ANDY RUIZ AND ANTHONY JOSHUA COMPLETE THREE-CONTINENT PRESS TOUR AHEAD OF DEC. 7 REMATCH ON DAZN

Credit: Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2019 – Heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz, Jr. and Anthony Joshua OBE concluded their three-continent press tour today in London, following stops in the fight’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, and New York on Thursday. The rematch between Ruiz and Joshua will stream exclusively on DAZN in the United States on Saturday, Dec. 7. 

Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) shocked the sports world in June when he toppled then-undefeated heavyweight world champion Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) at Madison Square Garden, spoiling the former titlist’s U.S. debut. Following the biggest heavyweight upset in decades, Joshua triggered an immediate rematch and the two now prepare to meet at a neutral site for this historic fight, which has been dubbed the “Clash on the Dunes.”

Joshua, 29, was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller on June 1 in his U.S. debut, but when Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of the bout, Ruiz, 29, was brought in as a replacement one month before the fight. Despite handicappers pegging Ruiz as a double-digit underdog, he scored boxing’s most consequential upset in years, which catapulted him as an overnight celebrity. As the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, he will look to defend his titles against Joshua and prove that his victory was not a fluke, while Joshua looks to regain his status as the heavyweight division’s kingpin.

QUOTES FROM THURSDAY’S NEW YORK CITY PRESS CONFERENCE

Andy Ruiz Jr.

“I know AJ, I know he wants his belts back, I know he does, I know how it feels to lose. I lost against Joseph Parker, when I thought I won the fight. And he could bounce back. But my job is for him not to win. For him not to get these belts back.

“I’ve been through so many roller coasters in my life, so many doubters in my life telling me I wasn’t gonna do nothing just because of my appearance, the way I look. But at least I think I’m proof – where people can say man, if he did it, I can do it. And they could. Long as you train hard, you dedicate yourself, and you believe what you want to do.

“What I believe on December 7 is that the same results are gonna happen. I’m gonna train my ass off, God’s on my side, and we’re gonna win.”

Anthony Joshua

“There’s times I’ve faced defeat, as an amateur in my third fight. And imagine I would have stopped then? There’d be no now. I lost in the European Quarter Finals. Imagine I would have stopped then? There’d be no now. I lost in the World Championship Finals. Imagine I would have stopped then? There’d be no now. I feel like stopping isn’t in my DNA.

“As long as I have breath in me, I’ll keep on fighting for the passion of boxing, more so to carry the sport, as an ambassador of the sport, and for an ambassador of championship level fighting, I feel like that’s where I belong.

“I was born with a fighting spirit. I know how to fight. And the blessing is that people reflect it as you lost the titles, you lost your titles. And I always say that to lose something is to never get it back. But I believe, and I’m certain, that I am going to have a second chance on December 7.

“We didn’t have no warm-up fight, I’m not gun shy. I’m looking forward to getting back in there December 7 and reclaiming my belts.”

Joseph Markowski, EVP DAZN, North America

“After a lot of chatter and bluster over the summer, two things are very clear to me right now: Ruiz-Joshua II is the most-anticipated fight of the year and we’re building towards the best year-end schedule that the sport has seen in some time. It will be a full season of premium-quality matchups. Fight season on DAZN.

“We launched in the U.S. last September and in the course of one year, we have reshaped the boxing landscape by focusing on our mission statement – to bring the best schedule of fights to fans at an affordable price point. 

“The DAZN year-end calendar has it all: Bright young stars like Devin Haney, Jaime Munguia and Ryan Garcia; Champion vs. champion unification matchups like Prograis vs. Taylor and Inoue vs. Donaire; and the world’s biggest fighters in championship bouts. Gennady Golovkin is back in title contention. And of course, Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz.”

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport

“Well, what have we got here? The biggest fight of the year. The rematch: Andy Ruiz against Anthony Joshua, for the unified world heavyweight title. Who would have thought it, who would have seen it? Saudi Arabia, December 7th, live and exclusive on DAZN across America, live and exclusive on SkySport Box Office in the UK, and of course with all our broadcasters all over the world.

“On December 7, you will witness an event that you will never forget. Major heavyweight fights in the past where the venues have took people by surprise, the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ the ‘Thrilla of Manila,’ trust me when I say that this event is of the same guild.

“On June 1, we brought a sold out Madison Square Garden to their feet with these two warriors. One of the best fights of the year, one of the great upsets of heavyweight boxing. Perhaps this man [points to Ruiz] didn’t believe it was an upset. But now the whole world is watching for the rematch. And it will be truly epic.”

Since its launch in the U.S. one year ago, DAZN has quickly reshaped the boxing landscape by putting together the best schedule in the sport and making premium fights more affordable for fans. The 2019 “Fight Season” on DAZN is quickly coming together, featuring some of the biggest names and matchups in the sweet science, including:

·         Sept. 13 – Devin Haney vs. Zaur Abdullaev & Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy

·         Sept. 14 – Jaime Munguia vs. Patrick Allotey & Ryan Garcia vs. Avery Sparrow

·         Oct. 5 – Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko

·         Oct. 12 – Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyrone Spong

·         Oct. 26 – Regis Prograis vs. Josh Taylor (WBSS Junior Welterweight Final)

·         Nov. 7 – Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire (WBSS Bantamweight Final)

·         Nov. 9 – KSI vs. Logan Paul II

·         Dec. 7 – Ruiz vs. Joshua II

Download DAZN on your TV or connected device to catch all DAZN live events, including the Ruiz vs. Joshua rematch on Dec. 7. Fans can keep up with the busy “Fight Season” schedule on DAZN’s social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and can sign up now at www.DAZN.com.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded across four continents with the app currently available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, all for one affordable price, on any device - including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp. In September, the much-anticipated daily program The Pat McAfee Show debuts on the platform.

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

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

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

Hovhannisyan KO’s Manzanilla in 4

In a battle between two former world title challengers WBC number six and WBA number eight rated Jr. Featherweight contender Azat Hovhannisyan scored an impressive fourth round knockout over WBA number fourteen rated contender Franklin Manzanilla on Thursday night at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, CA. There was not much of a feeling out process early on as both fights came out willing to engage from the opening bell and both had their moments landing effective power punches early. The constant back and forth between the two began to shift slightly in Hovhannisyan’s favor in the second round as he connected with several hard hooks to the head of Manzanilla as well as right hands. A brutal barrage of punches from Hovhannisyan with Manzanilla essentially pinned against the ropes that lasted well over a minute finally broke Manzanilla down as an accumulation of blows sent him down for the count in the closing seconds of round four. Official time of the stoppage was: 2:58 of round four. Azat Hovhannisyan advances to 18-3, with 15 Knockouts. Franklin Manzanilla falls to 18-6, with 17 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in the Middleweight division, undefeated prospect Chris Ousley scored a six round unanimous decision over Even Torres. This was at times a gritty battle due to both fighters willingness to exchange on the inside. Ousley did have some success in being able to keep Torres at distance with his jab, but Torres was also effective in spots when he was able to go to the body on the inside. Ousley was warned in the second round when what appeared to be a short uppercut on the inside landed below the belt forcing Torres to take a knee. Neither fighter was really able to stand out from the other, but Ousley was the fighter who initiated the combat throughout and that was enough for him to earn the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 60-54, and 59-55 (On two scorecards) in favor of Ousley. Chris Ousley advances to 12-0, with 9 Knockouts. Even Torres falls to 7-9, with 5 Knockouts.

Jr. Lightweight James Wilkins scored a six round unanimous decision over former North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Flyweight and Bantamweight champion Luis May. Wilkins dominated this fight with his ability to give May angles, throwing combinations, and changing his level of attack to the body and head. Wilkins scored a knockdown of May in the third round with a flush straight right hand to the head. Although May appeared to be hurt and overall tactically out gunned in this fight, he remained “Game” and hung in there for the full six round distance. Official scores were: 60-53, and 59-54 (On two scorecards in favor of Wilkins. James Wilkins advances to 8-1, with 6 Knockouts. Luis May falls to 21-16-1, with 8 Knockouts.

Also in the Jr. Lightweight division, undefeated prospect Edwin Valentin scored an eight round unanimous decision over Deivi Bassa. The story of this fight was Valentin’s constant pressure attack of Bassa and harder punches. Although Bassa was quite cagey, and never stopped throwing punches, he was not able to land something that would discourage Valentin from coming forward. Official scores were:79-73 (On all three scorecards) in favor of Valentin. Edwin Valentin advances to 9-0, with 8 Knockouts. Deivi Bassa falls to 21-9, with 13 Knockouts.

In the opening bout of the evening in the Welterweight division Herbert Acevedo scored an eight round unanimous decision over veteran Martin Martinez. Acevedo forced the action throughout the fight and was able to land some attention-grabbing left hooks over the course of the fight. Official scores were: 78-74, 79-73 (On two scorecards) in favor of Acevedo. Herbert Acevedo advances to 16-2-1, with 4 Knockouts. Martin Martinez falls to 19-18-1, with 12 Knockouts..

The win over Manzanilla in was was billed as an elimination bout in the World Boxing Association (WBA) ratings in the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division puts Hovhannisyan back in position to challenge for a world championship. Whether or not that fight comes against current WBA world champion Daniel Roman or top contender Ronny Rios, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s ratings remains to be seen. Having now scored wins in his last four fights and all of those wins coming by way of knockout, Hovhannisyan appears ready for another opportunity at a world championship. In his previous title shot, Hovhannisyan lost a hard-fought twelve round unanimous decision to current WBC champion Rey Vargas in May of last year.

In a somewhat ironic twist that can happen in Boxing at times, Hovhannisyan has now worked his way back into world title contention by knocking out a man in Franklin Manzanilla, who coincidentally lost to Vargas in his last fight prior to facing Hovhannisyan. An illustration of not only how deep weight classes can be, but also an example of how talented the contenders, who are all vying for an opportunity at a world championship tend to be. The Jr. Featherweight division, like several other weight classes has emerged as one where any of the top contenders can be put into a world championship bout and give whomever the champion might be a difficult fight. It makes for very competitive fights and more often than not creates the type of excitement that Boxing fans crave.

“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

Tureano Johnson Looks To Help His Native Bahamas In The Wake Of Hurricane Dorian

Press Release: September 5, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Tureano Johnson recently dispatched of Jason Quigley in impressive fashion, smashing his way back into the world top 10 with most of the governing bodies. 

The Bahamian was set to re-enter camp in Atlanta before heading to Team Havoc's headquarters in Brooklyn, New York ahead of a potential world title eliminator in the latter end of 2019. These plans are still in place, however, Johnson looks to help with the aid efforts in his native Bahamas which has left the country devastated.

Johnson opened up about the effects of experiencing Hurricane Dorian first hand, "What his hurricane has done to the Bahamas is heartbreaking. At this moment my focus is helping use my influence to rebuild our beautiful country and I really hope the boxing community around the world can donate in whatever way they can to helping the relief effort in the Bahamas.

"I have seen my friends lose their homes, their business, their pets and even their lives due to this. I am devastated. I am grateful that I still have my family at this point. The damage on our house can be fixed fortunately but my concern is helping the Bahamas rebuild in any way I can."

Johnson is due back in the ring at the latter end of the year against a top 10 opponent as he seeks out a shot at WBA champion Ryota Murata in 2020. Johnson continues to train for this fight in spight of challenges faced by the devastation of Hurricane Dorian. The 2008 Olympian is currently spending his time between the gymnasium and helping with relief efforts in his native Bahamas. Johnson described his current situation at home in the Bahamas.

He said, "Initially I was due to head out for camp in Georgia this week then up to New York after that as I normally do. However, the hurricane hasn't allowed me to do that but I am still training hard in the Bahamas despite the circumstances and I will still be ready for whatever challenges face me in and out of the ring. 

"My team's initial plan is still to fight at the end of the year and look to force a fight with Murata in 2020 and I fully believe I will beat him. My reality now is to help the relief effort in the Bahamas and continue to train hard here. 

"I love my country and helping my fellow Bahamian people is my priority alongside my career in the ring and I plead with the boxing community and people the world over to join in the efforts to help the Bahamas rebuild itself." 

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

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

Lomachenko Does His Part Towards Full Unification Of The Lightweight Division

Readers who have followed the work of this observer over the last two decades know that I tend to have themes that I routinely revisit from time to time in both online and print medium. One of those themes that has also been a regular fixture on my “Boxing Wishlist” that I publish at the start of a new year is the wish to see all of the sport's seventeen weight classes fully unified to determine one undisputed world champion per division.

By its very nature as I have said frequently when discussing this topic here at The Boxing Truth®, the process to determine one undisputed world champion in a single weight class can be a long, drawn out process that involves significant commitment from fighters, promoters, and the respective sanctioning organizations involved. It is also a process that unfortunately involves significant red tape. So, the idea that this process could occur in seventeen weight divisions in a relatively short period of time is frankly “Wishful Thinking.”

There are however, times where the pieces of a unification puzzle seem to fall in place in a simple way for even those with an at best casual interest in the sport can understand and become interested. Such a puzzle has begun to form in Boxing’s 135lb. Lightweight division. Three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko has been a focal point of this puzzle so far due largely to his accomplishments as a multi-division world champion, despite having a relatively short professional career in terms of fights.

While the story of Lomachenko has been told by many writers/journalists, and historians including this observer, this is due largely to his immaculate record as an amateur of winning nearly four hundred fights against a single loss. Lomachenko’s record as a professional a single loss, a disputed loss to former world champion Orlando Salido in a bout for a vacant WBO Featherweight world championship in March 2014. The fight, which was a split decision win for Salido was one that many including yours truly felt Lomachenko had won. It is also worth noting that this was in Lomachenko’s second professional fight.

Since that loss, Lomachenko has been dominating through the Featherweight, Jr. Lightweight, and now Lightweight divisions continuing to compete in world championship fights in every fight since the loss to Salido. Lomachenko defended his Lightweight world championship, a crown he initially won from WBA champion Jorge Linares and added the WBO world championship with a victory over Jose Pedraza in December of last year, against top Lightweight contender Luke Campbell on August 31^st at the O2 Arena in London, England.

In addition to the world championships Lomachenko held, the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) world championship that was vacated by Mikey Garcia was also on the line making it a fight where three major world championships were on the line. A question I ask almost every time I see Lomachenko compete is when will he reach his ceiling? What I mean by that is when will this historic run through multiple weight classes eventually reach a point where he cannot continue going up in weight to challenge fighters who are often bigger than him. This is essentially the same question that has been asked throughout the illustrious career of Manny Pacquiao, who started his career as a 105lb Strawweight, the lowest weight class in Boxing, but ultimately competed as far as the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division winning world championships along the way.

Although Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion should be considered a rarity, he seems to have settled in the 147lb. Welterweight division where he has spent the bulk of his career over the last decade. While I am in no way attempting to compare Pacquiao with Lomachenko in any way, it is important to keep in mind that Lomachenko in his own way is a rarity. After all, not many fighters can say they have competed at a world championship level as a professional from their second pro fight onward.

The question of when/if Lomachenko will settle into one weight class is a fair one to ask. Lomachenko himself has stated that he feels that his best fighting weight is as a 130lb. Jr. Lightweight. As has been the case throughout the history of the sport however, fighters tend to move up in weight both out of physical necessity as well as for more lucrative opportunities. At least for now, in Lomachenko’s case it appears to be the latter. The appeal of fighting for and potential becoming an undisputed world champion in a weight class surely has lucrative dollars attached to it.

In this fight against Luke Campbell, Lomachenko faced a fighter who like himself was an Olympic Gold Medalist as an amateur. In a case of irony, Campbell also fell to a split decision loss in his only previous shot at a world championship when he faced Jorge Linares in September 2017.

Where the similarities between the two end was Campbell is two inches taller than Lomachenko and had a near seven inch reach advantage over the champion. When the two fighters faced off on the day before the fight, it appeared to yours truly that Campbell might end up fighting as a Jr. Welterweight or even Welterweight at some point in his career based on the size difference between the two.

Even though the physics appeared to be in Campbell’s favor, stylistically, one of the main aspects that tends to befuddle most of Lomachenko’s opponents is his footwork. His ability to control the tempo of the combat and attack his opponents in short, compact spurts. This would be the main obstacles that the challenger would have to combat in my eyes.

To his credit, Campbell was able to have his moments throughout the fight, but like many opponents before him on both the amateur and professional levels, Lomachenko's style, footwork, and ability to attack in compact spurts proved to be too difficult for the challenger to solve. What was noticeable was even when Campbell was able to have success in landing offense on Lomachenko, the champion would almost immediately return with offense of his own. Although Campbell did have success throughout, he was unable to impose his will on Lomachenko in a way that could discourage the champion from being offensive-minded and from generally controlling the tempo of the fight.

A knockdown of the challenger in the eleventh round sealed a convincing twelve round unanimous decision for Lomachenko to add the vacant WBC crown to his unified Lightweight world championship. As for what this means in the overall picture, there is a strong possibility that there could be a fight for the undisputed Lightweight world championship in the not too distant future.

Why would yours truly describe the possibility of the Lightweight division heading towards a fight for the undisputed world championship as “Strong?” It primarily has to do with the current landscape of the sport from a business standpoint. While there are several aspects that can and do go into the business of the sport, there is one way to explain it, which in this case that is relatively simple to describe.

As most knowledgeable Boxing fans know, the sport now has three major players in terms of how the sport is broadcast to the public here in the United States that extends internationally. I speak of course, of networks like DAZN, ESPN, as well as networks who have partnered with the Premier Boxing Champions brand, which involves several promoters. Along with this, each network has exclusive deals with promoters to supply content to said networks by showcasing a respective promoter’s stable of fighters.

With lucrative contracts for the promoters and world champions being signed to promoters, it creates an interesting dynamic where due to networks wanting a level of exclusivity, it in turn creates a scenario where a majority of world championships are held by fighters who by being contracted to a promoter, who has an exclusive contract with a network, it essentially means a division’s world championships can only be seen on one platform for a period of time. We have seen this occur in the 160lb. Middleweight division where all world championships in the division are currently held by fighters that compete on DAZN. This however, does not include those fighters who hold interim/regular championship designations.

A similar structure has taken shape in the Lightweight division with current world champions Vasyl Lomachenko and Richard Commey currently signed with promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc, who in turn has an exclusive deal with ESPN to provide content to ESPN’s linear cable/satellite networks as well as the network’s direct to consumer streaming network ESPN+. With Lomachenko having done his part and now holding three of five world championships in the division, it leaves the champion of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Commey as the only other world champion in the division. This is due to the International Boxing Organization (IBO) currently not having a world champion in the Lightweight division.

Before a fight for the Undisputed Lightweight world championship can be signed however, Commey will defend his IBF crown against undefeated number one contender Teofimo Lopez on a date to be determined. Lopez, a fighter also promoted by Bob Arum ensures the winner of that fight, which could take place before the end of 2019, will likely face Lomachenko to fully unify the Lightweight division in 2020. While the IBO is currently not in play in the Lightweight division, the possibility also exists that the organization could wait until an undisputed championship fight is signed to also recognize it as a fight for the vacant IBO crown.

What this amounts to is a very lucrative scenario for the fighters involved and something that should be seen as a major win for ESPN if things play out the way it appears it could. While it does not always happen, sometimes circumstances allow the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place at the right time. The right time for the fighters, the right time for the fans that support the sport, and most importantly for Boxing itself. It appears such a time is on the horizon for the Lightweight division.

“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

ANDY RUIZ VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA II TO STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON DAZN IN THE UNITED STATES

Press Release: By DAZN- NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2019–The rematch between Andy Ruiz, Jr. and Anthony Joshua OBE will stream exclusively on DAZN in the United States on Saturday, Dec. 7.The three-continent press tour kicks off today in the fight’s host city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, followed by stops in New York on Thursday and London on Friday.

Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) shocked the sports world in June when he toppled then-undefeated heavyweight world champion Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) at Madison Square Garden, spoiling the former titlist’s U.S. debut. Following the biggest heavyweight upset in decades, Joshua triggered an immediate rematch and the two now prepare to meet at a neutral site for this historic fight, which has been dubbed the “Clash on the Dunes.”

“Their first fight captured the world’s attention and once again illustrated that you never know what will happen when two heavyweight boxers enter a ring,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP, North America. “Ruiz vs. Joshua II is by far the most-anticipated rematch in recent memory and adds to DAZN’s year-end schedule, which will be the best stretch of boxing that fans have seen in years.”

Joshua, 29, was scheduled to face Jarrell Miller on June 1in his U.S. debut, but when Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of the bout, Ruiz, 29, was brought in as a replacement one month before the fight. Despite handicappers pegging Ruiz as a double-digit underdog, he scored boxing’s most consequential upset in years, which catapulted him as an overnight celebrity. As the first heavyweight champion of Mexican descent, he will look to defend his titles against Joshua and prove that his victory was not a fluke, while Joshua looks to regain his status as the heavyweight division’s kingpin.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “June 1, 2019 was a day that will be forever etched in boxing history. Andy Ruiz caused one of the great boxing upsets of all time when him and Anthony Joshua engaged in an epic battle in front of a sold-out MSG. The noise about the rematch has been deafening: Will it happen? Where will it be? Who will win? Step up the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who will now host one of the biggest and most iconic boxing events of our generation. Held at a 16,000-person purpose built stadium that will stand within the UNESCO heritage site in Diriyah, ‘Clash on the Dunes’ will follow in the footsteps of the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and ‘Thrilla in Manila.’ The whole world will stop to watch this fight and sports fans across America will get the chance to watch it all unfold live on DAZN.”

Since its launch in the U.S. one year ago, DAZN has quickly reshaped the boxing landscape by putting together the best schedule in the sport and making premium fights more affordable for fans. The 2019 “Fight Season” on DAZN is quickly coming together, featuring some of the biggest names and matchups in the sweet science, including:

• Sept. 13– Devin Haney vs. Zaur Abdullaev & Amanda Serrano vs. Heather Hardy
• Sept. 14– Jaime Munguia vs. Patrick Allotey & Ryan Garcia vs. Avery Sparrow
• Oct. 5– Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko
• Oct. 12– Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyrone Spong
• Oct. 26– Regis Prograis vs. Josh Taylor (WBSS Junior Welterweight Final)
• Nov. 7– Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire (WBSS Bantamweight Final)
• Nov. 9– KSI vs. Logan Paul II
• Dec. 7– Ruiz vs. Joshua II

Download DAZN on your TV or connected device to catch all DAZN live events, including the Ruiz vs. Joshua rematch on Dec. 7.Fans can keep up with the busy “Fight Season” schedule on DAZN’s social media channels, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebookand YouTube, and can sign up now at www.DAZN.com.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded across four continents with the app currently available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas, all for one affordable price, on any device - including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp. In September, the much-anticipated daily program The Pat McAfee Show debuts on the platform.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

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

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

CHILEAN PRODIGY ANDRES CAMPOS RETURNS SEPT 7TH

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: September 2, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – 22 year old Chilean Flyweight sensation Andres Campos returns September 7^th to take on Ramón Velásquez the current Chilean National Flyweight Champion for the title over 10 rounds at the Gimnasio Club Mexico in Santiago Chile.

Velásquez (28 years old) the long time champion since 2017 from Quellon island in the south of Chile and has vowed to stop the prodigy Campos and stake his claim as Chiles dominant Flyweight.

Campos opened up about the challenge for his first Championship attempt.

“ Ramón is very strong, brawler and It’s very difficult to land accurate the punches on him because he bend down his head a lot during the fight. 4 years ago we fought in amateur and I won easy, in the same weight. I think this is my best preparation in my life. I’m working with CEF (centro entrenamiento funcional) they are giving me all what I need in my train. Physiology, chiropractic, osteopath, physic preparation, nutrition and of course support in everything what I need. I’m feeling stronger than ever in my life.  I’m very focus on that tittle”

Campos Australian based manger Tony Tolj discusses his fighters upcoming fight.

“Campos is taking a step up fight and that’s what I do with all my fighters, you want to be the best take on the best. Step by Step and when the time comes for the world title we will be ready and Chile will have their next world champion.

Andres has final word for his fans.

“To all the fans who will watch the fight will see a very good fight, I’m ready for 10th hard rounds and I will not rest until I get the belt. The title is mine and I will be the champion of Chile and then head to Australia for 3 months of sparring with World rated fighters Andrew and Jason Moloney, Billel Dib and Bruno Tarimo.”

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

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

Can Boxing Safety Standards Improve?

It is perhaps a question that is as old as the sport itself. How can safety in Boxing improve? Last week here at The Boxing Truth® readers saw a column penned by yours truly that discussed the resurgence and one might argue rapid expansion of the sport in Bareknuckle form. While the intent of the column did discuss the benefits of the expansion for athletes across all combat sports disciplines, it focused more on the hurdles the Bareknuckle form of the sport could face with regard to licensing and regulation as various Bareknuckle Boxing promotions look to expand their ability to stage cards in more states here in the United States as well as internationally. Obstacles that primarily revolve around the safety of the fighters competing.

Over the course of the column, readers saw me reference two recent tragedies that have hit the sport of Boxing where two Jr. Welterweight fighters suffered severe injuries in two separate fights that unfortunately resulted in both fighters dying from their injuries days apart from each other. The two fighters were Maxim Dadashev and Hugo Santillan. As often happens when circumstances like the unfortunate deaths of these two men occur, there is often a great deal of discussion, debate, and calls for bans of the sport. Although such discussion and hysteria in its negative form are certainly understandable under the circumstances, this observer resisted discussing the topic at length both in written form and publicly beyond joining others in the Boxing community in extending my condolences to the families and camps of both fighters.

Some might ask why I have waited until now to share my thoughts on the tragedies that took place one month ago. First, I want to give a little personal perspective as to how I became aware of the circumstances surrounding Maxim Dadashev’s injuries. As anyone who covers sports for both their passion and their vocation can relate to, covering Boxing for yours truly is a full-time year-round practice. The evening of Dadashev’s bout against Subriel Matias on July 23^rd, was a rare occasion where yours truly did not cover a card. I only became aware of the circumstances when like any fan, I turned on the broadcast of the fight that was televised by ESPN+ here in the United States. Unfortunately, at the moment of my turning the broadcast on, the fight, which was on the undercard of a Lightweight bout between unbeaten contenders Teofimo Lopez and Masayoshi Nakatoni, had been stopped. I did however, see the immediate aftermath of the stoppage and like virtually everyone else in the sport, I kept a close eye on the reports that followed in the days following the bout and Dadashev’s collapsing and being rushed to the hospital immediately after he attempted to leave the ring.

If anyone reading this column is wondering why I would go into that much detail regarding how I became aware of the tragic circumstances of Maxim Dadashev, it is simply because I want the reader to know that The Boxing Truth® is more than a name and an outlet owned and operated by yours truly, it is also about being honest with the reader at all times. Though I did attempt to watch the full fight in the days that followed with the expectation that I would at minimum be asked for my thoughts regarding the fight and the stoppage, particularly after the news of Dadashev’s passing became public, I was unable to access it due to the decision of ESPN to remove the fight from its ESPN+ platform.

Although some might be critical of that decision, as I said on social media shortly after I found out the fight had been removed, though it does not in any way change what happened, it is understandable under the circumstances why a network would not want a tragic event to remain available for viewing on their platform. While the tragedy surrounding the twenty-eight year old Maxim Dadashev received significant attention due largely to the platform where the fatal injuries he suffered had aired, twenty-two year old Hugo Santillan died in the days following his fight against Eduardo Abreu.

As was the case with the Maxim Dadashev bout, I did not have the benefit of being able to view any footage from that fight either. Instead of focusing on each bout and what may have been missed opportunities to stop both fights before the fatal injuries were sustained as I cannot adequately comment on bouts I have not seen with my own eyes, this column is about what can be done to improve safety going forward.

It is important for me to state that I am not a medical expert and anything I say going forward will be strictly my point of view as to what I believe might help improve things not just for Boxing, but for all combat sports in the future. The first thing I have thought about frequently over the last month could be the implementation of a mandatory recovery time between fights for both fighters.

This may go against the old adage of the more active a fighter is, the better prepared they are for big opportunities and the better their odds of being in fighting condition. Even though I am normally an old-school Boxing purist, how many times have we seen fights where either a fighter suffers a knockout and is back in the ring in a relatively short period of time, or a fight where two combatants each sustain punishment throughout the bout? Perhaps a mandatory three to six month recovery period would ensure that fighters have the best possible opportunity to allow their bodies to heal. This should be a universal standard in my view especially in cases where a fighter suffers a concussion or other forms of head trauma.

The second idea that has come to mind may be difficult to implement simply because there is no universal standard in terms of licensing and regulation. Keeping in mind my previous statement of not being a medical expert, I would not be against the idea of further neurological screening for fighters prior to a commission or regulatory board licensing a fighter to compete.  As someone who is viewing things from the outside, I feel this may spot potential warning signs particularly in regard to fighters who have suffered concussions in the past as to the risk of possible brain injuries like the ones Dadashev and Santillan suffered.

Although I have heard some fans suggest over the last month that a way to improve safety standards significantly would be to once again reduce round distances and perhaps reduce the length of rounds, I am not ready at the present time to form an opinion on those suggestions because I believe that there is more that could be and should be done to improve things in regard to both medical concerns and the decisions of whether or not to license a fighter to compete. A major issue with what I am suggesting here is there is no universal standard for regulation and licensing. What I mean by this is if a fighter were to be denied a license by a state athletic commission, it would not necessarily prevent a fighter from seeking licensing in another state or country with a less reputable athletic commission. This flaw, which I believe would be corrected by the introduction of an international regulatory board of control to oversee Boxing and other combat sports opens not only the sports, but also any athletic commission up for potential scrutiny if in the event a tragedy were to occur.

While it is important to say again that I am not a medical expert, the reader whether they be a fan, a fighter, a commissioner, a medical doctor, or someone else who is involved in the sport of Boxing and combat sports as a whole should view this column and my ideas as suggestions. Unfortunately, until there is a universal regulatory and licensing standard put in place, which one would hope would include as thorough medical testing/screening as is available, it will be up to the individual state athletic commissions and international regulatory boards to implement changes.

The bottom line is any athlete who competes in Boxing and all other combat sports deserves to know that the commission licensing them has put them through as thorough a testing/screening protocol as possible. Even though changes may not completely eliminate the dangers/risks that come with combat sports, at least changes and putting more extensive protocols in place will allow regulators to be as prepared as possible.

“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

SANMAN TAPS FILIPINO SCOTTISH JOHN THAIN

Credit:Sanman Promotions

Press Release: August 28, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Scouting for new boxing talents with unlimited potentials is one of every boxing manager’s job. Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil has a new golden discovery. He is John Thain (W17 L4 D0). John is half Filipino and Scottish. His mother Rizalina is from Mindanao and grew up in Cebu. He as 60 amateur bouts before turning pro and have represented Scotland in international competitions. 

John’s greatest influences in boxing are Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and of course our very own Manny Pacquiao. He says he was inspired to go into boxing after watching Rocky. “I was a fan first. I have watched five Rocky sequels before starting to box.”

As seen in his record, Thain has an amateurish technical style inside the ring. “I am known for my jab. I make points from it.“ He is very proud of his Filipino roots and cannot wait to fight in front of his fellow Filipinos. He was still a child when he last came to the Philippines and working with Sanman is an opportunity for him to rediscover his Filipino heritage.

 “I can’t wait to fight in the Philippines. I have always fought in the amateur way. Get points and win. Now I want to be more of a Filipino warrior kind of boxer. Filipinos are known as relentless warriors. We come forward and mix things up. I hope to learn that from my coaches at Sanman. I want to make my fellow Filipinos proud of me. I want to show them what I got”, Thain stated.

Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil is just as excited on his new protégé. “John Thain is a Filipino with Caucasian looks just like the Younghusband brothers of soccer. Here comes a Filipino-Scottish who boxes and fights. And Philippines is a boxing nation. With the proper training and exposure, John will be a big thing here and internationally. He’s got the looks, the size and the talent of a boxing star. We will do our best to make him one. We can’t wait to work with him”, 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.

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

Thoughts On Kovalev-Yarde And Estrada-Beamon

The day of August 24, 2019 in the sport of Boxing featured two world championship fights in the Light-Heavyweight and Jr. Bantamweight divisions. The first of these bouts took place at the Traktor Sport Palace in Chelyabinsk, Russia as three-time World Light-Heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev made the first defense of his third reign as a world champion against undefeated WBO number one Light-Heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde. Despite this being a well-matched encounter style wise between two fighters who are known as “Knockout Artists “, this turned out to be a somewhat surprising tactical battle.

The champion controlled most of the first half of the fight working behind a consistent jab and mixing in combinations. While Kovalev’s approach was not unlike the strategy he used in regaining the WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship in a twelve round unanimous decision win over Elieder Alvarez earlier this year, what impressed me was how he kept his calm and was not overly aggressive. Periodic body punches from Yarde however, gradually took effect on the the champion.

It was the sporadic body work Yarde was able to establish that created an opening in round eight when a hook to the body set off a barrage of punches that staggered Kovalev. Although Kovalev did not go down and was able to survive the assault that the challenger had dished out, it was Yarde’s best round in a fight that he was not consistent in terms of activity and at times appeared frustrated due to the tactics implemented by the champion.

Despite the ebb and flow appearing to shift in Yarde’s favor, Kovalev was able to bounce back by regaining control of the fight in the ninth round and brought the fight to a conclusion by knocking Yarde down for the count with a half jab/half left hook to successfully retain his world championship. While Kovalev survived an onslaught by Yarde in the eighth round, he also produced another impressive performance by being a tactical boxer and not necessarily a seek and destroy “Knockout Artist.” There was also a questionable moment in between rounds eight and nine that will be discussed along with what might be in the champion’s future later in this column.

The second world title fight that took place was a battle for the WBC Jr. Bantamweight world championship between two-division world champion Juan Francisco Estrada defending his recently won WBC crown against WBC number fourteen rated contender Dwayne Beamon at the Multiple Use Center in Sonora, MX. This was Estrada’s first defense of the WBC crown that he won earlier this year in his second fight against former champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. What was of interest to me about this fight centered around how Estrada would do in his first fight since the rematch with Sor Rungvisai. Although Estrada did not fight Sor Rungvisai in back to back fights, the two bouts between the two were grueling battles and also served to shine the light on Boxing’s lower weight divisions. In regard to the latter, though Boxing’s lower weight classes have always seemed to be hit or miss with regard to television network coverage here in the United States, specifically amongst the traditional cable/satellite television medium, the lower weight classes the sport has to offer has been given a platform on digital sports streaming networks such as DAZN and ESPN+.

What this fight also had was a bit of the element of the unknown as Beamon was a relative unknown, but did enter the encounter with Estrada having won sixteen of his previous eighteen professional fights. The question that is usually posed when a relatively unknown contender gets an opportunity to fight for a world championship is one with two parts.

Part one how will the fighter deal with facing a fighter who in all likelihood has a significant edge in terms of overall experience and more specifically, experience at or near the top of the sport. This is followed by part two of the question, how will said fighter handle the atmosphere of fighting for a world championship for the first time. The latter part of the question is one that many world-class fighters eventually have to answer. In this case, this two-part question was certainly valid to ask, especially given that of his sixteen previous wins, only five of those bouts came against fighters that one could consider as having winning records. Beamon’s one previous loss also came again a fighter by the name of Martin Tecuapetia, who has a record of 13-9-4, with 10 Knockouts.

Although some may view this as a red flag, it should be noted that the loss for Beamon in August of last year was a split decision that he was able to avenge in a rematch two months later. Nevertheless, the loss coupled with a lack of overall notable opposition did make this observer question whether or not Beamon would be ready to fight for a world championship. Although Beamon was very aggressive and attempted to bring the fight to Estrada, the difference in both experience and overall skill was apparent early on.

Estrada was credited with two knockdowns in round two. The first, which I did not believe should have been ruled a knockdown came when the two fighters legs appeared to get tangled while Estrada was throwing a punch. This turned out to be academic as Estrada scored a second knockdown of Beamon moments later. Despite his aggressiveness, Beamon at times appeared clumsy and this seemed to play into Estrada’s hands. Even though Estrada was in control of the combat for most of the fight, there were periods where he chose to showboat for the crowd in attendance and taunt the challenger.

While this may have been in response to some taunting coming from Beamon, I feel such tactics are unnecessary and do not do a fighter the caliber of Estrada any good. The opinion of this observer notwithstanding, Estrada did put forth an impressive performance overall and was able to stop the very “Game” Beamon in the ninth round to retain his WBC world championship.

As for what’s next for Estrada, it would not surprise me to see a third encounter with

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Each fighter has won one fight each and both of those bouts were competitive. Though it is rare to say that anything regarding how fights are made is simple, given that the two fighters together were able to garner more attention for some of the sport’s lower weight divisions than had previously been the case, a third fight between the two makes all the sense in the world.

Now we return to the subject of Sergey Kovalev. Although he was able to weather the storm in the eighth round of his victory over Anthony Yarde, it cannot and should not be ignored what occurred in his corner between rounds eight and nine. Kovalev’s trainer former world champion Buddy McGirt told his fighter that if he did not show him something in the ninth round that he was going to stop the fight. McGirt stated that he felt the champion was taking too many punches.

Although it is not uncommon for a trainer to say such things, it should be noted that McGirt, who has gone on to have a Hall of Fame career as a trainer after having one as a fighter winning world titles in multiple divisions, was also in the corner of Maxim Dadashev, who died as a result of injuries he suffered in his fight against Subriel Matias nearly one month to the day of Kovalev’s fight against Anthony Yarde. Some might question why McGirt, who was praised by many including this observer for stopping the Dadashev fight, when Dadashev wanted to continue, would threaten to stop this fight involving Sergey Kovalev.

It should not be overlooked that despite his pleas of wanting to fight on, Dadashev collapsed while attempting to leave the ring after the fight was stopped. While some might also question given the circumstances of Dadeshev’s passing whether McGirt should have been working in the corner so soon after the tragedy, his threat to stop the Kovalev-Yarde fight did succeed in getting his fighter to get back to his fight plan and ultimately successfully defend his championship. Only Buddy McGirt can say what he was thinking, but the man has earned a reputation as one of the best and most sought after trainers in the sport. More important than that and his own accomplishments as a fighter, McGirt cares for his fighters and no one should question his concern for the well-being of his fighters.

As for what’s next for Kovalev, he has stated that he wants to fight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez next. Sergey Kovalev still has the name recognition clout to attract lucrative fights. The question may be whether Alvarez is willing to move up two weight classes from where he currently sits as a unified Middleweight world champion to challenge Kovalev in the Light-Heavyweight division. Something that will likely be answered in time.

“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

Reagan Dessaix Looks To Add OBPF Title To Ever-Growing Trophy Case On September 20th

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: August 27, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Reagan Dessaix is looking to continue to work his way up the world rankings, as he contests the OBPF light heavyweight title on September 20 against big punching Aaron Lai.

Dessaix has operated on a world level already despite only being 23, and he looks to add the OBPF title to his war chest which has included IBF, WBA and Australian titles that the Queensland native has won in his first 19 contests as a professional. 

Standing in his way on September 20 in Paddington is big punching Aaron Lai who has 11 stoppages in his 12 victories, and Dessaix opened up on his opponent on the night and discussed fighting for the OBPF title.

He said, "Firstly thank you for Tony Tolj for getting me this opportunity to fight for a title which really helps a fighter rise up the world ratings. I want to fight the best in the world and travel all over the world to do that and winning an OBPF title is one of the steps an Australiasian fighter has to do in order to achieve that goal.

"Aaron Lai is a strong fighter and one that I have to be careful about. He has a ranking in the WBC and is a big puncher but I believe I am levels above him and I am planning on winning this fight and winning in style on September 20."

Dessaix has already faced world level competition in Blake Caparello in a fight that many saw the Gold Coast native winning on away turf in Sydney. The 175-pound upstart weighed in on what he wants going forward in the professional ranks.

Dessaix said, "I want to keep progressing in the pros and I have a great team that can make that happen the right way. I believe I am going all the way to world titles but I have to keep working hard and keep improving and I believe that this will take me all the way to the top in the game. 

"I want to see the world and I don't care if I have to go to opponents backyards to fight them, that's what being a real champion is about and that is what I am willing to do to prove I am the best."

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

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