Well what a year for boxing 2011 has been with many up and downs plus comebacks. This year also saw the launch of BoxNation the country’s first dedicated Boxing channel which went live on 30th September and has had some cracking fights over the past 3 months.
Highlights of the year – Ricky Burns achieve the impossible by claiming the WBO interim Lightweight title when he fought Aussie tough guy Michael Katsidis at Wembley Arena in November. Francis and George Warren launched Queensberry Promotions and got their first Champion in there second bill when Stretham’s Leon Williams beat Rob Norton for the British Cruiserweigh title. Mickey Helliet’s Hellraiser Promotions got the highest viewing figures of any live British boxing promotion in 2011 on Eurosport with his bill from The Coronet Theatre on 25th November which attracted 768,000 views. Plus December also saw the long await comeback of former WBO Cruiserweight champ Enzo Maccarinelli at Light-Heavy when he stopped Hungry’s Gyorgy Marosi in the 1st round.
Low points – Amir Khan lost his WBA & IBF Light-Welterwight titles in a controversial points decision on the 10th December in Washington DC to Lamont Peterson. Carl Froch lost the Super Six final and his WBC Super-Middleweight crown to Andre Ward on 17th December. Dereck Chisora lost a controversial points decision to Robert Helenius in Helsinki for the vacant European Heavyweight title.
2012 the year ahead – We’ve got some cracking boxing coming up over the year ahead first we have Dereck Chisora challenging Vitali Klitschko for his WBC Heavyweight title. Early in the new year will also see our World Champions Ricky Burns and Nathan Cleverly defend their titles on home soil. Then in July we’ll have Olympic boxing on our doorstep with London 2012.
Ones to watch in 2012 – London Super-Middleweight George Groves who will be moving onward and upward and hopefully will get a World Title shot by the end of the year, another Super-Middle to keep an eye out for is Enfield’s Frank Buglioni who’s stopped his 2 opponents thus far with 1st round KO’s. Other to watch are Welterweight Dean”Irish Lightening” Byrne fellow Welter Bradley Skeete and Light-Heavy Dan Woodgate plus Heavyweight Tyson Fury who hopes to get a World Title shot by the end of 2012.
Daily Sport wishes all fighters and fight fans alike a great 2012.