Ringside Report’s Fight Report of Recent Results and Upcoming Bouts Around The World
By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
As easy as 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C here we have what happened, what is about to happen and what is due to happen in the boxing world from the perspective of a fan with a laptop, in the heart of Scotland. Three fights, all being talked about and talked up and not all for obvious reasons.
Flash Back – Ringside Report’s Rear View Mirror – one fight from the week past from a Scottish angle (Look it up on a map…)
UK – biggest and most notable – what should be the biggest news in the UK boxing scene
Saturday 3rd December
“In the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, the WBC heavyweight title is on the line between Tyson Fury and Derrick Chisora.”
Tyson Fury beat Derrick Chisora by stopping him in the 10th round in a one-sided contest which Chisora battled within but never seriously threatened Fury. After six fights in two trilogies – against Chisora and Deontay Wilder, Fury’s record stands at five wins and a single draw.
With tens of thousands in the Tottenham Hotspur soccer stadium, Fury held court in his second huge contest of the year. He has managed to sell more tickets to live events than he could have hoped for in 2022. It is an impressive fact to add to many other Fury facts.
What makes it more impressive is that this was a fight that played out, exactly as people expected. By the 6th or 7th round, Chisora was beaten. He offered little by way of competitive action, and the referee did what many felt his corner should have done and called a halt to it. It was clear that Fury was holding his mate up, trying not to be too punishing and making as much of a contest of it as he was able to do.
Chisora got a rich payday, the crowd got a Fury win, and most were very satisfied. In an age where making fights has become quite the battle and most are debating publicly who stopped what blockbuster, this was suggested, signed, sealed and then delivered with the minimum of fuss. People appeared easy to deal with and two friends went into battle under the sky in a December showdown.
But it was far from a competitive spectacle.
Afterwards, despite all the bold boasts and taunts of Usyk and Joyce, Fury admitted that he has injuries to his hand and elbow which shall need surgery – that may make 2023, less fluid than he hoped. And less spectacular than we could imagine.
My View
Whilst I genuinely thought this was a risk for Tyson Fury, by the 5th it was a homecoming coronation. After the fight in came Joe Joyce and Aleksandr Usyk to the ring to challenge Fury. Those are the fights that people want to see.
Not this one.
If this had been Tyson Fury taking on a Danny Williams who is struggling to make ends meet and fighting on way past his prime, earning cash and providing for his family, people would have been on board, but this was two millionaires sharing a ring. Chisora needed neither the cash, nor the exposure. He certainly did not need the beating. Fury just dealt with him and moves on. People are asking Chisora to retire but nobody thinks that he will.
Fast Forward – the week to come as viewed from one side of the Atlantic
UK – biggest and most notable – what should be the biggest news in the UK boxing scene
Tuesday 13th December 2022
“In Tokyo, we have the WBO, IBF, WBC, WBA bantamweight title fight between The Monster, Naoya Inoue and Britain’s Paul Butler.”
In Tokyo, this coming Tuesday, Paul Butler takes on what for most feels like an impossible task – to beat The Monster, Naoya Inoue and come back to the UK with all of the bantamweight belts as the undisputed, unified champion. Butler possesses the WBO belt whilst Inoue has the other three. Inoue has never been beaten and has the wickedest reputation of anyone boxing today.
Inoue has won 20 of his 23 contests by knockout and Butler has lost a couple of his fights, though he has fought 36 times. Butler is Liverpool’s first two-time world champion and as such deserves respect. There has been a litany of champions who have gone into the ring upright with Inoue but not ended the fight in the same manner. If Butler pulls this off, it ranks as one of the best, if not THE best ever shock victory by a British fighter abroad.
My View
It is hard to find anyone aside from Butler and his trainer Joe Gallagher, who think otherwise, but this is unlikely to end with a British win.
But…
There has to be huge credit to Butler for taking on the challenge. He shall not lie down; he will provide a live opponent; and will give every aspect of the fight a go. Inouye has gone from being a guy that nobody knows how to beat to somebody who people are beginning to realize may have chinks in his armor. Gallagher is the very man to find them, communicate them to Butler and exploit them. The issue, for me, is will he get the time to do so effectively enough to beat him.
That is what I am not sure about.
Future History – and the week to follow…
UK – biggest and most notable – what should be the biggest news in the UK boxing scene
Saturday 17th December
In Bournemouth Dan Azeez takes on Rocky Fielding for the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles.
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