In other circumstances perhaps – or certainly in bygone days – Gavin McDonnell’s bid to join his twin brother, Jamie, as a world boxing champion when he fights the unbeaten Rey Vargas for the vacant WBC super-bantamweight title in Hull on Saturday night would be lighting up the media.
But the attractive storyline of Gavin bidding for a place alongside Jamie, the former IBF and current WBA bantamweight champion, has ignited interest mainly among the sport’s hard core and the brothers’ tight circle of family, friends and fans, although the Ice Arena should buzz to the howl of support for the 30-year-old Doncaster contender.
Maybe there are too many distractions. And super-bantam is one of those inbetween divisions that historically has relied on out-and-out stars to generate real heat. If McDonnell were a heavyweight with knockout power, certainly the wider sporting public would know and care more about him. He has waited years for his chance, though, and will give his all.
“It seems to have taken forever to come but, all of a sudden, it is here,” he said. “It is a nice feeling. I have put years of hard work in, made a lot of sacrifices – and not just me. My family have all gone through it just for me. Everything has been put on hold for me to go out there and achieve my dream. I plan on grabbing it with both hands and going from where I am to the very top.”
The “very top” is a movable feast in boxing and has been for many years. Guillermo Rigondeaux remains the real world champion at super-bantam but has not fought since breaking the jaw of the Liverpudlian James Dickens in two rounds in Cardiff last July.
Chasing down the unbeaten 36-year-old Cuban legend, a double Olympic gold medallist and holder of multiple titles as a professional, will be the mountainous, probably doomed challenge for the winner of Saturday’sfight.
McDonnell has a tough task against Vargas. The 26-year-old Mexican, a decorated amateur before turning pro at 19, has stopped 22 of his 28 opponents. McDonnell, who has been boxing for money as long as Vargas, has a more modest CV – two draws at domestic level to go with 16 wins – but can draw on the unquantifiable power of his brother’s achievements. It will probably not be enough.
At the bigger, brighter end of the business, there is a similar scrabbling about for credibility this weekend, when Deontay Wilder returns from injury to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Gerald Washington, in Birmingham, Alabama.
When Muhammad Ali returned to boxing in 1970 after losing three and a half years of his career because of his religious and political beliefs, he fought and thrashed in quick succession, Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena, heavyweights who would be worthy contenders for a slice of the title today. Within five months of his comeback Ali and Joe Frazier put their unbeaten records on the line in the Fight of the Century at Madison Square Garden. Ali lost but was hardly diminished.
Wilder, who would like to regard himself as the heir to Ali, Frazier and all the luminaries of that unrivalled era, will risk nothing but accidental embarrassment against Washington, a 34-year-old former tennis player who was not quite good enough a tight end for the NFL and who, on his best day, might provide a decent spar for the champions of an almost forgotten past.
This is Wilder’s fifth soft touch since he took the title off Bermane Stiverne in January 2015. At least McDonnell is reaching as high as he can.
