Showing posts with label Sergey Kovalev. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sergey Kovalev. Show all posts

Sunday, January 7, 2024

2024 Starts With Controversy

The start of 2024 in the world of Boxing on January 6th saw the return of undefeated former Welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz. Ortiz, who after scoring nineteen consecutive knockouts to start his career and seemed to be on the brink of challenging for a world championship, saw his career come to a halt due to a series of health problems including COVID-19 and dehydration, which stalled his return resulting in scheduled bouts being cancelled.


After seventeen months out of action, Ortiz finally did return to the ring, this time as a Jr. Middleweight to face veteran Fredrick Lawson at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The story going into this fight was a simple one. How would Ortiz look after dealing with those health issues, but also returning in a higher weight class.


In Frederick Lawson, Ortiz faced a one time contender as a Welterweight, who came into the fight with a record of 30-3, with 22 Knockouts. Lawson also had an advantage over Ortiz in terms of activity and came into the fight off of two straight wins in 2023.


When it comes to fights where one of the combatants is coming off of a lengthy stretch of inactivity, regardless of what led to that inactivity, it is always interesting to see whether the opponent will be able to force the issue early and make it difficult for the fighter to work off any theoretical “Ring Rust." As most fights do, this encounter seemingly started with a feeling out process where the two fighters were trying to get warmed up and into the task at hand. 


With a little more than two minutes into round one, Ortiz connected with a jab that seemed to graze off the head of Lawson, but did back him up against the ropes. Ortiz proceeded to attack Lawson, who was against the ropes and seemed to be doing a reasonable job in protecting himself from the majority of Ortiz’ attack, but did take some left hooks to the body and some right hands to the head. Despite not appearing to be significantly hurt, Referee Tony Weeks stepped in and stopped the fight at 2:33 of the first round. 


While Tony Weeks is regarded as one of the best referees in the entire sport and has officiated nearly 900 bouts, many of which have been world championship bouts in a thirty-year career , he has not been immune from being questioned regarding a stoppage he made that many felt was the wrong call. Some may recall the June 2017 World Light-Heavyweight championship rematch between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, where in a scenario similar to this fight, Ward unloaded on Kovalev in the eighth round, where with Kovalev against the ropes, Ward connected with a series of body shots that appeared to be on the beltline or low with Kovalev leaning over in obvious pain, Weeks stepped in and stopped the fight, but did go on in the days following the bout to say that he missed a low blow and the fight should have gone on.


This time in an interview shortly after stopping Ortiz-Lawson, Weeks in speaking with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN stated that the reason he stopped the fight was because he saw Lawson's eyes roll back in his head.  Although much like with his stoppage of the Ward-Kovalev rematch, this observer feels Weeks made a bad call or at least was a little too quick in stopping the fight, it is important to remember that as I have often said over the years, more often than not, I will side with a referee under circumstances like this for the sole reason that they are the closest person to the action and as such can see things from inside the ring, up close that others in attendance and those watching a fight on television/streaming may not see. In this case, I did not see what Weeks referenced as his reasoning for stopping this fight. Weeks’ reputation however as one of the best referees in the sport as well as the fact that he was the closest person to the fighters as they were in the midst of combat means that he needs to be taken at his word in obviously he saw something up close that told him instinctively to stop the fight before any permanent damage was done if not God forbid worse. Unfortunately, it leaves not only a bad taste in the mouths of Boxing fans to begin 2024, but also along with the controversy of the stoppage, a feeling of inconclusive, because due to the fact that there was a quick stoppage, justified or not, not much was learned about Ortiz either now as a Jr. Middleweight or in terms of his conditioning, if the fight had gone at least a few rounds. 


Despite the view of yours truly that Weeks made a bad call in this fight, there are two things the reader and any would be armchair critic should keep in mind. One, referees and judges are human like the rest of us and are as prone as any of us to have a bad day or as I often refer to it “A Bad Night At The Office." Secondly, regardless of one's opinion, it is always better for a fight to be stopped too soon than wondering why a fight was allowed to go on longer than it should have when discussing a tragedy that has taken place. One thing any fan or critic should also remember is they do not have to live with the circumstances of allowing a fight to go on longer than it should where the result beyond wins or losses are either permanent injury or even death. While such dangers come with the territory in combat sports, it may be perhaps better to think of what a referee might have prevented in a circumstance where the consensus is a fight was stopped too quickly and controversially. One should also ponder what a referee might have to live with if they do not see the warning signs that a fight should be stopped and missing those signs results in tragedy. It is not something to take lightly.


“And That's The Boxing Truth." 



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Friday, January 27, 2023

Can Yarde Pull Off The Next Light-Heavyweight Upset?

 

Perhaps the biggest story in Boxing in 2022 came in the month of May when undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to retain his WBA crown. While Bivol was naturally bigger and stronger than Alvarez and has a difficult Boxing style that has proven difficult for opponents to combat, much less solve, most viewed his victory over Alvarez as “An Upset.” This view, which is not shared by this observer, is based largely on the fact that Alvarez is one of the sport’s biggest stars and the expectation of many was that he would defeat Bivol, a fighter not well-known to casual fans on what was his quest to begin the process of trying to fully unify a second division after what he had accomplished in fully unifying the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. While Boxing is truly the theater of the unexpected, Bivol did go against the script that at least some had envisioned prior to that fight.

 

With victories over Alvarez and former Super-Middleweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez in 2022 behind him, Bivol could potentially be nearing either a rematch with Alvarez or a potential unification bout with the only remaining world champion in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division. Artur Beterbiev. Like Bivol, Beterbiev is an undefeated world champion, currently holding the IBF, WBC, and WBO crowns in the division, which would make a potential encounter with Bivol for the Undisputed Light-Heavyweight championship of the world. Before the Boxing world can begin wetting their collective appetites for that bout, Beterbiev has business to tend to as he will defend his unified portion of the World Light-Heavyweight championship against IBF number three rated contender Anthony Yarde on Saturday, January 28th at the  Wembley Arena in London, England.

 

The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+, has one central question that surrounds it. Can Yarde pull off what would be seen as a significant upset and derail any potential plans for an undisputed clash between Beterbiev and Bivol. This will be Yarde’s second opportunity at a world championship. In August 2019, a then undefeated Yarde put forth a spirited effort against former longtime WBO Light-Heavyweight world champion and division cornerstone Sergey Kovalev before being stopped in the eleventh round. Yarde did appear to have Kovalev in trouble throughout that fight and made a good account of himself in defeat. Since that loss, Yarde has split two fights with Light-Heavyweight contender Lyndon Arthur, losing a twelve round split decision in their first fight in December 2020 and avenging that loss via fourth round knockout in their rematch in December 2021.

 

The London-born Yarde will have significant support from the crowd in attendance at the legendary Wembley Arena, but he does face a difficult task in the champion Beterbiev. In some ways however, this is a similar situation as the one the challenger faced when he fought Kovalev in that like Kovalev, Beterbiev is a “Knockout Artist.”

 

Beterbiev has knocked out all eighteen of his previous opponents as a professional and has the ability to end a fight with either hand. What this will likely come down to is whether or not Yarde will be able to combat the pressure of Beterbiev and do so for all twelve rounds if needed. In his last title defense, Beterbiev destroyed WBO world champion Joe Smith in two rounds. The champion has also shown the ability to overcome adversity during a fight as he showed in his title defense against Marcus Browne in December 2021, where he suffered a deep gash on his forehead early in the fight as a result of an accidental clash of heads, before stopping Browne in the ninth round. In both instances neither Browne or Smith had a way to deal with Beterbiev‘s relentless pressure and could not avoid his punching power.

 

Yarde does have twenty-two knockouts in his twenty-three career wins so he is also capable of ending a fight early should an opportunity arise. Whether or not he will have a tactical approach or will attempt to fight fire with fire and go toe to toe with Beterbiev remains to be seen. Wisdom would suggest that he will need to find a way to dictate the fight from the outset and try to nullify Beterbiev’s pressure if he wants to pull off the upset in front of a hometown crowd, as the champion has only shown one approach in his career, seek and destroy.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Beterbiev vs. Yarde takes place on Saturday, January 29th at the Wembley Arena in London, England. The card can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 2:30PM ET/11:30AM PT.

 

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com.

 

*Card and start time subject to change.*

 

*Check your local listings internationally.*

 

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

 

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Monday, May 16, 2022

Kovalev Takes First Step In Successful Cruiserweight Debut

 

After a lengthy absence from in ring competition, the career of former three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev resumed at The Forum in Inglewood, CA on May 14th. While the thirty-nine year old former world champion is not a stranger to the process one goes through following a defeat, this time it was a little different for Kovalev.

Not only was Kovalev coming off of a two and a half year layoff following his knockout loss at the hands of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2019, but for the first time in his career, Kovalev would not be competing as a 175lb. Light-Heavyweight. A division where he has been the cornerstone for much of the last decade. After a career spent in the Light-Heavyweight division, Kovalev chose to move up in weight to the 190lb.-200lb. Cruiserweight division to face undefeated contender Tervel Pulev in a scheduled ten round bout.

The primary question that I had going into this fight was what did Sergey Kovalev have left to give as a fighter. It was after all a logical question to ask about not only a fighter that has had a long career, not only one that was coming off a long hiatus, but more specifically a fighter that had also suffered some severe knockouts along the way as well. Even though Kovalev had been enjoying a career resurgence under the guidance of former two-division world champion and Hall of Fame trainer Buddy McGirt and was holding his own prior to being caught and knocked out by Saul Alvarez, a question like that more often than not should be asked under circumstances like Kovalev’s prior to this fight.

For Tervel Pulev, I felt it was crucial that he look to establish himself early in the fight and test Kovalev out of the gate. To his credit, Pulev began the fight aggressively and did try to impose his will on Kovalev. Despite the lengthy absence out of the ring as well as a delay in the fight taking place due to an issue regarding the gloves of a fighter competing in the final preliminary bout prior to Kovalev and Pulev getting in the ring, Kovalev looked extremely relaxed, perhaps more relaxed than this observer had ever seen him in any fight I have covered in his career. It was not long before Kovalev was able to nullify the aggressive start of Pulev.

The primary weapon Kovalev used to do that was his jab. Not only did Kovalev’s jab help him in establishing distance between himself and Pulev, but he also used variations of it in frequently changing his level of attack from the body to the head as well as beginning and ending combinations he threw with the jab. Although this aspect of Kovalev’s Boxing style had emerged in several fights before his loss to Saul Alvarez and did carry Kovalev to significant success against him before he got caught, it was refreshing to see that Kovalev was still disciplined in his approach and had not forgotten the tactical adjustments that McGirt had brought to his arsenal prior to his hiatus. What was also noticeable was the calm approach McGirt implemented in this fight in returning to Kovalev’s corner.

While there were not much in the way of highlights in this fight in the sense that there were no knockdowns or instances where either fighter appeared to be hurt, if one is a Boxing purist, they should be impressed with Kovalev’s performance in this fight. The consistency of his jab as both a table setter and main course of his offense resulted in Kovalev Boxing his way to a convincing ten round unanimous decision victory.

Although it is hard to really gauge where Kovalev is off of one performance, it is important to keep in mind that this was his first bout in two and a half years. What should be important for Kovalev, which he did touch upon shortly after this fight is that he needs to be active. For his part Kovalev said that he wants to be fighting every three or four months, which tells me that he is not intent on relying strictly off of his name recognition value alone to try and secure a world title shot as a Cruiserweight. If he does continue to perform as he did in this fight against Tervel Pulev however, it will not be long before Sergey Kovalev is back in a world championship fight, perhaps as soon as early 2023.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Wednesday, May 11, 2022

What Does Kovalev Have Left?

 

One of the most common storylines that is associated with the sport of Boxing and by extension all combat sports that most can identify with is one of a former world champion trying to re-emerge into competition after a lengthy absence. A storyline is most commonly known as “A Comeback.” 

 

While there are certainly no shortage of comeback stories that range from highly successful to at times tragic in the sense of the outcome of a planned return, each comeback story has its own unique circumstances. In the case of former three-time World Light-Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, his career has seen several highs and lows that often come with a long career in the sport. In his last bout in November2019, Kovalev's third reign as a Light-Heavyweight world champion came to an end when he was knocked out by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the WBO world championship in eleven rounds. Since then, Kovalev has been inactive due in part to testing positive for banned substances for a second time, which derailed a planned return against Bektemir Melikuziev in January of last year. While obviously the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic likely has also contributed to Kovalev’s inactivity,  now at age thirty-nine he prepares for the next chapter in his career. 

 

This chapter for Kovalev will begin on Saturday, May 14th when he faces undefeated Tervel Pulev on a Triller promoted Boxing card at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The bout, which will be the main event of the card will be broadcast on Triller's TrillerVerz digital subscription-based streaming platform through FITE. The fight for Kovalev will also mark his debut in the Cruiserweight division. 

 

Although the 190lb.-200lb. Cruiserweight division has traditionally been lightly regarded as it has never been thought of as a career destination for most boxers, the division has served a purpose either as a stepping stone for lack of a better term for fighters who want to test the waters before moving up to the Heavyweight division or as a fall back option either for smaller Heavyweights who feel that they may be able to compete more effectively at Cruiserweight or for Light-Heavyweights who either cannot make the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight limit or simply want to seek opportunities in a division that normally seems to lack mainstream attention. For Kovalev, his notoriety is such that if he is successful in this fight, he may be able to springboard himself right into contention for a world title shot in the division based largely on his name recognition alone. 

 

An obvious question as this fight approaches is what does Sergey Kovalev have left to give as a fighter. In addition to a lengthy layoff, it is important to remember that much of the last decade in the Light-Heavyweight division saw Kovalev in one way or another in the role of a division cornerstone in compiling three separate reigns as a world champion over the course of that time. While a lengthy absence out of the ring might be viewed negatively by some, three of Kovalev’s four career losses including his last bout against Saul Alvarez came via knockout. Though the potential of ring rust is very real and should not be dismissed, there are times where a long layoff can allow a fighter to recuperate from not only the effects of a loss, but also the wear and tear that comes from a long career. 

 

What does Tervel Pulev bring into this fight? The younger brother of multi-time Heavyweight world title challenger Kubrat Pulev, who will also coincidentally be fighting on the undercard, is unbeaten in sixteen professional bouts having scored knockouts in thirteen of those fights. While Pulev will be at a disadvantage when it comes to big fight experience as compared to Kovalev, the advantage at least theoretically that Pulev should have going into this encounter is that he is a natural Cruiserweight and has been more active than his opponent. 

 

Although Sergey Kovalev will always have a Boxing style that should be respected due to it often being a style where the objective is seek and destroy, regardless of how long he has been out of competition, it will be interesting to see if Pulev attempts to impose his will on the former world champion early. While Pulev should approach Kovalev with caution at least early in the fight, he needs to find a way to establish himself as the naturally bigger fighter and cannot be awed by the occasion of fighting someone of Kovalev’s caliber. 

 

As someone who has covered Sergey Kovalev’s career extensively through the years, my gut instinct suggests that we are likely to find out what he will bring with him into this fight sooner rather than later in the sense that he likely will not be interested in going the scheduled ten round distance. Even though it is tempting to say that a loss for Kovalev at this stage of his career could bring retirement, this observer would not feel comfortable in suggesting that at least until we see how he looks both after the lengthy layoff as well as now fighting in a new weight class. There is little doubt however, that the pressure will be on Kovalev and whether he wins or loses this fight, it might be how he performs that will determine how he will move forward in his career. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Kovalev vs. Pulev takes place on Saturday, May 14th at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The fight can be seen globally on digital combat sports and entertainment streaming network FITE as part of Triller’s Trillerverz digital subscription streaming platform beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. (U.S. Times only.) For more information about Triller, Trillerverz, and to subscribe please visit: https://www.fite.tv/join/ and click the Trillerverz Pass tab. FITE is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs. For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/smart TVs, event availability in your area, local start times in your area, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app on your device of choice please visit: www.FITE.TV.  

 

 

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

 

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Thursday, May 5, 2022

Bivol-Alvarez Preview

 The month of May in the sport of Boxing will kick off with the return of Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as he will return to seek a second world championship in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division as he will face undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol on Saturday, May 7th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. A bout that can be seen on digital subscription-based sports streaming network DAZN globally, but will be offered by DAZN on a pay-per-view basis in North America.

 

As much as this observer wants to simply discuss what is an interesting fight that has implications that may play out later this year for Alvarez, it would be outright dishonest of me to say that this fight has not been overshadowed to a degree by the network’s decision to use this fight to test a pay-per-view model that DAZN has proven over the past four years since it’s inception here in the United States to be of a better value than the model, which yours truly has frequently called an overpriced and undervalued one. Unfortunately, due to both the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic as well as perhaps needing a negotiation ploy, DAZN now finds itself testing a model that many have voiced opposition to including many DAZN subscribers. Whether the vocal backlash that has followed since this fight was announced will translate into a significant revolt from subscribers in North America remains to be seen.

 

While longtime readers know my stance regarding the pay-per-view model and should know that I do disagree with the network’s move to implement such a model even on what they insist will be a sporadic basis, it does not change my point of view that the network since it’s entry into the United States has been a valuable commodity for the sport of Boxing and has proven along with ESPN+, the digital subscription-based streaming network from cable network ESPN, which does compete in the streaming space with DAZN, that a subscription-based model can work and does provide a greater value as compared to pay-per-view. Having said that, it is also known that the model is used as a way of luring fighters with the promise of earning significantly more than just their agreed upon purse for bouts. More often than not, the returns for such pay-per-view cards do not earn the type of revenues that is sought by promoters, fighters, and networks that put the events on due largely to lack of value as well as increased fees for such events that frankly has been out of control here in the United States for several years predating DAZN’s inception into the market.

 

Although I could write a book on the pitfalls of the pay-per-view model, the fight itself deserves the majority of the attention here. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in recent times has been focused on making history in his career. The last year of that career saw him begin and finish the process of fully unifying the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division in the span of one year. Something, which for a variety of reasons is practically unheard of in the present era. In his last bout, Alvarez stopped previously undefeated IBF world champion Caleb Plant to complete the unification process in eleven rounds in November of last year.

 

Now, Alvarez sets his sights on a return to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division where he briefly held the WBO world championship after knocking out longtime division cornerstone Sergey Kovalev in 2019. While Alvarez did have some difficulty with the bigger Kovalev throughout, he eventually did catch up with him and knocked him out in eleven rounds. Though his tenure in the division was brief, Alvarez did show he could knock out a naturally bigger opponent in Kovalev, who is known for his punching power. This time, Alvarez will be facing a fighter in Dmitry Bivol, who is unbeaten in nineteen professional fights and closer to his prime than was Kovalev at the time Alvarez fought him.

 

Several years ago when I first observed Dmitry Bivol, I did see some similarities between him and fighters like Kovalev and longtime Alvarez rival Gennady Golovkin in that he was able to build a reputation on being able to score quick and often head-turning knockouts. In recent years however, Bivol has evolved into more of a technical boxer/puncher having not scored a knockout since stopping Sullivan Barrera in March 2018. Bivol has nevertheless continued to be dominant against the opposition that has been placed before him in the years since as it has been rare to see him lose a round during the course of a fight. Bivol will come into this fight off of a successful title defense in December of last year when he scored a twelve round unanimous decision over Umar Salamov in his native Russia.

 

While the evolution of Bivol’s skillset should be viewed as something that will allow him to extend his career long-term, the challenge for the champion coming into what will be his ninth title defense against the most high-profile opponent he has faced in the biggest fight of his career will be whether he can impose his will on Alvarez early. Alvarez’ recent bouts have all come against fighters who had natural size and theoretical physical strength advantages over him. Despite this, fighters such as Kovalev, Callum Smith, and Caleb Plant all failed to make the fight be fought on their terms and Alvarez was able to subsequently have his way with all of them.

 

Although at this point in his career Alvarez is more interested in bouts that will serve as helping secure his legacy, by moving back up in weight, he will be facing a fighter who is also naturally bigger, but it will be up to Bivol to drive that point home and force Alvarez to fight him on his terms. While it is fair to ask whether Alvarez moving up and down in weight depending on what opportunities are available to him will eventually catch up with him as it has to other fighters, for now, the key for opponents like Bivol will be to prevent him from getting into a rhythm and dictating how the fight is fought. Dmitry Bivol has proven in his recent fights to be a highly skilled boxer, but I feel that if he is to be successful in this fight he needs to establish that he is the harder puncher in addition to the crucial point of dictating the combat and not allowing Alvarez to be for lack of a better term, in the driver’s seat as this fight progresses.

 

In terms of what is at stake for Alvarez beyond the opportunity to become a two-time Light-Heavyweight world champion is a third encounter with Gennady Golovkin the current unified IBF/IBO/WBA Middleweight world champion, who Alvarez fought two memorable battles against in 2017 and 2018, with a draw being rendered in the first fight and a highly controversial decision victory for Alvarez in the rematch. Golovkin did his part to set up a potential third encounter with Alvarez by stopping WBA world champion Ryota Murata in Japan in April. While the possibility of a third encounter still happening later this year should not be dismissed even if Alvarez were to lose to Bivol, Golovkin will obviously be an interested spectator as this fight takes place.

 

As for the decision by DAZN to test the waters of pay-per-view for this fight in North America, it remains to be seen whether it will be one that will be beneficial to the network in the long-term.  It should be noted the difficulty the network has experienced with their pay-per-view ordering system as this fight approaches.  In the interest of full disclosure with the reader, as someone who covers the sport remotely due to physical limitations and inability to travel, much like the average consumer, I do rely on whatever is available in order to do what I do. In anticipation of potential problems seeing as this is DAZN’s first attempt using a pay-per-view model, I have spent the better part of three weeks trying to get an order processed for this bout through DAZN’s website, Roku and Apple TV apps so I can cover the bout with no success.  In the days prior to writing this column, I made one final attempt at ordering the bout and was able to do so through DAZN’s mobile app. While I am still unsure as to whether my order was processed as I write this column, I felt it would be responsible for me to at least mention the difficulty I have had trying to order the Bivol-Alvarez event as to hopefully inform readers of potential issues they might incur using DAZN’s new ordering system for these sporadic events.

 

The potential issues for DAZN in terms of their ordering system aside, the decision to test out pay-per-view aside, the fight between Dmitry Bivol and Saul Alvarez does figure to be an interesting and perhaps tactical battle once the two world champions get in the ring to do battle. Whether or not Alvarez moving up and down in weight depending on opportunity ends up working against him in this fight also remains to be seen. With a potential mega third encounter with Gennady Golovkin looming, we will see if Dmitry Bivol can spoil those plans.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Bivol vs. Alvarez takes place on Saturday, May 7th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The bout can be seen in the United States and Canada on DAZN Pay-Per-View through the DAZN streaming app for $59.99 for current subscribers, $79.99 for new subscribers and will also be available via traditional cable/satellite providers with a one month subscription to DAZN included with purchase. The DAZN streaming app is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices, platforms, and Smart TVs. Outside of North America, the bout will be available as part of an existing DAZN subscription excluding Mexico and Latin American Countries. The card will begin at 3:15PM ET/12:15PM PT with the DAZN Boxing Show, which will feature preliminary bouts. The Main card will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT (*U.S. Times Only). For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to order and subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Take Two: Smith-Vlasov: The Beginning Of A New Era For The Light-Heavyweight Division?

 

In uncertain times as we all are experiencing due to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, there are circumstances which unfortunately get in the way of scheduled plans. Such was the case in February when the battle for the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship between top Light-Heavyweight contenders Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov was postponed days before it was to take place due to Vlasov testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. Now, two months later, the bout has been rescheduled. For the first time here at The Boxing Truth®️ due to the unique circumstances of the initial postponement, we will provide readers with a re-release of the preview that was released back in February prior to the postponement as written by Beau Denison. Aspects of the preview such as the change in venue as well as legal broadcast information have been updated to provide the reader with the most accurate information as possible. The preview will begin below.


 

Much of the last decade in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division was largely dominated by former three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev, who ultimately served as a central figure for the division over that period of time. In recent times however, Kovalev has been more known for what he has been involved in outside the ring including recently testing positive for a banned substance, which forced the cancellation of his scheduled January 30th bout with Bek Melkuziev. With the future of Kovalev very much uncertain, the Light-Heavyweight division appears to be embarking on a new era as top contenders Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov will meet on April 10th at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, OK for the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship. A crown, which Kovalev held three times and one that has been vacant since his loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2019. With Alvarez choosing to relinquish the championship to focus on opportunities in the 168 lb. Super-Middleweight division, it has created an opening for Smith and Vlasov to attempt to enter the picture amongst the world champions of the division that are each trying to emerge as its new central focus.



Joe Smith Jr. emerged on the scene in the eyes of many with his knockout victory over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in December 2016. While that win did establish Smith as a force to be reckoned with in the Light-Heavyweight division as well as giving him the status as being the only fighter to ever stop Hopkins, doing so in the final fight of Hopkins’ legendary career, he has suffered some setbacks and has not been able to go from top contender to a world champion. Some may recall Smith’s two losses that followed his victory over Hopkins to top contender Sullivan Barrera in 2017 and undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol in 2019. Although Smith lost those fights, he gave a good account of himself in defeat, was not stopped in either of those bouts and has maintained his status as a top contender in the division by compiling two victories in his last two fights over Jesse Hart and scoring a stoppage of former WBO world champion Eleider Alvarez in his last fight in August of last year.


Smith has scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-six career wins compiling a career knockout percentage of nearly 73%. Despite being known for his punching power, Smith has also shown that he can box and has an ability to adapt as a fight progresses. In Maxim Vlasov, Smith will face an opponent, who like him has never been stopped in his career, but a fighter who some might say has not succeeded when he has stepped up in caliber of opposition in his career.


Vlasov will enter this bout with a record of 45-3, with 26 Knockouts compared to Smith’s 26-3, with 21 Knockouts. Even though Vlasov has an experience edge over Smith, it will be Smith who will likely have more recognition going into this fight.


What this fight appears to be in my eyes is an encounter between two boxer/punchers and one might argue that it could end quickly or could easily go the distance. This appears to be one of those bouts that you just do not know what type fight it will be going in.


Despite the experience edge Vlasov has going in, he has lost against fighters such as Isaac Chilemba, Gilberto Ramirez, and more recently, Krzysztof Glowacki in November 2018. Perhaps one advantage Vlasov will have over Smith in addition to experience is several of his bouts took place in the Cruiserweight division and he was able to avenge his loss to Chilemba in a rematch in 2019. Much like Smith, Vlasov will enter on a win streak having won his last three bouts. The questions that I have going into this fight is whether or not Vlasov will be able to deal with the consistent pressure and punching power of Smith for twelve rounds and whether or not he will be able to be elusive and nullify that pressure.


What will lie ahead for the winner of this fight could be some lucrative opportunities against fellow world champions of the division including WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol and unified IBF/WBC world champion Artur Beterbiev. As this observer has often said over the years however, before any talk can take place regarding potential fights that could be made and the various financial figures that are involved, there is business to attend to first for both Joe Smith and Maxim Vlasov.


Who will emerge in what might be the post--Sergey Kovalev era as the next central figure in the Light-Heavyweight division is anyone’s guess, but it sure will be an interesting process to watch as it evolves.



“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Smith vs. Vlasov takes place on Saturday, April  10th at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, OK. The card can be seen in the United States on digital subscription streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 PM ET/2:30PM PT. The main event portion of the card will also be simulcast on the linear ESPN main network across cable and satellite providers beginning at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, and smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: plus.espn.com/. For more information about ESPN please visit: www.espn.com. Check your local listings internationally.

 

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