Latest news with #gatekeeper
The Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Why there's much more at stake for Dillian White than just this one fight
When Dillian Whyte steps into the ring tomorrow against Moses Itauma, live on DAZN, he does so with the knowledge that a loss at this level and at this stage of his career will remove him from title contention and shove him towards the role of gatekeeper. These are the fighters for whom a world-title challenge is now out of the reach and the role within the industry is that of providing a litmus test for a potential contender looking to establish themselves as a threat amongst the higher levels. Win against a gatekeeper, and you may go on to challenge for a world title. But to lose is to know that such a challenge is beyond your grasp. Of those professional fighters who set out to be champions, none of them relish the role of becoming gatekeepers. Even if many of them end up being more memorable than those who fight for championships, lose, and then fade away from the limelight. At this stage of his career – multiple failed attempts at a world title – and reaching the age of 37, Whyte is facing closing time in the last-chance saloon. A win against Moses Itauma will revive a flagging career. But a loss will likely place him in the list below as one of the great gatekeepers of the heavyweight division. Kevin Johnson, 36-22-2 (20) He may have lost consistently in Germany in the waning years of his career, but the Asbury Park-born Johnson was once a serious contender for the heavyweight crown, losing on points to Vitali Klitschko in Berne, Switzerland, in 2009. Johnson was 22-0-1 (9) at the time, but lost a wide unanimous decision. After that, he seemed to enjoy bobbing in the heavyweight waters, taking victories over not-quite contenders such as Alex Leapai and Albert Sosnowski. He eventually ended up fighting across the UK and Europe, losing widely to Tyson Fury, Christian Hammer, Derek Chisora, Mahmoud Charr, Kubrat Pulev, Andy Ruiz, and Daniel Dubois. In that time, it is noticeable that only Anthony Joshua, in 2015, was the only opponent to stop him. Eventually, Johnson ended up plying his trade largely in Germany, where he upset an applecart by knocking out Yoan Pablo Hernandez, 29-1 (14), in seven rounds, before getting back to losing ways, dropping a decision to Agit Kabayel in 2021. It remained pretty much all losses after that, with Johnson last fighting in 2023, losing a majority decision to Mark Petrovsky, 5-0 (4). Smokin' Bert Cooper, 38-25 (31) Fans of the book The Years of the Locust by Jon Hotten will recall that Cooper was known by his manager Rick Parker as '$50 Bert'. The nickname came about from the fact that that was the maximum amount of money Parker could send Cooper each day without the Pennsylvania fighter going on a tear and drinking himself out of contention. Cooper fought them all during the 1990s: Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Orlin Norris, Carl Williams, Evander Holyfield, Michael Moorer, Mike Weaver, Corrie Sanders, Chris Byrd, Fres Oquendo, Joe Mesi, and Luis Ortiz. The problem was that every single one of them beat him. The closest Cooper ever came to real heavyweight glory was against Holyfield, whom Cooper stunned in their 1991 fight in Atlanta, Georgia. The 'smoke' in his name seemed to come not from the ferocity of his fighting, but his tendency to quench any fires his skills and abilities frequently ignited Rydell Booker, 27-9-1 (14) Legal problems curtailed a lot of his career, but Rydell Booker was no joke as an amateur. A multiple champion in the unpaid side of the sport, the first part of his professional career ended with a unanimous decision loss to James Toney in 2004. After fourteen years away from boxing, Booker returned with three wins but a loss to Jermaine Franklin seemed to set the course for losses. In the last five years, Booker has lost to Filip Hrgovic, Otto Wallin, Kubrat Pulev, and Viktor Faust. That last fight was in Berlin, where Booker often interrupted his fighting to talk and converse with people ringside. Earnie Shavers, 76-14-1 (70) He may have finished his days in Virginia, but the Alabama-born fighter spent a great part of his life working on the door of Yate's Wine Lodge in Liverpool. The story behind his arrival there is strange enough for the world of boxing. Shavers, famous for his bald head, was also once named the hardest puncher in heavyweight boxing. This was in the pre-Deontay Wilder days. The result of any match between the two could be decided on the flip of a coin, given both their propensities to suffer stoppages. Like many of the others on this list, Shavers fought everyone but eventually became a litmus test for those coming through. Amongst the people he shared a ring with were Muhammad Ali (whom Shavers knocked down), Larry Holmes twice (Shavers also knocked him down), Ken Norton (whom Shavers knocked out in one round), Joe Bugner (also knocked down), Ron Lyle (also knocked down), Jimmy Young (also knocked down), Jimmy Ellis (Shavers knocked him out in one round). There was a definite pattern of Shavers knocking down his opponents. The good ones were able to get back up, outbox, and – in cases – stop him. The bad ones could not. Shavers always said he wanted to face George Foreman, but the latter was wary of his power. He said the same, too, in his autobiography about Mike Tyson.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Bakole-Ajagba: Will either fighter join the ranks of great gatekeepers in the heavyweight division?
You never know how well a fighter will deal with a proper punch until they hear the bell for the first time. Likewise, you never know how far they can go until they have been properly tested. Martin Bakole and Efe Ajagba go head-to-head on the undercard of Canelo-Scull this Saturday, May 3, with both fighters in top-10 contention in the IBF's rankings. While a win would further either boxer's career, a loss could spell an end to their hopes of becoming world champions. As we have seen over the years, boxers unable to win a world title often take up a role of gatekeeper and up becoming a testing ground for other fighters. With the prospect of another being formed this weekend, we have taken a look at some of the most notable gatekeepers over the years in the heavyweight division. Derek Chisora (36-13) Some gatekeepers are tasked with testing prospects and newcomers to a division; others separate the contenders from the pretenders. For the best part of the 2010s, Chisora served as a litmus test for potential heavyweight contenders. Tyson Fury, David Haye, Joseph Parker, Oleksandr Usyk, and Vitali Klitschko are all world champions that have defeated Derek Chisora. Meanwhile, none of the 34 different foes Chisora has vanquished have gone on to earn a title at world level. Even into his 40s, Chisora is filtering out potential champions with his gruelling battling style and high-pressure approach. Mariusz Wach (38-12) Gatekeepers do not enter the sport with hopes of becoming a barometer for other fighters' success. Pole Mariusz Wach had 27 wins in the first seven years of his career, setting up a shot at Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles. Wach took Klitschko the full distance, but there was little arguing with the Ukrainian's unanimous decision victory. Whilst there were attempts to bounce back, Wach found himself stopped by Alexander Povetkin in 2015, shutting down his chances of contending for world honours. There are some notable names out of Wach's 12 losses. Jarrell Miller, Martin Bakole, and Dillian Whyte defeated the Pole towards the end of the last decade, whilst rising British prospects Frazer Clarke and Moses Itauma have been victorious over Wach in the past two years. After harbouring his own ambitions of becoming a world champion, Wach has seen himself become a checkpoint separating hopefuls from contenders in the heavyweight division. George Chuvalo (73-18-2) The notion of a gatekeeper has long existed in the sport of boxing. Canadian legend George Chuvalo shared a ring with many of boxing's most famous names during the 1960s and 1970s. He was twice defeated by Muhammad Ali, whilst George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Floyd Paterson all had to get through the Toronto-born man. A top 10 contender in his own right for many years of his career, Chuvalo would never become world champion – a fate he also denied for other boxers. Contenders such as Jerry Quarry and Doug Jones failed to come through Chuvalo. Kevin Johnson (36-22-2) In a 20-year-long career, Kevin Johnson contested 60 bouts, one of which was for a world title. Just like fellow gatekeepers Derek Chisora and Mariusz Wach, Johnson was given a shot at a Klitschko brother after a lengthy unbeaten start to his career. Vitali Klitschko sent Johnson packing in 2009, defending his WBC title, and whilst Johnson would share the ring with some big names, he would never fight for a strap at the global level again. Coincidentally, Johnson fought both Chisora and Wach – losing to both fighters. Nowadays, the Russian resident Johnson can sometimes be seen on cards in Eastern Europe, Germany, and Russia, losing on points to up-and-coming fighters. Losses to Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, Andy Ruiz, Daniel Dubois, Martin Bakole, Filip Hrgovic, and Kubrat Pulev highlight that whilst Johnson was outclassed by future world champions, he also could be bypassed by title hopefuls that would prove to fall short of securing the biggest belts. Dorian Darch (12-12-1) Before a boxer can even think about world title fights, they have to get a few wins under their belts. Facing journeymen with losing records early on in a prospect's career is a common occurrence; but at some point the training wheels have to come off. Dorian Darch was Britain's choice to test heavyweights coming through the ranks; Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois, Hughie Fury, and Dave Allen have all defeated the Welshman. Whilst beating Darch is no indication that a fighter will go on to compete at the top of the heavyweight division, it does serve as a milestone for prospects to pass on their evolution to contenders. Watch Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez's historic night in Riyadh against William Scull exclusively on DAZN PPV. The PPV cost is $59.99 US; £/€21.99 UK/IRE; $24.99 ROW. Check price in your country here. Watch on any device via the DAZN app, including Smart TV's, smartphones, tablets; streaming devices, games consoles and any device with a web browser.
