35 Years Later: Sons of Legends To Resume Rivalry In The Ring

In the 1990’s in the Middleweight and Super-Middleweight divisions, there was perhaps no more bitter rivalry than the one between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr., two world champions, who would go on to become legends, Hall of Famers and in terms of the Boxing hotbed of the United Kingdom, two of the most dominating British fighters of their era. Like many great rivalries, there was demand for the two to meet and once they did, no shortage of debate as to who had the upper hand. 

In their first fight in November 1990, Eubank became a world champion by stopping Benn in nine rounds to win the WBO World Middleweight championship in a fight where the fighters were separated by only one point on all three official scorecards. A classic encounter in every sense of the term. Three years later, the two would meet again in October 1993, this time in the Super-Middleweight division where the two, at the time both world champions holding the WBO and WBC world titles respectively, fought to a hotly disputed split decision draw in front of over 47,000 spectators in Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England.

Despite the close competition in two fights and seemingly the ideal conditions for a third encounter given the draw and the public support for a third bout between the two, it was not to be, but the rivalry has remained all these years. Fast forward thirty-five years from their first encounter and the names Eubank and Benn are as much a focal point today in 2025 as they were back then in the sport. Only now the rivalry and hostiles have spread to the offspring of those legends.

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn. Like his father before him, Chris Eubank Jr. has become a two-division world champion in both the Middleweight and Super-Middleweight divisions. Conor Benn meanwhile appeared to be on a fast track towards a world title shot in the 147lb. Welterweight division. Originally, the two were to meet in 2022, but the fight was cancelled following Benn testing positive for a banned substance, which ultimately resulted in a lengthy legal battle between the undefeated fighter and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), who suspended him, which in turn led to a lengthy absence from in ring competition. All the while, both hostiles and accusations between the two fighters and their camps have only continued.

Benn  was able to return to the ring in 2023 and 2024 in two fights held in the United States while he fought for his license to be reinstated in the United Kingdom. With that license officially reinstated, both fighters are now able to renew their focus as they will finally meet on Saturday, April 26th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a fight that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

Without getting into the issue of what led to the fight between these two fighters falling apart just days before it was to take place three years ago, a subject that has been discussed seemingly everyday since throughout the sport and something which Benn has always maintained his innocence, this fight brings together a unique scenario, assuming that it will take place this time. 

What makes this particular fight unique? It is not the first time that offsprings of great fighters have met in the ring, both male and female, but what makes this a bit different is unlike their fathers before them who were competing in the same divisions when they fought those two fights, Conor Benn will be moving up two weight divisions to the 160lb. Middleweight division and Chris Eubank Jr. will be coming down eight pounds from the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division to make this fight a reality.

While the undefeated Benn fought his last two bouts technically as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight, this is a circumstance where he will be moving up again to face not only a naturally bigger opponent, but also one with more experience. Although Eubank is the current International Boxing Organization (IBO) World Middleweight champion, he has gone between both Middleweight and Super-Middleweight throughout his career and will have both natural size and height to his advantage. 

Despite Eubank’s status as a current world champion, the twelve round Middleweight bout will not be for the IBO world championship as of this writing. What are we likely to see on fight night? The question here will center on whether Benn will be able to compete effectively as a Middleweight having now jumped up two divisions from where all signs of him challenging for a world championship as a Welterweight.  It was as a Welterweight that Benn scored several highlight reel type of knockouts as he gradually climbed the ranks. While that reputation now has some skepticism attached to it due to the circumstances, which led to the cancellation of this fight the first time it was made three years ago, Benn, like his father before him, has the ability to end a fight with either hand, often in sudden and brutal fashion. Skepticism aside, nearly every non-Heavyweight that is known for their punching power, will eventually have to answer whether that punching power will be as effective and devastating as they move up in weight as it was at a lighter weight. He will be facing a naturally bigger opponent in Chris Eubank Jr. and it will be interesting to see what impact the punching power Benn has will have if he can connect both cleanly and , more than occasionally.

This certainly could prove to be easier said than done given Eubank’s ability to be elusive, attack at varying angles, and his attribute of being able to throw in volume. While a style that may not always be entertaining to watch, it has won Eubank two world championships in his career. 

Given the long history of animosity between the two fighters that goes back to their fathers, the possibility exists that styles of the two fighters will not be part of the equation here and that animosity will lead to both fighters being willing to stand and trade shot for shot with each other. If that were indeed to happen, it could be a toss up as to who will emerge victorious. While such a scenario would be ideal for those who want to see an all-action fight, there is a lot on the line for both Eubank and Benn and it would be wise for both fighters to approach things strategically rather than looking to go toe to toe. Who will win is anyone's guess, but for a fierce rivalry between two Hall of Fame fighters, who were among the best of their era to now see that rivalry continue through their offspring, this observer is looking forward to seeing how this chapter will be written.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Eubank Jr. vs. Benn takes place on Saturday, April 26th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $24.99 beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT (*U.S. Pricing and Times only.*) 

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

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Fury-Usyk: The Wait Was Worth It, But Will Boxing Politics Ruin History?

As this observer reflects on his almost three decades covering Boxing and other combat sports, there are times where I will ponder if an event I covered over that span of time could have been approached from a different angle. It is after all understandable when one writes columns and other forms of content in various mediums day after day, week after week, and yes, year after year, that while one should always stand behind their works and views, much like a film or television director, when one has the benefit to look back years later there may be a feeling that maybe though the work is still good, little tweaks here and there may have made things even better. 

In previewing the encounter between undefeated Heavyweight champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world and one where for the first time in Boxing history, all five major sanctioning organizations would have their respective world championships on the line in a single bout, it was appropriate to go back to the 1990’s for a refresher on what led to the eventual unification of three of five world titles in the division for what was the last time a fighter in the division had the label of undisputed champion in November 1999. What was mentioned by yours truly, who covered the crowning of Lennox Lewis nearly twenty-five years ago, but not really delved into due to the length of that column were the various political aspects in the sport that whether right or wrong in terms of policy, almost immediately devalued what at that point took nearly eight years to accomplish from the last time a fighter had recognition in the division as an undisputed champion in 1992.

While the structure of the sport is something that needs to be respected, which includes world champions fulfilling their mandatory defense obligations on an annual basis, a subject that I became very vocal in criticizing Lewis after his victory over Evander Holyfield in the second of their two fights in 1999, and others throughout the sport for not fulfilling their obligations to defend their world titles against a sanctioning organization’s top contender on the aforementioned annual basis, another question that should be asked is are these organizations, who each have their own policies and procedures, not doing enough to ensure that whatever progress is made, like determining an undisputed champion in a given division by way of unification, is not sabotaged?

Some might recall several years ago in a period that predated the global COVID-19 epidemic, the heads of the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) established an ongoing dialogue, dubbed “Sanctioning Body Summits" to discuss ongoing issues in the sport with the stated intention of trying to make improvements for the betterment of the sport of Boxing. A step forward that was applauded by this observer who encouraged such dialogues to continue so long as progress continued to be made.

Obviously and in the interest of disclosure with the reader, I as a member of the media did not have access to those closed door meetings and the only information I received was the same information that was made public by the respective organizations whenever such meetings would occur. One subject that if I were in a position to moderate such a meeting however, would concern what should be done under circumstances where there is a unified or undisputed champion in the sport to try and ensure as best as possible that the championships stay unified and hopefully only change hands when a champion is defeated in the ring and not by a decision made by a committee in a boardroom.

The reason yours truly brings all of this up is the sport once again has an Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world and unfortunately, it seems as though we as a sport are faced with a similar situation as we did in 1999 after Lewis defeated Holyfield. While it was Lewis, who chose to vacate the WBA championship rather than face it's number one contender John Ruiz, which had been agreed on when the WBC, WBA, and IBF established their respective top contenders, which would have to be fulfilled on a rotating basis by the champion, prior to the first bout between Lewis and Holyfield in March 1999, with Ruiz being first in line, before we go further into the subject of what could be done under those circumstances, we need to discuss what happened when the WBC champion Fury met the WBO/WBA/IBF/IBO champion Usyk on May 18th in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

With many Boxing legends and celebrities in attendance including Lewis, the Boxing world was treated to a truly memorable occasion, not only because of what was on the line, but because of what happened in the ring. Despite being at a natural size and reach disadvantage, it was the shorter Usyk who initiated the combat in this fight by coming forward, forcing the bigger Fury on the back foot and seemingly getting the better of him by beating him to the punch.

In many cases when there is a significant size and reach disparity between two fighters, it is not uncommon to see the fighter that is seemingly at the physical disadvantage try gradually work their way inside by using head movement, lateral movement, and counter punching to get under the longer reach of the naturally bigger fighter to get on the inside where the terms of combat, at least in theory, would seem more favorable. This was a case where Usyk was able to narrow the gap simply by coming forward and applying pressure on Fury.

Usyk was able to win the first four rounds in my mind with this approach in addition to landing the quicker and seemingly more effective punches. As has become customary in many of Fury’s fights, he spent a lot of time doing this period of the fight choosing to showboat, frequently dropping his hands and taunting Usyk, most notably when he was in a corner. 

While clearly this was an attempt to bait Usyk into making a mistake and though there are probably some that found Fury's antics entertaining, the reality is the only thing it did for Fury was waste time and seemingly create a deficit on the scorecards for him to overcome. It was also to put it politely, not a smart approach one should take in the biggest fight of their career. Fury is not the first fighter to make such a miscalculation, and despite the evidence of it being the wrong approach more often than not, will likely not be the last. 

It would be between rounds five and eight that Fury became serious and was able to keep Usyk at distance with his longer reach as well as by getting his punches off first. This not only seemed to narrow the gap on the scorecards, but also created a significant hurdle for Usyk to try to overcome. Despite the clear shift in momentum at this stage of the fight, one thing that impressed me about Usyk was even though he took his share of punches from Fury and showed he could take the bigger fighter’s punch, he also deflected a good portion of Fury's offense by keeping his guard high. While this made him more vulnerable to body shots, which some believe to be a potential weakness for Usyk after being hurt to the body in his previous bout against to contender Daniel Dubios in August of last year, it was an effective strategy. To Usyk's credit, though he appeared to be hurt by hooks to the body in this fight as well at points throughout the fight, he was able to withstand it and kept coming forward. 

Despite the success he seemed to have in the middle rounds, it was also during this period of the bout that Fury appeared to suffer a broken nose. Although yours truly cannot say with certainty what punch may have caused the damage, I believe it may have come in an exchange of punches where Usyk was able to get the better of it. What is indisputable is the blood that began to flow from Fury's nose was a clear indication that it may have indeed been broken, not only due to the flow of blood, but also the fact that almost immediately after it happened, Fury began pawing at his nose every couple of seconds, which not only usually indicates a broken nose in some way, but also the possibility that the blood flow might be making it difficult for the fighter on the receiving end to breathe. 

Upon seeing the frequency in which Fury was pawing at his nose as well as the flow of blood, I wondered aloud as I was watching the fight, whether it would be stopped due to my having covered numerous instances over the years where bouts had been stopped due to various types of nose breaks including those that were seemingly not as obvious due to lack of blood flow coming from the nose. Although the fight would not be stopped because of the obvious injury to Fury's nose, it did cause the ebb and flow to shift back in Usyk's favor. 

This would set the stage for what would be a dramatic ninth round. For it would be late in the round that Usyk would connect with a flush left hook to the head of Fury, which badly staggered him. What would follow would be an assault of unanswered punches that would have Fury badly hurt, almost defenseless, and barely staying on his feet. Finally, Referee Mark Nelson stepped in and ruled a knockdown against Fury as the ropes prevented him from going down under the barrage of punishment. Frankly, under most circumstances like this where a fighter is badly staggered and taking unanswered blows to the degree that Fury was at this stage, the fight is usually stopped.

While Fury benefited from an experienced referee in Nelson making a split second judgment call to step in and rule a knockdown rather than stepping in and stop the fight, a different referee under the same circumstances, who is more cautious of the dangers that come with combat sports in terms of the risk for potential long-term injury or God forbid worse, would have likely stopped the fight. Some may view Nelson's call as controversial, but what a fan should keep in mind is a referee’s primary responsibility is the safety of the fighters, but also the need to make split second decisions under circumstances like this, regardless of what might be on the line in a fight. Mark Nelson is a world-class referee that has officiated many bouts on every level of the sport. Though only he can say what his thought process was, one could assume that he relied on not only his own experience as a referee, but also the knowledge that when put under similar circumstances in his career, Fury has been able to get off the canvas and recover. Thus, and fortunately for Fury, he was given the benefit of the doubt.

The knockdown and judgment call by Nelson however, would nonetheless prove to be the crucial deciding factor in the fight. As he had done several times throughout his career, Fury was able to recover and in the final three rounds of the twelve round world championship bout, was able to make those rounds close and competitive. Unfortunately for Fury, he was unable to score a knockdown of his own, which would have narrowed the impact of the knockdown in the ninth round, resulting in Usyk winning the fight and becoming the Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world via split decision at the conclusion of the bout, with the deciding scorecard being determined by a single point in Usyk’s favor. If Usyk did not score the knockdown in the ninth round, this fight would have ended the same way the first bout between Holyfield and Lewis did in March 1999, in a draw.

With the win, Olekdsndr Usyk puts his stamp on what will be a Hall of Fame career by not only becoming the first fully undisputed champion in Heavyweight history, but also because he also successfully fully unified the Cruiserweight division prior to moving up to Heavyweight, he is the only fighter in Boxing history to have successfully unified both divisions. Now comes the difficult question of what comes next. 

There was a preordained rematch clause for this fight, which would give Fury now an opportunity to try to become a three-time world champion if he wants to invoke it. The problem in terms of what is for the time being the undisputed championship is the IBF has mandated that its top contender, the undefeated Filip Hrgovic, is due for his shot at the title. Hrgovic is due to face former world title challenger Daniel Dubois on June 1st in Saudi Arabia.

Whether Usyk will ask for an extension, assuming that the rematch in Fury has already been confirmed and scheduled or, will agree to face the winner of the Hrgovic-Dubois bout next, assuming Fury wants more time to both recover and decide what he wants to do, is unknown as of this writing. The possibility of Hrgovic-Dubois being the the vacant IBF world championship is very real now if the IBF decides to strip Usyk of it's world title and thus would write a different type of chapter in Boxing history. 

It would mark the shortest period of time that a world championship in any division in the sport was fully unified before a title was stripped by a sanctioning organization from the champion and thus breaking the undisputed distinction. Two weeks…

While it is and should be viewed as a reflection of a sport that more often than not chooses to get in its own way that a possibility like that would even be on the table, it is also the definition of a conundrum and also a potential legal mess. On one hand, the standards of the sport need to and should be respected. World champions should fulfill their obligations. On the other hand, one might question and probably should, why an organization, in this case the IBF, would agree to sanction a fight for an undisputed championship if they were potentially planning to strip whomever the winner was without fourteen days of another bout where its top contender would be competing. Furthermore, why would they agree to sanction the bout knowing that there is a rematch clause of the bout that determined an undisputed champion, if it is indeed their intent to strip their world title from the champion?

Although I often refer to these types of situations and others involving the business side of the sport as “Just Another Day In Boxing Paradise," it is often situations like this which keeps Boxing as a constant subject of ridicule. At minimum, the parties involved here should have a mediation and if a compromise cannot be reached, which would allow Usyk to keep his undisputed championship and for the winner of Hrgovic-Dubois to get their opportunity, I personally cannot see a scenario that would not end up in litigation, which would be costly for all parties involved. A true mess.

While this may be all speculation and Fury might take more time, which would allow Usyk the time to fulfill his obligation and face the winner of Hrgovic-Dubois before the end of 2024 or perhaps early 2025, what could be done to prevent a situation like this in the future? If the dialogue between the sanctioning organizations is still ongoing, this should be priority number one at the next meeting. Though yours truly is not involved, I did come up with a possible idea that could be polished and refined by those who are involved.

Some may recall that prior to 1995 when the unified rules were adopted by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), rules for a given bout were either left to individual state commissions/regulatory boards, and in the case of world title fights, a combination of rules from the various sanctioning organizations involved if it was a bout for a unified or undisputed championship. The adoption of a universal standard of rules, which has in the near three decades since it was introduced, also been implemented by various regulatory boards around the world, cleared up confusion  and has become the standard of how fights are regulated in terms of rules. Perhaps one of these “Summits" of the sanctioning organizations should be used to come up with some sort of consolidation of each respective organization’s procedures/policies as well as potentially a consolidation of rankings structure to be used only in a circumstance where there is an undisputed champion in a given division to try and ensure as best as possible that a championship stays unified as well as ensuring that fighters who earn opportunities to fight for a world title get their opportunity rather than fighting for a vacant title and then having their legitimacy as a world champion questioned and in some cases, not recognized by certain entities involved in the sport including various television networks and some in the media.

For now, this is only an idea from yours truly, but clearly something needs to be done. History should not be temporary and if these sanctioning organizations are truly interested in doing things for the betterment of the sport, it's time to prove it, rather than continuing to put the fighters involved and the sport as a whole in a “No-Win Situation." Boxing deserves better and so do the fighters.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Lomachenko Is Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Beterbiev Batters And Stops Smith In 7

The much anticipated World Light-Heavyweight  championship bout between undefeated unified IBF/WBC/WBO world champion Artur Beterbiev and former WBA Super-Middleweight world champion and WBC number one Light-Heavyweight contender Callum Smith, in addition to being an intriguing battle between two fighters with punching power, was anticipated largely because the fight, which was supposed to take place during 2023, but was delayed because of a dental infection suffered by the champion. By allowing the fight to simmer, albeit unintentionally, it also allowed the fight to take place with the potential of the winner to face undefeated unified WBA/IBO champion Dmitry Bivol for the Undisputed Light-Heavyweight championship of the world.

Although it is no secret to those who follow the sport of Boxing that the potential of an encounter between Beterbiev and Bivol has been discussed for years at this point, it is in some ways disrespectful to any opponent when there is at least an expectation of a fight being in the works for a champion before that opponent gets their opportunity to fight said champion. Nevertheless, Callum Smith entered the Videotron Centre on January 13th in Quebec City, Canada, Beterbiev's adopted home country to challenge the champion with one agenda, to try and upset the apple card of whatever might have been in the pipeline for the Beterbiev later this year. 

Despite a tactical start between the two fighters where both fighters, who were each coming off lengthy stretches of inactivity due to this bout being delayed, started slowly, the primary difference in this fight was the punching power of Beterbiev as well as the pressure he was able to apply on Smith. Smith was able to have success periodically in landing combinations flush on Beterbiev, but he could not stop the pattern that developed in which the fight was fought. Beterbiev was able to take what Smith was able to dish out, apply pressure on the challenger, and gradually unload with a full arsenal of punches to the body and head when he was able to get Smith against the ropes.

To Smith's credit, he withstood as much as he could and continued to try and turn the fight around in his favor. After four rounds of seeing this pattern, Smith's trainer, former two-division world champion Buddy McGirt, who for the last several decades has become one of the top trainers in the entire sport, told his fighter that he needed to use his jab more, to try to go to Beterbiev's body with his left hook, and needed to keep the combat in the center of the ring. Smith made an effort in rounds five and six to do that and did have some success, but the one constant was that whenever Beterbiev landed, his punches had more power behind them and did more damage. The attempted tactical adjustment by Smith did seem to be changing the tempo slightly. 

In round seven, the roles seemed to reverse with Smith applying the pressure and backing Beterbiev up. Unfortunately for the former Super-Middleweight world champion, just as it appeared he was about to get Beterbiev cornered on the ropes, the champion caught him as he was coming forward with a right hand that landed flush on the jaw. This badly staggered Smith, who had no answer for the brutal barrage of punches that followed, which ultimately sent the challenger down to the canvas for the first time in his career. Showing the mettle of a warrior, Smith was able to get up from the knockdown, but would be sent down a second time from a follow-up barrage of punches from Beterbiev. Although Smith got up a second time, McGirt, seeing his fighter was compromised, got into the ring and stopped the fight at 2:00 of round seven. 

The eigth successful defense of his crown for Beterbiev also signaled his twentieth straight knockout in twenty professional fights. With the victory, obviously, the question now becomes whether a fight brtween Beterbiev and Bivol for the Undisputed Light-Heavyweight championship of the world will happen later this year. According to Beterbiev's promoter Hall of Famer Bob Arum, contrary to what wss believed by some prior to this fight, a bout between Beterbiev and Bivol has not been finalized, but the goal would be for it to occur later this year in Saudi Arabia, which is fast becoming one of the sought after destinations for Boxing’s bigger events.

Although a fight between the two has been talked about for years, if Arum is correct and an encounter between Beterbiev and Bivol does take place in either late spring or during the summer of this year, it should be viewed as significant progress and a victory for the sport. All too often, fights like this where there is an undisputed championship involved and/or other bouts that have significant public interest can take several years to make happen and too often, when those fights do finally occur, it fails to live up to expectations and the combination of both a lengthy wait as well as a perceived lack of competitive action leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Boxing fans, who are also often asked to pay an asinine price to see those fights when they finally happen. If the politics of the sport do not in one way or another interfere, there are no other roadblocks that come up during the negotiation process, and the fight fan be made within a reasonable timeframe as Arum has suggested, it is a true win for Boxing and should be celebrated.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Kambosos Benefits From Questionable Scoring To Win IBO World Lightweight Championship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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

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McGregor-Robles Vacant IBO Jr. Featherweight World Championship Bout To Air On DAZN

Press Release July 13, 2023 By DAZN - Hometown hero Lee McGregor tackles dangerous Mexican Erik Robles on Friday night for the vacant IBO world super bantamweight title – live around the world on DAZN.

Credit: DAZN 

 

The action comes live from Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre from 7pm local time with McGregor being roared on by a capacity crowd on a night that he says could be “life changing”.

 

A British, Commonwealth and European bantamweight champion in only 10 fights, ‘Lightning’ is now rebuilding with Wasserman Boxing and starts the second chapter of his pro career with a shot at the IBO world belt.

 

Supporting McGregor’s huge homecoming will be a packed card in the Scottish capital, including the UK’s most fearsome heavyweight prospect Matty Harris and rising super lightweight star Harlem Eubank.

 

The hard-hitting Kazak, Sultan Zaurbek takes on former European champion John Cater and Isaac Lowe returns to the ring looking to get back in the featherweight mix.

 

Heavyweight puncher Kash Ali looks to make a statement while Great Britain amateur Ben Andrews makes his professional debut.

 

McGregor vs Robles, live on DAZN (excluding UK and Ireland) from 7pm on Friday.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission. 

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

 

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

Usyk-Dubois To Air On ESPN+ On August 26th From Wroclaw, Poland

It has been announced that the August 26th World Heavyweight championship bout between undefeated unified WBO/IBO/IBF/WBA Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and current WBA number one Heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois will be available in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. Details regarding the undercard are not available as of this writing, but the bout, which will take place at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw, Poland will be available throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland on the recently renamed TNT Sports (Formerly BT Sports) pay-per-view platform. We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Kambosos To Challenge Hughes Meet For IBO World Championship

The recent history of Boxing's 135lb. Lightweight division has been dominated by current undisputed world champion Devin Haney. Haney as most know emerged as the Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world by scoring a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated undisputed champion George Kambosos in June 2022 and then repeated the victory in his first title defense against Kambosos in a rematch in October of last year. While Haney has remained undisputed champion, most recently scoring a decision win over Vasyl Lomachenko in May, Haney's future appears to be heading above and beyond the Lightweight division.  Although as of this writing Haney remains regarded as the undisputed champion of the division, if he should choose to move up in weight to possibly challenge WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis, it will open up an opportunity for contenders and former world champions in the Lightweight division to maneuver towards fighting for a world championship.

One such fighter is George Kambosos, who will meet top Lightweight world champion Maxi Hughes on Saturday, July 22nd at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, OK. The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+, will be for a  world championship in the Lightweight division. It just so happens that the world championship that will be on the line will be the one world championship that has not been part of Devin Haney's undisputed crown. The world championship of the International Boxing Organization (IBO)

Although some in the sport do not recognize the IBO as a legitimate sanctioning organization, the world championship is a legitimate one. It just happens to be the case where the organization is on the outside, looking in with regard to the current undisputed championship in the Lightweight division. While it is certainly not the first time that an organization has been on the outside of a unified world championship or even an undisputed world championship due to among other things, the politics that be in the sport, it does not make a world championship any less legitimate nor does it minimize the opportunity for the fighters involved in a world championship bout. The subject of legitimacy of world titles will be a subject that will for better or worse, always be one to discuss and debate throughout the entire sport. It is a subject that with regard to the Lightweight division may indeed prove to be moot as if Haney does move up in weight, the four world championships that currently comprise the undisputed championship at 135lbs. the championships of the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO will all become vacant.

Nevertheless, the politics that be in Boxing aside, it does not diminish what will likely be an interesting fight between two of the best the Lightweight division currently has to offer. In what will be his first fight since his losses to Haney, the story going into this fight for Kambosos is obvious. Was Kambosos winning the Undisputed Lightweight world championship over then champion Teofimo Lopez a case of a fighter simply being in the right place at the right time to be able to take advantage and win the championship, or was his two losses to Kambosos a case of him simply being bested by a superiorly skilled fighter and not an accurate assessment of Kambosos' own skill level or standing in the sport?

Obviously that is a question that this observer cannot answer outright because by its very structure it is one that the answer will depend on one's perspective as opposed to a clear cut definitive yes or no. What should be said is prior to winning the championship by defeating Lopez, Kambosos was unbeaten and worked his way to a mandatory challenger position to challenge Lopez. What can be said for Kambosos is he has handled those setbacks to Haney with the utmost grace and he was not disgraced in either of those two fights. 

While it remains to be seen what effect, if any, those losses to Haney have had on Kambosos in terms of his approach to a fight, as a Boxing lifer who has spent most of his life covering the sport in addition to other combat sports, I tend to feel that no matter how great a fighter might be, there are times that for whatever reason they will come across someone that is a bad match up in terms of style and that can at times lead to defeat. While I can personally spend all day and night going through various examples of such scenarios, I will simply say that from a style standpoint, Devin Haney might just have the perfect mix of both style and skillset that will always give George Kambosos, a world-class boxer in his own right, with his own impressive skillset, difficulty no matter how many times they might compete against each other. 

The task ahead going into this fight against Maxi Hughes for the former world champion is to remove the setbacks against Haney from his mind, but at the same time, use the experience he gained in those two encounters to improve. There is indeed a mental aspect to the sport of Boxing that means as much, if not more than the physical aspects of it and in order to bounce back, Kambosos will have to put those losses behind him to the best of his ability. 

In Maxi Hughes, Kambosos will face a veteran of thirty-three professional fights, who has won his last seven fights and will be making the third defense of the IBO crown he won in September 2021 with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jovanni Straffon. While recent history has put Kambosos in the position of having the bigger name recognition of the two fighters, particularly here in the United States, the champion Hughes does have all of the momentum in his favor going into this fight. There are however, similarities between the two that make this a difficult fight for both men. Both Hughes and Kambosos are boxer/punchers with each having a good mix of hand speed, deceptive power, and counter punching ability.

What this fight may come down to could depend on which fighter is able to establish the tempo of combat and whether or not they can maintain control of the ebb and flow for however long it lasts. Although the possibility of a knockout can never be dismissed, both Hughes and Kambosos are distance fighters in that they are used to going deep into fights and neither of them had many knockouts in their career with Hughes registering five knockout wins in his twenty-six career wins and Kambosos having ten knockout wins in his twenty career victories.

Perhaps what might be more important than the world championship that Maxi Hughes holds in terms of the overall picture might be which of these two fighters might be able to make a statement as the Lightweight division appears to be heading towards a period of transition with many of the fighters who have served as focal points in the division for the last several years now moving up the weight scale. While this fight will likely not determine the next number one Lightweight in the world, it will certainly at the very least indicate which fighter is likely to be included in the discussion as the subject of who the top Lightweight in the world might be in the post-Devin Haney era will be debated if those debates have not already begun.

"And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Hughes vs. Kambosos takes place on Saturday, July 22nd at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, OK. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:40PM ET/2:40PM PT.  For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

*Card and Start time subject to change.*

*Check your local listings internationally.*

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Zhilei Zhang Shoes Why Anything Can Happen In Boxing

It is a mantra that has come out of this observer's mouth perhaps more often than others. "Anything Can Happen In The Sport Of Boxing, And That Is What Makes The Sport Great." It is a mantra that is rooted in the fact that regardless of all the statistics that are available, odds that might be placed on a fight, and, despite all the analysis that those who cover the sport, like yours truly, can off, ultimately the appeal of Boxing is not knowing what will really happen when two fighters enter a ring to do battle. While it is something that was instilled in me from an early age dating back to the time before I began my writing journey covering Boxing and other combat sports, it does at times still surprise me how some are surprised when something unexpected happens inside the ring.

The Heavyweight encounter between undefeated WBO number one Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce and Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang on April 15th in London, England serves as the latest example. Despite Zhang only having one loss in his career, he was viewed by some as a significant underdog against Joyce, who had earned his number one ranking in the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) rankings off of a string of impressive knockouts including in his last fight in being the first to stop former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker last September.

With Joyce unfortunately not being close to getting his title shot, which was covered by yours truly in previewing this bout, it facilitated the need for him to fight to maintain his number one ranking. Although Joyce had an arena full of supporters at London's Copper Box Arena, it would become clear rather quickly that this fight would not be a mere "Tune Up" while he was waiting for his shot at the WBO title currently held by undefeated WBO/IBF/WBA/IBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk. While Joyce's path to a world title had stalled through no fault of his own, Zhilei Zhang only saw opportunity.

From the opening bell the southpaw Zhang found a home for his punches working behind his right jab and following it up with flush right hands to the face of Joyce. Although Joyce had also earned a reputation prior to this fight for his ability to take a punch, otherwise referred to as having a solid or "Granite Chin,"' his defensive liabilities emerged in this fight. Most notably his inability to move his head as Zhang was able to land frequently to his head and at times, through his defensive guard. This in addition to peroidic effective work Zhang was also ablecto do to Joyce's body made it clear that the unbeaten Heavyweight was facing an uphill battle.

Despite doing his best to return offense, which did work sporadically, it was not long before the effects of accumulated punishment began to show as Zhang's steady flow of solid left hands resulted in Joyce's right eye rapidly closing. By round six, Joyce's right eye was swollen shut and with no way to defend against the offense of Zhang, appearing as though he could not see out of his right eye, Referee Howard Foster consulted with a ringside physician two times both prior to the start of round six and after halting the action during the round before they collectively made the decision to stop the fight.

For Zhilei Zhang, his win in getting a stoppage over the previously unbeaten former Olympic Gold medalist Joe Joyce not only now catapults him into a mandatory position as far as being a mandatory challenger in the WBO Heavyweight ratings, not only serves as the biggest win of his career, but also in some way likely seems like redemption for him after he suffered a controversial loss in the eyes of some in losing s twelve round split decision to undefeated contender Filip Hrgovic in his last fight prior to facing Joyce where he lost the fight and with it his undefeated record. A lesson that can be learned here for fighters is that a loss does not signal the end of one's career, but those setbacks that in all honesty most fighters suffer at some point throughout their careers can be used as motivation for a fighter to bounce back as Zhang has done here. 

As many fighters have done before him, Joe Joyce must first recover from the beating that was administered at the hands of Zhilei Zhang. Once he has recovered, the process of resuming his career can begin. One defeat does not signal the end of a fighter's career, but it is how that fighter deals with defeat that often shows the mark of a great fighter as those who are able to bounce back and go on to win world titles and gain greater recognition in the process are often referred to when their careers are over. The loss to Zhilei Zhang is the end of a chapter in the story of the career of Joe Joyce, it is not the end of the story itself.

The primary lesson to take from this fight if you are a fan is never approach any fight with the mentality that what you are about to watch is a forgone conclusion. As we have seen time and time again, decade after decade, "Anything Can Happen At Any Given Time In The Sport Of Boxing, And That Is What Makes The Sport So Great."

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Usyk Pulls Off The Upset, Should Joshua Invoke Rematch Clause?

All the ingredients that often make up a special night in the sport of Boxing were present in London, England on September 25th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the World Heavyweight championship bout between two-time unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua and undefeated former Undisputed World Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk before an enthusiastic crowd of over 70,000 spectators. The latter, a welcome sign of normalcy during the ongoing circumstances of the global COVID-19 epidemic. While there are times where “The Big Fight Atmosphere” exists in terms of the build up and anticipation before two fighters enter the ring to do battle where the actual fight does not match such an atmosphere, there was something unique about this particular night.

Perhaps it was because of the circumstances in which we are all living in that the mere sight of a major Boxing event like a battle for a unified World Heavyweight champion before a crowd of that size makes one appreciate it more than prior to the ongoing circumstances, but for this observer, there was something else. All too often in Boxing fans and those of us in the media that cover the sport are accustomed to seeing elements in the prelude to a fight that more often than not, for better or worse, is aimed at hyping an event up with scenes that include, but are not limited to verbal sparring between two fighters, their respective teams, and unfortunately at times even physical altercations. While some dismiss this as merely tactics of “Hype,” more often than not, it does not paint the sport in a favorable light.

This was a rare instance however, where the circumstances of the fight itself did not need any “Hype” as a way to draw interest, nor was there a need to try and sell “Bad Blood” between the combatants.  An encounter between two highly skilled boxers, each at the top of their respective game, with respect for each other meeting to see who was the better fighter was all that was needed. In this case, the challenger Oleksandr Usyk was attempting something that only two previous world champions in the Cruiserweight division had done, to successfully challenge for a portion of the Heavyweight world championship.

Only Evander Holyfield and David Haye could hold claim to accomplishing such a goal, but like Holyfield, Usyk had tested the waters at Heavyweight before challenging for a Heavyweight world championship. Even though his fight against Dereck Chisora proved to be more difficult than some had anticipated for him, Usyk’s campaign at Heavyweight though brief, had been successful going into this encounter. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it was crucial in my view that Usyk get the champion’s respect early. While almost all challengers who fight for a world championship against a defending champion have a similar task, Usyk was the theoretical smaller fighter who was challenging a theoretically bigger man for his title. Although yours truly does not necessarily like to use the distinction of big versus small or vice versa, this is precisely what we had here. 

Particularly because Anthony Joshua has long been established as a fighter with fight ending punching power in either hand that could bring a fight to a sudden conclusion if he connects cleanly, I felt Usyk needed to establish not only the tempo of the combat from the outset, but also needed to show the champion that he was not going to be able to simply walk through his opposition, despite the physics of being the naturally bigger fighter being in his favor.  The way Oleksandr Usyk approached this task was in a word “Brilliant.”

Using a tactical strategy that had an emphasis on using faints and attacking at angles in spurts, Usyk established a home for his left hand from the outset of the fight. What stood out to me about the challenger’s approach was not only his use of faints and frankly immaculate foot work/movement, but how he used those attributes to disrupt Joshua from finding anything that would resemble a consistent rhythm. Despite being the taller and longer fighter in terms of reach, an aspect of Joshua’s offense that was largely absent was his jab. Although the champion would use the jab sporadically throughout, he was never really able to use the jab in such a way as to limit Usyk’s movement, or ability to get his punches off.

As I watched the first few rounds of this fight play itself out, I had thoughts that a fighter who knew how to combat an opponent that used faints as frequently as Usyk was doing here in this fight and do so with the use of a jab as both an offensive weapon as well as a defensive one in using it in such a way as to stop an opponent’s punches in motion, one fighter came to mind immediately. Larry Holmes. 

Although Anthony Joshua is three inches taller than Holmes and has one inch in terms of reach compared to Holmes’ 81” reach, Holmes was the type of fighter especially in his prime years that would have tried to faint with Usyk as a way to disrupt the rhythm he was trying to establish. Even if this would not result necessarily in increased offense, Holmes had a way of nullifying fighter’s offense in such a way that it made what offense he was able to execute stand out. As this fight progressed, I continued to think of how Holmes would combat a fighter such as one with Usyk’s skillset. Sometimes it is not necessarily the most offensive fighter that wins fights, but the fighter who is able to make the most out of what offense they put forth. 

For a significant portion of this fight in addition to the sporadic use of his jab, Joshua also did not control the distance between himself and Usyk. This allowed the challenger to not only fight at a distance where he could get his punches off regularly, but also gave Usyk the ability to lead the tempo of the combat. Simply put, when Usyk threw his left hand, more often than not he connected with it. As the fight progressed, Usyk began to change the levels of his attack mixing between the head and body of the champion. While this can be described as simply avoiding falling into a pattern that would be easier for an opponent to predict, it prevented Joshua from being able to make necessary adjustments to his plan.

An aspect that can at times be overlooked by some is the difference when a southpaw fights an orthodox fighter. It is not simply a change in stances between the two fighters as well as a difference in which hand a fighter leads with, but also the tactical approach. If you are an orthodox boxer an obvious key component to your offense will be your jab with your left hand, but when going against a southpaw opponent, it is key that you also find a way to land your right hand frequently.  While obviously tactics will depend on both the fighter as well as their trainer in terms of drawing up a fight plan, one thing became increasingly clear even as Joshua gradually found sporadic success as the fight progressed. He did not have the ability to time Usyk, which can be attributed to the challenger’s fight plan and tactical movement, but also Joshua was inconsistent in his approach.

It seemed as though he did not know or at least did not have a solid plan in terms of a method in which to attack Usyk with consistency. Whether this was because Joshua felt he had the punching power that once he was able to land cleaning on Usyk with flush power shots that he would not need to approach his attack as strategically is only a question he could answer, but was simply not consistent that that worked against him in this fight.

How could Joshua have turned this fight around?  One thing I noticed was when he was able to land offense to Usyk’s body those punches did have an effect, but the champion did not or could not form a consistent body attack throughout and instead seemed to land punches sporadically rather than focus on one specific area to land offense.  This in addition to perhaps failing to lead with his right hand from time to time played into Usyk’s hands. What would a consistent body attack have done? The general rule is that when a fighter uses a lot of lateral movement in the form of faints and/or head movement as Usyk did in this fight, the opposing fighter should focus on the portion of their opponent’s body that does not move, the body. The theory, which at times is easier said than done is that if a fighter focuses on an opponent’s body there is always a possibility that a punch could land that will stop a fighter in their tracks and bring a sudden end to the fight, but more conventionally, a consistent body attack over time if executed successfully limits a fighter’s ability to both move laterally as well as get out of striking distance with their legs. In general terms if you hit a tree at its base enough times, eventually the head will fall. As far as Boxing is concerned, a consistent body attack will at minimum over time slow a fighter’s movement and present some opportunities to land to the head that may not have otherwise been available when that fighter was able to move frequently. At most, it may also present an opportunity to end a fight.

As this fight progressed, one thing that the challenger also was able to accomplish was that whenever Joshua landed a hard punch, Usyk almost immediately returned offense and over time, he also showed that he could stun Joshua more than occasionally with his left hand. Usyk’s consistency throughout as well as his ability to land the more telling blows including giving the appearance as though he had Joshua in trouble at certain stages in the latter rounds, left the impression on me that he had done more than enough to win the fight, having done so in my eyes in convincing fashion. 

At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, unofficially, I had Oleksandr Usyk winning this fight eight rounds to four or 116-112 in points, but I had a sense both due to the location in which this bout took place as well as the sporadic success that Joshua was able to have throughout that perhaps the official scoring would be closer, despite the view of this observer that Usyk had won the fight clearly and with little question as to who was the more effective fighter. In short, no matter how much experience one might have in covering the sport, which this observer has plenty, no matter how many fights on every possible level of the sport, amateur or professional that one sees, you never know what three individuals might be seeing or thinking in their task of being the only three people whose opinions matter. This observer is referring to the three official judges.

Ultimately, my unofficial scoring was reflected in one of the official scorecards in that of Judge Steve Weisfeld, a judge who has officiated over 2,100 professional bouts in his career who saw the bout the same as yours truly, 116-112. What ended up happening as judges Howard Foster, who scored the fight 115-113, (Seven rounds to five) and Viktor Fesechko, who scored it 117-112 (Eight rounds to three, with one round, the eighth round scored even 10-10) was what amounts to a full spectrum of scoring in what was a unanimous decision. A decision in favor of Oleksandr Usyk making him only the third Cruiserweight world champion to have successfully moved up to capture a Heavyweight world championship. In the process, Usyk has turned what for a period of time appeared to be a relatively simple path towards full unification of the World Heavyweight championship into the unknown.

First there is the issue of the WBC world championship. As some may recall, the year 2021 began with an agreement in principle for Joshua to meet Tyson Fury, the undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion, who currently holds the WBC crown. Despite the agreement qnd ramblings of the bout being staged in the Saudi Arabia, all plans for what would have been an undisputed world championship bout were put to a halt when former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who lost his crown in February 2020 in his second bout with Fury, was granted via court order a contractually obligated third bout with Fury. 

This third encounter was originally supposed to take place in July, but was pushed back to October 9th due to Fury testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. If this all sounds confusing for the reader and if you as the reader of this column might be confused, you are not alone. Furthermore, it would be understandable if you have doubts not only as to whether or not the scheduled Fury-Wilder III bout will indeed take place on October 9th and how this will all play into the equation that now has a new twist with Usyk defeating Joshua for his unified portion of the World Heavyweight championship.

One of the things that yours truly takes pride in beyond providing unbiased, objective coverage of the sport of Boxing, the sport that I have always had a lifelong love and passion for and have spent most of my life covering, is that the reader can always be assured that I will call it as I see it. As such, it would be dishonest of me to say that I do not have doubts. Doubts regarding both whether the third Fury-Wilder bout, which is still scheduled for October 9th as of this writing, will in fact take place and if in fact it does, whether the result will lead to an undisputed world championship fight.

The fact is I do have doubts. Not only because of the constant element of uncertainty that we have all been dealing with for nearly two years since the COVID-19 crisis began, which if nothing else should have taught us the lesson that even the best plans can change in an instant as you simply cannot predict what might happen due to the ongoing situation regarding the virus. In addition to the ongoing and unpredictability of the ongoing circumstances, perhaps what is triggering that doubtful impulse in this observer has to do with the business/political elements that for better or worse surround the sport that for one reason or another not only seems to halt the progress that can be made like a concept of full unification of a division, but more importantly, tends to give the impression that Boxing and to be more specific the people involved in running the sport will not get out of their own way even if doing so is in the best interest of the sport. While the subject of the political/business elements that surround Boxing is one that I have covered extensively when appropriate and by it’s nature is a broad subject that covers a lot of ground.

For the purposes of this column and out of respect for the reader all I can say in regard to the Fury-Wilder saga is we will have to wait and see if chapter three of the story between the two fighters does indeed occur and who knows if there might be another chapter after that. At least in terms of the immediate future, the more likely scenario at least as far as Usyk and Joshua are concerned is to see a rematch, which coincidentally much like Fury-Wilder is contractually stipulated, but unlikely to be ordered in a court of law.

This is because both fighters appear keen on the idea of a rematch and unlike Fury and Wilder, there is no bad blood or animosity between the two. In fact, the former two-time world champion Joshua showed “Class” in defeat in congratulating the new champion including a cordial exchange in the locker room after the fight as well as being extremely humble in his remarks during the post-fight press conference where he more or less said that despite his standing in the sport, he is still learning, which should be an example of not only how to handle a setback for any fighter or athlete in general, but also shows that even the best of the best fighters and athletes are like the rest of us, all human.

As for whether or not it will be wise for Joshua to seek an immediate rematch as he did when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz in June 2019, that is a subject to debate. Unlike when he was coming back from the first time he lost his world championship, Joshua is not attempting to rebound from a knockout loss, but rather a convincing decision loss in which he was out box3d by a master boxer. Can Joshua make any adjustments in a rematch? That remains to be seen, but in this observer's view, he will need to change his approach because as the old adage goes, you cannot box with a master boxer. Whether that means Joshua will have to force Usyk into a fight for twelve rounds and use his physical advantages the second time around is something that he and his team will have to decide as they prepare for the rematch. Without a significant change in strategy and how Joshua approaches that strategy, the rematch whenever it takes place could have a similar outcome.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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