The Boxing Truth®

  The final weekend of March 2026 in the Boxing world was highlighted by two events on March 28th taking place in Manchester, England and Las Vegas, NV respectively. First, it was fast-rising Heavyweight Moses Itauma , who looked for his fourteenth victory in as many fights in his professional career as he faced veteran contender Jermaine Franklin at the Co-op Arena in Manchester, England. Coming off of a destructive first round knockout of longtime Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Dillian Whyte last August in Saudi Arabia, some thought this bout against a durable and always determined opponent in Jermaine Franklin, could have provided a test for the twenty-one year old “Knockout Artist" Itauma. Despite the test some were expecting, which was based on significant evidence in that Franklin had not been stopped in his career and had gone the distance with both Whyte and former two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua , Itauma would provide another...

The storyline going into the encounter between undefeated former unified Welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis and IBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Uisma Lima on October 11th was that it represented the next chapter in the thus far unbeaten career of Ennis in his debut in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. Before a hometown crowd at the recently renamed Xfinity Mobile Arena (Formerly the Wells Fargo Center) in Philadelphia, PA, Ennis would make a statement. Despite going against a world champion, whose title was not on the line, little was known about Uisma Lima. In previewing this fight , this observer stated that Lima was, much like Ennis, a come forward fighter that applies pressure boxing out of the southpaw stance . Although Lima, who was fighting for the first time in the United States, began this fight coming forward behind a consistent jab and attempted to put Ennis on the defensive by backing him up, he was unable to control the distance as he had shown in previou...

It goes almost without saying nowadays that unless a fighter is a natural Heavyweight, most fighters that make it to the world championship level and achieve that goal, tend to set their sights on multiple weight classes in search of more world championship gold as well as and perhaps more specifically, bigger paydays. In the case of Jaron Ennis , an undefeated World Welterweight champion , who seemed poised to take over the 147lb. Welterweight division in the era immediately following the exit of Terence Crawford , the division’s last undisputed world champion, he has made the decision to move up in weight rather than trying to complete the unification process at Welterweight after successfully unifying the IBF and WBA world titles with a sixth round stoppage of previously unbeaten WBA world champion Eimantas Stanionis in April of this year. Despite the potential to add his name next to Crawford and other notable legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Donald Curry as fighters who went...

The Welterweight unification between undefeated world champions Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis was one that represented a step forward for a division still very much in transition. A transition that began with former undisputed champion Terence Crawford choosing to move out of the 147lb. Welterweight division to seek more lucrative opportunities as he is at a stage in his career where after successfully unifying two weight divisions, the Jr. Welterweight division, followed by the Welterweight division in the last several years, where it may be more about what fights will earn him the biggest money possible as well as those mythical “Legacy Defining" bouts, which are always subject to debate, rather than necessarily choosing to stay in one division and trying to dominate against all comers. While almost all great fighters who establish Hall of Fame resumes as Crawford has eventually reach that point, what can be a challenge that can be an at times unwinnable one at least in the...

The bout between undefeated IBF World Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis and former European Welterweight champion and former world title challenger David Avanesyan was one that, though it came about on short notice, presented an interesting test for the unbeaten world champion. When one also factors into the equation that Ennis, known to his fans simply as “Boots," was beginning a new chapter in his career, now aligned with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and the fact that this fight was in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA, the circumstances were not ideal. Despite the change in opponent, Ennis met the veteran and durable Avanesyan before a crowd of over 10,000 at the Wells Fargo Center on July 13th. When it comes to fights that are labeled as a “Homecoming" for a fighter touted as one of the rising stars in the sport, or one that is considered a star, the danger is the potential for distractions that could affect the fighter’s focus. In this case, not only was the ...

There has been much attention recently surrounding undefeated IBF Welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis, known to Boxing fans as “Boots." Ennis, who is unbeaten in thirty-one professional fights, was the last signee to the now-defunct Showtime Sports and made a name for himself competing in fights promoted under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters. With Showtime’s exit from Boxing at the end of last year as part of a significant restructuring of its parent company Paramount Global and a decision by Ennis to not continue fighting under the PBC banner, in stepped promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing and thus the beginning of a new chapter in Ennis’ career. A chapter that not only begins with him signing with a new promoter but also a world championship after recently being elevated to world champion by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) from being it's top contender following former Undisputed Welterweight world champion Terrence Crawford choosing ...

 While the month of October 2021 will likely go down in memory of most Boxing fans and experts alike as being the month where the classic third encounter between undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and former WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, the month in the sport concluded with three Boxing cards that will certainly have the Boxing world talking moving forward. Readers likely recall the coverage provided by this observer of a card that took place on October 30 th , one of three events that will be highlighted in this column, in London, England, which was headlined by a unification bout in the Women’s 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division between WBC world champion Chantelle Cameron, who scored a ten round unanimous decision over IBF world champion Mary McGee.   A bout that Cameron won convincingly, but one that saw plenty of back and forth action that elevated both fighters as well as s howed the continuing significant progress that has been...