Update:

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released on Friday, October 9th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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The Recent Shakeup Of The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight Division

On October 3rd two world championship fights took place to fill vacancies of the WBC and WBA Jr. Welterweight world championships that were previously held by Danny Garcia. In a bout for the World Boxing Association (WBA) world championship three-division world champion Adrien Broner scored a one-sided twelfth round stoppage of former International Boxing Organization (IBO) world champion Khabib Allakhverdiev in Broner’s hometown of Cincinnati, OH.

The story of this fight was Broner’s ability to be crisp and accurate with his offense as he picked his shots and battered Allakhverdiev for the majority of the twelve round bout. In what was his debut at 140lbs. , I was impressed by Broner’s approach in that he appeared to be all business for the majority of this fight and overall it was an impressive performance over a very “Game”, but over matched opponent in Allakhverdiev.

All of the facets which made Broner a three-division world champion prior to this fight were present. The ability to not only use quick hands and be accurate, but also to be solid defensively and not allow Allakhverdiev to get off consistently with his offense. Although this victory has given Broner his fourth world title in as many weight classes, there may be some who might criticize the WBA for sanctioning this fight for its vacant world championship.

The basis of the criticism would stem from the fact that Broner was rated number two in the world by the WBA prior to this fight while Allakhverdiev was rated number five in the world by the same organization. The WBA has since 2001 implemented a procedure with regard to their world titles in that one fighter can be designated as a “Super Champion” in instances where that fighter might be a unified world champion and hold more than just a WBA world championship in a given weight class. Meanwhile, a fighter or fighters in the same weight class are deemed as having interim/regular champion status in the WBA ratings.

As this observer has stated before although this structure would appear to ensure that top contenders get an opportunity to fight for a world championship whether the recognized WBA champion fulfills their obligations by defending their title against the fighter who holds interim/regular status as being technically the number one mandatory contender or not, it has created confusion among Boxing fans. In regard to the Broner-Allakhverdiev fight, they were fighting for the full championship of the WBA at 140lbs. It should not however, be ignored that the current number one contender who holds interim/regular status currently is Jose Benavidez and one may wonder why the number one contender was not involved in a fight to determine a new world champion and why that championship was decided between the number two and number five rated contenders. The politics of the sport notwithstanding, it does not take anything away from Adrien Broner’s performance and he has clearly established himself as a player in the Jr. Welterweight division and it will be interesting to see whether or not the political landscape of the sport will allow Broner to defend his world title against Benavidez in the near future.

The second fight that took place was a bout for the World Boxing Council (WBC) world championship at 140lbs. between undefeated WBC number one rated contender Viktor Postol and number two rated Lucas Matthysse in Carson, CA. This was a very competitive fight where both fighters were able to have periods of success. As the rounds went on it was Postol who was able to take over the tempo of the fight keeping Matthysse at distance with his jab and landing crisp combinations.

Postol not only showed the ability to outbox one of the Jr. Welterweight division’s hardest punchers, but he also showed the ability to take a punch when he had to. Gradually as the fight progressed Postol was able to wear Matthysse down and a counter right hand brought an end to the fight in the closing seconds of the tenth round. Along with winning his first world championship, Postol also became the only fighter to score a knockout of Matthysse, who has been one of the division’s cornerstones for several years.

These two fights ultimately did succeed in the purpose of filling the vacancies left by Danny Garcia as he has moved up to the 147lb. Welterweight division. The question now becomes who is the number one fighter at 140lbs.?

There are currently five recognized world champions in the division. Viktor Postol the WBC world champion, Adrien Broner the WBA world champion, Cesar Cuenca the IBF world champion, Terence Crawford the WBO world champion and the IBO world champion Eduard Troyanovski.

It will be interesting to see if one of these five fighters can emerge as the dominant fighter in the Jr. Welterweight division. Although there will likely be a difference of opinion for a period of time as to who is number one, it is something that could and probably will take time to materialize. With Postol and Broner successfully winning world championships, the attention will now turn to undefeated two-division world champion Terence Crawford as he prepares to defend his world title against former world title challenger Dierry Jean on October 24th in Omaha, NE.

Although it will likely take time for one of these fighters or perhaps a top contender to emerge as the division’s central figure, there is no question that a division that has historically deep in terms of talent remains just that a very deep and competitive weight class where several fights could be made that could be considered a toss-up. This observer looks forward to providing analysis and thoughts as the Boxing world waits for the next dominant Jr. Welterweight to emerge.

“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

Analyzing The Breazeale-Kassi Controversy

One of the bigger stories that came out of the Deontay Wilder-Johann Duhaupas card on September 26th besides the “Game/Brave” effort put forth by Duhaupas in his challenge of Wilder was the outcome of an undercard bout between undefeated rising Heavyweight prospect Dominic Breazeale and battle-tested veteran Fred Kassi. Breazeale, who entered the fight against Kassi having knocked out fourteen of fifteen previous opponents as a professional is at a stage in his career that one might argue is not all that unlike that of Deontay Wilder, who had developed a reputation as one of the Heavyweight division’s feared knockout artists prior to becoming a world champion earlier this year.

As was the case when Wilder faced Duhaupas, Breazeale would face what many will likely consider the toughest test of his career in the form of Fred Kassi. Kassi entered the fight coming off of a controversial draw against former world title challenger Chris Arreola in July of this year. A fight that saw Kassi outwork Arreola over the course of ten rounds and one where there was a difference of opinion as to who won the bout.

An argument can and perhaps should be made that this fight between Breazeale and Kassi was even more controversial. In what was a very competitive contest from the outset it was a battle between Kassi’s ability to be elusive, pick his spots, and effective counter punching versus Breazeale’s aggression and greater activity.

Several of the rounds in this fight were close where you can make an argument for either fighter having done enough to win a round. As this observer watched this fight what stood out to me was Kassi’s ability to pick his spots, but also to be willing to engage with Breazeale and use his awkwardness to make Breazeale miss with his offense.

Although there was no question that it was Breazeale who was the busier fighter of the two, in my estimation it was Kassi who landed the cleaner more effective punches throughout the fight. It was however, a close fight in my eyes that I had Kassi winning by two rounds at the end of the ten round bout.

As is almost always the case when it comes to close fights it will often boil down as this observer has often said over the years to what a judge prefers in their own individual criteria in how they score based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. This was one of those fights where although I felt one fighter was more effective and landed the cleaner punches, I could see an argument in favor of the other fighter based on greater activity and aggression.

It was no surprise to see a difference of opinion at the end of this fight, specifically a difference of opinion between Boxing fans and experts and the three official judges who ultimately scored the fight in Breazeale’s favor by wide margins. Judge David Hudson turned in a score of 97-93 or 7-3 in rounds while Judges Irwin Deutsch and John Westeterp turned in scores of 98-92, (8-2 in rounds) and 100-90 (10-0 in rounds) respectively in Breazeale’s favor.

Although this observer was one of many who expressed their opinion in questioning the accuracy of the scoring following the fight on social media, it is important to remember that judges score on a round by round basis and when several of the rounds in a fight are close there can be differing scores based on what a judge looks for in their own individual criteria. Some judges will score based on effective aggression, while others may score based on clean punching, defense, and overall ring generalship.

It appeared that judges Hudson, Deutsch, and Westeterp favored the aggression of Breazeale in their scoring of this fight. It is certainly understandable to a degree how mere aggression can influence scoring. After all, fights can sometimes be determined by who is able to dictate the pace of the contest. There is no doubt that Dominic Breazeale was the more aggressive of the two fighters, the question was whether he was effective in his aggression.

For this observer the answer to that question is he was not effective and missed much of his offense throughout the fight due to the awkwardness/elusiveness of Kassi. Although I feel Kassi won the fight, I can see how others may feel Breazeale did enough to win the fight.

As is often the case when it comes to controversial decisions however, the central issue tends to be focused on official scorecards which differ significantly from the consensus of how a fight is seen among fans and Boxing experts. In this case the focus is on the scorecards of judges Deutsch and Westeterp for their wide scores in this fight.

This observer was quite vocal following the fight saying that although I could not say that I did not see argument for Breazeale having won the fight, it was a fight that I did not see either fighter winning ten rounds, even going as far as to call the scorecard of Judge Westeterp “Incompetent.” In all truth and honesty, I cannot see either fighter as having won eight out of ten rounds either.

It is important to remember despite my opinion about this fight that it is just that an opinion and part of the fun of the sport of Boxing and really all combat sports is getting the chance to debate who won a closely fought contest from time to time. Sometimes we simply agree to disagree. It is also worth remembering that while fans may become full of passion and anger following a controversial decision, judges are human and can have a bad night at the office from time to time.

In almost every case where a controversial decision is rendered in the sport of Boxing, a solution often comes in the form of a rematch. Whether or not a rematch between Breazeale and Kassi takes place in the near future remains to be seen, but it is clear that the experience for Dominic Breazeale will likely prove beneficial in the future as he was tested by a veteran and did perform well regardless of what one’s opinion of the outcome might be.

As for Fred Kassi, this is a scenario where a loss may ultimately do more for him than a victory might have. There were many including this observer who felt that he deserved the decision in this fight and even though he came out on the losing end of a controversial decision he will likely find himself in the mix and could get another fight against a top contender in the near future regardless of whether or not he gets a rematch with Breazeale.

At the end of the day regardless of the outcome of this fight two fighters have established themselves as players in the Heavyweight division. Regardless of whether there is a second encounter between Breazeale and Kassi, it will sure be interesting to see what happens in the future for these two fighters.

“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

 

Thoughts on Wilder-Duhaupas

The Boxing world focused it’s attention on the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL on September 26th when undefeated WBC Heavyweight world champion and knockout artist Deontay Wilder made the second defense of his world title against WBC number eleven rated contender Johann Duhaupas of France.  As this observer stated in the week prior to the fight, stylistically it was a bout that appeared to favor Wilder due in large part to Duhaupas’ tendency to fight out of a high defensive guard, and not use much lateral or head movement. Although Johann Duhaupas was a former European Heavyweight champion he entered into this fight largely unknown by American Boxing fans. Despite being lightly regarded, Duhaupas did enter into his challenge of Wilder having won thirty-two of thirty-four professional fights and was a fighter who had never been stopped inside the distance in his career.

The battle between Deontay Wilder and Johann Duhaupas can best be described as an underdog showing his mettle and providing a significant test for a young and unbeaten champion. For eleven rounds Johann Duhaupas was able to put more pressure on Wilder than any of Wilder’s previous opponents. Duhaupas however, was only able to be sporadically successful in executing his offense.

Despite the near non-stop pressure put forth by the challenger, Wilder showed that he would not wilt under pressure and gradually administered a beating to Duhaupas as he pressed forward. Although he was battered throughout most of the fight prior to it being stopped in the eleventh round Johann Duhaupas proved that he is a fighter that should be respected across the globe. It was a brave performance by a challenger who had been dismissed by some prior to his challenge of Wilder, a fighter who has thus far proven to be very difficult to go the distance with. Only former WBC Heavyweight world champion Bermane Stiverne can claim to have lasted a full fight with Deontay Wilder.

Although Johann Duhaupas fell short of going the distance and said that he will continue his career in Europe following the fight, this observer believes that Duhaupas should be given another opportunity to show what he can do here in the United States. Whether or not that opportunity would come against a rising prospect or someone considered to be a top contender is something that could be debated. In this observer’s eyes however, Duhaupas proved to be an extremely tough opponent for Wilder and should be considered as a fighter who could give any prospect or contender a tough fight.

As for Deontay Wilder, he did what he was expected to do. He successfully defended his title and was able to score a knockout win despite being pressured like he had never been before in his career. Although critics of Wilder likely remain, Wilder continues to do all you can really ask of a fighter. He continues to defeat all opposition placed before him.

Wilder will now look to defend his world championship against longtime contender and current WBC number one rated contender Alexander Povetkin in the near future. It will be interesting to see whether Povetkin, who has a good mix of hand speed and punching power will be able to put forth the type pressure that Johann Duhaupas was able to against Wilder and whether he can do so without taking the punishment that Duhaupas did.

Although Wilder will have a size and reach advantage over Povetkin when that fight takes place, it will also be interesting to see what adjustments if any Wilder will make to a fighter who will be looking to put pressure on him. Deontay Wilder’s performance against Johann Duhaupas was an impressive performance from the standpoint of seeing how Wilder would respond to being significantly pressured throughout the course of an entire fight. Wilder showed that he can put forth a high offensive output even during the course of a long fight where he appeared to show effects of fatigue in the late rounds. Whether or not Wilder will be able to deal with a fighter in Povetkin who will look to pressure him, but is someone that is quicker than Duhaupas remains to be seen.

Although the fight between Wilder and Duhaupas proved to be lopsided in Wilder’s favor, it was an entertaining fight that headlined an overall entertaining evening of Boxing. Despite the ratings for the card, which was broadcast by NBC as part of the Premier Boxing Champions series being called disappointing by some, Wilder-Duhaupas did succeed in bringing a World Heavyweight championship fight back to over the air broadcast television in prime time in the United States for the first time in over thirty years and did have over two million people tuning in to watch the fight.

Even though some may call the ratings for this card disappointing, this observer considers it successful in the sense of what the main event did in giving a fight for a World Heavyweight championship an opportunity to be seen by masses of people without the requirement of a cable/satellite subscription or a pay-per-view price tag. It is something that should not be seen as a disappointment, but rather something that could be used to build upon for future Premier Boxing Champions cards.

“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