Elliot Worsell

To cut the suspense, and hopefully temper the fury of anyone wanting an argument, the short and indeed only answer to the question in this article’s headline is no, absolutely not, writes Elliot Worsell

Just as cruiserweights don’t have to look too far or too hard for their pot of gold, nor do they have to look too far or too hard for both their template and inspiration. The gold can be found at heavyweight, of course, which is where so many cruiserweights end up, while inspiration can be found in the footprints of predecessors; those who excelled at cruiserweight before becoming rich and famous as heavyweights.

When Anthony Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, were discussing the prospect of one day hosting an event in Nigeria, the home of Joshua’s parents, they would have had certain images in mind. If a “homecoming” or celebration, the event would have called for a certain kind of fight and a certain kind of opponent. The traffic, in other words, would have to have been one-way; the winner standing in the home corner.

It was not the fight Jai Opetaia expected, nor even the opponent he had expected to be facing four weeks ago.

It wasn’t that long ago that a fight between Joe Joyce and Deontay Wilder was presented as the definitive example of an immovable object meets an irresistible force. Back then, the expectation among boxing fans was that Joyce would one day represent the true test of Wilder’s power and that Wilder would one day represent the true test of Joyce’s durability. It was a fight plenty wanted to see and a fight that carried no small amount of mystery and intrigue.

The only thing worse than a southpaw is two of them. Watch as they fight for space, tread on each other’s toes, and experiment with angles and punches they would ordinarily neglect. Watch as they overthink. Watch as they forget to throw. Watch as people at ringside start to yawn.

The last meaningful punch Leigh Wood threw in a boxing ring, at least in a competitive sense, was arguably the finest of his career, writes Elliot Worsell

Tyson Fury announced his retirement from boxing yesterday, yet many believe it was no more than a negotiating tactic and that he will, as he has done before, return when the right offer comes in. He mentioned Dick Turpin, while everyone else thought about The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

The likes of 52-year-old Joe Calzaghe, recently tempted to come back by Turki Alalshikh, should be left well alone, writes Elliot Worsell

At the start of 2024 we all had a very clear image of Lawrence Okolie only for this image to then change, distort and grow as the year progressed.