Did Martin Gain More In Defeat To Lopez?

One of the marquee attractions of December 10th saw former Undisputed Lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez looking to continue his rebuilding process following the loss of his crown in November 2021 to George Kambosos. The second fight in the comeback of Lopez and also the second bout in the Jr. Welterweight division for the former champion would come against slick boxer Sandor Martin at a venue quite familiar to Lopez. Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. A place where he has fought several times throughout his career, but also coincidentally, the same venue where he lost the Undisputed Lightweight crown to Kambosos in the Garden’s adjacent theater.

Lopez’ return to the building forever known in combat sports lure as simply “The Garden” would not come in the theater, but would instead come in the main arena. Before a largely favorable crowd, the Brooklyn-born Lopez appeared to be in the ideal scenario for a fighter looking to build momentum. An iconic venue where he won his first world championship, a hometown crowd of enthusiastic supporters, and an opponent with light regard, at least to those who are casual fans of the sport. Sandor Martin however, had earned his reputation as a spoiler prior to this bout. 

To put it simply, those who were expecting a highlight reel, statement-making performance by Lopez, did not get the memo as to how difficult of a fight this would turn out to be for the former champion. This was due to the very technical and disciplined approach of Martin, who from the outset established lateral movement, an ability to pick his spots, and combination punching, which showed clearly that if Lopez wanted a knockout in this fight, he would have to find a way to halt Martin’s movement and try to break him down. A task that proved to be easier said than done.

In round two, Martin would score a knockdown of Lopez by catching him off balance with a short right hook to the head as he pressed forward. While this was a “Flash Knockdown” in that Lopez was simply caught off balance, a knockdown is still a knockdown and it seemingly gave Martin the advantage in this observer’s eyes.

Martin also succeeded in doing something that is very difficult to accomplish, with his approach and technical Boxing style clearly dictating the combat, with each round the enthusiasm of the crowd in attendance become very quiet and, despite Lopez being able to have occasional moments and seeming to land the harder punches when he was able to connect, the fight did not appear close to yours truly.

What appeared to be a formulaic outcome in favor of Martin, who had shown the ability to play the role of spoiler before with being put in the role of an opponent for a star fighter however, would turn into a bit of controversy at the conclusion of the scheduled ten round bout as two of three official judges turned in scores of 96-93 and 97-92 in favor of Lopez making him the winner via split decision.

After a lifetime covering Boxing and bt extension combat sports, I have certainly seen plenty of controversial decisions that I felt should have gone the other way, and plenty that were deemed controversial that I felt were not as much controversial as it may have been a case of judges having a bad night at the office for lack of a better term. In this case, I think Martin won the fight, but will concede that when Lopez was able to land, though sporadic, he did land the harder punches between the two. While I had Martin winning this fight seven rounds to three or 96-93 in points, sometimes it can boil down to a judge’s perception as well as what they prefer in their own criteria based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense.

Speaking only for myself, Teofimo Lopez in this fight was not effective in his aggression and though he was able to have success sporadically, it was too sporadic in my view to earn him a victory in this bout. Perhaps from a standpoint of one’s perception, an argument could be made that Martin did not get credit from two official judges for his elusiveness and technical Boxing style. He also did not seem to have the punching power to hurt Lopez, despite him being able to drop him in the second round.

While Martin’s style is not necessarily crowd pleasing, I felt that he did enough to win this fight. Whether this decision was controversial or a case of judges having a bad night is something that can be debated, but I believe it falls somewhere in the middle.

Coming out of this fight, I feel if anyone will benefit from it, it will be Sandor Martin. He may not have gotten the credit for his performance from two official judges perhaps based on the perception that Lopez was more aggressive and landed the harder punches of the two when he was able to land, but there is also a perception coming out of a fight and it is hard to argue that Lopez looked better in victory than Martin did in defeat. Although Boxing is far from a fair and solidly structured sport, hopefully Martin will get another opportunity against a top contender or former world champion in the near future. After defeating Mikey Garcia earlier this year and nearly defeating Teofimo Lopez in this fight, his stock has gone up significantly. 

“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 

Will Martin Play Spoiler Again?

As the year 2022 winds down, arguably the last what this observer often calls “Marathon Day” of Boxing features a fight that some might argue is under the radar amongst all of what remains on the Boxing schedule this year, but is one of the more interesting bouts yet to take place. Yours truly is referring to the Jr. Welterweight encounter between former Undisputed Lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez and Jr. Welterweight contender Sandor Martin. A fight that will be taking place on December 10th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY and can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

This bout will be the second for Lopez since moving up from the 135lb. Lightweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. In his Jr. Welterweight debut, Lopez scored a seventh round stoppage of Pedro Campa in August of this year. Although Lopez had some difficulty with Campa early, he was eventually able to break him down and get the stoppage. While not necessarily the stat-making performance that some may have expected in his first fight since losing the Undisputed World Lightweight championship to George Kambosos in November of last year, Lopez did what he needed to do and the victory likely served as a confidence booster following the first loss of his career. The former world champion now looks to continue building momentum in his second bout in a new weight class.

Originally, Lopez was slated to face former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza on December 10th, but Pedraza pulled out of the fight due to illness. Enter Sandor Martin. Martin, a veteran of forty-two professional fights, is a slick and crafty boxer that has been unbeaten since 2017. In addition to a current eleven fight winning streak, Martin, has held the European Jr. Welterweight championship in his career. Despite his credentials and significant momentum coming into this fight. Martin might not be viewed as a marquee name. It was not long ago however, where Martin in a position similar to the one he finds himself in going into this bout as the opponent for a former world champion in the midst of a rebuilding process, scored a twelve round majority decision over former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia in October of last year, a fight that signaled the end of Garcia’s career.

What this fight cones down to in my eyes is whether or not Martin will be able to avoid the punching power of Lopez and nullify his pressure. In his eighteen bout career, Lopez quickly developed a reputation for his ability to score quick and often devastating knockouts that enabled him to quickly ascend to the top of the Lightweight division. The one loss in his career however, came against a fighter in George Kambosos that was able to out box and out work him over the course of twelve rounds. This fight will be scheduled for ten rounds, but Martin is a crafty boxer that uses angles, lateral movement, and often attacks opponents in spurts of combinations.

Although Lopez has the reputation as a power punching “Knockout Artist,” he did show an ability to box in his fight against Vasyl in October 2020, the fight where he successfully unified the Lightweight championship to become Undisputed world champion. Much like Lomachenko, Martin can do a little bit of everything and it will be interesting to see if Lopez will try to implement a similar strategy in this fight as he was able to surprise many by out Boxing and out working Lomachenko, given the skillset Martin has shown in his career.

While Martin does have a significant edge in terms of overall experience, one might assume given the difference in punching power between the two, that Martin might have to box a perfect fight from start to finish if he wants to be successful in this bout. Even though Lopez is the fighter with the name recognition clout going into this fight and will likely have the support of the crowd inside Madison Square Garden, Sandor Martin is not a fighter to overlook and if he can once again play spoiler and defeat Lopez as he did Mikey Garcia, a victory in this fight will likely catapult him into a world championship fight in 2023. A loss for Lopez at this stage in his career would not signal the end of his career or the end as an attraction or a contender, but a second loss in his last three fights would likely set him back even further from his goal of trying to become a two division world champion. 

For a fight that whether intended or not is under the radar, there is certainly a lot at stake for both fighters here in what by all appearances has the look of an interesting clash of styles between two of the best the Jr. Welterweight division has to offer. Who will emerge victorious remains to be seen.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.“

Lopez vs. Martin takes place on Saturday, December 10th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ at 5:55PM ET/2:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

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

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

OHARA DAVIES REACTS TO WBA DECISION AND MAKES SANDOR MARTIN PREDICTION

Press Release: By Probellum -

Credit: Problem 

LONDON, JUNE 14 – Ohara Davies has been left baffled by the WBA’s decision to overlook him for a shot at the world title.

‘Two Tanks’ was hoping to be picked to fight for the vacant super lightweight belt but learned on Sunday night, that No1 ranked Alberto Puello had been chosen to face Batyr Akhmedov, who sits at No6. 

The WBA also confirmed that Ismael Barroso, the Venezuelan puncher who withdrew from a November clash with Davies, will fight the winner. 

Davies, No3 in the rankings. has been left to face Spain’s Sandor Martin in an eliminator while former world champion, and fellow Probellum fighter, Regis Prograis has been told he would replace any of the contenders if they chose to pull out. 

“When I found out about the WBA’s decision, I was gutted,” said Davies, who fights in Leeds on Saturday night. 

“I felt like I should have been given the shot next because I was meant to fight Ismael Barroso, but he pulled out of our fight, so I don’t understand how he can be made mandatory challenger for the title? 

“I didn’t understand the WBA’s decision, but I have had to fight my whole life, and this is just another fight.” 

Davies, who is also keen to fight Newcastle’s Lewis Ritson down the line, respects Martin’s ability but is confident of stopping the Spanish southpaw. 

“There is also a feeling of relief that I get to fight Sandor Martin in an eliminator, because I now get the chance to wipe the smile off Eddie Hearn’s [Martin’s promoter] face,” Davies added. 

“Martin is a good fighter, he’s hard-working and he came in as the underdog against Mikey Garcia and got the win. He’s fast on his feet and a good boxer but one thing I know is that he isn’t a puncher.   And all it will take is one right hand to the chin, from me, and it’ll be all over. 

“After this fight in Leeds, give me another eight to 10 weeks and I will be ready for Sandor, whether it’s here or in Spain.” 

To keep up to date with the latest news on Davies’ world title journey, sign up to our newsletter or follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.    

You can also follow our official news, results, and information account, Probellum News, on Twitter. 

About Probellum   

Launched in September 2021, Probellum is a global boxing promoter, and the fastest-growing brand in the sport.

Following the success of the opening two shows in December 2021, Probellum has already held back-to-back world championship nights in Dubai, as well as a packed card in Newcastle.

The world title action then headed to Liverpool last month where Paul Butler won the WBO bantamweight crown.

Probellum’s elite stable of fighters also includes Nonito Donaire, Regis Prograis, Estelle Mossely, Sunny Edwards, Eimantas Stanionis, Donnie Nietes and Dina Thorslund.

But the company has also recruited the next generation of stars with Peter McGrail, Mark Dickinson and Pat and Luke McCormack, Shabaz Masoud and Spencer Wilcox among the young talents under the Probellum umbrella.

Since launching, Probellum has signed co-promotional partnerships with some of the biggest promoters globally, including DiBella Entertainment (US), Wasserman (Germany), Universum (Germany), GYM (Canada), Maravilla Box (Spain), Team Ellis (Australia), Titov Boxing Promotions (Russia), Volcano Boxing (El Salvador), BXSTRS Promotions (Mexico), PR Best (Puerto Rico) Glozier Boxing (New Zealand), Box Office Sports (Ghana) and LNK Boxing (Latvia).     

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission

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

  

Martin Defeats Felix In Barcelona, Spain

 

European Jr. Welterweight champion Sandor Martin scored a dominant ten round unanimous decision over Jose Felix in a non-title bout on Friday night at the Palau Olímpic Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Spain. A very tactical fight from the outset, Martin used his Boxing IQ in using angles, and superb counter punching to get the upper hand on Felix. As the fight progressed, Martin went from a fighter looking for counter shots to the fighter forcing the action as he frequently beat Felix to the punch and found a consistent home for his right hand as part of combinations he was able to land. Although it appeared that Martin may have been able to get a stoppage late in the fight if he had forced the issue, he was content to box his way to a convincing decision victory. Official scores were: 100-90, (On two scorecards) and 99-91 in favor of Martin. Sandor Martin advances to 40-2, with 13 Knockouts. Jose Felix falls to 39-6-1, with 30 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

Undefeated Flyweight and 2016 Spanish Olympian Samuel Carmona survived an extremely grueling test in the form of former world title challenger Joel Cordova in winning a ten round unanimous decision. An action-packed fight from the outset that initially saw Carmona beating Cordova to the punch, quickly turned as Cordova forced a near non-stop fast pace and consistently came forward landing hard shots and forcing Carmona on the defensive and having to look for counter punch opportunities. The two fighters continued to exchange offense and in round eight a barrage of punches seemed to have Carmona in serious trouble. Despite the momentum appearing to be in Cordova’s favor, Carmona was able to score a knockdown of him in round nine with a widely thrown left hook to the head and was able to hang on to earn a decision victory that might be viewed as controversial by some based on how the fight was fought. Official scores were: 96-94, 97-93, and 96-93 in favor of Carmona.  Samuel Carmona advances to 7-0, with 4 Knockouts. Joel Cordova falls to 13-6-2, with 3 Knockouts.

 

In a battle of unbeaten Middleweight prospects. Jhon Obregon scored a hard fought eight round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Kyle Lomotey. A fight that saw several heated exchanges of power punches, Obregon seemed to land the harder shots of the two and had Lomotey stunned periodically throughout the fight. In rounds five and six, Lomotey was penalized two points for head butts. Official scores were: 80-72, 79-73, and 77-73 in favor of Obregon. Jhon Obregon advances to 10-0, with 4 Knockouts. Kyle Lomotey falls to 10-1, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Former Women’s IBF Jr. Bantamweight world champion Jorgelina Guanini competing as a Jr. Featherweight, scored an eight round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Stevi Levy. Guanini landed a flush overhand right to the temple of Levy in round one and generally landed the harder punches of the two. In round five, a double left hook to the body by Guanini badly hurt Levy and set off an unanswered barrage of punches by the former world champion, but Levy was able to survive the round and showed her mettle in fighting till the final bell. Official scores were: 80-73, 79-73, and, 79-75 in favor of Guanini. Jorgelina Guanini advances to 10-4-2, with 1 Knockouts. Stevi Levy falls to 5-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In a non-title Light-Heavyweight bout, WBO European Light-Heavyweight champion Ricards Bolotniks began the evening by scoring an eight round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Hrvoje Sep. A fight that was fought exclusively in close range, the difference was ultimately Bolotniks’ work rate compared to his opponent as he often threw punches in three and four punch combinations whereas Sep seemed intent on landing single punches. Official scores were: 78-75, (On two scorecards) and 77-75 in favor of Bolotniks. Ricards Bolotniks advances to 19-6-1, with 8 Knockouts. Hrvoje Sep falls to 11-1, with 8 Knockouts.

 

Sandor Martin has been building significant momentum over the last several years including his victory over former multi-division world champion Mikey Garcia in his last bout prior to his victory over Jose Felix. Martin, who is rated in the top five in both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) Jr. Welterweight ratings and has been unbeaten since losing a unanimous decision to Anthony Yigit in September 2017. Now eleven fights and eleven victories since that defeat, Martin appears to be within striking distance of fighting for a world championship. With current Undisputed Jr. Welterweight champion Josh Taylor, who holds the WBC,WBA,IBF,WBO crowns, setting his sights on moving up in weight to the 147lb. Welterweight division, there will be no shortage of opportunities for Martin to fight for a vacant world championship as the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division  begins another period of transition where the unification process to determine one world champion in the division will begin all over again.

 

“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

Belated Garcia-Martin Thoughts

A quote that this observer has referenced often over the years in regard to unexpected things occurring is one that came from the Hall of Fame trainer and former fighter Freddie Roach who in the prelude to Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 said as many felt that his fighter Pacquiao had bitten off more than he could chew by jumping up significantly in weight to face the bigger and theoretically stronger De La Hoya “If there were no upsets in the world, the world would be boring.” As many know, Pacquiao went on to score a dominant victory over De La Hoya in which he forced him to quit on his stool and into retirement. Truly one of the milestones in Pacquiao’s legendary career.

Of course, upsets are not something that is exclusive to the sport of Boxing, but is something that occurs throughout all of sport. Recently, this was proven in Baseball where in the divisional round of the American League playoffs, the Boston Red Sox, a team that got into the divisional stage courtesy of winning the wildcard against the New York Yankees, upset the number one seeded Tampa Bay Rays, a team that had won the American League championship in 2020, and after winning one hundred games in baseball’s regular-season this year, appeared to be a lock to at least return to the World Series this year. Despite being shut out in game one of the best of five series, Boston came back to defeat the Rays in three straight games to eliminate them from the playoffs and advance to the American League championship series where they are currently facing the Houston Astros. Certainly, all logic suggested that the Tampa Bay Rays were likely to steamroll past the Red Sox much in the same way they had against virtually every team they had faced during the regular season in becoming one of the rare teams to win over a hundred games during a season. Sometimes logic and sports do not mix.

The sport of Boxing meanwhile saw a significant upset in September when former undefeated Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk scored a twelve round unanimous decision over two-time unified Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. While the reader may question why yours truly has used as examples, it is to show that even the most seasoned of those who cover sports and the most seasoned of sports fan should always expect the unexpected.

Such a scenario occurred on October 16th at the Chuchansi Park minor league baseball stadium in Fresno, CA where former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia faced Sandor Martin in a ten round Welterweight bout. Garcia is obviously one of the more accomplished fighters in the sport currently having won world titles from the 126lb. Featherweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. In his only career defeat, Garcia was out boxed in a one-sided decision loss to undefeated IBF Welterweight world champion Errol Spence in March 2019.

Although it is arguable that Garcia has not been the same fighter since moving into the Welterweight division, he still managed to look impressive against former WBO Welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas in his first fight since suffering the loss to Spence in February 2020. Garcia, much like many fighters throughout the entire sport saw his career stall after that victory due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. After over a year of inactivity, which was approaching nearly two years, Garcia’s bout against Sandor Martin was curious in the eyes of some.

Despite entering the fight with a respectable record of 38-2, with 13 Knockouts and being the current European Jr. Welterweight champion, Martin was not particularly well-known in the United States and was thought by some as merely an opponent for Garcia to work off “Ring Rust.” While we do live in a time where many fans can express their opinion freely and unfortunately can resort to conduct that is not exemplary online in expressing those opinions, I believe that the view that Martin was lightly regarded is simply due to the fact that he had not fought in the United States before this fight and more specifically had not fought anyone of Garcia’s caliber in his career. While everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, Martin had been one of the fighters that has been able to benefit from the era of streaming technology in being showcased on international cards thanks to promoter Eddie Hearn’s broadcast agreement with global digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, so I believe not only based on the benefits that such technology offers, but also Martin’s style that he should have been held in higher regard by those who felt that this was a soft touch for Garcia to resume activity.

Martin is after all a southpaw and a fighter who is a slick boxer in any fighter with those attributes is bound to create some difficulty even for high profile opposition such as Garcia. Nevertheless, I did wonder how he would respond to the atmosphere of not only fighting in the United States for the first time, but also fighting under circumstances where Garcia was the significant fan favorite and fighting in Garcia’s home state of California. 

Despite being a significant underdog with all boxes seemingly checked against him, Martin came into this encounter with a calculated, tactical fight plan that he seemingly executed to near perfection. By making full use of the ring and use of his lateral movement, Martin was able to dictate how the fight was being fought even though Garcia was the one who consistently came forward and forced the action throughout. How did Martin do this? One aspect was that he was able to frequently catch Garcia with offense as he came forward whether it be with straight punches with either hand or hooks. What made this a more effective strategy was that Martin was in the process also able to evade Garcia or block a good majority of his offense as he came forward.

There were no thrills to write about in this fight, but what became noticeable as it progressed was that Martin’s strategy was working so well that it pretty much quelled the largely pro-Garcia crowd that had come to Chuchansi Park to support their favorite. Although a boxer who puts an emphasis on technique as opposed to trying to win the crowd over does not always endear a fighter to a crowd, particularly one that is accustomed to seeing action-packed fights, if one looked at this fight objectively, it was hard not to be impressed with Martin’s performance in skillfully out boxing a former four-division world champion in the biggest fight of his career. While Garcia was able to have his moments sporadically throughout the bout, what made the difference beyond Martin’s ability to control the ebb and flow of the fight was Martin was also landing the more effective punches of the two fighters.

Due to the pace in which the fight was fought however, it was nevertheless a close fight and as I have often said through the years, you really never know which was three official judges might be leaning, particularly when a fight favors a fighter that is a fan favorite in his home region going against a fighter who while skillful and had proven his ability throughout the fight, was a relative unknown to those in the United States whom Boxing is of casual interest. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the ten round bout, I felt that Sandor Martin had done enough to earn the decision and had done so convincingly even though he did not appear to hurt Garcia at any point throughout the fight as I scored it 97-93 or seven rounds to three unofficially in his favor. 

Perhaps it is a sign of this observer’s experience in covering Boxing for most of my life as well as having watched the sport on all levels since I was a young child, but it did not surprise me to see one official judge see the fight exactly the way I did. In this case however, two of three official judges saw it exactly the same way as yours truly in turning in identical scorecards of 97-93 in Martin’s favor making him the winner by majority decision. What was a bit surprising however, was that one judge saw the fight even 95-95 resulting in the majority ruling. 

Although I do not have to tell regular readers that I have certainly seen stranger decisions rendered and far more controversial scorecards turned in, many of which I have written extensively about both online and in print, the reason why I was surprised in this circumstance was more so in thinking that perhaps Garcia’s consistent aggression throughout, albeit ineffective aggression may have been enough to sway at least one scorecard in his favor if not sway the majority of the three official judges outright. While I am not by any means suggesting that I expected to see what would amount to a “Hometown Decision”, there are some judges working throughout the sport that seem to give more credit in their criteria to the element of aggression as opposed to ring generalship and defense, as well as clean effective punching. This can also be a detriment to European fighters who travel here to the United States, who like Sandor Martin, have highly technical Boxing-based styles where the emphasis more often than not is on technique as opposed to trying to score knockouts or being known as an “Action Fighter.”

Boxing nevertheless will always be a sport of opportunity and no matter what a fighter’s background might be going into a fight, there is always the chance that they can score a major victory and almost instantly change their standing in the sport. This is exactly the position that Sandor Martin now finds himself in after scoring a major upset in the biggest win of his career over Mikey Garcia. Although he is still the European Jr. Welterweight champion, obviously, the odds of Martin potentially challenging for a world championship in 2022 in either the Jr. Welterweight or Welterweight divisions have naturally increased off of this victory. 

Of course, there is also the possibility of a rematch with Garcia, which given Garcia’s stature in the sport may be likely to happen before Martin can set his sights on challenging for a world championship. Although Mikey Garcia was simply out boxed by a crafty, and slick tactician, this observer does not know if a rematch between the two would turn out to be any different than this fight was. Styles do indeed make fights and if Martin were to approach the rematch with the same type of tactical approach as he did in this fight, it is hard for me to see the fight going differently. It is however, certainly not impossible and all eyes will obviously be on Garcia if/when these two fighters square off for a second time.

“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 

DAZN AND MATCHROOM ANNOUNCE MORE GLOBAL ADDITIONS TO GROWING FALL FIGHT SCHEDULE

 

Credit: DAZN

 

Mikey Garcia vs. Sandor Martin on Saturday, October 16

 

Dillian Whyte vs. Otto Wallin on Saturday, October 30

 

Joseph Parker vs. Derek Chisora II on Saturday, December 18

 

 

Press Release: By DAZN – September 16, 2021: DAZN and Matchroom have announced three premium fights nights to add to an ever-increasing fall fight schedule, live and worldwide on DAZN:

 

• October 16: Former four-weight World ruler Mikey Garcia returns to action against European Super-Lightweight champion Sandor Martin at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA.

 

• October 30: WBC interim champ Dillian Whyte faces Swedish fighter Otto Wallin, live from The O2 in London and worldwide on DAZN.

 

• December 18: Heavyweights Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora rematch in another epic clash, live worldwide on DAZN (except New Zealand and Samoa).

 

First, four-weight king Mikey Garcia is back in action on Saturday October 16 at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, CA and tackles European Super-Lightweight champion Sandor Martin. Garcia steps through the ropes for the first time since defeating Jessie Vargas in Frisco, TX in February 2020 and the California man welcomes Spaniard Martin to his home state, with Martin coming into the fight on the back of two successful defenses of his European 140lbs strap. Garcia-Martin will be live worldwide on DAZN and tops a stacked card featuring World title action and hot prospects to be announced shortly.

 

Two weeks later, ‘The Body Snatcher’ Dillian Whyte (28-2, 19 KOs) returns to the ring on Saturday, October 30, at The 02 in London, facing off against Swedish heavyweight Otto Wallin (21-1-0-1, 14 KOs). The Brixton native avenged his previous defeat with a statement round 4 TKO against veteran Alexander Povetkin and reclaimed the WBC interim heavyweight title. Wallin continues his good form coming into the fight, having beaten Dominic Breazeale and Travis Kauffman after a unanimous decision loss against two-time world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The event will be live worldwide on DAZN.

 

Credit: DAZN

And, on Saturday, December 18, Joseph Parker (29-2, 21 KOs) faces off against the mercurial Brit Derek Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) in a rematch of their 12-round war in May 2021. Parker, the former WBO heavyweight champion, has tallied five straight wins since losing against Dillian Whyte for the WBO International heavyweight title. Derek ‘War’ Chisora is looking to bounce back after losing by split decision against the Parker and by unanimous decision against Oleksandr Usyk by unanimous decision in October 2020. The event will be live worldwide on DAZN (with the exception of New Zealand and Samoa).

 

Credit: DAZN

Ed Breeze, EVP Rights at DAZN, said: “These three excellent fights are a testament to the great partnership that continues to flourish with Matchroom globally. Our schedule for the rest of the year is shaping up nicely and filled with world champions, grizzled veterans, and exciting up-and-coming talent. We look forward to continuing to unveil more blockbuster fight nights as part of our ongoing commitment to deliver value to boxing fans worldwide.”

 

Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn said: "Matchroom and DAZN's stacked upcoming schedule just got even better with these three blockbuster additions. First up on October 16 four-weight king Mikey Garcia returns to action in a difficult assignment against Barcelona's European Super-Lightweight Champion Sandor Martin in Fresno, CA. 'The Body Snatcher' Dillian Whyte returns home to The O2 on October 30 to put his Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title against Otto Wallin - the man that came so close to inflicting a loss on Tyson Fury. Then on December 18 Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora go to war again at Manchester Arena. Catch it all live and exclusively around the world on DAZN."

 

Full card details will be released soon. 

 

Other major matchups this fall on DAZN include the heavyweight clash of the year between unified champion Anthony Joshua, who will be putting his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles on the line against former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in in London on September 25. Meanwhile, live boxing makes its return to Italy on October 1 as local star Daniele Scardina continues his hunt for a world title fight when he takes on Juergen Doberstein for the WBO Intercontinental super middleweight title in Milan. And, on October 9, the south of Liverpool takes on the north as Liam Smith faces off against fellow Liverpudlian Anthony Fowler in a hugely competitive domestic fight, live from the M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool.

 

Material and Photos Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

 

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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Martin Retains European Jr. Welterweight Championship:Results From Barcelona, Spain

 

European Jr. Welterweight champion Sandor Martin scored a workmanlike twelve round unanimous decision Kay Prosper to retain his European championship on Friday night at the Vall d'Hebron Olympic Palace in Barcelona, Spain. In a largely uneventful bout, Martin used his elusive southpaw stance and lateral movement to dictate the tempo of the combat from the opening bell. Prospere, who was very “Game” throughout the entire fight just could not find a way to land any consistent offense on the champion. Only adding to the frustration, Prosper was penalized a point in round eight for an unknown reason as it did not appear he had committed a foul. While not an entertaining or memorable bout to watch, Martin simply did what he needed to do to retain his title. Official scores were: 119-107, 117-110, and 117-109 in favor of Martin. Sandor Martin advances to 38-2, with 17 Knockouts. Kay Prosper falls to 14-2-1, with 7 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

Jr. Middleweight Kerman Lejarraga overcame two knockdowns to score a seventh round stoppage of Jez Smith. A fight that was fought primarily on the inside m Smith seemed to get the upper hand early. In rounds three and four, Smith scored identical knockdowns of Lejarraga with short right uppercuts to the head. Despite appearing to be in control of the fight, Smith was not able to take advantage of the two knockdowns he was able to score and by round six, Lejarraga had turned the ebb and flow in his favor dropped Smith with a hard left hook to the body. At this point in the fight, Smith seemed to be fatigued and this created the opening for Lejarraga to stagger him with a right hand to the jaw. A barrage of unanswered punches forced the fight to be stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 2:31 of round seven. Kerman Lejarraga advances to 32-2, with 25 Knockouts. Jez Smith falls to 12-3-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

 

In a battle for the European Featherweight championship, champion Andoni Gago and former European Jr. Featherweight champion Gavin McDonnell fought to a five round technical draw. A contrast in style with the shorter pressure fighter Gago trying to get inside the taller and longer McDonnell, Gago appeared to open a cut over the right eye of McDonnell with a left hook early in round one. Gago’s pressure led to more openings and even though McDonnell tried to keep the champion at distance he had increased difficulty as the fight progressed. The cut also gradually worsened and ultimately caused a stoppage of the shortly after the start of round five. What appeared to be a clear stoppage victory in favor of Gago turned into a technical decision as it was ruled that the cut McDonnell suffered in round one was caused by an accidental clash of heads. 

 

Although one official judge had scored every round in favor of McDonnell 50-46, the two other official judges scored the fight identically 48-48 resulting in a technical draw. Andoni Gago advances to 24-3-4, with 7 Knockouts. Gavin McDonnell advances to 22-2-3, with 6 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Featherweight prospect Bernard Torres scored a second round stoppage of veteran Anuar Salas. An otherwise uneventful first round quickly changed when Torres connected with a beautiful left hand behind a right jab from the southpaw stance that dropped Salas. It appeared as though Salas may not have been able to beat the ten count, but he was able to get up at the count of nine. Torres closed the show in round two dropping Salas with an overhand left along the ropes. Although Salas struggled to get up and was up by the count of eight, he was in no position to continue and the bout was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 1:33 of round two. Bernard Torres advances to 14-0, with 6 Knockouts. Anuar Salas falls to 20-9-1, with 12 Knockouts.

 

 

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight Luke Willis scored a six round decision unanimous decision over veteran Ricardo Fernandez. Official scores were: 59-54, and 60-54 (On two scorecards) in favor of Willis. Luke Willis advances to 10-0, with 1 Knockout. Ricardo Fernandez falls to 9-6, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Women’s Welterweight prospect April Hunter began the evening by scoring a four round majority decision over Elsa Hemat. Official scores were: 38-38, and 39-37 (On two scorecards) in favor of Hunter. April Hunter advances to 3-0, with 0 Knockouts. Elsa Hemat falls to 1-4, with 0 Knockouts. 

 

While Sandor Martin has a Boxing style that may not be crowd pleasing, it is certainly effective as with his victory over Kay Prosper he has now successfully defended his European Jr. Welterweight championship twice and is currently on a nine bout winning streak. Although such statistics along with an awkward style does not always translate into world title contention, Martin could be in a position to challenge for a world championship within the next year if he continues to win.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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