LET ME take you on a little journey from the back of York Hall, where there are always dead pigeons and discarded vapes on the floor, to the ring at this summer's Olympics in Paris.
I admit, it's not a direct journey, but stick with me because there will be stops for dream fight nights, great cameos, highs and lows. There will be happy debuts, a little redemption, and a few tears. It's boxing weekend and we have them every weekend.
Last Friday, inside a sold-out York Hall, Charlie Edwards fought for more than just the belt on offer; Charlie is fighting for his life. And it shows. He won comfortably and looked sharp for someone who first contested a world championship almost eight years ago.
The next night in Manchester, he sat near me. He had a few bruises, a cut with dark blood stains, but he was happy. He got his soul back and that might sound a bit grandiose but it's true. In many ways, just seeing Charlie winning and smiling the next night would have been a fun weekend. He is another quality British fighter on the world title roster and that is what the business has always needed. There's a lot more to do over the weekend and some of it isn't so light.
Zelfa Barrett used to be the boy sitting in the cheapest row at Manchester Arena. He looked up at those seats as I interviewed him in the ring. It's a moment to enjoy. Chasing your dreams is something all fighters aspire to; Zelfa is still dreaming.
Jordan Gill ended up with nothing left. We all know where he has been, we all know the darkness he has visited. He is a leading man and a warrior; Let's not look away for too long. He needs support now – it sounds harsh but it's true. Matchroom's Jamie Ward, a fine addition to the ringside cavalry, joined Gill in the woods where the fighter once contemplated death. That requires trust from both people. There are not always answers to the most difficult questions, but there are always solutions. Be part of the solution if you can. Gill has nothing left to prove and will always receive a standing ovation when introduced in the ring; That's the kind of respect that no belt can replace.
“I used to tell the old guys in the hospital that I boxed, and they looked at me and said, 'Yeah, me too'. Maybe now they will believe me,” Rhiannon Dixon said in the locker room after winning the world championship. She beamed, the room lit up; Ant Crolla was in the middle of the room, surrounded by his battle brother, Will, and the Croft twins, Ioan and Garan. And Dixon, his world champion.
Crolla and Dixon had been working in the dark for a long time when Joe Gallagher arrived at Amir Khan's gym in Bolton. I must have filmed or recorded there dozens of times and watched her every time. She always trains very hard. No wonder Crolla just laughed and smiled. Their dressing room is one of the happiest places on earth at around 10:30 on a Saturday night. By the way, it's not a bad stable.
At the same time as Dixon was trying to let his victory sink in, a limping man with a black hat and enough attitude to fill an ancient arena was preparing to lead Ellie Scotney into the ring. . He'd done that trip a lot and he knew what it would be like. Billy Graham, the man at the heart of Manchester's greatest boxing nights, raised Scotney's belt and roared his way into the spotlight once again. He walked in like Billy of old – chest first, glaring and ready. Scotney made him proud; it's going to be a bit emotional if you're there with Billy and Ricky Hatton for the first time.
Scotney's grandmother was a big presence in her victory dressing room. I can feel her when I talk to Ellie; tea and biscuits and motivation. She's gone, but she'll be in every locker room going forward. There is much more to the three main matches than the rounds shown on television.
I won two minutes with Jimmy Sains and we were both amazed at my opponent's bravery and his corner. Mateusz Kalecki had a bad cut early in the first round and Sains couldn't miss it, but the ringside doctor checked the wound and let the fight continue. It ends in the fourth part. We both just shook our heads. Kalecki won't give up and that's a good message to send.
The night before, in the heat of York Hall, Tom Welland had recorded four wins and no defeats. He's still a kid, but he can fight and just has the chance to become an Olympian this summer. It's a long, complicated, and bizarre story, but it's true. Welland could get the call in the next week or so to travel to Bangkok for the final Olympic qualifiers. John Evans' top-notch writing gets to the heart of the story with details. Welland was qualified to fight for the Philippines and they wanted him. I didn't invent this.
There were plenty of matches happening over the weekend, including Christian Fetti's York Hall debut. “We sold out, they had nothing more to give us,” said his father, Stuart. He won; The 300 fans were delighted. I swear to secrecy so as not to reveal the love story that ended the quarrel elsewhere on Saturday night. What a great job.
