Latest editorial
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez jumps rope during a training session at a gym in Guadalajara, Mexico, on April 17, 2023
In recently published book Baddest Man, Mark Kriegel revisits the Faustian pact at the heart of Mike Tyson’s rise and the emotional fallout that followed, writes JOHN WIGHT
All-rounder set to become the team’s youngest-ever men’s captain in an international match
DEPENDING on your point of view, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is either a lover or hater of British fighters. How else to explain him electing as his next opponent the eighth Brit of his career in the shape of John Ryder on Saturday May 7 in Guadalajara, Mexico?
The roll call of top British talent to face and come up short against the Mexican pound for pound great is staggering in the way it confirms his longevity and quality in a sport that is the natural enemy of both. Consider the evidence — Matthew Hatton (2011); Ryan Rhodes (2011); Amir Khan (2016); Liam Smith (2016); Rocky Fielding (2018); Callum Smith (2020); and finally Billy Joe Saunders (2021).
For John Ryder, a solid pro with a record that reveals him to have been up to this point the archetypal nearly man of the fight game, fighting Canelo in his hometown in front of a packed stadium of screaming Mexican fans is the opportunity of a lifetime and fight he is approaching with enjoyment rather than dread. Even so, we can only hope that before the fight he does not happen to watch the recent BBC item featuring Matthew Hatton, titled “How to survive Canelo.”
In recently published book Baddest Man, Mark Kriegel revisits the Faustian pact at the heart of Mike Tyson’s rise and the emotional fallout that followed, writes JOHN WIGHT
As we mark the anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, JOHN WIGHT reflects on the enormity of the US decision to drop the atom bombs
From humble beginnings to becoming the undisputed super lightweight champion of the world, Josh Taylor’s career was marked by fire, ferocity, and national pride, writes JOHN WIGHT
Mary Kom’s fists made history in the boxing world. Malak Mesleh’s never got the chance. One story ends in glory, the other in grief — but both highlight the defiance of women who dare to fight, writes JOHN WIGHT
