Ennis Breaks Stanionis Down To Increase Welterweight Supremacy

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 court of public opinion is for the fighters who remain to establish themselves as a division's next central figure without getting the opportunity to face the previous fighter with that distinction either because of that fighter moving out of the division or because of choosing to retire. Both Ennis and Stanionis found themselves in that position.

Despite this and the fact that both fighters are still at a stage in their careers where they are developing and trying to increase their name recognition value, this fight presented something of a rarity in the sport of Boxing that should be seen as refreshing. After all, it is not really common, if nothing else due to the politics that be in the sport to see two unbeaten world champions put not only their records, but also their respective world championships on the line, without the typical grandstanding/posturing that usually occurs, and without sufficient public demand that the fight takes place. Although this fight went against that all too often used formula, the sport will benefit from it as it allowed one of these fighters to take a step forward and in doing so, allowed the Welterweight division a necessary step towards determining it's next central figure.

On April 12th Ennis and Stanionis met at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Ennis, the IBF world champion, Stanionis, the WBA world champion. Only one would take a step forward, while the other would be forced to take a step back.

Ennis would quickly establish that he would be the fighter dictating how the combat would be fought by frequently getting his punches off first, often in combination, and forcing Stanionis to fight from behind a high defensive guard. What this accomplishes for fighters that are able to do this is one, it paints a clear picture as to who is dictating things, but it also significantly limits an opponent's ability to not only get their punches off consistently, but to also find a consistent offensive rhythm. In this case, Ennis was able to largely nullify one of Stanionis’ primary weapons, the jab and was able to control the fight largely by being the more active of the two fighters and keeping Stanionis defending against punches, rather than throwing his own consistently. 

As the fight progressed and Stanionis was able to apply pressure in trying to push Ennis back towards the ropes, the WBA world champion would find periodic success in landing hard hooks to the head of Ennis at points when the IBF world champion would drop his hands at times, which would would allow for an opening for Stanionis to land. 

Unfortunately for Stanionis, however, those moments would be sporadic at best and he was unable to quell Ennis’ offensive rhythm, as he gradually began to suffer the accumulative effects of a beating that Ennis was administering. In round six, a left hook to the body followed by some punches to the head that were partially blocked sent Stanionis down on one knee on the canvas. This was a scenario where even though he had gone down from a combination of blows, it was the hook to the body, which was the culprit in sending him down with a delayed reaction. 

With his nose bloodied and seemingly looking like a fighter who was suffering a beating, but had no answer for how to combat his opponent effectively, Stanionis showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown and finishing the round. Having seen what was occurring and looking out for their fighter’s best interests long-term, Stanionis’ corner stopped the fight at the end of round six making Jaron Ennis the winner and now the unified IBF/WBA World Welterweight champion.

Ultimately, this fight was a step forward for Jaron Ennis, but one that arguably puts him in the position of now being able to dictate terms should either current WBC world champion Mario Barrios, WBO world champion Brian Norman, or IBO world champion Tulani Mbenge want to increase their stake in the World Welterweight championship and thus the Welterweight division as a whole. While certainly no disrespect is intended to any of these three world champions by this observer, because they are in fact world champions and deserve the respect that goes with it, neither of the three are really in a position where they could pass on a potential fight with Ennis based solely on name recognition value. Although all three fighters, Barrios, Norman, and Mbenge are world-class fighters, there still lacks the type of name recognition clout, particularly amongst casual fans that could see potential negotiations stall while the division’s four current world champions continue competing against other opposition in the normally crowded Welterweight ranks.

With the incentive that brought Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis to the table with each looking to increase their hold on the division still very much in the equation, the best both those of us who cover the sport as well as the public can hope for is that the Welterweights are once again on a path towards fully unifying the division and all the current champions should want the same goal to be Undisputed world champion and that will lead to further unification bouts taking place in a more streamlined way than the grandstanding approach, which usually results in fights taking several years to be made. Boxing as a whole will benefit greatly if that is the case. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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February 5th Pay-Per-View Doubleheader Thoughts

 

Following the month of January, which was one that was largely quiet in terms of beginning 2022 inside the Boxing ring, the month of February began with two well-publicized pay-per-view cards that each took place on the same day. This observer is referring to the two events that occurred on February 5^th in Cardiff, Wales and Las Vegas, NV respectively.

 

First was the event in Cardiff, Wales, which was co-headlined by two Middleweight bouts featuring both the women and men of the sport. First up was undefeated unified WBC/WBA/IBF Women’s World Middleweight champion Claressa Shields, who scored a dominant ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” previously unbeaten World Boxing Federation (WBF) world champion Ema Kozin. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that I felt that the key to the fight would be whether or not Kozin would be able to get the respect of Shields early.

 

As has been the case in virtually every fight that Claressa Shields has had in her professional career, she brought the fight to her opponent from the opening bell. Applying consistent pressure and mixing hand speed and punching power, which kept Kozin on the defensive, Shields implemented an offensive approach that for a time appeared as though would break Kozin down in the middle and late rounds. Despite suffering significant punishment over the course of the scheduled ten round world championship bout, Kozin showed a lot of heart and was able to go the distance against a fighter in Shields, who is regarded as one of the top fighters in the entire sport.

 

A bigger story emerged following Shields victory over Kozin however, as during a post-fight interview, Shields engaged in a heated argument with undefeated WBO world champion Savannah Marshall, who is the only person to have scored a victory over Shields when the two met several years ago as amateurs. While it is not uncommon to see such arguments occur in the middle of a post-fight interview as it is unfortunately something that is used as a promotional tool by promoters and networks, whether they are willing to admit it or not, it is not a good look not just for women in the sport, but the sport of Boxing as a whole when such arguments occur on television that give an appearance as though it comes from “Reality” television. The view of yours truly on that subject notwithstanding, obviously, the wheels are in motion for a Shields-Marshall unification bout later in 2022. Although it may be true that these two fighters do not like each other, hopefully, those around both of them will remind both that outside of whatever dislike they might have towards each other, they are also representing Boxing and in any promotion for the bout, representing the sport in the best way possible should be a focus.

 

This brings us the second Middleweight bout that took place in Cardiff, Wales as former IBO Super-Middleweight world champion Chris Eubank Jr. squared off against former world title challenger Liam Williams in a twelve round bout. Frankly, this bout turned out to be one between a good fighter in Eubank, who proved to be just a little too quick for a good fighter in Williams, who was very “Game,” but arguably should not have been able to go the distance as he did.

 

Why am I being as direct as I am in saying that? Due to Eubank scoring four knockdowns throughout the bout in rounds one, two, four, and eleven. While two of these knockdowns came as a result of jabs and were the definition of what is referred to as a “Flash Knockdown” where Williams was off balance, knocked off his feet by jabs, and was not visibly hurt, it is rare to see a fight being allowed to go on beyond three knockdowns against one fighter. The lone exception would be under circumstances where both fighters are knocked down during the course of a fight.

 

Despite the clear advantage that Eubank had as the fight progressed in a dominant performance in winning a clear unanimous decision, if there is one criticism that one could point to beyond the fact that Eubank failed to finish Williams and to be more specific failed to force the issue after four knockdowns to get a stoppage, it is that he chose to mock Williams and for lack of a better term play around during the middle and late rounds rather than try to end the fight. Although this could perhaps be attributed to the bad blood between the two fighters prior to the fight, an argument can be made that at times it is just as important in how you win as it is simply getting a win.

 

For a fighter in Eubank, who has a lineage through the accomplishments of his father former multi-division world champion Chris Eubank Sr., who has also gone on to hold a world championship in his own right in his career, if Eubank Jr. wants to secure another opportunity at a world title he needs to win and do so impressively in order to drum up interest and demand for him to challenge one of the current champions in the 160lb. Middleweight division. In this case, though he was impressive and keeping in mind that Williams deserves all the credit for being able to go the distance, the fact that Eubank did not force the issue and chose to mock his opponent rather than trying to finish the fight, is something that will likely turn off some fans and may be viewed by promoters who currently represent one of the world champions in the division as a tough sale. While keeping in mind that Eubank’s approach could have indeed been influenced by whatever issues that may have been between he and Williams going into the fight, he will likely have to explain why he chose not to force the issue and seemed content with going the distance when the possibility of a stoppage was clearly there for him.

 

Whether or not Eubank will be fighting for a world championship at some point later in the year remains to be seen. One should not discount the possibility of his name recognition as a former world champion being enough to at least enter the discussion for a possible challenge. The public being supportive of such a challenge at this point however, might be debatable. For now, Chris Eubank Jr. did do what he had to do in scoring a convincing and wide decision victory.

 

This leads us to the second pay-per-view Boxing event that took place on February 5^th in Las Vegas, NV. A card that featured two former world champions returning to the ring looking to bounce back from losses in separate bouts. First to return to the ring was multi-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who returned to action for the first time since Halloween night of 2020 to face Jr. Lightweight contender Keenan Carbajal in a ten round bout.

 

Despite suffering a bad cut over the right eye as a result of an accidental clash of heads in round two, Santa Cruz did not show any ill effects from his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis or more than a year of inactivity. When a fighter suffers the type of knockout that Santa Cruz suffered at the hands of Davis, the primary question whenever that fighter returns to action is not only what effect did the knockout have on them, but also how would that experience influence how they fight going forward.

 

Santa Cruz was able to show early on in this fight that the loss to Davis would not change his approach as he was more than willing to engage with Carbajal from the outset. What stood out in my eyes was not only that Santa Cruz willingness to engage, but more specifically how he established a balanced attack to the body and head of Carbajal. Although Santa Cruz would deal with periodic accidental head clashes throughout the bout, the cut he suffered over the right eye did not seem to slow him down as he outworked Carbajal over the ten rounds to earn a convincing unanimous decision.

 

For Keenan Carbajal, this was his first taste of fighting on a significant stage and to his credit, he held his own throughout and seemed to deal with an injured left arm in the latter stages of the fight. Despite the loss to Santa Cruz, Carbajal was able to make a solid showing in defeat and he will likely get another opportunity against a notable opponent down the line. This was simply a case of one fighter being about to outwork the other and Carbajal being unable to slow Santa Cruz’ offensive output in that whenever Santa Cruz threw punches, they were in combination and when a fighter is able to do that, it become very challenging for the opposing fighter to combat. Nevertheless, for what was a significant step up in class for Carbajal, he did perform well and did try his best to match Santa Cruz offensively.

 

As for Leo Santa Cruz, the question becomes what will he do coming out of this fight. Santa Cruz does still hold recognition as the WBA Featherweight world champion in the 126lb. Featherweight division, despite not defending that title since winning it in November 2019. Whether or not he chooses to stay in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division remains to be seen. What this fight did accomplish for Santa Cruz was it should boost his confidence after suffering a setback. He was able to produce a convincing performance where he showed the skills that has made him a future Hall of Famer.

 

The main event of the pay-per-view card in Las Vegas saw former WBA Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman return to the ring for the first time in over two years to face Jr. Welterweight contender Mario Barrios in a twelve round Welterweight bout. In what can be described as a tactical Boxing match, Thurman, who was competing for the first time since losing his WBA championship to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, displayed a measured approach as he often was the fighter that dictated how the combat was fought. He did this by controlling distance and using lateral movement to keep Barrios from being able to plant his feet and throw offense in situations where it may have been favorable for him.

 

There were several exchanges of offense between the two fighters however, and Barrios, who was moving up from the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division for this fight in the 147lb. Welterweight division, was able to take the punches Thurman landed well, despite suffering a bad cut over the left eye in the middle rounds of the bout. The difference in punching power was nevertheless evident as Thurman seemed to have more behind his shots. What was also noticeable in addition to Thurman’s ability to dictate the combat as well as the aforementioned attributes including timing, was in most instances he was the fighter throwing first, which while Barrios was able to have his share of moments, generally left the impression that Thurman was getting the better of the action.

 

Barrios’ best moment of the bout came late in the eight round when he connected with a right hand to Thurman’s body that forced the former world champion to retreat and catch his breath. While Barrios had sporadic success whenever he went to the body of Thurman, he simply was not consistent enough in focusing his attack to the body, which may have been able to limit Thurman’s movement as the fight progressed. Despite putting forth a very “Game” effort in his Welterweight debut, Barrios was unable to turn the ebb and flow of the combat in his favor, which allowed Keith Thurman to box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision.

 

In the interest of honesty with the reader, while there may be some who will choose to be critical of Thurman for perhaps not pressing the issue more especially after he was able to cut Barrios in the middle rounds where he may have been able to get a stoppage, after two and a half years out of action, this was the type of performance that Thurman needed. Not only to shake off what is known as “Ring Rust” from inactivity, but also much like Leo Santa Cruz, as a confidence booster after losing his world championship in his previous fight.

 

As for where Thurman will go coming out of this victory over Mario Barrios, the World Boxing Council (WBC) had the Thurman-Barrios bout as an elimination bout in it’s Welterweight rankings. This could mean that Thurman might be in line to face the winner of the recently announced upcoming unification bout between undefeated IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugas, which will take place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX in the month of April in what will likely be another pay-per-view offering. While it is indisputable that Keith Thurman is still one of the best fighters that the Welterweight division has to offer, this observer feels that it might be best if he takes another fight before potentially challenging the winner of Spence-Ugas.

 

Although these two pay-per-view cards did provide a lot of action and a full day of Boxing for those who opted to purchase both events, obviously how successful both ultimately prove to be is unknown as of this writing. It is my hope however, as someone who has been critical of the pay-per-view model due to among other things inflated price points and the fact that more often than not, not every bout on a Boxing card that is sold as a pay-per-view is made available to the buying consumer with purchase resulting in either some fights being blacked out or, portions of the undercard being sprinkled between either streaming or traditional television platforms, that those promoters who continue to insist on such a model, will at least make the price points economically reasonable for the consumer. While this may be easier said than done for a variety of reasons, the success of digital subscription streaming is something that should not be ignored and if the pay-per-view model is to continue, despite obvious evidence of needing to adapt, those “Hold Outs” as I often refer to them, need to come up with concepts of comparable value for the consumer if they want their events to be successful on a consistent basis.

 

As always, it is important for me to point out that my criticism of the pay-per-view model and those promoters that continue to insist on such a model is not, nor has ever been aimed at any of the fighters involved as I have always had the view long before I began covering the sport that boxers should be able to make as much money as they can while they can due to the obvious dangers of the sport, the fact that fighters risk their lives every time they compete, and that a career can end just as quickly as one begins. With the pay-per-view model however, no longer being the revenue generator that it once was for networks, promoters, and the fighters, who are promised percentages of such revenue, the fighters should be asking themselves how much money could be left on the table by not adapting, could revenues that promoters look to pay-per-view for, be replaced by advertising sponsorships and other forms of revenue, which would allow the Boxing fan to be able to access the sport regardless of whether they may or may not be able to afford prices that more often than not begin above $60, as well as the obvious opportunity that comes from exposing the sport to new eyes.

 

While it remains to be seen how successful these particular events were in terms of pay-per-view buys, it was an interesting and at times entertaining day of Boxing and for those who truly love the sport and have its best interests at heart, this is something that should not go unnoticed. Even as the need for the sport as a whole to embrace adapting in the subscription-based streaming era becomes more apparent.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

 

Saturday February 5th Pay-Per-View Doubleheader Weights From Cardiff, Wales And Las Vegas, NV

 The official weigh-ins for Saturday’s two Boxing pay-per-view cards took place earlier today in Cardiff, Wales and Las Vegas, NV respectively. Below are available weights for both events as well as legal broadcast information for each card.

 

Eubank vs, Williams/ Shields vs. Kozin – Motorpoint Arena – Cardiff, Wales – FITE Pay-Per-View (Streaming) Select cable/satellite providers

 

Co-Mian Event: Unified WBC/WBA/IBF/WBF Women’s Middleweight world championship – 10Rds.

 

Claressa Shields (WBC/WBA/IBF world champion) 159lbs. vs. Ema Kozin (WBF world champion) 154 1/4lbs.

 

Co-Main Event: Middleweight – 10Rds.

 

Chris Eubank Jr. 160lbs. vs. Liam Williams 159lbs.

 

British English Welterweight championship – 10Rds.

 

Samuel Antwi (Champion) 146 1/4lbs. vs. Conah Walker (Challenger) 146lbs.

 

Heavyweight – 8Rds.

 

Otto Wallin 253 1/4lbs. vs. Kamil Sokolowski 234 1/4lbs.

 

 

 

Eubank vs, Williams/ Shields vs. Kozin takes place tomorrow (Saturday, February 5^th at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales. This pay-per-view event can be seen in the United States and several international countries on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 3PM ET/12PM PT (U.S. Time) for $29.99. For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs and information on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order this pay-per-view event on FITE, download the FITE app, or Click Here.  This card will also be available on select cable/satellite providers throughout the United States, contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. Check your local listings or FITE for availability internationally.

 

 

Thurman vs. Barrios – Mandalay Bay Events Center – Las Vegas, NV – Fox Sports Pay-Per-View Cable/Satellite FITE Pay-Per-View (Streaming)

 

Main Event: Welterweight – 12Rds.

 

Keith Thurman 145 1/2lbs. vs. Mario Barrios 146 1/2lbs.

 

*Jr. Lightweight – 10Rds.

 

Leo Santa Cruz 128 3/4lbs. vs. Keenan Carbajal 129lbs.

 

(*Originally scheduled as a Featherweight bout, both fighters over the 126lb. Featherweight limit. Bout will go on as a 130lb. Jr. Lightweight bout.)

 

Welterweight – 10Rds.

 

Abel Ramos 145 3/4lbs. vs. Lucas Santamaria 145 1/2lbs.

 

Jr. Featherweight – 10Rds.

 

Luis Nery 121 3/4lbs. vs. Carlos Castro 121 1/2lbs.

 

Thurman vs. Barrios takes place tomorrow (Saturday, February 5^th) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. This pay-per-view event can be seen in the United States on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View across cable/satellite providers and on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT for $74.99. Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, event availability in your country, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order this event on FITE download the FITE app or Click Here. Check your local listings or visit www.FITE.TV for event availability internationally.

 

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

 

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

Previewing A Pay-Per-View Doubleheader February 5th

 The ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic has caused and continues to cause several issues throughout day-to-day life as well as in the world of sports. It was one such complication that has led to something somewhat unique in the current landscape in which we are in, in the sport of Boxing. Two well-publicized pay-per-view Boxing cards taking place on the same day. 

 

Those who have followed the work of this observer over the years know that I have long been a critic of the pay-per-view model. To be more specific, I am critical of inflated price points as well as more often than not, only a fraction of a full Boxing card being made available to the consumer for what are often price points that begin at $60 or above. On February 5^th, there will be two different price points that will be interesting to see what attracts consumers more as one is reasonably priced, while the other is in line with what has unfortunately become the industry's standard for pay-per-view events.  First, the card which has led to this unique double offering of Boxing cards is one that was rescheduled from it’s original January 29^th date due to the British Boxing Board of Control choosing to suspend all combat sports events in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the month of January due to the surge in COVID-19 cases caused by the latest Omicron variant of the virus.  This observer is referring to the pay-per-view card that will take place in Cardiff, Wales where undefeated multi-division world champion Claressa Shields will defend her unified WBC/IBF/WBA Middleweight world championship against undefeated top contender Ema Kozin in a scheduled ten round bout.

 

The bout, which will co-headline a pay-per-view event will be available on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE in the United States and several international countries for a price of $29.99.  For Shields, this will be her return to the Boxing ring after losing a three round split decision in her second Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) bout in October of last year to Abigail Montes in a bout promoted by the Professional Fighters League (PFL) MMA promotion. While Shields took some criticism from some fans online following that loss, the reality is the sport of MMA is one that is still fairly new to her in that Boxing is her primary combat sports discipline and she is certainly not the first boxer to step into fighting under an MMA format with mixed results.

 

While Shields’ MMA record stands at 1-1 and it is logical that she will likely continue to pursue her MMA career, in the Boxing ring, she remains undefeated as a professional and between the two combat sports, she has only lost two fights with the one Boxing loss occurring as an amateur prior to her winning two consecutive Olympic Gold medals in the 2012 and2016 games respectively. The one Boxing loss was to fellow Middleweight world champion Savannah Marshall, who like Shields is unbeaten as a professional. Perhaps not coincidentally, Shields and Marshall appear to be on a collision course for a potential unification bout later this year if Shields is able to retain her unified portion of the Women’s World Middleweight championship against Kozin.

 

In Ema Kozin, Shields will face a fighter who is unbeaten in twenty-two professional fights and will have a slight professional experience edge over the more accomplished Shields. Kozin is also recognized as a world champion by the World Boxing Federation (WBF) in the Middleweight division and while some may not recognize the WBF as a world sanctioning organization, that world championship will also be at stake in this bout in addition to the three world titles that Shields currently holds.

 

The key to this fight in this observer's eyes will be whether or not Kozin will be able to get the respect of Shields early. At her best, Shields is a compact offensive-minded fighter that has a good mix of hand speed and punching power in being able to either out work opponents to win rounds or score knockouts should the opportunity arise. It will boil down to whether or not Kozin will be able to establish and control the pace. For her part, Kozin has good hooks with either hand and has shown in her career to have an effective attack to an opponent's body. Kozin has yet to face a fighter that fights at a fast pace as Shields typically does and whether or not Kozin will be able to implement an attack that is based on both counter punching as well as being able to take advantage of openings an opponent might leave her, remains to be seen.

 

There is always the possibility given that Shields has split her time between Boxing and her MMA career that burn out could also be a factor. As of yet, there has not been any indication that this could happen as between her two MMA bouts, Shields has continued to be dominant in the Boxing ring. Nevertheless, the possibility of burn out as well as physical fatigue from significant training exists in addition to the potential of Shields possibly looking ahead towards a bout with Savannah Marshall.

 

Also on the card in Cardiff, Wales, will be an intriguing Middleweight bout between former IBO world champion Chris Eubank Jr. and top contender and former world title challenger Liam Williams. A bout that uniquely is being marketed as being the main event of the card in the United Kingdom whereas the Shields-Kozin bout has received top billing here in the United States. The differences in the marketing of this card notwithstanding, the Eubank-Williams bout one might argue is a crossroads encounter in a 160lb. Middleweight division that could be heading towards a period of transition with several top players in the division including Demetrius Andrade, the two-division world champion and most recently the former WBO Middleweight world champion potentially seeking more lucrative opportunities in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division where current Undisputed world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez sits atop the division and as the top marquee draw in the sport has the ability to make any fight he is involved in very lucrative for those who will be sharing the ring with him. With several top fighters in the Middleweight division looking at the possibility of moving up to challenge Alvarez, providing that Alvarez stays in the division, there is obviously the potential for contenders like Eubank and Williams to maneuver into possibly fighting for a Middleweight world championship.

 

In terms of what one can look for in this fight, this will be an interesting clash of styles. Liam Williams is coming into this fight off of a failed world championship challenge to then WBO world champion Andrade in his last fight. Despite being knocked down in the second round of that fight, Williams, a former British Middleweight champion was very “Game” in going the distance with Andrade in losing a twelve round unanimous decision. In his twenty-seven career bouts, Williams has a record of 23-3-1, with 18 Knockouts. Those three losses however, came to arguably the two best fighters that Williams has fought thus far in his career. The most recent loss to Andrade as well as two losses to former Jr. Middleweight world champion Liam Smith in 2017.

 

Williams however, has good punching power and has shown that he is capable of scoring quick knockouts should the opportunity arise. This seems at least on paper to create a scenario of what could be an exciting bout as Williams’ opponent Chris Eubank Jr. is also someone who likes to come forward, has twenty-three knockouts in his thirty-one career wins registering a near 70% career knockout percentage compared to Williams’ near 67%. With both fighters having come forward styles that look to bring the fight to their opponent, this might be a scenario that it may come down to who is able to land the first significant power punch.

 

The pay-per-view doubleheader in Cardiff, Wales will not be the only pay-per-view offering on February 5^th as later that evening former WBA Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman will return to the ring for the first time in nearly two years by facing top Jr. Welterweight contender Mario Barrios at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV that will headline a four bout pay-per-view card broadcast by Fox Sports Pay-Per-View here in the United States for $74.99 that will also be available on FITE as well as the Fox Sports app and traditional cable/satellite providers.

 

In the interest of honesty with the reader, I would not be doing my job as a Boxing journalist/historian if I did not at least mention the fact that this fight being sold as a pay-per-view event and more specifically the inflated price point has drawn significant criticism from Boxing fans. This is due in large part to Fox Sports doing a pay-per-view on new year’s day, which was headlined by former Heavyweight world champion Charles Martin and former world title challenger Luis Ortiz, being marketed heavily as being economically priced at $39.99. Despite the more reasonable price point, some estimates that have been reported by a variety of Boxing media outlets have claimed that the event, which was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL only generated 25,000 buys on pay-per-view between traditional providers and streaming platforms/networks like Fox’s own sports app and FITE.

 

Keeping in mind that this observer has long been critical of those in the sport both promoters and television networks for their continued reliance on the pay-per-view model, despite the success of digital subscription-based streaming networks like DAZN and ESPN+, which have shown that there is a viable alternative not just for the consumer in a subscription-based streaming model, but also a revenue source for promoters and fighters who have yet to embrace the benefits of such a model, I do not have access to the numbers of what the Martin-Ortiz event actually drew on pay-per-view, which is why the term estimates is being used here.

 

With that said, if the event truly underperformed to that degree, it is highly questionable why the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, who also promoted Martin-Ortiz and Fox Sports would think that a card, that has pretty much the same premise of the main event being a crossroads fight, would do better in terms of buys at an inflated price point, which unfortunately has become the standard for what this observer has called the “Hold Outs” that have yet to embrace the benefits subscription-based options could have for their events and for their networks. The criticism of yours truly, which I stand by, notwithstanding, the Thurman-Barrios bout is intriguing.

 

What makes this fight intriguing? It is the first fight for Keith Thurman since he lost his WBA Welterweight world championship to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019. The question going into this fight is fairly obvious. What kind of condition will Thurman be in after such a lengthy layoff. Although Thurman’s loss to Pacquiao came via split decision, it was a fight where the opinion of many felt Pacquiao out boxed Thurman over the twelve round world championship bout. Rather than trying to quickly re-establish himself following the loss and the global epidemic of COVID-19 that followed and unfortunately continues, Thurman has chosen to stay inactive until now. While a lengthy rest likely helped Thurman to recover from nagging injuries that all fighters deal with, one does have to wonder what Thurman will look like nearly two years removed from his last fight.

 

Although the length of Thurman’s inactivity was likely influenced in part by the uncertainty of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, an old-school perspective from this observer is that more often than not, the best way for a fighter to remain in fighting shape and avoid what is known as “Ring Rust” is to not only be in the gym training, but more importantly by being active in competition. Opinions can obviously differ, but I have always held the belief that the more active a fighter can be, the better that fighter’s odds of being prepared if a lucrative fight and/or an opportunity to fight for a world championship comes along.  This is why many veteran fighters opt to stay as active as possible regardless of the caliber of opposition.

 

Of course, it is difficult to expect every fighter to have that approach, particularly when fighters at the highest level of the sport as Thurman had been for several years prior to his layoff earn millions of dollars each time they step into the ring to compete. As such, some might argue that the incentive to remain active is not as strong at least from a financial standpoint. While all fighters who enter the ring to compete deserve to make as much as they can, while they can because after all each and every fighter is risking their lives each time the enter the ring to compete, there has been evidence that fighters who compete on a limited basis whether it be once or twice a year, or even long stretches of inactivity between fights eventually suffer from eroded skills at some point in their careers.

 

At his best, Keith Thurman is a come forward fighter who has been more than willing to engage with his opponents with a good mix of hand speed and punching power. It will be interesting to see if the inactivity has benefited Thurman not only in terms of physically, but in terms of during a fight if the inactivity will have had an effect on his reaction time, reflexes, and his ability to take a punch. The answer to those questions will likely come early in this fight against Mario Barrios.

 

Barrios, who will be moving up seven pounds in weight from the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division to the 147lb. Welterweight division is, like Thurman a boxer/puncher, who likes to come forward and engage with his opponents. Mario Barrios is coming into this fight off of his only career defeat in being stopped in his last bout by Gervonta Davis in eleven rounds in June of last year. In what was a very competitive bout where he held his own against the betting favorite Davis, Barrios nearly pulled off what some might have called an upset before he was caught and stopped late in the eleventh round. 

 

Coming into this fight, Barrios has what might be seen as an advantage simply because he has been the more active of the two fighters. The question that will surround Barrios going into this bout will be how he will respond to fighting as a Welterweight against the naturally bigger Thurman. It will also be interesting to see if Barrios will look to test Thurman early given the issue of his inactivity or if he will be cautious and respectful of Thurman’s punching power. Barrios must keep in mind however, that he was caught in his last fight against Davis and that led to him being stopped. With this in mind, it is probably wise to assume that Barrios will be tactical in his approach even if he does test Thurman early.

 

While this fight is between two notable fighters, one a former world champion and the other a top contender moving up in weight for this fight, it is difficult at least for the moment to say where the winner of this bout might figure into the equation of the Welterweight division given that both Thurman and Barrios are coming off losses in their last bouts and the depth of the division that is largely in a state of flux due to issues occurring outside of the ring in terms of the top of the division. Nevertheless, the winner will likely find himself with some room to maneuver to at the very least get another bout against a top contender if an opportunity against one of the current world champions in the division is not available in the foreseeable future.

 

On the undercard of Thurman-Barrios former three-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz will return to action for the first time since Halloween night 2020 when he faces Keenan Carbajal in a Featherweight bout scheduled for ten rounds. Similar to Mario Barrios, Santa Cruz is coming off of a knockout loss to Gervonta Davis. In what was an exciting fight that was quite competitive, the bout came to a sudden conclusion when an uppercut from Davis ended the night for Santa Cruz. Although Santa Cruz’ loss to Davis was a one punch knockout, the effects from it have kept him out of competition for over a year.  Santa Cruz now looks to get back on track in this fight against Keenan Carbajal. Carbajal, the nephew of former four-time world champion and Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal, will enter this fight with a record of 23-2-1, with 15 Knockouts and has been unbeaten since 2015. This however, will be a step up in caliber of opposition for Carbajal, who will be giving up significant experience to Santa Cruz, who will enter with a record of 37-2-1, with 19 Knockouts.

 

While Carbajal may be unknown to some going into this bout, it is important to remember that Santa Cruz is coming off of a knockout loss that was severe in how it occurred. It is logical to assume that Carbajal will look to test Santa Cruz early. At his best, Santa Cruz is a fighter with an entertaining style that has been more than willing to engage with his opponents over the years. After suffering the first knockout of his career however, an obvious question that will probably be asked among some Boxing fans is whether or not he will be as willing to engage in exchanges of offense as he was before he was caught by Gervonta Davis.

 

Although Keenan Carbajal has an eighteen fight winning streak coming into this bout, he has fought several fighters that are not known and who some would describe by a term that this observer personally dislikes “Journeymen.” As much as the story of this fight will center around what effect did the knockout Leo Santa Cruz suffered had on him, the other plot line here will be what will Carbajal bring to the table in what is clearly the biggest fight of his career and a chance to instantly establish himself amongst the best in the 126lb. Featherweight division should he turn in a good performance win or lose. While there is a clear temptation to label this as simply a “Comeback Fight” for Santa Cruz, the reality is, it may be best to view things with the mindset of one fight at a time at this stage of his career and what path his career takes going forward could be influenced in part by what happens in this fight against Carbajal.

 

The concept of two pay-per-view Boxing cards taking place in the span of one day is something that is indeed not new as Boxing has flirted with it on an occasional basis going back to the early 2000’s prior to the advent of streaming technology and the often more sensible subscription-based streaming model. With four fights, the four headline bouts on these two pay-per-view cards having been previewed in this column, it would be a shame given the stories leading into each bout if the main story in the weeks that follow these two cards concerns strictly the estimates of pay-per-view buys each event generates, which has unfortunately been as much of the story of recent pay-per-view events as the fights themselves.

 

Although it is tempting to take a negative view having seen the decline of the pay-per-view model and the thus far unwillingness to adapt by some promoters and networks to a more economically reasonable model that will not in essence price out many consumers, yours truly will take an optimistic stance and say simply that I am looking forward to what occurs inside the ring between these two separate cards. The other factors that be in regard to the business of Boxing and the paywall structure can be discussed at a later time. For now, let these fighters do what they do best, compete. We’ll see who emerges victorious from these two events on Saturday, February 5^th.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

We will have weigh-in and broadcast information for these two cards available here on The Boxing Truth® on Friday, February 4^th. Stay Tuned.

 

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