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 14^th. 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.

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

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. 

 

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

Holyfield-Belfort: What's Wrong With Boxing?

It would not be appropriate for this observer not to begin this column without being honest with the reader when I say that I took several days to write this column. Not in the sense that I have been grinding away in the writing process, a process that all writers regardless of genre truly appreciate whether all of us will admit it or not, but in the sense that I needed time to compose myself mentally due to feeling something I have not felt in the two and a half decades that I have been writing about and covering Boxing in addition to other combat sports. The feeling of absolute utter disgust and embarrassment for the sport that I have loved since I was a little kid. A feeling that hit me when I watched the recent pay-per-view event promoted by Triller headlined by an eight round Heavyweight bout between two-division world champion and Boxing Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield and former UFC world champion Vitor Belfort. An event and bout that left not only the feelings I have described, but also made me sick to my stomach.

Why is that? Out of respect for the reader, I won’t rehash the circumstances that led to the Holyfield-Belfort bout as I already covered that in a preview that was released here on The Boxing Truth® leading up to the September 11^th event. In short, the event consisted of Holyfield, a man whose health and well-being have been of significant concern for yours truly over the years that had been cited frequently in my various writings through the years, now a month away from his fifty-ninth birthday, stepping into a fight on a little more than one week’s notice and having not competed professionally in well over a decade to face Belfort. A fight that was rejected by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) both due to Holyfield’s age as well as the physical punishment that he had sustained over a long career.  This resulted in Triller moving the event headlined by this bout from Los Angeles, which was to be the original location to Hollywood, FL. While I will not do a full rehash, readers who read the preview for this bout saw me speculate in reference that the move to Florida was licensing motivated.

Although at the time I was merely making a suggestion, it turns out I was very close to being spot on. In the days leading up to the event, I deliberately made the decision to stay away from aspects of a promotion that is normally a fixture for any significant Boxing event during what is often referred to as “Fight Week.” While such things as fighter workouts, press conferences, and weigh-ins are aspects that have frankly become easier to observe for those of us who cover the sport, but cannot travel to events to cover Boxing cards in person, I really had no interest in observing much of this particular card’s “Fight Week” events. Perhaps it was a premonition, but I knew it would likely be better for me as someone who truly cares for the sport and the fighters that risk their lives every single time they get in the ring, to provide the coverage that I did as well as the normal weigh-in report that came the day before the event and to stay away from the aspects that I just did not have a good feeling about. I will not go into the various aspects of the event that surrounded politics as I avoided that as well, but the primary reason I avoided watching things like fighter workouts and press conferences was being I felt if I had watched them, it would have prevented me from doing my duty in covering the bout because those concerns for Holyfield’s well-being that I had written extensively on during the latter stages of his career would surface and I probably would not have been able to cover the bout with a clear mind.

Of course, I would be lying if I said that even with my decision to avoid “Fight Week” events that it removed all concern. Obviously, it was still in the back of my mind, but at least by making that decision, I was able to keep a somewhat “Wait and See” approach as I have made reference to in regard to other fights, I have covered that were subject to criticism and ridicule.  It was not surprising to me however, to see and hear the day before the fight as well as prior to the event on the day of, increased concern for Holyfield. While my concern never ceased, I did feel encouraged that at least I was not the only one who felt this way in hearing various people throughout the sport echo the same sentiment that I had. Perhaps the most telling among them came from various reports from various media outlets including noted Boxing journalist Dan Rafael that Jim Lampley, longtime former lead announcer for HBO’s Boxing broadcasts for decades prior to the network’s decision in 2018 to exit Boxing after forty-five years, who had recently signed with Triller to return to broadcasting Boxing, reportedly opted out of calling this event after seeing Holyfield participate in a workout. While only Lampley himself can say why he chose to opt out of what had been an anticipated debut for him on Triller’s platform, much like myself, I feel he likely did not want to see Holyfield get hurt and did not want to be a party to what might have been a tragedy.

Further adding to my concern prior to the event was learning that the Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC) did not require a CT scan or any other neurological screening for fighters prior to granting licensing. Something that is normally standard in most states that regularly stage and regulate Boxing and other combat sports events. As much as I wanted to give this the benefit of doubt and have that “Wait and See” mentality, as the event neared, I became increasingly angry. More so, because of the appearance that this gave that this was something that was financially driven as opposed to ensuring the safety of not just Holyfield, but all fighters that compete. Despite the anger and uneasy feelings I had, I did what I normally do and prepared to cover the bout.

When the time finally came for Holyfield and Belfort to get in the ring at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, I will be honest in saying that at least visually before the fight started Holyfield appeared to be in great condition especially given his age and the toll a long career in the sport of Boxing takes on one’s body. Obviously, I know that the way a fighter’s body might appear rarely if ever means anything once punches are being thrown, but giving credit where it is due, Holyfield did look like he had been in training. As the bell rang to begin the fight however, my concerns quickly proved to be valid as Holyfield immediately showed an inability to maintain his balance and after being dropped with the first punch he was struck with in the first round, I immediately wanted to see the fight stopped. Evander Holyfield will always be remembered for being a true warrior in the sport. Someone who no matter what always gave it everything he had and never quit. Unfortunately, that mentality that boxers and other combat athletes have can lead to dangerous situations. I was not surprised to see Holyfield get up from the knockdown, but my concern was that I was about to see something tragic. Referee Sam Burgos allowed Holyfield to continue, but as Belfort unleashed a barrage of unanswered punches as Holyfield tried desperately to cover up and block the punches with no balance, Burgos stepped in and stopped the fight.

In the interest of honesty with the reader, I was relieved when the fight was stopped. What had all the appearance of an event that was strictly financially driven and subsequently greenlit by what by all accounts seems to be an inept state athletic commission that appeared to turn a blind eye to not only the preventive actions of the CSAC in refusing to sanction Holyfield, but also a deaf ear to those voicing their concerns throughout the sport, at least Referee Sam Burgos did what the Florida State Athletic Commission wouldn’t. Protect Holyfield against himself and make sure that at least Holyfield could leave the ring under his own power from a fight that should not have been allowed to begin with.

If this point of view appears harsh, I sincerely apologize to anyone who may feel that way including, but not limited to those who work for the Florida State Athletic Commission who may be reading this column. As I have said before, this observer has no agenda beyond giving the reader an honest and objective point of view. As much as Holyfield has meant to the sport, as much as I enjoyed covering his fights from the mid-1990’s through till his retirement in 2011, as much as I was a fan of his prior to my covering Boxing, the man had no business getting in a ring to compete at fifty-nine years of age and there is no bigger picture that one whether they be fans, Triller, or even the state athletic commission could use as a viable argument as justification for what happened here.

Some will make the argument that “Well, it was Holyfield’s choice and he knows the risks.” This may be true however, state regulation of combat sports exists for a reason and it is a state’s athletic commission’s responsibility to ensure not only that rules and regulations are followed, but also that the safety of those who compete is always the first priority even if staging an event might have some economic incentives for a given state. In this case, the state of Florida failed and if it were not for Sam Burgos, this event may have had a more tragic outcome.

As often happens when things like this are allowed to occur, there is always repercussions that occur either through the public, within the sport, or with state athletic commissions that do not want the bad publicity that comes with bad decisions that are made. While as of this writing the FSAC has not issued any statements regarding what frankly is an embarrassment both for the state and the sport of Boxing, I knew despite sharing my own thoughts in the immediate aftermath through my social media platforms that this was the first time in my career covering the sport that I felt utterly embarrassed for the sport I have loved my whole life, I also knew that there would be more that would come out of this in terms of fallout, which was one reason in addition to wanting to give myself time to digest things, I knew in the back of my mind that there would be some fallout from the event.

Earlier this week, an email was sent to yours truly from Denise White who is the CEO of EAG Sports Management, who during the week prior to the event had sent out promotional material on behalf of Triller related to the Holyfield-Belfort event. The subject of this email read simply “ EAG Sports Management is NO LONGER Working with Triller Fight Club or Triller EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY!” Upon seeing this in my inbox, I opened the email to read a one sentence statement Quote “ Feel free to print that!” After reading this email I reached out and asked for a statement further clarifying why EAG Sports Management was no longer involved with Triller. In response, Mrs. White responded to this observer’s request for a statement by answering simply Quote “We had a difference of professional opinion.”

Although this could be wider in scope as simply the fallout of an event that got people talking for all the wrong reasons, the timing of such communication does give the appearance that it does have something to do with the Holyfield-Belfort fallout. This was followed by news earlier this week that Peter Khan, a longtime Boxing manager and advisor among other roles he has had through the years, who was Triller’s Chief Boxing Officer was stepping down from his role. While this was reported by several Boxing media outlets outside of this one including Boxing Scene and NY Fights as citing the reason for Khan’s departure from Triller as wanting to focus on non-Boxing related projects, the timing of it does seem at minimum to be curious if not outright coincidence.

Perhaps not surprisingly, news has also circulated through various outlets including Fight Sports that the Holyfield-Belfort pay-per-view attraction did not perform well in terms of pay-per-view buys. While this observer does not have a solid figure to share with the reader, the reported figure could be anywhere from 100,000 to 150,000 total buys. It should be noted that this event like all Boxing events that are staged on the pay-per-view medium in the year 2021 comes at a time where the sport is in a period of transition from the pay-per-view/ pay-per-event model to the digital subscription based model where events are offered as part of a full slate of content through networks like ESPN+ and DAZN, this in addition to price points that unfortunately have become a standard of between $70-$80 in the United States for most pay-per-view Boxing cards has resulted in a consistent decline in overall buys for those events that are not offered as part of a subscription model.

Although Triller offers it’s pay-per-view Boxing cards at a $50 price point, the price is likely too much for some Boxing fans in addition to what has thus far been a general lack of competitive bouts offered by the promotional banner. In fairness, Triller’s involvement in the sport has only been under one year in existence and it does take time to build the type of quality Boxing cards that will draw eyes to your events. This is perhaps one reason why the promoter has relied on a mix of former fighters competing in either exhibitions or bouts that could be deemed semi-professional, celebrity bouts, and mixing musical performances into each card it has offered since it’s inception. The package however, does not appear to be resonating with Boxing fans who frankly may expect more competitive Boxing for the price they are asked to pay than what has been offered by Triller thus far.

It is also worth noting that Triller does offer subscription-based options for those that do not want to pay on a per-event basis TrillerPass, which is offered either as a $29.99 monthly subscription or $299 yearly subscription and Trillerverz, which is the recently launched monthly Boxing series from the promoter for $2.99 monthly or $29.99 per year. Both subscription options are offered through Triller’s website as well as their recently acquired FITE TV digital combat sports network and pay-per-view platform.  While this is solely the view of yours truly, I believe that if Triller wants to get more traction they should first focus on putting on competitive bouts, but also to focus on one subscription option that is for lack of a better term an all-in-one offering, but it needs to be reasonably priced in order to succeed and they need to be able to stage cards regularly.  Of course, the latter is easier said than done in present day due to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, which has caused problems for many promoters through the entire sport and some of the struggles Triller has faced should not be viewed as exclusive to them under the circumstances of the ongoing crisis.

The truth unfortunately for Triller and other promoters that continue to insist on the overpriced and outdated pay-per-view model is that consumers will tend to want more for what they are paying and unfortunately for Triller, staging cards such as Holyfield-Belfort with the hope that it will attract curiosity is not a successful strategy, especially when it is painfully obvious to all that one fighter should have never been allowed to compete. Even though being a promoter in the sport of Boxing is far from an easy task, sometimes common sense is a better approach instead of staging an event that shows everything that is wrong with the sport from inept state athletic commission regulation, to what frankly is an unprofessional presentation in terms of commentary including the use of explicit language from those on the broadcast team, to non-competitive almost novelty bouts to finally the harsh reality that fighters sometimes are forced back into the ring long after their competitive primes if for nothing else, financial reasons, despite the serious risk to their health.

In the days following this event, and quite frankly since the Holyfield-Belfort fight was stopped. I began thinking of one fight in Boxing’s past that could describe what I was feeling in terms of the embarrassment for the sport I love and disgust over what I saw. I thought of the November 1982 WBC World Heavyweight championship bout between Larry Holmes and Randall “Tex” Cobb. Holmes, who was in the midst of a dominant reign as Heavyweight world champion was simply too skilled and overmatched the always “Game” brawler Cobb over fifteen one-sided rounds to retain his crown via unanimous decision. Although this fight was slightly before my time, as a Boxing historian, I have seen the fight more than once via tape and the technology that is available to all of us today. One thing about the utter mismatch that stood out to me was the legendary Howard Cosell, who broadcast this fight as well as many others for many years for ABC Sports here in the United States. Cosell at times rubbed some the wrong way due to his frankness, perceived arrogance, and among other things his vocabulary.

Cosell was however, a man of principle and if one takes the time to go back and listen to his broadcast of that fight, as it went on and as Cobb continued to take an increasingly horrible beating, Cosell became increasingly disgusted so much to the point that when the fight was over, he announced quote “There will be no interviews, not for this fight.” Cosell would never broadcast a professional bout again for the remainder of his career, despite still broadcasting the amateur side of Boxing from time to time.

 

Quite frankly, I felt and still feel as disgusted as Cosell was that night in 1982 after watching the Holyfield-Belfort bout. My disgust, however, will not result in me stepping away from covering Boxing because in one sense where I disagree with Cosell, who I am proud to cite as one of my many influences is you cannot really effect change in a sport if you step away. While I will always have the utmost respect for Cosell, his integrity, his willingness to stand up for what he believed in regardless of whether it was popular or not, including, but not limited to his frequent calls for Boxing reform in the remaining years of his life before he passed away in 1995, I will continue to bang the drum as loud as I can and much like Cosell, bring to public attention that of which I feel does not benefit the sport of Boxing, the fans that support it, and most importantly, the fighters that risk their lives every time they enter the ring to compete. While it remains to be seen what the future will hold for Triller as a promotional entity in the sport, I hope they are able to adapt and use this experience as a learning one that will help them in the long-term.

 

For The Good of Boxing, Something Needs To Change.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

UPDATE: As this column was being prepared for release, it was reported that the Florida State Athletic Commission ruled on Thursday, September 16, 2021, that it has medically suspended Evander Holyfield for a period of 30-days. If further action from the commission surrounding this fight is taken, we will keep readers updated on any developments as they become available.

 

 

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

 

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

 

Holyfield-Belfort Weights From Hollywood, FL

 The official weigh-in for Saturday’s pay-per-view card featuring an eight round Heavyweight bout between Hall of Famer/former five-time two-division world champion Evander Holyfield and former UFC champion and MMA legend Vitor Belfort took place earlier today in Hollywood, FL. Below are the official weights for the entire card, which will be streamed worldwide via FITE TV and also available in the United States through cable/satellite providers are as follows.

 

 

Main Event: Heavyweight – 8Rds (Two Minute Rounds) *Result will count on each fighter’s record.*

 

Evander Holyfield 225 1/2lbs. vs. Vitor Belfort 206 1/2lbs.

 

Jr. Lightweight – 10Rds.  

 

Jono Carrol 130lbs. vs. Andy Vences 129 1/4lbs.

 

Cruiserweight – 8Rds.

 

Anderson Silva 192 1/4lbs. vs. Tito Ortiz 200lbs.

 

Heavyweight – 8Rds.

 

David Haye 211 1/2lbs. vs. Joe Fournier 195 1/2lbs.

 

Jr. Lightweight – 6Rds.

 

Anthony Chavez 129 1/2lbs. vs. Diuhl Olguin 128lbs.

 

Holyfield vs. Belfort takes place on Saturday, September 11^th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The bout as well as it’s undercard can be seen worldwide on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT for $49.99. There will also be a free portion of preliminary bouts that will be streamed on FITE beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT (U.S. Times). The pay-per-view card will also be available throughout the United States through cable/satellite providers. Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

 

To order Holyfield vs. Belfort on FITE click the following link: ▷ Triller Fight Club: Evander Holyfield vs Vitor Belfort - Official PPV Live Stream - FITE.  For more information about FITE including schedules, local start times in your area, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Holyfield-Belfort Preview

One might argue that recent times in the sport of Boxing have evolved into one of the oddest eras in the history of the sport. From YouTube stars/social media influencers embarking on forays in the sport whether serious or not, to retired fighters venturing on an exhibition circuit of sorts, to bouts featuring stars from differing combat sports disciplines, it has certainly not been the norm.  The latest on this odyssey will be the September 11^th bout. Originally, this bout was to feature the return of former six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya, who last competed in 2008, to the Boxing ring to face former UFC champion and MMA legend Vitor Belfort in an eight round Boxing match that unlike some recent events in recent times would be an official fight on both fighter’s Boxing records.  As some know however, De La Hoya was forced to withdraw from the bout, which was to headline a pay-per-view card promoted by Triller and streamed worldwide on FITE as well as carried on traditional cable/satellite providers in the United States, due to contracting the COVID-19 virus.

While Triller’s brief time as a promoter in the sport of Boxing has been marked with several bumps in the road due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, they have carried on and will move forward with the event with former five-time world champion in two divisions and Hall of Famer Evander Holyfield stepping in to replace De La Hoya. Holyfield, who will turn fifty-nine years old on October 19^th, has not fought since a 2011 stoppage of Brian Nielsen in Copenhagen, Denmark will be stepping in on a little more than a week’s notice. Although Holyfield was at one point penciled in to fight an exhibition with Kevin McBride, best known as the man who stopped former Heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson in Tyson’s last official fight in 2005 earlier this year, which was to take place on the undercard of the often postponed Lightweight world championship clash between undefeated champion Teofimo Lopez and undefeated mandatory challenger George Kambosos, which was to take place also under the Triller promotional banner, the fact that Holyfield has been inactive for a lengthy period in addition to his age was likely the reason why the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) declined to license him for the scheduled bout against Belfort.

This resulted in Triller moving the event, which was originally slated to take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA when De La Hoya was still on the card facing Belfort, to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. While the decision to move the card and not postpone the event was likely due to wanting to get a promoted card actually staged after the plethora of problems Triller has had in recent months due largely to the Lopez-Kambosos postponements as well as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL has been a hotspot for Boxing events staged in the state of Florida for many years and with the issue of licensing Holyfield likely resolved with the move to Florida, the task of staging an event that is mostly free of complications outside of the circumstances of De La Hoya’s withdrawing also seems likely.

As for what we are likely to see in the fight between Holyfield and Belfort, no one can really say with certainty. This is both due to the age of the respective combatants as well as the limited time both men will have had to prepare. The bout will be scheduled for eight two minute rounds, but will be an officially sanctioned bout, which means the result will go on each fighter’s record. Although Belfort is primarily known as a mixed martial artist (MMA) fighter with a record of 26-14, with 18 Knockouts (Excluding bouts that ended via submission), the forty-four year old Brazilian native has had one official professional Boxing bout and that bout came in 2006, which he won by first round knockout over a fighter named Josemario Neves, which took place in Brazil.

Belfort however, is a fighter who in his prime was known for having extremely quick hands for an MMA fighter and scored knockouts of 69% of his opponents. While not all of those knockouts came as a result of hand strikes (Punches), Belfort was one of the quickest-handed fighters in the sport of MMA and was an excellent counter puncher when given the opportunity.

Even though some may look at this fight as something that is not serious and may have also viewed it with that opinion when it was Oscar De La Hoya competing against Belfort, it is always interesting to see MMA fighters who are or have been known as great strikers with their hands attempt to step into the Boxing ring. Despite Belfort’s lack of overall Boxing experience compared to Holyfield, it will be interesting to see if Belfort is able to land more than occasionally on a fighter of Holyfield’s caliber.

As for what Holyfield will bring into this fight, everyone who has ever seen Evander Holyfield compete knows his reputation for being willing to mix it up and go to war with whomever his opposition was regardless of size or whether or not he may have been outmatched in the opinion of fans and experts alike. Those who have followed the work of this observer over the two decades and a half that I have covered Boxing and other combat sports know that towards the latter stages of Holyfield’s career I was very vocal both in my work both through various online outlets, in print,  as well as in various radio interviews about my concerns for Holyfield’s health because as is the case with many fighters, as he got older, he began to show the signs of a fighter who had been in one too many fights including, but not limited to slowed reflexes and eroding skills. This resulted in Holyfield taking significant punishment and appearing to be too brave for his own good at times.

Some may recall the decision of the former New York State Athletic Commission chairman Ron Scott Stevens, who after Holyfield lost a badly one-sided twelve round unanimous decision to Larry Donald in Madison Square Garden in November 2004, took a bold step in medically suspending Holyfield out of concern for the legend’s well-being. Although seen as overstepping by some especially given that in the United States rules and regulations, including, but not limited to the licensing of fighters vary by state, as someone who covered that fight and had already been expressing concern for Holyfield long before that fight against Donald, I applauded Stevens for at least trying to prevent what may have been a tragedy if it wasn’t addressed by those who regulate the sport, in this case the athletic commissions.

As most know due to the fact that there is no national regulatory board in the United States to oversee and regulate Boxing when it comes to licensing and regulation, the move by Stevens out of concern for Holyfield, did not last long and by 2006, Holyfield was given the green light medically to return to competition only with the provision that the initial medical suspension stand in the state of New York. While Holyfield went on to incredibly challenge for a World Heavyweight championship twice more in unsuccessful fights against former WBO world champion Sultan Ibragimov in 2007 and a highly controversial fight against former WBA world champion Nickoli Valuev in 2008, a fight that many, including yours truly felt Holyfield had won, he was not able to regain a Heavyweight world championship for what would have been a record setting fifth time in breaking his own record as the only man in Boxing history to win a World Heavyweight championship on four separate occasions before retiring.

Holyfield’s legacy has long been cemented as a former Undisputed Cruiserweight world champion, and his vast achievements that followed as a Heavyweight. Although Holyfield has always looked in great condition visually, the obvious question here is what could he possibly have left in terms of Boxing skill. Will the lengthy period he has been inactive help rejuvenate what were seen as eroding reflexes and diminishing skills in his latter career, despite still being able to perform well from time to time?  Obviously, I cannot answer that question, but if Vitor Belfort is able to land offense on Holyfield, the answer will likely come quickly.

As for what this might lead to long-term for both fighters, I cannot say either. My guess however, would be since this influx of exhibitions, and others coming from the outside of the sport appears to be something that will be continuing for the foreseeable future that if neither man here is seriously hurt, other opportunities will likely be available to both men.  We will have to wait and see what is in store when Holyfield and Belfort meet on Saturday night.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Holyfield vs. Belfort takes place on Saturday, September 11^th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The bout as well as it’s undercard can be seen worldwide on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT for $49.99. There will also be a free portion of preliminary bouts that will be streamed on FITE beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT (U.S. Times). The pay-per-view card will also be available throughout the United States through cable/satellite providers. Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

To order Holyfield vs. Belfort on FITE click the following link: ▷ Triller Fight Club: Evander Holyfield vs Vitor Belfort - Official PPV Live Stream - FITE.  For more information about FITE including schedules, local start times in your area, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

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

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