The Boxing Truth®

The sport of Boxing and by extension combat sports is far from an exact science. While that statement by its nature is one that can cover a lot of ground, for the purposes of this column, the term “Exact Science" will be in regard to the development of a young fighter. To be more specific, when the decision is made to allow the fighter to step up in caliber of competition. In the case of undefeated Super-Middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga, it seems like it was only yesterday that he was a rising prospect, who began his career with a streak of sixteen knockouts. As impressive as that is, what makes it more impressive is all of those knockouts came in the first round. It should not be a surprise based on that statistic that Berlanga, who turned professional in 2016 has moved up the ladder of contention rather quickly, though the first four years of his career resulted in only sixteen rounds inside the ring. A conundrum that all fighters who have risen through the ranks as Berlang...

Despite suffering a setback in May 2022 in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Dmitry Bivol in a failed bid to become a two-time Light-Heavyweight world champion, the career of Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez has continued to go strong as he has remained a fully undisputed champion in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division since he completed the unification process in stopping Caleb Plant in November 2021. The fact that Alvarez has remained undisputed champion for nearly three years is an accomplishment few can lay a claim to. Not only because of the obvious hurdles that a champion encounters every time they enter the ring to defend their championship, but also and perhaps more specifically, the red tape that occurs with regard to the respective sanctioning organizations, all of whom have obligations that their portion of a world championship that is part of a unified or undisputed crown, must be defended against a mandatory challenger of...

In the present day in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division, every fight outside of those that are contested for a world championship, which in present context is the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world, held by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, is essentially an audition for potential challengers to show why they should be the next challenger for Alvarez. When one also factors into the equation that Alvarez is also one of the biggest draws in the sport of Boxing, there is also plenty of financial incentive in addition to the chance to fight for an undisputed championship. One such audition took place on January 27th when undefeated former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia squared off with former two-time world title challenger and recent Alvarez opponent John Ryder in Phoenix, AZ. The story of this fight in the lead up was simple. One fighter was seeking an opportunity for what would be the biggest fight of his career due to the aforementioned elements, the o...

The month of January 2024 in the sport of Boxing will come to a close on Saturday, January 27th with an intriguing battle in Boxing's 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. An encounter that some might label a “Crossroads Fight." This observer is referring to the fight between undefeated former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia and former multi-time world title challenger John Ryder. A fight that will take place in Phoenix, AZ at the Footprint Center and csn be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. What makes this fight interesting is it features one fighter in Munguia, who after having a successful reign as a world champion in the Jr. Middleweight division, has remained unbesten, but has not been able to secure an opportunity to fight for another world championship in either the 160lb. Middleweight or now as a 168lb. Super-Middleweight. While some might argue that Munguia deserves the label as being an avoided fighter in and around ...

The story of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez' defense of his Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world against WBO number one mandatory challenger John Ryder was not about a fight between two of the best the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division has to offer, but about an event. An event of an undisputed world champion coming home to defend his crown before over 50,000 spectators in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico at Akron Stadium. In terms of the actual fight, despite being heavily favored due largely to his status as one of the superstars in the sport of Boxing, the last year was not entirely kind to Saul Alvarez. It was at this time last year when Alvarez had moved up in weight to challenge undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol. As most know, in a fight that went the distance, Alvarez was thoroughly out boxed and out worked by a master boxer in Bivol. Although losing one fight should not define a fighter's career, the twelve round unanim...

The official weigh-in for Saturday's DAZN Pay-Per-View main event (In the United States and Canada) at Akron Stadium Undisputed World Super-Middleweight chamipnship fight between defending champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and WBO number one Super-Middleweight contender John Ryder took place on Friday in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ryder, who will be making his second attempt at a world championship came in right at the Super-Middleweight limit of 168lbs. Alvarez, who will be the overwhelming crowd favorite, as this fight has been promoted as a homecoming, came in looking lean at 167 1/2lbs. The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds and will have all four world championships, the WBO, WBC,WBA,IBF crowns which comprise the Undisputed Super-Middleweight chamipnship of the world will be on the line. Weights for the undercard bouts on the card are unavailable as of this writing. Alvarez vs. Ryder takes place on Saturday, May 6th at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. In North America,...

For some fighters, the path to a world championship fight is not as simple as it might seem. Some are able to get their opportunity off of the strength of an impressive win, which in turn serves as the catalyst to drum up support for said fighter to fight for a world title. While this may seem like the quickest path to one getting a shot, there are countless other fighters that must for lack of a better term rely on the structure that be in the sport, which means for a fighter to work their way to a mandatory position to force a shot at a world championship. This is precisely the path that Super-Middleweight contender and former world title challenger John Ryder has taken, which has seen him fight his way to the number one contender's position in the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) Super-Middleweight ratings, which has now resulted in the native of London, England now being on the brink of the biggest fight of his career. A fight where he will challenge current Undisputed Sup...

As strictly a Boxing match, the encounter between former Super-Middleweight world champions David Benavidez and Caleb Plant checked a lot of boxes that a Boxing fan looks for in the lead up to the fight. A clash of styles that when matched against each other was likely to produce a competitive fight. A rivalry between the two fighters that appeared to grow into legitimate bad blood, and the sub-plot of potentially getting another opportunity to fight for a world championship. With the fight fan's list of what to look forward to checked off, it was time for the two fighters to converge on the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on March 25th to do battle.  In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it would likely come down to whether or not Plant would be able to deal with the punching power and hand speed of Benavidez. It was also crucial in my eyes that Benavidez not allow Plant, a fighter known for his elusiveness, to be able to set the tempo of the fight and could n...

As previously announced earlier this week, Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of the world Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his crown on May 6th against WBO number one contender and mandatory challenger John Ryder in Mexico, signaling Alvarez' first fight in his home country in more than a decade. While this column will not discuss the fight in detail as we are still more than two months away from the scheduled date, the bout already has generated controversy. How has a fight that is still weeks away from taking place already raised the ire of Boxing fans? The Alvarez-Ryder bout will be broadcast on DAZN internationally, which means that it will be part of a standard monthly or annual subscription to the digital streaming network in many countries around the world. In the United States and Canada however, the fight will be available on DAZN Pay-Per-View. Why has that decision already raised the ire of many? It is important for this observer to state as I have in the...

  Anyone who covers the sport of Boxing and to be more specific those who specialize in penning columns on a variety of subjects including previews and post-fight analysis can likely relate to the uniqueness of one's creative process. For yours truly, there are times when a basic concept will start to form in my mind of what I will be writing in a forthcoming column at several times. Times which can be the practice of me sitting at my desk and staring at the dreaded blank page waiting for inspiration to strike, or in the context of current technology, being able to pick up my cell phone or a tablet at any time when an idea/concept comes to mind. There are even times when I will start forming an idea in my mind as I cover a fight thinking with each passing round that the forming concept will indeed be what I end up going with when all is said and done.   In some instances however, a concept that forms in the mind that seems by all accounts to be supported by what one is s...