Rest in peace, Reg

Adam Smith laments the loss of the late, great, Reg Gutteridge, who sadly passed away this week.

Gutteridge may be gone but those lines will live forever

This week the British boxing world was hit by the sad passing of Reg Gutteridge. He was 84. The whole fight fraternity will miss the long-time boxing journalist, television stalwart and thoroughly good all-round chap. Since I was 11 years old, the only thing I ever wanted to be was a sports commentator. I admired, studied and always looked up to the finest exponents of what is such a subjective and hard art to perfect. There were so many legendary voices in my youth: from Dan Maskell to Peter O'Sullevan; Brian Moore to Richie Benaud; Bill McLaren to Barry Davies; Harry Carpenter to Reg Gutteridge. One of my sporting heroes was Tommy Hearns. I loved the Hitman and his tall stature, the ferocious power, the ability to truly excite, and his warrior-like attitude - even when things weren't going according to plan. To this day I vividly remember watching that epic three-rounder with Marvin Hagler in 1985. I also recollect Reg saying that the battle was 'like walking into a minefield': a twist, of course, on his own horror of landing on a mine and losing his left leg when a foot soldier with The King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1942. It was an electrifying fight, Hagler's greatest hour, as the terrific Hearns was beaten in such brutal fashion. Those commentary lines stayed with me. > Reg - along with his fabulous partner in crime Jim Watt - guided us all through those awesome fight moments. Reg was a wonderful wordsmith with a distinct voice; his warm humour mixed superbly with hard, cutting comments when needed. A former amateur flyweight who had always been around boxing, Reg's wealth of knowledge was amazing, and he was never ever afraid of telling it straight. I was highly privileged to have worked with Reg, when he joined Sky in the late nineties. Hearing those super stories that have been told over and over: from him being summoned to interview Muhammad Ali between rounds, to 'out-toughing' the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson and Sonny Liston by ramming forks into his wooden leg - recollected by the man himself - was priceless for me. I'll never forget his easy manner, blended together with those clinical quips. When Prince Naseem Hamed performed his usual flip into the ring, Reg merely stated: 'The ego has landed!'. Tyson-Holyfield I was quite perfectly summed up by Reg as 'the biggest upset in the fight game bar none.' I can still hear that line ringing around the corridors of Sky. Reg was such fun, a true gentleman, and an entertaining and wise colleague, who was always there to help us youngsters starting out. Years later, I feel utterly honoured to be alongside Reg's comrade, Jim. I love hearing the old tales, and however close I am to Jim, I know I will never ever replace 'his Reg', not even if we're together for another 20 years. They were quite brilliant - as great a partnership as you will ever get behind the sporting mic.

Outstanding

It's a shame Reg didn't witness the brilliance of Shane Mosley at the weekend. In another upset, the iron chin of teak-tough Antonio Margarito crumbled as Sugar Shane gave his sweetest performance in years. Mosley was so quick, so aggressive, and just totally outclassed Margarito. One of our team members - Jon Beloff - who has always adored Margarito's fighting style - was left in utter shock by what had happened. Yes, it is possible that the hard battles (most recently the war with Miguel Cotto) have taken their toll on the 'Tijuana Tornado', but Mosley was simply outstanding. The smiling Californian has always had the skills, but after that mediocre display against Ricardo Mayorga (until the last second!), many thought he was finished. Certainly not - if those lethal left hooks and quality right hands which dismantled Margarito are anything to go by. When Shane told me some years back that he'd still be fighting in 2010, I laughed! Now, amazingly, that looks highly likely! Mosley's new trainer Nazim Richardson deserves credit too. Richardson has long been part of Bernard Hopkins' team and despite suffering a stroke, masterminded B-Hop's fabulous victory over Kelly Pavlik. It was Richardson too who discovered something that might have been very untoward before the big fight last weekend. Word has come out of Los Angeles that there may have been a substance in Margarito's gloves beforehand. The California State Athletic Commission checked them and agreed with Richardson, noting that a substance had been used on the wraps, which made them harden into a plaster like shell. Two pads were seized prior to the fight. The allegation is an extremely serious one both for Antonio Margarito, and for boxing in general. Let's hope the night will be remembered for the right reasons: Mosley turning back the years in a vintage display.

Rollercoaster

Down a few notches in class, but still as important to the fighters themselves, last Friday saw a tremendous performance by Stoke's Chris Edwards, which Jim and I thought was the best in his 11-year rollercoaster career. In front of his passionate fans, Edwards literally steamrolled Wayne Bloy into submission after four red-hot rounds. With his burning desire, all-out aggression and even a decent repertoire, Edwards was exciting to watch again. He admits he's not the best boxer out there, but is real value for money, and at his level is a hard night's work for anyone. So the pride of the Potteries is a two-weight domestic champion, and now holds the British and Commonwealth eight-stone belts. Not bad for a man who lost six of his first seven fights. Ashley Sexton looked a promising youngster on the fiery Stoke show, and a quick mention to Scott Miller and Thomas Mazurkiewicz for their six-round belter - a definite early contender for undercard scrap of 2009!

Powerhouse

So the frosty start to the New Year is already beginning to thaw, as the world of boxing really warms up. One of our major hopes of 2009 returns this Friday. I like the look of Sheffield's Kell Brook, whose natural ability was honed in the famous Wincobank Gym under the watchful eyes of the Ingles. I used to be on that steep hill most weeks in the nineties, when Naseem Hamed was in his pomp, and I remember Kell as one of the tiny youngsters trying to copy Naz! Brook is now 22, has won all 18, and looks a talented, switch-hitting powerhouse. Rather reminiscent of his former stablemate! If Kell can keep his feet on the ground and lead a settled and healthy life, he may be one to move through the boxing levels. Brook defends his British Welterweight title against former Royal Marine commando Stuart Elwell - a neat, well-schooled boxer who won five national titles as an amateur. Brook destroyed the last southpaw he faced in Kevin McIntyre. What can Elwell do to stop the Brook march? Tune in to Friday Fight Night when the knowledgeable York Hall crowd will have the chance to assess whether Brook might just be on his way to becoming a real star of the sport. Thanks so much for your huge response to the on-off-on-off-on Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao superfight. The official announcement is tomorrow (Thursday), so I will report back - and address some of your excellent points - next week. This though, is a week for remembering one of the very best. Reggie, it was a pleasure knowing you and your voice and charm will live on forever. You have also helped me realise my dreams and one of those is to be commentating alongside your old mate. To Reg Gutteridge, the little, but yet towering broadcaster, who made so much, so memorable. May you rest in peace... What do you remember of the late, great Reg Gutteridge? And what about the future of boxing in Britain - is Kell Brook destined for world glory? Let us know by filling in the feedback form below...