Bill Bradshaw

Wladimir Klitschko – No Country for Old Men?

Wladimir Klitschko – No Country for Old Men?

Boxing fans, as we know, are never slow about coming forward. In fight terms, we are marauders who throw vicious punches with bad intentions and social media is the canvas that we dance upon. Since the moment that third man, David Fields, called a halt to the action between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko, fight fans have gone toe to toe. ‘Joshua is the new Ali …Joshua would have beaten Tyson …Joshua begins a new era’, with one BBC journalist stating that Joshua is ‘unquestionably the biggest star in boxing’. I always think it’s wise to question the ‘unquestionable’. I’m sure GGG, Pacquiao, Crawford, Canelo and even Mayweather (Touting a comeback) would have things to say on that matter. Deontay Wilder might feel justified in claiming that Joshua isn’t even the biggest star in the heavyweight division and, I suspect, the Bronze Bomber will be eager to prove that point sooner rather than later.

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The Heavyweights – High on potential or low on talent?

The Heavyweights – High on potential or low on talent?

Barely a month into 2016 and we’ve already seen some interesting developments in the normally sleep inducing heavyweight scene. I hate to open an article with such a statement as, traditionally, the division has always been the jewel in the crown of world boxing but, as we know, times have changed. I grew up in an era where we looked to the golden years of the 70’s when Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton plied their trade and it would be an injustice not to mention Holmes in that list.

These days we look to the likes of Tyson, Holyfield and Lewis for inspiration. Names like Tim Witherspoon, Ray Mercer and the late Tommy Morrison are often discussed purely on the level of sheer excitement that they brought to the ring and the world yearns for a warrior of the modern age to capture our imagination.

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Mayweather 49-0: Boxing History Dumbed Down

Mayweather 49-0: Boxing History Dumbed Down

1955 was also the year that bid a sad adieu to screen icon James Dean. The Rebel without a cause would meet his maker on Route 466 when, on September 30th, his Porsche 550 ‘Little Bastard’ car careered off the highway attempting to avoid Donald Turnopspeed’s Ford Tudor. The film world mourned and still does. Ray Kroc started the McDonalds fast food chain and Bill Haley’s ‘Rock around the Clock’ had music lovers dancing off the Big Mac’s and fries. But 1955 would also be a landmark year for the world of boxing when heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano went 49-0 to set, what would become, the longest standing championship record in the history of the sport.

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Manny Pacquaio – The truth behind that shoulder

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I think it’s safe to say that one of the greatest conspiracy comedies of all time is the Robert De Niro/Dustin Hoffman collaboration ‘Wag the Dog’. The film depicts the lengths that unscrupulous spin-doctors will go to in pursuit of a politician’s re-election. The movie is hilarious at times but it is a clever movie throughout and it certainly makes you wonder if you should ever believe more than 50% of what you are fed through the media. I worked in a job for many years where you were advised ‘to believe half of what you saw and absolutely nothing of what you heard’. Having worked there over three decades, I fully concur with that wisdom. People will believe what best suits their interests and, sometimes, the emperor’s new clothes will pass as high fashion if the end result is the one you really want.

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