2024 in Review: Riyadh Season Revives Heavyweight Boxing

01/03/2025 Thomas Choong

Since October 2023, heavyweight boxing has experienced a remarkable renaissance, and much of this revival can be attributed to the ambitious Riyadh Season, orchestrated by … continue

Usyk – Fury: The Soundless and the Fury

12/20/2024 Thomas Choong

The significance of Saturday’s heavyweight championship title rematch isn’t lost on Tyson Fury. Writers and pundits have all been giving their thoughts on this event. … continue

Andy Ruiz – a Championship mindset seizes Championship Glory

06/03/201906/02/2019 Thomas Choong

Andy Ruiz’s Jr’s shocking 7th round upset over previously undefeated Anthony Joshua for the unified WBA/IBF and WBO heavyweight straps tonight was a timeless reminder … continue

Tyson Fury: the Path to Heavyweight Clarity

12/01/201811/30/2018 Thomas Choong

Lennox Lewis versus Vitali Klitschko, held on June 21, 2003, was the last time I recognized the winner of a bout as being boxing’s “true” … continue

An Open Letter to Holly Holm

11/17/201511/16/2015 Thomas Choong

I’ll admit that I don’t typically watch women’s boxing, and it is seldom available on any cable subscription package in Canada. However, I watched 2 Canadian women with the Pan Am Gold a few months back and used to watch Christy Martin on Don King undercards. I had never seen you box while you were boxing, and though I’d heard her name, I watched my first videos of you as a mixed martial artist.

Holly, you demonstrated in your fights prior to last night’s MMA bout with Ronda Rousey a good sense of ring space and how to use it effectively. More importantly, you demonstrated an effective use of the southpaw position that, while seldom mentioned in MMA discussion, is a key combative variable in boxing.

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Greatness on Display: Mayweather makes his PPV debut 10 years ago today

06/26/201506/25/2015 Thomas Choong

By Thomas Choong: Every great fighter’s career is notably documented by their performances on the biggest stage. Though Floyd Mayweather’s detractors will belay the significance of his victory over pugilistic warrior Arturo Gatti as another over-hyped mismatch, pundits of the sweet science at the time will remember just how significant this matchup was at that time 10 years ago today .

Still promoted by Top Rank at the time, “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. stood atop the pound for pound debate alongside long reigning middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins (who would lose his first bout in 12 years only three weeks later). The belt they would fight for was the WBC Super lightweight title, though few would have considered Gatti the champion of the 140 lb weight class. That distinction belonged to Ricky “Hitman” Hatton who had wrested the title from Kostya Tszyu (who had unified the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts in 2001) a mere three weeks prior. However, that did not detract from the attention that this bout garnered.

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