DAZN and Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions Form Global Creative Partnership Beginning with the Launch of Groundbreaking Feature Documentary Series

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK (Oct. 24, 2019) – DAZN and Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions will join forces in a global creative partnership. The first project will be the launch of a new feature documentary series called ONE NIGHT, a group of films looking back at indelible nights in recent boxing history. Additional projects and details will be announced in the coming months. 

The first film ONE NIGHT: JOSHUA VS. RUIZ, is a comprehensive look at June 1, the night Andy Ruiz pulled off the biggest boxing upset in decades by scoring a seventh-round TKO of then-undefeated heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden. The documentary is executive produced by Sylvester Stallone along with partner Kourosh Taj for Balboa Productions; Carrie Keagan for No Good Entertainment; and DAZN. ONE NIGHT is directed by 30-for-30 alum and the new Director of Original Programming at DAZN Deirdre Fenton, Producer of Academy Award-winning documentary O.J. Made In America. ONE NIGHT will premiere on Wednesday, Nov. 20 on DAZN and the DAZN YouTube channel.

”My Hollywood script came to life that historic June night when unknown boxer Andy Ruiz achieved a victory that shocked the world. It was the real life Rocky and the perfect story to kick off our partnership with DAZN,” said Sylvester Stallone. “There is nothing like the world of Boxing…the drama, the humanity, the agony, and the ecstasy. This sport reveals the souls of these courageous warriors like no other sport can so it’s a privilege to be very involved with DAZN and their revolutionary programming.”

“For the first film in this series, we wanted to tell the definitive story of an unlikely underdog boxer achieving what few thought possible,” said Jamie Horowitz, EVP Content for DAZN North America. “We are honored to be able to partner with Sylvester Stallone, the creator of the greatest underdog boxing story of all-time.”

“Everything we do at Balboa begins with great storytelling that is deeply rooted in the human condition and there’s nothing quite like boxing that captures that,” said Kourosh Taj, Head of Unscripted Development for Balboa Productions. “What is so exciting about our partnership with DAZN is that it enables us to collaborate with smart, like-minded creatives and share these amazing stories with their dedicated viewers; and our first project together, ONE NIGHT, is the perfect story to help fulfill Balboa’s mission of giving a voice to all underdogs.”

Sports fans all over the world were stunned on June 1 when Ruiz became the first-ever Mexican-American heavyweight champion. The documentary tells the story of just how incredibly unlikely it was and how it almost never happened. Ruiz’s win turned him from a virtual unknown into a global superstar overnight. Now, the unforgettable evening will be retold by those who experienced it first-hand, in the first documentary film from DAZN Originals.

The film will debut at a star-studded premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Wider release will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 20, fewer than three weeks before the highly anticipated rematch, between Joshua and Ruiz on Dec. 7 on DAZN. ONE NIGHT: JOSHUA VS. RUIZ will be available in Spanish and English (with subtitles).

Stallone and Balboa Productions were represented by lawyers Kleinberg, Lange, Cuddy and Carlo and CAA.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service.  Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app 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 service 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 The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Download DAZN on your TV or connected device to catch ONE NIGHT: JOSHUA VS. RUIZ as well as all DAZN live events, including the Ruiz vs. Joshua historic 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 BALBOA PRODUCTIONS:

Founded by Global Icon Sylvester Stallone, Balboa Productions is an international multi-platform production company that develops and produces Film, Television, Digital and New Format projects. In addition to feature films, Balboa develops and produces both scripted and non-scripted television projects for US networks, international broadcasters and SVOD Services and has an aggressive slate of projects already making waves. Balboa’s inaugural slate has five feature films in advanced development. These include the monster movie “Arcane,” from director Corin Hardy; an English-language remake of Cannes film “The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil”; and “The Bellhop,” starring Iko Uwais (2011’s “The Raid: Redemption”). Balboa has two projects at MGM: a dark take on superheroes called “Samaritan,” which goes into production in January 2020 in which he’ll star, and a biopic of black boxing legend Jack Johnson, which Stallone will produce. In Television, Balboa is teaming with History Channel for a drama series about dirty cops in early 1900s New York City called The Tenderloin and bringing, action drama series, The International starring Dolph Lundgren to CBS.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, 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.

UNINTERRUPTED AND DAZN REUNITE FOR 40 DAYS: CANELO VS. KOVALEV

Press Release: By DAZN – LOS ANGELES & NEW YORK – Oct. 22, 2019 – UNINTERRUPTED, the athlete empowerment brand founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, and DAZN, the largest global sports streaming platform, have teamed up for the second time to produce 40 DAYS: CANELO VS. KOVALEV. The three-part docuseries debuts today and spotlights the can’t-miss light heavyweight title fight between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Russian knockout artist Sergey Kovalev on November 2nd.

Joining LeBron James and Maverick Carter as Executive Producers is Mexican soccer superstar and boxing fan Carlos Vela.

The latest edition of 40 DAYS brings sports, entertainment and culture together in a whole new way as Maverick Carter, Grammy award-nominated artist DJ Khaled, three-time NBA champion Draymond Green and comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias discuss how they remain at the top of their game by continually creating new challenges, in the way that Canelo is moving up two weight classes to challenge the WBO light heavyweight champion Kovalev. Exclusive commentary from this diverse group each uniquely focused on creating their own renewed definition of success is featured throughout the series. 

“There’s the fight, and then there’s the story behind the fight, and 40 DAYS goes deep into what’s at stake for each fighter which is especially interesting in a match like this where each side is out to prove something different,” said Maverick Carter, UNINTERRUPTED’s CEO. “Together with DAZN, we’re giving boxing fans like me a front row seat into Canelo and Kovalev’s thinking and process.”

"Being a part of 40 DAYS has been a gratifying experience, not only because of my passion for boxing, but also because I get to support one of Mexico's greatest athletes and fellow countryman Canelo Alvarez as he takes on this challenge," said Carlos Vela, LAFC captain.

“Canelo’s ambition is spectacular and unending,” said Jamie Horowitz, EVP Content for DAZN North America. “We were honored to team up with superstars in business, music, basketball and entertainment who could provide perspective on that incessant desire to find their next challenge. This pursuit of ‘what’s next’ reflects what Maverick often says to his team, ‘The reward for doing great work is the opportunity to do it again on an even bigger platform.’”

  

Episode one of “40 DAYS: CANELO VS. KOVALEV” will debut today, Oct. 22, on UNINTERRUPTED’s channels, as well as on the DAZN platform and social media channels. Episode two will debut Thurs., Oct. 24, and the third and final episode will be unveiled Thurs., Oct. 31, just two days before the light heavyweight title clash in Las Vegas. Each episode will be broadcast after its debut on several media platforms including Univision, NBC Sports Network and a collection of popular regional sports networks.

“40 DAYS: CANELO VS. KOVALEV” marks the second edition of the series produced by UNINTERRUPTED since launching the global distribution partnership with DAZN in April 2019. The first installment of 40 DAYS told the story behind the May 2019 fight between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs.

Canelo vs. Kovalev is a 12-round fight for Kovalev’s WBO Light Heavyweight World Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Main Events. The event will take place Saturday, November 2, 2019 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

About UNINTERRUPTED:

UNINTERRUPTED is an athlete empowerment brand founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. The company is built upon the radical idea that all athletes should have a platform to express themselves without intermediaries. From this premise, a mission was born: to empower athletes from all walks of life to communicate in an unimpeded way and to be More Than an Athlete. UNINTERRUPTED is upending the world of sports media by working with athletes to tell unique, human stories from their point of view. Through content, merchandise, events, partnerships and educational opportunities, UNINTERRUPTED is changing the way athletes engage with the public and empowering them to be known and valued for more than the sport they play.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents, available 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 service 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 The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Material Courtesy of:DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, lists of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, 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. 

BRAWL AT THE MALL 13 COMPLETE RESULTS

Press Release: October 21, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Former WBA Titlist Randy Petalcorin improves his record to W31 KO 23 L3 D1 as he dominated Reymark Taday in their eight round light flyweight bout in the main event of the Brawl at the Mall 13 in General Santos City. In the co-featured bout, Dave Apolinario sent Arnold Garde to the canvass for good courtesy of a left haymaker to the jaw. Garde attempted to get up but could not make thus the round one KO victory for Apolinario. The rest of the results are as follows: 

Credit:Sanman Promotions 

8rds Featherweight, Carjun Carcosia RTD4 Jay Ar Aliasot 

Rimar Metuda KO1 Jizril Vijano 

Roma rate KO2 Nicong Calamba 

Jhun Rick Carcedo KO2 Romeo Jakosalem 

Guillame Lorenzo KO1 Michael Padayag 

Gan Erdene Gankhuyag UD4 Paolo Perono 

Jerven Mama KO1 Ian ligutan

Mark Antonio KO2 Wiljan Ugbaniel 

Rv Deniega KO2 Junrex Saldivia

It was a night of brutal knockouts as promised. The exciting event was attended by a huge crowd which filled the Atrium of Robinsons Gensan. Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil was happy with the crown turn-out as he prepares to leave for the US for a busy month ahead starting with the big fight of Romero Duno against Ryan Garcia. “Thanks to our loyal boxing supporters in Gensan and the neighboring towns. It was another successful event for Sanman and I hope they continue their support and love of the sport”, Manangquil stated.

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.

Ritson Defeats Davies In Newcastle

Jr. Welterweight contender Lewis Ritson scored a twelve round unanimous decision over rival Robbie Davies on Saturday night at the Newcastle Arena in Newcastle, England. In what was billed as a world title eliminator in the World Boxing Association (WBA) rankings, the fight began at a high pace with both fighters willing to exchange power punches. Ritson had particular success in landing his left hook to the head of Davies early in the fight, but Davies seemed to immediately attempt to return offense whenever Ritson would land flush. 

The pace of the fight did not slow over the first half of the bout with both fighters being content to battle it out on the inside. Although it was difficult to determine who had an advantage during this stage of the fight, it appeared that it was Ritson landing first and Davies answering. While this is not always a determining factor, the fighter who lands first can get the benefit of doubt from the three official judges. It was nevertheless a close,  competitive fight, and was very much up for grabs as the bout entered the second half. 

In contrast to the first half of the fight, Ritson was able to establish distance between himself and Davies over the second half of the fight and used his longer reach and lateral movement to keep Davies from being effective. Although Davies was able to get Ritson against the ropes periodically during this stage of the fight, he was not able to sustain it and it appeared Ritson was out working him over the bout’s second half. The two fighters engaged in an entertaining back and forth exchange in the twelfth and final round that was fairly even, but Ritson’s ability to out box and out work Davies over most of the second half of the fight would allow him to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision. Official scores were 117-112, and 116-112 (On two scorecards) in Ritson’s favor. Lewis Ritson advances to 20-1, with 12 Knockouts. Robbie Davies falls to 19-2, with 13 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

Also in the Jr. Welterweight division, undefeated rising prospect Darren Reay fought to a four round draw with Eduardo Valverde. Darren Reay advances to 6-0-2, with 1 Knockout. Eduardo Valverde advances to 2-2-1, with 1 Knockout.

In a bout for the British Jr. Middleweight championship, undefeated Scott Fitzgerald scored a controversial twelve round unanimous decision over champion Ted Cheeseman to win the championship. To the surprise of many, this observer included, Cheeseman showed impressive technique and lateral movement throughout the fight. The champion’s ability to make Fitzgerald miss, control the tempo of the combat, and pick his shots appeared to be the story of the fight. Although Fitzgerald was able to land some effective body shots in the later rounds, it seemed that it would not be enough. Despite the opinion of yours truly, all three judges scored the fight in favor of Fitzgerald. Official scores were 116-113, and 115-113 (On two scorecards) in favor of Fitzgerald. Scott Fitzgerald advances to 14-0, with 9 Knockouts. Ted Cheeseman falls to 15-2-1, with 9 Knockouts.

In the Welterweight division, undefeated Joe Laws scored an entertaining four round decision over Justice Addy. Laws had success throughout landing flush left hands yo the head of Addy that did stagger him periodically over the course of the fight, but had to settle for the convincing decision victory as Addy was able to go the distance. Joe Laws advances to 8-0, with 4 Knockouts. Justice Addy falls to 16-6-1, with 14 Knockouts,

Undefeated Women’s Super-Middleweight Savannah Marshall scored a one-sided third round stoppage of Ashleigh Curry. Marshal consistently pressed Curry against the ropes and ripped hooks to the body that were frankly only stopped by the bell ending a round. The one way traffic was finally stopped at forty-seven seconds into round three when Curry’s corner threw the towel in to save their fighter from further punishment. Savannah Marshall advances to 8-0, with 6 Knockouts. Ashleigh Curry falls to 8-13-4, with 1 Knockout.

In the Light-Heavyweight division undefeated prospect Lawrence Osueke and Ricky Summers fought to a controversial split decision draw. Although Osueke appeared to control the relatively uneventful bouts from the outset, two official judges felt the fight was closer than the action in the ring would appear to indicate as one judge gave the bout to Summers by a score of 96-95, while the second of three judges had the fight even 95-95. What makes this baffling is the third judge that had Osueke winning the fight gave him every round and turned in a final score of 100-90 resulting in the split draw. Lawrence Osueke advances to 9-0-1, with 1 Knockout. Ricky Summers advances to 16-2-1, with 5 Knockouts.

Heavyweight Martin Bakolie scored a fifth round stoppage of faded former world title challenger Kevin Johnson. From the opening bell Bakolie forced the action on the forty year old Johnson. Beyond an occasional counter punch, Johnson was content to sit on the ropes and attempt to slip Bakolie’s offense. The end came when a barrage of unanswered punches from Bakolie forced a referee stoppage in round five. Official time of the stoppage was :58 of round five. Martin Bakolie advances to 14-1, with 11 Knockouts. Kevin Johnson falls to 34-16-1, with 18 Knockouts.

In the Jr. Middleweight division, rising prospect Kieron Conway scored an eight round decision over Konrad Stempkowski. Conway was in command from the opening bell keeping Stempkowski on the defensive with a well-balanced attack to the head and body. Conway scored a knockdown of Stempkowski in round six with a left hook to the rib cage. Although he was tactically out gunned, Stempkowski showed his mettle and was able to go the distance. Kieron Conway advances to 13-1-1, with 3 Knockouts. Konrad Stempkowski falls to 9-2, with 0 Knockouts.

Super-Middleweight Jon Docherty remained unbeaten with a six round decision over Lewis Van Poetsch. Jon Docherty advances to 7-0, with 5 Knockouts. Lewis Van Poetsch falls to 9-113-2, with 2 Knockouts.

In the Jr. Welterweight division, Terry Wilkinson remained undefeated by scoring a four round decision over Daryl Pearce. Terry Wilkinson advances to 8-0, with 0 Knockouts. Daryl Pearce falls go 1-4, with 0 Knockouts.

Women’s Welterweight April Hunter successfully made her professional debut with a four round decision over Borislava Goranova. April Hunter advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Borislava Goranova falls to 11-59-4, with 0 Knockouts.

Light-Heavyweight Thomas Hart scored a four round decision over Darryl Sharp. Thomas Hart advances to 3-0, with 1 Knockout. Darryl Sharp falls to 5-63-1, with 0 Knockouts.

This card provided a little of everything that most identify with the sport of Boxing. Rising prospects looking to take the next step forward in their careers, exciting competition, and yes, the element of controversy. 

In terms of the main event of this card, it is not out of the realm of possibility to think that there could be a rematch between Lewis Ritson and Robbie Davies down the line. For now, Ritson appears to be in the hunt for a world championship fight against current WBA Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis. As most know, Prograis will meet current IBF world champion Jpsh Taylor next week in a unification bout, which is also coincidentally the final of the current World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) Jr. Welterweight tournament. It is likely that Ritson could face current WBA number one contender Mario Barrios, who currently holds an interim/regular championship designation in the WBA’s Jr. Welterweight ratings before a potential fight with the winner of Prograis-Taylor. Lewis Ritson however, has established himself among the top contenders in the division and if he can continue to win at the world level of the sport, he will likely be challenging for a world championship soon rather than later.

“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

BRAWL AT THE MALL 13 COMPLETE FIGHT CARD

Press Release: October 19, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Sanman Promotions is back in action as it features another action-packed boxing bonanza on October 20 at the Robinsons Mall Atrium in General Santos City. Main event will showcase former WBA Title-holder Randy Petalcorin who sees action against Reymark Taday. It will be supported by another relevant bout between Dave Apolinario vs. Arnold Garde. The rest are the undercard matches: 

Credit: Sanman Promotions 

Presco Carcosia vs. Jay-Ar Aliasot        10 rds        110 lbs

Adam Abdulhamid vs. Jose Ocampo         6 rds        147 lbs

Rimar Metuda vs. Jizril Vijano            6 rds        135 lbs

Jhun Rick Carcedo vs. Romeo Jakosalem    8 rds         144 lbs

Guillame Lorenzo vs. Michael Padayag    6 rds        130 lbs

Jerven Mama vs. Ian Ligutan            6 rds        112 lbs

Roma Rate vs. Nicong Calamba        8 rds        118 lbs

Gankhuyagiin Gan-Erdene vs. Paolo Perono     6 rds         118 lbs

Mark Antonio vs. Wiljan Ugbaniel        6 rds         118 lbs

RV Deniega vs. Junrex Saldivia        4 rds         112 lbs

Sanman CEO Jim Claude Mananganquil guarantees 100% action for boxing fans of GenSan and the neighboring towns and cities. “It is our way of giving back to the local fans for their support to our boxers. This is a free event so there’s no excuse not to come and watch the fights. See you!”, 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. 

Baluta Wins WBO European Bantamweight Championship

In a battle for the vacant WBO European Bantamweight championship Ionut Baluta scored a close ten round split decision over local favorite Kyle Williams on Friday night at the Hangar Events Venue in Wolverhampton, England. Baluta dropped Williams with a counter left hook to the jaw in the first round. Despite facing an early deficit on the scorecards, Williams fought back well by using his aggression and angles to pressure Baluta. Williams however, would suffer a cut over the right eye as a result of an accidental clash of heads in round five. Although Williams had success, particularly when he was able push Baluta back against the ropes, Baluta generally landed the cleaner punches and seemed to get the better of the exchanges between the two. Baluta was penalized a point in round nine for deliberately spitting out his mouthpiece. A second point deduction for the same foul would follow in round ten. Despite this, Baluta, who was fighting for the first time outside of his native Romania,was able to get the nod of two official judges by scores of 96-92 and 95-93, while the third judge scored the fight 95-92 for Williams giving Baluta a hard-fought victory. Ionut Baluta advances to 12-2, with 2 Knockouts. Kyle Williams falls to 11-2, with 3 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

Welterweight Sid Bowater scored a six round decision over Artur Devaytan. Both fighters were able have their moments throughout exchanging combinations, but Bowater was able to out work Devaytan down the stretch to secure the win. Sid Bowater advances to 5-1, with 1 Knockout. Artur Devaytan falls to 1-4, with 0 Knockouts.

Also in the Welterweight division rising prospect Conah Walker scored a lopsided six round decision over a very “Game” Edvinas Puplauskas. The story of this fight was Walker’s consistent attack to the body of Puplauskas throughout the entire fight. Consistent pressure allowed Walker to earn the convincing win as Puplauskas simply could not find a way to keep Walker off of him. Conah Walker advances to 6-0-1, with 2 Knockouts. Edvinas Puplauskas falls to 6-26, with 4 Knockouts.

Undefeated Middleweight Shaka Thompson scored a dominant six round decision over Bryn Wain. Thompson dropped Wain with a short left hook in the second round and carried the action from the opening bell on his way to the victory. Shaka Thompson advances to 7-0, with 0 Knockouts. Bryn Wain falls to 0-30, with 0 Knockouts.

Lightweight Stu Greener successfully made his professional debut by scoring a four round decision over Clayton Bricknell. Bricknell was the aggressor early in the fight throwing and landing combinations, but Greener was able to match his offense and by the end of the bout seemed to be getting the better of the exchanges. Stu Greener advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Clayton Bricknell falls to 2-2-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Women’s Welterweight Kirstie Bavington scored a second round stoppage of Monika Antonik. Bavington scored a knockdown in the first round when Antonki’s glove touched the canvas while she was trying to evade punches on the ropes. The fight was stopped in round two when Antonik turned her back appearing to submit rather than take further punishment. Official time of the stoppage was 1:28 of round two.Kirstie Bavington advances to 3-1-1, with 2 Knockouts. Monika Antonik falls to 1-18, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Cruiserweight division Antony Woolery scored a four round decision over Elvis Dube. Woolery controlled the tempo of the combat with his jab throughout and generally kept Dube on the defensive. Antony Woolery advances to 2-2, with 0 Knockouts. Elvis Dube falls to 8-80-2, with 5 Knockouts.

Middleweight Ashlee Eales successfully made his professional debut with a workmanlike four round decision over two hundred twenty-five fight veteran Kevin McCauley. Ashlee Eales advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Kevin McCauley falls to 15-199-12, with 0 Knockouts. 

Undefeated Featherweight James Beach scored a four round decision over veteran Michael Mooney. James Beach advances to 11-0, with 2 Knockouts. Michael Mooney falls to 9-69-2, with 3 Knockouts.

Although most knowledgeable Boxing fans probably associate the European championship as being that, that is recognized by the European Boxing Union (EBU), the original version of the European championship in Professional Boxing, recent years have seen the sport’s respective sanctioning organizations introduce their own versions of the European championship. While this in no way diminishes the prestige and importance of the original European championship, what it does is create an alternative path for European fighters to enter into the world rankings. For Ionut Baluta, his victory over Kyle Williams will now earn him a place in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) rankings in the 118lb. Bantamweight division. While no one knows for certain whether it will ultimately lead to a world championship fight for Baluta remains to be seen, but he has now officially stepped up a level and it will be up to him to show that he is among the best Bantamweights in the world going forward. It is a task that can indeed be easier said than done.

“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

Wade Defeats Lemelle In Dallas

Welterweight Jamykle Wade scored s hard-fought six round unanimous decision over Mike Lemelle in the main event of a five.bout card on Thursday night at Rodeo West Dallas Nightclub in Dallas, TX. Lemelle seemed to dictate the combat in the first two rounds consistently backing Wade up on the ropes and landing short, compact punches. The third round saw almost a complete reversal as Wade began backing Lemelle up and along with steady pressure, began to outwork Lemelle over the remaining rounds to earn a convincing unanimous decision and along with it a regional championship as recognized by the American Boxing Organizations (ABO). Jamykle Wade advances to 5-4-1, with 2 Knockouts. Mike Lemelle falls to 3-3-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

Light-Heavyweight Robert Hill scored a close four round split decision over Louis Webster. Both fighters had their moments throughout, but Hill’s consistent jabs and cleaner punches were able to earn him the decision victory. Robert Hill advances to 3-5, with 0 Knockouts. Louis Webster falls to 2-4, with 2 Knockouts.

In the Super-Middleweight division, Christopher Jones scored a four round majority decision over Dennis Williams. At times this was s difficult fight to watch due to the differences in the styles of the two fighters. Although Jones appeared to have some trouble with Williams’ height and reach, he was able to get the better of the exchanges on the inside and that seemed to give him the benefit of the doubt as two of three official judges scored the bout in his favor giving him every round. Christopher Jones advances to 6-2, with 4 Knockouts. Dennis Williams falls to 5-14-1, with 3 Knockouts.

Jr. Middleweights Darius Bagley and Benjamin Gurment fought to a four round majority draw. The ebb and flow shifted between both fighters for the entire duration of the bout as both were willing to stand and exchange with each other where neither was able to gain a significant advantage over the other. At the end of four rounds, two official judges scored the fight even resulting in the majority draw. Darius Bagley advances to 1-1-1, with 0 Knockouts. Benjamin Gurment advances to 1-0-1, with 1 Knockout.

In the Lightweight division Kenneth Taylor scored a hard-fought four round unanimous decision over Mario Franco. There were some entertaining exchanges between the two fighters throughout the fight, but it appeared Taylor might have been able to get a stoppage as he dropped Franco with a flush left hook early in the fourth round. Despite appearing hurt, Franco to his credit was able to survive to the final bell in one of the more entertaining bouts of the evening. Kenneth Taylor advances to 10-1-2, with 6 Knockouts. Mario Franco falls to 0-6, with 0 Knockouts. 

This card, the first under promoter Krishna Wainwright’s Wainwright Productions provided much needed exposure to some up and coming fighters on a regional level. While all the fighters who competed on this event will likely look to either continue to progress towards potentially being regarded as prospects or to bounce back from a loss, events like this are crucial to the sport of Boxing. Not only because they provide a needed platform for young fighters, but also can serve as a way to help grow the sport. Something that a fan of Boxing of any level should support.

“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

Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released on Friday, October 18th. Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth."

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

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

PETALCORIN, APOLINARIO, AND CARCOSIA HEADLINE “BRAWL AT THE MALL 13”

Press Release: October 14, 2019 By Sanman Promotions –  Sanman Promotions is back with another action packed event as “Brawl at the Mall” happens at the Robinsons Place Atrium in General Santos City on October 20. Former light flyweight titlist Randy Petalcorin (W30 KO23 L3 D1) is fronts the event as he fights Reymark Taday. Also featured in the co-main event are undefeated prospects Dave Apolinario (W11 KO6 L0 D0) who faces Arnold Garde and Carjun Carcosia (W6 KO6 L0 D0) who will be facing Jay-ar Aliasot. A solid undercard line-up has also been prepared by Sanman. 

Credit: Sanman Promotions 

“This is another treat for the supportive boxing fans of our beloved City of General Santos. We guarantee you the same level of quality boxing entertainment just like the past episodes of Brawl at the Mall. Hope to see you there”, Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil stated.

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.

October 11-12, 2019 Weekend Thoughts

Following a fight of the year candidate between Gennady Golovkin and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, which kicked off the month of October in the sport of Boxing, the second weekend of the month also provided some intrigue. While the weekend began with an upset of sorts that saw Cruiserweight Tommy McCarthy score a split decision victory over previously undefeated prospect Fabio Turchi, the two days of action also featured the return of a former world champion as well as a highly anticipated Heavyweight debut.

This column will cover some of the action from what was a full weekend of Boxing. Former two-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Chad Dawson returned to the ring for the second time since returning from a two year layoff on Friday, October 11^th as he faced former North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Light-Heavyweight champion Denis Grachev at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT. Dawson, who scored an eight round unanimous decision over Quinton Rankin in June is attempting to rebuild his career after some notable setbacks. While the subject of his career can be discussed more thoroughly in a column of its own, most Boxing aficionados will likely regard Dawson as one of the top Light-Heavyweights of the last decade.

What is always of interest when any fighter, especially a former world champion returns to the ring following a lengthy absence is to see what effects the time out of competition will have on the fighter. Another term that is often used to describe those potential effects is “Ring Rust.”

At his best, Dawson is a compact boxer/puncher with a good mix of hand speed and punching power. In Denis Grachev, Dawson faced a veteran of twenty-eight professional fights, who was also known for his durability and reputation to be a difficult opponent. Although some might think that facing a fighter of Grachev’s caliber was a risky move for a fighter in Dawson’s position so soon in a comeback, it would provide a good evaluation of exactly where Dawson is at this stage of the comeback before possibly taking a step towards world championship contention.

Dawson’s performance in this fight can best be described as a fighter going through the motions as he gradually outworked Grachev over eight rounds to earn a lopsided unanimous decision. Grachev simply could not find a way ti get into a rhythm. Although he attempted to pressure Dawson throughout, he was inconsistent with his offense. While there was not much to say about this fight, it did serve the purpose of keeping Dawson active in his second fight in four months.

Who Dawson’s next opponent will be remains to be seen, but the win also earned Dawson the United States Boxing Council (USBC) Light-Heavyweight championship. Even though some Boxing fans and critics of the sport might scoff at the fact that Boxing has no shortage of titles at various levels, a title like a USBC title, which has an affiliation with the World Boxing Council (WBC) does serve the purpose of getting a fighter into the world rankings.Whether or not Dawson will be in the discussion for a potential world title shot  in the near future also remains to be seen. Though Dawson certainly has name recognition clout, the key in this observer’s eyes will be for Dawson to remain as active as possible much as it is for virtually every fighter that attempts a comeback. With two wins under his belt, it will be interesting to see how Dawson progresses going forward.

This brings us to the much-anticipated Heavyweight debut of undefeated former Undisputed World Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Usyk, who was supposed to make his debut earlier this year was sidelined by torn right biceps, which delayed his Heavyweight prospects nearly exactly five months to the day of this fight on October 12^th at the Wintrust Area in Chicago, IL. If being sidelined by an injury were not frustrating enough for Usyk, he also had to deal with two changes in opposition for his Heavyweight debut. Usyk’s original opponent, former Heavyweight world title challenger Carlos Takam opted to take his career in a different direction, which included signing with a new promoter rather than waiting for Usyk’s injury to heal and for the fight to be rescheduled. Usyk’s next signed opponent undefeated Heavyweight and former Kickboxing world champion Tyrome Spong fell out early in the week of the fight when it was revealed that he had tested positive for a banned testosterone boosting substance in pre-fight testing. Despite Spong’s protest of the result an accusation that the result was somehow an effort by those associated with Usyk and/or his promoter Eddie Hearn to use as a way to avoid fighting him, the bottom line was Spong was out. The third signed opponent ultimately proved to be the charm. Enter longtime contender Chazz Witherspoon.

The thirty-eight year old Witherspoon took the fight on only a few days notice. Although Witherspoon did not have much time to prepare, he was a Heavyweight of considerable size and appeared to be someone that would allow Usyk to test the waters at Heavyweight. What most would view as a red flag was that, despite Witherspoon’s long-standing as a respectable Heavyweight, he had failed in previous bouts against fighters who were deemed to be top contenders at the time including against former world title challengers Chris Arreola and Tony Thompson. This along with limited time to prepare for a fighter who is regarded as one of the top in the entire sport made many including this observer wonder what kind of fight we would see.

Although Witherspoon seemed to hold his own against Usyk for a time primarily by being defensive, it did not take long before Usyk’s hand speed, angles, and overall skill set began to show as Usyk battered Witherspoon over seven mostly one-sided rounds before Witherspoon stopped the fight after round seven, resigning in his corner.

Even though this was not the type of fight that some might have wanted to see Usyk in for his Heavyweight debut, the former Cruiserweight champion, who by way of his previously holding the undisputed championship in the division, which included the World Boxing Organization (WBO) crown has earned him the mandatory position as the WBO’s number one Heavyweight contender, which puts him in line to challenge the winner of the upcoming rematch between unified WBO/WBA/IBF/IBO world champion Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua. Whether or not that fight will indeed happen in 2020 for Usyk is likely to be debated because there are also other mandatory defense obligations in the other organizations that comprise the unified world championship that may have an impact on when Usyk gets that opportunity.

While yours truly would want to conclude this column by discussing the performances of undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol, and unified Women’s Jr. Welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill, who successfully retained their world championships with decision wins on this card in detail , the story of this evening of Boxing in Chicago was the unfortunate tragic circumstances involving Jr. Middleweight contender Patrick Day, who suffered a severe knockout loss in the tenth round of his fight against undefeated United States Boxing Association (USBA) champion Charles Conwell.

Day held his own throughout the ten round bout. Although he had suffered two knockdowns over the course of the fight, Day had turned in a good performance in what had the appearance of a fight that would go the distance. As can happen in combat sports, the bout would instead come to a sudden end as Day was floored for a third and final time midway through the round. Conwell connected with a left hook to the jaw that sent Day down and out cold on the canvas. Day hit the back of his head on the canvas as he went down and was down for several minutes before being removed from the ring on a stretcher and immediately rushed to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The broadcast team of DAZN, who broadcast the card provided updates on Day’s condition throughout the remainder of the evening revealing that he had not regained consciousness while being transported to an ambulance at the arena and had also suffered a seizure. This would be followed by news that Day had been placed on a breathing tube at the hospital and news in the late night hours that he had undergone emergency brain surgery. As of this writing Day remains in a coma and is reported to be in critical condition according to several outlets who cover the sport including Fightnews, Boxingscene, and ESPN.

While one should not jump to conclusions, the situation regarding Patrick Day serves as another reminder of how dangerous combat sports can be and why every fighter who enters the ring deserves respect from the fans of the sport for the risk they take each time they enter the ring. It is not something to take lightly. My thoughts and prayers go out to Patrick Day and his family.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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