Both sides of boxing – the good and the bad – have been put on display in recent bouts

One of the purest sports around has its share of both physical and mental pain, writes Ben Burrows

Monday 30 November 2020 09:21 EST
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Joe Joyce was too savvy for the young pretender Daniel Dubois
Joe Joyce was too savvy for the young pretender Daniel Dubois (Getty)

Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning saw three very different boxing contests unfold.

First, Westminster’s Church House played host to Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce in a long-awaited British heavyweight title fight.

It went and back forth, blow for blow, before one punch too many to what would turn out to be a shattered eye socket proved to be enough for Dubois, who took a knee and propelled Joyce towards what could be even loftier nights to come.

Some hours later, in Los Angeles at the Staples Centre, YouTube celebrity Jake Paul was in the ring for the second time as a professional. His opponent, former NBA player Nate Robinson, was in there for the very first time – and as soon as the opening bell rang it showed.

Paul, a victor at this level in his debut, dropped Robinson twice before a third shuddering shot to the temple in the second round saw Robinson fall to the canvas for good. He would need medical attention, the physical cost of this most brutal of sports all too obvious to anyone watching on.

Then came the main event as Mike Tyson, 15 years retired, laced them up for one final go-around. His opponent, Roy Jones Jr, a fellow veteran of many a world title fight.

At a combined 105 years old the Rumble in the Jungle this was not, but it was enthralling nonetheless with Tyson the aggressor and showing fleeting flashes of the signature speed and power that once made him the most feared fighter on the planet.

After eight increasingly tired rounds a draw was called, with both veterans more than happy to take it after going through the pain barrier that few would dare to one final time.

Boxing is all about pain, both physical and mental. Every man or woman who steps through those ropes knows what’s coming and does so knowing the very real and very grave risks that are involved.

Dubois was accused of quitting, of tapping out before the fight was over. Robinson too was overmatched, putting himself in harm’s way for Benjamins and bragging rights.

Tyson and Jones took the biggest risk of all, with tired minds and even more ageing bodies, all for our entertainment and enjoyment.

One of the purest sports there is remains a pleasure to cover with its abundance of narrative and nuance with every bob and weave. Anyone, at any age, willing to get in that ring rather than watch on from afar, is a braver person than me.

Yours,

Ben Burrows

Sports editor

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