RESOLVE AND ENERGY
I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the positive article on Kieran Gething in the July 16 issue. What a remarkable man Mr Gething [below, left] is. He was born physically handicapped yet he hasn’t allowed this to hinder him in the ring. After his father tragically lost his life, Kieran won the Welsh title to make him proud. I love the way Kieran didn’t allow his early patchy form to define him as he developed his ring craft. Not only that, but he’s also written a book and has self-published it – and he writes for his local newspaper. He runs his own construction company, has two young daughters and has ambitions to promote a boxing show in his hometown. If I had half the resolve and energy of Kieran Gething, I’d be a happy man. Maybe a movie can be made out of his story one day. Mr Gething, you are an amazing man. I am now firmly in your fan club. Mike Hills
PAT ON THE BACK
I JUST thought I’d give the Boxing News team a pat on the back for the worthy content that has made the pages during this lockdown period, where there has been a lack of actual boxing. Things like the Michael Bentt article, among many others, have given younger fans an interesting, modern day look at yesteryear in the sport. The ‘This Week in History’ feature also provides good reading. Scott Gilligan
PAINTING AND POLITICS
A FEW musings after reading the July 23 issue… Whenever I think about the ‘best Brits never to win a world title’ debate, the name Jim Driscoll always comes to mind… The article on Harry Greb the street artist took me back to the 1970s, when a German abstract painter named Peter Schwarze called himself Blinky Palermo… Would there be any call for a book about boxers who entered politics? Apart from Acelino Freitas and Manny Pacquiao, the names John Gully, John Morrissey, Jack Petersen and Nino Benvenuti spring to mind... At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I remember the days when the only flyweight in Britain was John Mccluskey! Mark Taha
ONE WORLD CHAMPION
FOLLOWING Jack Hirsch’s suggestions for improvements that could be made to the sport of boxing ( July 16 issue), my number-one improvement would be to have just one world champion in each weight division. I don’t mean a unified champion, as in this case the belts have been brought together, only to inevitably be broken up again later on. A unified champion will only ever be second best to a sole world champion. Simon Collins