Mason And Carrington Retain World Championships In Cleveland

While it is not unusual to see a Boxing card occur on the weekend of the July 4th holiday here in the United States, it is a bit unusual to see a card staged on the holiday itself, even when it falls on a Saturday. This, however, was exactly what occurred during the 2026 4th of July holiday as two undefeated world champions, each a rising star in the sport, defended their crowns for the first time at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland,OH.

First up to defend his title was WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce Carrington as he faced North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight champion Rene Palacios. From the opening bell, Carrington’s ability to use angles, be disciplined defensively, and just displaying a higher skillset than his opponent was the story of the contest that tended to follow a pattern. Palacios came forward trying to push the champion back, but either missing punches and/or being countered by Carrington. While there was a difference in both hand speed and reaction time between the two fighters that also favored the champion, to his credit, Palacios never stopped trying to find a way to turn things around and did have some periodic success as the fight progressed in landing his left hand. 

It would be one such left hand that produced a slight controversy in round seven when one landed on the back of Carrington’s head and sent him down to the canvas briefly. Although some felt this should have been ruled a knockdown in the challenger’s favor, it was an illegal blow that, while unintentional, was correctly ruled an illegal punch by Referee Harvey Dock. Though Palacios was able to land a few more solid right hands over the second half of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout, he was unable to form a consistent attack that would have likely resulted in him winning a few rounds as Carrington cruised to a wide and otherwise uneventful twelve round unanimous decision to retain his portion of the World Featherweight championship. More thoughts on Carrington’s future will follow at the conclusion of this column.

This brings us to the second half of this doubleheader as undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason defended his crown for the first time in front of his hometown crowd. Originally, Mason was to defend the title against former IBF Jr. Lightweight world champion Joe Cordina, who was the WBO number one Lightweight contender, however, this was changed on a little more than fourteen days notice when Cordina, who hails from Cadiff, Wales in the United Kingdom, was denied entry into the United States for the bout. In stepped undefeated WBO number six rated contender Albert Bell, who under circumstances that were not ideal, was getting his first opportunity at a world championship. 

Some might argue the change in opponent from a stylistic standpoint made this a more interesting fight on paper than had Mason been able to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation in facing Cordina. This was due to both Mason and Bell being boxer/punchers, but it was Mason, who had scored knockouts in seventeen of his twenty career wins in comparison to Bell’s nine knockouts in twenty-eight previous professional fights prior to this encounter. Although the edge in terms of punching power tipped towards the champion statistically, this observer thought we were likely to see a tactical chess match between the two fighters early on. Both fighters knew what the other could do and when you get a scenario like that as the two fighters were sparring partners for each other in training previously in their careers, it can make for a bit of hesitation in terms of which fighter will make the first move as well as who can establish a tempo. Bell began this fight by landing a short counter right hand to the jaw of Mason. It became clear fairly early that my instinct in thinking this would evolve into a tactical battle once the two fighters were inside the ring was spot on. It would be the right hand of Bell that would prove to be a focal point in the early rounds as it was the primary weapon for him both as a tool to counter the champion as well as one to catch the champion as he was trying to apply pressure and come forward. A right hand from the challenger opened a cut over Mason’s left eye in the second round.

What stood out here was not simply that Bell was having success in landing his right hand, it was that he was accurate in doing so and showed great discipline in simply waiting for his openings and taking advantage of them when they presented themselves. Through the first three rounds, I felt Bell won all three based on these attributes. 

Bell’s patience and ability to subtly pot shot the champion continued to carry itself through the first half of the fight. It would be in round seven, however, where the champion Mason started to break through as he landed a few solid left hands that got Bell’s attention and appeared to wake up the crowd in attendance that Bell had succeeded in taking out of the fight with his approach and being able to limit Mason’s offensive output. It was that left hand in the seventh that started a gradual building of momentum for Mason as he continued to press forward, but when he landed it was with hard solid punches.

The pressure, gradual success with body shots, and landing the harder punches continued to carry the momentum in the champion’s favor as Mason continued to make up ground on the scorecards. Gradually, the pressure and heavier blows of Mason began to slow Bell down and break through what had been his stellar defense during the first half of the twelve round world championship bout. 

Although Mason had clearly turned the ebb and flow in his favor after eleven rounds, yours truly felt it was a close fight and, despite Mason being in his hometown, I questioned just how many rounds early was Albert Bell able to win that may have been able to hold off a clear rally by the champion. It would be in the twelfth and final round, however, that any and all questions regarding the scoring of the fight would turn out to be moot. Mason lunged forward at the beginning of round twelve and dropped Bell with a solid left hook to the jaw that sent the challenger down on his knees. 

Bell was able to beat the count, but the champion sensing his opponent was in trouble went in for the finish.A left hand to the temple would drop Bell for a second time. Unlike the first knockdown, Bell was not given the benefit of a count and the bout was stopped. Quite frankly, I felt at the time of the stoppage that Bell was fatigued and was in trouble. Having said that,veteran referee Mark Nelson, inexplicably did not count Bell following the second knockdown and did not look at Bell’s eyes.

 It seemed like he simply stopped the fight as Bell was once again on his knees. If one were honest, two knockdowns within the first forty seconds of a round would appear to be an indication that the fighter that was knocked to the canvas was in trouble and on the verge of being stopped. Given that Bell had put forth a solid performance throughout the contest, however, he at minimum deserved a second count and a chance to show he could continue to try and finish the fight. 

While I personally have my doubts as to whether Bell would have made it to the final bell, he was not dropped hard and seemed in possession of all of his faculties at the time when the fight was stopped. For a referee in Nelson, who has officiated over nearly 1200 professional bouts in his thirty-four year career dating back to 1992, and is regarded as one of the best in the sport. In this instance, I feel he jumped the gun, but the probability that the fight may have been stopped if it had continued I feel was significantly high given that Bell was fatigued and Mason was perched to try and finish things if it were allowed to go on. 

Abdullah Mason was tested for the first time in his career in this title defense. While some feel the stoppage was controversial, a word too closely associated with combat sports, as a fighter and a world champion, Mason did what he had to do, which is all one can really ask of a fighter. Albert Bell was able to give the champion a scare and though not the ideal set up if you are a promoter or matchmaker looking for a showcase performance for a young world champion in their hometown, this fight and the way it was fought will have more benefit for Mason in the long-term than a quick knockout over an overmatched opponent would have. 

For Bruce Carrington, he also did what he needed to do to retain his world title. It may not have been the most entertaining contest depending on one's perspective, but a fighter and more specifically, a champion's objective is to win. Even if achieving victory means that one is not appreciated fully for their skillset.

As for what is next for both champions, it will be interesting to see if Joe Cordina will maintain his number one ranking in the WBO's Lightweight ratings, despite being denied entry into the United States. Perhaps the focus will shift towards making the original encounter that was to take place on this card with Mason at a different location outside of the United States, with the United Kingdom likely viewed as a viable option. 

In regard to the Featherweight division perhaps a fighter like the unbeaten Omar Trinidad, who is currently rated number three in the WBC Featherweight ratings could be next for Bruce Carrington. A more likely choice at least in the immediate future might be current WBC number one Featherweight contender Cristobal Lorente, who like Trinidad is unbeaten, but will almost certainly be ruled as the mandatory challenger by the WBC per his number one ranking. 

With both Mason and Carrington being promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc. It will also be interesting to see if the plan from a promotional standpoint is to stage another card or two with them as co-headliners, particularly due to their recent alignment with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN that likes to showcase multiple stars on their cards when possible. In this case, you have two young world champions that are just starting to emerge as stars in the sport and from a network standpoint, having two fighters at similar stages in their careers fighting consistently on the same cards is an effective hook to draw in viewers as each fighter continues to progress. If it makes sense from a business perspective, this observer does not see a reason why another card like this should not be staged. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Top Rank Presents World Championship Twin Bill On July 4th On DAZN/TNT Sports

On May 16th, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. embarked on a new era when they debuted on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, following nearly a year of uncertainty as to the future following Top Rank’s exit from ESPN after eight years. While that debut event did not provide much highlights as Keyshawn Davis scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Nahir Albright in their anticipated rematch, the promotion’s second event figures to provide potentially “Fireworks.” This observer is referring to Top Rank’s return to DAZN on Saturday, July 4th where two of Boxing's hottest rising stars will defend their world titles in separate twelve round bouts at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH.

First up will be undefeated WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce Carrington making the first defense of his world title against undefeated current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight champion Rene Palacios. Carrington won the WBC World Featherweight championship in January of this year with a ninth round knockout of Carlos Castro in New York’s Madison Square Garden. With a record of 17-0, with 10 Knockouts, the recently crowned champion has a good mix of hand speed and punching power and having successfully made the transition from prospect, to contender, to a world champion, the task for Carrington now is to show that he can perform to the standard that most think of when they talk about world champions. Though he has proven to this point that he could climb the ladder of contention all the way to the top and did not face much resistance on his path to becoming a world champion, the competition level is likely to only increase as a champion rather than as a fighter chasing a world title.

This first title defense for Carrington presents something of a unique scenario. Both champion and challenger are unbeaten going into this encounter, and both are at least statistically, at similar stages of their respective careers. In Rene Palacios, Carrington will face someone with slightly more experience with a record of 19-0-1 with 10 Knockouts. Palacios won the WBC-affiliated NABF Featherweight title in his last fight in January with a ten round split decision over Sulaiman Segawa in Maryland. While this fight has the appearance of a dual between two boxer/punchers, a potential red flag at least in the eyes of some is Palacios has only fought here in the United States twice in his career and with the exception of his NABF title win, has not fought what could be defined as a household name to this point in his career. Palacios’ fight against Sulaiman Segawa was ugly at points and was an encounter that did not necessarily mesh well, but one thing Palacios was able to do throughout that fight was stay in close where he was essentially pinned to Segawa’s chest. Though it did not necessarily make for the most entertaining fight depending on one's perspective, it proved at least on that occasion to be an effective strategy because he was able to limit Segawa’s offensive output and was able to grind out a decision victory. Whether or not Palacios can show that he is ready for what will likely be viewed as a step up by trying to implement a similar strategy in this fight against the unbeaten champion Bruce Carrington remains to be seen. 

The second main event on the card will feature undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason defending his title against WBO number six contender Albert Bell. Much like Bruce Carrington, Abdullah Mason appears to be on the fast track to becoming one of the next potential superstars of the sport. In his last fight, Mason scored a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over a very determined Sam Noakes to win the vacant WBO World Lightweight championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November of last year. It was that fight, though a victory for Mason, that brought an end to a knockout streak of nine consecutive fights. Nevertheless, with a record of 20-0, with 17 Knockouts, Mason has continued to impress with each performance inside the ring. 

Now as a champion, Mason embarks on a new chapter in his career, but not the start of it that he expected. As most know, Mason was originally scheduled to defend his title against former IBF World Jr. Lightweight world champion Joe Cordina. Cordina, however, was forced to withdraw from the fight due to being denied entry into the United States from his native England for the bout due to visa issues. In steps Bell on a little more than two weeks' notice to challenge Mason for the title. 

Bell, will enter what will be his first opportunity at a world championship unbeaten with a record of 28-0, with 9 Knockouts, and has been a longtime contender in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight and 135lb. Lightweight divisions having won regional titles at the IBF North American and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) levels to name a few. Although this will be his first shot at a world title, Bell does have the experience and skillset to potentially give Mason some problems. It will be interesting to see how the two fighters’ styles mesh up stylistically. What should not be overlooked is both champion and challenger are in a situation where both will have to adjust to a new opponent on limited notice and that aspect alone always seems to carry a bit of the unknown with it. Like the champion, Bell was in preparation to face a different opponent on this card and though a golden opportunity knocked on his door here with an opportunity to fight for a world title, it is nevertheless an adjustment for the challenger as much as it is the champion. 

While this card will be another in a growing list of cards broadcast by DAZN in an ever growing roster of promotional partners, this card will also be the first in a partnership with cable network TNT under “The Fight” series moniker. Although some have been critical of this partnership and have used it in a way to criticize DAZN and paint a picture of possible financial trouble, this observer feels simulcasting select events via a cable network like TNT will be beneficial for both entities. For DAZN, it is obvious that it can be used as a way to both promote and grow its network by trying to attract new eyes who may not be familiar with their network and the fact that it is both streaming and subscription-based. For TNT, who recently lost its long-standing NBA rights and may be part of a much wider acquisition between its current parent company WarnerDiscovery and Paramount, the deal with DAZN provides sports programming and and a way to try and fill dates in the schedule with sports programming in the absence of NHL Hockey, where they still hold broadcast rights. Some may not be old enough to remember, or may have forgotten that there was a brief period in the 1990s where TNT, a sister network of HBO, the one time Boxing powerhouse and proclaimed “Network of Champions” did air Boxing programming under the “Title Night on TNT” moniker, with its own broadcast team and its own events separate from HBO. Though the series did not last long and came during a time where TNT aimed at an older demographic and whose sports programming was limited to the now defunct WCW wrestling, NBA games, and sporadic Nascar and PGA Golf. 

Perhaps at that time, the brain trusts of one of the numerous corporate entities that TNT and its sister networks fell under at the time, felt that because HBO was such a powerhouse in the sport at the time that there was no need for a separate Boxing property on a different network within the corporate portfolio that HBO and TNT fell under at the time. Though this agreement between DAZN and TNT is a simulcast deal and it will be DAZN’s logo, presentation, and broadcast airing on TNT, if it turns out to be successful it may lead to more Boxing programming on the network, which can only be viewed as a positive for the sport. It is something that all involved with the sport should be rooting for.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Fight: Mason vs. Bell / Carrington vs. Palacios takes place on Saturday, July 4th at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. The full card can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT and will also be simulcast on TNT in the United States on cable/Live TV providers at the aforementioned start times.

(*North American Start 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. 

For more information about TNT including schedules and channel numbers on your cable/Live TV provider please visit: www.TNTDrama.com. 

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Ennis Solidifies His Status As One Of Boxing's Hottest Stars In Stopping Zayas

In the present day in the sport of Boxing for a variety of reasons, it is rare to see fighters either regarded as stars/superstars of the sport or those whose star is on the rise, take a risk by facing another fighter at a similar stage while both are in their competitive primes or approaching their prime. The encounter between undefeated WBO/WBA Jr. Middleweight world champion Xander Zayas and unbeaten former unified Welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis on June 27th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY provided one such rarity.

If one were honest, they would say that it was not a necessity for either fighter at this stage in their respective careers to meet each other at this point in time. More often than not, a fight like this is one where rival promoters will choose to let simmer while their respective fighters continue to face other opposition and build both their respective fanbases as well as generate buzz in a potential fight that after given a period of time often becomes a bigger attraction in terms of an event.

While such methods of promotion are often used, such tactics can prove to be frustrating for Boxing fans who want to see fights made in a more timely manner. There is also the inherent risk that by letting a fight simmer for two long, both potential combatants risk damaging their standing by possibly suffering a loss to a different opponent that in turn, negatively affects the potential promotion/mega fight that promoters might be strategizing towards.

This was an instance, however, where no such tactics were attempted by the co-promoters Eddie Hearn, who represents Ennis and Hall of Famer Bob Arum, who represents Zayas. Rather this was a rare time in the sport where the fighters themselves chose to roll the dice to test themselves against each other. Both fighters did not hesitate and were more than willing to engage in what proved to be a heated battle from the opening bell.

Both fighters immediately stood and were willing to engage with each other. A high-tempo pace from the outset, what stood out immediately was Ennis’ ability to switch back and forth between an orthodox and southpaw stance as well as his approaching the champion at varying angles. He quickly established a home for his left hand as he frequently landed straight lefts on Zayas, which ultimately proved to be the catalyst to land a short, beautifully timed right hand that dropped Zayas in round one.

It became apparent to this observer at this point in the bout that the main issue for the champion was not only Ennis’ hand speed, but also his timing. Though it appeared after two rounds of being consistently beaten to the punch that a change in the champion’s approach may have been well-advised, Zayas continued to stay in punching range, was not discouraged by what was happening to him early on, and to his credit, did appear to momentarily stun Ennis with a right hand of his own in round three. This seemingly set off a series of exchanges between rounds three and four that were among the best of the fight.

In round five, what had developed into a fire fight between the two fighters continued as, despite being at a deficit in terms of punching power and being dropped earlier in the bout, Zayas continued to stay in close and trade punches with Ennis. A right uppercut to the head, however, would send the champion down hard to the canvas for a second time. Although he struggled to beat the ten count, Zayas managed to get to his feet at the count of nine. It was at this stage that Ennis unleashed what can only be described as a hellacious beating on Zayas where it appeared that Referee Harvey Dock was inching closer and was perhaps looking for Ennis to land one more significant blow to give him the justification to stop the fight. To the champion’s credit, he managed to make it out of the round.

It was between rounds five and six where Dock sent out seemingly the last warning sign fighters often hear prior to a referee stopping a fight, telling Zayas in his corner, just after his handlers asked him what round it was in a clear evaluation to ensure their fighter had all his facilities and was alert, that he was taking too many shots and that Zayas needed to show Dock something or the fight would be stopped. In all truth and honesty with the reader, as one who has covered thousands of fights on every possible level of Boxing ranging from amateur, to traditional professional Boxing, to professional Bareknuckle bouts, I have seen referees including Harvey Dock on occasion give fighters a variation of the warning he gave Zayas between rounds five and six. While it goes without saying that in over three decades in the sport and a lifetime as a fan before the period I entered combat sports as a writer, I have seen fighters take beatings similar to the one Ennis had administered to Zayas in the fifth round, sometimes even worse, and though it does not tend to happen often when a referee or ringside physician gives a fighter such a warning where the fighter manages to pull off a come from behind victory, this observer would not have been against stopping this fight between rounds.

Although no one can take away from the heart a fighter in Zayas’ position shows under conditions like this in trying to not only show their mettle, but in this case also, in defense of a world title, there comes a point where a decision has to be made, not so much regarding a fight in progress or the loss of a world championship, but the long-term picture for the fighter not just in regard to their career moving forward, but of their life after Boxing. It goes without saying not just in regard to Boxing, but all combat sports, that each fight whether win, lose, or draw, takes something out of a fighter and that is directly attributable to the toll a fighter takes both in training for competition as well as in the fights themselves. Xander Zayas is a twenty-three year old young man who likely has plans for himself both in regard to his career as well as life after Boxing, and I just feel that if the decision were made to stop this fight after round five.

Despite the view of this observer, the fight continued and Zayas did show an ability to recuperate in what proved to be a relatively uneventful round six. It would be in round seven, however, that this encounter would come to a close as an accumulation of blows set off by a series of body punches by Ennis sent Zayas down for a third time. As there always seems to be in Boxing, whether legitimate or not, an element of controversy would emerge as while Referee Harvey Dock was counting Zayas, there appeared to be a momentary pause and then the fight was stopped.

 While the majority of this column was written in the immediate hours after the fight took place, yours truly did something he rarely does and held off releasing the column for a few days. Not because of a lack of commitment or being lackadaisical, but because there was this seemingly overwhelming perception that Zayas had in the words of many online and YouTube commentators “Quit” following the final knockdown. Speaking only for myself, I did not observe Zayas verbally or otherwise indicate to Dock that he wanted the fight stopped, Zayas did look briefly away from Dock towards his corner as the corner indicated that they wanted the fight stopped as Dock promptly did. This was confirmed by Boxing Analyst and Senior writer for Sports Illustrated Chris Mannix, who was ringside doing commentary for digital sports streaming network DAZN who commented on X (formerly Twitter) in the days following the fight that Zayas’ corner had a representative of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) step onto the ring apron and indicate they wanted the fight stopped.

While anyone and everyone certainly has a right to their opinion and I am by no means am challenging one's right to express their opinion, whether I personally agree with those points of view or not, in this case I do feel those, particularly YouTube commentators jumped to conclusions and incorrectly labeled Zayas as a “Quitter” either before knowing the facts or perhaps in an effort to get more views for their respective content. Although we now live in an era where the term “Influencer” has become part of the sport of Boxing and we have heard those labeled “YouTubers” say they want to  be viewed as credible and taken seriously within the sport, with all due respect, there is a difference between journalism and having facts correct and manufacturing a supposed “Controversy” in an attempt to get more attention. There are times where those of us who cover the sport make an error, we are all after all, human, however, it is the responsibility of those who make such errors to correct their mistakes whenever they emerge. Although my comments here are by no means an effort to try and discredit YouTube as a platform, that in fact I use on a daily basis, or to single out any one in particular, whether a YouTube commentator or not, either one is covering a sport or a given topic objectively or they are allowing fandom to influence their comments, which again may have the underlying motivation of trying to increase viewership of their content. If it is the latter, there is no credibility or legitimacy.

From my perspective, Xander Zayas’ corner made the right call. Zayas fought his heart out, but unfortunately for him came up against a fighter in Jaron Ennis that could ultimately become a fighter viewed as a generational talent when all is said and done. Put simply, on that night, Ennis was the better fighter.

Now, as a two-division world champion, who is now a unified world champion in the Jr. Middleweight division, as he was in the Welterweight division before he moved up in weight, appears to be in prime position to potentially make a run to be an undisputed champion of the division. Next up for Ennis and likely viewed by many to be his most significant threat in the division could be current WBC world champion Sebastian Fundora, who could next defend his portion of the World Jr. Middleweight championship against current WBC number one Jr. Middleweight contender Ermal Hadribeaj. Though obviously, the focus will be on a potential unification bout between Ennis and Fundora, the focus will remain on the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division moving forward as a course for an eventual showdown seems to be taking shape.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Zayas-Ennis Preview

 The month of June 2026 in the sport of Boxing will conclude with arguably one of the best fights that could be made in the sport in present day. This observer is referring to an encounter between two unbeaten world champions in Boxing’s 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.undefeated unified WBO/WBA World Jr. Middleweight champion Xander Zayas will meet undefeated former IBF World Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. A marquee bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription or as a standalone pay-per-view offering for non-Ultimate subscribers. 

A coincidence that is present for this fight is it will take place on a historical day in Boxing history. Those of us who are old enough to remember likely recall June 27. 1988 where at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, the then undefeated Undisputed World Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson destroyed unbeaten two-division world champion Michael Spinks in ninety-one seconds in defense of his crown and solidifying his claim as at that point in time the one and only World Heavyweight champion as Spinks also had a claim on the title and was recognized by Ring Magazine as World Heavyweight Champion. While that fight was significantly promoted to degrees that we do not see in the sport of Boxing anymore, the actual fight ended up being a disappointment, but was an example of how devastating Mike Tyson was in his prime years. From a business perspective, the event of Tyson-Spinks between live gate attendance, closed circuit locations, and pay-per-view, which was still largely in its infancy at that time here in the United States generated over $70 million in revenue and drew a sell out crowd of 21,785 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

Although no fight in present day should be compared to that event, particularly one that will be taking place at a lower weight than the Heavyweight division, the one similarity between the two is like Tyson and Spinks thirty-eight years ago, both Zayas and Ennis are undefeated world champions and much like back then, there is a reasonable amount of suspense as to what might happen when the two champions step into the ring to do battle. In this case, both champions are not only unbeaten, but have both scored knockouts of over half of their opponents. In that aspect, the challenger Ennis, who is the current WBA number one Jr. Middleweight contender/mandatory challenger has the advantage having scored knockouts of 88% of his opponents, scoring thirty-one knockouts in his thirty-five career wins compared to Zayas’ thirteen knockouts in twenty-three career wins.

If one were to view this strictly from those statistics, they would get the impression that this is an encounter between a champion in Zayas, who would be labeled as more of a boxer going against a former world champion in Ennis, who would be labeled as more of a “Knockout Artist.” While this would be accurate to a degree, much like Ennis, Zayas has shown an ability to be explosive and can end a fight suddenly if the opportunity presents itself. The question here is what are we likely to see as each fighter faces arguably the toughest opponent in their respective careers.

Both fighters are well aware of what the other can do and as such there might be a healthy respect for each other’s credentials in the early rounds. At some point, however, it will be interesting to see who will take the initiative to force the action and take the risk of opening up with their offense and thus risk getting caught by their opponent.  While most fans would relish the idea of two fighters simply choosing to stand and trade punches, shot for shot, it is logical to think that this will be approached tactically by both fighters rather than throwing caution to the wind. It should also be pointed out, despite his reputation as a “Knockout Artist,” Jaron Ennis has also shown that when he has to, he can box as well, so it will be interesting to see what each fighter’s approach will be. 

Although this fight should be viewed as a chapter in the careers of two potentially great fighters, often fights like this are thought of as landmarks in a fighters career. Whether that label is justified or not, it puts the fighter who does not get their hand raised in a position where pundits will put their career under a microscope and there will be a rebuilding process that said fighter will have to undertake in attempting to bounce back from such a setback. This observer will not partake in such “What If” scenarios because after all, no one knows what will happen when Zayas and Ennis face off in the ring and there is obviously more to take into the equation post-fight than the matter of a win or a loss. What Boxing fans can hope for, however, is that both fighters come with their best and that the intriguing Fight of the Year candidate this appears to be on paper, manifests itself inside the ring.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Zayas vs. Ennis takes place on Saturday, June 27th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. the fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $74.99 or included with a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The broadcast will begin at 4PM ET/1PM PT with free preliminary bouts with the subscription/standalone pay-per-view portion beginning at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT. 

(*North American Pricing and  Start 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, region specific pricing for your area, to subscribe to DAZN Ultimate or to order this pay-per-view event separately please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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The Return of Hasim Rahman?

Comebacks in the sport of Boxing is something that is as old as the sport itself. In the 1980s, however, two legends of the ring, Sugar Ray Leonard and the late great George Foreman made the concept of a fighter coming out of retirement for a would be “Comeback" popular.

While the idea of a fighter coming out of retirement after a lengthy absence to attempt a comeback either in search of recapturing past glory and/or for financial reasons will always get people's attention, most would be accurate to state that the most successful of all the comebacks ever attempted throughout the whole history of the sport would be that of Foreman's, who famously returned to Boxing as a means of funding the George Foreman Youth and Community Center in his native Houston, TX in an effort to further his outreach as a practicing pastor, in his 40s and regained the World Heavyweight championship at age 45 in 1994 and in the process, became the oldest fighter to ever become World Heavyweight champion, a record he still holds to this day.

Although this observer can spend countless hours talking about the achievements of both Foreman and Leonard as two of my influences who I watched as a kid and were fortunate to cover in my early days as a writer covering combat sports, with Boxing as my primary, in more recent years, thanks to the influx of exhibitions becoming a defacto circuit of the sport, it has in some ways, unfortunately become common to see ex fighters mix it up with either fellow ex boxers, social media influencers, or stars from another sport, we have seen these fighters step back in at far more advanced ages than Foreman or Leonard ever did, which puts the hysteria and concerns for their safety that both legends faced prior to their famed comebacks in perspective.

Most are familiar with the exploits of two other Hall of Famers Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, who each got back in the ring at ages closer to sixty than forty to participate in exhibitions and in Tyson's case, one official fight, two instances that had controversy attached to both fighters, no fighters has made an attempt to surpass Foreman's record since he set it thirty-two years ago. In good conscience, yours truly feels that is more of a good thing than it should be viewed as a negative. Both from a standpoint of the significance of Foreman's achievement, as well as the inherent risks that become an increased probability as fighters age.

Some may recall the comeback attempt of former longtime Heavyweight contender Donovan “Razor" Ruddock, who at age fifty-one in 2015,  climbed back in the ring. The former top contender, who shared the ring with many of the top Heavyweights of the 1980s and 1990s including six former world champions got himself in what can only be described as immaculate shape and to his credit, won two fights against fighters named Raymond Olubowale and Eric Barrak, before all hopes for a comeback approaching contender status were halted by Dillon Carman in a failed bid by the Canadian-based Rudduck to regain the Canadian Heavyweight championship he won in 1988, in what was described as a brutal third round knockout.

With the exception of Tyson, who’s exhibition against Roy Jones in 2020 and his official bout against Jake Paul in 2024, would not be considered legitimate comeback attempts, and the fairly recent return of former WBC World Heavyweight champion Oliver McCall, both fighters closer to age sixty than they were when either were considered contenders, I personally have not given much thought to the idea of not just a Heavyweight, but of any fighter attempting what would be considered a serious comeback post the age of fifty. Not because it would not peak my interest, but because frankly, there are not many fighters around that are making such attempts.

It did, however, come as a bit of a surprise to yours truly when I recently learned that former World Heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman would be making such an attempt at age fifty-three. Rahman, as some may recall, is a former two-time World Heavyweight champion, who like Rudduck and McCall, shared the ring with many of the top Heavyweights of his era. Unlike Rudduck and more similar to McCall, however, he does not always get the respect afforded to many who have been a World Heavyweight champion, despite winning a world title twice during his career.

The similarity is that like Oliver McCall, Rahman’s reigns as champion were relatively short between when the titles were won and lost in terms of time. Nevertheless, through the ups and downs that typically comes with a long career inside the Boxing ring, Rahman was still one of the best fighters of his era in the Heavyweight division.

One does have to wonder, however, what the motivation might be for Rahman at fifty-three years old to get back into active competition. For his part, Rahman has stated that his bout on July 14th at the ESL Ballpark in Rochester, NY against an unnamed opponent as of this writing will be an attempt to get himself into position to challenge for another world title with the ultimate goal of breaking George Foreman’s record. While that may indeed be part of the motivation here, some may also speculate that an underlying motivation could be financial. After all, many professional athletes for one reason or another experience financial difficulties after their active careers end and it would not be unheard of to think of a former world champion boxer being enticed to return to the ring to solve whatever difficulties they might be going through financially. For better or worse Boxing does offer a quicker than normal path for those blessed with the ability, to make money in an expedited form as compared to other occupations and/or for those who were not fortunate to be blessed with the gift to be a world-class boxer.  

Although Rahman has not indicated that he is motivated by finances, the idea of being in a position to secure a lucrative payday, especially given his name recognition, has to have been at least thought of. Regardless of what his motivation truly is, what should be of concern to anyone who truly cares for him is when he retired in 2014, he ended his career off two consecutive losses with his last fight coming in a Super 8 Heavyweight tournament where he lost a three round decision to a fighter named Anthony Nansen, a fighter who at the time of that fight held in Auckland, New Zealand, had a record of 3-3, with 1 Knockout going into that bout.

While the perception for the last several years prior to that outing and his knockout loss to longtime Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin prior to that was that Rahman was competitively past his peak, often a layoff of a decade or more may rest and recoup the body, that length of inactivity does not reverse the gradual eroding of skills and slowed reflexes that often are the telltale signs of an aging fighter. As heralded and historic as George Foreman's comeback proved to be, it is important to remember that he spent the first couple of years of that comeback fighting against fighters who were deliberately overmatched and it allowed him to adequately get himself back in fighting shape by fighting often where when he gradually did step up his level of competition, he was ready and proved he could hold his own against the top Heavyweights of the late 1980s and 1990s. 

At fifty-three years old, one has to wonder what type of commitment Rahman will have if he is able to string together a couple of wins. What is a concern to this observer beyond the obvious eroding skills that were present when he retired and have likely become more visible with age is because he is considerably older than Foreman was when he began his comeback, the plan will likely be to get a few wins under his belt in an expedited manner and attempt to move him into position to challenge for a world title sooner than later because obviously time is not on his side and the idea of him getting an opportunity based on name recognition value more so than whether he's ready to compete against a contender or world champion, unfortunately seems more likely than not.

Hasim Rahman is a smart man, it is my hope regardless of who may be his opponent in July that he, knowing the history of successful and failed comebacks, will evaluate his performance on a fight by fight basis and will make a decision on whether it is wise to continue before the risk of injury becomes more of an increasing issue.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Chris Billam-Smith Stops Rozicki In Cruiserweight Brawl

The latest installment of the Zuffa Boxing series saw the new promotion leave the confines of the Meta Apex, a venue that the promotion under the TKO Group banner has established as its home base, and staged its first international event at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, England where former WBO World Cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith squared off against top Cruiserweight contender Ryan Rozicki in an encounter that was highly anticipated due to both fighters having fan-friendly styles. Although there are times where for whatever reason, what appears to be an intriguing battle on paper does not materialize once two fighters enter the ring to do battle, this was not one of them. 

In this case, you had two fighters who not only had demonstrated a willingness to get in and mix it up with their previous opposition, but they showed no reluctance to engage with each other, despite being well aware of the other's reputation as having punching power and being more than willing to trade punch for punch. Often, regardless of where a fight occurs in terms of division, those are the best types of fights one can observe. This was one that would not disappoint.

There was no feeling out process here in this fight as both Billam-Smith and Rozicki established what can only be described as a high or suffocating pace where neither fighter had much room to breathe as the action was fought in close seemingly from the opening seconds of the bout. It was a pace that seemed largely initiated by Rozicki, but it was one where he appeared overly aggressive as he was warned for headbutting Billam-Smith in the opening round, something that would lead to a point deduction in round two when Rozicki was admonished for headbutting for a second time, and was cut over the left eye from punches thrown by Billam-Smith in response to such aggression in the first round. 

Whether the instances of Rozicki headbutting were a case of intentional illegal tactics or merely a fighter in the midst of his aggression, allowing that aggression to take over where he has a mental lapse, is a subject to debate at a later time, but the pace he largely initiated made it clear early that this was a fight that was not likely to go the distance. To borrow a quote from the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard who uttered “There's Been No Boxing At All, Just Fighting Here,” as he served in the capacity of an expert commentator for the now defunct HBO Sports during a delayed broadcast of the legendary World Middleweight championship fight between the late great champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns in April 1985, such a quote could easily be used to describe this battle though obviously not as a direct comparison.

Just as the pace began to slow ever slightly in round three, as Rozicki continued to plot forward, Billam-Smith landed a perfectly timed straight right hand that frankly, would have ended the night for most fighters, that landed flush on the jaw of Rozicki. Somehow, miraculously, Rozicki was able to stay on his feet, albeit legitimately staggered, and kept coming forward. 

As fatigue naturally began to show itself and the pace even by the slightest of margins slowed, the fight continued to be fought largely on the inside, and the two fighters continued to exchange heavy shots in close range. Rozicki’s granite chin would once again be on display in round six as Billam-Smith unleashed a brutal barrage of hooks to the head with both hands that landed flush, yet somehow to the astonishment of this observer, Rozicki managed to stay on his feet. The grueling battle between two warriors continued into the seventh round and Billam-Smith capped off what proved to be the climatic final blows, a combination of hooks to the head in the final seconds of the round. It was at the conclusion of round seven that Rozicki’s corner made the decision to stop the fight bringing an end to what will likely be a Fight of the Year candidate when 2026 has concluded.

In terms of what comes next, we are in an interesting time in the sport where Zuffa as a promotion appears intent on naming their own world  championships under a proposed Unified Boxing Organization format, which would in theory bring the model of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to the sport of Boxing. It remains unclear as to whether the promotion will also do business under Boxing’s existing structure, meaning with independent sanctioning organizations. With regard to the Cruiserweight division, the recent bout between Jai Opetaia, the IBF World Cruiserweight champion and top contender Brandon Glanton, originally thought to be for the IBF world championship, was changed in the prelude to that fight as the IBF stripped Opetaia, who also holds recognition as World Cruiserweight champion recognized by Ring Magazine due to their claim that they were not contacted by Zuffa and thus refused to sanction the fight for its version of the World Cruiserweight championship. As most know, Opetaia defeated Glanton via twelve round unanimous decision for the newly created Zuffa Boxing World Cruiserweight championship.

What makes this noteworthy is both Billam-Smith and Opetaia are now competing under the Zuffa Boxing banner and it would appear that the plan from a Zuffa perspective would be to match Opetaia and Billam-Smith against each other in a theoretically more streamlined way as compared to the conventional structure of professional Boxing in what would obviously be used to point out the benefit of the proposed Unified Boxing Organization format.

While it remains to be seen if such a format as well as proposed changes to existing legislation under the Muhammad Ali Act ultimately proves to be beneficial for the sport long-term. If fights like this, however, are put together more quickly while public interest is high, regardless of the broader implications for the sport long-term, it should be viewed as a positive. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Ramirez-Richards Thoughts

In the aftermath of the return of unified World Light-Heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, two of the top contenders in the division, Albert Ramirez and Lerrone Richards met on June 4th at Casino Montreal in Montreal, Canada in a fight that would determine Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA’s Light-Heavyweight ratings, a designation held by the unbeaten Ramirez. More importantly, however, was the opportunity to attempt to move into the short list of potential opponents for Bivol in the not too distant future. Even as the champion for all intents and purposes seems to be heading towards a third bout with former Undisputed World Light-Heavyweight champion Artur Betwebiev, an impressive performance by either Ramirez or Richards would obviously create buzz for the victor as a potential future opponent either for Bivol or Beterbiev, assuming that anticipated third encounter is indeed in the immediate plans.

While the latter potential third chapter in the rivalry between Bivol and Beterbiev will obviously continue to dominate the focus of the division until it either takes place or one or both fighters choose to move in different directions, this fight was nevertheless an interesting clash of styles between a fighter known for his punching power in Ramirez going against a pure boxer in Richards. A contrast that seemed to play itself out immediately as Richards established distance between himself and Ramirez. Boxing behind a consistent jab and approaching his opponent at angles, Richards set the tempo of combat. Ramirez would have success periodically landing lunging blows, he found a difficult puzzle to solve as Richards seemed to outwork him throughout most of the fight. 

Although this encounter did not have much in the way of highlights, the consistent, workmanlike approach of Richards along with his ability to avoid having the ring cut off from him and his consistently being first with his offense, this observer felt was the story of the fight. By all impressions both with what was occurring in the ring with each passing round, as well as the body language of the two fighters, I felt that I had viewed a contest that would be scored lopsidedly in favor of Richards at the conclusion of the scheduled twelve round bout. It really did seem to be formulaic and a disciplined performance by Richards, even if it may not have been the most entertaining fight to watch for some. 

As sometimes occurs in the sport of Boxing, however, visual impressions in regard to what one sees with their eyes as well as consensus opinion as to who won a fight can differ significantly from those who have the responsibility of scoring it, the three official judges. Despite the view of this observer of a fairly wide victory in favor of Richards, the outcome would prove to be controversial as it would be Albert Ramirez, who would emerge victorious via twelve round majority decision. This certainly will not rank in the history of Boxing as an all-time classic, nor will it likely go down as the most controversial of controversial decisions ever recorded.

It could, however, possibly be used as a case study in how even though a fighter known as a pure boxer can at times find themselves on the losing end of a decision that by all accounts they seemed to have dominated. Perhaps in this case, the judges scored in favor of Ramirez based on his coming forward consistently and thus leaving an impression of his being the aggressor. It can be difficult sometimes to distinguish between mere aggression and what is often referred to as “Effective Aggression” where the aggressor is the one dictating the fight. This can also create a scenario where a fighter who puts more emphasis on the elements of technique and accuracy, does not always get the nod of the judges who might prefer aggression in their criteria of scoring based on clean punching, effective aggression, ring generalship, and defense.

Unfortunately for Lerrone Richards, this decision went against him and though in the era we all live in where it often is too easy for one to call a decision corrupt, whether there is legitimate evidence to support such claims or not, the silver lining here for Richards is he will come out of this fight looking better in defeat than Ramirez will as the winner. Whether or not that will move Richards closer to an opportunity to fight for a world title on the perception of an impressive performance that he simply did not get credit for is something that obviously cannot be said at the present moment, but this observer has been around long enough and has covered the sport long enough over three decades to be in a position to say that I have seen stranger things happen and though the obvious approach for Richards will be to try and get a rematch with Ramirez, which he deserves, it would not surprise me if Richards finds himself catapulted into a potential shot at a world title down the line.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Mini Preview: Ramirez-Richards

On Thursday June 4th, the Casino Montreal in Montreal Canada will play host to an interesting bout with potential world title implications in Boxing’s 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division. Top contenders Albert Ramirez and Lerrone Richards will meet in a twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

This will pit the unbeaten Ramirez (22-0, with 19 Knockouts) against the number six rated WBA Light-Heavyweight contender Richards (19-1, with 4 Knockouts) in an encounter where Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA’s Light-Heavyweight ratings, a designation currently held by Ramirez, will be at stake. Although such designations often amount to Boxing’s version of window dressing, this is still a fight  between two top contenders in the Light-Heavyweight division where one fighter, Ramirez, is in position to challenge for a world championship, which in regard to the WBA, is  currently held by the recently returned Dmitry Bivol.

As some recall, Bivol, the current unified WBA/IBF/WBO world champion, who also holds recognition by Ring Magazine as World Light-year weight champion, returned to action one week ago at the time of this writing, following a one year absence due to recovering from a severe back injury, which required surgery. In that outing, the champion dominated a very “Game,” but outclassed IBF number one contender Michael Eifert over twelve rounds to retain his unified crown. While by all accounts, Bivol appears to be by all accounts heading towards a third bout with former Undisputed Light-Heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev, a fight like this does offer a chance for the participants to maneuver into position either to face either fighter if a third encounter between the two is not in the immediate future, or to be in position to challenge the winner of that fight if it indeed happens.

As far as what this fight might look like inside the ring, this is a classic scenario of a puncher in Ramirez, who has a near 87% career knockout percentage, going against more of a pure boxer in Richards. Richards has only four knockouts in twenty professional fights. In his one career setback two years ago, Richards was stopped in six rounds by Steed Woodall. He has, however, rebounded to win his one bout since, in scoring a six round decision over Dylan Courtney in September of last year.  Though he is ranked in the top ten of the WBA Light-Heavyweight ratings, some may question whether Richards is ready for what is likely viewed as a step up in class. On the flip side of the equation, Ramirez has stopped his last four opponents inside the distance.

Conventional wisdom suggests that if Richards is to be successful in this fight, he must use his range boxing out of a southpaw stance to try and establish an elusive target. The obvious question here will not only be can he do so, but more specifically, do it for all twelve rounds because Ramirez’ fight plan will likely center on trying to cut off the ring, limit Richards’ ability to move, and try to systematically break him down with the theoretically harder punches as the fight progresses.

While not necessarily for a world championship unless the political elements of the sport ends up dictating for one reason or another that the winner of this fight will be named champion in the event Bivol is somehow stripped of or chooses to relinquish the WBA world championship down the line, this is still an opportunity for one fighter to maintain his position as a mandatory challenger and for the other, a chance to move into the upper echelon of the division where there will likely be no shortage of opportunities for lucrative bouts both inside and out of the WBA rankings.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Ramirez vs. Richards takes place on Thursday, June 4th at Casino Montreal in Montreal, Canada. The fight as well as its full  undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6:30PM ET/3:30PM PT. 

(*North American Start Times Only*) (*Card and Start Time 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. 

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Bivol Outclasses Eifert

The ingredients for a triumphant return to the ring from back surgery after over a year out of the ring were in place when unified Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol got back into the ring to defend his IBF/WBA/IBO crown as well as recognition from Ring Magazine as Light-Heavyweight world champion to face number one IBF contender Michael Eifert on May 30th at the UMMC Arena in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Although this observer does not personally like to use the term “Comeback Fight" due to it being dismissive of the opponent of the fighter that is making the " Comeback,” particularly when in this case, ot a world championship bout and Eifert was the IBF’s number one contender, perception did indeed become reality.

Before what looked to be a sell out crowd, Bivol quickly showed that he did not miss a step after being out of action for more than a year to address a lingering back injury, which required surgery. From the opening bell, the two-time World Light-Heavyweight champion seized command of the fight.

Bivol scored a knockdown of Eifert in the first round with a perfectly timed left hook to the head that sent the lunging challenger down to the canvas. While in recent years Dmity Bivol had developed a reputation as a master boxer of the highest caliber, this fight gave an early impression that this might have been a return to the “Knockout Artist” reputation that the champion had developed several years ago.

This was due to not only the fact that Bivol scored a knockdown of his opponent early in the contest, but specifically because Bivol essentially landed whenever he wanted and it became clear early that though Eifert was very “Game," he did not have the skillset or punching power that could turn the fight suddenly in his favor. To word things differently, there are levels in combat sports not just in regard to weight classes, but in terms of caliber of opponent. In this case, Michael Eifert was outclassed by a master of the craft of Boxing and took a too steep step up in caliber of opposition, as Bivol dominated every round and Eifert had trouble landing anything significant on the champion. Although the contest was decided early, to his credit, Michael Eifert made it to the final bell in going twelve rounds with the future Hall of Famer Bivol, who retained his unified world championship via unanimous decision. 

If there is a criticism here for a world champion coming off a long layoff due to injury and putting forth a near flawless performance, it could be that Bivol did not force the issue to where he may have been able to get a knockout. Whether one chooses to criticize him for that, perhaps the goal here beyond fulfilling his commitment to face a mandatory challenger as far as the IBF is concerned in this go around of mandatory title defenses that all world champions must fulfill annually, was to get some rounds in and work off the ring rust as well. After all, it is not an enjoyable experience rehabilitating from any injury and in this case, going the distance may have been more beneficial for Bivol in the long-term than if he had scored a quick knockout, though the latter would have obviously been more attention-grabbing.

In terms of what's next,  most would say a third encounter with Artur Beterbiev, who is the only fighter to defeat Bivol and vice versa would seem to be the most logical option given they split two fights between them. Obviously, from a business standpoint as well as a financial one, it would seem to make the most sense, but given Bivol holds three world titles in the Light-Heavyweight division currently, it will be interesting if he opts to do another mandatory defense before a third fight with Beterbiev takes place. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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