The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Jr. Middleweight encounter between former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Liam Smith and rising prospect Sam Eggington took place earlier today in Liverpool, England. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.
Main Event: Jr. Middleweight- 12Rds.
Liam Smith 153 1/4lbs. vs. Sam Eggington 153lbs.
Heavyweight- 10Rds.
David Price 252lbs. vs. Kash Ali 243lbs.
Light-Heavyweight- 4Rds.*
Thomas Hart 178 1/4lbs. vs. Przemyslaw Biniends
(* Hart will be making his pro debut on this card.)
Women’s Lightweight – 6Rds.
Natasha Jonos 137lbs. vs. Feriche Mashauri 134 1/4lbs.
Jr. Middleweight- 10Rds. *
Anthony Fowler 153 ½lbs. vs. Scott Fitzgerald 154 1/2lbs.
(*Fitzgerald weighed in a half pound over the 154l. Jr. Middleweight limit. Fight to take place as scheduled as of this writing.)
Commonwealth Jr. Welterweight championship- 12Rds.
Phillip Bowes (Champion) 139 1/4lbs. vs. Tom Farrell 139 1/4lbs.
Jr. Featherweight- 6Rds.
Fadhili Majiha 119lbs. vs. Pat Butler 123 1/4lbs.
Lightweight- 6Rds.
Des Newton 137 1/4lbs. vs. Gerard Carroll 136 1/4lbx.
British/European Jr. Welterweight championship Unification Bout: 12Rds.
Robbie Davies (British champion) 138 1/2lbs. vs. Joe Hughes (European champion) 138 1/2lbs.
Cruiserweight – 6Rds.
Craig Glover 202lbs. vs. Vaclav Pejsar 198 1/4lbs.
Smith vs. Eggington takes place tomorrow (Saturday, March 30th) at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. The card can be seen on digital streaming network DAZN in the United States and around the world beginning at 3PMET/12PM PT U.S. Time. To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event (Formerly Sky Sports 1) beginning at 8PM. (Local UK time.) For more information about Sky Sports, channel listings, and availability in your area, please visit: www.skysports.com.
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Friday, March 29, 2019
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Andrew Moloney Discusses World Title Eliminator Victory In Chile
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| Credit: Camilo BA |
Press Release: March 27, 2019 by Team Moloney – Andrew Moloney produced a stunning knockout against the tough Chilian Miguel Gonzalez on Gonzelez' home turf of Santiago, Chile, implementing himself at the top of the World Boxing Association's world rankings.
In a fight that was toe to toe action from the offset, Moloney, who was controversially down on the scorecards, delivered a crushing left hook to Gonzalez' chin in the eighth round, sending his South American counterpart to the canvas, in a fashion that prohibited the game Chilean from meeting the referee's count.
Moloney opened up on his performance and how stoppage victory, "Gonzalez was a good fighter, he was better than I thought in honesty and produced a career-best display and I want to thank his team for giving me the opportunity to come to Chile and fight him, as well as thanking my manager Tony Tolj who had worked tirelessly since AUgust of 2017 to make this fight happen as well as my training team led by Angelo for getting me in top shape for it.
"I thought I was going to stop him to the body going in but the shot that stopped him was the shot we had been working on in the gym and it paid off in great style. After a knockdown was scored against me for slipping, I knew I had to take it out of the judges' hands so I did and I was delighted with the victory."
2014 Commonwealth Gold Medalist Moloney now prospectively sits at number 2 in the WBA world rankings, with Kal Yafai and WBA number 1 Norbelto Jiminez possibly potentially clashing on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's IBO, IBF, WBA & WBO title defence at Madison Square Garden against Jarrell Miller.
The 2 weight WBA Oceania belt holder discussed Yafai, Jiminez and his plans for the immediate future, "I think both Yafai and Jiminez are good fighters and when they clash it will be a close fight. I feel Yafai has a bit more class and will win the fight, but it will be a really close fight and I definitely want to fight the winner for the world title.
"If the winner unifies or doesn't want to fight me I will possibly look to fight in the interim but I will leave that up to the team and I am going to have a few weeks rest and then get back in the gym and continue improving for what big opportunities could be on the horizon."
The slightly bigger Moloney brother, Jason, fights this Saturday against Cris Paulino at the Seagulls Rugby League Club in Tweets Head, New South Wales for the WBA Oceania Bantamweight title in his first fight since his controversial loss to Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF World Bantamweight title.
Andrew gave his take on brother Jason's chances this coming Saturday evening, "Jason will be looking back to get to winning and I'm fully confident that he will look better than ever against a good fighter in Paulino. He's been working hard in the gym and he's had great sparring with the likes of Billel Dib who is also fighting on the card and has been in good form. It's going to be a good night of boxing and I fully expect explosive performances from Jason and Billel.
"Jason still has a high world ranking, so hopefully we will both be competing for world titles in 2019 and both of us will be world champions and I believe this is a very realistic goal that will come fruition sooner rather than later."
Material Courtesy of: Team Moloney/Photo Courtesy of: Camilo BA Used with permission.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Monday, March 25, 2019
Schedule Update
We would like to briefly remind readers that we will be resuming the regular schedule for material beginning on Wednesday, March 27th. We apologize for the delay. 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
Thursday, March 14, 2019
"The Master of Disaster" Bruno Vifuavili reacts to 'shock' victory over Joel Brunker
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| Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing |
Press Release: March 14, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Tanzania's Bruno Vifuavili pulled off what many saw as a massive upset last Friday evening, as he overcame the challenge of the experienced Joel Brunker.
Brunker was the heavy favourite going into their IBF Pan Pacific Super Featherweight title fight at the Windsor Function Centre, but Wifuavili pulled off the shock upset, as he controlled the fight from the offset, and many neutral observers saw Wifuavili as the clear winner. The judges agreed as Vifuavili, who was awarded the unanimous decision victory, joined an elite class that includes former IBF World Champion Lee Selby and current IBF World Champion Josh Warrington.
The Tony Tolj guided Vifuavili opened up on his feelings at beating the highly rated Brunker and what this means for his career going forward.
The Tanzanian native said, "Winning this title was a dream come true for me, but let me know it is just the start of a special journey.
“Joel Brunker is a world class fighter, and I believe I have proved that I am on that level now, as I felt I dominated the fight. I boxed when I wanted to box and had a war when I wanted to have a war. Joel is a great man, and I want to thank him for the opportunity.”
Manager Tony Tolj opened up on his charges Vifualivi options now going forward and reflects on his excellent performance.
Tolj said, “I thought Bruno was exceptional. It was a dominant but excellent win against a top fighter in Joel Brunker. My friend Cicillio Flores from Oxnard says iron sharpens iron. Bruno spars with the likes of the Moloney twins, Billel Dib and Furkan Demirkaya and this work is what has upped his level and it showed against Joel.”
Tolj continued, outlining his plans for Vifualivi going forward, “Bruno is in his early twenties and after that performance, he should enter the IBF ratings. We want to fight the best and if anybody who is rated above us in the ratings wants the fight, we will take it with open arms.
“We would love to fight the winner of Farmer vs Carroll, but anybody who is rated above Bruno we will come to your backyard and get the win.”
Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Farmer vs. Carroll Press Conference Quotes
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| Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA |
Friday’s event will be broadcasted live on DAZN with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET and main card starting at 9 p.m. ET.
Tevin Farmer
“Making weight is not easy so apologies for being late. I am looking forward to Friday. I am coming to get it popping. This is my third defense in five months. We prepared very well, as always. It’s a blessing to be here in Philadelphia after 16 years without a champion defending their belts here. For me to be the one to bring it back, it’s amazing. I have been fighting on the road a lot lately. Thank you to everyone believing in me. Jono will be ready, I know that. But I work hard and he knows these things too. I am tired of rolling over these guys easy so I hope he brings it.”
Jono Carroll
“I want to say a thank you to Philadelphia for having me here. Thanks to Matchroom and DAZN. This is a real Rocky story. I have been steadily climbing up the ranks thanks to everyone in my career. This is many people helping me but at the same time, I have dedicated my life to the sport. From 15 on, it’s been boxing. I truly enjoy every minute. Sometimes I look arrogant or cocky, but it’s just me enjoying myself. I have really enjoyed my time in Philadelphia. I went to the Rocky steps and I have been taking it all in. I had an amazing camp, great sparring and no injuries thankfully. Tevin has defended his title a couple of times in a row and I know he is going to be sharp. It’s a tough mountain to climb but I think I can do it. I said I was going to win the title off an American and now I hope I can go back to Ireland with Katie Taylor, with both of us as champions.”
Katie Taylor
“Thank you so much everyone for the opportunity. It’s great to be in Philadelphia and part of this rich history. I had a great training camp and I am looking forward to a big challenge. You will see the best of women’s boxing on Friday night.”
Rose Volante
“I would like to thank you for the opportunity to be here in Philadelphia. I am looking forward to accomplishing my dream of unifying the titles on Friday night. We will finally see who the best lightweight in the female division is.”
Maciej Sulecki
“Thank you to Matchroom and DAZN. I promise I won’t let you down. I had a great ten week camp. I am ready and I hope you will be ready too. I am ready for a crazy fight and I can’t wait.”
Gabriel Rosado
“We had a great camp. I think you will see the best of Gabe Rosado on Friday. We have a lot of momentum from that first training camp in November. There’s nothing I haven’t seen. I have fought the best. The experience will kick in for me. But thing is, this fight is in Philadelphia and I am going to turn up extra hard. I want to stop him. I want to knock this man out. It’s going to a war and it’s going to be real nasty. Like Eddie said, call out sick, call out from work. Let’s go Philly.”
For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.
About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and the U.S. - where it is a must-have service for sports fans, with a daily show featuring live look-ins to Major League Baseball games beginning in 2019 and more than 100 fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Bellator MMA, Golden Boy Promotions, the World Boxing Super Series, and Combate Americas.
Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Matchroom Boxing USA/ Photo Courtesy of: Ed Mulholland/ Matchroom Boxing USA Used with permission.
To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Update
We would like to let our readers know that we are between rounds and will resume our regular schedule on Wednesday, March 27th. 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
Monday, March 11, 2019
Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin-DAZN Partnership Press Conference Quotes
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| Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN USA |
Press Release: LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2019 – The boxing media gathered on Monday afternoon at The Conga Room at LA Live to formally announce that Gennady ‘GGG” Golovkin will fight the rest of his career on DAZN, the world’s largest sports streaming platform. DAZN Executive Chairman John Skipper and former unified middleweight champion discussed the six-fight global partnership between GGG promotions and DAZN that will see Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin fight twice a year on the platform for the next three years. DAZN broadcaster Chris Mannix moderated the conversation.
Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin
On signing with DAZN: “I was a free agent and I thought DAZN gave me the best platform. I also think DAZN will be the best home for all boxers in the future.”
On why it took so long to make decision: “It’s no secret I had others offers from other companies. Right now I have the best partner that will let me know promote fighters on GGG Promotions and me as a fighter.”
On agreeing to six fights: “I hope I can do six fights. I feel great! After six fights I’ll see what I can do, but have to focus on these six fights.”
On what you want to gain in the rest of you career: “I’ve gained a lot of experience in the last years of my career. I want to share that with fighters who will be working with me on GGG promotions and I think with DAZN we have the right partner to put on the best fights.”
On unifying the division: “People understand a lot of politics about all the belts. The idea is not to have all belts possible, but it’s to be best boxer and sometimes people with belts are not the best boxers.”
Importance of third fight with Canelo: “Of course it was important for me. Right we want to have the most important fights in boxing, many important fights. That’s what I want to do right now.”
On physical condition: “I can’t really answer that. In my normal life I feel great. I’ll go to training camp in April and I’ll be able to answer this question better.”
DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper
On signing GGG: “We have a clear agenda at DAZN to bring fans the best fights for affordable subscription price. We’re are not going to be able to bring fans the fights without Gennady Golovkin. He was a key element of what we’re going to be which is to be the premiere destination for fight fans. There was very little question in my mind that this is a signing we needed to make. Happy to hear Gennady expects six times and happy to hear that more than six times if he’s still fighting at a high level. We’re thrilled, this is a great deal for us, and we’re very excited.
Chris asked me before why this took so long - I had a chance to meet his wife and had a chance to see his new son. This took a long because this is a lifetime decision. This is a moment in boxing where I think things are changing and what I think we will be able to do is bring the best fights back to fans and Gennady wanted to be part of that. It was complicated and it’s decision he’s making on his life.”
On Canelo/GGG third fight: “Our intentions is to bring fans the best fights and the fights they most want to see. A third fight between Gennady and Canelo is what fans want to see. We’re focused right now on May 4 with Canelo and Daniel Jacobs. Jacobs happens to be a DAZN fighter and we’re focused on the fight Gennady will have in June, which we also expect to be a difficult fight. He’s only interested in fighting appropriate opponents. So we’re going to focus on those fights and see what happens.”
On DAZN having a shelf life: “It’s wrong, we’re committed to this, we’re well capitalized. We’re going to see the results, and we already saw the result from the December fight, which we only had a couple weeks to promote. It did very well for us and if we can follow that up with the fights we’re going to have in May and June and later this fall. We have a very viable financial proposition, so they’re wrong.”
On how you feel 1-10 on number of subscriptions (1 miserable, 10 ecstatic): “I will be at a ten, but I don’t know when exactly, but I will be at a ten. We have had good success and one landmark event and that’s the Canelo fight. I expect to have four to five landmark events this year and to move to from my current three or four, which means I’m satisfied with where I need to be towards knowing what we need to accomplish in the long run and that’s when I’ll be at a ten.”
On Deontay Wilder rumors: “I will not characterize them all, or even confirm them. We have discussions with people and until we announce I rarely comment on them until we announce, so I don’t have anything to announce so no comment. Other than we’re interested in having the best fights on DAZN and we will put the fights on that people want to see. It’s pretty clear that one fight people want to see is Joshua and Wilder.”
Head Trainer Abel Sanchez
On how GGG has grown: “Youthful and exuberant back then, now more experienced, more stealth. He’s thinking more about the things he does. Great thing about him and he always has been is he’s very professional. He’s probably 10-12 pounds over his weight now, so when he comes into camp he’s not abusing his body, and we can focus on working on other things.”
Any erosion with GGG in the ring: “I can only gauge in the fight. There’s not anyone that has dominated him or in the gym. He’s fighting at his top level. I imagine there’s but until someone proves it to me in the ring I have to say no.”
About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. where it is becoming a must-have service for sports fans, with a daily show featuring live look-ins to Major League Baseball games beginning in 2019 and more than 100 fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas.
For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.
Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photo Courtesy of Amanda Westcott/DAZN USA Used with permission.
To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.
Friday, March 8, 2019
DAZN SIGNS GENNADY GOLOVKIN FOR REMAINDER OF CAREER
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| Gennady Golovkin Credit: DAZN |
Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK, March 8, 2019 – DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper announced today that Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will fight the rest of his career on DAZN, the world’s largest sports streaming platform.
The six-fight global partnership between GGG Promotions and DAZN will see Golovkin fight twice a year on the platform for the next three years. Unlike many of his recent bouts, Golovkin will no longer appear on pay-per-view. Instead, his fights will be available to all DAZN subscribers at no extra charge. In addition, GGG Promotions will present two cards per year on DAZN beginning in 2020.
Golovkin plans to return to the ring in June against an opponent to be named at a later date.
“DAZN has quickly become the new home of boxing by making the biggest events easily available to the fans,” said Golovkin. “When deciding on where I wanted to continue my career, DAZN’s global vision perfectly matched my goals – not just for my career but the opportunity to showcase talented Eastern European fighters to the world. Thank you to my fans for all of the loyal support and I look forward to you joining me on DAZN.”
“Gennady Golovkin is a generational talent with international appeal,” said Skipper. “We’re confident he will bring his passionate fans to the platform as we produce tentpole events with his team over the next several years.”
The announcement sets up DAZN to stream blockbuster fights within the middleweight division for the foreseeable future, with all of the division’s champions and many top contenders regularly appearing on the platform.
As part of the deal, Golovkin joins the growing family of DAZN ambassadors including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, among others.
Golovkin’s fights will be available in all DAZN markets, in addition to his native home of Kazakhstan. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has rapidly expanded to nine countries – including Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.S. – across four continents, with the intention to reach 20 markets by 2020.
DAZN will share details shortly regarding a Los Angeles-based press event next week where Golovkin and Skipper will discuss the partnership.
About DAZN:
Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. where it is becoming a must-have service for sports fans, with a daily show featuring live look-ins to Major League Baseball games beginning in 2019 and more than 100 fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas.
For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.
Material and photo courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.
To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.
The Boxing
Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Bivol-Smith Preview
In recent times the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division has seen some shakeups. First was what some viewed as an upset in August of last year when unbeaten top contender Eleider Alvarez scored an impressive, but unexpected knockout over WBO world champion Sergey Kovalev. Alvarez’ victory was seen by some to be the beginning of a new era for the Light-Heavyweight division. An era that had been dominated in large part by two men, Kovalev, who Alvarez had defeated to become a world champion and Adonis Stevenson, the longtime holder of the WBC world championship in the division.
Stevenson’s career was halted when he was knocked out in the eleventh round of his title defense against undefeated top contender Olekandr Gvozdyk in December of last year. A knockout that resulted in Stevenson suffering the effects of traumatic brain injury, effectively ending his career. While Stevenson continues to recover from injuries he sustained in that fight, the Light-Heavyweight division has moved on.
As most Boxing fans know, Sergey Kovalev recently became a three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion by scoring a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Alvarez in February in their highly anticipated rematch. A fighter whom was sort of lost in the shuffle of the recent events of the division is undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol. Bivol first became WBA champion in October 2017 when he was named champion following the retirement of former unified Light-Heavyweight world champion Andre Ward. While Bivol’s ascent to become WBA world champion was one that began via initially earning interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Light-Heavyweight rankings, he has successfully defended his championship three times since being named champion including successful title defenses over longtime top contender Isaac Chilemba and former WBC world champion Jean Pascal in his last two fights.
Bivol has developed a reputation as a knockout artist having scored knockouts in eleven of his fifteen professional fights registering a career knockout percentage of 73%. Prior to Sergey Kovalev’s loss last year to Eleider Alvarez, it appeared as though a potential encounter between Kovalev and Bivol might have been in the works. Both fighters were featured regularly on HBO here in the United States and had in fact competed on the same card where Kovalev lost Alvarez.
While the landscape in terms of how the sport is broadcast has changed significantly over the last year with HBO no longer being involved in the sport, and Kovalev now seemingly aligned with ESPN, the potential of a showdown between Bivol and Kovalev seems unlikely at least in terms of the near future. With Sergey Kovalev aligned or so it would seem with ESPN, Bivol will return to the ring for his fifth title defense on Saturday night when he faces current WBA number eight rated contender Joe Smith Jr. at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY in a bout that will headline a card broadcast by digital streaming network DAZN in what is the first of a multi-fight agreement between Bivol and the streaming platform.
As is the case when discussing a fighter who is known as a “Knockout Artist”, the natural question is always who might be able to provide that fighter with a stern test. It is a topic that should be not be new to longtime readers here at The Boxing Truth® as it was a focal point in numerous writings penned by yours truly discussing the careers of both Sergey Kovalev and Gennady Golovkin over the years. While it is certainly tempting to place Bivol in the same category as Kovalev and Golovkin in terms of being a fighter who can score quick knockouts, the twenty-eight year-old Bivol has also shown the ability to be a technical boxer in his career.
In Joe Smith Jr. Bivol will face a solid contender who has only been defeated in two of his twenty-six professional fights. Smith’s biggest victory thus far was when he knocked out future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in December 2016 in the fifty-one-year-old Hopkins’ final fight in a legendary twenty-eight year career. Despite becoming the only man ever to stop Hopkins inside the distance, Smith was unable to take advantage of the notoriety that the victory provided him as he would lose his next fight to top contender Sullivan Barrera in July 2017. A fight where despite scoring a knockdown of Barrera in the first round, Smith came out on the losing end of a ten round unanimous decision.
Smith will however, come into the fight off of a victory in his last fight as he scored a first round knockout over relative unknown Light-Heavyweight Melvin Russell in June of last year. The challenger, who hails from Long Island, NY has scored knockouts in twenty of his twenty-four career wins registering a career knockout percentage of 77%, which should indicate that he will likely not be intimidated by what Bivol brings to the table as he has also shown that he is capable of both out boxing an opponent as well as scoring a quick knockout should the opportunity arise as he notably did in his fight against longtime top contender and former world title challenger Andrzej Fonfara in June 2016, stopping the always “Game” Fonfara in the first round.
In terms of a common opponent that Bivol and Smith share, the champion has the advantage as he stopped Sullivan Barrera in twelve rounds in March of last year. This fight appears to be one that will be decided on which fighter can dictate the combat. While the topic of who can dictate the tempo of a fight is one that is seemingly always discussed prior to a bout, in this case it does have merit. In an encounter between two fighters that each have the ability to box as well as get an opponent out of there if the opportunity presents itself, the question of who can dictate is crucial.
For the challenger to be successful in this fight, this observer feels that he must find a way to apply consistent pressure on Bivol. Smith must not be reckless in his approach and must be tactical in how he approaches the champion and how he attempts to pressure Bivol. One thing that we have not seen in Bivol’s fifteen previous professional fights is him being put into a situation where he is uncomfortable and be put in the role of not being the fighter that dictates how the fight is fought. It will be interesting to see if Smith can be the first fighter to provide the champion with this kind of test.
If this is indeed Smith’s strategy come fight night, the champion will likely look to apply his own tactical approach in an attempt to offset what the challenger might attempt. Bivol is a fighter that may be known for his ability to score knockouts, but he is also a fighter that has excellent technique and could be comfortable being in the role of a counter puncher should it be required. While Smith is likely to have a significant portion of crowd support in his favor in this fight, it will not be who the crowd favors that will necessarily win this fight.
While yours truly has long been on record in saying that he doesn’t give predictions, it would not surprise me to see periods in this fight that are very tactical as well as periods where both fighters chins are tested. Although it is tempting to discuss what may lie ahead for the winner of this fight, this observer simply wants to see what happens when Bivol and Smith square off on Saturday night.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
Bivol vs. Smith takes place on Saturday, March 9th at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on digital streaming network DAZN beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT. To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event (Formerly Sky Sports 1) beginning at 2 AM (Sunday, March 10th local UK time.) For more information about Sky Sports, schedules, and availability year area please visit: www.skysports.com.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
UNDEFEATED SANMAN BOXER BONTUYAN UPSETS TESORO
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| Stephen Bontuyan Credit: Sanman Promotions |
Press Release: March 6, 2019 by Sanman Promotions – Sanman’s fresh super bantamweight prospect Stephen Bontuyan (W5 KO2 L0 D0) upsets a more experienced then undefeated Jestine Tesoro in their eight rounder match in Tagum City. Bontuyan was consistently quick and accurate with his punches sending Tesoro to the canvass in the fifth stanza and dominating the rest of the round for the unanimous win.
In the other bouts, another undefeated Sanman boxer Judy Flores (W7 KO4 L0 D0) stopped seasoned journeyman Jetly Purisima in the fourth round. The fight was in the super flyweight division.
In the opening bout, flyweight Jegear Bereño came short of a victory and got a split draw against Arjay Recopelacion.
Material and photo courtesy of: Sanman Promotions used with permission. For more information about Sanman Promotions and to watch the Sanman Live Boxing series please visit Sanman Promotions’ official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SanmanPromotions.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
CANELO ALVAREZ AND DANIEL 'MIRACLE MAN' JACOBS LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
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| Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN USA |
Press Release: By DAZN - LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs), WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion, and Daniel "Miracle Man" Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), IBF Middleweight World Champion, completed the final stop of their three-city press tour with a spectacular press event at Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live.The 12-round unification fight will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday May 4 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.
Below is what today's participants had to say at the event:
CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, WBA, Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion:
"I know Jacobs is a tough opponent and it's going to be work, but I've always believed to be the best you must beat the best. I love challenges. I want people to experience a good fight when they come watch my fights. I may lose, but my heart is a winning heart and I want to give the fans a spectacular finish and I'm going to put up a good fight."
DANIEL JACOBS, IBF Middleweight World Champion:
"I have the will and desire to go inside to go in that ring and be victorious and I see myself with my hand raised by the end of night. I know the odds are stacked against me and Canelo's resume speaks for itself, but he's never faced a tall, fast and big guy all at once and that's what I'm going to give him. We're going to give you what you're looking for and the fans going to get a great fight come May 4."
EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:
"Our objective this year is win all the belts and become the first Mexican to win the all the world championships."
JOSE "CHEPO" REYNOSO, Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:
"The moment he set foot in the gym we knew he was something special, the day he debuted he was great, but the day he retires the world will know how great of a fighter he is."
ANDRE ROZIER, Trainer of Danny Jacobs:
"Jacobs is the best middleweight walking on this planet, his capabilities, skillset and gentleman ship will be what wins the fight on May 4."
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:
"I guarantee this is going to be the fight of the year. You have two fighters who don't have a quit in their game, this is a fight for the ages. The fact that Jacobs and Canelo both want to be great, there's no other way than to make this one great for the fans, they will get their money's worth come May 4."
FRANK SMITH, CEO of Matchroom Boxing:
"We believe Jacobs will unify all of those belts and he'll take on Canelo and win that fight."
JOSEPH MARKOWSKI, Executive Vice President, DAZN North America:
"We're deeply honored and proud to be exclusively showing this champion versus champion fight in the U.S."
RICHARD STURM, President of Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment
"We are tremendously excited to bring the Canelo versus Jacobs fight to Las Vegas; it's going to be a great event."
Canelo vs. Jacobs is a 12-round fight for the WBC, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF Middleweight World Titles presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Matchroom Boxing. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING" and Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle." The event will take place Saturday, May 4, 2019 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.
Tickets for Canelo vs. Jacobs are one sale now and are priced at $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, $305, $205 and $105, not including applicable service charges and taxes. There will be a limit of 10 per person at the $2,505, $1,505, $1,205, $805, $605, $405, and $305 price levels with a limit of two (2) per person at the $205 and $105 price levels. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,
http://www.matchroomboxing.com, and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchRoomBoxing, and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez,
Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @DanielJacobsTKO, @MatchroomBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloJacobs.
Material Courtesy of DAZN/Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/ DAZN USA Used with permission.
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