Stevenson Looks To Make Successful First Defense Of Lightweight Crown

 

With the departure of former Undisputed Lightweight world champion Devin Haney, the period of transition in the 135lb. Lightweight division continues with several world champions in the division looking to make their claim as being the best Lightweight in the world. In recent times both Vasyl Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis have made their respective arguments. Lomachenko emerged as a unified world champion in the division on May 12th with an eleventh round stoppage of IBO world champion George Kambosos in Kambosos’ home country of Australia. Along with the IBO world championship, Lomachenko also gained the vacant IBF crown, emerging as a unified world champion, and in many ways, by default, because he became a unified world champion, became the fighter that all top contenders, other world champions, and would be prospects look to target for a potential fight. The vacant WBO world championship would be decided on May 18th when undefeated top contender Denys Berinchyk scored what many felt was an upset in scoring a twelve round split decision over the heavily favored former three-division world champion Emanuel Navarrete in San Diego, CA.

This was followed by Gervonta Davis, who was recently elevated to world champion in the WBA Lightweight ratings, making a successful first defense of his piece of the World Lightweight championship with a brutal eighth round knockout of previously unbeaten top contender Frank Martin in Las Vegas, NV on June 15th. A fight and Davis appeared to be losing, only for the champion to graciously walk his opponent down and end matters with a brutal right uppercut, left him combination. As much of a statement as that knockout was by Davis, there is one more world champion in the Lightweight division that is awaiting his chance to make his claim as being the best Lightweight in the world. 

Yours truly is referring to undefeated three-division world champion Shakur Stevenson, who is the current holder of the WBC World Lightweight championship. Stevenson won the then vacant WBC crown with a twelve round unanimous decision over Edwin De Los Santos in November of last year. While Stevenson did what he had to do in that fight to win a world championship in his third weight class, it was not a crowd-pleasing performance by Stevenson who tends to be underappreciated by some for his overall skillset and his ability to box rather than engaging in a more toe to toe battle with his opponents.

Following the success of Lomachenko, Berinchyk, and Davis, Stevenson will now look to make the first defense of his WBC crown on July 6th as he will face current WBC number seven Lightweight contender Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Stevenson’s hometown of Newark, NJ. A world championship bout that can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

While this fight has all the appearance of a homecoming for the champion in a venue that he has fought three times previously in his career, what does the challenger bring with him into this fight? Artem Harutyunyan has had thirteen professional fights and has only one defeat. Some might argue that the setback for the Armenian-born, German-based Harutyunyan came in his only opportunity to date to step up in the caliber of opposition in terms of world level. The defeat came in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Frank Martin in July of last year, which was coincidentally Harutyunyan’s last fight. 

The effort he showed in that fight however, in what was a close and competitive contest, along with his having won titles on the regional level of the sport including titles affiliated with the World Boxing Council (WBC), earned him the number seven ranking in their Lightweight ratings. While Harutyunyan does have a limited resume in terms of facing world-rated opposition, he has scored knockouts in seven of his twelve victories, albeit against largely unknown opposition.

Nevertheless, the challenger faces a significant uphill battle against Stevenson. The onus is on Harutyunyan to show what he can do and show that this is a more serious fight than some are anticipating. 

The old adage of styles make fights almost always applies to just about any fight, but the adage that this observer is often quoted as saying should also apply. “Boxing Is A Sport Of Opportunity." While just about every attribute one could measure seems to be in favor of the champion Stevenson, from overall experience on the world championship level to style in being elusive, to hand speed, sometimes all a fighter wants is an opportunity. There is always the possibility for a challenger, a significant underdog, to pull off a surprise, despite what logic and statistics might suggest. Whether Artem Harutyunyan can do that remains to be seen as does whether Stevenson can make a convincing argument for himself as the number one fighter amidst the latest refresh of the Lightweight division. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Stevenson vs. Harutyunyan takes place on Saturday, July 6th at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The fight and its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject To Change*)

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Lomachenko Is Back

Three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko has had a career most fighters can only dream of. A two-time Olympic Gold medalist representing Ukraine, who had nearly four hundred wins as an amateur with only one defeat, Lomachenko arguably achieved Hall of Famer status long before he turned professional. Since turning pro in October 2013, Lomachenko quickly ascended to become a world champion taking only three professional fights to accomplish a goal that for some fighters, takes an entire career, if at all.

Despite three setbacks as a pro, two of which are the subject of much debate, Lomachenko has remained one of the best fighters in the entire sport. It was the most recent setback, a controversial twelve round unanimous decision to then undefeated Undisputed Lightweight world champion Devin Haney in May of last year, a fight that many, including this observer felt he won, put his career in doubt.

In doubt not because of eroding skills and/or the impacts/effects of injuries, which accumulate and come with the territory of a long career in the sport, but because of the effect the loss to Haney had on him emotionally. While it goes without saying any setback does have an effect on one, not only in regard to athletic competition, but in life, Lomachenko took the loss hard and let his emotions out after the fight in the dressing room. If nothing else, it should serve as a reminder to any would be critics, both of the armchair and of the online variety, fighters like the rest of us are human and everyone should be able to comprehend one taking a loss hadd, especially in regard to a bout where the consensus view tended to differ with the official judges.

Although no one disputes that it was a close, and competitive fight between Haney and Lomachenko though the outcome will likely remain a subject of debate for years to come, it would be understandable to wonder both if Lomachenko could rebound from such a disappointment as well as if he even wanted to after feeling like the victim of injustice in a decision that he felt should have gone his way. The one thing that Lomachenko could take solace in is the fact that he was by far not the first fighter to suffer a loss as a result of a disputed decision on the scorecards and he certainly will not be the last.

With Haney having moved out of the 135lb. Lightweight division and successfully winning a world championship in the Jr. Welterweight division in December of last year, the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world is no longer undisputed and the four world championships that Haney held became vacant. This opened up an opportunity for Lomachenko to return to the ring on May 11th as he faced two-time Lightweight world champion and fellow former Haney opponent George Kambosos at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

Along with Kambosos’ International Boxing Organization (IBO) Lightweight world championship being on the line in his first defense of that title, which was not involved in the consolidation of world championships that made up the last Undisputed Lightweight crown, the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) world championship was also on the line. Kambosos as some might recall briefly held the Undisputed Lightweight crown after defeating Teofimo Lopez in 2021 before losing the title to Devin Haney and failing to regain the title in an immediate rematch.

In his last fight, Kambosos scored a controversial twelve round majority decision over IBO world champion Maxi Hughes in July of last year. Kambosos, somewhat unfairly, has been labeled as a fighter who won a big fight, but has failed in subsequent opportunities at the elite level of the sport. What one cannot take away from him however, is his status as a two-time world champion and in some ways, his career is similar to several other fighters who had become world champion, but who’s reigns were short. Nevertheless, Kambosos is a world-class boxer and the question was whether or not he was either catching Lomachenko on the decline, if nothing else, emotionally, and if he could match up with Lomachenko’s skillset, which is regarded as among the best in the entire sport. 

In many ways this fight was a demonstration of one fighter’s skills and another's bravery. It could also be summed up as “Classic Lomachenko." 

From the opening bell, Lomachenko used his trademark lateral movement and ability to attack at varying angles to get the upper hand. While George Kambosos was able to have moments periodically throughout the fight, particularly when he was able to land punches to Lomachenko's body, he was simply a step slower than the challenger, who frequently beat him to the punch with three and four punch combinations.

It did not take long for the story of the fight to emerge. One fighter teaching what amounted to a masterclass in terms of technique and overall Boxing skill, the other gradually suffering the effects of a beating, but never stopping to try and find one punch that would turn the ebb and flow in his favor. Unfortunately for the champion, he did not have one punch with the kind of power behind it that could cause a sudden shift in momentum, nor was he able to mount a sustained attack on Lomachenko, which may have helped in slowing the flow of the fight down, if not also make a difference on the scorecards in terms of winning rounds.

Further troubling for Kambosos beyond facing a fighter with seemingly limitless energy, as well as having no way to slow the pace, by the middle rounds, the champion was also badly cut on his right eyelid, but it would be unclear as to whether the cut came from a punch or from an accidental clash of heads. At this point in the fight as I continued to watch Lomachenko put round after round in the bank, the only question in my mind was whether or not Kambosos would be able to go the distance.

Although no one can take anything away from what was a gutsy and very “Game" performance by Kambosos, there is no dispute that over the course of the fight, Lomachenko was administering a beating, and I have seen countless fights on every level of Boxing imaginable, stopped under circumstances less than what Kambosos was suffering in this fight. What was developing into gradual concern of yours truly in wondering if the fight would be stopped,would turn out to be academic.

It would be late in the eleventh round when Lomachenko would connect with what appeared to be a right hook to the body from the southpaw stance, which caused a momentary delayed reaction, and caused Kambosos to take a knee. Looking beaten, Kambosos showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown only to be met with a follow up assault by Lomachenko sending him down for a second time as a towel thrown by Kambosos’ father George Kambosos Sr. was thrown in simultaneously to stop the fight.

The win for Lomachenko not only signifies his fourth world championship in three weight divisions as a professional, but also gives him status as a unified world champion in the Lightweight division and no doubt will offer a significant incentive to other world champions in the division to sign to fight him. One thing is clear, Vasyl Lomachenko has for the moment silenced doubters as to how much he has left in him at this stage of his career. He’s back and after this performance, may be viewed as even more dangerous than he was before as the road to Undisputed begins again in the Lightweight division.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Alvarez-Munguia Thoughts

Recent times in the sport of Boxing have been to some it up in a word, “Strange.” Strange in the sense that what has gone on prior to a scheduled bout outside the ring, has turned out to mean as much or more than the fights themselves when they finally take place inside the ring. By now, we are all familiar with the erratic behavior of one Ryan Garcia that occurred before and after his victory over Devin Haney on April 20th, which has taken yet another turn when it was revealed that the fighter, who had scored an impressive twelve round majority decision over Haney in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center, tested positive for banned substances before and after the fight in tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Dopping Agency (VADA), which regularly oversees such procedures in combat sports. While the circumstances of Garcia will continue to play out for better or worse, which this observer stands by his previous comments before and after his bout with Haney, the Boxing world focused on what I personally believe to be one of the better fights that had been made thus far on the 2024 schedule when Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made his sixth title defense against the dangerous undefeated top contender and former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia on May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

As much as I would like to tell the reader, both those who are knowledgable of the sport and follow both the fights themselves as well as the coverage yours truly has provided for nearly three decades, that the story of this encounter was simply one between two of the top stars in the sport meeting for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world as the latest attraction for the sport during Cinco de Mayo weekend, unfortunately there is more to the story, that took place in the days prior to the fight. In the interest of honesty with the reader, in light of recent events in the sport like the one mentioned above that had taken place previously, I would prefer to discuss what happened in the ring on May 4th before discussing what happened beforehand, which cast a shadow over what at least on paper had the makings of a Fight of the Year candidate.

Of course, it is not often that the sport is treated to an encounter between two of the top stars of the sport. One, who has been arguably the sport’s top economic draw for several years, the other arguably a rising star that may ultimately occupy that position one day. Two fighters with significant fan followings and both who more often than not, give a Boxing fan their money’s worth whenever they compete.  

What stood out to this observer, though at the same time was not surprising was Munguia started this fight aggressively and appeared to try to execute a fight plan with an emphasis of working of his jab and trying to attack Alvarez with volume punching, throwing combinations and keeping Alvarez on the defensive. For a time, the challenger’s tactics appeared to be working, there was even one exchange during the early rounds where Munguia appeared to pop the head of the champion back with a crisp, but fast triple jab. 

After three rounds, I felt that Munguia’s approach was enough to win two of those rounds. I did question however,  whether the high pace in which Munguia was fighting would ultimately turn against him as the fight progressed. One of the trademarks of Saul Alvarez as his career has gone on is his ability to adjust his fight plan as a fight goes on. While Munguia established himself early, Alvarez, a precision counter puncher among the best in the sport, bided his time and waited for his opportunity to strike. 

Such an opportunity would emerge in round four when in the midst of an exchange, the champion would connect with a perfectly timed right uppercut to the head that dropped Munguia. Despite being knocked down for the first time in his career by a shot he did not see, Munguia showed his mettle by getting up, showing an ability to recover, and doing so while under heavy offensive fire from Alvarez.

It was the moment in the fight however, which signaled a turning point in the bout. For it was from that knockdown in the fourth round onward that Alvarez seized control of the fight.  He did this by established, despite Munguia's attempts to maintain a high pace and keep punches coming at Alvarez to the body and head, when Alvarez threw his punches whether it was a short combination where he took the lead, single punches, or counter punches, his punches were harder, did more damage, and dictated the end and flow of the fight. 

Round after round the pattern remained the same. Munguia often trying to bring the fight to Alvarez, the champion doing his best to deflect the challenger's punches either with his gloves, or head movement, and making the most out of the openings Munguia left him to throw and land crisp combinations, power punches, and counter punches. Although Munguia have it everything he had and never stopped trying to land the proverbial “Fight Turning" blow till the final bell, the outcome was academic as Alvarez would retain his undisputed championship via a convincing twelve round unanimous decision.

The sixth successful title defense for Alvarez was simply as dominant as he has been in his entire career, short of him getting a knockout victory. Although he was indeed forced to go the distance for the fifth consecutive time and this forced to box sixty rounds in the process over that stretch, the Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of the world showed in this fight against a truly dangerous opponent that came to fight that he is far from done, despite some recent criticism that perhaps after sixty-four professional fights prior to this bout, that perhaps his inability to score knockouts in recent times may be a sign that there may be signs of decline in the thirty-three year old four-division world champion. For now, Alvarez has put a stop to those whispers. It would be nice if that were all that needed to be said. 

Unfortunately, the shadow that loomed over what should have been voted simply as two stars of the sport, both in their prime facing each other, must now be discussed. A sub-plot that emerged in the days before the fight centered around Oscar De La Hoya, the former world champion, Hall of Famer, who promotes Munguia and was the a longtime promoter of Alvarez, took his opportunity to fire back in response to Alvarez who had a highly publicized and ugly split with him in 2020. While Alvarez has made accusations in the years since his split from De La Hoya and his company Golden Boy Promotions, at a press conference days before the fight De La Hoya finally responded to his former client saying in essence that he feels Alvarez has forgotten who helped him reach the level he currently is at in the sport and saying his name should be spoken with respect. De La Hoya also addressed his struggles with alcoholism, something that Alvarez has to put it kindly, criticized him for publicly since their split . Alvarez in response got up from his position at a table on stage and proceeded to attempt to get to De La Hoya before being stopped by security that were in attendance.

While some will dismiss this as simply “Prefight Hype" and utter nonsense, much like the recent conduct of Ryan Garcia, also promoted by De La Hoya, and a former stablemate of Alvarez under trainer Eddy Reynoso, I have a simple question for the reader. Where is the responsibility and accountability to the sport.

The responsibility of those in the sport like Alvarez, Garcia, and De La Hoya to represent Boxing with conduct becoming of professionals, responsibility to not only represent the sport well and hopefully help in assisting to grow Boxing for future generations, and the accountability from those who oversee, sanction, and regulate the sport to ensure that not only Boxing as a sport is respected, but to hopefully ensure that failures to adhere to professional standards/conduct are met with disciplinary action.

In short, all three have failed to uphold such a standard recently. Although some may find humor in such conduct, it ultimately hurts a sport that already has too many flaws and things that can and should be criticized including, but not limited to an over use, abuse, and reliance on a dying model of pay-per-view. While the latter has been something yours truly has criticized frequently and will continue to do so as long as it continues to not benefit the sport or the fans who support it, if those who regulate, sanction, and oversee the seemingly have little interest in actually regulating and ensuring the sport is held in high regard, an approach that one often would not see in other organized sports, why bother regulating at all? Perhaps Boxing should now be viewed in the same vein as Professional Wrestling.

Although I as one who also spent several years covering that industry as well as Boxing and other combat sports am being sarcastic with the aforementioned statement, the bottom line is without adequate oversight to not only ensure rules and regulations are followed before, during, and after fights, and those in the sport conduct themselves as professionals as they are supposed to be, it mind as well be held in the same regard as an entertainment realm, which sadly, despite it's status as a form of live-action performance art and the physical risks performers take being well known, is still viewed by some as a joke.

Boxing deserves better. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Garcia Shows Legitimacy In The Ring, But Should Concern Remain?

Prior to the encounter between undefeated two-division world champion Devin Haney and top Jr. Welterweight contender Ryan Garcia on April 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, this observer expressed concern for Garcia's well-being due to his documented struggles with his mental health. A subject the fighter has been open about in the past, which I have praised him for, particularly during the times where, despite his success in the Boxing ring and his status as a celebrity in the social media age, he has put his health first as the main priority, even walking away from the sport for a time to address his struggles when he appeared to be on the brink of fighting for a world championship. 

My concern for Garcia was and is based on his erratic behavior, which has been shown to the world both in various press conferences to promote his bout with Devin Haney, but also in numerous posts that circulated online that were posted by the fighter himself that frankly should have raised concerns for anyone who views things objectively and with a level head. It was on this basis of simply observing things from a far that I spent the majority of a column released two days before the fight outright questioning whether it should take place and though I did briefly touch upon the fight itself, it should have been clear to the reader that I was thinking less about the fight and more about Garcia's long-term well-being.

This observer also went on to state for the record that I do not know Garcia and have never had an opportunity to meet him, despite covering many of his bouts in his career. My concern was and is merely based on what I had seen put out by the fighter himself and was not based on any background in mental health or in medicine, which yours truly does not have and am far from an expert on either subject. I did, however, state based on what I had seen in the lead up to the fight that perhaps Boxing should not be a priority currently for Garcia and those around him should voice their concern if they genuinely care for him and have his best interest at heart. Comments which I stand by.

Nevertheless, I would be lying to the reader if I said that in the days prior to this fight I felt excited or was filled with anticipation. Rather, I was hoping that what I had seen in the build up would not lead to yet another instance where the sport of Boxing would be subjected to ridicule and see calls for reform and accountability after another instance possibly occurring that could have been prevented. My concern seemed more justified on the day before the fight where Garcia showed up to the weigh-in drinking what appeared to be a bottle of beer while on the scale and subsequently weighed-in over the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight limit by three pounds resulting in Garcia no longer being eligible to win the WBC World Jr. Welterweight championship and paying Haney $1.5 Million in order to keep the fight on. 

Upon learning of this, I put out a statement on this observer’s respective social media platforms where I said in the midst of said statement “This will be a non-title bout now, but at the risk of sounding unprofessional should people really give a damn about a world championship not being on the line when the question should be whether this should be taking place at all. Not because a fighter missed weight, but because it's obvious to anyone with a level head, who is objective, that something is wrong here.” Comments, which I also stand by.

After a lifetime covering the sport, I have learned not to be surprised if a fight gets cancelled or postponed for any reason prior to two fighters actually getting in the ring. This has even at times included seeing scheduled main events of a card I was covering cancelled mere minutes before the two fighters were due to enter the ring. It certainly would not have surprised yours truly based on Garcia's behavior and also threatening the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in the weeks prior due to them wanting Garcia to undergo a mental evaluation before licensing him to compete, to have been notified at some point during fight day that there had been a postponement, whether it be due to the commission mandating it or one of the fighters opting not to compete for whatever reason. In the interest of honesty with the reader, I will say for the record that I spent most of fight day, Saturday, April 20th keeping my phone nearby waiting for a potential text, which seems to be a preferred method of communication for many in present times or an email informing me of a change or cancellation of the bout. It would not have surprised me at all, especially in knowing that the NYSAC is regarded as one of the strictest athletic commissions in the United States.

Despite the previous statement, the fight would indeed move forward at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Although both Haney and Garcia are highly skilled world-class boxers, who split their previous meetings as amateurs, my main focus was simply on whether Garcia's behavior, which was dismissed by some as merely promotional hype, would manifest itself negatively during the fight. As sad as it is to admit, when you have covered more than a few bizarre incidents in nearly three decades covering the sport, there are times when unfortunately you almost expect something bad to happen.

To my pleasant surprise, I am grateful that Haney-Garcia did not result in such an incident. Instead, the Boxing world was treated to what any fan should want to see. A highly competitive fight with twists and turns that kept one interested throughout. What stood out immediately was García attempting to impose his will on Haney and landing his signature weapon, a left hook that landed flush on Haney's jaw and staggered him in the opening round. While some might attribute this to him not making weight, García was able to establish that he was the stronger fighter and his perceived advantage when it came to punching power was not theory, but a statement of fact. It seemed that whenever he was able to land punches cleanly, he hurt Haney. 

What should not be overlooked is there was also a lot of rough housing that occurred throughout this fight by both fighters, which made Referee Harvey Dock a central figure throughout the bout. Despite the success he was able to have early on, there were two things that came to mind as I watched this fight that I did wonder about Garcia. First, even though it became clear as the fight progressed that his punches were harder and doing more damage, would it be enough to earn the nod of the three official judges in rounds where Haney appeared busier and García was not able to land attention grabbing power punches to leave an impression that he was winning rounds that might otherwise be viewed as close where Haney might have had the upper hand.  

Secondly, while both fighters did their share of rough housing, I wondered aloud whether from Haney's point of view, he was trying to either make Garcia make a mistake that he could try to exploit, and/or whether he was trying to give Garcia a test, perhaps trying to instigate Garcia into allowing his struggles outside the ring to get the better of him in the fight. Although it would be dishonest of me to say that the holding and grappling that took place throughout the fight did not make it at times ugly, Garcia managed to keep his composure for the most part. In round seven, Garcia would drop Haney for the first time in his career with a left hook to the head. Haney was badly hurt upon getting up from the knockdown and immediately held Garcia seemingly in a death grip looking to survive. In response while Referee Harvey Dock was in the midst of trying to separate the fighters, Garcia threw and landed a punch on the break, resulting in him losing a point following the knockdown.

Some may contend that Dock acted too quickly in deducting a point from Garcia for the deliberate foul. While Dock is the only one who can say why he opted to take a point from Garcia at what turned out to be a crucial moment in the fight, one should keep in mind that there were a lot of roughhouse tactics being used by both fighters in several rounds prior to Garcia being able to score the knockdown. It is logical to guess that perhaps Dock, having admonished both fighters before the seventh round, opted to deduct the point as a means of both showing the fighters he was serious as well as a means of establishing control as the referee.

What was indisputable however, was once Haney was knocked down, it became a different fight in that he was hurt and as most fighters do when they are in that position, the instinct to go into what is often referred to throughout combat sports as “Survival Mode" seemed to kick in. While this is understandable given that he was hurt, in this case it seemed as though he not only had trouble recovering from the knockdown, despite getting out of the round, but also did not seem to have an answer to stop the momentum Garcia was building. Subsequent knockdowns in rounds ten and eleven for Garcia giving him a total of three knockdowns in the fight, based largely on his left hook and the power advantage he had over Haney, not only minimized the point deduction in round seven following the first knockdown, but seemed to seal a victory for him at the conclusion of the twelve round bout in what should have been fairly lopsided fashion due to three knockdowns being scored by one fighter throughout. The competitiveness of the first half of the fight made the scoring of it narrow, which was perhaps also due in part to the point deduction against Garcia following the first knockdown.

It would ultimately turn out to be a moot point as Garcia’s rally over the second half of the fight and knockdowns in rounds ten and eleven resulted in him winning the fight on two official judges' scorecards for a majority decision victory. At least in terms of what happens inside of the Boxing ring, if one is objective, they would have to say this was the biggest win of Garcia’s career, despite his behavior and what are obvious signs of a person struggling with their mental health.

Although the latter was dismissed by Garcia and many after the fight as him “Fooling Everyone," the bottom line here is even though he did what he had to do inside the ring, despite the fact that he failed to make weight and thus blew an opportunity to be a world champion, his behavior should be a concern to anyone who legitimately cares for him and who will be around him long after his career is over and not the hanger on types that will be more than happy to enable such conduct and take whatever they can from him while they can. If this will be dismissed as nothing more than hype tactics and using the tools available to all of us including social media to make people concerned, perhaps like a lot of others of this generation, who tend to find humor in such conduct, Garcia should be advised on maturity.

The bottom line is he is talented as a fighter and does have a following that could help grow the sport and perhaps set himself up for other opportunities in and outside of Boxing once his career as a fighter is over. Garcia's talent is all the hype he should need and he should understand that per his position as a rising star in the sport as well as a public figure, there are responsibilities that come with that. One other thing he should keep in mind, while he has been open in the past about his struggles with mental health, something this observer has commended him for, it is not a subject to be taken lightly and definitely not something that should be treated as a joke, a card to play, or used for promotional purposes unless the goal is not promoting a fight, but rather raising awareness with the intent to help people.

Millions of folks around the world struggle every day with various mental health issues. The last thing it should be treated as is a game or a tool for manipulation. Garcia and those around him may not want to hear this, but if his behavior is and has been nothing more than attention ploys and a means of attempting to gain publicity and his talking about mental health struggles is not now or ever was legitimate, it makes it that much harder for those who are legitimately struggling and suffering to take the necessary step to seek help because there is still a stigma attached to the subject of mental health and he is in a position to at minimum help encourage folks to take that step. This may sound harsh, but if that is the case and all of his claims of dealing with mental health struggles were never legitimate, Garcia and those around him should be ashamed of themselves.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Haney-Garcia: Should It Go On?

It is often customary prior to what is viewed as a significant or “Major” fight on the Boxing calendar to fall into a seemingly endless cycle of hype surrounding what often becomes more of an event rather than simply an encounter between two world-class boxers. When it comes to the scheduled encounter between undefeated two-division world champion Devin Haney and top Jr. Welterweight contender Ryan García, who are to do battle for Haney's WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship on April 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, this observer has been asking himself one question for the previous two months. Should the fight go on as planned? 

Before anyone jumps to conclusions, when I question if the fight should go on, it is not another in my long-standing criticisms regarding the pay-per-view model,  in which this will be slated as a DAZN Pay-Per-View offering in North America,  nor is it a concern similar to those that yours truly was very vocal in expressing during the global COVID-19 epidemic where I outright questioned whether due to health concerns, whether it was in the best interest of Boxing to resume under what were at that time, never before seen circumstances. A view that I also expressed regarding other sports as well during that time. Rather, when I ask the question of if a fight should go on, it is in this case, out of concern for the well-being of one of the combatants. I am referring to Ryan García. 

Under most circumstances when someone in my position in covering the sport voices concern for a fighter's well-being, most would probably associate such concern with citing eroding skills that often come with a long career inside the ring. In this case, I would not be doing my job nor the reader any justice if I said that my concern for García was not in relation to his mental health,  a subject he has been open about throughout his career. A major focal point in the lead up to this encounter with Haney has not been on anything related to the styles of the two fighters or what each brings to the battle inside the ring, but rather what can be described as erratic conduct of Garcia at press conferences as well as numerous online videos posted by the fighter himself. Out of respect for the reader, I will not discuss each instance, but Garcia's conduct in which he has ranted, made accusations, and even threatened to sue  the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), to name a few, suggests to this observer, someone who has praised him before when he put his mental health first in taking time away from Boxing, that perhaps he might be struggling with something that might not be known to the public and it would then make one question whether Boxing should be a priority. 

At this point,  I feel it is important for me to state that I am not a mental health professional and I do not have a medical background, and there are surely folks who are more qualified than I on the subject of behavior and whether or not someone might be struggling with something that may be previously diagnosed that could likely share a more educated point of view than I could.  I am simply sharing my point of view having quietly observed the circumstances leading up to this fight. While some may dismiss Garcia's conduct as merely promotional tactics in an attempt to drum up interest in this fight, I simply do not see things with a similar view. As I have continued to observe things, I have kept repeating three words. I am concerned. 

Obviously,  I am not involved with Ryan Garcia's team and I will state for the record that I have never had an opportunity to meet Garcia, but in watching what has gone on, I wondered for a time whether the concern I have might be an overreaction in some way. As a noted historian, I decided to try to jog my memory to try and remember a circumstance where a fighter's struggles outside the ring were such a focal point prior to a bout that it ended up overshadowing the fight itself.  One such instance came to mind. On February 7, 1997 Heavyweight champions Lennox Lewis and Oliver McCall met for the vacant WBC world championship in the Heavyweight division. Both former champions at the time of what was a rematch of a world championship bout three years earlier where McCall scored a second round knockout of the then WBC champion Lewis to become a world champion in his own right.

Prior to the rematch, the main topic of discussion among many was not about the fight itself,  but centered around McCall, who was said to had prepared for the bout while undergoing drug rehabilitation treatment. This along with other troubles McCall was going through outside of the Boxing ring cast some uncertainty regarding what type of bout it would be, despite McCall's success in the first encounter as well as being an underrated fighter who was taken lightly prior to that first fight, despite having been in the ring with many of the top Heavyweights of the late 1980's and 1990's, where he held his own. 

Despite exiting his dressing room at the Las Vegas Hilton, jumping up the ring steps,  and appearing motivated, it was not long before McCall in the midst of the fight began to have what by all accounts seemed to be a breakdown where he refused to engage with Lewis and began crying. The bout would be halted in the fifth round when the late great Referee Mills Lane stopped the fight and the victory was awarded to Lewis beginning his second reign as a world champion. In response to what had occurred the Nevada State Athletic Commission withheld McCall's purse for the bout.

It was and remains one of the most bizarre events this observer has ever seen in his career covering the sport and to my knowledge, to this day, there has never been an explanation for what exactly happened that evening other than to say a man who was going through significant struggles in his life at the time had a breakdown. While as a society there is more known now about mental health as compared to when the Lewis-McCall rematch took place twenty-seven years ago, I will take it a step further by saying based on what I saw that night that there were likely signs that McCall should not have been in the ring and for whatever reason, they were likely ignored. 

With regard to Ryan García, I sincerely hope that those around him are not turning a blind eye to what may be occurring, despite the appearance that some including Oscar De La Hoya, his promoter, and a man who himself has had personal struggles,  have seemed to find humor in his fighter's conduct,  most notably at recent press conferences promoting this bout against champion Devin Haney. While it remains to be seen what the New York State Athletic Commission might do and whether they will license García, despite his threats towards the commission as well as his overall conduct,  this observer believes at least for García, Boxing might not be a priority right now and the last impression I have as this fight approaches is not one of a fighter who is prepared to fight for a world championship for the first time in his career. 

Assuming the fight is allowed to go on as scheduled,  what should one expect in terms of styles? While one should keep in mind the stance of yours truly that perhaps this fight should not go forward out of concern for Garcia's well-being, if we are to assume the fight will go on, this will be the first time that Haney and García will have met as professional boxers,  but they have faced each other three times as amateurs. In those bouts, which took place between 2014 and 2015, Haney emerged with two decision victories, while Garcia was victorious via decision in the second of those three bouts.

It goes without saying that there are differences between the amateur and professional ranks in Boxing and what happened in amateur bouts nearly a decade ago when two fighters were teenagers might not necessarily be an indication of what will happen ten years later as professionals. Both fighters have quick hands and while some might give an edge in power to Garcia based on his twenty knockouts in twenty-four professional victories compared to the champion's fifteen of thirty-one wins,  Haney is very crafty and has shown an ability to dominate world-class opposition by winning every round of a fight and of the two, it is the champion who has more accomplishments at the top level of the sport as a two-division world champion. 

The key will be, if the fight is allowed to go on, whether Garcia will be able to respond to not only the pressure of the event, but also a very crafty and slick opponent that will be in front of him. While the styles of the fighters and the circumstances were different,  the one time Garcia was involved in a fight similar to this in terms of atmosphere and hype,  García was knocked out by Gervonta Davis under circumstances where, despite being knocked down by a left hook to the body, there are some who felt that Garcia could have continued rather than allowing himself to be counted out while on one knee. Although Garcia himself is the only one who can say what happened in that fight, it might give an impression that he does not respond well to pressure and regardless of the view of this observer regarding this fight taking place given his well-being is being questioned, it is something to keep in mind if this fight does indeed happen. 

Usually, at the end of a column discussing an upcoming fight, readers are used to me giving a positive spin on things in hopes that Boxing will be benefited from what takes place rather than ridiculed. In this case,  I truly hope that all my concerns for one fighter's well-being turn out to be unfounded, despite how things would appear. It is also my hope that in the days that follow, we as a sport, and those of us who cover it are not talking about something that probably should have been prevented where the blame will fall squarely on those who were in positions to do something, but chose not to,  whether it be promoters, networks, family members,  or a state athletic commission,  who will be overseeing and sanctioning the bout. If a worse case scenario does indeed occur,  whatever that might be, it will be hard to defend all of the above and not say criticism, ridicule, mockery, and inevitable calls for reform and yes, accountability will not be deserved.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Haney vs. Garcia takes place on Saturday, April 20th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The fight can be seen in North America on DAZN Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5?PM PT for $69.99 and will be available through the DAZN app as well as through traditional cable/satellite providers. For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, to subscribe and order this select pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Schedule Resumption Notice

We would like to let our readers know that we will resume our regular schedule on Thursday, April 18th with a preview of the upcoming WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Devin Haney and top contender Ryan Garcia. 

Additional content regarding events and subjects that have taken place while we have been between rounds are being planned for an upcoming feature that we hope to schedule in the coming weeks. We again want to apologize for any inconvenience our absence has caused and we sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. In the interim until we resume, any additional content that is sent to us by promoters, networks, and others involved in the sport of Boxing will be made available here on the website as normal. Stay tuned.

"And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Haney Dominates Prograis, What's Next?

The story of the WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship bout between two-time world champion Regis Prograis and undefeated former Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney on December 9th in San Francisco, CA beyond what seemed to be legitimate bad blood between the two fighters was whether or not Haney, in his first fight in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division could defeat arguably the top fighter in the division, who because of his style a hybrid mix of hand speed and power, not all that unlike Haney’s, was also one of the more avoided fighters in and around the division.

A crowd of 16,000 spectators filed into the Chase Center for what was one of the more anticipated fights of 2023. What the crowd in attendance saw was a demonstration of a true master class with Haney giving a lecture. From the opening bell, Haney’s hand speed, lateral movement, angles, and timing were on full display. Such attributes kept Prograis at a distance where he simply could not get his punches off with consistency.

Haney’s accuracy was such that the question in this observer's mind became whether or not this fight would end inside the distance. A highlight came in the third round when Haney caught the champion with a perfectly timed right hand to the head that sent Prograis down to the canvas. To Prograis’ credit, he never quit trying to turn the fight in his favor, but to put things simply, he came up against an opponent, who was simply superior in every area, hand speed, defense, angles, timing, technique, and knowing what to do and when to do it.

Despite the tremendous heart that Regis Prograis showed in this fight in taking significant punishment, I did question as the fight entered the middle and late rounds, why it was being allowed to continue. While no one can take anything away from Regis Prograis, there does come a point as a fight progresses that if it becomes clear that one fighter has little more than a puncher’s chance, but said fighter is suffering a beating and is unable to land a fight turning punch, where a decision should be made regarding the long-term welfare of that fighter.

Although Referee Jack Reiss and Prograis' corner appeared to each br gradually moving towards stopping the fight, Prograis did make it to the final bell of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. A fight that would be won by Haney in winning every round on all three official scorecards making him the new WBC Jr. Welterweight champion of the world and officially making him a two-division world champion as well.

The obvious question for Devin Haney is what will be next for him. It is too soon to say, but it is logical to think of a possibility excluding mandatory title defenses that Haney might attempt to become an undisputed world champion now as a Jr. Welterweight. A task that due to the political landscape in the sport is very difficult to accomplish in one weight division. It is even more rare when a fighter can duplicate that accomplishment in multiple divisions.

For now, Haney will likely spend the remainder of 2023 celebrating his latest career milestone before deciding on who his next opponent might be. As for Regis Prograis, he deserves all the credit in the world for the heart he displayed in this fight and for fighting on till the final bell. While criticism of why the fight was allowed to continue will probably continue for a time, no one can dispute that Prograis showed his mettle in defeat. The former two-time world champion needs time to recover from this setback and to potentially retool before he decides his next move.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Prograis-Haney: High Risk, High Reward

As the year 2023 begins to wind down, there are only a few dates left on the Boxing schedule in the month of December that should be of interest to many Boxing fans. One of those dates will take place on December 9th in San Francisco, CA as two-time Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis, current holder of the WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship, will make the second defense of his title against undefeated former Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney. An intriguing encounter between two dynamic fighters, which will take place at the Chase Center and can be seen in North America on DAZN Pay-Per-View and as part of a standard subscription to DAZN’s streaming network internationally.

Ironically, this fight cones as many believe both fighters lost their respective last fights against different opposition. As most know, in his last outing in what turned out to be his final defense of the Undisputed Lightweight world championship, Devin Haney scored a controversial decision victory over former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko in May of this year.

A fight that appeared to be controlled by Lomachenko from the outset, Haney was judged to be the winner of the fight by twelve round unanimous decision. Haney, who had difficulty in recent outings in making the 135lb. Lightweight limit, almost immediately after the victory over Lomachenko, controversial as it might be depending on one’s perspective, stated his intention to move up in weight to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division to seek an opportunity to win another world championship. Although Haney still holds three recognized world championships in the Lightweight division as of this writing, his intention of testing the waters at 140lbs. resulted in his being stripped of the WBC Lightweight world championship, which was recently won by Shakur Stevenson. Regardless of the outcome of this fight on December 9th, it is widely expected that Haney will remain in the Jr. Welterweight division moving forward.

The champion who Haney will face in San Francisco, coincidentally is also coming off of a less than stellar outing in his last title defense. This observer is referring to the defense Regis Prograis had in June of this year in his hometown of New Orleans, LA where he was pushed to the limit by a very “Game" Danielito Zorrilla. Much like Haney’s victory over Lomachenko, there were some who were of the opinion that Zorrilla had done enough to earn the decision, but ended up on the losing end of a twelve round split decision.

With both world champions coming off performances that left more questions than answers, a question that some might have is were those fights each a case of two elite fighters showing that they are human and having an off night at the office, or more a case of coming up against high level competition that each may have underestimated. We are likely to get an answer by both fighters facing each other.

This fight presents a truly unique situation for both fighters. Not only are both coming off questionable outings, but by facing each other now, it has created a true high stakes encounter where there is a lot to gain, but also a lot to lose for both Prograis and Haney. Despite being a two-time world champion, Regis Prograis has yet to score a victory that many would call a career-defining win. In some ways, it can be for lack of a better term, unfair for a fighter no matter how many world championships they might win to be defined by a fight or a few fights as opposed to the overall accomplishments achieved throughout a career. Unfortunately, Boxing is a sport where often, single fights are  used as a measuring stick of defining a fighter's career. If Prograis were to lose this fight, the argument of some might be that his accomplishments could be questioned due to not being able to defeat a fighter that some consider to be an elite level boxer. 

Similarly, if Haney were to lose this fight, some could say that perhaps he benefited from what was believed by many to be a bad decision in his fight against Lomachenko and who’s only two world title fights prior to that outing came against the same fighter in George Kambosos, who himself has had his legitimacy unfairly questioned both prior to and after his two fights with Haney.

For better or worse, one must also factor in the element of dislike between Prograis and Haney. Although more often than not, such boasts of animosity are nothing more than an attempt to draw interest and promote a fight, something that should be left to the promoters in the sport, there are times when the dislike is legitimate. Whether or not that might result in both fighters being more willing to engage from the outset and potentially go punch for punch remains to be seen. There is no question that both champion and challenger possess Boxing skills on the highest level in the sport, but the highest class of skill does not always translate into a memorable fight, and given the perception of at least some Boxing fans that each have had to deal with since their last outings, it will be interesting to see if this is either a high level chess match between two world-class boxers that this could be on paper or if the combination of what happened in their respective last fights and what might be legitimate dislike between the two results in a memorable battle. The type of fight that is not only the subject of both discussion and debate years after it occurs, but often those fights that are thought of as elevating Boxing to a higher level.

As one who has been looking forward to covering this fight from the moment it was announced, having covered both Prograis and Haney throughout their respective careers, this observer can not wait to find out.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

Update: While this column was in development, it was announced on November 29th that Devin Haney had vacated the remaining world championships he held in the 135lb. Lightweight division and would be competing in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division going forward.

Prograis vs  Haney takes place on Saturday, December 9th at the Chase Center in San Francisco, CA. In the United States and Canada the fight can be seen on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $59.99 beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT. Outside of North America, the fight will be available as part of a standard monthly or annual DAZN subscription.

To order this pay-per-view event in North America, visit www.DAZN.com and verify that pay-per-view access is required in your region. DAZN.com also provides information on how to subscribe, availability around the world, compatible streaming devices, platforms, and Smart TVs, as well as local start times in your area.

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Stevenson Wins Third World Championship, Fails To Make A Statement

The fight between undefeated former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson and WBC number six rated Lightweight contender Edwin De Los Santos was not only for the vacant WBC Lightweight championship of the world, but some felt it could signal the beginning of what might be a new era in the 135lb. Lightweight division. A new era that seemingly has started with the former Undisputed Lightweight world champion Devin Haney choosing to roll the dice and move up in weight to challenge WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis in a fight that will take place on December 9th in San Francisco, CA. 

While Haney still holds three portions of the World Lightweight championship as of this writing, it is expected by many whether or not he wins that fight against Prograis that he will remain as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight going forward, due largely to struggles he has had in making the 135lb. Lightweight limit in recent fights. Although there was little to say prior to Stevenson’s bout with De Los Santos beyond it being for a vacant world championship and thus an opportunity for Stevenson to become a three-division world champion, Haney by all accounts choosing to move on to a different chapter in his career also created an opportunity for Stevenson to make an argument for himself as being a fighter that could be viewed as the division’s new central figure.

A capacity crowd filled the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on November 16th to see if Stevenson could make his claim for such a role. Whether it was because of a bad clash of styles between two southpaws or if Stevenson simply had an off night, what took place inside the ring was anything, but a fighter making a clear statement as emerging as the number one fighter in a division heading towards a period of transition. 

For twelve rounds, Stevenson and Dos Santos engaged in a tactical battle where neither fighter seemed to take the initiative as an aggressor. Despite being a tutorial in some ways on the benefits of defense in a fighter's arsenal as both fighters were able to make each other miss with punches frequently, it was not the most entertaining bout to watch. Some might go as far as to describe the action or lack thereof as dull. While this observer will not go as far, as I believe in the old adage of ”Styles Make Fights” and will also point out the rarity of two southpaws being pitted against each other, some fights will simply be more entertaining than others.

An illustration of the lack of action in this fight can be seen in the CompuBox statistics for the twelve round world championship bout in that for the first time in history in the over four decades in which fights have been tracked statistically by CompuBox, neither fighter was able to land ten punches in a single round of the fight. From my perspective, I have seen worse fights on every level of the sport in my almost three decades covering Boxing and other combat sports, but this was one instance where I truly could not form an opinion as to who I believed may have had the upper hand.

This was due not only to the lack of action, but also neither fighter being able to hurt the other with the punches that did land or being able to score knockdowns. In all honesty, this was an instance where at the conclusion of twelve rounds, I could not see how a winner could be determined or at least determined clearly. Despite the view of yours truly, a decision was reached and it was unanimous with Stevenson winning the fight by margins of seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points, and eight rounds to four on two official scorecards or 116-112 in points making him the new WBC Lightweight champion of the world.

While sometimes a win is still indeed a win and ultimately it was mission accomplished for Stevenson in becoming a three-division world champion, he has had better performances throughout his career. Although he may not have had the statement-making performance that he was probably looking for as the last kingpin of the Lightweight division appears to be moving on and up the weight scale, it should be noted that Stevenson did say in a post-fight interview with ESPN immediately following his victory over De Los Santos that he “Didn't Feel Good," which has fueled some speculation that he may have entered the fight either dealing with an illness or an injury and that may have played a role in his performance.

Whatever the case might be, it is important to remember that fighters like all of us are human and are going to have an underwhelming performance from time to time. Whether or not Stevenson was dealing with an illness, injury, or both is something that only he can answer. It will be what he does in his next fight however, whomever that bout might be against, that will probably determine if he will indeed be the new central figure of the Lightweight division. For now, the jury is still deliberating.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Stevenson-De Los Santos Preview

The career of undefeated former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson thus far has been one of dominance. After winning world championships in both the 126lb. Featherweight and 130lb. Jr. Lightweight divisions, Stevenson in part because of difficulty making the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight limit prior to his last scheduled title defense of the unified WBO/WBC world championship against Robson Conceicao In September of last year, losing the championship on the scale prior to scoring a twelve round unanimous decision, Stevenson set his sights on the 135lb. Lightweight division where in his debut as a Lightweight, he scored a knockout of a “Game,” but overmatched previously undefeated Shuichiro Yoshino in an elimination bout to determine the number one contender for the World Boxing Council (WBC) Lightweight championship of the world.

As most Boxing fans know, the WBC world championship had been fully unified as part of the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world held by Devin Haney. While it appeared as though Haney and Stevenson were on a collision course for what would be a highly anticipated showdown between two master boxers, Haney will be moving up to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division to challenge WBC world champion Regis Prograis on December 9th in San Francisco, CA. Although Haney is still recognized as the Lightweight champion of the world by the WBA, IBF, and WBO as of this writing, the WBC opted to strip Haney of its world championship, which not only broke the undisputed championship at 135lbs., but also created an opportunity for Stevenson to fight for a vacant world championship.

An opportunity that will come on Thursday, November 16th as Stevenson will face WBC number six rated contender Edwin De Los Santos at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. A fight that can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. 

It is hard to ignore the perception of at least some that this fight may amount to little more than Stevenson, a potential all-time great fighter, being able to add another world championship to his resume against a relatively unknown opponent at least in some circles. This fight also comes as a result of the politics that be in the sport in that we have an undefeated former two-division world champion, who is the number one contender, facing the number six rated contender for a vacant world championship.

While this does in some ways put a spotlight on some of the flaws that come with the politics in the sport of Boxing in that number two rated contender Frank Martin is not in this fight, nor are contenders three, four, or five, Boxing is nevertheless as this observer has pointed out numerous times over almost three decades, a sport of opportunity. One has clearly presented itself for De Los Santos.

Who is Edwin De Los Santos one might ask? He is in fairness a top contender, who is the current WBC Continental Americas Lightweight champion, one of the regional championships in the WBC, which more often than not, serves as both an elevator for a fighter climbing the rankings, and a precursor for the fighter holding it to eventually challenge for a world championship. De Los Santos will enter this fight with a record of 16-1, with 14 Knockouts \, having scored knockouts in his last three fights. With a career knockout percentage of over 87%, De Los Santos should be viewed as a dangerous fighter with nothing to lose and everything to gain here.

The question going into this fight is whether De Los Santos will be able to solve the puzzle that is Shakur Stevenson's Boxing style. Stevenson is a crafty and slick boxer who has a good mix of hand speed and punching power. What has made him so dominant is to this point in his career, no opponent has been able to make him uncomfortable, much less hurt him or be able to win rounds during a fight. Although Stevenson has only ten knockouts in his twenty career wins, he is capable of scoring a knockout if the opportunity is there, though some might argue that there have been a few instances where Stevenson might have opted for decision victories rather than pressing to try and get knockouts in some of his previous fights.

Perhaps one wrinkle that some might point to as this fight approaches is this is a rare instance where two southpaws will be facing each other for a world championship. This, at least in theory, removes the theoretical advantages that a southpaw has when they face a fighter that boxes out of an orthodox stance. Nevertheless, the fight plan for De Los Santos comes down to one thing. Pressure, Pressure, Pressure… De Los Santos must find a way to cut the ring off from Stevenson to try and nullify his ability to move and apply pressure on him to set up opportunities to land his power punches. Simply put, if De Los Santos allows Stevenson to be in a position where he can dictate the pace of the fight and find his rhythm early, this may end up as most of Stevenson's previous bouts have, where the only question might be whether he will box his way to a convincing unanimous decision victory or if he might be able to get a stoppage in the middle or late rounds if he presses the issue.

Even though this fight might indeed signal a period of transition for the Lightweight division as one former undisputed world champion might exit the division depending on what happens as he tests the Jr. Welterweight waters in a few weeks by challenging for another world championship, Shakur Stevenson should keep in mind, despite being the heavy favorite and appearing to at least be in a position to become the central figure of the Lightweight division, if he is in any way overlooking Edwin De Los Santos, it could prove costly because unlike his opponent, Stevenson may indeed have everything to lose both in terms of his standing in the sport as well as some potential lucrative fights that could be in store for him in the always talent-deep Lightweight division.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Stevenson vs. De Los Santos takes place on Thursday, November 16th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:40PM ET/2:40PM PT.

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change.* )

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Kambosos Benefits From Questionable Scoring To Win IBO World Lightweight Championship

The storyline going into the IBO Lightweight world championship bout between defending champion Maxi Hughes and former Undisputed Lightweight champion George Kambosos was whether Kambosos could find a way to bounce back after losing his crown to Devin Haney and suffering a second loss to Haney in an immediate rematch. Two fights where Kambosos was out boxed by the superiorly skilled Haney.

While at the moment that Kambosos' challenge of Hughes on July 22nd in Shawnee, OK, the four world championship that comprise the undisputed championship in the 135lb. Lightweight division remain unified and in Haney's procession, there was also the wrinkle of Hughes, who was making the third defense of the one world championship not in the undisputed Lightweight crown, being treated as an opponent rather than a world champion from the broadcasters broadcasting the bout for sports cable network ESPN and it's streaming network ESPN+ to him being announced first during ring introductions prior to the bout, despite being the defending champion. The latter, while done previously in Boxing history, defies the traditions of the sport where a world champion is normally introduced last prior to a bout beginning. 

What could be seen as disrespectful and perhaps rooted in bias by both the network broadcasting the bout and maybe even Kambosos' new promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc., something that has also been done by television networks and promoters who have vested interests involved previously in the history of the sport, it did not take long for Hughes to show that he was not a mere opponent and that his being a world champion should have been taken seriously. For the majority of the twelve round world championship bout, it was Hughes that dictated how the fight was fought.

Boxing out of the southpaw stance, the pure boxer Hughes used angles, timing, and discipline to manage distance to tactically pick his spots. Hughes was able to do this by taking advantage of openings Kambosos would leave to land short combinations, counterpunch, and evade Kambosos as he came forward. Although this may not have been the most entertaining of fights to watch for those who may have expected more action, for Boxing purists who understand the tactical aspects of the martial art, Hughes put forth a superb performance that should be appreciated because after all, the concept of the sport is to hit and not be hit. While it is difficult to completely avoid being hit over the duration of a fight, and Hughes did take his share of punches including suffering a deep gash as a result of an accidental clash of heads midway through the fight after being able to open a cut over the right eye in the fifth round, the dynamic of the fight never changed with Hughes dictating the combat and getting the better of the action.

At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, this observer did not feel the fight was close as I felt Hughes won ten of the twelve rounds and had him winning 118-110 in points. As clear as this fight appeared to be in terms of scoring, I have covered combat sports long enough to know to never be surprised. One of the three official judges, Judge David Sutherland scored the fight even at six rounds a piece or 114-114 in points. While I obviously did not see things the same way, it was the scorecards of Judges Gerald Ritter and Josef Mason that I really disagreed with. Ritter, who is also a very respected referee in the sport and in particular officiates many bouts held in the state of Oklahoma, turned in a scorecard of 115-113 or seven rounds to five in favor of Kambosos. Mason however, turned in a scorecard of 117-111 or nine rounds to three for Kambosos making him the winner and new world champion via majority decision.

It is important for me to state as a proud Boxing lifer who has covered the sport for most of his life that I am used to seeing controversial decisions on every level the sport has to offer including Amateur, traditional Professional Boxing, and Professional Bareknuckle Boxing. I will go a step further when I say that out of all the Boxing cards/events I might cover in a given calendar year, there will be a healthy portion of bouts that I will feel could have gone the other way in terms of how a fight was scored. This is definitely not the most controversial decision I have ever seen, but I do feel the three judges who scored this fight got it wrong. 

In the interest of objectivity, it is also important to point out that all three of these judges have each judged hundreds of bouts on every level of the sport with judge David Sutherland being the most experienced of the three having judged over eight hundred bouts. As experienced as judges might be, all judges are human beings like the rest of us and not every judge will get it right 100% of the time. While it may be tempting for the Boxing fan to make accusations of corruption, an all too common occurrence seemingly after every significant fight regardless of either the outcome or any perceived credibility of such claims in the age of social media, it is possible that the three judges here simply had a bad night at the office. To put it simply, it happens.

Nevertheless, this was not the type of bounce back victory for the now two-time world champion George Kambosos and before he sets his sights on any other fight, he should do the right thing and give the former champion who proved his credibility, a rematch. It would also be a positive thing for the sport if the network and perhaps even the promoter gave the rematch the respect it deserves as the world championship fight it would be regardless of whatever their vested interests might be.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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