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

Credit:Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

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

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

BiYu Promotions 

lightweight contender

 Eridson Garcia 

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

Alan Chaves 

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

IBF International 

and 

WBO Latino Lightweight 

titles at the 

Prudential Center 

in 

Newark, New Jersey

.

The event was promoted by 

Matchroom Boxing

, broadcast live on 

DAZN 

in the

 United Kingdom 

and 

TNT 

in the United States.

Entering the bout as a 

7-1 underdog

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

99-87, 99-88 

and

 98-88

, all in favor of Garcia.

Credit: Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

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

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

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

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

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

Coach Rene Vazquez

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

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

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

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

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

Bobby Harrison, President 

of

 BiYu Promotions

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

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

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

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

Credit:  Zachariah Delgado / Matchroom Boxing 

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

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

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

Hrgovic Makes Boxing History

On August 29th, the Boxing world converged on the O2 Arena in London, England to witness the crowning of a new IBF World Heavyweight champion, as the broader picture of the Heavyweight division continues heading towards a period of transition following former longtime champion Oleksandr Usyk choosing to relinquish the world championships he held in the division, choosing to focus his attention on what he says will be his final fight against an unarmed opponent before retirement. This has created several vacancies in the division that are gradually being filled with new world champions.

It was on this occasion that the world championship of the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) would be on the line and a new champion would be crowned. The element of the politics of the sport of Boxing aside, there was also history that would be made beyond the crowning of a new world champion. It would either be the crowning of the youngest British Heavyweight champion in Boxing history in Moses Itauma, or the first Croatian to be a World Heavyweight champion in Filip Hrgovic. 

Despite the historical implications that surrounded this fight regardless of the outcome minus the possibility of it being declared a draw, some had an expectation that this would be a coronation of bigger significance. This was due to the twenty-one year old Itauma not only attempting to become the youngest World Heavyweight champion in British Boxing history, but attempting to become the second youngest fighter to win a World Heavyweight title in history overall, surpassing Floyd Patterson and only behind the current record holder Mike Tyson, who became the youngest World Heavyweight champion in Boxing history nearly forty years ago as a twenty year old prodigy when he knocked out WBC world champion Trevor Berbick in November 1986.

Much like Tyson, Itauma established himself on a reputation of scoring quick and often brutal knockouts as he approached this world title opportunity against Hrgovic. Unlike Tyson, however, who entered his fight against Berbick with a record of 27-0, with 25 Knockouts, Itauma had only fourteen professional fights going into this encounter. Despite the difference between Tyson and Itauma in terms of experience prior to fighting for a world title, some compared him with the former two-time world champion and Hall of Famer based largely on the similarity in how both compiled knockouts on the way towards that milestone.

In fairness to Itauma, for a significant portion of this fight, it looked as though it was assured that he was going to etch his name right besides Tyson in the record book of Boxing history as he administered a beating to Hrgovic including scoring a knockdown of him in the second round when Hrgovic’s glove touched the canvas following being hit with a short hook to the head. For much of the bout,  the thirty-three year old Hrgovic was slow and seemed a bit reluctant to let his hands go and to engage with his younger opponent in exchanges. 

Round after round, Itauma continued to dish out punishment. As I watched the fight as it was taking place, there were two thoughts that ran through my mind. One, it was frankly a one-sided contest and I wondered if it would get to a point where either Hrgovic’s corner or Referee Howard Foster might stop the fight to prevent him from further punishment, despite Hrgovic showing a granite chin throughout. Two, though I certainly did not agree with the strategy, if there was one due to the beating he was talking with not much defense, I wondered aloud as to whether or not, Hrgovic was attempting to make Itauma punch himself out.

It is important to remember, despite the comparison to Mike Tyson and the touted praise that had been placed upon him, Moses Itauma had never been extended into the deep waters of a fight, otherwise known as the middle and late rounds, and had not been pushed to a distance close to the twelve round world championship distance in his career. In contrast, Mike Tyson was forced to go ten rounds against James “Quick” Tillis earlier in 1986 before facing Berbick for the WBC world championship. The combination of length of overall experience as well as never having gone beyond six rounds before was something to consider for Itauma.

Fatigue began to become visible in that though he was winning the fight clearly on points, Itauma’s offensive output began to subtly decline as the fight progressed. Whether it was due to the resistance of Hrgovic being able to withstand whatever Itauma was able to throw at him or an expectation of Itauma and his camp that the fight would not go into the middle and late rounds, by round seven there were signs that Itauma, though still in control of the fight, was beginning to slip.

Although Itauma was continuing to come forward and pressing the action, the steam behind his punches were noticeably less as the fight moved beyond the sixth round. In round eight, Itauma briefly stunned Hrgovic with a right hand from the southpaw stance that led to Itauma pressing the issue and throwing punches with knockout intention. This amounted to what would turn out to be a last gasp for Itauma as in round nine, he began throwing punches wildly. It is worth noting that it was also in the ninth round that Hrgovic did something he had not done in the contest up to that point. He was now the one coming forward and forcing the issue. The change in tempo combined with obvious exhaustion of Itauma led to Hrgovic landing some shots while Itauma continued to flail his punches, which at point did not have much on them and struggled to stay on his feet. The combination of all the above ultimately led to Hrgovic landing a few more shots before both Referee Howard Foster, who stepped in and Itauma’s corner simultaneously threw the towel in to stop the fight as Itauma collapsed in a neutral corner.

An unlikely come from behind victory for Filip Hrgovic that makes him not only a World Heavyweight champion, but the first Croatian-born World Heavyweight champion in Boxing history. While some may dismiss that accomplishment, at the end of the day, Filip Hrgovic did what he had to do and was able to walk away with the IBF world championship. 

As there always seems to be in Boxing, particularly in the era we presently live in where there are no shortage of opinions and reactions, some were critical of Itauma and responded online with mocking laughter at this setback. While this observer is known for calling out such conduct in pointing out how some choose to allow fandom to cloud their judgement and thus engage in conduct, particularly online that they might not otherwise engage in, after covering this fight, I immediately began to think of another scenario where a highly touted prospect/contender had a misstep in a similar way as Itauma had in this fight. One fight came to mind. 

In May 1984 at the Wembley Arena, also in London, England, another Heavyweight who was seemingly on a fast-track towards a world title, Frank Bruno entered the ring to do battle with James “Bonecrusher” Smith in a ten round bout. Though not for a world title, at the time of the bout Bruno had won all twenty of his professional fights up to that point, with all those wins coming by knockout. Smith entered the encounter largely unknown at that time, but entered with a 13-1, with 12 Knockouts. 

Similar to Itauma-Hrgovic, Bruno dominated the fight from the opening bell forcing the action and winning every round. In the tenth and final round, Bruno, fighting fatigue, found himself trapped on the ropes by Smith as the fighter known as “Bonecrusher” unleashed a barrage of hard punches that ultimately put Bruno down on the canvas. Bruno was unable to beat the count, Smith had scored a come from behind knockout win that would ultimately lead to him challenging for a world title later in 1984. Both Bruno and Smith would eventually become world champions during their respective careers and become cornerstones of the Heavyweight division in the 1980s and 1990s.

While not intended as a direct comparison by yours truly, it does serve as an example as to how one fight should not label a fighter and how one setback should be viewed as a bump in the road over the course of a career, not a career-ender. For his part, Itauma, who left the ring on a stretcher following being stopped by Hrgovic due to a claimed leg injury by promoter Frank Warren as well as likely exhaustion, was gracious in defeat saying he lost to a more experienced man and saying he will be back. 

One should keep in mind that in Boxing and by extension combat sports, anything can happen at any given time and that especially holds true when discussing Heavyweights. Although it would not surprise me to see Itauma go back to the drawing board and look to get a few wins under his belt in 2027 before trying to challenge for a world title again and perhaps a rematch with Hrgovic, he is after all only twenty-one years old, he has nothing but time to bounce back and if he can do so and make the necessary adjustments, this loss to Filip Hrgovic will be a chapter rather than the conclusion of his story.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Zayas-Ennis Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, region specific pricing for your area, to subscribe to DAZN Ultimate or to order this pay-per-view event separately please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Chris Billam-Smith Stops Rozicki In Cruiserweight Brawl

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Wardley-Dubois Preview

The month of May 2026 in the sport of Boxing will be in some ways bookended by two World Heavyweight championship fights. While the fact that one has to say two world championship fights rather than one so soon after the division was fully unified by the unbeaten Oleksandr Usyk for a second time in his career last summer and the breaking of the Undisputed championship did not come as a result of Usyk’s retirement or being defeated where a new champion chose to relinquish portions of the title, being more of a reflection of the political aspects of the sport, not serving to its benefit, the two bouts will no doubt generate buzz. 

First on the schedule, and the subject of this column, will take place on May 9th in London, England where undefeated WBO World Heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley will defend his title for the first time against the man Usyk stopped last summer to fully unify the title for the second time, former IBF World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at the Co-Op Live Arena in London, England in a bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as part of an Ultimate subscription plan or as a standalone pay-per-view option. While this coincidentally brings together two fighters, one a current world champion and one a former world champion, who each became champion as mandatory challengers who were named champion after Usyk was stripped of respective  portions of the World Heavyweight championship, if one takes the political aspects out of the equation, this is one of the best fights that could be made currently in the whole Heavyweight division.

The reason for that is that both Wardley and Dubois are “Knockout Artists” who each have a career knockout percentage of over 95%. A statistic that should be concerning to the representation of potential opponents throughout the division, but one that should be mouth watering to both the hardcore enthusiast as well as the casual fan. Simply put, these are two fighters that have knockout intention with nearly every punch they throw and a fight between two fighters like this could be as close to a guarantee as possible that it is not likely to go the distance.

What is of interest to this observer as this world championship bout approaches largely centers on the challenger. Dubois was knocked out for the second time in his last outing in his rematch with Olelsandr Usyk and though you are not likely to see too many fighters, and to be more specific, the management of those combatants passing on the opportunity to fight for a world title given both the stature a world championship carries, as well as the lucrative purses that are often attached to those opportunities, some might question the wisdom of jumping back into a world title fight immediately after a knockout loss. Although likely seen as a gamble, Dubois has proven in the past that he can rebound from a setback and should be viewed as dangerous for however long this fight lasts having scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-two career wins. 

In the opposite corner, the undefeated champion Fabio Wardley boasts nineteen career knockouts in twenty-one professional fights with only a March 2024 draw when the then British Heavyweight champion was held to a standstill in his bout against Frazer Clarke, which he avenged via first round knockout later that year. Recently, Wardley’s fights have followed a similar pattern. When he fought the then unbeaten Justis Huni in June of last year, he was being out boxed and seemed at times to be on the verge of being stopped due to fatigue before he was able to score a knockout of Huni in the tenth round. Wardley found himself in essentially the same position in his last bout where he was being outworked by former WBO World Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker before he was able to stop him in the eleventh round.

In this instance some may suggest that given both champion and challenger are come forward “Knockout Artists” that we are not likely to see this fight go into the middle and late rounds. Despite that perception and Wardley’s track record of being able to pull off come from behind knockouts later in fights, it will be interesting to see if some efforts have been made to address the issue of fatigue if this fight does extend into the later rounds. Both fighters are certainly aware of what the other can do and that could likely set up a scenario where one or both are a bit tentative early in the fight out of respect and not wanting to overly commit too early. 

Beyond a piece of the World Heavyweight championship being at stake of course is the chance to eventually try to fully unify the title. Fabio Wardley is looking to establish his reign as a world champion. Daniel Dubois is looking to become champion once again. When you have two fighters with the type of punching power both of these men have, there is not much more that needs to be said and it is simply time to watch them do battle in what could be an explosive World Heavyweight championship fight.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Wardley vs. Dubois takes place on Saturday, May 9th at the Co-Op Live Arena in London, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view for $59.99 or as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan for $44.99 per month. (*North American Prices Only.*) The broadcast will begin at 1:30 PM ET/10:30AM 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, to order this event or to subscribe or upgrade your subscription to DAZN Ultimate please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Opetaia-Glanton Thoughts

The fight between Jai Opetaia and Brandon Glanton on March 8th at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, NV was one that could be described as one of the hottest rising stars in the sport going against a top contender, who may eventually also be considered among the best in Boxing, that shined a light on the often lightly regarded and consistently lacking name recognition, Cruiserweight division. A synopsis that frankly did not need controversy.

For the unbeaten Opetaia, however, the fight would have such a shadow of controversy as the fighter, recognized by both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and Ring Magazine as World Cruiserweight champion, would see the IBF withhold sanctioning of the bout two days before it took place due to what it felt was a lack of respect by the promoter Zuffa Boxing, who is attempting to establish it's own world championships for fights held under its banner in an attempt to establish Unified Boxing Organizations (UBO’s). A format that seems to mirror that of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) that has in itself created controversy for its proposed changes to the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. While the broader subject is one that requires its own column, and perhaps a series of columns to go over everything that it entails, what it meant for this fight was that only the vacant Zuffa World Cruiserweight championship along with Opetaia’s recognition from Ring Magazine would be on the line and the IBF would strip the champion of its world championship for competing in an unsanctioned contest.

The ugliness of the politics that be in the sport of Boxing aside, what would take place in the ring was a superb performance by a potentially great fighter. From the opening bell, Opetaia used his footwork and angles to consistently beat Glanton to the punch. Glanton, who applied constant pressure on Opetaia from the outset was unable to successfully cut the ring off and minimize Opetaia’s movement for a sustained period of time as the fighter known for his ability to score devastating knockouts, put round after round in the bank by frequently landing left hands from the southpaw stance and mixing in combinations. 

Although some would say that the only thing missing from Opetaia’s performance in this fight was a knockout, the ability to show there is more to his skillset than just punching power, being made to use his movement more than had been the case previously in his career, and dominate a determined opponent, who never took a backwards step was impressive in winning a wide and convincing twelve round unanimous decision victory and becoming the first world champion under the Zuffa Boxing banner. Despite the controversy regarding the IBF prior to the bout, Opetaia celebrated his victory with his IBF belt prominently displayed.

While one would think there will be much more to come in terms of established sanctioning organizations and Zuffa Boxing that might see the battleground go from the Boxing ring to the courtroom, one can only hope that Zuffa’s goal is not ultimately to phase out the existing standards in which Boxing has been governed for decades and all of the above will realize there are more benefits to collaboration than being enemies. If everyone involved does indeed have the same goal, to help elevate and grow the sport.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Jack-Mikaeljan II Thoughts

The rematch between WBC World Cruiserweight champion Badou Jack and the man whom he took the title from in May of this year Noel Mikaeljan, on December 13th in Los Angeles, CA at Ace Mission Studios was one that was rooted in controversy. Controversy in what led to the immediate mandated rematch ordered by the WBC in what was a controversial majority decision victory for Jack in the first fight, which subsequently led to bad blood between the fighters and their respective camps.

What would occur when the two fighters squared off for the second time can be described as lopsided and at times ugly. From the opening bell it was the former champion Mikaeljan taking the initiative and bringing the fight to the forty-two year old former two-division world champion,who was now in his second reign as WBC World Cruiserweight champion. One thing that was immediately noticeable was Mikaeljan consistently came forward and frequently found a home for his right hand. Though the punches he was able to land were solid and he was able yo briefly stun the champion with qcjab in the early going, Jack was able to take the punches well.

Mikaeljan’s approach, however, did succeed in keeping Jack from being able to find a consistent rhythm. The champion’s ability to land body shots gradually made things close and competitive, but from the perspective of this observer, Mikaeljan’s tempo, initiating the combat, and getting the best of most of the exchanges were enough to edge most of the rounds. 

In round seven, Jack would land his best punch of the entire fight when he connected with a flush right hand to the jaw that sent sweat flying off Mikaeljan's face and frankly had the sound that resembled a gun going off. Despite this, Mikaeljan did not flinch and kept pressing forward from a shot that would have likely dropped many fighters. Mikaeljan’s display of a granite chin, however, would not prevent him from being penalized a point later in the round for holding and hitting Jack on the inside as the combat gradually became ugly with both fighters implementing not so legal tactics when fighting in close. 

Although he seemingly was given a leg up in a fight that seemed to be getting away from him with his opponent being penalized a point, that perk would be taken away from Jack in the closing seconds of round eight when he hit Mikaeljan on the break as Referee Jerry Cantu, who was officiating his final fight as a referee after twenty-six years and nearly six hundred bouts as a referee was attempting to separate the fighters. This resulted in a near riot at the end of the round as both fighters continued throwing punches and tensions between their camps nearly boiled over into a near melee.

After a brief delay to both settle things down and likely to confer with the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) to see if a disqualification was warranted on either side, the fight continued. At this point in the fight both fighters were fighting the effects of fatigue as both began to be a bit sloppy with their offense, but the tempo that had been established early on in the bout did not change and Mikaeljan would ultimately regain his title via a convincing twelve round unanimous decision.

Despite the ugly scene at the end of the eighth round, the two fighters did embrace after the conclusion of the bout and Jack was humble in a post-fight interview in saying that it was Mikaeljan’s night and he was the better man. When questioned about a potential third fight, Jack appeared to suggest that he would be heading toward retirement as the former 2008 Olympian and world champion in the Super-Middleweight and Cruiserweight divisions said he had a great career.

As for the now two-time WBC World Cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaeljan, if a third fight with Jack is not in the pipeline, and based on both what he said after his loss and body language, it appears as though Jack may be entertaining life after Boxing after this fight, Mikaeljan could look to attempt to unify the title and the top fighter in the view of many in the Cruiserweight division currently is the unbeaten IBF World Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who recently scored an eighth round knockout in a title defense on December 6th in his native Australia of Huseyin Cinkara.

The long-standing perception of the Cruiserweight division is it is void of the type of interest and consistent publicity/coverage that is normally afforded to other weight classes throughout the sport. With Opetaia having established himself as a crowd pleasing knockout artist and with Mikaeljan’s come forward, volume punching style, it would make sense to make that fight to hopefully keep the spotlight focused on the division and  likely a good payday for both parties.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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UPDATE: Lara Now To Defend WBA World Middleweight Championship Against Gonzalez

In a follow-up to a previous story we have been following here on The Boxing Truth®, it has been announced per Ring Magazine that WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will now defend his title against Johan Gonzalez.  As previously reported here on the website, Lara was to face unbeaten unified WBO/IBF World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly in a unification bout, but Alimkhanuly ha been pulled from the fight due to testing positive for a banned substance. As of this writing, it remains unclear as to Alimkhanuly’s status with regard to both the WBO and IBF as each respective organization’s current World Middleweight champion. 

Lara, (31-3-3, with 19 Knockouts) will now defend his title against Gonzalez, (36-4, with 34 Knockouts) who is stepping in in a little less than four days notice to challenge Lara, and who is not currently rated in the top ten in the World Boxing Association’s Middleweight ratings. Lara vs. Gonzalez will take place on the undercard of the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach bout that will be broadcast on Prime Video pay-per-view on Saturday, December 6th in San Antonio, TX. We will continue to update readers on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

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BREAKING: WBO Statement Regarding Janibek Alimkhanuly

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has released an official statement through its website and social media channels following it's World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly testing positive for a banned substance ahead of his scheduled unification bout with WBA World Middleweight champion Erislandy Lara on the undercard of the Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach pay-per-view card scheduled for Saturday night in San Antonio, TX. As of this writing, the International Boxing Federation (IBF), whose World Middleweight championship Janibek Alimkhanuly also holds, has not released a statement regarding the situation. The WBO’s official statement can be read below.

Credit: WBO

As of this writing, the scheduled bout where the WBO, IBF, and WBA World Middleweight championships would be on the line, remains on as scheduled. We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

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