Can Whyte Continue To Build Momentum?

December 2024 in Boxing has seen the focus firmly planted on the Heavyweight division. With the highly anticipated rematch between undefeated unified WBO/WBA/IBO/WBC Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Fury still to take place on December 21 in Saudi Arabia, the month of December has seen potential challengers for whomever should emerge from that fight victorious, angling for position. We have seen former two-time world title challenger Kubrat Pulev take his next step by scoring a convincing twelve round unanimous decision over longtime contender Manuel Charr. Now, another former world title challenger looks to make his argument as longtime contender Dillian Whyte will return to the ring on Sunday, December 15th in Gibraltar at the Europa Point Sports Complex to face  contender Ebenezer Tetteh. 

The scheduled ten round Heavyweight bout, which can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will be Whyte’s third bout since coming up short against then WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in April 2022. Since that loss, where he was knocked out in the sixth round, Whyte has rebounded in his last two fights scoring victories over contenders Jermaine Franklin and Christian Hammer. In his previous fight in March, Whyte scored a third round stoppage of Hammer. 

While the story of this fight is a simple one to describe in a longtime top contender looking to put himself back into the Heavyweight championship picture, the subplot here will be what Whyte’s opposition will be on this occasion. Ebenezer Tetteh will come into this fight with a record of 23-1, with 20 Knockouts, is riding a four fight knockout streak. Tetteh does have power in both hands and should be viewed as a potentially dangerous opponent for the thirty-six year old Whyte. The one blemish on Tetteh’s record, however, came against the one recognizable opponent on that ledger in the form of current IBF Heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois, who knocked him out in one round in 2019 when Dubois was a rising contender.

This could be interpreted in a few ways. Although Tetteh has bounced back since that setback, he has only fought four times since that loss in 2019. What this fight will come down to is whether or not Tetteh is ready for the step up that he was not ready for when he faced Dubois. There is also the aspect of what version of Whyte will be in the ring.

Dillian Whyte has been in many grueling battles throughout his career and like Tetteh, he is capable of ending a fight with either hand, there have been times where he has appeared sluggish, most recently in his bout with Jermaine Franklin in November 2022, where he won a twelve round majority decision in a fight that some thought Franklin deserved the victory. The question, which will likely follow Whyte for the remainder of his career is not only one regarding consistency of his performances, but also one whether the accumulation of a long career and those grueling battles will show itself.

Whether or not that will happen against  Ebenezer Tetteh remains to be seen. When a notable Heavyweight such as Whyte competes, however, it will draw attention. Especially when the goal of every Heavyweight not currently a world champion or a challenger for a world championship is to get themselves into that position. With Pulev having scored a convincing victory over Manuel Charr, it is now time to see whether Whyte can put forth a performance that might nudge him ahead in the pecking order of potential future world title challengers or if Ebenezer Tetteh will be able to score what some will view as an upset and move his own name into that discussion.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Whyte vs. Tetteh takes place on Sunday, December 15th at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2:30 PM ET/11:30 AM PT. (*U.S. Times Only.*) 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. 

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Pulev And Bentley Score Big Wins In Europe

Saturday, December 7th saw two interesting bouts take place that shined the spotlight on Boxing’s European scene. In the long term, each outcome could also lead to something significant for the winners in terms of the world rankings in 2025. The first of these two bouts took place in Sofia, Bulgaria where top Heavyweight contenders Manuel Charr and former two-time world title challenger and hometown favorite Kubrat Pulev met in a scheduled twelve round bout where an Interim/Regular championship designation in the WBA Heavyweight ratings was at stake.

Outside of the designation, what looked over this fight in reality was an opportunity to become a mandatory challenger in the WBA ratings, which could lead to an opportunity to face the winner of the upcoming rematch between Unified World Heavyweight championship Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, which will take place in Saudi Arabia on December 21st. 

While this fight was fought in relatively close quarters as both fighters were content to stay within punching range from start to finish, it was Pulev who was able to dictate the fight. In simple terms, Pulev’s approach in this encounter had an emphasis on fundamentals. By working behind a consistent jab and frequently throwing right hands, either straight right hands, or right hooks, he was able to establish a pattern for the combat that Charr was simply unable to break.

A pattern of being put on the end of Pulev’s longer arms and being unable to get his punches off first. The success Pulev had in being able to land his right hand behind the jab eventually opened a cut over Charr’s left eye midway through the scheduled twelve round bout. Although the pattern did not change as the fight progressed, the close parameters in which the fight was fought did allow for some heated exchanges throughout. Though Charr was able to have some success periodically in landing counter hooks on Pulev, he simply could not change the ebb and flow of the combat, nor was he able to consistently use head movement to try and avoid the right hand of Pulev. It was Pulev’s fundamental approach that ultimately resulted in his winning a wide and convincing twelve round unanimous decision on the official scorecards.  What may be ahead for both Pulev and Charr will be discussed at the end of this column. 

The second bout that took place during this day saw the action move from Sofia, Bulgaria to London, England where British Middleweight champion Brad Pauls made the second defense of his title against former British Middleweight champion Denzel Bentley in a twelve round bout. While British championship honors were on the line in this bout as well as bragging rights in terms of the British Boxing scene, the stakes of this fight were increased as the vacant European Middleweight championship was also on the line, which could serve as a springboard to a potential shot at a world championship.

What stood out to this observer was Bentley's ability to control distance and be a sharpshooter in the first four rounds. Bentley did this by putting an emphasis on lateral movement and keeping Pauls on the end of his jab, throwing right hands to the head and body, then using his legs to avoid Pauls.

This made things difficult for the British champion, but he did begin to close the gap in round five by becoming a bit more aggressive and gradually closing the distance between himself and Bentley. Pauls did this by trying to apply pressure and push Bentley back towards the ropes and corners of the ring. Although it was a gradual process, Pauls approach allowed him to incrementally pick up his punch output and he was able to land some solid hooks and straight right hands. 

The tempo appeared to be shifting slightly in the champion’s favor after eight rounds simply because he was able to adapt and change his approach. As the fight entered the tenth round, it appeared as though Pauls was potentially in the driver's seat, but just as the momentum seemed in his favor, he was forced to take a knee when Benley landed a jab that appeared to land on the eye. Pauls was able to get up, but in what appeared to be a close fight developing, the knockdown would prove to be crucial.

Following the knockdown, Bentley appeared to regain control of the contest in terms of being able to dictate the tempo as Pauls tried to reestablish what had been working for him prior to being knocked down. He was not able to, however, and Bentley was able to secure a convincing unanimous decision victory by sweeping the final three rounds of the bout. In terms of scoring, Bentley won by margins of 117-110, 116-111, and 115-112 on the three official scorecards. Bentley being able to score a 10-8 round in round ten because of the knockdown, as well as sweeping the final two rounds of the twelve round championship bout ended up sealing his victory.

For Bentley, what might come next could be a world championship fight in 2025. Not only because he won the European Middleweight championship by defeating Pauls in addition to regaining the British Middleweight championship, but more specifically because Pauls was recognized as the WBO’s number one contender heading into this bout, which now in theory puts Bentley into the number one mandatory challenger position for current unified WBO/IBF World Middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. Whether or not Bentley gets that fight or might possibly look into a potential rematch with Pauls, which would draw much interest in the United Kingdom might come down to what the WBO and IBF decide what's next for Alimkhanuly in terms of his mandatory defense obligations.

As for the winner of the Heavyweight bout that took place on this Saturday in Europe, Kubrat Pulev might now be on a short list of potential challengers for the winner of the rematch between undefeated unified WBO/IBO/WBA/WBC world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury. Obviously, we will not know the outcome of that rematch until they meet on December 21st, but in reality both Pulev and Charr, who fought for the first time in two years when he faced Pulev after a lengthy period of inactivity caused in part by legal entanglements involving the WBA, could still have room to maneuver with no shortage of contenders, former world champions, and also current IBF world champion Daniel Dubois all lurking in the Heavyweight division. The attention, however, will move to Usyk and Fury before all the above likely decide what is next for them as they look to improve their position in the crowded Heavyweight landscape.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Will Charr Or Pulev Be In Position For Usyk-Fury Rematch Winner?

The month of December has been looked forward to by Boxing fans due in large part to the much anticipated rematch between undefeated unified WBO/IBO/WBA/WBC Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. A rematch that could in some ways signal the end of an era, or perhaps potentially lead to a third chapter between the two future Hall of Famers.

While there is still much to be resolved between Usyk and Fury as well as unanswered questions as to what may follow after that fight, it is worth remembering that the politics that be in the sport is one reason why that second bout between Usyk and Fury is for a unified portion of the World Heavyweight championship and not the Undisputed championship, which was determined in their first fight earlier this year. Such political aspects also inevitably also create scenarios where others in a division are looking to maneuver themselves into position to potentially face the winner of a rematch. 

One such scenario could be taking shape as Heavyweight contenders Manuel Charr and Kubrat Pulev will meet on December 7th in Bulgaria as each look to put themselves into a position to challenge Usyk or Fury. As simple and straight-forward as that should be for anyone to understand, this fight, which will be broadcast on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will have an Interim/Regular championship designation in the WBA’s Heavyweight ratings, a designation held by Charr.

Although in reality this fight is simply two contenders looking to take the next step towards a shot at a world championship between one fighter in Charr, who has held an Interim/Regular label for several years, but has never fought for a world championship, and Charr, a longtime top contender who has fought for a world championship twice, the fact that there is an Interim/Regular label attached here does not mean much in the overall picture. The story, however, of this encounter should be whether either fighter will be able to make a strong argument for himself as being the next potential challenger for the winner of Usyk-Fury 2.

Both Charr and Pulev have been top contenders in the Heavyweight division for many years, but the question that should surround this fight is whether inactivity will be a factor. Specifically, the inactivity of Charr, who will be competing for the first time in two years following several legal entanglements involving himself and the WBA as well as visa issues, which has prevented him from traveling for competition.

Frankly, it would take likely several columns to go over each specific issue Charr has had to deal with in recent years, which have included fighters petitioning the WBA for fights with Charr among other issues which have led those aforementioned legal entanglements, so out of respect for the reader, this observer will move forward to simply discussing the issue of inactivity 

Charr’s last fight took place on December 21, 2022 when he scored a second round knockout of Nueri Seferi. While Charr fought three times that year, which is fairly more active by today's standards for a top contender or world champions, now he finds himself in a position where the subject of “Ring Rust" is very real simply because he has been inactive. 

In contrast, Kubrat Pulev, a former European Heavyweight champion and former two-time world title challenger is coming into this fight off of two straight wins and last fought in March of this year in scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over Ihor Shevadzutskyi. Pulev will also have two other advantages going into this fight in addition to being the more active of the two fighters.

Pulev is the naturally bigger fighter standing nearly 6’5 and has a near eighty inch reach. While Charr is only giving up two inches in reach, if Pulev can establish the tempo of the combat and keep Charr at distance with his longer reach, it could pose difficulty for Charr as the fight progresses if he cannot get inside of Pulev’s reach. 

Although the weight of the two fighters is likely to be similar as both have tipped the scales in the 240lb. range in their recent fights, it will likely come down to who is able to implement their tactics between two boxer/punchers. Some may argue, however, that whom will take the next step towards a shot at a world championship may not be necessarily determined by who wins and who loses, but rather whether the winner will be able to put on a quality performance in order to drum up the type of buzz that will support the victor as the next challenger for Usyk or Fury. We will have to wait and see if Manuel Charr or Kubrat Pulev will be able to make a strong argument for themselves.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Charr vs. Pulev takes place on Saturday, December 7th in Sofia, Bulgaria. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 1PM ET/10AM PT (*U.S. Times Only.*) 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. 

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The Conclusion Of January 2022 In Boxing

 Although the Boxing schedule since the beginning of 2022 has been sporadic due in part to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic and several postponements of several Boxing cards outside of the United States due to several countries issuing restrictions in an effort to combat the latest surge of the virus and it’s latest Omnicon variant. The end of January 2022 however, will be highlighted by two separate cards on Saturday, January29th promoted by rival Hall of Fame promoters Don King and Bob Arum.

 

In some ways, this is a scenario that brings Boxing back to a previous era where Arum and King would go head to head on competing platforms as each at one time or another held claim as the top promoter in the sport. Now, in 2022, both Arum and King, each at the age of ninety are each still going strong and will be promoting two interesting cards that are each compelling for their own reasons.

 

First, Don King will present a seven bout card that can be seen on FITE Pay-Per-View from the Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. In the main event WBC Cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu will make the second defense of his world title against WBC number one rated Cruiserweight contender Thabiso Mchunu. A rematch from a bout in May 2015 when the then contender Makabu knocked out Mchunu in eleven rounds. Beyond this fight being a case that can be simply defined as a world champion facing the mandatory number one contender in the organization in which they hold a world title, for Makabu, this fight has added significance as he has been named as a potential opponent for current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. While obviously a fight with Alvarez, who would move up two weight classes from the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division to the 190lb. Cruiserweight division to challenge Makabu, would garner significant attention due to Alvarez’ standing as arguably the number one marquee draw in the sport, obviously, the current WBC Cruiserweight champion will need to take care of matters against Mchunu before any potential bout with Alvarez could be negotiated.

 

Although this is a fight between two of the top Cruiserweights in the world, it is also arguable that this bout between Makabu and Mchunu has gained considerable attention due to the possibility of a fight with Alvarez looming ahead for Makabu, should he successfully defend his championship.  In terms of what to expect when Makabu and Mchunu face off, Makabu is an offensive-minded fighter who has scored twenty-five knockouts in his twenty eight career wins. The champion has shown in his career that he has a good power, particularly in his left hook as well as a willingness to engage in exchanges of offense with his opponents. While this indicates the possibility for an entertaining bout for the Boxing fan, it can also leave the champion vulnerable and he was stopped in his two career losses, which is something to keep in mind. Makabu has been undefeated since losing in his first world title shot when he lost to Tony Bellew in 2016 for what was then the vacant WBC championship in the Cruiserweight division. Since that bout, Makabu has been unbeaten in nine bouts in which he has scored knockouts in seven of those bouts. 

 

Standing across the ring from Makabu will be Thabiso Mchunu. Mchunu, a fighter with twenty-eight career bouts to his credit will enter the bout with a record of 23-5, with 13 Knockouts. The challenger  is a boxer/puncher, who one might assume will be looking to extend Makabu into the middle and late rounds of this fight if he can. Mchunu has won four straight bouts coming into this bout in what will be his second attempt at a world championship after previously being stopped by undefeated former Undisputed Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk in December 2016, when the current unified Heavyweight world champion made a successful defense of his WBO Cruiserweight crown in stopping Mchunu in nine rounds. Although both Makabu and Mchunu are not particularly well-known here in the United States, they are two world-class fighters and it will be interesting to see if they will be able to take advantage of the increased exposure here and also if the winner of this bout will be able to secure what will likely be the most lucrative payday of their career by potentially fighting Alvarez.

 

The co-main event of this card will see undefeated top Heavyweight contender Trevor Bryan face undefeated contender Jonathan Guidry in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds. Bryan, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Heavyweight ratings, has had several on again, off again agreements to fight longtime contender Manuel Charr, who at one point also held an interim/regular designation in the WBA ratings. While that fight for whatever reason has not materialized, Bryan will be returning to the ring for the first time in exactly one year to face the unbeaten Guidry. In his last bout, Bryan stopped former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne in eleven rounds in Hollywood, FL.  Bryan will enter this bout unbeaten with a record of 21-0, with 15 Knockouts.  

 

While this in reality is a fight where Bryan will look to make a strong argument for himself as a potential opponent for the winner of the upcoming rematch between undefeated unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time champion Anthony Joshua, he faces a bit of the unknown against Guidry, who is currently rated number thirteen in the world by the WBA in the Heavyweight division.

 

Like Bryan, Guidry is unbeaten in his career and will enter the bout with a record of 17-0-2, with 10 Knockouts. Guidry has yet to face a notable opponent in his career and therein lies the element of the unknown as a big question that surrounds this fight will be what Guidry will have to offer. Although Bryan is likely to be viewed as a favorite going into this encounter, it will be interesting to see how Guidry responds to this, his first notable fight against a top contender and if he does perform well win or lose if his current standing in the top fifteen of the WBA’s Heavyweight contenders will be elevated after this fight.

 

While the Makabu-Mchunu rematch and Bryan-Guidry bouts will co-headline a pay-per-view card, Bob Arum will stage a Boxing card at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. In the main event of this card, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+, a battle of top Jr. Lightweight contenders current WBC number four rated contender Robson Conceicao will face undefeated WBA number four rated contender Xavier Martinez in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. This arguably pits two fighters at very similar stages in their respective careers against each other and is a bout between two boxer/punchers who can do a bit of everything. Conceicao will be looking to rebound in this fight after suffering his only career defeat in his last bout in a failed challenge of WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion Oscar Valdez in September of last year in which he lost a twelve round unanimous decision.

 

Conceicao, who will enter this bout with a record of 16-1, with 8 Knockouts may have come out on the short end that evening against one of the best fighters in the world in Valdez, but he did give a good account of himself in defeat. Although this may have an appearance to some as what is sometimes referred to within the sport as a “Comeback Fight” fight Conceicao, he will be facing another top contender in his first bout coming off that loss in Xavier Martinez.

 

Some might say that Martinez, who will enter this bout unbeaten with a record of 17-0, with 11 Knockouts, is in a similar position as Conceicao was before he faced Valdez in that though he is highly ranked, there is still somewhat of the unknown as far as how good Martinez might be. In fairness, in his last two bouts, Martinez did score victories over notable contenders and former world title challengers  Claudio Marrero and Juan Carlos Burgos. One might argue by now facing a third consecutive former world title challenger in Conceicao, that if Martinez were to win this fight that his next bout might be a challenge of one of the world champions in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. While there are similarities between the two fighters in terms of their records, respective rankings, as well as their Boxing styles, this fight may come down to who is able to get an advantage on the other and whether or not they will be able to maintain that advantage for the duration of the fight.  An interesting battle between one fighter looking for his opportunity at a world championship going against another fighter looking for a second chance.

 

While January 29^th will be a throwback evening of Boxing for many as two legendary promoters pit their respective cards against each other on competing streaming platforms in a scenario that is not unlike how things were for decades between Bob Arum and Don King on across cable/satellite networks and pay-per-view, the rivalry between the two continues and though the landscape of both technology as well as the sport of Boxing as a whole has definitely changed, we will see what this next chapter in that promotional rivalry has to offer.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Makabu vs. Mchunu takes place on Saturday, January 29^th at Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. The card can be seen globally on FITE Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $49.99. The FITE app is available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs. For more information about FITE please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order Makabu vs. Mchunu download the FITE app or Click Here.

 

Conceicao vs. Martinez takes place on Saturday, January 29^th 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-based sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:55PM ET/2:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices and 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. Check your local listings internationally.

 

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