August 26, 2023: A Big Day For The Heavyweight Division

August 2023 in the sport of Boxing will come to a close on Saturday, August 26th with the spotlight firmly focused on the Heavyweight division. In some ways, this day will look at both the present and what could well be the future, which can all be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

The marquee attraction of the day will take place in Wroclaw, Poland as undefeated unified WBO/IBF/IBO/WBA Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk will make the second defense of his crown against WBA number one Heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois in Wrocław Stadium. This fight is the first for Usyk following two decision wins over Anthony Joshua in 2021 and 2022 where he won and then successfully retained the unified Heavyweight crown. While many had expected that Usyk's next fight following his rematch against Joshua in August of last year would be a unification bout with undefeated WBC world champion Tyson Fury for what would be the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world, unfortunately due to elements involving the business of Boxing, that fight did not materialize.

Instead, Usyk will be turning his attention to fulfilling one of his mandatory defense obligations of one of the four world championships he currently holds by facing the WBA's mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Although some may dismiss this fight as a mere mandatory, in that sometimes those who earn opportunities to fight for a world championship by being mandated by a sanctioning organization as it's top contender in a given weight class, does not always have significant public interest, this could be a dangerous fight for the undefeated champion.

It was not long ago when Daniel Dubois was considered one of the sport's feared rising "Knockout Artists." Dubois carried a record of 15-0, with 14 Knockouts into what was a highly anticipated clash with then fellow undefeated "Knockout Artist" and former Olympic Silver medalist Joe Joyce in November of 2020. Dubois would suffer the lone defeat of his career by being knocked out by Joyce in the tenth round in a fight where he suffered a broken left eye socket. Since that setback, Dubois has won four straight fights, all by knockout including a fourth round knockout of previously unbeaten Trevor Bryan in June of last year where he earned Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA's Heavyweight ratings, which in short made him the number one contender.

The question going into this fight will be whether Dubois will be able to deal with the angles and overall skill of Usyk. While Oleksandr Usyk is the favorite going into this title defense, he has had some difficulty in some bouts since moving to Heavyweight after becoming undisputed champion as a Cruiserweight. Usyk's fight with longtime Heavyweight contender Dereck Chisora in October 2020 can serve as an example of Usyk having trouble against a Heavyweight that was able to apply consistent pressure on him, which is something that Anthony Joshua was not able to do in two fights and given Dubois' punching power, it will be interesting to see if he has studied Usyk's fight against Chisora that he could try to implement a similar strategy. It is also important to keep in mind that Usyk has not scored a knockout since moving to Heavyweight and, despite remaining unbeaten and becoming unified world champion in the division, questions do remain in regard to his punching power as a Heavyweight.

With a possible unification bout to become Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world still no closer to becoming a reality, Usyk must remain focused on the task at hand even if some are dismissing this fight as a mere mandatory or "Stay Busy" fight. If he is not focused, Daniel Dubois does have the power to pull off what would be considered an upset, despite being the natural Heavyweight and bigger fighter.

As Usyk-Dubois will focus on the current landscape of the Heavyweight division in terms of the world championship picture, August 26th will also provide a look at a Heavyweight contender that could well be the future of the division. This observer is referring to the undefeated "Knockout Artist" Jared Anderson.

Anderson, who is coming off of the first decision win in his career in July where he was forced to go ten full rounds in his fifthteenth professional fight against former IBF Heavyweight world champion Charles Martin, who had taken the fight on short notice. A fight that ended Anderson's fourteen fight knockout streak, which began his career, he was still impressive in scoring a convincing ten round unanimous decision in his hometown of Toledo, OH.

Now, a little more than one month after that fight, Anderson is getting back in the ring to face veteran Andrii Rudenko in a scheduled ten round bout at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. Although some may view a fighter competing so soon after a fight in which they had to go ten competitive rounds as too soon to be back in the ring, in actuality, it is a method that many fighters used to do on a regular basis from rising contenders as Anderson is to even world champions in decades past. 

The biggest detriment to any fighter in any combat sport on any level is inactivity and while a fighter will obviously risk their standing every other they compete, there is an old adage that yours truly believes in that the more active a fighter is, the more theoretically they will be prepared and in condition when all significant fight such as one for a world championship does come along. In this case, Anderson is trying to continue his progression as well as stay active. 

Currently rated number seven in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight ratings, Anderson while now risking a top ten ranking with each subsequent time that he competes, in addition to being active, it will also increase his name recognition value towards a potential world championship bout should he continue to win.  In Andrii Rudenko, Anderson will face a veteran of forty-two professional fights, who has a respectable record of 35-6, with 21 Knockouts. A possible red flag that some might point to however, is all of Rudenko's six defeats came when he has stepped up in the caliber of his competition having lost to several top contenders in his career, most notably among them, former world title challenger Alexander Povetkin in July of 2017.

The one bright spot for Rudenko is he has only been stopped once in his career and it will obviously be interesting to see if he will be able to stand up to the power of Anderson. Although this has the appearance of a "Stay Busy" fight for Anderson, his position in the WBC ratings likely means that he potentially could be on a short list of possible contenders who might get an opportunity to either fight in a world championship elimination bout, if not potentially an opportunity to face Tyson Fury sometime within the next year. Thus, it is an important fight for the young undefeated American contender as he continues his rise up the ranks.

While this day spotlighting the Heavyweight division offers a look at two different levels of the division, one should not dismiss the possibility of Anderson potentially being in line to face the winner of Usyk-Dubois down the line as well, especially if no further progress is made towards further unification of the division going into 2024. Stranger things have happened in the sport before and if Anderson beats Rudenko, the idea of him facing either Usyk or Dubois is something to discuss. We will see who emerges victorious in these two Heavyweight bouts on Saturday, August 26th.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Usyk vs Dubois takes place on Saturday, August 26 at Wrocław Stadium in Wrocław, Poland. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5PM ET/2PM PT.

Anderson vs. Rudenko takes place on Saturday, August 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:45PM ET/3:45PM PT.

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

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

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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July 4th Weekend 2023 Thoughts

The July 4th holiday here in the United States is a celebration of the nation's birthday. Along with fireworks shows throughout the country, Major League Baseball games, and family barbecues, there are always many things happening in, around, and on the holiday. One of those things that always seems to precede the holiday in some form or fashion is a healthy dose of Boxing action. This July 4th weekend was no exception though unlike in some previous years, the 2023 edition had a bit of an international flavor with a British and Commonwealth Jr. Welterweight championship fight kicking off the action followed by a fast rising Heavyweight prospect returning to his hometown of Toledo, OH to face what was the first significant test of his career.

What should be referred to as "Boxing Saturday" of the holiday weekend on July 1st did begin with a unification of the British and Commonwealth Jr. Welterweight championships as British champion Dalton Smith faced Commonwealth champion and former world title challenger Sam Maxwell in Sheffield, England. As expected, this was a tactical fight where what stood out early on was the compact, yet explosive offensive spurts from the undefeated Smith, particularly in landing his right hand on Maxwell. What became clear beyond Smith seeming to be the quicker of the two fighters was, he was also the harder hitter of the two. 

The compact way in which Smith set up his attacks in picking his spots is something that also stood out. While this fight was competitive, Maxwell seemed to be a step behind in terms of his timing and attempts to counter Smith, particularly in the midst of exchanges. This created a scenario where there was one consistent theme. Smith dictating the tempo of the combat, picking his spots, executing his offense, and Maxwell gradually becoming hesitant to let his hands go and seemingly on defense, despite periodically being able to land solidly with his punches.

As the fight progressed, I felt as though I was looking at a bout that would ultimately go the twelve round distance. When it comes to two fighters with a similar style as Smith and Maxwell, two boxer/punchers, you can never dismiss the possibility of a knockout, but seeing the tempo in which a fight is being fought, you can just get the feeling that you’re seeing a bout that will go to the scorecards. For several rounds in this bout, I had that feeling. Not so much because of the styles of the two fighters being similar, but because of the tactical and measured pace in which the combat was being fought. 

Despite this observer’s gut feeling based on decades of experience covering and watching the sport, sometimes things do not turn out quite as they appear they might. In round seven, Smith following a suffering a deep cut as a result of an accidental clash of heads in the fifth round over his right eye, would bring the fight to a sudden and dramatic conclusion. A single overhand right to the head ended Maxwell’s night sending him down and out on the canvas. The shot that ended this fight, which came behind a jab, landed on the temple of Maxwell, which in a way reminded me somewhat of Mike Tyson’s first round knockout of Henry Tillman in June 1990. 

In a scenario similar to this in terms of where the knockout punch landed, Tyson connected with a high left hook that landed on the temple of Tillman, the 1984 Olympic Gold mendalist, who had previously defeated Tyson twice prior to the 1984 Olympics in the amateur ranks. Why that fight, over thirty-three years ago came to mind when I saw this knockout Dalton Smith was able to score, I cannot say because, while like Tyson-Tillman, this fight ended on one punch, it was not an identical scenario and unlike Tyson’s knockout of Tillman, Smith’s knockout of Maxwell, was a result of an overhand right. The only thing I can assume as to why my memory was automatically triggered might be that while a knockout as a result of a fighter being struck in the temple is possible and obviously does happen, it does not seem to happen as often as one might think.

Nevertheless, the knockout win for Smith was a statement-making moment that will likely get people talking and taking notice. While this solidifies Smith’s position atop the British Boxing scene in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division, this victory over Sam Maxwell will likely result in him testing the waters on the world level of the division moving forward. It remains to be seen how Smith will fare against world rated competition, but with now with his fifteenth win and eleventh knockout behind him, he does have momentum to at least try and test those waters.

One undefeated prospect that found himself testing the waters during July 4th weekend was “Knockout Artist” Jared Anderson. Anderson, who had scored knockouts in all fourteen of his professional fights, found himself testing the waters against a former world champion in a fight that was designed to be a homecoming for him in his hometown of Toledo, OH. Despite taking the fight on eleven days notice, former IBF Heavyweight champion of the world Charles Martin was able to give Anderson the first significant test of his career.

 Before an enthusiastic crowd of supporters, Anderson immediately applied pressure on Martin from the outset. He did this by using his jab and trying to walk Martin down. While this was not something unexpected based both on Anderson’s punching power as well as the fact that Martin had taken the fight on short notice, what was a bit surprising was the tactical approach of Anderson. Even though he was looking to land power shots as all fighters with a reputation of being power punchers do, the thing that stood out was the patience he showed throughout this fight, even though prior to this encounter Anderson had never been beyond six rounds in his career.

Despite being put under pressure from the outset, Martin used his experience to his advantage and seemed to take Anderson’s power shots well. This changed slightly in the third round when Anderson was able to score a knockdown of Martin with a counter right hand. Martin did not appear to be hurt and attempted to contend that the knockdown was caused by the fighters legs being tangled. Video replays at the conclusion of the round however, that Martin's claim was not valid and the call of a knockdown being scored cleanly was in fact the correct call. At this point in the fight, I felt that it was competitive, but the addition of a knockdown to what seemed to be a reluctance by Martin to let his hands go, created a hole in terms of the scoring of the fight that would be difficult for the former world champion to overcome. I also had a sense that perhaps what appeared to be a strictly counter punching approach by Martin was an attempt to extend Anderson as far into the fight as possible while trying to make the young unbeaten prospect exert his energy, which in theory would allow Martin to step up his pace and offensive output in the middle and late rounds.

If that was indeed the strategy Martin was looking to execute, it would be what one would likely expect of a seasoned veteran. In round five, Martin would make his presence known when he stunned Anderson with a counter left hand from the southpaw stance. This proved to be the first time that Anderson would have his ability to take a punch tested as it was the first time he was significantly stunned in a fight.To Anderson's credit, he was able to regroup and maintain control of the fight.

What was impressive beyond the poise and calm that Anderson showed in being able to keep his composure after being hurt for the first time in his career, but he also showed the ability to use defense to his advantage as he was able to make Martin miss with much of his offense both before and after being stunned. Martin would nevertheless periodically land with more solid left hands throughout the remainder of the ten round bout, but it would be Anderson's greater activity in addition to the knockdown he scored in the third round that resulted in him being able to score a wide and convincing ten rounds unanimous decision victory to remain unbeaten.

While this fight marked the end of Anderson's knockout streak of fourteen consecutive knockouts, the decision victory did knock a few questions off the check list that are often asked if unbeaten prospects that have the reputation as a "Knockout Artist." 

Can the fighter go into the middle and late rounds of a fight?✔️

Will the fighter respond well to adversity when challenged?✔️

Will the fighter be able to survive being hurt when an opponent is able to land punches solidly?✔️

And, 

Can the fighter continue to perform well when matched against an opponent with more experience?✔️

Jared Anderson was indeed able to at least for this fight answer those questions favorably and check them off the list. It goes without saying however, that the level of competition will only continue to increase from here and this victory over a former world champion should be viewed as a step forward in Anderson's overall development. Where he goes from here, against whom, and how he will use what he learned in this fight with Charles Martin remains to be seen.

"And That's The Boxing Truth.

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Will Anderson Get A Tougher Test From Martin?

It seems as though in recent weeks in the sport of Boxing, the trend has become "Homecomings." In that a fighter who has achieved notoriety in the sport coming back to their respective hometowns to compete before a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. While most of the time such scenarios are usually designed as a showcase for said fighter before a significant fight down the line, there are times when a "Homecoming Fight" turns out to be more competitive than some may have anticipated. One needs to look no further than WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis' recent return to his hometown of New Orleans, LA to defend his title against Danielito Zorrilla for an example of a fight with the design of a showcase, which ultimately turned out to be a close call for the champion, who retained his title via twelve round split decision.

The next "Homecoming Fight" of significance will take place on Saturday, July 1st in Toledo, OH as undefeated Heavyweight prospect and "Knockout Artist" Jared Anderson will return to his hometown at the Huntington Center. An event that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. A slight wrinkle emerged however, when Anderson's scheduled opponent, the undefeated Zhan Kossobutskiy was forced to withdraw from the bout due to visa issues. While Kossobutskiy, much like Anderson, is an unbeaten "Knockout Artist," the opponent who has emerged to step in to face Anderson, one might argue now could potentially be a more significant test for the young unbeaten prospect. Charles Martin.

Martin, a one time IBF Heavyweight champion of the world, is by far the most experienced opponent that Anderson, who has scored knockouts in all fourteen of his professional fights, will have faced in addition to being the first former world champion he has been in the ring with. Although Martin has taken this fight on little more than a week's notice, he has remained a top contender for several years since losing the IBF championship to Anthony Joshua in April 2016. In thirty-three professional fights, Martin has a record of 29-3-1, with 26 Knockouts.

What this fight will come down to in this observer's eyes will obviously center on how prepared Martin is in taking this fight on a narrow timeframe. Martin does have some punching power, but he is a crafty boxer/puncher, who when he is at his best, has proven to be a difficult fighter to combat for many opponents. The red flag that some might see with Martin is there are times where he has been caught and in fact, two of his three losses did come by stoppage against Joshua and Luis Ortiz.

Some may recall that in his fight against Ortiz on New Year's Day in 2022, Martin was seemingly in control of that fight, having scored two knockdowns of Ortiz during the course of that fight before being caught and stopped by Ortiz in the sixth round. The reason yours truly brings this up is much like Ortiz, Anderson has the type of punching power that can turn a fight around and end a fight suddenly. If Charles Martin is to have success in this fight he needs to be aware at all times and be wary of getting caught as the possibility of getting caught by the explosive power of Anderson should be taken seriously.

What Martin does have going for him going into this fight is his experience. As devastating as Anderson has been throughout his career up to this point, he has yet to be extended beyond four rounds in his career. The strategy for Martin though obviously easier said than done, should be to try to extend Anderson into the middle and late rounds of this scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout. Martin must not only find a way to survive Anderson's power early, but must find a way to make him uncomfortable where he will be tested for the first time. It is something that Martin is capable of doing, but it will be interesting to see if it truly is easier said than done. Especially, if under the circumstances in which this fight was made, Anderson attempts to end the fight quickly in thinking that Martin may not be at his best with the limited time to prepare for the fight.

Nevertheless, it is often when a prospect meets a former world champion that often serves as an indicator as to whether or not the prospect is ready for either a top contender or even an opportunity at a world championship. This observer has quietly watched Anderson's progression and while he has been impressive up to this point, I am not quite ready to say that he is ready for such a fight. If however, he performs well in this fight and to be more specific, if he does so after being tested by the crafty veteran and former world champion in Martin, it might be time to think about that possibility.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Anderson vs. Martin takes place on Saturday, July 1st at the Huntington Center in Toledo, OH. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:10PM ET/3:10PM PT. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

*Check your local listings internationally.*

*Card and start time subject to change.*

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

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