The Boxing Truth®

There is little doubt that over the last decade and a half few fighters have had the type of success as Deontay Wilder. An Olympic Bronze medalist in the 2008 Summer Olympics, Wilder took that accomplishment and made it part of his identity “The Bronze Bomber." An appropriate moniker given his reputation as a true " Knockout Artist” and having a five year reign atop the Heavyweight division as the WBC’s World Heavyweight champion from 2015-2020 where he successfully defended his crown ten times. The end of that run of dominance in being stopped in his second encounter with Tyson Fury in February 2020, however, began a slow, but consistent decline for Wilder including being on the receiving end of a second stoppage at the hands of Fury in their thrilling third enclosure in October 2021. Since that fight, Wilder has only won one of his last three fights.  In his last outing in June of last year, Wilder was the victim of a one sided fifth round knockout at the hands of top conte...

The second step for former four-division world champion Adrien Broner on his comeback following the beginning of a new chapter of his career under the promotional banner of Hall of Fame promoter Don King came on June 7th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. Unlike the first step in this phase of his career when he dominated a very “Game," but out classed Bill Hutchinson in June of last year in winning a ten round unanimous decision, step two, which took place nearly one year to the day of that fight, would come against a serious threat in the form of Blair Cobbs. Cobbs, a Welterweight who himself recently signed with King looking to continue to bounce back from his lone career setback in March 2022, represented not only a legitimate threat and test for Broner in his second flight in three years from a stylistic standpoint, but also a fighter who has been considerably more active than him and his previous opponent, the unknown Hutchinson. In previewing this ...

There are many stages in a boxer’s career. The rise through the initial beginning of one's career, one would often call the development or prospect stage, which if the fighter succeeds often leads to the chance to become a contender, which then if there is continued success might lead to an opportunity to fight for a world championship. For most fighters that achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a world champion, there will come a point where there is the stage known as “The Comeback." Under most circumstances, but not all, it is a stage that comes following the loss of a world championship for a fighter. For former longtime WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, his title reign of nearly five years and ten defenses came to an end when he was stopped in his second fight with Tyson Fury in 2020 shortly before the global COVID-19 epidemic. Following that loss, Wilder claimed that his setback was attributed to some attire that he had worn to the ring on the evening of th...

When it comes to rematches where there was a conclusive outcome in the previous meeting, more often than not, the subject going into the return encounter will be whether it will be repeat or revenge. Often such a subplot is centered on the fighter who was defeated and whether or not they can change the outcome the next time around. Perhaps those of us in the media should start approaching rematches from a slightly new perspective. A perspective such as whether the fighter who emerged victorious in the previous encounter can produce the same outcome in a rematch being a victory, and could they do so in an even more convincing fashion. When top Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang scored a convincing sixth round stoppage of undefeated top contender and former Olympic Gold medalist Joe Joyce earlier this year, it was a convincing stoppage as the effects of the punishment he was able to dish out was such that it caused significant swelling to Joyce's right eye to the point where he could...

An old saying that any Boxing fan is likely to hear at some point is anything can happen in Boxing and that especially holds true for the Heavyweight division. At this time last year, Joe Joyce was an undefeated Heavyweight contender, who was riding high following the biggest win of his career in becoming the first fighter to stop former Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker inside the distance. Just as it appeared that Joyce was on the verge of fighting for a world championship within a short time, he ran into a wall that brought his road to a world title to a halt. The wall came in the form of 6'6 Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang. When the two Heated giants met in April of this year, it would be Zhang who would emerge victorious stopping the previously unbeaten "Knockout Artist" Joyce in six rounds. In a rare simple instance in the sport, Joyce exercised his rematch clause, which will take place without much delay or bucket between the two fighters or their camps o...

It is a mantra that has come out of this observer's mouth perhaps more often than others. "Anything Can Happen In The Sport Of Boxing, And That Is What Makes The Sport Great." It is a mantra that is rooted in the fact that regardless of all the statistics that are available, odds that might be placed on a fight, and, despite all the analysis that those who cover the sport, like yours truly, can off, ultimately the appeal of Boxing is not knowing what will really happen when two fighters enter a ring to do battle. While it is something that was instilled in me from an early age dating back to the time before I began my writing journey covering Boxing and other combat sports, it does at times still surprise me how some are surprised when something unexpected happens inside the ring. The Heavyweight encounter between undefeated WBO number one Heavyweight contender Joe Joyce and Heavyweight contender Zhilei Zhang on April 15th in London, England serves as the latest example. ...

There is little doubt that one of the biggest stories occurring outside the ring in the world of Boxing in 2023 has been the on again, off again, back on again,  and finally stalled negotiations for a fight for what would be the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship of the world between undefeated world champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. While that subject will certainly remain a topic of discussion, the longer both champions are idle also creates a ripple effect for others in the Heavyweight division that are all looking to get into position to challenge either champion. Such is the case with undefeated WBO number one contender Joe Joyce.  Joyce,  a former Olympic Gold medalist, has boxed his way to an undefeated record of 15-0, with 14 Knockouts and has successfully moved into the mandatory position in the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) Heavyweight ratings, which in theory puts him next in line to face the unified IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk. De...