It gives me the greatest pleasure to introduce our latest guest photographer, Mark Robinson (Bradley Ormesher writes). Known to many of us as “Barley” or “Robbo” he is a fantastic photographer and even better person.
Barley started his career as a newspaper messenger aged 16. While there he photographed football matches at the weekend and progressed to a full-time staff sports photographer at the age of 19. He moved on to specialise in boxing and has now been working for Matchroom for more than ten years.
Ricky Hatton v José Luis Castillo, Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 23, 2007
As far as photos that tell a story, this has the lot. Hatton celebrates his fourth-round stoppage of the great Castillo as the referee, Joe Cortez, waves off the fight, with the whole crowd cheering. One of my favourite photos.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 1000, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/500
MARK ROBINSON / ESPN IMAGES
Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte, Wembley Stadium, April 23, 2022
“The Gypsy King” on his throne. The look on Tyson’s face as he soaks up the crowd is priceless.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4, ISO: 4000, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/200
Dillian Whyte v Alexander Povetkin, Fight Camp, Matchroom HQ, Brentwood, August 22, 2020
This photo shows all three knockdowns in the Fight Camp bout during lockdown. The camera was placed up on the lighting truss of the ring and I overlaid the photos in Photoshop, showing all three knockdowns in one image. Whyte put Povetkin down twice early on before the Russian won with a knockout punch in the fifth round. I have never heard a noise like Whyte hitting the canvas before or since, with only a handful of people there because of Covid restrictions.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4, Pocket Wizard, ISO: 3200, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/500
Anthony Joshua portrait, Sheffield, April 28, 2017
I grabbed this quick portrait of Joshua during a promo shoot for Sky Sports Box Office before his fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. Time is limited on these shoots, so you have to be quick and grab what you can — this was in between filming scenes using a light overhead and white reflector.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon 50m f1.2 L, ISO: 640, Aperture: 1.4, Shutter: 1/500,
Tony Bellew v BJ Flores, Echo Arena, Liverpool, October 15, 2016
Backstage moments are some of my favourites to capture, such as this photo of Bellew putting his trunks on while his dad reads the paper. Having this access is a privilege and the trust you have to gain is key to get in these situations.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 5000, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/200
Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, April 26, 2025
The hype going into this fight was huge, with all the history between the two fathers — as well as the fighters themselves. This simple photo of Nigel Benn consoling his son, Conor, after defeat sums up the emotions.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 70-200 F2.8L, ISO: 6400, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/1600
Dalton Smith v Sam Maxwell, Utilita Arena, Sheffield, July 1, 2023
Action photos in the ring are the bread and butter of what I capture. I usually focus on the boxer landing the punch, but on this occasion I focused on the man being hit.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 6400, Aperture: 3.2, Shutter: 1/1600
Conor Benn, Wembley, London, November 19, 2020
During fight week one of the most important jobs is to capture photos of the boxers to be used for TV and promotion. Standard shots are needed but I have the freedom sometimes to get different styles. Here, I had a decent space and could make the room completely dark to achieve this look.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 24-105 F4L, ISO: 100, Aperture: 10, Shutter: 1 sec
The 3Arena Dublin, November 25, 2023
Katie Taylor had just won her undisputed title fight against Chantelle Cameron and I managed to get her to sit with all her belts — then in walks the singer Ed Sheeran, to congratulate her. When I asked him to have a photo with her, he decided to lie on the floor. It was a great moment to capture.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 5000, Aperture: 4.5, Shutter: 1/100
Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, September 25, 2021
I attended the rehearsal for this fight the evening before to gain an idea of how high the fireworks were going to be set off, so I knew where to mount a camera. The preparation paid off with a great picture showing the first boxing event at the stadium.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon 8-15mm f/4, Pocket Wizard Plus III, ISO: 2000, Aperture: 8, Shutter: 1/8
Training Fun, Anthony Joshua, Sheffield, November 6, 2020
Going into camp with a fighter is a great place to capture photos of them as they prepare for their next bout. It is mostly serious work but this shot of Joshua as he prepared for his fight against Kubrat Pulev was a brief moment when it was fun.
Canon EOS R, Canon RF 50mm F1.2L, ISO: 1000, Aperture: 1.4, Shutter: 1/800
Jai Opetaia v Jordan Thompson, Wembley Arena, September 30, 2023
Thompson hangs on to the shorts of his opponent, Opetaia, as the referee Howard Foster steps in to stop the fight in the fourth round of their IBF world title fight.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 5000, Aperture: 3.2, Shutter: 1/1600
Oleksandr Usyk, Royal Institute of British Architects, London, March 13, 2020
There was a boardroom at this press conference venue and it had a wonderful throne-type seat that I had to get Usyk to sit in, a simple shot with one light.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 1250, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/125
Alli being Ali, BT Studios, London, July 4, 2017
I was asked by BT Sport to capture some shots of the England and Tottenham Hotspur footballer Dele Alli as he filmed a commercial for them. We had a good relationship, having worked together multiple times, so I asked if he would recreate a famous photo of Muhammad Ali standing over Sonny Liston in 1965 and he agreed. Sometimes you just have to ask.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 3200, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/200
Floyd Mayweather v Ricky Hatton, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, December 8, 2017
A fighter’s dressing room after a loss is a hard place to work. You have to really judge the situation as to when and if to take photos. Here, Hatton’s mum, Carol, watches as he receives some stitches to a cut after his defeat by Mayweather. It’s usually a case of getting a feel for the situation, and not just sticking your camera in people’s faces.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 1000, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/50
MARK ROBINSON/MDR PHOTOGRAPHY
Fury in The Yard, Lancaster, February 2, 2011
One of my first times working with Tyson. He was basically living in his uncle’s yard in Lancaster, where there was a gym in one of the sheds and a caravan for him to rest in while he trained.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4, ISO: 400, Aperture: 13, Shutter: 1/160
Golden Hour, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 6, 2019
The Golden Hour in photography is shortly after sunrise and just before sunset. While the organisers of the weigh-in for his fight with Andy Ruiz Jr were getting mad with Anthony Joshua because he was late, I was happy because I could see the sun lowering in the desert sky and knew the perfect moment was coming.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 640, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/800
The New Inn Pub, Hattersley, February 28, 2009
It’s not every day you get two of the world’s best boxers having a game of darts in a pub. On this occasion Ricky Hatton invited his next opponent, Manny Pacquiao, to his local — one of those moments where you have to pinch yourself.
Canon EOS-1D Mark II N, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L, ISO: 1000, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/60
Cracked Mirror
A lot of gyms these days are all very new and lack in character, but not Tyson Fury’s in Lancaster. A cracked, dirty mirror made this photo with just a simple approach of asking him to stand in front of it and shoot his reflection.
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L, ISO: 640, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/160
The 3Arena Dublin, May 20, 2023
This photo of Katie Taylor fighting for the first time in her own country as a professional was one that I wanted to capture. I placed a remote camera on the stage low down so it wasn’t in the way and not noticed by the TV. Another instance of planning to get the shot and hoping it pays off.
Canon EOS R5, Canon 8-15mm f/4, Pocket Wizard Plus III, ISO: 3200, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/160
Never Wear White, Kid Galahad vs Jazza Dickens, Fight Camp, Matchroom HQ, Brentwood, August 7, 2021
I went into Galahad’s dressing room after the fight and saw the shorts on the floor with his belt. The groin guard he wears under his shorts had an amazing description on it, so I placed that by the shorts to add something different to the photo.
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon EF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 4000, Aperture: 2.8, Shutter: 1/160
Afraid Of Heights, Anthony Joshua, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, July 20, 2021
I’m not afraid of heights but walking on a glass roof 100ft above a football stadium isn’t exactly something I would do on a day off. When AJ asked if I was scared as we were walking around the walkway for the second time to get a shot I said yes, and his answer was: “Good, so am I!”
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4, ISO: 400, Aperture: 5, Shutter: 1/2000
Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 8, 2024
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn and Queensberry Promotions’ Frank Warren have been long-time rivals in the boxing world but Turki Alalashikh brought the two of them together in competition by putting five of their top fighters together for a Ryder Cup-style competition. This shot was taken from ringside up to Turki Alalashikh’s private area, to capture this moment of the announcement.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 4000, Aperture: 4, Shutter: 1/320
Air Time, Israil Madrimov v Magomed Kurbanov, Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, March 8, 2024
Madrimov performs a summersault after his win over Kurbanov for the WBA super-welterweight title. I was ready for the moment as he usually does it after his fight.
Canon EOS R3, Canon RF 24-70 F2.8L, ISO: 5000, Aperture: 3.5, Shutter: 1/1600
Mark Robinson with the World Championship belts.