Benavidez-Morrell PPV Card Now Available For Preorder On Prime Video

Credit: Prime Video 

The upcoming pay-per-view card headlined by a WBC Light-Heavyweight elimination bout between undefeated former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion David Benavidez and undefeated top Light-Heavyweight contender David Morrell is now available for preorder on Prime Video. The card, which will take place on Saturday, February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV is being promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters for $79.99. To order this pay-per-view event on Prime Video Click Here. We will have a preview of Benavidez-Morrell released here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Wednesday, January 29th. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Gloves Off: Canelo vs Berlanga Live Now on Prime Video

Press Release: September 10, 2024 By Prime Video-

Credit: Prime Video 

 

All-new editions of Gloves Off explore the backstories of two elite world-class fighters who will be trading punches in a PBC Pay-Per-View event on Prime Video at T-Mobile Arena on September 14

NEW YORK—Sept. 9, 2024— Prime Video announced the release of Gloves Off: Canelo vs Berlanga, the fourth edition of the compelling behind-the-scenes presentation, Gloves Off. As momentum builds for an intriguing night of PBC Pay-Per-View action on Prime Video on September 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, this two-part edition of Gloves Off explores what motivates both main event participants while setting the stage for the latest chapter of the heated ring rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. Mexican native Canelo Álvarez brings his Super Middleweight World Championship belts into the ring for a showdown with undefeated top-rated challenger, Edgar Berlanga, who is seeking to add another extraordinary accomplishment to the storied legacy of Puerto Rican boxing. Narrated by Barry Pepper, the program takes fans far beyond the ring. The series blends footage and stories of the fighters’ lives, families, training camp team members and training camp activity as the build-up increases for this highly anticipated 168-pound World Championship battle.

 

Having already secured his placed as one of Mexico’s all-time great fighters and destined for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, superstar Canelo Álvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) is putting his unified WBC, WBA and WBO Super Middleweight World Titles on the line against undefeated WBA No. 1-Ranked Mandatory Contender Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs). The 12-round battle headlines a Mexican Independence Day weekend celebration in a city well-known for memorable athletic achievement.

 

 

Canelo-Berlanga clash marks the latest chapter of the historic and intense ring rivalry of Mexico vs. Puerto Rico

The Canelo-Berlanga pay-per-view event is also available for pre-order for $89.99 through the Prime Video app on Mobile, Tablet, and Connected Streaming Devices/Smart TVs or can also be purchased at the following link: Canelo vs. Berlanga.

Material, Photo, and Trailer Courtesy of: Prime Video and Premier Boxing Champions Used with permission. 

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

Will Edgar Berlanga's Gamble Pay Off Against Alvarez?

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 Berlanga has is to deal with the label of “Knockout Artist." As much attention as the fighter who earns that label receives for having such an ability as scoring quick and often devastating knockouts, equal attention, perhaps more so, is given when the fighter fails to continue scoring knockouts as frequently as the level of competition increases. Berlanga has not been an exception as following an eight round decision over veteran Demond Nicholson in April 2021, Berlanga has only scored one knockout since his initial string of sixteen consecutive knockouts ended with that decision victory.

While some perhaps unfairly will and have seen this as a reason to criticize the twenty-seven year old native of Brooklyn, NY, his competition level, as it does for all fighters who continue to progress, has increased. Though some may take issue with some of Berlanga’s performances since that run of sixteen knockouts came to an end, what should not be overlooked is he has been given time to get more time in the ring under his belt, has learned how to go the distance and that can only help a fighter in their development. Now, with a record of 22-0, with 17 Knockouts and a number one ranking in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Super-Middleweight ratings, Berlanga now prepares to take another step up as he will challenge unified WBO/WBA/WBC Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez on September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. A world championship bout that can be seen on Prime Video Pay-Per-View.

The obvious question going into this fight is whether Berlanga is ready for what is a significant step up. Not only because it's his first opportunity to fight for a world championship, but also, because he is now going to be in the ring with a future Hall of Famer in Alvarez, who until recently, was the longtime undisputed world champion of the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. While the International Boxing Federation's (IBF) decision to strip Alvarez of its world championship for his failure to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation against current number one contender, the unbeaten William Scull, which was due in the rotation of mandatory defenses among the various organizations, whose world titles Alvarez holds, means that this will obviously not be for an undisputed world championship, Berlanga will still be facing the number one fighter in the division. 

Therefore, if Berlanga would emerge victorious in this fight, his path to being an undisputed champion would obviously likely be a short one as he will likely look to make a fight with the winner of the bout between Scull and Vladimir Shishkin, the IBF’s number one and two contenders respectively, who are tentatively set to meet for the vacant IBF world championship later this year. The task of dethroning Alvarez, however, is not likely to be an easy one. 

In his last fight, Berlanga ended a five fight knockout drought, by scoring a sixth round knockout of previously unbeaten former IBO Light-Heavyweight world champion Padraig McCrory in February of this year in Orlando, FL. While that win showed that Berlanga still has the type of punching power that can end fights if given the opportunity, McCrory, despite being a former world champion and undefeated at the time he fought Berlanga, is not considered a household name having fought his previous eighteen bouts in the United Kingdom and Germany. Nevertheless, the knockout win over a former world champion did succeed in getting Berlanga this opportunity to challenge Alvarez,

In contrast to Berlanga, Alvarez is coming off a successful title defense in May in scoring a twelve round unanimous decision over previously undefeated former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia in the same venue in which this fight will take place. Alvarez, though still dominant as the longtime king of the Super-Middleweights has a bit of a streak going as well, in that for the third consecutive fight, Alvarez was able to knock down his opponent in Munguia as he had done to previous opponents Jermell Charlo and John Ryder, but he could not finish either of them. 

Although this is due to the toughness and resilience of all three, some might view Alvarez’ inability to score stoppages/knockouts in those fights as a sign of possible decline. Alvarez is only thirty-four years old, but one must keep in mind that he has had sixty-five professional fights in his career and the possibility of wear and tear from so many fights as well as moving up and down the weight scale winning numerous world championships in multiple divisions along the way, all taking an accumulative toll is real.

This is a case, however, where the onus is not on the champion, who not only has a significant edge in overall experience against top caliber opposition, as well as well over a decade fighting in bouts fought at the highest level of the sport, but it is on the challenger to show he is not only ready, but can compete effectively at this level. In thinking of how this fight might be fought, two things stood out to this observer as logical. 

One, Alvarez is a fighter that is a precision counter puncher and is otherwise very compact in how he sets up and throws his punches. This is something one should expect to see the champion implement in this fight. Given the challenger’s reputation in having scored early knockouts, it is logical to think that Alvarez will be looking to bait Berlanga into making mistakes, perhaps from the opening bell. A tactic that the champion has used at times is to sit on the ropes in a defensive posture and waive his opponent in, inviting them to come forward and throw punches. While this is an obvious tactic to try and bait the opponent into making mistakes, one opponent refused to take that bait when he fought Alvarez.

This observer is referring to unbeaten now unified Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol. A fighter, who not unlike Berlanga, began his career with a string of early knockouts, was labeled a “Knockout Artist," but over time evolved into a master boxer that can do a little of everything. In his fight with Alvarez, Bivol not only did not allow himself to be baited by Alvarez’ tactics, but executed a near flawless fight plan, which had an emphasis on tactical Boxing. The result was a convincing decision win for Bivol in defense of his Light-Heavyweight championship in being the only fighter to beat Alvarez in over a decade.

Edgar Berlanga has shown that he is a fighter that does not strictly have punching power, but most would say and would be correct that Dmitry Bivol is at another level in terms of being a master boxer. Nevertheless, Berlanga needs to find a way to be tactical in this fight and not rely strictly on his punching power. It is also crucial that he pace himself early on. One needs to keep in mind that Berlanga has never fought at this level before and as such, this is new territory for him. There are countless stories of fighters allowing what is known as “The Big Fight Atmosphere" to get to them in some way. Whether it is being overcome by the atmosphere of the event where they freeze under the pressure of it, or, being influenced by it where they are overly aggressive, the atmosphere of the event can often be as difficult an opponent to combat as the one a fighter has standing across from them in the ring. 

Berlanga needs to approach this fight with caution from start to finish. Even if he is able to find success at points and perhaps hurt Alvarez, he needs to remember who he is in the ring with and everything the champion has shown he is capable of. Equally important, the challenger must maintain his stamina. Alvarez’ fight plan is rooted in his experience and as such, if he does not bait Berlanga into making a mistake that he can capitalize on early, the plan will likely be to extend Berlanga into the middle and late rounds at a pace that the challenger is not used to, to either try and stop him late in the fight or box his way to victory to retain his world championship. 

While this is yet another chapter in the Hall of Fame career of Saul “Canelo" Alvarez, there comes a point in just about every star fighter’s career where one might wonder if the time has come where for lack of a better term the torch will be passed from one great fighter to potentially another who will carry it for a significant period of time. Yours truly cannot say whether we might be approaching one of those moments, but it is certainly a possibility that a fighter, even a great one such as Alvarez, might get old in one fight on one night. Whether Edgar Berlanga ends up being the fighter to make such a scenario occur is a question yet to be answered. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Alvarez vs. Berlanga takes place on Saturday, September 14th at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen on Prime Video Pay-Per-View presented by Premier Boxing Champions beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with the main card beginning at 8PM ET/6PM PT for $89.95. To order this pay-per-view card download the Prime Video app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs or click the following link to order: Canelo vs. Berlanga. (*Card and Start Time Subject To Change.*) (*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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Hurd-Rosario Preview

 The theme of August 2024 in the world of Boxing outside of Olympic competition has been the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. Following two highly competitive fights in the division to start the month, the focus now shifts slightly to the 160lb. Middleweight division where two former Jr. Middleweight world champions are preparing to meet as both look to take the next step towards challenging for another world title. This observer is referring to the encounter between former unified IBF/IBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jarrett Hurd and former unified IBF/IBO/WBA Jr. Middleweight world champion Jeison Rosario. A scheduled ten round bout that will take place on Wednesday, August 21st at the ProBox Events Center in Plant City, FL, which can be seen on digital Boxing streaming network ProBox TV.

Both Hurd and Rosario are likely known to many Boxing fans for having previously competed under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) promotional banner in their careers and one might argue that both are now at a similar stage in their careers in looking for another opportunity to fight for a world championship, now as Middleweights. The similarities between the two do not end there. 

Hurd and Rosario are each well-rounded boxer/punchers that can do a little of everything inside the ring and each is not particularly known for one asset. What this fight might come down to is who will be able to maintain a rhythm throughout the fight.

This is a scenario where both fighters have shown an ability to start well early in a fight, but at times have terrible maintaining their pace as it progresses into the middle and late rounds. Jarrett Hurd will come into this fight off of a fourth round stoppage of a fighter named Tyi Edmonds in December of last year and has gone 2-2 in his last four fights. Rosario meanwhile will enter the fight also coming off of a victory in his last outing in November of last year in scoring a second round stoppage of a fighter named Israel Nina.

The commonality of both Edmonds and Nina as opponents were that both were veterans, but not considered world-class opposition. If one were to look for a statistical indicator to infer who might have momentum going into this fight between Hurd and Rosario, it might be that Rosario has won four of his last five bouts and has been the more active of the two fighters as Hurd has only fought twice in the last three years, where in the same period of time, Rosario has fought five times.

While one might be tempted to use the “Crossroads" label for this fight, this observer feels that this is more of a case of the winner being able to possibly work their way into a sanctioning organization’s rankings at 160lbs. first rather than a scenario where the fighter that comes up short, might want to consider retirement. The reason for this is the Middleweight division currently is lacking in terms of name recognition and there always seems to be a path for fighters who have won world titles in their careers to get another opportunity compared to fighters who have not been able to transition from contender to world champion. Obviously, an impressive performance for either fighter will likely go a ways towards determining how quickly the next opportunity might come. Who will be able to take that next step is something we will find out on August 21st.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Hurd vs. Rosario takes place on Wednesday, August 21st at the ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, FL. The fight can be seen globally on digital subscription Boxing streaming network ProBox TV beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT (U.S. Times Only.).

For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, additional programming and content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProBoxTV.com. 

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Alvarez-Berlanga Set For September 14th In Las Vegas

Credit: Prime Video 

Press Release: July 26, 2024 By Prime Video- 

LAS VEGAS – July 25, 2024 – Pound-for-pound great and Mexican superstar Canelo Álvarez will put his unified WBC, WBA and WBO Super Middleweight World Titles on the line against undefeated WBA No. 1-Ranked Mandatory Contender Edgar Berlanga as Canelo Promotions presents a Mexican Independence Day weekend extravaganza headlining a PBC Pay-Per-View event available on Prime Video taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

 

This showdown will deliver the latest chapter in the long boxing rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico with the fighting pride of Mexico in Canelo Álvarez dueling Puerto Rico’s Edgar Berlanga. Canelo is no stranger to this heated rivalry, highlighted by numerous historic matchups including Salvad

or Sánchez vs. Wilfredo Gómez and Julio César Chávez Sr. vs. Héctor Camacho, as he defeated Puerto Rican Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto in one of the biggest Mexico vs. Puerto Rico fights in recent memory.

 

In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to purchase the PPV via DAZN.com. Additionally, fans can purchase the PPV at PPV.com. On top of those options, fans will continue to be able to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets.

 

The star-studded co-main event will feature Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara taking on hard-hitting two-division world champion and Puerto Rican star Danny “Swift” García in a 12-round showdown between two of this era’s most accomplished fighters.

 

Pre-sale tickets are available Monday, July 29 from 10 a.m. PT until 10 p.m. PT through AXS.com by using the code: PBC. The public on-sale is scheduled for Tuesday, July 30 at 10 a.m. PT with tickets available through AXS.com.

 

The event is promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions, in association with Matchroom Boxing.

 

“Every day we are preparing,” said Eddy Reynoso, Canelo’s manager and trainer. “We know that Berlanga is a good fighter, a strong, undefeated fighter. The confrontations within boxing between Mexico and Puerto Rico are always intense fights, very morbid fights and, above all, very good boxing. Puerto Rico has produced many world champions and hall of fame fighters. Mexico has done the same. It is going to be a very attractive fight against a great fighter in Berlanga who’s undefeated and faced some of the best fighters competing at 168 pounds over the last few years.”

 

“I’m excited for my guy, Edgar Berlanga, to get a shot at the king of boxing Canelo Álvarez,” said Keith Connolly, Berlanga’s manager. “I want to thank all the players involved in helping me get this deal over the line. Canelo vs. Berlanga is renewing the Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry, which is the best in boxing history. Sept. 14 is a can’t miss event for fans around the world.”

 

“Mexican Independence Day weekend is synonymous with big Canelo Álvarez fights, and Saturday, Sept. 14 will be the next chapter of that historic story,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Canelo has long reigned as the 168-pound king and will put his three unified world titles up against a young, power-punching contender in Edgar Berlanga as he looks to once again score a victory for his home country in the storied rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. With the addition of the Erislandy Lara vs. Danny García world championship battle in the co-main event, plus more matchups to come, everything lines up for an event worthy of the holiday weekend live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in another stacked PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video.”

 

“Edgar Berlanga’s nickname is the Chosen One and I’m so happy he got the golden pick for Sept. 14,” said Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Boxing. “This is the fight we dreamed about when we signed Edgar last year and he is ready to give everything for himself, his family and for Puerto Rico. You have a young, unbeaten, fearless puncher ready to tackle one of the all-time greats - get ready for drama in Las Vegas!”

 

*CANELO ÁLVAREZ VS. EDGAR BERLANGA*

 

The reigning WBC, WBA and WBO Super Middleweight World Champion, Canelo Álvarez will look to continue his run at the top of the super middleweight division, this time against the undefeated Edgar Berlanga, who earned the WBA’s No. 1 ranking at 168-pounds and who will look to make a monumental splash while representing his Puerto Rican heritage in the biggest fight of his career to date.

 

Having captured world titles at 154, 160, 168 and 175 pounds, Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) steps back into the ring after dropping countryman Jaime Munguía in May on his way to a unanimous decision win. The fighting pride of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Canelo became undisputed at super middleweight in November 2021 by taking the IBF belt from then unbeaten Caleb Plant via an 11th-round TKO, eventually going on to successfully defend all four titles four times. After dropping a light heavyweight title fight against Dmitriy Bivol in May 2022, Canelo rebounded to defeat Gennadiy Golovkin in their Sept. 2022 trilogy fight before besting John Ryder and Jermell Charlo in 2023. Under the guidance of his renowned manager and trainer Eddy Reynoso, Canelo has triumphed over a long list of elite fighters since turning pro at just 15-years-old in 2005, including Golovkin, Charlo, Shane Mosley, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto and Sergey Kovalev, to name a few. Outside of the Bivol fight, Canelo’s only other defeat came against undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather in Sept. 2013.

 

"I am very happy for this fight between Mexico and Puerto Rico,” said Álvarez. “It’s exciting to be part of another great Mexico vs. Puerto Rico battle inside the ring because historically we have always offered unforgettable fights full of passion. I am proud to contribute to this legacy and facing an opponent like Edgar Berlanga adds even more excitement and meaning to this event."

 

A native of Brooklyn, NY who proudly represents his Puerto Rican roots, Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) first grabbed the attention of the boxing world by knocking out his first 16 opponents in round one after turning pro in 2016. The 27-year-old continued to rack up victories after his first-round KO streak ended, defeating a slew of tough veterans including Demond Nicholson, Marcelo Cóceres, Steve Rolls and Alexis Angulo. Berlanga has continued to show impressive power to match his improving skills in his last two fights as he dropped Jason Quigley four times on his way to a 12-round unanimous decision in June 2023, before most recently stopping the previously undefeated Padraig McCrory in round six this past February. Berlanga turned pro after sporting a stellar 162-17 amateur record and is trained by his longtime trainer Marc Farrait.

 

“First and foremost, I want to thank the good Lord for putting me in this position,” said Berlanga. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. I deserve to be here, and I'm going to shock the world and silence the critics by delivering a masterful performance and knocking out Canelo Álvarez on Sept. 14. I will prove that my Puerto Rican heritage surpasses Mexican boxing, from Gómez to Trinidad to Cotto, and now to Berlanga. I will reclaim what is rightfully ours. I'm ready to make this a historic firefight, continuing the greatest rivalry in boxing: Puerto Rico vs Mexico. Vamos arriba, puñeta!”

 

*ERISLANDY LARA VS. DANNY GARCÍA*

 

Pitting two fighters with more world championship experience than almost anyone else in this era of boxing, with a combined 24 appearances in world title fights, the co-main event will feature Cuban star Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara facing two-division world champion and Puerto Rican star Danny “Swift” García in a high-stakes matchup for Lara’s WBA Middleweight World Championship.

 

Lara (30-3-3, 18 KOs) has been dominant in his run at 160-pounds, showing off his ability to go toe-to-toe and end a fight with one punch, after establishing himself as one of boxing’s best technical fighters throughout the first part of his career. He captured his WBA title with a first-round knockout of Thomas LaManna in May 2021, before KO’ing Gary O’Sullivan in May 2022 and most recently sparking out Michael Zerafa in round two in March. Prior to his middleweight exploits, Lara was the longest reigning 154-pound world champion before he lost a tough split-decision to Jarrett Hurd in a 2018 title unification match that earned “Fight of the Year” from the BWAA. Lara returned from that fight and battled former 154-pound world titleholder Brian Castaño to an exciting draw in another narrow fight that could have gone Lara’s way. He faced a slew of the top 154-pounders in the sport, including Canelo Álvarez, ahead of his middleweight debut.

 

"My fight with Danny García will be a classic battle between two legendary fighters of our era,” said Lara. “We’ve both faced the best, have impressive resumes and have competed at the top level for a long time. I’m excited for this fight. I encourage all my Mexican fans to tune in on Mexican Independence Day, bring your flags and support this great event. I will represent not only Cuba, but also Mexico on this day against Puerto Rico. To everyone watching at T-Mobile Arena and on the pay-per-view on Prime Video, you will witness greatness in the ring throughout the action-packed night of boxing. I look forward to putting on a show and being the first to knock out Danny García. This will be an epic showdown!"

 

A world champion at 140 and 147 pounds, García (37-3, 21 KOs) owns one of the sport’s most impressive resumes as he now seeks to add a middleweight world title to his list of accomplishments. In his last fight, he put on a stellar performance at 154 pounds, keeping José Benavídez Jr. at bay on his way to a 12-round decision victory. The Philadelphia native has proudly represented his Puerto Rican heritage throughout a career that includes a run through the super lightweight division that saw him defeat a string of champions including Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Lucas Matthysse, Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt. As a welterweight, he added triumphs over Lamont Peterson, Paulie Malignaggi, and Robert Guerrero, defeating Guerrero for a vacant title in 2016. García’s campaign at welterweight included narrow defeats to some of the sport’s most talented and rugged fighters in Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and then unbeaten unified champion Errol Spence Jr.

 

“This is a legacy fight and an opportunity to win a championship in my third weight class,” said García. “Lara is a great champion who’s been around for a while, but so have I. On Sept. 14, I’m bringing the Danny García show to Las Vegas and making it a historic night.”

 

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For more information visit www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #CaneloBerlanga, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Prime Video Used with permission.

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

The Homecoming For Jaron Ennis: A Dangerous Test?

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 to test the waters in the Jr. Middleweight division for his next fight.

While Crawford is moving up to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division, his exit from the 147lb. Welterweight division has signaled a period of transition, which is very similar to what has been going on recently in the Jr. Welterweight and Lightweight divisions, the two weight classes directly below the Welterweight division. With the recent theme continuing to be “Transition," the obvious question is whether Ennis will be able to make a strong argument for himself as being the new central figure in the Welterweight division.

The first defense for Ennis of his IBF crown will come at the Wells Fargo Center in the champion’s hometown of Philadelphia, PA on Saturday, July 13th, which will also mark his debut on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. As there always seems to be in Boxing, things are not always simple and straightforward. Ennis was originally scheduled to face contender Cody Crowley in this title defense, but Crowley was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a failed eye exam. In steps former European Welterweight champion and recent world title challenger David Avanesyan on short notice for his second attempt at a world title.

Some may argue that Avanesyan stepping in makes this fight a more dangerous assignment for the newly crowned world champion. In addition to being a former European Welterweight champion, Avanesyan is a longtime top contender, who also had Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA’s Welterweight ratings at one point in his career. Avanesyan has only been stopped twice in his thirty-five fight professional career. Many will remember his last loss, which came at the hands of Terence Crawford in December 2022. It was a fight that was competitive until Crawford landed a fight-ending uppercut in the sixth round. 

While a one-punch knockout will always be a one-punch knockout and as such will always make heads turn, it is important to keep in mind that just because a fighter may be knocked out by a single punch, it does not necessarily mean that said fighter is susceptible to being caught. More simplistically, sometimes fights that end in the manner in which Avanesyan’s title shot against Crawford did, should be viewed on a case-by-case basis. It also goes without saying that Terence Crawford has proven throughout his career to be a rare generational fighter in terms of talent and overall skillset. The question here is whether Jaron Ennis has similar traits.

Although one should not look to Crawford’s knockout of Avanesyan as a baseline to compare what Ennis might be able to do, there is nevertheless some who might expect a similar outcome here based on Ennis’ punching power in having scored knockouts in twenty-eight of his thirty-one professional fights. What one should keep in mind, however, is David Avanesyan is a world-class boxer, who can do a little of everything and has shown the ability to be very crafty throughout his career as well. The challenger has been back in the ring once since his loss to Crawford in scoring a third round stoppage of Serge Ambomo in December of last year. 

While the circumstances of this bout are not ideal for either fighter, the challenge for Avanesyan will be not only stepping into his second world title shot on short notice, but also doing so in the champion’s hometown before what will likely be a partisan crowd. Whether Avanesyan will be able to use his experience to withstand what might be an early storm by Ennis in terms of throwing power punches in an attempt to look impressive in front of his hometown crowd remains to be seen. 

Nonetheless, the new chapter for Ennis will begin with what should be an interesting fight. With Crawford now moving on from Welterweight, the angling for position among the top fighters in the division, those who are world champions, top contenders, and would be world champions has begun. Can Jaron Ennis emerge as the new central figure in the Welterweight division? We will find out on Saturday, July 13th.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Ennis vs. Avanesyan takes place on Saturday, July 13th at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

(*U.S. Times Only*) 

(*Card and Start time Subject to Change.*)

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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Davis-Martin Preview

In April of last year two-division world champion Gervonta Davis squared off with top contender Ryan Garcia in a highly anticipated clash of undefeated rising stars of the sport of Boxing. The encounter, which was held at a catchweight, was won by Davis, who knocked Garcia out with a body shot in the seventh round.

Although per the catchweight stipulation and the fact that at the time Davis held Interim/Regular status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Lightweight ratings, no world championship was on the line, it was nevertheless one of the biggest events on the Boxing calendar last year, despite the pay-per-view broadcast being riddled with problems resulting in significant refunds being issued to consumers.

The obvious flaws of the pay-per-view model and this observer’s long-standing criticisms on the subject notwithstanding, there is no dispute that the victory over Garcia was a milestone moment in Davis’ career. Like many other fighters in recent times however, Davis, who has long been aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, has seen his career stall as he has not been in the ring in active competition since. 

What has also become a recurring theme of yours truly recently has been the subject of how inactivity often does more harm to fighters than it serves as a benefit. Whether Davis will find his name on the list of fighters who are or were previously aligned with the struggling PBC promotional banner to have suffered setbacks upon returning to action following a lengthy hiatus remains to be seen as Davis, who was recently elevated to WBA World Lightweight champion, following former undisputed champion Devin Haney vacating the championship and moving up to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division at the end of last year, will defend his title on June 15th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV against undefeated WBA number two Lightweight contender Frank Martin in a fight that will headline a PBC on Prime Video Pay-Per-View card. 

This fight for Davis not only represents the second consecutive time that he will be facing an unbeaten opponent, but also presents a unique scenario that is rare and not good under any way one views the circumstances. In that like Davis, Martin, who is also aligned with the PBC, is also coming off of a layoff of nearly a year, whereas the champion will have been inactive for nearly fifteen months by the time this fight takes place. While this is a reflection of both the position the PBC is in having lost their longtime broadcast deal with the now defunct Showtime Sports, which ceased operations at the end of last year as part of a significant restructuring of its parent company Paramount Global, and the fact that since beginning their deal with Prime Video in March of this year, the PBC has only ran two events, both pay-per-view offerings, it is not often that two fighters find themselves in essentially the same position in terms of coming off of a lengthy stretch of inactivity. 

In this case, one might wonder what type of fight we might see given the circumstances of both fighters having to possibly deal with the elements of “Ring Rust." At his best, Gervonta Davis can be an explosive power puncher that is capable of ending a fight suddenly. Although he has also shown an ability to use his Boxing skills rather than power to win fights in his career, Davis has scored knockouts in twenty-seven of his twenty-nine career wins, registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 94%.

This would serve as at minimum a statistical indication that Davis will be the favorite going into this fight as well as having more experience than the challenger, who will enter the bout with eighteen wins, with twelve knockouts. Frank Martin has also shown an ability to get an opponent out of there if given an opportunity, but conventional wisdom might suggest that his best opportunity to win this fight will be by trying to box Davis as opposed to getting into a scenario where he has to trade punches with the champion. A task that might be easier said than done, but if Martin is able to find success by implementing such a strategy, he must not get complacent and remember that he needs to box for the full twelve round distance and not give Davis any openings. 

There have been times where previous opponents have had success by using lateral movement to try and box Davis. Thus far, no one has successfully made it to the finish line with that approach as more often than not Davis, who tends to apply pressure and walk his opponents down, has been able to catch them and knock them out. Only two fighters, German Meraz and Isaac Cruz have been able to take Davis the distance in his career. In the case of Cruz, he was able to have success by trying to back Davis up and by going to the body. There are also some who believe Cruz deserved the decision against Davis.

The fight plan for the champion going into this encounter is likely to be the same as virtually all his fights. Apply pressure from the opening bell, try to cut off the ring to limit Martin’s ability to move, and break him down with punching power. A danger that all fighters that become known for their power need to try to avoid is the temptation to become reliant strictly on that power. In that it becomes tempting for a fighter, who knows what they can do with their power if they can land solidly, simply tries to land a fight ending blow with every punch they throw, rather than looking for ways to set up opportunities to land those punches, or trying to win rounds in order to win a decision if needed. Fortunately for Davis, he has not seemed to fall into that trap thus far in his career, but the danger is always there and it will be interesting to see if he falls into such a scenario, particularly if Martin is able to find success and put rounds in the bank early. 

There simply is not much else to say as this fight approaches. Two fighters coming off significant inactivity, both unbeaten, with one's World Lightweight championship on the line. If both fighters manage to bring their best into the ring with them and the element of possible “Ring Rust" turns out to not be an issue for either fighter, this could be a fun fight to watch. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Davis vs. Martin takes place on Saturday, June 15th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on PBC  on Prime Video Pay-Per-View for $74.95. The card will begin at 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT with free preliminary bouts before the main pay-per-view card begins at 8PM ET/5PM PT. 

Prime Video is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. To order Davis vs. Martin click the Premier Boxing Champions tab in the sports section within the Prime Video app on your device of choice or click the following link: Davis vs. Martin.

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Davis-Martin Now Available For Preorder On Prime Video

The June 15th pay-per-view card headlined by WBA World Lightweight champion Gervonta Davis and WBA number two rated contender Frank Martin is now available for preorder on Prime Video for $74.95. The card, which will be taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, will begin at 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT with free preliminary bouts followed by the main pay-per-view card beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT. Prime Video is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. To order Davis vs. Martin browse the Premier Boxing Champions tab in the sports section within the Prime Video app or click the following link: Davis vs. Martin.

We will have a preview of Davis vs. Martin here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Wednesday, June 12th. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Cobbs Dominates Broner, Inactivity Kills

The second step for former four-division world champion Adrien Broner on his comeback following the beginning of a new chapter of his career under the promotional banner of Hall of Fame promoter Don King came on June 7th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. Unlike the first step in this phase of his career when he dominated a very “Game," but out classed Bill Hutchinson in June of last year in winning a ten round unanimous decision, step two, which took place nearly one year to the day of that fight, would come against a serious threat in the form of Blair Cobbs.

Cobbs, a Welterweight who himself recently signed with King looking to continue to bounce back from his lone career setback in March 2022, represented not only a legitimate threat and test for Broner in his second flight in three years from a stylistic standpoint, but also a fighter who has been considerably more active than him and his previous opponent, the unknown Hutchinson.

In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it would depend on which version of Adrien Broner showed up. Whether it would be a contest of Broner’s mix of hand speed, punching power, and superb defense against the quick hands and punching power of Cobbs, or if it would be the Broner that stayed in his defensive shell and sparingly let his hands go.

Cobbs immediately established not only the ebb and flow of the fight by establishing a high pace, but also showed that he had the quicker hands of the two fighters, attacking Broner at various angles, and often throwing crisp combinations. This immediately put Broner in his defensive shell, where he was only willing to throw one punch at a time. 

In the second round, Cobbs nearly shocked everyone when he dropped Broner with a perfectly timed counter left hook to the head that knocked out one of Broner’s teeth and sent him down hard on the canvas.Despite not being the first time he had been knocked down in his career, this was a rare time where Broner appeared legitimately hurt and was nearly counted out as he attempted to get his mouthpiece of the canvas while struggling to get to his feet. Broner was able to beat the count and survived the follow-up barrage to get out of the round. 

Though a testament to both his experience and the caliber of fighter he was at his best to survive a scenario that could have ended the fight, the pattern of the fight had been established and it was something that Broner was unable to change in his favor. A pattern that consisted of Broner coming forward seemingly trying to apply pressure on Cobbs, but throwing one punch at a time, which allowed Cobbs to throw short combinations and remain a moving target.

Although Broner would finally begin to open up more with offense in the later rounds of the scheduled ten round bout it would prove to be too little and too late as Cobbs would go on to win a convincing ten round unanimous decision. With the exception of the knockdown in round two, there was not much to say about this fight beyond one fighter out working and dominating the other over the course of ten rounds. 

While the fight was one-sided, it did serve to underscore what is becoming a theme of not just of the coverage provided by yours truly, but in the entire sport. The subject of how inactivity often leads to decline of fighters, which ultimately negatively impacts their careers. It was after all only a few days ago at the time this column is released to readers, that I released a column discussing the recent knockout loss suffered by Deontay Wilder at the hands of Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia on June 1st where much of it centered on the subject of inactivity being essentially a silent killer of a fighter’s ability and ultimately leads to the downfall of their careers.

The commonality between Deontay Wilder and Adrien Broner is each were long aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and both went through lengthy stretches of inactivity before eventually breaking away from the PBC to try and resume their careers under different promotional banners. Essentially, both fighters are now in the same position where the question is the same. Should both men fight on or retire? 

Whether one  read or wishes to read that column where I shared my thoughts on Wilder’s situation, I will say again, this observer is not in the business of telling a fighter what they should do as to whether to continue on in their careers as one who's job is to objectively cover the sport.  The situations of these two fighters are examples of a bigger issue in the sport that will not likely be easily solved because though the commonality in this case was the inability of a struggling promotional entity to ensure they had the opportunity to compete on a regular basis, each fighter's circumstances will obviously be different. 

In Broner's case, not only did he have a very public split from the PBC, but he has also had difficulty resuming his career on a consistent basis since parting ways. First, there was the signing of a multi-fight deal with digital streaming network BLK Prime, a new player in Boxing promotion that scheduled a fight for him to take place in Atlanta, GA, only for his scheduled opponent Michael Williams Jr. to suffer a broken jaw while in training for the fight. Ultimately, the failure to get that fight in the ring or to find a suitable replacement led to the parting of ways between Broner and BLK Prime.

Although things appeared to be looking up for Broner after signing with Don King following his victory over Hutchinson, Broner, who was originally supposed to fight back in February, suffered a rib injury which forced him to be sidelined until he fought Cobbs. Complicating circumstances further, something that was not covered by yours truly in the lead up to this fight, which was a case of human error on my part is the fact that Broner split from his longtime trainer Kevin Cunningham while in training for the fight with Cobbs leading him to link up with trainer Calvin Ford with limited time to prepare.  The aforementioned circumstances prior to this fight for Broner are not excuses, but one might question the wisdom in not pushing this fight back further after a split between fighter and trainer in the midst of training camp. It would not appear to be a wise decision viewing things from the outside looking in. If one were to also factor into the equation the ramblings of Broner having a difficult weight cut to get down to the 147lb. Welterweight limit, it also paints a picture of a fighter that at minimum was under prepared for the task at hand. 

Whatever the case might be, much like Deontay Wilder, if Adrien Broner wants to fight on, he needs to find what has been missing and needs to show a commitment to fighting on a regular basis, regardless of the caliber of opposition. The point needs to be stressed, a fighter who is active will give themselves the best chance to succeed as compared to sporadic activity or lengthy stretches of no activity in active competition for years at a time. Inactivity more often than not kills a fighter's ability and that eventually leads to the decline and end of a fighter's career.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.

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Gloves Off: Davis-Martin/Benavidez-Gvozdyk Streaming Now On Prime Video

Press Release: June 8, 2024 By Prime Video - NEW YORK—June 7, 2024—Today, Prime Video announced the release of Gloves Off: Davis vs Martin | Benavidez vs Gvozdy, the third edition of the compelling behind-the-scenes presentation, Gloves Off.  As momentum builds for an extraordinary night of boxing on June 15—and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas celebrates its historic 100th fight night—this two-part edition of Gloves Off will take viewers into the lives of the ring warriors set to compete in two eagerly-anticipated co-main events on the PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video presentation. Narrated by Barry Pepper, the program takes fans far beyond the ring. The series blends footage and stories of the fighters’ lives, families, training camp team members and training camp activity as the build-up increases for the Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Frank “The Ghost” Martin and David  “El Monstro”Benavidez vs. Oleksandr “The Nail” Gvozdyk World Title Fights.

 

Squaring off in separate attractions, Davis and Benavidez have earned their standing among the finest boxers on the world stage. Davis is set to defend his WBA Lightweight World Championship while Benavidez, a Super Middleweight Champion, moves up to 175 pounds to fight for the first time ever at Light Heavyweight. Davis and Benavidez combined are 57-0 with 51 KOs as pros but they face formidable challenges from unbeaten top contender Martin (18-0, 12 KOs) and  former world champion Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs) respectively on a night of high-stakes championship clashes.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Prime Video  Used with permission.

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Has Deontay Wilder Competed For The Last Time?

There are many stages in a boxer’s career. The rise through the initial beginning of one's career, one would often call the development or prospect stage, which if the fighter succeeds often leads to the chance to become a contender, which then if there is continued success might lead to an opportunity to fight for a world championship. For most fighters that achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a world champion, there will come a point where there is the stage known as “The Comeback." Under most circumstances, but not all, it is a stage that comes following the loss of a world championship for a fighter.

For former longtime WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, his title reign of nearly five years and ten defenses came to an end when he was stopped in his second fight with Tyson Fury in 2020 shortly before the global COVID-19 epidemic. Following that loss, Wilder claimed that his setback was attributed to some attire that he had worn to the ring on the evening of the rematch as well as severed ties with his longtime trainer and former world champion Mark Breland, who had thrown in the towel to save him from further punishment in that rematch. A decision that many trainers as tasked with at one time or another in a fighter’s career, but one that Wilder nevertheless disagreed with.

Following a year between fights two and three of his trilogy with Fury, due at least in part to the circumstances of COVID-19 as well as a legal battle that Wilder fought to get an opportunity to regain his title, the third and arguably most competitive fight in the trilogy took place in October 2021. Although Wilder came within inches of being able to stop Fury in the fourth round after dropping him twice, the result of fight three was the same as the second encounter, Fury scoring a knockout win, only this time it was a referee who stopped the fight after Wilder had been dropped for his third knockdown in the bout in the eleventh round.

While the third fight between Fury and Wilder was one of the best Heavyweight fights this observer has covered in his career, which after nearly three decades covers an awful lot of ground, what cannot be underestimated is the physical toll fights like that take on both the victor as well as the fighter that does not get their hand raised. It may indeed be viewed as a cliche by some, but fighters do leave something in the ring after every fight and both fighters, Wilder and Fury took significant punishment in those three battles.

For Wilder, obviously the toll he paid in those fights physically is viewed by many as more significant and severe. It was something that initially did not seem as though would be the case as Wilder returned to the ring in October 2022 and scored a devastating one punch knockout of Robert Helenius, which frankly resembled what he was at his best. A fighter with frightening punching power, among the most devastating in the history of the sport, capable of ending a fight in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately for the former world champion, like several fighters who had long been aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, inactivity and the inability to get back in the ring ultimately proved to be detrimental. 

When Wilder climbed back into the ring in December of last year after breaking away from the PBC to face former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia, he displayed all the signs of what is known throughout combat sports as “Ring Rust." In that he was sluggish, did not have his timing, and was behind Parker in terms of pace from the opening bell. The end result, Parker scored a one-sided twelve round unanimous decision.

This led to Wilder’s encounter with top Heavyweight contender  Zhilei Zhang on June 1st in the same venue as his encounter with Parker, the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The positive for Wilder was that this bout was a relatively quick turnaround for him in fighting nearly six months after the loss to Parker. Unfortunately for him, this is where the positive aspect ended.

From the opening bell, Wilder looked lethargic and hesitant to let his hands go. What resulted was Zhang gradually walking Wilder down and landing the harder punches of the two fighters. A stark contrast to how Wilder would typically be in that position and normally have success in the days that preceded his trilogy with Tyson Fury. As many Wilder opponents found out, a scenario like that usually ends one way, with the stalker eventually getting the better of its prey. This too would have a similar conclusion. In the fifth round, Zhang caught Wilder with a counter left hook that appeared to land on the nose, which badly staggered the former world champion into turning his back. Zhang quickly went for the kill as Wilder had done many times to previous opponents and landed another left hook to the head before Wilder could get an opportunity to steady himself, much less prepare for what was coming at him, and knocked Wilder down on his back hard on the canvas. Wilder’s mettle showed itself as he struggled to get to his feet, but he did get up from the knockdown. In no condition to continue on very unsteady legs, the fight was promptly stopped.

Before continuing on with the obvious question of whether this knockout loss will or should signal the end of Wilder's great career, a brief historical note of context that the reader might not know and could find insightful. In the days since Zhang’s knockout of Wilder, I have been asked whether the fact that Zhang rushed forward and hit Wilder with the second left hook was in any way a possible illegal move seeing as Wilder had his back turned and was in no way aware or prepared to try and defend himself as Zhang threw what ultimately proved to be the knockout blow. The simple answer is it was perfectly legal and Zhang did what he was supposed to do in that position.

As a noted Boxing historian with a lifetime of watching fight films having been spent, which began long before this observer entered the sport as one who covers Boxing and by extension all combat sports in the mid-1990’s, a practice I continue to this day, the way this fight ended immediately brought back memories of a fight I studied extensively in my youth, which took place slightly before my time.

On June 20, 1980 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada on the undercard of the first fight of what became a trilogy between Boxing Hall of Famers Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, former WBA Heavyweight world champion John Tate was knocked out brutally by then Canadian Heavyweight champion and rising contender Trevor Berbick in the ninth round of a world title elimination bout.

Where the circumstances between Tate-Berbick and Zhang-Wilder differ is that at the conclusion of eight rounds in a grueling fight, Tate, who had lost his world title to Mike Weaver earlier that year, was badly fatigued and probably should not have been sent out for the ninth round. Shortly after the bell to begin round nine, Berbick hit tate with an overhand right that had Tate turn his back, literally running across the ring trying to get his bearings. In response, Berbick chased after him throwing a barrage of punches as Tate still had his back turned knocking him face down and out cold on the canvas. 

While Zhilei Zhang’s knockout of Wilder was also brutal in how it came about, at least Wilder was able to get up and did not take the type of punishment that Tate did nearly forty-four years ago. Like Zhang however, Berbick, who would go on to lose to Larry Holmes in his first attempt at becoming a world champion in 1981 before becoming a world champion in 1986, did what he was supposed to do, despite the brutality of the knockout that followed when an opponent turns their back to you in the midst of combat. Although the one exception to such a scenario would be if a referee steps in when a fighter turns their back, until the referee makes what is a judgment call to either step in, possibly rule a knockdown, or stop the fight, the fighter in the position of facing an opponent that has turned their back following a legal punch also has to make a decision. Whether to wait and see if the opponent is going to turn back around and resume battle, or to press forward and force the issue. Under the rules, unless the referee steps in, the fighter in the position that both Berbick and Zhang were in, is supposed to keep fighting.

With the brief explanation aided by historical context now concluded, has Deontay Wilder competed for the last time? I am not in the business of telling a fighter what they should do as my responsibility is to objectively cover the sport. Having stated the obvious, there are a few things to consider before any armchair critics form their opinion. One, Deontay Wilder has taken part in some grueling battles, most notably among them the three fights with Fury and two fights with former top contender Luis Ortiz, who challenged Wilder twice for his world title. Each fight, whether a win or a loss, takes something out of a fighter, which often starts in preparation for those fights in training. 

Secondly, like many fighters previously aligned with the struggling PBC group of promoters, inactivity also plays a major factor in a fighter’s decline. Wilder has not been an exception to that generally accepted rule of inactivity being a silent killer of a fighter's skills and ultimately their career. Part of the problem in addition to a struggling promotional entity, which is in a way understandable given the economics of the sport, is fighters in Wilder's position as being one of the top fighters in his division for most of the last decade do not want to compete regularly without significant financial incentives attached, which in this case, means multi-million dollar paydays per fight. Though the struggles of a promoter or promotional entity is the main culprit if said entity cannot provide fights to fighters under their banner on a consistent basis, the fighter must also come to the realization that while the goal of any fighter should be to try and earn as much money as they can, while they can, and hopefully, be wise with their earnings for life after Boxing, by refusing to stay active, insisting on an outdated model of pay-per-view each time they compete, if nothing else, as a means of trying to earn more money than a fighter’s given purse for a bout, they are trading their athletic prime in the process by not fighting regularly.

In contrast, fighters in previous eras in the sport including many Hall of Famers fought regularly in between marquee fights as a means of staying active and staying in ring shape. Often, this ranged from every couple of weeks, to months as opposed to fighting once or twice in a given year. This thus gave those fighters the best opportunities possible to try and succeed when those fights of significant interest came along.

While the above scenario is not aimed at Deontay Wilder directly, fighters who stay active, even if it comes against perceived lesser caliber of opposition in between “Big" or “Marquee" fights will always have better odds of success than one that insists on top dollar, an outdated model, and does not hold their promoter, who is supposed to represent them, to a standard to make sure they have the opportunity to be active on a regular basis. This is an old school philosophy, but one that continues to prove itself as more beneficial as time goes on and more and more fighters fall into a similar pattern.

Third and perhaps most crucial of things one should consider before forming an opinion is, Wilder, who has been under the guidance of former opponent Malik Scott following his first loss to Tyson Fury in 2020, has not been the same fighter. Although there was a glimmer of the Wilder of old both in his third fight with Fury as well as in his knockout of Robert Helenius, something has been missing.

Whether the reluctance to let his hands go on a consistent basis is and has been a result of both inactivity as well as possible lingering effects from the two losses to Fury, both knockouts, Wilder has not been the devastating fighter that he once was. Although it might be tempting to point the finger of blame in the direction of Malik Scott, the bottom line is these are questions and scenarios that not only one should consider before forming an opinion, but also for Wilder himself to ponder before he decides what he wants to do.

Whatever the decisions Wilder makes moving forward, if he wants to continue his career, he needs to realize that not only does he need to find what has been missing, but he also needs to stay active if he wants to succeed. The bottom line is there is no way around it and no loophole that will lead to success beyond a true old school approach. No matter who is in his corner if he decides to fight on, without that realization and approach, Wilder's best days will continue to be behind him. Only Wilder can make the decision whether to fight on or bow out after a great career as one of this generation’s great Heavyweight champions and hardest hitters.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Broner-Cobbs Preview

The recent career of former four-division world champion Adrien Broner is one that is going through a new beginning. A beginning that began with his signing with Hall of Fame promoter Don King after a highly publicized split with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and manager Al Haymon last year, which led to his return to the ring in June of last year with a ten round unanimous decision over Bill Hutchinson. Some might recall in this observer’s coverage of that fight, I stated that the most important thing for Broner would be to stay active if he were to re-emerge among the top contenders if he hoped to get another opportunity at a world championship. Unfortunately for Broner, an injury suffered in training delayed what would have been a relatively quick return earlier this year. Now healed, Broner will return to action on June 7th as he will face Blair Cobbs at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. A fight that can be seen on combat sports streaming and pay-per-view platform Triller TV (Formerly FITE) on a pay-per-view basis. 

Although Bill Hiutchinson put forth a very “Game” performance against Broner in taking him a full ten round distance, it was a case where Hutchinson, who entered the bout having won twenty of his twenty-six professional bouts, with two losses and four draws, was taking a significant step up in caliber of opposition, despite Broner having been out of action for over two years at the time of the bout. While it was expected by some, simply based on the difference in caliber of opposition and overall experience for Broner to win that fight, some might be critical simply because he was unable to finish Hutchinson, who he had in trouble periodically throughout the fight.

This time around, Broner will be facing Blair Cobbs, who has flirted with becoming a top contender in the 147lb. Welterweight division. Cobbs, who will enter the fight with a record of 16-1-1, 10 Knockouts, is coming off of a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Maurice Hooker in August of last year. The victory for Cobbs not only was a bounce back win for him off of the first defeat of his career, a ninth round knockout loss at the hands of Alexis Roacha in March 2022, but also signaled the end of his relationship with his previous promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. Now with Don King as his promoter, Cobbs is looking to take his career to the next level and the first step in that process will come against Broner.

Cobbs has very quick hands and it will be interesting to see how his hand speed matches up against Broner’s superb defense. The question coming into this fight, much like it was for his fight against Bill Hutchinson last year, will center on what version of Adrien Broner shows up. Broner also has hand speed and punching power when he wants to let his hands go. Although Broner is known as one of the most accurate fighters in the sport in terms of landing his punches, he does have a habit of staying in a defensive shell for lengthy periods of time, which has allowed opponents to gradually outwork him over the course of a fight. Cobbs does have the ability to throw punches in volumes of combinations and it will be interesting to see if the fight plan for him will indeed be to try to keep Broner on the defensive and unable to get his punches off. Although both men are thirty-four years of age, Cobbs does have an advantage in terms of overall activity in recent years. Where Cobbs lacks is in the area of experience and more specifically, experience against top-level opposition. This however, is a different circumstance as compared to Bill Hutchinson, who was completely unknown at the time he fought Broner and Cobbs is a more offensive-minded fighter than Hutchinson proved to be, so it will be interesting to see if Cobbs provides Broner with a test to see how much he has left at this stage in his career.

Recent undisputed world champion Terence Crawford appears to be moving out of the Welterweight division and up to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division, there will be room to maneuver among the various contenders and former world champions looking to fight for a Welterweight world championship as the various world titles that Crawford held become vacant. This fight between Adrien Broner and Blair Cobbs will not determine who the next potential champion might be, but what it might determine is who might have the opportunity to move into the discussion of potential contenders looking for a world title fight in the near future. It is thus a high stakes bout for both fighters as each looks to take a step forward in their careers.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”  

Broner vs. Cobbs takes place on Friday, June 7th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The fight as well as it's undercard can be seen globally on digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform Triller TV (Formerly FITE) on a pay-per-view basis for $39.99 beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

Triller TV is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. For more information about Triller TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and for information on how to download the Triller TV app please visit www.TrillerTV.com. To order this pay-per-view event download the Triller TV app or click here.

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Alvarez-Munguia Pay-Per-View Now Available To Preorder Purchase On Prime Video, DAZN

The upcoming Undisputed Super-Middleweight world championship fight between reigning champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and undefeated former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Mungiia, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, is now available to purchase on Prime Video both through the Prime Video app available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs as well as Amazon. The pay-per-view card, which is priced at $89.95, will also be simulcast on a pay-per-view basis on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN at the same price point. 

To order this pay-per-view event on Prime Video, download the Prime Video app on your device of choice or click here. To order on DAZN, download the DAZN app or click here. 

We will have a preview of Alvarez-Munguia here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Thursday, May 2nd. Stay tuned. 

"And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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

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