A Boxing Wishlist For 2019

The time has come once again for what has evolved over the years to be called “A Boxing Wishlist” where yours truly discusses what he would like to see occur in the sport during the new year. For those who read my column looking back at some of the highlights of what took place in Boxing in 2018, you may have noticed that I focused primarily on events that occurred in “The Business Of Boxing” and did not talk much about the events that took place inside the ring.

This was due to the changes that occurred in the business realm that did not overshadow events that took place in the Boxing ring, but certainly changed the landscape of what may occur in both rings across the globe as the year 2019 begins and far beyond. It would frankly be impossible for me not to continue the theme of 2018 being a year of change and transition in the sport in this column as it will play a role in what might take place in the new year. There will however, be topics touched upon in this column that were not discussed previously.

Longtime readers are likely familiar with previous editions of this observer's “Boxing Wishlist' where I typically touch upon a variety of issues. This year however, the theme could very well be thought of as how Boxing as a whole can continue the momentum that was built in 2018. While it is not the intention of yours truly to do a complete rehashing of some of the topics I discussed in last year’s “Boxing Wishlist”, some of what I touched upon at the beginning of 2018 are likely to play a significant role in 2019 and beyond.

It cannot and should not be ignored the significant increase of exposure that Women’s Boxing was given on television and streaming platforms over the previous year. An increase of both exposure and recognition that I have screamed for, for years that was frankly long overdue. World champions such as Claressa Shields, Christina Hammer, Katie Taylor, and Cecilia Braekhus were all showcased throughout the year in marquee spots across various American television networks through both traditional and streaming models. Women's Boxing as a whole is perhaps the strongest it has ever been in terms of both television exposure and the depth of talent across the entire sport as 2019 begins.

A wish of this observer for Women's Boxing is to obviously see the sport continue to grow and continue to be featured prominently across American television throughout the new year and beyond. While it is logical to think that the four world champions Shields, Brawkhus, Hammer, and Taylor might all be pitted against each other at some point, what I would like to see especially given the increased exposure the sport has received on the amateur level as well is an effort made by the various promoters and networks to attempt to develop fighters who are preparing to embark on professional careers.

Boxing as a whole is a sport that is always in need of and openly seeks new stars. As we have seen in Women's Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) the sport is exposed to new fans when an effort is made to develop, promote, and provide fighters the necessary platforms to showcase their skills. Much as has been the case for Women's Boxing, there was also a period of time where the top MMA promotions resisted the concept of showcasing the women combatants in the sport. Over time however, that stance changed and Women's MMA bouts have been featured regularly on MMA events and in the case of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have headlined several pay-per-view events.

While the subject of "Pay-Per-View" is one that has been discussed frequently in various columns penned by yours truly both here on The Boxing Truth® as well as various online and print outlets through the years and will continue to be so, I see no reason why promoters and networks whether traditional or digital streaming cannot do the same thing for Women's Boxing especially given the ongoing transition of how the sport is broadcast and consumed. This subject of transition and the subject of "Pay-Per-View" will be discussed further later in this year's edition of this observer's "Boxing Wishlist."

Another consistent addition of my "Boxing Wishlist" through the years has been my desire to see one "Undisputed world champion" per weight class. As I have said through the years, the very concept is no pun intended "Wishful Thinking" and given the fact that Boxing has seventeen weight classes as well as the various political elements that exist in the sport, it can be thought of as an impossible task. While it is indeed unrealistic for one to expect something such as this to happen in a relatively short period of time, I believe gradual progress can be made.

The one obvious example that can be used in regard to this subject is in the Heavyweight division. One of if not the biggest fight that can be made in the sport that has not occurred before is a bout between undefeated Heavyweight world champions Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua, the two fighters who currently hold every portion of the World Heavyweight championship between them. Obviously, as each world champion has continued to retain their respective portions of the Heavyweight world championship, anticipation for an encounter to determine an “Undisputed Heavyweight world champion” has only increased.

As obvious as an encounter between Wilder and Joshua being a fight that most if not all Boxing fans want to see, there was a wrinkle in the potential unification bout being made that could well put the idea of Wilder-Joshua on the back burner for most of 2019. The wrinkle being Wilder’s recent close call in his title defense against undefeated former Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in December of last year. A fight where Wilder trailing on two scorecards was able to retain his WBC world championship by scoring the second of two knockdowns of Fury in the twelfth and final round to earn a draw on what became a split decision. The decision of a split draw, seen as controversial by some, and Fury being able to provide the champion with a significant test has fueled demand for a rematch.

Despite unified IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO world champion Anthony Joshua currently having an open date for his next title defense for April of this year and no opponent being announced as of this writing, conventional wisdom might suggest that a Wilder-Fury rematch might happen before a fight with Joshua. There are also other elements/aspects beyond one fight being made before the other that could also play a role in whether a fight to fully unify the Heavyweight division takes place as is virtually the case in any potential unification bout that could be made throughout the entire sport.

As some readers might recall, another topic that has been a regular of the yearly “Boxing Wishlist” centers around the respective sanctioning organizations that regulate the sport. The topic of a dialogue that was established by the heads of the WBC, WBA, and IBF to discuss issues surrounding the sport with the hopeful goal of implementing improvements.

When this dialogue was established a few years ago I applauded the initiative that appeared to be taken by the respective organizations. As I often say and will continue to say, if it is good for the sport, I will support it. One thing I said that I felt would be another step in the right direction that I touched upon in last year’s list was the inclusion of representatives of the WBO and IBO feeling that in addition to subjects regarding rules, regulations, and policies among other things that would come from such dialogue might be steps toward unifying each weight division in addition to the wish of this observer to see the designations of “Interim/Regular championship statuses revamped or outright done away with.

Unfortunately, there was not much new that occurred regarding the dialogue in 2018, or at least that was made public. For the good of the sport, it is my hope that if the dialogue was discontinued over the last year that it can be re-established.

Another element that resurfaced during 2018 was the reemergence of Bareknuckle Boxing with the debut of the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship, (BKFC) the World Bareknuckle Fighting Federation, (WBKFF) and Bareknuckle Fight Club (Bareknuckle FC) all emerging as professional associations devoted to Bareknuckle Boxing. As I have said in my coverage of BKFC and previous cards promoted under DirecTV’s BKB: Big-Knockout Boxing banner, these respective associations/leagues aimed at presenting Boxing in a different form than the traditional form of the sport opens opportunity for not just boxers, but also other combat sports athletes to potentially compete in a different fighting form beyond their primary combat discipline, not all that unlike the format of which Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was initially presented upon it’s inception as an organized sport her in the United States in the early 1990’s. It also presents further opportunity for combat athletes to earn money.

As I also said in previous coverage of Bareknuckle Boxing, a hurdle that all will have to deal with will be the issue regarding licensing and regulations in various states here in the United States and internationally. A battle that the sport of MMA fought for several years as the sport evolved from essentially no holds barred combat to its current form including the implementation of gloves, weight classes, rules, round limits, and adopting a ten-point must scoring system similar to Professional Boxing.

All three of the Bareknuckle Boxing associations, the BKFC. Bareknuckle FC, and the WBKFF each established themselves staging cards in the state of Wyoming. The BKFC however, has expanded out staging its third event in 2018 in Mississippi and will expand to holding cards outside of the United States when they stage their fourth event in their history in Mexico in February.

While it might appear that these Bareknuckle Boxing promotions might not face a similar struggle as MMA did regarding licensing and regulation, it is important to remember that unlike DirecTV’s BKB, which initially launched as a modernized form of gloved Bareknuckle Boxing using knuckle-exposed gloves, but quickly evolved to a more adapted format implementing standard Boxing gloves, the three Bareknuckle promotions use no gloves and frankly present Boxing in as close to its original form as possible. As Boxing fans were reminded recently with former Light-Heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson suffering a brutal knockout loss in losing his world championship and subsequently being hospitalized after suffering what has been described as traumatic brain injury, Boxing even with all the precautions that are taken both here in the United States and internationally that are intended to ensure the safety of fighters, remains a dangerous sport with no shortage of critics that call for Boxing to be banned.

Although most calls for the banishment of Boxing come from critics who tend to voice their criticism and concerns the loudest whenever an unfortunate situation like the one regarding Adonis Stevenson occurs, circumstances such as this can present a further obstacle for groups such as the BKFC, Bareknuckle FC, and WBKFF as they attempt to gain licensing in more regions and states.  While I won't classify this as a wish necessarily on this year's "Boxing Wishlist", seeing the potential of modernized Bareknuckle Boxing has to grow and provide further opportunity for combat sports athletes in the process, I do hope that the respective promoters do keep in mind the potential of circumstances like the situation regarding Adonis Stevenson's of occurring and take appropriate steps to ensure that fighters safety remains the top priority. While as I said earlier this week in looking back at 2018 that I felt the stoppage of the Stevenson fight was stopped at the appropriate time, accidents in not just combat sports, but all of sports unfortunately do happen. It is crucial that any sport take precautions and reevaluate regularly to ensure that safety remains the top priority. For the reemergence of Bareknuckle Boxing, it is even more important and without it, I frankly cannot see many state athletic commissions and international regulatory boards being willing to license Bareknuckle Boxing.

Finally, we come to the final topic of this year's "Boxing Wishlist." A topic that has been an ongoing discussion of yours truly here at The Boxing Truth®, the ongoing transition in how the sport is televised to Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution/subscription-based streaming and what it means for the traditional Pay-Per-View model. While I discussed this subject earlier in the week in looking back at 2018 and do not intend to totally rehash what was discussed in that column or in previous columns, this subject will remain a central part of discussion not just here, but in the entire sport far beyond 2019.

As most Boxing fans know DAZN and ESPN+ have emerged as major players in not just Boxing, but all of sports. With the recent exit of HBO, who left Boxing at the end of 2018, the landscape of how the sport is televised has changed significantly. On one side you have two digital steaming networks aiming toward the future of television distribution offering economically reasonable prices to consumers and offering considerably more content than what is offered on traditional television distribution. On the traditional television side, two networks have emerged to attempt to fill the void of HBO's absence in Showtime, the longtime rival of HBO, and Fox, who each recently signed multi-year agreements to carry cards promoted under the Premier Boxing Champions banner. The difference is each have their sights on broadcasting major fights on traditional Pay-Per-View.

It is and should be no secret to longtime readers that this observer has strongly voiced his opinion that the traditional Pay-Per-View model has become overpriced and undervalued as years have gone on. While some may expect me as someone who has been equally vocal in expressing support for both DAZN and ESPN+ to be brutal in criticizing Showtime, Fox, and the PBC brand for apparently continuing to rely on an increasingly outdated and declining model of cable/satellite Pay-Per-View, I will not be overly critical. I will however, as always be "Brutally Honest."

In some ways, I would consider the landscape of how the sport will be broadcast in the years to come is similar to the landscape that faced the cable/satellite television industry in its growing years where there was a sizable portion of consumers that preferred the free Over The Air (OTA) television model as opposed to paying a subscription fee to a cable/satellite provider for their television service. The slight difference is now more and more consumers are choosing to either cancel their cable/satellite television service or those who have never subscribed to cable/satellite television show little or no interest in subscribing. This is due to the advent of Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution or to put it more simply a distribution model where both television and radio content is delivered over the internet that does not necessarily require a cable/satellite television provider to act as a middleman to distribute said content to the consumer.

As technology more and more is moving in this direction, there remains a portion of businesses that have thrived in traditional mediums of television distribution (The cable/satellite industry) that are reluctant to adapt to the changing times. For Boxing, there is a reluctance on the part of some promoters and networks to come up with a reasonably priced option for what was once thought as the holy grail, “Pay-Per-View.” While there are still some pay-per-view Boxing cards and even MMA cards that manage to produce solid numbers in terms of buys, there remains an overall decline in pay-per-view numbers over the years with those rare exceptions.

As I have said in numerous columns regarding this subject over the years, I do not feel this is due to a general lack of interest in the respective sports, but rather a case where the pricing structure has turned a lot of consumers who would pay a pay-per-view fee off by most pay-per-view Boxing and MMA events being priced at $70 and above here in the United States. Quite frankly, I have felt and still feel that this has been a detriment to Boxing. While the PBC brand, Showtime, and Fox have produced solid Boxing cards and content over the years, I feel in order for them to be successful in the long term if they are going to insist on saving their major Boxing cards for pay-per-view that the price point will need to be lowered in order to make it more appealing.

The challenge for them will be to not only produce content that will keep them competitive with both DAZN and ESPN+ by putting on the best fights possible, but also to have a competitive price point for their marquee (Pay-Per-View) attractions. It is important to remember that one end of the spectrum (DAZN/ESPN+) are appealing to consumers by offering considerable amount of content for a low-cost subscription fee where all the content is included with one’s subscription. On the other end of the spectrum however, you have two networks (Showtime/Fox) that while trying to remain competitive with OTT streaming networks are also going to be relying on the once tried and true model of cable/satellite pay-per-view for their marquee events. The question for the consumer will be whether they will be willing to pay an expensive pay-per-view fee on more than an occasional basis for marquee Boxing events promoted by the PBC brand on a per event basis.

In preparation for this column while on this observer’s end of year vacation during the final weeks of 2018, I did some comparisons of pay-per-view prices for marquee Boxing events here in the United States from the 1980’s up to present day and present circumstances factoring in both DAZN’s and ESPN+’s subscription models into the equation. I was able to find prices for two pay-per-view Boxing cards, which took place in November 1988 that were scheduled just days apart. The first of these cards took place on November 4^th headlined by a bout for the vacant WBO Super-Middleweight world championship between Thomas Hearns and James Kinchen.

The televised portion of the card, which included three full bouts out of a full card of seven fights at the Las Vegas Hilton in Las Vegas, NV was offered to consumers at a $19.95 price point. This was followed by a pay-per-view card on November 7^th from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas headlined by the historic battle between WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Donny Lalonde and Sugar Ray Leonard. A bout historic because not only was Lalonde’s Light-Heavyweight world championship on the line, but also the vacant WBC Super-Middleweight world championship making it the first and only bout in Boxing history where world championships in two separate weight classes were at stake in one fight.  Similarly to the Hearns-Kinchen card, the televised portion of the Lalonde-Leonard card featured a total of three bouts out of a card of six fights was offered to consumers at a $29.95 price point.

Keeping in mind that at the time of this column we are discussing pay-per-view cards and prices from nearly thirty-one years ago, if one were able to have access to both events back then, they would have paid a total price of nearly $50. When one factors into the equation that in the 2000’s and 2010’s pay-per-view events for Boxing and MMA have been priced at or around the $70 range as a standard price point, even with greater technology and availability today as compared to the late 1980’s, if one were to purchase two cards scheduled days apart from each other at current prices they would likely pay a total price of $140 for cards offering the same amount of content as those that were offered to the public on both a pay-per-view and closed-circuit television basis decades ago.

While some might argue that this is due to inflation and other factors, it doesn’t take much to figure out why pay-per-view buys have generally declined as prices for these cards have only increased over time, with the rare exception where a marquee event, which can at times be priced between the $80-$100 range still does solid buys. Although the realm of traditional cable/satellite pay-per-view will remain part of the sport for the foreseeable future, as someone who is objective viewing things from the outside as a journalist covering Boxing, I cannot see the traditional pay-per-view model being able to last at the current price points.

This is due largely to both the growth of cord-cutting as well as the overall value and content offered by digital streaming network platforms like DAZN and ESPN+ who each offer a low-monthly subscription price at $9.99 (DAZN) and $4.99 (ESPN+) with ESPN+ also offering a yearly subscription option priced at $49.99. The challenge for all those involved in the sport however, will continue to be offering content that consumers will be willing to buy and for Boxing that means making bouts that consumers want to see on a consistent basis and within a reasonable time frame.

Given the amounts of money that all these networks have invested in the sport with the want of exclusivity for their respective platforms with various promoters that are not always willing to work together, it is also important for all of the above to be willing to negotiate with each other in order for those fights to be made.  What is also important is for the various networks involved to attempt to develop new stars in the sport by offering up and coming fighters a platform to showcase their talents. The latter, especially with regard to Women’s Boxing, had largely been ignored by several networks through the years and one might argue that it led to the changes we are now seeing with networks that were previously in dominant positions within the sport no longer involved.

The final wish of this observer’s “Boxing Wishlist for 2019” is for the networks involved keep the ultimate authority in mind as they look to continue building their respective brands by attempting to offer events that consumers will want to see, the Boxing fan. While there will also continue to be a segment of fans that no matter what a network/platform offers will continue to complain and voice their dissatisfaction with the sport, without the support of the Boxing fan all of the above will not be able to survive. Although yours truly remains firm in his stance in wanting to see the model of pay-per-view either significantly revamped or done away with in the interest of both the consumer and in wanting to see Boxing grow, we will see how things look in 2019.

As the 2019 Boxing schedule is set to begin, we will also see if the sport will continue to be in a position of building momentum by year’s end. This observer certainly hopes Boxing will be.

“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

A Look Back At Some Of The Events In Boxing In 2018

As has become the norm here at The Boxing Truth® a new year begins with two columns that will be released here on the website to officially kick off the 2019 schedule. Before this observer releases his “Boxing Wishlist For 2019”, I feel it is appropriate to look back at some of the notable events that took place in the sport in 2018. Obviously, it would be impossible for one to discuss every single event that takes place in any sport during a calendar year. What the reader will be offered in this column will be in some ways a retrospective on some of the events I felt were noteworthy throughout the year.

If one were to ask me to describe the year 2018 in Boxing in a single sentence, I would say that it was a year of change. Now, I know some readers are probably saying to themselves “Beau, that is an easy and general answer” and/or, would perhaps say that my response would be vague and not specific. What could be interpreted by my referring to 2018 as a year of change?

There are after all several world championships that change hands throughout a year, but what I mean dear reader is change both as far as eras coming to an end as well as a significant change in the landscape of how the sport is offered to and consumed by the public. In terms of fighters who hung up their gloves in 2018, one fighter stands out clearly in my mind. Roy Jones.

Jones, a future Hall of Famer, who dominated the sport for much of his career in winning world championships from the 160lb. Middleweight division all the way to the Heavyweight division entered the ring for what he said was the final time early in 2018 in his hometown of Pensacola, FL. Before a hometown crowd of supporters Jones, competing as a Cruiserweight scored a lopsided ten round unanimous decision over Scott Sigmon. The victory over Sigmon on February 8^th of 2018 was Jones’ sixty-sixth victory in a seventy-five fight career that began twenty-nine years earlier in 1989. Jones’ exit from competition at forty-nine years of age signaled the end of an era in the history of Boxing.

For the majority of the 1990’s and early 2000’s there was no doubt that Jones was the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Using an athletic and unorthodox style that bedeviled many of his opponents, Jones dominated his competition and continued to do so with relative ease as he moved up in weight as his career progressed. While the prime of Jones’ career was highlighted in my mind by his time as one of two Light-Heavyweight world champions along with Dariusz Michalczewski throughout the second half of the 1990’s on through the early 2000’s.

Although Michalczewski held the WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship for several years and went undefeated until suffering his first loss in October 2003 to the late Julio Gonzalez, it was Jones who was regarded as the top Light-Heavyweight of his era with most regarding him as the Undisputed Light-Heavyweight world champion. An encounter yours truly wished had taken place, particularly when I began my career covering Boxing and other combat sports in the mid-1990’s would have been a fight between Jones and Michalczewski.

Perhaps because a bout between the two never took place, Jones had to deal with criticism from some throughout his prime for the opinions that he lacked a career-defining fight. While clearly the only fighter at least in terms of the Light-Heavyweight division that could have compared to Jones in his prime in terms of dominance would be Michalczewski, Jones career-defining moment came in March 2003 when he became the first former Middleweight world champion since Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897 to win a World Heavyweight championship by defeating WBA Heavyweight world champion John Ruiz with a twelve round unanimous decision.

The opinion of this observer with regard to Roy Jones’ decision to move back down in weight after beating Ruiz rather than retiring at his peak is one that is well known to those who have read my work both in print as well as online. It can be said however, that Jones’ gradual decline after the Ruiz fight as well as his decision to continue to compete well beyond his prime puts him in a category with many legendary fighters throughout Boxing history, which Jones certainly belongs in the category of legends. Although I openly expressed my concern in several columns for several outlets including my own here at The Boxing Truth® for Jones’ long-term well-being particularly after he suffered knockout losses, which were severe through the years, I was pleased to see Jones conclude his illustrious career without sustaining a major injury. Some fighters both those who have had success comparable to Jones and those who never get the opportunity to compete for a world championship are not as fortunate.

As some Boxing fans are likely aware, we were reminded in the latter stages of 2018 of just how dangerous combat sports can be. After suffering a brutal knockout loss and the loss of his WBC Light-Heavyweight world championship, longtime champion Adonis Stevenson was hospitalized and remains hospitalized as of this writing after suffering what has been described by several media outlets as traumatic brain injury. The situation surrounding the injury Stevenson suffered has also reignited debate among many in the sport and within the medical community with regard to reforms within Boxing with the aim of preventing circumstances like what happened to Stevenson and what has happened to other fighters over the years from happening again in the future.

Speaking only for myself, I have been hesitant to comment much on the circumstances regarding Stevenson’s injury, condition, and outlook because I am not a medical doctor and as such have no expertise to comment on the circumstances. I will state as I have done on several social media platforms since the fight took place that I felt and still do that the fight was stopped properly with no count being administered by Referee Michael Griffin. Taking the question of medical concerns out of the equation, in my experience as someone who has spent most of his life covering the sport as well as other combat sports, it seems as someone viewing things from the outside that the most potential for long-term damage occurs when fights are allowed to go on longer than they should. Having said this, just as is the case in any sport that involves physical contact, accidents unfortunately do still happen from time to time even with extensive precautions being taken.

While for the reason yours truly has mentioned I choose to stay out of the debate regarding the medical aspects that are involved in regard to Stevenson’s case, I will again say after viewing the knockout and stoppage both as it happened and in the weeks since the fight took place, the stoppage was the appropriate call by the referee and it was not a case where I felt the fight was allowed to go on longer than it should have. The fight was stopped immediately once it became apparent Stevenson was compromised and as things stand currently with regard to safety protocols, I do not believe the fight could have been stopped at a more appropriate time than it was. The debate regarding the safety standards of the sport are likely to continue in the future and if there is a way to improve the current protocols and other measures, everyone involved in the sport from fans, to those of us who cover the sport, to the fighters themselves, and to those who are involved in other capacities should support it.

Getting back to the subject of 2018 being a year of change, there was also another notable exit from the sport of Boxing as longtime powerhouse in the sport in terms of television networks HBO opted to discontinue broadcasting Boxing at the conclusion of it’s 2018 schedule after a forty-five year run that began in 1973. This is also a subject that I have hesitated in discussing much, but for different reasons.

It is and should be no secret to longtime readers that there have been times over the years where I have for lack of a better term agreed to disagree with HBO on a variety of issues related to the sport of Boxing. Despite those disagreements, the network’s decision to back away from the sport after such a rich history that in essence could also serve as a catalog of some of the most memorable moments in Boxing history marks a sad moment for the sport.

Shortly after the network announced its intention to step away from Boxing in September of 2018, I commented on social media that I hoped their decision would be one that would be temporary. While it is true that the sport as a whole as well as all of television on a global scale is undergoing a period of transition as more and more consumers choose to “Cut The Cord” and not subscribe to traditional pay-TV providers in favor of low-cost subscription streaming options, which has become a solid competitor to premium cable networks like HBO, it is sad to see any network/platform choose to step away from a sport or genre that was a consistent ratings winner and revenue generator for many years.

The reality is that HBO, much like its cable competitors are facing competition from digital streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video to name a few. With more and more Over The Top (OTT) digital streaming networks/services being developed and some live TV services like Sling TV and YouTube TV serving as alternatives to traditional cable/satellite pay-TV providers, the challenge for virtually every cable/satellite television network is to attempt to transition into what this observer believes will be the eventual post-cable era where television will almost exclusively be delivered via OTT digital distribution. What this means for Boxing as far as HBO is concerned is at least for the foreseeable future the sport does not figure into the network's plans as it looks to both transition into the future of television as well as remain competitive in both the traditional television and digital streaming mediums.

For the longtime "Network of Champions" its history and legacy in the sport of Boxing is more than secure and anyone who has ever taken part in Boxing on HBO, from the fans, to the people involved in any capacity with the network and in the sport should be proud to have taken part in an important era in Boxing history. For yours truly, I spent many nights in my younger days watching some of the sport's biggest and most historic battles take place on HBO. As someone who is proud to have grown up being a life-long fan and Boxing historian, I can not dispute the influence HBO played not only in my love for the sport, but also my eventual decision to embark on a career covering combat sports with Boxing as my primary focus. Although I have agreed to disagree with the network on several occasions, the landscape of the Boxing world will not be the same without HBO's platform.While some might expect me to air my criticisms of the network as I have done over the year when it was appropriate and as some others in the industry have done sine HBO’s announcement and exit from the sport, I will not do that.  Whether or not the network's decision to step away from the sport is temporary however, or indeed permanent remains to be seen. HBO’s contributions to Boxing will not be forgotten and for those contributions, as I said following HBO's last scheduled Boxing broadcast on December 8th, the sport should join me in saying Thank you HBO.

By now, the reader may have noticed that I have not spent too much time discussing some of the events that took place inside the Boxing ring in 2018. While it is true that the sport is largely driven by what goes on in the ring, there are times where what goes on outside of the ring on the business end of the sport can at times be as significant or even more so than what goes on in the ring. For this observer, the year 2018 in Boxing will be more known for the change and period of transition that began in terms of how Boxing is broadcast and offered to the consumer.

2018 saw the inception of two OTT digital streaming network platforms that have  invested significantly in Boxing and has featured the sport prominently on their respective platforms. I speak of course of ESPN+ and DAZN. For those who have followed this observer’s “Boxing Wishlist” columns that are usually published shortly before  the calendar year for the sport begins (And this year will be no exception) you know that a consistent theme over the years as well in other columns has been a wish to see something introduced here in the United States that would be similar to the United Kingdom’s cable/satellite network BoxNation citing the benefits it could offer the Boxing fan while also possibly serving as an alternative to pay-per-view.

As OTT digital distribution has grown, I felt that a streaming network/service devoted to Boxing could have been introduced that would fulfill that wish for yours truly as well as others who wanted a low-cost option as compared to what this observer has often called an overpriced and undervalued model of pay-per-view. What we now have instead, which will likely be more beneficial than a digital streaming network devoted solely to Boxing is the inception of competing low-cost multi-sport digital streaming networks. The first of these networks to launch was ESPN+ in April of the year.

ESPN+ does not require a cable or satellite subscription to access, but the service is offered along with ESPN's traditional programming through the ESPN app, which is available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV to name a few. Consumers can choose between a $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year plan to subscribe to ESPN+. With a subscription, ESPN offers access to a wide variety of sporting events that are not otherwise televised on ESPN's traditional linear networks. What this has meant for Boxing has been far greater access to cards from around the world that would not otherwise be televised here in the United States as well as serving as a pay-per-view alternative in showcasing some of the sport's biggest stars including Terence Crawford, Vasyl Lomachenko, and Manny Pacquiao in the first months of its existence.

Not to be outdone, DAZN announced its intention to expand it’s existing international digital streaming network into the United States after successful launches in Japan, Germany, and Canada among other countries. Similarly to ESPN+, DAZN, which is also available on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV, is available for $9.99 per month and almost immediately upon it’s U.S. launch set out to disrupt the existing model of both how the sport is offered on cable networks as well as directly placing itself as a competitor to the pay-per-view model.

The key to both networks is the word value. Value both in terms of price as well as in the content being offered. For Boxing fans, DAZN has marketed itself as showing every bout on a card, which is a step above what is normally offered on a pay-per-view card or on a cable network. With rare exceptions, ESPN+ offers most if not all bouts of a card broadcast on its platform. ESPN+ also airs exclusive undercard portions of cards that has main events that are broadcast on ESPN’s traditional linear networks.

In terms of overall costs, if one were to subscribe to both digital streaming networks, they will pay a total of around $170 per year. While that might give an appearance of appearing steep for some, when one factors in that most Boxing pay-per-view events have an average price of $70 or greater per card, you can see the value especially when one considers that both DAZN and ESPN+ are multi-sports networks/streaming services.

With Showtime and Fox Sports also recently extending their existing agreements with the Premier Boxing Champions banner, which involves several promoters, as 2019 now begins the landscape of the sport is one that looks slightly different, but one that is also quite intriguing. How this landscape will affect what goes on inside the ring will be discussed in this observer's "A Boxing Wishlist For 2019", which will be published here on The Boxing Truth® on Wednesday, January 9th. 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

Schedule Update To Begin 2019

We would like to let our readers know that we will begin our 2019 schedule on Monday, January 7^th. As has been the norm in years past, the intention will be to release material regularly between Mondays and Wednesdays, which will resume on the first Monday of 2019. We here at The Boxing Truth® look forward to continuing to provide readers with features, weigh-in results, special previews, fight card recaps, and other content also being released as events approach throughout the sport of Boxing.  The Boxing Truth® welcomes the opportunity to continue to provide our readers with accurate information, in-depth analysis, and objective opinions regarding the sport of Boxing as well as the participants and issues that surround it.  We thank all our readers for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you throughout 2019 and beyond. We look forward to an active year. 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

Happy 2019

We here at The Boxing Truth® would like to wish our readers a very Happy and safe 2019. We would also like to remind readers that an announcement regarding when we will begin our 2019 schedule will be released here on the website on Friday, January 4^th. 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   

Happy Holidays

We would like to wish all of all readers a very Happy and safe Holiday season. We here at The Boxing Truth® are between rounds in preparation for what no doubt will be an active 2019. An official announcement on when we will kick off our 2019 schedule will be released here on the website on Friday, January 4^th. 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

Thoughts On Alvarez-Fielding

The Super-Middleweight clash between current unified WBA/IBO/WBC Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and top Super-Middleweight contender Rocky Fielding had all the makings of a big event. One of Boxing’s biggest stars stepping into the ring to compete alone will draw attention, but the added elements of that star moving up in weight to test the waters in a new weight class as well as where this fight took place made for a special night of Boxing.

Off of a landmark $365 million dollar broadcast deal with digital sports streaming network DAZN, Saul Alvarez would not re-enter the ring after becoming a Middleweight world champion for the second time in September in a venue in Las Vegas as has been the norm for many of his recent bouts, but would instead take place in a historic venue rich in Boxing history. Alvarez would make his Super-Middleweight debut in the venue rightfully regarded as “The Mecca Of Boxing.” Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY.

When Alvarez entered The Garden ring on December 15^th to face top Super-Middleweight contender Rocky Fielding it appeared on paper that it could be a difficult task for the current Middleweight world champion to combat. After all, it is worth remembering that Alvarez began his career as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight and first became a world champion as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight. This fight would be nearly thirty pounds up the weight scale from where Alvarez made his professional debut in 2005, the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division.

An illustration of how the physics did not necessarily favor Alvarez going into this encounter could be seen in the tale of the tape as he was five inches shorter than Fielding and was also giving up five inches in reach to his opponent. While not always an accurate illustration of what will happen when two fighters square off inside the ring, it does more often than not play a role in at minimum showing the task before the fighter who is at the height and reach disadvantage.

Despite the disadvantages that Alvarez had to contend with as well as facing a naturally bigger man, a great fighter more often than not will find a way to combat the challenge. Two things were immediately apparent in this fight. Alvarez knew how to implement the strategy for facing a taller and naturally bigger opponent, and Fielding did not know how to make use of the physical advantages he had going into the fight.

Alvarez immediately got on the inside of Fielding and pounded away at his body scoring four knockdowns over three one-sided rounds to earn a stoppage in the third round. The fight did not live up to what became an event, but the event itself did mark a continuing shift for the sport as Alvarez, one of Boxing’s top pay-per-view draws officially stepped away from the realm of traditional television and pay-per-view and into the future of Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution in what was the first fight in his five year, eleven bout agreement with the DAZN digital sports streaming network.

While his fight against Rocky Fielding can best be described as one fighter chopping another down, it is obvious that the public that are now being exposed to the DAZN streaming service are going to want to see Alvarez face stern competition in subsequent fights. This observer wants to remind those who were critical of Alvarez for facing a fighter in Rocky Fielding, who was not particularly well-known to casual fans or known here in the United States, who have in the days since the fight took a stance in suggesting that the encounter might have been “Fixed.”

This of course comes from the source of the disgruntled fan who more often than not are very difficult to please in today’s age of social media. It was clear that the fight between Alvarez and Rocky Fielding was one between a world-class fighter in Fielding stepping up not in weight class, but in class of opposition by facing an elite level fighter in Saul Alvarez. While at the end of the day, it proved to be a mis-match, Fielding did get in there with one of the best fighters in the world and continued getting up when knocked down, despite being outclassed.

What I would like to remind folks who shared a common accusation of those who are disgruntled that prior to 2018, a year that has seen the inception of low cost digital subscription streaming sports networks like DAZN and ESPN+ that a fight featuring a fighter who is not only regarded as one of the top boxers in the sport, but also a top draw would have been one that would have been offered via traditional cable/satellite pay-per-view where similar fights would have been changed to the consumer for $70+. Although this was a one-sided fight that left some unsatisfied, it was offered to consumers at a more economically sensible price as part of a monthly subscription plan and offered more content than what is normally offered on traditional mediums.

While this is in no way meant to put down the Boxing fan, who may feel dissatisfied with what might have been their first exposure to the sport delivered via Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution, it does leave a sense that no matter what a fighter, a promoter, or a network does or offers there will always be a segment of the audience who will not be satisfied. Although it may present what some might see as a “No-Win” scenario, it does underscore the importance that all involved strive to make the best fights possible for the fan/consumer.

With that in mind, an obvious question that yours truly has pondered in the days since the fight has been what will Alvarez do next? To be more specific, not only who will he fight next, but in what weight class will that fight take place? Given Alvarez’ new agreement with DAZN, there may be no shortage of interesting options in either the 160lb. Middleweight division or the 168lb. Super- Middleweight division. This is obviously due to the influx of talent that is available in both weight classes featuring fighters who have regularly been competing on DAZN cards since its launch here in the United States in September or will be doing so in 2019.

An obvious question that most fans and experts alike are asking is whether or not a third encounter between Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin is a potential option. In the eyes of this observer, there is no clear answer as of this writing as to whether or not a third fight between the two will take place in the near future. This is because as of this writing Gennady Golovkin has not formally announced where he will sign as far as his future in terms of what network/platform will televise his fights in the near future following HBO’s recent decision to step out of the Boxing business after forty-five years.

As many know, both Golovkin and Alvarez were under contract to HBO, but each of their respective deals with the network concluded after their second fight making both free agents as far as television networks were concerned. With Alvarez now signed to DAZN the question of whether a third fight between the two will take place will likely come down to what network/platform Golovkin chooses to sign with. In my opinion, I think the question really should be not if, but when a third fight between the two takes place. It is of course the fighter’s decision, in this case Golovkin’s, to decide what is best for him at this stage of his career.

After two hotly contested battles with Alvarez that each ended with elements of controversy as far as the scoring of those fights and opinion among both fans and experts as to who won those fights, a third encounter remains warranted. Until Golovkin makes his decision public, there are other options that should be considered for Alvarez.

The two obvious options in my mind would be a unification bout with recently crowned IBF Middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs at Middleweight or to face WBA Super-Middleweight world champion Callum Smith if Alvarez wants to stay at 168lbs. A fight with each of those champions would provide an interesting challenge for Alvarez and in terms of a potential fight with Smith, Alvarez did earn interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Super-Middleweight ratings with his win over Rocky Fielding, which essentially makes him the number one contender for Smith’s world championship.

Both of these options may indeed be logical due to both of those fighters being promoted by Eddie Hearn, who also promotes Rocky Fielding and who also has a deal with DAZN. While the idea of fights being easy to make can be and often times is wishful thinking, it does give the appearance that a fight with either Jacobs or Smith would be perhaps easier to make as there are no contracts between competing networks/platforms that would potentially interfere in a fight being finalized.

As readers may recall in my preview of Alvarez-Fielding, I stated that no matter what happened in the ring on December 15th that it would be a win for the sport. While there may be some who remain critical not only of the fight itself, but more specifically the direction that the sport is going in terms of OTT/streaming options over traditional television and pay-per-view, it was indeed a win that Boxing fans should celebrate. How DAZN, Alvarez, and the respective promoters that are involved will follow that win remains to be seen.

With the sport in general moving in a much better and economically sensible direction for the fans that support it and stepping into the future in terms of technology, I for one am encouraged by where things are heading. All too often, fans as well as those of us who cover the sport have to deal with the negative aspects of Boxing that yours truly has often referred to over the years as “Black Eyes.” For once, we’re not discussing a situation that involves controversy or an instance where fans feel “Cheated” by paying an inflated fee to see a Boxing card that ultimately left them unsatisfied. While some critics may remain, this observer will conclude this column by asking a simple question, “Why criticize a good thing for Boxing?”

“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

Brief Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material will be released on Thursday, December 20th. 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

SANMAN BOXING TRIO STARTS TRAINING CAMP FOR UPCOMING BIG FIGHTS

Credit: Sanman Promotions

Press Release: December 15, 2018 By Sanman Promotions – The Year 2019 will start with a big bang for Sanman Promotions trio Romero “Ruthless” Duno, Reymart “Assassin” Gaballo and “Magic” Mike Plania. The elite boxers of the country’s busiest boxing stable are preparing for big fights early next year.

According to Sanman CEO Jim Claude Manangquil, “Me, Sanman CFO Dexter Tan and John Ray Manangquil are just finalizing the details of their next fight. It’s going to be an even bigger and busier year for Sanman. These three proved their worth in 2018. They deserve bigger fights and possible world title bouts in 2019. They just have to keep on training hard like every fight is a world title fight. When the time comes, they will get those belts.”

Photo L/R: Romero Duno, Reymart Gaballo and Mike Plania

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.

Alvarez-Fielding Weights

The official weigh-in for Saturday's Super-Middleweight clash between current unified Middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and top Super-Middleweight contender Rocky Fielding took place earlier today at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: Super-Middleweight - 12Rds.*

Saul Alvarez 167 1/2lbs. vs. Rocky Fielding 167 3/4lbs. 

*Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA's Super-Middleweight ratings, a designation currently held by Fielding will be at stake in this bout.


IBF Jr. Lightweight world championship - 12Rds.

Tevin Farmer (Champion) 130lbs. vs. Francisco Fonseca (Challenger) 129 1/2lbs.

Women's IBF/WBA Lightweight world championship - 10Rds.

Katie Taylor (Champion) 134 1/2lbs. vs.  Eva Wahlstrom (Challenger) 133 1/2lbs.

Welterweight - 10Rds.

Sadam Ali 147lbs. vs. Maurico Herrera 146lbs. 

Jr. Lightweight - 10Rds.

Ryan Garcia 134 3/4lbs. vs. Braulio Rodriguez 133 1/2lbs.

WBO International Jr. Welterweight championship - 10Rds.

Lamont Roach (Champion) 129 1/2lbs. vs. Aberto Mercado 129 1/2lbs.

Super-Middleweight - 10Rds.

Bilal Akkawy 167 1/2lbs. vs. Victor Fronseca 166 1/2lbs.

Jr. Welterweight - 8Rds.

Yves Ulysse 139lbs. vs. Maximilliano Becerra 139lbs.

Two scheduled bouts, a Middleweight bout featuring former IBF Middleweight world champion David Lemieux vs. Tureano Johnson, and a Jr. Welterweight bout between Vergil Ortiz and Omar Tienda were both canceled by the New York State Athletic Commission. There is no word as of this writing regarding whether each of these bouts will be rescheduled for a later date.

Alvarez vs. Fielding takes place on Saturday, December 15^th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The card can be seen in its entirety on DAZN in the United States and select international countries beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT and will also be available on demand. The DAZN digital streaming network is available for $9.99 per month. For more information on where DAZN is available, schedules, a list of available streaming devices to watch on both mobile devices and television, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.dazn.com.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event (Formerly Sky Sports 1) on Saturday, December 15th beginning at 11PM (Local UK Time.) For more information about Sky Sports, schedules and availability in your area please visit: www.SkySports.com.

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

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

Alvarez-Fielding: A New Era Begins

One of Boxing’s biggest stars Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will return to the ring on Saturday, December 15^th as the two-division world champion will make his debut in the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The current WBA/IBO/WBC Middleweight world champion will be moving up in weight to the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division to face top contender Rocky Fielding in a fight scheduled for twelve rounds.

In his last fight, Alvarez became a two-time Middleweight world champion by scoring a decision victory in his second encounter with previously undefeated longtime champion Gennady Golovkin in September of this year. The victory over Golovkin, a majority decision seen as controversial by some followed a controversial draw in their first meeting in September 2017. Two encounters between two of the sport’s top stars that have left both fans and experts wanting more.

A third fight between the two however, will have to wait as Alvarez will attempt to test the waters in a new weight class. The opposition for Alvarez in his first fight as a Super-Middleweight will be top contender Rocky Fielding. Fielding, who will enter the fight with a record of 27-1, with 15 Knockouts and is riding a six fight winning streak. The native of Liverpool, England is a former British, English, and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight champion who will be fighting in the United States for the first time. Fielding currently holds interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super-Middleweight ratings a designation he earned in his last fight when be stopped Tyron Zeuge in five rounds in July of this year.

Although Alvarez, who will enter the fight with more experience both in terms of competing on the elite level of the sport and in terms of overall career experience coming into the fight with a record of 50-1-2, with 34 Knockouts as compared to Fielding, the questions prior to this fight will largely center on Alvarez. Among those questions is the obvious of how he will respond to being hit by a natural Super-Middleweight who is bigger than him and will have a reach advantage over him as well. There is the equally obvious question of what effect did going twenty-four combined rounds over two consecutive fights with Gennady Golovkin have on Alvarez both from a physical standpoint as well as mentally that Alvarez will have to answer.

There is no disputing despite the impressive record that Rocky Fielding has compiled that this will be a significant step up in the caliber of opposition for him in what is the biggest fight of his career. When this fight was announced, there were some who were critical of Fielding being Alvarez' opponent based largely on the fact that he has never fought outside of Europe as well as what happened in his one career defeat.

In November 2015, Fielding suffered a first round knockout loss to Callum Smith, the recently crowned WBA Super-Middleweight world champion and winner of the recent World Boxing Super Series Super-Middleweight tournament. Although it is easy especially in an age where the sport is a consistent topic of discussion thanks to social media for a fighter to be labeled off of one fight, it was just that one fight and in fairness to Fielding he has been undefeated since that loss three years ago. To Fielding’s credit, in addition to being unbeaten in six bouts since that loss, Fielding has worked his way into holding interim/regular champion status in the WBA ratings, which essentially means he is the current number one contender for the WBA world championship.

A victory over a fighter of Alvarez’ stature would obviously open the potential of a rematch between Smith and Fielding. Whether or not Fielding, who will enter the fight as an underdog will be able to pull off a victory remains to be seen.

From a stylistic standpoint, this figures to be a battle between two boxer/punchers. It is crucial in the opinion of this observer that Fielding attempt to impose his will and get the respect of Alvarez from the outset. He is the bigger man and in order to be successful in this fight he must dictate how the fight is fought and not allow Alvarez to get into a consistent rhythm.

As a fighter who is moving up in weight Alvarez will likely look to make use of the ring by establishing himself as an elusive target by using lateral movement. If this is Alvarez’ approach the intent will likely be to make Fielding work to find a way to land his offense on him consistently by giving him angles and looking to out box him over the course of the fight.

Alvarez is the type of fighter who is capable of scoring knockouts at any point in a fight and it is logical that he might look to tire Fielding early and attempt to step up his offense as the bout progresses into the middle and late rounds. Alvarez must keep in mind that he is the fighter moving up in weight and despite Fielding being stopped early once in his career, he must not assume that his punching power that has been there at lower weights will have the same effect at 168lbs. against a natural Super-Middleweight.

This fight also marks a significant shift in terms of how a card headlined by a bout featuring a top star in the sport is offered to the public. Saul Alvarez, who has been a top pay-per-view draw for several years becomes part of a growing list of fighters including undefeated unified Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua to step away from traditional television by stepping into the future. The Alvarez-Fielding card will not be on pay-per-view and will not be offered to the public at an expensive price.

As some may know, Alvarez recently signed a landmark $365 million dollar contract which will include his next eleven fights beginning with his bout with Rocky Fielding with DAZN, the digital streaming network. For Boxing fans this means that they will no longer be asked to pay an ever-increasing pay-per-view fee to watch Alvarez compete, but will get access to full cards including those featuring Alvarez both live and on-demand for the economically reasonable price of $9.99 per month.

For readers and those who follow this observer across several social media platforms, it is no secret that I have been very vocal in recent years regarding the growth of Over The Top (OTT) digital distribution as a model of which television is increasingly being consumed over traditional cable and satellite pay television and my stance that Boxing as a whole needed to adapt to the changing landscape. It is also no secret that I have called the traditional pay-per-view model overpriced and undervalued in terms of what consumers are asked to pay on a per event basis and the amount of content offered for the price.

One of the biggest stories of 2018 in not just Boxing, but all of sports has been the inception of digital sports streaming services ESPN+ and DAZN. What this has meant for Boxing has been a shift away from traditional television mediums offering consumers considerably more content for reasonable monthly subscription prices. It has also signaled a gradual transition for Boxing's marquee stars away from the pay-per-view model. While pay-per-view still does exist and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, it is a medium that over time will continue to decline as more consumers look to transition away from cable/satellite pay television and to OTT streaming. With stars like Alvarez and Joshua being among those leading the way, it should be an indicator to those in the sport who remain skeptical that they do not need the traditional pay-per-view model to earn lucrative revenue and for the fighters in the sport, lucrative paydays.

While the topic of OTT digital distribution will remain a topic of discussion of yours truly that will continue to be featured here at The Boxing Truth®, I am pleased to see the emergence of a new era in the sport of Boxing. As DAZN prepares for one of their biggest events to date since expanding into the United States in September of this year, it is my hope that the skeptics that remain reluctant to embrace where not only Boxing, but really all of television is heading toward will test the waters and step into the future.

If the Alvarez-Fielding bout turns out to be viewed as a memorable fight in the rich history of Boxing in Madison Square Garden, it should be considered a win for the sport and its fans. For a sport that is a subject of ridicule and criticism on a regular basis, no matter what happens in the ring where Boxing is heading is a good direction. Why not embrace the good that the sport has to offer?

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Alvarez vs. Fielding takes place on Saturday, December 15^th at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The card can be seen in its entirety on DAZN in the United States and select international countries beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT and will also be available on demand. The DAZN digital streaming network is available for $9.99 per month. For more information on where DAZN is available, schedules, a list of available streaming devices to watch on both mobile devices and television, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.dazn.com.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event (Formerly Sky Sports 1) on Saturday, December 15th beginning at 11PM (Local UK Time.) For more information about Sky Sports, schedules and availability in your area please visit: www.SkySports.com.

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

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

Update: Alvarez-Fielding

We would like to let our readers know that a preview of the upcoming Super-Middleweight clash between current WBC/WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and top Super-Middleweight contender Rocky Fielding is currently in the works and will be released on Wednesday, December 12th.

Following the release of the preview, weigh-in information for the entire December 15th card will be released on Friday, December 14th. 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

Wilder-Fury: The Fight, The Controversies, The Rematch?

In the sport of Boxing there are few things that are quite like the anticipation prior to a fight for a World Heavyweight championship. When the fight features two undefeated fighters, who each have a claim to the championship, such anticipation can lead to a special event. The encounter between undefeated WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and undefeated former IBF/WBO/WBA/IBO Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury was one such occasion.

An encounter between a fighter known as a “Knockout Artist” in Wilder, the longest current reigning world champion in the Heavyweight division and a man who had knocked out every opponent he had faced as a professional against a former world champion who relinquished his crown having not been defeated. The defining moment of Tyson Fury's career came when he scored his victory over longtime unified Heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015 to win his crown. Fury’s reign however, was brief as struggles in his life outside the ring led to his relinquishing his crown and a hiatus from the sport that lasted nearly three years before his return in June of this year.

Although Fury had fought twice prior to challenging Wilder in scoring victories over Sefer Seferi and Francesco Pianeta, he frankly did not face much resistance in those bouts and there were questions in this observer's mind as to whether he was ready to face a fighter such as Wilder. By the same token, Deontay Wilder has had to deal with an issue that follows most fighters that are regarded as “Knockout Artists.” Questions by some regarding the caliber of his opposition, which has led to criticism by some Boxing fans.

The Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA served as the site of this encounter on December 1st. One that returned the Heavyweight division to a level of prominence here in the United States that had not been seen in well over a decade. Stylistically, this fight also presented the intrigue of a boxer/puncher in Fury against a fighter in Wilder known for his punching power, but someone who has Boxing ability of his own that in my view is underrated.

When you are discussing a fight such as this one, the challenge can be to distinguish which fighter is the more effective of the two under circumstances where both boxers might have periods of success in a bout. In this fight much as was the case in Tyson Fury’s world championship victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, I felt he was able to use his style, which at times can be awkward to dictate how the combat was fought. There were several instances throughout the fight where it appeared more noticeable what the normally offensive-minded champion was unable to do than necessarily one fighter being superior to the other.

If the reader is confused and maybe even curious as to what I mean, let me elaborate. While a fight will almost always be highlighted by what a fighter does offensively, what can at times be overlooked and under appreciated particularly by fans is how well a fighter can execute a fight plan from a defensive standpoint. This was an encounter where a portion of the story depending on one’s interpretation was largely how Tyson Fury was able to use his height, faints, and awkwardness to make Deontay Wilder miss consistently with his offense. In fights where one fighter is able to do what Fury was able to do defensively, but there were also periods where the opponent, in this case Wilder, was able to have success offensively, it can come down to interpretation.

To be more specific, the interpretation of the three people who are tasked with the responsibility of rendering a verdict as to who will win a fight should it go the distance, the three official judges. It goes without saying that there are several fights on every level of the sport that take place during a calendar year that are deemed “Close”, “Controversial”, and end up being a subject of debate among both fans and experts. With regard to the subject of the scoring of fights, that is one subject that perhaps gets more criticism than others.

In this fight however, we had a mix of “Controversy” both in regard to the scoring of the bout, what some view as a “Controversy” in what took place in the latter stages of the fight, and healthy debate as to whether the fight was close and who won it. Where do we start?

First, after taking some time to reflect in the week that has followed since the fight took place, this observer felt it would be appropriate to look at this fight from a different angle and not fill this column with a thorough round by round analysis of the fight as is usually the norm under circumstances such as this. Instead, I will offer my perspective on how I saw this encounter in summary form.

Although it is tempting to assume when talking about a fight where one fighter has a career knockout percentage of over 90% and the other’s is nearing 70% that the fight will be all-action and likely to end in a knockout, this was more of a tactical Boxing match for the majority of the twelve round bout. As mentioned previously, I felt a portion of the story of this fight was how well Tyson Fury executed defensively and how he was able to evade Deontay Wilder’s offense for what seemed to be lengthy periods at times.

While not always standing out as superior offensively, I felt Fury dictated how the fight was being fought and was able to win rounds on my scorecard based on ring generalship and his defense. The champion however, was the more active of the two fighters and when it comes to fights like this, you cannot discount the possibility of rounds being scored the other way based on a fighter’s overall aggression. The key for those scoring a fight is to determine whether it is “Effective Aggression.”

Even though I felt Fury was overall the more effective and efficient fighter throughout, I do feel that there were rounds during the course of the fight that could have been scored either way based on not only Wilder’s overall aggression, but his effectiveness when he was able to land on Fury. As the fight progressed the question for me was whether Wilder did enough in those moments to win the fight on my scorecard.

There were also two occurrences during this bout that also had an impact on the scoring of the fight and one instance where the topic of scoring nearly became a non-issue. The first of which took place in round nine when Wilder was able to score a knockdown of Fury. At this stage of the fight though not out of the fight in terms of scoring on my scorecard, I felt Wilder needed something significant to shift the momentum in his favor. Scoring a knockdown which narrowed the gap in terms of points in the fight appeared to be the shift he needed.

In this observer’s view one knockdown would not be enough for Wilder to retain his world championship via decision, but it did succeed in narrowing the margin of Fury’s lead. In round twelve, Wilder nearly ended the fight with a combination to the head highlighted by a flush left hook that sent Fury down hard and on his back on the canvas. It appeared that Fury would be counted out, but he managed to beat the count and finish the fight.  Before giving my final score, it cannot be ignored the possible “Controversy” that some fans have pointed to regarding the count of Referee Jack Reiss following the knockdown of Fury in round twelve.

In the days following the fight, some have alleged that the count was long and that Fury was down for longer than what would be a count of ten, alleging that Wilder was “Robbed” of a knockout win. I have reviewed the footage and I did not notice the claims that some have made regarding the count. One thing that was noticeable however, which Referee Jack Reiss should be given credit for is after Fury got up from the knockdown, he did take a moment to evaluate Fury and make sure he was able to continue.

All too often referees are criticized for a perceived willingness to stop fights quickly. What some may not understand is a referee’s primary responsibility in addition to making sure rules and regulations are followed is to look out for the safety of fighters. It is more often than not a judgment call and often puts a referee in a “No Win” situation because no matter what the decision of the referee might be under circumstances like what happened in the final round of this fight, there will be some who will feel it was the wrong decision.

Nevertheless, it baffled yours truly that Fury was able to get up from that knockdown and finish the fight. Although I do not want to spend much time discussing the circumstances of the knockdown and the count in the final round of this fight, it is important to remember that a referee’s decision is a judgment call that is in the heat of the moment, a question should be asked. How many times have we whether fans or those of us who cover the sport criticized referees for allowing fights to go on longer than they should have where unfortunately the result is potential long-term damage to a fighter?

While unrelated to this fight, it also should not be ignored what occurred earlier in the evening before Wilder and Fury stepped into the ring where long-reigning WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Adonis Stevenson suffered a brutal knockout and the loss of his championship in the eleventh round of his title defense against undefeated top contender Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Quebec City, Canada in a fight that was televised prior to the Wilder-Fury pay-per-view broadcast by Showtime, who also did the Wilder-Fury pay-per-view broadcast in the United States. A barrage of punches by Gvozdyk sent Stevenson down and out in a corner of the ring. The bout was immediately stopped by Referee Michael Griffin without counting Stevenson.

Despite the call by Griffin being appropriate, there has been criticism in the days since that fight. Some may be aware that Stevenson was hospitalized following the fight and remains hospitalized as of this writing after suffering what has been described in reports as traumatic brain injury, which has prompted some to either call for changes in the sport or an outright ban of it.  Although the two fights are unrelated, it does show that sometimes no matter what the decision of a referee, there will be some who will take issue. In the case of the Stevenson-Gvozdyk fight, the call of Referee Michael Griffin was the right call to make, but unfortunately the knockout Stevenson suffered and the circumstances that have followed serve as a reminder of how dangerous combat sports can be and underscores the responsibility of referees to ensure that a fighter’s safety is the top priority.

Tyson Fury showed tremendous heart by getting up from the knockdown. It should not be dismissed however, that it was a judgment call by Referee Jack Reiss to allow the fight continue, and perhaps a different referee under the same circumstances might have made a split-second call to stop the fight out of concern Fury’s safety. At the end of the twelve round bout, I ended up with a score of eight rounds to four for Fury or 116-112 in points.

My score was largely based on Fury’s ability to evade Wilder’s offense for much of the fight and it got the benefit of doubt in some rounds that were close that could have been scored either way. Despite my scoring of this fight possibly giving the appearance of a lopsided fight, and acknowledging that without the two knockdowns against Fury in rounds nine and twelve, my scorecard would have been a wider margin in favor of Fury, round by round it was at times a difficult fight to score.

The official result of the fight, a split decision draw has succeeded in what often follows a fight where there is a consensus opinion that the scoring was “Controversial” and accusations of possible corruption are made, “Debate.” While it can at times be tempting to rush with an opinion following a fight like this, there are times where this observer will take some time as I ended up doing in this case before writing a column about it.

One reason for this is to allow myself a little time to think about and digest what I saw, to make sure my initial opinion remains, and to gage the opinion of readers and others who saw a fight. Immediately following Wilder-Fury, this observer launched a reader poll on Twitter asking who followers and other Twitter users felt won the fight. 78% of those who participated felt the same as yours truly that Fury won the fight, while 12% felt it was a draw, and 10% felt Wilder won it.

As often happens after a fight like this many will react with great passion and anger at an official decision. There have been many times over the years where I have strongly disagreed with an official decision of three official judges and have voiced my opinion in various writings and other forms throughout my career. While I disagree with the official decision in this fight, I find myself not really questioning or feeling angry about a draw being rendered.

While I feel Fury did enough to win this fight, it was an encounter that left plenty open to interpretation. It comes down not only as I have often said over the years what a judge prefers based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense, but also how a judge interprets what goes on in the ring. Obviously, the three official judges of this fight Alejandro Rochin, Robert Tapper, and Phil Edwards are the only ones who can comment on what they saw round by round and why they scored the way they did. It is not impossible to think that some rounds, which were close that yours truly scored for Fury might have been scored the other way and when you factor in the two knockdowns against Fury, it might have changed what could have been a decision victory for Fury on two of three official scorecards to a draw.

Will there be a rematch?  The World Boxing Council (WBC) announced on Friday December 7^th that it had voted unanimously through its board of governors to mandate an immediate rematch between Wilder and Fury. It goes without saying that the sanctioning organizations that exist in Boxing including the WBC are often a source of much criticism and/or ridicule of fans and experts for some decisions they make with regard to policies, rankings, and other matters. The WBC made the right call in this observer’s eyes and it might be a question of whether or not a rematch will take place immediately.

Now for those who might question why I said whether or not a rematch will take place immediately might be a question to be answered, it cannot be overlooked that the other world champion in the Heavyweight division undefeated IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO world champion Anthony Joshua currently has an open date in April of 2019 to defend his crown at Wembley Stadium in London, England. Although the WBC has mandated a rematch between Wilder and Fury take place, there is a possibility that Fury might be open to facing Joshua next if an offer for that fight is made and then fighting Wilder a second time, which if he defeated Joshua would make a rematch with Wilder for the Undisputed World Heavyweight championship, or that a negotiation process might take place involving the WBC that might see Wilder face Joshua to fully unify the division, which if it happens would be the first unification bout to determine an Undisputed world champion in the division to take place in the United Kingdom.

No matter what happens next, it is clear that the Heavyweight division will remain a hot topic of discussion and debate for the foreseeable future.  Whether or not a rematch between Wilder and Fury will take place or even an Undisputed World Heavyweight champion will be determined in 2019 remains to be seen.

“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