That, for better or worse, was the dynamic in Manchester last week. Despite the big sell, nobody really listened, nobody really cared, and not a shred of insight was to be found. This was neither the fault of the fighters, the ones answering the questions, nor Jordan, the one asking them. In fact, when in the right place, Jordan has proven his value as an intelligent interviewer of boxers and often shown a propensity to ask the kinds of questions others tend to shirk. His recent interview with Rico Verhoeven, for example, was well worth your time. With Verhoeven, a kickboxer set to challenge Oleksandr Usyk next weekend, Jordan started out sceptical before finding himself enchanted by the Dutchman’s charisma and warming to him – if not his chances of winning. He asked all the right questions, raised his eyebrows at the appropriate times, and managed to convey his admiration for Verhoeven, as a speaker, while at the same time staying true to his belief that Verhoeven would be well out of his depth on May 23, as a boxer.
