• Steve Bunce

From Rooney to the big boys, there's something for everyone

It was an exceptional weekend of fights in rings and kitchens all over the world as the great, the dumb, the fat, the brave and the vicious all put on gloves to entertain us.

Two true heavyweights in LA traded punches for eight furious rounds when Chris Arreola, who lost a world title fight last time he was in the ring, was dragged deep into a brawl by underdog Curtis Harper. Arreola dropped Big Curt heavily in the first and was meant to win quickly and secure a WBC title fight with Deontay Wilder.

However, nobody told Harper the plan and he fought back to have Arreola out on his feet several times. The pair, who weighed a combined total of 527.5 pounds, will win the eight-round Fight of the Year award.

Buncey's Vaults

• Herol 'Bomber' Graham "has been one of the best English boxers of the last decade despite never being world champion, and now, after a bizarre comeback against the odds, he finds himself in a world title fight."
• It was Atlantic City and Graham was the chief support to the Lennox Lewis v Shannon Briggs world heavyweight title fight. "Graham turned professional in 1978 and won British, Commonwealth and European titles but was ignored by Marvin Hagler and other big names from the time. He was unbeaten for nine years, winning 38 fights before losing to Sambu Kalambay, from Italy, in a European middleweight bout in 1987." The world title fight was going to be his third attempt and Graham was 38.
• "Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, British world champions from that time, refused to fight him." Graham fought the IBF super-middleweight champion Charles Brewer, dropped the champion twice but was stopped in round 10. Herol never fought again and today trains young fighters in east London.
• As reported in the Daily Telegraph, March 26, 1998.

Sticking with the big boys and Bronco Billy Wright, a guest on last week's podcast, hit the scales at 325 pounds and hit Gilberto Matheus Domingos even harder. It was Bronco's 47th win in 51 fights and his 27th in the first round. Bronco is 50 and ranked and ready for an offer to fight for the title: "Get me Fury, get me Wilder." That is fighting talk!

In Canada, unbeaten heavyweight Vyacheslav Glazkov nicked a tight decision over Tyson Fury victim Steve Cunningham to secure a world title fight later this year. Both Arreola and Bronco delivered more thrills, but Glazkov, nicknamed The Czar, is technically a good, if safe, boxer.

Film emerged on Sunday morning of Wayne Rooney, a massive boxing fan, nearly having his fanciful hair removed by a simple jab from former Manchester United player, Phil Bardsley. The spectacular single-punch knockout took place in a lovely Cheshire kitchen.

At about the same time as Rooney was getting sploshed in his house, there was a full house at York Hall for a crazy bill of 13 fights that ended with former professional footballer Leon McKenzie, who once scored against Manchester United, winning his first professional title as a boxer.

McKenzie, another recent podcast guest, outpointed Ivan Stupalo over ten rounds for the International Masters super-middleweight belt and then fell into the arms of his devoted dad, Clinton McKenzie. It was an emotional night for the pair. In Leon's book there are fabulous pictures of Leon as a child celebrating British title wins with Clinton. Great stuff from the pair and their first belt as a boxing team.

Incidentally, the show at York Hall was not the biggest in the world on Saturday night - the title was shared by the show in Manchester, with 15 fights, that saw a quick return to the ring for Enzo Maccarinelli, another first round winner. Enzo had been scheduled to fight in Widnes on Saturday night on the undercard to Ovill McKenzie's British cruiserweight defence against Matty Askin, but that show was scrapped last Wednesday. Ovill will now fight Askin at York Hall on March 27.

In New York, also on Saturday night, Spike O'Sullivan, the Cork middleweight battling for his future in America, had his second win since relocating when he stopped Milton Nunez in three rounds in the basement at Madison Square Garden. Spike's only loss in 21 fights was over twelve rounds on points to Billy Joe Saunders.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Andre Berto, Shawn Porter, Sergey Kovalev, Patrick Nielsen, one-time Wladimir Klitschko victim Mariusz Wach, unbeaten South African Thomas Oosthuizen and East End trainer Frank Greaves, who is 37, got a win at the second time of trying.

It was a terrific night and somewhere between Rooney's loss and big Bronco Billy's win there was surely something for everybody.

Wayne Rooney made light of his kitchen knock-out as he celebrated scoring against Tottenham last Sunday © Getty Images

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