Showing posts with label Adrian Granados. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adrian Granados. Show all posts

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Lara-Warrington 2 Ends In Technical Draw In Leeds, England

 

Featherweights Mauricio Lara and former IBF Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington fought to a two round technical draw on Saturday night at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. A rematch of a ninth round stoppage from February of this year that was won by Lara, the rematch began with Lara and Warrington being willing to engage. In the second round Lara was cut over the left eye due to an accidental clash of heads. The resulting deep gash was examined by a ringside physician before round three could begin and it was determined that the gash was too deep to allow Lara to continue. As the bout had not progressed beyond four completed rounds, the bout was ruled a technical draw under the rules. Mauricio Lara advances to 23-2-2, with 16 Knockouts. Josh Warrington advances to 30-1-1, with 7 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

Undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor scored a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Featherweight world champion Jennifer Han. A very tactical bout throughout, Taylor generally got her punches off first, but did have trouble for a period of time landing cleaning on an elusive Han. In round eight, Taylor was credited with a knockdown after she landed a right hand, left hook combination to the head of the challenger, but it appeared those punches landed as Han had lost her footing. The question of the knockdown notwithstanding, the champion’s greater activity and ring generalship ultimately led her to win the fight by winning all ten rounds on all three official scorecards as the three judges scored the bout 100-89 in Taylor’s favor. Katie Taylor advances to 19-0, with 6 Knockouts. Jennifer Han falls to 18-4-1, with 1 Knockout.

Undefeated Welterweight contender Conor Benn scored a ten round unanimous decision over Adrian Granados. A fight that was originally scheduled for late July, but was postponed due to Benn testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, saw Benn show no adverse effects from his bout with the virus as he systematically stalked Granados over the course of ten rounds. Benn’s harder punches and Granados’ unwillingness to engage for the majority of the bout made it a simple fight to describe as Benn boxed his way to a convincing unanimous decision victory. Conor Benn advances to 19-0, with 12 Knockouts. Adrian Granados falls to 21-9-3, with 15 Knockouts.

Maxi Hughes scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over IBO Lightweight world champion Jovanni Straffon to win the championship. From the opening bell, Hughes used angles and timing to get under the long-armed Straffon and outwork the champion. In round five Hughes landed a flush left hook to the jaw that had Straffon badly hurt, but miraculously, he managed to stay on his feat, despite the affects of a brutal barrage of punches. Hughes continued to land the left hook throughout and continued to make the champion miss on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Official scores were 120-107 (On two scorecards), and 119-109 in favor of Hughes. Maxi Hughes advances to 24-5-2, with 5 Knockouts. Jovanni Straffon falls to 24-4-1, with 17 Knockouts.  

Women’s Bantamweight Ebanie Bridges scored a hard-fought eight round decision over Mailys Gangloff. A fight that saw several heated exchanges of punches between the two fighters, the bout was very competitive all the way through to its conclusion. Despite suffering an apparent injury to her right hand over the course of the fight, Bridges’ greater aggression and generally harder punches were enough to earn a close decision victory. As all non-title bouts that are fought in the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not have an impact on regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a bout, Referee Steve Gray scored the fight 77-76 in favor of Bridges. Ebanie Bridges advances to 7-1, with 3 Knockouts. Mailys Gangloff falls to 5-3, with 2 Knockouts.

Unbeaten Jr. Featherweight Ivan Hopey Price scored an impressive second round stoppage of Zahid Hussain. Price nearly ended the fight right at the bell to end the first round when he dropped Hussain with a short, but flush right hook to the head that sent Hussain down and badly hurt. Hussain was able to get up on unsteady legs and seemed to not know where he was. In the second round, Price pressed forward and following a second knockdown from a barrage of punches, it was a follow up that convinced Referee Howard Foster to stop the fight at 2:33 of round two. Ivan Hopey Price advances to 5-0, with 2 Knockouts. Zahid Hussain falls to 16-2, with 2 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Featherweight Jack Bateson overcame a knockdown in round two to score a hard-fought six round decision over Felix Garcia. Bateson seemed to be in control until he was dropped with a right hand in the closing seconds of the second round by Garcia. Garcia tried to put the pressure on in round three, but eventually Bateson was able to find his rhythm and scored the decision victory. Referee Mark Lyson scored the bout 58-56 in his favor. Jack Bateson advances to 14-0, with 3 Knockouts. Felix Garcia falls to 7-3-1, with 3 Knockouts.  

Unbeaten Jr. Middleweight Brandon Stansfield scored a workmanlike four round decision over MJ Hall. From the start Stansfield kept Hall on the defensive and mixed his shots up well to the body and head. Referee Steve Gray scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Stansfield. Brandon Stansfield advances to 2-0, with 0 Knockouts MJ Hall falls to 2-63-2, with 0 Knockouts/

Light-Heavyweight Mali Wright began the evening by successfully making his professional debut with a second round stoppage of Antony Woolery. Wright quickly found a home for his right hand on Woolery and frequently landed it over the course of the two rounds while mixing in some effective body shots. At the conclusion of the second round Woolery’s corner seeing their fighter taking mostly one way punishment stopped the fight. Mali Wright advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Antony Woolery falls to 2-7, with 0 Knockouts.

This card, which was promoted by promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing had a highly enthusiastic crowd of over 20,000 spectators on hand at Headingley Stadium. The first such mass gathering on this scale since the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic began. Those in attendance were there to support their hometown favorite Josh Warrington, who was looking for vengeance after suffering his first career loss and having previously relinquished his world championship prior to that setback. What was unfortunately an inclusive ending in the main event will inevitably lead to a third encounter between the two as the reality is much was not resolved on this evening in Leeds, England.

The atmosphere that this nine-bout card was staged is something that cannot be ignored. Hopefully, it is an encouraging sign that a return to normalcy is closer than it might appear even as we remain in the midst of an ongoing global crisis. Boxing certainly benefits more when there is an enthusiastic crowd on hand to witness the battles in the ring. Outside of the inclusive outcome in the main event of this card, the night of Boxing should be viewed as an overall success.

“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, September 3, 2021

Lara-Warrington 2: Can Lara Do It Again?

 

In February of this year, Josh Warrington, the recent former IBF Featherweight world champion, who had relinquished his crown due to elements surrounding the politics of the sport of Boxing climbed into the ring with veteran Mauricio Lara at the Wembley Arena in London, England in what was thought by some to be a means for Warrington to simply re-enter competition after being sidelined like much of the world by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. Although some thought of Mauricio Lara as a mere opponent, he did enter the fight with a respectable record of 22-2, with 15 Knockouts compared to Warrington’s 30-0, with 7 Knockouts.

It became clear rather quickly once the fight began that, despite not having the resume comparable to the former world champion, Lara was not interested in being a mere opponent for a fighter in Warrington that frankly had bigger things looming ahead of him.  As some may recall when the two fighters met on February 13th of this year, Lara proved to be the stronger of the two fighters as he frequently landed hard thudding punches on Warrington. This included Lara dropping the former world champion hard in the fourth round with a flush left hook to the head.

Although Warrington showed tremendous heart in this fight, he simply could not find a way to keep Lara off of him and it was in the ninth round that Lara brought the fight to an end by knocking Warrington down with another left hook leading to the fight being stopped.  This now leads to the rematch on Saturday, September 4th at the Headingley Stadium in Warrington’s hometown of Leeds, England. The bout will headline a nine-bout card broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

There is no dispute that Lara’s knockout of Warrington was an upset, but it was also the type of performance and knockout that some might ask how Warrington will look in this immediate rematch. Some may also question the wisdom in Warrington choosing to take the rematch over six months after the first bout. To be specific, taking the rematch in a relatively short time after suffering a beating at the hands of Lara.

In this observer’s eyes, the focus going into this rematch is squarely on Josh Warrington. Warrington is a former world champion and does have experience at the top level of the sport. What is usually questioned after a fighter sustains the kind of punishment he did against Lara is what effect will it have on the fighter in the long-term? While every fighter and every knockout is different, it is a fair question to ask.

Warrington is a world-class boxer that is capable of Boxing his way to convincing decision victories. What worked against him in the first fight in my eyes was he was more willing to engage with Lara than had been the case against previous opponents. Perhaps this was due to not being familiar with Lara’s style or possibly taking Lara, who was not well-known going into that bout a little lightly with an eye toward more lucrative fights ahead. Whatever the case might be, Warrington’s decision to be more stationary and not use lateral movement to the level he has previously in his career played into Lara’s hands as he gradually broke Warrington down.

An old saying that yours truly believes in with regard to not just the sport of Boxing, but all combat sports is styles make fights. It may be a case that Lara might have a style that is just too difficult for a fighter with Warrington’s style to combat. While this remains to be seen, it will be interesting to see if Lara tries to implement the same pressure/power punching style that worked to his advantage in February. A question that some might ask is whether or not it will be the same approach or if Lara will implement slight changes in order to deflect any adjustments that Warrington might make this time around. If Lara is able to repeat his performance in the rematch, it will be hard not to say that he would not be in line for a world championship opportunity in the 126lb. Featherweight division in the near future.  While a second loss to Mauricio Lara would not necessarily put his career in doubt, a second loss would almost certainly drop Josh Warrington out of the picture of potential world championship fights and other lucrative opportunities for a period of time.

The Lara-Warrington rematch card will also feature two bouts that have significant interest. First, undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor will defend her crown against former IBF Featherweight world champion Jennifer Han in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. For Taylor, who is the top fighter in the 135lb. Lightweight division, the question is how long will she remain at Lightweight. As an undisputed world champion, Taylor has no shortage of opportunities going forward that could see her challenge Undisputed Welterweight world champion Jessica McCaskill, who Taylor defeated in December 2017 in her first title defense of what was then the WBA Lightweight world championship that she eventually fully unified with the WBC, IBF, and WBO world championships, or even a fight with seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano, who is coming off of a successful defense of her unified IBF/WBO/IBO Featherweight world championship over Yamileth Mercado on the undercard of Jake Paul’s victory over former MMA world champion Tyron Woodley.

While there is no shortage of potentially lucrative fights ahead for Taylor, in Jennifer Han, Taylor will face a former Featherweight world champion who has not lost a bout in seven years, but is coming off a bit of a layoff due to having a child and is moving up in weight to challenge Taylor. Han, who is the current number one contender in the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) Women’s Lightweight ratings is a veteran of twenty-five bouts and will enter the bout with a record of 18-3-1, with 1 Knockout compared to the champion who will enter with a record of 18-0, with 6 Knockouts.

Although Taylor’s toughest test to date was in her first fight with former Lightweight world champion Delfine Persoon in June 2019, the question that I usually have prior to one of her bouts is whether or not an opponent will be able to deal with her hand speed and overall ring generalship. The first bout with Persoon, which Taylor won by ten round majority decision, was the only time that one could make an argument that the decision could have gone the other way. Since that outing including her rematch with Persoon in August of last year, Taylor has been dominant and has not lost many rounds. 

Like Taylor, Jennifer Han is a world-class boxer who knows how to go the distance and win rounds, but the question I have is whether or not as the fighter moving up in weight, if she will be able to deal with the champion’s hand speed and overall Boxing ability. It may also be fair to ask whether or not she will be able to take a punch as a Lightweight as well as she has as at Featherweight. What Han does have in her favor is she has not been stopped in her three career losses and like the champion is firmly established as a distance fighter. Whether Han will be able to outwork Taylor over the course of ten rounds in a fight where a knockout may not be likely remains to be seen.

The third featured bout on this card will be the rescheduled Welterweight bout between undefeated contender Conor Benn and Adrian Granados. As some may recall, this bout was originally scheduled to headline the first week of promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing Fight Camp 2021 season back in July, but was postponed two days before the fight when it was revealed that Benn had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus subsequently postponing the fight. As readers may recall in previewing that fight prior to the postponement, this figures to be a stern test for Benn against Granados who has a lot of experience coming into this fight. Although due to the length of this column as well as the fact that yours truly already previewed this fight prior to its original postponement, the story now has a wrinkle in that the question will inevitably be asked whether or not Benn is completely recovered from his bout with COVID-19.

Although since the COVID-19 epidemic began and since the sport of Boxing resumed activity in the summer of last year there have been fighters who have dealt with COVID-19 infections and did not show any adverse effects after being cleared to resume their careers, there have also been those who have appeared to have obvious lingering effects after their bouts with this virus such as longtime Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin, who looked extremely sluggish, very fatigued, and had obvious trouble with his equilibrium in his rematch with Dillian Whyte in March of this year. A fight that Whyte stopped him in four rounds.  Obviously, every situation regarding one’s exposure to and recovery from COVID-19 is going to differ, but it is fair to question not just in regard to Conor Benn, but all athletes combat or otherwise as to potential lingering/long-term effects that may or may not show prior to fights. Something that may be even more justifiable given the current state of the ongoing global crisis.

With over 20,000 spectators expected at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England, this card has three interesting storylines to keep an eye on both in regard to the fights themselves as well as the effects some fighters might have experienced either due to a knockout loss or due to exposure to COVID-19. While the fact that stadiums around the world are gradually being secured to stage Boxing cards such as this one and other sporting and concert events is an encouraging sign that maybe, just maybe things are approaching getting back to normal, we need to keep in mind that the COVID-19 virus and it’s variants are still very much a factor. Although talk of the virus, it’s effects, and the various impacts of it remain dominant in news on television, radio, in print, and online around the world, hopefully, at least for a little while a Boxing card like this will be able to provide a needed diversion from the negative that seems to overshadow most things in this ongoing epidemic. If the action inside the ring turns out to be as compelling as it appears it might be on paper, this night of Boxing will likely be remembered fondly even though it takes place under still challenging circumstances.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Lara vs. Warrington 2 takes place on Saturday, September 4th at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. The entire card can be seen exclusively globally on digital subscription-based streaming network DAZN. The Lara-Warrington 2 slate of programming will begin with the DAZN Boxing Show beginning at 10:30AM ET/7:30 AM PT. This will be followed by the Before The Bell pre-fight show that will feature three of the nine total scheduled bouts on the card that will begin at 11:50AM ET/8:50AM PT. The main card featuring the remaining six bouts will follow beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (ALL U.S. Times.)

 

*Card Subject To Change

 

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

 

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

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

 

Saturday, July 31, 2021

Wood Stops Can In 12 At Matchroom Fight Camp

 

In an upset,British Featherweight champion Leigh Wood scored a twelfth round stoppage of top Featherweight contender Xu Can in the main event of week 1 of Season 2 of Matchroom Fight Camp on Saturday night at Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood, England. From the opening bell, Wood used angles and his reach to keep the normal volume puncher Can on the defensive and only getting his punches off sporadically. This along with consistent combination punching firmly established the momentum in Wood’s favor. As the fight progressed, Can, who entered the fight holding interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Featherweight ratings, started to pick up his pace, but was unable to turn the ebb and flow of the combat in his favor, perhaps affected by ring rust after being inactive for nearly twenty-two months due largely to the ongoing COVID-19 global epidemic. 

 

The story of the fight became Wood’s ability to remain disciplined. With momentum seemingly on his side, Wood made a statement in the late stages of the twelfth and final round by dropping Can with a perfectly timed counter right hook to the head. Can was able to get to his feet, but Wood sensing his opponent was in trouble was not content to box the remaining seconds to what appeared to be a clear decision victory. He proceeded to press forward and with a follow-up barrage was able to get a stoppage with fifteen seconds remaining in the fight. Leigh Wood advances to 25-2, with 14 Knockouts. Xu Can falls to 18-3, with 3 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

Commonwealth Cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith scored a hard fought twelve round split decision over European Cruiserweight champion Tommy McCarthy to win the European Cruiserweight championship and vacant British Cruiserweight championship. An extremely difficult fight to score and at times ugly to watch due to the fighters grappling on the inside, Smith was stunned by an overhand right to the head in the first round. He was able to recoup and managed to hold his own against the awkwardness of McCarthy. As the two fighters traded the ebb and flow in seemingly every round, McCarthy suffered a bad cut over the right eye in the sixth round as a result of an accidental clash of heads. McCarthy continued however, to hold his own and staggered Smith with another overhand right in the eleventh round. An extremely close fight with neither fighter standing out definitively was illustrated as two of three official judges scored the fight 115-114, but were split between the two fighters. The third and deciding judge however, turned in a score of 116-112 in favor of Smith giving him the victory and the trifecta of British, Commonwealth, and European Cruiserweight championships. Chris Billam-Smith advances to 13-1, with 10 Knockouts. Tommy McCarthy falls to 18-3, with 9 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Jr. Welterweight  Campbell Hatton, the son of former two-division world champion Ricky Hatton, improved to 3-0 in his young career by scoring a four round decision over Jakub Laskowski. Hatton forced the action from the outset and, despite a consistent attack to Laskowski’s body Laskowski did manage to make it to the final bell. As all non-title bouts held in the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not have an impact on regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a fight, Referee Mark Bates scored the fight 40-36 in favor of Hatton. Campbell Hatton advances to 3-0, with 0 Knockouts. Jakub Laskowski falls to 4-5-1, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Jr. Middleweight contender Anthony Fowler scored an impressive eighth round stoppage of late substitute Rico MuellerFowler was able to keep Mueller, who took the fight on short notice when original opponent Roberto Garcia withdrew with an injury suffered in training, on the end of his punches with his longer reach from the opening bell. This resulted in Mueller having to fight behind a high defensive guard where he simply was not able to get his punches off consistently. As Fowler gradually kept his offense coming and started breaking through Mueller’s guard, the punishment gradually accumulated. In round eight, Fowler connected with a solid one, two to the head that staggered Mueller. Fowler responded with a near non-stop barrage of punches that was broken briefly when Mueller landed a single hook to the head, but that punch was not enough to keep Fowler off of him and with the assault continuing, the fight was mercifully stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 2:12 of round eight. Anthony Fowler advances to 16-1, with 12 Knockouts. Rico Mueller falls to 28-4-1, with 19 Knockouts.

 

 

Super-Middleweight Jack Cullen scored the biggest win of his career by scoring a dominant ten round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Avni Yildirim. Cullen used his longer reach to keep Yildirim at distance. Working behind a consistent jab and using lateral movement, Cullen was able to out box and withstand Yildirim’s pressure as the fight progressed to earn a convincing unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 100-90, 98-92, and 97-93 all in favor of Cullen. Jack Cullen advances to 20-2-1, with 9 Knockouts. Avni Yildirim falls to 21-4, with 12 Knockouts.

 

In the opening bout of the evening Women’s Jr. Welterweight Sandy Ryan began her professional career by scoring a six round decision over Kirstie Bavington.  Bavington began this fight by trying to impose her will on the debuting Ryan by trying to be aggressive and push her back against the ropes. Despite her aggression, Ryan landed the cleaner punches of the two fighters and by the middle rounds was using her lateral movement and timing to more or less pick her shots as Bavington came forward. It appeared in the latter stages of the fight that Ryan’s combination punching and ability to time Bavington almost at will may have been enough to get a late stoppage, but Bavington remained very “Game” and made it to the final bell. Referee Mark Bates scored the bout 60-54 in favor of Ryan.  Sandy Ryan advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Kirstie Bavington falls to 3-2-2, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Originally, this card was to be headlined by undefeated Welterweight contender Conor Benn facing Adrian Granados in a scheduled ten round bout. The fight however, was postponed two days before the card due to Benn contracting the COVID-19 virus. As of this writing, no rescheduled date has been announced. We will keep readers updated on any developments as they become available.

 

The theme of Matchroom Fight Camp is a simple sales pitch “No Easy Fights.” While that is a simple sales hook, the first season in 2020 occurred under circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic and the concept was born basically out of necessity as promoters attempted to resume activity under very trying circumstances. As we saw last year, the bouts being promoted by Matchroom Boxing and the chairman of Matchroom Sport Eddie Hearn are not throwaways. The type of fights where there is a consensus amongst both fans and experts as to the outcomes. Instead, the fights during the first season were very competitive and produced more than a few unexpected results.

 

This time around with the addition of nearly three-hundred spectators as well as Matchroom deepening its relationship with global digital sports streaming network DAZN to cover the United Kingdom and Ireland market as well as its existing deal to broadcast Matchroom events around the world, the first week of season two saw a somewhat unexpected result in Leigh Wood catapulting himself from British Featherweight champion to being one step away from a world championship bout with a knockout of Xu Can, a fighter known for the ability to produce extremely high punch outputs and one that had never been stopped before.

 

As I said in previewing this card, while the Matchroom Fight Camp concept was one born out of necessity due to an ongoing global crisis, a crisis that reared itself a mere forty-eight hours before this card took place necessitating the postponement of the originally advertised main event, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport have stumbled upon something that is likely to now become an annual part of the Matchroom promotional calendar every year. If the bouts can remain well-matched, fans can remain attending these cards, and if it also serves to strengthen the relationship between Matchroom and DAZN as both continue to expand globally and continue to show the Boxing world the benefits of a subscription-based model as compared to the pay-per-view model, and in doing so convince both promoters and networks that have resisted adapting to a more sensible and consumer-friendly model, it should be a win for the sport on a true global scale.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

We will have a preview of Matchroom Fight Camp Season 2 week 2 here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Thursday, August 5th. Stay tuned.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Previewing Matchroom Fight Camp Season 2 Week 1

 One of the biggest things that came as a result of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic when it began impacting everyday life including the day to day operation of sports around the world in 2020 was the necessity for all sports to adapt to the changing environment created by the COVID-19 virus.  Following a lengthy pause that lasted in some cases over three months, Boxing was one of the sports that sort of laid out a blueprint of sorts for other sports, particularly in the combat sports space to follow as the process of trying to resume normal day to day activities began. While some promoters are still struggling over a year into the epidemic to resume their schedules, some promoters who because of their standing in the sport had the financial resources and the benefit of lucrative agreements with television and streaming networks to not only resume activity, but also essentially take residency at venues around the world in environments that did not feature spectators.

 

One of the most notable for a period of time was the move by Matchroom Boxing promoter and now Chairman of Matchroom Sport to stage cards at the private residence of the Hearn family estate dubbed Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood, England. This unique decision saw cards held outdoors on the spacious grounds of the Hearn estate, a beautiful setting for Boxing that likely would not have come to fruition had it not been for the unforeseen circumstances of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. While this was initially thought up out of necessity to resume activity, it laid the groundwork for what may become an annual tradition on the Matchroom calendar as beginning on July 31st, the Matchroom stable will return to the grounds of the Hearn estate for three cards over three consecutive weeks dubbed “Matchroom Fight Camp Season 2.”

 

Much as was the case when this concept debuted last year, the world remains in uncertain times as the COVID-19 epidemic continues. There are however, two notable differences that are occurring this time around. The first is that beginning with the first of the three cards, all the action will be available to Boxing fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as Matchroom recently announced an extension of its existing agreement with the network to cover the United Kingdom as well as its existing agreement to broadcast all Matchroom Boxing events internationally including here in the United States. This marked the end of a decades-long run for Matchroom Boxing on Sky Sports and also a demonstration of Hearn’s commitment to the subscription-based streaming model and away from the pay-per-view model.

 

Given the level of Boxing’s popularity and sizable audience in the United Kingdom, this is likely to be a smart move by Hearn that other promoters throughout the sport are likely to notice and follow. As Hearn along with DAZN have really established themselves on a global level in the sport and have become one of the top players in it, fans may wonder what is in store.

 

For the second season of Matchroom Fight Camp there is no shortage of what on paper should be competitive bouts. In the main event of week one, unbeaten Welterweight contender Conor Benn will face a stern test in the form of longtime contender Adrian Granados. Benn, the son of former two-division world champion Nigel Benn, is undefeated in eighteen professional bouts having scored knockouts in twelve of those fights registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 67%. Much like his father before him, Benn has power in both hands and is capable of ending a fight quickly should the opportunity present itself. In his last fight in April of this year, Benn scored a first round knockout over veteran Samual Vargas. Now Benn looks to take the next step towards a world title shot by facing Adrian Granados.

 

Granados, a veteran of thirty-three professional fights is similar to Vargas in terms of experience having fought several top fighters in and around the 147lb. Welterweight division including former two-division world champion Danny Garcia. The question going into this fight is what type of challenge can Granados provide Benn and more specifically, can he provide a level of resistance that Benn’s previous to opponents Vargas and Sebastian Formella were unable to provide. If Benn is looking beyond Granados, Granados does have the skillset and experience to make it a difficult fight for him.

 

Also on this card, European Cruiserweight champion Tommy McCarthy will make the second defense of his European crown against rising prospect Chris Billiam-Smith in a fight where the vacant British Cruiserweight championship will also be on the line. McCarthy, who is currently rated in the top ten in the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO ratings in the Cruiserweight division appears to be nearing a possible world title shot in 2022 if he can continue winning. In his last outing, McCarthy scored a sixth round knockout over a very “Game” Alexandru Jur in May of this year in his first defense of the European Cruiserweight championship. 

 

McCarthy will face what could be an interesting task in the form of Chris Billiam-Smith. Smith, who will enter the fight with a record of 12-1, with 10 Knockouts will come into this encounter riding a three fight winning streak since dropping a decision to undefeated former British Cruiserweight champion Richard Riakporhe in July 2019. This fight appears to be one where the fighters have similar styles, but one might argue that the champion McCarthy  might have an edge both in terms of experience as well as hand speed. When it comes to fights where there are similarities in styles, it is always interesting to see who will be able to establish the tempo of the fight and whether or not that fighter will be able to maintain that tempo throughout the bout. It is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that this could be a tactical battle for much of the early rounds and whomever is able to get an advantage just might emerge from this fight victorious.

 

The final of the three headline bouts that will take place on week one of season two of Matchroom Fight Camp will be a battle in the 126lb. Featherweight division as top contender Can Xu faces WBA number twelve rated Featherweight contender Leigh Wood. Xu, who has a record of 18-2, with 3 Knockouts currently holds an interim/regular championship designation in the WBA’s Featherweight ratings. Although not known for his punching power, Xu is a highly skilled boxer that knows how to win rounds and has shown no issue in being able to go twelve rounds if required. In Leigh Wood, Xu will face a fighter who will come into the bout with a record of 24-2, with 14 Knockouts who has won four of his last five fights and will have an edge in activity having last fought in February of last year compared to  Xu, who has been out of action for nearly two years most likely due to the circumstances of COVID-19 .

 

Xu is known for his ability to outwork his opponents and it is logical to think that Wood will look to pressure him early to take advantage of any possible ring rust that Xu might have from being inactive. In simple terms, Wood needs to be consistent in this fight and make it difficult for Xu to get into a rhythm in order to have success in this fight.

 

These three bouts, which will headline a six bout card at Matchroom Headquarters should continue the momentum that was established last year during what can now be referred to as the inaugural season of Matchroom Fight Camp in providing fights that have all the appearance of being highly competitive. In addition to the new broadcast agreement as far as the United Kingdom and Ireland are concerned there is one more crucial difference that will be taking place this year as compared to season one. A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the three cards on the grounds of the Hearn family estate. As the world continues to deal with the circumstances and effects of the COVID-19 crisis the fact that a select number of fans will be able to experience Boxing in a truly unique and intimate atmosphere is refreshing after the circumstances in which the “Matchroom Fight Camp” concept came to be initially. If the addition of spectators can add to the action in the ring, it may not be a bad idea for Eddie Hearn and his team to start strategizing for Fight Camp Season 3.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Matchroom Fight Camp: Benn vs. Granados takes place on Saturday, July 31st at Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood, England. The full card can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT (U.S. Times.) For more information about DAZN, including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

 

We will have a preview of week two of Matchroom Fight Camp here on the website next week.

 

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

 

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