Showing posts with label Don King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Don King. Show all posts

Saturday, September 21, 2024

Mikaelian-Rozicki Postponed For Second Time, New Date To Be Announced For WBC World Cruiserweight Championship Bout

It has been announced that the scheduled September 29th Boxing card promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Don King headlined by a WBC World Cruiserweight championship fight between champion Noel Mikaelian and Ryan Rozicki, which was to take place at Casino Miami in Miami, FL has been postponed. This marks the second time the card, which was originally scheduled to take place in April, has been postponed. As of this writing, no official reason for this latest postponement has been given. in a statement on its official Facebook page, however, Don King Productions said it is working with its partner Three Lions Promotions as well as the World Boxing Council (WBC) to set a new date for the event, which could see an announcement made in the coming days. 


We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available. 


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Monday, June 10, 2024

Cobbs Dominates Broner, Inactivity Kills

The second step for former four-division world champion Adrien Broner on his comeback following the beginning of a new chapter of his career under the promotional banner of Hall of Fame promoter Don King came on June 7th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. Unlike the first step in this phase of his career when he dominated a very “Game," but out classed Bill Hutchinson in June of last year in winning a ten round unanimous decision, step two, which took place nearly one year to the day of that fight, would come against a serious threat in the form of Blair Cobbs.


Cobbs, a Welterweight who himself recently signed with King looking to continue to bounce back from his lone career setback in March 2022, represented not only a legitimate threat and test for Broner in his second flight in three years from a stylistic standpoint, but also a fighter who has been considerably more active than him and his previous opponent, the unknown Hutchinson.


In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it would depend on which version of Adrien Broner showed up. Whether it would be a contest of Broner’s mix of hand speed, punching power, and superb defense against the quick hands and punching power of Cobbs, or if it would be the Broner that stayed in his defensive shell and sparingly let his hands go.


Cobbs immediately established not only the ebb and flow of the fight by establishing a high pace, but also showed that he had the quicker hands of the two fighters, attacking Broner at various angles, and often throwing crisp combinations. This immediately put Broner in his defensive shell, where he was only willing to throw one punch at a time. 


In the second round, Cobbs nearly shocked everyone when he dropped Broner with a perfectly timed counter left hook to the head that knocked out one of Broner’s teeth and sent him down hard on the canvas.Despite not being the first time he had been knocked down in his career, this was a rare time where Broner appeared legitimately hurt and was nearly counted out as he attempted to get his mouthpiece of the canvas while struggling to get to his feet. Broner was able to beat the count and survived the follow-up barrage to get out of the round. 


Though a testament to both his experience and the caliber of fighter he was at his best to survive a scenario that could have ended the fight, the pattern of the fight had been established and it was something that Broner was unable to change in his favor. A pattern that consisted of Broner coming forward seemingly trying to apply pressure on Cobbs, but throwing one punch at a time, which allowed Cobbs to throw short combinations and remain a moving target.


Although Broner would finally begin to open up more with offense in the later rounds of the scheduled ten round bout it would prove to be too little and too late as Cobbs would go on to win a convincing ten round unanimous decision. With the exception of the knockdown in round two, there was not much to say about this fight beyond one fighter out working and dominating the other over the course of ten rounds. 


While the fight was one-sided, it did serve to underscore what is becoming a theme of not just of the coverage provided by yours truly, but in the entire sport. The subject of how inactivity often leads to decline of fighters, which ultimately negatively impacts their careers. It was after all only a few days ago at the time this column is released to readers, that I released a column discussing the recent knockout loss suffered by Deontay Wilder at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia on June 1st where much of it centered on the subject of inactivity being essentially a silent killer of a fighter’s ability and ultimately leads to the downfall of their careers.


The commonality between Deontay Wilder and Adrien Broner is each were long aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and both went through lengthy stretches of inactivity before eventually breaking away from the PBC to try and resume their careers under different promotional banners. Essentially, both fighters are now in the same position where the question is the same. Should both men fight on or retire? 


Whether one  read or wishes to read that column where I shared my thoughts on Wilder’s situation, I will say again, this observer is not in the business of telling a fighter what they should do as to whether to continue on in their careers as one who's job is to objectively cover the sport.  The situations of these two fighters are examples of a bigger issue in the sport that will not likely be easily solved because though the commonality in this case was the inability of a struggling promotional entity to ensure they had the opportunity to compete on a regular basis, each fighter's circumstances will obviously be different. 


In Broner's case, not only did he have a very public split from the PBC, but he has also had difficulty resuming his career on a consistent basis since parting ways. First, there was the signing of a multi-fight deal with digital streaming network BLK Prime, a new player in Boxing promotion that scheduled a fight for him to take place in Atlanta, GA, only for his scheduled opponent Michael Williams Jr. to suffer a broken jaw while in training for the fight. Ultimately, the failure to get that fight in the ring or to find a suitable replacement led to the parting of ways between Broner and BLK Prime.


Although things appeared to be looking up for Broner after signing with Don King following his victory over Hutchinson, Broner, who was originally supposed to fight back in February, suffered a rib injury which forced him to be sidelined until he fought Cobbs. Complicating circumstances further, something that was not covered by yours truly in the lead up to this fight, which was a case of human error on my part is the fact that Broner split from his longtime trainer Kevin Cunningham while in training for the fight with Cobbs leading him to link up with trainer Calvin Ford with limited time to prepare.  The aforementioned circumstances prior to this fight for Broner are not excuses, but one might question the wisdom in not pushing this fight back further after a split between fighter and trainer in the midst of training camp. It would not appear to be a wise decision viewing things from the outside looking in. If one were to also factor into the equation the ramblings of Broner having a difficult weight cut to get down to the 147lb. Welterweight limit, it also paints a picture of a fighter that at minimum was under prepared for the task at hand. 


Whatever the case might be, much like Deontay Wilder, if Adrien Broner wants to fight on, he needs to find what has been missing and needs to show a commitment to fighting on a regular basis, regardless of the caliber of opposition. The point needs to be stressed, a fighter who is active will give themselves the best chance to succeed as compared to sporadic activity or lengthy stretches of no activity in active competition for years at a time. Inactivity more often than not kills a fighter's ability and that eventually leads to the decline and end of a fighter's career.



“And That's The Boxing Truth.



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Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Broner-Cobbs Preview

The recent career of former four-division world champion Adrien Broner is one that is going through a new beginning. A beginning that began with his signing with Hall of Fame promoter Don King after a highly publicized split with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and manager Al Haymon last year, which led to his return to the ring in June of last year with a ten round unanimous decision over Bill Hutchinson. Some might recall in this observer’s coverage of that fight, I stated that the most important thing for Broner would be to stay active if he were to re-emerge among the top contenders if he hoped to get another opportunity at a world championship. Unfortunately for Broner, an injury suffered in training delayed what would have been a relatively quick return earlier this year. Now healed, Broner will return to action on June 7th as he will face Blair Cobbs at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. A fight that can be seen on combat sports streaming and pay-per-view platform Triller TV (Formerly FITE) on a pay-per-view basis. 


Although Bill Hiutchinson put forth a very “Game” performance against Broner in taking him a full ten round distance, it was a case where Hutchinson, who entered the bout having won twenty of his twenty-six professional bouts, with two losses and four draws, was taking a significant step up in caliber of opposition, despite Broner having been out of action for over two years at the time of the bout. While it was expected by some, simply based on the difference in caliber of opposition and overall experience for Broner to win that fight, some might be critical simply because he was unable to finish Hutchinson, who he had in trouble periodically throughout the fight.


This time around, Broner will be facing Blair Cobbs, who has flirted with becoming a top contender in the 147lb. Welterweight division. Cobbs, who will enter the fight with a record of 16-1-1, 10 Knockouts, is coming off of a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Maurice Hooker in August of last year. The victory for Cobbs not only was a bounce back win for him off of the first defeat of his career, a ninth round knockout loss at the hands of Alexis Roacha in March 2022, but also signaled the end of his relationship with his previous promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Now with Don King as his promoter, Cobbs is looking to take his career to the next level and the first step in that process will come against Broner.



Cobbs has very quick hands and it will be interesting to see how his hand speed matches up against Broner’s superb defense. The question coming into this fight, much like it was for his fight against Bill Hutchinson last year, will center on what version of Adrien Broner shows up. Broner also has hand speed and punching power when he wants to let his hands go. Although Broner is known as one of the most accurate fighters in the sport in terms of landing his punches, he does have a habit of staying in a defensive shell for lengthy periods of time, which has allowed opponents to gradually outwork him over the course of a fight. Cobbs does have the ability to throw punches in volumes of combinations and it will be interesting to see if the fight plan for him will indeed be to try to keep Broner on the defensive and unable to get his punches off. Although both men are thirty-four years of age, Cobbs does have an advantage in terms of overall activity in recent years. Where Cobbs lacks is in the area of experience and more specifically, experience against top-level opposition. This however, is a different circumstance as compared to Bill Hutchinson, who was completely unknown at the time he fought Broner and Cobbs is a more offensive-minded fighter than Hutchinson proved to be, so it will be interesting to see if Cobbs provides Broner with a test to see how much he has left at this stage in his career.


Recent undisputed world champion Terence Crawford appears to be moving out of the Welterweight division and up to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division, there will be room to maneuver among the various contenders and former world champions looking to fight for a Welterweight world championship as the various world titles that Crawford held become vacant. This fight between Adrien Broner and Blair Cobbs will not determine who the next potential champion might be, but what it might determine is who might have the opportunity to move into the discussion of potential contenders looking for a world title fight in the near future. It is thus a high stakes bout for both fighters as each looks to take a step forward in their careers.


“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”  


Broner vs. Cobbs takes place on Friday, June 7th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The fight as well as it's undercard can be seen globally on digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform Triller TV (Formerly FITE) on a pay-per-view basis for $39.99 beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.


Triller TV is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. For more information about Triller TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and for information on how to download the Triller TV app please visit www.TrillerTV.com. To order this pay-per-view event download the Triller TV app or click here.


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Friday, June 9, 2023

Broner Dominates Determined Hutchinson In Return To The Ring

The ten round Welterweight bout between former four-division world champion Adrien Broner and largely unknown contender Bill Hutchinson on June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL was not one with the type of anticipation leading up to it that there was suspense in not knowing who would emerge victorious. This was due largely to how little was known about Hutchinson, who is also a practicing attorney when not competing in the Boxing ring, but how little if any footage existed of him competing. This observer noted in previewing this bout that even I, a proud Boxing lifer who studies fight films on a daily basis as also a noted historian in addition to covering the sport, could not find any footage of Hutchinson's previous bouts in his career.


What Hutchinson did have going for him beyond being more active than Broner, who was coming off of a two and a half year layoff, was a respectable record of 20-2-4, with 9 Knockouts, but against opposition that could be described as lightly regarded. Nevertheless, the elements of both the unknown of what Hutchinson would bring with him into this fight, as well as questions of how Broner would look after a lengthy absence from active competition made this fight interesting.


While every statistical metric that one could use from the experience of Broner, to the caliber of opposition, to the overall difference in total fights between the two, pointed firmly in the direction that Broner would likely have the advantage, often when covering a fight where not much is known about one of the combatants, I approach things with an open mind. After all, when you have never seen a fighter compete before, you do not know what you might see once a fight is taking place and as such, you want to observe what said fighter has in his/her arsenal before forming an idea as to how the fight might be fought.


Despite a blueprint of sorts existing on how to attempt to fight Adrien Broner by applying pressure and keeping him in a defensive shell and unable to throw punches with consistency, Hutchinson began this fight by trying to box with a high caliber boxer and rather than sitting back in a defensive shell, it was Broner coming forward and bringing the fight to Hutchinson. A flush left hook to the body of Hutchinson in the first round had him badly hurt and against the ropes. 


Although it appeared that Hutchinson was on the verge of being knocked down, to his credit, he battled through and survived the round. It became clear rather quickly that Hutchinson had tremendous heart and the will of a lion, but did not have the fight plan or the ability to time Broner with counter punches. Despite occasionally landing flush punches on Broner, particularly with his right hand, the consistent ebb and flow of the fight was Broner coming forward, pushing Hutchinson back, and landing hard thudding punches to the head and body as he did so, round after round.


While no one can take anything away from the very "Game" Hutchinson, who displayed nothing but confidence in the weeks prior to this fight, after seeing four rounds of the scheduled ten round bout, I felt the fight should have been stopped. There is no disputing the heart Bill Hutchinson showed in this fight, but as it increasingly became clear that he was suffering a beating in a fight that he was numerically behind on the scorecards and keeping in mind that even though he was able to catch Broner flush occasionally, Broner kept coming forward, a clear indication that he did not have the punching power to suddenly turn the fight in his favor. Because of this, I felt the fight should have been stopped, if nothing else to protect Hutchinson for his future both in and out of the ring. The opinion of yours truly notwithstanding, Hutchinson continued to show his mettle until the final bell in dropping a ten round unanimous decision to Broner. 


In previewing this bout, I stated that this should be viewed as a fresh start for Adrien Broner after spending the last two and a half years having fights fall through and a well publicized split between himself, his former manager Al Haymon, and the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters that had handled most of Broner 's career. This fight, which was the first for Broner under Hall of Fame promoter Don King did serve its purpose in getting Broner back in active competition again and he did get ten rounds of solid work against a determined opponent that can always say he went the distance with the former four-division world champion. As for what we saw from Broner inside the ring, he was more aggressive than has been the case previously in his career, was coming forward, and appeared to be more focused.


Whether or not the new aggression from Broner was a by-product of facing an opponent that due to his limited resume inside the ring, was a few levels below him, remains to be seen. While there is at least some talk of Broner possibly fighting the likes of Ryan Garcia or WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis, each in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division, in the near future, the most important thing for Broner is to be as active as possible as it will only benefit him in the long run. As for the Boxing attorney Bill Hutchinson, this loss to a fight of the caliber of Adrien Broner should be a valuable learning experience for him as he moves on with his career in the Boxing ring and he can hold his head high in going ten hard rounds to the distance with a former world champion. Perhaps a move he might want to make would be to add a trainer to his team perhaps like a Freddie Roach, who specializes in training offensive-minded fighters. With the proper time to develop with the addition of a trainer like Roach who can teach fighters elements of technique and strategy at all stages of their career, Hutchinson might get another chance against a world ranked opponent. For now, Bill Hutchinson has earned the respect of the Boxing world for his performance in defeat to Adrien Broner and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


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Wednesday, June 7, 2023

The Next Chapter In The Career Of Adrien Broner

 

Former four-division world champion Adrien Broner's career can be described a couple of different ways. The one that this observer has used when asked about Broner over the years has been too much, too soon. It seemed as though when Broner emerged on the scene in the early 2010's after turning professional in 2008, that he began collecting world titles in multiple divisions during a period of time where many fighters are still developing as professionals. While this is a testament to Broner's skills and talent as a fighter, his rise to stardom might be viewed by some as one that was too quick.


By now, Broner's career and issues outside of the ring have been chronicled by many in Boxing media including yours truly, so for the purposes of the constraints of one column, I will summarize where we are now. After some setbacks in the ring, troubles outside the ring,  failed attempts to return to the ring, a highly publicized split with his longtime manager Al Haymon and the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), a failed deal with relative newcomer to the sport BLK Prime, and more than two years removed from his last fight, the now thirty-three year old former world champion prepares to return to the ring against relative unknown Welterweight contender Bill Hutchinson on Saturday, June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL. The bout, which will headline a pay-per-view card available globally on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV, not only signals Broner's return to competition after a long absence, but also his first fight after forming an alliance in a multi-fight deal with Hall of Fame promoter Don King.


This fight has a clear storyline going into it. It represents the next chapter and what is likely a fresh start for Broner. In terms of the opposition that Broner will face on June 9th, Bill Hutchinson is a fighter, but he is also a practicing lawyer, which is a rarity in the sport. As a fighter, Hutchinson does have a respectable record of 20-2-4, with 9 Knockouts. The level of his opposition however, has been limited up to this point and this is a significant step up in caliber of opposition for him against the former world champion Broner. What Hutchinson does have going for him going into this fight is he has been the more active of the two, having fought as recently as 2022 and has won his last ten bouts.


The obvious question here is does Hutchinson have the skills to make it competitive against Broner and to potentially pull off an upset. Unfortunately, as a consequence that does not happen too often these days as compared to many years ago thanks to the advent of streaming video, but this is a rare instance where this observer, a noted and proud Boxing lifer, journalist, historian, and one who studies fight films on a daily basis, has not been able to find any footage of Hutchinson in action as this will be my first opportunity to cover him. It is important however, to keep in mind that Adrien Broner is coming off of a two year layoff and has had to deal with distractions outside of the ring in that time, which has contributed to his inactivity. Often the biggest enemy of fighters in any combat sport is inactivity. So, as there are questions as to what Bill Hutchinson will bring to the table, there should be questions as to what kind of Adrien Broner we will see in this fight. As inactivity should be viewed as an enemy, with that the possibility of “Ring Rust” is definitely possible for a fighter coming off of a lengthy absence such as Broner. 


While we do not know what Hutchinson will bring with him into this fight, there is a blueprint of sorts on how to fight Broner that perhaps he might try to use to his advantage. Adrien Broner is one of the most accurate fighters with his offense when he is actively competing, but often opponents have been able to make fights close and out work Broner by being more active and keeping Broner in a defensive shell where he does not get his punches off consistently. Obviously, we are not likely to get an idea of what Hutchinson might do until the fight is actually occurring in the ring. It would be wise of this largely unknown fighter/lawyer to have spent time studying Broner’s previous fights and to try and implement an approach for success in this fight. 


Hutchinson must keep in mind that Broner does have hand speed and punching power, but he needs to try and force the issue in this fight by making Broner fight. The one advantage that Hutchinson might have here is the fact that he has been more active than his opponent and as such, he needs to make it difficult for Broner to work off that “Ring Rust, even though he is at a significant disadvantage in terms of experience and caliber of previous opposition. This will also be the first time that Hutchinson will be in a scheduled ten round bout in his career and it will be interesting to see how he will look in the middle and late rounds of this fight, should it get that far and if the bout proves to be a competitive bout.


Outside of the significant layoff for Broner, seemingly this has all the appearance at least on paper of a fight that he should be favored to win. It will nevertheless be interesting to see if this chapter in Broner’s career is truly a fresh start where no matter what happens win, lose, or draw, and how he performs, will be one that sees him being more active inside the ring to try and work his way back into world title contention rather than dealing with issues outside of the ring.


“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


Broner vs. Hutchinson takes place on Friday, June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL. The fight can be seen globally on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV for $24.99. The broadcast will begin at 6:50PM ET/3:30PM PT (U.S. Times only.) For more information about FITE TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to learn how to download the FITE app, please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order Broner vs. Hutchinson from your web browser Click Here.


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Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Guidry And Tarver Pick Up Wins Across Florida

 

On Saturday, January 21st a stretch of Boxing cards spanning four events in a five day period continued. Following an exciting eleven bout card promoted by Undisputed Promotions in Kissimmee, FL on January 20th, night two of Florida Boxing showcased two Boxing events taking place on both the east and west coast of the state. First, in Miami at Casino Miami, rising Heavyweight contender Jonathan Guidry squared off against former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bernane Stiverne in a bout scheduled for ten rounds.

 

In previewing this fight, this observer stated that this appeared to be an encounter between two fighters moving in different directions in their respective careers. Guidry being the fighter on the rise, Stiverne having not won a fight in nearly eight years, who has also dealt with lengthy periods of inactivity as well. While seemingly every fight in the Heavyweight division currently between contenders of any description has the sub-plot of whether the fighters involved can provide a strong argument for themselves as for trying to move themselves into position to challenge for a world championship, this fight was one where no argument could be made for either fighter.

 

For ten rounds, the two fighters, who fought in the main event of a card presented by Hall of Fame promoter Don King’s Don King Productions, engaged in a fight where neither fighter seemed to take the initiative. Whether it was due to a respect between the two fighters or a bad clash of styles, Guidry and Stiverne’s bout may be described as a brisk sparring session as opposed to a competitive fight if one did not know better based on the pace the fight was fought as well as the lack of action throughout. At the conclusion of the ten round bout, it was Guidry who would have his hand raised in victory by a wide unanimous decision based largely on the fact that he was the more active of the two fighters throughout.

 

With the victory, Guidry retained his North American Boxing Association (NABA) Heavyweight title and should maintain his standing in terms of the world rankings as a fighter on the rise. Although he did what he needed to do and scored a victory over a notable opponent, Guidry may have been able to get a stoppage in this fight had he been more aggressive. It is true that every fighter can have a bad night at the office, but for a fighter in his position that is trying to move his way into world championship contention, Guidry will need to do a little more to force himself into the discussion of potential world title challengers. As for Bernane Stiverne, after losing five of his last six fights over nearly eight years, it may be time for him to think about retirement.

 

This now brings us to the second main event that took place on January 21st as we move to the west coast of Florida where undefeated Jr. Middleweight Antonio Tarver Jr. headlined a Boxing card at Calta’s Fitness and Boxing in Tampa. The son of former two-division world champion Antonio Tarver headlined a card promoted by his father’s Tarver Promotions by facing fellow undefeated Drew Dwelly in a scheduled ten round bout. Whenever I have the opportunity to cover the offspring of a fighter that I have watched and in this case had covered in years past, I tend to look for similarities in terms of style between the parent and the new generation of fighter.

 

In this case, this was the first time I had the opportunity to see Antonio Tarver Jr. in action, so I was keenly interested in what I would see in this fight. It should also be noted that when it comes to the children of great fighters as Antonio Tarver was, it is not uncommon to see them matched against opposition that some might call soft or questionable, at least in the very early stages of their careers. This would not be the case for Antonio Tarver's eleventh professional fight as Drew Dwelly was also unbeaten and proved to provide him with a decent test in a fight that was for the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF Jr. Middleweight championship.

 

Dwelly did this by applying pressure on Tarver early in the fight and trying to both cut the ring off and force him to go toe to toe with him. While this strategy had mixed results for Dwelly, this seemed as though it would be crucial in terms of Tarver’s development as a fighter.

 

As far as the similarities between Tarver Sr. and Tarver Jr. in terms of style, Tarver Sr. was a fighter that dominated most of his fights by his ability to double and triple jab his opponents, mixing in the rest of his offense, which were often highlighted by hooks to the head, and moving laterally to keep an opponent from being able to close the gap. While Tarver Jr. did show some characteristics of his father’s style, what I observed was more of a style based on counter punching and being able to catch his opponent in between punches while in the midst of exchanges. While this was slightly different both in terms of style as well as general approach in comparison to his father, Tarver Jr. did show glimpses of hand speed and punching power that was quite similar to Tarver Sr.

 

The edge in hand speed as well as his precision timing ultimately resulted in Tarver being able to land the cleaner, more effective punches of the two fighters. In the eighth round, Tarver would bring the fight to a sudden conclusion.  After having Dwelly in trouble in the latter stages of round seven, Tarver put his opponent down with a combination highlighted by left hands that sent Dwelly down and out on the canvas. What was the eleventh win of his career, Antonio Tarver Jr. appears to be nearing title contention as winning the NABF championship will move him up the rankings in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Jr. Middleweight ratings, which the NABF is affiliated with the organization similar to Jonathan Guidry holding the NABA championship in the Heavyweight division per its affiliation with the World Boxing Association (WBA).

 

Out of the two victors in these two fights, it was Antonio Tarver Jr. that was the more impressive of the two, but it is important for Johnathan Guidry to remember that not every fight that you win will have a head-turning, highlight-reel like performance and he ultimately did what he needed to do in his fight with Bermane Stiverne  to get a victory. As for where Tarver and Guidry will go in terms of their progression throughout 2023, it obviously remains to be seen, but with each scoring a win, each has successfully taken a step forward.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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Monday, January 16, 2023

Upcoming Events Firmly Put Spotlight On Florida’s Boxing Scene

 

With the 2023 Boxing schedule now officially off and running, many fans of the sport are likely looking to dive in and see some of what Boxing will have to offer in the new year. For those who follow the Boxing scene in the state of Florida, there will be no shortage of action as there will be four Boxing cards scheduled to take place over a five day period throughout the state.

 

As a veteran Boxing scribe who is always monitoring the upcoming schedule worldwide in search of fights and full cards that I will be covering, I felt this provided a unique opportunity to spotlight some of the upcoming bouts that will be taking place on these cards in the sunshine state. First up, promoter Anthony Arvelo’s Undisputed Promotions will present a Boxing card at the Kissimmee Civic Center on January 20th. Headlining this card will be Jr. Welterweight contender Wesley Ferrer facing Jonhatan Cardoso.

 

This will be a fight between two fighters who are trying to work their way into the rankings and towards world title contention. Ferrer will enter this fight riding a five fight winning streak since suffering the only loss of his career in September 2018 when he dropped an eight round majority decision to Steven Ortiz. The only other mark on Ferrer’s record to this point is a draw that he fought to in December 2017 against Will Madera. Ferrer will enter this bout with a record of 17-1-1, with 8 Knockouts. In his last fight in August of last year, Ferrer scored an eight round majority decision victory over Jayson Velez. Ferrer now faces what could potentially be a dangerous opponent in the form of Jonhatan Cardoso. Cardoso however, will be coming into this bout off of his first career loss as he was stopped in one round by Juan Huertas in June of last year. Despite this, Cardoso has ended all of his fourteen career wins via knockout and it may be logical to expect that he will try to end the fight early if the opportunity arises. This card can be seen on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE.

 

Coincidentally, FITE will also be broadcasting the next two events that will be covered in this column, which will both take place on January 21st. Former two-division world champion Antonio Tarver’s Tarver Promotions will present a Boxing card at the Calta’s Fitness and Boxing Center in Tampa. Headlining the card will be Tarver’s son Antonio Tarver Jr. who will face Drew Dwelly in a scheduled ten round Jr. Middleweight bout.

 

Unbeaten in ten professional fights with six knockouts, Tarver has gradually developed and could now be approaching the stage of a prospect. This fight against Drew Dwelly could be a test for him as it is the first time that Tarver will be facing someone, who like himself, is undefeated. Drew Dwelly will enter this fight with a record of 11-0-2, with 11 Knockouts, but much like Tarver has not faced fighters to this point that could be considered on the fringe of what most would call prospect level. So, this is a scenario where both fighters are looking to step up in competition against each other.

 

The second card FITE will feature on January 21st will feature the return of a former World Heavyweight champion. Hall of Fame promoter Don King will present a Boxing card at Casino Miami in Miami where WBA number twelve Heavyweight contender Jonathan Guidry will face former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bernane Stiverne in the ten round main event. This is a bout between two of the Heavyweights that have been featured in Don King’s stable in recent times. It is also a battle between fighters who have a recent common opponent, but an encounter between two fighters that are seemingly going in different directions in their respective careers.

 

The common opponent that Guidry and Stiverne have faced recently is Heavyweight contender Trevor Bryan, who defeated both men. Bryan stopped Stiverne in eleven rounds in January 2021. Guidry meanwhile went twelve rounds with Bryan, who held interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings for a period of time, in January of last year, losing a close split decision and his undefeated record to Bryan.

 

Where the two fighters appear to be heading in different directions comes from the fact that Bermane Stiverne has not won a fight since November 2015 and has been stopped in three fights since then including his last against Bryan. This coupled with lengthy stretches of inactivity seem to indicate that the former world champion is on the decline. Meanwhile, Guidry is a fighter that appears to be close to being in the mix amongst potential challengers for a world championship. Although he lost a decision to Trevor Bryan in his only career loss, he made a good account of himself in defeat in a fight that this observer felt he did enough to win in what was a competitive and close contest.  Since that fight, Guidry got back in the ring in June of last year scoring a seventh round knockout of Dacarree Scott, also in Miami.

 

What this fight boils down to is whether or not Stiverne still has enough left in him of the fighter that was once a WBC World Heavyweight champion. In all truth and honesty with the reader, Stiverne has not been the same fighter since he lost the WBC crown to Deontay Wilder in January 2015 and has not looked good in recent outings. Although Stiverne will forever hold claim to being the first fighter to take Wilder the distance in his career in losing that fight via twelve round unanimous decision, he has displayed some signs of what could be a shot fighter recently including being stopped by Wilder in one round in their November 2017 rematch. Stiverne still does have the name recognition clout to get opportunities per his being a former world champion, but he is in need of not only a win here in this fight, but perhaps a victory that will impress people to where it generates buzz for him. If he should not win this fight, it may be time for him to consider retirement. Although Jonathan Guidry is not known for his ability to score knockouts, he does have eleven knockouts in his eighteen career wins, and is likely looking to this fight as a way to catapult himself into the list of potential challengers for a world title by beating a former world champion, even if by appearances Stiverne may have seen better days and could be on his way out in terms of his career inside the ring.

 

Finally, the final card on this lengthy stretch of Boxing in the sunshine state of Florida will take place on Wednesday, January 25th as digital Boxing streaming network ProBox TV presents a card under it’s Future Stars series at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City. ProBox TV, a relative newcomer to the Boxing streaming space in providing Boxing fans with a reasonably priced subscription-based model, debuted in May of last year and in addition to staging cards in it’s own in house arena in Plant City, FL has also staged cards in Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico in it’s first year of operation.

 

In addition to providing value for a subscription price for Boxing fans in addition to staging fights featuring world champions, former world champions, and top contenders, Pro Box TV has also focused on showcasing up and coming fighters looking to progress to higher levels in the sport. Thus, this card on January 25th, will be the first in what the network and promoter Gary Jonas intend to be a bi-weekly to monthly Wednesday night Boxing series focused exclusively on future stars in the sport in addition to other content they hope to offer subscribers.

 

The debut edition of the Future Stars series will be headlined by undefeated Jr. Welterweight prospect Cesar Francis as he will face Jesus Saracho in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. This fight similar to other bouts that have been showcased on ProBox TV in the past year will feature two fighters with similar records that are both looking to take the next step towards contention for a world championship. Cesar Francis will enter this bout unbeaten in twelve professional fights with seven knockouts. In his last bout in October of last year, also at the ProBox Events Center, Francis scored a second round knockout of Francisco Armenta.

 

Now Francis faces what could be a step up in the form of Jesus Saracho. Saracho, like his opponent has twelve wins in his career, but has suffered one loss in his career. The loss came in March of last year when he was stopped in nine rounds by Deonte Brown. Of Saracho’s twelve victories however, he has scored eleven knockouts registering a near 85% career knockout percentage. Saracho has been unbeaten in his last two fights and has scored knockouts in both of those outings. This suggests that Saracho will likely look to force Francis into a fight very early in the bout and should be viewed as a dangerous opponent as his record suggests.

 

What these cards should suggest is that the Florida Boxing scene is one that is growing and could develop into one of the sport’s hot spots in a short time. As a longtime resident of the state and proud Boxing lifer, this observer very much looks forward to covering these upcoming events and we will see who emerges as fighters to watch as 2023 progresses.

 

And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Undisputed Promotions: Ferrer vs. Cardoso takes place on Friday, January 20th at the Kissimmee Civic Center in Kissimmee, FL. The card can be seen on digital combat sports streaming network FITE for FITE+ subscribers beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT (U.S. Time). For more information about FITE and how to subscribe to FITE+ please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

Tarver Promotions: Tarver vs. Dwelly takes place on Saturday, January 21st at  Calta’s Fitness and Boxing Center in Tampa, FL. The card can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT for $12.99. To order, download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, or connected streaming devices and Smart TVs, or Click Here.

 

Don King Productions: Guidry vs. Stiverne takes place on Saturday, January 21st at Casino Miami in Miami, FL. The card can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT for $19.99. To order, download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, or connected streaming devices and Smart TVs, or Click Here.

 

For More information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and for information on how to subscribe to FITE+ please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

ProBox TV Future Stars Series: Francis vs. Saracho takes place on Wednesday, January 25th at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, FL. The card can be seen on the ProBox TV app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. For more information about ProBox TV, including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world and to subscribe please visit: www.ProBoxTV.com.

 

*Cards and Start times Subject to Change.*

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 1, 2022

King And Arum Bring Boxing Back To An Unappreciated Era With A Head To Head Night Of Boxing

 

January 29, 2022 in the sport of Boxing was one where two interesting cards took place courtesy of two Hall of Fame promoters and longtime rivals Don King and Bob Arum, who inadvertently took the sport back in time in producing two Boxing cards that would go head to head against each other on competing platforms. Unlike decades ago when King and Arum would rival each other on competing premium cable networks and pay-per-view distributed through cable and satellite providers, this head to head encounter of competing Boxing cards would take place in the streaming realm with Arum staging a card in Tulsa, OK that was broadcast on digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+ and King staging a digital pay-per-view card that was broadcast on FITE from Warren, OH.

 

Beyond the throwback scenario of the two ninety year old promoters competing one more time against each other for the Boxing audience, each card had intrigue for different reasons. As readers may recall, this observer previewed these two cards here on The Boxing Truth® and days prior to the events taking place. While that column began focusing on Don King’s event, this column will begin with Bob Arum’s card, which took place at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK.

 

The main event of that card was billed as an elimination bout in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Jr. Lightweight division between top contenders Robson Conceicao and Xavier Martinez. In previewing this bout, yours truly stated that it was one that arguably pitted two fighters at very similar stages in their careers against each other. An encounter between two boxer/punchers that appeared to be well- matched. In the early rounds, it appeared as though the well matched encounter this bout appeared to be on paper would materialize. There are times when a fight seems to develop a pattern.

 

This fight was one where a pattern emerged rather quickly in the early rounds. Conceicao usually coming forward and throwing punches in varying numbers of combinations and for a time Martinez throwing back offense. It created an impression at least for this observer that the early rounds were closely fought and that there could have been a difference of opinion as to who was getting the upper hand. While Conceicao was clearly the more active of the two fighters, Martinez seemed to land the harder punches of the two, particularly when he was able to get on the inside where he was able to land hooks to the head of Conceicao that momentarily stunned him.

 

As the fight progressed into the middle and late rounds however, Martinez’ ability to immediately answer with offense began to decrease. This was due to Conceicao's lateral movement and ability to keep Martinez at distance and largely unable to get his punches off. Beyond sporadic success in the middle and late rounds during moments where he was able to get on the inside, Martinez was unable to turn the ebb and flow of the combat in his favor as Conceicao would go on to earn a convincing ten round unanimous decision in a fight where I unofficially scored it seven rounds to three in his favor. With the win, Conceicao appears as though he may be headed towards a rematch with current unified world champion Oscar Valdez, who is the only fighter to hold a victory over him as a professional. Obviously, a rematch with Valdez will depend on whether or not Valdez, the current WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion is successful in his unification bout against current WBO world champion Shakur Stevenson, which is scheduled to take place in April.

 

This brings us to the pay-per-view card promoted by Don King, which took place at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. Two bouts in Boxing’s Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions co-headlined this event. First, a battle of undefeated Heavyweights saw top WBA contender Trevor Bryan engage in a twelve round slugfest with undefeated, but largely unknown Jonathan Guidry.  The taller and heavier Bryan tried to use his 268lbs. and long jab to keep the shorter Guidry at distance where he could not get his punches off. For a period of time this strategy was proving to be successful for Bryan who holds an interim/regular champion designation in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Heavyweight ratings, but Guidry was able to force exchanges of offense throughout the twelve round bout.

 

It was in these exchanges that Guidry had the most success as he was able to connect with hard hooks with both hands to the head of Bryan. Despite being a relative unknown going into this bout, Guidry also showed that he could take Bryan’s punches as there were several instances throughout where the two Heavyweights traded punch for punch with each other with neither fighter really backing down.

 

Although this continued in the later rounds, fatigue on both fighters began to slow the pace, which was reasonably quick for a Heavyweight bout, down and it was Bryan who seemed to have a bit more left in him. A knockdown in the closing seconds of the twelfth round sealed a twelve round split decision for Bryan to remain unbeaten in now twenty-two professional bouts with Guidry suffering his first loss in twenty professional fights. Bryan is in a unique position currently in the Heavyweight division as he holds an interim/regular designation in the WBA’s Heavyweight rankings. While the WBA in it’s wisdom has created confusion amongst Boxing fans with such a structure because they do not acknowledge that it is a designation and promote fighters who hold such designations as “World Champions,” in reality, Bryan is the WBA’s number one contender and should be viewed as it’s mandatory challenger to current undefeated unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

 

The problem Bryan and all would be contenders in the division currently face is both fighters who hold the respective portions of the World Heavyweight Championship are currently tied up. Undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, who currently holds the WBC world championship in the division will be making the second defense of that world title in April against current WBC number one mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte. Usyk meanwhile is heading towards a contractually-obligated rematch against the man he took the unified portion of the Heavyweight championship from last year, Anthony Joshua.  While certainly things are rarely “Set In Stone” in Boxing for a variety of reasons, the belief at least among some is that the two winners of those bouts, which are both being targeted for April, will lead to an encounter for the Undisputed world championship later this year if circumstances including, but not limited to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic allow for such a plan to occur. What this means for a fighter in Trevor Bryan’s position is that for the immediate future, he is essentially the odd man out of this equation and will likely have to wait until at least 2023 before he might get an opportunity to fight for potentially the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. Another potential issue Bryan might have is the question of whether or not he will want to be active in that time and thus risk his mandatory challenger status. There also is a potential issue in that Bryan’s promoter Don King has promoted Boxing cards sporadically over the last several years and while some of that could be attributed to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis at least in regard to the last two years, a question that should be asked if Bryan wants to remain active during that time is whether or not King will be promoting cards more frequently if circumstances allow him to do so.

 

The main event of this card was a battle for the WBC Cruiserweight world championship between champion Ilunga Makabu defending his title against WBC number one contender Thabiso Mchunu. This was a rematch from a fight in May 2015 in which Makabu scored an eleventh round knockout of Mchunu.

 

In previewing this bout, this observer stated that this rematch had generated significantly more interest in the weeks leading up to it due to what could loom ahead for the winner. I am speaking of course of a possible encounter with current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who has expressed interest in moving up two weight classes to test the waters in the Cruiserweight division.

 

For those who might wonder why a potential encounter with Alvarez would spark increased interest in a world championship fight that would not have otherwise been able to benefit from such publicity, it is important to keep in mind that despite the accomplishments of fighters like Evander Holyfield and most recently Oleksandr Usyk, who both started their careers as Cruiserweights and both went on to become undisputed world champions of the division, the Cruiserweight division has never been viewed as a career destination for most fighters and thus has never been viewed as the most lucrative option available as most fighters use the division as a way to test the waters before moving up to Heavyweight as both Holyfield and Usyk did or as a fallback option for fighters who are unable to effectively compete as a Heavyweight. In this case, the interest lies in the fact that Saul Alvarez has won world titles from the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division after starting his career as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight. Much like the late great Henry Armstrong and Manny Pacquiao, Alvarez has made a career out of fighting and defeating fighters that are theoretically bigger and stronger than him. With his sights set on trying to continue to make history, Alvarez is looking to add becoming a world champion in the Cruiserweight division to the list of his accomplishments in what is turning out to be a Hall of Fame career.

 

What this means for a fighter in Ilunga Makabu’s position is, despite not being particularly well-known here in the United States, he has something that is on Alvarez’ radar, a world championship in a division that Alvarez is eyeing. This essentially gives a fighter in Makabu’s position essentially a lottery ticket to fight the current biggest marquee draw the sport has to offer. With this in mind, in the days prior to this rematch, I found myself wondering aloud as to whether or not this fight would be more about the potential business aspect of a possible fight with Alvarez more so than what takes place inside the ring. If the reader is confused, allow me to elaborate.

 

It goes without saying that there is an overabundance of hype that often accompanies Boxing for better or worse. In this case, and in the spirit of truth and honesty with the reader, this was as much about whether or not Alvarez could see something in either Makabu or Mchunu that might discourage him from testing the waters of the Cruiserweight division or seeing conditions and styles that might make a challenge for a Cruiserweight world championship ideal, as much as it was to see who would get the upper hand in a rematch between two of the best fighters in the division. As is often the case whenever there is a fight taking place that has a storyline of what might follow that frankly overshadows what will occur inside the ring, I approached this bout with the mindset of no expectations. My reasoning was simple, the business of the sport of Boxing has many twists and turns that can be akin to a soap opera or more bluntly a primetime television drama. In simple terms, unless it was “Set In Stone” that the winner of the Makabu-Mchunu rematch was signed to fight Alvarez next, I just viewed it as a world championship bout between a champion and a number one contender.

 

What occurred in the fight itself was underwhelming if one prefers toe to toe battles, but was entertaining for those who appreciate Boxing skill, timing and tactical fights. An encounter that largely consisted of the two fighters standing in close and looking to counter each other, both fighters were able to have periods of effectiveness, but from my perspective despite the champion Makabu applying consistent pressure throughout and being the fighter coming forward, it was Mchunu that seemed to land the cleaner, more effective punches particularly when he was able to land his right hook. It was also noticeable the occasional stagger of the champion when he would get hit with those shots. The fight was however, extremely close due to both fighters being able to have success in many of the same rounds as well as the measured pace in which the bout was fought. At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, I felt that it was a draw, but was certainly not surprised to see a split decision rendered. Although Makabu would retain his world championship via twelve round split decision, likely based on the consistent pressure he was able to apply throughout as well as his own counter punches, it was as close a fight as one could call where a winner was declared.

 

As for what this could mean for Makabu moving forward, obviously, he is still a potential opponent for Alvarez until otherwise announced. How successful would the champion be against a fighter of Alvarez’ standing in the sport, it is important to remember that if that fight were to happen, Makabu would be the naturally bigger man fighting at his natural weight between 190lbs. and 200lbs. What may end up making this fight a reality however, is the fact that Mchunu was able to hit the champion cleanly with hard shots and do so more than occasionally. While it is indeed true that styles make fights, if one views a possible Makabu-Alvarez bout objectively, it is not hard to envision Saul Alvarez watching Makabu’s rematch with Mchunu and feeling encouraged as opposed to discouraged in the potential openings that he might have seen, which if he does move up to fight Makabu, he could very well exploit with his skillset.

 

For now, the important thing to keep in mind if you are Ilunga Makabu is he retained his world championship and whether or not some may feel that he lost his rematch with Thabiso Mchunu, he was able to hold onto the one thing that is of interest to Saul Alvarez even though from Alvarez’ position he could likely make more financially by not moving up to Cruiserweight, a world championship in what would be a fifth weight division for him. Whether or not Alvarez still sees Makabu as the best option to try and accomplish that goal after the champion’s second victory over Thabiso Mchunu remains to be seen.

 

As for this the latest chapter in the decades long rivalry between Don King and Bob Arum, who knows whether the two will continue to stage cards coincidentally or not against each other as 2022 progresses. It is however, refreshing, despite what one might think of either King or Arum, who each have their respective share of critics, to see two cornerstones of the sport of Boxing continuing to promote cards at the age of ninety. Regardless of one’s opinion of Don King and Bob Arum, both men have played a major role in the sport over the last fifty years and are both responsible for some of the most historical events and bouts in Boxing history. With the sport heading ever more in the direction of streaming in terms of how Boxing is broadcast, it is only right that two of the major players in Boxing promotion who were pioneers in terms of first staging major Boxing events via closed-circuit distribution, to premium cable/satellite networks, to pay-per-view, be involved in the next innovation of bringing Boxing to the ultimate authority in the sport, the consumer. 

 

Although no one can say if Arum and King will continue to go head to head in the streaming realm, they each provided what turned out to be a memorable night of Boxing to close out January 2022 featuring a combination of a world championship fight on one card, along with a mix of rising prospects and contenders that were featured on both of their events. It goes without saying that those prospects in theory will go on to become the future stars in the sport and if Arum and King can each continue to develop those fighters and it leads to further opportunities throughout the entire sport, Boxing will ultimately benefit from it. Why criticize what would be a good thing for Boxing?

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday, January 28, 2022

Saturday 1/29/2022 Weights And Information

 Two Boxing cards pitting Hall of Fame Boxing promoters Don King and Bob Arum against each other on competing streaming networks will take place on Saturday night in Warren, OH and Tulsa, OK respectively. Below are official weights and legal broadcast information for both cards.

 

Don King Productions: Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu 2: Packard Music Hall Warren, OH FITE Pay-Per-View

 

Main Event: WBC Cruiserweight world championship – 12Rds.

 

Ilunga Makabu (Champion) 197lbs. vs. Thabiso Mchunu (Challenger) 198 1/2lbs.

 

*Heavyweight – 12Rds.

 

Trevor Bryan 268lbs. vs. Jonathan Guidry 246 1/2lbs.

 

(*Fight is for Interim/Regular status in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings. A designation currently held by Bryan.)

 

Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) Cruiserweight championship – 10Rds.

 

Johnnie Langston 199 1/2lbs. vs. Nick Kisner 198 1/2lbs.

 

Heavyweight – 10Rds.

 

Ahmed Hefny 216lbs. vs. Dacarree Scott 276 1/2lbs.

 

Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) Middleweight championship – 10Rds.

 

Michael Moore 164lbs. vs. Anthony Lenk 159lbs.

 

Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA) Welterweight championship – 10Rds.

 

Cody Wilson 145lbs. vs. Tre'Sean Wiggins 145 1/2lbs.

 

Makabu vs. Mchunu takes place on Saturday, January 29th at Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. The card can be seen globally on FITE Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $49.99. The FITE app is available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs. For more information about FITE please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order Makabu vs. Mchunu download the FITE app or Click Here.

 

 

 

Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.: Robson Conceicao vs. Xavier Martinez: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tulsa, OK ESPN+ *Weights for this card unavailable as of this writing. Full list of bouts scheduled to take place on this card are below.

 

Main Event: Jr. Lightweight – 10Rds.

 

Robson Conceicao vs. Xavier Martinez

 

Heavyweight – 8Rds.

 

Stephan Shaw vs. Joey Dawejko

 

Women’s Jr. Lightweight – 8Rds.

 

Kalliopi Kourouni vs. Carla Torres

 

Featherweight – 6Rds.

 

Haven Brady Jr. vs. Diuhl Olguin

 

Middleweight – 4Rds.

 

Nico Ali Walsh vs. Jeremiah Yeager

 

Featherweight – 4Rds.

 

Bruce Carrington vs. Steven Brown

 

Light-Heavyweight – 4Rds.

 

Dante Benjamin vs. Herman Rendon

 

Heavyweight – 4Rds.

 

Jeremiah Milton vs. Dell Long

 

Welterweight – 4Rds.

 

Delante Johnson vs. Xavier Madrid

 

Lightweight – 8Rds.

 

 Juan Tellez vs. Giovanni Cabrera

 

Conceicao vs. Martinez takes place on Saturday, January 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:55PM ET/3:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices and 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.

 

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

 

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

Thursday, January 27, 2022

The Conclusion Of January 2022 In Boxing

 Although the Boxing schedule since the beginning of 2022 has been sporadic due in part to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic and several postponements of several Boxing cards outside of the United States due to several countries issuing restrictions in an effort to combat the latest surge of the virus and it’s latest Omnicon variant. The end of January 2022 however, will be highlighted by two separate cards on Saturday, January29th promoted by rival Hall of Fame promoters Don King and Bob Arum.

 

In some ways, this is a scenario that brings Boxing back to a previous era where Arum and King would go head to head on competing platforms as each at one time or another held claim as the top promoter in the sport. Now, in 2022, both Arum and King, each at the age of ninety are each still going strong and will be promoting two interesting cards that are each compelling for their own reasons.

 

First, Don King will present a seven bout card that can be seen on FITE Pay-Per-View from the Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. In the main event WBC Cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu will make the second defense of his world title against WBC number one rated Cruiserweight contender Thabiso Mchunu. A rematch from a bout in May 2015 when the then contender Makabu knocked out Mchunu in eleven rounds. Beyond this fight being a case that can be simply defined as a world champion facing the mandatory number one contender in the organization in which they hold a world title, for Makabu, this fight has added significance as he has been named as a potential opponent for current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. While obviously a fight with Alvarez, who would move up two weight classes from the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division to the 190lb. Cruiserweight division to challenge Makabu, would garner significant attention due to Alvarez’ standing as arguably the number one marquee draw in the sport, obviously, the current WBC Cruiserweight champion will need to take care of matters against Mchunu before any potential bout with Alvarez could be negotiated.

 

Although this is a fight between two of the top Cruiserweights in the world, it is also arguable that this bout between Makabu and Mchunu has gained considerable attention due to the possibility of a fight with Alvarez looming ahead for Makabu, should he successfully defend his championship.  In terms of what to expect when Makabu and Mchunu face off, Makabu is an offensive-minded fighter who has scored twenty-five knockouts in his twenty eight career wins. The champion has shown in his career that he has a good power, particularly in his left hook as well as a willingness to engage in exchanges of offense with his opponents. While this indicates the possibility for an entertaining bout for the Boxing fan, it can also leave the champion vulnerable and he was stopped in his two career losses, which is something to keep in mind. Makabu has been undefeated since losing in his first world title shot when he lost to Tony Bellew in 2016 for what was then the vacant WBC championship in the Cruiserweight division. Since that bout, Makabu has been unbeaten in nine bouts in which he has scored knockouts in seven of those bouts. 

 

Standing across the ring from Makabu will be Thabiso Mchunu. Mchunu, a fighter with twenty-eight career bouts to his credit will enter the bout with a record of 23-5, with 13 Knockouts. The challenger  is a boxer/puncher, who one might assume will be looking to extend Makabu into the middle and late rounds of this fight if he can. Mchunu has won four straight bouts coming into this bout in what will be his second attempt at a world championship after previously being stopped by undefeated former Undisputed Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk in December 2016, when the current unified Heavyweight world champion made a successful defense of his WBO Cruiserweight crown in stopping Mchunu in nine rounds. Although both Makabu and Mchunu are not particularly well-known here in the United States, they are two world-class fighters and it will be interesting to see if they will be able to take advantage of the increased exposure here and also if the winner of this bout will be able to secure what will likely be the most lucrative payday of their career by potentially fighting Alvarez.

 

The co-main event of this card will see undefeated top Heavyweight contender Trevor Bryan face undefeated contender Jonathan Guidry in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds. Bryan, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Heavyweight ratings, has had several on again, off again agreements to fight longtime contender Manuel Charr, who at one point also held an interim/regular designation in the WBA ratings. While that fight for whatever reason has not materialized, Bryan will be returning to the ring for the first time in exactly one year to face the unbeaten Guidry. In his last bout, Bryan stopped former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne in eleven rounds in Hollywood, FL.  Bryan will enter this bout unbeaten with a record of 21-0, with 15 Knockouts.  

 

While this in reality is a fight where Bryan will look to make a strong argument for himself as a potential opponent for the winner of the upcoming rematch between undefeated unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time champion Anthony Joshua, he faces a bit of the unknown against Guidry, who is currently rated number thirteen in the world by the WBA in the Heavyweight division.

 

Like Bryan, Guidry is unbeaten in his career and will enter the bout with a record of 17-0-2, with 10 Knockouts. Guidry has yet to face a notable opponent in his career and therein lies the element of the unknown as a big question that surrounds this fight will be what Guidry will have to offer. Although Bryan is likely to be viewed as a favorite going into this encounter, it will be interesting to see how Guidry responds to this, his first notable fight against a top contender and if he does perform well win or lose if his current standing in the top fifteen of the WBA’s Heavyweight contenders will be elevated after this fight.

 

While the Makabu-Mchunu rematch and Bryan-Guidry bouts will co-headline a pay-per-view card, Bob Arum will stage a Boxing card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. In the main event of this card, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+, a battle of top Jr. Lightweight contenders current WBC number four rated contender Robson Conceicao will face undefeated WBA number four rated contender Xavier Martinez in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. This arguably pits two fighters at very similar stages in their respective careers against each other and is a bout between two boxer/punchers who can do a bit of everything. Conceicao will be looking to rebound in this fight after suffering his only career defeat in his last bout in a failed challenge of WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion Oscar Valdez in September of last year in which he lost a twelve round unanimous decision.

 

Conceicao, who will enter this bout with a record of 16-1, with 8 Knockouts may have come out on the short end that evening against one of the best fighters in the world in Valdez, but he did give a good account of himself in defeat. Although this may have an appearance to some as what is sometimes referred to within the sport as a “Comeback Fight” fight Conceicao, he will be facing another top contender in his first bout coming off that loss in Xavier Martinez.

 

Some might say that Martinez, who will enter this bout unbeaten with a record of 17-0, with 11 Knockouts, is in a similar position as Conceicao was before he faced Valdez in that though he is highly ranked, there is still somewhat of the unknown as far as how good Martinez might be. In fairness, in his last two bouts, Martinez did score victories over notable contenders and former world title challengers  Claudio Marrero and Juan Carlos Burgos. One might argue by now facing a third consecutive former world title challenger in Conceicao, that if Martinez were to win this fight that his next bout might be a challenge of one of the world champions in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. While there are similarities between the two fighters in terms of their records, respective rankings, as well as their Boxing styles, this fight may come down to who is able to get an advantage on the other and whether or not they will be able to maintain that advantage for the duration of the fight.  An interesting battle between one fighter looking for his opportunity at a world championship going against another fighter looking for a second chance.

 

While January 29th will be a throwback evening of Boxing for many as two legendary promoters pit their respective cards against each other on competing streaming platforms in a scenario that is not unlike how things were for decades between Bob Arum and Don King on across cable/satellite networks and pay-per-view, the rivalry between the two continues and though the landscape of both technology as well as the sport of Boxing as a whole has definitely changed, we will see what this next chapter in that promotional rivalry has to offer.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Makabu vs. Mchunu takes place on Saturday, January 29th at Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. The card can be seen globally on FITE Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $49.99. The FITE app is available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs. For more information about FITE please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order Makabu vs. Mchunu download the FITE app or Click Here.

 

Conceicao vs. Martinez takes place on Saturday, January 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:55PM ET/2:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices and 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.

 

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