Premier Boxing Champions 9/6/2015 Preview

The Premier Boxing Champions series will kick off the month of September with an interesting doubleheader on Sunday, September 6th at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. In the main event former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion Anthony Dirrell will return to the ring for the first time since losing his world title in April this year in a razor thin twelve round majority decision to Badou Jack. Dirrell will face longtime Jr. Middleweight and Middleweight contender Marco Antonio Rubio in a fight scheduled for ten rounds.

Dirrell (27-1-1, with 22 Knockouts) has gone 1-1-1 in his last three fights including a draw and winning his world championship in two fights against former WBC champion Sakio Bika. In his last fight Dirrell came out on the losing end of a fight that could have gone either way in losing a twelve round majority decision to Badou Jack. In what was an extremely close fight that was very difficult to score Jack was able outwork Dirrell to earn a victory that some considered an upset.

Coming off of that loss Dirrell, who will come into the fight ranked number five by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in the Super-Middleweight division will look to get back in the win column when he takes on Marco Antonio Rubio. Rubio, a veteran of sixty-seven professional fights will be returning to the Super-Middleweight division where he is undefeated in three previous bouts in the 168lb. weight class.

In his last fight in October of last year Rubio was knocked out in two rounds at the hands of unified WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin. Some readers may recall following that fight this observer speculated that if Rubio, who failed to make weight for the fight with Golovkin that it would be interesting if Rubio could no longer make the 160lb. Middleweight limit if he would see what potential options would be available to him in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division.

The question I have coming into this fight centers on what Marco Antonio Rubio has left to give as a fighter. At thirty-five years of age and having competed in sixty-seven professional fights in his career one may be justified in wondering what Rubio (59-7-1, with 51 Knockouts) will have to offer in this fight. It is important to remember that Rubio has fought for a world title three times in his career. Rubio certainly has more than enough experience against top level opposition including a knockout win in 2011 against recently crowned IBF Middleweight world champion David Lemieux.

Rubio however, was unable to provide much resistance in his fight against Golovkin. Although Rubio was able to land some offense against Golovkin he was not able to land anything that prevented Golovkin’s consistent pressure and punching power. Although Rubio lost that fight he is a fighter that has compiled a career knockout percentage of 76% in his career and should still be considered a dangerous fighter even coming off of a knockout loss.

For Anthony Dirrell it will be interesting to see if he will attempt to pressure Rubio from the outset and test whether the loss to Golovkin has had any effect on Rubio’s ability to take a punch. Dirrell has scored twenty-two knockouts in his twenty-nine professional fights and has a career knockout percentage of 76% in his own right. It will also be interesting to see if this fight goes into the middle and late rounds whether Dirrell will be able to maintain a consistent work rate throughout the entire fight. An argument can be made that although his fight with Badou Jack was very close that one thing that may have worked against him in that fight was the inconsistent work rate he put forth in the first half of that fight.

If Dirrell manages to look impressive in this fight and can get himself back in the win column it is not difficult to envision a potential rematch with Jack at some point in the near future. For Marco Antonio Rubio however, this could be a “Must Win” scenario at this stage in his career.

Also on this card  there will be a rematch between former Bantamweight world champions former IBF world Bantamweight champion Jamie McDonnell (26-2-1, with 12 Knockouts) and former WBO world Bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda (31-1, with 19 Knockouts) in a twelve round bout to determine interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Bantamweight ratings. In their first fight in May of this year McDonnell overcame a third round knockdown to win a twelve round unanimous decision winning the fight by just one point on all three official judges scorecards.

The first encounter between the two was an extremely close fight that could have gone either way. It will be interesting to see whether the rematch will resemble the first fight in that Kameda seemed to have the edge in the early rounds, but it was McDonnell who was able to come on in the middle and late rounds to win the fight. Although opinions differed among Boxing fans and experts alike as to who won the first fight between the two, it was a highly competitive battle that shined the spotlight on a weight class, the 118lb. Bantamweight division that does not always receive the kind of exposure in the United States as compared to other weight classes.

As was the case with the first fight, the rematch will be televised as the co-feature of a Premier Boxing Champions card on CBS in the United States. No matter what happens in this fight the increased exposure for one of Boxing’s lower weight divisions, but an extremely competitive division should be viewed as extremely positive for not only the fighters themselves, but the sport overall.

An interesting doubleheader featuring two compelling storylines. A former world champion in Anthony Dirrell looking to get back in the win column going against a grizzled veteran in Marco Antonio Rubio who may be fighting for his career. The second storyline a compelling rematch between  Jamie McDonnell  and Tomoki Kameda, two former world champions in a fight that for the winner could lead to a potential world title opportunity down the line.

We will see what happens on Sunday afternoon.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Premier Boxing Champions: Dirrell-Rubio/McDonnell-Kameda II takes place Sunday, September 6th at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX. The card will be televised in the United States by CBS at 4PM Eastern/ 1PM Pacific. Check your listings internationally.

For more information on the Premier Boxing Champions series please visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com

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

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Why Santa Cruz-Mares Deserves An Encore

The highly anticipated clash on August 29th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA between current WBC Jr. Featherweight world champion Leo Santa Cruz and former three-division world champion Abner Mares certainly lived up to the anticipation that preceded it. In one corner stood Leo Santa Cruz a fighter who was undefeated in thirty-one professional fights who was fighting for the second time in the 126lb. Featherweight division. Standing across the ring from Santa Cruz was Abner Mares a fighter who had only been defeated once in thirty-one career bouts of his own prior to this fight.

Stylistically this was a fight that had action written all over it. Both fighters are boxer/punchers, who are both capable of ending fights early and both have the ability to out box their opposition. The question this observer had prior to this fight was whether the 5’4 Mares, who has a sixty-six inch reach would be able to get on the inside of the 5’7 Santa Cruz, who had a three inch reach advantage for extended periods of time. I also wondered whether this will be a tactical Boxing match or if it would develop into a shootout.

It was no surprise given that this was a battle between two offensive-minded fighters to see this fight fought at a high pace from the outset with both fighters being willing to engage. In some ways, one could make an argument that it was a bout where two different types of fights took place in one fight. Mares had a clear advantage during periods where he was able to close distance between himself and Santa Cruz and get on the inside. During those periods although there were several exchanges between the two fighters it appeared that Mares was able to get the better of the action.

In contrast to Mares, Santa Cruz appeared to be most effective during periods where he was able to control distance and thus nullify Mares’ pressure. Santa Cruz was also effective in being able to catch Mares with his offense as Mares came forward as the fight progressed.

Although Mares was the more aggressive of the two fighters throughout much of this fight, one thing that was noticeably absent was the use of his jab as he came forward. As the fight progressed Santa Cruz was able to stand out a little more from Mares by being effective with his counter punches, being able to control the distance of the fight more, and landing the more effective punches of the two.

When it comes to fights that are fought at a high pace where both fighters are able to execute their offense, it can often boil down to which fighter was able to be more effective. Although the task of determining who is able to be more effective may appear to be one that is simple to some, it can be and often is an extremely difficult task especially for judges who have the responsibility of scoring a fight. Such fights are often close and end up with differing scores from the official judges, fans, and experts alike.

After twelve hard-fought rounds it was not surprising to see this fight end up with differing opinions. Two official judges Jesse Reyes and Steve Morrow turned in identical scores of 117-111 or nine rounds to three in favor of Santa Cruz giving him a twelve round majority decision victory. Although the two official scores which resulted in Santa Cruz winning this fight may appear to be lopsided, if one watches the fight round by round as the official judges who score fights on a round by round basis, it is much closer.

It is certainly understandable that fans and experts alike could have this fight scored much closer as the third official judge Max DeLuca had scored the fight 114-114 or six rounds to six a draw or how some could see Mares as the winner by differing scores that may not be unlike the scores of judges Reyes and Morrow. 

Unofficially, I scored this fight 116-112 or eight rounds to four in favor of Santa Cruz. In this observer’s eyes it came down to how Santa Cruz was able to gradually control distance and land the cleaner more effective punches as the fight progressed, particularly in the middle and late rounds. It was however, a very difficult fight to score and frankly I can see an argument for either fighter having won the fight.

The fight, which was to determine a new WBA Featherweight world champion following former champion Nicholas Walters being stripped of the title for failing to make weight prior to his fight with Miguel Marriaga in June of this year turned out to be a fight of the year candidate. For Leo Santa Cruz now an unbeaten two-division world champion and a former three-division world champion in Abner Mares the battle solidified their standing as a rising stars in the sport. If the action this fight produced as well as the significant television ratings for the fight, which headlined a Premier Boxing Champions card on ESPN in the United States averaging 1.2 million viewers is any indication Santa Cruz-Mares is certainly deserving of an encore.

Whether or not a rematch between the two comes in the immediate future remains to be seen. For the increasingly popular Premier Boxing Champions series, which airs across several networks across broadcast and cable television this was essentially the type fight that the series is all about. To bring Boxing to the masses and put on the best fights possible for Boxing fans. If a rematch between Santa Cruz and Mares is signed, it would not surprise this observer to see it headline a future Premier Boxing Champions card.

“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 

Mosley KO’s Mayorga For The Second Time

The rematch between former world champions Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga faced obstacles before the two fighters could even enter the ring. It faced a legal challenge from Mayorga’s longtime promoter Don King who sought an injunction to prevent the fight for taking place. The fight also faced competition in the form of the Leo Santa Cruz-Abner Mares bout, which took place on the same night, at the same time, and at a nearby venue from where Mosley and Mayorga were to do battle.

Mosley and Mayorga however, would overcome the objection of King in the week leading up to the fight so the bout could take place as scheduled on Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The first fight between the two in September 2008 was a highly competitive bout from start to finish. Mosley was victorious in that fight stopping Mayorga in dramatic fashion with just one second remaining in the fight.

In the near seven years since that battle however, an argument could be made that both fighters have declined with each suffering losses and having gone through stretches of inactivity. One may have been justified to wonder what the forty-three year old Mosley and the forty-one year old Mayorga had left to give as fighters at this stage in their respective careers.

Prior to this bout, this observer stated that the question I had going into this fight was what versions of the fighters would show up. Mosley at his best is a fighter who uses a good mix of hand speed and punching power, who also has the ability to execute his offense in spurts of combinations. While not being the most technically sound fighter, Mayorga is a fighter who is always dangerous and has an unorthodox brawling style.

A storyline of two former world champions turning their attention to each other one more time, each looking to resurrect their careers is one that can produce a memorable fight. With the legal struggles behind them, with a competing event nearby, and with questions regarding what each fighter had left to give, it was time for Mosley and Mayorga to enter the ring and do battle.

It was a bit surprising to see Mayorga, who had boldly predicted a first round knockout begin this fight being tentative. It was not surprising however, to see Mosley have success almost immediately in establishing his jab and finding a home for his right hand. Mosley, who was fighting for the first time in nearly two years clearly still had his hand speed.

Mosley continued to dictate how the fight was being fought as the rounds went on and was able to land his right hand seemingly whenever he wanted. Mayorga attempted to get under Mosley’s skin by taunting him and dropping his hands presenting Mosley with an open target. Despite the familiar tactic that Mayorga has used periodically throughout his career, it did not succeed in getting Mosley out of his fight plan.

As the fight entered the fourth round Mosley was able to have success in landing to Mayorga’s body. Although Mayorga would occasionally attempt to rush Mosley with offense, he was unable to land effectively. The primary difference in this fight was Mosley’s ability to dictate the pace, execute his offense in combination, and generally make Mayorga miss with the majority of his offense.

Mosley was able to open a cut over the right eye of Mayorga in round five with a jab. The end would come in round six when Mosley was able to connect with a left hook to the liver of Mayorga in the closing seconds of the round. Although Mayorga complained that he had been hit by a low blow, Referee Raul Caiz, Jr. counted Mayorga out. Official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of round six.

Shane Mosley advances to 48-9-1, with 40 Knockouts. Ricardo Mayorga falls to 31-9-1, with 25 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in a bout for the IBF Women’s World Jr. Featherweight championship Yulihan Luna fought to a hard fought ten round split decision draw with International Female Boxing Association Jr. Featherweight (IFBA) world champion Maureen Shea.   This was an extremely close fight that saw plenty of exchanges between the two fighters. Shea seemed to dictate the pace of the fight in the early rounds by consistently pressing the action and attempting to cut the ring off from Luna.  Luna meanwhile attempted to play the role of counter puncher through much of the first half of the fight.

Both fighters were able to have periods of effectiveness throughout the fight.  As this observer has stated numerous times over the years when it comes to close fights where each fighter is able to be effective and there isn’t much to separate one fighter from the other it will often boil down to what a judge prefers based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. 

In this fight I thought Shea was able to get the better of the action particularly when she was able to push Luna back, close distance, and get on the inside. Luna meanwhile, was most effective during periods where she was able to use her movement to offset Shea’s pressure and use her jab and get her punches off first. 

It was not surprising in the eyes of this observer to see a close decision at the end of what was a very competitive fight. As tends to be the case in close fights, it was also not surprising to see differing scores among the three official judges.  Judge Steven Hicks scored the fight 97-93 in favor of Luna, Judge Michael Tate scored the fight 98-92 in favor of Shea. The third and deciding Judge David Mendoza scored the fight even 95-95 resulting in a split decision draw.

Unofficially, I scored this fight 96-94 in favor of Maureen Shea.  This was a very difficult fight to score and it is understandable how one could see an argument in favor of either fighter. The way Shea was able to dictate the action in the first half of the fight is what gave her the edge on my scorecard, but there really wasn’t much to separate the two fighters.

Yulihan Luna advances to 12-2-1, with 1 Knockout. Maureen Shea advances to 24-2-1, with 12 Knockouts. 

This fight was the first Women’s world championship fight to be featured prominently on a pay-per-view Boxing card in the United States in more than a decade.  It is my hope that the spotlight of the sport is focused on Women’s Boxing more in the future.  These two fighters gave it everything they had in what was an entertaining contest and it would not surprise me to see a rematch between the two, possibly on a future Shane Mosley promoted card. If a rematch is signed this observer hopes it will be broadcast on television.

In a Lightweight bout Joel Diaz Jr. scored a fourth round stoppage of a very “Game” Luis Arceo.  Diaz generally got the better of the action in this fight opening up cuts over both of Arceo’s eyes and dropped Arceo with a one, two combination midway through the fourth round. Although a bloody Arceo was able to beat the count, the fight was stopped by Referee David Denkin.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:27 of round four.

Joel Diaz Jr. advances to 20-0, with 16 Knockouts. Luis Arceo falls to 28-14-4, with 18 Knockouts.

It will be interesting to see where Diaz goes from here in the Lightweight division.  A challenge that can be present for a young prospect as they move up the ranks is to see how they respond to a fighter who provides them with some resistance. Luis Arceo more than showed his mettle in this fight and did provide some resistance for Diaz.  We will see what the future holds for Diaz as he continues his climb up the Lightweight division.

In non-televised action in a Cruiserweight bout Dimar Ortuz, who fans of BKB: Big-Knockout Boxing might recognize fought to an eight round split decision draw with Victor Barragan.  Official scores were 76-74 in favor or each fighter on two scorecards, while the third scorecard was scored even resulting in the draw 75-75.  Dimar Ortuz advances to 10-0-2, with 7 Knockouts. (Traditional Boxing Record)  Victor Barragan advances to 12-8-1, with 3 Knockouts.

In a Super-Middleweight bout Ronald Ellis scored a second round stoppage over Jas Phipps. Official time of the stoppage was 1:15 of round two.  Ronald Ellis advances to 12-0, with 10 Knockouts.  Jas Phipps falls to 5-6-2, with 2 Knockouts.

Although the rematch between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga did not resemble their closely fought first encounter, it did provide Boxing fans entertainment even though Mosley was able to dominate much of the fight. The only similarity of course between the first fight and the rematch was that Mosley stopped Mayorga with one second remaining in the sixth round.

As for Shane Mosley, I believe the most important thing will be whether or not he can stay active. If Mosley can remain active and more importantly continue to win, it will be interesting to see whether or not he will be able to move himself back into title contention. It will also be interesting to see what the future holds for Ricardo Mayorga going forward. Mayorga has always been an entertaining fighter win or lose, but one has to wonder what may be left for him at this stage in his career coming off of another setback.

The struggles this card faced ultimately did not prevent the rematch between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga from coming to fruition. Although it will be interesting to see how the pay-per-view numbers in the United States and Canada compare to the ratings for the ESPN televised Premier Boxing Champions card headlined by Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares, this observer believes considering all the obstacles that were present for a time for Mosley-Mayorga II the card, which was promoted by Shane Mosley’s GoBox Promotions should be considered a success.

We will see what the future holds for both Shane Mosley the fighter and the promoter.

“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

Mosley-Mayorga II Weigh-In Results

Former world champions Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga officially weighed in for their rematch on Friday at Venice Beach in California.  The official weigh-in results are as follows.

Main Event: Super-Middleweights – 12 Rds.

Shane Mosley (47-9-1, with 39 Knockouts) – 159lbs.  vs.     Ricardo Mayorga (31-8-1, with 25 Knockouts) – 165lbs. *

(*Mayorga was seven pounds over the original contracted weight of 158lbs. According to several media outlets including Fightnews.com Mayorga will forfeit  a $50,000 bonus he would have received for making the agreed contracted weight. It was questionable as to whether Mayorga, who weighed in at 173lbs. for his last fight against Andrik Saralegui last December and 172lbs for his bout with Allen Medina in September of last year would have been able to make the 158lb. contracted catch-weight since he has not fought below 160lbs.  since his fight with Miguel Cotto in March 2011.) 

The official weigh in for this fight took place in private. Both fighters then participated in a mock weigh-in for the public on Venice Beach.

Lightweights – 10Rds.

Joel Diaz Jr. (19-0, with 15 Knockouts) – 134lbs.  vs.                       Luis Arceo (28-13-4, with 18 Knockouts) – 134lbs.

IBF Women’s World Jr. Featherweight championship – 10 Rds.

Yulihan Luna (Champion) (12-2, with 1 Knockout) – 121lbs. vs.       Maureen Shea (24-2, with 12 Knockouts) (Challenger)  – 120lbs.

A six round Super-Middeweight bout between Ronald Ellis 11-0, 9 Knockouts and Jas Phipps 5-5-2, 2 Knockouts is also scheduled to take place on this card. Weights for that bout however, are unavailable as of this writing.

Mosley-Mayorga II takes place tonight at The Forum in Inglewood, CA and is available on a cable/satellite pay-per-view basis in the United States and Canada for $49.95. Contact your local pay-per-view provider for ordering information.  The card will be available in the UK and Ireland on BoxNation. Check local listings.

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

  

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