2011 has already been denounced in some quarters as an annus horribilis for British boxing. As viewpoints go, it?s a tad short-sighted and one probably informed by the nation?s dismal away record in alphabet world title fights and little more. Closer inspection reveals a bustling domestic scene packed with highly competitive and action-packed contests, many of which were attached to British, Commonwealth or European championships. Rather than being one to forget, it was in fact a year to remember on the home front.
After David Haye and Audley Harrison conspired to leave Sky Sports? pay-per-view model clinging to a cliff face in 2010, any subsequent fiascos were always likely to threaten the finger ends. Just such an instance occurred in April, resulting in the network doing away with PPV ventures altogether. The final straw came during the Paul McCloskey versus Amir Khan promotion, a show hampered by a seemingly cursed undercard and the strange decision to host it in Manchester on a weekend when both of the city?s football clubs (and a large proportion of their supporters) would be otherwise engaged in London. Poor sales, both at the gate and via the set-top box, eventually drove the fight onto another network. It was the mess that broke the camel?s back. And it was a good thing.
