David Payne

There will be a moment on Saturday night, beneath the ‘big tent’ roof of the 02 Arena, London, when the bookmakers' favorite, and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will discover whether his appetite for boxing truly remains. The platitudes of those leaning from the windows of the gravy train will evaporate beneath the glare […]

Saturday’s heavyweight rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will be front and centre of all the major sports betting sites. It is a bout awash with possibilities and drenched in the oily wealth of its hosts, will anoint Tyson Fury’s successor following the Gyspy King’s insistence he has now retired. Other shiny and glib […]

Artur Beterbiev is a name not known to all sports fans. Those who dip in and out of boxing, as the pay-per-views come and go, may not appreciate his value or be aware of his brilliance. For regulars who live and breathe in the mad, mad world of boxing, the Russian-born Canadian national, is renowned […]

This Saturday, fans of boxing and the wider sporting world will turn their gaze away from the heavyweights and toward the unfashionable trappings of the Super-Middleweight (168lb) division. Two luminaries of the modern age - Saul ’Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin - face each other for the third and, in all likelihood, final time. Los […]

Most of Chris Eubank Jr.’s career has been spent in a quest for authenticity. To prove himself worthy of the name he inherits from a legendary father and to garner respect as a serious contender in the Middleweight division. There have been high points where he has legitimised the hyperbole projected before him, and there […]

There are still fights in boxing that draw the attention of general sports fans. Full stadiums and multiple broadcast partners illustrate boxing’s enduring attraction. Certain fighters continue to transcend that boundary between the ardent follower and the casual. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Anthony Joshua are two giants of the boxing sphere who have generated extraordinary […]

Nottingham’s Leigh Wood, 26-2 (16ko), will attempt to defend his WBA Featherweight title on Saturday night against dangerous Mexican Mauricio Lara, 25-2-1 (18ko), in a bout initially scheduled for the autumn of last year. Billed as Dance With The Devil, to reflect the danger Lara represents, this will be Wood’s second fight as belt holder […]

On Sunday, beneath the warm Saudi Arabian sky of the nation’s original capital, Diriyah, restored and repurposed as an international destination rich in history and the amenities the wealthy demand, populists Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will attempt to substantiate their credentials and disproportionate public prominence as professional prizefighters. Against each other.  Betting sites are […]

Heavyweight champions don’t always fight the opponents they should and don’t always fight the opponents they could. From the black fighters overlooked a century ago, to the missed opportunities of the 1990s and the voluntary defences even the Greatest of them all indulged in 50 years ago, a host of undeserving contenders have been blessed […]