ONCE upon a long time ago there was only one world heavyweight boxing champion instead of three or four and he was a real hero in rural Ireland.

WORRIED eyes turned towards Philadelphia these past few days, knowing the news was bad, hoping without logic that Joe Frazier could beat the odds one more time. Outside the boxing community, however, concern was muted.

THE nights are drawing in on us, you’ll notice, ahead of another winter, like the cinema lights dimming before a movie.

Gerard Butler is set to play notorious boxer Lenny McLean in a new movie.

JOE CALZAGHE has branded boxing “a dying sport” and is glad he is close to ending his career rather than just starting out.

AN 84.37-CARAT white diamond touted by Sotheby’s for its size and beauty has sold at auction to Guess clothing company founder Georges Marciano for a little less than $16.2 million (€11m).

EVEN before Saturday’s super-fight against Oscar De La Hoya, few would have been willing to bet on Floyd Mayweather keeping his word and retiring from his sport undefeated at the age of 30.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav underwent a second day of police questioning today about sexual harassment allegations, while a politician collected signatures to begin the impeachment process.

MIKE TYSON’S increasingly futile quest for heavyweight redemption will continue in Washington on June 11 against Irish giant Kevin McBride.

Lennox Lewis will be in good company today when he announces in London that he is to retire as reigning world heavyweight champion.

WITH ALL the hype and expectation that preceded him into the hallowed ring at Madison Square Garden last Saturday night, it was perhaps inevitable that disappointment and a bruised ego should clamber back out between the ropes and follow heavyweight boxing’s great white hope back to his dressing room.