BEYOND BOXING EP279 - WHEN ZACH PARKED THE BUS by Highfield Boxing

When two men go to war like Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker did, there are no losers. What a fight and what a story Fabio Wardley’s career is becoming. Rocky really lives amongst us. The man’s life is a movie.

A long time ago I said Turki and the Saudis saw boxing as a tool, not a passion project. Wardley-Parker is proof that they won't burn cashon fights that do not serve their aims. For those fights, the fans have to pay.

Dave Allen’s spirited effort just wasn’t enough to overcome the power and precision of Arslanbek Makhmudov. Despite coming off a huge knockout win over Johnny Fisher back in May, Allen fell short on the scorecards, with all three judges giving the fight to the Russian, even after Makhmudov had two points deducted for holding. Where does Dave go now, and is this down in the hole Matchroom are now?

There is no doubt that Crawford is the best of this era, but we have to stop with the Floyd comparisons because he was one of one. Crawford winning against Canelo has disrupted the boxing money train temporarily as he will not find an opponent to give him the payday he wants. Boers on OnlyFans....stop please.

Ricky Hatton, known as “The Hitman” and beloved by legions of fans, passed away on 14 September 2025 aged 46. Born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, Hatton turned professional in 1997, going on to carve out a storied career in the light‐welterweight and welterweight divisions. He captured world titles, most memorably defeating Kostya Tszyu in 2005, and amassed an outstanding record of 45 wins in 48 fights.  Hatton’s appeal transcended his ring achievements. His ferocious, all-action style won him dedicated fan support, tens of thousands followed him even across oceans.  Afterwards, he was open about life’s battles: depression, substance abuse and the challenge of life once gloves were off. His frankness on mental health made him a powerful figure of empathy in British sport.  Ricky Hatton’s legacy will endure, as a warrior in the ring; an everyman who made the extraordinary seem within reach; and a voice for those whose fights happen outside it.

Canelo Álvarez, dominant at super-middleweight, brings size, power, and championship pedigree into his defense against Terence Crawford, the undefeated tactician jumping two weight divisions. Canelo’s physicality, granite chin, and ring experience give him clear advantages, but Crawford’s timing, adaptability, and counterpunching make him a live threat. The fight represents a clash between natural strength and pure skill: can Crawford’s precision offset Canelo’s size? The bout could redefine pound-for-pound supremacy and boxing history.

The story is the story. No answers to any questions.

In today's news... Moses won - first round stoppage. Frank won - he got to see one of his enemies humbled by a 20 year old. Dillian won - He was paid handsomely at a time when he was on the outside of boxing looking in. However, this week, Don Charles lost. He paid a heavy price for trying to manage an unmanageable situation. A good man, done wrong.

Dillian Whyte stands in the last chance saloon if he wants one last run at glory. Blocking his other is Moses Itauma, a young man in a rush towards greatness. Can Dillian upset the odds and add one more chapter to his storied career?

Ben Shalom has faced a rough start to 2025. But, it looks like life is a bit more stable for him with the announcement of a deal with the BBC. The real question is whether Ben can bring the glamour back to boxing on mainstream TV.

Who doesn't love a party? Definitely not boxing fans. They had done it before and it worked, but they confused luck with destiny and paid a heavy price. Whatever we say about partygate, there wasn't a version of Daniel Dubois that would have beaten Oleksandr Usyk.

You can't promise history and then expect us to praise effort. This whole Usyk-Dubois experience has felt like a massive ponzi scheme, with only the boing fans losing out again... My sense is that Usyk learned from the first fight, make adjustments based on what he saw and felt, delivering a completely different performance. We saw the Same DDD two years later, maybe at a lower level. We have to ask why.

Usyk is the greatest heavyweight of this generation and maybe the greatest boxer of this generation. That’s the headline.

Boxing is a cruel game, made even worse when you. Arty the burden of the family name on your back. But, we are now seeing that you cannot escape the fundamentals of boxing - sacrifice, skill, strength and grit - no matter who your dad is. For My two oence, I think Campbell Hatton had the hardest job, replacing a man that many still remember fighting and the first Brit to have their career enshrined on social media. It was always going to be hard.

Benn-Eubank II and Canelo-Crawford are cartoon fights. These are fights that are just there to keep revenue ticking over. These are not fights the fans really care about - maybe the hardcores at a push, but that's about it. Boxing will struggle until boxing fans demand real fights over action movies.

You can’t say you’re a free agent on your promoter’s show. It was a poor decision by Richardaon Hitchins and maybe it reflect the overall lowering of standards in boxing.

The Fabio Wardley fairytale continues. The Callum Simpson trim nearly detailed Boxxer are set for a full reboot. …Only in boxing

https://linktr.ee/highfieldboxing The main question this pod is…WHO IS RUNNING BOXING?

Boxing is such a cruel sport. By winning. Dave Allen has increased his earning potential significantly and in losing Johnny Fisher has very tough career choices to make. It is a reminder that as much as Boxing is something that we has fans look at as fun, to those in the ring it is deadly serious and because it is deadly serious it is very important to have the right team around you. That includes your trainer and in many cases, and it’s not just Johnny Fisher, boxers have been trained by people who will never be good enough to help them fulfil their potential and maybe that is the biggest danger we face in boxing right now.