Farmer Retains NABF Championship

Current NABF Jr. Lightweight champion Tevin Farmer successfully retained his title with a ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” Dardan Zenunaj on Friday night at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA. The fight was dominated by the hometown favorite Farmer’s ability to use his hand speed and lateral movement to get his punches off first. Although Zenunaj was consistent in trying to pressure Farmer and occasionally backed the North American Boxing Federation champion up on the ropes, he was not able to land anything significant. Farmer often would catch Zenunaj, a native of Pec, Kosovo, with offense as he came forward and would use his movement to evade him. This was particularly evident during moments when Farmer was on the ropes.

Although Zenunaj never stopped trying to turn the ebb and flow of the fight in his favor, he was unable to turn things around and as the fight progressed would taunt Farmer when Farmer would land punches cleanly. At the end of the ten round bout, Farmer had retained his championship. Official scores were 98-92, and 99-91 (On two scorecards) in favor of Farmer. Unofficially, I scored this fight 100-90 or ten rounds to zero for Farmer.

Tevin Farmer advances to 24-4-1, with 5 Knockouts. Dardan Zenunaj falls to 12-3, with 9 Knockouts.

Also on this card, in a Cruiserweight bout, former NABF/USBA Cruiserweight champion Garrett Wilson scored a six round majority decision over veteran Lamont Capers. This was a fight where Wilson often landed the cleaner more effective punches, but Capers dictated how much of the fight was fought due to his reach advantage, ability to make Wilson miss, and keeping him at distance. It was Wilson’s overall aggression however, that prevailed as he was able to win the fight on two of three official scorecards to earn the majority decision.

                                

Official scores were 57-57, and 58-56 (On two scorecards) for Wilson. Unofficially, I scored this bout 59-55 or five rounds to one in favor of Capers. Although Wilson was clearly more effective when he was able to land his punches, the majority of the rounds were dictated by Capers and even though Capers’ punches were not as effective as Wilson’s, Wilson wasn’t able to land consistently enough, in my opinion to win rounds. It was one of those fights that can have a wide range of scoring and it doesn’t surprise this observer to see varying scores with regard to this fight.

Garrett Wilson advances to 17-11-1, with 9 Knockouts. Lamont Capers falls to 7-9-2, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Lightweight division Victor Padilla, who was one of five fighters who made their professional debuts on this card scored a second round knockout over Kim St-Pierre. A right/left combination to the head from Padilla sent St-Pierre to the ropes and a follow up barrage ending with a right hook to the body sent St-Pierre down for the count. Official time of the stoppage was :59 of round two.

Victor Padilla advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Kim St-Pierre falls to 1-3, with 1 Knockout.

In the Featherweight division, unbeaten prospect Jose Gonzalez scored a one-sided four round unanimous decision over veteran Tim Ibarra. Gonzalez was simply the more active of the two fighters and outworked Ibarra over the course of the fight to win a convincing decision. Official scores were 39-37, and 40-36 (On two scorecards) in favor of Gonzalez. Unofficially, I scored this fight 40-36 or four rounds to zero for Gonzalez. Ibarra simply would not let his hands go and Gonzalez being able to bring the fight to him was the story of the fight.

Jose Gonzalez advances to 6-0-1, with 2 Knockouts. Tim Ibarra falls to 4-4, with 1 Knockout.

In the Jr. Lightweight division, Joseph Adorno scored two knockdowns in the first round of an overmatched Guy Newman to earn his first professional victory via stoppage. Official time of the stoppage was 1:37 of round one.

Joseph Adorno advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Guy Newman falls to 0-2, 0 Knockouts.

In a Heavyweight bout, unbeaten Iegor Plevako scored a second round knockout over a debuting Montrell Castro.  Plevako knocked Castro down with a barrage of punches late in the first round and the fight was stopped in round two after a left hook to the head hurt Castro and he almost scored a double-leg takedown of Plevako  as he was going down to the canvas. The bout was promptly stopped by Referee Shawn Clark. Official time of the stoppage was :31 of round two.

Iegor Plevako advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Montrell Castro falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

In what was the fight of the night, Jr. Middleweight Roque Zapata scored a thrilling four round majority decision over previously unbeaten Isaiah Wise. The two fighters engaged in a toe to toe war where both fighters had points of effectiveness in every round in a bout and a fight where both fighters received a standing ovation from the crowd in attendance. Zapata was declared the winner on two official scorecards. Official scores were 40-36, 39-37 for Zapata, and 38-38 giving Zapata a majority decision victory. Unofficially, I scored this fight 38-38 or two round a piece, a draw. Frankly, this was a fight that needed to be scheduled for a longer distance as it was too close to call, in this observer’s opinion. It would not be surprising to see a rematch between the two in the near future. It was one of those fights that if you are a fan of the sport, you wanted to see more.

Roque Zapata advances to 2-1-3, with 0 Knockouts. Isaiah Wise falls to 3-1, with 2 Knockouts.

In a bout between two debuting Jr. Middleweights, Marcel Rivers destroyed Tony Kim in one round. Rivers scored the first of what became two knockdowns with a brutal barrage of punches that was started with a right hand to the head. Rivers finished Kim off with a follow up barrage which forced Referee Hurley McCall to stop the fight. Official time of the stoppage was :41 of round one.

Marcel Rivers advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Tony Kim falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Overall, this eight fight card was an entertaining look at fighters ranging from the very beginning of their careers to veterans like Garrett Wilson, who was looking to get back in the win column after losing his four previous bouts, to current NABF Jr. Lightweight champion Tevin Farmer. Farmer, who has been undefeated for over four years and with his win over Dardan Zenuaj has won seventeen straight fights and has also established himself as one of the top contenders in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. It will be interesting to see if Farmer, who is ranked number three in the world by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and number ten in the world by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) will get an opportunity at a world championship in 2017 and how several of the fighters who competed on this card that are either approaching prospect status or made their professional debuts progress going forward.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The card titled Philly Fight Night was presented by J. Russell Peltz’ Peltz Boxing Promotions in association with Bam Boxing Promotions, Joe Hand Promotions, and Lou Dibella’s Dibella Entertainment and was broadcast worldwide by GFL: Go Fight Live Combat Sports (www.GFL.TV.)

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

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

Was Walters Decision Career Damaging?

One of the topics of discussion with regard to the sport of Boxing over the last week has been the outcome of the November 26th WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship fight between two-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko and former WBA Featherweight world champion Nicholas Walters. It was a highly anticipated encounter between two of the best fighters in the world. The champion Lomachenko, one of the most decorated amateur boxers in history having finished his amateur career with an incredible record of 396-1 and earned two Olympic gold medals before embarking on a professional career where in only eight previous professional bouts prior to his title defense against Nicholas Walters, had won seven of those eight fights and had already earned two professional world championships in two different weight classes.

The challenger Walters had earned a reputation as a fighter with punching power in either hand having scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-six victories his professional registering a career knockout percentage of 75%. Walters established himself with two devastating knockout victories over former world champions Vic Darchinyan and Nonito Donaire. Walters’ victory over Donaire in October 2014 earned him the WBA Featherweight world championship. Walters reign as champion however, would be short-lived as he failed to make weight prior to what would have been his first title defense against Miguel Marriaga in June of last year.

Normally when a fighter loses a world championship not in the ring, but on the weight scale because that fighter for one reason or another could not make that weight limit for a scheduled title defense, questions in regard to both a fighter’s commitment to training as well as whether or not they can physically compete in a weight class after having trouble making the weight limit are logical to ask. In Walters case, this observer believes it was not a lack of dedication to training, but perhaps naturally outgrowing the 126lb. Featherweight limit as the likely cause of his not making weight for his bout with Marriaga.

After defeating Marriaga under a scenario where he could not retain his world championship, Walters moved up in weight to the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division in December of last year where he fought a ten round draw against current WBA number one Jr. Lightweight contender Jason Sosa. This set the stage for Lomachenko in Walters to square off for Lomachenko’s WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, NV in a fight that appeared on paper to be a potential Fight of the Year candidate.

                          

As this observer has often said over the years however, sometimes what appears to be a good or even great fight on paper does not always materialize when two fighters face each other in the ring. For seven rounds, the champion Lomachenko dominated the former Featherweight world champion Walters by outworking and out boxing him from the outset in a bout that was one-sided. It was at the end of the seventh round that Walters made the decision to stop the fight.

Although the contest between two was dictated and controlled by Lomachenko from start to finish and Walters did not appear as though he was incapable of continuing the combat, his decision to stop the fight might be seen as a move that could have a serious long-term damaging impact on his career going forward. This is of course not the first time that a fighter has made a choice to stop fighting rather than continue on.

Many remember the second encounter between Boxing legends Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in November 1980. A fight that will forever be known as “No Mas.” Leonard used hand speed, lateral movement, taunting, and showboating to execute a fight plan that thoroughly frustrated Duran into quitting in the eighth round uttering the words “No Mas” or “No More.” Although Duran had claimed he quit due to stomach cramps, some including this observer, believe Duran’s frustration in not being able to neutralize Leonard’s movement or to stop Leonard from showboating and taunting him ended up getting the best of him resulting in the legend quitting in disgust and surrendering the Welterweight world championship that he had taken from Leonard in their first encounter earlier that year.

Some may also remember former longtime Heavyweight contender Andrew Golota and two fights where he signaled his surrender. The first came in his 1999 bout against then undefeated rising contender Michael Grant, where Golota floored Grant in the first round, only to be knocked down himself in the tenth round where after getting up from the knockdown Golota told Referee Randy Neumann that he did not want to fight resulting in the bout being stopped.  The second fight came nearly a year later when Golota quit after two rounds in his bout against Mike Tyson. A scene that will be remembered for Golota being hit with drinks and other debris as he fled the ring following the fight being stopped.

In both cases, the losses did inflict some damage to both fighters. Duran experienced further struggle after his loss in the second of three fights against Sugar Ray Leonard, losing to Wilfred Benitez and Kirkland Laing before winning the WBA Jr. Middleweight world championship in June 1983 with a knockout win over previously undefeated champion Davey Moore. Even though Andrew Golota would not win a world championship in his career, he did go on to challenge for a Heavyweight world championship on three separate occasions following his losses to Grant and Tyson in a career where he fought for a world championship four times overall.

The question some might ask after Nicholas Walters choosing to stop his fight against Vasyl Lomachenko is will that decision damage his career going forward? For his part, Walters stated after the fight that he had been hurt in the seventh round by Lomachenko and that he had been holding on just to survive the round and that in his words it would have been stupid to come out after that round. Walters also stated that Lomachenko had been more active than himself in terms of how often he fights, which may lead one to believe that Walters, who had not fought in nearly a year may have been affected by ring rust.

Although the crowd who was in attendance voice their dissatisfaction of Walters by booing him as he attempted to give an explanation, one should be impressed with his candor in that he acknowledged that he had been hurt by Lomachenko in the previous round and hinting at the possibility that his inactivity prior to this fight may have worked against him. Whether or not this loss, the first of Walters career and more specifically the way the loss came will ultimately be career damaging is anyone’s guess, but in this observer’s eyes it will only be what Walters does going forward that will determine just how much damage will be 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

Lomachenko-Walters Weigh-In Results

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s WBO World Jr. Lightweight championship fight between champion Vasyl Lomachenko and former WBA World Featherweight champion Nicholas Walters took place on Friday in Las Vegas, NV. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

                                 

Main Event: WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship – 12Rds.

                           

Vasyl Lomachenko (Champion) 130lbs.  vs. Nicholas Walters 129 1/2lbs.

Light-Heavyweight – 8Rds.

Donovan George 175lbs.   vs.  Trevor McCumby 172 1/4lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 6Rds.

Maxim Dadashev 140 1/4lbs. vs. Efrain Cruz 140 1/4lbs.

Jr. Middleweight – 8Rds.

Konstantin Ponomarev 148 1/2lbs.  vs.     Silverio Ortiz 148 1/2lbs.

Welterweight – 8Rds.

Juan Ruiz 146 3/4lbs.  vs.  Fernando Carcamo 146 1/2lbs.

Lomachenko vs. Walters takes place Tonight (Saturday, November 26th) at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV. The main event will be televised in the United States along with a rebroadcast of the November 19th World Light-Heavyweight championship fight between Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward by HBO Sports at 10:35 PM ET/PT. For more information please visit: www.hbo.com/boxing.  In the United Kingdom and Ireland Lomachenko-Walters can be seen on Box Nation at 3AM (Sunday, November 27th Local UK Time), For more information please visit: www.boxnation.com. Check your listings internationally.

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

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

Kovalev-Ward Controversy?

The world Light-Heavyweight championship fight between undefeated unified WBO/WBA/IBF world champion Sergey Kovalev and undefeated former Super-Middleweight world champion Andre Ward had all the makings of a great fight. An encounter between a champion in Kovalev who had established himself as one of the sport’s feared knockout artists having scored knockouts in twenty-six of thirty-one previous professional fights registering a career knockout percentage of over 80%, and a former world champion in Ward who was seeking his second world championship in as many weight classes and one might argue vindication as one of the best fighters pound for pound in the world following a lengthy period of inactivity due to a well-publicized promotional dispute with his former promoter the late Dan Goossen, which caused Ward to be inactive as a fighter for nearly two years between 2013 and 2015.

Although Ward had remained unbeaten in three bouts since his return to the ring in June 2015, he had not faced opposition that most would consider to be household names. In Kovalev, Ward was presented a challenge. Not only was Kovalev the unified Light-Heavyweight world champion, but he had also dominated all opposition placed before him, successfully defending his world championship eleven times in over three years since winning the title in August 2013. As Kovalev continued to defeat all challengers on his way to unifying three of five world championships in the Light-Heavyweight division, he had also established himself along the way as one of the best fighters in the world.

This appeared to be a classic battle of a fighter known for his punching power in Kovalev against a fighter known for his quick hands, lateral movement, and ability to outbox his opponents in Ward. Kovalev however, had shown in both his unification battle with future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins as well as in his previous title defense against Isaac Chilemba in July of this year that he is much more than a knockout artist and was capable of not only going a twelve round championship distance, but was also underrated in his own ability as a boxer.

It was not surprising when the two fighters got in the ring on November 19th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV to see Kovalev look to immediately pressure Ward. After all, Kovalev despite displaying his ability as a boxer in recent fights, had built a reputation off of his ability to end a fight early. This was the first time in this observer’s recollection that Ward was put under such pressure so early in a fight.

For a fighter who has had to deal with his share of detractors throughout his career, this would be a fight that Andre Ward would be able to answer some of those critics. The difference in punching power was apparent early on as Kovalev was able to stun Ward with his jab and his right hand. It was a counter right hand from Kovalev that would send Ward down on his knees on the canvas in the second round. Although Ward had been knocked down once previously in his career, in his bout with Darnell Boone ironically exactly eleven years prior to his bout with Kovalev on November 19, 2005; this was the first time Ward had faced this type of adversity.

Even though Kovalev was applying pressure on Ward from the outset of this fight, it was not the type pressure that was consistent in pushing Ward back, but was systematic in that Kovalev fought Ward at a tactical pace and was able to apply pressure in spurts. The first four rounds were dominated by Kovalev in his ability to land the harder punches of the two and dictating the pace of the combat in the eyes of this observer.

Although at the end of four rounds I had Kovalev winning every round plus a round scored 10-8 in his favor in round two because of the knockdown of Ward on my unofficial scorecard, this was a very tactical fight and Ward was able to adjust as it progressed. From rounds five through nine I felt the pace gradually shifted in Ward’s favor as he was able to use movement to offset Kovalev. What was also noticeable during this period the fight was how well Ward was able to execute his offense to Kovalev’s body as well as how he landed small, but effective combinations to the champion’s head.

 As the pace slowed slightly to something that was more in favor of Ward, he was able to gradually work his way back into the fight on my unofficial scorecard as I scored rounds five through nine in his favor. Several of these rounds however, were very close due largely to the pace at which the fight was being fought and there could be a difference of opinion as to who was able to win what this observer has often referred to as “Swing Rounds” where a single moment or solid landed punch may be able to sway opinion as to who got the upper hand in a round. In this observer’s eyes Ward’s ability to land effective body punches and use his lateral movement to dictate the pace as well as Kovalev’s inability to cut the ring off from Ward during this period of the fight is what I based my score on.

This was a bout that can be open to interpretation as to who got the upper hand. Although for much of this fight Kovalev landed the cleaner and harder punches of the two fighters, Ward was able to win rounds not only based on his effective body work and lateral movement, but also based on how well he was able to work the clock by controlling the pace of the rounds he was able to win and executing on his opportunities to throw and land his punches. Sometimes when it comes to close fights it is not always simply who is able to land the harder punches that will ultimately determine who will win a round.

It was nevertheless a very close fight on my scorecard as I had it scored even entering the tenth round. The momentum seemed to shift back and forth in the remaining three rounds of this fight. Kovalev seemed to get the better of the action in round ten as he was able to execute well with his jab and was able to land some effective right hands during the round. The eleventh round I felt went to Ward by a narrow margin based on his movement and his attack to Kovalev’s body. The twelfth and final round was similar in that it was another “Swing Round” in a fight that had several of them. Unlike round eleven however, I felt the champion Kovalev did enough to win the last round narrowly based on his own effective offense to Ward’s body resulting in my scorecard being 114-113 in points for Kovalev, but the fight being even at six rounds a piece in rounds.

It is important to remember that although there was a knockdown in this fight against Ward, it came very early on in the bout and even though a knockdown may leave an impression particularly among casual fans as to who will win a close fight, sometimes a knockdown is not the determining factor. Based on how effective Andre Ward was able to be from rounds five through nine and how narrow the last three rounds were, it did not surprise me to see the official scorecards end up being similar to my own as all three judges scored the fight 114-113, but had Ward as the winner and new Light-Heavyweight world champion.

Although I felt Kovalev won this fight, I can easily see the scorecards going the other way as they did in favor of Ward and can see how some may have scored the fight a draw. It was a fight that was in some ways too close to call and as this observer has often said over the years in regard to close fights it will often boil down to what a judge prefers in their own individual criteria of how they score based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense.

As is often the case when it comes to close fights, it was also not surprising to see a difference of opinion, anger, and even accusations of potential corruption expressed by Boxing fans shortly after the official decision was announced. On the morning after the fight, this observer polled my followers on Twitter as to who they felt won this fight. 62% of those who participated felt that Kovalev won the fight while 24% felt that Ward did enough to win. The interesting statistic in this observer’s eyes however, was only 14 % of those who participated in this poll felt the fight was a draw.

Of course, only the voters and by extension all Boxing fans can speak for themselves not only as to who they felt won the fight, but why. Even though there are some who have voiced very strong opinions in calling the decision controversial and/or questioning the possibility of potential corruption, this observer does not feel that way.

Although much as is the case with Boxing fans who saw this fight, only the three official judges can speak for themselves as to what they saw and what they based their scores on, I believe a possibility could be based on how effective Andre Ward was with his attack to Sergey Kovalev’s body over the course of the second half of the fight. Even though body punches are not always eye-catching and will not always result in knockdowns and/or knockouts being scored, if a fighter is able to land body punches consistently and is able to do so over the course of a long fight those punches do have an effect most of the time and more importantly they do score points.

Despite the opinion of some that this was fight ended in a “Controversial” decision, this observer feels in an era that sees Boxing fans regularly being asked to pay ever-increasing pay-per-view prices to see Boxing’s top/elite level fighters compete and more often than not the fights do not live up to the hype or the price of which consumers were asked to pay, this was a fight that lived up to the hype and was a Fight of the Year candidate. Regardless of how one might feel in regard to the outcome of this fight, this observer will close this column with comments I made shortly after this fight concluded on social media. “Great fight. Close fight. Rematch warranted.”

“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.twittter.com/Beau_Denison

Brief Kovalev-Ward Feature Update

We would like to let our readers know that a feature examining the recent unified Light-Heavyweight championship fight between champion Sergey Kovalev and former Super-Middleweight champion Andre Ward is in the works and will be released on Wednesday, November 23rd.  Stay Tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

Kovalev-Ward Weights And PPV Bout Sheet

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Light-Heavyweight clash between undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev and undefeated former Super-Middleweight world champion Andre Ward took place on Friday in Las Vegas, NV. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Pay-Per View Card:

Main Event: WBO/IBF/WBA Light-Heavyweight world championship – 12Rds.

Sergey Kovalev (Champion) 175lbs.  vs.        Andre Ward 175lbs.

North-American Boxing Federation (NABF) Light-Heavyweight championship – 10Rds.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk (Champion) 174 3/4lbs. vs.        Isaac Chilemba 174 3/4lbs.

WBC Continental-Americas Middleweight championship – 10Rds.

Curtis Stevens (Champion) 157 1/2lbs.        vs.        James De La Rosa 159 3/4lbs.

North-American Boxing Organization (NABO) Jr. Welterweight championship – 10Rds.

Maurice Hooker (Champion) 139lbs.             vs.        Darleys Perez 137 1/2lbs.

Undercard Bouts:

Jr. Welterweight – 8Rds.

Gabe Deluc 139 1/4lbs.         vs.        Sonny Fredrickson 140lbs.

Jr. Lightweight – 6Rds.

Vincent Jennings 126 1/2lbs.                        vs.        Tyler McCreary 128lbs.

Women’s Super-Middleweight – 4Rds.

Claressa Shields 167lbs.                    vs.        Franchon Crews 168lbs.

Middleweight – 8Rds.

Botirsher Obidov 157lbs.                    vs.        Bakhram Murtazaliev 160lbs.

Middleweight – 4Rds.

Meirim Nursultanov 159lbs.               vs.        Henry Beckford 160 1/2lbs.

Heavyweight – 4Rds.

Brice Coe 242lbs.                    vs.        Darmani Rock 241lbs.

Kovalev vs.Ward takes place Tonight (Saturday, November 19th) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. In the United States and Canada, the card can be seen at on HBO Pay-Per-View for $64.99. The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT Contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. The undercard portion of the card can be seen beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT  for free on both Audience Network on cable/satellite and the Fite TV app. Check your cable/satellite provider for Audience network. The Fite TV app is available on the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store. For more information about Fite TV please visit: www.fite.tv.

In the United Kingdom, the card can be seen on Sky Sports 1 at 2AM (Sunday, November 20th Local UK Time.) For more information please visit: www.skysports.com. Check your listings internationally.

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

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

New Promotion Company Brings Boxing To Houston Area

Photo Credit: JAB Latino Promotions/Majestic Raven Entertainment

Press Release: November 14, 2016 Houston, Texas- JAB Latino Promotions will be putting on their first boxing card November 19^th at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, Texas.

The main event will feature Houstonian Josue Morales as he is set to face Mexico’s Fernando Saavedra for the American Boxing Organization’s Bantamweight title. In the co-main event features Jose “Canelito” Garcia as he takes on Chris Faz in lightweight action.

                                                                                   

In the opening bout, will be middleweight Daniel Lopez from Houston making his debut against Jesus Rodriguez of Brownsville Texas. Making his return to the ring is 4-time Golden Glove winner Artrimus Sartor of Cincinnati Ohio looking to put another notch in the win column. Sartor who lost in his last outing wants to go out and put a show on for area boxing fans. “I have fought in Galveston and Beaumont and love putting on a show for the fans, wherever.” Also in action is top Houston prospect Cruiser-weight Roberto Silva as he continues to establish himself in the division.

JAB Latino Promotions President Javier Gonzalez intends to put on stacked cards in the South Texas area on a quarterly basis. “We want to put on shows that are competitive for the fighters and entertaining to the crowd. November 19^th, we will definitely be putting on a show.”

Doors open 6pm on November 19^th, at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in Rosenberg, Texas. For ticket information contact Blas Perez 281-865-3650.

About JAB Latino Promotions

JAB Latino Promotions is a Houston area boxing promotion company that has one mission statement: Put on exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a platform for prospects.  

 Material and Photo Courtesy of: JAB Latino Promotions and Majestic Raven Entertainment. Used with permission

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

Belated Brief Thoughts On Vargas-Pacquiao

The recent battle between WBO Welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas and future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao was in some ways treated as an afterthought by some Boxing fans. This was partly due to some feeling that the champion Vargas was a significant underdog, despite winning his world championship in his last fight prior to the encounter with Pacquiao in scoring a ninth round stoppage over previously undefeated contender Sadam Ali in March of this year.

Pacquiao meanwhile came into the fight off of a recent retirement following his second victory in his trilogy with two-division world champion Timothy Bradley this past April. Following that fight, Pacquiao was elected as a senator in his native Philippines. Although Pacquiao, a former eight- division world champion has more than secured his place in any Hall of Fame associated with the sport of Boxing, his decision to return to the ring following his retirement was not surprising.

After all, when the name Manny Pacquiao is mentioned it is hard not to associate him with some of the biggest events in the sport over the last decade. Even though Pacquiao has been through his share of wars throughout his career, it was understandable that he wanted to continue his career as a fighter perhaps feeling that he had more to accomplish.

The question that this observer had in mind when the two fighters squared off on November 5th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV was whether the champion Vargas would be able to turn this encounter into a fight and surprise skeptics who treated the encounter between the two as an afterthought or a would be “Tune Up” for Pacquiao. It was also understandable how one might wonder whether Pacquiao’s political commitments outside the ring would impact his performance against a champion, who was hungry for respect.

As has been the case in some of Pacquiao’s recent fights, the bout with Vargas was a very tactical battle where both fighters were able to have their moments. One of Pacquiao’s moments of the fight came in the second round when he was able to score a knockdown of the champion with a left hand. Although the knockdown of Vargas was in reality a flash knockdown, the speed difference between the two was apparent as Pacquiao consistently found ways to get his punches off first and dictating how the fight was fought for much of the bout. Even though Vargas did manage to have a couple of good rounds throughout the fight and was very “Game”, he was unable to land anything to turn the fight in his favor as Pacquiao would ultimately earn a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision to become WBO Welterweight world champion for a third time.

Although Vargas ended up having a bad night against Pacquiao, it is important to remember that Vargas was going up against a great fighter and the loss will probably not negatively impact his career going forward. As for Pacquiao, he was able to regain his standing atop the Welterweight division and looked good coming off of a brief retirement.

Sometimes it is a simple as one fighter besting the other and that was the story of this fight. An interesting story that could be developing however, might be the resumption of discussion among Boxing fans and experts alike of a potential rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. This has also been fueled by Mayweather’s attending Pacquiao’s fight against Vargas.

Although it is indisputable that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have arguably been the two biggest draws in the sport over the last decade, it will be interesting to see how the public will respond to a rematch if it is indeed signed. When the two met in May of last year the pay-per-view event which was priced at $100 broke all existing pay-per-view and live gate attendance records. The actual fight however, failed to live up to the anticipation that preceded what was a legitimate “Super Fight” and left many fans feeling disappointed.  This observer has doubts as to whether or not Boxing fans will be as willing to pay such a high price for the rematch given how the first fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao was fought.

A rematch between the two will definitely draw significant attention if it is indeed signed, but given the general decline of pay-per-view buys for Boxing events in recent years as well as how both Mayweather and Pacquiao drew on pay-per-view in separate fights following their encounter last year, the question of whether Boxing fans would pay as high a price for a rematch between the two is a fair one to ask. Although there is no word as of this writing as to whether or not a rematch between the two will take place or how well Pacquiao’s fight with Jessie Vargas did in terms of pay-per-view buys, this observer believes if it makes sense from a financial standpoint and both fighters want to do it, make the fight.

“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 material discussing the recent WBO World Welterweight championship fight between Jessie Vargas and future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao is in the works and will be released on Friday, November 11th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

Vargas-Pacquiao Weigh-In Results And Bout Sheet

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s WBO World Welterweight championship fight between champion Jessie Vargas and future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao took place on Friday in Las Vegas, NV. The weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: WBO Welterweight world championship – 12Rds.

Jessie Vargas (Champion) 146 1/2lbs.                      vs.        Manny Pacquiao 144 3/4lbs.

WBO Jr. Featherweight world championship – 12Rds.

Nonito Donaire (Champion) 121 3/4lbs.       vs.        Jessie Magdaleno 121 3/4lbs.

WBO Featherweight world championship – 12Rds.

Oscar Valdez (Champion) 125 1/4lbs.                       vs.        Hiroshige Osawa 125 1/4lbs.

Vacant WBO Flyweight world championship – 12Rds.

Zou Shiming 111lbs.              vs.                    Prasitsak Phaprom 111 1/4lbs.

Jr. Middleweight – 8Rds.

Azael Cosio 150lbs.                vs.                    Alexander Besputin 149 3/4lbs.

Lightweight – 4Rds.

Teofimo Lopez 133lbs.                                   vs.                    Ishwar Siqueiros 133 3/4lbs.

Featherweight – 6Rds.

Fernando Fuentes 124 1/2lbs.          vs.                    Que Xu 125 1/2lbs.

Jr. Lightweight – 6Rds.

Clay Burns 129lbs.                 vs.                    Robinson Conceicao 129 1/2lbs.

Vargas vs. Pacquiao takes place Tonight (Saturday, November 5th) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV. The card can be seen on cable/satellite pay-per-view in the United States and Canada beginning at 9PM ET/6PMPT for $69.95.Check your cable or satellite provider for ordering information. The card can also be seen online at: www.toprank.tv for $59.95. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on BoxNation at 1AM  (Sunday, November 6th Local UK Time.) For more information please visit: www.boxnation.com. Check your listings internationally. For more information on Vargas vs. Pacquiao please visit: www.toprank.com.

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

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

Which Event Will You Order?

After a period of time that was referred to affectionately by some, including this observer as “Darktober” for the sport due to the significant absence of Boxing on television in the United States in the month of October; a period of time that was highlighted by the Chicago Cubs emerging victorious in the 2016 World Series, Boxing now prepares to return to center stage in November highlighted by two significant marquee pay-per-view  cards. The first of the two events will take place on Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV as WBO Welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas makes the first defense of his championship against future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who retired in April of this year after his second victory in his trilogy with former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley, now prepares to return to the ring following his victory in the political arena in becoming a senator in his native Philippines in May. Pacquiao will attempt to become a three-time Welterweight world champion when he faces the newly crowned WBO world champion Jessie Vargas. Vargas, who won the vacant WBO world championship in March of this year with an eighth round knockout over previously undefeated contender Sadam Ali has only lost one of twenty-eight career bouts with the lone loss coming against Timothy Bradley in June of last year.

What appears to be an interesting fight on paper has in some ways been overshadowed by an element regarding the business of the sport as this will be the first time in several years that a pay-per-view Boxing card headlined by Manny Pacquiao will not have the involvement of two of Boxing’s major networks in the United States HBO and Showtime. Instead, promoter Bob Arum and his promotional company Top Rank Boxing will independently produce and distribute the pay-per-view broadcast.

This is an interesting move as Manny Pacquiao has been a mainstay on HBO and it’s pay-per-view brand HBO Pay-Per-View for several years. The move comes as HBO declined produce and distribute the broadcast on pay-per-view due to the Vargas-Pacquiao card being too close to the scheduled November 19th pay-per-view card headlined by the World Light-Heavyweight championship fight between undefeated unified world champion Sergey Kovalev and undefeated Super-Middleweight world champion Andre Ward, a pay-per-view event that will be broadcast by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Although it is understandable how one might want to discuss the circumstances and reasoning behind Top Rank’s decision to produce an independent pay-per-view, it is important to remember that it is a move that is not unprecedented. Some may remember a time where the concept of promoters producing and distributing pay-per-view events, known as “Independent” productions due to the non-involvement of a television network was once commonplace in the sport. Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, promoters like Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing and Don King’s Don King Productions to name a few did produce and distribute their own pay-per-view events from time to time.

 There have been occasions where separate pay-per-view Boxing cards have taken place on the same day and even one occasion where two cards went head to head on pay-per-view. Some readers might remember the night of June 10, 2006 where Bob Arum’s Top Rank produced and distributed a pay-per-view card headlined by then Jr. Welterweight world champion Miguel Cotto’s title defense against Paul Malignaggi at New York’s Madison Square Garden while at the same time a separate pay-per-view card took place headlined by Antonio Tarver’s  IBO World Light-Heavyweight championship defense against Bernard Hopkins at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ that was produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Although the night of June 10, 2006 remains the only time to this observer’s knowledge that two separate events went head to head on cable/satellite pay-per-view, the decision to go the independent route for Vargas-Pacquiao should not be viewed as a surprising one by Top Rank. What is interesting however, with regard to two pay-per-view cards taking place within the same calendar month is whether or not the steady rise in the pricing for pay-per-view events in recent years will have a negative impact on either Top Rank’s Vargas-Pacquiao card or the HBO produced and distributed Kovaelv-Ward card.

It is a fair question to ask and wonder given that both events are likely to be priced at around $70 each. Of course, both events will more than just the main event bouts, but it is important to remember that in addition to what could be viewed by some as expensive pay-per-view prices, both events will have to contend  with an issue that could impact the overall pay-per-view numbers. The issue of the growing trend of consumers that have “Cut The Cord” and done away with the cable/satellite medium to consume their television choices in favor of Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution options and thus will not have access to the cable/satellite medium to order the broadcast of either card.

Some readers may recall the column this observer published here on the website in December of last year titled “Is It Time For “Big Time” Boxing  To Go Over The Top?” that discussed the general decline of Boxing pay-per-view buys in recent years and the rise of OTT digital distribution as a form of television consumption. This observer stated that it was and remains my opinion nearly a year later that consumers who have “Cut The Cord” by canceling their cable/satellite pay-TV services in favor of OTT television would welcome the opportunity to see a marquee Boxing event that would otherwise only be offered via cable/satellite pay-per-view if offered on an OTT basis.  I closed that column by stating that even though seeing Boxing’s next “Big” or “Super” fight offered on an OTT basis may appear to be wishful thinking in the eyes of some, as the trend of “Cord-Cutting” continues to grow one can only imagine the potential audience that Boxing’s next marquee event could be missing out on.

Although neither Vargas-Pacquiao or Kovalev-Ward will be offered on an OTT basis, this observer believes it would have been interesting to see either Top Rank or HBO test the waters of OTT digital distribution as a way to potentially gain more viewers than would normally be the case by offering the events strictly via the cable/satellite pay-per-view medium.  It will nevertheless be interesting to see how the two upcoming pay-per-view cards compare with each other in regard to overall pay-per-view buys.

Both cards have appeal, both have interesting main events, and the fighters involved do have dedicated fan followings. Although it is not out of the realm of possibility that some may choose to order both events, one may wonder if the ultimate authority, the Boxing fan will be forced to choose one event over the other or may ultimately decide not to order either event. Which Boxing event will you the reader choose to buy? In this observer’s eyes the question of who will win the two main event bouts that will headline these events is as interesting as the question of which event will generate more pay-per-view revenue.  If nothing else, the answer to the second question just might determine whether dueling marquee pay-per-view Boxing events taking place within the same month will be a one-off or something that could become a new trend in the sport.

“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