I appreciate the questions that came in. If you’d like yours answered in the next mailbag, please leave a comment below.
Is Zuffa the 500-pound gorilla of boxing, or just one more ambitious promoter who believes it can “fix” boxing? Emotional arguments from both sides aside, what do you see for Zuffa’s future?
Tris: It’s the 500lbs gorilla or the meteor heading to earth. There is a feeling of inevitability about how it all shakes out. The Ali Act amendments will help them, and hinder others, but their budget, their resources, their power is incomparable. But there are what ifs to consider. What if Trump is out and they can’t call on favours from Washington? What if the Saudi investment goes away? And, as Eddie Hearn points out, do they have the boxing product knowledge to make it work?
Whatever happens, Gayle, I don’t anticipate it being over quickly.
How did the energy in crowd for the Boots-Zayas fight compare to some of the other big energy crowds at other fights you’ve attended?
Tris: It was up there with anything and everything I’ve experienced. I could feel the Puerto Rican wall of excitement behind me and the fight was so action-packed that everyone, already invested in the occasion, lost their collective minds over what was happening in the ring. What a night.
Do you fear long term for British boxing as they don’t appear to be as many stars in the making coming through right now?
Tris: Sometimes I really do and when I do, I think of it like this. When Eddie Hearn was coming through, he signed the likes of Tony Bellew, Darren Barker, Carl Froch, Carl Frampton and Kell Brook. If a new kid came on the block, who would they pick up that carried that kind of quality and impetus. Pat Brown would be near the top of the list. Dalton Smith. But let me know what four or five guys would you build a stable around?
What is your next book (or books) about?
Tris: It’s about performance enhancing drugs in boxing. I’ve been working on it for ages, but I’ve not looked at it for a few months as I’ve been so busy. There’s no deadline, really, and I’m struggling to find the time for it (these things don’t really pay money to justify putting the time up against), but I have found out some absolutely incredible stuff.
Have you read “Thinking Big - The James Quick Tillis Story”? He doesn’t have a good word to say about his Manager Beau Williford. Have you ever met either of them?
Tris: Yes, I have that book and I’ve read it. I did not meet either of them but Glenn McCrory, who was with Beau, felt Beau did him very dirty and still has a lot of anger and resentment toward him.
What is the difference between American gym culture and British gym culture?
Tris: Hard to put into words and it definitely depends on the gym but it’s more edgy out there in the US, I would say. Perhaps more competitive and alpha-based. But it does all depend on the place, the coaches and the fighters. One thing I will say is the community element is similar in them all, and that is one of boxing’s great qualities.
are there any fighters who you feel you misjudged initially and now looking back, have an entirely different perspective on? i am talking from a performance / stylistic perspective as opposed to a personality one but interested to hear either.
Tris: Yeah, I told readers to put their house on Cuban Luis Garcia winning a world title. I thought Welshman Lewis Rees was the goods and shamed Puerto Rican Felix Verdejo might do more in the pros than Miguel Cotto. Those are just for starters!
From a personality perspective, I sometimes get surprised speaking to people I’ve known of for a long time but have not spoken to before. Zab Judah is an example. We jumped on a call a year or two ago and he was great.
Assuming Josh Kelly is next, his best path to victory will be implementing the game plan everyone thought Xander would implement against Boots: lateral movement, boxing and turning while fighting in spots. Do you think he can pull off the upset against Boots?
Ben Whittaker is solid, but still hard to measure, esp with his poor performance against Liam Cameron. What short list of names make sense to target next, to show us he’s ready to challenge for a world title?
Tris: I agree that Kelly doesn’t want a firefight with Boots, but I’d say it’s like an 85-15 fight for Ennis. I’d give Josh a better chance with Fundora with raiding tactics and movement.
For me, matching Whittaker I’d pick Craig Richards, Lyndon Arthur, Willy Hutchinson, and if he beats one or two of those, move up to Anthony Yarde or Joshua Buatsi. I would be patient with him, but try to keep him more active.
Who do you consider the current top promoter?
Tris: Great question as Frank Warren might be in the UK, and Eddie Hearn might be in the world, and Dana White might be better than both. It also depends on whether we are looking at the stables, their body of work or how they promote an event. It is hard to go against Matchroom when you think of the Barclays, Croke Park, their Saudi relationships, DAZN, Netflix, and while they have Boots and Bam, their stable will look very different once Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor have retired. But I’m a big fan of what Warren has done, in particular at 175lbs and heavyweight, in recent years.
I enjoyed your interview with Eddie Hearn, but you’d barely got the questions out your mouth and he was already in ‘Eddie mode’. Do you approach these interviews differently?
Tris: Thank you. Not really. I try to have a conversation with them more than an interview and I’m always aware that people are not tuning in to listen to me but to whoever I am talking to, so I’m happy for them to let loose.
Who in boxing — fighter or otherwise — have you never had a chance to interview and remains on your wish list? What about someone from the past who’s no longer with us? Is there anyone who was a better interview than you originally expected?
Tris: I mentioned this in a recent Willie Monroe piece, but missing out on Bennie Briscoe will always bother me. If I had a time machine, I’d love to have gone back and talked to Jack Dempsey.
There’s been a few who have been better than expected. I’ve only ever had Mike Tyson on his good days, so he has always over-delivered given I’ve feared the worst and heard the horror stories. And I’d built a really nice relationship with George Foreman and it always surprised me how generous he was with his time.
In terms of a wishlist, I’ve done some stuff with Anthony Joshua but I’d love an unscripted, uncensored sitdown with him. I feel like there’s so much in there that we’ve not seen.
If you could have a drink/meal with any boxing journalist or writer from any point in history, who would you sot down with?
Tris: I’ve been lucky that I’ve got to know so many of the writers I’ve looked up to, but I never met Hugh McIlvanney or Harry Mullan. They would both be right at the top.
I would have had Nigel Collins near the top, too, but one of my favourite ever days was going to lunch with him and PhillyBoxingHistory’s John DiSanto, in Philly, near the Joey Giardello statue, and being transported back to 1970s Philadelphia with them both. That is a top 10, maybe even top five, boxing memory for me.
I find a boxing PED book very fascinating. It really hasn’t been done before, although countless fighters have tested dirty. I’ll be reading it whenever it comes out.