Ryan Garcia Makes A Statement In First Defense Of WBC World Welterweight Championship

 The fight between WBC Welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia and WBC mandatory challenger Conor Benn had the ingredients to be one of the marquee events of the year. Not only would it take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on September 12th, but it would also take place during one of the bigger dates on the Boxing calendar every year. Mexican Independence Day Weekend. 

It also had no shortage of hype tactics leading up to it that often become tiresome with the fighters pledging to do whatever came out of their mouths to achieve victory on fight night. There was also no lacking of elements involving the business side of the sport where the World Boxing Council (WBC), who's world championship would be on the line per Garcia holding the championship, not being acknowledged by the promoter of the bout Zuffa Boxing, who are intent on creating their own championships and do not seem interested in working within the existing structure of the sport of Boxing.

All the prefight rhetoric and elements of the business of Boxing aside, what this ultimately came down to was a world champion meeting his number one contender before a capacity crowd. Under circumstances where some champions have froze during their first title defenses or at minimum, failed to impress in their initial defense as a world champion, Garcia would make a statement in his.

From the opening bell, Benn aggressively pursued Garcia trying to back him up and cut off the ring to minimize the champion’s movement. While this is a strategy that Benn had used before and one that has a resemblance to that of his father the legendary former two-division world champion Nigel Benn in how he would often pursue and attack his opponents, it did leave Benn vulnerable to punches as he was coming forward. It would be late in the first round when Garcia clipped Benn with his trademark weapon, a left hook to the head that knocked Benn off balance briefly as he came forward.

In round two a similar sequence would occur, only this time as Benn came forward, he walked into a perfectly timed right hand that sent Benn down on his stomach on the canvas. To the challenger’s credit, he was able to get up, but Garcia, sensing he had his opponent in trouble, pressed forward for the finish, unleashing a barrage of blows that Benn did not answer and this gave Referee Thomas Taylor the justification to step in and stop the fight at 1:25 of round two. 

Although some may question the stoppage in that not every punch Garcia threw during the ending barrage connected cleanly, Benn was unable to throw any offense back to stop Garcia's assault and a competent referee, which Thomas Taylor has proven to be as one of the top referees in the entire sport, who is frequently sought to travel worldwide to officiate bouts as a referee, will not let a fight go on if the opponent, in this case Conor Benn, is not throwing punches back. 

Ultimately, there is not much one can say about this encounter other than Ryan Garcia lived up to the standards that are often expected of a champion. He set his opponent up, executed on the opening, and then knowing his opponent was compromised, went in for the finish and did not allow Conor Benn to recover. There simply is not much more one can say or analysis one can offer about what took place inside the ring on this Saturday night in Las Vegas.

As readers may recall, however, a few short weeks ago on August 22nd in the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena, another world title fight took place in the same 147lb. Welterweight division where Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion by cleverly out Boxing WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero, who won the vacant title in Times Square in New York City with a twelve round unanimous decision over Garcia in May 2025, by a wide unanimous decision.

Prior to that fight, this observer speculated that the Romero-Lopez bout would be the start of an unofficial four boxer box-off where the winner would face the winner of Garcia-Benn in pointing out the coincidence both in the venue in which the two fights would take place as well as the relatively narrow timeframe that the bouts had been scheduled.

As one who has spent most of his life writing about and covering combat sports with Boxing as my primary, I was not surprised to see in the immediate aftermath of Garcia's knockout of Benn, the WBC world champion address Lopez, who was at ringside, during a post-fight interview saying he wants unification and invited Lopez to enter the ring, while the newly crowned WBA world champion was restrained by security at ringside.

Although clearly in the view of yours truly, this was nothing more than a blatant promotional tactic to drum up interest and out of respect both for the sport that I have covered for over three decades as well as my readers, who I do value immensely, I will not repeat some of the “ Colorful Language" for lack of a better term that was exchanged between the two champions during this promotional practice that I feel is not needed in the sport.

Nevertheless, Garcia's statement-making performance as well as Lopez not only being in attendance, but literally steps from the ring, all but confirmed my theory that the two bouts were indeed the beginning of an unofficial box-off with the goal of further unifying the Welterweight division. Now the focus will shift back to those in the realm of the business side of the sport, Garcia’s longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, who is speculated to be nearing the end of its relationship with Garcia, perhaps Zuffa Boxing, under the umbrella of TKO Group that appear hell bent to not do business with other promoters and to spearhead legislation that would essentially give promoters the power to create their own champions, rankings, and changes to fighter pay, which may or may not be of benefit to fighters, the sport, or other promoters, Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and current owner of Ring Magazine, who has invested heavily into the sport and is a primary financial backer in Zuffa Boxing, and finally the various global streaming networks that are all in play, in this case DAZN, who has a long-standing relationship with De La Hoya, Garcia, and who recently signed Lopez to a multi-fight contract without a promoter being involved, Paramount+ that streamed the Garcia-Benn card in the United States, leaving the international broadcast of the event to DAZN, and maybe even Netflix, who has also become a significant player in Boxing, streaming several events including two promoted by Turki Al-Sheikh and Ring Magazine, and who is interested in bringing marquee Boxing events to it's network for subscribers. 

Although I would love to tell the reader that this will result in a Garcia-Lopez bout being made quickly, and will subsequently lead to more marquee bouts, more involvement and collaboration between the sport’s promoters as opposed to the adversarial nature the sport often runs on, the involvement of Boxing’s sanctioning organizations with the goal of unification not just in the Welterweight division, but the entire sport, and the various streaming networks that are all involved, and all of the above will benefit the sport and not require further expense by consumers either in the form of a standalone fee or a tiered subscription where fights thought to be “Pay-Per-View Level” will be included. Unfortunately, I cannot say that with a degree of certainty at this moment. 

What I can say, however, is with the introduction of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan, which has given consumers an alternative to paying inflated pay-per-view fees at a reasonable price, the fact that for those who were outside of the United States, Garcia-Benn was available as part of said subscription, how Paramount+ also recognized the need to make this event available for its subscribers as part of a Paramount+ subscription at no additional cost, and the fact that Netflix has also recognized that going with a pay-per-view approach is not a viable strategy, along with most of the sport’s major promoters now being aligned with DAZN, there is at least hope that Boxing’s power brokers understand the needs and trends of consumers and know that the days of inflated pay-per-view fees are now in the past. If nothing else, because consumers have shown worldwide that they will not continue to support the sport in significant numbers by being asked to pay inflated fees on an all too frequent basis. The long-term future of the sport will depend greatly on collaboration, promoters willingness to work within the existing structure of the sport rather than to try and radicalize it for their own agenda, and putting the Boxing fan/consumer as a priority. We will have to simply wait and see how the next round, fought in the business realm of the sport, plays itself out.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Garcia-Benn Preview

 On August 22nd, Teofimo Lopez emerged victorious in becoming a three-division world champion when he scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. It was that fight that this observer speculated prior to it taking place, could have been the unofficial start of a four-boxer box-off as there was another world title fight that would take place in the same venue a few short weeks after Lopez ultimately defeated Romero. The second bout will be for the WBC World Welterweight championship as champion Ryan Garcia looks to make the first defense of his world title for the first time against top Welterweight contender Conor Benn in a twelve round bout that can be seen in the United States on digital subscription general entertainment network Paramount+ and internationally on digital subscription sports streaming DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. 

What makes this fight interesting beyond it being the first title defense for Garcia, a fighter who has had some setbacks along the way in his career, but one who has evolved into one of the top stars in the sport of Boxing, is in this case he’s going against a fighter in Benn that not only has the lineage being the son of the legendary two-division world champion Nigel Benn, but Conor Benn has spent his recent fights fighting well above the 147lb. Welterweight division, having competed in two fights against Chris Eubank Jr., the son of his father’s rival Chris Eubank Sr. with those bouts taking place in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. Prior to those bouts, in which Benn went 1-1 against Eubank Jr., he was a career Welterweight and was on the verge of challenging for a world title before Garcia got his opportunities. The question here is after having gone up three weight classes for his last two fights, what condition will he be in after coming back down in weight for this world title opportunity.

There have been times throughout history where fighters either after having won world titles at higher weights or looking for an opportunity to challenge for a world title after competing at higher weights, have come back down in weight with not so successful results. Two notable examples this observer has thought of in recent days as I prepared to pen this column was first in February 1991, the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard  after winning world titles from the 147lb. Welterweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, moved down in weight after last competing in December 1989 in defense of his WBC Super-Middleweight world championship in his third fight against his longtime rival Roberto Duran, chose to take on WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Terry Norris inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. From the opening bell, Norris administered a beating to Leonard, dropping him twice throughout the twelve round world championship bout and earning a wide unanimous decision victory to retain his title. After the fight right in the ring after the decision was announced, Leonard announced to the crowd in attendance that this would be his final fight and retired for six years before making another ill-fated combat in March 1997 when at age forty, he suffered the first knockout of his career when he was stopped in five rounds by the late great Hector “Macho” Camacho in five rounds inside the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Leonard, as he had done after the loss to Norris, retired following being stopped by Camacho, never to fight again.

A second example came in March 2003 where Roy Jones, a fighter who won world titles from the 160lb. Middleweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division moved up to challenge WBA World Heavyweight champion John Ruiz for his world title and scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision to become a Heavyweight world champion and in doing so, became the first former Middleweight champion to successfully move up to Heavyweight and win a world title since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897. As historic as that accomplish was and remains, following that fight, despite Jones not really having anything else to prove and being in a position where he could have retired with an unmatched legacy, he was still a unified Light-Heavyweight world champion at the time he beat Ruiz and opted to move back down in weight to defend his title against Antonio Tarver later in 2003. Jones looked very sluggish and struggled to retain his title in a controversial decision in November 2003. The decision, that many felt should have gone Tarver’s way, fueled demand for an immediate rematch in May 2004. In that rematch, Tarver scored a second round one punch knockout of Jones, and from that point until Jones retired, having competed in his last official fight in 2023, was never the same fighter and his reflexes, punch resistance, and reaction time were clearly compromised after that knockout loss. Whether that was due to moving back down in weight after defeating Ruiz, or the effect of the knockout at the hands of Tarver in the second fight of what became a trilogy is a subject that will be debated by Boxing fans and historians such as yours truly. If one were to ask my opinion on the subject with regard to Jones, I believe it was a combination of both the drop back down in weight as well as the first of what became five knockouts Jones would go on to suffer throughout the remainder of his career that contributed to his decline.

In this case, we are talking about a fighter in Conor Benn that is a lot closer to his physical prime than either Leonard or Jones were when they opted to move back down in weight. Whether or not it will have negative physical effects in this fight or moving beyond this fight remains to be seen. The loss of mass that one puts on as they are preparing to move up in weight is something to consider as this fight approaches, though the fact that Benn is closer to his prime might be to his benefit in that his body might be able to respond better than both Leonard and Jones were as in addition to age and moving up in weight throughout their careers, both had been through their share of grueling battles, which no doubt contributed to their decline.

In terms of the fight itself, both Garcia and Benn have shown that they can do a little of everything and each have the type of explosive punching power that if they connect, they can end a fight with either hand. What this fight will come down to in my eyes is who will be able to take the initiative and whether they will be able to maintain that pace for however long the fight lasts. 

Whether or not this fight does indeed lead to a showdown later this year with the recently crowned WBA Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez also remains to be seen. With Lopez having put on a stellar performance a few short weeks ago, however, it will be up to Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn to take the attention off of Lopez and put it on themselves. If that translates into a great fight, even better for Boxing as a whole. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Garcia vs. Benn takes place on Saturday, September 12th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on general entertainment subscription streaming network Paramount+ beginning at 4PM ET/1PM PT and will be included with a Paramount+ subscription.

For more information about Paramount+ including schedules, list of compatible devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ParamountPlus.com. 

Internationally, the card can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. For more information about DAZN including schedules,list of compatible streaming devices, platforms,Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times and region specific pricing in your area, to subscribe or purchase this event as a standalone offering please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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BiYu Promotions’ Garcia Drops Chaves Four Times in Masterful Boxing Performance

Credit:Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

 Press Release: September 7, 2026 By Mario Serrano - NEWARK, NJ (September 5, 2026)

 — Written off by the oddsmakers but never short on belief, 

BiYu Promotions 

lightweight contender

 Eridson Garcia 

(24-2, 14 KOs) delivered the biggest victory of his professional career last night, upsetting previously unbeaten knockout artist 

Alan Chaves 

(22-1, 19 KOs) in a dominant 10-round performance to capture the 

IBF International 

and 

WBO Latino Lightweight 

titles at the 

Prudential Center 

in 

Newark, New Jersey

.

The event was promoted by 

Matchroom Boxing

, broadcast live on 

DAZN 

in the

 United Kingdom 

and 

TNT 

in the United States.

Entering the bout as a 

7-1 underdog

, Garcia refused to fight like one. The Dominican Republic native put on a boxing masterclass, using a brilliant jab, lateral movement, distance and accurate combinations to neutralize the dangerous Chaves. Garcia dropped the Argentine once in the second round, twice in the fifth and again in the ninth on his way to a commanding unanimous decision. The judges scored the bout 

99-87, 99-88 

and

 98-88

, all in favor of Garcia.

Credit: Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

From the opening bell, it was apparent Garcia was in rhythm and operating at his best. Armed with an 11-inch reach advantage, Garcia controlled the fight from the outside, repeatedly beating Chaves to the punch and using his feet to prevent the heavy-handed Argentine from establishing a consistent attack.

Despite entering with 19 knockouts in 22 victories, Chaves had few answers for Garcia’s speed, accuracy and disciplined boxing.

For Garcia, the victory was the culmination of preparation, belief and an opportunity he was determined not to waste.

“I’m extremely grateful for this victory and for everyone who gave me the opportunity to be in this position,” said Garcia. “I knew people were looking at the odds and saying I was the underdog, but I never looked at myself that way. I respected Chaves because he was undefeated and had tremendous punching power, but I believed in my skills and in the work we put in. From the first round, I felt comfortable. My jab was working, my movement was there, and I was seeing everything clearly. I stayed disciplined and followed the game plan. To drop a fighter like Chaves four times and leave with these two titles is a blessing. I give God all the glory.”

Garcia credited much of his success to an outstanding training camp in the Dominican Republic alongside 

Coach Rene Vazquez

. The preparation centered on using Garcia’s physical advantages while maintaining the discipline necessary to avoid giving Chaves opportunities to unleash his power.

“Coach Rene Vazquez and I had a great training camp in the Dominican Republic, and everything we worked on showed up in the fight,” Garcia said. “We knew Chaves was dangerous, so we couldn’t make mistakes or stand in front of him unnecessarily. Coach kept telling me to trust my jab, use my reach, move after my combinations and stay focused for every second of every round. We trained very hard, but we also trained smart. When I got into the ring, I felt prepared for anything he tried to do. I’m thankful to Coach Rene and my entire team because this victory belongs to all of us.”

Garcia’s execution was evident throughout the contest. Rather than becoming reckless after scoring knockdowns, he remained composed and continued using the tools that had established his advantage. His jab repeatedly disrupted Chaves’ offense, while his lateral movement and precision punching allowed him to dictate where and how the exchanges took place.

At 24-2 with 14 knockouts and now holding two regional lightweight championships, Garcia believes defeating a previously unbeaten opponent of Chaves’ caliber has changed the trajectory of his career.

“This victory opens a new chapter for me,” Garcia said. “Beating an undefeated fighter who was 22-0 with 19 knockouts and winning the IBF International and WBO Latino titles is the type of victory that can change a fighter’s career. I’m grateful because opportunities like this are not guaranteed in boxing. You have to be ready when your name is called, and I was ready. Now I want to keep improving, keep winning and continue moving toward the top of the lightweight division. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’m going to stay humble, stay in the gym and let my team guide me toward the next opportunity.”

Bobby Harrison, President 

of

 BiYu Promotions

, praised Garcia for embracing the underdog role and producing a performance that Harrison believes will create significantly bigger opportunities for the Dominican lightweight.

“What Eridson Garcia did was incredible,” Harrison said. “He went into this fight as a 7-1 underdog against an undefeated fighter who everyone was saying is the next great fighter from Argentina, and he didn’t just find a way to win, he put on a boxing clinic. The jab, the footwork, the distance, the accuracy and the composure were all outstanding. The fact that he dropped Chaves four times was insane. He controlled the fight from beginning to end. The world got an opportunity to see what we at BiYu Promotions already knew, that Eridson Garcia is a serious lightweight contender.”

Harrison believes Garcia’s newly acquired IBF International and WBO Latino titles, combined with the quality of his performance, should put him in position for another significant fight.

“This victory changes everything for Eridson,” Harrison continued. “He now has two important titles around his waist and a signature victory over an undefeated, dangerous opponent. The next step is to capitalize on this momentum. We’re going to sit down with his team, look at the opportunities that become available and make the move that gets him closer to where he wants to be, a world title shot. He earned the right to be in the conversation with the top lightweights, and we intend to keep putting him in meaningful fights.”

Credit:  Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

Garcia entered the night as the betting underdog. He left with four knockdowns, two championship belts and the most significant victory of his professional career. For a fighter who was given little chance by the oddsmakers, Garcia didn't need to say much after 10 rounds. His performance had already delivered the message. Eridson Garcia is no longer an underdog to overlook.

Material Courtesy of: Mario Serrano/ Photos Courtesy of: Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing  Used with permission.

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

A Heavyweight Return And A Hall of Famer Prepares To Take Her Final Bow Begins September On DAZN

 The first weekend of September 20206 in the sport of Boxing will feature two stars of the sport at distinctly different stages of their careers. First up on September 4th former WBO/IBF/IBO/WBA World Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz will return to the ring for the first time in two years against Heavyweight contender Damian Knyba at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and simulcast on TNT in the United States in the latest installment of “The Fight” collaboration series between the two networks. This will be the first fight for Ruiz since August 2024 when he was held to a twelve round draw against top Heavyweight contender Jarrell Miller in Los Angeles.

An obvious question that will surround this fight in addition to the subject of the inactivity of Ruiz, will be what type of shape he will be in. Ruiz has always been a fighter that has been criticized for his weight, despite having deceptively quick hands for a Heavyweight and having scored knockouts in twenty-two of his thirty-five career wins. There have been times where Ruiz has looked both impressive and lackluster, which some have attributed to weight fluctuations between fights. While the former world champion is not the first fighter in the Heavyweight division to experience swings in weight either up or down, the subject of his weight in addition to only competing three times since 2021 might have some questioning his overall commitment to the sport. 

What has changed since his last outing is Ruiz, who long fought under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, recently aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.  Whether or not Ruiz’ inactivity was in part due to problems with the PBC, which has seen its schedule of events decrease in recent years is something that only he can say. With him now fighting under the Matchroom banner, one could assume if he is successful in this fight that Ruiz will see his activity increase inside the ring or will at least be given the opportunity to be more active.

In Damian Knyba, Ruiz will face a fighter with a record of 18-1, with 11 Knockouts. Despite the respectable record, Knyba is coming off the only defeat of his career as he was knocked out in three rounds in January at the hands of recently crowned unbeaten WBC Heavyweight world champion Agit Kabayel in Germany. Although Knyba is coming off of a loss to a fighter who was recently named world champion by the WBC, there are some who might view his selection as Ruiz’ opponent here as a soft touch given what happened to him against Kabayel. Anything can happen in Boxing and that holds especially true when it comes to the Heavyweight division. The key here will be if Knyba can establish a quick pace and put Ruiz’ conditioning to the test. Knyba must, however, be aware of both Ruiz hand speed as well as his underrated counter punching ability. 

With the Heavyweight division currently in a period of transition following former longtime champion Olekaandr Usyk's decision to relinquish his world titles, contenders like Ruiz and Knyba are likely looking at this fight as an opportunity to maneuver towards a world title shot, potentially against Kabayel.

The second bout that will be taking place over Labor day weekend will be the final fight of a future first ballot Hall of Famer. Two-division world champion Katie Taylor will be taking her final bow of her legendary career headlining a card before an estimated crowd of 80,000 spectators at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. Taylor, a fighter who has become undisputed world champion in two weight classes, will defend her Undisputed Women's Jr. Welterweight world championship against undefeated IBO world champion Flora Pili in a world title bout that will headline a card that can be seen worldwide on DAZN.

What can be said that has not been said about Katie Taylor? One of the top stars in the entire sport of Boxing female or male, part of the collective of top female fighters along with Claressa Shields and her long-time rival Amanda Serrano that elevated the sport to new heights for women and being part of two fights along with Serrano, which made history in being the first women’s fights to main event in the main arena of Madison Square Garden. Those fights, part of an epic three fight trilogy with Serrano cemented both fighters Hall of Fame legacies.

It was after the third fight, Taylor's third win in the trilogy, that this observer felt both fighters would have been justified to each retire as neither realistically had anything left to prove and both had earned the right to go end their in ring careers on their own terms and to enjoy their lives after Boxing.

As some might recall, Amanda Serrano had a close call recently in her last fight against Lucrecia Mansur in August in defense of her unified World Featherweight championship and even though she was able to retain the title, the accumulation of years in the ring as well as the three battles she had with Taylor appeared to begin to show in Serrano. Taylor has also been through her share of battles throughout a long career dating back to her Olympic days where she won a Gold medal in the 2012 games. Although she has only lost one fight as a professional to Chantel Cameron in her first attempt to win a world title in the Jr. Welterweight division, a close loss that Taylor later avenged in a rematch, one has to wonder if she is in a similar position as Serrano and with this being announced as her final fight, whether the accumulative effects of an illustrious career will show itself in this fight.

While no fighter’s situation is exactly alike another, there have been times throughout history in both Women's and Men's Boxing where when a fighter announces that a given fight will be their final time entering the ring that it gives an impression that they have for lack of a better term, one foot out the door, and that can create a scenario where their opponent might be able to establish themselves either by defeating the fighter in their final fight, or putting forth a solid performance during the bout even though they may not get their hand raised. In Flora Pili, Katie Taylor will face an undefeated world champion who has won all twelve of her professional fights.

Pili won the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) World Jr. Welterweight championship in her last fight in scoring a ten round majority decision over Jelena Janicijevic in her native France. Despite the IBO not being part of the undisputed championship Taylor holds going into this fight, it does give Pili something to try and defend here beyond being a mere opponent under circumstances clearly designed to be the final bow and a celebration of a great fighter’s career in her home country before a record-setting crowd for Women's Boxing. Pili only has two knockouts in her twelve wins and has not fought the caliber of competition that Taylor has in her career up to this point. Though Taylor has six knockouts in her twenty-six career wins, she does have a significant experience edge both in terms of overall fights as well as caliber of opposition. It will be up to Pili to show that she can deal with the experience and skillset of Taylor, who at her best, is a boxer that uses lateral movement, quick combinations, and is a world-class counter puncher. Nearly fourteen months from her last fight, whether Taylor can put forth one more stellar performance to put an explanation point on her Hall of Fame career remains to be seen. 

One fighter looking to resume his career with the aim of again challenging for a world championship, one fighter looking for a storybook ending to her career. Such stories are part of what makes Boxing so compelling. This observer looks forward to how these chapters are written.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Ruiz vs. Knyba takes place on Friday, September 4th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT and will also be simulcast on general entertainment cable network TNT in the United States.

Taylor vs. Pili takes place on Saturday, September 5th at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on DAZN beginning at 11AM ET/8AM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

(**North American Start Times Only. Cards 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 availability on your cable or live TV provider please visit: www.TNTDrama.com. 

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Mini Preview: Roach-Zepeda: Can Roach Get Back In The Win Column?

It seems that no matter what time period one chooses to observe, there are always at least a few fighters one could point to and give the label “Hard Luck.” A label usually reserved for fighters who are able to compete effectively at the highest level of the sport of Boxing against opponents that are considered stars,but for whatever reason, end up being denied victories in fights that many observers feel they should have won by the three judges scoring a fight. This essentially describes the recent history of former WBA Jr. Lightweight world champion Lamont Roach.

As some may recall Roach’s two fights in 2025 against Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz, Roach found himself on the receiving end of fights judged to be twelve round draws. In both fights, the opinion of many, including this observer, was that Roach deserved the decisions. Now, nine months removed from his last fight against Cruz, Roach will return to the ring on Saturday, August 1st  against top contender and former world title challenger William Zepeda at the Virgin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV in a fight that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and simulcast on live TV providers in the United States on TNT as the main event of the second installment of “The Fight” series collaboration between the two networks. The twelve round bout will be for the vacant WBC World Lightweight championship previously held by Shakur Stevenson and will be scheduled for twelve rounds.

This fight has one central question that surrounds it. Will Lamont Roach, assuming that this bout resembles his previous two outings, be able to get a fair shake from the three judges scoring the bout. While there is the matter of the fight itself, which is a contrast of styles between a boxer/puncher in Roach and power punching volume puncher in Zepeda, and at least for now there is no guarantee obviously that the judges will be a factor in this fight because Roach, who has scored knockouts in ten of his twenty-five wins has shown that he can end a fight early if given the opportunity. 

What type of fight will this likely be when the two fighters get into the ring? Conventional wisdom suggests that Roach will look to box Zepeda and will try to be elusive in doing so while looking to exploit counter punching opportunities and take advantage of any openings that Zepeda might give him. In his last fight, Zepeda suffered the lone defeat of his career when he was out boxed by Shakur Stevenson in his first world title opportunity. It was in that fight against logic that Stevenson spent much of the bout standing in front of Zepeda, but Stevenson’s defense and reflexes were on full display as he outworked Zepeda over twelve rounds to retain the WBC Lightweight world championship. Zepeda, however, does have twenty-seven knockouts in his thirty-three career wins and it will be interesting to see how Roach will approach this fight against a fighter who will be trying to cut off the ring from the outset and look to trap him. Whether or not Zepeda will be able to do that against a fighter in Roach who is known for his accuracy and counter punching remains to be seen.

With the future of Gervonta Davis, the current WBA Lightweight world champion uncertain due to ongoing issues he has had outside of the ring, and with WBO world champion Abdullah Mason having recently successfully made the first defense of his claim to the World Lightweight championship with a knockout of Albert Bell on July 4th, coincidentally on the first edition of the DAZN/TNT “The Fight” collaboration series, this fight will obviously keep the focus squarely on the 135lb. Lightweight division. Only time will tell as to whether the winner of this fight will be positioned for a potential unification bout against either Mason, or current IBF world champion Raymond Muratalla as we get closer to 2027.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Roach vs. Zepeda takes place on Saturday, August 1st at the Virgin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The bout as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 4PM ET/1PM PT with preliminary bouts which will be followed by the main card beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30 PM PT. The main card will also be simulcast on general entertainment cable network

The Return Of Demetrius Andrade

While most of the focus of the Boxing world this week has been focused on the two marquee attractions that will take place on July 25th, the return of Anthony Joshua against Kristian Prenga and the return of Errol Spence against Tim Tszyu in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Sydney, Australia respectively, there is another former world champion that will be making his return to action. This observer is referring to former two-division world champion Demetrius Andrade, who will compete in a ten round Super-Middleweight bout on Friday, July 24th against veteran Douglas Ataide of Brazil. A bout that will headline a card promoted by promoter Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports CES Boxing at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. and can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

This will mark the first bout for Andrade in nearly three years since suffering the first defeat of his career to David Benavidez in September 2023. There was a time prior that fight where Andrade was regarded as one of the more avoided fighters in the sport due in part to his Boxing style that at times can be viewed as awkward and not always crowd pleasing, which prior to the bout with Benavidez, seemed to keep him from getting a marquee bout against a fighter regarded as one of the stars in the sport, most notably a desired bout against Saul “Canelo" Alvarez, which never came to fruition. One could make an argument that taking that fight against Benavidez, another fighter that has developed a reputation in some circles as also an avoided fighter, was a gamble that if he were successful would have likely led to a bout with Alvarez.

Unfortunately for Andrade, he was simply overwhelmed in that fight before being stopped in the sixth round. Although losing one fight does not and should not define a fighter’s whole career, especially a fighter who's won two world titles as Andrade, there can be at times a lack of acknowledgement as to what the physical toll of that kind of fight can take on a fighter and likely played a part in Andrade’s extended absence from competition.

The story of this fight will be what Andrade, now age thirty-eight, has left following that layoff and the effects of that fight with Benavidez. In Douglas Ataide, Andrade (32-1, with 19 Knockouts) will face a veteran of twenty+six professional fights. Ataide, however, (20-5-1, with 11 Knockouts) would seem to be picked as an opponent for Andrade based largely on his not being able to succeed when he has stepped up in caliber of competition with his only notable opponent being former WBA Middleweight world champion Ryota Murata, who stopped him in five rounds in 2015. 

The key for Ataide in this fight, which is a significant step up in opposition compared to his recent opponents, will be to try and apply pressure on Andrade early. Benavidez was able to systematically walk and break Andrade drown and even though  Ataide is not similar in style or skillset as more of a boxer than Benavidez, the unknown here is how Andrade will respond if put under consistent pressure as he was in that fight.

It is logical to think that if Andrade is successful in this bout, he will look to get back into the mix of the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. After three years out of the ring, however, priority number one should be to work off the “Ring Rust" and if he's able to perform well in this bout, look to stay busy with another fight before the end of the year and into 2027. We'll see what happens in this fight before what follows can be discussed further.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

CES Boxing: Andrade vs. Ataide takes place on Friday, July 24th at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. 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 Times Subject to Change.*

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

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

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DAZN Ultimate Put To It's First Big Test On July 25th Event Doubleheader

On July 25th the Boxing world will focus on Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Sydney, Australia respectively for two pay-per-view offerings that will also serve as the first significant selling point for digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as both events will be available as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. The first of the two events, which will be held in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will feature the return of former two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua as he returns to the ring for the first time since scoring a knockout of Jake Paul in December of last year as he will face Heavyweight contender Kristian Prenga in a fight scheduled for twelve rounds. 

Although Joshua frankly did what most knowledgeable Boxing insiders including those who cover the sport, like yours truly, expected in knocking out the novice boxer/promoter Paul in six rounds, Joshua’s returns comes following surviving a horrible car accident in the weeks following the fight where he lost two of his close friends. Frankly, after enduring both a tragic accident, the injuries that came with it, and the loss of two friends, it would be understandable if Joshua either chose to remain out of the ring for an extended period or if he chose to not resume his career. In some ways, this fight against a “Knockout Artist” in Prenga comes on a similar timeline as most marquee stars, as Joshua is, compete in the sport, once or twice a year.

The obvious question here not only is what condition Joshua will be in considering what he has been through, but also what Prenga will bring to the table in what could be a dangerous fight for the former world champion, who still has the goal of trying to regain a World Heavyweight championship. Kristian Prenga  will come into this encounter with a record of 20-1, with all 20 wins coming via knockout. The Albanian-born New Jersey-based Prenga has only suffered one defeat in his career when he dropped a six round decision to a  fighter named Giovanni Auriemma in October 2016. Although it was only Prenga’s third professional fight and came against a fighter who ended his career with a 2-6–2 record, Prenga has remained unbeaten in the years since. Despite all of his victories coming via knockout, he has not fought a fighter considered to be a household name. This is likely viewed as a red flag in the eyes of some  because even though Prenga has built an impressive record in terms of numbers and has never been stopped in his career, he has fought a lower caliber of opposition as compared to the former world champion Joshua. 

What could work to Prenga’s advantage, however, is Joshua has been knocked out before and has been susceptible to getting caught even in fights he has won in the past. Although it may not be expected by some, the accumulation of years competing at or near the top level of the sport for most of his career, the punishment sustained both in fights he’s lost as well as those he’s won, and the fact that Joshua is thirty-six years old, in addition to now attempting a comeback from a tragic accident are all things that need to be considered here. Boxing is after all a sport of opportunity and, despite being at a disadvantage in terms of both overall experience and skillset, sometimes all a fighter needs is an opportunity and it is indisputable that this is the biggest fight in Prenga’s career. If he should pull of an upset here, it should put him on a short list of potential world title challengers.

The second main event that will take place on July 25th brings us to Sydney, Australia where two former world champions will meet in a crossroads bout as former unified Welterweight world champion Errol Spence will return to the ring for the first time in three years to face hometown favorite and former WBO World Jr. Middleweight champion Tim Tszyu in a scheduled twelve round Middleweight bout, which can also be seen either as a standalone pay-per-view offering or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. 

This fight, which will headline a card, the first official card for the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters under their new worldwide broadcast deal with DAZN. What this fight is in more specific context is an encounter between two former world champions, each trying to reestablish themselves in the sport. For Errol Spence, who has not fought since being stopped by Terence Crawford in 2023 in a fight to fully unify the 147lb. Welterweight division at that time, the central issue that surrounds him will be both inactivity as well as what the condition of his eyes will be after spending the last several years dealing with vision problems. In the other corner will stand Tim Tszyu, the former Jr. Middleweight world champion, who while more active over the period of time in which Spence has been inactive, has also suffered some setbacks over that time, which has affected his standing in the sport including two losses to Sebastian Fundora and one loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev. The loss to Murtazaliev and the second loss to Fundora, were via stoppage and it has prompted some to question what Tszyu has left himself.

The 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division has suddenly become a commodity with Jaron Ennis recently becoming a unified world champion in the division having recently stopped previously unbeaten WBO world champion Xander Zayas to unify the WBO and vacant WBA crowns. It is logical to assume that the end goal for both Spence and Tszyu here will be to try to get into the discussion of potential challengers for Ennis. While this fight is not at the highest level the division has to offer, it is still an encounter between two of the recent stars in the sport that are trying to get back into position to challenge for another world title. 

Given the length of time Spence has been inactive and the fact that this bout, which was originally supposed to occur at a contracted weight of 158lbs., a technicality given that it is two pounds under the 160lb. Middleweight limit, it is logical to expect that Tszyu will attempt to test Spence early on in this fight. The danger for Tszyu is he has been caught before when being overly aggressive and at his best, Errol Spence was a fighter with a good mix of punching power and hand speed, Tszyu should pursue with caution if he is able to have success early. On the flip side of the equation, Spence should look to try and get a few rounds under his belt. What is known as “Ring Rust” is a very real thing for a fighter and it is unrealistic to expect that Spence will not have at least a little rust given his inactivity and the medical issues he has dealt with outside of the ring in his first return to competition in three years.

Both fights that will be showcased here on July 25th have a similar theme. Joshua is looking to get back into the Heavyweight title picture and both Spence and Tszyu are looking to get back into the world title picture as well in either the Jr. Middleweight or Middleweight divisions. Although the theme of both fights are similar in scope, some may argue that Spence and Tszyu are in a scenario where it might be win or go home. This observer will stay clear of such debates, but it does not lessen the intrigue of frankly both fights. What might follow including a planned fight for Joshua with former two-time World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury aimed for later this year, remains to be seen.

In terms of the business side of the sport these two bouts headlining separate cards, each available either as standalone pay-per-view offerings at $60 and $80 respectively, this either as an unintended coincidence or by design will spotlight the strategy by DAZN as a subscription-based network’s new tiered approach as events like these two are offered under a DAZN Ultimate subscription, which at $44.99 per month does offer value as compared to paying just shy of $140 for these two bouts as standalone options. 

While such a subscription model is clearly aimed at the combat sports enthusiast and was no doubt implemented in response to both criticism of using the pay-per-view model as well as what were likely numbers that showed it was not a winning strategy both for the network and for promoters who insisted on using it, this observer will repeat a point he has made numerous times. It will come down to both matchmaking and which fights are aimed for an ultimate subscription as opposed to a base subscription that DAZN initially launched with in 2018. Clearly, pay-per-view on its own due to both overpricing and the frequency that it has been used has not worked for Boxing in some time, it needed to change and July 25, 2026 is the first day on the Boxing calendar since the introduction of the Ultimate tier subscription for DAZN where the value of this approach will be displayed. With more events coming through the remainder of 2026 and beyond, hopefully, both for the sport as well as its promoters who are largely congregated under one broadcast platform now, it will prove to be a winner both in its implementation as well as providing a reasonably priced alternative for consumers, and for the network, both growing and maintaining their subscriber base without much of the churn that subscription models are often submitted to.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Joshua vs. Prenga takes place on Saturday, July 25th at the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The card is available either as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $59.99 or as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The broadcast will begin at 9AM ET/6AM PT.

Spence vs. Tszyu takes place on Saturday, July 25th at the Afterpay Arena in Sydney, Australia. The card is available as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $79.99 or as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The broadcast will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.*)

(*Cards and Start Times Subject to Change.*

*Both Events Available Worldwide.*

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times and region specific pricing in your area, to order these events separately or to subscribe or upgrade to a DAZN Ultimate subscription please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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

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