BREAKING THE PHILLY WARRIOR INTOLERABLE CRUELTY LOOKING BACK ON THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FINISH IN HISTORY MARCH 17 2016 Every week THE WORLD’S BEST FIGHT MAGAZINE WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET 1909 ASHLEY THEOPHANE ‘I NEED TO FIGHT THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE’ RINGSIDE MERSEYREPORT PRIDE Flanagan turns back spirited challenge of Mathews in Liverpool MITCHELL DAVID PRICE SMITH ‘HE WAS ON DRUGS £3.49 VOL. 72 NO. 11 AND HE FLEW AT ME’ ‘I WAS ARROGANT & COCKY’ ContentsMarch 17, 2016 TERRY’S ALL GOLD 14 Flanagan retains his WBO belt against Derry Mathews Photos: ACTION IMAGES HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS >> 10 ALI EXHIBITION 28 >> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER Take our guided tour around the O2 Rigondeaux plunges to new low Arena as it showcases ‘The Greatest’ >> 5 GUEST COLUMN >> 28 PRICE IS RIGHT John Scully on the ego of a trainer Huge heavyweight David is feeling positive again, as he tells Chris Walker >> 12 MITCHELL SMITH A reformed braggart, Smith enters >> 32 CHAVEZ-TAYLOR the comeback trail a new man Oliver Goldstein revisits one of the most stunning endings seen in boxing >> 20-27 ALL THE ACTION Every UK show – from Portsmouth to >> 34 THEOPHANE’S REWARD Stirling – plus George Jupp in Mexico Ashley tells Matt Christie he cannot wait to challenge Adrien Broner >> 40 ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY Birtley duo Pat McCormack and Calum French pick up gold medals in Halle DOWNLOAD OUR APP TODAY >> 45 YESTERDAY’S HEROES For more details visit Booth boxer Teddy Lewis on his life WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET/APPS >> 46 60-SECOND INTERVIEW ‘LAST TIME I CRIED? LAST WEEK ON THE MASSAGE TABLE. MY PHYSIO DEFINITELY HAS A SPITEFUL SIDE!’ Frank Buglioni www.boxingnewsonline.net MARCH 17, 2016 l BOXING NEWS l 3 EDITOR’S LETTER Photo: CHRIS FARINA/TOP RANK SIMPLY BRILLIANT: Coming Rigondeaux [left] next week hammers Donaire l SHEFFIELD is preparing to host IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook's pesky mandatory Cover photography ACTION IMAGES/ against ANDREW COULDRIDGE Kevin Bizier. We preview the whole bill, including Luke Campbell’s crucial return to action. l THERE is a truly fascinating clash for the British WHAT A WASTE middleweight title Rigondeaux failing to turn up to fight Dickens is a crying shame approaching, as Nick Blackwell defends against E had already seen the best destroy his opponent, the willing but average l EVEN if Derry Mathews Chris Eubank of Guillermo Rigondeaux, Drian Francisco, while telling all British journalists does not go on to win Jnr, and we pick and now we’ve seen the that he was coming for Carl Frampton and Scott the world title he craves, a winner. worst. Quigg. And then, on fight night, he fought like he he should stand proudly The peak came in 2013 didn’t care, winning an achingly dull 10-rounder. as a fine example of what l AFTER W can be achieved with when he scored a minor months of With the world watching, and with a huge natural talent, and plenty trying to snare upset, defeating the revered platform from which to build, Rigondeaux repaid of bloody mindedness. Nonito Donaire with such none of the faith his new promoters had shown. At a time when boxers are David Haye’s clinical ease, the Cuban The worst was yet to come. This last week, he written off after just one attention, looked unbeatable. So failed to turn up for a scheduled fight with “Jazza” defeat, Mathews is now the heavyweight hard to defeat, in fact, that Dickens in Liverpool. It was a curious match, but preparing to bounce back has at last nobody wanted to fight one that would allow the Cuban to showcase to after his 10th. granted us some him. Rarely have world British fans, and in turn, force the hand of the After a string of time – read what champions been such an Frampton-Quigg winner. The plan seemed to be losses in his mid- happened during twenties, Mathews quit Matt uninviting target. What he working, as the Cuban’s name was mentioned the in-depth the sport, seemingly Christie lacked – unlike as much as anyone’s in the days interview. @MattCBoxingNews damaged goods. The dominant surrounding Frampton’s victory. fact he achieved a world l Editor kings of his DICKENS IS Days before he was due to title shot since then AVAILABLE era like Floyd fight, it was confirmed he couldn’t. is incredible, and his to download Mayweather and Wladimir THE VICTIM, He left it too late to secure his entry popularity and love for via iTunes and Klitschko – was a name that would BUT ‘RIGO’ into the UK, and while a section the game harks back Google Play ensure challengers were well paid of fans have put the blame at to the 1960s, when from March 22, for their efforts. MAY BE THE Queensberry Promotions’ feet, the popular British fighters and the print Rigondeaux, born into a buck surely stops with “Rigo” and would pull in crowds edition is prickly personality, soon became BIGGEST irrespective of whether in stores on his team. Perhaps Frank Warren, they’d won their last March 24. bitter. And at the time, as various CASUALTY a promoter of vast experience, fight or not. promoters decided he was almost should have checked the status Mathews always gives impossible to market, and TV of Rigondeaux’s visa, but where does that end? his all, and though he broadcasters realised too many boxing fans Should he also call to ensure he’s packed clean might not win a world found him hard to watch, it was easy to feel underwear too? Guillermo is an adult, after all. title, he has done enough sympathy towards the fighter. Too good for his While Dickens is the victim here – a young to go down in history own good, a phrase flung around far too much, man who lives for the sport – Rigondeaux may – alongside the likes fit this man like a glove. yet be the biggest casualty. After this debacle, of Billy Walker – as a top-class British fighter Roc Nation took a punt on the spidery stylist Frampton will want no part of him, and ageing who always gave value for and found him a spot on the November 2015 fast at 35, Guillermo’s last chance to secure the money; win, lose or draw. Miguel Cotto-Saul Alvarez card at Mandalay defining fight his talent deserves may have gone Bay in Las Vegas. Throughout the build-up, forever. seemingly driven by the dreadful act of having his WBA and WBO titles stripped only weeks Follow us and keep up to date before, Rigondeaux sneered that he would @BoxingNewsED BoxingNewsOnline 4 l BOXING NEWS l MARCH 17, 2016 www.boxingnewsonline.net GUEST COLUMN BOXERS COME FIRST Trainers need to make sure they’re not trying to steal the limelight BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET Photo: JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA/USA TODAY SPORTS WHAT’S HOT ON OUR WEBSITE... STUDENT AND TEACHER: Atlas [right] and Bradley FURY VS JOSHUA share a laugh ahead of Vote in our poll to the third Pacquiao bout decide who would win this British heavyweight collision DAVID HAYE The former champion reveals all about Dillian Whyte and his TV options for his next fight MARTIN MURRAY The super-middleweight contender is gunning for a domestic clash with George Groves OLA AFOLABI After a career mixing with the best, the E’VE seen a few coaches get caught up in it. My thing, though, was that fighter announces embroiled in rivalries I was a fighter myself at one time and facing off his retirement recently, and it seems like with elite competition was nothing new to me. Teddy Atlas and Freddie I also looked at it that standing across the ring W Roach – training Timothy from them during the pre-fight introductions Bradley and Manny Pacquiao was the same as standing there with a couple of respectively ahead of the novice amateurs in the Golden Gloves. April 9 rubber match – are I love boxing and every fight to me is a SUBSCRIBE the latest to go to war. I think so-called big fight. It all felt the same to me. I was today and get trainer rivalry can definitely definitely conscious of the idea of it all, though, add an interesting element and I could definitely see how someone could get to a fight. I mean, being as lost in the moment. The key for me was to not ISSUES realistic as possible, I truly worry at all about the other trainer, and what he FOR believe the Atlas angle is thinks, because when it comes down to it the only John probably the most interesting thing that matters is his fighter and your fighter Scully thing about this fight. I might and how they feed off of each other. FREE Ex-light-heavy even be inclined to say that Some boxers will actually thrive off his trainer contender without Teddy in the corner being deep in the verbal mix, while others could this fight may not even be actually be turned off by it. In a way it may 5call 01371 851888 happening at all. actually prove to be a bit of a pressure reliever for But, no matter what, the boxer has to be the fighter to have someone else on his team be quote BN5IM114 the main focus. I think when a trainer is getting a focal point. But by the same token, should that or visit too much attention, when he’s too caught up fighter lose the bout, it only goes on his official in getting one over his opposite number, the record, and his loss is what will be remembered BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET decision-making process, and the tactics, can be by all.