The Boxing Truth®

One of the bigger bouts remaining on the Boxing calendar for 2023 will kick off the month of October as two-time Featherweight world champion Leigh Wood will begin his second reign as WBA world champion as he makes his first defense since regaining the title in May of this year, against former two-time Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington on Saturday, October 7th. The showdown in the 126lb. Featherweight division, which will take place at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England and will be broadcast globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN , has the possibility to be a sleeper candidate for Fight of the Year. Not only does this encounter bring together two of the biggest stars that the United Kingdom currently has to offer, each with significant followings, but also two of the best the Featherweight division has to offer. Leigh Wood's recent career could probably be best described as a rollercoaster. Many likely remember his thrilling and brutal knoc...

The rematch between Mauricio Lara and Leigh Wood for the WBA Featherweight championship of the world seemed to be a relatively straightforward process. Despite criticism for invoking his rematch clause a little over three months after losing his title via knockout to Lara where his trainer Ben Davison was also criticized for his decision to throw the towel in to prevent him from further punishment, Leigh Wood was strong in his belief that he could improve in a rematch. After all, in their first encounter in February of this year, Wood was out Boxing Lara convincingly before he got caught by a left hook to the head that led to the stoppage in the seventh round. While that fight could best be described as a sudden ending where a fighter who was in control simply got caught, it was nevertheless questionable of Wood though commendable that he would want a rematch so soon in theory not giving himself time to recover from the knockout from both a physical as well as a psychological standpoin...

In February of this year, one of the rising stars of the 126lb. Featherweight division, Leigh Wood entered the ring to defend his WBA Featherweight world championship against top contender Mauricio Lara in Nottingham, England. By all accounts, it was a fight that was viewed as a next step in the rise of Wood that would theoretically potentially lead to him looking to unify the Featherweight division down the line. For a significant period of time for the champion, it appeared that he would box his way to a convincing victory over the dangerous Lara as he applied a smooth Boxing approach that not only served to out box the challenger, but more specifically build a lead on the scorecards over the first six rounds of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. As can sometimes be the case in Boxing however, the fight would suddenly turn in the favor of Lara. Equally as sudden would be how the fight would end. In an exchange of left hooks in the seventh round, Lara's left hook ...

One of the first marathon days of Boxing in 2023 took place on February 18th as digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN , presented three different cards taking place in three different countries taking place in one day. For the purposes of this column, the three respective main events will be discussed. First, it was former two-division world champion Felix Sturm, who at age forty-four returned to the ring in Stuggart, Germany. The former Middleweight and Super-Middleweight world champion made his debut in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division. Sturm’s opponent on this occasion was relative unknown  Sukru Altay. This can best be described as a fight that was fought in a phone booth. In that both men opted to stay in close and engage in a toe to toe battle for ten rounds. While Sturm was not the fighter he was many years ago in terms of his movement, he still showed flashes of what made him one of the best fighters in the world during his prime.  This included a hig...

A consistent theme of this observer’s work particularly here on The Boxing Truth® over the last several years has been the gradual shift of the sport of Boxing away from traditional television platforms and pay-per-view and towards digital subscription-based streaming networks and platforms. While the pay-per-view model unfortunately still exists in 2023 and has even creeped into the subscription-based streaming model, one of the benefits to subscription-based streaming as it relates to Boxing is generally offering more value to consumers as compared to traditional television platforms, including, but not limited to, offering a subscriber the opportunity to see every bout on a card as well as offering multiple events on one platform in a single day. On February 18th, digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN will offer a full day of Boxing from three different countries that will feature a former world champion continuing his comeback, a fight for a version of the World Feath...

  Featherweights Mauricio Lara and former IBF Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington fought to a two round technical draw on Saturday night at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. A rematch of a ninth round stoppage from February of this year that was won by Lara, the rematch began with Lara and Warrington being willing to engage. In the second round Lara was cut over the left eye due to an accidental clash of heads. The resulting deep gash was examined by a ringside physician before round three could begin and it was determined that the gash was too deep to allow Lara to continue. As the bout had not progressed beyond four completed rounds, the bout was ruled a technical draw under the rules. Mauricio Lara advances to 23-2-2, with 16 Knockouts. Josh Warrington advances to 30-1-1, with 7 Knockouts.   Also on this card: Undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor scored a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Featherweight world cha...

  In February of this year, Josh Warrington, the recent former IBF Featherweight world champion, who had relinquished his crown due to elements surrounding the politics of the sport of Boxing climbed into the ring with veteran Mauricio Lara at the Wembley Arena in London, England in what was thought by some to be a means for Warrington to simply re-enter competition after being sidelined like much of the world by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. Although some thought of Mauricio Lara as a mere opponent, he did enter the fight with a respectable record of 22-2, with 15 Knockouts compared to Warrington’s 30-0, with 7 Knockouts. It became clear rather quickly once the fight began that, despite not having the resume comparable to the former world champion, Lara was not interested in being a mere opponent for a fighter in Warrington that frankly had bigger things looming ahead of him.  As some may recall when the two fighters met on February 13 th of this year, Lara proved t...

  Press Release: July 14, 2021 By DAZN –  London, July 14 2021  –  Mauricio Lara  and  Josh Warrington  will rematch   in an epic showdown   at Emerald Headingley Stadium on Saturday September 4, live worldwide on  DAZN . The co-main event will also feature undisputed Lightweight World Champion  Katie Taylor , who puts all her belts on the line against IBF Mandatory Challenger  Jennifer Han .  Credit:DAZN  ‘The Leeds Warrior’ (30-1, 7 KOs) was floored and ruthlessly finished by Mexico’s Lara (22-2, 15 KOs) in a sensational knockout loss at The SSE Arena, Wembley in February that put a massive dent in the former IBF Featherweight World Champion’s unification plans.    Warrington endured a stunning upset defeat as he was dropped and nearly stopped in the fourth round before ‘Bronco’ sent him crashing to the canvas again in the ninth to end the 30-year-old’s unbeaten record.    The upset-of-the-y...