WARD, KOVALEV AND THE P4P LIST
THANKS for including your official Boxing News poundfor-pound top 10 list in the magazine each week (see page 38). I wanted to point out that, with regards to the currently unlisted Sergey Kovalev, a lot depends on where we all stand on Andre Ward. My opinion, shared by plenty of others, is that Ward, talented though he was, got away with far too much in the ring in most of his fights, and should perhaps have been disqualified in the first Kovalev encounter. In the second fight between the pair, the fact that the referee generally allowed Ward to use the same questionable tactics again was, I thought, a tremendous advantage, without which he may or may not have finally won. That’s why, for me, Kovalev definitely belongs on your pound-forpound list. Ward, of course, isn’t the only US fighter ever to have been granted privileges in an American ring; but that’s another, very long, story! Tim Fredericks
THE BUGNER-BRUNO DEBATE
I AGREE with Dave Bromlie in last week’s ( July 26) issue that a prime Joe Bugner would’ve beaten Frank Bruno over the championship distance. It’s a shame that they only met when Bugner was years past his best. Bruno, although a big puncher with a solid jab, was very robotic and had no stamina. As he was so musclebound, he’d often fade badly in the later rounds. Bugner, on the other hand, was similar to Bruno in weight and height, yet he had great stamina and good movement. He also possessed a great jab and solid chin. His only drawbacks were a lack of a big KO punch and a tendency to always seem to be holding something back. As for the scenario of Bugner potentially stopping Joe Frazier if their contest had been over 15 rounds instead of 12, I don’t agree. I think the outcome would’ve been the same, as Bugner would’ve been too hesitant to have pushed on. You have to remember, this was Frazier’s first contest back, six months after being demolished in two brutal rounds by George Foreman. It was therefore a good time for Bugner to have met Frazier. Michael Hinton (Bournemouth EBA)
PRAISE FOR SMITH-MUNGUIA
YOUR reporter who was at the Jaime Munguia-liam Smith fight in Las Vegas must be a hard man to please. I thought it was one of the most entertaining fights that I’ve seen this year – definitely worthy of better than a three-star rating, in my opinion. May I say how much I’ve enjoyed the recent contributions from Elliot Worsell – a brilliant addition to the Boxing News team. I’ve been reading BN for over 60 years and I don’t think the magazine has ever been better. Roy Brand
LEGITIMATE HEAVYWEIGHT PLAYER? IF I’m not mistaken, Tony Bellew has openly said that Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are both too big for him, so he wouldn’t fight either of them. If it is true that he has said this, can he really be classed as a legitimate player in the heavyweight division? In my opinion, he needs to fight a true, fit and active heavyweight before we can consider him as proven at the weight. Stephen Tait
MANY THANKS
I WOULD like to thank the family of Arthur Urry for wishing that any donations be made to the British Boxing Board of Control Charitable Trust, which donates monies to ex-boxers who have fallen on hard times. I remember Arthur fondly from my boxing days. He was always very helpful. Arthur was an unsung hero, in and out of the ring. Robert Smith (British Boxing Board)