. The guys from the east end are great and they have a great community down there”
　
“I have watched Kevin Mitchell for years, he has a good left hand and I know he will be in great shape but come fight night he will catch the John Murray virus, coming out of the fight all bumpy and black and blue”
“I know how the first round will go for Mitchell, he will box a good round with a fight and run mentality but can he get away with that and deal with John for 12 Rounds?. Murray will drag Mitchell into deep waters and watch his drowned”

I briefly asked Joe just how far off a world title is from finding its way to John Murray; he had this to say;
“We’re not looking past Kevin at the moment and July 16^th, I’m hoping John and Kevin will put on a spectacle to show the potential john has of making a fight a great fight. Thing is, we are going into this fight night with Frank Warren and we have had showdowns with Hennessy Sports in the past with great success, our aim is to send Mitchell packing then we will take it all in our stride”
“I wish I was watching this fight at home”

Dukes: What has the build up been like to this fight?

Joe: “I think this fight has been lost in the David Hay haze, and wished more people had got behind it but it’s picking up pace. It would have been good to have the fight in Kevin’s backyard as once again they have a great boxing community down in the East End. It is always great in Liverpool, at the Olympia or the Echo Arena. We have a lot big fights coming up for John, Crolla, Macklin, Callum and Mark so it’s a really busy time for everyone at the gym”
“We all pull together for every fight, YOU DON’T JUST FIGHT ONE OF US, YOU FIGHT US ALL”.

“We had a great spirit in Germany for Macklin, the running the sparring and the perfect camp, just not the perfect result. No-one has achieved what we have done Joe Murray won in Vegas and no-one wrote about it. We get great fighters in great shape, we have these young boys coming through some are ABA world champions, it’s a great formula for the future and everyone has always stayed around and trained”

“Success breeds success, we have a lot of great Boxing Trainer’s in the UK. I have spent a lot of time with Neil Fannan in the past and he is producing some great fighters David Coldwell is another that we don’t hear much about. If you’re not Freddie roach or Adam Booth they don’t want to know”

“I was at the Groves v Degale fight and all you heard afterwards was how Booth was a master tactician and he was given all the plaudits, I seen Groves going back to the dressing alone while everyone was patting Adam Booth on the back. We do our bit but it’s the fighters that get the job done”

Once again, it was a great pleasure talking to Joe and his fighters so far this week. It opens your eyes when you get an insight to just how much goes on behind the scenes. Every time I was on the phone to Joe it seemed a future world champion had just walked in the gym. Gallagher’s gym has certainly got to be up there with some of the best in the world.

A massive thanks to Joe Gallagher and everyone that has given us a look in, I’m sure this will not be the last time you hear the names from Gallagher’s gym.

The A-Force is With You…..Really?

Call me crazy “you’re crazy” glad we got that out of the way, but am I wrong in thinking winning a title in boxing is the first rung on the ladder to more titles?. In the past a loss on the record was difficult to come back from just ask Prince Naseem but more recently it seems it is all not bad losing that sacred 0.

Well within the last 48 hours we have seen the news of James Degale returns to training and is ready to fight on following his lose to George Groves. This is great news for Degale and for British boxing as a collective. James Degale as I’m sure you all remember lost his British title to Bitter domestic rival and former stable mate St George Groves back in May, Groves now proudly holds the British and Commonwealth Super Middleweight titles but it has been announced that Degale’s return will be for the EBU Super Middleweight title.

What I am struggling to get my head around is how does that work?, Degale failed in his bid to add the Commonwealth title to his British strap but he lands a shot at the European title before George Groves even gets a look in. this is not Degale’s fault of course it is just another genius piece of work by Frank Warren. Once again do records not mean as much as we think? I will never pretend to understand boxing politics but it seems if you’re not first you’re last and there are no prizes for 2^nd place.

Maybe Groves’ team have something else planned or they were simply too slow out of the blocks, I think it is wrong though. All due respect for Warren getting this fight for Degale, this is why he is amongst the top elite when it comes to promoters but the EBU board should maybe have a good look at themselves. I really hope James is victorious and this could be a short cut to the Groves rematch as Degale will once again have something George Groves wants.

In other news Audley Harrison is back on the scene and looking for takers on twitter, his most recent saying he wants the winner of Derek Chisora and Tyson Fury. One fan had put the question to A-force about facing the International Heavyweight Prizefighter champion Mike Perez. I think Perez would be a great fight Harrison but feel the 25 year old (16-0 12KO) Cuban would be a big risk for the 39 year old Harrison.

Perez is a virtually an unknown fighter on these shores and a loss for Harrison would affectively retire him.
Harrison I think feels this might be his one last opportunity to get his hands on a title of any kind and tweeted “British title or Mike Perez with no titles”. Audley Harrison’s last outing was far from spectacular in his 3^rd round TKO at the hands of David Haye. Neither fighter threw a punch for the first two rounds then Haye stopped Harrison in the 3^rd enough said, that was the full fight review right there.

So once again I ask does a loss mean nothing anymore? Granted Harrison is a former EBU champion just as Degale is a former British champion, the key word here is ‘Former’. I don’t think Harrison should not be hand picking who he fights next.

Maybe it is just the fact that this could well be Harrison’s last chance at a title but as much as he is saying I want the winner of Chisora/Fury and I won’t fight Perez because he has no title, what about the winner then?. What does Harrison have that would interest Chisora if he won? Chisora was only weeks away from a world title fight I doubt that he would entertain the Harrison fight if either of the Klitschko‘s come knocking. If Tyson Fury won he may well be interested but with David Price v John McDermott’s British title eliminator coming up I’m sure they would have a word or two to say about it.

I know I am sounding unfair on Audley Harrison’s part but I’m just looking at it from a different angle, we have top British Heavyweights battling it out to earn their title shots by winning their fights not using their rank as leverage. I wish Audley the best of luck with whom ever he fights. He has a great love/hate relationship with the fans and it's never boring with A-force around, he's been a good ambassador for British Heavyweights. Harrison has had some quality fights and the point i'm trying to make is after aloss you should have to prove yourslf before another title shot unless it is a rematch (then it's quids in).

I would like to see him fight David Price or indeed Mike Perez to really give him one more test. David Price needs a test also but Audley already turned down a fight with Price too.

Joe Gallagher “You Fight Us All” Exclusive Part 1

Following up on our Gallagher's Gym Specials this week there is one man we could not do without and that of course is the man himself. Joe Gallagher spoke to in us in depth on all the ins and outs and upside downs he has faced as a trainer and the current events involving some of the best British boxers our little island has to offer. Joe certainly no stranger to producing domestic champions and now targeting the world stage but Joe has a successful amateur pedigree being prepped for the next wave of talent to come out of the Midlands.
The past fortnight or so has been a somewhat of a tea cup ride for everyone involved with Gallagher’s Gym, Matthew Macklin’s valiant attempt in Germany stunned the locals in his controversial loss to Felix Sturm, Anthony Crolla made light work of Herve De Luca with a first round TKO win in Wigan, Joe Murray picked up his first professional title also in Wigan with an unanimous decision win over James Ancliffe.

Joe Gallagher was on the verge of 50 straight wins as a trainer, this wasn’t to be and how did Joe deal with this? By landing a world class fight for Anthony Crolla on the biggest stage of them all, ‘Money’ Mayweather and ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla on the same bill in Vegas September 17^th.

Anthony Crolla takes on veteran hard man Erik Morales, here’s what Joe had to say on the fight;
Joe: the negotiations are still ongoing but we hope to get the fight signed soon, the press releases and interest in the fight have been huge. I’m fully aware the Morales fight is a high risk fight for Anthony but he wants to prove what he is made of and it’s these sorts of fights you can’t turn away from. Anthony certainly is not going into the fight to make up numbers; he is one of if not the most improved British boxers over the last 12 months.

“I think Anthony has the tools to pull this off, the interest from his fans has been incredible with people getting in touch over flight details to make the trip over to America to see him. Everybody loves watching Floyd Mayweather as it is and it’s great for Ant to be apart of it and get the coverage he deserves in America.”
“Anthony has fought some top fighters all with winning records but has never received the coverage he deserves. His last fight he landed some amazing body shots that stopped a good fighter inside a round but still no credit”

I asked Joe Gallagher of is opinions on how it seems you can not fight a good fight these days without the quality of opponent being questioned, he replied “you can only beat the man in front of you, whether it lasts one round or 12 you just have to prepare for that fight, Crolla opponents have all had plenty of wins on their records”

“We really wanted the Gavin Rees fight but he chose to take up Derry Mathews challenge, Anthony only wants the best fights so he can prove to himself just how good he his, we have him sparring with the bigger lads in the gym and he holds his own, he is certainly reaping the rewards, we hope to keep him busy in the coming months”

It was great for us to hear Joe’s plans for Anthony Crolla he certainly looks like one to watch for the future. We could not let Joe leave us without a few words on Matthew Macklin and Mr Gallagher respectfully obliged:

“The amount of letters and emails we have received after the Macklin Sturm fight has been incredible with so many saying Macklin won the fight. I have watched the fight so many times, I have looked at the punches thrown and punches landed and each time it is the same result and the NEW…”

“I believe Matthew won that fight and two people that mattered saw it differently unfortunately; even the German and Bosnian newspapers and radio said Matthew won the fight. It goes to show how important home advantage is; the crowd knew Sturm needed to do something to change the fight and they really got behind Felix and the crowd even convinced Jim Watt that Sturm was winning. I just do not understand how a couple of good punches out weighed Matthew’s aggression and body shots. Mathew should be given respect; we were up against a world class fighter with a world class trainer. It was almost as hard for me as it was for Matthew. We had the perfect training camp and the perfect facilities in Germany. Their Hospitality was first class, we never wanted for anything”

Dukes: where do we stand on the rematch said to take place in November?

Joe: “Sturm’s people have left the diary open for Matthew in November, they’re very good people. No venue has been confirmed yet but a ring is a ring and a fight is a fight. My job is to make sure Matthew is primed and ready for the rematch. We are fully aware that Sturm is much tougher the second time around and he will study the tapes from the last fight just as we will”

“IF MATTHEW WAS CHAMPION GOING INTO THE FIGHT HOW MANY ROUNDS WOULD STURM HAVE TAKEN OFF HIM”

“In any fight you have to go on the better work, Matthew threw and landed twice as many punches but didn’t get it. Maybe I have to change the way I’m training our fighters differently”
　
What a great pleasure it was talking to one of the highest regarded trainer’s in the UK and to get his thoughts on how his fighters are doing in and outside of the ring. Over the last couple of days Joe Gallagher has been kind enough to allow us these exclusives with his fighters and sharing their stories with our viewers. Make sure you return to catch part 2 on Joe Gallagher as he talks about the mega fight that is John Murray v Kevin Mitchell. Joe also pays tribute to the other top Boxing trainer’s from the UK.

Bragging Rights

Frank Maloney has announced hit debut fight night for the new boxing season. Another domestic trifle with Bantamweight rivals providing the sprinkles on top of a packed card which sees the long awaited return of Olympic Bronze medallist Tony Jeffries.

Stuart Hall (11-0-1) at 31 years old bantamweight British champion v (17-2-1) European champion Jamie McDonnell headline the showcase with all the domestics title you could shake a wooden spoon at up for grabs on September 3^rd at the Doncaster Dome.

This bite size rivalry has been ongoing for some time now with both fighters saying “come and get me” but nothing really came of it until now. Well worth the wait as Jamie McDonnell will set out to prove you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks whilst Stuart hall has plenty of bite left to make this one a classic.

Following the success of the summer bash at the Stadium of Light last weekend where Maloney’s Jon Lewis Dickinson picked up the Northern Area title in a thrilling 10 round battle with David Dolan, Frank Maloney is not wasting any time and already set pen to paper and made all the right calls to make the fans fight.

Boxing fans have wanted this fight to happen almost as much as Hall and McDonnell in this best of the best smash ‘em up.

Tony Jeffries returns to the UK after his training camp in LA’s Rock Gym with world class trainer Tommy Brookes. Tony is said to be in the best shape of his life, yes a cliché but believe me when I say “there must be something in the water in Palm Springs” because he really is in great shape.

Another big night of Sky Sports Boxing from Frank Maloney on what has to be one of the best years in recent times for domestic boxing.

‘Far from Gone’ Paul Smith Jr Exclusive

Former Super Middleweight British Champion 30-2-0 Paul Smith Jr from Liverpool told Silver Dukes exactly what the Future holds for the Real Gone Kid. You may remember Paul as that guy Degale beat once but if you’re a real boxing the first round demolition of Jozsef Matolcsi at the 02 Arena back in May will still live large.

One of Smith’s most memorable fights for me was an impressive 12 rounder with highly rated Tony Dodson.
At the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth games Paul made the short journey back to Liverpool a silver medallist after losing out on Gold to some one named Jean Pascal (Never heard of him) Yeah right. We all know what Jean Pascal has achieved since turning pro but that is for another day. Paul ‘Real Gone Kid’ Smith was swiftly picked up by Frank Warren and headed down the road to the British Super Middleweight Title and the WBU International title.
　
Dukes: An impressive come back at the 02 in May and 32 pro bouts under your belt what is your next move?

Smith: I am hoping to go down to Middleweight and waiting on the boxing board’s permission once I prove I can comfortably make the weight. There are some big fights at Middleweight and with a bit of luck I hope to return in September or early October. I am hoping a major title is just around the corner maybe a fight with Martin Murray or an EBU shot with it looking like Darren Barker will be vacating it.

Dukes: James Degale recently returned to training and looks to be heading for an EBU title shot himself, would a rematch interest you?

Smith: if the fight makes sense, if there is a title there to fight for. Everyone seen Degale beat me and I hold my hands up, he done his job and beat the man in front of him. I am making no excuses but I didn’t feel at my best leading up to the fight, I was nowhere near 100% and on reflection should have pulled out. I know I can beat Degale when I’m 100% and I would do a better job on Degale than Groves did. I wish James all the best for his European title fight and I hope he wins, I hope he goes on to a world title; it would be good for British boxing. I am sure somewhere down the line we will meet again but I feel my future is at Middleweight.

Dukes: You’re no stranger to fighting away from home like Denmark/South Africa and California and some Brits have been criticised for refusing fights abroad, would you like to travel to get your fights or is domestic domination a priority as some feel fighters should make sure they are number one on the domestic scene before taking in the sights abroad?

Smith: I would gladly travel anywhere to take a fight. We all went to Germany to support Matthew Macklin; it was great just being part of the team and to be in his corner on his big night. I have been looking at Middleweight’s and IBF champion Daniel Geale from Australia would be a great for me and I would gladly travel down under to fight him.

Dukes: A lot of talk about the Klitschko brothers now cleaning up the Heavyweight division, the Murray brothers on their way to glory and the Smith brothers making their stand on the pro scene, yourself and Stephen ‘Swifty’ Smith both claiming medals in the 2002 and 2006 games, Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith 6-0-1 sure to light up the Welterweight scene and Callum beating former world champions the rivalry must be a lot of fun?

Smith: it is great, we have a great rivalry and great banter, there’s never nothing serious we all look after each other and help each other out. All the boys at the gym, we are a team. I have been sparring with Matthew Macklin and I feel I am getting back to where I want to be. Watching Macklin in Germany seeing the level he was at and I feel I am getting back to the same level. Watching John Murray training ahead of his fight with Kevin Mitchell, just being apart of the gym is great.
　
　
Dukes: What is your ultimate goal? World champion?

Smith; I would love to be world champion, Degale was a blip and I’ve moved past it, I have put right what went wrong.

Dukes: Which current boxer do you most enjoy watching? (Pro’s choice)

Smith: Mayweather or Pacquiao I think Mayweather would beat Pac-man but both bring so much to a fight.
Dukes: Liverpool and Manchester United are great rivals and both city’s produce fine boxers, you’re from Liverpool and train in Manchester, is there a boxing rivalry between the two or is it more of a case let’s have a race to the world stage?


Smith; there is a lot of top kids coming out of both cities which is great for everyone, I train with Joe and sometimes we give each other stick, I put up on the wall about Liverpool’s 5 Champions league trophies and they replied with the 19 league titles.

We would like to thank Paul for his time ahead of his training session, and for another insight into the cauldron that brews a champion’s spirit, a warrior’s heart and a winning mentality that is Gallagher’s Gym.

Ward v Froch, Master of The Universe?

WBC Super Middleweight champion Carl Froch is all but set for his October 29^th super 6 final bout with WBA champion and well respected Andre Ward. The venue is still to be confirmed with Atlantic City said to be leading the pack but I would not bet against the fight taking place in Vegas, I would like to see the fight at Madison square garden as boxing seems to have forgotten all about it.

Instead of reading what a potentially great fight between two boxing gentlemen after almost three years of fighting the best their division has to offer I read “you could put the fight on Jupiter or Pluto and Ward would still win it, it doesn’t matter where the fight takes place Froch is going to lose”. I hear mars is nice this time of year but maybe the naysayer’s take their head out of Uranus and take a closer look at the man they say “will be humiliated just like David Haye” a man in the great shape of Carl ’Cobra’ Froch.

I am not saying Froch is definitely going to win or he will make Andre Ward look silly, Ward is a quality opponent and a technically gifted fighter. Ward truly deserves to be where he is as he has proved his worth against the best in the world but unless I dreamt Froch beating Abraham or Johnson then surely Carl Froch has been in just as many world class fights.

It seems negativity is what makes the boxing world go round at times and this is why we don’t buy the sun newspaper even if the page 3 girl spread to pages 4 and 5. Are these real boxing fans or are they a boxer’s fan? What’s the difference? A boxer’s fan only really speaks out when it involves their favourite boxer and claims they will knock out the world and no matter who’s in the opposite corner there is NO way my guy is going to lose. When they do lose “it was a rip off” and they make every excuse in the book to stand by their fighter, which I admire.

A boxer’s fan will bad mouth any potential opponent where a boxing fan will diagnose and dissect the possible threats and problems each fighter could cause one another. We weigh up the pro’s and cons and do not needlessly rubbish a fighters chances going into a fight. We all have our favourites that we would love to see go in a smash a guy up for 10 rounds before leaving him on the canvas or the referee to step in and say “how many fingers am I holding up” 1?

This is certainly going to tough for Froch but it is going to be equally as tough for Ward and regardless of the outcome a great deal of respect should be shown to both guys and the loser can hold their head high and say “he was better than me”. No matter whom losses I don’t feel it will be the end for either man as they still have plenty to give to the sweet science and then some.

John Murray’s ‘Verbal Knockout’ EXCLUSIVE

Following Kevin Mitchell’s latest claims that he will knock out John Murray come July 16^th Silver Dukes gets the reaction from Murray himself and an immediate opinion that this one is going to hurt. 31-0 (18KO) undefeated Lightweight European champ John Murray certainly is not shy to express exactly how he feels about Kevin Mitchell.

John Murray immediately dismissed Mitchell’s claims that the eagerly anticipated fight North v South domestic battle is a step up in class for John who replied “this is not a step up for me at all, it is by far the other way around, I am ranked #2 with the WBC and Kevin is not even ranked inside the top 10. I have proved my worth; my last 6 of 7 wins have come inside the distance and even those fights that did go the distance I won comfortably”

“I am #1 on the domestic scene and I didn’t have to give Kev this fight but he is the only one left domestically and it is time to shut up this noisy neighbour”

I also asked John about the change of schedule due to Kevin Mitchell suffering a viral infection “so he says” added Murray “I was gutted at first but it gives me an extra week to train, I have been looking forward to it for a long time and just can’t wait to get in there and tear his head off. There has never been any conviction in anything Mitchell has said and he is just trying to convince himself when he says he’s going to knock me out”
“What has Mitchell achieved really?” said Murray “a win against Prescott who beat Amir Khan but he got destroyed off Michael Katsidis and I’m going to do the same.

"The way I see it Mitchell is in my way of a world title shot, when the first shot lands it will all set in and he will be looking to get out of there”
Murray also told me that a world title shot is literally around the corner once he gets Mitchell out of the way. The two battle it out for the vacant WBO intercontinental title which is a major stepping stone for any boxer, not really held in high regard as a title but more of a another rung on the ladder to the world stage.

I am well aware of all the hype in a build up to a fight and everyone says I am going to knock this guy out and this and that and this, but I have never heard the sheer confidence from a fighter or the wiliness of a fighter to not only get the job done but do the job well.

I previously mentioned there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance but every word from John Murray was 100% prime confidence and this war is coming to the boil nicely. Kevin Mitchell (31-1 23KO) however is no push over and boasts a similar record to Murray. My gut feeling says Murray will win and win well but we never can tell.

A big thanks to John for giving us the flame for the stick of dynamite that is North V South July 16^th. We wish John the best of luck for the fight and we look forward it.

Darren to Dazzle HBO after Green Light

The news that Dazzling Darren Barker and Matchroom Sport have been waiting for as HBO give it the all clear. Barker WILL face Ring Magazine Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez October 1^st. No venue has been set as of yet but rumour has it Houston Texas may host Barker’s first world title fight against the tough 36 year old Argentinean.

This will surely be music to Eddie Hearn’s ears as the replacement fight of Darren’s European title defence which was due to see another European title on the line fell through. Gavin Rees suffered ligament damage to his left hand whilst training for his title defence against Derry Mathews.

Just as it seemed both Barker and Rees both fight less Eddie Hearn pushed for Dazzler’s world title shot and after a late night at HBO in talks with Lou DiBella both parties agreed terms and having been waiting for the go ahead from HBO themselves to broadcast the showcase.

This is the sort of fight that will bring that all too familiar feeling in the coming weeks for British Boxing fans that have endured three British boxer’s travelling abroad in anticipation of returning with world titles in their suitcase, yet returning home with little more than their pride and a novelty fridge magnet. Three British Boxers, three title fights, three defeats. Not good reading but I feel all is well on these shores and the show most certainly goes on.

We have Amir Khan looking to add Zab Judah’s IBF title, Nicky Cook trying to regain his former WBO title when he squares up against fellow Brit Ricky Burns and now we have Darren Barker putting it all on the line against veteran Sergio Martinez.

Many will doubt Barker’s chances and with good reason, Martinez is a dangerous opponent and once owned the world stage. This may just be a walk on part in the war for Darren but he has my full support and there is more than just a little bit of me that thinks he will return victorious.

Frank's At It Again!

Almost three years ago we seen a young and relatively inexperienced Amir Khan get floored by practically unheard of Colombian Breidis Prescott. The boxing media and fans alike were all over Khan like a nasty rash that would take more than a bit of Sudocrem to get rid of. Khan was almost written off as a great amateur who didn’t have the chin to cut it in the big leagues. Ten months, and a little bit! of Frank Warren magic later Amir Khan was WBA World Light-Welterweight Champion. Now, Frank is at again and showing why he regards himself as one of the best promoters in the world.

Olympic Gold Medallist James ‘Chunky’ DeGale(10(8)-1-) is set for a EBU Super-Middleweight Title shot against Polish champion Piotr Wilczewski(29(10)-1-0) just a few months after losing his British title to bitter rival ‘Saint’ George Groves(13(10)-0-0). DeGale did his fair share of ‘smack talk’ in the build up to fight and the vast majority of fans and pundits couldn’t see past ‘Chunky’ for the win, it was not to be losing via majority decision. Now he looks set to put that loss behind him and move on to bigger and better things.

Speaking on the Groves loss DeGale has been quoted as saying he still believes he won the fight and is a postivie person just looking toward the future and focus on fulfilling is goal of becoming World Champion, which he plans on achieving by the end of next year. The Polish champion has only lost one of his 30 fights and is ranked third by the WBO. You can guarantee Wilczewski isn’t going to give up his newly earned crown easily and is going to want to push on for some World Title fights of his own.

This will be make or break for DeGale and Warren knows it. A loss could see the former Olympians career take a downward slide that even a man as a experienced as Frank Warren would struggle to recover from. If DeGale does pick up the win and knocks over the next opponent or two put in front with him then I’m sure the Frank Warren Promotions team will be able to get DeGale the opportunities he is after. St. George in the meantime looks for a challenger for his British title after winning his grudge match with DeGale. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, all is fair in love and boxing. No matter what opportunities are presented to DeGale when it all comes down to it he has to do the business in the ring and I’m sure we will see sooner rather than later we will exactly what ‘Chunky’ is really made of.

‘Pick of the Prince‘ Callum Johnson Exclusive

2010 Commonwealth gold medallist Callum Johnson spoke to us earlier this lunchtime ahead of his debut fight under new Trainer Joe Gallagher. Johnson has proudly taken up a slot on what is sure to be the single best British Boxing card of the year on July 16^th. Callum joins in the action alongside Lightweight European champion John Murray as he defends his strap against Domestic rival Kevin Mitchell, Ricky Burns puts his world title on the line against former WBO Super Featherweight Champion Nicky Cook and Tony Bellew v Ovill McKenzie 2.

Johnson represented Scotland in Delhi last year which seen the young Light Heavyweight walk away with the top prize, not just a gold medal but a professional contract with world renowned promoter Frank Warren. With Prince Nassem as his manager and Frank Warren as his promoter there was only one thing left on the perfect shopping list, join the gang at Gallagher’s gym.

After no less than 95 professional wins and 40 international fights Callum has made a perfect start to his short pro career and is hoping to keep the record going come July 16^th.
Here’s what he had to say;
　
Dukes: Prince Naz is already tipping you to become a world champ, does this add pressure or inspire you to perform?

Callum: Working with Prince Naseem is great, I really looked up to him as a kid his influence will and input will be good for the future, there is a bit of pressure but I just go about my business and take each day and each fight as it comes.

Dukes: 120 amateur fights and a perfect start to your pro career, how would a loss affect you this early on?
Callum: a loss this early on would a massive set back this early on in my career, I try not to think about losing and a loss is the last thing on my mind.
　
Dukes: You have only two pro fights behind you but already have the backing of Prince Naseem/Frank Warren and now train in the UK’s answer to Wild Card Gym in Gallagher’s with some of the greatest current talent in the UK, what have you leaned in your short time in the gym?

Callum: I have learned loads since I joined Gallagher’s gym, I have been doing 6 or 8 round sparring with the likes of Matthew Macklin and Paul Smith Jr amongst other top British names. I have been working on pacing a fight and my conditioning. I’m really enjoying it. Frank Warren is the biggest promoter in the UK and one of the biggest in the world and it is a massive privilege to be part of such a big boxing card on July 16^th.

Dukes: What would you say separates Gallagher’s Gym from the rest?, we have a lot of quality Boxing Gyms in the UK but few that produce as many champions and winners

Callum: the atmosphere, the dedication from the boxer’s, trainer’s and Joe himself. The knowledge Joe has is inspirational to our training and looking at all the belts the guys have and thinking I want one.

Dukes: You are a Gold Medal winner from the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, what would you say to our Olympic team ahead of next year’s Games and what sort of role does the Commonwealth and Olympic games play in the future of boxing?

Callum: I thought long and hard about waiting for the Olympics after winning gold at the Commonwealth games but decided to start my professional career. The 2012 Olympic team has some great amateurs and I expect GB boxing team to pick up medals. The games are important to the development of young amateurs around the world.
　
Dukes: Which Current boxer do you most enjoy watching? (Pro’s Choice)


Callum: Anyone from Gallagher’s Gym.

I also asked Callum briefly about the change of date for John Murray v Kevin Mitchell and he added “it’s a shame for all the fighters that were involved on the card after all the hard training they put in as it was shaping up to be a great night of boxing”.

While I was keeping Callum Johnson from his training schedule and draining Joe Gallagher’s battery on his mobile I thought of would be rude if I did not ask him of his opinions on Matthew Macklin’s attempts in Germany. “When Macklin fought Sturm I seen a massive difference in Matthew, I still say he won the fight”. many of us still have our opinions about Sturm/Macklin and we seem set to stick with our choice as people still talk about it.

We would like to wish Callum the best of luck for fight night. I would like to say a massive thanks to Joe Gallagher for allowing us the time to have a chat with Callum before putting him through his paces.
　

Gallaghers Gym vs The World

If you are a British Boxing fan, or just subscribe to Sky Sports, then you would have done well to not be aware of the noise a certain Mancunian gym has been making. For a while now Joe Gallagher has quietly guided his fighters to more notified Boxing achievements than his Denton gym walls can handle, at both amateur and professional levels.

It’s the success at pro level that has made the boxing world sit up and take notice. Joe took over Billy Graham’s gym back in 2008 and has never looked back.

Of course, in front of every good trainer there is a good fighter, but in Gallagher’s case he has a bunch of them and they’ve been out in force. Most recently it was Matthew ‘Mack The Knife’ Macklin(28(19)-3-0) in his controversial decision loss in his World Title fight agaisnt WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm(36(15)-2-1). A fight that ended Gallagher’s 49 fight unbeaten run. A lot of people had Macklin winning and supposedly a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ has been set for a rematch November.

Then you have domestic dominator John Murray(31(18)-0-0), who has just about cleaned up at domestic and European levels picking up the titles as he went. Murray is now getting ready for a July 16th showdown with Kevin ‘The Hammer’ Mitchell(31(23)-1-0), the winner of which you would expect to step up to world stage and contend for some major championships. John Murray’s younger Brother and former Olympian ‘Genius’ Joe Murray(11(5)-0-) is also part of the stable and alongside Hatton Promotions looking to push for some tiles of his own.

Another Hatton Promotions man and Gallagher’s Gym member Anthony ‘Million Dollar Crolla(21(9)-2-0) recently signed up to take on Mexican legend Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales(51(35)-7-0) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, on the undercard of the ‘Vicious’ Victor Ortiz v Floyd Mayweather jr show(17/09/2011). A massive opportunity, a huge event with the return of Floyd Mayweather jr bringing a worldwide audience and Crolla being pitted against one of the most popular fighters we’ve seen in recent times with a huge Mexican and American following.

If Crolla can pick up the win, or even just put on a good showing, then it could do wonders for his career and see his ambitions far surpass defended his recently won British Lightweight title. Plus, it’s not like he has a ‘0’ to defend and if his last outing was anything to go by we can expect Crolla to not hold back. Morales, even though past prime, is still took this fight for a win and has stated he doesn’t plan on leaving it to the judges after what he called a ‘robbery’ loss to Marcos ‘El Chino’ Maidana(30(27)-2-0).

Morales will quite rightly be the favourite going into this fight and a lot of people will think Joe Gallagher and Hatton Promotions are feeding Crolla to the lions. Crolla must be confidnet he can do this the business out in the US, but he could have quite easily refused the fight and stuck around at domestic level for a while boosting his record. Praise has to go to everyone involved in the making of this fight for the ambition they are showing.

I think the competition and quality on show at Gallagher’s Gym is really getting the best out the fighters that train there. Maybe if they continue the way they are, then in time, they could see their gym rank amongst some of the best gyms worldwide. Wild Card, 5th Street, Gallaghers? Why not? Well, we will see but for now let’s just hope they keep up the good work and getting themselves involved in great fights, for boxing sakes.

Khan v Mayweather 2012?

Floyd Mayweather Jr has told Golden Boy Promotions that he would be open to talks over a possible fight with WBA Light Welterweight champion Amir Khan next year and the fight may even take place after the super fight Pacquiao/Mayweather according to Richard Schaefer.

Amir Khan firstly has to overcome IBF champion Zab Judah if he is likely get the ‘Money’ Mayweather fight.

Schaefer; “I’ve had conversations with Mayweather and his adviser Al Haymon and they are definitely open to fight with Khan. Mayweather has indicated that he’d like to do the Pacquiao fight [next after the Ortiz bout] if the blood testing issue can be sorted out. Khan would then fight in autumn 2012 against Mayweather.”

Should Khan do the business as I expect he will against Judah July 23^rd there will be a stack of potential opponents that will be somewhat of a warm up for Mayweather as Khan expects to fight again before the year is out. Paul McCloskey is close to being handed a potential WBA interim title according to manager Francie McNicholl where a win for McCloskey would put in firmly on the driving seat for a rematch against Khan following his controversial loss to King Khan.

The talks continue of Khan v Brook after the two Brits crossed fire on twitter, although many feel Khan will not step up in weight to face Kell Brook as they feel Brook posses a too great a threat and would dethrone King Khan. I think Brook is a skilful and talented boxer but I have doubts about him facing Amir Khan just yet, I would certainly put a wager on Brook to be a future world champion and maybe should give it 18 months before getting in the ring with Khan.

Of course there is still the little matter of Tim Bradley and Amir Khan seems desperate to get this fight signed, sealed and most definitely delivered. Erik Morales is another name that has been thrown in the mix and some may feel Khan might opt for the aging Mexican instead of hard hitting challenges of Brook/Bradley.

Morales however does have a win over Manny Pacquiao on his record which may be another pulling factor for Khan, granted Pac-Man rectified this with not one but two Knockout victories over ‘El Terrible’. there has been rumours that Joe Gallagher’s Ant Crolla has all but signed a deal to fight Morales on the Mayweather v Ortiz card September 17^th at the MGM Grand Las Vegas so no doubt in the near future you will here Khan will fight Crolla next.

Whatever happens Amir Khan has a full dance card for the foreseeable future and every fight has the potential of being a classic.
　　

The Summer Rumbles

A big day for English boxing and a massive day for North East Boxing at the Stadium of Light yesterday afternoon. If you live in the North East area than I’m sure you heard about the event or at the least knew someone who knew someone who went. Spotted a Facebook status perhaps? The sun made a rare appearance in Sunderland and the best fans in the North East had to offer poured out to enjoy it, but more importantly to witness some good old pugilism and cheer on their men.

All of the bouts I seen were a real pleasure to witness, a couple of pro debutants and one of our Geordie boys bagging himself a first round stoppage, it’s hard to pick out any of the fights in particular but someone has to do it.

Obviously, you had the big one from the cruiserweights, David Dolan(14(5)-4-1) taking on Jon Lewis Dickinson(9(2)-2-0) for the Northern Area title. This winner of this ultimately looking to push on for English/British title. Both fighters coming off two straight losses and looking to get their careers going back in the right direction by picking up the win.

Dickinson, 25, suffered a suspected broken jaw last time out but the Prizefighter champion was hoping to cast off as part and parcel of the trade and push on to bigger and better things. Dolan, 31, picked up gold at 2002 Commonwealth games but failed in his two attempts at a British title and most recent for the English title.
The fight lived up to all expectations as every one of the 10 rounds scheduled went, with cases for both fighters throughout. Dolan seemed to favour the body and some success switching up to head here and there. Dickinson was able pump some decent 1-2’s on a regular basis and snapped Dolans head back once or twice. This was how the fight played out, Dolan jumping in closing range and Dickinson putting him back on the end of his jab when the need arose.

Both fighters hitting each other with good shots at times but they were always equal to them. The fight was tight, so much so the gentleman to my left and I were exchanging scores throughout. In the end I scored it 95-96 to Dolan, I got it wrong. The decision went to Dickinson and I certainly didn’t have any arguments. In the end, Dickinson seemed most in control throughout and deserved the decision. I guess I’m just a sucker for body shots.

Now, you can guess that Dickinson is going to be looking for the bigger fights and look to have as much success as he can domestically and potentially beyond that. Best of luck to both fighters who put on a great show, but as always there always has to be someone who goes home disappointed.

As for the best of the rest Featherweight Robert Sharp(1(0)-2-0) and David ‘Davey’ Lake, one of our debutants from South Shields, put on a real tear up. Lake brought a huge following along with him and they certainly appreciated the show they put on. Both fighters kept themselves busy and were throwing bombs throughout. Lake had the better of it, only losing one of the four rounds. A great start.

Then we had former British and European Bantamweight champion Ian ‘Dappa’ Napa(19(1)-10-0) in his first fight in over a year against Martin Ward(11(1)-1-0), the southpaw from Newcastle. The first three rounds ‘Dappa’ was just trying to find his way into the fight, trying to close the space between himself and his taller opponent. Ward found his rhythm. Even though his more experienced opponent started to get himself into the fight Ward controlled the fight. Pumping his jab out religiously and hitting some big lefts on the moving target. A little showboating and a ‘Ali Shuffle’ in the last round really got the crown going as he took his victory 94-92.

A great event that I was glad to be a part of, even though I wasn’t surprised by quality on show but the amount of fans some of these guys brought with them was truly astounding. Good news is Phil Jeffries has been quoted as saying he has the Stadium of Light booked out for the 01/07/2012. See you there?

Saturday Night with the wife as Fight Night Cancelled!!!!!

The long awaited fight between undefeated John Murray and Kevin Mitchell has been pegged back a week much to the annoyance of under card hopefuls who will have to hang up the gloves for the foreseeable future.

JJ Bird, Bradley Skeete and future Irish star Carl Frampton were due to return to the ring July 9^th and after weeks of gym time and early morning running its back to the drawing board and Xbox live.

A tweet from Bird said; @JJ8ird Not just my fight cancelled, whole show at the excel this Saturday to ne1 coming down for other fights! Murray v mitchell 16th in Liverpool.

The North v South Showdown was billing up to be one of the domestic nights of the year with an under card that was almost as exciting as the main event itself, Frank Warren knows how to put on a night of boxing and personally I thought the Murray v Mitchell card was one of the best in a long time. WRONG!!. Seemingly just to prove me wrong Frank Warren has now moved the fight to the Ricky Burns v Nicky Cook card which also plays guest of honour to Bellew v McKenzie 2 and Rocky Fielding making his Ring return since being crowned Prizefighter champion.

Kevin Mitchell is said to have returned to the gym after having taken ill with a viral infection and fears over his full fitness prompted Frank Warren to make the switch. Mitchell said; “I want to fight Murray when I’m fully fit so there is no excuses”. So this leaves Saturday night open, what to do?

Also while we are on the subject of schedule changes Gavin ‘Rock’ Rees v Derry Mathews will is off due to an injury to Rees in training.

Fight is off due to ligament damage in my left hand absolutely gutted

@gavtherock @derrymathews1 hope we can rearrange soon as its better.

Summer Bash 2011, Writing Out Of The Blue Corner….

Silver Dukes Boxing News claimed the best seats in the house to make sure not to miss a single punch at Sunderland’s Stadium of light yesterday in what was the north east boxing event of the decade. The Summer Rumble presented by Phil Jeffries, Neil Fannan and Frank Maloney delivered a knockout showcase that more than lived up to the hype.

Public interest prior to the event was astonishing with hundreds of Dukes Readers frequently checking up on every update concerning any boxer or trainer which seen all three related articles on the Summer Bash reach the number one spot in our most popular posts of the week.

It was said that 1500 tickets had been sold; unless my abacus has broken I may have been grossly ill informed as coach load after coach load of boxing fans made their way to ringside. The fans were out in force and in good voice on a sun soaked Sunday afternoon.

The north east’s finest fans were not the only ones eager to get inside as we were surrounded by the north east’s top media folk with Sun FM, Punchline, north east fight scene and Tyne Tees News in attendance.
The main event was almost over shadowed by debutants Craig Dixon and South Shields Super Featherweight David Lake after both fighters but in a champions shift and kicked off a professional record with an impressive W. Not to be out done Sunderland’s David Dolan was involved in a 10 round thriller with Jon Lewis Dickinson for the Northern Area. Much to the disappointment of the home support Dickinson prevailed with a decision win.

The decision was not without controversy and flashbacks of Macklin/Sturm set in. Another close fight and arguably could have gone either way. Dolan’s body attacks caused ‘Lewie’ some discomfort late on but the left/right upstairs from Dickinson worked wonders at great pace and power behind the straight right throughout the fight.

It was great to see so much north east talent on display and no more so than Martin Ward proving he’s a class act with a bright future. Robert Shaw put up a great fight against Davey Lake and looked really strong but sadly missed out on points.

I’m sure every fan went home more than pleased with what they witnessed and hope it won’t be too long before the north east’s finest are lacing up and heading to war again in a north east ring. Whether your guy won or lost we all have to admire the efforts and commitment that went into every fight by every fighter. I was sat right behind the blue corner next to the fighter’s entrance and you could feel energy building up before each fight.

A massive credit has to be given to Phil Jeffries and Neil Fannan and both I’m sure will be proud of the turn out yesterday and feel the event was a huge success. Phil is said to be negotiating a return showcase this time next year and an October show at Rainton Meadows. I feel we can expect a lot more to come from the north east in the next 12 months and if Summer Rumble was anything to go by I would be on stand by for tickets as they are sure to sell out fast.

Silver Dukes would like to thank Phil Jeffries for letting us get involved and share our views with our world audience. We would also like to thank everyone that got involved with our fan photo’s which will be published soon with our Summer Bash Gallery along with all the fight reviews from the biggest north east boxing event in 25 years, long may it continue.
　
　

Dream comes true for Klitschko Brothers………

But not entirely. Wladimir Klitschko claimed the WBA title to clean up the Heavyweight division with brother Vitali holding the WBC title the Klitschko brothers between them now hold every heavyweight title in world boxing but Wladimir Klitschko's dream of claiming his 50th knockout which would have been all the more special had it been David Haye will now be put on ice

A well deserved unanimous decision win over bitter rival David Haye in Germany but an end to all the suspense and guessing games in a fight that truly lived up to the expectation and the hype which seen the worlds top two heavyweights battle it out for the quickest 12 rounds I have ever witnessed. It seemed it was round 9 before I knew it and I didn’t want it to end.

Maybe I was hoping for another couple of rounds in hope of David Haye switching his game plan and putting Wladimir under some pressure as we were yet to see the best from Haye. Greatly down to Klitschko’s boxing brain, the man is a genius and knew exactly what he needed to do to win the fight with no possible arguments from Haye’s corner about the decision.

Haye did have some success but I felt he needed to push himself that little bit more. He had Klitschko rocking in the 3^rd and the 12^th but when he did have Wladimir on the back foot Haye stopped punching and let Klitschko regain composure. Don’t get me wrong Klitscko hardly seemed troubled but Haye had chances, limited chances but Haye had a chance that he didn’t take.

Klitschko’s upper body movement was almost as impressive as David Haye’s and for most of the fight it was a catch me if you can affair from both guys. A truly inspirational fight which finally saw David Haye shake the Hand and rightly so.

Hayes’ camp claimed a broken suffered three weeks ago became a factor and Haye said he could not land his hayemaker due to his injury. I lost a little credibility for David Haye at this point and felt it would have looked better if his camp told the media weeks ago about said injury and told the press that he was willing to fight through the injury for the fans, rather than make it look like an excuse at the end of the fight.

I fully respect David Haye’s efforts last night even though I feel he could of done more and he was a great champion in British boxing, yes not everybody likes his antics or the way he composes himself but if I remember correctly everybody loved Muhammad Ali, was the great Ali too dissimilar?.

I backed David Haye to win last night and I do not feel the slightest bit embarrassed. It certainly had all the ingredients for a boxing stew Gordon Ramsey would be proud of. I feel maybe Haye tried to use the referee a little too much and could have just got on with proceedings but the standing count was somewhat of a joke. You may say Haye went down too easy at times and I partially agree but I am sure if a man leaned on me with a two stone advantage I would go down fairly easy I would most probably stay down to be fair.

I do disagree however with the weight difference coming into play and the whole “Klitscko is a much bigger man”. Of course he’s the bigger man but anyone remember what Haye done to Valuev. Klitschko’s tactics were simply better and it pains me to say Emanuel Steward won the war of the corners. I have a great deal of respect for Adam Booth and believe he will train many world champions in the future.

Is this the end for David Haye? Will he push for a rematch? Is there any value in a rematch for Wladimir? I hope we get answers to all these questions soon. David Haye can retire with his head held high and open the doors to other British Heavyweights to try their hand on the world stage.