Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Light Heavyweight James “The Equalizer” Ballard Looks To Make Waves In 2022

 Press Release: December 28, 2021 By Brandon Countee – (Detroit, Michigan) Light Heavyweight and Detroit Michigan native James Ballard looks to get his career back on track in 2022. After 3 straight losses, the fighter felt that 2022 needed to be his crossroad year in boxing. “To be honest I was not prepared like I needed to be in my last 2 fights, and you could see it. I was not focused like I should have been, and I promised myself 2022 would be much better. To be honest my record of 10 and 4 is more a reflection of not being dedicated fully more than my actual potential limits. I am more focused and dedicated, got a new trainer and everything.” Ballard states. He is now aligned with former boxer and trainer Ray Darden who looks to help bring out the best in Ballard. 

Credit: Brandon Countee

 

“James has talent, and it is a shame that he got unfocused because that can really mess up a fighter's career. My plan is really getting him back on track and to get some quality wins for 2022 and going forward.” states his new trainer, Ray Darden.

 

Ballard looks to get opportunities to upset the apple cart for contenders at 175. “Boxing is the one sport where one fight can make a star and save a career.”

 

 

Material  and Photo Courtesy of: Brandon Countee Used with permission.

 

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

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Happy Holidays/Schedule Update

 

We would like to wish all of all readers a very Happy and safe Holiday season. We here at The Boxing Truth® are between rounds for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Our 2022 schedule will begin on Wednesday with our annual “Boxing Wishlist” feature that will be released on Friday, January 7th. In the interim, any content that has been sent in for release will be made available for readers as they come in as normal.

 

Happy Holidays.

 

“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, December 21, 2021

December 17th-18th, 2021 Weekend Thoughts

 As the world nears the Christmas holidays, the Boxing world will not be taking much of a hiatus as was the case in previous years. With the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters staging two cards on Christmas night and New Year’s Day on Fox and Fox Sports Pay-Per-View here in the United States and will be largely alone in doing so, the weekend of December 17th and 18th of 2021 saw a focus on the Light-Heavyweight division, a world title elimination bout, and two rematches that depending on one’s perspective were anticipated for different reasons. While one of those rematches as well as it’s full undercard have already been covered by this observer here on The Boxing Truth®, the final weekend before Christmas saw other action throughout the sport that also deserves attention.

 

The first of these bouts took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where an elimination bout took place to determine the next mandatory challenger in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Jr. Middleweight ratings between top contenders Israil Madrimov and Michel Soro.  Although this observer did not have an opportunity to preview this bout in the days leading up to it, this fight as much as any should serve as a reminder particularly to the sport’s detractors as to just how global Boxing is as well as the benefits that yours truly has frequently pointed out in recent years with regard to digital streaming networks that have increased access on a global scale to much of what goes on throughout the sport that would otherwise not be broadcast by traditional networks as this bout was a late addition to the schedule of digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, that also broadcast the previously covered Parker-Chisora rematch.  As for the fight itself, it was fought at a very tactical pace where both fighters were able to execute their offense in spots. It was this pace that resulted in several of the first eight rounds of this bout being very close and very difficult to score.

 

While Soro tended to be more accurate with his offense, it was Madrimov who seemed to land the harder punches, particularly when the two fighters engaged in exchanges. Although the element of who lands the harder blows is what some would consider as the determining factor in who ultimately gains the upper hand in terms of the scoring of a fight, it is not necessarily the case. When two fighters are able to essentially match each other punch for punch as was the case in this bout, it creates a very challenging conundrum where it will as I have said numerous times over the years, come down to what a judge prefers in their own criteria in how they see a fight based on clean punching, effective aggression, ring generalship, and defense. In this case, after eight rounds I felt the fight was even as usually when one fighter seemed as though they were starting to gain a slight advantage over the other, the opposition would return offense to such degree where it left the impression that this was an even fight.

 

In round nine however, all questions regarding the potential scoring of the bout would come to an end, but an element of controversy would emerge that left more questions than answers. As was the case for the previous eight rounds, the two fighters continued to exchange and match each other’s offense. It was in the closing seconds of the ninth round where Madrimov would break through with a combination of hooks to the head of Soro that appeared to have Soro legitimately stunned and backed against the ropes. The controversy that emerged came when Madrimov pressed forward with his opponent against the ropes and continued throwing punches, the bell appeared to ring several times with no movement from Referee Salvador Salva, who perhaps did not hear the bell due to the roar of the crowd in attendance, seconds later he did jump in and signaled a stoppage of the fight ruling Madrimov the winner by technical knockout.

 

Although it was clear that Soro was hurt in my eyes at this stage in the bout, the fact that the bell rang several times before the referee stepped in opens the question of whether or not the ruling of Salva of a TKO in favor of Madrimov could possibly be challenged in an attempt to have the result changed to a no contest simply because once the bell rang, the action should have been halted and the blows Madrimov was able to land after that were thus after the bell and would be considered illegal.  While normally I tend to side with the referee in instances like this as they are the closest person to the action and a referee’s discretion could be the difference between a fight ending appropriately or one that ends up having tragic circumstances, I do believe that there might be some sort of challenge regarding the result of this fight with both the WBA and the Federation of Professional Boxing of Uzbekistan who regulated the bout. In the interest of full disclosure with the reader, it needs to be noted that Salva only had twenty-one professional bouts under his officiating record at the time this bout took place in a career as a referee that began in 2016. Perhaps what will be difficult to argue in any potential protest, despite the issue of the bell ringing and an apparent miscommunication between the timekeeper and the referee is that Soro was not answering back with punches when the fight was stopped and did have his hands down when Salva stepped in and stopped the fight.

 

Even though some might point to Salva’s not hearing the bell to end the round as well as only having twenty-one bouts officiated in five years as a professional referee as inexperience particularly for a fight between two top contenders to determine who gets an opportunity to fight for a world title, Salva’s argument will like be that he saw a fighter in a compromised state in taking punches with his hands down, who was also clearly hurt when he decided to step in and stop the fight.  Although it is a heartbreaking way to lose a fight if you are in Soro’s position, if Salva does in fact have to give an explanation for his stoppage of this bout and provides a similar one to the example this observer has laid out, a protest by Soro and his team will not likely succeed. The best case scenario for Soro, under the circumstances would not be to protest the result of the fight, but rather to petition the WBA for a rematch. particularly since both Jermell Charlo the WBC/WBA/IBF Jr. Middleweight world champion and Brian Castano the WBO world champion appear to be headed towards a rematch of their unification bout, which ended in a draw earlier this year, in 2022. Whether or not the WBA would order an immediate rematch remains to be seen.

 

The final weekend before Christmas 2021 was also highlighted in part by two Light-Heavyweight bouts including a title defense by undefeated unified WBC/IBF world champion Artur Beterbiev, who made the fifth defense of his title at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada against longtime top contender Marcus Browne. Although much of the focus of the Light-Heavyweight division in recent times has centered around two central figures in Beterbiev and undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol, Browne did pose a serious test for Beterbiev as a former mandatory challenger in the WBA's Light-Heavyweight ratings. In previewing this bout, I stated that the key to the fight was whether or not Browne would be able to survive Beterbiev’s pressure and be able to extend him into the middle and late rounds of the fight in saying that at this stage we did not know how Beterbiev would respond to being in such a situation as being taken into the deep waters of a fight and whether or not he would be able to adapt.

 

An argument can be made that Browne was not only able to answer that question, but also was able to get an additional question answered of the champion who had scored knockouts in every one of his previous sixteen bouts in his professional career. How would Beterbiev respond to adversity? As expected, the champion began the fight by applying pressure on Browne and trying to walk him down. Although the pressure was clear, Browne did for a time manage you use his movement and combination punching to offset the tactics of Beterbiev. In the fourth round, both fighters suffered cuts as a result of an accidental clash of heads, but it was Beterbiev’s cut, a deep gash on the forehead that appeared as though might be the cause of the fight being stopped due to the blood going into the champion’s eyes and the bleeding of the wound being difficult for his corner to control.

 

Despite being under circumstances where some fighters do not respond well, Beterbiev became more aggressive and made it very difficult for Browne to use his movement to gain space between himself and the champion. In round seven, Beterbiev would score his first knockdown of the fight by dropping Brown with a left hook to the body that appeared to cause a delayed reaction. In the ninth round, the champion would bring an end to the fight by dropping Browne for a second time with another left hook to the body that forced Browne to take a knee and the ten count resulting in another knockout victory for Beterbiev in what was an impressive performance under what had to be trying circumstances due to the gash on his forehead. Even though the gash Beterbiev suffered was frankly enough justification to stop the fight, due to the fact that it was caused by an accidental head clash, if the fight had been stopped, the outcome would have been determined by going to the scorecards for a technical decision.

 

Although no one should discredit the heart Marcus Browne showed in this fight, his effectiveness gradually declined as the bout progressed and if the bout had gone to the scorecards, it is likely that Beterbiev would have retained his title with a decision win. While Beterbiev and Bivol appear to be on a collision course, there is another potential opponent that both champions should keep an eye on. This observer is referring to undefeated former WBO Super-Middleweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez, who returned to the ring on December 18th against Yuneski Gonzalez at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX.

 

With so much of the recent times of the Light-Heavyweight division focused on Bivol, Beterbiev, and the fact that both have been angling for a potential fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the sport’s biggest star that has been seeking the most lucrative fights possible in his career, or a potential fight with each other, Ramirez has quietly emerged as a potential wild card opponent for either of the three if the opportunity were available to him. In Yuneski Gonzalez, Ramirez faced a solid boxer/puncher who showed immediately upon the fight beginning that he was not a mere opponent for Ramirez to simply get some work in before more lucrative fights in 2022. Gonzalez was more than willing to engage in exchanges of punches with Ramirez from the outset and from my perspective had particular success in landing his right hand as well as being able to periodically back Ramirez against the ropes.

 

It did not take long before this fight evolved from a Boxing match to an all-out brawl with both fighters standing and going toe to toe, and punch for punch. While there were moments where Ramirez was able to hurt Gonzalez and had him appearing as though he might be able to get a stoppage early, Gonzalez kept fighting on and kept answering whatever Ramirez threw at him. When it comes to fights that are fought like this, the primary question that comes to mind beyond the subject of potential scoring of a bout is which fighter will have enough left in them to go the distance if required to do so.  This was a case where as I watched this fight, the idea of scoring did not come to mind simply due to the way the fight was being fought and the high pace of the combat with both fighters throwing seemingly every punch with fight ending intentions.

 

As the bout went on however, it did appear that Ramirez was gradually getting the better of the exchanges and the question that formed in my mind was whether or not Gonzalez would be able to go the distance. The war of attrition continued on until the tenth round when Ramirez connected with a barrage of punches on a fatigued Gonzalez along the ropes, which forced the fight to be stopped.

 

Although Gilberto Ramirez had more difficulty than some may have expected going into this fight, he did what he had to do in outlasting a very “Game” Yuneski Gonzalez in what was a very grueling fight that might be considered one of the best bouts of 2021 depending on one’s perspective. While Ramirez remains a live opponent for either Bivol or Beterbiev going into 2022, he has earned the opportunity to rest, despite his stating that he would like a bout with Bivol in his next fight shortly after his victory over Gonzalez.

 

The final bout that took place on December 18th featured YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul in a rematch against former UFC World Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in a rematch of a bout the two had earlier this year in Cleveland, OH. This rematch, which was fought at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, came out of necessity for Paul and United States cable network Showtime to keep the pay-per-view date after original opponent Tommy Fury, withdrew with what was described as a chest infection and a broken rib that he suffered in training.

 

Even though this rematch came not necessarily out of public demand as it did out of necessity in terms of the business aspects of the sport, Paul’s status as a celebrity did succeed in selling out the near 20,000 seat arena, which were no doubt full of both his sizable YouTube following as well as those who remain curious as to Paul’s legitimacy as a boxer. It is a fact that Paul has yet to face someone with a legitimate Boxing background and that fact alone has fueled much criticism in addition to his being pushed as a pay-per-view headliner with only four professional bouts to his credit going into what turned out to be an immediate rematch with Woodley. The first encounter, which was won by Paul via eight round split decision had the consensus that, despite Woodley being able to stun Paul in the fourth round of that fight, he simply was not active enough over the course of the fight to garner favor of the judges scoring the bout. Woodley did claim in the lead up to this rematch that he would be more active this time around and for a period of time, he did seem intent on keeping his word as he did try to pressure Paul early.  Unfortunately for those in attendance at Amalie Arena and those watching via pay-per-view, this rematch did not have much in the way of action throughout much of the first five rounds of the bout as both fighters tried to engage each other, but more often than not ended up in clinches, which did not produce much in the way of action.

 

This can be attributed to inexperience of both fighters in terms of Boxing, but it should also be noted that many of the clinches seemed to be initiated by Woodley. While clinching is not allowed in Boxing and is normally separated by a referee officiating a bout, in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), where Woodley has primarily competed for most of his combat sports career, fighters are allowed to fight while in a clinch. Perhaps Woodley out of instinct tried to gain an advantage over Paul by way of clinching, and thus forgetting that this bout was being fought under Boxing rules. This would prove to be a moot point as Paul would bring a sudden end to the fight in round six when he connected with a flush right hook to the jaw that knocked Woodley out cold face first on the canvas.

 

Although Paul moved his record to 5-0, with 4 Knockouts with his second victory over Tyron Woodley, criticism will likely remain again based on the fact that he has not faced someone with a legitimate Boxing background and the decision of Showtime to push him as a pay-per-view attraction having not faced a legitimate boxer.  While the issue of the business of the sport and it’s flaws is a subject to be discussed at a later time, it will be interesting if in 2022 those at Showtime, who have struggled to draw consistently high buy rates for their pay-per-view cards amid the consumer trend shifting more towards subscription-based streaming, will insist that Paul fight against people with legitimate Boxing backgrounds going forward if he is truly serious about wanting to be taken seriously as a boxer.  It will also be interesting to see if Showtime’s parent company ViacomCBS chooses to use the growth of it’s subscription streaming network Paramount+ as a pay-per-view alternative in perhaps using Paul as a way to drive subscribers as many of his followers are likely casual Boxing fans and would likely be more inclined to subscribe to Paramount+ for the entertainment options the network has to offer in addition to seeing Paul featured as part of the streaming platform’s sports programming as opposed to paying inflated pay-per-view fees.  For now, Paul has succeeded in scoring another knockout and maintaining the curiosity that has followed he and his brother Logan’s respective entries into the sport. It will be up to him to prove that this is a legitimate Boxing career and not a novelty act that will eventually wear off.

 

While this is usually where this observer shares some closing thoughts on what has been an extremely active year, despite the continued impacts of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. As much as I would like to close this column reflecting on some of the events that have taken place, the Boxing calendar now turns to what the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters will have to offer on Christmas night and a pay-per-view card to take place on New Year’s Day in Hollywood, FL.

 

Although the choice to do Boxing cards over the holidays is a curious one that will have debatable returns, it is important to keep in mind that as of now, both cards are scheduled to take place as planned, but with the impacts of the COVID-19’s latest variant Omicron beginning to lead to cancellations in the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL) and has already led to at least one Boxing-related postponement in the scheduled Middleweight championship unification bout between world champions Gennady Golovkin and Ryota Murata, which was scheduled to take place on December 29th in Tokyo, Japan being postponed due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions in the country, the possibility of those two cards being potentially impacted is at least that a possibility. While this observer takes a pause for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the reader can rest assured that I will be keeping an eye on the developments of these two cards and if they do indeed take place as scheduled, those events will be covered when our schedule resumes in January 2022.

 

Happy Holidays.

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Parker Defeats Chisora For Second Time In Rematch In Manchester, England

 

Former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker scored a convincing, yet hard-fought twelve round unanimous decision over longtime contender Dereck Chisora on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. A rematch of a closely fought battle earlier this year at the same venue held behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols, this time Parker did not willingly engage on the inside and made Chisora work for every opportunity to get on the inside. In the process, Parker was administering a beating on the former world title challenger. Parker was credited with a knockdown in round four when a right uppercut to the head of Chisora staggered him into the ropes and it was ruled by Referee Howard Foster that the ropes prevented him from going down to the canvas. Chisora responded by getting up and walking over to a corner and waited for Parker to come forward in an attempt to bait him into walking into a punch he would not see coming. Despite the veteran tactics, the punishment continued, even though when it appeared that Chisora was on the verge of being stopped he would respond by firing hard punches that kept him in the fight.

 

In round seven, Parker would score a second knockdown of Chisora, this time sending him down on his knees on the canvas. As was the case in round four, Chisora walked over to a corner and positioned himself in a way to challenge Parker to come forward. Chisora was able to land hard shots that kept him competitive in the fight, but was knocked down for a third time in round eight. After the third knockdown, it appeared that Chisora had nothing left to give and the fight would be justifiably stopped, but as had been the case throughout the fight, when he was knocked down, he would again walk to a corner and wait for Parker to follow. What gradually became a grueling battle as the fight progressed, eventually, Chisora suffering the effects of both punishment that was dished out by Parker as well as fatigue appeared to struggle to stay on his feet. In what can only be described as a veteran fighter refusing to be stopped, Chisora, as he has done his entire career showed his mettle and made it to the final bell still throwing punches with knockout intention when the bell to end the bout rang. The three knockdowns over the course of the fight as well as Parker’s more effective punches throughout made the decision a logical conclusion in what was still an entertaining bout from start to finish. Official scores were: 115-110, 114-112, 115-111 for Joseph Parker. Joseph Parker advances to 30-2, with 21 Knockouts. Dereck Chisora falls to 32-12, with 22 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In a battle for the vacant European Super-Middleweight championship, undefeated Kevin Sadjo scored a sixth round knockout over heavily favored Jack Cullen. Sadjo, who took the fight on short notice had to deal with the taller and longer Cullen, but was able to get on the inside and landed several right hands to the head throughout. Although Cullen was cut over the left eye in round two as a result of an accidental clash of heads and seemed as though he was landing the more effective shots throughout, Sadjo found increasing success as the fight progressed. The end of the fight came suddenly when Sadjo landed a perfectly placed left hook to the body that crumbled Cullen to the canvas in pain. Cullen was able to get up at the count of nine, but was in no condition to continue resulting in the fight being stopped.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:11 of round six. Kevin Sadjo advances to 17-0, with 15 Knockouts. Jack Cullen falls to 20-3-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

Jr. Lightweight contender Zelfa Barrett scored a twelve round unanimous decision over fellow contender Bruno Tarimo. In what was a final elimination bout in the IBF Jr. Lightweight ratings, Tarimo tried to apply consistent pressure on the taller Barrett from the opening bell. This approach had some success, however Barrett was able to catch Tarimo with a short left hook to the head in round three that knocked him down. As the fight progressed Barrett was able to gain more distance between himself and Tarimo and with that separation was able to open his offense more in landing right hands, uppercuts, and mixing in combinations on his way to the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 117-110 (On two scorecards), and 116-111 for Barrett. Zelfa Barrett advances to 27-1, with 16 Knockouts. Bruno Tarimo falls to 26-3-2, with 5 Knockouts.

 

In a battle for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) Super-Middleweight world championship undefeated former European Super-Middleweight champion Lerrone Richards scored a twelve round split decision over previously unbeaten world champion Carlos Gongora. An extremely tactical fight from the outset, Richards used lateral movement to evade, counter punch, and outwork the champion over the course of the fight. Gongora had his best moments of the fight when he was able to get in close and land hooks on Richards, but ultimately, his spurts of success with his offense were not enough for him to retain his world championship in what was a very difficult fight to gage who had the upper hand due to the pace and the tactics in which the fight was fought. Official scores were: 15-113 for Richards, 116-112, for Gongora, and 115-113 for Richards giving the challenger his first world championship. Lerrone Richards advances to 16-0, with 3 Knockouts. Carlos Gongora falls to 20-1, with 15 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Heavyweight Alen Babic scored a sixth round knockout over a “Game” David Spilmont. A brawl from the outset, Babic nearly put Spilmont down in a neutral corner in the first round, but Spilmont was able to withstand the storm. Despite the constant pressure and power punches of Babic, Spilmont began to find holes in Babic’s offense in being able to counter his wide punches. It was a counter left hook to the jaw that caught and badly hurt Babic in the closing seconds of the third round. Babic was able to recover and a combination of hooks along the ropes put Spilmont down in the fourth round. In round five Spilmont was able to land the harder shots of the two, but in round six, Babic put him down for a second time with a hook to the head. This time, Spilmont was unable to get up and was counted out. Official time of the stoppage was :53 of round six. Alan Babic advances to 10-0, with 10 Knockouts. David Spilmont falls to 11-8-1, with 7 Knockouts.

 

2020 Olympic Heavyweight Bronze medalist David Nyika, now competing as a Cruiserweight, scored a first round stoppage of Anthony Carpin to earn the second victory of his professional career. Nyika immediately put Carpin on the defensive and landed several right hands behind a consistent jab throughout the round including stunning Carpin with a right hand to the head at the midway point of round one. Carpin was able to get out of the round, but the bout was stopped by his corner due to an apparent injury to Carpin’s left elbow. David Nyika advances to 2-0 with 2 Knockouts. Anthony Carpin falls to 5-7-2, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Women’s Jr. Welterweight Sandy Ryan scored a third round stoppage of a very “Game” Maria Capriolo. From the opening bell, Ryan used her height and reach to keep Capriolo on the defensive. In round three a left hook the seemed to land on the top of the head briefly knocked Capriolo off balance and caused her glove to touch the canvas. Ryan followed this up with a barrage of mostly unanswered punches that ultimately forced a stoppage of the bout. Official time of the stoppage was 1:11 of round three. Sandy Ryan advances to 3-0 with 2 Knockouts. Maria Capriolo falls to 7-14-4, with 0 Knockouts.

 

A battle of unbeaten Cruiserweights saw Jordan Thompson needing only fifty-three seconds to score a first round knockout of Piotr Budziszewski. Thompson dropped Budziszewski quickly with a jab early in the round and sent him down for a second and final time with a flush uppercut. The fight was immediately stopped. Jordan Thompson advances to 12-0, with 10 Knockouts. Piotr Budziszewski falls to 4-1, with 2 Knockouts.

 

In Women’s Lightweight rematch that began the evening, Rhiannon Dixon scored her second victory over Vaida Masiokaite in scoring a six round decision victory. A rematch of Dixon’s pro debut in 2020, which she won a four round decision, this time, Dixon was able to outwork Masiokaite over six rounds to earn the decision win. Referee John Latham scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Dixon.  Rhiannon Dixon advances to 4-0, with 0 Knockouts. Vaida Masiokaite falls to 2-14-4, with 1 Knockout.

 

A Welterweight bout between Cyrus Pattinson and Evgenii Vazem that was scheduled for this card was cancelled the day before the card due to Vazem testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. As of this writing, there is no word as to whether there will be an attempt to reschedule the bout for 2022.

 

The rematch between Joseph Parker and Dereck Chisora was eagerly anticipated following their first encounter in May of this year. Although like the first encounter there was no shortage of entertainment value in the rematch, a clear winning did emerge this time around. While Joseph Parker will likely spend 2022 trying to secure another opportunity to win a world championship in the Heavyweight division, the obvious question that needs to be asked is whether this loss for Dereck Chisora will be the final bout of a fourteen year career that has seen him win British, Commonwealth, and European Heavyweight championships as well as spend much of his career at or near the top of the division in terms of contenders vying for a shot at the World Heavyweight championship.

 

While Chisora has made news at times for the wrong reasons including slapping then WBC Heavyweight world champion Vitali Klitschko prior to challenging him for the crown in February 2012, he has always given his best every time he has entered the ring and the heart he has displayed throughout his career is something that has endeared him to Boxing fans around the world. At thirty-seven years of age after forty-four bouts and more than a few grueling battles, this observer believes it might be time for Chisora to consider retirement. Ultimately, the decision to retire will be the fighter’s decision to make and only Chisora alone should make that decision, but the heart he has shown may eventually lead to a tragic circumstance if he does continue fighting after taking punishment not just in this latest loss to Joseph Parker, but throughout his career. It is my hope that Chisora will take time to recover and then make the best decision for himself going forward.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

Thursday, December 16, 2021

December 11th Thoughts And Previewing December 17th-18th In Boxing

By now, readers have had an opportunity to read and digest this observer's coverage of both Conor Benn's knockout of former world champion Chris Algieri and the continuing evolving story of Boxing's Lightweight division, which coincidentally took place on December 11th. It goes without saying however, that Boxing is one of the most global sports in existence and as such, it can be a challenge for one to adequately keep an eye on all the action that can and often does occur throughout the sport when so many cards and world championship bouts are scheduled for one day around the world. 

 

Even those of us who cover the sport and are used to what yours truly often refers to as marathons of Boxing cards that take place over anywhere from a one to three day period can still find it difficult to keep an eye on and subsequently cover everything that goes on, despite significant advances in technology that frankly makes our jobs easier. While December 11, 2021 was notable for the debut of Probellum, Boxing's newest promotional and managerial entity, something which will be discussed in greater detail after the new year here on The Boxing Truth®, there were two other notable events that took place on that day, which has not previously been covered in recent content that is available in our archives section that deserves some discussion and insight from this observer before a brief preview of what is to follow later in this column. 

 

First up is future Hall of Famer and current WBC Bantamweight world champion Nonito Donaire, who made the first defense of the world title he won back in May of this year by facing unbeaten top contender Reymart Gaballo in a bout that took place at the legendary outdoor arena in Carson, CA currently known as Dignity Health Sports Park. While the venue that has been a staple for Boxing for many years has gone through several name changes in its history, Donaire is one of the legends of the sport to have performed in the stadium. This latest performance by the thirty-nine year old four-division world champion was such that, despite a long career that has seen it’s share of wars, Donaire seems to have plenty of fight left in him as he ended the fight with Gaballo with one second remaining in the fourth round with a left hook to the body.

 

There is simply not much you can say to describe this fight beyond saying that one fighter simply caught the other with a flush shot that landed perfectly. Although it seemed as though the fight was just starting to heat up, when it comes to body punch knockouts, more often than not, it will be where the punch landed that will be the reason for a fight’s conclusion as these type of punches are known to essentially freeze the fighter that is on the receiving end of it. This is precisely what happened in this fight as the left hook that Donaire landed seemed to catch Gaballo on the liver and many fighters including, but not limited to Micky Ward carved out a reputation throughout their careers for their ability to end fights with body shots similar to the one Donaire was able to land in this encounter.

 

Despite a long and grueling career, Donaire appears to not be done carving out his Hall of Fame credentials as he appears to be nearing a rematch with undefeated unified IBF/WBA Bantamweight world champion Noya Inoue, who defeated Donaire in a unification bout in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Bantamweight tournament in 2019. As this column was in development, Inoue scored a knockout of top contender Aran Dipaen in the eighth round of a fight that took place on December 14th in Tokyo, Japan. With Donaire recently signing with Probellum, and the promotional entity’s global plans, it will be interesting to see if a rematch of what was an extremely competitive fight can be made in 2022. In all honesty, at this stage in his career, it’s the biggest fight that could be on the table for Donaire.

 

The last bout that took place on December 11th, which coincidentally will tie in perhaps heavily to the bouts that will be previewed that will be taking place on December 17th and 18th respectively involved undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol, who scored a twelve round unanimous decision over Umar Salamov in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Bivol out boxed a very “Game”, but tactically outgunned Salamov over the course of the twelve round bout to earn a convincing decision victory in a fight that did not offer much in the way of highlights, but can be described as a workmanlike performance by the champion..

 

This victory for Bivol should be viewed as one that will allow him to stay active while trying to secure more lucrative opportunities in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division. Bivol has been a potential opponent for current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but with Alvarez looking to challenge for a world title in the Cruiserweight division in 2022, a bout between Alvarez and Bivol seems unlikely at least in the short-term. As for where that might leave Bivol as 2022 approaches, there are two Light-Heavyweight bouts that will take place on December 17th and 18th that could well produce his next opponent.

 

The first of these bouts will be fought in Montreal, Canada where undefeated unified IBF/WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev will defend his title against top contender Marcus Browne in a bout that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. When it comes to potential opponents for Bivol outside of Alvarez, Beterbiev might be at the top of the list. Not only because of his status as a unified world champion, but also the fact that he has knocked out all sixteen of his opponents going into this fight with Browne, As mouth watering as a potential encounter between Bivol, who also has knockout power, and Beterbiev is, Beterbiev must first face what could be a test in the form of top contender Marcus Browne. 

 

Browne, who will enter the bout with a record of 24-1, with 16 Knockouts, has previously held interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Light-Heavyweight ratings in his career and will be entering his first world championship fight in this bout. Browne is a solid boxer/puncher that is capable of out Boxing an opponent should the opportunity arise and also has punching power. While Browne is one of several fighters throughout the whole sport that has had an interim/regular designation in the WBA rankings in his career, it will be interesting to see how he will respond to fighting for a world championship against a fighter of Beterbiev’s caliber and reputation.

 

It is that reputation in my view as a “Knockout Artist” that Browne will need to be respectful of and the key to this fight for the challenger in my view will be whether or not he will be able to survive what will likely be early pressure by the champion and extend him into the middle and late rounds of this fight. At this stage in Beterbiev’s career, we do not know how he will respond to being taken into the deep waters of a fight or how he will adapt if an initial strategy does not work initially. If Browne succeeds in extending this fight or putting Beterbiev in a scenario or scenarios that we have not seen the champion put in before, some of the questions that have surrounded him may start to get answered in this fight.

 

One fighter who will probably be watching the Beterbiev-Browne bout with keen interest is undefeated former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez, who will return to action on December 18th in San Antonio, TX where he will face Yuneski Gonzalez in a twelve round bout that can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. Much like Bivol, Ramirez has also been name dropped as a potential opponent for Alvarez and like Bivol and Beterbiev, is undefeated in his career. Ramirez will look to position himself for a bout with either Bivol or the Beterbiev-Browne winner in this fight with Yuneski Gonzalez. 

 

In his last bout in July of this year, Ramirez scored a fourth round knockout of longtime contender and former world title challenger Sullivan Barrera. A similarity that Ramirez shares with Dmitry Bivol is that he is a boxer/puncher that is capable of doing pretty much anything from a skill/tactical standpoint. Ramirez’ opponent on this occasion Yuneski Gonzalez will bring a record of 21-3, with 17 Knockouts into the encounter compared to Ramirez’ 42-0, with 28 Knockouts. Gonzalez’ three losses however, all came when he attempted to step up in caliber of opposition, most notably against former WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk, who stopped him in 2017. The question that I have as this fight approaches is whether or not Gonzalez will be able to make this step up against a fighter of Ramirez’ caliber and skillset. Despite being in the role of opponent, Gonzalez should be taken seriously and if he can step up and/or if Ramirez might be looking past him, he could possibly pull off a surprise here, but the focus will be on what he will be able to bring to the table in this fight. Gonzalez has won three bouts since his loss to Gvozdyk and has won those bouts by knockout so he has earned this chance to see if he can step up. If Gonzalez were to defeat Ramirez, he would almost certainly be entered into the discussion of potential world title contenders. Whether or not he will be able to do that remains to be seen.

 

December 18, 2021 will also feature two rematches in the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions. First, Youtube star Jake Paul will face the man he defeated in August of this year, former UFC Welterweight world champion Tyron Woodley in Tampa, FL in an eight round Cruiserweight bout that can be seen in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View. Paul, who is unbeaten in four professional fights as a Cruiserweight was supposed to face fellow unbeaten Cruiserweight Tommy Fury, the brother of undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in what would have been Paul’s first bout against a legitimate boxer after facing two Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters including Woodley, a former NBA player, and a fellow Youtube star in his pro debut in 2020. Fury however, was forced to pull out of the bout due to an undisclosed medical issue. Thus, Woodley, who did extend Paul eight rounds in August steps in to take an impromptu rematch on short notice. A fight that ended in a split decision victory for Paul, Woodley was able to briefly stun Paul with a hook to the head during the course of the fight, but the consensus was that he simply did not do enough to win the fight.

 

The bout has since been the subject of both speculation and criticism by both fighters and those of us in media for accusations of a supposed no knockout clause in the contract that many feel was a means to protect Paul as well as the issue of a fight between a novice against a former MMA world champion headlining a pay-per-view card.  This observer has said from the get go since the influx of youtube stars and other forms of “Celebrity” began interjecting themselves into the sport of Boxing that I would be objective and give the benefit of the doubt to those who are entering the sport.

 

In Paul’s case, he has shown some development in his bouts and in giving credit where it’s due, he did go eight rounds against Woodley last time out. One does have to wonder however, given the state of both the pay-per-view medium as well as the fact that said medium is gradually being phased out by a subscription-based model as to the wisdom of continuing to market Paul as a pay-per-view attraction when frankly, he is not anywhere near the status of a prospect, much less a contender. While his knack for promotion is something that does generate attention whether it be good or bad, it is hard to take someone seriously who does not box against actual boxers and is being pushed as a pay-per-view star having not gone up against legitimate boxers in addition to having a record where most fighters that are starting out are in the opening bouts on a card, not in a main event position.

 

Although the argument of both Jake and his brother Logan Paul are attracting new eyes to the sport and can interest a more casual observer might indeed be valid, it is only a matter of when and not if the novelty will wear off. It also can be seen as a red flag for a network like Showtime, that has refused to adapt to a subscription streaming model for their top tier pay-per-view level bouts through its parent company ViacomCBS’ streaming network Paramount+ and has seen inconsistent pay-per-view returns would resort to this type of attraction on a regular basis without insisting that Paul faces boxers that could provide a test. In short, one does wonder what standard there is as to what classifies a pay-per-view level fight in 2021 at least as far as Showtime and even Fox Sports, two of the networks in the sport that have as of now been resistant to adapt to a subscription streaming model is concerned.

 

While I continue to be objective, the only question here will be whether or not Woodley will be more aggressive this time out and whether the outcome will be any different. Given that this rematch comes out of necessity of Paul and Showtime wanting to maintain the December 18th date, not out of public demand, and the fact that Woodley has had limited time to prepare, no one can say what type of fight this will be.It is my hope however, that Paul and the others that have ventured into the sport after gaining name recognition in another field show that this is not a novelty and that their ventures in Boxing will include bouts against legitimate boxers.

 

The second rematch that will likely be viewed as the more legitimate of the two that will take place on December 18th will be a Heavyweight bout between former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker and former world title challenger, longtime contender, and former European Heavyweight champion Dereck Chisora in a twelve round bout that can be seen on DAZN from Manchester, England.

 

In what was a very close and competitive bout in their first encounter in May of this year, Parker was able to withstand a steady pressure attack from Chisora and outwork him over the second half of the fight to earn a hard-fought split decision victory.  It will be interesting to see if this fight will be fought in a similar fashion because at his best, Dereck Chisora is a come forward pressure fighter and an argument can be made that what led to his defeat in the first fight was as much fatigue from what he was able to do in the first half of the bout as it was what Parker was able to get down over the second half. 

 

Chisora has been at or near the top of the Heavyweight division’s contenders for much of the last decade, but has not succeeded at the top tier of the division, despite his status as a former European champion and former world title challenger. With his forty-fourth fight in a fourteen year career that began in 2007 on the horizon, one might be wondering if this is Chisora’s last chance on the world level of the sport. As for Parker, if he should win this rematch, it is likely that he will try to positon himself amongst several top contenders and former world champions vying for a shot at the World Heavyweight championship. Although Parker’s status as a former world champion is something that theoretically gives him an advantage over other potential challengers, should Dereck Chisora win this rematch, we could be looking at a possible trilogy between the two. If fight two turns out to be as competitive as fight one was, this observer says “Why Not?”

 

“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, December 14, 2021

The Lightweight Picture Going Into 2022

 

The recent weeks in the sport of Boxing have been dominated largely by the 135lb. Lightweight division. As events have taken place including George Kambosos’ victory over Teofimo Lopez to win the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world in late November, which set the focus squarely on the division beyond the coincidence of several bouts, including that one in and around the top of the division taking place within q narrow time frame, this observer has done his best to chronicle those bouts, which unfortunately, included the months-long saga that preceded the Lopez-Kambosos bout.

 

Following successful victories by unbeaten contenders Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis in the week following Kambosos victory over Lopez, the final marquee bout of 2021 at least as far as the Lightweight division is concerned took place on December 11th in Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. A bout that yours truly referred to as a “Crossroads Fight” in the days prior to the bout. This observer is referring to the battle between former Lightweight world champions Vasyl Lomachenko and Richard Commey. Two fighters that coincidentally lost their respective portions of the World Lightweight championship to the man who is now the former undisputed world champion, Teofimo Lopez.


Some might wonder why yours truly would refer to this encounter as a “Crossroads Fight” given that both Lomachenko and Commey are recent former world champions in the same division. Typically, the term “Crossroads Fight” is used to describe a scenario where two fighters face each other where the loser may head toward retirement. In this case, it is different in that both Lomachenko and Commey are still in their physical primes, but I felt the loser of this fight would be knocked out of world title contention for a significant period of time due largely to the current changing landscape of the division with several top contenders vying for the opportunity to face the new Lightweight champion of the world George Kambosos. This means that the fighter that didn’t come out on top in this fight would be faced with two plausible options. The first would be if they wanted to remain at 135lbs. to essentially be put in a scenario where they would be pitted against both fringe contenders and rising prospects until such time as an opportunity came up where they could work their way back into the world championship picture.  While sometimes it takes fighters in such positions lengthy periods to accomplish this, despite their name recognition, it has happened before throughout the sport. Alternatively, the second and perhaps most logical option would be for the loser of this fight to seek other opportunities at a higher weight, most likely the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division.

 

As this fight approached, I wondered what the combat would look like as both Lomachenko and Commey can box, but both are certainly capable of getting an opponent out of there should the opportunity arise. It was no surprise to me to see Lomachenko execute nearly flawless footwork for which he is known from the outset. Although some may not understand or appreciate the value of lateral movement particularly in a tactical strategy, they should watch footage of Vasyl Lomachenko as he showed in this fight as he has done his whole career as both an amateur and a professional how footwork can be used both as a way of setting up offense as well as defensively.

 

From the opening round, Lomachenko used his legs to create openings to pepper Commey often with blistering combinations of punches, mixing up his level of attack, and making it very difficult for Commey to get his offense going much less find a rhythm. Although Commey showed tremendous heart throughout this fight, there were times as it progressed where I actually expected the bout to be stopped. There was one point in particular in the early rounds when Lomachenko staggered Commey in the closing seconds of a round, but chose to step back likely out of respect for his opponent and allowing him to finish the round.

 

Perhaps the most telling moments of this fight came in the seventh round when Lomachenko knocked Commey down with a flush left hook to the jaw. Commey to his credit showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown and, despite the fight being allowed to continue, Lomachenko, instead of pressing forward for what would have likely been a stoppage victory, looked over to his opponent’s corner and motioned Commey’s trainer Andre Rozier to stop the fight. Rosier did not stop the bout and the gradually one-sided encounter continued. Despite being tactically out gunned by a superior fighter, Richard Commey continued to show his heart and to his credit was able to recover from circumstances that would have likely ended the night for most fighters in the position he was in, in the seventh round. Commey also never quit fighting and was able to have his share of moments in the latter rounds and did manage to go the distance in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Lomachenko.

 

In all truth and honesty with the reader, shortly before the knockdown in round seven, I got a quick look at Richard Commey’s eyes and I said to myself “He’s done” in thinking that the fight was nearing its end. The knockdown moments later seemed to fall in line with what I was thinking as the look I observed albeit a brief look was one of a fighter that tried his best, but simply had no answer to combat a fighter of Lomachenko’s skillset, as many opponents both on the amateur and pro levels have experienced similar conundrums against Lomachenko. I was surprised following the knockdown to first not see Lomachenko pounce on his opponent to get the stoppage, but I was more surprised as it became increasingly clear, despite the heart and will Commey was showing, that he was taking a beating that neither his corner nor the referee stopped the fight as short of a puncher’s chance, it was clear to any knowledgeable observer that the fight was out of reach for him in terms of the scorecards.

 

While it is indisputable that any fighter that gets into a ring has a puncher’s chance and keeping in mind that Richard Commey did have the ability to score knockouts, I feel that there would have been no harm in stopping this fight even though Commey deserves all the credit he receives for going the distance. Although his trainer Andre Rozier explained after the fight that he did not want to stop the fight out of respect for his fighter in saying that he did not want to take his pride away from him, I respectfully disagree with the decision even though Commey was able to have his moments periodically after the seventh round.

 

A fighter’s heart and will is something that should always be respected, but it is the responsibility of a fighter’s corner to at times protect the fighter against themself. There is no doubt in my mind that had this fight been scheduled for fifteen rounds or going back to the original bareknuckle format of the sport where bouts were scheduled for ungodly round distances that as long as Richard Commey could stand, he would have continued on as many great fighters and former world champions have demonstrated throughout Boxing history. Thankfully for Richard Commey, he did not suffer any serious injures in the twelve rounds he spent in the ring with Vasyl Lomachenko, but one has to be concerned with what the accumulative effect of punishment that Commey sustained not just in this fight, but throughout his career, which will likely continue, will have on him long-term. Boxing is after all a combat sport and with each fight, particularly one that was fought like this, concern for a fighter’s long-term health should be a consistent topic of discussion. Nevertheless, Richard Commey should hold his head high for the brave effort he put forth in defeat and if he chooses to stay at Lightweight, could find himself back in the mix if he can get a few wins under his belt against either fringe contenders or prospects looking to move up in contention. For now, Commey should take some time to recover and then decide what will be next for him.

 

As for Vasyl Lomachenko, of the three fighters who emerged with victories in subsequent bouts following George Kambosos’ victory over Teofimo Lopez, he perhaps made as strong an argument if not the strongest as for him getting the potential first opportunity to face the new champion. Lomachenko has also stated that he has no problem traveling to Australia, Kambosos’ home country to face him, where Kambosos wants to make his first title defense.  While Lomachenko’s willingness to travel to an opponent's backyard is something that will likely be taken into consideration as Devin Haney has also said he would do the same, unfortunately, the decision will likely come down to which promoter and network puts up the most money to entice Kambosos to do the fight under their banner and on their platforms.

 

In an ideal scenario, being that yours truly also grew up a fan of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) in addition to my love for Boxing and combat sports, having watched many of the PBA’s tournaments on Saturday afternoons on ABC Sports here in the United States in the 1980’s and into the 1990’s where bowling broadcasts would often be the lead in for Boxing broadcasts on Wide World of Sports, an era that I frankly miss that should have never disappeared as far as Boxing is concerned,  I wish there could be something akin to the PBA’s stepladder tournament format where the top four or five fighters face off one by one with the ultimate end game being facing the number one seed for the championship, which in this case would be Kambosos. As simplistic as such a format is, unfortunately for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to rival promoters, sanctioning organizations, competing networks, and the various business interests wherein, Boxing will never adapt such an approach though it is a concept that should probably go on this observer’s annual “Boxing Wishlist”, which is released here on The Boxing Truth® shortly after the start of a new year.

 

For now, we in the sport be it those of us who cover the sport, the fighters themselves, and most of all the fans of Boxing, who continue to support the sport tirelessly will have to settle for the fact that Lomachenko, Haney, Davis, and perhaps the former champion Teofimo Lopez are all in the mix as 2022 looms. We can only hope that the various business elements that be in the sport are not going to take too long to determine who will get the first shot at Kambosos and that such a decision will benefit all involved.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

 


Monday, December 13, 2021

PROBELLUM SIGNS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST HEBERT SOUSA

 Press Release: By Probellum - Los Angeles, CA – December 11, 2021 - Probellum is thrilled to announce the signing of 2020 Olympic gold medalist Hebert Sousa ahead of his plans to turn professional.

Credit: Probellum

Sousa made history at Tokyo earlier this year, taking gold for Brazil in the middleweight division after knocking out Oleksandr Khyzhniak in the third round of their contest.

 

It capped off a fantastic amateur career for the 23-year-old from Salvador, which also includes a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Yekaterinburg, and a bronze medal at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba.

 

Sousa will now take his incredible talents into the professional ranks, with the highly-rated Brazilian looking to replicate the immense success he has had so far.

 

He is the latest addition to Probellum's elite roster of talent, having already signed the likes of Regis Prograis, Nonito Donaire, Donnie Nietes, Lee McGregor, Eimantas Stanionis, Arthur Biyarslanov, Taras Shelestyuk, Ricky Burns, Paul Butler, Lewis Ritson, Muhammad Waseem, O'Shaquie Foster, Hovhannes Bachkov, Darius Fulghum, Eduardo Hernandez, Mark Dickinson, Brandon Moore, Jack Bowen, Jason Mallia and and Francisco Rodriguez.

 

"I am delighted to announce that I am signing with Probellum," said Sousa. "I was proud to win a gold medal at the Olympics earlier this year, and now it's time to show what I can do as a professional.

 

"The chance to compete not only in Brazil but around the world is something I am very excited for, and I can't wait to get started in the near future."

 

"We're extremely pleased to make another massive signing by welcoming Hebert Sousa to the team," said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum. "We've already signed some of the very best fighters across the globe, and now we've got one of the very best fighters that Brazil has ever produced in Sousa.

 

"Probellum have shown repeatedly that we want to enter into markets that may not usually receive the backing they deserve, and by having a superstar like Sousa now join our ranks, we will look to take Brazil and South America by storm."

 

News on when Sousa will make his professional debut will be announced in due course.

 

For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.


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


PAT AND LUKE MCCORMACK SIGN WITH PROBELLUM

 Press Release: By Probellum - Los Angeles, CA – December 11, 2021 - Probellum is delighted to announce the signings of highly-rated twin brothers Pat and Luke McCormack as they turn professional.

The McCormack brothers had immense success during their time in the amateurs, with each of them proudly representing Team GB for a number of years.

Credit: Probellum

 

Pat's achievements include a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and a gold medal at the 2019 European Games in Minsk, while Luke won a gold medal at the 2018 EU Championships in Valladolid, a silver medal at the 2017 European Championships in Kharkiv and a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

 

The North East stars will now call time on their tremendous amateur careers and enter the paid ranks, teaming up with world-title winning trainer Ben Davison and joining an elite stable that includes the likes of Josh Taylor, Lee McGregor, Leigh Wood, Mark Dickinson and more.

 

At just 26-years-old, the McCormack brothers look destined for huge success in the sport, as they become the latest big names to sign with Probellum.

 

Probellum has also acquired an elite roster, including fighters such as Regis Prograis, Nonito Donaire, Donnie Nietes, Lee McGregor, Eimantas Stanionis, Arthur Biyarslanov, Taras Shelestyuk, Ricky Burns, Paul Butler, Lewis Ritson, Muhammad Waseem, O'Shaquie Foster, Hovhannes Bachkov, Darius Fulghum, Eduardo Hernandez, Mark Dickinson, Brandon Moore, Jack Bowen, Jason Mallia and and Francisco Rodriguez.

 

"We're ecstatic to announce our plans to turn professional by signing with Probellum," said Pat and Luke McCormack. "We are proud of what we achieved as amateurs, but now is the time to kick on and take our careers to the next level in the paid ranks.

 

"After our conversations with Probellum it was clear that they were the very best option for us, and we have full confidence that they will take us to the very top as we look to achieve our dreams of winning world titles."

 

"It is a true honor to announce the signings of Pat and Luke McCormack," said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum. "They were some of the most sought-after fighters coming out of the Olympics, so to have them join Probellum is a massive statement of intent.

 

"We have an event in the North East of England on December 18 with some of the best talent from that area, and we're certain that Pat and Luke can become the next big stars from that region."

 

News on when Pat and Luke will make their respective professional debuts will be announced in due course.For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.


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