Saturday, December 24, 2016

Happy Holidays



We would like to wish our readers a very Happy Holiday season. We here at The Boxing Truth® are between rounds and will kickoff 2017 on Tuesday, January 3rd. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison.


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Belated Thoughts On Hopkins-Smith



On December 17th the legendary Bernard Hopkins returned to the ring following a two-year hiatus to take on top Light-Heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The main storyline of the bout was that it was billed as “The Final One” a title to symbolize the final time Bernard Hopkins would enter the ring as a fighter after an illustrious twenty-eight year career. Prior to this bout, this observer stated that even though Hopkins himself was insistent on this being his last fight, I was not sure on the basis that the fifty-one year old future Hall of Famer was facing a fighter who was rated in the top five of two world sanctioning organizations and that if he were to emerge victorious and do so in convincing fashion that one could assume that he would seek another opportunity at a world championship.

For a time it appeared that would be the case as the fight was fought at a measured and tactical pace, which is tailor-made for Hopkins. Hopkins using lateral movement and strategically placing his punches seemed to hold his own against a fighter nearly twenty-five years his junior. Hopkins not only held his own, but also dictated how the fight was being fought for much of the bout. Even though Hopkins was using all of the craft and tactics that made him a dominant world champion in his prime, what was also noticeable was the effect of Smith’s punches when he was able to land flush.

In previewing this fight I also stated that it was logical to question whether or not “Ring Rust” would be a factor for Hopkins given not only that he was coming off of a two-year layoff, but more specifically due to the fact that he is approaching his fifty-second birthday in January 2017. Although Hopkins was able to have moments where he was able to use Smith’s own aggression against him, Smith’s constant pressure did have success and despite being made to miss some of his offense, he was able to land punches on Hopkins that perhaps would not have been the case against Hopkins a few years ago when even as a fighter in his late 40s, Hopkins was able to befuddle opponents and slip some of the type of punches that he was getting hit with in this fight.

Hopkins was still able however, to execute much of his offense with what has been a key weapon throughout his career, his right hand. Despite being at a stage in his career where he was taking more punishment, Hopkins was able to keep the fight close and competitive throughout. It was in the eighth round however, that the fight would end under odd, but not unprecedented circumstances.

In the early seconds of round eight Smith as he had done for the entire fight applied pressure on Hopkins and forced Hopkins on the ropes. A sudden and short combination from Smith knocked Hopkins out of the ring and out of the fight as Hopkins was unable to get back in the ring before the count of twenty giving Smith a knockout victory. When Hopkins went through the ropes and out of the ring, I immediately had thoughts of the first encounter between former Heavyweight world champions Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev in November 1999 where Maskaev landed a hellacious right hand that knocked Rahman out of the ring and out cold.

Although this knockout was not as devastating as Rahman-Maskaev 1, it was sudden, dramatic, and frankly scary due to the way it occurred. Almost immediately after being knocked down, Hopkins for his part contended that he had been pushed out of the ring. In the days since the fight, this observer has studied several replays of the knockout and even though Hopkins felt that he was pushed, it was a short, but effective combination highlighted by a right hand and two left hooks by Smith that sent Hopkins out of the ring and it is my opinion that it was a clean knockout albeit odd and rare in the way that it occurred.

Even though I stated shortly after the bout’s conclusion on Twitter that I thought that there would be a protest filed with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC), after reviewing the replays several times from various angles of the knockout, I do not believe that such a protest would be successful if attempted. Despite suffering the first knockout loss of his career after twenty-eight years and sixty-five professional fights, the loss to Joe Smith Jr. will have no impact on the legacy Bernard Hopkins has established.

Although this outcome was not the way Bernard Hopkins or any fighter for that matter wants to end their career on, Hopkins will go down in history as perhaps the greatest Middleweight of all time having set the record for consecutive World Middleweight championship defenses of twenty that he set between 1995-2005. He will also go down in history as the oldest fighter in history to win a world championship. A feat he accomplished twice, first in May 2011, when at age forty-six Hopkins surpassed George Foreman as the oldest fighter in the history the sport to win a world championship by defeating then WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Jean Pascal in their rematch. After losing the championship in his rematch with Chad Dawson in April 2012, Hopkins would break his own record in 2013 by defeating then undefeated IBF Light-Heavyweight world champion Tavoris Cloud at age forty-eight.

The most important part of Hopkins’ legacy however, in the eyes of this observer will always be that he established that legacy often without the support of mainstream exposure, particularly for several years as a Middleweight world champion and being a man of strong conviction and at times leaving lucrative opportunities on the table and choosing to stick to his principles as well as at times doing battle with various promoters and calling to task some of the political elements that surround the sport in the process. Even though for a good portion of his career, Hopkins did not receive the recognition or respect he truly deserved, it was refreshing to see Hopkins, a true credit to the sport of Boxing receive what amounted to a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance as he left the ring for what he insists is the final time following his loss to Joe Smith Jr.  For a fighter who later in his career would periodically walk to the ring to versions of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” this observer has one thing left to say.

Mr. Hopkins, you truly did it “Your Way.” Congratulations on a great career.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison.



Friday, December 16, 2016

Hopkins-Smith Preview And Weights


On November 8, 2014 at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins entered the ring as the unified IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion in an attempt to further unify the Light-Heavyweight division as he took on undefeated WBO world champion and knockout artist Sergey Kovalev. Hopkins, a fighter known for defying odds was attempting at age forty-nine to take another step toward an accomplishment no other fighter in the history of Boxing has been able to do, completely unify a second weight class.
                           
It was not to be however, as Kovalev would win a twelve round unanimous decision to unify three of five world championships in the division. Although Hopkins will always be known for his accomplishments as a Middleweight in setting the all-time record for consecutive title defenses by a world champion in the history of the division of twenty between 1995-2005 and fully unifying the division during his reign, he has suffered some setbacks over the years and has lost a few fights along the way. The setback suffered against Sergey Kovalev one might argue was different in that it was the first time in Hopkins’ illustrious career that he was dominated.

Readers may recall shortly after the loss to Kovalev this observer stated that the question coming out of that fight was whether or not Hopkins’ age had finally become an issue for him. I closed my thoughts in the post-fight column for that fight by saying that although it would be Hopkins who would ultimately decide whether or not he wanted to fight again, it was and remains my opinion that he has nothing left to prove with his legacy and status as a legend and future Hall of Famer more than secure.

Even though there was never an official announcement of retirement from Hopkins, one may have believed after no fights in 2015 that Hopkins may have quietly closed the book on a great career. This will not be the case however, as the now fifty-one year old Hopkins will return to the ring for the first time in over two years on Saturday night as he takes on current WBC number two rated contender Joe Smith Jr. at The Forum in Inglewood, CA for the WBC International Light-Heavyweight championship currently held by Smith.

As some may recall, the twenty-seven year old Smith scored the biggest win of his career earlier this year by scoring a devastating first round knockout over longtime contender and former world title challenger Andrzej Fonfara in Fonfara’s adopted hometown of Chicago, IL. Smith, who will enter this fight with Hopkins having won twenty-two of twenty-three fights as a professional has scored eighteen knockouts in those twenty-two wins registering a career knockout percentage of 78%. Although it may be logical to assume that some casual followers of the sport likely consider Smith to be an unknown commodity, despite his recent victory over Fonfara, which also earned him significant television exposure as the fight was shown on NBC here in the United States, he has been unbeaten for over six years and has scored knockouts in five of his last six fights.
                                                                  
What interests me about this fight is to see whether or not Smith will attempt to impose his will on the fighter nearly twenty-five years his senior from the outset. It is important to remember that Hopkins is after all coming off of a two-year layoff and in his last fight he suffered a first round knockdown at the hands of Sergey Kovalev. What one should also keep in mind is Hopkins was sporadic with his offense in the fight against Kovalev only landing 65 of 195 total punches throughout the twelve round championship bout.

It is certainly logical to question whether or not “Ring Rust” will be a factor for Hopkins after a two-year hiatus especially given that he will be turning fifty-two years old on January 15, 2017. The significant advantage Hopkins does have going into this fight is in regard to experience. Despite his setbacks in losing some close fights over the years, Hopkins has always been able to be crafty and with the exception of his last bout against Kovalev always left a question as to whether or not he won some fights that ultimately went against him on the official scorecards.

Although Hopkins, who will enter the fight having won fifty-five of sixty-four bouts as a professional was bested convincingly for the first time in his career against Kovalev, it should not be overlooked that even as Kovalev was dominating that fight, Hopkins was still able to make his opponent miss and miss often with his offense as Kovalev landed 166 of 585 total punches. If Smith does indeed look to impose his will on Hopkins from the outset, it will be interesting to see whether or not Hopkins will attempt to use his opponent’s own aggression against him and capitalize on that opponent’s mistakes as he has in the past most notably in his Middleweight championship unification bout with Felix Trinidad in September 2001.

It will be crucial in my opinion that Hopkins dictate how the fight is fought from start to finish if he wants to be successful. This observer believes that the question of whether or not it was his age or if Hopkins simply had a bad night at the office against Kovalev will be answered early in this fight. One should also remember that the pace in which the fight between Hopkins and Kovalev was fought, was one that was a tactical and measured pace, which is where Hopkins usually excels, but in that fight he simply could not let his hands go consistently and that was the story of the fight. Hopkins must not only control how the fight is fought, but he must also be active with his offense in order to be successful.

Even though Hopkins has been insistent in the build up to this fight that this will be his last fight, this observer is not so sure. One would have to assume if Hopkins were to lose this fight that it would be in his best interest to call it a career as he has other roles in the sport including as a promoter and as a broadcaster for HBO Sports. If Hopkins were to defeat a fighter who is ranked number two in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and number five in the world by the World Boxing Association (WBA) and did so in convincing fashion one could assume that Hopkins would seek another opportunity at a world championship in what would be his second attempt to break his own record as the oldest fighter in the history of Boxing to win a world championship. Before that possibility can be discussed however, he must win this fight. We will see it Bernard Hopkins can defy the odds one more time on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”



Official Weights:
______________________________________________________

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Light-Heavyweight bout between future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and top Light-Heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. took place earlier today in Inglewood, CA. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: WBC International Light-Heavyweight championship – 12Rds.

Joe Smith Jr. (Champion) 174lbs.vs. Bernard Hopkins 174lbs.



WBO Cruiserweight world championship – 12Rds.

Oleksandr Usyk (Champion) 199 1/2lbs. vs. Thabiso Mchumu 198 1/2lbs.

North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight championship – 10Rds.

Joseph Diaz (Champion) 126lbs. vs. Horacio Garcia 125 3/4lbs.

North American Boxing Association (NABA) Jr. Lightweight championship – 10Rds.

Carlos Morales (Champion) 130lbs. vs. Charles Huerta 130lbs.

Middleweight – 10Rds.

Jason Quigley 159 1/2lbs. vs. Jorge Melendez 158 1/2lbs.

WBC Latino Middleweight championship – 10Rds.*

Yamaguchi Falcao (Champion) vs. German Perez

(*Official weights for this bout are unavailable. Bout still scheduled to take place as of this writing.)

Lightweight – 8Rds.

Christian Gonzalez 134 1/2lbs. vs. Jonathan Perez 133 1/2lbs.

Lightweight – 6Rds.

Ryan Garcia 131 1/2lbs. vs. Jose Martinez 131 1/2lbs.

Lightweight – 8Rds.

Ivan Delgado 131 1/2 lbs. vs. Roberto Rivera 133lbs.

Featherweight – 8Rds.


Joet Gonzalez 125 3/4lbs. vs. Jairo Ochoa 125 1/4lbs.
_____________________________________________________ 

Hopkins vs. Smith takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, December 17th) at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. In the United States, the fight can be seen on HBO Sports beginning at 10 PM ET/PT. Check your cable/satellite provider for time and channel in your area. For more information please visit: www.hbo.com/Boxing.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fight can be seen on Box Nation beginning at 3 AM (Sunday, December 18th Local UK Time.) Check your listings for time and channel in your area. For more information please visit: www.boxnation.com. Check your listings internationally.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison.








                

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Brief Update


We would like to let our readers know that a preview for Saturday’s Light-Heavyweight clash between future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins and top Light-Heavyweight contender Joe Smith is currently in the works and will be released on Friday, December 16th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.


Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Heavyweight Championship Saturday Recap And Analysis



On Saturday, December 10th the Boxing world was focused on several key bouts throughout the entire sport. A highlight of the day however, was two fights for separate versions of the World Heavyweight championship that took place in two different countries. At the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, undefeated IBF Heavyweight world champion and knockout artist Anthony Joshua made the second defense of his world championship against IBF number eight rated contender Eric Molina.

In previewing this fight this observer stated that the question I had as the fight approached was whether or not Molina, who was making his second attempt at a world championship, would not only be able to extend Joshua in a similar manner as he was able to do against undefeated WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in his one previous world championship opportunity, but more specifically whether he could make the fight competitive. The champion established the tempo of the fight from the outset working behind his jab and applying pressure on Molina.

Although Joshua’s approach could be best described as methodical, he was able to push Molina back to the ropes and really faced no resistance from the challenger. What was noticeably absent from Molina’s strategy beyond hardly throwing any offense was the absence of head movement as he more or less allowed himself to be backed up against the ropes by Joshua and did not seem to have an answer to avoid Joshua’s jab as he came forward.

Even though it was logical to think that perhaps the challenger was trying to create an opportunity where he could theoretically land counter punches as Joshua pressed forward as a reason for his sporadic offense, it became clear that Molina simply could not find a way to turn the tempo in his favor. The champion easily won the first two rounds based on his greater activity and effectiveness with his jab and right hand. It was in round three that Joshua would bring the fight to its conclusion.

Joshua connected with a flush right hand to the jaw that sent Molina down to the canvas in his own corner. Molina showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown at the count of nine, but it was a formality as Joshua pressed forward with a barrage of offense which forced Molina to turn his head and subsequently forced Referee Steve Gray to stop the fight at 2:02 of round three.

It was as dominant and impressive a performance by a world champion as one could ask for. Since winning the IBF world championship in April of this year with a second round knockout over former champion Charles Martin, Anthony Joshua has in under one year established himself as one of the key players in the Heavyweight division.

Two undefeated Heavyweight contenders who were also looking to establish themselves atop the division did battle in the second World Heavyweight championship fight of the day at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand as WBO number one rated contender Joseph Parker met number three rated contender Andy Ruiz for the vacant WBO Heavyweight world championship, previously held by undefeated former unified world champion Tyson Fury.

Although it is sometimes natural when discussing a fight for a vacated world championship to focus on the circumstances and/or the politics of the sport which may have led to a championship becoming vacant, this was an encounter between not only two of the division’s top contenders, but also two fighters with exciting crowd pleasing styles. In previewing this fight this observer stated that the physics appeared to be in favor of Parker, who had a two inch height advantage as well as a two inch reach advantage over Ruiz.

Even though I stated prior to this fight that was logical to assume with a narrow height and reach advantage that Parker would look to keep Ruiz at distance where he would theoretically not be as effective, the tempo of this fight was established by Ruiz as he was able to apply pressure and force Parker to move. Several of the rounds in this fight were close due to both fighters having success in throwing and landing spurts of combinations.

Although there were points throughout the fight where Parker was able to get off first with his offense, I wondered if the difference in the fight in terms of the official scorecards would come down to the consistent pressure of Ruiz, who was also considerably effective when he was able to let his hands go. This was evident when the two fighters got into exchanges where Ruiz seemed to get the better of the action.

After six rounds, I had Ruiz ahead three rounds to two, with one round even on my unofficial scorecard. This was primarily due to the consistent aggression of Ruiz and bringing the fight to Parker. It was however, a tactical and competitive fight and it would certainly be no surprise to me to see differing scores as this fight progressed.

As the fight entered the second half the ebb and flow appeared to shift slightly in Parker’s favor. Although Ruiz never stopped coming forward and applying pressure throughout the entire fight, there were periods particularly from rounds seven through twelve where he did not throw punches consistently as he came forward and also failed to cut off the ring from Parker in an effort to neutralize Parker’s movement.

Despite Ruiz falling into periodic lulls of inconsistent offense in the second half of the fight, it remained a close and competitive fight due to how effective he was when he did let his hands go. At the end of the twelve round championship bout, I had Parker winning the fight by a margin of 116-113 in points or seven rounds to four with one round even. The announcement of a majority decision on the official scorecards was not surprising given the tactical, but quick pace that the fight was fought where both fighters were able to be effective. Judge Salven Lagumbay scored the fight even 6-6 in rounds or 114-114 in points, while Judges Ingo Barrabas and Ramon Cerdan turned in identical scores of 7-5 in rounds or 115-113 in points giving Joseph Parker the victory and establishing him as the first New Zealand-born boxer to win a World Heavyweight championship.

Prior to these two fights I alluded to a possibility of the two winners potentially facing off in a unification bout in 2017. It appears at least for the moment that will not be the case as it was announced shortly after Anthony Joshua’s knockout victory over Eric Molina that his third title defense will come on April 29, 2017 against former longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in a fight that will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England where the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) world championship will also be on the line in addition to Joshua’s IBF world championship. This observer looks forward to sharing further thoughts on not only the outcomes of these two fights, not only the announced Joshua-Klitschko encounter, but what this could mean for the overall landscape of the division on Thursday, January 5, 2017.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison










Friday, December 9, 2016

Previewing Heavyweight Championship Saturday



Boxing’s Heavyweight division will close out 2016 with a bang on Saturday with two world championship fights in two different countries. The first championship bout will take place at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand as undefeated WBO number one Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker will square off with undefeated number three WBO contender Andy Ruiz for the vacant WBO Heavyweight world championship previously held by former unified world champion Tyson Fury.

Although the circumstances which led to three of five world championships being vacated in the Heavyweight division is a story in of itself, the battle between Parker and Ruiz will pit two of the division’s top contenders against each other. In one corner will stand Joseph Parker of Auckland, New Zealand. Parker, unbeaten in twenty-one professional fights has scored knockouts in eighteen of those twenty-one wins and will enter this fight with a career knockout percentage of 86%. In his last bout, Parker scored a third round knockout over Alexander Dimitrenko in October of this year.

Parker has only been extended to a twelve round distance once in his career and has only gone as far as ten rounds twice. This would indicate that Parker, a fighter who should be labeled a “Knockout Artist” could look to end this fight early should the opportunity present itself. Parker does have the ability to knock an opponent out with either hand, but also has the ability to be tactical in his approach so it will be interesting to see what his approach will be in this fight.

Standing across the ring from Parker will be Andy Ruiz of Imperial, CA. Ruiz, a fighter who is unbeaten in twenty-nine professional fights will enter this fight against Parker having scored nineteen knockouts in his twenty-nine victories registering a career knockout percentage of 66%. Ruiz does have slightly more experience in terms of total fights than Parker and has fought in 116 total rounds as a professional compared to Parker’s 87. What makes this potentially significant is although Ruiz has also shown an ability to get an opponent out of there, he has been forced to go the distance more than Parker has in his career and depending on how this fight is fought this could be to Ruiz’ advantage.

Even though Ruiz has held the NABF and WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight titles in his career, he has been criticized for his struggles with weight. Ruiz however, does have an exciting style in which he has been more than willing to engage with his opponents and has a good mix of punching power and hand speed. One thing that this observer has noticed in studying film of Ruiz that some would likely see as a flaw is he has been somewhat inconsistent in some fights in moving his head and is thus open to be hit.

The physics of this fight seem to favor Parker who will have a two inch height advantage of 6’4 to Ruiz’ 6’2 and will have a slight reach advantage of also two inches of 76” to Ruiz 74”. Although fighters have been tasked with combating greater height and reach deficits, this observer believes the task that Andy Ruiz will be faced with will be to get on the inside of Parker’s reach and try to outwork him in close. Despite the slight height and reach advantage of Parker not seeming to be as significant as some previous Heavyweight championship fights, it is logical to assume that Parker will look to keep Ruiz at distance where he will theoretically not be able to be as effective.

No matter who emerges victorious in this fight, it is also logical to assume that the winner could likely find himself in a position for a potential unification bout in 2017. The opposition for that potential unification clash just might be the winner of the second World Heavyweight championship fight taking place on Saturday as undefeated IBF world champion Anthony Joshua will make the second defense of his world title against current IBF number eight rated Heavyweight contender Eric Molina at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

In his first title defense in June of this year, Joshua scored a one-sided seventh round stoppage over previously undefeated Dominic Breazeale. Joshua much like Joseph Parker, is a “Knockout Artist” who has knocked out all seventeen of his opponents as a professional. As Joshua has continued to dominate all opposition that has been placed before him, the question that has been asked of him is the same as all fighters who are labeled “Knockout Artists.” Who can provide him with a legitimate test?

A potential answer to that question in regard to Anthony Joshua could come in the form of current IBF number eight rated contender and former world title challenger Eric Molina. Molina endeared himself to Boxing fans with the valiant effort he put forth in his challenge of current WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder in June of last year. Although Molina would suffer four knockdowns before being stopped in the ninth round of that fight, he did succeed in extending Wilder, another fighter known as a “Knockout Artist” into the latter stages of a fight for what was at that point only the second time in his career. Since that loss to Wilder, Molina has gone on to win two fights including a knockout win over former two-division world champion Tomasz Adamek in April of this year for the IBF’s Intercontinental Heavyweight title, which in layman’s terms essentially earned him a spot in the top ten of the International Boxing Federation’s Heavyweight ratings putting him in position for what will be his second attempt at a world championship.

The question that I have going into this fight centers on whether or not Molina will be able to not only extend Joshua in a similar manner as he was able to do against Wilder, but more specifically whether or not he can make this a competitive fight. Although Joshua was extended to the seventh round for only the second time in his career in his title defense against Dominic Breazeale, he did not face much resistance in that fight and it will be interesting to see whether Molina will be able to provide resistance as well as avoid the champion’s power.

It will also be interesting to see whether or not Joshua may look to seek an early knockout of Molina perhaps in an attempt to best what Deontay Wilder was able to do in his title defense against Molina last year. Although Molina finds himself in the same position of being a significant underdog as he was when he faced Wilder, he has shown his mettle and has also shown the ability to come from behind in order to score a knockout win as he was able to do in his last fight against Tomasz Adamek where he was trailing on all three official scorecards before knocking Adamek out in the tenth round.

Even though it is logical to assume that Joshua will look to pressure Molina from the outset and try to score an early knockout should the opportunity present itself, Molina must find a way to be tactical in his approach early on and look for a way to neutralize and nullify Joshua’s punching power. One way that Molina could accomplish this could be if he is able to establish himself as an elusive target and look to work the clock in rounds and try to limit Joshua’s ability to be effective and land punches cleanly while trying to make the most of his offensive opportunities. Of course, this is a task that is often easier said than done against power punchers, especially those who are known as “Knockout Artists” as Joshua is.

What has certainly been a frustrating year for the Heavyweight division could potentially see a silver lining with these two world championship fights. Although I look forward to sharing my thoughts in the coming weeks with regard to the landscape of the division as a whole, it is my hope that the outcomes of these two fights will lead to further progress in the Heavyweight division, something that has for various reasons not been accomplished in 2016.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


Parker vs. Ruiz takes place tomorrow (Saturday, December 10th) at the Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. The fight can be seen in the United States on same-day tape delay along with a Jr. Welterweight doubleheader featuring undefeated WBO/WBC world champion Terence Crawford defending his championship against John Molina and a ten round bout between top contenders Ray Beltran and Mason Menard on HBO Sports beginning at 9:35PM ET/PT check your cable/satellite provider for time and channel in your area. For more information please visit: www.hbo.com/Boxing. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fight can be seen on BoxNation at 8 AM (Saturday, December 10th Local UK Time). For more information please visit: www.boxnation.com. Check your listings internationally.



Joshua vs. Molina takes place tomorrow (Saturday, December 10th) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The fight can be seen live in the United States on Showtime Sports at 5:30 PM ET/2:30 PM PT. The fight will be replayed on Showtime later in the evening along with a live tripleheader featuring two world title fights Jermall Charlo defending his IBF Jr. Middleweight world championship against bullying Williams and WBA number one Featherweight contender Jesus Cuellar taking on Abner Mares beginning at 10 PM ET/PT. Check your cable/satellite provider for times and channel in your area For more information please visit: www.sho.com/sports. In the United Kingdom, Joshua vs. Molina can be seen on pay-per-view on Sky Box Office for €16.95 SD/€21.95 HD beginning at 5:30 PM (Saturday, December 10th Local UK Time.) For ordering information please visit: www.my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/. Check your listings internationally.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.


Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Update



We would like to let our readers know that a feature previewing this weekend’s two World Heavyweight championship fights is currently in the works and will be released on Friday, December 9th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.


Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Farmer Retains NABF Championship



Current NABF Jr. Lightweight champion Tevin Farmer successfully retained his title with a ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” Dardan Zenunaj on Friday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. The fight was dominated by the hometown favorite Farmer’s ability to use his hand speed and lateral movement to get his punches off first. Although Zenunaj was consistent in trying to pressure Farmer and occasionally backed the North American Boxing Federation champion up on the ropes, he was not able to land anything significant. Farmer often would catch Zenunaj, a native of Pec, Kosovo, with offense as he came forward and would use his movement to evade him. This was particularly evident during moments when Farmer was on the ropes.

Although Zenunaj never stopped trying to turn the ebb and flow of the fight in his favor, he was unable to turn things around and as the fight progressed would taunt Farmer when Farmer would land punches cleanly. At the end of the ten round bout, Farmer had retained his championship. Official scores were 98-92, and 99-91 (On two scorecards) in favor of Farmer. Unofficially, I scored this fight 100-90 or ten rounds to zero for Farmer.

Tevin Farmer advances to 24-4-1, with 5 Knockouts. Dardan Zenunaj falls to 12-3, with 9 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in a Cruiserweight bout, former NABF/USBA Cruiserweight champion Garrett Wilson scored a six round majority decision over veteran Lamont Capers. This was a fight where Wilson often landed the cleaner more effective punches, but Capers dictated how much of the fight was fought due to his reach advantage, ability to make Wilson miss, and keeping him at distance. It was Wilson’s overall aggression however, that prevailed as he was able to win the fight on two of three official scorecards to earn the majority decision.
                                
Official scores were 57-57, and 58-56 (On two scorecards) for Wilson. Unofficially, I scored this bout 59-55 or five rounds to one in favor of Capers. Although Wilson was clearly more effective when he was able to land his punches, the majority of the rounds were dictated by Capers and even though Capers’ punches were not as effective as Wilson’s, Wilson wasn’t able to land consistently enough, in my opinion to win rounds. It was one of those fights that can have a wide range of scoring and it doesn’t surprise this observer to see varying scores with regard to this fight.

Garrett Wilson advances to 17-11-1, with 9 Knockouts. Lamont Capers falls to 7-9-2, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Lightweight division Victor Padilla, who was one of five fighters who made their professional debuts on this card scored a second round knockout over Kim St-Pierre. A right/left combination to the head from Padilla sent St-Pierre to the ropes and a follow up barrage ending with a right hook to the body sent St-Pierre down for the count. Official time of the stoppage was :59 of round two.

Victor Padilla advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Kim St-Pierre falls to 1-3, with 1 Knockout.

In the Featherweight division, unbeaten prospect Jose Gonzalez scored a one-sided four round unanimous decision over veteran Tim Ibarra. Gonzalez was simply the more active of the two fighters and outworked Ibarra over the course of the fight to win a convincing decision. Official scores were 39-37, and 40-36 (On two scorecards) in favor of Gonzalez. Unofficially, I scored this fight 40-36 or four rounds to zero for Gonzalez. Ibarra simply would not let his hands go and Gonzalez being able to bring the fight to him was the story of the fight.

Jose Gonzalez advances to 6-0-1, with 2 Knockouts. Tim Ibarra falls to 4-4, with 1 Knockout.

In the Jr. Lightweight division, Joseph Adorno scored two knockdowns in the first round of an overmatched Guy Newman to earn his first professional victory via stoppage. Official time of the stoppage was 1:37 of round one.

Joseph Adorno advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Guy Newman falls to 0-2, 0 Knockouts.

In a Heavyweight bout, unbeaten Iegor Plevako scored a second round knockout over a debuting Montrell Castro.  Plevako knocked Castro down with a barrage of punches late in the first round and the fight was stopped in round two after a left hook to the head hurt Castro and he almost scored a double-leg takedown of Plevako  as he was going down to the canvas. The bout was promptly stopped by Referee Shawn Clark. Official time of the stoppage was :31 of round two.

Iegor Plevako advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Montrell Castro falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

In what was the fight of the night, Jr. Middleweight Roque Zapata scored a thrilling four round majority decision over previously unbeaten Isaiah Wise. The two fighters engaged in a toe to toe war where both fighters had points of effectiveness in every round in a bout and a fight where both fighters received a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance. Zapata was declared the winner on two official scorecards. Official scores were 40-36, 39-37 for Zapata, and 38-38 giving Zapata a majority decision victory. Unofficially, I scored this fight 38-38 or two round a piece, a draw. Frankly, this was a fight that needed to be scheduled for a longer distance as it was too close to call, in this observer’s opinion. It would not be surprising to see a rematch between the two in the near future. It was one of those fights that if you are a fan of the sport, you wanted to see more.

Roque Zapata advances to 2-1-3, with 0 Knockouts. Isaiah Wise falls to 3-1, with 2 Knockouts.

In a bout between two debuting Jr. Middleweights, Marcel Rivers destroyed Tony Kim in one round. Rivers scored the first of what became two knockdowns with a brutal barrage of punches that was started with a right hand to the head. Rivers finished Kim off with a follow up barrage which forced Referee Hurley McCall to stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was :41 of round one.

Marcel Rivers advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Tony Kim falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Overall, this eight fight card was an entertaining look at fighters ranging from the very beginning of their careers to veterans like Garrett Wilson, who was looking to get back in the win column after losing his four previous bouts, to current NABF Jr. Lightweight champion Tevin Farmer. Farmer, who has been undefeated for over four years and with his win over Dardan Zenuaj has won seventeen straight fights and has also established himself as one of the top contenders in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. It will be interesting to see if Farmer, who is ranked number three in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and number ten in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) will get an opportunity at a world championship in 2017 and how several of the fighters who competed on this card that are either approaching prospect status or made their professional debuts progress going forward.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The card titled Philly Fight Night was presented by J. Russell Peltz’ Peltz Boxing Promotions in association with Bam Boxing Promotions, Joe Hand Promotions, and Lou Dibella’s Dibella Entertainment and was broadcast worldwide by GFL: Go Fight Live Combat Sports (www.GFL.TV.)


The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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Thursday, December 1, 2016

Was Walters Decision Career Damaging?



One of the topics of discussion with regard to the sport of Boxing over the last week has been the outcome of the November 26th WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship fight between two-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko and former WBA Featherweight world champion Nicholas Walters. It was a highly anticipated encounter between two of the best fighters in the world. The champion Lomachenko, one of the most decorated amateur boxers in history having finished his amateur career with an incredible record of 396-1 and earned two Olympic gold medals before embarking on a professional career where in only eight previous professional bouts prior to his title defense against Nicholas Walters, had won seven of those eight fights and had already earned two professional world championships in two different weight classes.

The challenger Walters had earned a reputation as a fighter with punching power in either hand having scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-six victories his professional registering a career knockout percentage of 75%. Walters established himself with two devastating knockout victories over former world champions Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire. Walters’ victory over Donaire in October 2014 earned him the WBA Featherweight world championship. Walters reign as champion however, would be short-lived as he failed to make weight prior to what would have been his first title defense against Miguel Marriaga in June of last year.

Normally when a fighter loses a world championship not in the ring, but on the weight scale because that fighter for one reason or another could not make that weight limit for a scheduled title defense, questions in regard to both a fighter’s commitment to training as well as whether or not they can physically compete in a weight class after having trouble making the weight limit are logical to ask. In Walters case, this observer believes it was not a lack of dedication to training, but perhaps naturally outgrowing the 126lb. Featherweight limit as the likely cause of his not making weight for his bout with Marriaga.

After defeating Marriaga under a scenario where he could not retain his world championship, Walters moved up in weight to the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division in December of last year where he fought a ten round draw against current WBA number one Jr. Lightweight contender Jason Sosa. This set the stage for Lomachenko in Walters to square off for Lomachenko’s WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV in a fight that appeared on paper to be a potential Fight of the Year candidate.
                          
As this observer has often said over the years however, sometimes what appears to be a good or even great fight on paper does not always materialize when two fighters face each other in the ring. For seven rounds, the champion Lomachenko dominated the former Featherweight world champion Walters by outworking and out boxing him from the outset in a bout that was one-sided. It was at the end of the seventh round that Walters made the decision to stop the fight.

Although the contest between two was dictated and controlled by Lomachenko from start to finish and Walters did not appear as though he was incapable of continuing the combat, his decision to stop the fight might be seen as a move that could have a serious long-term damaging impact on his career going forward. This is of course not the first time that a fighter has made a choice to stop fighting rather than continue on.

Many remember the second encounter between Boxing legends Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in November 1980. A fight that will forever be known as “No Mas.” Leonard used hand speed, lateral movement, taunting, and showboating to execute a fight plan that thoroughly frustrated Duran into quitting in the eighth round uttering the words “No Mas” or “No More.” Although Duran had claimed he quit due to stomach cramps, some including this observer, believe Duran’s frustration in not being able to neutralize Leonard’s movement or to stop Leonard from showboating and taunting him ended up getting the best of him resulting in the legend quitting in disgust and surrendering the Welterweight world championship that he had taken from Leonard in their first encounter earlier that year.

Some may also remember former longtime Heavyweight contender Andrew Golota and two fights where he signaled his surrender. The first came in his 1999 bout against then undefeated rising contender Michael Grant, where Golota floored Grant in the first round, only to be knocked down himself in the tenth round where after getting up from the knockdown Golota told Referee Randy Neumann that he did not want to fight resulting in the bout being stopped.  The second fight came nearly a year later when Golota quit after two rounds in his bout against Mike Tyson. A scene that will be remembered for Golota being hit with drinks and other debris as he fled the ring following the fight being stopped.

In both cases, the losses did inflict some damage to both fighters. Duran experienced further struggle after his loss in the second of three fights against Sugar Ray Leonard, losing to Wilfred Benitez and Kirkland Laing before winning the WBA Jr. Middleweight world championship in June 1983 with a knockout win over previously undefeated champion Davey Moore. Even though Andrew Golota would not win a world championship in his career, he did go on to challenge for a Heavyweight world championship on three separate occasions following his losses to Grant and Tyson in a career where he fought for a world championship four times overall.

The question some might ask after Nicholas Walters choosing to stop his fight against Vasyl Lomachenko is will that decision damage his career going forward? For his part, Walters stated after the fight that he had been hurt in the seventh round by Lomachenko and that he had been holding on just to survive the round and that in his words it would have been stupid to come out after that round. Walters also stated that Lomachenko had been more active than himself in terms of how often he fights, which may lead one to believe that Walters, who had not fought in nearly a year may have been affected by ring rust.

Although the crowd who was in attendance voice their dissatisfaction of Walters by booing him as he attempted to give an explanation, one should be impressed with his candor in that he acknowledged that he had been hurt by Lomachenko in the previous round and hinting at the possibility that his inactivity prior to this fight may have worked against him. Whether or not this loss, the first of Walters career and more specifically the way the loss came will ultimately be career damaging is anyone’s guess, but in this observer’s eyes it will only be what Walters does going forward that will determine just how much damage will be done.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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