BOX OFFICE: 0844 357 2887 WWW.CYCLONEPROMOTIONS.COM CYCLONE PROMOTIONS,MAXI NUTRITION AND CHANNEL 5 PRESENT TICKETSTICKETS FROMFROM ££ 4040 ContentsSeptember 28, 2017 CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR 18 Campbell acquits himself commendably against the masterful Linares Photos: JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA/USA TODAY SPORTS & ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE DON’T MISS HIGHLIGHTS >> 8 TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND >> 4 EDITOR’S LETTER Remembering the life of the one and How Ward should be remembered only “Raging Bull”, Jake LaMotta >> 5 GUEST COLUMN >> 14 TEAM FURY’S FURY Frampton on why he joined Warren Hughie and co are not happy with the judges as Joseph Parker gets the nod >> 13 WARNING FOR ‘RIGO’ Former manager believes Rigondeaux >> 17 MEXICAN MARVELS is making a “big, big mistake” Valdez and Ramirez retain their titles, and maintain their perfect records >> 30 REBUILDING ROCKY Fielding discusses how he has managed >> 26 HEAVYWEIGHT ADVENTURE to bounce back from a shattering loss Michael Spinks recalls his battles 14 with Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson >> 34 PREVIEWS GALORE Butler-Hall II, Fielding-Brophy, Briedis-Perez and Medina-Ward DOWNLOAD OUR APP TODAY >> 41 AMATEURS For more details visit Q&A with top middleweight Whittaker WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET/APPS >> 46 60-SECOND INTERVIEW ‘I LIKE LEARNING ABOUT PEOPLE AND THEIR LIVES, AND SOMETIMES I READ PSYCHOLOGY BOOKS’ Richie Gray www.boxingnewsonline.net SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 l BOXING NEWS l 3 EDITOR’S LETTER Photo: ACTION IMAGES/ANDREW COULDRIDGE 32-0 (16): Coming Ward walks away next time from the sport l WE look ahead to an important weekend for British boxers: Anthony Crolla and Ricky Burns meet at the crossroads in Cover photography ACTION IMAGES/ Manchester; ANDREW COULDRIDGE & Chris Eubank Jnr JAYNE KAMIN-ONCEA/ takes on Avni USA TODAY SPORTS Yildirim who, on the grapevine, is one tough cookie; and Andrew Selby prepares to continue his education against Mexican UNDERAPPRECIATED Maximino Flores. Ward times his retirement perfectly but it might be a while before he gets the recognition he deserves l AS domestic shows go, the T’S too early to tell round and left barely conscious – like against the feared light-heavyweight impending bill if Andre Ward will he was by Yvon Durelle. Don’t get me king Sergey Kovalev. Yet he hauled in Liverpool – go down in history wrong, I’m not making a case for Ward himself off the canvas early, remarkably featuring Paul as one of the being greater than Moore, he never readjusted his battle plan under the Butler, Rocky I greatest of them will be, I’m just trying to stress the only severest of punishment and changed Fielding, Ohara all. In almost every way to fairly judge the super-middle the face of that contest. It still perplexes Davies and walk of life the and light-heavyweight champion’s me that so many think Kovalev – who Thomas Stalker building of legends achievements is from the confines of his failed to switch his approach when – is a cracker. takes time; time for own era: And from 2009 when he upset under pressure – was robbed that night. We’ll be ringside achievements to Mikkel Kessler to right about now, there The post-fight press conference, when to tell you gather context, and hasn’t been a better fighter in either of members of the American press booed everything you time for hearts to the weight classes he ruled. It should Ward’s arrival after he had just endured need to know. judge how much say it all that he walks away at the peak the hardest 12 rounds of his career, was they’re missed. of his powers, without a scratch on him among the most uncomfortable I’ve l YOU won’t Matt Ultimately, though, or a close rival accusing him of running ever experienced. Frankly, Ward should want to miss Christie tomorrow almost away. have turned his back on the sport then. Billy Graham @MattCBoxingNews always makes its But this is Andre Ward we’re talking But he knew there was unfinished reveal all about Editor case for yesterday’s about. Utter his name affectionately business, and stopped Kovalev in eight the brutal best and Ward, in the wrong crowd, particularly in his rounds in the return. Yes, and I can consequences after turning back the challenge of home nation of America, and brace sense the steam coming off the anti- of his break-up everyone he shared a ring with, should yourself for hostility. Andre Ward, the Ward brigade already, he hit Kovalev with British be viewed as that. But Ward seems proverbial fart in the lift, is the most below the belt on route. But come on, boxing legend destined to always split opinion. underappreciated fighter in many years. this was not Roberto Duran swinging Ricky Hatton. Very often a modern king fails to A devout family man who came good full pelt at Ken Buchanan’s balls to win get credit because their records don’t from a bad background, the Oakland the world lightweight title in 1972. l AVAILABLE compare with greats of the past. That’s star, from my experience, was always Whatever your take on the Kovalev to download generally true, but bottom line, no one warm, open and kind. Yet there was the rivalry, it’s hard to deny that the guile via iTunes and knows for sure how Ward would have long legal battle with the exceptionally and skill of Ward broke the Russian’s Google Play fared against anyone bar the opponents popular Dan Goossen that continued heart. It takes special fighters to do that from October he competed against. Yes, okay, I know into the promoter’s dying days which to bigger and stronger men. 3, 2017, and the it’s not 1958 when Archie Moore was slowed the progress of Ward and, rightly A casualty of his own effectiveness, print edition is king of the hill and 15-rounders sorted or wrongly, blighted his reputation. Ward walks away just weeks after HBO in stores on out the men from the boys, but flip that Long before that, though, fans had a failed to renew his contract. Not loud October 5, 2017. logic for a second. Boxers today, unlike hard time warming to him. enough to stir emotion like Floyd their predecessors, have 12 rounds to Granted, Ward was not afraid of Mayweather, nor recklessly exciting like do their work, and train accordingly. winning ugly, but he always refused Manny Pacquiao, Ward – to the end – And over that 36-minute period, Ward to lose. He was no warmonger but he was always his own man. One hopes never lost a fight. Furthermore, in the certainly knew how to beat one. Five that man will one day get his due. current climate, the “Old Mongoose” years after handing Carl Froch the only would not have got away with being comprehensive defeat of his career Follow us and keep up to date bounced off the deck three times in one in 2011, plenty wanted him to lose @BoxingNewsED BoxingNewsOnline 4 l BOXING NEWS l SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 www.boxingnewsonline.net GUEST COLUMN I HAD TO MAKE CHANGES Photo: NOAH K. MURRAY/USA TODAY SPORTS BETTER DAYS: Frampton [right] defeats Santa Cruz in July 2016 – his most recent win For the first time in a long time, I’m not just thinking about retirement HIS has been mind was made up by the fact that I agreed with them and we decided like a waste of time because nothing the worst BT Sport have said that they will to go for it. comes after all that graft. Then you year of my look after me. Then I turned my attention go on the drink and feel even worse professional It was a hard decision to go to getting a new promoter and because you are not in shape. You T career and it alone after so long with the management team. There were end up back at square one again. it came after McGuigans. I sat down with the offers from a number of different Making the changes I’ve made the best year, people closest to me – my wife, promoters, but I liked what Frank felt like the right thing to do. I can when I beat family and friends – for a good few had to say. I also liked what BT influence my own career now. Frank Scott Quigg days. It wasn’t easy, but it was the Sports had to say. I think I deserve is one of the biggest promoters in to win the right thing to do at this point in my this platform, we are more than world boxing and BT are dipping WBA super- career. halfway through the year and their toes into boxing. Hopefully, bantamweight For the first time in a while, I am I needed to turn things around. I can be the spearhead for BT’s title, defeated enjoying getting up and going to My homecoming was a disaster charge. Leo Santa Cruz the gym. It is a good craic with a so we are working towards the Boxing fans are going to see a Carl Frampton for the WBA new and improved Carl Frampton. Former two- featherweight HEARING YOUR NAME READ OUT AS A All I thought about over the past weight world belt and was couple of years was retiring, getting champion named Fighter WORLD CHAMP IS THE NAME OF THIS GAME out of this game. I’m enjoying it of the Year. now and have pushed retirement This year started off badly with good bunch of lads.