Thursday, May 18, 2006
Australia face dilemma as controversy enters ring
Australia face dilemma as controversy enters ring
BOXING may not be the hottest ticket in town but when it comes to controversy it is fighting well above its weight in Melbourne, with a former bouncer who fatally felled David Hookes, the former Australia cricketer, in a pub brawl two years ago now a sparring partner for the green and gold pugilists.
Zdravko Micevic, 23, was found to have acted in self-defence and cleared of manslaughter last September after Hooks was punched to the ground outside the Beaconsfield Hotel in Melbourne, not a mile from where the Games boxing tournament will get under way from Thursday. The cricketer’s widow, Robyn, has launched a civil action.
Micevic, a former junior boxing champion, was spotted sparring with Ben McEachran, an 81kg gold medal hope for Australia, and Brad Pitt (not the Hollywood one but a heavyweight from Rosebud).
Australia’s boxing officials are reconsidering Micevic’s presence. Phil Goode, the team manager, confessed that he had not known of the former bouncer’s background when he hired him. He was due yesterday to talk to team coaches to “see if they are comfortable”.
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
BOXING may not be the hottest ticket in town but when it comes to controversy it is fighting well above its weight in Melbourne, with a former bouncer who fatally felled David Hookes, the former Australia cricketer, in a pub brawl two years ago now a sparring partner for the green and gold pugilists.
Zdravko Micevic, 23, was found to have acted in self-defence and cleared of manslaughter last September after Hooks was punched to the ground outside the Beaconsfield Hotel in Melbourne, not a mile from where the Games boxing tournament will get under way from Thursday. The cricketer’s widow, Robyn, has launched a civil action.
Micevic, a former junior boxing champion, was spotted sparring with Ben McEachran, an 81kg gold medal hope for Australia, and Brad Pitt (not the Hollywood one but a heavyweight from Rosebud).
Australia’s boxing officials are reconsidering Micevic’s presence. Phil Goode, the team manager, confessed that he had not known of the former bouncer’s background when he hired him. He was due yesterday to talk to team coaches to “see if they are comfortable”.
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
# posted by Mark @ 2:21 AM
People with Hugo Rifkind
Beat-em-up takes on an awful reality
IN THE world of boxing (and we’ve phoned a boxing fan about this, so we’re pretty sure we’re right) few fights are more infamous than the bloody bout fought between Chris Eubank and Michael Watson in 1991.
The world title fight ended after 12 rounds, with Watson in a coma. He suffered irreparable brain damage and it would be almost another decade before he would walk unaided.
Such was the public horror at ITV’s broadcast of his near death that the legendary bout has never been shown again.
But, thank God for the internet. Fifteen years on, Eubank is now to offer the notorious punch-up for download via his new pay-per-view website.
“Boxing is a brutal sport,” says his spokesman. “Despite what happened, Michael and Chris both agree that this stands as one of the greatest fights of all time. The British public deserve to see it.”
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
IN THE world of boxing (and we’ve phoned a boxing fan about this, so we’re pretty sure we’re right) few fights are more infamous than the bloody bout fought between Chris Eubank and Michael Watson in 1991.
The world title fight ended after 12 rounds, with Watson in a coma. He suffered irreparable brain damage and it would be almost another decade before he would walk unaided.
Such was the public horror at ITV’s broadcast of his near death that the legendary bout has never been shown again.
But, thank God for the internet. Fifteen years on, Eubank is now to offer the notorious punch-up for download via his new pay-per-view website.
“Boxing is a brutal sport,” says his spokesman. “Despite what happened, Michael and Chris both agree that this stands as one of the greatest fights of all time. The British public deserve to see it.”
www.secrets-of-boxing.com
# posted by Mark @ 2:15 AM
