Haney-Linares Thoughts

 

In previewing the Lightweight encounter between undefeated top contender Devin Haney and former three-division world champion Jorge Linares, this observer referred to the bout as a “Crossroads Fight.” The very term in most cases is used to describe a fight between two fighters at differing stages of their careers. Although the term can also be used in describing two boxers at a similar stage, this was a scenario where the first example was almost an exact description for what took place on May 29^th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

 

Often when the scenario of a bout between two fighters at differing stages is seen, it is not uncommon for a fighter who is thought to be on the way up to have their share of questions and criticism that surrounds them. For Devin Haney, the questions that surround him are essentially the same as any and all hot rising contenders. What happens when they are faced with adversity for the first time? Can they take a punch? Due largely to his evolving skillset and talent, the twenty-two year old Haney has been able to avoid both while showcasing a mix of polished Boxing skills as well as also showing the ability to score head-turning knockouts if the opportunity arises. Despite this, Haney has also faced criticism for perhaps not being as aggressive in recent fights as some Boxing fans might prefer.

 

It is indeed true that Boxing fans that range from the casual observer to the enthusiast can at times be a tough crowd for a fighter to win over regardless of what they do. The silver-lining for Haney however, is many of the questions and criticisms that have been pointed in his direction are not uncommon for a fighter in his position as he looks to position himself for an opportunity at a world championship. 

 

At thirty-five years old, this fight represented an opportunity for the former three-division world champion Jorge Linares, a fighter thought by some to be on the decline, to defy the odds. Linares however, did go into this fight after suffering from the COVID-19 virus in 2020 and it was logical given that much regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19 remains unknown, to question what Linares condition would be.

 

This question was answered as Linares was able to hold his own in the fight with Haney. The first six rounds of this bout were relatively simple to describe. Haney had no issue engaging Linares in the pocket meaning he was willing to stand in positions that left opportunities for the two fighters to exchange offense. A subtle difference that worked in Haney’s favor however, was his ability to use angles, head movement, and a consistent jab to dictate the tempo of the combat. In some ways, what Haney was able to accomplish was the basic elements of Boxing, not just by the act of throwing his jab, but knowing how to throw it and when to time it in addition to mixing in short combinations.

 

It was this approach that carried Haney to win most of the first half of the fight in addition to how sound he was defensively. Although Jorge Linares was able to have his moments throughout this portion of the fight including landing some solid left hooks to the head as well as periodic success in landing his right hand, those moments were sporadic. This was due largely to the strategy that Devin Haney was able to execute more than possibly the effects of both age as well as the potential of any COVID-19-related effects, in this observer’s view. Linares did seem to be a step behind Haney and this in addition to Haney being able to limit the opportunities he had to let his hands go seemed to be what was making the difference in the fight.

 

As the bout progressed into the second half, the exchanges between the two fighters increased, but with Haney still generally getting the better of the action. In the closing seconds of round ten however, Linares would become the first fighter to stagger Haney with a short combination highlighted by a left hook to the head.

 

Despite being cleared stunned, this allowed Haney the opportunity to answer the question of how he would deal with adversity. Although he was still hurt in the eleventh round, Haney responded by continuing to fight and was able to box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision victory. Ultimately, the fight was one that was lopsided in Haney’s favor, but also allowed him to showcase not only his evolving skillset, but also begin to answer some of the questions that have been asked about him.

 

With the win, Haney also maintained his interim championship designation in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Lightweight ratings. Although fellow undefeated contender Ryan Garcia also holds a similar designation by the same organization, Haney would appear to be in line to face the winner of the upcoming world championship bout between undefeated Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Teofimo Lopez and undefeated IBF/WBO number one Lightweight contender George Kambosos on June 19^th. Whether or not the politics that be in the sport of Boxing will allow that to happen for Haney remains to be seen. After beating two former world champions in his last two fights and doing so in convincing fashion, Haney has earned his opportunity.

 

As for Jorge Linares, he has nothing to be ashamed of and put forth a performance that some nay not have expected in defeat. It will nevertheless be interesting to see where Linares goes from here. Despite the loss to Haney, Linares remains a threat to anyone in the talent deep 135lb. Lightweight division.

 

“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

Haney-Linares Preview

 

The month of May 2021 will conclude with an intriguing battle between two fighters who are at differing stages in their respective careers. A crossroads fight where the winner could well be in line to challenge the winner of the upcoming Undisputed World Lightweight championship fight between undefeated world champion Teofimo Lopez and undefeated IBF number one contender George Kambosos. This observer is referring to the Lightweight encounter between undefeated top contender Devin Haney and former three-division world champion Jorge Linares.

 

 A bout that will take place on May 29^th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV that will headline a card broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN is the definition of youth versus experience. For Devin Haney, who holds one of two interim championship designations in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Lightweight ratings, this fight represents the second such scenario where he has been pitted against a vastly more experienced opponent that some might argue is in the twilight of a great career. Haney’s last bout took place in November of last year when he scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over former unified Featherweight world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa, once one of the top fighters in the sport has seen his career hit a bit of a decline due to both injuries as well as the grueling effects of a long career between the amateur and professional ranks. 

 

Haney was able to use his youth, quicker reflexes, and combination punching to out box Gamboa over twelve rounds to earn the unanimous decision victory. While that fight can be described as an emerging star simply doing what he had to do against a great fighter who’s best days may be behind him, Haney also took criticism from some, who felt despite his convincing victory, did not do enough to drum up the type of demand some feel necessary to secure a title shot against Teofimo Lopez or what would also be a lucrative fight against fellow undefeated top contender Ryan Garcia, who also holds a similar interim designation as Haney in the WBC’s Lightweight ratings. To be more specific, some felt Haney needed the type of statement making performance that some may argue can come only by way of a knockout to fuel the demand for those fights to be made.

 

From this observer’s perspective, I don’t necessarily feel the same way. It is true that Devin Haney did not score a stoppage win over Yuriorkis Gamboa, but he was still dominant against a fighter who is not the easiest fighter to look impressive against. Although my view may not be the popular view amongst some, Haney should be given credit for what was a near perfect performance even if he did not stop Gamboa. The situation Devin Haney finds himself in one might argue is such where as a boxer/puncher who has his fair share of knockout wins having scored knockouts in fifteen of his twenty-five wins, but has also scored the type of lopsided decision victories that some might not view as the most entertaining to watch, that some fighters in and around the 135lb. Lightweight division currently may view fighting Haney as a high risk/low reward scenario due simply to his style and evolving skillset.

 

It is somewhat ironic that Haney’s last bout against Gamboa and the fight he is going into against Jorge Linares were and are against two opponents that the same thing was said about them in their careers. In Jorge Linares, Haney will face a veteran of fifty-two professional bouts who has won world championships from the 126lb. Featherweight division to the 135lb. Lightweight division. Much like Gamboa, Linares has the type of style that could pose a difficult challenge for Haney, but is a fighter that at thirty-five years old may be in the twilight of his career.

 

Linares will come into this fight having won three of his last five fights including a knockout over Carlos Morales in February of last year shortly before the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic shut down sports and many aspects of everyday life for a period of time in 2020. What some may point to as a red flag that could work against Linares, despite having twenty-nine knockouts in forty-five career wins is, in his five career losses, Linares has been stopped in every one of those bouts including a first round knockout loss in his most recent defeat against Pablo Cesar Cano in January 2019.

 

Although such statistics could give an impression that Linares might have a question mark over him regarding his ability to take a punch, it is important to keep in mind that these losses occurred at the highest level of competition available in the sport including against fighters like Antonio DeMarco and Vasyl Lomachenko in world championship bouts. Boxing is after all a combat sport and as such anything can happen.

 

It is nevertheless understandable how some might view Linares as an underdog going into this fight, despite his edge in experience both in terms of overall bouts fought in his career compared to Haney as well as experience against top level competition. What Linares does have in addition to that is a career knockout percentage of over 55 percent, which is just short of Haney’s 60%. At his best, Jorge Linares has shown he can be much like Haney, an elusive boxer/punchers who is capable of both out Boxing an opponent as well as ending a fight quickly if the opportunity presents itself.

 

The question here as this fight approaches is whether or not Linares will be able to find a way to nullify Haney’s movement and deal with his hand speed and power. It will also be interesting to see if Linares knowing that he has been caught and stopped early in bouts before, is a little hesitant to be aggressive from the outset and whether he will implement a more tactical approach in this fight in the hopes of trying to take advantage of any openings that Haney might leave him.

 

An element that also should not be overlooked going into this fight is Linares is coming into it having suffered a bout with the COVID-19 virus last year, which caused the cancellation of a scheduled bout last August against Javier Fortuna, and as much remains unknown about the virus, so too does the long-term effects of the virus on those who have been infected with COVID-19, which more than likely will vary from individual to individual. It may be logical to expect that Haney might look to pressure Linares early to see how his conditioning might be.

 

In terms of what might be in store for the winner of this fight, it is also logical to think that at least some thoughts will be on the Lopez-Kambosos bout, which is scheduled for June 19^th in Miami, FL. While some may consider Devin Haney a significant favorite going into this fight, Jorge Linares is likely only focused on the opportunity that is in front of him as he has been in the position of having a potential lucrative fight ahead of him if he succeeds in his upcoming bout. Something that if Devin Haney is looking ahead to what might be, instead of what is in front of him, could work to Linares’ advantage as the fighter who has more experience.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Haney vs. Linares takes place on Saturday, May 29^th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen exclusively globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT. (U.S. Times) 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.

 

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

 

Tickets On Sale For Triller Fight Club: Lopez vs. Kambosos + Live Concert

 Press Release: By FITE - LOS ANGELES AND MIAMI (May 25, 2021) – Triller Fight Club today announced the ticket onsale for the Triller Fight Club June 19 event, dubbed “Fight Club-Greatest Showman,” which will mark the first time a world-class music festival line-up will perform a full concert prior to full boxing event. Representing  Miami’s first “full open seating” event post-COVID, the first concert of the new Triller Live Concert Series presents Hip Hop superstar Meek Mill, Latin superstar Myke Towers, and Reggaeton sensation Lunay performing a full-set concert prior to the start of the June 19 Fight Club event at loanDepot park, boxing’s biggest event of the year. More acts will be announced shortly. Produced by “So You Think You Can Dance” co-creator Nigel Lythgoe and featuring Miami’s hottest salsa dancers and a world-class pyrotechnics display, the Fight Club event is an unprecedented evening combining the world’s best boxers and entertainers in a not-to-be-missed, four-quadrant entertainment extravaganza. 

“This line-up will be as good as the best of the best festivals,” said Triller Fight Club partner Snoop Dogg. “For the first time ever we’re offering fans two for one, come see an epic world-class concert followed by the year’s most important boxing event.”

Nigel Lythgoe commented, “This event will be the ultimate culmination of boxing purism melded with a show everyone will remember. Crafted around Little Havana in a theme embracing the Latin flair, we have everything from the best Latin dancing to performances that will be seen one time only and never again, and is sure to have the world talking about for years to come.” 

 

Triller Chairman Bobby Sarnevesht said, “Triller has always been about bringing together the world’s artists and fans, which is why we are proud to bring not only the first-ever Triller Live concert, but the first post-quarantine, fully open ticketed show."

The concert kicks off at 7:30pm EDT, with Meek Mill, Myke Towers and Lunay—and others to be announced, performing before the most exciting, thrill-packed fight of the year, which will also offer entertainment between fights once the fight card starts. There will also be a surprise performance of a never-before-seen, never-seen-again duet.

The evening will feature a historic men’s and women’s undisputed multi-title fight card featuring ‘Takeover’ Teófimo López vs. ‘Ferocious’ George Kambosos Jr., a bout that has four belts on the line, IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC, and the prestigious Ring belt, and which CBS Sports declared will be “one of the biggest fights in recent memory,” and a four-belt title bout between Franchon ‘The Heavy-Hitting Diva’ Crews-Dezurn and Elin Cederroos.

“Boxing fans will be treated to a card including two unforgettable, four-belt undisputed championship fights, in addition to a heavyweight world title eliminator,” said Peter Kahn, Chief Boxing Officer for Triller. “Boxing fans wil not want to miss these fights.”

“Come for the concert, come for the Greatest Showman show, come for the dancing, come for the boxing, or come for it all,” said Ryan Kavanaugh, co-owner of Triller. “Unlike past events, the concert will be first, so if you only want the concert, you can do that. If it’s not your cup of tea, come for the boxing and the show, or come for all of it. We have something for everyone.”

Triller Fight Club will be the first-ever boxing event held at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, home of the Miami Marlins and will be configured in an intimate and unique setting with full open seating for the first time since COVID. The event offers something for everyone: boxing purists, music lovers, adults and kids. For tickets and information, visit www.TrillerFightClub.com.

Prices will range from $150 to $10,000 and will include options from VIP custom dining service at ringside to traditional seats in the stadium upper and lower bowls, with the ring positioned at the pitcher’s mound and two entertainment stages set up on either side. 

“The fights will be the focus during the fight window and the music during the music window, so fight fans and music fans alike will be able to watch what they love, uninterrupted,” added Kavanaugh.

There will also be single-style areas close to the ring and two stages for another unique fan experience. Limited luxury suites are also available. More info at TrillerFightClub.com. Triller Fight Club is a partnership between Triller and Snoop Dogg and is spearheaded by Ryan Kavanaugh.

Meek Mill is a Grammy-nominated recording artist, criminal justice reform advocate and entrepreneur that hails from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Meek evolved from Philadelphia's hottest underground rapper to one of the world's preeminent musical artists, having released a slew of smash studio albums and singles, including "Ima Boss," "Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)," and "Going Bad," among many others. His last studio album, CHAMPIONSHIPS, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s “Top 200 Albums,” marking his second chart-topper following his 2015 album DREAMS WORTH MORE THAN MONEY.

Puerto Rican artist Myke Towers is one of the fastest growing crossover stars in music. His album El Final del Principio (2016) peaked at 12 on Latin Rhythm Albums and he collaborated with Bad Bunny with the song "Estamos Arriba" released in June 2019 to rave reviews and cultural success. He followed that up with a collaboration  with Piso 21, "Una Vida Para Recordar" and another with Becky G with the song "Dollar, " each of which continued to increase his popularity both in North and Latin America. His third album MIKE, was released in April and is currently rising on the charts. 

Joining the stellar musical lineup is beloved Latin and Reggaeton star Lunay. The Puerto Rico native has exploded in popularity throughout Latin and North America, with hits like "A Solas," "Luz Apaga," "Soltera," and "Soltera (Remix)."

On the boxing side. López, 23, (16-0, 12 KOs) is the current undisputed lightweight world champion, having held the IBF title since 2019 and the WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring magazine titles since defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020. López is considered to be one of, if not the, best active boxers, pound for pound, by ESPN and Boxing Writers Association of America, and The Ring. He is also ranked as the world's best active lightweight by BoxRec, ESPN and the TBRB. DAZN said, “Lopez is the champion, there is no slowing him down, he is as exciting to watch as anyone in boxing.” The Australian Kambosos has held the IBF Pan Pacific lightweight title since 2017. Kambosos (19-0, 10 KOs) became the IBF mandatory challenger after defeating Lee Selby by split decision in October. Sporting News recently reported, “Kambosos says he is ready to shock the world.” 

The co-main bout will feature a four-belt undisputed super middleweight championship between WBC/WBO titlist Franchon Crews-Dezurn and Elin Cederroos, who holds the WBA and IBF belts. The winner will become a true women’s undisputed champion in the sport.

In a heavyweight clash, Las Vegas, NV resident Michael ‘The Bounty’ Hunter II will battle Michael ‘White Delight’ Wilson, of Medford, OR, in a ten-round WBA Heavyweight World Title Eliminator giving the winner a clear a path for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

Competing for the WBC International Super Featherweight Silver Championship, Andy ‘El Tiburon’ Vences of San Jose, CA meets Jono ‘King Kong’ Carroll of Dublin, Ireland in a scheduled 10-rounder.

Additional fights and entertainment will be announced in the coming weeks.

FITE, the world’s premier streaming PPV platform for sports and entertainment recently acquired by TrillerNet, will handle worldwide live pay-per-view streaming distribution online for the June 19 event, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

The PPV is now available for purchase at the “earlybird” price of $49.99 (U.S. & Canada), and will rise to $59.99 if purchased on June 19^th, day of the event. Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/teofimo-lopez-vs-george-kambosos/2p97b/ for international pricing.

About FITE:

FITE is the premier global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry's marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 4.4MM registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Virgin Media, Comcast's Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow FITE on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If it Happens, it’s on FITE.

 

About loanDepot park:

loanDepot park is a state-of-the-art retractable roof ballpark located in the heart of Miami. Built in 2012 and located fewer than two miles from downtown Miami, loanDepot park’s uniqueness and attractiveness, including unobstructed views of Miami’s skyline made possible by six operable glass panels, have made the venue a go-to destination for world-class entertainment, hosting a variety of sporting events as well as many business and entertainment events.

 

About TrillerNet:

FITE and Triller Fight Club are owned by TrillerNet, a first-of-its-kind company consolidating technology and content platforms to lead the move to Internet 3.0. TrillerNet pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology. TrillerNet—which owns the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. The Triller app—unlike other popular short-video apps it is often compared to, encourages its users to post the content created on the app across other social media platforms and websites. The app uses proprietary AI and Machine Learning technology which is uniquely tied to the content rather than the user. By tracking the content, Triller empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks reaching hundreds of millions of additional users. Data and insights gleaned from the Triller network, its creators, artists and users (from the app and off network) are used to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content, and provide unprecedented opportunities for engagement and monetization. TrillerNet has developed highly successful campaigns that begin with the app and continue throughout the entire content and technology ecosystem with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others. TrillerNet offers brands a unique content and technology solution, including direct deals with the influencers and celebrities. This branded content journey starts with short-form video and can easily expand into valuable long-form content distributed through the Triller Network, such as live-event boxing and music PPVs, fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 65 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s “Ask a DAM Question,” Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, DJ Khaled’s Spreading Love, Hype House's Thomas Petrou's Coffee Talks, Josh Richards’ Josh Pong, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. TrillerNet additionally owns Verzuz, the massive live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, and Triller Fight Club (www.TrillerFightClub.com), which launched last year with the highly successful Tyson-Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records. Other holdings include leading AI-powered customer engagement platform Amplify.ai, and FITE, the premier live event and PPV, AVOD, SVOD streaming platform.

Material and Photo Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

 

For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and for information on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

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

The Aftermath: Ramirez-Taylor

 

With much of the Boxing world setting it’s attention on events occurring outside of the ring that are all too often the subject of criticism and ridicule that the sport for the worse and not the better seems to deal with constantly, with the world still dealing with the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, all attention for one evening was set on the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV for an event that unfortunately is too rare in Boxing. A unification bout to determine one “Undisputed World Champion.”

 

In this instance, this event, which took place on May 22^nd, occurred in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. While the history of the division is one that has seen many memorable battles and legendary champions that have been chronicled on more than one occasion by this observer, all the ingredients that make an event of this magnitude special and unfortunately a rarity were present here. Two undefeated world champions, each in their prime and each held in high regard putting their respective portions of the Jr. Welterweight championship of the world on the line to determine one champion. There was also the element of this being what appeared on paper to be an encounter between two evenly matched boxer/punchers in WBC/WBO world champion Jose Ramirez and IBF/WBA world champion Josh Taylor.

 

As readers may recall in previewing this fight, this observer stated that the scenario that came to my mind in thinking of how this bout could be fought was one that would be a tactical battle due to the similarities of both fighters where the ebb and flow could shift back and forth throughout. Early in the fight, this essentially appeared to be exactly how the fight would be fought with both fighters having periods of success in the same rounds that appeared to indicate that this could be a difficult fight to score if it went the twelve round distance.

 

An aspect that I perhaps was not expecting that turned out to be a subtle, yet significant difference as the fight progressed was the advantage in hand speed that Taylor was able to use so effectively along with his timing. Ramirez seemed to have trouble navigating a way to get his punches off without having to sustain some form of punishment as he threw those shots. This can be attributed to not only Taylor’s hand speed, but also how effective he was in using angles and his legs to set opportunities up.

 

One such opportunity occurred in round six when Taylor dropped Ramirez with a perfectly timed counter left hook as he was coming forward that sent Ramirez down to the canvas. Despite appearing hurt, Ramirez to his credit was able to get up and stepped up his aggression. Although much of the story of this fight in this observer’s view became the performance of Josh Taylor as it progressed, Ramirez was very effective when he was able to land offense to Taylor’s body. He was not however, able to sustain an attack to the body for significant periods of time and this in part can be attributed to Taylor being able to avoid getting caught on the ropes or in corners for lengthy periods.

 

In round seven, Taylor would widen his advantage by scoring his second knockdown of the fight with a short left uppercut coming out of a clinch. While this occurred shortly after Referee Kenny Bayless called for separation, the punch did not occur on the break and was a legal blow that put Ramirez down for a second time. Although this knockdown appeared to my eyes to indicate that Ramirez was in trouble, he was able to pull himself together and survive the round. While some may however, question why the uppercut was a legal punch, it is as elementary a command as exists in Boxing, “Protect yourself at all times.” A slight opening by Ramirez who had put his guard down for only a moment, was all that Taylor needed to take advantage.

 

By this point in the fight, I felt Taylor was comfortably ahead based largely on having two 10-8 rounds scored in his favor due to the knockdowns in rounds six and seven. In terms of points, two 10-8 rounds is equal to four rounds scored by a margin of 10-9 that does not have knockdowns. Based on this as well as my feeling that Taylor got the better of the action in the first two rounds, I felt he had a lead on the scorecards. Ramirez’ best rounds of the fight in my view were rounds three through five where he was able to land the harder punches of the two in part due to the periodic offense he was able to land to Taylor’s body.

 

From rounds eight through twelve, the fight appeared to resemble what this observer felt would be the case going in, a closely fought battle where the ebb and flow would turn frequently. Even though Ramirez managed to put together a late rally in the latter stages of the fight, the two knockdowns against him ultimately proved to be the difference as all three judges turned in identical scores of 114-112 in favor of Josh Taylor making him the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight champion of the world. Shortly after the decision was announced, I commented on social media that it was my view that I could not see how the official scoring could be as narrow as it was based largely on the two knockdown rounds in rounds six and seven.

 

While this was a moot point as I did agree with the judges in terms of who they had winning this fight, unofficially, I had Taylor winning by a slightly wider margin 116-110  based not only on the knockdowns, but the overall success has was able to have over the first half of the fight. The questions regarding the scoring aside, what should not be overlooked is after the fight rather than hearing grievances, both fighters embraced and showed each other the respect they both deserve after taking part in what was a competitive fight, but one where one fighter simply had a better night than the other.

 

Although it is not out of the realm of possibility that Taylor and Ramirez could meet again in the ring down the road, an interesting possibility that now exists for Taylor could be an encounter with undefeated WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford, the man who previously unified the Jr. Welterweight division before moving up in weight. Obviously, there are two things to consider here in regard to a potential Crawford-Taylor showdown. Firstly, having accomplished what Crawford had down previously, will Taylor be willing to relinquish his undisputed championship to challenge him for his world championship in the 147lb. Welterweight division. Would there be a possibility of the two fighters meeting in between where perhaps both their world championships would be at stake, a rarity that is even more rare than an undisputed world championship bout. 

 

The second thing to consider if Josh Taylor is intent on staying at 140lbs. is usually after a weight class is fully unified, Boxing’s respectful sanctioning organizations normal have mandatory title dense obligations lined up on a rotating annual basis. It will be interesting to see if one such mandatory defense whether it be against the top contender in the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) respective ratings would take place before a potential showdown with Crawford.

 

After emerging as a unified world champion in winning the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Jr. Welterweight tournament in 2019, and successfully unifying the Jr. Welterweight championship of the world to become an undisputed world champion by defeating Jose Ramirez, the sky may indeed be the limit for Josh Taylor. No matter what he does next, lucrative opportunities are surely to follow.

 

“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.twiiter.com/Beau_Denison

 

 

 

 

Ramirez-Taylor: The Undisputed Jr. Welterweight Championship Of The World

 

All too often in the sport of Boxing, the politics of the sport for better or worse depending on one’s perspective tend to stand in the way of progress. The world “Progress” more often than not in Boxing usually means the pursuit for fighters to become not just a world champion, but to achieve what is a difficult goal, to become the one and only world champion in a weight division. To become “Undisputed.”

 

Due largely to the aforementioned element of politics that surround the sport, a world champion becoming truly “Undisputed” is rare. Perhaps more of a rarity is when an undisputed champion vacates their crown to seek accolades in a different weight class, where the reunification process of the crown they leave behind takes place in a relatively short period of time. The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division is experiencing one such occurrence. Following undefeated undisputed world champion Terence Crawford successfully unifying the division in August 2017 with a third round knockout of IBF world champion Julius Indongo, Crawford immediately vacated the crown to set his sights on the 147lb. Welterweight division, where in his next fight, he knocked out WBO world champion Jeff Horn in June 2018.

 

For the Jr. Welterweights, Crawford’s exit created opportunities for fighters to compete for vacant world championships and the reunification process began. On this relatively brief journey, the Boxing world was treated to a memorable unification battle featuring Undefeated WBC champion Jose Ramirez successfully unifying his world championship by scoring a knockout of previously unbeaten WBO world champion Maurice Hooker in 2019. 

 

Undefeated  Josh Taylor, who spent the years of 2018 and 2019 competing in the highly-acclaimed World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) emerged out of that tournament, the second season of the WBSS concept, which featured tournaments in both the Jr. Welterweight division and the 118 Bantamweight division, as a unified world champion in his own right having won the IBF world championship and then successfully unifying it by scoring a twelve round majority decision over previously unbeaten WBA world champion Regis Prograis in the tournament final in October 2019. While this reunification process was largely streamlined by the WBSS concept, it was halted by the ongoing COVID-19 global epidemic that began in 2019 and unfortunately continues throughout the world in present day.

 

As much of the world including all of sports was brought to a halt for significant stretches throughout 2020, hopes for a quick undisputed championship fight between Ramirez and Taylor was obviously delayed. As the sport of Boxing began attempting to resume activity under the circumstances of COVID-19, both world champions were able to resume their respective careers. Ramirez returned to action in August of last year with a twelve round majority decision victory over former WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Viktor Postol. In what was a close fight, Ramirez’ harder punches and general activity allowed him to retain his crown.

 

Taylor meanwhile, returned to the ring one month later and scored a first round knockout of Apinun Khongsong. A bout which Taylor ended with a left hook to the body.  All off this including one title defense each for both world champions has finally culminated in the eventual showdown as Ramirez and Taylor will meet on Saturday, May 22^nd at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV to determine the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight championship of the world.

 

The fight, which will be broadcast in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+as well as simulcast on the main ESPN network on cable and satellite, is frankly one of the better bouts that could be made in the sport. An evenly matched battle between two boxer/punchers who each have the ability to end a fight quickly as well as implement a Boxing strategy to win a fight on the scorecards.

 

In thinking of how this bout could be fought, the scenario came to my mind that this could be a tactical battle where the ebb and flow might shift several times throughout. This is due to both fighters similarities as boxer/punchers and each having the ability to change tactics as a fight progresses. While Ramirez, who will enter the fight with a record of 26-0, with 17 Knockouts has boxed thirty six more total rounds in his career compiling 127 total rounds compared to Taylor who has boxed 91 total rounds, and has an overall experience edge having fought nine more bouts than Taylor, who will enter the fight with a record of 17-0, with 13 Knockouts, stylistically, this appears at least on paper to be an even fight.

 

 If one were to look at something that could be an edge for Taylor compared to Ramirez experience and overall ring time, it would be in the career knockout percentage category in that Josh Taylor has established a career knockout percentage of nearly 77% compared to Ramirez’ 65%. Although these are simply statistics, what it does indicate is just how even this fight looks even though there are slight edges in favor of each fighter. Of course, as this observer has often said over the years, “Anything can happen at any given time in the sport of Boxing, and that is what makes the sport great.”, if this does evolve into a closely fought battle that it appears might be the case, we might see a fight that not only ends up close in terms of scoring, but to be more specific, one where who wins rounds may be determined by segments in each round assuming both fighters are able to have periods of success.

 

What is even more telling about this fight beyond by all accounts what appears to be a Fight of the Year candidate on paper is for a rare instance, the sport of Boxing and the politics that surround it have allowed a quick reunification process to occur that was only delayed by circumstances of an ongoing global crisis that even the most jaded and cynical critics of the sport will acknowledge was out of everyone’s control at least in terms of the running and day to day business of an individual sport.  If however, Ramirez-Taylor ends up being a memorable battle and is such that it demonstrates to not only promoters, but fighters, the respective sanctioning organizations that regulate and sanction world championship bouts, and competing television/streaming networks as to the benefits of unification to determine one world champion per weight class, it could be summed up with one simple word. “Progress.”

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Ramirez vs. Taylor takes place on Saturday, May 22^nd at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. In the United States, the card can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 4:45PM ET/1:45PM PT. The main portion of the card, which will feature the Ramirez-Taylor main event will be simulcast on the main ESPN network across cable and satellite providers beginning at 8:30PM ET/5:30PM PT. (U.S. Times,) For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, lists of compatible streaming devices, and to subscribe please visit: https://plus.espn.com. 

 

Outside of the United States, the card can be seen globally on digital combat sports streaming network FITEon a pay-per-view basis for £12.99. For more information about about how to order please visit: https://www.fite.tv/watch/top-rank-ramirez-vs-taylor/2p9bp/. (While FITE is also available in the United States, this event will only be available through FITE internationally.) Check your local listings for start times internationally.

 

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

 

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

 

GILBERTO ‘ZURDO’ RAMIREZ TO MAKE GOLDEN BOY DEBUT AGAINST SULLIVAN BARRERA IN LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLE

 Press Release: By DAZN – LOS ANGELES, CA (May 18, 2021): Undefeated contender Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs) will make his Golden Boy debut in a Mexico vs. Cuba battle as he takes on Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs) in a 12-round light heavyweight fight. The event will take place on Friday, July 9 and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN 

worldwide. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

Details regarding the venue, which will be in Los Angeles, will be announced shortly.

 

“There are a lot of major players in the light heavyweight division right now, and Gilberto Ramirez is ready to demonstrate that he is very much among them,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Sullivan Barrera possesses a decorated amateur background and has a lot of experience in this weight class, but Ramirez is totally committed to becoming a two-division champion. Zurdo’s world title campaign and his journey to 50-0 will start on July 9.”

 

Despite being only 29 years old, Ramirez has over a decade of experience under his belt, debuting as a professional in 2009 and embarking on a career that would see him defeating the likes of Maxim Vlasov, Jessie “Hard Work” Hart and “King” Arthur Abraham, whom he defeated to become the WBO Super Middleweight World Champion. After five defenses of his belt, Ramirez moved up to light heavyweight, where he has scored wins against Thomas “Kryptonite” Karpency and Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez. Ramirez’s goal is to maintain his undefeated streak beyond 50 fights and to become a two-division world champion. 

 

“I'm excited to be headlining this show in Los Angeles with Golden Boy Promotions,” said Gilberto Ramirez. “It's going to be a great night of boxing with fans back in the stands. I've always enjoyed fighting here, and I can't wait to put on a show to continue my hunt for the light heavyweight championship. I appreciate Oscar and the Golden Boy family for their love and support, and I look will forward to a great night of boxing.”

 

In 2009, Barrera culminated a spectacular amateur career, defected from Cuba to the United States, and made his professional debut in Miami, Florida. In only his eighth fight, he captured two regional titles by defeating Frank Paines, which he followed with victories against the likes of Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy and Karo Murat. Barrera suffered his first defeat against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward, but returned to score wins against Vyacheslav “Lion Heart” Shabranskyy’s and Joe Smith Jr. The 39-year-old contender has also faced the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Sean Monaghan and Jesse Hart.

 

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to headline such a big card against Gilberto Ramirez,” said Sullivan Barrera. “I know that my opponent is a former world champion with a lot of experience and that he will come very much prepared. However, I feel that I have faced much better opposition. I’ve also spent my entire career in the light heavyweight division, something that will be totally new for him. It will be a difficult fight, but I will walk away with my hands raised in victory.”

 

In the co-main event, Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (31-1-1, 15 KOs) of South El Monte, California will step up to 135 pounds to take on Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (36-2-1, 25 KOs) of La Romana, Dominican Republic in a 12-round bout.

 

“I’m stepping in for Ryan Garcia to challenge Javier Fortuna,” said Joseph Diaz Jr. “I wish him nothing but the best. Mental health is a very important matter that people should deal with. I’m excited and ready to go out there and redeem myself to all my fans. I’m extremely focused and locked in. Fight night is going to be a movie. I’ll be putting the whole 130 and 135-pound division on notice.”

 

“I’m very happy that Jo Jo Diaz has accepted the challenge to face me, as long as after the fight he makes no excuses for getting knocked out”, said Javier Fortuna. “I give Diaz credit for having the balls to fight me. Devin Haney doesn’t have those balls. But after I win this fight, Haney will have 90 days to find them. Haney can run but he can’t hide. Fight me or give up the WBC title!”

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: 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. 

UPDATE 5/18/2021

 

We would like to let our readers know that we are between rounds and new material discussing the upcoming Jr. Welterweight unification bout between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor will be released here on the website on Friday, May 21^st. In the interim, any additional content that has been sent in for release will be made available for readers as normal. 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

 

Buatsi Brutally KO’s Dos Santos In 4

 

Undefeated top ten rated Light-Heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi scored a devastating fourth round knockout over previously unbeaten Daniel Dos Santos on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The difference in punching power was almost immediately apparent as Buatsi immediately put Dos Santos on the defensive. In round two, Buatsi dropped Dos Santos with a right hand to the temple. Dos Santos was able to survive the round, but he was unable to land anything to keep Buatsi from stalking forward. Buatsi continued to walk Dos Santos down and in round four, Buatsi ended the fight with a brutal overhand right to the jaw that knocked Dos Santos out cold before he hit the canvas. The was no count and the fight was immediately stopped. 

 

Dos Santos was down for a few moments, but did regain his senses and was able to leave the ring under his own power. Official time of the stoppage was 2:44 of round four. Joshua Buatsi advances to 14-0, with 12 Knockouts. Daniel Dos Santos falls to 15-1, with 8 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In a battle for the vacant European Super-Middleweight championship undefeated Lerrone Richards scored a one-sided twelve rounds unanimous decision over Giovanni De Carolis. From start to finish, Richards used lateral movement, timing and combination punching to out box De Carolis to earn a unanimous decision where two of three official judges scored every round in his favor. Official scores were: 120-108, (On two scorecards) and 119-109 in favor of Richards, Lerrone Richards advances to 15-0, with 3 Knockouts. Giovanni De Carolis falls to 28-10-1, with 13 Knockouts.

 

In an upset former two-time Commonwealth Jr. Featherweight champion Jason Cunningham on three weeks notice scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over European Jr. Featherweight champion Gamal Yafai to win the championship. From the opening bell, the southpaw Cunningham implemented an effective fight plan with an emphasis on defense and counter punching. Despite being under constant pressure from the champion and not being known as a power puncher, Cunningham found a home for his left hand and it was a straight left hand that dropped the champion in round two. This opened a cut over Yafai’s right eye. A near identical sequence occurred in round four when Yafai was dropped for the second time with a counter left cross to the head. In round six, Cunningham dropped Yafai for the third time in the fight with a counter left hook to the jaw.

 

With the fight numerically won with three knockdowns scored in terms of points after six rounds, Cunningham continued to box effectively throughout the second half of the fight and boxed his way to a convincing unanimous decision victory to win the championship. Official scores were: 115-110, and 114-111 (On two scorecards) in favor of Cunningham. Jason Cunningham advances to 29-6, with 6 Knockouts. Gamal Yafai falls to 18-2, with 10 Knockouts.

 

European Cruiserweight champion Tommy McCarthy scored a sixth round knockout over Alexandru Jur to retain his title. McCarthy was patient in waiting for openings even though he did not face much resistance in terms of hand speed. The champion consistently beat Jur to the punch. One exchange nearly brought the fight to its conclusion when McCarthy landed a left hook to the body that sent Jur down in round four. Jur was able to beat the count and the fight continued. In round six however, McCarthy landed another left hook to the body that sent Jur down for the second time, this time for the full ten count. Official time of the stoppage was 2:08 of round six. Tommy McCarthy advances to 18-2, with 9 Knockouts. Alexandru Jur falls to 19-5, with 7 Knockouts.

 

In a battle for the vacant British English Jr. Welterweight championship, undefeated Dalton Smith scored a sixth round stoppage of former English Lightweight champion Lee Appleyard. Initially what was shaping up as a tactical contest with Appleyard, attempting to bait Smith into corners and appearing to be content to stay at distance, gradually evolved to Smith systematically breaking Appleyard down with a full arsenal of offense to the body and head. As the fight became increasingly one-sided, Smith continued his assault until Referee Mark Lyson finally stepped in and stopped the fight at 2:44 of round six. Dalton Smith advances to 8-0, with 7 Knockouts. Lee Appleyard falls to 16-6-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

Heavyweight Solomon Dacres successfully made his professional debut by scoring a six round decision over veteran Mladen Manev. Dacres put in a workmanlike performance as he pounded Manev over six rounds. As all non-title bouts that do not have an impact on regional or world rankings are solely scored by the referee officiating a bout, Referee John Latham scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Dacres. Solomon Dacres advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Mladen Manev falls to 3-9, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Women’s Jr. Middleweight Ellis Hopkins began the evening by scoring a four round decision in her professional debut over veteran Borislava Goranova. Referee John Latham scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Hopkins. Ellis Hopkins advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Borislava Goranova falls to 11-65-4, with 0 Knockouts.

 

As fighters in both the 168lb. Super-Middleweight and 175lb. Light-Heavyweight divisions continue to angle in the hopes of attracting the interest of a marquee star in either division including, but not limited to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the emphasis might be on statement making performances. Joshua Buatsi may not be ready for the likes of Alvarez or Dmitry Bivol, but his performance against Daniel Dos Santos is definitely the type that will get the Boxing public talking. Whether or not Buatsi, who has said he wants to fight three times in 2021 will be closer to a world championship fight by year’s end remains to be seen.

 

“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

 

 

Camara Upsets Hardy In Murfreesboro, TN

 

Lightweight Jessica Camara scored the biggest win of her career by scoring an upset eight round unanimous decision over former WBO Featherweight world champion Heather Hardy on Friday night at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro, TN. In what was the main event of a three bout all Women’s Boxing card, Hardy, who was coming off of an eighteen month layoff and fighting for the first time in the 135lb. Lightweight division, scored a flash knockdown of Camara in the first round in an exchange of hooks. Despite having an advantage because of scoring a knockdown, Hardy found it difficult to let her hands go consistently. This allowed Camara to gradually build momentum and by the midway point of the fight, the ebb and flow was in her favor. Camara’s effective aggression, timing, and combination punching became the story of the fight and was the ultimate determining factor in Camara scoring the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 79-73, 78-73, and 77-74 in favor of Camara. Jessica Camara advances to 8-2, with 0 Knockouts. Heather Hardy falls to 22-2, with 4 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

A battle between Welterweights who were making their respective professional debuts saw Kelsey Wickstrum score a hard-fought six round majority decision over Stevie Jane Coleman. In what was a fight fought in close from the outset that saw several shifts in momentum, it was Wickstrum, who was able to get the upper hand by a narrow margin with some good body shots and hooks throughout. Official scores were: 57-57 (Even), and 58-56 (On two scorecards) in favor of Wickstrum. Kelsey Wickstrum advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Stevie Jane Coleman falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In the opening bout of the evening, Lightweight Melissa St Vil scored an eight round unanimous decision over former WBC Jr, Lightweight world champion Olivia Gerula. With both fighters coming off lengthy layoffs, St Vil used lateral movement and consistent combination punching to get the better of Gerula, who was competing in her first bout in over three years. The primary difference in this fight was the hand speed of St Vil, who seemed one step ahead of Gerula, who simply could not get on the inside and could not get her punches off first in exchanges. Official scores were: 80-72, and 78-74 (On two scorecards) in favor of Melissa St Vil. Melissa St Vil advances to 14-4-4, with 1 Knockout. Olivia Gerula falls to 18-19-2, with 3 Knockouts.

 

Although the story of this card was the fact that it was the second all women’s Boxing event to take place and be televised by a global platform in a span of two months following the Claressa Shields-Marie-Eve Dicarie Jr. Middleweight unification bout earlier this year that was streamed via digital pay-per-view on FITE TV, this card, which was promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Lou DiBella and broadcast globally via UFC Fight Pass, had what some might call an unexpected result in Jessica Camara scoring an upset victory over former world champion Heather Hardy.

 

Hardy, who lost her world championship in a unification bout against Amanda Serrano in September 2019, like many fighters throughout the entire sport has been impacted severely by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, which was largely responsible for her lengthy inactivity going into this fight with Jessica Camara. Whether or not that inactivity was something that worked against her as this fight progressed is something that will probably be debated amongst Boxing fans. The idea of a rematch between the two is something that should be considered provided that the circumstances of the ongoing epidemic allow it and whether both fighters want a second encounter.

 

“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