Update

We would like to let our readers know that a feature discussing the recent Jr. Bantamweight world championship rematch between Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada is in the works and will be released here on the website on Wednesday, May 1^st. Following this, a preview of the May 4^th Middleweight world championship unification bout between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs will be released on Friday, May 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

Bruno Vifuavilli Reflects On Joel Brunker Victory And More

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: April 30, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Bruno Vifuavilli reflects on Joel Brunker victory, eyes Luke Jackson and names at both Featherweight and Super Featherweight


The new IBF Pan-Pacific Super Featherweight Champion "The Master of Disaster" Bruno Vifuavilli is eyeing up another big challenge after successfully dispatching of Australian standout Joel Brunker via a unanimous decision victory in his last outing.


Vifuavilli, who shares a training base with some of Australia's most prominent rising stars in brothers Andrew and Jason Moloney as well as a former opponent and rising Super Featherweight Billel Dib, opened up about his victory against the highly rated Brunker. 


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.”


Vifuavilli has now established himself in the world top 20 at Super Featherweight, a division that is lighting the world boxing scene up currently with great fights such as Tevin Farmer vs Jono Carroll in our rearview mirror and possibilities of Farmer clashing with the excellent Floyd Mayweather endorsed standout Gervonta Davis. Bruno discussed what he wants going forward.


He said, "I am 23-years-old and fearless. I will fight anyone at Featherweight or Super Featherweight. I want someone to come and try to take my title from me. If they see me as an easy way to break into the world rankings come and try, I will beat them and keep improving my rating.


"I want to fight Luke Jackson if that fight was available. I was offered that fight and our team accepted but it did not happen. It is a real fight and he is a great fighter and I am sure we would put on a great fight that the fans would very much enjoy." 

 

Bruno's 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 against Brunker. 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. 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."

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with Permission.

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

REGIS PROGRAIS ADVANCES TO THE SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT FINALS OF THE WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES

Press Release: By DAZN – LAFAYETTE, Louisiana, April 27, 2019 – In an exciting night of boxing at the Cajundome, the new WBA World Super Lightweight Titlist Regis Prograis stopped Kiryl Relikh to remain undefeated and advance to the Super Lightweight final of the World Boxing Super Series. Nonito Donaire had a dominant performance, knocking out Stephon Young to claim a spot in Bantamweight final with a chance to win the Muhammad Ali Trophy.

Regis Prograis will face the winner of Josh Taylor vs. Ivan Baranchyk, and Nonito Donaire will go up against the winner of Naoya Inoue vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez on May 18 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Regis Prograis

On his performance and adding another world title: “You know what, I love it. Thank you Lafayette for coming out. These boys cannot f*** with me. I f***** just dominated the whole time. They can’t mess with me.”

On being able to dominate: “I’m not surprised at all. I’m a different animal. He already knew from the get-go. I knew that whoever they put in front of me, they’re going to get the same treatment.”

On his defense: “It was the same thing as the last fight. I worked on my defense. People have been saying I get hit too much, but this fight I barely got hit, and I stopped him. What else can you say? Nothing.

On next opponent choice: “You know, it doesn’t matter. I honestly want to fight Josh Taylor more because some people say he can beat me, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter.”

On being pound for pound: “I feel like they have to put me in there. I’m running through everybody. This is my 24th fight, and I’m running through everyone. That’s the world champion undefeated. You look at Maurice Hooker, Jose Ramirez, put me in pound for pound. “

Nonito Donaire

On possibly being a knockout of the year: “It was great, but I want to say thank you to Lafayette, you guys are amazing. First, we came in here with a good game plan and things happen. Stephon is real slick fighter, so it was difficult to come up with a particular game plan. There was one thing I saw which was the straight, he kept throwing it, so I kept timing the hook, and one way or another I paid for it with scratches on my right eye and hand, but it paid due because I was able to figure out the timing and distance in the fight. I take the damage to earn the victory.”

On staying in the pocket: ‘I knew from the second round when I was pressuring him that he was getting winded, so I said I’m going to keep up with this and figure out that timing, and so I kept pushing and pushing and I know when I punch, he throws that right and he leans. It was a matter of time until I figured out that distance, so I kept pressuring him, and I kept taking him down until the right moment I could counter with left hook, and that’s what happened.”

On who he would like to face in the finals: “I know both guys are amazing. There was an unspoken respect between me and Inoue that we’re going to the finals so it was always important for me to get to the finals and I’ll be supporting him to get to the finals so that we can face off. I’ll be there.”

12-Round WBSS Super Lightweight Semi-Final Bout @ 140 lbs.

Regis Prograis (24-0, 20 KOs) defeats Kiryl Relikh (23-4, 19 KOs) by TKO at 1:36 of Round 6

 
12-Round WBSS Bantamweight Semi-Final @ 118 lbs.

Nonito Donaire vs. Stephon Young

Nonito Donaire (40-5, 26 KOs) defeats Stephon Young (18-2-3, 7 KOs) by KO at 2:37 of Round 7

Boxing on DAZN returns next Saturday with Middleweight King Canelo Alvarez taking on Middleweight Champion Daniel Jacobs for the WBC, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine and IBF Middleweight World Titles from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN had expanded across four continents with the service available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and soon to debut in Brazil. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just affordable access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features more than 100 fight nights per year from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp.

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 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.

Results From Florence, Italy

Undefeated Cruiserweight prospect Fabio Turchi scored an impressive first round knockout over Sami Enbom on Friday night at the Tuscany Hall in Florence, Italy. Turchi put the pressure on Enbom, who took the fight on less than a week’s notice, from the outset. Turchi brought an end to matters with a perfectly placed left hook to the body that sent Enbom down and out on the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was: 1:16 of round one. Fabio Turchi advances to 17-0, with 13 Knockouts. Sami Enbom falls to 18-3, with 10 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in a Jr. Welterweight bout, former European Jr. Middleweight champion Orlando Fiordigiglio scored a controversial ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” Stephen Danyo. It appeared as though Danyo got the better of the action throughout the fight using angles, lateral movement, and combination punching to dictate the combat. Although Danyo was more effective and landed the cleaner punches of the two fighters in the eyes of this observer, a questionable point deduction in round five against Danyo for what appeared to be an accidental head butt  proved to be costly for him as all three judges awarded the decision to Fiordigiglio. Orlando Fiordigiglio advances to 31-2, with 13 Knockouts. Stephen Danyo falls to 15-3-3, with 6 Knockouts.


In the Welterweight division, undefeated rising prospect Alessandro Riguccini scored a first round knockout over veteran contender Ivan Alvarez. Riguccini immediately went in for the finish from the opening bell immediately pressing Alvarez against the ropes and dropped him with a left hook to the body. Although Alvarez was able to get up from the knockdown, the all out assault by Riguccini continued as the unbeaten Italian Welterweight dropped his opponent twice more before the fight was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was: 1:40 of round one. Alessandro Riguccini advances to 23-0, with 19 Knockouts. Ivan Alvarez falls to 28-10-1, with 18 Knockouts.


In the Flyweight division, rising prospect Mohammad Obaddi scored an impressive first round knockout over Jersen Larios. The end came when Larios missed wildly with a left hook and walked into a counter right hand to the head by Obaddi, which sent Larios down and out on the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was 2:57 of round one. Mohammad Obaddi advances to 19-1, with 13 Knockouts. Jersen Larios falls to 7-5, with 3 Knockouts.

In the Middleweight division, former two-time European Middleweight champion Emanuele Blandamura scored a six round unanimous decision over Nikola Matic. Blandamura used movement, timing, and crisp combination punching to out box an over matched, but durable Matic over six rounds. Emanuele Blandamura advances to 29-3, with 5 Knockouts. Nikola Matic falls to 16-41, with 11 Knockouts.


Former European Jr. Lightweight champion Devis Boschiero scored a six round unanimous decision over veteran Yesner Talavera. Boschiero consistently applied pressure on Talavera from the opening bell keeping Talavera moving backward and unable to get into a consistent offensive rhythm over the course of the six round bout.  Devis Boschiero advances to 47-6-2, with 21 Knockouts. Yesner Talavera falls to 15-6-1, with 4 Knockouts.

Overall, this card provided a look at some of the rising Italian prospects in promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing stable, which is gradually expanding from its home base in the United Kingdom around the world including branches in the United States and Italy. For fighters like Turchi, Boschiero, Obaddi, and Riguccini to name a few, it will be interesting to see where they each see action next as they all look to advance towards world title contention.

“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 

A Look At Sor Rungvisai-Estrada II

WBC Jr. Bantamweight world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai emerged as a rising star in Boxing's lower weight divisions when he scored a twelve round majority decision over Roman Gonzalez in March 2017 in New York's Madison Square Garden. A victory to win the WBC Jr. Bantamweight crown for Sor Rungvisai, who is also known as Wisaksil Wangek, that was seen as controversial by some over Gonzalez, who is regarded as one of the best fighters in the world. If there were any doubts as to Sor Rungvisai's victory over Gonzalez, the native of Si Sa Ket, Thailand silenced any critics by knocking out Gonzalez in four rounds in their rematch in September 2017.

Since the rematch with Gonzalez, his first successful title defense, Sor Rungvisai has defended his crown twice more including scoring a first round knockout over Yong Gil Bae in a non-title bout in July of last year. It was perhaps the champion’s second title defense however, that may have caused some doubts regarding Sor Rungvisai’s emergence as a rising star in the sport and more specifically the 115lb. Jr. Bantamweight division.

In what was one of the best fights of 2018, a bout that was a fight of the year candidate, Sor Rungvisai scored a razor-thin twelve round majority decision over top contender Juan Francisco Estrada. The fight, which was fought at The Forum in Inglewood, CA, was a highly tactical yet exciting bout between two of the best the Jr. Bantamweight division has to offer. A fight that was twelve rounds of nearly non-stop action. Now one year later, Sor Rungvisai and Estrada will meet again on Friday night once again at The Forum in the main event of a card broadcast by digital streaming network DAZN.

The first encounter between the two saw the ebb and flow go back and forth as both fighters had periods of effectiveness. When it comes to close fights as this one was, it will often come down to which fighter is able to execute their offense a little clearer than their opponent, which can sway opinion as to who will win close rounds in the eyes of the official judges. This was a bout where Estrada appeared for a time to be the one landing the cleaner, more effective punches of the two, but it was Sor Rungvisai who appeared to have the edge in terms of punching power when he did connect cleanly.

It should not be overlooked that there were several instances in the first encounter between these two fighters that Sor Rungvisai appeared to get caught by punches as he lunged forward and went down, but those were ultimately ruled slips by Referee Jack Reiss as it appeared at times that he was punched, but also pushed. Jack Reiss is rightfully regarded as one of the best referees in the entire sport and it is understandable why he is selected as the third man in the ring for many of the top fights to take place in the state of California.  One could make an argument however, that a referee with lesser experience than Reiss may have misjudged those slips of Sor Rungvisai as knockdowns and that could have had a major impact on the scoring of the fight.

It will be interesting to see if Estrada, who will enter the fight coming off of two straight wins, will be able to make the necessary adjustments that could result in a victory this time around. For the challenger a native of Hermosillo, MX, who will also enter with an impressive record of 38-3, with 26 Knockouts, he must also utilize the same type of lateral movement that served him well in the first fight.

Although the champion Sor Rungvisai. Who will enter the fight with a record of 47-4-1, with 41 Knockouts, had the edge in power in the first fight, he was not effective in cutting the ring off from Estrada and was ineffective in being able to minimize the challenger’s movement. One aspect that may work to Sor Rungvisai’s advantage is the last time he had a rematch of a fight that was a close decision, he dominated his opponent and scored a convincing knockout to retain his world championship. 

For Sor Rungvisai to have success in this fight, he must look to apply pressure on Estrada from the outset, but must also be wary to not lunge forward as he did in the first fight where he might be susceptible to getting countered, which might result in a knockdown or knockdowns going against him. The champion must find a way to minimize Estrada’s lateral movement. One way this could be accomplished, which was largely absent from Sor Rungvisai’s offense in the first encounter is to focus a consistent portion of his attack on Estrada’s body, which if successful over the course of the fight will take a toll on the challenger’s legs and make it difficult for him to evade the champion. In addition to not lunging forward, Sor Rungvisai must also not be reckless in his approach as Estrada will almost certainly be looking to play the role of counter puncher and catch the champion as he is coming forward.

What should not be overlooked as this highly anticipated rematch nears is that for the first time in several years some of Boxing’s lower weight divisions, which are not always given the television exposure and recognition they deserve here in the United States are finally being given that exposure due largely to the entertaining styles of fighters like Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Juan Francisco Estrada, and Roman Gonzalez to name a few. It should also not be overlooked that these fighters and by extension the Jr. Bantamweight division were given valuable exposure in the latter days of HBO’s involvement in the sport.

As one network with a storied history left Boxing at the conclusion of 2018, a new network in the emerging digital streaming era has taken the lead in showcasing fighters and weight classes that were not always offered to American Boxing fans before. One can only hope that DAZN’s commitment to Boxing, which has seen a significant shift in how Boxing is broadcast and has provided it’s subscribers with a more affordable alternative to traditional television platforms and pay-per-view, will not only continue their commitment for many years to come, but in doing so also extend their platform to some of the best talent Boxing’s lower weight classes have to offer. An opportunity that frankly was not always taken advantage of by other networks in the sport on a regular basis.

What this ultimately might mean for the Sor Rungvisai-Estrada rematch beyond the potential of another great fight between two world-class fighters just might be opening the door for many fighters in the sport to receive the exposure that they now benefit from. It is something that is frankly long overdue and something that will help grow the sport overall in the long-term.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.

Sor Rungvisai-Estrada II takes place tomorrow night (Friday, April 26^th) at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The card can be seen in the United States and in several countries internationally on digital streaming network DAZN beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT. (U.S. Times)  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 2:30AM (Saturday, April 27^th. Local UK Time) For more information about Sky Sports, channel listings, and availability in your area please visit: www.skysports.com. Check your local 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

'Action' Jackson England returns May 17 In Perth In Main Event Of Thunderdome 30

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: April 25, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing –
Western Australia's rising Featherweight standout Jackson England is really not holding back in moving forward with his professional career.

The 21-year-old captured the Australia Featherweight title in his last outing, dominating and stopping his opponent Cain Brunton inside 8 rounds in a fight that many saw as a real statement made by the Perth native.

'Action' Jackson opened up about his recent victory and becoming Australian Champion at the tender age of 21. He said, "It was a dream come true to become the champion of my country and I have to thanks my trainers at the Onyx fight team in Perth and my manager WBA Oceania Manager of the year Tony Tolj for getting me this opportunity and making it happen for me.

"I thought I boxed very well, but I know that there is still a lot more to come from me. I'm 21, I'm still maturing and developing mentally and physically and that can only make my future a bright one." 

England's next outing is a step up in class arguably, as he takes on 72 fight veteran Rivo Rengkung, who has recently shared the ring with two Australian standouts in Joel Brunker and Luke Jackon, the latter having recently mixed it with Carl Frampton. The Perth native discussed the threats posed by his Indonesian counterpart Rengkung on May 17 in Metro City, Northbridge Perth in the Main Event of Thunderdome 30 

England said, "Rengkung has been in with some really good quality fighters, fighters I look up to like Joel Brunker and Luke Jackson. It's a great test at this stage in my career to see how far I can truly go, but I believe I can go all the way so I need to look good against Rengkung and hopefully that will set me up for some big fights down the line.

"Brunker and Jackson are two of the most recognisable fighters in recent times at Featherweight. They've boxed the best in the likes of Lee Selby and Carl Frampton, so for me, I have to make sure that I am on my game as I am aiming to achieve what these fighters achieved in their careers." 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with Permission.

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

Crawford-Khan: KO, Controversy, Or, Blunder?

An encounter between two of the best fighters in the sport of Boxing usually is reason enough to draw the interest of a Boxing fan of any description. When such a fight also takes place in a historic venue rich in Boxing history, such an encounter is given the ingredients what could be a special night in the sport’s history. The encounter between undefeated WBO Welterweight world champions Terence Crawford and former unified Jr. Welterweight world champion Amir Khan appeared to be one such occasion.

In previewing this fight, this observer stated that this would be an interesting clash of styles between two boxer/punchers. It appeared that when Terence Crawford and Amir Khan entered the ring on April 20th at Madison Square Garden that would be exactly what this fight would produce. In some ways, it is exactly what happened. Two world-class boxers who each have the ability to play the role of aggressor and counter puncher.

Both fighters had periods of effectiveness throughout this fight, but it was Crawford’s counter punching and more specifically his accuracy that proved to be the difference. It was a counter punch, a right hand that would send Khan to the canvas in the first round. Although this was a flash knockdown, it did establish who had more power between the two fighters. As has been the case in some of his more notable fights, Amir Khan’s hand speed was the focal point of his offense and when he was able to get off first, he did have success. What has been in some ways Khan’s Achilles’ heel throughout his career has been a problem in managing distance between himself and his opponent, which leaves him vulnerable to getting caught in exchanges and lunging when he is not at a distance where he can control the tempo of the combat.

Despite having a reputation as having a suspect chin, Khan to his credit was able to get up from the knockdown in the first round and had periods of effectiveness. The flaws that have led to his downfall in previous fights however, were all visible in this fight. An inability to control distance resulted in his being countered by Crawford, most notably with the champion’s right hand throughout the fight. Khan was also caught in exchanges where the champion was able to get the better of the action.

What appeared to be a fight that was competitive, but also one that was turning momentum in Crawford’s favor as it progressed, was suddenly stopped in round six when Khan suffered a clear low blow and rather than taking five minutes as per the rules to see if he could continue, the fight was stopped by his trainer Virgil Hunter. While it is indisputable that Khan was recipient of a clear low blow, the outcome of a technical knockout in favor of Terence Crawford has some questioning whether or not the outcome was a knockout as a result of a fighter more or less looking for a way out when an opportunity presented itself, a controversy in the result being a technical knockout rather than a disqualification in favor of Khan, or a blunder by Khan’s trainer to stop the fight.

Was Amir Khan looking for a way out of a fight that appeared to be getting away from him in terms of his ability to compete effectively? It is important to remember that despite Khan having suffered three previous knockout losses of four previous losses in his career prior to challenging Crawford, Khan has never shown a tendency to back out in a fight when circumstances were not in his favor. From my perspective, although it was indisputable that Khan was hit low by Crawford, the decision to stop the fight appeared to be a little quick.

Should the result of the fight have been a disqualification against Terence Crawford? Things like low blows and other fouls are something that comes with the territory in not just Boxing, but all of combat sports. Fans of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) are not just familiar with the potential of a fighter being hit with a low blow, but also the potential of a fight ending due to a fighter being poked in the eye by their opponent, due largely to the fact that fights in MMA are fought with open-handed gloves that enable a fighter to both punch and grapple, but gloves that leave the fingers exposed where things like eye pokes unfortunately do happened.

In this case even though it was clear that Terence Crawford landed a low blow on Amir Khan, I do not believe that it wasn’t intentional foul and thus it is difficult to say whether or not he should have been disqualified under the rules of Boxing. The central question here appears to be whether or not Amir Khan’s trainer Virgil Hunter was too quick to stop this fight.

Was there a blunder by Virgil Hunter? Although I would have preferred to see Khan take more time to see if he could compose himself in being allowed five minutes under the unified rules of Boxing, this appeared to be a call that was made by his corner and not him. With the momentum shifting more and more in Crawford’s favor, was the decision to stop this fight one made out of concern for Amir Khan’s well-being and safety having been a knockout victim previously in his career and having suffered a brutal one punch knockout loss to Saul Alvarez in his previous loss prior to this fight? Was the decision made out of a strategy to try and win the fight via disqualification as per the rules would suggest if a fighter cannot continue after being given five minutes after suffering a foul? Did Virgil Hunter jump the gun and stop the fight to quickly? Or, was this a case of all of the above playing a factor in his decision to stop the fight?

Obviously, I as a writer, Boxing journalist, and historian cannot answer these questions. The only one that can answer those question is Virgil Hunter. While the fight entering round six was still competitive prior to the low blow, it was clear that the momentum was in Crawford’s favor and Khan would need to do something to turn the ebb and flow in his favor. I do not believe that this was an indication of a fighter wanting out of a fight, but I do believe that a mistake was made by Khan’s corner.

Do I believe that if Khan had taken the full five minutes and couldn’t continue that Terence Crawford should have been disqualified? Not necessarily, but it would not have been the first time Yours truly has seen a fight end under such circumstances where a disqualification was ultimately the result. Given that it was an accidental foul and did not appear to be intentional, would the better option have been to go to the scorecards for a technical decision given that the fight had gone beyond four completed rounds as per the rules for something such as a cut that is deemed too severe for one fighter to continue that was caused by an accidental clash of heads? Perhaps… Or, was is the case of a trainer looking out for the best interest of his fighter in the long-term, but not wanting to stop the fight in a way that would result in a technical knockout loss?

Yours truly cannot answer these questions, but based on not only what has happened in Amir Khan’s career prior to this fight, but also what appeared to gradually be happening in the fight, one should not discount the possibility of a trainer looking out for his fighter, but also possibly looking to take advantage of a technicality that would have theoretically resulted in a victory for his fighter rather than a defeat. Only Virgil Hunter can say for certain what he was thinking, but ultimately the circumstances of which this fight ended was simply “Underwhelming.”

Whether or not there will be a protest by Khan to the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in an effort to have the result of a technical knockout loss against him changed remains to be seen. For Terence Crawford, it appears to be on to the future business of who he will fight next. While this observer will be sharing thoughts on that subject in a future column, for now what was turning out to be another in a long line of impressive performances by the multi-division world champion as he continues to make an argument for himself as the best Welterweight in the world can be summed up by simply saying, “A win Is A Win.”

“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

Golovkin-Rolls Los Angeles Press Conference Quotes

Press Release: April 23, 2019 By DAZN – LOS ANGELES (April 23, 2019) -- Boxing's pound-for-pound superstar attraction GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN and undefeated Top-10 world-rated contender STEVE ROLLS concluded their coast-to-coast media tour with a Los Angeles press conference today at The Conga Room at LA LIVE. Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, formally announced to media that he is bringing his Big Drama Show back to the "Mecca of Boxing" on Saturday, June 8, in a 12-round rumble with Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs), who hails from Toronto. The fight will be contested at a maximum weight of 164 lbs. and marks GGG’s debut on DAZN, after signing a six-fight global partnership in March.

Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin

“First of all, I want to say thank you to God for this chance. I am very happy right now. I feel like I am back. Thank you to DAZN, which is the biggest platform for boxing and for fans. Thank you to my family and everyone involved. This is exactly what I need. I respect Steve and his whole team and I appreciate them for taking this fight. If you can’t make it to Madison Square Garden on June 8, watch on DAZN because I will bring a show.”

On how he feels to be back in the ring after his network decision:  “I feel great, like I am 15 years old with a dream. I am hungry. I know what Steve Rolls feels like right now, with that opportunity. I have that, I want to go back to that mindset. This is my first fight in this deal and it makes me feel like a young man again.”

On the past few months: “I think I learned a lot. We opened a promotional company and as the head of a company and an active athlete, it was the best decision to come to DAZN for the future. We are excited to announce a lot of things soon.”  

On competing in a higher weight class in the future: “I feel very comfortable at my weight class now. But would I move up for a big name or a big fight? Of course.”

On his legacy:  “I feel very comfortable right now. I have six fights with DAZN now and I am excited to face Steve Rolls. The big fights are important to me and titles don’t matter to me as much as being in the biggest fights.”

On a third fight with Canelo Alvarez: “Everyone wants to see that fight. I want that fight, we want that fight. Everyone understands why it is important that the third fight happens so that we can have a definitive conclusion.”

Tom Loeffler

“We are very excited about the return of Gennady Golovkin on June 8. We have to give a lot of credit to Steve Rolls. He took this fight without hesitation. Steve was part of the Canadian national team and part of Emanuel Steward’s gym. Emanuel had an eye for talent and when I heard that Steve was with him, it sold it for me. I knew he belonged here. Steve and his whole team are consummate professionals. They are professionals and they are going to fight under the brightest lights at Madison Square Garden, so they understand how big the moment is. He is Steve Rolls today but he could be Steve Rolls, the guy who beat Gennady Golovkin.”

“I know there’re a lot of opinions on who won the two fights with Canelo – we certainly have our opinion, and that he’s still undefeated and still should be considered the best middleweight in the world, but we consider him the people’s champion. This is really the return of the people’s champion. When you have a fighter who’s undefeated like Steve Rolls, hungry who can take everything that GGG earned in his career – these are the most dangerous kinds of fights that GGG can be involved in at this time. Obviously there’s a potential third fight with Canelo down the road, but if GGG overlooks someone like Steve, it’s one of those classic situations that could the turn the apple cart.”

“GGG has sold out MSG twice, The Forum twice. He sold out T-Mobile Arena twice. And he sold out The O2 Arena. He is truly a global ambassador for the sport. In my mind, he is still best middleweight in the world.”

On whether Canelo and Golovkin need to fight on the traditional Mexican holiday weekends: “No matter which day that Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez fight again, it will be a Mexican holiday. Regardless of the date on the calendar.”

Steve Rolls

“I want to thank GGG promotions, DiBella and DAZN for this opportunity. I know a lot of you are unfamiliar with me and there have been questions about GGG’s choice of opponent. But I worked so hard to get here. I have been in fights that fell through, fights that haven’t happened for this or that. But I think if I had some of those opportunities, you would know my name already. This is going to be a much better fight than people are expecting. I have a lot of respect for Gennady. But at the end of the day, he is a man. And when you get two men in the ring, anything can happen. I can’t wait until June 8 and I look forward to proving it then.”

On what he sees in Golovkin: “GGG is a tremendous champ. Very strong and aggressive, he can do it all. He can box, he can jab. He can cut off the ring very well. He is an excellent fighter.”

On how big this moment is in his life:  “This is just one of those things I am still trying to take in. A lot of thoughts going through my head but I have to stay composed and focus. I am going to put everything into this fight. I can’t let all of those thoughts of the future distract me right now. I just need to prepare and get ready to take on Gennady Golovkin.”

On Golovkin’s power and how his experience has prepared him for this moment: “I have been in there with guys who hit hard. As long as I am 100% physically and mentally, I will be fine. I have gone rounds with cruiserweights and heavyweights, been in there with David Lemieux, Andy Lee, Lucian Bute and Adonis Stevenson. They have helped me prepare for this position and this opportunity. This will be my first 12-rounder as a professional but that’s only on paper. I grind in the gym and will have no problem going the distance.”

On what this fight means to him as a Canadian:  “When you think about boxing in Canada, you think about Quebec. Being from Ontario, we have flown under the radar. But I will show how big boxing is in Canada. There is talent out there and we don’t get a ton of shine. I am looking forward to giving them some light and give others the stage to see what Canadian fighters are capable of.”

Joseph Markowski (EVP, DAZN North America)

“This is a huge moment for our business and continued growth here in this market. Boxing is absolutely central to what we’re trying to do in North America, and to be successful we need the top names in the sport. We’re lucky and proud to have already brought on the platform Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez, and with the addition of Gennady Golovkin, I strongly believe we have the three biggest names in the sport attached to our platform – committing their futures to us as we grow our business here in America and around the world with boxing at the core of that.”

“This fight is part of a tremendous spring and summer schedule for our business here in North America. We’re about ten days away from the biggest fight with Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas, May 4 on Cinco De Mayo Weekend, that’s quickly followed by Anthony Joshua’s debut in the U.S. at MSG, and the following week back at MSG with GGG and Steve Rolls. We’re tremendously excited about all that. I think the value we’re bringing to boxing fans and fight fans in the U.S. is tremendous and unquestionably valuable across our monthly option of $19.99 and our $99.99 monthly pass – giving fans more than 100 fight nights a year for the cost of one PPV under the traditional model.”

 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 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.