Showing posts with label Yordenis Ugas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yordenis Ugas. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Thoughts On Spence-Ugas

 

The fight between Welterweight world champions Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas on the surface was a unification of three of five recognized world championships in the illustrious 147lb. Welterweight division. Like most “Big” fights, it also had several storylines that accompanied the bout. Such as what the condition on Errol Spence’s left eye would be after suffering a detached retina. Could Yordenis Ugas, who was coming off a career-defining victory over Manny Pacquiao in his first defense his world championship, a victory which came as a result of replacing Spence on short notice, further cement his claim as a world champion by going on to defeat Spence as well. Would the winner of this fight be moved toward a showdown with undefeated WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford for what would be an Undisputed world championship bout?

 

Such intriguing questions would in part be answered when the two world champions met on April 16th at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX to unify Spence’s WBC/IBF crown with the WBA world championship held by Ugas. Although this bout had all the appearance of a tactical encounter between two boxer/punchers, sometimes what appears on paper prior to a fight, turns out to be just that on paper. What would instead happen would be a competitive battle of wills.

 

For a time in the early rounds, the two fighters seemed to match each other punch for punch with the sequence usually consisting of Spence throwing first, often in combination and Ugas looking to land counter punches. While Ugas was able to have success with this approach periodically, gradually the story of the fight became the sheer volume of Errol Spence's combinations, which kept Ugas consistently on the defensive and at times appearing overwhelmed.

 

This did not stop Yordenis Ugas however, from continuing to make a fight of it and in round six  he would produce arguably the highlight of the fight by knocking Spence’s mouthpiece out with a right hand and taking advantage when a distracted Spence, trying to get Referee Lawrence Cole's attention about his mouthpiece having been knocked out of his mouth, would be knocked into the ropes by a left hook, straight right hand combination by Ugas. Cole appeared to make a questionable call at this point in the fight by momentarily halting the action to have Spence’s mouthpiece rinsed and put back in.

 

The reason why this was questionable and some may go as far as to call it controversial is because Spence was clearly stunned by this combination and frankly, I feel it probably should have been ruled a knockdown as the ropes appeared to prevent Spence from going down, which under the rules of Boxing is justification for a knockdown being ruled. Furthermore, Cole's decision to halt the action at that particular point allowed Spence valuable seconds to recover and arguably take an opportunity from Ugas to turn the ebb and flow of the fight in his favor.

 

With Spence back in control, the rhythm of the fight continued in his favor and gradually the accumulation of punishment became apparent as Ugas’ right eye would swell shut. Despite the combat increasingly moving in one direction, Ugas nevertheless showed his mettle and continued to fight on. Although no one can take anything away from the heart Yordenis Ugas showed in this fight, the effects of the punishment simply could not be ignored and the bout would be stopped in the tenth round.

 

Despite Ugas protesting the stoppage on advice of a ringside physician, it was revealed in the days following the bout that Ugas had in fact suffered a broken orbital bone in addition to his right eye being swollen shut. As much as one can sympathize with a fighter in Yordenis Ugas’ position, the stoppage of this fight was justified. Although it is hard not to have sympathy for a fighter having lost his world title in a heartbreaking way in not being allowed to continue, such decisions can prove to be crucial in not just a fighter’s ability to continue on with their career, but also their long-term health.

 

Yordenis Ugas has nothing to be ashamed of. He fought like a true champion and he should hold his head high. He is still one of the best fighters in the world and remains a player in the talent-deep Welterweight division. For now, obviously he will need time to heal before he can decide on where he will go with his career off of this loss.

 

As for Errol Spence, the obvious question coming out of this fight is whether a fight can be made between him and undefeated WBO world champion Terence Crawford for what would be the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world. Although Terence Crawford is as of this writing a promotional free agent and would appear to be in an ideal position to make such a fight happen, his current legal dispute with his former promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc., as well as Spence’s alignment with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and manager Al Haymon, who will likely look to negotiate terms that will be favorable for the PBC will likely play a factor in how quickly a fight between Spence and Crawford can be made.

 

While there is certainly no shortage of possible challengers for both world champions, the Boxing world can only hope that Spence and Crawford each tell their respective representatives to make the fight happen and avoid grandstanding and other interests. Promoters and managers after all are supposed to first and foremost look out for the best interests of the fighters they represent rather than their other interests.

 

“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

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Upcoming Schedule

 We would like to let our readers know that new material discussing the recent Welterweight unification bout between world champions Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas is currently in the works and will be released here on the website on Wednesday, April 20th. Following the release of that feature column, a preview of the April 23rd Heavyweight championship fight between undefeated WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and number one WBC Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte will be released on Thursday, April 21st. Stay tuned. 

“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  

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Spence-Ugas: Welterweight Unification

 

In an era where there are interim/regular championship designations in Boxing’s respective sanctioning organizations and sometimes those fighters who hold such designations get an opportunity to fight for a different world championship than the one shot they have earned due to the politics that be in the sport, it can at times be confusing to determine who the actual world champions are. Particularly when such scenarios occur, it is not uncommon to see such fights between a top contender/interim/regular “Champion” and a world champion from a different organization actually promoted as a unification bout.

 

While such scenarios are not in fact world title unification fights and are more or less used as a sales hook to draw in those who may not be as familiar with the structure of rankings in Boxing, it can unfortunately take away from those occasions when there is a legitimate unification bout taking place in the sport. Longtime readers know this observer’s stance on interim/regular championship designations throughout the sport as doing more harm than good in creating more problems than it was intended to solve.

 

Such a structure does however, serve a purpose in at least trying to ensure fighters that earn opportunities to fight for world championships do get that opportunity most of the time. In the case of Yordenis Ugas, he had held the World Boxing Association’s Interim/Regular championship designation in the 147lb. Welterweight division and was named champion prior to then WBA world champion Manny Pacquiao’s scheduled unification bout with undefeated IBF/WBC world champion Errol Spence last August. While this for a time created confusion due to the WBA’s ruling and was a circumstance of it’s own creation, as fate would have it, Ugas would get an opportunity to legitimize his claim on the title due to an eye injury to Spence forcing him to withdraw from the scheduled bout against Pacquiao.

 

Although the circumstances for Ugas were far from ideal in first being named world champion before getting an opportunity to fight the champion in a controversial ruling, then ironically getting the opportunity to step in to face that champion on short notice, Ugas put on an impressive performance in out Boxing the future Hall of Famer Pacquiao over twelve rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory and in the process successfully defend his crown for the first time. The significance of Ugas’ victory took a crucial turn in the days following the fight as Pacquiao chose to retire from the sport to focus on his political career as a current senator in his native Philippines and a run for the presidency of the country.

 

For Yordenis Ugas however, he was able to take a negative and turn it into a positive by legitimizing his claim on the World Welterweight championship and his victory over Pacquiao has now led to an even bigger opportunity as he will get the opportunity to face Errol Spence in a Welterweight unification bout on Saturday, April 16th at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. The fight, which will headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View card brings together two of the best fighters not only in the 147lb. Welterweight division, but in the entire sport.

 

In some ways it is ironic, yet simplistic that this fight has come about. For one, it should not be overlooked that Ugas stepped in for Spence who suffered a retinal detachment in his left eye. Understandably, despite successful surgery, some might have questioned if Spence’s career was in jeopardy after suffering an injury like that. Ugas’ victory over Pacquiao however, did create the obvious next step, which is for Ugas to get the opportunity to face Spence.

 

The bout between Spence and Ugas brings together two boxer/punchers who can each do a little bit of everything inside the ring. In thinking of how this fight might be fought, I immediately thought of Ugas’ fight with Manny Pacquiao in the sense that he had pretty much everything against him going into that fight. Taking a fight on short notice, doing so against one of the all-time great fighters, and having to do so in front of a mostly pro-Pacquiao crowd. While not the most ideal circumstances for a fighter in Ugas’ position, he succeeded by sticking to a fight plan with an emphasis on Boxing and gradually outworking Pacquiao as the fight progressed. A fight plan that also proved to be effective in taking the crowd out of the fight.

 

This time, Ugas will be in a similar circumstance as he will be fighting Spence before what is likely to be a pro-Spence crowd at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, where the longtime Texas resident has fought two of his last three bouts. Given the similarities between the two in terms of style, this observer feels it crucial that Ugas find a way to establish the tempo of the combat early. Much like in his fight against Pacquiao, he needs to get into a rhythm early and keep his opponent, in this case Spence from being able to get into a rhythm himself.

 

While this is easier said than done, Ugas must find a way to accomplish this and, in the process, take what will likely be an enthusiastic crowd out of the equation as he was able to do against Pacquiao. In his most recent fight in December 2020, Spence out boxed former two-division world champion Danny Garcia over twelve rounds to retain his IBF/WBC world championship. The obvious question regarding Spence going into this fight is whether the eye injury will have an effect on him during the bout. Although it is not uncommon to hear of fighters suffering eye injuries over the course of their careers including the type that Spence suffered, it goes without saying that each fighter is different and at least for a period of time, that will be a question that Spence will have to deal with, not unlike when Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard went through a similar injury in the 1980’s. Though Leonard would retire twice during the decade, the question of the health of his eyes and the risk of permanent injury did go away as he eventually returned in 1987 off of his second retirement as a professional in 1984 and subsequently went on to take part in some of the marquee fights of the 1980’s.

 

Obviously, medical treatment and technology has advanced quite significantly since the 1980’s when it was thought that Leonard had suffered a career ending injury. For a fighter in his prime such as Spence, this fight presents an opportunity to not only further unify the 147lb. Welterweight division, but to answer any questions that might be regarding his eyes with one significant performance. Yordenis Ugas is not the easiest fighter to combat based on style, but Spence has been in the ring with fighters who were thought to pose a difficult challenge for him before and has resulted in him scoring convincing victories.

 

While it is logical to expect at least in the early rounds a tactical chess match between the two fighters, Spence needs to establish himself early and not allow Ugas to get into a rhythm and in a position to dictate the fight. When you have two highly skilled world champions sharing the same ring, it is a task that is often easier said than done. Although both fighters have also shown an ability to score knockouts in the undefeated Spence having stopped twenty-one of his twenty-seven professional opponents compared to Ugas’ twelve knockouts in twenty-seven career wins, it is hard to envision this fight being anything, but a tactical fight that will end in a decision. Does it mean that the fight will not end in a knockout? Of course not, but based on the styles of both fighters and the fight that both are comfortable going twelve rounds, this may come down to who is able to outwork the other.

 

As seems to be the case with most unification bouts, there is also the possibility of what might be ahead for the winner of this fight in a possible showdown with undefeated WBO world champion Terrence Crawford for what would be the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world. Obviously, there are other things in play involving the politics of the sport that will likely play a part in how quickly such a fight can take place for the winner of this fight.

 

For the moment, Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas only have to focus on the fight that is at hand, against each other. Although some might say this is simply another step for Spence on his road towards an undisputed world championship, this is the biggest fight in Yordenis Ugas’ career and like it was against Pacquiao, he is likely only focused on this fight and this fight alone. Whether we see the tactical fight this appears as though it will be, or an action fight that will be talked about in the weeks, months, and years to come remains to be seen. We will find out what happens on Saturday night April 16th.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

 

 

Spence vs. Ugas takes place on Saturday, April 16th at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. The fight as well as a three fight undercard can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on Showtime Pay-Per-View in the United States and Canada for $74.95. Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. The pay-per-view will also be available on the Showtime streaming app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information on how to order from Showtime please visit: www.sho.com/ppv.

 

Check your local listings internationally.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Jabs And Observations March 2022: Four Pay-Per-View Events In One Month, To Boxing’s Benefit?

 

Longtime readers know this observer's long-standing criticism of the pay-per-view model in the sport of Boxing. Of several recurring themes over a lifetime covering combat sports, it is perhaps the theme that I have written about the most. While it is something that has become repetitive by my own admission, it is something that unfortunately continues to be warranted both as a regular subject matter for yours truly as well as something that should be discussed by everyone who is involved with the sport whether they be fans, the fighters themselves, trainers, managers, promoters, broadcasters, commentators, and those of us who cover Boxing. With this in mind, I felt it appropriate to dedicate the March edition of the new monthly feature that was introduced in January as a way to frankly try to cover as much ground as I possibly can in regard to the action throughout the sport that I simply cannot cover as they are occurring, a departure from the first two editions of Jabs and Observations however will be that this month’s edition will be centered on one subject “Pay-Per-View.”

 

Recently, the news in regard to the pay-per-view model has centered on digital subscription-based sports streaming network DAZN choosing to implement what they insist will be an occasional use of the pay-per-view model due largely to the newest multi-fight agreement between the network and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who returns to their network following a brief venture to premium cable network Showtime where he headlined a pay-per-view event against IBF Super-Middleweight world champion Caleb Plant, in which he completed his goal of fully unifying the Super-Middleweight division. While that event did between 400,000 and 800,000 buys at an $80 price point depending on where you read and who you choose to believe as Showtime and its parent company ViacomCBS, the recently rebranded Paramount does not release actual numbers, and keeping in mind that those “Guesstimates” as I call them are still better than the vast majority of pay-per-view events over the last several years, it is a far cry from the massive buy numbers in decades past that in some cases were in the millions for some of Boxing’s biggest bouts.

 

Although this should not be a reflection of both Alvarez’ standing in the sport or one of the overall commercial appeal of Boxing as a whole, the consistent dwindling buy numbers for most pay-per-view events are an indication of a much bigger problem the sport faces. It is a problem that I have repeatedly pointed out in various writings as a two-part issue. The first part is the price points for such events have gotten out of control over the last decade and one might even go as far as to say longer than that as most major pay-per-view Boxing events now begin at a $70 or above price point here in the United States, which differs significantly from international countries that offer the same events on a pay-per-view basis, but do so at a much more reasonable price point, in some cases under $30 to use the United Kingdom’s pay-per-view model as an example where most pay-per-view events are capped under that thirty dollar price point regardless of who is the main event attraction for such cards.

 

The second part of the problem is the mere frequency of pay-per-view Boxing events, which should not be blamed strictly on one network, but rather viewed as a wider scale problem. Simply put, the pay-per-view model in 2022 and in several years past is no longer reserved for the legitimate major events, but are used and basically admitted by those who rely on the model as a necessity to gain revenue. While I do sincerely hope that DAZN will stick to their word of using the model sparingly, unfortunately, they are not the only players who will be using the model and as such it creates a significant issue as to how well each respective card will do in terms of the bottom line buy numbers.

 

Beginning on April 16th, there will be four pay-per-view Boxing cards in the span of one month running through May 28th. While DAZN will only be responsible for one of those events, the May 7th card, which will be headlined by Saul Alvarez challenging undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol for his world championship, the likelihood of all four events, which will be split between Showtime and ESPN outside of the one event DAZN is doing will likely be priced at, at least a $70 price point each here in the United States exists.

 

In the interest of honesty with the reader, I do periodically read the works of others who cover the sport, particularly when I am taking some needed downtime between covering cards and focusing on my own work. Recently, I read one blurb on one website that may have been a fan page that I randomly came across while browsing that listed the upcoming pay-per-view schedule for its readers and ended the content with three simple yet depressing words “Start Saving Now!”

 

For all of Boxing’s ills, what I often refer to as “Black Eyes” that give its critics more than enough justification to both criticize and mock the sport, I can honestly say as someone who has spent most of his life covering Boxing and by extension combat sports going back to when I was a youngster, I never thought I would see the day where I would observe a listing of a pay-per-view schedule with the conclusion imploring its readers to “Start Saving Now!” It is as much a reflection of the major problem Boxing faces from those who rely almost exclusively on the pay-per-view model to those who are in DAZN’s position in more or less admitting that they needed a pay-per-view component in addition to its subscription-based model, not because the subscription-based model is a failure, but because of pay-per-view being a tool to lure fighters that might otherwise not want to do business with their network, despite the declining state of the pay-per-view model. I can also honestly say to the reader that those three words “Start Saving Now!” put me in a state of depression. Both in terms of what the consumer will be asked to pay to see each respective card, but also as someone who truly has Boxing’s best interest at heart.

 

When one considers that we are now also in an era where novice “Celebrity” bouts and exhibition bouts now headline pay-per-view events at the same high price points as those events featuring main events where world championships are at stake, it should not be hard for one to understand why it depresses me as someone who wants to see Boxing not only grow, but thrive. I will also say in the interest of honesty that it troubles me to hear some whether they be fans, promoters, or network executives use the sentence “Boxing is a niche sport.” as justification for an over reliance on such a model. While fans are more than entitled to their point of view, in my experience when networks and promoters use that line, they do so when confronted with underwhelming returns on fights that they not only try to sell, but ones that under the original purpose of pay-per-view /Closed Circuit television would not be considered legitimate big fights, much less pay-per-view main events.

 

The one thing I will say is at least DAZN when announcing their newest agreement with Saul Alvarez were up front and honest about the pricing for the Bivol-Alvarez bout for both current DAZN subscribers as well as non-subscribers. Something that other networks and promoters often wait until the days before a pay-per-view card to announce. Although $59.99 for current DAZN subscribers and $79.99 for non-subscribers is still overpriced, hopefully, if the returns on Bivol-Alvarez do not meet a profitable number, the network will consider at least reducing the price for existing subscribers for their next pay-per-view offering. Another issue that will likely play a factor in that decision process is the scheduling of the other non-DAZN pay-per-view events that will be scheduled around the May 7th Bivol-Alvarez card, which will likely affect the overall buys in addition to the price point for both current and non-subscribers of DAZN.

 

As for the other three cards over the month’s span of time, let’s discuss each event. First, will be the April 16th Welterweight unification bout between undefeated WBC/IBF Welterweight world champion Errol Spence and WBA champion Yordenis Ugas, which will be broadcast on Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States. Although this will be a very interesting fight on paper that I frankly am looking forward to covering, one should question how successful this card will be not only in terms of buys given what is likely to be a $70 or above price point, but also the remaining events in such a narrow timeframe. While this figures to be a good fight, which might have quite a bit of action based on the two fighters' styles, it is also important to note that this will be Yordenis Ugas’ second time as a pay-per-view main eventer after stepping in on short notice in August of last year and successfully defending his title against future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao.

 

Even though there is no disputing Ugas’ skillset or the fact that he outboxed an aging legend who subsequently retired shortly after the fight, he has not been marketed as a pay-per-view attraction and perception in fans eyes might be that he defeated a legend that was at the end of his career in a fight that was not the most entertaining to watch. While Ugas cannot be and should not be blamed for promoters and networks reliance on the pay-per-view model, the perception some might have, could convince some to save their money and thus effect the overall buys.

 

The second card, which will be offered on a pay-per-view basis here in the United States will take place one week after the scheduled Spence-Ugas Welterweight unification bout when undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury makes the second defense of his WBC Heavyweight world championship against number one contender Dillian Whyte in the main event of a card that will be offered through digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+. While ESPN’s direct to consumer streaming network ESPN+ has grown significantly since it’s inception here in the United States in 2018, the periodic times they have dabbled in pay-per-view outside of their agreement as the exclusive pay-per-view platform for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) MMA pay-per-view events, have been underwhelming. Although again, this can be attributed to the price points for the handful of Boxing pay-per-view events that the network and its parent company Disney have offered through ESPN+, much like DAZN, subscribers have seen a greater value in terms of content offered as part of either a monthly or annual subscription and have not been as willing to pay expensive fees on a per card basis as a result.

 

In regard to the Fury-Whyte pay-per-view offering, the card will be taking place in London, England at Wembley Stadium and while the pay-per-view event will likely do significantly more buys in the United Kingdom through broadcast platform BT Box Office at a lower price point compared to here in America, the challenge for both the promoters of the bout as well as ESPN/Disney here will be to get a decent amount of buys at a higher price point for a Boxing card that will air during the afternoon hours on the east coast and late morning/early afternoon on the west coast stateside. Though not impossible depending on the sporting event to draw a big viewing audience during daytime hours, both Fury and Whyte are bigger stars in the United Kingdom, despite Fury’s two victories on pay-per-view here in America over Deontay Wilder. The three pay-per-view bouts between Fury and Wilder did produce varying results in terms of buys, but the second and third bouts in which Fury was victorious produced underwhelming numbers.

 

While not a reflection of how competitive those fights were or Fury’s standing in the sport, one can question whether the selling point of a fight being for a version of the World Heavyweight championship alone will be enough to convince consumers here in the U.S. to buy the event. Given that the buy numbers will likely be impacted in some way by the afternoon start time here in the United States, and despite ESPN's best efforts to market that as a positive given that many main events on pay-per-view typically do not begin until at least midnight for those events that take place during the evening hours, one might wonder if this event would do better numbers if it were included with an ESPN+ subscription, not unlike several international cards that are carried on pay-per-view in the countries where they are taking place, but broadcast stateside on either a digital subscription-based streaming network or on traditional television.

 

The third pay-per-view card, which will take place outside of the DAZN Bivol-Alvarez pay-per-view event on May 7th will occur later in the month of May with the rescheduled Lightweight bout between undefeated former world champion Gervonta Davis meets undefeated contender Rolando Romero at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY in the main event of a card broadcast by Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States.

 

A bout that was originally scheduled for December of last year, but was changed when Romero had to withdraw from the fight due to issues outside of the ring. The bout, which was scheduled to headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View event, went forward with Isaac Cruz stepping in to face Davis. Although that was a competitive fight, the event did not perform well on pay-per-view as it was scheduled in between a slew of pay-per-view cards from October through December of last year, not unlike the position that this rescheduled event will find itself in. Unlike the previous two events discussed, this fight will not feature a world championship at stake, but will be for an interim/regular championship designation in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Lightweight ratings.

 

The politics that be in the sport, which are just as problematic as the over reliance on the pay-per-view model aside, and keeping in mind that it has little to do with what could be a good fight between two unbeaten boxers, the fact that this event like this previous two will likely be priced at $70 or above without a world championship being at stake or the fighters involved being household names in the sense of their name recognition being enough to draw significant interest particularly amongst the casual sports fan, should indicate how the standard of Pay-Per-View being reserved only for the legitimate special events is not necessarily applied by promoters and networks in 2022 and frankly has not been for some time.

 

A more crucial illustration of the flaw in relying on an outdated model can be reflected in the total cost that one could be expected to pay for all four of these events. If one were to exclude the slight wrinkle in regard to DAZN's pricing structure in offering a slightly reduced price for current DAZN subscribers for the Bivol-Alvarez bout, assuming that each of the other events are priced at a $74.99 price point to go with the $79.99 price point that Bivol-Alvarez will be priced for non-DAZN subscribers, one will arrive at an estimated total cost of $304.96 not counting taxes and other applicable fees.

 

Now, the reader is probably asking what my point is by giving that total cost estimate for four pay-per-view Boxing cards. When one factors in the amount of Boxing content that is offered under subscription-based models that come to a fraction of that cost even on an annual or monthly subscription plan, it does not take one who is an expert in the financial industry to see the flaw in the pay-per-view model. One should also keep in mind that Boxing is really the only sport outside of the UFC Mixed Martial Arts promotion that relies heavily on such a model.

 

To put things in perspective, currently here in the United States, the sports world is in the midst of the NCAA College Basketball tournament. A tournament that even if one does not follow College Basketball regularly during its season draws significant interest amongst even the most casual sports fans. The tournament run known as March Madness draws significant television ratings for the networks that broadcast the games. It was not long ago during the period where the cable/satellite pay-TV industry was in much stronger shape prior to the advent of digital streaming that the NCAA offered an out of market package for both it’s basketball and College Football seasons, which were offered under ESPN branding through cable and satellite providers. While those packages did succeed for several years, as technology evolved, those packages eventually gave way for content that would be offered as part of those cable/satellite packages to be offered as part of a digital subscription streaming option where a subscriber has access to much more content as well as other sports included with their subscription. While professional sports are gradually adapting a similar approach as evidenced in the National Hockey League’s (NHL) recent agreement with ESPN to make their standalone out of market streaming package available as part of an ESPN+ subscription, the biggest games and playoff games are still made available to a wider audience without such a pay wall structure as pay-per-view. Just imagine the backlash the NCAA or professional sports leagues would incur if playoff games, college Bowl games, and the ongoing NCAA College Basketball tournament were only made available on a pay-per-view basis and on a per game basis on top of that. It would be something that those running those respective leagues/organizations would find it very difficult, if not outright impossible to survive.

 

For Boxing, there is no real benefit by continuing to rely on such a model because not only does the economics no longer benefit the consumer, but by pricing such events so high, it limits the potential audience as well as the potential to expose the sport to new eyes. Although this should be obvious to anyone with an objective view, the question is how can it be fixed to benefit Boxing and the fans that support the sport?

 

This observer believes strongly in the subscription-based models that have been established by both DAZN and ESPN+ and if I felt that both dipping their toes into the pay-per-view model even on an occasional basis would serve the networks and the sport well, I would say so. Although as I have said in previous columns regarding the pay-per-view subject that some have expressed to me that the root cause of the pay-per-view problem is that fighters are simply being guaranteed so much money that it makes the model a necessity, I am against the idea that a fighter’s pay should be reduced. The bottom line is a fighter’s career can end at any moment each and every time they compete as they are risking their lives. It is therefore important for a fighter to be able to make as much money as they can while they can, but for those around them to also share in the responsibility of preparing the fighter not only for competition, but also for life after Boxing in trying to ensure that a fighter’s earnings will be able to sustain them and grow when their careers are over.

 

What I am instead referring to is the need for those who rely on the pay-per-view model, promoters and networks to look for alternative sources of revenue. The types of revenue that would essentially allow the revenue that is hoped for by the pay-per-view model, but rarely achieved to be replaced, but at the same time opening up the opportunity to watch the sport and it’s biggest events to a much wider audience regardless of one’s economic standing. It should also not be overlooked that there are those who instead of paying such high pay-per-view fees openly seek streaming events via a third-party website, which is not something that will go away by doing more pay-per-view events. With honesty again being at the core between yours truly and the reader, I cannot put a number on how many times readers and others used to reach out to me via social media and other forms of communication to ask me if I knew of any third-party streaming websites that would be showing pay-per-view events in the days preceding the advent of digital subscription-based streaming networks like DAZN and ESPN+. While I always have said that I would not be a party to such requests and that the best way to view such events would be the legal way of purchasing the events via pay-per-view, it does speak to the problem that Boxing as a whole has not been able to solve.

 

In regard to seeking other forms of revenue that could replace the pay-per-view model and open up the sport to new eyes, I believe an obvious source would be something that major sports leagues such as the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) have used to great effectiveness. Advertising/Sponsorships. You need look no further than the recently concluded NFL playoffs to see what type of audience numbers can be possible by opening up access to the sport without a pay wall structure. How does the NFL and other sports leagues earn revenue beyond the lucrative broadcast agreements with networks and the respective out of market packages on cable/satellite and streaming? Advertising. 

 

Even as those standalone out of market packages appear to be heading for inclusion with a subscription-based streaming network like what the NHL has done with ESPN, there is still an advertising component. Those who regularly watch Boxing coverage on either DAZN or ESPN+ will likely see advertisements aired either between rounds of bouts or prior to bouts themselves. All of which are revenue generators. Now, some might ask well it might work out for the promoters and networks to turn to advertising, but how would it benefit the fighters who still think, despite evidence that pay-per-view is still the way to go? When I was growing up in the 1980’s and even into the 1990’s, it was not uncommon to see some of the biggest stars in the sport on television and radio commercials as spokespeople for products, which in some cases earned those fighters more money than they would earn simply by relying on pay-per-view revenue or their purse for bouts alone.

 

With rare exceptions, we do not see boxers take part in commercials beyond advertising their own bouts. This is something that should be openly sought by promoters, a fighter’s management and even networks as a way to not only give fighters an opportunity to earn more money, but also in doing so, market the sport to new eyes, while not relying on a pay wall structure that is pay-per-view to draw revenue. Although much was made of the now severed guaranteed contract between DAZN and Saul Alvarez, that was for eleven fights and $365 million to see his bouts be aired exclusively through DAZN’s subscription model without pay-per-view, one aspect of that deal, which should be implemented is there were incentives for the fighter if certain subscription numbers were met.

 

This is something that all networks whether they be streaming or traditional television need to adapt. While DAZN in response to the backlash it has faced for adapting an occasional pay-per-view model has said that it was necessary to get Alvarez back on it’s network, I cannot see a network not at minimum setting a standard in saying if fighters insist on pay-per-view, we as the network expect x number of buys not as a break even point, but as a profit point to be met regardless of who that fighter will be competing against with failing to meet that point resulting in the network not being willing to do pay-per-view. Even though such a standard obviously puts more pressure on a fighter, it might be the only way to convince fighters that pay-per-view is not the guaranteed revenue generator that it was prior to the advent of subscription-based streaming.

 

Would fighters in Saul Alvarez’ position benefit more by being offered guaranteed contracts to fight under a subscription-based streaming model as Alvarez was for a time? Obviously, I think it would vary on a fighter by fighter basis, but if for example a fighter in Alvarez’ position were to fail to draw a buy number on pay-per-view that would be profitable for all involved, what would the alternative be? Step one would involve reducing pay-per-view prices to see if it is strictly the price point for such events that turn off consumers, but a more sensible approach would be to give a fighter a similar structure as Alvarez had in his initial agreement with DAZN in 2018 that would give a flat guarantee for x number of fights, but also implement incentives for meeting certain subscription numbers. It makes it more sensible for the consumer, but it also would put a fighter, a fighter’s management, and a fighter’s promoter in a position to aggressively market a subscription-based network such as DAZN in order to hopefully increase subscriber numbers. One aspect that you also do not see fighters doing much of in present day in addition to commercial advertising/sponsorships, is you do not see the elite fighters in the sport making the television talk show rounds on either late night or morning chat shows that you would see in years and decades past.

 

While some may not see the benefit of a star boxer making the talk show rounds, what is important about it from a marketing perspective is by doing so, it gets the attention of the casual viewer who may watch talk shows regularly, but might not watch Boxing and other sports beyond occasionally. Thus, by exposing the fighter to new eyes and promoting an upcoming bout as a result, it has the potential to increase the audience and if overpriced/inflated pay-per-view prices are not part of the equation to see those bouts and are replaced by reasonably priced subscription alternatives, the potential audience would likely increase as well as allow the fighters, the networks, and the promoters to earn more revenue by not only increased subscription numbers, but also by the implementation of advertising that would replace the pay-per-view model

 

All of this at the end of the day might seem like an overly optimistic viewpoint by yours truly, but the bottom line is these are the things that would benefit Boxing, its fans, and most importantly the fighters in the long-term than simply those who continue to rely on such an outdated model just putting events together and putting them on pay-per-view. Something needs to change and without those who think such a model is still beneficial coming to that realization, Boxing will continue to see underwhelming results as well as limiting the sport’s potential to grow. As a Boxing lifer, I want to see the sport thrive and that simply will not happen as long as those who continue to refuse to adapt stand in Boxing’s way. Four pay-per-view offerings likely totaling a $300 expense for a Boxing fan to view every card in one month’s span of time is evidence of preventing the sport’s growth. Anyone who truly has Boxing’s best interest should see that as unacceptable and should demand accountability not just for the sport itself, but for those who support it.

 

“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

 

 

 

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

February 5th Pay-Per-View Doubleheader Thoughts

 

Following the month of January, which was one that was largely quiet in terms of beginning 2022 inside the Boxing ring, the month of February began with two well-publicized pay-per-view cards that each took place on the same day. This observer is referring to the two events that occurred on February 5th in Cardiff, Wales and Las Vegas, NV respectively.

 

First was the event in Cardiff, Wales, which was co-headlined by two Middleweight bouts featuring both the women and men of the sport. First up was undefeated unified WBC/WBA/IBF Women’s World Middleweight champion Claressa Shields, who scored a dominant ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” previously unbeaten World Boxing Federation (WBF) world champion Ema Kozin. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that I felt that the key to the fight would be whether or not Kozin would be able to get the respect of Shields early.

 

As has been the case in virtually every fight that Claressa Shields has had in her professional career, she brought the fight to her opponent from the opening bell. Applying consistent pressure and mixing hand speed and punching power, which kept Kozin on the defensive, Shields implemented an offensive approach that for a time appeared as though would break Kozin down in the middle and late rounds. Despite suffering significant punishment over the course of the scheduled ten round world championship bout, Kozin showed a lot of heart and was able to go the distance against a fighter in Shields, who is regarded as one of the top fighters in the entire sport.

 

A bigger story emerged following Shields victory over Kozin however, as during a post-fight interview, Shields engaged in a heated argument with undefeated WBO world champion Savannah Marshall, who is the only person to have scored a victory over Shields when the two met several years ago as amateurs. While it is not uncommon to see such arguments occur in the middle of a post-fight interview as it is unfortunately something that is used as a promotional tool by promoters and networks, whether they are willing to admit it or not, it is not a good look not just for women in the sport, but the sport of Boxing as a whole when such arguments occur on television that give an appearance as though it comes from “Reality” television. The view of yours truly on that subject notwithstanding, obviously, the wheels are in motion for a Shields-Marshall unification bout later in 2022. Although it may be true that these two fighters do not like each other, hopefully, those around both of them will remind both that outside of whatever dislike they might have towards each other, they are also representing Boxing and in any promotion for the bout, representing the sport in the best way possible should be a focus.

 

This brings us the second Middleweight bout that took place in Cardiff, Wales as former IBO Super-Middleweight world champion Chris Eubank Jr. squared off against former world title challenger Liam Williams in a twelve round bout. Frankly, this bout turned out to be one between a good fighter in Eubank, who proved to be just a little too quick for a good fighter in Williams, who was very “Game,” but arguably should not have been able to go the distance as he did.

 

Why am I being as direct as I am in saying that? Due to Eubank scoring four knockdowns throughout the bout in rounds one, two, four, and eleven. While two of these knockdowns came as a result of jabs and were the definition of what is referred to as a “Flash Knockdown” where Williams was off balance, knocked off his feet by jabs, and was not visibly hurt, it is rare to see a fight being allowed to go on beyond three knockdowns against one fighter. The lone exception would be under circumstances where both fighters are knocked down during the course of a fight.

 

Despite the clear advantage that Eubank had as the fight progressed in a dominant performance in winning a clear unanimous decision, if there is one criticism that one could point to beyond the fact that Eubank failed to finish Williams and to be more specific failed to force the issue after four knockdowns to get a stoppage, it is that he chose to mock Williams and for lack of a better term play around during the middle and late rounds rather than try to end the fight. Although this could perhaps be attributed to the bad blood between the two fighters prior to the fight, an argument can be made that at times it is just as important in how you win as it is simply getting a win.

 

For a fighter in Eubank, who has a lineage through the accomplishments of his father former multi-division world champion Chris Eubank Sr., who has also gone on to hold a world championship in his own right in his career, if Eubank Jr. wants to secure another opportunity at a world title he needs to win and do so impressively in order to drum up interest and demand for him to challenge one of the current champions in the 160lb. Middleweight division. In this case, though he was impressive and keeping in mind that Williams deserves all the credit for being able to go the distance, the fact that Eubank did not force the issue and chose to mock his opponent rather than trying to finish the fight, is something that will likely turn off some fans and may be viewed by promoters who currently represent one of the world champions in the division as a tough sale. While keeping in mind that Eubank’s approach could have indeed been influenced by whatever issues that may have been between he and Williams going into the fight, he will likely have to explain why he chose not to force the issue and seemed content with going the distance when the possibility of a stoppage was clearly there for him.

 

Whether or not Eubank will be fighting for a world championship at some point later in the year remains to be seen. One should not discount the possibility of his name recognition as a former world champion being enough to at least enter the discussion for a possible challenge. The public being supportive of such a challenge at this point however, might be debatable. For now, Chris Eubank Jr. did do what he had to do in scoring a convincing and wide decision victory.

 

This leads us to the second pay-per-view Boxing event that took place on February 5th in Las Vegas, NV. A card that featured two former world champions returning to the ring looking to bounce back from losses in separate bouts. First to return to the ring was multi-division world champion Leo Santa Cruz, who returned to action for the first time since Halloween night of 2020 to face Jr. Lightweight contender Keenan Carbajal in a ten round bout.

 

Despite suffering a bad cut over the right eye as a result of an accidental clash of heads in round two, Santa Cruz did not show any ill effects from his knockout loss to Gervonta Davis or more than a year of inactivity. When a fighter suffers the type of knockout that Santa Cruz suffered at the hands of Davis, the primary question whenever that fighter returns to action is not only what effect did the knockout have on them, but also how would that experience influence how they fight going forward.

 

Santa Cruz was able to show early on in this fight that the loss to Davis would not change his approach as he was more than willing to engage with Carbajal from the outset. What stood out in my eyes was not only that Santa Cruz willingness to engage, but more specifically how he established a balanced attack to the body and head of Carbajal. Although Santa Cruz would deal with periodic accidental head clashes throughout the bout, the cut he suffered over the right eye did not seem to slow him down as he outworked Carbajal over the ten rounds to earn a convincing unanimous decision.

 

For Keenan Carbajal, this was his first taste of fighting on a significant stage and to his credit, he held his own throughout and seemed to deal with an injured left arm in the latter stages of the fight. Despite the loss to Santa Cruz, Carbajal was able to make a solid showing in defeat and he will likely get another opportunity against a notable opponent down the line. This was simply a case of one fighter being about to outwork the other and Carbajal being unable to slow Santa Cruz’ offensive output in that whenever Santa Cruz threw punches, they were in combination and when a fighter is able to do that, it become very challenging for the opposing fighter to combat. Nevertheless, for what was a significant step up in class for Carbajal, he did perform well and did try his best to match Santa Cruz offensively.

 

As for Leo Santa Cruz, the question becomes what will he do coming out of this fight. Santa Cruz does still hold recognition as the WBA Featherweight world champion in the 126lb. Featherweight division, despite not defending that title since winning it in November 2019. Whether or not he chooses to stay in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division remains to be seen. What this fight did accomplish for Santa Cruz was it should boost his confidence after suffering a setback. He was able to produce a convincing performance where he showed the skills that has made him a future Hall of Famer.

 

The main event of the pay-per-view card in Las Vegas saw former WBA Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman return to the ring for the first time in over two years to face Jr. Welterweight contender Mario Barrios in a twelve round Welterweight bout. In what can be described as a tactical Boxing match, Thurman, who was competing for the first time since losing his WBA championship to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, displayed a measured approach as he often was the fighter that dictated how the combat was fought. He did this by controlling distance and using lateral movement to keep Barrios from being able to plant his feet and throw offense in situations where it may have been favorable for him.

 

There were several exchanges of offense between the two fighters however, and Barrios, who was moving up from the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division for this fight in the 147lb. Welterweight division, was able to take the punches Thurman landed well, despite suffering a bad cut over the left eye in the middle rounds of the bout. The difference in punching power was nevertheless evident as Thurman seemed to have more behind his shots. What was also noticeable in addition to Thurman’s ability to dictate the combat as well as the aforementioned attributes including timing, was in most instances he was the fighter throwing first, which while Barrios was able to have his share of moments, generally left the impression that Thurman was getting the better of the action.

 

Barrios’ best moment of the bout came late in the eight round when he connected with a right hand to Thurman’s body that forced the former world champion to retreat and catch his breath. While Barrios had sporadic success whenever he went to the body of Thurman, he simply was not consistent enough in focusing his attack to the body, which may have been able to limit Thurman’s movement as the fight progressed. Despite putting forth a very “Game” effort in his Welterweight debut, Barrios was unable to turn the ebb and flow of the combat in his favor, which allowed Keith Thurman to box his way to a convincing twelve round unanimous decision.

 

In the interest of honesty with the reader, while there may be some who will choose to be critical of Thurman for perhaps not pressing the issue more especially after he was able to cut Barrios in the middle rounds where he may have been able to get a stoppage, after two and a half years out of action, this was the type of performance that Thurman needed. Not only to shake off what is known as “Ring Rust” from inactivity, but also much like Leo Santa Cruz, as a confidence booster after losing his world championship in his previous fight.

 

As for where Thurman will go coming out of this victory over Mario Barrios, the World Boxing Council (WBC) had the Thurman-Barrios bout as an elimination bout in it’s Welterweight rankings. This could mean that Thurman might be in line to face the winner of the recently announced upcoming unification bout between undefeated IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence and WBA world champion Yordenis Ugas, which will take place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX in the month of April in what will likely be another pay-per-view offering. While it is indisputable that Keith Thurman is still one of the best fighters that the Welterweight division has to offer, this observer feels that it might be best if he takes another fight before potentially challenging the winner of Spence-Ugas.

 

Although these two pay-per-view cards did provide a lot of action and a full day of Boxing for those who opted to purchase both events, obviously how successful both ultimately prove to be is unknown as of this writing. It is my hope however, as someone who has been critical of the pay-per-view model due to among other things inflated price points and the fact that more often than not, not every bout on a Boxing card that is sold as a pay-per-view is made available to the buying consumer with purchase resulting in either some fights being blacked out or, portions of the undercard being sprinkled between either streaming or traditional television platforms, that those promoters who continue to insist on such a model, will at least make the price points economically reasonable for the consumer. While this may be easier said than done for a variety of reasons, the success of digital subscription streaming is something that should not be ignored and if the pay-per-view model is to continue, despite obvious evidence of needing to adapt, those “Hold Outs” as I often refer to them, need to come up with concepts of comparable value for the consumer if they want their events to be successful on a consistent basis.

 

As always, it is important for me to point out that my criticism of the pay-per-view model and those promoters that continue to insist on such a model is not, nor has ever been aimed at any of the fighters involved as I have always had the view long before I began covering the sport that boxers should be able to make as much money as they can while they can due to the obvious dangers of the sport, the fact that fighters risk their lives every time they compete, and that a career can end just as quickly as one begins. With the pay-per-view model however, no longer being the revenue generator that it once was for networks, promoters, and the fighters, who are promised percentages of such revenue, the fighters should be asking themselves how much money could be left on the table by not adapting, could revenues that promoters look to pay-per-view for, be replaced by advertising sponsorships and other forms of revenue, which would allow the Boxing fan to be able to access the sport regardless of whether they may or may not be able to afford prices that more often than not begin above $60, as well as the obvious opportunity that comes from exposing the sport to new eyes.

 

While it remains to be seen how successful these particular events were in terms of pay-per-view buys, it was an interesting and at times entertaining day of Boxing and for those who truly love the sport and have its best interests at heart, this is something that should not go unnoticed. Even as the need for the sport as a whole to embrace adapting in the subscription-based streaming era becomes more apparent.

 

“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

 

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

The Conclusion Of October 2021 In Boxing

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, August 23, 2021

Was The Final Chapter Of Manny Pacquiao’s Career Written With Loss To Ugas?

 

The story of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Yordenis Ugas on August 21st at the T-Mobile Arena was one that this observer described as High Risk/Low Reward. This was because the fight between the two was made with a little more than eleven days for both fighters to prepare following undefeated IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence being forced to withdraw from what was a highly anticipated showdown with Pacquiao due to a torn retina in his left eye. While some might question the wisdom in Pacquiao choosing to retain the scheduled date with Ugas stepping in as a replacement for Spence, in many ways, this was a return to what some might call “Old School Boxing” in that even with a limited amount of time to prepare, Pacquiao decided to fight on even though going into the bout Ugas did not represent the same level in terms of marquee value as did Errol Spence, but was just as dangerous an opponent that unless one is a Boxing aficionado, would likely regard him as a fighter that was under the radar.

 

In previewing this fight, yours truly discussed the circumstances regarding the World Boxing Association (WBA) in their decision to strip Pacquiao of its Welterweight world championship and elevate Ugas, who held an Interim/Regular champion designation to world champion. While this pointed out the flaw in the WBA’s rankings structure, which has been heavily criticized for many years now, for once circumstances allowed for a controversy to be resolved in a relatively short time frame. It also allowed a fighter in Ugas the opportunity to prove that he belonged on the elite level of the sport by taking on one of Boxing’s all-time greats. Although such an opportunity came under less than ideal circumstances for Ugas in what was his first title defense, it was simply an opportunity that he could not pass up.

 

Whenever fights occur under circumstances of limited notice, the question that usually comes to my mind is whether one fighter will look to jump on the other in an attempt to catch their opponent cold and try to end the fight quickly. In this case, I was somewhat surprised to see a tactical battle from the opening bell. Of course, this was an encounter taking place at the highest level of the Welterweight division so, it was not surprising in the sense that it was a fight between two boxers who could do a little of everything, but what was surprising was the missing element of aggression, particularly from Manny Pacquiao.

 

It is important to remember that due to both his commitments as a current senator in his native Philippines as well as the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, this was the first fight for the forty-two year old Pacquiao in over two years. The potential for “Ring Rust” is always there for any fighter coming off of a long layoff, but based on the styles of the two fighters, I somewhat expected Pacquiao to try and implement a swarming attack that would be reminiscent of how he would approach offense in his prime. This was not the case though much of the first half of the fight saw Pacquiao attack in spurts of offense. While Yordenis Ugas was consistently the more active of the two fighters, it was these spurts by Pacquiao, which were eye catching that I felt would sway the opinion of the judges. For a period of time, it did sway how I  saw the fight in that I felt Pacquiao did enough to win four of the first six rounds based on his ability to seemingly pick his spots and make the most out of those moments of offensive spurts in rounds that were otherwise very close and could have been scored either way.

 

In addition to the absence of a swarming offensive attack that bedeviled so many of Pacquiao’s previous seventy-one opponents prior to this fight, he also lacked head movement and the ability to attack from varying angles from what this observer has called his immaculate foot work over the years. Instead, Pacquiao seemingly chose to engage Ugas, a fighter who is four inches taller and who had a two inch reach advantage over him at a distance where it allowed Ugas to get his punches off consistently and as the fight progressed, the offensive spurts Pacquiao was able to have in the first half of the fight became less and less frequent.

 

Whether or not it was a combination of both inactivity/“Ring Rust” and age is only a question Manny Pacquiao can answer, but his failure to adapt in what was a tactical Boxing match ultimately played right into Ugas’ hands as the fighter, who felt like he needed to prove his validity as a world champion after being put in that position by the politics that be in the sport, gradually pulled ahead in the fight and never seemed to halt his consistent offense down the stretch, which was ultimately what resulted in Ugas retaining his world championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 seven rounds to five, and 116-112 on two scorecards eight rounds to four. 

 

Unofficially, I scored this fight 115-113 for Ugas. The primary difference in this fight, which may be consensus amongst both fans and experts alike, came over the second half of the fight. Although the bout remained close from start to finish, over the second half of the fight, Ugas’ overall accuracy and the success he was able to have in landing his jab on Pacquiao could not be ignored. Despite being ahead four rounds to two on my card after six rounds, Pacquiao’s inability to get around Ugas’ jab, his lack of head movement, and the seemingly gradual decline of his offense resulted in him only winning one of the remaining six rounds of the twelve round world championship bout on my scorecard. This left the door open for Ugas to take control of the fight and at the end of the bout, I arrived with the 115-113 or seven rounds to five score in his favor.

 

With the victory, Yordenis Ugas not only validates his crown as the WBA Welterweight world champion, but more importantly by beating someone of Pacquiao’s caliber, his value instantly increases and more lucrative paydays are likely to follow. Whether or not it is Ugas who faces Errol Spence whenever Spence is medically cleared to resume competing remains to be seen.

 

Even though this fight can be described simply as one fighter besting the other, the inevitable questions has to be asked. After a close, but convincing loss to Yordenis Ugas, has the Boxing world seen the last of Manny Pacquiao as a fighter? What does he have left to prove? First, I feel it necessary to state for those who did not see the bout, despite coming out on the losing end of a decision, at no point did Pacquiao appear hurt nor was he overwhelmed by Ugas.

 

It does make sense to note however, that this was Pacquiao’s seventy-second bout in a career that began over twenty-six years ago in 1995 when he entered the sport as a Jr. Flyweight. After so many battles, many grueling wars, and just the process of time, it certainly is not hard to understand the possibility that Pacquiao has left a lot inside the ring and win or lose, each fight does have to take something out of a fighter if not by what occurs in the fight itself than in the process of preparing for a fight, which obviously can take a toll on one’s body.

 

If one were to ask my honest opinion on what Pacquiao should do next, as someone that has covered his career extensively since his debut in the United States in 2001 when he knocked out the late Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to win the IBF Jr. Featherweight world championship, at this stage he has nothing left to prove. Pacquiao’s legacy as Boxing’s only eight division world champion, an accomplishment that is unlikely to be surpassed, is more than secure. His legacy outside the ring however, as a humanitarian and public servant will likely surpass his accomplishments as a boxer. While ultimately the decision on whether or not he will continue his Boxing career even as a potential run for the presidency of the Philippines may be in the future, will be something that only Manny Pacquiao can decide, if this is the end of the road for a truly great fighter I would like to say in closing to Manny Pacquiao, it’s been an honor to cover you throughout your career.

 

“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