The balls of wrath
The deluded thinking man's sports blog
- Guardian Sport NetworkCarl Frampton: 'My daughter asked, why are they saying well done if you got beat?'Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, Carl Frampton lost his belt and unbeaten record to his old foe, Leo Santa Cruz. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he is already focused on reclaiming his title against the Mexican in Belfast
- Guardian Sport NetworkMichael Conlan: 'I wouldn’t be top bill in Madison Square Garden had I won gold'Michael Conlan’s middle-finger salute after his controversial defeat at the Olympics made him famous but his focus is now on winning his professional debut – in New York on St Patrick’s Day – and becoming a world champion
- The balls of wrathHow to look good while fighting, by Conor McGregor's strength coachStrength and conditioning coach John Connor spends most of his time advising Dubliners on how to lose a few pounds, but his expertise has also helped Conor McGregor and Carl Frampton become UFC and boxing world champions
- Guardian Sport NetworkWill Saúl Álvarez give Gennady Golovkin the legacy-defining fight he craves?Gennady Golovkin faces the same problem Marvin Hagler had a generation ago: he is too good for the limited boxers in his own weight class but is too tough a prospect for the great fighters in the divisions below. Will Álvarez take him on?
- The balls of wrathHow Sugar Ray Robinson made Jake La Motta his bloody Valentine in 1951There was no love lost when Sugar Ray Robinson met Jake La Motta for their sixth fight on Valentine’s Day 1951. La Motta took an almighty beating but he held on to the ropes, his pride and the knowledge that he would not be put down
- Guardian Sport NetworkBurglars, chips and Alan Partridge: on the road with Carl Frampton v Scott QuiggCarl Frampton and Scott Quigg embarked on a three-day, three-city press tour last week to promote their super-bantamweight title fight. Paul Gibson joined Frampton and the McGuigan family in London, Manchester and Belfast
- Guardian Sport NetworkAfter years on the periphery, is boxing returning to the mainstream in Spain after all?A few months ago Paul Gibson wrote about Spain’s curious lack of interest in boxing. He didn’t know it at the time but a group of local promoters have big plans to revive interest in the sport and make Spain ‘breathe boxing’ again
- Guardian Sport NetworkWladimir Klitschko v Tyson Fury and the joy of postponed heavyweight title fightsAs Wladimir Klitschko’s calf injury leaves Tyson Fury to come to terms with another postponement, it is worth remembering that some of the most iconic heavyweight title fights in history took place after injury-induced delays
- Guardian Sport NetworkWhat will boxing – and Al Haymon – do if Floyd Mayweather really has retired?Ten days after the supposed final act of Floyd Mayweather’s stellar career, he still has his belts and the WBC and WBA are still conspicuously silent. What does Al Haymon have planned for boxing’s current marquee division?
- Guardian Sport NetworkGreat rounds of boxing history: Diego Corrales v José Luis Castillo 1, round 10José Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales traded brutal punches throughout their lightweight title fight until, at the start of the 10th round, Castillo knocked down his opponent twice. Corrales looked beaten, but he somehow managed to return to his feet and produce one of the greatest comebacks ever seen in the sport