Previewing The Weekend’s Middleweight Action

Two significant fights in Boxing’s Middleweight division take center stage this weekend as both bouts could have an impact on the overall landscape of the division. The first of the two bouts will take place on Friday night at the Santander Arena in Redding, PA as current World Boxing Association (WBA) number one Middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs faces former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Sergio Mora in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds that will headline the latest addition of the Premier Boxing Champions series broadcast by Spike TV in the United States.

This is a rematch of a fight that took place in August of last year that had a somewhat “Inconclusive” outcome. In what was an exciting fight where both men suffered knockdowns, the combat was halted in the second round when Mora, who was in the process of attempting to evade Jacobs’ offense went down to the canvas with his right leg bent awkwardly and suffered an injury to his right ankle which forced the fight to be stopped. The inconclusive ending to this fight because of the injury suffered by Mora, which was later confirmed to be a fractured ankle has fueled demand for this rematch.

For Jacobs, who has held interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Middleweight ratings for over two years, this will be his first fight since scoring a first round knockout over former WBO Middleweight world champion Peter Quillin in December of last year. Mora has not fought since suffering the injury and subsequent loss to Jacobs last year and it will be interesting to see if Jacobs attempts to press the action from the outset and test Mora or if the rematch will be a more tactical encounter.

Although Jacobs has an edge in regard to punching power as he has stopped twenty-eight opponents in his thirty-one career wins and has registered a career knockout percentage of 88%, Mora was able to get to him in the first fight and even though he is known more as a defensive boxer, he has also shown a willingness throughout his career to mix it up with his opposition. In some ways, this fight could be described as a “Do Over” due to how inconclusive the ending of the first fight was.

Both men can box and both have shown the willingness to go toe to toe. The question this observer has going into this fight is whether or not this will be a continuation of the first fight where both fighters made their presence known and were able to score knockdowns of each other or if this will be a more tactical fight. Although Mora was able to get to Jacobs in the first fight, it is logical to assume that he will look to outbox Jacobs in the rematch. Mora has the kind of style that uses good lateral movement, ability to slip punches, and also has the hand speed that can frustrate opponents.

Jacobs meanwhile should look to cut off the ring from the outset and thus limit Mora’s ability to use movement in order to avoid his offense. Jacobs has the ability to get an opponent out of there with one punch and also wear down an opponent over the course of fight. Even though one cannot discount the possibility of one punch being the deciding factor in any fight, I believe Jacobs should not only look to limit Mora’s movement, but also use body punching as a component of his offense.

If this fight does go longer than the first fight between these two men and Mora is able to have success in using his movement to evade Jacobs’ offense, Jacobs could slow that movement down by going to the body of Mora consistently, which will theoretically take a toll on Mora’s legs and ability to move as the fight progresses. This can be of course easier said than done against a slick boxer like Mora.

It would not surprise this observer however, if Mora is able to use his hand speed and manage to make Jacobs miss frequently with his offense that a possible third encounter between the two could be discussed should Mora be successful in this fight. No matter what happens in this fight, it is my hope for both the fighters themselves as well as Boxing fans that the outcome this time will be “Conclusive.”

The second of the two Middleweight showdowns that will take place this weekend will be a battle between two undefeated world champions as undefeated WBA/IBO/IBF/WBC Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin will attempt to make his seventeenth successful title defense against undefeated IBF Welterweight world champion Kell Brook on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, England, which will be broadcast the United States by HBO Sports.

In his last title defense in April of this year Golovkin stopped a “Game”, but overmatched Dominic Wade in two rounds in what was his sixteenth successful title defense and his twenty-second consecutive knockout. Since that fight, the Middleweight “Knockout Artist” was named WBC world champion after previously holding interim championship status in the WBC’s Middleweight ratings per his victory over former WBC number one contender Marco Antonio Rubio in a title defense of his unified championship in October 2014.

Golovkin was named champion of the WBC following former champion Saul Alvarez’ decision following his knockout win over former Jr. Welterweight world champion Amir Khan in May to seek other opposition rather than face Golovkin in what would have been a mandatory title defense for him and a fight that would of further unified the Middleweight division. Golovkin now owns four of five world championships in the division with Alvarez’ choosing instead to attempt to win a Jr. Middleweight world championship on September 17th when he faces undefeated WBO champion Liam Smith at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX in a bout that will headline a pay-per-view card broadcast by HBO Pay-Per-View.

In a scenario somewhat similar to Alvarez’ last fight against Amir Khan however, Golovkin will attempt to make his seventeenth successful title defense against current Welterweight world champion Kell Brook. This will be the first time in this observer’s recollection that a current Welterweight world champion will attempt to win a Middleweight world championship since Marlon Starling attempted to win the IBF Middleweight world championship from Michael Nunn on April 14, 1990.

Starling, who was then the WBC Welterweight world champion moved up two weight classes to challenge the undefeated Nunn for his world championship. In what was a tactical and non-eventful fight, Nunn retained his Middleweight world championship with a twelve round majority decision over Starling. Now twenty-six years later, Brook will attempt the same feat as he will move up in weight to challenge Golovkin for his unified crown.

Although Golovkin holds the WBA Middleweight world championship as part of his unified crown, the WBA has chosen not to sanction this fight for its Middleweight world championship citing both the fact that Brook has never fought in the 160lb. Middleweight division as well as WBA president Gilberto Mendoza calling the fight in comments made to ESPN Deportes quote “A Business fight” stating that it was the organization’s stance that there were opponents in the Middleweight division who were willing to face Golovkin including current number one contender Daniel Jacobs as well as expressing his opinion that Brook could have sought opposition in the 147lb. Welterweight division such as current WBC world champion Danny Garcia to attempt to unify the Welterweight division as the WBA’s reasoning for that sanctioning this fight.

This does present a scenario where theoretically the winner of the Jacobs-Mora rematch could be named WBA Middleweight world champion perhaps as soon as next week assuming Brook pulls off what should be considered a significant upset over Golovkin per Jacobs holding interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Middleweight ratings. The politics of the sport notwithstanding, it is refreshing as an old school Boxing historian and enthusiast to see a fight where there is no element of “Catch Weights” where Brook will be moving up to face the unified Middleweight world champion in that champion’s official weight class and not at a weight “In Between.” It is something that quite frankly the sport needs more of.

As for the fight itself, Kell Brook will have the task that all previous Gennady Golovkin opponents have had. Brook must find a way to avoid the constant pressure and seek and destroy attack that has made Golovkin one of the most feared fighters in recent Middleweight history as the champion has registered a career knockout percentage of 91% having knocked out thirty-two of his thirty-five opponents in his professional career. Golovkin is also four successful defenses away from tying the all-time Middleweight record for successful world championship defenses of twenty currently held by Bernard Hopkins.

Brook is a boxer/puncher that has shown good hand speed and power throughout his career. The obvious question going into this fight is will Brook’s hand speed and punching power be the offense of weapons they have been in a weight class thirteen pounds below where this fight will take place. As for Brook’s ability to make the 160lb. Middleweight limit, he officially came in one pound heavier than the champion at the official weigh-in on Friday weighing in at 159lbs to the champion’s 158lbs.  It will be interesting to see if this will be of any significance once the two fighters have had the opportunity to re-hydrate before they enter the ring.

In thinking of how this fight might be fought, I have had thoughts of Golovkin’s title defense against former two-time Middleweight world champion Daniel Geale in July 2014. Much like Brook, Geale is a fighter with good hand speed and lateral movement who has the ability to execute his offense in volume. Geale however, was unable to use his movement to his advantage as Golovkin consistently applied pressure on him before knocking Geale out in the third round while absorbing a flush right hand from Gealeas he threw and landed a counter right hand of his own. It is logical to assume that Golovkin will look to pressure Brook from the outset in a similar way as he was able to do against Geale and look to test the Welterweight world champion’s ability to take a Middleweight punch.

This is a fight where Brook could have some success using his movement and hand speed, but the question will be can he avoid Golovkin’s pressure and power for twelve rounds? Even though Brook is the underdog in this fight, he will likely have the support of the crowd as the bout will take place in his home country of England. Although Brook is undefeated and is a world champion to his credit, it is understandable why he is considered the underdog in this fight against a fighter with not only a 91% career knockout percentage, but also a fighter who has never fought past eight rounds.

What these two fights present are two intriguing storylines. The first fight, a rematch between a former world champion and a top contender where the hope is for a clear winner to emerge. The new wrinkle to this rematch however, is also the possibility of the winner potentially becoming a world champion depending on what happens in the second of the two fights taking place over the weekend. A battle between two undefeated world champions where one is moving up significantly in weight to challenge the other for his crown. Whether this fight will be as tactical as Nunn-Starling remains to be seen. If however, Brook can produce an unlikely significant test for a Middleweight champion who has knocked out nearly all of his opposition, this encounter between a current Welterweight world champion and a current Middleweight world champion may prove a historic moment in recent Boxing history. If both fights turn out to be as intriguing as they appear to be on paper, the real winners will be Boxing fans.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

PBC: Jacobs vs. Mora II takes place tonight (Friday, September 9th at the Santander Arena in Redding, PA. The fight can be seen in the United States by Spike TV at 9PM ET/PT. Check your cable or satellite provider for time and channel in your area. Check your listings internationally. For more information on the Premier Boxing Champions series please visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com.

Golovkin vs. Brook takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, September 10th at the O2 Arena in London England. The fight can be seen in the United States on HBO Sports live at 5:30PM ET/PT. The fight will be replayed later in the evening as part of HBO’s live coverage of a double header featuring Carlos Cuadras defending his WBC Jr. Bantamweight world championship against WBC Flyweight world champion Roman Gonzalez and a Jr. Middleweight rematch between Jesus Soto-Karass and Yoshihiro Kamegai taking place at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. This portion of HBO’s Boxing coverage will begin at 10PM ET/PT. Check your cable or satellite provider for time and channel in your area. For more information please visit www.hbo.com/boxing.

In the United Kingdom, Golovkin vs. Brook will be televised on pay-per-view on Sky Box Office beginning at 6PM (Local UK Time) for €21.95 HD/€16.95 Standard Definition. For ordering information please visit: https://my.sky.com/orderboxoffice/.

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What’s Next For Darwin Price?

Sometimes in the sport of Boxing one may wonder what some experts and fans alike look for in the endless search for rising prospects. For this observer, I tend to look for things that stand out whether it be a fighter’s skills or whether a fighter has charisma that seems to generate interest. In the case of rising Jr. Welterweight prospect Darwin Price both of those things stand out.

Price, a native of Houston, TX began his professional career in 2013 and compiled an undefeated record of 10-0, with 5 Knockouts prior to his encounter with fellow rising prospect Javontee Starks on September 3rd at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio, TX in a fight that headlined a Premier Boxing Champions card and a bout that was fought one pound above the 140lb Jr. Welterweight limit. This appeared to be the definition of a development fight for both fighters as each looked to take the next step in progressing toward contender status.

In Starks, Price faced a slightly more experienced fighter in terms of professional experience having fought four more fights than Price had prior to the bout, but also a fighter who was at a similar stage having recently suffered the first loss of his career in October of last year in losing an eight round unanimous decision to then unbeaten prospect Samuel Figueroa. It interested me to see how Starks would approach this fight against another undefeated prospect.

The story of this fight would be Price’s hand speed and combination punching. For seven rounds, Price consistently beat Starks to the punch throwing and landing double jabs followed by right hands consistently throughout the entire fight. What impressed me about Price’s performance in this fight was not only his commitment to throwing combinations often off of a double jab, but more specifically how he was able to control distance from the outset and create a scenario where he was able to dictate the ebb and flow of the fight where Starks was not able to be effective.

Starks simply had no answer for Price’s hand speed as he was dropped from a double jab, right hand combination in the third round and simply could not find a way to nullify Price’s attack as the undefeated Price continued to dominate the action before the fight was stopped in the seventh round. Although there was simply not much to say about this fight, it was an impressive performance by Price that will surely generate interest. As for Javontee Starks even though he was outgunned in this fight, this observer does not believe that suffering two straight losses will set his career back too far. There are many stories throughout the history of Boxing of fighters suffering setbacks during the early stages of their careers where after a period of time those fighters were able to rebound and go on to have success.

It will be interesting to see whether Starks will fight another fighter who is considered a prospect in his next fight or if he may look to face a fighter who would be considered a journeyman in an effort to boost his confidence. Although taking on a fighter who may have an unflattering record and who may not be well known is not always a sure formula to boost a fighter’s confidence following some setbacks, maybe it would benefit Starks if he could get back in the win column and manage to get a win or two against lesser-known opposition before facing another prospect to attempt to elevate himself toward contender status.

As for Darwin Price it will also be interesting to see who he fights next. This observer believes that possibilities could exist in both the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions for Price. It is important to remember that Price has only had eleven pro fights and a question that is asked of virtually all prospects is how quickly will their handlers match them against someone who is considered a threat and/or a contender. Obviously, the answer to that question is one that varies depending on the fighter, but it is one that all prospects have to answer in time. Whether or not Price will face a fighter who can provide him a test in his next fight remains to be seen, but based on how well he performed in this fight it would not surprise me to see him test the waters against a fighter who is ranked in the top twenty to top fifteen range in either the Jr. Welterweight or Welterweight divisions.

There are certainly plenty opportunities in both weight classes for rising prospects who were looking to climb the ranks. It may simply come down to what opportunities are available and if those opportunities are viable both from a Boxing standpoint of a fighter looking to establish himself as a player in the division and also from an economic standpoint. No matter what factors in to any decisions that will be made in regard to Darwin Price’s future opposition, he has established himself as a fighter to watch and if he can continue to progress he could well be a player in either division for years to come.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Premier Boxing Champions 9/3/2016 Weigh-In Results

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions card took place earlier today in San Antonio, TX. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: Welterweight – 8Rds.

Darwin Price 141lbs.              vs.        Javontee Starks 141lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 8Rds.

Kent Cruz 137 1/2lbs.            vs.       Ricky Edwards 139lbs.

Middleweight – 6Rds.

Junior Castillo 162lbs.            vs.       Josue Obando 161lbs.

Jr. Featherweight – 6Rds.

David Perez 120lbs.   vs.        Gustavo Molina 121 1/2lbs.

Lightweight – 6Rds.

Eric Anton 129lbs.      vs.        Justin Pauldo 134lbs.

Lightweight – 4Rds.

Xavier Wilson 133lbs.            vs.       Frank Brown (Pro Debut) 134lbs.

Jr. Lightweight – 4Rds.

Brandon Soto 126 1/2lbs.    vs.            Tannder Dodd 127lbs.

(*A Women’s four round bout between undefeated Amanda Garza and Selina Barrios who is slated to make her professional debut is scheduled to take place. Weights for that bout are unavailable as of this writing. Bout to take place as scheduled as of this writing.)

PBC: Price vs. Starks takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, September 3rd) at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio, TX. The card will be televised in the United States by NBC Sports Network at 8PM EST/5PM PT. Check your cable or satellite provider for time and channel in your area. The card will also be streamed on the NBC Sports Live Extra app. For more information about NBC Sports and NBC Sports Live Extra please visit: www.nbcsports.com/liveextra. 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.

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

Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released on Friday, September 2nd. 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

Belated Thoughts On PBC 8/27/2016 Card

The Premier Boxing Champions series has steadily increased in popularity among both Boxing fans and experts alike since its debut in January of last year. Beyond the much-needed exposure that the series has brought the sport, one of the primary reasons for the series popularity is it has put on several competitive fights and entertaining cards since its inception. The latest Premier Boxing Champions card, which took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on August 27th, certainly fit the description of competitive and entertaining.

In the main event of this card former two-division world champion Robert Guerrero returned to the ring for the first time since dropping a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision to two-division world champion Danny Garcia in January of this year in a bout for the vacated World Boxing Council (WBC) Welterweight world championship. Guerrero’s opponent for the would be “Comeback” fight was David Peralta. Peralta, a veteran of twenty-eight professional bouts prior to this encounter against Guerrero was a relative unknown outside of his native Cordoba, Argentina and was taking a significant step up in the class of his opposition against the former world champion.

It is difficult sometimes to form an opinion on what one could expect to take place in a fight where one fighter is a relative unknown. Based on Peralta’s record however, a respectable 25-2-1, with 14 Knockouts, but a record compiled against opposition that was also largely unknown to most Boxing fans and experts, it was understandable why most considered Peralta to be a significant underdog against Guerrero.

The one thing that stood out early on in this fight in this observer’s eyes was Peralta’s style in that it was an awkward style in terms of his movement and it seemed that Guerrero could have some trouble landing punches consistently. This did not however, have much impact on Guerrero in the early rounds as he was able to land the cleaner punches of the two. Peralta did show that he had come to fight and it was competitive from start to finish as the two fighters engaged in a tactical battle.

Although Peralta was able to have periods of effectiveness in the early rounds, the primary difference was Guerrero’s ability to not only land the cleaner punches, but land the harder attention grabbing blows. This would change as the fight progressed. As the fight entered the middle rounds, Peralta began having more success as he was able to gradually take control of the tempo of the combat in using his jab to control distance as well as being effective in landing his right hand as well as combinations.

What was impressive about Peralta’s performance as the fight went on beyond it being an impressive one in terms of how he was able to out box Guerrero as the bout progressed was how he did not get discouraged particularly during times when he would get caught with solid power punches from Guerrero in the middle of some heated exchanges. Peralta’s ability to use movement, land punches both from distance as well as when Guerrero pressed forward, and ability to make Guerrero miss became the story the fight.

There was however, a confusing moment in the ninth round of this fight where Peralta struck Guerrero with two right hands that sent him staggering into a neutral corner where it appeared that the ropes prevented Guerrero from fully going down to the canvas. Under most circumstances when something like this occurs in a fight, it is normally ruled a knockdown on the basis of the ropes preventing a fighter from going down the canvas. In this instance, there was no such ruling from Referee Ray Corona. Video replays however, appeared to indicate that the fighters legs may have gotten tangled as Guerrero was struck with the punches from Peralta and thus if there were a ruling of no knockdown, it would have been the correct call. It was nevertheless confusing as Corona did not indicate that Guerrero stumbling into the corner was a result of a slip. The confusion notwithstanding, it did nothing to diminish Peralta’s performance as he would go on to win a twelve round split decision over Guerrero in a fight that I unofficially scored seven rounds to five in his favor or 115-113 in points.

Also on this card, undefeated rising Jr. Middleweight prospect Terrell Gausha scored a ten round majority decision over a very “Game” Steven Martinez. Martinez was very effective in the first half of this fight particularly due to his attack of Gausha’s body, but as the fight went on it was Gausha’s ability to land the cleaner punches as well as his effective counter punching that earned him the decision as I scored the fight unofficially in his favor six rounds to four or 95-93 in points.

In a battle between two grizzled veterans that was contested in the Super-Middleweight division Freddy Hernandez overcame a cut over his left eye in the fifth round to score a ten round unanimous decision over Alfredo Angulo. This fight saw plenty of back and forth action between two fighters who were more than willing to engage. Despite suffering the cut, Hernandez executed a good fight plan using movement to offset Angulo’s pressure and outworked him throughout the fight. Although Angulo had his moments periodically over the course of this fight, he simply was not able to land consistently with his offense and that was the overall difference in the bout. Unofficially, I scored this fight eight rounds to two in Hernandez’ favor or 98-92 in points.

Overall this card produced three competitive bouts where one could make an argument that the Gausha-Martinez as well as Guerrero-Peralta bouts could see a rematch at some point. Although some may feel that a rematch between Guerrero and Peralta may appear to be more likely given that Peralta was an unknown who was given little or no chance to defeat Guerrero and was able to pull off the upset, I feel that Steven Martinez gave Terrell Gausha all he could handle and I believe based on his performance in providing Gausha with a stern test is deserving of a rematch should the opportunity come along.

As for Freddy Hernandez and Alfredo Angulo, their battle was an entertaining one and both could end up in the ring against each other again at some point in the future. This observer believes it will be more likely that both could face other opposition before a potential rematch could take place.

All three fights produced interesting storylines coming out of this card as the relative unknown David Peralta is now a fighter who should be in the mix.  Terrell Gausha was able to remain unbeaten against a determined opponent who one might argue will benefit more from the loss as it will likely open up more opportunities for potential fights against other rising prospects and maybe even a rematch with Gausha. While Freddy Hernandez, a veteran of forty-two professional fights, who had gone winless in six straight bouts between 2012-2014 has now reemerged having won four straight bouts and should have some momentum going forward after his victory over Alfredo Angulo.

For former world champion Robert Guerrero and the always “Game” Alfredo Angulo however, some may wonder where either fighter will go from here. Although this observer believes a potential rematch between Guerrero and Peralta is a possibility, both Guerrero and Angulo are fighters who have always given it everything they have each time they step in the ring and had both been in their share of wars throughout their respective careers. Some may indeed wonder if the accumulation of battles have taken something out of both men. Regardless of each fighter suffering losses on this card, it will probably not damage either in terms of their ability to secure a lucrative fight down the line. After all, both fighters have endeared themselves to Boxing fans over the years for their willingness to take on all comers as well as having crowd pleasing styles. Despite Guerrero and Angulo each suffering a setback, this observer does not believe either fighter will call it a career and it will be interesting to see if both men can rebound.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Brief Update

We would like to let our readers know that a recap of the August 27th Premier Boxing Champions card headlined by a twelve round Welterweight bout between former two-division world champion Robert Guerrero and David Peralta is currently in the works and will be released on Wednesday, August 31st. 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

Premier Boxing Champions 8/27/2016 Weigh-In Results

The official weigh-in for the latest edition of the Premier Boxing Champions series took place on Friday in Anaheim, CA. The weights for the entire card are as follows.

 Main Event: Welterweight – 10Rds.

Robert Guerrero 146lbs. vs.     David Peralta 147lbs.

Super-Middleweight – 10Rds.

Alfredo Angulo 164 3/4lbs.     vs.     Freddy Hernandez 163lbs.

Middleweight – 10Rds.

Terrell Gausha 155lbs.   vs.     Steven Martinez 154lbs.

Heavyweight – 6Rds.

Stephan Shaw 258lbs.   vs.     Jonathan Rice 266lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 6Rds.

Luis Bello 139lbs.          vs.     Omar Reyes 140lbs.

Featherweight – 4Rds.

Victor Morales Jr. 125lbs.        vs.     Erick Lainez 125lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 4Rds.

Abram Martinez 142lbs. vs.     Phillip Percy 137lbs.

Featherweight – 4Rds.

Daniel Gonzalez 125lbs. vs.     Javier Cepeda 126lbs.

Lightweight – 4Rds.

Neri Romero 132lbs.                vs.     Luis Silva 130lbs.

PBC: Guerrero vs. Peralta takes place tonight (Saturday, August 27th) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. The card will be broadcast in the United States on Spike TV at 9PM ET/6PM PT. 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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Reflecting On Olympic Boxing 2016

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil saw what should be considered an overall improvement for Olympic Boxing. A return to basics in regard to not only the scoring format in returning to the traditional 10-point must system where a winner of a round earns 10 points while the loser of a round earns 9 or less, as well as a return of no headgear for men competing in the Boxing tournament seemed to have a positive impact on the 2016 Olympics.

Bouts in the tournament were generally quick paced and did have more entertainment value than had been the case in previous Olympic tournaments that were fought under the previous computerized scoring format that was in place from 1992-2012. The 2016 tournament also saw the inclusion of three professional fighters who competed against amateurs in the tournament. As controversial as the decision to allow professional fighters to compete against amateurs seemed however, it did not have as much an impact as some thought it would as all three fighters Amnat Ruenroeng, Hasan N’Dam, and Carmine Tommasone were all eliminated in the early stages of the competition.

In the first piece discussing the 2016 Olympic Boxing tournament last week, this observer stated that I was on record in saying that I was taking a “Wait And See” approach regarding the changes to the format of Olympic Boxing before forming an opinion one way or another. I also stated that despite the changes in the format, elements of controversy remained with regard to the scoring in that several fights ended in a split decisions and had differences of opinion as to who won those bouts, a scenario that is not all that uncommon from what happens on a regular basis in Professional Boxing in regard to close fights or bouts where the official outcome differs significantly from the opinion of spectators who watch a fight.

Although the original intent of this column was going to be centered on what may be in store for the various medalist coming out of this tournament, it cannot be overlooked that there was action taken in light of some of these controversial decisions that took place in Rio. The International Boxing Association (AIBA), the organization that oversees Amateur and Olympic Boxing announced during the second week of the competition that unnamed referees and judges who had not performed up to expectations were removed from officiating from the remainder of the tournament citing that less than a handful of decisions of over two hundred thirty plus bouts at that point were not at the level expected and after evaluation decided to remove those officials from officiating the remainder of the 2016 Olympic Boxing tournament. The AIBA also stated that the results of all the bouts would stand, but also expressed its commitment to ensuring a level playing field and its commitment to a zero-tolerance of foul play policy in regard to Boxing.

Even though the officials and particular bouts that led to the AIBA’s intervention during this tournament were not named, it is something that should be applauded by all Boxing fans and experts alike that the organization, which oversees Amateur/Olympic Boxing, is taking a proactive approach toward ensuring that all fighters who compete get a fair shake. After so many years of questions of corruption and questionable decisions in Olympic Boxing, it is refreshing to see that steps are being taken to improve the sport on the Olympic level.

It goes without saying however, that no sport Amateur or Professional is perfect and after many years of dealing with issues regarding questions of corruption and controversial decisions, it is not something that can be improved overnight. It takes time and it was simply unrealistic for anyone to expect that there would not be any questions of the scoring of fights or questionable outcomes in this tournament. The proactive approach that the AIBA has taken is nevertheless encouraging as it relates to future Olympic tournaments.

As for some of the boxers who stood out in this tournament, some fighters did show promise in my eyes as potential fighters, who could go on to have successful professional careers. Fighters such as Light Flyweight Bronze Medalist Nico Hernandez, Bantamweight Silver Medalist Shakur Stevenson, both of the United States as well as Flyweight Gold Medalist Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan and Middleweight Gold Medalist Arlen Lopez of Cuba were just a few of the fighters that stood out as those who could have promising professional careers. In all truth and honesty, it is hard to judge who might go on to have a promising pro career based on what happens in Olympic tournaments and it would not surprise me to see fighters who may not have advanced far in this tournament go on to do more in the professional ranks.

The 2016 Olympic Boxing tournament also saw history made as Women’s Middleweight Gold Medalist Claressa Shields of United States became the first American boxer male or female to win consecutive Olympic Gold medals after previously winning gold in the 2012 Olympics in London, England. Although Women’s Professional Boxing has not received the kind of exposure in the United States as it has in other countries, I believe that if Shields were to pursue a professional career that it would give the sport much-needed exposure that is frankly long overdue. Shields has demonstrated in two Olympic tournaments that she has the skills that could make her a force to be reckoned with in the professional ranks and it will be interesting to see if she decides to pursue a career as a professional fighter.

Overall, I feel that the 2016 Olympic Boxing tournament should be viewed as a success, but also a work in progress. This tournament took some important steps towards improvement in regard to its format as well as improving the perception of the competition. As far as some things that I would like to see improved upon perhaps as early as the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, I believe that increasing the distance in rounds for Olympic fights from three to four rounds may decrease the potential for controversy with maybe a fifth round being used in the event of a draw as a tiebreaker round as a way that would hopefully resolve close decisions. In the 2016 Olympic Boxing tournament there were several fights where either one fighter was able to get the upper hand by a slight margin over his/her opponent in the first two rounds of the fight, while the opponent was able to be clearly more effective in the third and deciding round, resulting in many fights being scored by a margin of 2 to 1 on the scorecards.

As the 2016 Olympic tournament seemed to take a step of moving Olympic Boxing to a format closer to its professional counterpart, I believe increasing the distance of bouts by a slight margin may help improve future tournaments as well as decrease potential controversy. The 2016 tournament was nevertheless successful and if progress can continue to be made by the AIBA toward ensuring a level playing field for all fighters who compete in the sport in the future it will only benefit Olympic Boxing overall.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

What’s Next For Jarrell Miller?

The Heavyweight bout between undefeated rising contender Jarrell Miller and battle tested veteran Fred Kassi was an interesting fight on paper. Miller, a fighter who has risen to top ten contender status in the World Boxing Association (WBA), the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) respective Heavyweight ratings has quickly established himself as a fighter to watch having knocked out fifteen of eighteen professional opponents prior to the fight with Kassi and had also won the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) championship in the Heavyweight division.

In previewing this fight, this observer stated that two questions are usually asked when a fighter establishes himself as a top contender. A question of whether or not that fighter will face a significant test as a top contender followed by a question of how long it might be before that fighter gets an opportunity at a world championship.

Some believed that Fred Kassi may have been the fighter to provide an answer to the first question of whether Miller would face a significant test. After all, Kassi had established himself as an opponent who has given fighters like Chris Arreola and Dominic Breazeale all they could handle and some might argue, Kassi deserved victories against both earning a draw against Arreola and a controversial decision loss against Breazeale.

Although Miller does have punching power, I did wonder how he would do against a fighter with an awkward style as well as hand speed such as Kassi. When the two fighters got in the ring at Rhinos Stadium in Rochester, NY on August 19th however, it did not turn out to be the test for Miller that some, including this observer, thought it might be.

The first round of this fight was dictated by Kassi as he was able to land punches and use lateral movement to evade the pressuring Miller. It was after this round that I felt somewhat validated in thinking that this fight would be one that would answer some questions about Miller, a fighter who has been developing a reputation as a “Knockout Artist.” Even though questions surrounding a knockout puncher’s stamina as a fight progresses are natural to ask, Miller would show in this fight the ability to quickly adapt.

In the second round, Miller began to let his hands go and was able to land to Kassi’s body. Miller would continue his attack in round three in landing offense to the body and head of Kassi. The effects of Miller’s body attack seemed to nullify Kassi’s movement as he was unable to move as quickly away from Miller in the second and third rounds as he was in the first round. It was after the third round where Kassi stopped the fight citing an injury to his right hand.

Even though some may not call this victory for Miller an exciting one, I was impressed by how well he executed his attack of Kassi. It should not be overlooked that Miller not only possesses the ability to knock an opponent out with either hand, but he is also a highly skilled combination puncher and that could be a valuable asset as he progresses toward competing against the top fighters in the Heavyweight division.

The question coming out of this fight is obviously what is next for Jarrell Miller? Although the idea of Miller being in consideration for a potential opportunity at a world championship at this stage could be a possibility, this observer believes that fights against the likes of David Price, Johann Duhaupas, and potentially a bout against someone like former two-division world champion David Haye could all be viable options before Miller sets his sights on one of the world champions of the division.

A victory over the likes of fighters like Haye, a former world champion in both the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions or a win over a fighter like Duhaupas, who gave a spirited effort in his challenge of undefeated WBC world champion Deontay Wilder in September of last year would accomplish two things. It would not only give Miller further momentum toward a potential title shot, but it would also add another notable name and victory to his resume.

Even though this victory over Fred Kassi for Miller did not come via a highlight reel knockout, it was still an impressive performance and did accomplish the goal of taking a crucial step forward in his career against an experienced veteran. It will be interesting to see who Miller fights next and if he can continue to 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

ShoBox 8/19/2016 Weigh-In Results

The official weigh-in for Showtime Sports’ latest edition of it’s ShoBox: The New Generation series took place on Thursday in Rochester, NY. The official weights for the entire card are as follows. 

Main Event: North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Heavyweight championship – 10Rds.

Jarrell Miller (Champion) 296 1/2lbs.         vs.        Fred Kassi 237lbs.

North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Bantamweight championship – 10Rds.

Antonio Nieves (Champion) 117lbs.           vs.        Alejandro Santiago 117 1/2lbs.

Vacant North American Boxing Organization (NABO) Lightweight championship – 10Rds.

Baholdir Mamadjonov 135lbs.                    vs.        Mason Menard 134.5lbs.

Welterweight – 10Rds.

Bakhtiyar Eyubov 142lbs.    vs.        Karim Mayfield 142lbs.

*Other Bouts scheduled to take place: (Weights unavailable as of this writing.)

Middleweight - 4Rds.

Dorell Van Horn         vs.        Henry Beckford

Jr. Middleweight – 4Rds.

Saadiq Muhammad             vs.        Dave Tamaso

Jr. Lightweight – 4Rds.

Saquan Felton                       vs.        Vinnie Denierio

Featherweight – 4Rds.

Glenn Dezum             vs.        Aaron Hollis

ShoBox: Miller vs. Kassi takes place Tonight (Friday, August 19th at Rhinos Stadium, in Rhochester, NY.  The card will be televised in the United States by Showtime at 10PM ET/PT and will also be available on the Showtime and Showtime Anytime apps. Check your cable/satellite provider for time and channel in your area. For more information on Showtime, the Showtime and Showtime Anywhere apps, and available devices please visit: www.sho.com. Check your 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