Jabs & Observations: October 2026 Part 1

The time has come once again for this observer to pull out the periodic feature here on The Boxing Truth®️ Jabs And Observations. A feature column that was originally thought up as a bi-monthly addition as an attempt by yours truly to cover even more ground than what is typically found during a standard calendar year in covering the sport of Boxing. In more recent times, however, the concept of what I refer to as J&O in referencing upcoming features on social media has been used when pauses in the usual schedule have been unwanted, but necessary.  Recent times have necessitated a J&O return, this edition broken into two parts, which will encompass October 2026 In part one, we will touch briefly  on two bouts, which began the month of October 2026 and will then cross into a preview of sorts of two significant world championship bouts that will take place on Saturday, October 17th.

First, we will briefly revisit a bout that took place on October 1st at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL, where unbeaten former Olympic Silver medalist Omari Jones met veteran contender Alan Sanchez in a bout in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. Initially thought by some to be a step up against a fighter with more experience, in reality proved to be the showcase it was intended to be for Jones, who was stepping into his first main event before a supportive hometown crowd in Orlando. It did not take long for Jones to make his point as he battered Sanchez down into a corner in the second round and the fight was stopped. It was a short and sweet statement that Jones was able to make in his first main event. 

While this fight served as exactly what it was intended to be, a showcase for Jones, it is important to keep in mind that this was only his eighth professional fight and the task of needing to step up his level of competition will continue to be a prominent subject of discussion as 2027 nears. Despite a significant experience edge, Alan Sanchez was not able to provide much resistance as, once Jones saw an opening, he took full advantage and was able to execute where Sanchez was not given room to breathe. Whether or not he will be able to do that against higher caliber opponents remains to be seen.

This brings us to what was a significant encounter in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division on October 2nd in Birmingham, England at the Utilita Arena, where top contenders Ben Whitaker and Conor Wallace met in a world title elimination bout to determine the next mandatory challenger in the IBF’s Light-Heavyweight ratings.  For a significant portion of this fight, Whitaker dictated the combat using lateral movement and combination punching to carry the action. The dynamic of the contest began to change in the eighth round when Wallace was able to come on and put pressure on the undefeated Whitaker and built momentum into the twelfth and final round where he had Whitaker badly staggered and seemingly out on his feet, but he was not able to force a stoppage and Whitaker was able to hold on for a twelve round unanimous decision victory. Then came an unexpected revelation from Whitaker’s trainer, former World Middleweight champion Andy Lee, who told Wallace in the ring during a post-fight interview after the decision was announced that Whitaker had been suffering from COVID-19 in the week before the bout took place. 

Somewhat predictably, the fans in attendance did not seem to buy Lee’s explanation, but this observer will always air on the side of caution when it comes to matters of a fighter’s health so I will take the explanation because ultimately, only the fighter and his team will know if he was ill or not. What I will say, however, is it may be easy to forget only six years ago, the world was in the middle of a global epidemic and though life worldwide has seemingly gone back to normal, COVID-19 and its variants remain an issue that will come up from time to time. The best we can hope for is that the world never has to experience anything that resembles what was a horrible epidemic in 2020.

With the aforementioned bouts that began the month now discussed and concluded, our focus now shifts to what is ahead. On October 17th two significant world title fights will bookend a full day of Boxing that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. First among these two bouts will be a highly anticipated rematch for the WBO World Heavyweight championship as two-time World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will face the man he defeated in May of this year to become a two-time world champion, former champion Fabio Wardley in the first defense of his second reign as world champion. The rematch, which will take place at O2 Arena in London, England can be seen worldwide either as a standalone pay-per-view offering or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan.

Some may recall following the first encounter in May between these two hard-hitting Heavyweights, where Daniel Dubois emerged as a two-time world champion, I asked a simple, yet complex question: When should a fight be stopped?

Despite going to the canvas in the opening round and the appearance of a potential quick fight between the two noted “Knockout Artists,” Dubois was able to get up and quickly, but expectedly, the contest turned rapidly into a shootout with both fighters throwing punches with knockout intent. Dubois would be sent down a second time in round three, but as he had done in the first, he picked himself up and it was not long before it was him landing the harder, seemingly more damaging blows of the two.

By the eighth round, Dubois had turned the fight in his favor and had dished out the type of beating to the champion that I felt warranted the bout be stopped, despite knowing after decades in the sport and a lifetime of watching fights that at least theoretically, a champion is given every possible benefit of doubt before a fight is stopped either by the referee or the fighter’s corner. In this case, Wardley was still throwing back and had some periodic success, but as the fight progressed both his output as well as the effectiveness of the punches he threw diminished. While Fabio Wardley has had to battle fatigue later in fights previous to this fight against Daniel Dubois and had been able to turn what seemed to be likely defeat into victory via knockout, this was not merely the element of fatigue as he was being battered by Dubois. The beating was finally halted by Referee Howard Foster in the eleventh round giving Dubois his second world title.

If one were to ask for an honest opinion from this observer, I thought the stoppage was late and frankly, I question the wisdom of having the rematch only five months later even though Wardley is contractually entitled to a rematch and, despite how things gradually turned in Dubois’ favor, the fight did exceed every possible expectation that one could have anticipated.

Why do I question the rematch occurring so soon, particularly when I often advocate for fighters being active, which when it comes to fighters on the top level of the sport, regardless of weight class, usually means at most two fights per year, in this case, I feel that it is very unlikely that Fabio Wardley was able to recover from what happened five months ago, not just physically, but psychologically.

It goes without saying that a fighter will leave a piece of themselves in the ring each time they compete, win or lose. When a fighter suffers a knockout loss, however, something else tends to happen. In this case, Wardley not only suffered a horrible beating, but he lost his unbeaten record and along with it the aura of invincibility that theoretically follows fighters for a time, particularly those labeled “Knockout Artists.”

Only the rarest of rare exceptions after all, are able to go their entire careers without suffering a defeat and there are many fighters throughout the history of the sport who have shown the ability to bounce back after suffering a knockout loss, Daniel Dubois coincidentally being an example. I simply question whether it's too soon for this rematch to be happening based on what happened earlier this year and it's important to remember, Dubois also took his share of punishment throughout the fight as well.

This is also a rare case where I feel this rematch will likely follow a similar blueprint as the first fight, in that both fighters will come out looking to end the bout as quickly as possible and this will not be a tactical Boxing match, but rather an encounter between two heavy hitters that can end on one punch at any moment. Based on what happened earlier this year and the relatively quick turnaround of this rematch, it may also be unlikely that this gets anywhere near the full twelve round distance. I personally will not go out on a limb and say this will be a short fight, but I would not be surprised.

If one were to ask me as far as any potential adjustments that could be made, for the champion Dubois needs to be leery of getting caught early as what happened in the first encounter. If at all possible, he needs to be cautious in his approach early because Wardley will likely look to jump on him early, despite the perception of some that often fighters who suffer knockout losses are somewhat hesitant or “Gun-shy” to let their hands go either in their immediate return to action or in a rematch like this. 

For Wardley, he needs to be more defensively responsible and must conserve his stamina. Though he was able to have periodic success after the ebb and flow had shifted to Dubois in the first fight, the combination of the punishment he had taken as well as fatigue resulted in his knocking himself off balance with wide looping punches that he threw. He needs to be in the best condition possible if he is to turn things around in fight two and potentially set up a trilogy.

This now brings us to the second world title bout that will take place on October 17th as WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Sebastian Fundora will defend his title for the fourth time against undefeated WBC number one Jr. Middleweight contender Ermal Hadribeaj at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. A fight that can also be seen worldwide on DAZN and will be available to both standard and Ultimate subscribers. In the United States, this bout will also be simulcast on general entertainment cable network TNT as the latest installment of “The Fight” series, which is a collaboration between the two networks. In his last title defense in March of this year, Fundora stopped former longtime Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman in six rounds in a one-sided contest. 

Fundora’s dominance since becoming a world champion in 2024 is rooted in two aspects. One he is blessed with a significant height advantage over virtually any opponent he will face in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division standing nearly 6’6 with an eighty inch reach. Two, he is a skilled southpaw that likes to gradually walk his opponents down. The moniker “The Towering Inferno” is appropriate given where he sits on the weight scale.

There was one time, however, in his career where he did find himself on the end of a knockout loss at the hands of Brian Mendoza April 2023. A one punch knockout that seemingly came out of nowhere. Since that setback, Fundora has won five straight bouts, winning a world title and has looked like the dominant fighter he had been prior to that defeat to Mendoza. In this observer’s view, he has looked better than he was prior to that setback, has had more seasoning, and has matured into one of the dominant champions in the sport.

Fundora’s opponent on this occasion will come in the form of the unbeaten Ermal Hadribeaj. Hadribeaj will enter this world championship opportunity with a record of 23-0-1, with 8 Knockouts. While he has held the WBC Silver championship in the Jr. Middleweight division, a title that is at times used to determine a number one contender, which he is, he up to this point has not faced fighters that some would view as household names. Despite being a mandatory challenger and unbeaten, the task for Hadribeaj, who stands 5’10 will be the same as virtually every Fundora opponent. To get inside the long arms of the champion and try to break down his natural advantages in order to give himself a chance. It is a task that for many has proven to be easier said than done against Fundora, who will enter with a record of 24-1-1, with 16 Knockouts.

Hadribeaj does not seem to be a fighter with the type of punching power that could turn this fight suddenly if needed, but he is undefeated and you simply cannot dismiss a fighter’s chances even though both odds and physics do not seem to be in the challenger’s favor here.

With the first half of October in the books, this observer looks forward to seeing what is in store for the second half and encourages readers to stay tuned for part two of this edition of Jabs & Observations, which will come during the first week of November.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Dubois vs. Wardley 2 takes place on Saturday, October 17th at the O2 Arena in London, England and can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $59.99 or included with a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The card will begin at 11AM ET/8AM PT with free to watch preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

Fundora vs. Hadribeaj takes place on Saturday, October 17th at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its undercard can be seen worldwide on DAZN and will be available to both standard and Ultimate tier subscribers beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Cards and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, to subscribe or to order Dubois-Wardley 2 separately, please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Can Whitaker Continue Climb Up Light-Heavyweight Ranks Against Wallace?

 

One of the things about covering the sport of Boxing and by extension combat sports as a whole that this observer personally enjoys is having the opportunity to see fighters at various stages in their careers. In the technological age we are presently in, it often allows such observation and in my case, coverage of a fighter to begin at the early stages of one's career where you are looking to see what fighters have the potential to become legitimate prospects as they move towards trying to become a contender with the eventual goal to fight for a world championship. The climb for such fighters up the ladder of contention can vary and in a sport where there are multiple avenues for a fighter to get into position to challenge for a world title, it can often come down to what opportunities are available and when. 

A fighter that appears to be on the cusp of fighting for a world title in the not too distant future is undefeated Light-Heavyweight contender Ben Whitaker. Whitaker, a native of West Bromwich, England, turned pro in 2022 after winning a Silver medal in the delayed 2020 Olympics in the summer of 2021 and like many fighters who have been able to benefit from the exposure and prestige the Olympics carry, he has been able to rise up the rankings quickly in beginning his career unbeaten in thirteen professional fights with twelve wins, nine of those wins coming by knockout, and one draw and has been rated number two in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Light-Heavyweight ratings. While still having a somewhat limited resume as a professional, Whitaker would appear as though he might be on the short list of potential world title challengers as 2027 nears. Before any discussion of Whitaker possibly fighting for a world title can occur, he will take the next step in his career when he faces top Light-Heavyweight contender Conor Wallace on October 3rd at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England in a twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

What this fight boils down to is simply two top contenders nearing a world title opportunity, each taking a gamble by facing each other, with both likely looking at a win over the other as the catalyst to earn that opportunity. Much like Whitaker, Wallace has gone from highly touted prospect to highly rated contender and also shares the similarity of being rated number two in the world in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, with his ranking being recognized by the International Boxing Federation (IBF). Although the process of how fighters are rated and the various policies and procedures of Boxing’s five major sanctioning organizations can at times be a source of confusion and often the subject of criticism and ridicule, the positive in this instance is two highly rated contenders are choosing to face each other rather than sit on their respective ranking and wait for a title shot to come to them. While it is a high-risk scenario for both fighters, it also offers potentially a high reward as well. The similarities between the two fighters do not end with their similar rankings.

Both fighters have similar records as Wallace has seventeen wins in eighteen professional fights. The one blemish for Wallace came in April 2021 when he lost a close majority decision to Emilio Leti for the Australian Light-Heavyweight championship.Since that fight, Wallace has rebounded to win his last ten bouts including a knockout of Leti in their November 2022 rematch. Wallace will enter this bout with a 17-1, with 12 Knockouts record.

Despite the similarity of the two fighters; records, rankings, and being at a similar stage in their careers, Wallace does have more experience and in addition to being a former Australian Light-Heavyweight champion, he has also won regional titles recognized by both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) respectively. Though regional championships in Professional Boxing are used as a vehicle to elevate a fighter into the world title picture, in this case it does indicate a fighter’s experience going into a fight like this.

The question here is whether Wallace will be able to use some of that slight experience to his advantage. To this point in Whitaker’s pro career he has not been tested, despite holding regional belts of his own in the division recognized by both the WBC and IBF. What Whitaker does have, however, is a significant pedigree that he earned in the amateurs that largely puts the onus on whether an opponent will be able to provide a stern test at this point in his career or if a test will come when if/when he gets an opportunity to challenge for a world championship. 

With the top of the Light-Heayweight division currently ruled by current world champions Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez, this fight could amount to an unofficial elimination bout to determine who will be the next opponent for either Bivol or Benavidez.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Whitaker vs. Wallace takes place on Saturday, October 3rd at the Utilita Arena in Manchester, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN available to both Standard and Ultimate subscribers beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card that will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

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

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Downright Ugly: Cruz-Bravo

 

The Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA filled with enthusiastic fight fans on September 19th to witness what was in many ways, a world title elimination bout in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Jr. Welterweight ratings as top contender and former world title challenger Isaac Cruz met fellow contender Nestor Bravo in a twelve round bout where Interim/Regular champion status with regard to the WBC, a designation held by Cruz would be at stake. Despite this being another fight where Cruz would put his status as a number one mandatory challenger on the line, it did have the look, at least on paper, of what could have been an interesting clash of styles between a short, yet compact and consistent pressure fighter in Cruz and a boxer in Bravo.

True to his moniker, Cruz began this bout the same way as he has the virtually every fight in his career, by pressing forward like a “Pitbull” and putting immediate pressure on Bravo. It would not be long before two things were quickly established in this fight. One, Isaac Cruz did not give his opponent much room to maneuver, and two, this made Nestor Bravo immediately uncomfortable, almost as though he were not prepared to combat Cruz’ constant pressure attack, or simply underestimated how quickly Cruz would be able to implement that strategy.

What resulted was frankly one of the more ugly, and at times confusing encounters in the recent history of Boxing. Just how confusing? In the interest of honesty with the reader, despite the decades of experience this observer has in covering the sport and by extension combat sports as a whole, having seen just about everything one could see on every possible level the sport has to offer from the amateurs, to traditional professional Boxing, to professional Bareknuckle Boxing, this was one of those fights where frankly, my head started to develop quite a headache and I could not determine where to start here. 

This was due to a litany of circumstances that came in such rapid fire succession that it was hard, even in the technological age we are blessed to live in, to determine what should be first to discuss as well as my acknowledgement out front that Referee Thomas Taylor quickly became the central figure of this fight for reasons that he was not at fault for.

We begin with a knockdown of Bravo in round one courtesy of a left hook in which Bravo took Cruz down with him as he was going down to the canvas. From this point onward, things were very ugly as Bravo looked to hold constantly and seemed more intent on grappling with Cruz than trying to compete in an attempt to obtain victory. Perhaps the pressure of Cruz got to him early both from a physical as well as a mental standpoint and he was ill prepared to deal with both dynamics. It was not long before Bravo began flirting with disqualification as he threw Cruz to the canvas in round four and frequently drew the ire of Thomas Taylor to the degree that Taylor in anger physically spun Cruz after grabbing him by the shoulders and ordered him back to his corner after round two. 

While it is not advisable for any referee to physically put their hands on a fighter unless it is a scenario where a referee is trying to stop a fight, it was in some ways understandable given how much holding Bravo was doing and the constant grappling that was occurring. This was followed Taylor admonishing Bravo that if he were disqualified that he would not be paid his purse including warning his corner that if there was a disqualification whether or not Bravo would be paid would be determined by the commission overseeing the bout, which in this case was the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). 

Although as this fight progressed I wondered whether or not this column would end up being more about the situation that evolved between Taylor and Bravo as well as a potential discussion of a referee though justified in his anger and frustration, potentially overstepping the bounds of what a referee should say and do in an attempt to regain control of a fight, though I agreed with Taylor as well as how he tried to gain control of what was a downright ugly fight to watch and probably worse from his perspective to officiate, Cruz had other ideas. A short left hook to the jaw sent Bravo down on the canvas in round six and he stayed down for the full ten count. What turned out to be a one punch knockout victory for Cruz essentially made the events that took place throughout the fight a moot point. 

Perhaps the interesting aspect that emerged from this fight was not that Isaac Cruz maintained his number one ranking in the WBC’s Jr. Welterweight ratings, or that he would appear at least in theory to be in position to challenge the winner of the upcoming WBC World Jr. Welterweight championship fight between newly crowned champion Dalton Smith and top contender Alberto Puello on October 24th in Sheffield, England, but rather Cruz choosing to call out WBC World Welterweight champion Ryan Garcia. Garcia recently made a statement in his first title defense by scoring a second round knockout of top contender Conor Benn on September 14th. What makes this interesting is Cruz would presumably move up seven pounds to 147lbs. to make that fight and challenge Garcia. When one considers that Isaac Cruz is a short, but compact fighter standing 5’4 with a 63” reach compared to Garcia, who stands nearly 5’10 and would have a near seven inch reach advantage, at minimum it would create an interesting clash of styles as Cruz is used to facing fighters taller and longer than him, but the question will likely be if he can be effective in a heavier weight class after spending his career as a Jr. Welterweight. If the fight happens, he would be one of the shorter Welterweights on record or at least one that will at minimum test the waters of the Welterweight division. 

While his call out of Garcia is no doubt in part financially driven as Garcia has evolved into one of the top fighters in the sport that commands top paydays due to a sizable fanbase, Cruz should keep in mind, despite Garcia spending the early part of his career also in the Jr. Welterweight division, he also is a naturally bigger man and as glorious as the history of the division has been, there have been several dominant Jr. Welterweights, who found the Welterweight division to be a step too far. Most notably, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. Whether Cruz makes the attempt to challenge Garcia remains to be seen, but it will no doubt be a hot ticket draw if it were to happen and would likely be one of the more interesting fights that could be made on paper in the sport. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth”

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Cruz-Bravo Preview

 On Saturday, September 19th, top Jr. Welterweight contender and former world title challenger Isaac Cruz will return to the ring to take on fellow top contender Nestor Bravo in a scheduled twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. The bout, which will take place at the Pechanga Arena, in San Diego, CA will be for Interim/Regular champion status in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Jr. Welterweight ratings, a designation currently held by Cruz as the WBC’s top contender in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. 

Fighters are often known by their nicknames. Cruz’ style fits his moniker perfectly. “Pitbull.” Known for a relentless come forward pressure style, Cruz has endeared himself to Boxing fans for having a fan-friendly style as well as his willingness to fight anyone in and around the Jr. Welterweight division. In his last fight, Cruz was held to a controversial draw against former world champion Lamont Roach in a fight that some felt should have gone Roach’s way. It served as the latest chapter in what has been a hard luck career for Cruz as he has also found himself on the wrong end of decisions that many felt should have gone his way. The draw nevertheless allowed Cruz to maintain his position as the top WBC Jr. Welterweight contender and in a prime position to either challenge current WBC World Lightweight champion Dalton Smith. 

On this occasion, Cruz will face fellow top contender Nestor Bravo. Bravo will enter this fight with a record of 25-1, with 15 Knockouts and is a former North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Jr. Welterweight champion. Bravo’s one career defeat came in a split decision to veteran Xolisani Ndongeni in March of last year. Bravo was able to get back in the ring and score a knockout win in his last fight in January of this year when he scored a second round knockout of Pedro Campa at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

This fight is a case where one fighter, Bravo, suffered one setback when he stepped up in caliber of opposition and while one loss does not define a fighter, he will be taking an even steeper step up by facing Cruz, who will enter this encounter with a record of 28-3-2, with 18 Knockouts, that has fought a higher level of competition in his career and has held his own against them including against fighters like Lamont Roach, Rolando Romero, and Gervonta Davis. On this basis, it is understandable how some might view Bravo as an underdog going into this bout. 

What this encounter will come down to in my eyes is virtually the same question that is asked prior to every Isaac Cruz opponent, How will Nestor Bravo contend with the constant pressure Cruz will bring and more specifically, can he do so for twelve rounds and be able to control the tempo of the combat as well. Although Cruz is not known for his punching power, he has been able to gradually break opponents down and the fight plan for him will be to cut off the ring, try to limit Bravo’s movement, and look to establish an attack to Bravo’s body, which has led to success for him in the past. Whether or not such an approach will be successful for him in this fight remains to be seen. 

Obviously, the main goal here for these two boxers beyond attempting to get another victory for their careers is obviously trying to secure an opportunity to challenge Dalton Smith for the WBC Jr. Welterweight world championship. Whether or not that would be more streamlined of a process for the winner of this fight seeing as the promoter of this fight, the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters recently began a worldwide broadcast agreement with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and DAZN also has on its ever increasing stable of promoters, which also includes promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, the current promoter of Smith, also remains to be seen. With a significant majority of the sport’s major promoters now firmly aligned under one global broadcast platform, one can hope that it will lead to more streamlined approaches in making sure fights of not only significant interest get made in a more timely manner than has been the norm for decades, but in this case where a mandatory challenger might be able to get their opportunity to fight for a world title sooner than is typically the norm. If that indeed were to happen, it’s a win for the sport and a significant step forward in the right direction.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth/”

Cruz vs. Bravo takes place on Saturday, September 19th at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, CA. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT and is available to both standard and DAZN Ultimate subscribers as part of a subscription. 

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Labor Day Weekend 2026 Thoughts

 Labor Day weekend 2026 featured two stars of the sport of Boxing at distinctly different stages of their careers. First up on September 4th, it was former unified World Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz returning to the ring for the first time in two years to face Heavyweight contender Damian Knyba at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Whenever a fighter, whether notable for their accomplishments or not inside the ring, returns from a long absence, the subject of inactivity is always a topic of discussion.

In that what will the effect of the inactivity have on the fighter when they step back into active competition? For Andy Ruiz, it proved to be both a combination of both inactivity as well as Knyba’s taller height and eighty six inch reach. From the opening bell, the 6’7 Knyba kept the 6’2 Ruiz on the outside with his longer arms and consistent jab. This proved to be the story of the fight as Knyba was able to keep Ruiz at distance and only able to land his punches sporadically. Though this is not the most entertaining approach from a fan’s perspective, when executed properly where a fighter knows how to use their physical attributes to their advantage, it is effective. Despite the formulaic pace of the fight, which consisted of Ruiz coming forward, often being hit with jabs and right hands as he tried to get on the inside, and Knyba moving laterally to maintain a distance where he could maintain control of the combat, Knyba nearly ended the fight in the seventh round with a 1-2 combination that set off a brutal barrage of punches that badly hurt Ruiz and sent him down to the canvas. 

Ruiz was able to beat the count on very unsteady legs, but Knyba had come within mere seconds of scoring a stoppage of the former world champion. With Ruiz being able to survive the round, it may have been logical to see Knyba become more aggressive in perhaps thinking he may have been able to force a stoppage on a still vulnerable Ruiz, but what stood out here was the discipline Knyba showed in maintaining his advantage, sticking to what had proven to be an effective strategy, and not allowing himself to be over aggressive in pursuing a knockout victory. To his credit, Ruiz did show an ability to recover from circumstances where he appeared to be out on his feet and did have some periodic success in the later rounds, but it was not enough to turn things in his favor as Knyba boxed his way to a wide twelve round unanimous decision victory.

As impressive and workmanlike as Knyba’s performance in this fight was, the story here coming out of this fight is what does the future look like for Andy Ruiz? Following the fight, this observer commented on social media in giving credit to Ruiz for his ability to survive nearly being stopped in the seventh round, but noted that inactivity is truly a silent killer for combat athletes. Ruiz, who had previously been aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, like many fighters who have fought under the PBC banner, had seen his activity in how often he competes decline as the PBC has seen its schedule of events also decline in recent years. It is true that prior to this fight and loss to Damian Knyba, Andy Ruiz had fought only three times in the last seven years. 

Although it is not uncommon in the present day in the sport of Boxing to see fighters who are considered elite-level and/or stars of the sport to only compete once or twice in a calendar year, if nothing else due to the economics for fighters in that position having significantly improved per fight as compared to previous eras of the sport, the trade-off often to not competing as often is over time inactivity takes its toll and skills, reflexes, and reaction time tend to diminish due to both age and inactivity. For his part, the thirty-seven year old Ruiz, who is now competing under promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, has said he intends to continue his career. The benefit for Ruiz is he will likely be offered fights in a more frequent timeframe than had been the case previously in his career. What it will come down to is whether Ruiz is committed to what could be a lengthy rebuild process due to this setback to Knyba and whether he will stay the course even if he were to suffer another setback down the road. Ruiz still has name recognition clout and that will help him get opportunities, but he needs to stay active and make the most of whatever opportunities are presented to him if he is to continue his career as name recognition on its own will not be enough to get another opportunity at a world title if he does not stay active and does not score a few wins against fighters that range from fringe to legitimate contenders. The primary thing if Ruiz wants to continue his career will be to recover from the toll this fight took on him and stay active moving forward.

On September 5th, the focus of the Boxing world shifted to Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland where future Hall of Famer Katie Taylor fulfilled a lifelong dream to fight in the legendary stadium for her final fight in defense of her unified WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship to face undefeated IBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Flora Pili for the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world championship. While the main story of this fight was the final chapter of Katie Taylor’s groundbreaking and incredible career, the other part of this story was the event itself in that this fight was the main event in a stadium that was filled with 82,000 spectators, something that had never been done before for a fight in Woman’s Boxing, and served as another accolade for Taylor following her participating in the first two women’s fights to main event the main arena inside of Madison Square Garden in her career.

As she has done for virtually her entire career, Taylor put forth a masterclass performance from the opening bell using lateral movement, compact combination punching, and when necessary, counter punching to out box Pili over ten rounds to score a wide ten round unanimous decision to become an undisputed champion for the third time in her career following previously accomplishing the feat in the Lightweight division and previously doing it as a Jr. Welterweight as well. 

Although yours truly is on record in saying following the conclusion of Taylor’s trilogy with Amanda Serrano in 2025 that there was nothing more either of the two legends and future Hall of Famers had to prove in their respective careers inside the ring, this fight, which was likely the only scenario Taylor would return to the ring for in being able to make history and fulfill her dream of fighting in Croke Park, along with the dominant performance she put forth, proved to be the ultimate storybook ending for a truly great fighter who broke ground for female fighters both in her native Ireland as well as worldwide as she was one of the fighters in the most recent era that was able to elevate pay for her fellow fighters through her success inside the ring and it will be future generations of female fighters who will be able to benefit more from what fighters like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Cecilia Braekhus, Jessica McCaskill, Claressa Shields, and many others have been able to accomplish both in regard to the pay that is now available to female fighters as well as the position of women’s bouts as often women’s bouts are now featured in main events not just internationally, but also here in the United States, which was not the case in previous eras in the sport.

This is a significant legacy for Taylor to leave and though as there always seems to be in Boxing, there will likely be offers for her to continue her career, which may be enticing depending on the financial incentives, there simply is no other way that she could top what he has done, in both being part of the first two Women’s main events in the history of Madison Square Garden, being victorious in both of those bouts, and being able to headline the first stadium event in which a women’s bout drew 82,000 spectators. Whatever the next chapter of Katie Taylor’s life entails, you simply cannot do much better than what she has accomplished. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

(**North American Start Times Only. Cards and Start Times Subject to Change.**)

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

For more information about TNT including schedules and channel availability on your cable or live TV provider please visit: www.TNTDrama.com. 

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