I like Tony Bellew but...

[NazNaci1]

I think the Amateur coverage is down to two things. Firstly the London Olympics are around the corner, so may its a way of getting the boxers some media exposure as they rarely get any and secondly, its the fact that our amateurs, at the moment are pretty decent and some, if not most of the best will go pro, at some stage after the 2012 Olympics.

Granted 6 pages or however many is a little excessive, in my opinion, but some people may enjoy that.

For me personally, I would prefer more inn depth coverage of the actual fights covered, rather than a summary in all but the largest events.

Totally can understand the reasoning behind the advertisments but most boxing fans would probably pay a little more, if it meant some deeper coverage.

Just my opinion but having a dedicated magazine to the sport which is, on the whole a very good and informative read, is something to proud of. Especially when you consider the dross that's produced over the pond.

[tonyevs]

I just think its lazy to fill the paper with pictures rather than getting the writing team get more or deeper articles.

The recent Leavander Johnson pieces - whilst very good - were stretched out over 2weeks and 10 pages .. take the pictures out ... and it would have filled only 4 full pages .. there was 5 pictures of the statue .. now if thats not padding the paper ..

[dbflex]

I just think its lazy to fill the paper with pictures rather than getting the writing team get more or deeper articles.

The recent Leavander Johnson pieces - whilst very good - were stretched out over 2weeks and 10 pages .. take the pictures out ... and it would have filled only 4 full pages .. there was 5 pictures of the statue .. now if thats not padding the paper ..

With all due respect they're a team of 4 writing the entire mag every week and all the content for a website updated daily. Thats not why there are photographs - most mags have extensive imagery - but just imagine how hard these guys are working just to maintain the current coverage. They love it but are working to capacity. So lazy is the wrong word.

[Craig14]

I just think its lazy to fill the paper with pictures rather than getting the writing team get more or deeper articles.

The recent Leavander Johnson pieces - whilst very good - were stretched out over 2weeks and 10 pages .. take the pictures out ... and it would have filled only 4 full pages .. there was 5 pictures of the statue .. now if thats not padding the paper ..

With all due respect they're a team of 4 writing the entire mag every week and all the content for a website updated daily. Thats not why there are photographs - most mags have extensive imagery - but just imagine how hard these guys are working just to maintain the current coverage. They love it but are working to capacity. So lazy is the wrong word.

So was there more people on the staff when It was a much more enjoyable read only a year or so back? Maybe that's the problem.

[Bomber 1]

I agree Lol

So you're going to cut your eyebrow hairs?

I'll meet ya halfway, I'll trim em Eh

As for the article I feel Flex done a great job! I couldn't do that :-(

[dbflex]

I just think its lazy to fill the paper with pictures rather than getting the writing team get more or deeper articles.

The recent Leavander Johnson pieces - whilst very good - were stretched out over 2weeks and 10 pages .. take the pictures out ... and it would have filled only 4 full pages .. there was 5 pictures of the statue .. now if thats not padding the paper ..

With all due respect they're a team of 4 writing the entire mag every week and all the content for a website updated daily. Thats not why there are photographs - most mags have extensive imagery - but just imagine how hard these guys are working just to maintain the current coverage. They love it but are working to capacity. So lazy is the wrong word.

So was there more people on the staff when It was a much more enjoyable read only a year or so back? Maybe that's the problem.

lol you don't give up easily. Yes the team was a man bigger then but they used broadly the same amount and size of images. So laziness has never been the issue. They all work bloody hard.

[Bomber 1]

It's a good mag IMHO, it's the only one who prints every week and that alone is a tough job, also people forget the saying that a picture can sometimes say a thousand words

I love boxing monthly too and have done since a young age but boxing news has far less time and I'm guessing less resources considering how much they cover over such a short period of time, either way we should be grateful to both cos at the end of the day there both keeping boxing punters and fighters happy.

I say good luck to em all and keep it coming..

[foxwoods]

i have to agree with the original poster, that issue was very very weak. and the bellew piece was just overblown fluff, half of it could have come out without any problems.

danny flexen is just trying too hard to copy mcrae's articles (maybe it is cheaper??) but he hasn't got the right style. we got a bloated piece about the greatest love between bellew and his wife, how they have the best marriage ever and how is the most brilliant dad. it was just silliness, trying to make something special out of nothing for the sake of filling the lines up.

i also thought the report for haye v klit was completely toothless. this seems to have become a trend, playing it safe, trying not to offend anyone but a strong voice for the mag is missing.

[dbflex]

i have to agree with the original poster, that issue was very very weak. and the bellew piece was just overblown fluff, half of it could have come out without any problems.

danny flexen is just trying too hard to copy mcrae's articles (maybe it is cheaper??) but he hasn't got the right style. we got a bloated piece about the greatest love between bellew and his wife, how they have the best marriage ever and how is the most brilliant dad. it was just silliness, trying to make something special out of nothing for the sake of filling the lines up.

i also thought the report for haye v klit was completely toothless. this seems to have become a trend, playing it safe, trying not to offend anyone but a strong voice for the mag is missing.

Wow, take that! You're entitled to your opinion. All I can say is that the vast majority of people who have commented upon the article liked it. Donald Mcrae is a superb writer and I'm happy to cite him as an influence. I don't seek to copy anyone however. I also don't believe – whether you feel the subject matter was appropriate or not – that talking about Bellew's relationship and experiences of fatherhood can be justly termed 'silliness'. I happen to believe these factors drive Bellew to be the man he is, which for me, IS "something special". But we could go back and forth all day – I'm clearly going to defend my piece – you should contact BN and make your feelings known to them; that's the way to effect change.

[foxwoods]

i have to agree with the original poster, that issue was very very weak. and the bellew piece was just overblown fluff, half of it could have come out without any problems.

danny flexen is just trying too hard to copy mcrae's articles (maybe it is cheaper??) but he hasn't got the right style. we got a bloated piece about the greatest love between bellew and his wife, how they have the best marriage ever and how is the most brilliant dad. it was just silliness, trying to make something special out of nothing for the sake of filling the lines up.

i also thought the report for haye v klit was completely toothless. this seems to have become a trend, playing it safe, trying not to offend anyone but a strong voice for the mag is missing.

Wow, take that! You're entitled to your opinion. All I can say is that the vast majority of people who have commented upon the article liked it. Donald Mcrae is a superb writer and I'm happy to cite him as an influence. I don't seek to copy anyone however. I also don't believe – whether you feel the subject matter was appropriate or not – that talking about Bellew's relationship and experiences of fatherhood can be justly termed 'silliness'. I happen to believe these factors drive Bellew to be the man he is, which for me, IS "something special". But we could go back and forth all day – I'm clearly going to defend my piece – you should contact BN and make your feelings known to them; that's the way to effect change.

thanks for taking the time to answer, it is much appreciated. i think you played the family card too strongly, bellew is just an ordinary bloke...it did read like an OK spread as someone commented earlier. i really dont enjoy ramping these guys up as something supernatural just because they are fighters...it's basic stuff to being a man. lets hear about his fights, who he rates in the world, his training. ok, i know you are trying to get a colour piece and something different, but having a furious wank cos he is married and loves his kids is going too far. its the type of worshipping of the personality that the gutter press goes for.

that said, it was the haye review that really got my goat last week, it was terrible. i know BN picked him to win but at least have the guts to write what happened and not try to gloss over what shite his performance was. we all saw the fight, yet it read like a PR job by haye's team. i bet adam booth loved it.

[dbflex]

i have to agree with the original poster, that issue was very very weak. and the bellew piece was just overblown fluff, half of it could have come out without any problems.

danny flexen is just trying too hard to copy mcrae's articles (maybe it is cheaper??) but he hasn't got the right style. we got a bloated piece about the greatest love between bellew and his wife, how they have the best marriage ever and how is the most brilliant dad. it was just silliness, trying to make something special out of nothing for the sake of filling the lines up.

i also thought the report for haye v klit was completely toothless. this seems to have become a trend, playing it safe, trying not to offend anyone but a strong voice for the mag is missing.

Wow, take that! You're entitled to your opinion. All I can say is that the vast majority of people who have commented upon the article liked it. Donald Mcrae is a superb writer and I'm happy to cite him as an influence. I don't seek to copy anyone however. I also don't believe – whether you feel the subject matter was appropriate or not – that talking about Bellew's relationship and experiences of fatherhood can be justly termed 'silliness'. I happen to believe these factors drive Bellew to be the man he is, which for me, IS "something special". But we could go back and forth all day – I'm clearly going to defend my piece – you should contact BN and make your feelings known to them; that's the way to effect change.

thanks for taking the time to answer, it is much appreciated. i think you played the family card too strongly, bellew is just an ordinary bloke...it did read like an OK spread as someone commented earlier. i really dont enjoy ramping these guys up as something supernatural just because they are fighters...it's basic stuff to being a man. lets hear about his fights, who he rates in the world, his training. ok, i know you are trying to get a colour piece and something different, but having a furious wank cos he is married and loves his kids is going too far. its the type of worshipping of the personality that the gutter press goes for.

that said, it was the haye review that really got my goat last week, it was terrible. i know BN picked him to win but at least have the guts to write what happened and not try to gloss over what shite his performance was. we all saw the fight, yet it read like a PR job by haye's team. i bet adam booth loved it.

Mate, you're clearly intelligent and articulate so how about leaving the "furious wank"-style jibes in the same gutter as the press you describe? You have shown you are able to make your point without dropping to that level. As for the 'let's hear about his fights, training etc', as I have already painstakingly explained 'Beyond the Ropes' is so-called for good reason: it is a feature series designed to focus on a fighters life, interests and motivations outside the ring, so not really focusing on the things you mention. If you believe that this approach is incongruous in a boxing magazine, I accept that, and you should tell BN that's what you think. But while the Beyond the Ropes series continues, that will be the type of subject matter it entails.

As for the Haye report, I didn't write it but were there specific elements you disliked? Any examples of the overall tone you are criticising? It's good to have a debate.

[foxwoods]

Mate, you're clearly intelligent and articulate so how about leaving the "furious wank"-style jibes in the same gutter as the press you describe? You have shown you are able to make your point without dropping to that level. As for the 'let's hear about his fights, training etc', as I have already painstakingly explained 'Beyond the Ropes' is so-called for good reason: it is a feature series designed to focus on a fighters life, interests and motivations outside the ring, so not really focusing on the things you mention. If you believe that this approach is incongruous in a boxing magazine, I accept that, and you should tell BN that's what you think. But while the Beyond the Ropes series continues, that will be the type of subject matter it entails.

As for the Haye report, I didn't write it but were there specific elements you disliked? Any examples of the overall tone you are criticising? It's good to have a debate.

sorry, the furious wank reference was supposed to pass for a joke! with regards to the bellew piece, i understand that you were trying to do something different. it worked well in the fury piece but this time it was like you were trying to make too much out of nothing. playing with his kids? not worth that amount of space in a boxing mag in my opinion. how he met his wife? one paragraph at most. im sorry to say this because you have responded to my post and i appreciate that, but a lot of that article was waffle. if it had gone into two pages it would have been fair enough but it seemed like you were just trying to fill space rather than have anything that demanded that amount of coverage.

the haye report - far too kind to haye, seemed to be glossing over the actual fight and the air of disappointment that his display caused. i havent got the mag to hand so cant give you examples but i just read it and thought it was completely spineless. there was a piece in the previous week, in the guest column bit with haye saying he was going to do this and that, and then nothing from him in the week after the fight. he should have been in that column again, explaining and maybe apologising to everyone. that's the power BN has got, you can get these guys, thats why i buy the mag and have done for years. you have all these polls before the fight, pick haye to win (which personally i couldnt understand), talk haye up, give him a guest spot and then when he completely flops and leaves us all feeling ripped off, there is a weak fight report talking haye's display up!!! i can remember one sentence near the end something like "you can say there was sound without fury but there were two skilled and fit heavyweights in there" that seemed like it was trying to make us all think it wasnt as bad as it was. i felt let down by that and i expect more from Boxing News because it has given us more over the years.

[dbflex]

Mate, you're clearly intelligent and articulate so how about leaving the "furious wank"-style jibes in the same gutter as the press you describe? You have shown you are able to make your point without dropping to that level. As for the 'let's hear about his fights, training etc', as I have already painstakingly explained 'Beyond the Ropes' is so-called for good reason: it is a feature series designed to focus on a fighters life, interests and motivations outside the ring, so not really focusing on the things you mention. If you believe that this approach is incongruous in a boxing magazine, I accept that, and you should tell BN that's what you think. But while the Beyond the Ropes series continues, that will be the type of subject matter it entails.

As for the Haye report, I didn't write it but were there specific elements you disliked? Any examples of the overall tone you are criticising? It's good to have a debate.

sorry, the furious wank reference was supposed to pass for a joke! with regards to the bellew piece, i understand that you were trying to do something different. it worked well in the fury piece but this time it was like you were trying to make too much out of nothing. playing with his kids? not worth that amount of space in a boxing mag in my opinion. how he met his wife? one paragraph at most. im sorry to say this because you have responded to my post and i appreciate that, but a lot of that article was waffle. if it had gone into two pages it would have been fair enough but it seemed like you were just trying to fill space rather than have anything that demanded that amount of coverage.

the haye report - far too kind to haye, seemed to be glossing over the actual fight and the air of disappointment that his display caused. i havent got the mag to hand so cant give you examples but i just read it and thought it was completely spineless. there was a piece in the previous week, in the guest column bit with haye saying he was going to do this and that, and then nothing from him in the week after the fight. he should have been in that column again, explaining and maybe apologising to everyone. that's the power BN has got, you can get these guys, thats why i buy the mag and have done for years. you have all these polls before the fight, pick haye to win (which personally i couldnt understand), talk haye up, give him a guest spot and then when he completely flops and leaves us all feeling ripped off, there is a weak fight report talking haye's display up!!! i can remember one sentence near the end something like "you can say there was sound without fury but there were two skilled and fit heavyweights in there" that seemed like it was trying to make us all think it wasnt as bad as it was. i felt let down by that and i expect more from Boxing News because it has given us more over the years.

We'll have to agree to disagree over Bellew as I felt devoting that amount of space to his family life – in a Beyond the Ropes piece – was wholly appropriate.

As for Haye, I can see some of your points. I should say though that it was probably almost impossible to get Haye to write a column post-defeat; if you were Haye, would you know what to say? Haye's performance was a big disappointment, though not as much as the post-fight excuse, but – and I think this is the point BN was trying to make – it wasn't an abject surrender in the manner of a Tony Thompson for example. Haye gave it a go but was found wanting tactically and never really committed to putting it all on the line. You clealy feel he should have been upbraided more robustly given his pre-fight boasts and I sympathise with that; that may have better reflected the consensus view among the fans. However, the journalist has to call the fight as they see it; they cannot be influenced heavily by promoters, boxers, fans or anyone else, it has to be their view. And I'm sure it was an honest view, not a populist one but an honest one.

[orbtastic]

I personally felt the article was overly long and essentially, quite dull. The opening couple of paragraphs set the tone, not that it was badly written per se, just felt very clunky.

I get it's his life outside the ropes but really, beyond the fact he gets a bit ratty when in training (which boxer doesn't?) and he loves his fiance (?) and kids it didn't really add much meat to the bones. It was a bit like reading Froch's autobiography, albeit better written. It was just a bit "so what".

Tony seems like a genuine character, with humour and a bit of bite to his personality but the article captured very little of that. Contrast it with the Hatton one, who can come across as banal with his bite-sized platitudes and cliches in his boxing quotes and it was a pretty boring 2 page spread. Not that the Matt Hatton one was amazing, but it was definitely a couple of steps above this one, which as someone has already said (?) came across like a pretty flacid OK/Heat magazine type "at home with ver kids" interview.

[foxwoods]

but it read to me like you had been influenced, you gave him the guest column as a platform and then when it all went horribly wrong, tried to cover his arse.

i bet if you phoned haye on the monday, tuesday after he had seen the reaction in the UK press and said "this is a chance for you to say sorry to boxing fans, no bullshit about the toe" he would have gone for it. booth seems like a sensible man, he would have got haye to do it.

you can say the fight report was honest, but it was also weak.

[dbflex]

I personally felt the article was overly long and essentially, quite dull. The opening couple of paragraphs set the tone, not that it was badly written per se, just felt very clunky.

I get it's his life outside the ropes but really, beyond the fact he gets a bit ratty when in training (which boxer doesn't?) and he loves his fiance (?) and kids it didn't really add much meat to the bones. It was a bit like reading Froch's autobiography, albeit better written. It was just a bit "so what".

Tony seems like a genuine character, with humour and a bit of bite to his personality but the article captured very little of that. Contrast it with the Hatton one, who can come across as banal with his bite-sized platitudes and cliches in his boxing quotes and it was a pretty boring 2 page spread. Not that the Matt Hatton one was amazing, but it was definitely a couple of steps above this one, which as someone has already said (?) came across like a pretty flacid OK/Heat magazine type "at home with ver kids" interview.

What do you mean Hatton wasn't amazing?! lol. I can accept criticism. All I'll say is I had made no decision regarding how to frame the article before the day I met Tony and his family – I went with the things I felt defined him as a man having spent that day with him. It clearly wasn't for everyone and I accept that.

[MightyWarrior]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

[dbflex]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

I quite enjoyed the fight – it was intriguing and you always felt something COULD happen.

[Captain Hook]

I like the interviews from a different angle than just from the boxing aspect.
Sure its nice to hear of their techniques, inspirations and aspirations - though sometimes an interview can turn into a PR stunt to hype a future fight.
The recent Tony Bellew interview was nice. No mention of Cleverly. Danny Flexen did Tony proud by focusing on the Bellews.
I'm sure this will have got Tony more admirers than a silly rant about Cleverly.
And yes - his eyebrows were kinda scary ..

Apologies, I take it the "silly rant about Cleverly" was my article, though you haven't said it in so many words!

[Captain Hook]

If by half, you mean six pages out of around 38 then yes, half is devoted to the amateurs. But if that is what you mean, maths may not be your strongpoint lol. As for the advertising, there would not be a magazine without it and it has also enabled the cover price to stay comparatively low for many years. But again I can't emphasise enough that if you want BN – or any mag for that matter – to be the publication you desire then let the appropriate decision-makers know what you like and dislike. If there's too many pictures tell them, too much amateur content, tell them (just don't say it takes up half the mag). Sales are still pretty strong, which suggests people are broadly happy but if no-one expresses their opinion, sales figures become the only indicator of reader approbation.

Everyone is a critic mate, they'd miss it if it went....plenty to be proud of in there, and given the way the industry is at the moment it's a wonder it's still going at all.

[Scottrf]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

I quite enjoyed the fight – it was intriguing and you always felt something COULD happen.

I thought it was tactically quite interesting but not particularly exciting. But I expected it to be cagey, I guess it depends on your expectations. If you believe everything you hear no doubt you'd be disappointed. Seems the ones most critical of Haye are the ones who thought he would win.

[foxwoods]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

i agree with you. and i wonder how much his new part on sky's tv coverage is having an effect. it all seems a bit too pally for me, he should keep his distance from those cheerleaders.

claude was hardly ever on the tv and that was a good thing.

[dbflex]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

i agree with you. and i wonder how much his new part on sky's tv coverage is having an effect. it all seems a bit too pally for me, he should keep his distance from those cheerleaders.

claude was hardly ever on the tv and that was a good thing.

Showing your ignorance now... Claude appeared several times for both Sky and Setanta, almost certainly more than Tris has thus far. He was paid for his appearances and declared this in the magazine. It never affected his impartiality and it hasn't affected Tris'. It's an effective way of broadening the magazine's appeal and recognition, any editor would be mad not to take that opportunity.

[orbtastic]

Can't win! He got panned for being "boring" yet was on the ball, concise and had something interesting to say.

[foxwoods]

Before the fight I told Tris I was sure he was going to pick Haye, because he was British ( ie more out of hope than logic ) and he got a bit pissed about that, fair enough...but then to hear him say on twitter that he thought it was a good fight....well, that just struck me as glossing over what the rest of the world saw as an abject failure on Haye's part.

Sounds like BN gave Haye a free pass.

i agree with you. and i wonder how much his new part on sky's tv coverage is having an effect. it all seems a bit too pally for me, he should keep his distance from those cheerleaders.

claude was hardly ever on the tv and that was a good thing.

Showing your ignorance now... Claude appeared several times for both Sky and Setanta, almost certainly more than Tris has thus far. He was paid for his appearances and declared this in the magazine. It never affected his impartiality and it hasn't affected Tris'. It's an effective way of broadening the magazine's appeal and recognition, any editor would be mad not to take that opportunity.

i dont recall seeing claude anywhere near as much as tris. you are wrong about any editor being mad to not take that opportunity. sky are selling a product, they are not impartial. look at the studio "debates" nothing more that promotional fluff. i can accept that for what it is because they are trying to boost their revenue, but it is damaging for the editor of Boxing News, our trade paper, to be in bed with them.

maybe you are right and it doesnt effect his writing, but the suspicion will always be there. if you told it how it was on sky, they wouldnt invite you back.