Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Andres Campos Rises In World Ratings, Eyes Nakatani Clash Within 12 Months

Press Release: August 31, 2021 By Dragon Fire Boxing –  The Chilean Crocodile Andres Campos is on the rise in the flyweight division, with the highly touted South American currently sitting at number 5 in the latest WBO world ratings. 

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

 

Campos, who is guided by Australian boxing kahuna Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing has remained busy despite the worldwide COVID restrictions, having acted as a sparring partner to both Moloney brothers in Las Vegas prior to their respective contests in 2020 and 2021. The Chilean also picked up a win in his native Chile whilst awaiting a ring return.

 

The South American standout discussed his time in camp Moloney. He said, "I've spent lots of time with the Moloney brothers, in Australia and in the United States. I am so grateful to Tony Tolj and the twins for allowing me into their training camps. They are at the elite level and at a level I want to be at, so to learn from these great fighters is so important for my development as a professional.

 

"Andrew and Jason are different fighters, there is good variation in both of their skill sets. I found that out in the camps they have had for the likes of Inoue and Franco. There are no sad stories in these type of training camps. It is all about hard work. So when you spar with them you have to be at your best or you will get found out. I believe Andrew will be a world champion again and I believe Jason will become a world champion."

 

With the experience of internationally based world title camps, Campos now sets his sights on fighting all over the globe, with the eventual goal being world champion Junto Nakatani. The 24 year old discussed his chances at landing a world title shot in 2022.

 

He said, "I believe it is realistic to be targeting world champions. I am sitting high in the world rankings so I want to fight the best in the world. If that is the fight with Junto Nakatani then that would be a dream come true. Nakatani is an amazing fighter and it would be an honor to share the ring with such a great champion.

 

"I am getting used to traveling all over the world for boxing, so I would be happy to do this for a fight against the likes of Nakatani. Right now I want to fight somebody that can get me closer to becoming a world champion, that is my goal and I believe I can reach it before 2023. I have a great team that has the ability to make it happen in South America, the United States, Japan or elsewhere. I have gloves and I will travel."

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

 

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

Monday, August 30, 2021

Paul-Woodley Thoughts

 

The fight between undefeated YouTube star/social media influencer turned Cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul and former two-time MMA Welterweight world champion Tyron Woodley was as most of Paul’s previous bouts in the Boxing ring have been, a curiosity. While this term “Curiosity” is one that frankly is starting to become overused particularly since the influx of those who enter the sport of Boxing from the outside began in recent years, there is no other term that is suitable to describe it. This is because Paul has not fought someone with Boxing experience as of yet. As such, it is the element of the unknown in his opposition that keeps that phrase “Curiosity” appropriate.

 

In previewing this fight, this observer said that he was taking the “wait and see” approach as I have done with practically every fight that I have covered that features someone that obtained notoriety from outside of Boxing before choosing to enter the sport. I did however, state that while there was no dispute that the tactics of Jake and his brother Logan Paul in terms of being able to generate interest, despite their inexperience as boxers, that  it was a roll of the dice for United States cable network Showtime to market Jake Paul as a pay-per-view attraction in a period of transition where the model of pay-per-view has been in decline and has given way to digital subscription-based streaming networks that generally offer greater value as compared to such a model. There is no disputing however, that from a marketing standpoint, the Paul brothers have succeeded in generating interest particularly amongst the casual fan. The question will remain whether or not the two brothers are truly dedicated to pursuing Boxing as a serious career and that question will remain at least until each decides to fight legitimate boxers under legitimate Boxing contests and not exhibitions as was the case when Logan engaged in an eight round exhibition with Floyd Mayweather earlier this year.

 

For Jake Paul, he is competing in official fights, but is doing so against fighters that are coming from the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or against other YouTube celebrities or former athletes as was the case in his second official fight when he scored a first round knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November of last year. Even though there is a benefit to such promotion as it does generate interest, some may wonder whether or not he is serious and will choose to compete against boxers in the future. Paul’s fight against Tyron Woodley was one that I had the same question in mind that I did when Paul fought Ben Askren earlier this year in another pay-per-view main event that pitted the inexperienced Paul against someone making their pro debut as a boxer following being a former world champion in the sport of MMA. While one might argue that this is a way for Paul to test the waters and more or less get his feet wet as a boxer by facing those that are inexperienced in terms of competing in a Boxing ring, but do have a background in combat sports and based on that, thus have the ability to draw interest, it is not the norm for those who are just starting out in Boxing to be in a main event position, much less as a pay-per-view attraction. As for the question that I had in mind prior to Paul’s bout with Askren, I did wonder what the returns would be in terms of pay-per-view buys, but in terms of the action inside the ring I wondered if Askren would be able to test Paul in terms of his ability to take a punch. He was not able to as Paul scored a first round knockout of Askren.

 

Tyron Woodley much like Ben Askren has an amateur wrestling background, but did score his share knockouts in the sport of MMA with his hands. So, I felt that if Woodley were able to land some offense on Paul that the question my get some clarity even though it would not be at the hands of a seasoned professional boxer. With over 16,000 spectators in attendance at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH, Paul’s hometown, on August 29th, the promotion was successful in terms of a live gate attraction. Would the fight be a legitimate contest or would it be something that would ultimately be frowned upon by both experts and fans alike?

 

The first couple rounds saw Paul dictating the combat in keeping Woodley at distance with his jab and mixing in some combinations. One thing that has been a question in regard to Woodley in some of his recent MMA fights was his inability to let his hands go and stay busy over the course of a fight. In the first three rounds of this fight, I felt that we were seeing some of that inability show itself as Woodley was simply not busy and seemed hesitant at times to throw punches. To be fair, one should remember that this was the first time that Woodley had competed as a boxer and as such it may not have been realistic to expect a high offensive output at least in the early rounds.

 

Round four however, would see a little bit of a change in Woodley connecting with a right hand to the head of Paul and knocking him into the ropes. Frankly, this sequence where Woodley legitimately stunned Paul gave the appearance that the ropes prevented him from going down and in some cases a referee would be justified in calling that a knockdown. This would not be the case as Referee George Nichols, who was officiating his twenty-first bout as a professional referee, opted to not call it a knockdown. Nevertheless, it did provide the first instance of adversity for Paul in a Boxing ring.

 

From this point in the fight on, Woodley had sporadic success in landing hooks, uppercuts, and his right hand on Paul. While the pace of the fight slowed slightly down the stretch of the scheduled eight round bout, it was a question of whether or not Woodley’s sporadic moments though eye-catching and appearing to be the harder punches landed, would be enough to get the nod in terms of scoring. To his credit, Jake Paul was able to regain his rhythm after what occurred in the fourth round and resumed throwing and landing combinations in spots.

 

At the conclusion of this bout I felt that Paul had done enough to win, but as someone who covers Boxing and has done so for most of his life, I had a sense that no matter who won the fight that it did show that Boxing like all combat sports is an extremely serious practice and should not be treated with kid gloves or with a mentality that one can enter the sport and do so in a top position that many boxers work their entire careers to achieve. Although there were some that criticized the result of a split decision in favor of Paul, I felt that he had done enough particularly over the first half of the fight to win.

 

It should not go unnoticed however, that Tyron Woodley did provide Jake Paul with a test. The question much as was the case after Paul’s knockout of Ben Askren in April of this year is what now? Although credit should be given where it is due in terms of the Paul brothers collective ability to generate interest and create buzz in their respective forays into the sport of Boxing, it is time for each of them to face boxers in competition if they want to continue as boxers.

 

In regard to Jake Paul, he does show signs of potential, but he needs to show that this is not a hobby of sorts and not a novelty act. While he has called out other MMA fighters and top boxers such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the reality is if he wants to be a boxer he needs to face boxers and give himself the time to hone his skills. While the bout with Tyron Woodley was the first for Paul under a deal with Showtime, both he and the network need to understand that the time for “Curiosity” has now passed and if this is not a novelty, it is time to show just how serious his commitment to Boxing is. For better or worse, Paul for the moment has also established himself to be somewhat of a draw amongst casual observers, but that too will only last so long if he chooses to both not face boxers that will help him not only prove himself, but also develop his skills, and also as a hoped-for draw in the declining realm of pay-per-view.

 

“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

Andrew Moloney Eyes Route Straight Back To World Titles, Wants Ioka vs Rodriguez Jr Winner

 Press Release: August 30, 2021 By Team Moloney –  Andrew Moloney isn’t holding back in his career, as the Aussie is determined to become a two time world champion in the not so distant future.  

Credit: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank, Inc.

 

Moloney has been known to travel the world and never take the easy route. Having traveled to Glasgow to win the Commonwealth Games in 2014, all the way to defending his world title in the United States as a pro. The Australian has never mapped out easy routes, and already has his sights set on a route back to being a world champion. 

 

The Aussie opened up about his recent trips to the United States and reflected on the positives going forward from his previous experiences. 

 

Moloney said, “I’m obviously disappointed to not come back to Australia as world champion, however, I’m happy I’ve gained experience and I’m understanding where I’ve made mistakes and where I can improve as a fighter. That excites me going forward and gives me the confidence that I can become a two time world champion and possibly a multiple weight world champion in the future. 

 

“Boxing is all about learning and improving. I feel I’ve got a lot of improvements to make. I have a great team behind me who are pushing me on and I feel that I am more driven than ever to want to get back to the gym and improve on my skills and I believe by doing that I will 100% become champion of the world again.” 

 

A tasty 115lbs fight that is on the horizon is the contest between WBO champion Kazuta Ioka and Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Moloney discussed the possibilities of challenging for the WBO version of the 115 pound strap in the future. 

 

He said, “I would love to fight the winner of Ioka and Rodriguez. This is a good fight and I do expect Ioka to emerge victoriously. I’ve proven I will travel anywhere to fight anybody, so traveling to Japan or America again to fight Ioka would be fine by me. 

 

“Ioka is a great champion and I respect him. His only losses have come in elite class against the likes of Donny Nietes. I believe I’m in that class and I’m still very fresh. Myself and Ioka would be a real fight that boxing fans would love, so right now that would be my focus, to get a fight like Ioka straight away. I’m not in boxing for easy fights, I’m in boxing to be the best.”

 

Material Courtesy of Team Moloney / Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams Top Rank, Inc. Used with permission.

 

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

 

Saturday, August 28, 2021

Paul-Woodley More Of An Event Than Fight?

 

The month of August in the sport of Boxing will conclude with a pay-per-view event highlighted by YouTube star and undefeated boxer Jake Paul returning to the ring for his fourth professional fight as he faces two-time MMA Welterweight world champion in a Cruiserweight bout scheduled for eight rounds. A fight that will headline a five bout pay-per-view card broadcast in the United States by Showtime Pay-Per-View and streamed globally by digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform FITE on Sunday, August 29th from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH.

 

In his last fight in April of this year, Paul scored a one punch first round knockout over former MMA world champion Ben Askren in the main event of Triller’s, a relative newcomer in Boxing, Fight Club series. Although Paul faced no significant resistance in that outing against Askren, his third knockout in as many fights along with a significant following on social media and YouTube attracted the interest of ViacomCBS-owned Showtime Networks, who signed him to a multi-fight deal. As some may recall in this observer’s coverage of that fight, even though I gave Paul the benefit of doubt, it was noted that none of his three career victories came against fighters with Boxing experience and to take it a step further, only one of Paul’s opponents, Askren, had combat sports experience.

 

Now, Paul prepares for his fourth career bout against Tyron Woodley. Much like Askren, Woodley is a former MMA world champion having won two Welterweight championships in the now defunct Strikeforce MMA promotion and in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

 

Although Woodley has an MMA record of 19-7 and does have heavy hands, he will be making his professional Boxing debut in this fight. While there is still much that is unknown about Jake Paul due simply to the fact that as of yet he has not faced someone with experience as a boxer, and keeping in mind that we likely won’t know what Woodley brings to the table as far as Boxing ability is concerned, it is fair to ask the question as to whether mere curiosity will be successful for Paul in the long-term without facing people with legitimate Boxing backgrounds or, despite his success in creating interest particularly amongst casual fans is a novelty that has a limited timeframe.

 

There is no disputing whether one agrees with their tactics or not that Jake Paul and his brother Logan have succeeded in terms of generating interest and now under the Showtime banner there is opportunity to create significant lucrative opportunities. There is also however, significant risks that go along with that. For a network in Showtime’s position, it’s an obvious roll of the dice by investing in a fighter who has yet to face a boxer and trying to market that fighter as a pay-per-view attraction even as the sport of Boxing is in a transitional period where overall decline of pay-per-view buys has made way for digital subscription streaming networks to offer a significant portion of Boxing content for a reasonably priced subscription fee as opposed to the pay-per-view model. What makes this risky is the possibility that Paul might lose, which whether fairly or not may turn off a portion of buyers, to be more specific, the casual fan for whom Boxing is of sporadic interest.

 

Whether or not such a scenario will play out with this fight against Tyron Woodley remains to be seen, but perhaps this could also be a test run of sorts for Showtime to see what they have in terms of potential revenue generation before the powers that be at the network start insisting that Paul face boxers going forward.

 

As for what this event will offer the Boxing enthusiasts beyond drawing in the casual observer, the card headlined by the Paul-Woodley bout will see four bouts featuring world champions, rising prospects, and contenders in action. In the co-main event, seven-division world champion Amanda

Serrano will defend her unified Women’s WBC/WBO/IBO Featherweight world championship against Yamileth Mercado in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

 

Serrano is rightfully regarded as one of the top female fighters in the world having won world championships in seven different weight classes. With forty wins in her forty-two professional bouts Serrano appears to be on the road to being a Hall of Famer. In terms of the near future, the possibility is also there for Serrano to potentially challenge current undefeated Undisputed Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor in what would be one of the best fights that could be made in Women’s Boxing if both world champions continue to win.  In Yamileth Mercado, Serrano will face a veteran of twenty professional fights, but one might argue that Mercado is at a significant disadvantage against the champion both in terms of overall ring experience and in terms of quality of opposition. What Mercado does have going for her is she has won her last six fights and is the current WBC Jr. Featherweight world champion. She has never been stopped in her career and the question might be whether or not with only five knockouts to her credit if she will have the type of punching power to get Serrano’s respect. Serrano has thirty knockouts in her forty career wins and she has shown in the past that she can end fights quickly if given the opportunity so it will be interesting to see what approach the champion will take in this title defense.

 

WBA number one rated Heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois will also be in action on this card as he faces Joe Cusumano in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. Dubois, who will enter the fight with a record of 16-1, with 15 Knockouts has been known as one of the Heavyweight division’s rising “Knockout Artists.” In his lone defeat Dubois was stopped by undefeated fellow contender Joe Joyce in November of last year when Dubois took a knee after being hit by a jab and was counted out. It was later revealed that Dubois had suffered a broken left eye socket. This will be his second fight since that knockout loss after returning to the ring earlier this summer and scoring a second round knockout of Bogdan Dinu.

 

In all honesty, this fight has all the appearance at least on paper as both a stay busy fight as well as an attempt to continue rebuilding confidence for Dubois following his first defeat. Dubois’ opponent Joe Cusumano is a veteran of twenty-two professional bouts and will come in with a respectable record of 19-3, with 17 Knockouts. Although Cusumano has never been stopped and has a career knockout percentage of over 60%, he will be making a step up in this fight in terms of caliber of opponent. Anything can happen when two fighters get into a ring however, and this especially holds true in regard to the Heavyweight division. Despite the appearance this fight might give on paper, Dubois was not tested in his last fight and the question that is always asked of fighters that suffer a knockout loss at any stage is what effect did it have on them both physically and mentally. It is logical to think that Cusumano will try to test Dubois’ resolve in this fight if given the chance.

 

Rounding out the pay-per-view card will be a scheduled six round Cruiserweight bout featuring undefeated prospect Tommy Fury looking for the seventh win of his career as he faces Anthony Taylor. As the Dubois-Cusumano bout has an appearance at least on paper as a stay busy fight for Dubois, this fight is in reality a showcase for Fury, the brother of undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury. Taylor will enter this fight, the second of his career looking for his first victory. In that fight in 2017, Taylor was defeated by Donte Stubbs in a four round split decision. The question that faces Taylor here is what will he bring to the table against Fury, who has four knockouts in his six wins and more specifically, what can he offer after a four year hiatus from competition.

 

The main story of the night however, will of course be the clash between Jake Paul and Tyron Woodley. Although it ultimately remains to be seen what type of fight we will see and perhaps more importantly, how successful this fight will do in terms of pay-per-view buys even as the medium of pay-per-view is in a state of decline.  As this observer has done ever since the influx of those who have entered into the Boxing world through unconventional routes whether it be through first achieving notoriety through YouTube or other mediums, I am taking the “Wait and see” approach.  No matter what happens in this fight, hopefully, this influx of bouts between aspiring boxers and mixed martial artists will eventually lead to good things for the sport of Boxing. It would also be a good thing if those who enter Boxing in non-traditional ways seek to prove themselves against boxers as well.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Paul vs. Woodley takes place Tomorrow night (Sunday, August 29th) at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. The card can be seen in the United States and globally on Showtime Pay-Per-View on cable and satellite and streamed globally on FITE TV. The broadcast will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT (U.S. Time) following a one hour preshow that will begin at 7PM ET/4PM PT. Contact your cable or satellite provider to order.  To order on FITE download the fight app on mobile, table, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs or order  on FITE’s website online at the following link: https://www.fite.tv/watch/paul-vs-woodley/2p9vn/

 

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

 

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Thursday, August 26, 2021

Reflecting On Olympic Boxing 2020: A Step Forward

 16 days, 25 sessions, and 276 fights. A period of time between between July 23rd and August 8th, 2021where the long delayed 2020 Summer Olympics took place in Tokyo, Japan. The numbers that began this column is in reference to the Olympic Boxing tournament, which was held at the Kokugikan Arena. While it can be a clichĂ© to say, the tournament that takes place under normal circumstances every four years is truly a marathon that often sees a mix of competitive bouts and controversy. For the most part, the 2020 tournament was void of many of the controversial elements that have plagued many previous Olympic tournaments.

 

This observer says “For the most part” because after all, even with overall improvement in the way the Olympic Boxing tournament was conducted from start to finish under the oversight of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Boxing Task Force, replacing the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), it is impossible to completely remove the potential for “Controversy,” due in part to the number of bouts that occur on a daily basis over the course of the sixteen days where the Olympic Games are held. The most obvious element of “Controversy” this time around came in the form of a disqualification of Super-Heavyweight Mourad Aliev of France, who was disqualified in his bout with Frazer Clarke, who was representing Great Britain in a quarter final bout for what was deemed intentional head butting by the referee.

 

In one of the strangest instances of a disqualification being rendered that this observer has ever seen in either the professional or amateur realms of the sport, the referee appeared to indicate the disqualification by literally giving a thumbs up. This infuriated Aliev, who proceeded to yell as loud as he could “Everybody Sees That I Win!” This was followed by Aliev getting in front of the camera in such a manner that it resembled a professional wrestling promo in waiving his finger saying “No! No!” and proceeding to throw a few punches at the camera following the result of the contest being formally announced. As if that was not bizarre enough, Aliev followed this by staging a sit-in protest on the ring apron for nearly an hour afterwards. Aliev subsequently filed an appeal of the result, which was subsequently denied.

 

My initial impression of this strange occurrence was that I did not see the referee warn or deduct points from Aliev prior to disqualifying him. While I feel the referee might have been too quick to rule a disqualification, it is important to keep in mind that over the course of an Olympic tournament, referees officiate many bouts both in the role of a referee as well as serving as a judge for bouts. Although this does not excuse what may have been a case of a referee reacting too quickly, when one considers the number of bouts that take place over the course of a tournament such as the Olympics and with many bouts taking place daily over the duration of the games, it is not hard to envision the possibility of a referee not being at his or her best in one bout. As strange as the circumstances of Aliev’s disqualification was, as controversial as it was, it does not overshadow the significant progress that was made in this delayed Olympic tournament.

 

Some readers may recall in the first part of Olympic Boxing coverage provided by this observer, which was released here on The Boxing Truth®️ on July 29th, I discussed the progress of Women’s Boxing being represented in Olympic competition as well as the significance of women boxers in this tournament being allowed to fight the same length of rounds in terms of duration as their male counterparts. Something that as of this writing has not been universally adapted in Women’s professional Boxing. The addition of three minute rounds for women boxers was a major step forward and proved that female fighters are just as capable of fighting for three minutes per round as male fighters.

 

While I was really impressed with the efforts put forth by all the women that competed in the sense of seeing the wider scope in terms of progress, many of the women’s bouts in the 2020 Olympic Boxing tournament were in fact the most competitive of the entire tournament. Among those who stood out to me were Women’s Featherweight Sena Irie, who representing the host country for these Olympics Japan, put on an impressive Boxing display in winning five bouts to become Japan’s first Women’s Boxing Gold Medalist. The twenty year old Irie displayed quick combination punching, as well as defense and lateral movement in her bouts in this tournament and this was able to give her the edge in some very competitive fights, particularly in her bouts with Maria Nechita of Romania and Karriss Artingstall of Great Britain, in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively. Two fights that Irie won by the narrowest of margins in Amateur Boxing in getting the nod of three of five official judges. This set the stage for Irie, who was viewed initially as a long shot in the tournament to face Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines, who entered the tournament as the number one seed in the Women’s Featherweight division as rated by the IOC Boxing Task Force. Irie tactically out boxed the more experienced Petecio over three rounds to earn the unanimous decision and with it the Featherweight Gold medal. 

 

Lightweight Gold medalist Kellie Harrington representing Ireland also stood out as she scored four victories in the tournament resulting in her winning the Gold medal by scoring a unanimous decision over Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira.  Both Harrington and Irie could be among those that might see increased exposure as they turn their attention towards professional careers,

 

One thing that also stood out at least in my eyes as I observed this tournament over the sixteen days it took place that seemed like a recurring theme throughout on both the Men’s and Women’s side of the competition beyond numerous bouts that ended in decisions by a 3-2 margin amongst five official judges was, some fighters had styles that appear more suited for the professional ranks as opposed to the amateurs, which at times can have an over emphasis on technicalities including, but not limited to numerous standing eight counts, which may or may not have been necessary depending on one’s perspective, aa well aa referees issuing cautions and point deductions for things that you would not necessarily see in professional Boxing. 

 

In some aspects, I felt this worked against some fighters throughout the tournament that may have been able to progress further along into the medal rounds, but hopefully this is something that the International Olympic Committee and its Boxing Task Force will be able to address in the future providing that the committee keeps what it has established in place in future tournaments. One might argue however, that if there were not an at times over emphasis on technicalities that the tournament may have looked a little different in terms of the results on both the Men’s and Women’s brackets.

 

One fighter that made an impression on the Men’s side of the equation was United Status Super-Heavyweight Richard Torrez, who exited these Olympics with a Silver Medal, the first for the United States since Riddick Bowe in the 1988 games.  Keeping in mind this observer’s long stance that there should only be one Heavyweight division in Amateur Boxing as is the case in the professional ranks, Torrez’ style impressed me as someone that may have the punching power that will garner the type of attention that has not been seen for an American Heavyweight as they turn pro following competing in Olympic competition in many years. After seeing him score three convincing victories including a stoppage of Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan to ensure at least a Silver medal, I felt Torrez had a good chance to emerge from this tournament with a Gold medal.

 

In the final fight that closed out this Olympic Boxing tournament, Torrez lost a unanimous decision to Bakhodir Jalolov of  Uzbekistan in the Gold medal bout. Despite the loss, Torrez should have plenty of attention as he now looks upon a professional career. Similarly, fellow Americans, Men’s Lightweight Silver medalist Keyshawn Davis,  Women’s Welterweight Bronze medalist Oshae Jones, and Men’s Welterweight Delante Johnson should all be fighters that Boxing fans should keep an eye on as they look towards pro careers.

 

Although the last three Olympics has been marked by progress in the elimination of the highly controversial and inaccurate computerized scoring system that was in place since the 1992  Barcelona games, and the the elimination of headgear for men’s bouts beginning in the 2012 London games, there is much more that could be done to improve Olympic Boxing. 

 

Although the computerized scoring system, which was based on single punches landing and was never really an adequate system for scoring Boxing on any level was done away with nearly ten years ago in favor of a return to the more traditional ten point must system of scoring, the same standard that is used in professional Boxing where the winner of a round is given ten points and the loser is given nine or less, there were several bouts throughout this tournament where it appeared as though some fighters were fighting with the mindset that scoring was still punch based rather than the more professional-based format. While this could have led to some of the numerous close bouts we saw throughout the tournament, it will be interesting to see if in the future fighters competing in Olympic competition are more geared towards the professional format and if so, whether that might lead to more fights ending via referee stoppage and whether the technical emphasis in which bouts are officiated in Amateur Boxing will ease a bit with fighters fighting a more professional style.

 

It will also be interesting to see if the IOC task force will take another step towards equality for the women competing in Olympic Boxing and not require headgear for women’s bouts. Similar to the men’s side of the equation, headgear is not used in Women’s professional Boxing and even though the IOC has taken the step forward in allowing women’s bouts to be fought under three minute rounds, for the moment the use of headgear in Women’s Amateur Boxing competition still exists. Although the possibility of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA), who was barred from overseeing and hosting this Olympic tournament after a long history of questionable practices and accusations of corruption, possibly being reinstated down the line by the IOC also exists, I would like to see the IOC continue moving forward with its Boxing Task Force in place.

 

There is one aspect however, that I do believe should be on the agenda moving forward. As some may recall, a decision was made prior to the 2016 Olympics that allowed professional boxers to participate in Olympic competition. This observer was never supportive of such a decision on the basis that Olympic competition was at one point considered a pinnacle of Amateur Boxing and for many the last stage of their amateur careers before settling sights on professional careers. While I do not intend to single out any of the professional fighters who have competed in the now previous two Olympics, it is my hope that if the IOC is truly sincere about wanting to change Olympic Boxing for the better and hopefully move on from many instances of possible corruption that they will continue to get back to the basics, which means also returning Olympic Boxing to an amateur competition and not allowing professional fighters to compete against those with no professional experience.

 

While this observer has covered a fraction of what took place over the course of the delayed 2020 Olympics over two feature columns spanning a month’s time, I came out of these Olympics feeling optimistic about the future both in regard to the Olympics itself as well as Amateur Boxing as a whole. We will see what further progress occurs between now and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

JOSHUA VS. USYK UNDERCARD CONFIRMED

 Press Release: August 25, 2021 By DAZN – Details of the supporting cast to Anthony Joshua’s huge IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World Title showdown with Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday September 25 have been confirmed. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

The Heavyweight division’s biggest attraction puts his Unified crown on the line once more against former Undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion and pound-for-pound star Usyk live on DAZN in over 170 countries and territories worldwide and on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and Ireland.

 

WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Lawrence Okolie (16-0, 13 KOs) puts his World Title on the line for the first time against his Mandatory Challenger Dilan Prasovic (15-0, 12 KOs) following his crushing sixth round stoppage of Krzysztof Glowacki at The SSE Arena, Wembley back in March. 

 

By winning a World Title in just his sixteenth fight, the unbeaten 28-year-old from Hackney nicknamed ‘The Sauce’ emulated fellow Brits Tony Bellew, David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli, Johnny Nelson and Carl Thompson who all previously held world crowns in the 200lb class.

 

Montenegro’s Prasovic, a former WBO Cruiserweight Youth World Champion, sits at No.1 in the world with the governing body having won all fifteen of his fights since turning professional in October 2014, with twelve of those wins coming by way of knockout. 

 

Former WBA Super-Middleweight World Champion Callum Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) makes his highly anticipated ring return up at Light-Heavyweight against the Dominican Republic’ Lenin Castillo (21-3-1, 16 KOs) after his points loss to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez out in Texas last December. 

 

Manchester Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (3-0) continues his education in the professional ranks when he takes on Spain’s Izan Dura (3-7) hot on the back of his comfortable points win over Jakub Laskowski on the first week of Matchroom Fight Camp. 

 

‘The Albanian King’ Florian Marku (8-0-1, 6 KOs) looks to build on his impressive stoppage win over Rylan Charlton on the Avanesyan vs. Kelly undercard in February as he challenges Milan’s Maxim Prodan (19-0-1, 15 KOs) for the IBF International Welterweight Title and unbeaten Chicago Middleweight Christopher Ousley (12-0, 9 KOs) meets Russia’s Khasan Baysangurov (21-1, 11 KOs) for the WBA Intercontinental Title.

 

Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, said: “This is an action-packed card that will thrill boxing fans around the world. Callum Smith, Lawrence Okolie and Campbell Hatton are household names in their own right and are going to raise the roof at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the remarkable main event – featuring two great fighters whose difference in styles, personalities, and journeys will make for the perfect storm. It’s set to be an incredible night of boxing on DAZN across 170+ countries and territories.”

 

Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development for Sky Sports, said: "Joshua vs. Usyk will be an unmissable evening of action, with Lawence Okolie, Callum Smith and Campbell Hatton all featuring on a bumper bill at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, live on Sky Sports Box Office. We've followed Lawrence Okolie's career since the start and he'll be determined to light up north London with an explosive defence of his WBO Cruiserweight belt. Callum Smith is on a collision course with new World Title rivals, having joined the Light-Heavyweight division, and Campbell Hatton continues his journey up the pro ranks with the help of Matthew and Ricky Hatton. AJ and Usyk then take centre stage as two Olympic gold medallists collide in the capital, in a hugely important World Heavyweight Title clash!”

 

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. 

Olympic Boxing 2020 Coverage Part 2 Update

 We would like to let our readers know that the delayed second feature looking at the 2020 Olympic Boxing tournament will be released here on the website on Thursday, August 26th. We apologize for the delay. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


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


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

Tuesday, August 24, 2021

TRILLER FIGHT CLUB LEGENDS II EVENT! ONE-NIGHT ONLY BY CREATOR AND VISIONARY OF ‘SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’ AND AMERICAN IDOL

 Press Release: By FITE – AT STAPLES CENTER ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

 

A ONE-NIGHT FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, BOXING –

A SHOW LIKE NO OTHER!

 

Los Angeles, CA (August 24, 2021) TRILLER FIGHT CLUB has announced today the expansion of its LEGENDS II event set for Saturday, September 11 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. 

Credit: FITE 

 

The entire event is produced by Triller Fight Club visionary NIGEL LYTHGOE, award-winning producer of American Idol and the executive producer and creator of ‘So You Think You Can Dance and will be hosted by SNOOP DOGG.

 

“One amazing night unlike any other; top music, never before seen duets, world class fighting, truly an event not to be missed,” said Lythgoe, one of the most globally revered entertainment icons. 

 

Musical acts announced for this event include a Once-In-A-Lifetime Performance by SNOOP DOGG with The One and Only MARVIN GAYE, plus ANITTA, LUNAY and GENTE DE ZONA and others. 

 

The rapidly selling can’t miss event has garnered worldwide interest since the official announcement with fans across the globe making plans to attend. 

 

Promising a Once-In-A-Lifetime Performance, SNOOP DOGG has been an integral part of Triller Fight Club since its inception and will be Presenting a Never-Before-Seen and Never-Again-Seen Performance with the Legendary MARVIN GAYE

 

As the biggest ever global female popstar to come from Brazil, ANITTA has accumulated 6.5 billion cumulative Spotify streams, 5 billion YouTube views, and 55 million Instagram followers. She has been nominated for five Latin Grammy Awards and has won 6 MTV EMAs. She has recently collaborated with the likes of Cardi B, Miley Cyrus, J Balvin, Katy Perry, David Guetta and P. Diddy. Her debut US album, ‘Girl From Rio’ is set to be released in the fall.

 

Popular reggaetĂ³n artist LUNAY has become among the most popular musical acts in the world since dropping his debut album, ‘Epico’ in October 2019. Just 20-years old, Lunay has built a massive international fan base and in May of this year released ‘El Nino’ to huge acclaim globally. This will be his first Los Angeles appearance since January 2020. 

 

Cuban reggaetĂ³n legends GENTE DE ZONA have achieved worldwide universal acclaim for their 20 years of extraordinary music which has garnered them numerous Latin Grammy and Latin Billboard Awards. Consisting of musicians Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcolm, their most recent single ‘La Gozadera’ is the official 2021 Conmebol Copa America song/video. Joining Gente De Zona during their set will be Latin Pop Singer, BECKY G

 

Also featured at LEGENDS II will be ‘DEAR AMY’, the international, award-winning tribute to music icon, AMY WINEHOUSE

 

                                                ----------------------------------------------------

 

LEGENDS II is headlined by the return of BOXING LEGEND, ‘THE GOLDEN BOY’ OSCAR DE LA HOYA, battling former UFC Superstar VITOR ‘THE PHENOM’ BELFORT

 

Co-featured at LEGENDS II, UFC Legends, ANDERSON ‘THE SPIDER’ SILVA from Sao Paolo, Brazil and ‘THE HUNTINGTON BEACH BAD BOY’ TITO ORTIZ will clash in an eight-round cruiserweight boxing match for combat sports supremacy.

 

Also, at LEGENDS II, Former Heavyweight and Cruiserweight World Champion DAVID ‘THE HAYEMAKER’ HAYE will face off against JOE FOURNIER in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight battle.

 

Additionally, in a highly anticipated 10-rounder, ANDY ‘El TIBURON’ VENCES, (23-2-1, 12 KOs), of San Jose, CA will challenge Ireland’s JONO ‘KING KONG’ CARROLL, (19-2-1, 5 KOs), for the vacant WBC International Silver Super-Featherweight Title. 

 

The FREE Preview on Saturday, September 11 will start at 11:00 p.m. BST / 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT with the Triller Fight Club Pay-Per-View commencing at 12:00 a.m. BST / 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT as the HAYE vs. FOURNIER eight-round heavyweight battle opens the broadcast. The Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.99 in North America and £9.99 ($13.99) in the UK.

 

LEGENDS II will be broadcast globally on FITE, iNDemand and through all leading Cable, Satellite and Telco Providers in the U.S. and Canada. The suggested PPV retail price is $49.99. 

 

**HOW TO WATCH THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2021, TRILLER PPV EVENT**

Worldwide Streaming: FITE and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, IPTV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub

 

LEGENDS II is the second event Triller Fight Club has promoted at STAPLES Center, the first being Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020. The fight was boxing’s biggest pay-per-view event of the year garnering over 1.6 million buys.

 

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 September 11 event, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

 

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.

 

This marks the third time that FITE, iNDemand and Triller will have partnered to bring value-packed, world-class PPV events to boxing, music, and entertainment fans. iNDemand also served as the cable, satellite, and telco PPV distributor for Triller Fight Club’s November 2020 Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. event (which landed as the 8th best PPV event of all time), as well as the April 17, 2021 Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event. FITE handled global digital sales for both events and powered the TysononTriller and TrillerFightClub sites.

 

Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-vitor-belfort/2p9su/ for international pricing.

 

About FITE:

FITE is the premier global platform for live sports and entertainment offering the industry's marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 5MM 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 Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, 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, YouTube and Instagram.

It’s ON.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

 

For more information about FITE including schedules 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.

Monday, August 23, 2021

Was The Final Chapter Of Manny Pacquiao’s Career Written With Loss To Ugas?

 

The story of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Yordenis Ugas on August 21st at the T-Mobile Arena was one that this observer described as High Risk/Low Reward. This was because the fight between the two was made with a little more than eleven days for both fighters to prepare following undefeated IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence being forced to withdraw from what was a highly anticipated showdown with Pacquiao due to a torn retina in his left eye. While some might question the wisdom in Pacquiao choosing to retain the scheduled date with Ugas stepping in as a replacement for Spence, in many ways, this was a return to what some might call “Old School Boxing” in that even with a limited amount of time to prepare, Pacquiao decided to fight on even though going into the bout Ugas did not represent the same level in terms of marquee value as did Errol Spence, but was just as dangerous an opponent that unless one is a Boxing aficionado, would likely regard him as a fighter that was under the radar.

 

In previewing this fight, yours truly discussed the circumstances regarding the World Boxing Association (WBA) in their decision to strip Pacquiao of its Welterweight world championship and elevate Ugas, who held an Interim/Regular champion designation to world champion. While this pointed out the flaw in the WBA’s rankings structure, which has been heavily criticized for many years now, for once circumstances allowed for a controversy to be resolved in a relatively short time frame. It also allowed a fighter in Ugas the opportunity to prove that he belonged on the elite level of the sport by taking on one of Boxing’s all-time greats. Although such an opportunity came under less than ideal circumstances for Ugas in what was his first title defense, it was simply an opportunity that he could not pass up.

 

Whenever fights occur under circumstances of limited notice, the question that usually comes to my mind is whether one fighter will look to jump on the other in an attempt to catch their opponent cold and try to end the fight quickly. In this case, I was somewhat surprised to see a tactical battle from the opening bell. Of course, this was an encounter taking place at the highest level of the Welterweight division so, it was not surprising in the sense that it was a fight between two boxers who could do a little of everything, but what was surprising was the missing element of aggression, particularly from Manny Pacquiao.

 

It is important to remember that due to both his commitments as a current senator in his native Philippines as well as the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, this was the first fight for the forty-two year old Pacquiao in over two years. The potential for “Ring Rust” is always there for any fighter coming off of a long layoff, but based on the styles of the two fighters, I somewhat expected Pacquiao to try and implement a swarming attack that would be reminiscent of how he would approach offense in his prime. This was not the case though much of the first half of the fight saw Pacquiao attack in spurts of offense. While Yordenis Ugas was consistently the more active of the two fighters, it was these spurts by Pacquiao, which were eye catching that I felt would sway the opinion of the judges. For a period of time, it did sway how I  saw the fight in that I felt Pacquiao did enough to win four of the first six rounds based on his ability to seemingly pick his spots and make the most out of those moments of offensive spurts in rounds that were otherwise very close and could have been scored either way.

 

In addition to the absence of a swarming offensive attack that bedeviled so many of Pacquiao’s previous seventy-one opponents prior to this fight, he also lacked head movement and the ability to attack from varying angles from what this observer has called his immaculate foot work over the years. Instead, Pacquiao seemingly chose to engage Ugas, a fighter who is four inches taller and who had a two inch reach advantage over him at a distance where it allowed Ugas to get his punches off consistently and as the fight progressed, the offensive spurts Pacquiao was able to have in the first half of the fight became less and less frequent.

 

Whether or not it was a combination of both inactivity/“Ring Rust” and age is only a question Manny Pacquiao can answer, but his failure to adapt in what was a tactical Boxing match ultimately played right into Ugas’ hands as the fighter, who felt like he needed to prove his validity as a world champion after being put in that position by the politics that be in the sport, gradually pulled ahead in the fight and never seemed to halt his consistent offense down the stretch, which was ultimately what resulted in Ugas retaining his world championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 seven rounds to five, and 116-112 on two scorecards eight rounds to four. 

 

Unofficially, I scored this fight 115-113 for Ugas. The primary difference in this fight, which may be consensus amongst both fans and experts alike, came over the second half of the fight. Although the bout remained close from start to finish, over the second half of the fight, Ugas’ overall accuracy and the success he was able to have in landing his jab on Pacquiao could not be ignored. Despite being ahead four rounds to two on my card after six rounds, Pacquiao’s inability to get around Ugas’ jab, his lack of head movement, and the seemingly gradual decline of his offense resulted in him only winning one of the remaining six rounds of the twelve round world championship bout on my scorecard. This left the door open for Ugas to take control of the fight and at the end of the bout, I arrived with the 115-113 or seven rounds to five score in his favor.

 

With the victory, Yordenis Ugas not only validates his crown as the WBA Welterweight world champion, but more importantly by beating someone of Pacquiao’s caliber, his value instantly increases and more lucrative paydays are likely to follow. Whether or not it is Ugas who faces Errol Spence whenever Spence is medically cleared to resume competing remains to be seen.

 

Even though this fight can be described simply as one fighter besting the other, the inevitable questions has to be asked. After a close, but convincing loss to Yordenis Ugas, has the Boxing world seen the last of Manny Pacquiao as a fighter? What does he have left to prove? First, I feel it necessary to state for those who did not see the bout, despite coming out on the losing end of a decision, at no point did Pacquiao appear hurt nor was he overwhelmed by Ugas.

 

It does make sense to note however, that this was Pacquiao’s seventy-second bout in a career that began over twenty-six years ago in 1995 when he entered the sport as a Jr. Flyweight. After so many battles, many grueling wars, and just the process of time, it certainly is not hard to understand the possibility that Pacquiao has left a lot inside the ring and win or lose, each fight does have to take something out of a fighter if not by what occurs in the fight itself than in the process of preparing for a fight, which obviously can take a toll on one’s body.

 

If one were to ask my honest opinion on what Pacquiao should do next, as someone that has covered his career extensively since his debut in the United States in 2001 when he knocked out the late Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to win the IBF Jr. Featherweight world championship, at this stage he has nothing left to prove. Pacquiao’s legacy as Boxing’s only eight division world champion, an accomplishment that is unlikely to be surpassed, is more than secure. His legacy outside the ring however, as a humanitarian and public servant will likely surpass his accomplishments as a boxer. While ultimately the decision on whether or not he will continue his Boxing career even as a potential run for the presidency of the Philippines may be in the future, will be something that only Manny Pacquiao can decide, if this is the end of the road for a truly great fighter I would like to say in closing to Manny Pacquiao, it’s been an honor to cover you throughout your career.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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