Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Discipline Over Brawn: Wood Regains World Featherweight Championship

The rematch between Mauricio Lara and Leigh Wood for the WBA Featherweight championship of the world seemed to be a relatively straightforward process. Despite criticism for invoking his rematch clause a little over three months after losing his title via knockout to Lara where his trainer Ben Davison was also criticized for his decision to throw the towel in to prevent him from further punishment, Leigh Wood was strong in his belief that he could improve in a rematch.


After all, in their first encounter in February of this year, Wood was out Boxing Lara convincingly before he got caught by a left hook to the head that led to the stoppage in the seventh round. While that fight could best be described as a sudden ending where a fighter who was in control simply got caught, it was nevertheless questionable of Wood though commendable that he would want a rematch so soon in theory not giving himself time to recover from the knockout from both a physical as well as a psychological standpoint.


As straightforward as the manifestation of this rematch seemed in how quickly it was made, there was a speed bump on the day prior to the fight when the new champion Mauricio Lara weighed in nearly four pounds over the 126lb. Featherweight limit, which for a time cast some doubt as to whether the rematch would take place. When circumstances like this occur in the sport where a world champion comes in overweight for a scheduled title defense, they automatically lose the championship in what is often referred to as "Losing The Title On The Scale." 


Under such a scenario, the fight still proceeds as scheduled, but the world championship is only in the line for the challenger. This also creates the possibility that if the fighter who was champion is able to win the fight, the world championship would then become vacant. While Lara's failure to make weight brought about such a scenario, the possibility that the fight would not take place would prove to be short-lived as the source of the issue was likely Wood's camp wanting some compensation from Lara financially due to the now former champion failing to make weight.


Although there is no confirmation that such a compensation did occur, the rematch did nevertheless take place on May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England with the WBA Featherweight world championship only being on the line for Wood. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that Wood needed to be defensively aware and responsible at all times if he wanted to be successful.


While his lack of head movement was something that stood out in the first fight, the lack of head movement was also an issue for Wood in the rematch. Despite this tactical/defensive flaw, Wood would produce one of the best performances of his career in a fight where he was considered an underdog with some even going as far as to say his career might have been on the line.


Wood did this by using his legs to move laterally to maintain distance between himself and Lara. This in addition to a consistent jab, mixing in combinations, and varying his attack from the head to the body throughout produced a dominant performance from start to finish. A highlight occured in the second round when he knocked Lara down with a short uppercut to the head. Although Wood did not use head movement in this fight, he was still defensively responsible in not only managing distance with use of lateral movement, but also putting his hands up to defend against often wide, looping hooks that Lara threw.


Whether what became a lackluster performance by Lara was due to the apparent struggle he had to make weight prior to this fight, it became clear as this rematch progressed that he only had one strategy, to try and get Wood in an exchange similar to the first fight and try to catch him with a hook that led to him taking the title from Wood in February. Unlike the first encounter however, Wood did not take the bait.


While this was not the prettiest of fights to watch, particularly if you are one that prefers to see a lot of back and forth action, Leigh Wood proved one thing in this rematch. Discipline and consistency will often always prevail over the brawn of a fighter that wants to go toe to toe. It may not be something that is appreciated by some, but a fighter should always have an approach where the objective is to do what they need to do within the rules in order to win. 


Under circumstances like this where a fight may not be the most entertaining to watch, but one where one fighter is clearly dominating the other, this observer often thinks of the words of Alton Merkerson, longtime trainer of Hall of Famer Roy Jones, who often dealt with criticism for being so dominant in his prime that often the only question was whether Jones would stop his opponent or win every round on the scorecards, often doing so by not engaging with his opponents and using his athleticism and overall Boxing skills to dominant his opposition. Merkerson in an interview when asked about the opinion of some that Jones was unwilling to go toe to toe in fights said simply "You Don't Make A Fight Hard, If It's Not Hard." To sum it up differently, you should not put yourself at risk when there is no reason to do so.


Merkerson's quote has become one of my personal favorites to describe an approach such where a fighter can dominate a fight, but do so without having to put themselves in danger. A quote from one of the most underrated trainers in the sport, but one that all trainers should instill in their fighters. Although I obviously cannot say for certain whether Leigh Wood is familiar with that philosophy, he proved it's merit in this fight as he refused to stand and trade punches with a dangerous, but one dimensional Lara and boxed his way to a wide and convincing twelve round unanimous decision to regain his world championship. 


After such a convincing victory in the rematch under circumstances where some did not expect him to win, the question now is what now for Leigh Wood. There are certainly no shortage of options that he might take including a possible third fight with Lara. For now after the seesaw way 2023 has been for him, Wood has earned the opportunity to get a little rest now as a two-time Featherweight champion of the world before deciding his next move. If however, a third fight with Mauricio Lara is in the near future, the onus will be on Lara to not only show he can make whatever weight the fight might take place at, but also that his lackluster performance in the second fight was not a sign of a one dimensional fighter that just happened to be in the right place at the right time to become world champion. Only time will tell if this is chapter two of a rivalry or if both Wood and Lara will now move in different directions 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 






Monday, May 29, 2023

WINWOOD VS GUTTIEREZ HEADLINES THUNDERDOME 42 – JUNE 16 PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Press Release: May 29, 2023 By Dragon Fire Boxing - June 16 will mark the date for 42nd edition of the Australian iconic boxing series, known as Thunderdome. Based out of Perth, Western Australia at Metro City the home of Western Australian boxing.

Credit: Tobias Drundridge


Dragon Fire Boxing promoter Tony Tolj discussed the upcoming card;


“I’m very excited about this June 16 card. Alex Winwood IBF #12 WBC #13 (2-0) is a generational talent and has been in camp with WBO World Bantamweight Champion Jason Moloney and former WBA World Champion Andrew Moloney ahead of their respective fights. He has amassed over 120 rounds of World Class sparring with World class talent.


Alex has gone to another level and has his hands full with the WBC World #5 Reyneris Guttierez (9-0) of Nicaragua for the WBC Straw weight Championship. I expect this to steal the show. Winwood destroyed the former IBO World Champion Tibo Monabesa inside 4 brutal rounds, Alex is determined to become World Champion in record fashion and do it in style and I believe its gonna be a great ride for everyone involved.


We have 11 fights in total, 2 State title with Jude Grant taking on Jye Chin for the W.A State Middleweight Championship & Richard Lockett taking on Amit Thapa for the Super Bantamweight Championship, both will be crackers.


“The African Dream” Kazeem Soyoye looks to go 6-1 as he takes on undefeated Indonesian boxer “Big Daddy” Deddy Imprax 5-0


Red hot Aussie prospect Jordan Laruccia will look to go 5-0 as he takes on Indonesian “Captain Jack” Dolo.


Also featured will be the annual Alan Pond Cup with Dan Steel challenging Joshua Macpherson for the Cup.


Also featured is the return of Marcus Surmin who takes on 8 fight veteran Bima Prakosa


There will be several Pro debuts also, Dino “The Boss” Ross, Jack Briggs trained by former World Heavyweight Champion Lucas Browne & Katelyn Stack takes on fellow debutant Tara Enoka


One thing which has separated Thunderdome from everywhere else is the competition, its always as best of 50/50 fights as you can get, its sink or swim and June 16 will be no different, 2 men enter 1 man leaves, This is the Thunderdome!.


Tickets available at megatix.com.au and the event will be live on FITE.TV


Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of: Tobias Drundridge Used with permission.


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

Saturday, May 27, 2023

MVP’S ASHTON ‘H2O’ SYLVE DEFEATS ADAM KIPENGA IN FIRST EVER MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS EVENT


Most Valuable Promotions inaugural fight night took place on Friday, May 26 live from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL streamed live on DAZN

 

Kevin Brown defeated Julian Smith in the co-main event for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title

 

Star-studded evening included special guests Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, Shadasia Green, Fat Joe, Damian Priest, and Edgar Berlanga

Press Release: May 27, 2023 By DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions  - ORLANDO, FL – May 26, 2023 – In the inaugural installment of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects, Ashton ‘H2O’ Sylve demonstrated why he is one of the most electrifying young fighters by defeating Adam Kipenga by unanimous decision (80-72 x3). Sylve controlled the fight from start to finish, in his first ever fight to go the distance, delivering a barrage of blows to the Tanzanian Southpaw for the full eight rounds. 

Credit: DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions 


 


The co-main event featured Kevin Brown vs. Julian “Quiet Storm” Smith for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title. Kevin Brown won the title by unanimous decision (96-94, 96-94, 98-92). Smith fought hard through all ten rounds in an action packed bout. In a heavyweight battle Lorenzo Medina defeated Angel Napoles by unanimous decision (58-56, 58-56, 58-56), while Bryce Henry took down Jamar Pemberton in the broadcast opener by unanimous decision in a tightly contested match (38-37, 38-37, 38-37).


 


The “Most Valuable Prospects” card is produced by Most Valuable Promotions, with BoxLab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. The Caribe Royale Resort is the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN aired Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world-renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano, Shadasia Green, Fat Joe, Edgar Berlanga, Damian Priest and other special guests were all in attendance for the inaugural event. 


 


There are three more installments of Most Valuable Prospects events set for 2023 in Orlando at the Caribe Royale Resort. On August 18th undefeated super lightweight prospect, Nester Bravo will headline Most Valuable Prospects II, while the next events will take place on October 27th and December 15th.


 


For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @BoxLab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.


 


About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) 


Dedicated to brand building, content creation, promotion, and strategic advisory, Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Already making a name for itself in the sport of boxing and the overall industry, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The promotion company has co-produced and co-promoted all of Paul’s latest matches including both fights against Tyron Woodley and his most recent fight against Anderson Silva, which included a co-headlining bout with MVP’s youngest signed talent, Ashton Sylve. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.


 


About DAZN


DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  


 


DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 


 


DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 


 


DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs, and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.


 


DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.  


 


About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort


Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visitwww.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando 


 


Material and Photo Courtesy  of: DAZN  and Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.


 


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

Friday, May 26, 2023

Has Wood Miscalculated In Invoking Immediate Rematch Against Lara?

In February of this year, one of the rising stars of the 126lb. Featherweight division, Leigh Wood entered the ring to defend his WBA Featherweight world championship against top contender Mauricio Lara in Nottingham, England. By all accounts, it was a fight that was viewed as a next step in the rise of Wood that would theoretically potentially lead to him looking to unify the Featherweight division down the line.


For a significant period of time for the champion, it appeared that he would box his way to a convincing victory over the dangerous Lara as he applied a smooth Boxing approach that not only served to out box the challenger, but more specifically build a lead on the scorecards over the first six rounds of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. As can sometimes be the case in Boxing however, the fight would suddenly turn in the favor of Lara. Equally as sudden would be how the fight would end.


In an exchange of left hooks in the seventh round, Lara's left hook would connect and drop Wood hard on the canvas on his back. Although Wood showed a champion's heart by getting up from the knockdown, his trainer Ben Davison threw the towel in to stop the fight before it could continue making Lara the new WBA champion.


While the decision of Davison to stop the fight was seen as controversial by some, Wood did go down hard and it is understandable that he put the welfare of his fighter over the world title that Wood held. Nevertheless, three months removed from that fight in Wood's hometown, the now former champion per his exercising his immediate rematch clause, prepares to face Lara again on Saturday, May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, which can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.


The obvious question that this observer has going into this rematch is, is this rematch coming too soon for Wood? In previous eras in Boxing history, it was not uncommon for fighters at the top level of the sport to fight frequently, in some cases, once per month if not more depending on the situation. Perhaps the issue here is not so much the idea that it is too soon for Wood to get back in the ring, but more specifically, the decision to involve the rematch clause.


Rematch clauses are certainly not a new concept in the sport and are a normal part of negotiation, particularly in regard to world championship bouts. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether or not Wood invoking his rematch clause will ultimately be a bad decision cannot be answered without the rematch taking place.


How can Wood avenge his loss at the hands of Lara? It is important to keep in mind that Wood was ahead on the scorecards and for the most part, was having his way throughout most of the fight up to the moment where he got caught. Leigh Wood is certainly not the first fighter to have been in such a scenario and he will not be the last. There were however, subtle things that did lead to Wood being caught and subsequently stopped in the first fight. The most notable that stood out to this observer was the lack of head movement by Wood. 


Although Wood had the advantage in terms of hand speed and put it to use throughout the fight, whenever he let his hands go,  he would not move his head to try and avoid anything that Lara threw back at him. This in addition to leaving his chin up, which Lara was able to take advantage of periodically in landing some shots, particularly with his right hand before the exchange of left hooks that ended the fight occurred. While it is easier said than done, Wood must be aware at all times to be defensively responsible in this fight even if it becomes a scenario where he is having his way and is able to build a lead on the scorecards. Mauricio Lara was able to prove that indeed sometimes all a fighter needs is one punch and if Wood has the same defensive flaws, which can be hard to correct, in this rematch as he did in the first fight, the possibility of the same type of scenario as what ended fight 1 between these two fighters exists.


As for the champion in his first title defense the strategy is simple in theory, but may also be easier said than done. Lara must find a way to cut off the ring and try to limit Wood's ability to use lateral movement. While he did show one punch power the first time around, Lara needs to find a way to combat the hand speed of Wood, but must be consistent and not rely on one punch to get the job done here. It has often been said that the way to negate speed is by timing. The question here is whether the champion can use that timing, but also be busy offensively if the fight goes into the middle and late rounds in case he might be behind on the scorecards in order to win a decision if needed to retain his title.


It is logical to assume that if Wood manages to regain his championship in this rematch that a third fight between the two would not be too far in the future. Whether this is merely chapter 2 of a longer rivalry between Lara and Wood remains to be seen. For a division like the Featherweights that historically is no stranger to such rivalries that turn into trilogies and even beyond, it would not surprise yours truly to see Lara-Wood become the latest in the long list of historic rivalries in the Featherweight division.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Lara vs Wood 2 takes place on Saturday, May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12:15PM ET/9:15AM PT with Before The Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts. The main portion of the card will follow at 2PM ET/11AM PT.


(*U.S. Times Only*) (*Card and Start times Subject to change.*)


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


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


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






Wednesday, May 24, 2023

May 20, 2023: Day Of Undisputed Thoughts

 


The Boxing world focused its attention on two undisputed world championship bouts that confidentially took place on May 20, 2023, making it "A Day Of Undisputed" in the sport. Women's Boxing was first to take the spotlight as undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron defended her crown against undefeated Undisputed Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor in Taylor's hometown of Dublin, Ireland. 


Taylor, who was attempting to accomplish something rare in the sport, to become an undisputed world champion in two weight classes simultaneously, had the support of her hometown behind her in this bout against Cameron. Those who thought that Taylor would have an easy time of things in a fight billed as her Homecoming, were left disappointed. In what was a close fight from start to finish, it was Cameron's constant pressure and ability to back Taylor up against the ropes that seemed to be the subtle difference in the fight.


As is usually the case when it comes to Women's Boxing, what made this bout difficult to score in addition to the two minute round length, one minute less than men's bouts, was that Taylor was able to keep it close due to being able to respond to Cameron's offense by throwing short, blistering combinations of punches, despite being pushed backwards by Cameron throughout most of the scheduled ten round world championship fight. This created something else that is all too common in women's bouts. The definition of a nightmare in terms of determining which fighter was able to get the upper hand in rounds that could be scored either way depending on one's perspective based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense, the accepted criteria in which Boxing on every level is scored.


It was indisputable as the fight progressed that Taylor was able to get the upper hand in some rounds simply due to her having the quicker hands when she was able to let her hands go. Despite also being able to evade some of Cameron's offense with effective lateral and head movement, she was not able to break the pattern of the fight, which was being pressured and pushed back against the ropes by a naturally stronger opponent. Cameron's consistency in this area, ultimately resulted in her retaining her Undisputed Jr. Welterweight championship of the world via ten round majority decision. Earning the nod of two of the three official judges. Unofficially, this observer scored the bout also in Cameron's favor six rounds to four or 95-93 in points. In all honesty, I felt the fight could have gone either way and as I often say when it comes to close fights, it will often come down to what a judge prefers based on the aforementioned criteria. Something that is important for the reader to keep in mind because as fate would have it, the subject of how fights are scored and the criteria in which is used to do so would turn out to be just as relevant to the second undisputed world championship bout that took place on May 20th.


This observer is referring to the battle for the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world between undefeated undisputed world champion Devin Haney and former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. As expected, this was a tactical chess match from the outset, which similar to the Cameron-Taylor bout earlier that day presented a conundrum in terms of how the fight was scored and again, what a judge prefers based on the accepted criteria in how Boxing is scored.


In this case, it was Lomachenko, the naturally shorter fighter, generally bringing the fight to the younger and naturally bigger Haney. This included attacking in short, explosive spurts, using angles to vary the attack, and being physical on the inside with the champion when he needed to be. Unlike the approach of Chantelle Cameron, which was largely based on applying constant pressure on Katie Taylor, Devin Haney's approach had an emphasis on trying to get to Lomachenko's body, while trying to be elusive and maintain a distance where he could get his punches off first before Lomachenko could return offense.


While it is indisputable that Haney's consistent focus on Lomachenko's body did have an effect as this fight progressed, the conundrum for yours truly was trying to decide for myself as an observer whether or not the body attack would be enough for the champion to win rounds that were otherwise very close. As the twelve round world championship bout progressed, there was one thing that stood out that ultimately would influence how I scored this fight unofficially. It is important to keep in mind that this fight was not only on the highest level of the sport, but was being fought at a high competitive level from start to finish. The consistent thing that stood out however, was Lomachenko was the fighter generally forcing the action and dictating how the fight was fought. 


Although this by no means indicates that the fight was one-sided because it was anything but, at no point throughout this fight was Haney able to get into a rhythm such where he could control the pace without feeling resistance from the challenger. Despite this, I felt that Haney was able to win three of the last four rounds, which resulted in my scoring the fight seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points for Lomachenko. 


Much like my feelings on Cameron-Taylor, I thought one fighter won the fight clearly, but I also felt that it could have gone either way on the scorecards. At the risk of sounding repetitive to the reader, it truly does boil down to what a judge prefers based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. Why did I rewrite the criteria one more time? The answer is simple. Although Boxing is a sport known as “The Sweet Science,” the practice of scoring fights on every level of the sport ranging from amateur, to professional, to professional Bareknuckle, is far from a perfect science and is often very much open to interpretation. This is why you will often hear this observer talk about the idea of “Swing Rounds,” which can be defined as close rounds where the winner of those rounds is often determined based on moments in a round that can sway opinion as opposed to one fighter being able to control the action over the other for the direction of a round. 


In this case, there were indeed several rounds that could have been scored either way, but from my perspective, it was Lomachenko who carried the majority of the action, which is ultimately what I based my scoring on. The three official judges however, did not see this fight the way yours truly did in scoring the fight unanimously for the champion via margins of seven rounds to five on two scorecards, (115-113) and eight rounds to four (116-112) resulting in Haney retaining his undisputed championship. 


While I did not and do not agree with the decision having taken a couple of days to digest things and gather my thoughts, I will say that after a lifetime watching Boxing and almost three decades covering the sport and other combat sports, I could probably write a series of columns or perhaps even a book that would cover the series of decisions that I have seen on every imaginable level of the sport that I personally did not agree with and I felt/feel were worse decisions than this one turned out to be, which is too long of a list to cover in the context of one column. As I deliberately took a few days before releasing this column, it does nevertheless interest me to see, hear, and read the opinions of others who saw the same fight I did. After all, opinions will differ and the reasons behind those opinions will vary depending on who you ask. The consensus in the case of Haney-Lomachenko seems to be that this was a controversial decision. For those who feel that way, I do feel that the label “Controversial” is justified and I do agree with that.


Now, I will not spend too much time talking about how after virtually every fight there are accusations of corruption, calls for investigation, and even those who will call a fight fixed. While most of the time, such calls in my experience come from disgruntled fans who either because of a lack of understanding of how fights are scored, or simply because of bias in that the fighter they root for and support ended up on the wrong side of a bad decision or a controversial stoppage, I will not go down that road here simply because as I point out to those folks, in order to make an accusation as someone in media who covers the sport, you need indisputable evidence before saying anything as unlike a fan, if you cover the sport, your reputation is on the line, but what I will say is I think the three judges in this instance appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commision (NSAC) got this one wrong. It is important however, to keep in mind that judges who are tasked with scoring high-profile world championship fights as the two undisputed championship bouts discussed in this column are the best of the best in the field, have decades of experience on every level of the sport, and are often asked to fly around the world to score world championship bouts based on their respective resumes and reputations. 


Despite those facts and the experience therein, a judge will not get it right 100% of the time and regardless of how a fan might feel, a judge will often see things differently from their position at ringside than what a fan will see either sitting in the crowd or watching on some form of television, whether it be via traditional mediums or streaming. While fans have also called out yours truly from time to time for how I have scored bouts unofficially even though I also have experience, it is just something that comes with the territory and unfortunately, one cannot please everyone.


While I will not join those calling for an investigation into this fight because I am smart enough to know that this was not the first controversial decision I have seen and it definitely will not be the last, what I will say is if fans are truly that passionate and want to see something done, the best way to do it is to not only voice your opinion, not only threaten not to support the sport going forward, but to realize that the only way to get your point across is not only to stick to your word, but also reach out to your respective governors, who in the case of the United States appoint the respective state athletic commissions, and maybe go as far as your state representatives if you truly feel that an injustice has taken place and want to see something done that would benefit the sport. I would caution however, that a process such as that will take time and progress more often than not is slow.


Ultimately, I would like to see rematches of both Cameron-Taylor and Haney-Lomachenko. In all honesty with the reader, I can sit all day and talk about changes that I would like to see in the sport including the need for regulatory overhaul on a global level, as well as judging, many of which I have written about frequently over the years, but I am realistic enough to know that it is far more likely that a rematch of a close or controversial fight will happen sooner than any regulatory intervention, especially if the public demands it. In this case, the Boxing world was treated to two highly competitive fights on the highest level the sport has to offer, each with an undisputed world championship on the line. Close or not, controversial or not, the best way to answer any questions or skeptics is to do it again, and to be frank, the sport as well as all four fighters deserve it. 


“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 




Friday, May 19, 2023

May 20, 2023: A Day Of Undisputed In Boxing

The sport of Boxing in recent years has made significant progress on both the male and female ends of the sport where there has been a consistent effort to unify world titles in various weight classes with the goal of determining a single undisputed world champion per weight class. While it is a goal that this observer has said in the past is something for a variety of reasons is difficult to accomplish, a sign of that progress that has been made will be on full display on Saturday May 20th where two important undisputed world championship fights will take place in both Women's Boxing as well as Men's Boxing, which could have a significant impact on the sport moving forward.


The first fight scheduled for May 20 for an undisputed world championship was to have been a highly anticipated rematch of 2022's Fight of the Year for the Women's Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world between undefeated world champion Katie Taylor and current Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano. When Serrano withdrew from the rematch due to an injury earlier this year, Taylor, wanting to keep the scheduled date in her home country of Ireland, opted to take a risk by moving up five pounds from the 135lb. Lightweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division to challenge undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron in an attempt to accomplish a rarity in Boxing, to become a two-division undisputed world champion.


The fight, which will take place at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland  and will be broadcast globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, brings together something else that is rare. Two unbeaten fighters, each an undisputed champion in their respective weight classes choosing to face each other. Something that for a variety of reasons we do not see in the sport. While Taylor will come in with more experience having a record of 23-0, with 6 Knockouts, this is essentially an even fight as Cameron, who will enter with a record of 17-0, 8 Knockouts, much like Taylor is a compact boxer/puncher that throws in volume and looks to pile up points on scorecards.


Although this observer stands by his assessment that this bout at least in comparison of styles is even and could be a toss up, Taylor does have more experience and will likely be looking to use that to her advantage in this fight in front of what is likely to be a significant hometown crowd. The question however, might come down to how Taylor looks at the heavier weight, whether her hands are as quick and reaction time is there at the heavier weight as it has been at Lightweight. It is important to keep in mind that rounds in Women's Boxing are two minutes in duration, which could prove to be a very difficult task for the three judges scoring a fight when you are trying to decide who is getting the upper hand in a fight between two fighters with similar styles, which means this fight could end up in a close decision if it does go the distance.


In a strange way, the cancellation of the rematch with Serrano for Taylor has led to an unofficial four fighter box off as in addition to Taylor's challenge of Cameron, it was recently announced that Serrano will defend her Featherweight world championship in a rematch with former world champion Heather Hardy in August on the undercard of the Jake Paul-Nate Diaz bout in Dallas, TX. While there is nothing official at least as of this writing, if the circumstances end up where the winners of these two fights do end up facing each other later in the year or in 2024, it will obviously keep interest high and Women's Boxing will continue to benefit from that increased interest as the sport for women continues to grow overall.


The second undisputed world championship fight on May 20 will see undefeated Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney defend his crown for the second time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV against former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. A fight that can be seen here in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, is not only one of the most anticipated fights of 2023, but may be viewed as a superstar in the making in Haney facing one of the , most dominant fighters of the last decade in Lomachenko, who has acknowledged that this could be his last chance to win am undisputed world championship.


Many will recall that Lomachenko previously came up short in his unification bout against then undefeated IBF world champion Teofimo Lopez in the fight that fully unified the Lightweight division in October 2020. Although that is the only loss Lomachenko has had since his second pro bout nearly a decade ago in 2014, the Undisputed Lightweight championship has changed hands twice since that fight, first from Lopez to George Kambosos and then from Kambosos to Haney, who is coming off of his second consecutive twelve round unanimous decision victory over Kambosos.


While Haney has for the moment put a stop to the hot potato passing of the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world, he has also acknowledged that his time in the 135lb. Lightweight division may be near an end as he is likely to move up to the Jr. Welterweight division sooner than later. What this creates is a scenario where if Haney does retain the title in this fight and decides to move up, the undisputed championship in the Lightweight division will be broken up as all the world championships that make up the undisputed crown would obviously be vacated.


How likely is Haney to retain his crown against Lomachenko is a question that can be quite complicated depending on one's perspective. At his best, Vasyl Lomachenko is a fighter with impeccable foot work, hand speed, deceptive punching power, and has the ability to use angles, which with the lone exception of the fight with Teofimo Lopez, has proven to be a difficult puzzle for opponents to solve. The possibility of Lomachenko simply having a bad night against Lopez, who outworked him over twelve rounds is certainly possible.


Much like Lopez however, Devin Haney is a younger fighter than Lomachenko and some might argue is a more complete fighter than Lopez, who is primarily known for his punching power. The key to this fight in my eyes will be whether or not Lomachenko will be able to establish the tempo of the fight early. This may prove to be more difficult than against previous opponents because of Devin Haney's hand speed, so it will be crucial that Lomachenko use his legs and look to set angles. 


To date, the only fighter who has really been able to hurt the champion was former world champion Jorge Linares, who badly staggered Haney in the later rounds of their fight in May 2021. Perhaps a method of attack for Lomachenko might be to use his footwork to bait Haney into making a mistake by missing with his punches and looking to catch him in the midst of those punches as they are being thrown. A method otherwise known as catching an opponent between punches, which is very difficult to defend against simply because the opponent is in the midst of throwing and thus is theoretically not thinking about defense in the process. This in turn makes a tactic like that a vital asset for counter punchers who have the timing, lateral movement, and accuracy to be able to pull it off. Lomachenko must be consistent in this fight from start to finish if he wants to have success here. Despite his only having two losses as a professional and three overall as a fighter going back to his illustrious amateur career where he had three hundred ninety-five wins against a single loss, this is one of the rare occasions that Lomachenko is being viewed by some as an underdog.


While that might give an impression that Haney could dominate this bout, the champion must not approach this with a complacent mindset and should view Lomachenko as the dangerous tactician he has proven to be throughout his career. If for whatever reason Haney might be looking beyond this fight, perhaps with an eye towards moving up in weight, it could backfire on him if Lomachenko is prepared.


No matter who emerges victorious in these two undisputed world championship fights there are at least a few things that most Boxing fans and experts alike can probably universally agree on. The goal to determine an undisputed world champion in each individual weight class for both the men's and women's sides of the sport remains at best a work in progress, but it is a goal that at least with each passing day seems more reachable, especially when the fighters themselves are starting to express their desire to achieve that goal, which in theory should put the pressure needed for those on the business side of Boxing to make the goal of being undisputed more attainable, which will ultimately benefit the sport. What can also be agreed on is these two particular fights are two of the best on the 2023 schedule to date.


After some recent mishaps and controversies in the sport particularly with some fights that were treated as major events, perhaps what can also be in universal agreement is Boxing is due for a day where it is the topic of discussion for all the right reasons. Hopefully, May 20, 2023, a day of Undisputed in the sport will be that day.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Cameron vs. Taylor takes place on Saturday, May 20th at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT with Before The Bell featuring preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.  (U.S. Times Only)


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


Haney vs. Lomachenko takes place on Saturday, May 20th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with a portion of free preliminary bouts followed by the pay-per-view card beginning at 10PM ET/7PM PT for $59.99. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices, and Smart TV's. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, to subscribe, and order Haney vs. Lomachenko please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com/PPV.  (U.S. Times Only) *Check your local start times internationally.*


(* Cards and start times subscribe to change.)


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


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Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Zhanibek Alimkhanuly Puts The Middleweight Division On Notice

The story going into the WBO Middleweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and WBO number four Middleweight contender Steven Butler on May 13th in Stockton,CA was not so much about the fight itself, nor was it about the world championship that was on the line, it was more about whether either fighter would be able to make a statement.


A statement for a fighter in a division that by all accounts appears to be heading towards a period of transition as potentially being the division's next focal point or star attraction. While there was little more about this fight beyond an undefeated world champion in the early stages of his reign defending his title against a top contender, the search for the next star of the Middleweight division as longtime division cornerstone and future Hall of Famer Gennady Golovkin appears to be heading toward retirement, is something that will likely hang over any fight involving fighters at or near the top of the division for a period of time, at least until a fighter can emerge as having made a strong enough of an argument as being that star. 


While this observer did not necessarily expect that fighter to emerge from this fight, it is nevertheless interesting to see fighters vying for that position in the aftermath of an era that was largely dominated by one fighter. What would happen when Alimkhanuly and Butler met at the Stockton Arena can be described as both devastating and too quick.  After an uneventful round one where both fighters seemed to be feeling each other out, Alimkhanuly connected in round two with a short left uppercut followed by a left hook to the head that staggered Butler. The subsequent barrage of punches by the champion put the challenger on the canvas.


Although Butler was able to get to his feet, he appeared in no condition to continue. Despite this, Referee Jack Reiss gave Butler every opportunity he could to continue. It would be mere seconds before Alimkhanuly scored two additional knockdowns on a very "Game," but compromised Butler, which would force a stoppage in the second round. 


To put it simply, there is not much one could write or analyze about a fight that ended so suddenly. While Zhanibek Alimkhanuly's knockout of Steven Butler was sudden and brutal in how the champion executed it in a manner not unlike that of Gennady Golovkin in his prime, it is too early to anoint Alimkhanuly as the division's next star. With Golovkin seemingly on the way out and current WBC world champion Jermall Charlo having been inactive for more than two years, Alimkhanuly has at least succeded in showing that he is an active champion and while this performance does not anoint him as the next star in the Middleweight division, it should certainly put the rest of the division on notice. 


"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, May 15, 2023

MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS ASSEMBLES STAR STUDDED BROADCAST TEAM AND UNDERCARD FOR MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS INAUGURAL EVENT ON FRIDAY, MAY 26

Press Release: May 15, 2023 By DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions  - Kevin Brown vs. Julian Smith Announced as Co-Main Event for WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title


 


Paul Malignaggi, Dan Canobbio, and Wade Plemons Among Broadcast Team to Commentate Event


 


YouTube MC Phenomenon Akinola Verissimo to Announce Full Card of Events Which will Air Live on DAZN 


 

Credit: DAZN 

NEW YORK, NY – May 15, 2023 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced Most Valuable Prospects’ full fight card and star-studded broadcast team for its inaugural event on Friday, May 26th in Orlando, Florida. In the main event, lightweights Ashton “H20” Sylve (8-0, 8 KOs) and Angel Rebollar (6-2, 3 KOs) will face off alongside the newly announced co-main event featuring Kevin Hayler Brown vs. Julian Smith at the Caribe Royale Resort. Brown and Smith will go head-to-head in a 10-round fight contested at 140 lbs. for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title.


 


Produced and promoted by MVP, with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and distributed by DAZN, Most Valuable Prospects will hold four Friday night events in 2023. The Caribe Royale Resort will be the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN will air Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world-renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will be in attendance for the inaugural event. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005E9AD958CFC5


 


Providing the crucial play by play for the event will be famed YouTube boxing commentator Wade Plemons alongside co-commentator and Jomboy Media personality Dan Canobbio, current co-host of Inside Boxing Live alongside Chris Algieri. Spearheading the hard-hitting analysis for fans will be retired two-weight-class world champion Paul Malignaggi, one of the most respected on-air analysts in all of boxing, while 2023 NFL Pro Bowl host Sibley Scoles will serve as the ringside reporter, delivering interviews and post-fight discussions bringing the fighters’ unfiltered reactions straight to fans. The in-ring announcer will be YouTube boxing and Esports MC Akinola Verissimo who will announce the main and co-main events, along with the undercard matches.


 


“We’re thrilled to finally bring fans a series that highlights the future of boxing. Our inaugural event is sure to deliver a night full of high energy matchups and we are incredibly thankful to our broadcast talent for joining us on Friday, May 26th,” said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions. “Ashton Sylve, is just 19 and has been a star since we first signed him to MVP last year. We look forward to watching as he spearheads this new series alongside so many other young fighters. Thank you to the Caribe Royale Resort and the city of Orlando for hosting Most Valuable Prospects, and to our distribution partner DAZN for its commitment to delivering high quality events to global audiences.”


 


“On behalf of the Caribe Royale Resort we’re excited to bring this new series to Orlando,” said Amaury Piedra of Boxlab Promotions. “Caribe Royale is the premier all-suite resort in Orlando and this is another way of bringing entertainment via world class boxing featuring the future of boxing to the guests of the resort and locals as well. Between the combined teams and talent of MVP and Boxlab Promotions we expect this event to just be the first of what will be an exciting series for years to come.”


 


Viewers at home will see four fights total on the 26th, with some of the world’s hottest boxing prospects ready to make a name for themselves. The co-main event features a 10-round, WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas title match as ex-Cuban national boxing team fighter Kevin Hayler Brown (2-0, 2 KOs) of Las Vegas, NV by way of Camaguey, Cuba takes on boxing phenomenon Julian “Quiet Storm” Smith (6-1, 4 KOs) of Country Club Hills, Illinois. Smith, who is deaf, is a Chicago Golden Gloves champion and will be taking on his third consecutive undefeated opponent.


 


Next on the card is a heavyweight battle between two undefeated warriors as Lorenzo "Giant Killer" Medina (6-0, 6 KOs) will take on Andrey Mangushev (7-0, 5 KOs) in a 6 round heavyweight matchup. Medina, 18, is from Hialeah, Florida and was the 2021 USA Youth National Champion at Super Heavyweight. At 6’2 he is considered a small heavyweight and is taking a major step up in competition vs the dangerous 6'7” Mangushev. Mangushev who hails from Miami by way of Moscow, Russia holds a win over former world champion Alejandro Berrio.




The broadcast opener will feature two-time national amateur champion Jamar Pemberton (4-0, 4 KOs), from Las Vegas by way of St. Louis, MO, who will open the evening in a four-round middleweight matchup against a TBD opponent. Pemberton, a 6’3 southpaw has served as a sparring partner for Brian Mendoza in preparation for his upset KO victory over Sebastian Fundora and is well known for his devastating knockout power.


 


The fans in attendance at Caribe Royale Resort will also be treated to five additional bouts featuring Tayree Jones (9-0, 6 KOs), Ramiro De Jesus (3-0, 2 KOs) and Omar Rosales (2-0, 2 KOs), alongside Antraveous Ingram (4-0 2KOs) and Giovanni Louis, who is both making his professional debut.


 


For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @Boxlab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.


 


About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)


Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.





About DAZN


DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US, and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.   


 


DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.  


  


DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.  


 


DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast, and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    


 


DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.   


 


About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort


Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

Material and Photo Courtesy of: DAZN  and Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.


 


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

Friday, May 12, 2023

Zhanibek Alimkhanuly: The Next Star Of The Middleweight Division?

The 160lb. Middleweight division in addition to being one of the most competitive throughout the history of Boxing is also a division that has been defined by fighters that have through their success in the weight class, have gone on to be stars in the sport with many ultimately being regarded as legends when their careers are over. In recent times the fighter most identified with the Middleweight division has been two-time Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin, who's first reign as champion saw him tie the record set by Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins for most consecutive successful title defenses of twenty.


Throughout Golovkin's reign, which this observer chronicled as "A Path Of Destruction" due to Golovkin also compiling a streak of knockouts in addition to making a run for the record held by Hopkins, I also routinely discussed the parallels between him and another legendary Middleweight world champion, the late great Marvelous Marvin Hagler in that much like Hagler, Golovkin literally forced his way to a position where he was regarded as a star in the sport, despite several fighters who had that star label choosing to avoid fighting him and used his reign atop the Middleweight division to do it. As most know in Golovkin's case, it eventually led to his trilogy with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez where two of the three fights ended in controversial decisions that many felt should have gone Golovkin's way, not all unlike Hagler losing a close and controversial split decision to Sugar Ray Leonard in April 1987 and with it the loss of his Middleweight crown.


Following his second loss to Alvarez in September of last year, where he moved up in weight to challenge Alvarez for his Undisputed Super-Middleweight world championship, Golovkin appears to be heading to retirement as he began relinquishing world championships that he had once again unified during his second reign, which began in 2019 following his first loss to Alvarez in their second fight in 2018 at Middleweight. Ironically, as one fighter's career appears to be at its end, the vacancies created by Golovkin relinquishing his portions of the World Middleweight championship has given way to a new world champion, who like Golovkin, might be the next star to carry the division.


Enter Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. Alimkhanuly similar to how Gennady Golovkin initially became a world champion, earned his position by becoming a mandatory challenger for then WBO world champion Demetrius Andrade. When Andrade decided to vacate his world championship and move up to the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division, Alimkhanuly per his holding a mandatory challenger position and with it, an interim champion designation, became the recognized WBO Middleweight world champion. With his reign now recognized, Alimkhanuly now prepares for what will be the second defense of his title when he faces WBO number six rated Super-Middleweight contender Steven Butler on Saturday, May 12th at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA.


The story going into this fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ is largely what type of champion Alimkhanuly might be. While this will be his second defense of a reign that initially began under an interim champion designation, Alimkhanuly does have a limited, but impressive resume to this point being unbeaten in thirteen professional fights with nine knockouts. The most recognizable name on the champion's record to date is former WBO Middleweight world champion Hasan N'Dam, whom Alimkhanuly defeated in November 2021 via stoppage.


A recurring theme that will be present at least for a while assuming that Alimkhanuly is able to keep his portion of the World Middleweight championship is he will likely be facing fighters with more experience in terms of professional fights than he has. It is a scenario that he will face in going against Steven Butler.


Butler, a former Canadian amateur champion, has a respectable record of 32-3-1, with 26 Knockouts coming into this challenge for a world championship in what will be the first world title fight in his career. Butler had previously come up short in attempting to secure an interim designation when he was stop by Ryota Murata in 2019. Despite having more experience than the champion coming into this bout, a potential red flag against Butler is he has been stopped in each of his three losses. What Butler does have going for him in addition to having more professional experience than the champion is he has won his last four fights and it will be interesting to see what he brings with him in this fight against a fighter in Zhanibek Alimkhanuly that has yet to be tested thus far in his career.


Ultimately, despite the unknowns that surrounds Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, despite being a world champion, due to his limited experience, what will hang over the Middleweight division at least for the immediate future if Gennady Golovkin does decide to retire, will be a period of transition where both contenders and world champions try to establish themselves as the division's next central figure. Whether Zhanibek Alimkhanuly or Steven Butler are among the fighters who will be vying for that position in the post-Golovkin era of the Middleweight division remains to be seen.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Alimkhanuly vs. Butler takes place on Saturday, May 13th at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, CA. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:10PM ET/3:10PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please www.ESPNPlus.com


*Check your local listings internationally.*


*Card and start time subject to change.*


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


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







Thursday, May 11, 2023

Exclusive Interview George Groves

Press Release: May 11, 2023 By https://neueonlinecasinos.io / Liam Solomon - In an exclusive interview with Neue Online Casinos, former WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves gives his insight into Eubank Jr’s career and his thoughts on the Smith loss and upcoming rematch.


Groves also gives his exclusive opinion on the heavyweight division.


If you would like to use the quotes in this interview, please link back to – https://neueonlinecasinos.io/


Use anchor text: NeueOnlineCasinos.io



Highlights from the interview:


Eubank JR might’ve had concussion going into the first Smith fight

Smith should be confident getting another win over Eubank JR

It’s a must win fight for Eubank JR

If Eubank JR wants to win he can’t fight like trainer Roy Jones

Prime Tyson Fury would beat prime David Haye

Full Transcript:

Question: With the Eubank Jr vs Smith rematch now set for June 17th, do you foresee a different outcome to the first fight?


George Groves: „I was there commentating on the first fight that night in Manchester and I thought Eubank was the favourite going into it and I picked him as the winner. I could see how a lot of people were making a case for Liam Smith, who’s a vastly experienced boxer and boxed at a high level as an amateur. He’s from a fighting family and had been in a pro gym for close to 10 years at the time. He’s a former world champion and always gave a really good account of himself and never been exposed.


I think the only time he’s been stopped was against Canelo actually. But I thought Eubank, who’s boxed up at super middleweight, he’s a very strong fighter with a high workrate and great punch output, punches correctly, decent punch power and great hand speed and up until that point a decent chin as well. He boxed me a super middleweight when I was No.1 in the world at that time. He boxed James DeGale, who was probably not firing on all cylinders but he’s been in there with Arthur Abraham and many others. But the first Smith fight was confusing. I definitely don’t think it was the best Eubank. Eubank didn’t look quite like himself. The resistance evaporated. He has to figure out why that happened, put his finger on it and make sure it doesn’t happen next time.


There’s an array of reasons why you can be flat on fight night and your punch resistance might not be there or your punch output or power aren’t right. He might have got camp wrong or picked up a slight virus in the build up, or misjudged the weight making. He might have got the weight down too early and been too lean. He might’ve taken a knock in sparring, which Smith was kind of hinting at in the press conference when they announced the second fight. Maybe he went into the fight with some sort of concussion, you always hope not of course. And you always hope trainers are always aware of that but there’s a lot on the line and fighters sometimes keep things under their hat or are maybe in a bit of denial of it.“


Q: Will the way Smith finished the first bout so comprehensively have left scars on the psyche of Eubank Jr?


GG: „Yes potentially. I thought Eubank would go in a different direction. I know he had the rematch and I know there would probably be a decent amount of money in it for him and it would’ve had to be on pay-per-view so it’s back on Sky Box Office so it has to get promoted right for that. The Conor Benn fight is a difficult one to make. It won’t be made in the UK so will have to be made abroad and is that the right fight for him? What weight could they do it at? Will there be a backlash from boxing fans because of it?


I don’t know how he evaluates Conor Benn and Liam Smith, but if those two boxed each other, you would say Smith would win comfortably. He’s naturally the bigger guy, more experienced and on a good run. Conor Benn is a lot less experienced and having a bit of a torrid time right now mentally. But Smith should be confident. What you see is what you get with him, he’s not going to reinvent the wheel at this stage. He can change and adapt subtly, but I’m not sure he’ll need to do too much differently.“


Q: Eubank recalled Roy Jones Jr to train him for the first bout, was that a mistake in hindsight?


GG: „I saw Eubank recently and he said he flying to Vegas and he said he was going to train out there so I don’t know if he’s bringing in Jones, who’s usually based in Florida or someone else who’s based in Vegas or whether he just wants to get out of the UK for this camp. Vegas is a tough place to live and train, but if you can put yourself in the hurt locker out there where it’s dog eat dog, then maybe that’s what he’s trying to get back to. But it’s an absolute must win fight for him regardless.“


Q: Is Eubank’s ego stopping him from realising his full potential or has he simply maxed out his talent?


GG: „He’s always been a tremendous athlete but that was almost at the expense of being a skillful fighter. He didn’t have a stellar amateur career, he didn’t have that pedigree so he brought in Roy Jones to teach him a thing or two and I think maybe Jones did make improvements but for Eubank I don’t think you want to get stuck in the middle of both. You don’t want to try and fight like Roy Jones Jr when essentially you just want to sit in the pocket and let your hands go.


If I’m working with Eubank now then I’d be saying ’sink your feet into the floor, sit in range don’t take any shots but don’t try to be clever and box off the back foot‘ because Liam Smith he is cool under pressure and fights with a high guard and has a go to chin. So you want to break him up downstairs with body shots and then impose your will on him in the second half of the fight. If Eubank is going to box off the back foot and try to play the jab game, then Smith could come up short because Eubank has got quite fast hands and a height and reach advantage.


It was weird how much the shots from Smith affected Eubank last time because they weren’t huge, mega shots and Smith’s not known for being a one punch knockout artist and coming up from light middleweight. So if his punch resistance is catching up with him as the years have gone on or something else has gone on, either way he needs to address it somehow.“


Q: It looks like Joshua vs Wilder is being lined up in December. As the saying goes, styles make fights so could you see that be a thriller?


GG: “I think that’s a great fight. Two big men who can punch hard and essentially that’s what the heavyweight division is about. When they both had the belts a few years back it might have been a bigger fight but it’s still going to get people intrigued now. The fighter who comes out on top is the one who doesn’t try to be too clever and just sticks with what they do and what they know. Both fighters have been guilty of that in the past when people have said to Wilder ‘you’re just a big puncher, you can’t box, there’s nothing else to you’ or they’ve said to Joshua ‘you’re too robotic, you’re too stiff, there’s so many elements missing from your game.’ They’ve both been dropped. They’ve both been off the floor to win at different times.


You’d think someone’s going to land some dynamite and then someone’s not going to get up. It’s a fight I’d love to see. Joshua punches very well but has that slight element of amateurish style where the flow isn’t quite there and I know that’s partly due to his size but spending some time out in the States with some American trainers now might make a difference and get the flow going a little bit better while also making him a harder target to punch and making him sharper and smoother in his shot selection.


Deontay Wilder is training with Malik Scott, who has a very philosophical approach to boxing and you can see that filtering through but we know Wider has a dynamite right hand. There’s been periods in fights where Wilder couldn’t let that shot go like against Luiz Ortiz where he was losing round after round and then right hand came out and it was game over. It’s a risky fight for both but it’s one we can all really sink our teeth into if it does get made.”


Q: Tony Bellew reckons peak David Haye would have beaten Tyson Fury. Do you agree?


GG: “I was in David Haye’s gym at the time when that fight was made. That fight was made several times but Haye had to pull out once with a cut in the week of the fight. And at that point, if Haye was on form I’d have picked him to win that fight. This was before Fury vs Klitschko. Fury was viewed very differently at that time to how he is now. Fury had been beaten by David Price in the ABAs and wasn’t selected to go to the Olympics, then turned pro with Mick Hennessey and fought on Channel 5. He really had to work hard to get noticed and this is before the rise of Anthony Joshua.


Now any sort of heavyweight with promise will have the spotlight shone on them. Back then, with Lennox Lewis retired it was Danny Williams leading from the front and it wasn’t exactly a golden era. Hayes would be giving away a lot of natural size but he’s got those lightning fast hands and could definitely whack. I wouldn’t pick a prime David Haye over a prime Tyson Fury purely because of the size difference and he would be too smart. But at that time I can see where Bellew is coming from yeah.”




Material  Courtesy of: https://neueonlinecasinos.io and Liam Solomon Used with permission.


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

Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Nicola Adams Partners With FitXR To Launch Box Like A Pro

Press Release: May 11, 2023 By FitXR - NEW YORK--FitXR, the VR fitness app with the most robust suite of offerings in the metaverse, is continuing its expansion of virtual reality



fitness offerings with the launch of its instructor-guided training programs. The first program, Box Like a Pro, features two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Nicola Adams and is designed to help users kickstart their fitness goals through its series of dynamic and approachable workouts.

Credit: FitXR 

“I am so excited to launch training programs on FitXR. Programs give our users structured and progressive workouts that keep them accountable and deliver real results”



The Box Like a Pro training program begins with the fundamentals of boxing – stances, punches, combinations and defense. The exclusive and gamified program will enable FitXR users at the beginner and intermediate levels to immerse themselves in a virtual world of boxing where they can build on the foundational and technical skills needed to increase their power and speed with confidence.


“This training program is a testament to our commitment to creating quality content for our subscribers,” said Lisa Raggiri, Chief Marketing Officer at FitXR. “Training programs can be intimidating and overwhelming, but together with Nicola, we were able to create a professional box training program that is achievable whether you are a beginner, new to the Box studio, or are more advanced and looking to improve your technique or speed.”

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Jake Paul-Nate Diaz Launch Press Conference Quotes

Press Release: By DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions -  DALLAS, Texas – May 9, 2023 – Today, international superstar Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and combat sports icon Nate Diaz came face to face for the first time since Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and Real Fight Inc. (Real Fight), announced the fight. Presented by Celsius Essential Energy Drinks, Paul vs. Diaz is set for an eight-round bout live from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on August 5th, 2023. The event will be distributed globally by DAZN PPV. In the US and Canada in addition to DAZN PPV, Paul vs Diaz will be available on all major cable and satellite pay-per-view providers. 

Credit:Alexis Contreras and Noah Red


 


Amanda Serrano, one the greatest fighters of all time, will put all of her belts on the line and defend her undisputed title for the first time as she takes on Heather Hardy in the recently announced co-main event. Over 20,000 people have signed up for early access tickets which went on sale today, smashing the American Airlines Center presale record for tickets. All other tickets will go on sale Thursday, May 11th at 10am PT / 12pm CT / 1pm ET at https://www.ticketmaster.com/jake-paul-v-nate-diaz-dallas-06-08-2023/event/0C005EA581B12549 


 


In the press conference hosted by renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, Paul and Diaz had plenty to say about their legacies, each other, their upcoming fight, and what’s next for them after August 5th.


 


Here is what Paul and Diaz shared:


 


Jake Paul 

Credit: Alexis Contreras and Noah Red




On why Nate Diaz: “Nate Diaz was always the plan after Tommy. That was what I said. Even in the build-up to Tommy, I was like it's Nate Diaz after Tommy Fury. So that was always the plan… This is a big fight. This is a fight that I've wanted for a long time. [Nate] got out of his UFC contract and this is probably the biggest fight of the year, only topping me versus Tommy. I want to make big events, big fights happen and strike while the iron's hot. He was a free agent. Let's run it. Make it happen. Settle the shit talk. I'm ready for war. I'm excited to be here. Thank you for having me out, Dallas. I love y'all and I'm going to do what Conor McGregor couldn't do, and I'm gonna knock this man out.”

 


On if it’s surreal to face Nate Diaz, and being called delusional to want to: “Look, that's what people have said my whole, entire career. So I'm used to it. I'm used to the non-believers, and I've always said exactly what I'm gonna do and then I've done it. And so, yeah, we're finally here. I predicted the future but it is surreal, you know, and I had to put in the work to get here. And I'm just excited to be here putting on massive events. This is just the start of what I'm going to accomplish. Everything else I've said still holds true as well. And this is proof of that.”


 


On impression of Nate Diaz: “I was sitting on the couch at my dad's house in Ohio [when] I was probably 14 years old, and we were watching the UFC event and his fight came on, and I saw Nate Diaz. I had a crush on Cameron Diaz at the time and I asked my dad if that was her brother and he said, no, but that's so the first Nate Diaz fight that I saw. Obviously, he's a legend in the game and I'm excited to be fighting him. Twelve years later, you know, from the couch in Ohio to here in Dallas, Texas.”


 


On the Fury vs. Paul result: “I'm filled with vengeance, ambition, hunger, and drive more than ever before. I have a lot to prove, two chips on each shoulder, and it's do-or-die for me. Truly, this fight is do-or-die. I have to leave it all on the line and I think it's the same for Nate Diaz. You know, he's leaving the UFC on a win. He wants to come into this game, make a bunch of money, knock out the YouTuber kid then go back and finish his legacy off. And that's why this is such an amazing fight. But I just lost, and if he beats me, then where does that leave me? So, it's two people who can't lose, who don't want to lose, who never back down, who keep on fighting. And that's why this is war and I'm ready for war.”


 


On coming back from a loss: “This is the only thing I'm focused on and I'm filled with that hunger, and I have more conviction now than ever of what I'm gonna do in this sport. And when you're doing a lot of fights, back-to-back-to-back, I'm knocking everyone out, putting them on their ass, making tens of millions of dollars, you can lose that hunger. That loss re-instilled that in me and I'm excited to come back. I said don't judge me by my wins, judge me by my losses. So, I'm gonna come back. I've been working in silence. I promise you that. I promise you I know what I'm capable of, and this is going to be the best version of Jake Paul that you're ever going to see in the ring.”


 


“[The loss] made me reevaluate everything. Look at myself, my coaches, the people around me, everything. And I think that's good to do in life. It was sort of this reset and this opportunity to look into the mirror, and I learned more about myself in the loss than I have in any of the wins. It's made me stronger – mentally, in life, and in everything that I'm doing – and it's almost like a relief in a sense, because I never wanted to lose. But now that it's out of the way, I can sort of be free and so in many ways it's very, very freeing. I think it'll help me fight being more calm and focused. I brought in a bunch of new people into the team, and I'm excited to show people my new skill set on August 5th.”


 


On people doubting him: “I like people to doubt me and I'm going to do what they couldn't do, quite literally.”


 


“It makes me feel sorry for them because they're not doing it, and it's easy to talk from the couch. It's easy to be a critic. It's easy to have an opinion when you've never gotten the ring. That's why I respect anyone who gets into the ring, win or lose, especially if you lose and then come back. That's how you know if they're a true, real fighter. So I welcome the critics. I love it. I let it fuel me. That's what has brought me here today. Quite literally it’s the hate and the people booing me and the people doubting me. I sat in front of you at these press conferences dozens of times now and said exactly what I'm going to do. I was laughed at since the very first fight in my career when I said I would be here on the biggest stages. I've just continued to prove people wrong, continued to put it on the line, continued to never back down. I put every single one of my opponents on the canvas. Win or lose, they've all gone down. I'm a real dog and I know what I'm capable of, and that's why when these corny people try to say shit, I just laugh at them. Look where I'm at, after three years. Are you kidding me? And not only that, I'm bringing people up with me, young prospects. We just launched Most Valuable Prospects – Amanda Serrano, Ashton Sylvie, all of these people. We have a new MVP signing, that when we announce it, y'all are going to shit your pants. So, I'm just getting warmed up in this game and I'm already, I'm already a statue in the game. I'm here forever. Even if I lose, guess what? Y'all are still going to come back in tune in.”


 


On taking on classically trained boxers and what’s ahead: “Nate’s classically trained in boxing. Like he just said, he's been in the gym since he was 15 years old. You know sparring guys like Andre Ward, Regis Prograis….. I want to throw big events. Yes. But at the same time, I'm taking on fights to challenge myself and doing things that people would do… taking on hard opponents. I'm not just taking on these guys who are Journeymen who have these terrible records. I'm going to fight the biggest names in the sport and the best competition, and I'm just getting started.”


 


“I'm getting more and more experience under my belt with each fight. This will be my eighth fight and I'm just getting better and better in the gym. I spar against world champions, you know, and train with world champions all the time. So plan on that, in the future 100%, but taking it one fight at a time.”


 


On Hall of Fame potential: “I've done more for the sport than any boxers in current history. What has Floyd Mayweather done for women's boxing? The list goes on. I've changed the whole entire game. Brought a new 70 million followers to the sport, put on bigger pay-per-views than some of these Hall of Fame guys.... So you want to talk about Hall of Famers, you want to talk about resume? Yeah, I'm building it up. I just got started in this game. This is my eighth fight and I'm fighting Nate Diaz, one of the biggest MMA fighters in history.”




On Training Camp changes: “I've switched up pretty much the whole entire team and brought in new people who are going to hold me accountable for my mistakes that I make even in the gym, even down to the nutrition, strength, and conditioning coaches. All that has been switched. I believe I learned a lot from the last fight, and I'm just implementing those things into my training camp and not going to make the same mistakes. I brought in Shane [Mosely] and Theo Chambers as well as J’Leon [Love] on the team and I was talking with [them] after the fight and they all identified the same little mistake that I was making in the boxing ring that needed to be fixed, which would allow the rest of my mistakes that I was making to be corrected. Once they were on the same page, Shane was free and willing to come in and do this full-time. So we assembled The Avengers team and things have been great now. I feel like a whole completely different fighter already in just a short amount of time. We still have 88 days until the fight, so I'm excited to keep on working. This is going to be my best performance yet.”


 


On why boxing: “I'm a fighter through and through and I love the routine, the discipline of the sport, being an athlete. I fell in love with it and I caught the boxing bug. I feel like this is what I was put on Earth to do, and the sport saved me in many ways, from where I was at. I was going down the wrong path, in Los Angeles, chasing the wrong things. Involving myself with the wrong people. Boxing gave me the opportunity to step back from that to learn who I was, as a man and to build and grow and to focus on something other than doing, you know, the stupid little YouTube shit that I was doing back in the day because that's not truly who I was.”


 


On if there is a belt on the line: “Most valuable belt for sure. Let's put it on the line.”


 


On Dallas hosting the fight: “I love Texas. Always loved Texas, and this is where I did my first fan Meetup ever when I was 16 years old. It was awesome to bring it back here and to really put on a show because Texas obviously has crazy fight fans.”


 


On who is the face of boxing currently: “I would say Canelo's probably the face, Gervonta is the tits, and I'm the ass.”


 


On what keeps him motivated: “Legacy. Testing myself and challenging myself to become a world champion. That's my ultimate life goal right now. Since everything else in my life is set, I could retire and focus on my investments, my sports betting, come with all these other things that I do; acting, working on a movie, all this stuff. So just that passion and still knowing that I haven't done what I'm capable of in the sport yet and that I'm going to continue to get better and better and better until I can become a world champion. That's my goal, and that's what drives me.”


 


Nate Diaz Quotes


 

Credit: Alexis Contreras and Noah Red


On Why Jake Paul: “Post UFC, my plan was always to fight the biggest names and the best fighters there are. I've been trying to get out of the UFC for a long time because I knew I knew that I would work. What fighters worked and what I should do. I have a long road but he was doing the biggest and the best things for fighting and in fighting and I was glad. I had a worthy opponent to make an attack on, as soon as I got out.”


 


On his opinion of Jake Paul: “He's doing a good job. He's been punished like he said. As far as the fighter, he's young, he's motivated. He's working hard. I can see that. I'm sure everybody can see that. That’s kind of motherfucker’s unstoppable. That’s why I wanted to fight Connor and the [reason] I took time off from my fights, when I was fighting was because I wanted top guy and they were trying to give me some fucking lame ass motherfucker. [I want to fight the] best of the best and I think you did a great job and [I want] motherfuckers know that I do a great job too.”


 


On his opinion of Paul fighting Fury: “No one won or lost. That's why I wanted to fight [Jake]. You know, I want to fight the guys who win but I don't think [either] lost the fight anyways. And I think that was a hard fight to take.”


 


On Real Fight Partnering with MVP: “I appreciate everything that I've done and had to go through, because [it] got me to the point where I understood and knew what I needed to do, what I wanted to happen, and what should happen. [...] I was watching, motivated the whole time, and it was just [a case of] time will tell, you know, [of] MVP [and] Real Fight coming together.”


 


On representing MMA vs. boxing: “I was being stereotyped as an MMA fighter. [...] I don't like being stereotyped as an MMA fighter. I'm a black belt in Jujitsu and I would have been a pro boxer when I was 18 years old, but a cage fight came up first. So I was stuck in a cage my whole career. And there were times when I got locked out and contracted right away, [...] so I was just locked in longer and longer. I've been going to boxing gyms since I was 15 years old. I'm a pro boxer and I don't think I've ever got my ass whupped in a boxing gym and not come back as the last guy to win when the round ends. So, I've always wanted to box and like I said, I’ve felt like a pro boxer the whole time. Every fight in MMA, I was training just like any boxer trains for a boxing match. [...] So yeah, I'm glad I get to come here and showcase my skills in boxing.”


 


On what’s next after Jake Paul: “I don’t plan on losing anybody, but no matter what happens, I'll be here, forever. I'll be fine. No, I'll be here. […] I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon […] I feel the same now as I did when I was 18, just with a lot of more experience and time under my belt, you know? And so the show for me is going on.”


 


On his professional fighting record: “I'm the best fighter ever, […] Everybody agrees with that. [Paul: You’ve got 15 losses.] But who did I fight? Top 10. I've been fighting top 10 guys the whole time. I probably fought five guys in my whole career that weren't top 10 when I wasn't top 10 either. […] What happened with Conor McGregor? How many rounds did I fight him? I fucking knocked his ass out in seven minutes. He got choked, because he was not trying to get hit no more, and he was smart and took the way out. That's the way to get out here. Take it the way he had to. Isn’t that the goal of the sport? Seven minutes.”


 


For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @NateDiaz209, @MostVPromotions, @RealFightINC and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @NateDiaz209, @MostValuablePromotions, @realfightinc and @DAZNBoxing. 


 


  


About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) 


Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP has produced Jake Paul’s last four global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Fury match, which surpassed 800,000 Pay-per-view buys worldwide. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history. 


 


About Real Fight, Inc. 


Founded by mixed martial arts legend Nate Diaz, in 2022, Real Fight Inc. promotes exactly what the name suggests — the fights people want to see, featuring the realest fighters from all over the world. Since his departure from the UFC, Diaz is extending his business empire with a true all-around combat experience that will focus on boxing, MMA, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The inaugural event under the Real Fight, Inc. banner is set to take place on August 5, 2023, when Diaz makes his long-awaited professional boxing debut against Jake Paul at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.  


 


About Jake Paul 


Paul (6-1, 4KO’s) will enter Paul v. Diaz having already collected an impressive amount of wins, including defeating one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time in Anderson Silva, where Paul won ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year by dropping Silva in the 8th round. Paul began his pro career in January 2020 with a TKO win against British YouTube star AnEsonGib and followed it up with a stunning knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November 2020. “The Problem Child” then shocked the industry with a first-round KO of former MMA champion and Freddie Roach-trained Ben Askren in April 2021, followed by two wins over MMA legend Tyron Woodley, including a vicious sixth-round knockout which won him ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of The Year. After a split-decision defeat against Fury, Paul is eager to get back in the ring and come out victorious with a seventh professional win against Diaz. 


 


About Nate Diaz: 


Throughout a career that spanned 16 years, no single fighter has captured the imagination of combat sports quite like Stockton, California’s finest Nate Diaz, nor has anybody embodied the spirit of what it means to be a fighter in the broader world. Diaz defines a generation with a raw blend of attitude, perseverance, conviction, and pure skill. His rivalry with Conor McGregor remains the biggest in MMA history, shattering box office and pay-per-view records across the board, while his fights with Anthony Pettis, Leon Edwards, and Jorge Masvidal transcended the cage. Nate scored 16 victories over the course of his career in the UFC, ending with a poetic finish of Tony Ferguson in his final fight in the promotion. 


 


About DAZN: 


DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.   


 


DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.  


 


DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.  


 


DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    


 


DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.   


 


About American Airlines Center:  


Designed by architectural wizard David M. Schwarz and Dallas based HKS, Inc., American Airlines Center is considered one of the nation's top arenas. Since opening its doors in 2001, the Center has been setting the precedent for sporting and live entertainment events. Bringing in a wide variety of big name shows as well as being home of both the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars, American Airlines Center consistently displays its unique versatility. Billboard Magazine named American Airlines Center the 6th busiest arena in the world in 2022. 


 

Material Courtesy of DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions/Photos Courtesy of Alexis Contreras and Noah Red Used with permission.


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



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