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ContDecemberen 7, 2017 ts NOT IN THE SCRIPT 24 Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto bows out with a shock defeat Photos: TOM HOGAN/GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS & ACTION IMAGES/PETER CZIBORRA DON’T MISS HIGHLIGHTS >> 10 BROOK OPENS UP 14 >> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER Ex-world champ Kell talks to us about The mismatches need to stop returning from back-to-back defeats >> 5 GUEST COLUMN >> 14 SUPERFIGHT PREVIEW Stephen Smith on his must-win fight Analysing this weekend’s brilliant Lomachenko-Rigondeaux matchup >> 20 THE UNLIKELY LAD Gary Corcoran prepares for his surprise >> 18 DOUBLE DELIGHT world title shot against Jeff Horn Looking ahead to two world title defences for Brits on the same show >> 22 OFF TO WAR This week’s guest columnist faces >> 34 CLASH OF UNBEATENS a stern assessment in Las Vegas A decade on, we remember when Ricky Hatton fought Floyd Mayweather >> 23 DEFENDING THE THRONE Katie Taylor puts her world crown on the line for the very first time DOWNLOAD OUR APP TODAY >> 42 AMATEURS For more details visit The British Lionhearts are off on tour WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET/SUBSCRIPTIONS >> 46 60-SECOND INTERVIEW ‘I JUST LOVED HATTON’S STYLE OF BOXING, AND I LOVED SEEING THE SUPPORT HE HAD AT HIS FIGHTS.’ George Hennon www.boxingnewsonline.net DECEMBER 7, 2017 l BOXING NEWS l 3 EDITOR’S LETTER Photo: ACTION IMAGES/PAUL CHILDS WRONG JOB: Coming Slovakia’s Elemir Rafael next time [left, during a one-round loss to DP Carr] is 0-40 in l BILLY JOE British and Irish rings SAUNDERS is preparing for the toughest assignment of his career - an away day WBO middleweight Cover photography NOAH K MURRAY/ title defence USA TODAY SPORTS against David Lemieux in Canada. We preview the bout and pick a winner. l WE head to New York to watch over what promises to be a fascinating TIME TO GET SERIOUS showdown, as the mesmerising Why British boxing must take steps to cut out the number of mismatches taking place every week talents of Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo HAT do you get if the import win. That’s two per cent. Fifty the ticket-sellers. Yes, there would be Rigondeaux do you cross 10 ticket- per cent were stoppage losers, and 73 less fights and less unbeaten records, but battle. selling fighters with failed to make it out of the first round. at least the fights and unbeaten records 10 opponents who And I’d venture – having read the vast would actually mean something. The l GIFTED scribe W have zero chance majority of reports we’ve published this importance of the ‘0’ in the current era Ian Probert of winning? The year – the stats for 2017 would be even is a disease. While defeat-free stats may meets former average British more depressing. This is now a sport sound impressive when read out by the referee Richie boxing show. that could be accused of legal fixing announcer, the only thing capable of Davies to deliver Not funny, right? given the standard of some ‘opponents’. seducing and retaining an audience – a an unmissable Unfortunately, while This is not supposed to offend the real audience – is well-matched fights. glimpse into there’s definitely an aforementioned ticket-sellers who go Punters don’t walk away from a show the life of an analogy to be made above and beyond just to make sure being wowed that someone is now 12-0 official. from the myriad they get paid, nor the imports and after flattening a 3-65-2 opponent, or fights taking place journeyman who always do, whatever salivate at a ‘prospect’ clocking up their l AND last but Matt in British rings in their standard. While some promoters seventh straight 40-36 victory. The only not least, we Christie December and the are often left scraping the barrel in thing that will keep them coming back welcome Elliot @MattCBoxingNews helpless turkeys busy weekends because all the reliable for more are good, honest scraps. Worsell, one of Editor being served up all ‘opponents’ have been snapped up In sport, being unbeaten for a long the best boxing over the country by the bigger events, each and every period of time should be a mark of writers on the on the 25th, this is not a bad joke in promoter has to take responsibility for greatness – think Novak Djokovic’s planet, into a Christmas cracker. This, ladies and what they’re serving up. But the buck 41-match winning streak in 2011 or the BN team gentlemen, is what’s becoming of a has to stop with the British Boxing Board Arsenal going 49 matches without loss as a full-time sport which was originally designed to of Control. from 2003-2004 – yet in boxing it is member of staff. entertain and, above all, be competitive. There has to come a point, surely, too often the product of protective Competiveness, surely, should be when the Board – who do a great job matchmaking. Problem is, of course, l AVAILABLE the lifeblood of an endeavour that is in so many other ways – say enough is when the sheltered boxer is suddenly to download inherently brutal. It should have no enough and don’t allow Gyorgy from launched at someone who can actually via iTunes and business being so flagrantly one-sided, Hungary to enter the ring just so he fight back (see 21-0 Gary Cornish taking Google Play whatever the level. This past weekend, can be marmalised. There has to come on Anthony Joshua in 2015). from December 115 fights took place in Britain and a point when the Board stand up and I accept that boxers need to learn and 12, 2017, and the Ireland with only around 20 which could say, ‘If we’re sanctioning 100 fights a shouldn’t be thrown in at the deep end print edition is be considered competitive. This is a weekend, then 80 of them can’t be haphazardly, yet there comes a point in stores on trend, by the way, not an anomaly. complete mismatches.’ It’s all well and when delivering thrashings cease to December 14, Boxing News contributor Andy good hosting that many contests, but provide any kind of education. 2 017. Whittle, without question the most if there’s so little semblance of quality Boxing, still a seriously good spectacle prolific ringside reporter in the country, among them, the quantity is, at best, when it’s staged well, cannot allow itself conducted a 2015 study which makes completely irrelevant. become a tasteless joke. for grim reading. Out of 451 bouts Things have to improve and if that involving Eastern Europeans on British means less shows being staged, so be it. Follow us and keep up to date soil that year, on only 10 occasions did Better still, match the ticket-sellers with @BoxingNewsED BoxingNewsOnline 4 l BOXING NEWS l DECEMBER 7, 2017 www.boxingnewsonline.net GUEST COLUMN ‘I NEED TO BE ABLE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT’ Photo: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE DRIVEN: Smith is desparate to prove he belongs at elite level Taking on Francisco Vargas in America is the kind of fight I’ve dreamed of since I was a little boy T’S another amongst the big names again, but whatever he brings and I think the I wish I could have that fight hard fight but once I was set to agree the terms, experience I’ve picked up in my last all over again but at least I’ve got I’m at the point it went a little quiet. That offer was few fights will benefit me greatly. another chance to redeem myself in now where I then changed and they came with If you look at Pedraza and Sosa some sense, because beating Vargas I have to take Vargas, and although the money before their fights with me, then puts me high up there. these types wasn’t as good as what they offered I think you’ll see that neither of He’s ranked highly by most of the of contest for Salido, it was a still a fight that them ever showed the type of bodies and they’ll recognise me as because it’s motivated straight away. So it’s off to performance that they carried a worthy contender if I do what I where I want Vegas on December 9 to take part out against me. Me and my team know I’m capable of doing. to be. A few in the type of fight I’ve dreamed of looked at both fighters and saw This is a fight that opens more weeks ago, since I was a little boy starting out several ways I could win, but doors for me and the dream of Francisco in the sport. I honestly think that Pedraza gave being world champion is a step Vargas wasn’t I’m under no illusions that I’m a career-best performance against closer. The super-featherweight even someone division I’m in is full of great Stephen who was in champions and contenders so Smith my immediate ‘I WISH I COULD HAVE THE SOSA FIGHT victory really is a platform for huge Super-feather focus because AGAIN. IT STILL FRUSTRATES ME’ fights. contender I thought I was I’ve had a brief taste of what the going to be heading there as the underdog. me and so did Sosa. Both are highest level is like and I don’t think fighting Juli Giner for the European They’ve picked me for a reason outstanding fighters so to get the I’ve done myself enough justice.