Thursday, October 31, 2019

CANELO VS. KOVALEV UNDERCARD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES


Press Release: By DAZN – LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31, 2019): The undercard of the Canelo vs. Kovalev card hosted a press conference featuring Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs), "Ruthless" Romero Duno (21-1, 16 KOs), Seniesa "Super Bad" Estrada (17-0, 7 KOs), Marlen Esparza (7-0, 1 KO), Blair "The Flair" Cobbs (12-0-1, 8 KOs), and Carlos Ortiz (11-4, 11 KOs). The event will take place Saturday Nov. 2, 2019 at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 
Credit:Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

Below is what the fighters had to say at today's press conference:

Ryan Garcia, Lightweight Contender:

"This fight is a big fight, a big moment, there's a lot of hype around it. A lot of things have been said about me not taking the fight in September but look, I'm taking it now. It's a big moment on a big stage, and it had to happen here. You have two hungry fighters and Romero, he's a big puncher and he's going to come and try to knock me out. It's a very dangerous fight. I took a younger fighter who's up and coming so he's hungry. Not some old guy, I took a young, hungry, hard-hitting fighter. I want to prove everybody wrong and I probably won't get the respect end of the day but it's okay as long as I put on the best show that I can."

"I just got a lot of haters and they want to see me lose, even if I knock him out and I put on a beautiful boxing performance, they're not going to respect me but I'm okay with that. I'm okay with just being confident in myself. I have a lot of respect for Romero Duno. Sometimes it confuses me when he wears t-shirts that 'Ryan Garcia is running,' so I'm a little confused, but I respect him."

"I feel like my skills are better. I just feel like I'm going to win fairly easy. I don't see it going all ten rounds."

KO? "Ya."

Romero Duno, NABO Lightweight Champion:

"I would like to thank Golden Boy Promotions for giving me a chance to fight this event, a very big event for me. I would like to thank Ryan Garcia for accepting the match. I wanted to give the fans what they want. They say they want me to fight King Ryan. I was ready [in September], I was always ready. I was born ready."

"I didn't imagine that I could be here right now, fighting on a big card like this one. It's a very big opportunity for me to show the world that not only Manny Pacquiao can make history in boxing in the Philippines. There's a lot of Filipino fighters that can do that."

Seniesa Estrada, WBC Silver Light Flyweight Champion:

"I've been dealing with a lot of talk from Marlen the last two years, mostly on social media of course, but I do my talking in the ring. Saturday night, she's going to have a lot to deal with. I love that she's underestimating me and thinks she's gonna walk right through me. Saturday night, she's in for a big surprise."

"You're a bad rep to women's boxing period, you start beef with everybody. There's little girls watching you too, and you disrespect me all the time. She has a bad ego, bad attitude, she's disrespectful, she's just a nasty person with a nasty attitude.  Marlen Esparza is delusional." 

"I'm going to be the bully Saturday night, that's for sure."

Marlen Esparza, NABO Flyweight Champion:

"I just want to say that I'm extremely happy to be here. It's such a huge platform for women's boxing. I'm looking forward to settling this once and for all. There's been so much said, so much done. Seniesa decided to shove me and disrespect me and disrespect women's boxing. There's little girls watching all over the world and I want to show them how we should represent women's boxing. The entire situation is disrespectful. There's a time to make contact and that's on Saturday night. You need to hold yourself in a professional manner."

"I'm excited to put on a show and I'm excited for the three-minute rounds - it's huge for us in women's boxing. I'm excited to do this not just for me but for all the Latinas everywhere."

"She's a compulsive liar. She tries to play victim all the time. You're not the victim here, and then you want to shove me? Which are you, are you the victim or the bully? You need to pick a side."

Blair Cobbs, Junior NABF Welterweight Champion:

"I'm going out there to impress and show the world - millions around the world - what Blair 'The Flair' is all about baby. Woo!"

"I am the most exciting man in boxing today, because it doesn't matter who you put me in there with - you're going to see an exciting fight. Knockouts, drag-out wars, you're going to see blood, action, tears. You're going to see somebody that's going to hate me, and the people that hate me are going to rise up and give a great applause."

Carlos Ortiz, Welterweight Contender: 

"I'm very grateful to be participating on such a card with great boxers. There's a reason why we're here and I look forward to giving a great fight."

Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy:

"As in any big event, you have the undercard and we have all these rising stars that are going to contribute in making this a special event on Saturday night. In the co-feature, Ryan Garcia wants to prove that he can be the next big star in boxing but he's facing a tough customer in Romero Duno - who knows that with a victory, he's right in line to challenge for a world title. And, we have two girls who are undefeated and are going to take their fight off of social media and into the ring."

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events:

"A spot on the undercard is where it starts. I can't tell you how many times I've looked through our archive and looked at a particular fight and been astonished at who was fighting underneath."

Bernard Hopkins, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

"To my left, the future stars, this is your moment. Even though you're not the headliner of the card, you have the chance to steal the show. You have the chance to be your own main event and be successful. To my right, the same goes to you - especially Blair and everybody that's putting themselves into a position to one day be a main event. I love this sport, I love boxing, and when you get an undercard that has substance and meaning, it makes me feel even more grateful that I've left my DNA heavy in the history of boxing. Pay attention to the undercard very closely because one day soon, you'll be rooting for them and you'll be covering them."

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. Garcia vs. Duno is a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Silver & NABO Lightweight Titles presented by Golden Boy. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle" and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN - an entire fall featuring boxing's biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. 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.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, 
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com

Kovalev vs. Alvarez takes place on Saturday, November 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen in the United States and several international countries exclusively on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT (U.S. Time.) For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. Check your local listings internationally.

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


CANELO VS. KOVALEV FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Press Release: By DAZN – LAS VEGAS (Oct. 30, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) hosted their final press conference today ahead of their 12-round fight for Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 
Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN 
  
Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today's final press conference: 

Canelo Alvarez, WBC Franchise, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion:

“I want to say thank you to all of you guys, familiar faces, I want to thank you for all the support you’ve given me throughout my entire career. Thank you to Main Events, Golden Boy, DAZN, everybody, thank you. I’m ready. I’m ready to make history. I’m ready for this great fight with Kovalev. Thank you to my team, to my family, thank you to my beautiful daughter who’s here - hi my love, I love you. We are ready to win.”

Why Kovalev? “Because he’s the best in his division, he’s one of the best, that’s why we chose him, to make history by fighting one of the best.”

175 vs. 160: “I feel comfortable, I feel good, we’ll see on Saturday how it all goes but I feel good.”

Sergey Kovalev, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion:

“I’m sure this fight is going to be very interesting and very difficult for both of us because we never step back, never give up. I have to thank all my team, all of team Golden Boy and Canelo, and also thank you to all the people who are involved in this fight. Thanks to Las Vegas, thanks to MGM Grand for a nice stay and for everything. Thanks to all my boxing fans, let’s make a fight this Saturday.”

“My goal is to break his strategy and use my strategy in the fight. My goal is to defend this title and follow my dreams.”

Were you offended that Canelo chose you, perhaps seeing you as an easy win? “No, I’m happy. It’s nice that this is the biggest call in my boxing career, and to face Canelo, I’m happy. This is a big test for me – to prove one more time, I’m the best light heavyweight in the division.”

Will you be the first to KO Canelo? “You know, let’s fight, and in the fight you’ll get to see. It’s not my goal, because when you follow that goal, you can’t do it. I just want to get into the ring and box very well and make a great fight for boxing fans and the boxing world.”

“We’re two great champions, and right now, we respect each other inside and outside the ring. But we will do our job very well for the boxing fans. And we will be fighting, never step back, never give up, we will make a great fight 100%.”

Eddy Reynoso, Head Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“We have been in camp, we’ve been training, and as I told Saul, we are ready for this and we will show on Saturday what we have been preparing for. Kovalev, we have great respect for him as a fighter, great respect for his trainer and respect for his camp. We have trained, we have prepared, and we are ready for Saturday and to win.”

Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, Trainer and Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“Everything is teamwork, everybody puts in a little bit to make this happen, so thank you to everyone for this. And I want to give thanks to the great fighter Kovalev for accepting this fight. This allowed history to be made, and because of him accepting this fight, Saul will be winning his fourth division title. Thank you to the people that participated in the sparring for this great fight, it was different, and it contributed a lot for us to be prepared for this.”

“A very special thanks to Saul, we have been together for 14 years, and we’ve come a long way and we are here in a very special moment. And this Saturday, Saul will have his cake with four candles - each candle for each division that he has won a title. On Saturday, expect Saul to be on the list of the immortals of this sport.”

Egis Klimas, Manager of Sergey Kovalev:

“I’m so proud to represent one of the best fighters in boxing, Sergey Kovalev. But I’m more proud to be involved in this historical fight, which all the fans want. I can’t talk much about what it means to win for Canelo, because he’s already a legendary fighter. He’s already top of the line. Sergey has bounced up and down, but I can tell you one thing – if Sergey can win this fight, which I believe he will, he will become the most recognized and the best fighter in the history of Russia. Let’s hope we’re going to have a good time, both guys are going to stay safe, and enjoy Saturday night’s fight.”

James “Buddy” McGirt, Trainer of Sergey Kovalev

“It’s going to be a great show Saturday. Most importantly, I have to thank Mr. Alvarez for making this fight happen. So much respect. I think you’re one of the best out there, and it’s going to be a great night of boxing on Saturday. I’m happy that 20 years from now, I can say I was a part of that. Everybody be ready, Sergey has some tricks up his sleeves, I know Alvarez does. Mr. Reynoso has done a great job with him since the Mayweather fight, he’s improved a whole lot, but you’ll see what we’ve been doing Saturday night. 

Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy:

“This is a very important battle for Canelo and Sergey Kovalev and there’s a lot at stake for both fighters. When we first started working with Canelo over a decade ago, we knew he was destined to be great. I think we are all aware now that we are witnessing greatness in the making. What does it mean to be great? To be considered great at anything, a person must be above average, they must exceed what’s normal. We say some fighters are good, others are bad, but we reserve the term for those who are considerably above average, and through their various accomplishments they’re able to achieve that status. Few fighters in the history of boxing can be considered great, and this small group of people develops a fierce ambition and spirit of competition. This ambition comes natural to them. For me that’s what motivated me to spend of my teenage years putting aside the amusements of youth for the responsibility of greatness.”

“At the same time every natural gift must be cultivated by competition. You need to test your talents with other people who also have that same ambition. But what happens when those equal strengths and sizes are no longer competitive? Then the task becomes looking for even bigger challenges and I think that’s what makes a fighter great – the ambition to succeed, the spirit to compete, and the initiative to keep looking for that next challenge. This is an accomplishment that has only been achieved by an elite group of fighters. Bernard Hopkins did it moving from middleweight to light heavyweight, and I did it by moving several divisions throughout my career. Canelo is now attempting to become a four-weight world champion, an accomplishment that has only been achieved by an elite group of fighters. Canelo will also look to become the second Mexican fighter to capture the 175 title in the history of Mexican boxing, and Canelo will attempt that by fighting one of the most feared punchers in recent years. Kovalev is a three-time world champion. Kovalev is one of the most avoided fighters in his own division. With Kovalev’s strength and power, he can end the fight at any moment.”

“This is what it looks like when you have the initiative to keep looking for that next challenge. And then, only then, is the competition no longer against the man in front of you. It’s now between you and history. For those wanting to witness history from the comfort of their homes, the fight will be streamed live on DAZN. We want to thank DAZN for giving us the best platform in boxing.”

Bernard Hopkins, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

“First, thanks everyone for supporting the fights that matter. For Canelo, I commend you again and respect you not only as a fighter, but as a man and not only as a champion, but as a business. I have super profound respect for Canelo because I have a history of taking on the best, and I see in the legacy that he’s building that Canelo has the same spirit. I know that he’s in the right mindset based on fighting the best in that division – none other than The Krusher. Thanks for bringing fights like this that make boxing a conversation in homes, coffee shops, bars, number houses in Philadelphia, as a conversation like other big sports whether it’s a playoff in the NBA, whether it’s NFL, golf, boxing is being talked about. And to see that, to me, Golden Boy, my partner Oscar De La Hoya, Eric, Robert, they are all on the same page and taking action to make these fights happen.”

“I must continue to tell you your job is not to be biased, or to be with us all the time, but to write what you see and write what’s being done. And that’s more important than what you’ve heard. And not being the first one to get it out, because at the end of the day, you do your own independent analysis. Enjoy the fight November 2 because I know Canelo will have his hands full and Sergey Kovalev is going to be ready. I’m very happy and very satisfied that boxing has been passed down, like you pass a baton, to these two great fighters, making it even greater.”

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events:

“I also want to thank the fighters, because without them, without guys who want to take risks, we don’t get to have great events like this one. The first time I ever watched Sergey Kovalev fight a round, I knew he was something special. I want to thank him today for proving me right about that. I also want to thank Canelo Alvarez for calling Sergey out because that took a lot of courage and that’s what it takes to be a great fighter, and we know he has it.”

About the Matryoshka doll she surprised Sergey with that artistically documented some of his career-defining moments: “The one thing all those fights had in common, is that they happened in the other fighter’s hometown. Sergey won them all, he drew strength from the crowd that was booing him, and he plans to make that happen again on Saturday.”

Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports:

“MGM Grand is thrilled to host this highly-anticipated matchup between two great champions – Canelo Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev, Saturday evening, as they make their return to Las Vegas. This will certainly be an exciting night as Canelo moves up in weight. We look forward to seeing you Saturday night for this great event.”

Bob Bennett, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission:

“We are certainly honored and privileged to regulate these fights and we are prepared to go to work. Most importantly, we would like to thank the fighters and recognize them. Because of the fighters, they keep boxing exciting, alive, and continue to make history.”

Joe Markowski, EVP of DAZN North America:

“I would like to thank all the journalists who have traveled to Las Vegas for this week’s fight. Since our launch last September, you’ve kept us on our toes, challenged us to always do better but more importantly, you’ve been willing to keep an open dialogue with a new entrant into this storied sport. Since our launch last year, we’ve assembled the best schedule in boxing – something you’ve seen us market as Fight Season on DAZN, akin to the consistency that fans expect from the NFL and NBA. It’s a true season of fight sports to close out 2019.”

“Week on week, month on month, more subscribers are being treated to great events with interesting narratives – and no fight embodies that description better than Canelo vs. Kovalev. This is a hugely important week for the sport of boxing, a hugely important night for DAZN, and our biggest fight we’ve put on to date in the United States.”

“It’s one thing for a fighter to jump up two weight classes but it’s a different kettle of fish to jump up two weight classes and challenge the biggest name in the division. Canelo as we all know is not your typical fighter. His drive to continually seek out new challenges is truly admirable. In a little more than 10 months, Canelo has already fought three times on DAZN. He is the biggest draw in boxing, we couldn’t ask for a better partner.”


Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle" and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN - an entire fall featuring boxing's biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. 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.axs.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, 
https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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


Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Katie Taylor Attempts To Become Two-Division World Champion By Challenging Christina Linardatou


The sport of Women Boxing has been enjoying a long overdue resurgence and belated recognition In recent years. Although much of the attention has centered around undefeated multi-division world champion Claressa Shields, the resurgence of Women’s Boxing Is also attributed to fighters such as undefeated Undisputed Welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus, who will go down in history as a fighter to have competed in and won the final fight to be broadcast by Home Box Office (HBO) in December of last year bringing the network’s forty-five year run in the sport to an end, and undefeated Undisputed Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor, who has been showcased over the last year as one of the stars of digital subscription streaming network DAZN.

Much like Shields and Braekhus, Taylor is not only unbeaten, but has also emerged as one of the top fighters in the sport. The native of Bray, Ireland compiled an Impressive record of 154-10-1, with 34 Knockouts as an amateur before embarking on a professional career. After turning pro in November 2016 with a knockout win over Karina Kopinska, Taylor would win the vacant WBA Lightweight world championship In her seventh pro fight by scoring a ten round unanimous decision over Anahi Sanchez in October of 2017. As her career went on, Taylor eventually fully unified the 135lb. Lightweight division by scoring a hard fought ten round majority decision over Delfine Pearson in June of this year in Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY.

The victory over Pearson seen as controversial by some meant that Taylor had for the moment stood alone atop the Lightweight division. As has been the case for many men and women in the sport after unifying a division, they set their sights on attempting to win a world championship In higher weight division. For Taylor, her attempt to become a two-division world champion will come on Saturday night as she will challenge WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Christina Linardatou at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

The fight, which will headline one of two cards broadcast by DAZN along with the card In Las Vegas, NV headlined by WBO Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev defending against current unified Middleweight world champion Saul Alvarez, presents an Inter challenge for Taylor, who will be moving up five pounds from Lightweight to the Jr. Welterweight division.

In Christina Linardatou, Taylor will face a fighter who has won twelve of her thirteen professional fights. The Dominican Republic-born, Athens, Greece-based Linardatou will be making her second defense of the WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship she won in March of this year with a sixth round stoppage of Kandi Wyatt in Greece. In her last fight, Linardatou scored a ten round unanimous decision over Deanha Hobbs in June.

The question going into this fight is the same that is asked of any fighter that is moving up in weight. Will Katie Taylor be as effective as a Jr. Welterweight as she has been as a Lightweight? Linardatou has scored knockouts in six of her twelve career wins and it is logical to assume that her fight plan might be to apply pressure on Taylor from the outset. 


While both women are boxer/punchers, Taylor has scored knockouts in six of her fourteen career wins. Although this Is nearly identical to Linardatou’s statistics, some may say that the champion might have a slight edge in terms of her ability to end a fight early. Stylistically, how do these fighters match up?

Taylor is a fighter who uses good lateral movement and precise compact combination punching to attempt to gradually break her opponents down over the course of a fight. She can be effective fighting from distance and has shown a willingness to fight on the inside and mix it up with her opponents. Although this has often worked out well for Taylor, her last fight against Delfine Pearson was the first time as a professional that there was an element of doubt as to whether or not Taylor had won the fight. A bout that was grueling, Pearson was able to push Taylor more than any of her previous opponents and left the ring that night having convinced some that she deserved the victory. 

In contrast to Taylor, Linardatou is a pressure fighter who tends to look to force her opponents against the ropes. The champion is also heavy-handed and puts a lot of power behind every punch she throws. Although this would give an appearance of a potential advantage in the challenger’s favor, Linardatou has shown success in landing hard, thudding punches to the head and body in the past. While the champion has also shown a tendency to throw wide, looping hooks with both hands to the head, which could create openings for a fighter with Taylor’s counter punch ability, and more specifically her ability to be accurate with her offense, if Linardatou can bring the fight to the challenger and limit Taylor’s ability to move, this could prove to be another test for the Lightweight champion of the world.

In terms of common opponents, the lone defeat on Linardatou’s record came In a decision to Delfine Pearson in June 2016. While some may be tempted to base their opinion as to who might win this fight based on the fact that Taylor defeated Pearson in her last fight, whereas Pearson holds a victory over Linardatou, it I important to keep In mind just how competitive Women’s Boxing is and that there are several fighters throughout the sport who can give a world champion/elite-level fighter a difficult fight.

No matter who wins this fight however, Delfine Pearson will likely be a potential rematch option for both Linardatou and Taylor. With the sport of Women’s Boxing finally receiving its share of the spotlight, which will only benefit the sport in the long-term as far as its overall growth, there is nothing quite like the anticipation that usually comes before two world champions square off against each other. This observer believes as with the recent battle between world champions Heather Hardy and Amanda Serrano that this fight between Christina Linardatou and Katie Taylor has all of the potential to elevate both fighters and in the process continue the elevation of the sport.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

Linardatou vs. Taylor takes place on Saturday, November 2nd at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States and several international countries on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe 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 9PM (Local UK Time.) For more information about Sky Sports Including channel schedules and availability in you’re 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 


Tuesday, October 29, 2019

CANELO VS. KOVALEV GRAND ARRIVALS QUOTES


Press Release: By DAZN – LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29, 2019): Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) and Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) made their grand arrivals today at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino in Las Vegas ahead of their 12-round fight for Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight World Title. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov 2, 2019 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today's grand arrivals:

Canelo Alvarez, WBC Franchise, WBA, Lineal, Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and WBA Super Middleweight World Champion: 
Credit:Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

“As always, I’m very grateful that everybody is here, I’m very honored and I’m ready. This is very important for myself, for my career, for my history, for my family, for my team. To be a world champion in four different weight classes would be another chapter of my story.”

“Everything has been different, the weight, the training, and I can’t wait to see how it goes on Nov 2. I’ll do my best.”

Does the fan support ever get old? “No, it’s very motivating. This motivates me and I’m ready for triumph.”

Sergey Kovalev, WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion: 
Credit:Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

“I feel great. I’m here for my glory. For my story. For my history. A couple fights ago, when I started to work with my new team Buddy McGirt and Teddy Cruz, they gave me back my belief in myself. With this team I can do more. You can see, with my last fights, a little bit of change to my technique and style. I’m ready to fight 12 rounds.”

“It’s not the goal to knock someone out, I just need to follow my instructions from the corner, from my coach, and everything will be fine.”

Is Canelo going from 160 to 175 a mistake? “You know, I respect his steps and his risks. This is boxing, but in boxing, only real men try to prove themselves, that they’re a real fighter, and Canelo is that. But this is my division, I have been in this division since my first fight, and I want to make my history, my story. He’s just trying. Right now, 175 has a lot of good fights right now, a lot of good fighters right now, even Canelo has come to 175.”

On all the boos from Canelo fans: “I want to disappoint a lot of people on Saturday. In England, everybody was going against me, but after the fight, everyone was asking for my autograph. Your boo is good!”

Ryan Garcia, Lightweight Contender:

“I’m here now, it don’t matter what he was thinking. I’m here now, I’m ready to do my thing Saturday night and prove that I’m the better fighter. Words are cheap, I’m just ready to show what I can do.”

On what a win Saturday would say to his naysayers: “I don’t know what it says to them, that’s up to their own judgment. I believe in myself and my team believes in me and that’s all that matters. This is a big moment and a big time in my life, so thank you all for your support.”

On his Fierce King jacket: “It’s just my new brand, so I wanted to rock it. I created the design and I just like the name, Fierce King. My nickname’s King and I’m fierce in the ring.”

On his social media presence: “It’s just an easy thing to talk about. I don’t really talk about it. I just focus on what I’m doing in the ring. Everyone else talks a lot, they like to mention my social media, but it’s an easy way to connect with my fans. With the click of a button, that’s 3.6 million fans, and I can update them and show them what I’m doing in the gym and with my training.”

Romero Duno, NABO Lightweight Champion:

“I’m feeling excited. This is a big card. A lot of people said that King Ryan is going to beat you, but I said to myself that maybe I can have a technique to counter that kind of speed.”
Was he upset that Ryan Garcia didn’t accept his offer to fight in Carson last month after Avery Sparrow was taken off the card? “No, I respect the decision because I know that King Ryan had already prepared for a different opponent, and that’s why he didn’t accept the offer.”

“It feels so good. I’m so thankful to Golden Boy Promotions and to Oscar for putting me on this big card.”

Seniesa “Estrada, WBC Silver Light Flyweight Champion:

“I’m feeling great, I had an amazing training camp and I’m just going to let all the work show in the ring Saturday night.”

“It’s very personal, even after I win I still won’t like her. There’s been a lot of talk from her for the past two years. I do my talking in the ring. Saturday night, we’re going to show who’s really the best.”

On Esparza saying she’s been ducking her: “That’s a lie, I’ve been wanting to fight her. I accepted this fight before she did and I was ready to go. I don’t fear anybody and Marlen Esparza will be the least one that I fear. I’m just ready to put on an exciting fight for women’s boxing and for the sport on Saturday night.”

Marlen Esparza, NABO Flyweight Champion:

Why is this fight finally happening now? “I forced it. I forced it for a long time, after I came back I really felt like I needed to go ahead and ask for it because I knew it was going to take a while. It was something that I was promised a long time ago but I’m back and I really want to fight.”

“It was really good, it was probably one of the best training camps of my life. I’m in a really good place mentally and when you get to this level of boxing, that’s what’s the most important. After so many years, you know how to box, it’s really the mentality and I feel like I’ve never been in a better place.”

“I don’t like her because she used my name to try to get signed before I turned pro. Before I turned pro, she said I used to run from her in the amateurs. And when I turned pro, a lot of the promoters were asking me if that was the truth. Anyone would get mad getting their name used, and completely not the truth too.”

“It’s such a big fight for women’s boxing. I feel like this will be a reintroduction into the boxing world and I feel like I’m in the best place to do it, and to represent women’s boxing with another girl who is Mexican-American. I couldn’t be in a better situation.”

“I just don’t like her. She’ll hate me even more after this. It is what it is.”

Blair Cobbs, Junior NABF Welterweight Champion:

“I was born with this confidence, I was born with this flair, I was born with everything that we have here. I was born for this moment. I am Blair ‘The Flair.’”

“It means it’s the opportunity for me to take over. Take over the show, the whole world. Millions around the world are going to see the baddest, the most exciting man in boxing today – Blair ‘The Flair’ Cobbs.”

“Shock and awe. You’re going to be shocked at everything that you see coming out of Blair ‘The Flair,’ you’re going to be raising to the edge of your seats every time you see Blair ‘The Flair.’ show. Look out for me because I am the best in boxing today.”


Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for the WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle" and Brand-New Grapefruit Crush, Knockout Flavor. The event will take place Saturday, Nov. 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. The title clash is one of several highlights this fight season on DAZN - an entire fall featuring boxing's biggest matchups in one of the best schedules in boxing history.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kovalev are on sale and are priced at $1,754, $1,254, $854, $654, $404 and $204, not including applicable service charges and taxes. 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.axs.com

For more information, visit  www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SaulCaneloAlvarez, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/, https://www.facebook.com/MainEventsBoxing and 
https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Canelo, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKovalev.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photos Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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


Kovalev-Alvarez: High Risk, High Reward



Over the last year, it is indisputable that one of the biggest players in the broadcasting realm that has emerged in the sport of Boxing has been digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. One of the key reasons for that in the wake of Home Box Office’s (HBO) decision to exit Boxing in an announcement in September 2019 was the near-immediate signing by DAZN of Saul “Camelo” Alvarez. Alvarez, one of the sport’s biggest stars signed a landmark five year contract worth an estimated $365 Million with the streaming network after coincidentally being one of the key fighters in HBO’s stable and the biggest pay-per-view draw in recent years for the sport.

The signing of Alvarez by DAZN, which coincidentally expanded into the United States last year shortly before HBO’s announcement last September that it would leave Boxing at the end of 2018 ending a forty-five year run, helped usher in a new era for the sport and served as a significant part of the network’s strategy to serve as a more economically reasonable alternative to the long-standing pay-per-view model by successfully signing away the top pay-per-view draw in the sport and using Alvarez’ as the centerpiece of the new subscription-based model where consumers either have the option to pay a monthly or annual fee to access all the content the network has to offer including all of their Boxing cards with the option to view content both live and on-demand.

While It should be no secret to longtime readers that this observer is supportive of this model as it is more beneficial to consumers than paying increasingly expensive pay-per-view prices on a per card basis where only a portion of a full Boxing card is offered. The view of yours truly aside, a challenge that exists not only for DAZN, but also ESPN, who also has taken a similar approach with their ESPN+ digital streaming network, is to provide their respective subscribers with the types of bouts that they were accustomed to paying to see on pay-per-view.

For Alvarez, who has fought twice since signing with DAZN, one might say that one of those bouts were viewed as “Pay-Per-View level”, that fight being his unification bout against IBF Middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs in May of this year. It was his first bout under the DAZN banner however, which may have given him the confidence to attempt something that some might view as illogical.

The fight that I’m referring to dear reader was his bout against Super-Middleweight Rocky Fielding in December of last year. A fight where Alvarez, a long time Jr. Middleweight who was a unified world champion in the Middleweight division successfully moved up in weight and scored a quick knockout over a theoretically bigger fighter and earned interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super-Middleweight ratings in the process.

Although his bout with Fielding was frankly a case of two fighters of different levels of skill squaring off against each other, the win over Fielding should indeed be viewed as a confidence booster in that Alvarez showed a willingness to go in against a bigger fighter, who theoretically had physical advantages over him. While that fighter is not competitive, it did serve as a way to evaluate how Alvarez would do at a higher weight.

Alvarez will now attempt to move up two weight classes from where he is world champion in the Middleweight division when he faces three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. This fight carries along with it a significant risk in that after Alvarez knocked out Rocky Fielding last year, he immediately moved back down to Middleweight to resume defending his world championship. Now, Alvarez will leapfrog up to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division from the 160lb. Middleweight division.

Even though moving up fifteen pounds may not seem as if it would be that difficult especially in an era where the sport has seventeen weight classes and it is not uncommon to see fighters moving up in weight, it is important to remember that the bulk of Alvarez’ career was fought as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight after initially debuting professionally as a 147lb. Welterweight. It is rare to see even elite-level fighters move up in weight through multiple divisions without experiencing some difficulty.

Difficulty can come in various forms. In regard to a fighter moving up in weight, one of the most common is that they find that the effectiveness of their punches is not the same as they might have had in fights fought at lower weights. While it is also true that fighters do struggle to make lower weights than what their body may feel more naturally comfortable, it can still be a challenge for one to be able to successfully carry their ability to score knockouts and perhaps other elements of their skills such as the ability to be elusive and the ability to evade punches at a higher weight.

This was not tested for Alvarez in his fight against Rocky Fielding, but will likely be tested early in his fight against Sergey Kovalev. Kovalev, much like Alvarez’ heated rival Gennady Golovkin, carved out a reputation as a feared knockout artist in the Light-Heavyweight division ascending to a unified world champion along the way. The fighter known as “Krusher” however, has seen his career struggle and has suffered some setbacks.

Most Boxing aficionados will likely point to his two losses against Andre Ward as well as his knockout loss at the hands of Eleider Alvarez in their first encounter in August of last year as signs of Kovalev’s decline. Although Kovalev also suffered a controversial stoppage loss in his second fight against Andre Ward prior to suffering the knockout against Eleider Alvarez, he has shown the ability to bounce back including scoring a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over Alvarez in their rematch in February of this year.

Perhaps the significant reason for that was the addition of Hall of Fame fighter and trainer Buddy McGirt in Kovalev’s corner. Kovalev has fought twice since suffering a knockout to Alvarez and has shown more of a well-rounded skill set with an emphasis on Boxing as opposed to the seek and destroy “Knockout Artist” that he built his reputation on.

In his last fight however, in August of this year Kovalev did have a scare put into him by McGirt, who threatened to stop his fight against previously undefeated contender Anthony Yarde after the eighth round of that fight as McGirt felt that he was taking too many punches. As some may recall thisobserver’s coverage of that fight, the bout took place shortly after the passing of Maxim Dadashev, a McGirt trained fighter who died in the days following his fight against Subriel Matias. Although I stated that some may have questioned why McGirt would threaten to stop a fight that Kovalev was in control of, with the exception of the eighth round, that it was important to remember that he was the one that stopped the fight involving Dadashev, despite his fighter’s plea to go on and was praised by many including Yours truly for the decision to stop the fight, some may have questioned whether or not under the circumstances and Kovalev’s fight with Yarde taking place one month after Dadashev’s bout with Matias if McGirt should have been working the corner. Although McGirt himself is the only one that could say why he would threaten to stop the Kovalev-Yarde fight, Kovalev did respond and was able to score a knockout in the eleventh round.

Some may also question given what happened after the eighth round in that fight as to whether that is the reason Saul Alvarez chose to face Kovalev and also chose to face him so soon after Kovalev’s last title defense. Whether or not it was a strategic move by Alvarez remains to be seen, but the question is what will happen in the ring?

It is crucial in my eyes that Kovalev get the respect of Alvarez early in the fight. While I do not feel that it would be a smart move for him to revert back to the seek and destroy style that made him a household name and he should show the skills that he has shown under Buddy McGirt’s guidance, he must establish himself early on. Alvarez showed world-class defense and elusiveness in his last fight against Daniel Jacobs and it will be interesting to see how the champion will look to combat Alvarez.

In this observer’s eyes, Kovalev must apply strategic pressure on Alvarez early and must make him feel uncomfortable and unable to dictate the combat. The champion however, must be weary of Alvarez’ ability to counter punch and to attack in compact spurts. Kovalev has also shown that he does not absorb body punches well and this could play into Alvarez’ fight plan.

The fight plan Alvarez executed against Rocky Fielding was one that saw a near non-stop attack to Fielding’s body. Although until he suffered setbacks against Andre Ward and Eleider Alvarez Sergey Kovalev was considered one of the best fighters in the world, it is logical to assume that Saul Alvarez will look to take a similar approach as he did against Fielding.

Alvarez needs to keep in mind however, he is facing a fighter in Sergey Kovalev that is a more well-rounded and complete fighter as compared to Rocky Fielding and the approach that he took against Fielding may not be as easy to accomplish against Kovalev, who has only improved under the tutelage of Buddy McGirt. As he has done in previous fights, Alvarez must be tactical in his approach, but also needs to respect Kovalev’s punching power and as the fighter moving up in weight should resist the temptation to go toe to toe with Kovalev if circumstances emerge.

Although most Boxing fans would likely say that they enjoy watching to be elite-level fighters stand and trade power punches, Boxing is a tactical sport and more often than not it is a fighter’s tactics that win fights and not stictly the ability to take a punch. Alvarez must be elusive and look to outbox Kovalev over the course of the twelve round world championship bout to be successful.

In terms of what this fight could mean for the business landscape of the sport, it is an interesting scenario. Much like Alvarez, Kovalev was tied to HBO prior to the network’s decision to back out of the sport. Kovalev’s last two fights have been on ESPN+ and he has now co-promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., who has an exclusive deal with ESPN.

While the subject exclusivity with networks having contracts with promoters and fighters has led to fights that have significant public demand not being made for in most cases lengthy periods of time, DAZN and ESPN have shown a willingness to showcase each other’s fighters on their respective platforms. In terms of this fight, it has been said by Bob Arum that if Kovalev were to lose to Alvarez that Kovalev’s next two fights would be broadcast by DAZN. If Kovalev does retain his title against Alvarez however, he will go back to fighting on ESPN and ESPN+. Even though win or lose Alvarez will remain exclusive to DAZN, the willingness of competing platforms to do business with each other for the ultimate betterment of Boxing is extremely refreshing and I hope is something that will continue in this new era. Boxing after all is always elevated to a higher level when the best fighters fight the best and when the various political elements that exist in the sport do not serve as roadblocks standing in the way of those fights from happening.

Of course, we don’t know what will happen when Sergey Kovalev and Saul Alvarez square off on Saturday night. One can hope that no matter the outcome, the sport will be able to continue to capitalize on and benefit from the positive things that have come from networks like DAZN and ESPN working together. Boxing as a sport is one with no storage of negativity, but for all the negative things that have been seen in Boxing throughout its history, everyone associated with the sport whether they be journalists/writers/historians who cover Boxing like yours truly, broadcasters, the fighters themselves, promoters, and most importantly the fans who tirelessly support the sport in good times and bad should be able to enjoy some of the good Boxing has to offer from time to time.

One can only hope as we are in the midst of a new era that should benefit the sport and it’s fans for many years to come that we all look back on November 2, 2019, the day Sergey Kovalev and Saul Alvarez did battle for Kovalev’s WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship as one such occasion that everyone will remember fondly. We will see what happens on Saturday night.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Kovalev vs. Alvarez takes place on Saturday, November 2nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen in the United States and several international countries exclusively on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT (U.S. Time.) For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.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