A New Chapter Is About To Begin In The Career Of Danny Garcia

 

There are numerous stories of fighters seeking a fresh start in a new weight class. It is indeed true that for most fighters who are not natural Heavyweights that there might be options in multiple divisions both up and down the weight scale based not only on a fighter’s physical comfort in terms of being able to compete effectively at a given weight, but also the various opportunities both to fight for world championships and the economic benefits those opportunities carry with them. 

 

In the case of former two-division world champion Danny Garcia, after being a world champion in both the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight and 147lb. Welterweight divisions, a new chapter in his career now looms as he sets his sights on the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. The move up in weight follows his loss in December 2020 to undefeated unified Welterweight world champion Errol Spence in a failed attempt to regain a portion of the Welterweight world championship he once held. Garcia, who lost that fight to Spence via twelve round unanimous decision will not only be moving up in weight, but will be doing so after a nineteen month absence from active competition. 

 

Garcia’s return to the ring will take place on Saturday, July 30th as he will face Jose Benavidez at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on premium cable network Showtime has two questions that surround it and both center squarely on Garcia. 

 

Two questions that will likely be in the minds of most knowledgeable Boxing fans. How will Garcia look after nearly two years out of the ring, and how will he respond to fighting at 154lbs. The latter of the two questions might have some questioning what this observer means by how he will respond. 

 

It is important to keep in mind that Danny Garcia began his career as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight. While it is not uncommon as a fighter progresses in their career to see that fighter move up in weight, the obvious question that will follow them from division to division is how they will respond to not only facing fighters who are theoretically bigger and naturally stronger than them, but how their body responds to taking punches from fighters with those theoretical advantages.  

 

In Jose Benavidez, Garcia will face a veteran of twenty-nine professional fights with his only loss coming against WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford in October 2018. Benevidez last fought in November of last year when he fought to a ten round majority draw against Francisco Torres. Despite his status as a former world title challenger, there are some that will likely view Garcia as a favorite over Benevidez. This will likely be due to Garcia’s higher profile, but the one thing that Benavidez has over Garcia is he has fought at 154lbs. before and has been a bit more active recently than his opponent. 

 

At his best, Danny Garcia is a very compact puncher and has the ability to catch opponents in the midst of exchanges. This presents an interesting task for his opponents to combat.   The challenge for Benavidez will be to avoid getting into exchanges with Garcia. A way this could be accomplished is by trying to box Garcia. Fighters such as Errol Spence and Shawn Porter were able to outwork Garcia by strategically picking their spots, but by also using movement to evade Garcia’s offense.  

 

In contrast to Benavidez, Garcia must show that the move up in weight will not negatively affect him and must do so early in the fight. He must also avoid going into a defensive shell and allowing his opponent the opportunity to try and outwork him as the fight progresses. Garcia has twenty-one knockouts in his thirty-six career wins and even though he may not be known as a fighter with punching power, when he has caught his opponents with power shots and has been able to score knockouts, the results have been devastating. A question that will also be answered in this fight will be whether Garcia will have the punching power at 154lbs. as he did in the 147lb. Welterweight and 140lb. Jr. Welterweight divisions. 

 

While it is tempting to talk about what may be ahead for Garcia should he win this fight now as a Jr. Middleweight, it is probably best to see how he fares in this first testing of the waters at 154lbs. before thinking too far ahead. Although the focus will be on Garcia, this could be a big opportunity for Benavidez to score a victory over a marquee name in the sport. Despite the spotlight being on Garcia, it is important to keep in mind that Benavidez'’ only loss came in a world championship fight where, despite coming out on the short end, he did give a good account of himself in defeat. Boxing is a sport of opportunity and if Garcia for whatever reason is not at his best, and/or does not respond well to fighting at Jr. Middleweight, the conditions could be right for what would be viewed as an upset if Benevidez were to score a victory in this fight. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Garcia vs. Benavidez takes place on Saturday, July 30th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. In the United States, the fight can be seen on premium cable network Showtime across cable/satellite teleco providers as well as streamed on the Showtime and Showtime Anytime streaming apps on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. For more information about Showtime including schedules and list of compatible streaming devices/Smart TVs please visit: www.SHO.com. For more information about the Garcia vs. Benavidez card please visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com. 

 

*Check your local listings internationally. 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Crawford-Porter Thoughts And What’s Next

 

The WBO Welterweight championship bout between undefeated champion Terence Crawford and former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter was one of the most anticipated fights of 2021 for a few reasons that both revolve around what each fighter could do inside the ring as well as the business landscape of the sport, which like it or not, played a significant role in the bout coming to fruition.

 

In previewing this bout between two boxer/punchers that were/are among the upper echelon of the Welterweight division, I first stated that I was happy to see this encounter taking place at an appropriate time in each fighter's career, despite the obvious business elements that were involved, which this observer will discuss later in this column. It is after all not often that the sport is treated to a fight between two fighters in the prime of their careers without some form of the business elements that be in the sport at minimum resulting in a delay of a fight being made and at worst such delays lasting at times years. This was simply a rarity where the business circumstances that be as well as the respective timing in each fighter's career ended up being perfect.

 

With all the ingredients in place, a sold out crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 20^th was treated to two elite fighters meeting for Crawford’s Welterweight crown, but more importantly to test their skills against each other. A fight that did not disappoint as both fighters showed why they are considered among the best not just in the Welterweight division, but in the entire sport.

 

Despite the opinion of some that Crawford would be too much for Porter, it was the former two-time world champion who established the tempo of combat immediately by coming out of his corner and throwing a combination at the beginning of the bout. One aspect that I liked about Porter’s approach early on was the tactical aggression he showed early on. While he is known for at times being overly aggressive and lunging in recklessly with his offense, Porter did not do this in the early rounds and I felt he was getting the better of some of the exchanges of offense as well.

 

Although the challenger was able to establish a slight advantage early in my view, it did not take long for the fight to heat up and for Crawford to also establish himself, particularly as he began switching between and orthodox and southpaw stance, which seemed to nullify Porter’s rhythm in spots and also begin to frustrate him as Porter lunged forward in an attempt to catch Crawford, but ended up running into one of the neutral corners of the ring late in the fourth round. While this was a tactic that Crawford was able to set up and execute in being able to time Porter’s lunge and get out of range, he did not follow up with offense when Porter was momentarily cornered as some opponents may have. Whether this was due to the friendship the two fighters have had since their amateur days and thus a sign of sportsmanship by the champion, or simply a missed opportunity, the fact is that Crawford likely could have taken advantage of the situation in what quickly developed into a very close fight where the two fighters seemingly traded rounds and thus for a lengthy period of time, neither fighter was able to really establish clear momentum.

 

This carried on through most of the fight and as the bout entered the later rounds, I actually had Porter ahead slightly on my unofficial scorecard. It was one of those fights however, that due to both the styles of the two fighters as well as how the bout was being fought that it was easy to see how potential scores could vary based on an individual’s own view and interpretation as to what was taking place. At the conclusion of the ninth round, I had Porter up by a single round. Rounds eight and nine were the rounds where the champion began to ever slightly turn the ebb and flow in his favor and it was that momentum that set the stage for what turned out to be the final round, round ten. It would be Crawford who would find an opening early in the tenth round by finding an opening to drop a lunging Porter with a short counter left uppercut.

 

This would be followed by a short combination of blows to the head that sent a frustrated former champion Porter down and pounding the canvas in that frustration with his fists. Although Porter showing the champion’s heart he has had his entire career got up from the second knockdown and informed the referee that he wanted to continue, Porter’s father and trainer Kenny Porter threw the towel in the end the fight giving Crawford a tenth round stoppage victory.

 

An illustration of just how close this fight was can be seen in the official scorecards as two of three official judges had the champion up by a single point going into the tenth round. While I had Porter up by the same margin, it does show how competitive this fight was and how opinions can differ as to who might be ahead in such a close contest.

 

Now, the issue of the stoppage of this fight. It is important to remember that even though Shawn Porter had been knocked down previously in his career, notably in the late rounds in his fight against Errol Spence in 2019, he had never been stopped going into this fight. For his part when asked during a post-fight interview as to why he stopped the fight, Kenny Porter stated that he did not like his son’s preparation going into the bout as his reasoning for stopping the fight. 

 

Although I unfortunately have made a habit on a regular basis through the years in referencing just how long this observer has covered the sport, this was a first for me in the sense that I have never heard a trainer in the amateur or professional levels of Boxing claim their reasoning for stopping a bout was due to how they felt about their fighter’s preparation going into the fight. While this certainly could simply be an answer given in the heat of the moment, did Kenny Porter do the right thing?  In fights where there are two knockdowns scored in a single round against one fighter, that round is usually scored 10-7 in points. Keeping in mind that Porter was down a single point on two of three official scorecards going into the tenth round, it would have been difficult assuming he was able to survive the tenth round for him to earn a decision victory or a draw without scoring knockdowns of his own in what would have been rounds eleven and twelve.

 

From my perspective, I felt Porter should have been allowed to continue. It is indisputable that the ebb and flow of the fight had shifted clearly to Crawford in round ten and he may have well been able to either force a stoppage via a third knockdown or getting the referee to step in and stop it had the fight been allowed to continue. Porter was very competitive throughout this fight and based not only on that, not only on how close the fight was, but also his skill level throughout his career as a cornerstone of the Welterweight division, he deserved the chance to see if he could turn the fight around, in my view. Did Kenny Porter make a mistake both in stopping the fight and his explanation afterward?

 

Only Porter himself can say why he made the decision, but it is important to keep in mind that Boxing history is full of stories of fathers training sons that subsequently for one reason or another did not work out well and turned into splits between those pairings not only in terms of the sport, but in their private lives as well.  It seemed that Porter acted more as a father looking to protect his son rather than a trainer who felt that his fighter had taken too much punishment.  While it is certainly understandable why a father would look to protect their offspring in such a situation, it is the type of circumstance that can lead to break ups.  As for Shawn Porter, he surprised many after the fight during the post-fight press conference by announcing his retirement from the sport after thirty-six pro bouts at thirty-four years old.

 

Porter has established a career outside the ring as an expert commentator for various networks broadcasting Boxing. He certainly does not need to compete anymore if that is what he truly wants to do and does have his health in tact. It remains to be seen however, if this decision was an emotional one based on being stopped for the first time in his career as well as the way the fight was stopped.  Perhaps the decision also has to do with certain business elements in the sport, in certain fights not being made based on promotional/network interest rather than what is good for the fighters involved, which have an effect on fighters beyond what goes on in the ring. Nevertheless, Porter is a great representative for the sport of Boxing, has always given his all inside the ring, and is a valuable voice that will benefit the sport going forward as he continues his broadcasting career outside the ring.

 

As for Terence Crawford, This victory was another statement making performance, but one that came against a fighter who was long aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions group of promoters and as a promotional entity, the PBC does not have a history of allowing their fighters to fight fighters outside of the PBC banner on a consistent basis. While this observer has long been critical and will continue to be so of such an approach as recently, PBC fighters have not faired too well outside of the PBC banner, which only lends creditability to the idea that holding those fighters back based on promotional/network interest, the business elements that be in the sport, does more harm for those fighters in the long-term than it does benefit them, it will be interesting to see what Crawford does next.

 

The Crawford-Porter bout, which was an exclusive pay-per-view event in the United States through the ESPN+ streaming network/platform represented Crawford’s final fight under his current promotional agreement with longtime promoter Bob Arum and his company Top Rank Inc.  It is no secret to those within the sport that Arum and Crawford’s relationship has been strained for sometime and it remains to be seen whether or not Crawford will re-sign with Arum or look to other promoters to seek out fights against other world champions in his division that unfortunately have not been available to him thus far due largely to the PBC model and the group of promoters under the PBC banner seemingly wanting to do business in house. While such tribalism has no real benefit to the sport, until something changes, that is unfortunately what fighters in Crawford’s position will have to deal with.  As for the pay-per-view event, it was not a success from a business standpoint generating between 130,000-190,000 total buys at a $69.99 price point.

 

Although it is worth noting that this pay-per-view card came at a point where the pay-per-view model has not been a success on a consistent basis for those promoters that continue to rely on such a model and that unlike most pay-per-view attractions, this event was broadcast exclusively through the ESPN app through ESPN+ and was not available through traditional cable/satellite telco providers here in the United States. It is also worth noting that the Crawford-Porter card was positioned during a run where there have been several pay-per-view events that have either taken place before this card or will be taking place in the weeks to come including the recently announced Heavyweight themed card that will be promoted under the PBC banner that will be held in Hollywood, FL on New Year’s day 2022. All those cards with the exception of that New Year’s day card, which will be priced at $39.99 have been priced at or around $70 or above.

 

It is no secret to longtime readers that yours truly routinely points out the flaws of the PPV model and will continue to do so. Although this card was a rare pay-per-view card for ESPN, I believe the buy rate is directly related to not only the inflated price point, as has been the case with many other pay-per-view cards over the last decade and a half, but also the fact that consumers now have access to reasonably priced subscription-based streaming options including ESPN’s own ESPN+ digital sports network and digital sports streaming network DAZN.  While yours truly holds out hope that the continued dwindling buy rates for such cards will finally force the promotional hold outs and network hold outs to accept reality that the subscription-based streaming model is not going to go away and adaptation is necessary for their survival in the sport, for now, they will have to continue learning that lesson the hard way in the form of dwindling returns regardless of who is on the card. The solution is not going to come in the way of higher price points that lack value for the fee the consumer is asked to pay. It is a shame because ultimately, it hurts the fighters who are lured by the idea of making significant money in the form of a percentage of pay-per-view buys. As I have said before, something needs to change.

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawford-Porter Preview

 As 2021 begins to wind down, one of the bigger fights remaining on the Boxing schedule is on the horizon as undefeated three-division world champion Terence Crawford, current holder of the WBO Welterweight world championship will defend his crown against former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter on Saturday, November 20th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. The fight, which will headline a pay-per-view card that can be seen exclusively on ESPN+ in the United States brings together two of the top fighters in the division and is frankly one of the better fights that could be made currently in the sport.

 

For Terence Crawford, a fighter who has won world titles from the 135lb. Lightweight division to the 147lb. Welterweight division, this fight represents something that he has been wanting for some time. An opportunity to face one of the elite fighters in the Welterweight division. Why would an undefeated three-division world champion be struggling as Crawford has to secure marquee fights? The short answer is due to the business elements of the sport in that rival promoters choose more often than not to not work together to bring fights like this to fruition. While some might argue that the only reason this fight is taking place is due to the fact that Shawn Porter, a fighter long aligned with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and to be more specific his manager Al Haymon is the current WBO number one contender in the Welterweight division and thus it was a necessity for him to negotiate with Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. in order to secure his mandated title shot.

 

Although the PBC and Top Rank have done business periodically, most notably in two of the three encounters between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, this will not be a co-production of competing networks and will take place exclusively on a Top Rank promoted card and broadcast platform through ESPN. It should be no secret to longtime readers or those who have read my work recently that I am no fan of potential fights not being made due to rival promoters refusing to work together for reasons including but not limited to the exclusivity of their broadcast agreements with different networks that are involved the sport among other reasons. Even though yours truly stands by his criticism of both the PBC model as well as fights being delayed because of business interests rather than what is good for the sport and the fighters involved, this is one fight that I am happy to see taking place at an appropriate time with both fighters in their primes.

 

As for the fight itself, this will be a clash between two boxer/punchers who can box as well as score knockouts should an opportunity arise. In thinking of how this fight might be fought, I decided to do something that I have done for practically my entire life, study fight films. While there are similarities between the two fighters, I believe that the challenger Porter will likely be the more aggressive out of the gate. Although this strategy has proven successful in many of his fights and even had success in bouts where he came out on the losing end such as his bout with Errol Spence in September 2019, one aspect of Porter’s offense that I feel might work against him against a fighter like Crawford is he tends to lunge forward when he throws punches. This can indeed prove effective against fighters who may not be prepared for such tactics, but against a fighter like Terence Crawford, who is a very skilled counter puncher this could turn out to be a flaw for Porter that Crawford can take advantage of.

 

While both fighters have a mix of hand speed and punching power, Crawford is a fighter that can box quite effectively from the outside using his jab to keep an opponent at distance and set up combinations where an opponent will find it difficult to get offense off consistently, particularly opponents that Crawford will have a height and reach advantage over. In this case, Crawford will have a one inch height advantage over Porter and nearly five inches in reach. It is logical to think that the champion will try to establish distance between himself and Porter early on and attempt to keep the combat at a distance that will favor him likely through the use of his jab as well as periodically switching between an orthodox and southpaw stance, something that has proven to be quite effective for him throughout his career. The key for Porter in my eyes will be whether he will be able to force Crawford into a fight, in short, whether he can turn this into more of a toe to toe battle as opposed to a tactical Boxing match.

 

Despite the similarities between the two in both hand speed and punching power, the subtle differences between the two such as height and reach may prove to be the difference in this fight should Porter be unable to get on the inside of Crawford’s reach and force a physical and grueling fight on him as he was able to do for periods against Errol Spence. Even though Porter lost that fight, which was a unification bout for the IBF and WBC world championships in the division and subsequently ended his second reign as a world champion, it was a very close and competitive fight due largely to the success he was able to have by forcing the fight on the inside. While this is not necessarily a similar fight in terms of styles, Porter must be able to get on the inside and find a way to make Crawford uncomfortable. At the same time, he needs to be weary of lunging in recklessly where Crawford may be able to counter him with a punch or punches that he may not see coming.

 

Although the similarities between two fighters give an appearance that this may be an even fight, as 2022 nears, this could be the start of an era where fights are made based on what is good for the sport and not on the various business interests that often serve as a detriment to Boxing’s growth and overall progress. No matter who wins on Saturday night between Crawford and Porter, this observer hopes that the era where what is good for the sport and the fans that support it in good times and bad is on the horizon. If Crawford-Porter turns out to be the competitive fight an interesting clash of styles that it appears it might be on paper, it will be a win for Boxing.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Crawford vs. Porter takes place on Saturday, November 20^th at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen exclusively in the United States on  ESPN+ Pay-Per-View for $69.99  beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT with Preliminary bouts with the main card beginning at 10PM ET/7PM PT. ESPN+ the digital subscription sports streaming network of ESPN is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs. To subscribe to ESPN+ and order the card please visit: https://plus.espn.com/crawford-porter. Existing ESPN+ subscribers can order either by clicking the link and logging in or through the ESPN app.

 

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event beginning at 2AM (Sunday, November 21^st Local UK Time). For more information about Sky Sports including availability and channel number in your area please visit: www.skysports.com. Check your local listings internationally.

 

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

 

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

The Conclusion Of October 2021 In Boxing

 While the month of October 2021 will likely go down in memory of most Boxing fans and experts alike as being the month where the classic third encounter between undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and former WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, the month in the sport concluded with three Boxing cards that will certainly have the Boxing world talking moving forward. Readers likely recall the coverage provided by this observer of a card that took place on October 30^th, one of three events that will be highlighted in this column, in London, England, which was headlined by a unification bout in the Women’s 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division between WBC world champion Chantelle Cameron, who scored a ten round unanimous decision over IBF world champion Mary McGee.

 

A bout that Cameron won convincingly, but one that saw plenty of back and forth action that elevated both fighters as well as showed the continuing significant progress that has been made for women in the sport. What was not touched upon in the coverage of that card, but has been seen in other content that is available in the archives here on The Boxing Truth® is that the bout between Cameron and McGee was the start of a tournament to fully unify the Women’s Jr. Welterweight division and Cameron will face the winner of the November 19^th clash between WBA/IBO Jr. Welterweight champion Kali Reis and Jessica Camara where the vacant WBO crown will also be at stake, in 2022 to determine an undisputed champion in the division. While this will also mark the first time in this observer’s memory where all five major sanctioning organizations, the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (WBA), The International Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Organization (WBO), and the International Boxing Organization (IBO) will be involved to determine an undisputed world champion in either men’s or women’s Boxing, the unification of this weight class seems to be more significant in terms of a shift in the entire sport as unification processes are taking place for both men and women competing in Boxing. Further thoughts on this particular subject later in this column.

 

The Cameron-McGee card also saw two quick knockouts in Boxing’s Heavyweight division. First, it was unbeaten prospect Johnny Fisher who scored three knockdowns in the second round of veteran Alvaro Terrero. While there was not much to say about this fight as Fisher is still in the early stages of his development against a fighter in Terrero, who frankly has been on the losing end of most of his fights, Fisher has been gradually developing and now with a record of 4-0, with 4 Knockouts, the question is what will he do next in his progress. Similarly, unbeaten Heavyweight Alen Babic, who followed Fisher’s bout with Terrero with a first round second round knockout of former two-time world title challenger Eric Molina, one might argue is at a similar stage as Fisher. A primary similarity between the two is both men have scored knockouts in every one of their bouts. Although Babic has more experience in scoring his ninth victory in his career over Molina, the possibility of the two potentially meeting in the future is certainly there.

 

As for Babic’s bout with Molina, it is not often that you see a fighter with under ten bouts in their career facing a fighter with Molina’s resume in being a longtime contender and former multi-time world title challenger. On this basis, I felt that Molina may be able to give Babic a test that he may not have been ready for. Babic of course, put a quick end to that possibility as he quickly dropped Molina with a short, but flush right hand to the jaw that sent him down. This was followed by two subsequent knockdowns that frankly gave an impression that Molina potentially was looking for a way out of the bout. While disappointing on one hand because of Molina’s experience, perhaps it was also an indication of Babic’s punching power that it discouraged a normally “Game” and veteran fighter from continuing on in the fight. Nevertheless, much like Johnny Fisher, the question for Alen Babic remains the same and unfortunately, his victory over Eric Molina left more questions than provided answers simply due to Molina’s performance or lack thereof.  It is therefore difficult to surmise where Babic is in his development simply because Molina did not provide much resistance in this bout.

 

While the questions surrounding these two Heavyweight prospects remain unanswered for the moment, a bout that took place in Madison Square Garden’s Theater in the Men’s Jr. Welterweight division may have indicated a potential challenger for current undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Josh Taylor. Yours truly, is referring to the clash between former world title challenger Jose Zepeda and rising contender Josue Vargas.

 

This was a classic scenario of youth versus experience in Zepeda a former world title challenger and current top contender facing a fighter in Vargas who is nine years younger and who seemingly was on the way up towards a potential world title shot. Often fights like this are viewed as a necessity of young fighters as they look to position themselves to challenge for a world championship. Although sometimes there are fighters who emerge at that level in being in position to challenge a world champion without facing a top contender or two beforehand due to the politics that be in the sport, more often than not, a fight like this is what can at times be a final step before getting that opportunity.

 

Despite being in a scenario where he was facing a young fighter in Vargas, who also had a significant portion of crowd support being based in the Bronx and with the fight taking place in Madison Square Garden, Zepeda showed his experience as he was able to quickly land a flush right hand to the jaw of the twenty-three year old Vargas that sent him down on the canvas almost as quickly as the fight began. Due to the way Vargas went down from this punch, I believed that the fight should have been stopped even though Vargas showed his mettle by being able to get up on very unsteady legs. Simply put, the type of punch Vargas was hit with in addition to the way he went down to the canvas was such that it is extremely rare to see a fighter be able to come back from. While not necessarily something that can be viewed as comparable due to the obvious differences between the two combat sports, more often than not when a fighter in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) goes down after being hit in the way Vargas was, the fight is almost always stopped immediately.

 

This would not be the case in this fight as Vargas was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to attempt to continue, but it would be seconds later that Zepeda would corner his opponent and unleash a barrage of unanswered blows that would force a stoppage of the fight in just under two minutes of the first round. It was a statement making performance by the thirty-two year old Zepeda who has now won five straight fights. Zepeda, who challenged then WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez unsuccessfully in 2019 now figures to be a likely candidate to challenge Josh Taylor for the Undisputed world championship at 140lbs. at some point in 2022. As for Josue Vargas, a loss like this will likely require some time for him to digest. Even though he did not take a long, drawn out beating in this fight, it was still the type of loss that can impact a fighter mentally and it is important to keep in mind that he is only twenty-three years old and while this should not be viewed as a career-threatening loss, it is something that he will need time to come back from. Vargas simply just got caught by a perfectly timed right hand and unfortunately for him, he was not able to recover, much less realize what was happening before the fight was over.

 

The final stop on the journey this column has taken us on as far as the Boxing action that closed out the month of October takes us to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, where two fights in Boxing’s 147lb. Welterweight division took place. In the first of the two bouts, undefeated top contender Jaron Ennis faced former world title challenger and longtime contender Thomas Dulorme. Much like the bout that took place in Madison Square Garden’s theater between Jose Zepeda and Josue Vargas, this was another scenario of youth versus experience.

 

Although the thirty-one year old Dulorme appeared to be on the downside of his career that had seen thirty-one professional bouts going into this fight, he still had the experience that I felt would be a good test for the twenty-four year old Ennis, who had scored knockouts in twenty-five of his twenty-seven career wins registering a career knockout percentage of over 89%. Unlike Zepeda-Vargas however, where experience won out over youth, this would be the reverse scenario, but ironically would end almost as quickly as Ennis would drop Dulorme with an overhand right that seemed to land behind the ear. Dulorme was able to get up, but in this observer’s view, made the wrong decision by attempting to trade punches with Ennis under circumstances where he probably should have held on to give himself a chance to clear his head and regain his legs. Dulorme’s decision would prove costly as, despite landing a punch of his own in an exchange following the knockdown, Ennis would send him down for the second and final time with a straight left hand leaving Dulorme struggling and ultimately unable to get up from the canvas. The fight was over in 1:49 of the first round.

 

For Ennis who is rated in the top five in the WBA, IBF, and WBO Welterweight ratings, this was a star-making performance and should put him in line to face the winner of the November 20^th bout between undefeated multi-division world champion Terence Crawford, current holder of the WBO Welterweight world championship and former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter. With undefeated current IBF/WBC world champion Errol Spence sidelined due to an eye injury, and the WBA Welterweight world championship in the midst of the organization’s initiative to eliminate interim/regular championship designations, and to determine one WBA world champion per weight class, something that yours truly has been screaming for, for several years as part of his annual Boxing Wishlist that usually begins a new year here on The Boxing Truth®, it would make all the sense in the world for Ennis to face the winner of Crawford-Porter if the politics that be in the sport do not get in the way. With a record of 28-0, with 26 Knockouts, it is hard to come up with an argument as to why Ennis should not be in line.

 

As for the situation involving the WBA Welterweight world championship, coincidentally that is the final stop in terms of the coverage of cards in this column as the bout that followed Ennis’ knockout of Dulorme was to determine at least one slot in the WBA’s “Tournament” of sorts to determine one “world champion” in the division. While the need for such a concept was something that was the result of the World Boxing Association’s flawed policies and Yordenis Ugas is currently the WBA world champion, I will move on. This bout featured top contender Jamal James and undefeated contender Radzhab Butaev. James, who held interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s rankings prior to this fight seemed to have more experience than the unbeaten Butaev, who entered the bout rated number four in the WBA Welterweight ratings compared to James, who was the mandatory challenger for Ugas going into the fight per his designation. Beyond the rankings, Butaev only had thirteen pro fights coming into this encounter compared to James’ twenty-eight pro bouts so on the surface, you would think James would have the edge going in. In what was a competitive fight, Butaev would show he was the stronger of the two fighters and ultimately would score a somewhat controversial stoppage of James in the ninth round to become the mandatory challenger for Ugas. The reason the stoppage of the fight was somewhat controversial was James did not appear as though he was in dire trouble, but was on the receiving end of a barrage of punches that caused the referee to step in and stop the fight.

 

As is normally the case when it comes to the stoppage of fights that appear as though might have been stopped prematurely, this observer will always give the referee, in this case Referee Celistino Ruiz the benefit of the doubt because the referee is the closest person to the action and no matter how great technology continues to be as it is ever evolving, no matter how big  one’s television screen, tablet screen, or phone screen might be, or how good one’s view might be from a ringside seat or in a venue where a fight is taking place, the referee will always have an opportunity to see something that a fan, a television commentator/broadcaster, or those of us who cover the sport may not see simply due to the vantage point they have as being in the ring with the fighters. Although perhaps this fight could have gone a little longer, Ruiz should be given the benefit of the doubt in his call.

 

As for where this leaves things in the “WBA Mess”, Butaev will now be slated to face the winner of a proposed bout between WBA champion Yordenis Ugas and top contender Eiamtas Stanionis.  Ugas however, fresh off of his first title defense over Manny Pacquiao, a fight in which for the moment appears to be Pacquiao’s last as a fighter, has expressed his desire for a unification bout with Errol Spence once Spence is able to return to the ring. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see where that goes before a bout with Stanionis, or a resolution of the “WBA Mess” as I call it will come to pass.

 

Although I could end this column by leaving the negative impression created by the WBA, it should not go unnoticed that the month of November begin with another unification bout for Women’s Boxing. This time, in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division as undefeated WBO world champion Mikaela Mayer will face IBF world champion Maiva Hamadouche on Friday, November 5^th at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. While the battle for the Undisputed Men’s Super-Middleweight world championship between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Caleb Plant, which will also take place in Las Vegas on November 6^th will receive more attention, it should not be overlooked that the women in the sport of Boxing seem to be moving towards unification of all weight divisions at a more consistent pace than their male counterparts. Hopefully, the steady and increased progress for women in the sport will ultimately continue to spill over to the men’s side of the equation where the politics of the sport does not interfere. If it does, Boxing will finally be defined by one word for both men and women that compete in the sport. “Progress.”

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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