ShoBox 8/23/2019 Results

Undefeated Super-Middleweight prospect Vladimir Shishkin scored a dominant eighth round stoppage over veteran DeAndre Ware in the main event of the latest edition of Showtime Sports ‘ popular ShoBox: The New Generation series on Friday night at the Central Park Community Center in Broken Arrow, OK. Shishkin kept the fight on the outside from the outset working behind a consistent jab, mixing in combinations, and tying Ware up whenever Ware would get on the inside. As the fight progressed, Ware began to look discouraged and could not find a way to turn the ebb and flow in his favor. Shishkin gradually increased the punishment until finally staggering Ware with a combination to the head in round eight. The barrage of punches clearly hurt Ware and with nothing coming back in terms of return offense from him, his corner threw the towel in to prevent Ware from sustaining further punishment. Official time of the stoppage was 2:40 of round eight. Vladimir Shishkin advances to 9-0, with 6 Knockouts. DeAndre Ware falls to 13-2-2, with 8 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

In the Jr. Welterweight division, undefeated prospect Shohjahon Ergashev scored a fourth round stoppage of a”Game “ Abdiel Ramirez. Ergashev scored a controversial knockdown of Ramirez in round two when after landing a left hand to the head, he grabbed him with both gloves and shoved him down to the canvas. Ramirez did his best to hang in there, but the punishment of Ergashev was simply too much to overcome and the fight was stopped at two minutes of round four. Shohjahon Ergashev advances to 17-0, with 15 Knockouts. Abdiel Ramirez falls to 24-5-1, with 22 Knockouts.


In the Jr. Featherweight division, undefeated prospect Arnold Khegai scored an eight round unanimous decision over Vladimir Tikhonov. Khegai consistently forced the action throughout and outworked Tikonov over the eight round bout. Although the fight was competitive, Tikhonov had trouble putting more than one punch at a time together with his offense. This allowed Khegai to get the decision victory. Official scores were :80-72 (On all three scorecards)for Khegai. Arnold Khegai advances to 16-0-1, with 10 Knockouts. Vladimir Tikhonov falls to 17-2, with 10 Knockouts.

Undefeated Welterweight Jaron Ennis scored a first round stoppage of Franklin Mamani. Mamani did not continue after the conclusion of the first round. Jaron Ennis advances to 23-0, with 21 Knockouts. Franklin Mamani falls to 23-6-1, 13 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight Brandun Lee needed only thirty seconds in the first round to stop Francisco Medel. Lee scored two knockdowns of Medel before the fight was stopped. Brandun Lee advances to 15-0, with 13 Knockouts. Francisco Medel falls to 13-21, with 8 Knockouts.

It will be interesting to see where the fighters who scored victories on this card will go next. While Showtime’s ShoBox series has served as a platform for several fighters who have gone on to be world champions in its near two decade history, the series serves a more important role in providing exposure for up and coming young fighters as they hone their skills. On this particular edition, the standout performance in my eyes belonged to Vladimir Shishkin. While DeAndre Ware was able to hang in there against the unbeaten Shishkin for close to eight full rounds, I was particularly impressed with how Shishkin kept his composure throughout this fight and seemed to take the approach of not looking for a knockout, but allowing one to develop by gradually breaking his opponent down.


With only nine professional fights in his career thus far, it’s hard to say Shishkin might be ready for a step up. He did show however, that he has glimpses of potential and with a little more seasoning, he may be in the discussion of contenders in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division in the not too distant future.

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

Golovkin-Derevyanchenko NYC Press Conference Quotes

Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN

Press Release: August 23, 2019 By DAZN - Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin believes his clash with Sergiy Derevyanchenko will be a classic when they meet for the vacant IBF World Middleweight title on Saturday, October 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York, live on DAZN. 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM MSG.COM

Golovkin (39-1-1 35 KOs) and Derevyanchenko (13-1 10 KOs) met at a press conference at the Mecca of boxing yesterday and both men stated their excitement for what promises to be a thrill a minute battle for the belt that Golovkin used to hold and that Derevyanchenko has challenged for.

Former unified king Golovkin is gunning to regain the crown he held for three years as the Kazakh star targets returning to world champion status and meetings with the other champions at 160lbs.

Derevyanchenko has plans to derail that journey though and came close to landing the IBF strap himself in October at the Hulu Theater at MSG, being edged out on a split decision against Golovkin’s old foe Daniel Jacobs.

“I’m so excited,” said Golovkin. “First of all, I’m happy to be back home, my second home. Thank you to my family at MSG for always supporting me. Of course, I’m very excited right now. Right now, I work with the best people from boxing.”

“I have the best opponent, Sergiy,” he added. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a very good fighter. This is a real fight. I’m a little bit scared because he’s good. I know his team is very strong. And I’m scared because he looks good. He looks strong. He feels it’s his time right now. Maybe – this is boxing, nobody knows. So if you want to watch a real show, a real fight, come to MSG on October 5 or watch live on DAZN.”

“I’m really excited and happy to be at Madison Square Garden,” said Derevyanchenko. “Thank you to my team, and I want to give thanks to Gennadiy Golovkin for the opportunity as well. I know exactly who I’m getting in the ring with. He’s the former Middleweight champion of the world, one of the best fighters in the world, but his time is coming to an end and I want to be the one that makes that time come to an end.”

--- 

Eddie Hearn, President, Matchroom Boxing USA

“Gennadiy is for me the most entertaining, most dangerous fighter in world boxing. Is there a fighter in boxing that gives more value for money than Gennadiy Golobkin? I’m not sure, I haven’t found him yet.”

“He may look like a very calm individual, we know he’s a lovely man, but what a fearsome fighter. For me, it’s a pleasure to be a part of Team GGG now, a man that we’ve admired from a distance for a long time, become one of the biggest names in the sport of boxing. As an individual, he carries himself with so much class. He’s a role model for the next generation of fighters coming through. He has integrity, he has honor. And when you look at him in the eyes, it tells you one thing - I love to fight, and I will fight any man.”

“There’s been a lot of speculation recently about who he’s going to fight. Is it going to be Canelo? The thing that’s most important in a fighter’s career is to take control of your career. Have a strategy, have a plan, don’t worry about other people. And right now, we have a plan with Gennadiy’s career that’s extremely exciting to dominate the division and it starts on October 5 at the Mecca of boxing.”

“What a 10 months it’s been for DAZN. We’re 10 months in, that’s it, and we have by far the strongest stable of fighters in America. It’s not even close.”

Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America

“It’s been a busy summer for DAZN to build out our year-end, one that is without question the most impressive schedule in fight sports. This fight on October 5th, the second of Gennadiy’s long-term deal with us, will be the start of what I see as the season of fight sports. A long-term schedule of high quality fights, best fighters against best fighters, delivering tremendous value for fight fans.”

“It’s a tremendous fight itself, and it’s only a part of our backend year end schedule that’s going to be great for fight fans and sports fans in general.”

Keith Connolly, Manager of Sergiy Derevyanchenko

“Wow what an amazing opportunity for Sergiy. 10 months ago we were in this building where he fought Danny Jacobs, and he lost a very close decision. He and his wife were very heartbroken. I made them one promise that night, that I would do everything in my power to get them another opportunity. 10 months later, because of a lot of maneuvering, he’s back in this same position he was 10 months ago,. He’s got a second opportunity to be under the bright lights and really change his life. I think he’s got a really good chance. I’m a huge fan of GGG, but this will be the second time in my life that I‘m rooting against him. Sergiy’s got a real chance. He might only be 13-1 as a pro but he has over 400 amateur fights and won 390 of them. This is definitely an entertaining fight.”

Andre Rozier, Trainer of Sergiy Derevyanchenko

“He cannot win this time. He cannot be victorious. The Technician is ready, he’s willing, he’s able. He’s putting his best foot forward. Our team is no longer fragmented. The squad is ready and we plan to be the middleweight champion of the world on October 5. Sergiy is a quiet man but you have to watch the quiet ones – they’re the most dangerous.”

Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment

“We knew that Gennadiy knew Sergiy, they’ve known each other for years, when they were both amateurs. Right now he’s moving on in his life and fighting the best middleweight in the world available to him, and I believe that’s what Sergiy is. I’m going to tell you, this is one of the three hardest fights GGG has ever walked into the ring for, one of the three best opponents GGG has ever faced as a pro. I think this is a great fight for fight fans and I promise you that between GGG Promotions and Eddie and myself, the rest of the card is going to live up to the main event and we’re going to have a night of boxing that’s one of the best on DAZN’s schedule for the rest of the year.”

Tom Loeffler, GGG Promotions

“He had that historic championship run. We’re looking forward to him winning the IBF title on October 5 to start another championship run in the middleweight division. He hasn’t lost a fight in the ring; he might have lost on the score cards, but we’re not looking back at that. We’re looking forward. He’s looking forward to Derevyanchenko.”

Johnathon Banks, Trainer of Gennadiy Golovkin

“It’s an honor to go against this guy [Rozier]. I’ve been saying that since I was 15 in the amateurs. I have nothing but the utmost respect for this guy. That’s to me, that’s one of the things that’s going to make this fight one of the biggest fights of GGG’s career. I know the pedigree that Rozier has and good fighters always surround himself with him because they know he always takes fighters to another level. This fight will be a good fight. Tune in on DAZN, come to the Garden, this is a fight you don’t want to miss. Both guys are fighting for a chance to be a world champion. One is a repeat, one is a first-timer, but it doesn’t matter, the playing field is completely even, completely level. Both guys are going to put everyone on the line for this fight to win this world title.”

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott Used with permission. 

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices and platforms, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com 

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

Feliciano Defeats Gomez for NABF Championship

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight prospect Luis Feliciano scored a workmanlike ten round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Genaro Gomez to win the vacant North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Jr. Welterweight championship on Thursday night at the Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino in Indio, CA. Feliciano controlled the action from the opening bell and was particularly effective in establishing an attack the body of Gomez that he made a focal point of his offense throughout the fight. It was this consistency and overall activity throughout that allowed Feliciano to earn a convincing decision victory. Official scores were: 98-92 (On two scorecards), and 99-91 in favor of Feliciano. Luis Feliciano advances to 13-0, with 8 Knockouts. Genaro Gomez falls to 9-1, with 6 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

In the Welterweight division, undefeated prospect Blair Cobbs scored an impressive come from behind ninth round knockout over previously undefeated Steve Vilalobos. The early rounds of this fight appeared to be dictated by Cobbs’ quickness and ability to get his punches off first. This changed in round six when Vilalobos connected with a flush right hand to the jaw of Cobbs when Cobbs was against the ropes. The shot staggered Cobbs and another right hand as part of a combination sent Cobbs down hard on the canvas. Although Cobbs was clearly hurt, he was able to pull himself together and survive the round. In round seven, Cobbs was able to regain control of the fight and began breaking Vilalobos down with an attack to the body and head. An uppercut from Cobbs put an end to matters in round nine sending Vilalobos down for the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:20 of round nine. Blair Cobbs advances to 12-0-1, with 8 Knockouts.Steve Vilalobos falls to 11-1-1, with 9 Knockouts.

In the Middleweight division, undefeated Richard Acevedo fought to a controversial six round draw with veteran Jose Rivera. Despite Rivera forcing the action and outworking Acevedo over the course of the fight, the judges were split as to who they felt won the bout with the third and deciding judge rendering an even scorecard. Official scores were 59-55 (Split on two scorecards) and 57-57. Richard Acevedo advances to 5-0-1, with 5 Knockouts. Jose Rivera advances to 8-4-1, with 5 Knockouts.

Also in the Middleweight division, undefeated Raul Curiel scored a sixth round stoppage of Alphonso Black. Curiel consistently forced the action throughout the fight and was able to pressure Black against the ropes. Although the veteran Black was able to hold his own throughout, the accumulation of punishment he had sustained forced a stoppage early in round six. Official time of the stoppage was :51 of round six Raul Curiel advances to 7-0, with 5 Knockouts. Alphonso Black falls to 8-7-1, with 4 Knockouts.

Lightweight Nicholas Sullivan successfully made his professional debut in the opening bout of this card by scoring a four round unanimous decision over Jose Palacios. Although the fight was at times sloppy, Sullivan’s combination punching and overall activity allowed him to score his first victory as a professional. Official scores were 39-37, and 40-36 (On two scorecards) all in favor of Sullivan. Nicholas Sullivan advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Jose Palacios falls to 1-4, with 1 Knockout.

This card, which was featured on Golden Boy Promotions Thursday Night Fights series on Facebook Watch featured rising prospects and fighters who are just starting their professional careers. While the fighters featured on this card are all at varying stages of their respective development, we did see that the goal is not to pad the records of these boxers, but to provide tests that will only serve the fighters well in the future as they continue to progress. A clear example of this was the fight between Blair Cobbs and Steve Vilalobos. Although Vilalobos came out on the losing end of the fight, he will likely get an opportunity in the future against another prospect after providing Blair Cobbs with a legitimate scare early in his career. Cobbs meanwhile was able to answer some questions that are ultimately asked of all prospects. What happens when they get hurt and can they come off the canvas to win a fight.

As the monthly series continues to showcase some of the up and coming talent in Golden Boy Promotions’ stable, we are likely to see similar bouts take place in terms of matchmaking. Not only does it serve the purpose of helping young fighters develop in a way that will benefit them long-term, but from a promotional standpoint, series like this also serve as a platform for promoters to develop stars, which is, has, and always will be the lifeblood of the sport of Boxing. It is crucial not just for the fighters, not just promoters, but for the sport overall that series like this exists and that fans of Boxing 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

Is It Too Much, Too Soon For The Resurgence Of Bareknuckle Boxing?

Longtime readers of The Boxing Truth® are likely familiar with the coverage this observer has provided over the years of the various forms of Bareknuckle Boxing that have emerged. Over the last year, several promotions have surfaced devoted to presenting Bareknuckle Boxing in its purist form in a modernized presentation. Some of these promotions have included the Bareknuckle Boxing promotion out of the United Kingdom or (BKB) for short, not to be confused with the now defunct BKB branded promotion that was owned by United States satellite television provider DirecTV, Bareknuckle FC that regularly stages cards in the state of Wyoming, the World Bareknuckle Fighting Federation (WBKFF), which staged one card also in Wyoming, and finally the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Like the Bareknuckle FC and WBKFF, the BKFC began in Wyoming, but over the promotion’s seven events have expanded to include Mississippi, Mexico, and Florida.

The BKFC also broke from it’s established model as a pay-per-view attraction with its most recent event earlier this month by streaming the event for free on both digital combat sports network Fite TV and the BKFC’s official YouTube page. Although as this observer has stated in the past, Bareknuckle Boxing provides further opportunities for boxers and other combat sports athletes, a question I have found asking myself is whether or not the sport of Boxing in Bareknuckle form is expanding too quickly?

It is important to remember that up until recently, many states in the United States had an outright ban on bareknuckle combat. While DirecTV’s version of BKB initially began as a gloved-form of Bareknuckle Boxing, it quickly evolved from that to a form of Boxing that included the “BKB Pit” ring with no ropes but adapted the use of standard Boxing gloves. Even though adapting standard Boxing gloves appeared to clear significant hurdles in terms of licensing, sanctioning, and regulation as the last two BKB branded events were held in Las Vegas, NV, the promotion has not staged a card since 2015 and there have been no announcements of further events.

With DirecTV’s brand of BKB having essentially disappeared from the combat sports scene, the other promotions have emerged by presenting Boxing in a pure Bareknuckle format. No special knuckle-exposed gloves, just hand wraps over knuckles. Despite the success promotions like BKB in the United Kingdom, Bareknuckle FC, and the BKFC have had in a short period of time, the hurdles that initially stood in the way of DirecTV’s version of BKB as well as what stood in the way of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) for several years in terms of sanctioning and regulation remain ever present.

A new Bareknuckle Boxing promotion will join the fray in September as MMA legend Ken Shamrock will debut his Valor Bareknuckle promotion in its inaugural card in the state of North Dakota that will be televised on a pay-per-view basis on both the cable/satellite medium as well as the digital streaming medium via Fite TV on September 21st. On one hand a new Bareknuckle promotion entering the fray will provide further options for combat athletes, but on the other hand, some might question whether further expansion for the sport will be good in the long-term.

For the sport of MMA, expansion was a relatively slow process with only a handful of notable promotions worldwide, which included the sport’s inception into the United States in the early 1990’s. This was due to the sport initially being presented as a form of no-holds barred combat, which raised the ire of several politicians and thus created a significant roadblock in terms of regulation and sanctioning that took the sport several years to overcome. Though one could make the argument that the struggles that the sport of MMA faced in its early years actually helped the resurgence of Bareknuckle Boxing in a way as by the time the sport began to resurface, MMA had become almost universally sanctioned around the world and this may have led to some state athletic commissions being more open to regulating Bareknuckle Boxing, the question remains as to whether more strict athletic commissions and regulatory boards will be willing to open their doors to the sport.

Some may wonder why that would be a potential obstacle after the evolution of MMA that saw it’s initial no-holds barred format evolve to it’s current form of the use of gloves and weight classes. We should remember why Bareknuckle Boxing was eventually banned in terms of being an organized sport and why Boxing adapted the Marquess of Queensberry rules that include Boxing gloves. While yours truly was obviously not around in those times, as a Boxing historian, I have always been led to believe that the adoption of Boxing gloves primarily had to do with an overall concern for the safety of fighters. It is also worth noting that the scheduled distances of fights prior to the introduction of gloves were significantly greater than what one sees in the sport today where fights were at times scheduled for distances of twenty rounds or more.

Although obviously not every fight that occurred involved such a grueling test of one’s endurance, the effects from an accumulation of punishment sustained in Bareknuckle combat, which resulted in varying injuries that unfortunately included death was something that the sport dealt with. Even today with all the improvements not only in the sport in terms of shorter distances of fights and greater medical knowledge and screening, Boxing and other forms of combat sports do have to deal with the possibility of fighters suffering severe injuries that can at times unfortunately lead to death.

As most knowledgeable Boxing fans know, the sport was recently hit with two separate tragedies that resulted in the deaths of two boxers as a result of injuries sustained in the ring. Jr. Welterweights Maxim Dadashev and Hugo Santillan each passed away days apart after competing in bouts in July. Although these tragedies did not occur in bouts that were sanctioned under Bareknuckle rules and occurred under  the traditional professional Boxing format, the potential for similar circumstances does exist due to no gloves being used in those Bareknuckle bouts and the potential of such could stand in the way of further licensing and regulation clearances among more strict state athletic commissions and regulatory boards around the world.

While the subject of what can make Boxing as a whole and by extension all combat sports safer for the athletes that compete in it is one yours truly plans to discuss in the near future, the resurgence of Bareknuckle Boxing does have a few aspects that I do believe help its case in terms of seeking further clearances to stage cards. Firstly, though Bareknuckle Boxing is a form of professional Boxing, its format differs from the traditional form most are familiar with. Most of the Bareknuckle Boxing promotions use a two minute round format and tend to schedule fights for shorter round distances than the traditional form. Although knockouts under the Bareknuckle format can obviously be brutal, the knockouts tend to come suddenly and do not necessarily occur as a result of an accumulation of punishment over the course of a long fight. What also works in its favor is bouts tend to be stopped appropriately once it is apparent that a fighter is in danger and has had enough.

Whether or not those factors will eventually lead to the Bareknuckle form of the sport being sanctioned and regulated in states such as New York and Nevada remains to be seen. While the fact that several different Bareknuckle promotions have began and will begin operating is a good thing from the standpoint of it opening up further opportunities for athletes across all combat sports disciplines, I do fear however, that by so many promotions/groups emerging in such a short period of time that it will create an over saturation in terms of Bareknuckle events being staged in a calendar year, which could result in it being difficult to grow their respective audiences, but also and more importantly may do more harm than good when it comes to what should be the goal of every Bareknuckle Boxing promotion, to achieve universal licensing and regulation across the board. An achievement that frankly took the sport of MMA too long to accomplish.

“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.twiiter.com/Beau_Denison

Kovalev-Yarde Preview

The recent history of three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev has been marked by highs and lows. A better way to describe it perhaps is ups and downs. As most recall, Kovalev emerged on the Boxing scene by putting together a significant string of knockouts and winning a world championship in the Light-Heavyweight division in the process. Kovalev’s rise was not all that unlike the rise of former longtime Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin in that both established reputations as “Knockout Artists” in the sport.

Both however, have seen recent struggles and setbacks in their respective careers. In regard to Golovkin, he has seen his reign atop the Middleweight division come to an end in two hotly contested bouts with Saul “Canelo“ Alvarez. Two fights where he earned a controversial draw and a perhaps more controversial loss in the rematch. While many including this observer felt Golovkin won both fights against Alvarez and expect a third encounter between the two to take place at some point in the future, the loss Golovkin suffered in the second fight did cast some doubt in the eyes of some in regard to how much he might have left as a fighter.

For Sergey Kovalev, his career has seen more than one setback. Some might recall in losing a close, but unanimous decision and the loss of his unified Light-Heavyweight world championship to undefeated Super-Middleweight world champion Andre Ward in November 2016. This was followed by a somewhat controversial stoppage in their rematch in June 2017, the first knockout loss of Kovalev’s career. Following Ward’s retirement later that year, Kovalev was able to rebound and regain a portion of the Light-Heavyweight world championship by scoring a knockout win over Vycheslav Shabranskyy in November 2017.

Although one could say that the politics of the sport played a role in Kovalev fighting for a world championship for a third straight time coming off of consecutive losses to Andre Ward, both losses did have elements of controversy attached to them. It was indisputable however, that Kovalev outclassed Shabranskyy. A victory over a “Game”, but over matched opponent did not quell some of the doubt surrounding Kovalev following those two losses to Ward.

In his first title defense after regaining the WBO world championship in the Light-Heavyweight division, Kovalev would suffer his second knockout loss in brutal fashion at the hands of undefeated top contender Eleider Alvarez in August of last year. As he had done after suffering the first loss of his career against Andre Ward, Kovalev elected to have an immediate rematch against Alvarez in February of this year.

To the surprise of some Kovalev showed he could box and produced one of the better performances of his career by out boxing Alvarez over twelve rounds to regain the WBO championship for the second time. Even though Kovalev has proven on more than one occasion that he is more than a seek and destroy “Knockout Artist”, there are likely those who are skeptical and are questioning how much the thirty-six year old has left at this stage of his career.

While there were ramblings over recent months that Kovalev was at least rumored to fight Saul Alvarez in a bout that would see Alvarez move up in weight to challenge Kovalev for his world championship, the three-time world champion will instead make the first defense of his third reign as champion against undefeated WBO number one contender Anthony Yarde on Saturday in Chelyabinsk, Russia in a fight they can be seen here in the United States on digital sports streaming network ESPN+.

This will be a battle of experience versus youth. Yarde will enter the fight unbeaten in eighteen professional fights. What will make this fight interesting is this will be the first time that Kovalev will be facing a fighter, who much like himself has developed a reputation as a “Knockout Artist.” In his eighteen victories as a professional, Yarde has scored knockouts in seventeen of his eighteen wins registering a career knockout percentage of 94%. This is higher than Kovalev’s career knockout percentage of 76%, but for the majority of his career, Kovalev’s percentage has been above 80% having scored knockouts in twenty-eight of his thirty-three career wins.

Two things that interest me about this fight. Firstly, in regard to the champion is whether he will continue to be more of a boxer than looking to use his punching power. Though Kovalev is more known as a “Knockout Artist”, he has shown he can box. This was noticeable both in his last fight where he regained the WBO championship as well as in his unification bout against future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in November 2014. When he decides to execute a tactical Boxing strategy the champion has proven difficult to combat, perhaps more difficult depending on one’s perspective than when he approaches a fight with the intent of scoring a knockout.

The second aspect of this fight of interest to this observer will center on Anthony Yarde and how he will handle the “Big Fight Atmosphere.” Yarde has established himself as a rising star on the United Kingdom’s Boxing scene, but it is important to remember that despite his impressive resume and near-perfect knockout percentage, this will be his first world championship fight. Fighting for a world championship for the first time alone can understandably cause a fighter’s nerves to be high, but Yarde will also be fighting for that world championship in the champion’s home country where the atmosphere and crowd support will likely be in Kovalev’s favor.

A curiosity that some might wonder as this fight approaches will be how Yarde will attempt to approach Kovalev. Yarde has only been the distance once in his career. It came in the challenger’s second professional fight against Stainislavs Makarenko in June 2015. A fight that went a distance of four rounds.

While this should be taken with a grain of salt given that it was only Yarde’s second fight as a professional, it may serve as an indicator that he might not be intent on going into the deep waters of this fight. Yarde has never fought beyond seven rounds in his career and with the knowledge that Kovalev has been knocked out before, it will be interesting to see if the twenty-eight year old will seek a quick knockout here. A possible interesting tactic the champion could attempt to implement here, despite having the ability to end a fight quickly in his own right is to possibly look to extend the challenger into the middle and late rounds of the fight into territory that Yarde has not yet been in his career.

From a stylistic standpoint, this has all the makings of a fight that might not go the distance on paper. Both fighters have punching power, and both can get an opponent out of there if the opportunity presents itself. The question might be whether or not the thirty-six year old champion will use the experience he has gained throughout his career to his advantage or if he will be more than willing to engage in a shoot out with Yarde where the winner may simply come down to who can land their power punches first. Either way, in an era where the sport’s respective sanctioning organizations are routinely criticized for flaws in their rankings criteria and where sometimes mandatory challengers prove to be not ready to face a world champion on fight night, this is one fight where a world champion will face his mandatory challenger where regardless of the outcome will likely be entertaining for as long as it lasts.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Kovalev vs. Yarde takes place on Saturday, August 24^th at the Traktor Sport Palace in Celyabinsk, Russia. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 12:30PM ET/ 9:30AM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Playstation 4, and connected smart TVs for $4.99 per month or $59.99 per year. For more information about ESPN+, a full list of schedules, compatible streaming devices and platforms, and to subscribe please visit: www.espnplus.com. 

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fight can be seen on BT Sport 2 beginning at 5PM (Saturday, August 24^th Local UK Time.) For more information about BT Sport including schedules and availability in your area please visit: www.sport.bt.com. 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

Billel Dib Discusses Opponent change In WBA Oceania Title Defense On September 14TH

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: August 19, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Billel Dib is still set for a defence of his WBA Oceania Super Featherweight title on September 14 in Tweets Head, despite an opponent change which sees him clash with the game Carlo Magli in a fight that may propel Dib up the ratings and closer to forcing a fight with champion Andrew Cancio. Dib has a lofty position in the WBA, and his initial fight was scrapped as his original opponent from South Africa was removed from the WBA ratings for unknown reasons, hence the change in opponent. Dib cut straight to the point on his thoughts on the change of opponent.

He said, "I wasn't that bothered about the change in the opponent, to be honest. The result will remain the same which will be a Billel Dib victory. The initial opponent may have helped me force myself into the mandatory position, but I know I still need to look good and put on a good performance and impress those in attendance. "Carlo is a game fighter but I am focused on the job at hand and I will show my levels and show that I am a world champion in waiting."

Dib has been very clear in his ambitions to face world champion Cancio but now has a different challenge which can cause all sorts of issues regarding training camps and from a mental perspective. The highly ranked super featherweight opened up about the importance of putting on a show in order to force the fight with the WBA king. Dib stated, "I have to put on a show on September 14 and that is exactly what I intend on doing. I have to put myself in the shop window to get a crack at the big one, so I'm training as hard as ever for this clash as if I don't I could leave myself open to a shock loss and I am a professional, I wouldn't dream of doing something like that.

"Training hasn't changed much and my mindset hasn't either despite the change of opponent. I am as focused as ever and I know 2020 will be my year and I hopefully will land a world title fight then but I know I have to put on an explosive show on September 14 if I want to make that a reality."

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

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GABALLO FACES DANGEROUS VARGAS IN PBC DEBUT

Credit: Sanman Promotions 

Press Release: August 18, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Former WBA Interim bantamweight champion Raymart Gaballo (W21 KO18 L0 D0) will be facing Yeison Vargas (W17 KO12 L1) of Cartagena, Colombia. Visibly on his record, Vargas has a good knockout rate which should pose danger to the undefeated Filipino. The fight will be showcased in the undercard of the Lara vs. Alvarez fight in August 31 in the US. It will be Gaballo’s debut fight under Al Haymon’s PBC.

Gaballo couldn’t be more excited to fight under a bigger spotlight. I want to show the world what I got. I want to return the trust and support of my team by winning in the most impressive fashion. My opponent is a dangerous pick but that makes it even more exciting. I have worked so hard in my camp and I want to harvest the fruits of my labor by bringing home the win”, Gaballo stated.

Gaballo has been training in the US with Cuban head coach Moro Fernandez. His hardworking manager Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil promised that a stylish win by Gaballo will bring him a bigger fight and probably with a world championship belt. “We are doing our best to arrange a title fight for Gaballo  much more if he beats Vargas with an exclamation point. We are all excited. He worked so hard for this and we wish him the best. We want to take Senator Manny Pacquiao, Sean Gibbons and PBC for giving this opportunity”, Manangquil said.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Sanman Promotions Used with permission. 

For more information about Sanman Promotions and to watch the Sanman Live Boxing series please visit Sanman Promotions’ official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SanmanPromotions.

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Update

We would like to let our readers know that we are between rounds and will resume our regular schedule on Tuesday, August 20th. Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Steve Gago Gunning For Rematch After Dropping Controversial Decision

Credit: No Limit Boxing

Press Release: August 16, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Steve Gago produced arguably a career-best display this week as many saw him beating former Kazak amateur standout Nursultan Zhangabayev in a fight which had the WBA Inter-Continental, WBO Global and IBF Australiasian Welterweight title on the line.

In a fight which saw a lot of scrappy tactics and points deducted, the vast majority ringside including Australian boxing legends Jeff Fenech and Barry Michael seeing the fight in favour of Gago, who visibly landed the cleaner work throughout but didn't get the judges nod, despite the Kazak conceding 3 point deductions due to low blows.

Gago weighed in on the fight itself and discussed the possibilities of a rematch. He said, "Firstly congratulations to Zhangabayev. Even though I don't agree with the decision I respect the judge's decision. He is a top-class fighter but I showed that I am at that level where he is and that is in the world top 15.

"I would love a rematch as I felt I won the fight. I landed more clean shots and that's what you have to do to win the fight at the end of the day. I believe there is definitely unfinished business and if I have to travel to his adopted home of Sydney or Kazakstan it doesn't really matter I'm willing to do it as I want to prove that I have the ability to compete for world titles." 

Zhangabayev was a product of the same amateur system as Gennady Golovkin, and Gago's manager Tony Tolj also gave his take on the night's proceedings. 

He said, "I personally felt that Steve won the fight. The Kazak kid has a great pedigree and I believe Steve showed that he is at that top level and I'm very proud of his performance. There were 3 point deductions for low blows, very unlucky not to get a DQ win, but thats boxing

"I would welcome a rematch if the offer was right for Steve I mirror his thoughts in saying that there is unfinished business there. They are both quality fighters and I'm sure the rematch would be more explosive as they both know each other now, and it would be a fight where there would be once again, no losers."

Material Courtesy of Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of No Limit Boxing Used with permission.

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Chilean Standout Andres Campos Inks With Tony Tolj And Dragon Fire Boxing

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: August 12, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Tony Tolj and Dragon Fire boxing have announced they have signed 22-year-old Chilean amateur standout Andres Campos.

Campos currently holds a 5-0 record in the professional ranks, having been part of Chile's national setup as an amateur between the years of 2013 - 2018. The flyweight won 5 national amateur titles in Chile, alongside multinational tournaments in Chile itself and Brazil. Campos also travelled the world with the Cuban amateur team, spending time in countries such as Cuba for long periods, mastering his craft.

Campos comes to Dragon Fire Boxing as he gets ready to clash for the Chilean flyweight title and also follows in the footsteps of some of the biggest little men around in the Moloney twins. The Chilean opened up about signing with Dragon Fire and Tony Tolj.

He said, "Having an agreement with Tony Tolj and Dragon Fire is very significant to me. I noticed the Dragon Fire team leaves nothing to chance and puts hard work on every detail for a camp and a bout. I am also aware of the quality of your boxers, Tony as a person, and there high professional standard. I want to be a world champion and I know I have to work alongside the best, so as to be ready when my chance comes. I would like to show my own professionalism, dedication, skills and capabilities to be the best."

Campos continued, "I do not want to skip but take every necessary step. My record now is 5-0-0, soon I will fight for the national title in Chile. I want to start an international career and well represent my country too. Despite things have not been easy, I want to try even harder, so being led by you will be more than outstanding.

"From me My parents instilled values, Andres team took care of us as a family in Chile. In fact, the people of Chile were amazing and it's my duty to do my best to guide Andres as best as I can and let the world know of his ability and his character as a man. In this world, you have to give back and it delights me to continue our working relationship."

Tony Tolj gave his take on his latest acquisition, "We are very excited to work with Andres. I believe he will go right to the top in this industry and it was the right move for all parties concerned. We work with fighters all over the world and this will benefit Andres.

"He will fly to Australia on 9th September and as we talked maybe for a few days of 3 months. In my opinion, he is going to be a world champion 100% and we are very confident we can facilitate this for him."

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit their official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

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