Ryan Garcia Makes A Statement In First Defense Of WBC World Welterweight Championship

 The fight between WBC Welterweight world champion Ryan Garcia and WBC mandatory challenger Conor Benn had the ingredients to be one of the marquee events of the year. Not only would it take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on September 12th, but it would also take place during one of the bigger dates on the Boxing calendar every year. Mexican Independence Day Weekend. 

It also had no shortage of hype tactics leading up to it that often become tiresome with the fighters pledging to do whatever came out of their mouths to achieve victory on fight night. There was also no lacking of elements involving the business side of the sport where the World Boxing Council (WBC), who's world championship would be on the line per Garcia holding the championship, not being acknowledged by the promoter of the bout Zuffa Boxing, who are intent on creating their own championships and do not seem interested in working within the existing structure of the sport of Boxing.

All the prefight rhetoric and elements of the business of Boxing aside, what this ultimately came down to was a world champion meeting his number one contender before a capacity crowd. Under circumstances where some champions have froze during their first title defenses or at minimum, failed to impress in their initial defense as a world champion, Garcia would make a statement in his.

From the opening bell, Benn aggressively pursued Garcia trying to back him up and cut off the ring to minimize the champion’s movement. While this is a strategy that Benn had used before and one that has a resemblance to that of his father the legendary former two-division world champion Nigel Benn in how he would often pursue and attack his opponents, it did leave Benn vulnerable to punches as he was coming forward. It would be late in the first round when Garcia clipped Benn with his trademark weapon, a left hook to the head that knocked Benn off balance briefly as he came forward.

In round two a similar sequence would occur, only this time as Benn came forward, he walked into a perfectly timed right hand that sent Benn down on his stomach on the canvas. To the challenger’s credit, he was able to get up, but Garcia, sensing he had his opponent in trouble, pressed forward for the finish, unleashing a barrage of blows that Benn did not answer and this gave Referee Thomas Taylor the justification to step in and stop the fight at 1:25 of round two. 

Although some may question the stoppage in that not every punch Garcia threw during the ending barrage connected cleanly, Benn was unable to throw any offense back to stop Garcia's assault and a competent referee, which Thomas Taylor has proven to be as one of the top referees in the entire sport, who is frequently sought to travel worldwide to officiate bouts as a referee, will not let a fight go on if the opponent, in this case Conor Benn, is not throwing punches back. 

Ultimately, there is not much one can say about this encounter other than Ryan Garcia lived up to the standards that are often expected of a champion. He set his opponent up, executed on the opening, and then knowing his opponent was compromised, went in for the finish and did not allow Conor Benn to recover. There simply is not much more one can say or analysis one can offer about what took place inside the ring on this Saturday night in Las Vegas.

As readers may recall, however, a few short weeks ago on August 22nd in the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena, another world title fight took place in the same 147lb. Welterweight division where Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion by cleverly out Boxing WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero, who won the vacant title in Times Square in New York City with a twelve round unanimous decision over Garcia in May 2025, by a wide unanimous decision.

Prior to that fight, this observer speculated that the Romero-Lopez bout would be the start of an unofficial four boxer box-off where the winner would face the winner of Garcia-Benn in pointing out the coincidence both in the venue in which the two fights would take place as well as the relatively narrow timeframe that the bouts had been scheduled.

As one who has spent most of his life writing about and covering combat sports with Boxing as my primary, I was not surprised to see in the immediate aftermath of Garcia's knockout of Benn, the WBC world champion address Lopez, who was at ringside, during a post-fight interview saying he wants unification and invited Lopez to enter the ring, while the newly crowned WBA world champion was restrained by security at ringside.

Although clearly in the view of yours truly, this was nothing more than a blatant promotional tactic to drum up interest and out of respect both for the sport that I have covered for over three decades as well as my readers, who I do value immensely, I will not repeat some of the “ Colorful Language" for lack of a better term that was exchanged between the two champions during this promotional practice that I feel is not needed in the sport.

Nevertheless, Garcia's statement-making performance as well as Lopez not only being in attendance, but literally steps from the ring, all but confirmed my theory that the two bouts were indeed the beginning of an unofficial box-off with the goal of further unifying the Welterweight division. Now the focus will shift back to those in the realm of the business side of the sport, Garcia’s longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, who is speculated to be nearing the end of its relationship with Garcia, perhaps Zuffa Boxing, under the umbrella of TKO Group that appear hell bent to not do business with other promoters and to spearhead legislation that would essentially give promoters the power to create their own champions, rankings, and changes to fighter pay, which may or may not be of benefit to fighters, the sport, or other promoters, Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and current owner of Ring Magazine, who has invested heavily into the sport and is a primary financial backer in Zuffa Boxing, and finally the various global streaming networks that are all in play, in this case DAZN, who has a long-standing relationship with De La Hoya, Garcia, and who recently signed Lopez to a multi-fight contract without a promoter being involved, Paramount+ that streamed the Garcia-Benn card in the United States, leaving the international broadcast of the event to DAZN, and maybe even Netflix, who has also become a significant player in Boxing, streaming several events including two promoted by Turki Al-Sheikh and Ring Magazine, and who is interested in bringing marquee Boxing events to it's network for subscribers. 

Although I would love to tell the reader that this will result in a Garcia-Lopez bout being made quickly, and will subsequently lead to more marquee bouts, more involvement and collaboration between the sport’s promoters as opposed to the adversarial nature the sport often runs on, the involvement of Boxing’s sanctioning organizations with the goal of unification not just in the Welterweight division, but the entire sport, and the various streaming networks that are all involved, and all of the above will benefit the sport and not require further expense by consumers either in the form of a standalone fee or a tiered subscription where fights thought to be “Pay-Per-View Level” will be included. Unfortunately, I cannot say that with a degree of certainty at this moment. 

What I can say, however, is with the introduction of a DAZN Ultimate subscription plan, which has given consumers an alternative to paying inflated pay-per-view fees at a reasonable price, the fact that for those who were outside of the United States, Garcia-Benn was available as part of said subscription, how Paramount+ also recognized the need to make this event available for its subscribers as part of a Paramount+ subscription at no additional cost, and the fact that Netflix has also recognized that going with a pay-per-view approach is not a viable strategy, along with most of the sport’s major promoters now being aligned with DAZN, there is at least hope that Boxing’s power brokers understand the needs and trends of consumers and know that the days of inflated pay-per-view fees are now in the past. If nothing else, because consumers have shown worldwide that they will not continue to support the sport in significant numbers by being asked to pay inflated fees on an all too frequent basis. The long-term future of the sport will depend greatly on collaboration, promoters willingness to work within the existing structure of the sport rather than to try and radicalize it for their own agenda, and putting the Boxing fan/consumer as a priority. We will have to simply wait and see how the next round, fought in the business realm of the sport, plays itself out.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Garcia-Benn Preview

 On August 22nd, Teofimo Lopez emerged victorious in becoming a three-division world champion when he scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. It was that fight that this observer speculated prior to it taking place, could have been the unofficial start of a four-boxer box-off as there was another world title fight that would take place in the same venue a few short weeks after Lopez ultimately defeated Romero. The second bout will be for the WBC World Welterweight championship as champion Ryan Garcia looks to make the first defense of his world title for the first time against top Welterweight contender Conor Benn in a twelve round bout that can be seen in the United States on digital subscription general entertainment network Paramount+ and internationally on digital subscription sports streaming DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. 

What makes this fight interesting beyond it being the first title defense for Garcia, a fighter who has had some setbacks along the way in his career, but one who has evolved into one of the top stars in the sport of Boxing, is in this case he’s going against a fighter in Benn that not only has the lineage being the son of the legendary two-division world champion Nigel Benn, but Conor Benn has spent his recent fights fighting well above the 147lb. Welterweight division, having competed in two fights against Chris Eubank Jr., the son of his father’s rival Chris Eubank Sr. with those bouts taking place in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. Prior to those bouts, in which Benn went 1-1 against Eubank Jr., he was a career Welterweight and was on the verge of challenging for a world title before Garcia got his opportunities. The question here is after having gone up three weight classes for his last two fights, what condition will he be in after coming back down in weight for this world title opportunity.

There have been times throughout history where fighters either after having won world titles at higher weights or looking for an opportunity to challenge for a world title after competing at higher weights, have come back down in weight with not so successful results. Two notable examples this observer has thought of in recent days as I prepared to pen this column was first in February 1991, the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard  after winning world titles from the 147lb. Welterweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, moved down in weight after last competing in December 1989 in defense of his WBC Super-Middleweight world championship in his third fight against his longtime rival Roberto Duran, chose to take on WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Terry Norris inside Madison Square Garden in New York City. From the opening bell, Norris administered a beating to Leonard, dropping him twice throughout the twelve round world championship bout and earning a wide unanimous decision victory to retain his title. After the fight right in the ring after the decision was announced, Leonard announced to the crowd in attendance that this would be his final fight and retired for six years before making another ill-fated combat in March 1997 when at age forty, he suffered the first knockout of his career when he was stopped in five rounds by the late great Hector “Macho” Camacho in five rounds inside the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Leonard, as he had done after the loss to Norris, retired following being stopped by Camacho, never to fight again.

A second example came in March 2003 where Roy Jones, a fighter who won world titles from the 160lb. Middleweight division to the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division moved up to challenge WBA World Heavyweight champion John Ruiz for his world title and scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision to become a Heavyweight world champion and in doing so, became the first former Middleweight champion to successfully move up to Heavyweight and win a world title since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897. As historic as that accomplish was and remains, following that fight, despite Jones not really having anything else to prove and being in a position where he could have retired with an unmatched legacy, he was still a unified Light-Heavyweight world champion at the time he beat Ruiz and opted to move back down in weight to defend his title against Antonio Tarver later in 2003. Jones looked very sluggish and struggled to retain his title in a controversial decision in November 2003. The decision, that many felt should have gone Tarver’s way, fueled demand for an immediate rematch in May 2004. In that rematch, Tarver scored a second round one punch knockout of Jones, and from that point until Jones retired, having competed in his last official fight in 2023, was never the same fighter and his reflexes, punch resistance, and reaction time were clearly compromised after that knockout loss. Whether that was due to moving back down in weight after defeating Ruiz, or the effect of the knockout at the hands of Tarver in the second fight of what became a trilogy is a subject that will be debated by Boxing fans and historians such as yours truly. If one were to ask my opinion on the subject with regard to Jones, I believe it was a combination of both the drop back down in weight as well as the first of what became five knockouts Jones would go on to suffer throughout the remainder of his career that contributed to his decline.

In this case, we are talking about a fighter in Conor Benn that is a lot closer to his physical prime than either Leonard or Jones were when they opted to move back down in weight. Whether or not it will have negative physical effects in this fight or moving beyond this fight remains to be seen. The loss of mass that one puts on as they are preparing to move up in weight is something to consider as this fight approaches, though the fact that Benn is closer to his prime might be to his benefit in that his body might be able to respond better than both Leonard and Jones were as in addition to age and moving up in weight throughout their careers, both had been through their share of grueling battles, which no doubt contributed to their decline.

In terms of the fight itself, both Garcia and Benn have shown that they can do a little of everything and each have the type of explosive punching power that if they connect, they can end a fight with either hand. What this fight will come down to in my eyes is who will be able to take the initiative and whether they will be able to maintain that pace for however long the fight lasts. 

Whether or not this fight does indeed lead to a showdown later this year with the recently crowned WBA Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez also remains to be seen. With Lopez having put on a stellar performance a few short weeks ago, however, it will be up to Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn to take the attention off of Lopez and put it on themselves. If that translates into a great fight, even better for Boxing as a whole. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Garcia vs. Benn takes place on Saturday, September 12th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on general entertainment subscription streaming network Paramount+ beginning at 4PM ET/1PM PT and will be included with a Paramount+ subscription.

For more information about Paramount+ including schedules, list of compatible devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ParamountPlus.com. 

Internationally, the card can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN either as a standalone pay-per-view option or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. For more information about DAZN including schedules,list of compatible streaming devices, platforms,Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times and region specific pricing in your area, to subscribe or purchase this event as a standalone offering please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Belated: Lopez Out Maneuvers Romero

The fight between WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero and former two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez served as sort of an unofficial start of what could be a four boxer box-off in an effort to partially unify the 147lb. Welterweight division. Coincidentally, two bouts for portions of the World Welterweight championship being scheduled a few weeks apart from each other, each being held in the same venue, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. While WBC World Welterweight champion Ryan Garcia has business to tend to against top contender Conor Benn on September 12th, it was on August 22nd that Romero and Lopez took center stage. Beyond this being an intriguing encounter between two boxer/punchers, what was of interest to this observer was whether Romero or Lopez would be able to make a strong argument for a potential unification bout with the winner of Garcia-Benn.

What happened inside the ring between champion and challenger can be best described as a tactical chess match, which featured some entertaining moments, but one that probably would not be considered the most entertaining fight to watch, at least in the eyes of some.Lopez served as the consistent aggressor throughout the fight from the start, but what made this fight competitive through the first seven rounds was that when Romero chose to let his hands go, he generally landed the cleaner punches. 

The problem for Romero, however, despite appearing to legitimately stun Lopez in the fourth round with a short left hook, those periods of success when he would land clean punches were void of follow-ups. In that when Romero landed, for whatever reason, he did not press the issue. Perhaps the reason for that was the documented friendship between the two fighters prior to the fight, or simply a respect for Lopez’ punching power, which though he had not scored a knockout in over four years, is not something one should dismiss. Whatever the case might be, this consistent pattern turned what appeared to be a close fight over the first seven rounds into a lopsided one where Lopez pulled away largely because he was busier than the champion. 

Despite Lopez seemingly being able to pull ahead over the second half of the fight convincingly, the official decision would be a majority vote in his favor rather than a unanimous one that he seemed to have earned. While this was not a particularly close fight when all was said and done, the only guess this observer could make as to the narrow scorecards in a fight that I ended up with an eight rounds to four margin or 116-112 in points for Lopez, is that it might logically be explained by how the first seven rounds were scored, which to be honest, there really was not much to separate the fighters round by round, but the rounds Lopez was able to win during that stretch were a result of his consistent aggression. Had Rolondo Romero opted for a bit more aggression of his own rather than tactical sharp shooting that while effective when he was able to execute it, was simply not consistent enough. Simply put, Romero let this fight get away from him and unfortunately for him, it cost him his world title. 

Although the fight was to be honest underwhelming and that is one reason why there is not much analysis yours truly can offer beyond what amounts to a summation, it might have been a case of a bad meshing of styles. As for what this will mean for the overall picture in the Welterweight division, Teofimo Lopez’ stock has obviously gone up as now a three-division world champion. Whether or not he will indeed be next for the winner of Garcia-Benn is to be determined. For Rolando Romero, losing his world title in this fight is by no means a career-ender, but he needs to go back and watch this fight and see where he could have turned it in his favor. He just was not busy over the second half and if one were honest, did not feel comfortable coming out of his shell. If he were a bit more offensive-minded and were able to find a balance between tactical sharp shooting in looking to counter, take advantage of openings, and being offensive where it is harder to deny him the nod in what otherwise might be viewed as close competitive rounds. Regardless of the outcome, Romero is still likely to remain a player in the 147lb. Welterweight division and could easily find himself back in the world title picture in the not too distant future.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Mini Preview: Romero-Lopez

On Saturday, August 22nd, WBA World Welterweight champion Rolando Romero will make the first defense of his world title against former two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez at the T-Mobile Arenas in Las Vegas, NV. A twelve round world championship bout that can be seen worldwide on DAZN Pay-Per-View or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription. 

This is a fight that in some ways may be the unofficial start or a two fight box off as it will occur only weeks before WBC World Welterweight champion Ryan Garcia defends his portion of the World Welterweight championship for the first time against top Welterweight contender Conor Benn at the same arena. Ironically, Romero defeated Garcia in Times Square in New York City in May of last year for what became the vacant WBA world championship in the Welterweight division. Now over a year later, both fighters are atop the Welterweight division and the possibility of a rematch where the stakes would be higher is obviously there. For Romero, first he must contend with Teofimo Lopez.

Lopez is coming off losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Shakur Stevenson in January in which he lost the WBO World Jr. Welterweight championship. Now eight months later, Lopez attempts to move up in weight as a former Undisputed Lightweight and former Jr. Welterweight world champion in attempting to become a world champion in a third weight division. 

What this fight will come down to in my eyes will center around which fighter will be able to set and dictate the tempo of combat. This is an encounter between two boxer/punchers who have shown the ability to do a little of everything inside the ring. There was a time, however, where Lopez, as a Lightweight, carved a reputation for being able to score quick, and often devastating knockouts. Coming off of a fight where he was bested by a master boxer in Shakur Stevenson, it will be interesting to see if Lopez takes a more aggressive approach here as Romero is also a crafty boxer that likes to give angles and most would say was able to have his way against Garcia last year by implementing such an approach where Garcia was dropped in the second round and simply could not find his rhythm throughout the fight.

As skilled as Romero has proven to be, in his two career defeats against Gervonta Davis and Issac Cruz, he has also shown vulnerability in that both Davis and Cruz were able to catch him and he was not able to stand up to either fighter’s punching power. Although Lopez has not scored a knockout/stoppage in over four years at the time this fight will take place, some will likely give the edge in terms of punching power to him and it is logical to assume that priority number one for the challenger will be to try and cut the ring off from Romero and not allow him an opportunity to be as elusive or establish a rhythm, which Garcia was unable to do when he fought the champion, but clearly worked for both Davis and Cruz when each fought him. 

What is also clear here regardless of the outcome of this fight is the Welterweight division is starting to heat up again with several intriguing bouts both that have been made and could be made in the near future. With many focusing on the fight to come in September between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, both Romero as champion and Lopez as challenger are likely looking to make a statement with their performance that could make a showdown with the winner of Garcia-Benn enticing for whomever that might be in addition to the lucrative side of the equation that will likely be substantial for all involved. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

Romero vs. Lopez takes place on Saturday, August 22nd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as either a standalone pay-per-view offering for $79.99 or included as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The card will also be available at the aforementioned standalone price on DAZN on Prime Video. The card will begin at 6PM ET with free preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*

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To learn more about how to order this event or subscribe to DAZN through Prime Video channels please visit: www.PrimeVideo.com.  (*DAZN Ultimate Subscription not available through Prime Video at this time.*)

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Volume, Volume, Volume!: Zepeda Overwhelms Roach

 The story leading into Lamont Roach’s challenge to win the vacant WBC World Lightweight championship on August 1st against top contender William Zepeda was whether or not after two draws in his last two fights, he would get back in the winner’s circle. Whether or not he would get a fair shake from the judges scoring the bout after two fights that many felt he deserved the decisions rather than each being scored even. While the central story going into the encounter at the Virgin Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV centered on Roach, what was not necessarily given much attention was that for William Zepeda, this fight represented his second opportunity to challenge for the WBC world championship in the Lightweight division after coming up short in his only career defeat last summer against then WBC world champion Shakur Stevenson. 

It did not take long for the miscalculation of those who put the focus squarely on Roach to emerge in the fight. There were periods throughout the fight where Roach would have points of success landing countering the constant pressure attack of Zepeda, but it was as the fight progressed that the consistent volume of punches from Zepeda that became the story of the fight. By applying constant pressure on Roach, consistently forcing him backward and landing combinations, mixed with power punches, Zepeda controlled the action. 

This was the consistent pattern of the fight in that each round would consist of Zepeda coming forward behind a constant volume of punches and often walking through whatever Roach had to offer in terms of his own offense and pushing the former World Jr. Lightweight champion back. There were times throughout the scheduled twelve round world championship bout that it appeared the constant pressure attack would break Roach down in the middle and late rounds. Much to his credit, however, despite on this night being outgunned by a relentless opponent, who simply would not take no for an answer, Roach was able to make it to the final bell. A valiant effort in losing a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision. While Lamont Roach has now gone three fights without a victory and may likely see the winless streak extend into 2027, assuming that he may not compete again for the remainder of 2026, the focus now shifts to the new champion William Zepeda, who now reigns as the WBC World Lightweight champion. 

Frankly, prior to his loss last year to Shakur Stevenson, This observer felt that William Zepeda had the potential to be the future of the 135lb. Lightweight division. There is certainly no shame in dropping a decision to a fighter like Shakur Stevenson, who has proven to be a generational talent in the sport of Boxing and may at the end of his career be considered an all-time great fighter. In most cases, even the greatest of fighters all drop a few fights along the way during their careers and there are times where those setbacks end up being footnotes in the story of a great career. Having said all of that, this observer will be the first to admit that though no one should ever outright dismiss any fighter or their chances in a fight because after all, anything can happen, I felt going into the fight that the momentum was on the side of Roach based largely on his previous two performances and it was surprising in some ways that Zepeda was able to flip the script to such a degree that he pretty much dominated a fight that he was not expected to win in the eyes of many. 

In previewing this fight, yours truly stated that Roach vs. Zepeda would keep the focus on the 135lb. Lightweight division that has seen WBO world champion Abdullah Mason recently retain his version of the World Lightweight championship with a victory over Albert Bell on July 4th and that the winner of this bout would be in position to potentially seek unification bouts with either Mason or current IBF world champion Raymond Muratalla. Coincidentally, Raymond Muratalla was able to score a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over former WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion Robson Conceicao on the undercard of Zepeda’s title win against Roach. Stylistically, a fight between Zepeda and Muratalla appears as though it would be an all-action fight between two fighters that like to come forward and each having punching power. Perhaps, a potential unification bout between the two might be the most attractive option on the table for both fighters. It should also not be dismissed, despite coming out on the losing end of this fight that Lamont Roach will continue to be in contention and could remain in the mix of potential challengers in the Lightweight division. Whether Roach’s name recognition will lead to another opportunity to challenge for a world championship in his next fight or if he will need to have a fight or two to get himself back into position remains to be seen.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Did Mark Lyson Rob Rico Verhoeven Of History?

Credit: DAZN 

The fight between future Hall of Famer and current unified World Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former Kickboxing World Heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven on May 23rd at the Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt was one that had controversy surrounding it from the moment it was announced. Controversy rooted in the World Boxing Council (WBC) opting to sanction the bout for its version of the World Heavyweight championship, which Usyk currently holds, despite the challenger only having one professional fight prior to the encounter in the sport of Boxing. Though Verhoeven emerged victorious in that one outing over a decade ago, he was not in a position where one could claim that he had earned a shot at a world title in the sport, despite his vast credentials in the sport of Kickboxing where he is a future Hall of Famer.

Controversy going into the fight aside, it was nevertheless a curiosity as it always tends to be when two top fighters from different combat sports disciplines square off against each other with one often leaving their sport to challenge the other in theirs. Despite a not so stellar record of fighters from other sports succeeding in the Boxing ring, there were as this observer pointed out in previewing this encounter, a few exceptions and as such Verhoeven’s chances could not be outright dismissed simply based on the difference of experience between himself and Usyk when it came to Boxing. After covering combat sports with Boxing as my primary for over three decades and being as well-versed as anyone in the sport when it comes to offering an educated guess based on my experience, even I could not have predicted what took place when the two fighters met in the truly unique location in front of the Pyramids of Giza and will felt admit, even I was a little surprised.

As I stated in previewing this fight, the onus was on Rico Verhoeven to show that he could combat Usyk’s hand speed, ability to use angles, and deceptive punching power. To the surprise of many, including this observer, Verhoeven was the one dictating the pace of the fight from the outset. By using his 6’5 frame and near 259lb. weight, it was the novice boxer that was consistently backing up the former two-division undisputed world champion, landing hooks and having surprising success in landing his right hand. An aspect of Verhoeven’s approach that I found particularly effective was he constantly moved both his arms up and down in virtually every round. A strategy I have seen implemented on occasion particularly in lower weight divisions where it serves two purposes. First as a way to deflect incoming punches, as well as to attempt to limit an opponent's offensive output.

For most of this fight, Verhoeven, round after round, succeeded in limiting Usyk’s output to such a degree that the champion and master boxer was unable to get into anything resembling a consistent rhythm, as whenever Usyk would appear to land cleanly, Verhoeven would immediately return offense. It was this strategy that as surprising as it was, this observer felt carried Verhoeven to win seven of the first eight rounds on my scorecard. As the fight entered the late rounds, however, Usyk did start to make up some ground, and despite putting forth a remarkable performance that no one could have logically expected, Verhoeven did show some signs of fatigue, which was certainly understandable given the high pace he put forth throughout the contest as well as the fact that this was only his second professional fight in the sport of Boxing.

This leads us to what proved to be the climatic round of the fight, round eleven. As Usyk seemed to be picking up momentum, but also seemingly at a stage where many observers, including this one, felt he would need a knockout to retain his title, he connected with a short right uppercut to the head that knocked Verhoeven down to the canvas in his own corner. Verhoeven was able to beat the count and seemed to withstand the follow-up barrage of blows by the champion until Referee Mark Lyson inexplicably stepped in as the bell was sounding to end the round. At first, it seemed to me in a situation I have seen and covered countless times where two fighters were in the midst of a heated battle, with the crowd in attendance loudly enjoying the action, that the referee stepped in to signal the end of the round. Within seconds, however, it was in actuality Lyson stepping in and stopping the fight and awarding a TKO victory to Oleksandr Usyk.

As is often the case in present day, I shared my thoughts on the stoppage in real time on X (Formerly Twitter) calling the stoppage incompetent as well as sharing thoughts on another element of controversy that emerged throughout the fight. Though an initiative that has not been universally adapted, but one that has been used by the WBC for many years in world title bouts, this fight had the element of open scoring and after eight rounds, despite what was going on in the ring to the vantage point of any unbiased observer two official judges had Usyk ahead slightly. At the time of the stoppage, two of the three official judges were deadlocked and had the fight scored evenly.

While one would assume given that Verhoeven was knocked when in the latter stages of round eleven, had the round gone to completion and thus had been scored, Usyk would have been up by two points on those judges respective scorecards and the third judge, who had Verhoeven ahead by two points, would have ended up with an even score going into what would have been the twelfth and final round had the fight been allowed to continue. Although I have certainly covered plenty of fights over the course of the last three decades where similar scorecards were given at the end of the day following a controversial stoppage, at minimum it would probably give an appearance to a casual viewer that potential bias may have played a role.

The idea of bias in the eyes of some would likely stem from the perception of protecting the Boxing world champion from an unlikely, but probable defeat given what took place in the ring to an undefeated novice boxer, who was primarily known for his accomplishments in the sport of Kickboxing and who was a decade removed from his last professional fight as a boxer. Although I am by no means pointing fingers and have been around long enough to know the difference between stating an opinion and stating an accusation supported by evidence, at minimum, it does not paint the best picture both of Lyson, who has served as a referee for over 1,158 bouts, many being world title bouts throughout his career, or the three official judges, who are all vastly experienced when it comes to questions surrounding objectivity. Particularly, when one considers that Rico Verhoeven was on the verge of making Boxing history by potentially winning a World Heavyweight championship in only his second professional fight. An accomplishment no fighter has achieved.When one also considers that the last time there was a major crossover bout featuring stars of two different combat sports when Tyson Fury met Francis Ngannou in October 2023, many were left with a similar bad taste in their mouths as Fury, who was unbeaten and the WBC world champion in the Heavyweight division at the time, was declared the winner of the non-title ten round bout via controversial decision, despite being knocked down over the course of the bout and clearly having a lackadaisical mindset through the fight that many felt, including yours truly that Ngannou deserved the decision.

What happens now will obviously be open to debate. Clearly, Rico Verhoeven deserves another opportunity at Oleksandr Usyk, and it will be interesting to see if the WBC will mandate a rematch. Perhaps a bigger issue, however, for the sport of Boxing moving forward is a perception that while crossover fights between boxers and stars of other combat sports will always have an appeal, some may question whether a fighter known primarily outside of Boxing will be able to get a fair shake when they do step into a Boxing ring to face off against one of the sport’s stars. Without addressing the elephant in the room, it may be harder for not just fans, but for other fighters throughout combat sports to be open to competing in Boxing or from a fan’s point of view, embrace such encounters by tuning in.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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UPDATE: WBC Statement On Decision To Sanction Usyk-Verhoeven

In a follow-up to the column that was released on the website on Sunday, March 1st, discussing the recently announced upcoming World Heavyweight championship bout between Olekaandr Usyk and former World Heavyweight Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, which will take place during the month of May in Egypt, the World Boxing Council (WBC) released an official statement on it's website and social media platforms regarding its decision to sanction the bout for it's version of the World Heavyweight championship, despite Verhoeven only having one professional fight as a professional boxer.

The statement can be read below:

Credit: World Boxing Council

We will have a preview of this World Heavyweight championship bout released here on The Boxing Truth® as we get closer to the event and will keep readers updated on further developments as they become available.

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Usyk vs. Verhoeven For WBC World Heavyweight Championship?

Credit: DAZN

In the summer of last year, future Hall of Famer Oleksandr Usyk further cemented his legacy by becoming the first man in Boxing history to have fully unified the Undisputed World Heavyweight championship twice, adding a third undisputed crown to his extensive list of accomplishments following previously unifying the Cruiserweight division before setting his sights on the Heavyweight division. As record-setting and ground breaking as Usyk’s second unification of the World Heavyweight championship was, it came as a result of the politics that be in the sport of Boxing ensuring a short first reign by not allowing him to maintain the undisputed crown while fulfilling his contractually mandated obligation to give Tyson Fury, the man he defeated for his first undisputed crown at Heavyweight, an immediate rematch.

Unfortunately for Usyk, his second undisputed championship at Heavyweight would have a similar outcome as the first as shortly after he reclaimed the IBF world championship by scoring a knockout of Daniel Dubois in their rematch, the WBO stripped him off their world championship for not fulfilling his mandatory defense obligations, which ultimately resulted in Fabio Wardley eventually being crowned WBO World Heavyweight champion. As frustrating as the politics of Boxing can frustrate and bewilder both fan and Boxing scribes alike, for better or worse, each individual sanctioning organization has their own policies and procedures and at least in theory, try to ensure that fighters deemed mandatory challengers get their title shots in a timely manner. 

While the aforementioned statement is factual, this observer will concede that it probably does sound like a good public relations spin to the Boxing fan that each respective sanctioning organization likely would like to use from time to time. When such policies and procedures alienate fans and fighters as well, however, there are times where fighters will look for an alternative rather than trying to rectify whatever grievance they may have with a given sanctioning organization.

In all truth and honesty with the reader, after Usyk’s victory over Dubois last summer, his second knockout win over the hard hitting former IBF world champion in two fights, I frankly felt he had nothing more to prove after successfully fully unifying the Heavyweight to division twice and having three undisputed world championships to his name overall, all while remaining undefeated his entire career. It was therefore a surprise to yours truly to hear the announcement that Usyk will step into the ring in May in defense of the WBC portion of the World Heavyweight championship.

Why would a noted Boxing journalist and historian with over three decades of covering Combat Sports, with Boxing as his primary be surprised? It did not have anything to do with my aforementioned stance that I felt Usyk had accomplished everything he set out to do and did not have anything left to prove that would somehow add to nor diminish his legacy, but rather who the chosen opposition would be for this title defense, which will take place in Egypt that will play host to its first World Heavyweight championship fight in history.

Usyk’s choice was not a notable contender or a former world champion such as Deontay Wilder, who had long been rumored to be in the short running of potential opponents, nor was it undefeated current WBC number one contender Agit Kabayel, but instead will come in the form of legendary Kickboxing World Heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven. Before I go any further, I feel it important to state for the reader that this column is not a preview of the aforementioned upcoming bout, but rather centers on my reaction to this announcement of the bout that will take place on May 23rd.

My reaction was one of curiosity. While there is no disputing that Rico Verhoeven is a Hall of Famer in the sport of Kickboxing and one of the top pound for pound fighters in that sport, he has had only one professional fight as a boxer and though he won that fight via knockout, that outing came twelve years from when this fight will take place. The question is obvious, how can the WBC see it's way clear to give a title shot to a great fighter from a different sport, but one with a limited background in Boxing?

Obviously, this observer cannot answer that question, but it is one that the WBC should answer. In light of some controversial decisions the organization has made in recent times and with upstart promotional entities like Zuffa Boxing, who seem intent on breaking established norms including legislation with the intent to freeze out independent sanctioning organizations in favor of a promotional based model, the WBC does owe an explanation. While the curiosity is certainly there and I look forward to delving deeper on the subject as we get closer to the bout, most would say that there are fighters currently in the WBC’s Heavyweight ratings with more Boxing experience that would be more qualified in this combat realm for a title shot. For that, the WBC needs to elaborate on their position.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Ryan Garcia: New Welterweight Champion Of The World

The story going into the WBC World Welterweight championship bout between champion Mario Barrios and top contender Ryan Garcia was one that differed from the norm. Of course, the standard narrative when a fighter challenges for a world title as Garcia was here, is one where the onus is largely on the challenger to not only put forth an impressive performance to the best of their ability, but to do so in such a way that they take the title from the champion in a convincing fashion that it not only generates buzz, but also quells any would-be critics.

In this case, both fighters had something to prove in the ring on February 21st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Despite entering what was his third defense of the WBC Welterweight world championship, Mario Barrios was still seeking the validation that often comes with being a world champion. Although he managed to retain his crown in his two previous defenses, he had to settle for two consecutive bouts that ended up being scored draws rather than hearing “The Winner… And Still Champion” followed by his name. While it is a rarity to see any fighter go through back to back even bouts, let alone at the top level of the sport, the saving grace at least prior to this bout was that Barrios’ third defense came against a fighter in Garcia that also had experienced ups and downs in his career in recent times and was in fact getting this title shot, the first of his career, coming off of a loss.

Although that fact could be attributable, for better or worse, to the various political aspects of the sport, this truly set up what the promotional tag was for this fight. A true “High Stakes” encounter. One where not only was a world title on the line, but also each fighter’s stock for potential lucrative bouts down the line.

What ended up happening come fight time was a statement-making performance. In the opening seconds of the fight, Garcia dropped the champion with a right hand that landed on top of the head. A somewhat unexpected occurrence that was rooted in the fact that not only was Garcia, a former Jr. Welterweight, who was competing for only the second time in the 147lb. Welterweight division was viewed as going against a naturally bigger man in Barrios, but also Garcia, known for his power in his left hand, particularly his left hook, had his say almost immediately in the fight with his right hand.

The champion Barrios was able to get up from the knockdown and to his credit was able to withstand the follow-up assault that Garcia unleashed on him to survive the round. From that point in the fight, however, two things became evident. Number one, the perception of Ryan Garcia as a fighter with one offensive weapon, the left hook, was at best misguided because the challenger increasingly made his point crystal clear. He could not miss with the right hand as almost every time he threw it, he connected. Number two, Mario Barrios found himself in a hole on the scorecards and on this night, he simply had no answers as Garcia put forth an almost clinical, disciplined performance, mixing in combinations in addition to landing the right hand, in dominating and dictating the combat round after round. Simply put, for whatever reason, something in 

Barrios’ approach just did not click and he never found a consistent rhythm.

By the middle and late rounds, it became Garcia's fight to lose and to the challenger’s credit, he did not relent and did not provide Barrios the slightest opening to attempt to work his way back into the fight. A convincing, dominant performance that resulted in a near shut out on the scorecards and the first world title in the career of Ryan Garcia.

For a fighter who has had his struggles both in and out the ring including with his mental health, a performance like this in winning his first world title has to be viewed as a triumph for Garcia and his family. Whether or not this ultimately represents a new chapter for Garcia that will be marked by discipline and a mile business-like approach moving forward remains to be seen. What comes with becoming a world champion, however, is being held to the expectations and standards of a champion. As impressive as this performance was, the expectation for Garcia’s first title defense will likely be high, regardless of whom that defense will come against.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Barrios-Garcia Preview

On February 21st, the Boxing world will converge on the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV for a truly interesting and some might argue curious world title bout in the 147lb. Welterweight division. WBC World Welterweight champion Mario Barrios will defend his title against top contender Ryan Garcia in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds that can be seen globally as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription or as a standalone pay-per-view option for non-ultimate DAZN subscribers.

What makes this both an interesting and curious affair between two fighters is both have arguably not been at their best in recent outings. The champion Mario Barrios will be making the third defense of his WBC crown and has not heard his name announced as the winner in his previous title defenses up to this point as his previous two defenses each ended in hotly contested draws. The most recent of those defenses came in July of last year when forty-six year old recent International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and legend Manny Pacquiao came out of retirement and to most observers, including this one, did enough to warrant a decision victory over Barrios, but did not get the nod of two of three official judges to win the fight.

Although Barrios, who was named WBC world champion in after previous Undisputed World Welterweight champion Terence Crawford vacated the championship and left the Welterweight division, has managed to retain his title in two subsequent defenses after being named champion from previously being a mandatory challenger for Crawford, he has yet to show he can win a fight as a defending champion. While not a circumstance of his making in retaining his portion of the World Welterweight championship in two consecutive bouts that ended in draws, the obvious question that Mario Barrios will have to answer is not only can he retain the title via a victory, but can he do so in such a manner that it will quell skeptics who feel he may have benefited from those two bouts being scored draws rather than having an opinion that he won those fights.

It is often an unfair practice, but it can truly be easy to label a fighter off of a bad performance or one that some might call sub-par. In Barrios’ case he is coming off two fights where perception is not necessarily in his favor and that could prove to be a motivator for a world champion who likely feels he has something to prove both to himself and any would-be skeptics.

Standing across the ring from Barrios on February 21st will be Ryan Garcia. Garcia, who not long ago was viewed as one of Boxing’s hottest rising stars, has seen his career hit a snag in recent times marked by periods of inconsistency and struggles outside of the ring. Despite Garcia maintaining his fan base, one might be curious as to why he is getting a shot at a world championship at this point in time. 

In his fight in May of last year in Times Square in New York City, Garcia was knocked down in the second round and thoroughly out boxed by Rolando Romero in losing a twelve round unanimous decision in a WBA Welterweight elimination bout. This followed Garcia serving a one year suspension for testing positive for Ostarine in the aftermath of his victory over Devin Haney in 2023, a result that was subsequently changed to a no contest. One might question both given what could probably be described as his erratic behavior before and after the Haney fight as well as his defeat to Romero last year as to why the World Boxing Council would grant Garcia this opportunity at their world title as its number four rated Welterweight contender.

It is important to keep in mind that while Garcia is coming off a loss, his fight against Rolando Romero was not sanctioned by the WBC and while one would think a loss would negatively affect any fighter’s standing in a sanctioning organization’s rankings, that simply is not always the case. From an old school perspective, Ryan Garcia though a very good and potentially still yet maybe a great fighter when all is said and done, has not earned this title shot as a fighter. Perhaps it may be accurate to assume that a combination of both Garcia's popularity as well as Barrios seeking an opponent of a reasonably high profile for what is known as an elective defense for him played a role in Garcia getting this opportunity. In fairness to the challenger, it is not unlike a position that other fighters who have had star value in the sport have been able to use to their advantage over the years regardless of wins and losses. 

Garcia, however, has yet to win a world title to this point and it may be logical to wonder what his star value, the proverbial stock a fighter has within the sport, will be if he fails to capitalize on the opportunity that is before him in this fight. It may truly be a roll of the dice for Garcia's future at or near the top of the sport.

A wrinkle that emerged in the promotion of this fight that could have an impact on what happens inside the ring was Barrios hiring the legendary trainer and broadcaster Joe Goosen as his new trainer. Goosen served as a trainer for Garcia both as an amateur and for a period of time as a professional. While it is not uncommon trainers to eventually work against fighters they spent time working with as time goes on, Garcia appeared to not take kindly to Goosen working with his opponent and lashed out at his former trainer at a press conference to announce the fight several weeks ago where both he and his father and now trainer Henry Garvia confronted him. Goosen for his part called it a difficult situation, but stated that things change in Boxing and accepted the job when Barrios and his team offered him the job to come on as his new trainer.

Whether or not the exchange between fighter and former trainee and father, turned new trainer can be dismissed as hype promotional tactics or legitimate bad feelings is likely something that will be left to one's own opinion. What effect that this could have on the actual fight remains to be seen.

The most obvious way one could point to as far as it having a direct influence on this fight could be in Goosen having knowledge as a previous coach/trainer of Garcia's training methods and tendencies, which his current charge Barrios may be able to exploit. What we have here is an encounter between two boxer/punchers where an argument could be made that in terms of punching power, a slight edge may go to the challenger Garcia. Despite that, the question here is whether each fighter’s respective recent performances and to be more specific, the criticism of those performances may result in each implementing a more aggressive approach with the mindset of looking to impress, rather than a tactical one rooted in strategy.

The tagline of the promotion for this fight is truly both ironic and appropriate. “High Stakes.” Both fighters have a lot to gain, but also a lot to lose here. Beyond the WBC World Welterweight championship being on the line, both Barrios and Garcia are gambling their long-term futures in the sport here and this is a case where beyond a win or a loss, it may be even more important in terms of what may be ahead for both fighters as to how they perform rather than their potential futures being strictly viewed based on the outcome. We will see who stands tall on Saturday, February 21st.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.” 

Barrios vs. Garcia takes place on Saturday, February 21st at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen as part of a DAZN Ultimate tier subscription for $44.99 per month or as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $69.99. The card will begin at 5:45PM ET 2:45PM PT. 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, subscription and pay-per-view options in your region, and to subscribe or order this event please visit: www.DAZN.com.  

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