10 UK Rivalries That Need to Be Settled in the Ring
Boxing is all about hype. The big fights end up getting made because there is an interest in seeing them happen.
Sometimes, though, the tension is for real. Sometimes, two fighters simply don't like each other.
Rivalries can help make the sport headline news. A war of words beforehand helps increase the level of interest in a bout, and that's good for business.
Eventually, scores tend to get settled in the ring.
We have analysed some of the biggest British rivalries around right now and pondered whether we are likely to see the protagonists face each other in the near future.
If one of your favourite duels hasn't been included, air your views in the comments section. Also, feel free to leave your predictions.
Just to be clear, there is no particular order to the list.
1. Carl Frampton vs. Scott Quigg
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Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg have seemed to be on a collision course for some time now.
They have matched each other in rising to the upper echelons of the super bantamweight division, with both currently holding world titles.
However, a deal to get the two in the same ring together for a fight has yet to be worked out.
Northern Irishman Frampton holds the IBF strap and is unbeaten in 20 fights. The last of them saw Chris Avalos taken apart—and Quigg was at ringside to see it all unfold.
The Jackal turned down a £1.5 million offer from Quigg's promoter Eddie Hearn, per the Guardian, to take the fight. Issues remain over who would promote the fight as well as who would televise it.
Quigg—who boasts a 30-0 (22 KO) record and holds the WBA belt—has now agreed to face Kiko Martinez, an opponent Frampton has already beaten twice, in July instead.
With no summer showdown sorted, the wait goes on for the longtime rivals to go toe-to-toe.
Will it happen? Yes, but it's going to take some serious negotiating.
2. Kell Brook vs. Amir Khan
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The only thing Kell Brook and Amir Khan have thrown at each other so far is a string of insults.
The pair were hardly sharing compliments when they met on Sky Sports' Ringside show back in 2012.
Brook claimed the IBF welterweight title last year and successfully defended it for the first time in March, stopping the overmatched Jo Jo Dan inside four rounds.
In the aftermath, the Sheffield fighter told Sky Sports that his fellow Englishman was "delicate around the whiskers," in reference to Khan previously being stopped by Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia.
In reply to Brook, Khan told ESPN (h/t Sky Sports) that he would "love to shut him up."
Both will fight in May—Brook puts his belt on the line against another domestic fighter in Frankie Gavin, while Khan takes on Chris Algieri.
Should each record a victory, expect plenty of talk about a money-spinning showdown later in 2015.
Will it happen? British fight fans will definitely hope so. Wembley would be an ideal venue for a bout that would earn each boxer a fortune.
3. James DeGale vs. George Groves
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The animosity between James DeGale and George Groves stems back to their amateur days.
Groves won a fight between the duo before they turned professional, though his fellow Londoner went on to win a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
The tensions between the pair continued to simmer right up until they faced off in the paid ranks in 2011—and it was Groves who again came out on top.
Since then they have taken different paths in the super middleweight division.
Groves has been beaten twice by fellow Englishman Carl Froch but could get a third crack at becoming a world champion against WBC titleholder Badou Jack, according to BBC Sport.
DeGale, meanwhile, takes on Andre Dirrell on May 23 in Boston for the IBF belt that Froch recently vacated.
Will it happen (again)? Yes, because the rivalry runs deeps. It would be even more special if, when they do face each other again, it turns out to be a unification fight.
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4. Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Billy Joe Saunders
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It seems once wasn't enough to settle things between middleweights Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr.
The two faced each other in November of last year, with Saunders taking home the British, Commonwealth and European titles after a hard-fought points triumph in London.
However, they seem to be on a collision course to do it all again.
Saunders is currently the next in line to challenge reigning WBO champion Andy Lee, though that bout is on hold after Lee injured his shoulder against Peter Quillin.
Both Eubank and Saunders had been due to be in action on the same bill on May 9, only to be withdrawn late on as talks gathered pace over a possible rematch.
Chris McKenna in the Daily Star claims a date has been set for June 27, with West Ham's Upton Park stadium the likely venue.
Will it happen (again)? Yes, there's a demand to see it, and the pair clearly don't have a lot of time for each other.
5. Luke Campbell vs. Tommy Coyle
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Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle need to meet in the ring to decide who is the top fighter in Hull, England.
Campbell was the pride of the city when he picked up a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, paving the way for a move into the professional game.
He has since won 11 straight, with nine of those victories coming inside the distance.
Coyle (21-2, 10 KO) always entertains; he was down four times before eventually stopping Daniel Brizuela in 2014, then had to climb off the canvas to defeat Martin Gethin in his most recent outing.
They know each other well, as Coyle revealed to Sky Sports after his win over Gethin, but are willing to put their friendship to one side to face each other.
Will it happen? Yes. After knocking out Aboubeker Bechelaghem on May 9, Campbell told the Hull Daily Mail: "I'd like to fight Tommy Coyle next, there is nothing I'd like more than to finish Tommy off in the ring."
6. Rocky Fielding vs. Paul Smith
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Much like Luke Campbell versus Tommy Coyle, a clash between Rocky Fielding and Paul Smith would be all about local bragging rights.
The Liverpudlians are super-middleweight rivals who have yet to cross paths in the ring.
Fielding would like to fight not one but two of the Smith brothers, telling Sky Sports' Ringside show: "Callum Smith is a fight that will happen somewhere down the line. But to get my career going now, I think Paul Smith is the fight for me."
He recorded a points victory over Olegs Fedotovs in March, then promptly called out the watching Smith, per Micheal McKenna of the Liverpool Echo.
However, Smigga—who won the British title by beating Tony Dodson in the summer of 2013—has bigger fish to fry these days.
After two failed attempts to take the WBO title from Arthur Abraham, the 32-year-old will next face Andre Ward in a catchweight contest on June 20.
Will it happen? It's debatable—the chance to make the bout may have come and gone.
7. Anthony Joshua vs. David Price
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Anthony Joshua and David Price are two heavyweights with an Olympic pedigree.
Liverpudlian Price won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, while Londoner Joshua went on to strike gold four years later in his home city.
Now professionals, an all-British clash between the two big men seems to be on the cards.
Price (19-2, 16 KO) is certainly keen, per Sky Sports: "It's a fight I would fancy and I [sic] fight I fancy I'll win."
He has been rebuilding his career after suffering back-to-back defeats against Tony Thompson in 2013, winning his last four bouts in Europe.
Joshua, meanwhile, is 12-0 since joining the paid ranks.
He has won all his outings inside the distance but will face the toughest test to date when he goes up against Kevin Johnson on May 30.
Will it happen? If they keep recording victories, it would be a great fight—for both men—towards the end of the year.
8. Matthew Macklin vs. Martin Murray
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Matthew Macklin and Martin Murray came close to meeting in the ring back in 2012, per the Sunday Mercury.
However, a deal could not be finalised at the time, and the pair have taken similar routes since.
Both men failed to get the better of Felix Sturm on German soil, then went on to be beaten by leading middleweight Gennady Golovkin.
Macklin (32-6, 21 KO) eased to victory over Sandor Micsko on May 9, his first outing since being surprisingly stopped by Jorge Sebastian Heiland in November last year.
Murray was last seen losing to Golovkin in Monaco, though he did become the first opponent to take GGG into the 11th round.
Speaking to Kugan Cassius from iFL TV (h/t Tha Boxing Voice), Murray (29-2-1, 12 KO) admitted he was keen to finally face his compatriot: "I've always wanted the fight; I'd fight anybody. As he's proved to be fair to him, he'll fight anybody, but the fights have gotta be for the right time."
Will it happen? Possibly, but don't hold your breath. It may be a fight to consider further down the line.
9. Anthony Crolla vs. Derry Mathews
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Anthony Crolla and Derry Mathews have already fought twice before.
Mathews won their first meeting, in April 2012, when he stopped his opponent in the sixth round to claim the British lightweight title.
The rematch was staged just under a year later at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, with the vacant Commonwealth belt on the line.
In the end the judges couldn't split the pair after 12 rounds, with the bout being scored a draw.
After suffering severe injuries trying to foil a burglary, Crolla (29-4-2, 11 KO) returns to the ring on July 18 when he takes on Darleys Perez for the WBA strap in Manchester.
Mathews had been due to fight the previous WBA titleholder Richar Abril in Crolla's place earlier this year, only for the Cuban to pull out.
He defeated Tony Luis instead, becoming the interim champion in the process.
Will it happen (again)? If Crolla beats Perez, don't be surprised if Mathews ends up being his first defence.
10. Tony Bellew vs. Nathan Cleverly
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In terms of British boxing rivalries, few of late have been as heated as the one between Tony Bellew and Nathan Cleverly.
The two went toe-to-toe for the first time in 2011, and they nearly came to blows during a fractious weigh-in.
Welshman Cleverly went on to win in the ring, getting a majority decision in his opponent's back yard in Liverpool to retain the WBO light heavyweight belt.
Fight fans were made to wait for the rematch, by which time both men had moved up to cruiserweight.
Again the Echo Arena hosted the event, only this time Bellew came out on top after 12 rounds.
It wasn't quite as enthralling as their first meeting, but that didn't bother the winner.
Bellew rather summed up the ill feeling between the pair when he told BBC Sport: "First and foremost this is a business and rivalries in this business sell. Rivalries don't come more vicious than me and your friend [Cleverly]."
Will it happen (again)? Sadly not, it seems. While Bellew is chasing world honours at cruiserweight, Cleverly has moved back down to light heavy.
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