Knockout artist Tony Harrison learning to balance power and poise
Punching power is the athletic equivalent of an open bar: It’s totally, totally awesome, but if you get carried away with it, you could wake up naked in a field, searching for your pants and the nearest burrito dispensary.
After suffering his first loss, 154-pound prospect Tony Harrison intent on making it his last
On a Saturday night in July, one second wiped out the 1,500 or so that preceded it. All it took was a well-placed right hand, a fist that doubled as an eraser, which didn’t stop time so much as negate it, cleaning the slate in a flash of leather.
Andrzej Fonfara outlasts Nathan Cleverly in record-setting 175-pound slugfest
Records were broken and noses were broken, but Andrzej Fonfara’s and Nathan Cleverly’s will to win was shatterproof.
Kohei Kono retains 115-pound title by winning epic brawl against countryman Koki Kameda
This one was personal, the kind of nasty fight normally precipitated by another dude insulting your mother, hitting on your special lady friend or—no he didn’t!—eating the last damn slice of pizza.
After a drop in weight, Koki Kameda’s out to win his fourth title against countryman Kohei Kono
He became a world champion before he was old enough to knock back a celebratory Sapporo to commemorate the occasion. Nine years later, Koki Kameda is a grizzled veteran at the age of 28, although he still possesses the boyish looks of the precocious teenager whose flamboyant personality served as the gas can that ignited a nation.
Heavy underdog Aron Martinez turns it on late, scores upset of Devon Alexander in 147-pound showdown
With a smile as big as his swollen left eye, Aron Martinez attempted to articulate what it feels like when a dark horse finds the light.
Lee Selby outboxes Fernando Montiel, retains his 126-pound title by unanimous decision
After crossing the pond for his first fight on these shores, Lee Selby proceeded to submarine his opponent in waters as deep as the Atlantic.
Gerald Washington not afraid of ‘scary’ Amir Mansour prior to their heavyweight clash
He may be a nice fella in person, but Amir Mansour is a frightening dude to behold, with biceps that bulge like croquet balls stuffed into a gym sock and the perpetually agitated air of a man who woke up on the wrong side of a bed of nails. He looks like the kind of guy a dark alley would cross the street to avoid. All of this has Gerald Washington very, very stoked.
