Ortiz Stops Orozco In 6

Rising undefeated Welterweight prospect Vergil Ortiz scored an impressive sixth round stoppage over veteran contender Antonio Orozco on Saturday night at The Theatre at Grand Prairie in Grand Prairie, TX. Returning to the site where he graduated high school before a enthusiastic home town crowd, it appeared that Ortiz would have some difficulty against the veteran of twenty-nine fights Orozco, who was moving up in weight to the 147lb. Welterweight division after previously competing in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division.

Despite being the smaller man, the determined Orozco brought the fight to Ortiz from the start by being willing to engage with Ortiz, a man who had knocked out every previous opponent in his career prior to this fight. Orozco should that he could deal with Ortiz’ power early on and withstood an early barrage from him in the first round when Ortiz had him pressed against the ropes.

As the fight went on, Orozco began to have his moments by coming forward and looking to apply pressure on Ortiz. What was impressive about Orozco’s approach in this fight was he attempted to stay low by crouching and using his head movement as he came forward. This allowed him to do some effective work to the body of Ortiz and also avoid some of the offense that Ortiz through back, particularly during moments where Orozco was able to get Ortiz against the ropes.

Orozco however, was unable to keep Ortiz against the ropes for consistent periods of time and was more than willing to engage with him in the center of the ring where it was not to his advantage in this observer’s eyes. This was clearly the first time that the twenty-one year old Ortiz had faced significant resistance in his career thus far in facing the more experienced thirty-one year old Orozco.

In round six, the unbeaten Ortiz was able to break through that resistance and drop Orozco with a left uppercut that forced Orozco to take a knee. Orozco was able to beat the count, but it became academic as Ortiz pressed forward with a barrage of punches that sent Orozco down for a second time. As he did following the first knockdown, Orozco was able to get up once more, but had the body language of a fighter who was overwhelmed by the attack Ortiz was administering. The punishment continued until Ortiz landed a left hook to the jaw that sent Orozco down for a third and final time as the bout was stopped by Referee Mark Calo-oy at 2:16 of round six.

Vergil Ortiz advances to  14-0, with 14 Knockouts. Antonio Orozco falls to 28-2, with 17 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

  

In a rubber match for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Bantamweight championship, champion Joshua Franco retained his title by fighting to a hard-fought ten round split decision draw with rival Oscar Negrete. This was the third consecutive meeting between the two fighters with a draw being rendered in the first fight, Franco earning a split decision win in their second encounter followed by a second draw in the series between the two being declared in this fight. Like the previous two encounters between the two men, this fight saw the ebb and flow go back and forth between the two where exchanges were frequent and neither fighter was really able to stand out clearly from the other in what was an entertaining ten round bout.  Joshua Franco advances to 15-1-2, with 7 Knockouts. Oscar Negrete advances to 18-2-2, with 7 Knockouts.

In a battle for the United States Boxing Council (USNBC) Lightweight championship, undefeated Hector             Tanajara scored an impressive ten round unanimous decision over Ezequiel Aviles. Tanajara dominated the fight from start to finish and never allowed Aviles to work his way into the fight by working off his jab, controlling distance, and mixing in uppercuts and right hands. All three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Tanajara. Hector Tanajara advances to 18-0, with 5 Knockouts. Ezequiel Aviles falls to 16-4-3, with 6 Knockouts.

In the Jr. Welterweight division Marcelino Lopez scored a devastating fifth round knockout over Daniel Echeverria. The first three rounds of this fight were largely controlled by Echevarria due to his ability ti control the distance of the combat as well as working behind a consistent jab. This all changed in round four when Lopez landed a flush right hook to the jaw of Echeverria. Despite going down hard, Echevarria was able to get up. Lopez scored a second knockdown of Echeverria later in the round, but Echeverria was again able to get up and contended that the punch that dropped him, a left hook landed on the back of his head. Just as Echeverria appeared as though he was getting his legs back under him in the fifth round, Lopez ended the night by dropping him for a third and final time with a flush left hook to the jaw. This time, Echeverria was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of round five. Marcelino Lopez advances to 36-2-1, with 21 Knockouts. Daniel Echevarria falls to 21-9, with 18 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Middleweight Travall Mazon scored an eight round unanimous decision over Jeremy Ramos. Mazon landed a left hook that landed on the temple of Ramos and sent him down to the canvas. Despite being dropped early, Ramos hung in there and was very “Game “ all the way through. Official scores were 80-72 (On two scorecards) and 79-73 all in favor of Mazon. Travall Mazon advances to 15-0, with 12 Knockouts. Jeremy Ramos falls to 11-7, with 4 Knockouts.

Also in the Jr. Middleweight division, unbeaten prospect Alex Rincon scored a second round knockout over Joel Guevara. A flush right hook to the head sent Guevara down at :58 of round two. Alex Rincon advances to 7-0, with 6 Knockouts. Joel Guevara falls to 4-6-1, with 3 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight George Rincon scored a second round knockout over Enrique Escobar. Official time was 2:13 of round two. George Rincon advances to 8-0, with 5 Knockouts. Enrique Escobar falls to 17-7, with 14 Knockouts.

In the Light-Heavyweight division, undefeated prospect Joshua Juarez scored a six round unanimous decision over Emmanuel Sanchez. Official scores were 59-55, 58-56, and 60-54. Joshua Juarez advances to 9-0, with 4 Knockouts. Emmanuel Sanchez falls to 7-14-1, with 1 Knockout.

Undefeated the Jr. Featherweight Hector Valdez scored a six round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Rafael Delgado. Official scores were 59-54, and 58-55 (On two scorecards) in favor of Valdez. Hector Valdez advances to 11-0, with 7 Knockouts. Rafael Delgado falls to 6-1, with 5 Knockouts.

In the opening bout of this card seventeen year old Tristan Kallkreuth made his professional debut in the Cruiserweight division and only needed forty-two seconds to stop Kynndale Prather, who was competing in his second professional fight.

Tristan Kallkreuth advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Kynndale Prather falls to 0-2, with 0 Knockouts.

This card provided a look at some of the up and coming talent in promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions stable. Golden Boy Promotions has in it’s near two decade history developed a reputation for developing young fighters who go on to become stars in the sport of Boxing, much like De La Hoya was during his illustrious career as a fighter.

The interesting question coming out of this card will be whether or not Vergil Ortiz at now 14-0, with all 14 of his wins coming by knockout is ready to step up in the caliber of his opposition to face fighters in the 147lb. Welterweight division that are viewed as top contenders if not the elite of the division. It can be tempting when a fighter has knocked out all their opposition up to this point to say their ready for such a significant step up.

In this case it is important to keep in mind that Ortiz is only twenty-one years old and to also keep in mind what has happened in the past with some fighters who were at a similar point in their respective careers as Ortiz is currently, who ended up being pushed too quickly into fights against the upper echelon of a weight class before they were ready for such a significant step up. While some fighters have fared better than others when they have stepped up at a similar stage as Ortiz, it is something that should be approached on an individual basis.

What yours truly means by that is simply what may have worked for one fighter at a similar stage, may not necessarily work for another fighter. Although this observer has spent most of his life covering Boxing and by extension other combat sports, I have never been involved in a fighter’s development and or camp. Having said this, I have always tended to favor a gradual progression process for fighters to work their way through the ranks and continue to develop their skills before attempting to position said fighter for a potential opportunity to fight for a world championship.

Having faced significant resistance for the first time against a world-class fighter in Antonio Orozco, a fighter that had never been stopped, who’s only previous loss prior to this fight came against current unified Jr. Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez, and still scoring an impressive knockout victory, Vergil Ortiz just may be ready to face someone who is ranked at or near the top-ten in the Welterweight division.  Who Ortiz, who is currently ranked number ten by the World Boxing Association (WBA) will fight next remains to be seen, but if he can continue progressing, it may not be long before he is fighting for a world championship.

“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

GOLDEN BOY AND DAZN TO PRESENT A BIG NIGHT OF BOXING ON MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!

Credit: Golden Boy Promotions

Press Release: By DAZN/Golden Boy Promotions - LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (Aug. 10, 2019): Golden Boy and DAZN will continue the tradition of delivering pugilistic action on Mexican Independence Day Weekend as Jaime Munguia (33-0, 26 KOs) takes on Patrick Allotey (40-3, 30 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. The event will take place on Saturday, September 14and will be streamed live on DAZN. 

"We're excited to be able to continue this tradition that we know many fans anticipate, and this year we're putting on a series of exhilarating fights that will make for an entertaining night," said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. "Jaime Munguia is an undefeated world champion who has become one of Mexico's biggest boxing stars. Meanwhile, Patrick Allotey has an impressive skillset with years of experience under his belt. The styles are guaranteed to make a war. We've also put together a full card of action in order to celebrate Mexican Independence Day." 

Munguia is a 22-year-old world champion of Tijuana, Mexico who catapulted to the highest levels of the 154-pound division by knocking out Sadam "World Kid" Ali in May to capture the WBO Junior Middleweight World Title. Since then, Munguia has defended his title against the likes of Liam "Beefy" Smith, Brandon "Bad Boy" Cook, Takeshi Inoueand Dennis Hogan. Munguia will now represent his country on the most important date for Mexican boxing.

"I feel very happy for the opportunity of headlining a card on Sept. 14," said Jaime Munguia. "That's the best date for boxing in the entire year. It's a great date for Mexico because that's when we celebrate Mexican Independence Day. I'm proud and honored to be representing Mexico in the festivals for my country. I'll give my best and I'll try to deliver a great fight for all the people and for those who will see us." 

Allotey is a 28-year-old native of Accra, Ghana who debuted as a professional in 2006 when he was only 16 years old. Though suffering losses against Golden Boy's Patrick Teixeira and standout contender Kanat Islam, Allotey is coming off six victories in a row. 

"I respect Munguia. He is a great fighter," said Patrick Allotey. "But I'm an African warrior, so you know I'll be coming to cause a big surprise."

"I'm very excited for Jaime Munguia's next fight date as he'll be headlining on Sept. 14, which is an important date for Mexico," said Fernando Beltran, President of Zanfer Promotions. "I am very proud because our representative will fight on the most important date for Mexicans. 

In the co-main event, rising sensation Ryan Garcia (18-0, 15 KOs) of Victorville, Calif. will take on Avery "A Plus" Sparrow (10-1, 3 KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in a 10-round lightweight fight. 

"Sparrow is basically an undefeated fighter with a good amateur background," Ryan Garcia."People in boxing that know boxing will know this isn't an easy fight. It will not be overlooked."

"I'm thankful to Golden Boy and Russell Peltz for the opportunity," said Avery Sparrow."Ryan Garcia has yet to be tested, and it's a big step up for him. It's not much of a step up in opposition for me. It's his biggest test, not mine. I'm good fighting at 130, but nobody wants to fight me there, so I'm moving up to 135. I look forward to putting on a great show."

"It's a difficult fight for Sparrow," said Russell Peltz. "Once again he has to move up in weight from 130 to 135. None of the 130-pounders want to fight him. However, I am not a big believer that weight difference will determine the outcome. The outcome will be determined by who is the better fighter so long as the judges are fair, and I am sure they will be. Garcia has a prettier record, but Sparrow can more than handle himself."

Pablo Cesar "El Demoledor" Cano (32-7-1, 22 KOs) of Tlalnepantla, Mexico will defend his WBC International Silver Super Lightweight Title in a 12-round fight against Michael "The Artist" Perez (25-3-2, 11 KOs) of Newark, New Jersey. Cano will return from his upset victory over Jorge "El Niño de Oro" Linares, and he will look to fight for a world title at 140 pounds if successful against Perez.

Filipino rising star "Ruthless" Romero Duno (20-1, 15 KOs) will defend his NABO Lightweight Title in a 10-round fight.

Armenian contender Azat "Crazy A" Hovhannisyan (17-3, 14 KOs) will return in a 10-round super bantamweight clash.

Alejandro "Pin Pon" Reyes of Los Angeles, Calif. will make his professional debut in a four-round lightweight fight against Jorge Padron (3-4, 3 KOs) of Sonora, Mexico.

Additional undercard information will be announced shortly.

Munguia vs. Allotey is a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight Championship presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions. The event is sponsored by Tecate, "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING," Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle," and Orange Crush. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 14at Dignity Health Sports Park and will be streamed live on DAZN.  

Tickets for Munguia vs. Allotey go on sale Tuesday, August 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased at goldenboytickets.com, https://www.axs.com/, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849), and at Dignity Health Sports Park Box Office (Monday through Fridayfrom 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, call 877-234-8425.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at 

www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. 

Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaAllotey

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photo Courtesy of: Golden Boy Promotions Used with permission.

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

Alvarez, Golovkin, Derevyanchenko, The IBF, And “The Politics“ Of Boxing

One of the most consistent themes in recent years here at The Boxing Truth®️ has been an ongoing chronicle of Boxing’s storied Middleweight division. To be more specific, what appeared to be a gradual progression towards determining one Undisputed world champion in the division in what would be the first since Bernard Hopkins began unifying the division in the early 2000’s before finally completing the process by knocking out then WBO world champion Oscar De La Hoya in September 2004.

The very goal of determining one undisputed champion in any division in Boxing and also the task of keeping the championship fully unified is one that while not impossible, is certainly difficult to achieve. Difficult for several reasons, but one reason that most Boxing fans and experts point to is the political landscape that surrounds the sport. Although some are quick to point out the flaws of the sport and all too often also quick to accuse the respective sanctioning organizations that govern Boxing of corruption, at times rightly, sometimes not, there are other factors that play a role in how difficult it can be to determine an undisputed champion. Factors such as rival promoters refusing to work together to make unification fights happen, competing television networks/platforms, who by paying significant rights fees want exclusivity to a promoter’s respective stable of fighters, and at times a fighter’s reluctance to face other champions in his/her respective weight class can all play a factor and unfortunately serve as roadblocks to an undisputed champion being crowned.

If the reader is starting to feel confused by all of the above and are possibly concerned about the possibility of getting a migraine headache from trying to understand it all, this observer will try his best to make it as painless as possible. First and foremost, this column will not be a long drawn out explanation of all of the above in great detail. Quite frankly, it would take a book perhaps two, or even three written by yours truly to go over every single aspect of the politics of the sport in great detail. While that might be something to ponder in the future, the reader should think of the factors listed above as examples.

This column will however, focus on one political element that does come up frequently for fighters who achieve status as a unified world champion. The obligation of fulfilling mandatory title defenses annually as determined by the respective organizations who’s world championships a fighter holds.

One of the stories that generated significant attention in the last week was the decision of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) to strip current unified Middleweight world champion Saul ‘Canelo” Alvarez of its World Middleweight championship. A decision made by the organization following the failure of the champion, his promoter Golden Boy Promotions, and current mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko to come to terms for a mandatory title defense.

As readers will likely remember Alvarez, the WBC/WBA world champion successfully added the IBF crown to his unified championship with his victory over IBF world champion Daniel Jacobs earlier this year. As can happen when unification bouts take place, Alvarez by virtue of defeating Jacobs inherited the obligation to meet the IBF’s number one contender Derevyanchenko within a certain period of time. What makes the decision of the IBF somewhat perplexing is the claim of Alvarez that he was unaware of the deadline set by the organization for him and Derevyanchenko to come to terms for a fight to fulfill the mandatory defense. Whether or not Alvarez or his promoter Golden Boy Promotions were aware of the deadline now appears to be a moot point as the IBF has already mandated Derevyanchenko to meet former Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin, the IBF’s two top Middleweight contenders for the vacant championship.

Although it is understandable how fans can and often do criticize sanctioning organizations whenever a situation like this occurs, it is not uncommon for an organization like the IBF to obligate a champion to agree to meet a mandatory challenger before a unification bout between two world champions takes place as to ensure that the winner of said unification bout agrees to fulfill his/her obligations going forward. It is also not uncommon to see a negotiation process for a mandatory title defense take place shortly after a unification bout occurs.

Such circumstances where a unified champion either outright refuses to fulfill those obligations and/or cannot agree to terms for those defenses are essentially the reason why some organizations have adopted interim/regular champion designations in their respective rankings for their mandatory challengers, most notably the World Boxing Association (WBA). As this observer has said often over the years, such designations, though well-intended actually seems to create more confusion and problems than it actually solves.

In regard to Alvarez, it was also recently announced that he would not be fighting in September of this year, which was believed to be his intended target to return to the ring. This also resulted in some criticism being pointed in the direction of digital sports streaming network DAZN, who made headlines last year in signing Alvarez to a mult-year/fight agreement worth reportedly $365 Million. As most know, this was significant as it marked a major transition for Alvarez, one of the sport’s biggest pay-per-view draws, moving away from the pay-per-view medium and becoming one of the first stars in the sport to move toward the subscription-based digital streaming medium, which is the model of DAZN.

Now, in the interest of objectivity, I feel it appropriate to once again remind the reader as this observer has done in the past when discussing DAZN, and the benefits of the subscription-based streaming medium in various columns here at The Boxing Truth®️ that I do not currently work for DAZN or any other network, outlet, or platform outside of my own platform here. Having said this, it is no secret that I have been supportive of the work DAZN as well as other platforms like ESPN+ and Fite TV have done not just for Boxing, but for all of sports overall as I feel it offers the consumer a better and generally more economically reasonable option compared to the traditional pay-per-view model and increasingly expensive single sports packages.

In terms of Boxing and by extension all of combat sports, the Over The Top (OTT) streaming medium has opened up doors for promoters that were not necessarily available on traditional television. How often did we hear over the years prior to the advent of digital streaming platforms that a fighter was inactive due to a network not having available dates to televise a fight, or a promoter not being able to stage as many cards as they could because of lack of an available television network to broadcast said events and/or only being willing to commit to a limited window of dates? This is something that has largely been solved with the advent of streaming.

There are however, some things that will remain a part of the business landscape of Boxing even as the sport is moving in a better, more consumer-friendly direction. Unfortunately among them, are some fights that may be in significant public demand, being delayed from taking place. Some of the criticism that has been directed towards DAZN has been the perceived failure to bring a third fight between Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, who is also signed to DAZN, to fruition in a reasonable timeframe at least in the eyes of some.

It is important to remember that while multi-sport digital sports streaming networks like DAZN, while serving as a game changer in sports television are still very much in the growing stages. Even though from a cynical point of view it is easy to say that given the amounts of money that are involved that it is and would be easy for a network like DAZN to essentially mandate a fight to take place through contractual agreements, the fighters, their camps, and their respective promoters also play a significant role in when a fight like a potential third Alvarez-Golovkin fight takes place.

The digital subscription-based streaming model may indeed be new, fresh, and an economically beneficial choice for consumers, but some old tactics in terms of Boxing remain. What could be the silver lining for all involved that will both keep public interest high and ultimately quell criticism towards DAZN? In this observer’s eyes there is one obvious answer.

One of DAZN’s strongest assets in terms of Boxing currently is all of the Middleweight world championships currently belong to fighters who compete on its platform, this excludes those fighters who currently hold interim/regular champion designations, who might compete on other platforms and also keeping in mind that the World Boxing Council (WBC) recently designated Alvarez as it’s “Franchise Champion “ due in part to his status as a unified world champion.

While that subject is one to discuss at a later time, the point is that DAZN will likely be the stage where a unification tournament will take place over time to fully unify the Middleweight division. Despite Alvarez being stripped of the IBF championship, if a fight between Derevyanchenko and Golovkin takes place for the vacant championship, it will take place on DAZN’s platform. Demetrius Andrade, the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) world champion is also signed to DAZN and has been looking for a fight with either Golovkin or Alvarez. This sets up a scenario where either the Derevyanchenko-Golovkin winner faces either Alvarez or Andrade, or Alvarez and Andrade meet to unify their portions of the World Middleweight championship before facing the winner of Derevyanchenko-Golovkin.

What this could potentially set up assuming both Alvarez and Golovkin continue to win would be the much-anticipated third bout between the two, but this time potentially with the Undisputed world championship in the Middleweight division on the line. If this is indeed the goal of the promoters involved, it would somewhat justify the stalling tactics that tend to frustrate Boxing fans. Of course, this is all a theoretical scenario and the possibility certainly exists that both Alvarez and Golovkin could lose to either Derevyanchenko or Andrade, which would throw a monkey wrench into any potential plans for a third fight between the two. All of the above however, would be seen on DAZN, which would ultimately be a win for Boxing and the fans/consumers who support 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

What’s Next For Adam Kownacki?

The Heavyweight bout between top-rated undefeated contender Adam Kownacki and longtime contender Chris Arreola seemed to check the boxes that of what Boxing fans tend to crave. Two fighters with crowd-pleasing styles, who are each known for their willingness to come forward and mix it up with their opponents.

This fight also presented a familiar story of a contender on the rise going against an experienced veteran, who some believed his best days were behind him. When you combine the meshing of similar styles, the storyline of a veteran looking to revitalize his career going against a young unbeaten contender, who had not faced a significant test in his career, a capacity crowd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, and a national television audience the ingredients can at times produce an exciting fight. When Kownacki and Arreola met in the ring on August 3^rd, the Boxing world was treated to what may very well be one of the most competitive fights in the Heavyweight division in years.

From the opening bell, Kownacki and Arreola engaged in battle. What emerged was a fight where both fighters threw punches nearly non-stop for the duration of the twelve round bout. While fights that are fought at such a pace are difficult to score, they are also rare to see in the Heavyweight division.

What can be a challenge in a fight like this is to determine which fighter is able to execute their offense more efficiently way compared to their opponent. Although that may seem like a relatively simple explanation to some, it isn’t necessarily as simple as it might sound because the pace of the fight was such that both fighters were extremely active with their offense and each had moments in several rounds.

Fights like this can indeed be difficult for one to score, but what this observer tends to look for under circumstances like this are subtle differences that can ultimately determine the difference. Sometimes it can come down to small things that can make an impression on the judges scoring a fight. Kownacki was the fighter generally coming forward and initiating the combat throughout the fight. This gave me the impression that he was bringing the fight to Arreola, which did give him the benefit of the doubt in some close rounds on my scorecard. Arreola however, had consistent success throughout the bout in landing flush right hands to the head of Kownacki.

The result of the fight, a twelve round unanimous decision in favor of Kownacki, was not a surprise. What was a surprise regarding the scoring was that the three official judges scored the fight by margins of nine rounds to three and ten rounds to two respectively. While Kownacki was the more aggressive of the two fighters in my view, I did feel the fight was closer as I scored it by a margin of eight rounds to four in his favor. Having said this, I would not consider the scoring controversial.

In terms of statistics, this fight will go down in the record books as a record-breaking bout for Heavyweights as the two fighters combined to throw an astonishing 2,172 total punches in the twelve round fight as well as combining to land 667 total punches according to CompuBox statistics. Both aspects broke the Heavyweight records for both total punches thrown and landed. Records that ironically involved one fighter in two separate fights.

In 1996 and 1997 respectively, David Tua, a former longtime top contender took part in two fights that set the respective records. The first against David Izon in December 1996 where the record for most punches landed in a Heavyweight fight compiled by Compubox was set of 660 punches. Tua’s first career defeat came in a close decision loss to Ike Ibeabuchi in June 1997 where they set the then record for total punches thrown by Heavyweights in a single fight of 1,730.  While there have been many fights in over the last two decades and even though Compubox statistics do not always tell the full story of what goes on in a fight, it does serve as an accurate illustration in just how rare it is to see a Heavyweight fight fought at such a pace that goes the full distance of a fight, though, in the case of Tua’s fight against Izon, he was able to score a stoppage win in the final round of that fight.

Although it is understandable how a fighter can need time to recuperate from a fight like this, a natural question to ask is what is next for Adam Kownacki off of the most significant win of his career thus far? Kownacki and his wife are expecting the birth of a new edition to their family in the near future. This combined with needing time to allow his body and mind to recharge from what was a grueling battle against Chris Arreola will likely keep him out of the ring at least for a few months.

Once Kownacki is ready to return to active competition, this observer believes that a good potential opponent would be former WBO Heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker. Not only, does Parker carry the name recognition value of being a recent former world champion in the division with him, but in terms of the current rankings in the Heavyweight division, both Parker and Kownacki are rated number five and six respectively in the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings, which would make a fight between the two an ideal option as Parker looks to position himself for another opportunity at a world championship and Kownacki looks to continue climbing the later towards a potential title shot of his own.

While in Boxing it is not always as simple as a contender faces a contender who just happens to be one position above him in his next fight if nothing else due to the political elements that surround the sport, it does seem like it would be another good test for Kownacki against a fighter in Parker who has been to the top before and has more experience against the upper echelon of the division. Stylistically, it would be an interesting fight to watch and depending on the outcome could springboard the winner into a world championship fight in the not too distant future.

“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

Introducing Rising Australian Lightweight Rachel Loder

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: August 6, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing - Women's boxing is on the rise on a global scene currently. It has to be argued that it's currently the best time to be a professional women's boxer in the entire history of boxing. Fighters like Katie Taylor are making massive purses and drawing huge viewing figures. Women's professional boxing is most definitely on the rise.

One woman who is looking to take advantage of that is Australian Rachel Loder, who has transitioned from the amateur ranks with flying colours, picking up four wins from her first four contests, with three coming inside the scheduled distance.

Loder takes a step up in class in her next outing, as she squares off for the Australasian Lightweight title on home soil in Tweets Head, NSW, a place that rising Australian stars the Moloney brothers have made somewhat of a fortress in recent years.

The New South Wales native opened up about her amateur career and previewed her Australasian title showdown. She said, "Firstly thank you to my manager Tony Tolj for getting me the opportunity to box for a title in just my fifth professional fight and also in front of my hometown supporters. That in itself is a dream come true and something I am so grateful for.

"As an amateur, I boxed everyone I could. I had around 40 amateur fights and I went everywhere to fight and really looked to get the experience fighting all over the place. I really do love boxing and being able to fight and also be around people such as the Moloney's, Billel Dib and these top fighters every day is a dream in itself."

Loder doesn't just have ambitions in the world of boxing, but also in the world of education as she continues hers alongside her professional career. The likable Aussie discussed her careers in the ring and away from the ring.

She said, "In boxing obviously my ambition is to become a world champion. I am only young and I believe I have an amazing team around me that can really push me as far as I can go and they will get the most out of me as a fighter,

"I'm also training to be a teacher and I'm currently studying for that now. I love helping others and giving back, and being a teacher is a great way to do that. I want to help people in life in a positive way and that's why I decided to become a teacher as well as a professional boxer."

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

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

Fowler Defeats Rose

Rising Middleweight prospect Anthony Fowler scored a hard-fought ten round decision over former British Jr. Middleweight champion and former world title challenger Brian Rose in the main event of the latest edition of Matchroom Boxing’s NXTGEN Boxing series on Friday night at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England. In what was an entertaining fight throughout, It was Fowler’s quick hands and harder punches that were the story of the fight. Rose was able to have his moments throughout the bout and hard success in landing his right hand to the head of Fowler. The pattern of Rose’s success in the fight however, was whenever he would land solidly with his punches, Fowler would almost immediately return offense with combinations that consistently pushed Rose back. It was this along with Fowler’s ability to bring the fight to his opponent that resulted in a convincing decision victory.

Anthony Fowler advances to 10-1, with 8 Knockouts. Brian Rose falls to 31-6-1, with 6 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

Jr. Welterweight Lewis Ritson scored a third round stoppage of Marek Jedrzejewski. A left hook to the body of Jedrzejewski sent Jedrzejewski down in round three. Although Jedrzejewski was able to beat the count, he was unable to keep Ritson off of him and the bout was stopped at 2:50 of the round.Lewis Ritson advances to 19-1, with 10 Knockouts. Marek Jedrzejewski falls to 14-3, with 13 Knockouts.


In a battle for the English Middleweight championship, Jack Cullen scored an impressive eighth round stoppage of previously undefeated John Harding in the first defense of his title. Cullen dominated the fight almost from the start landing jabs, straight, right hands, and left hooks on a very “Game” Harding. Cullen scored a technical knockdown of Harding in round five with what appeared to be a left hook that caused Harding’s glove to touch the canvas. In round eight, a body shot from Cullen staggered Harding and forced him against the ropes. A follow-up barrage subsequently forced a stoppage of the fight at 2:07 of round eight. Jack Cullen advances to 17-1, with 8 Knockouts. John Harding falls to 7-1-1, with 1 Knockout.

In the Bantamweight division veteran Thomas Essomba scored a hard-fought ten round decision over previously undefeated Sean McGoldrick. Several of the rounds in this fight were fought in close where both fighters engaged in exchanges. As the fight progressed, Essomba’s greater activity and sharp counter punches became the story as he earned what will likely be viewed as an upset victory. Thomas Essomba advances to 9-5, with 3 Knockouts. Sean McGoldrick falls to 9-1, with 2 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Lightweight Qais Ashfaq scored an eight round decision over Sean Davis. Qais Ashfaq advances to 7-0, with 3 Knockouts. Sean Davis falls to 14-4, with 0 Knockouts.

Heavyweight Martin IIunga scored a first round knockout over Ytalo Perea. Martin IIunga advances to 13-1, with 10 Knockouts. Ytalo Perea falls to 11-5-2, with 11 Knockouts.

Undefeated Super-Middleweight John Docherty scored a four round decision over Darryl Sharp. John Docherty advances to 6-0, with 5 Knockouts. Darryl Sharp falls to 5-57-1, with 0 Knockouts.

In the Welterweight division Robbie Davies scored a third round stoppage of Michel Dufek. Robbie Davies advances to 19-1, with 13 Knockouts. Michel Dufek falls to 25-22-2, with 18 Knockouts.


Unbeaten Light-Heavyweight Thomas Hart scored a four round decision over Ivo Krastev. Thomas Hart advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Ivo Krastev falls to 2-11, with 1 Knockout.

Undefeated Lightweight Dylan Evans scored a four round decision over Aleksandrs Birkenbergs. Dylan Evans advances to 3-0, with 0 Knockouts. Alekandrs Birkenbergs falls to 5-24, with 3 Knockouts.

The victory for Anthony Fowler over Brian Rose was a convincing bounce back win for the native of Liverpool, England, who suffered his first professional loss in his last fight in losing a ten round split decision to Scott Fitzgerald in March of this year.

As had been the norm, Matchroom Boxing’s NXTGEN series offered an interesting look at some of the rising prospects on the UK Boxing scene. While some fighters who were featured on this card appear to be closer to taking another step towards potential British, Commonwealth, and perhaps even world title opportunities, the fighters will likely benefit from the global exposure the series offers as they look to continue progressing in their respective careers.

“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

The Heavyweight Picture As August 2019 Begins, Plus Mini-Preview Of Kownacki-Arreola

Boxing’s Heavyweight division continues to be a hot topic of discussion throughout the entire sport amongst both fans and experts. One of the contributing factors to that, of course, was Andy Ruiz’ recent upset of previously undefeated unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in June. While what goes on atop the division will always generate significant interest among any Boxing enthusiast, one of the perks of being a fan of the sport is to see how the landscape of a division changes over time as fighters look to improve their position in their respective weight class with the goal of hoping to challenge for a world championship down the line.

In recent weeks this process has been taking place in the Heavyweight division. Some may recall a recent tripleheader of Heavyweight bouts that was featured on digital sports streaming network DAZN on July 20th in London, England. As readers might remember in this observer’s preview of that card, I stated that it was one that featured a mix of top contenders, former world title challengers, and veterans who were looking to get into world title contention.

Due to both the length of time between when that preview was released and the release of this column, yours truly will summarize each of these three bouts in a condensed manner in an effort to both inform the reader and cover as much ground as possible. The first of these fights featured a battle between former world title challengers Dereck Chisora and Artur Szpika. What interested me about this fight was the fact that it was a well-matched bout as was the other two Heavyweight fights on this card.

This was an encounter between one fighter in Chisora who was looking to continue his rebuilding process after suffering a knockout loss against Dillian Whyte last December. Coincidentally, Artur Szpilka was also looking to continue to rebuild after suffering a knockout loss at the hands of Adam Kownacki in July 2017. Thus, this pitted two fighters who were at a similar stage in their respective careers against each other.

As can happen in Boxing, the fight concluded before it really began. A right hand from Chisora badly staggered Szpilka in the second round and a follow-up barrage put him down and out on the canvas as the fight was quickly stopped. Sometimes there is not much one can say about the outcome of a fight other than to summarize it as one fighter taking full advantage of an opening that was available and finishing their opponent as a result. For Dereck Chisora this knockout should be viewed as one of the best performances of his career and will likely earn him an opportunity to face former world champion Joseph Parker at some point in the near future. If Chisora continues to win it is not difficult to envision him once again being in line to once again challenge for a world title at some point in the future.

One Heavyweight that many thought of the idea of him being able to work his way back into the world rankings as being perhaps a “Long Shot” was former British Heavyweight champion David Price. Price as some recall was once touted as a potential future world champion by several experts including Yours truly as he established himself as a rising prospect in the division several years ago. As most Boxing fans know however, Price was pushed into fights against world-class opposition too quickly and it resulted in a promising career becoming a roller coaster.

Despite the setbacks Price has suffered throughout his career, he has fought on. On this particular card, Price was looking to continue building momentum against veteran David Allen. In what was at times not the prettiest fight to watch, Price outlasted Allen over ten rounds before Allen retired from the fight prior to the beginning of the eleventh round. Although there wasn’t much in the way of excitement in this fight, for Price his third straight win since his last loss to Sergey Kuzmin last September did result in him being able to work his way back into the world rankings as he earned a rating in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Heavyweight ratings with his victory over Allen.

This brings us to what was the main event of this card between top Heavyweight contenders Dillian Whyte and Oscar Rivas. In what was billed as a fight to determine interim championship status in the WBC’s Heavyweight ratings, Whyte overcame a knockdown in the ninth round to score a twelve round unanimous decision over Rivas. Despite the knockdown, Whyte produced w workmanlike performance, which was highlighted by the success he was able to have working behind his jab throughout.

A victory for Whyte however, now has controversy surrounding it as it was revealed that Whyte had tested positive in a pre-fight test conducted by the United Kingdom Anti-Doping agency (UKAD). Despite this, the fight was allowed to go on as scheduled even though it was also revealed that Rivas and his camp were not informed of the positive test until after the fight. As a result of this, the World Boxing Council (WBC) has withheld their interim designation of Whyte as its mandatory challenger for current WBC world champion Deontay Wilder and has suspended him pending the outcome of an investigation. What is also unclear as of this writing is whether or not there will be any action taken by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) in regard to suspending Whyte and/or possibly changing the result of the fight from a unanimous decision win for Whyte to a no contest.

While the circumstances surrounding Dillian Whyte’s situation is something that will likely play out over a period of time, it does leave some potential room to maneuver in the division. The month of August will feature two Heavyweight bouts that one could argue falls right in a similar category as the three bouts that took place in the division on July 20^th. The first of these bouts will take place on August 3^rd in Brooklyn, NY as undefeated contender Adam Kownacki will square off against former world title challenger Chris Arreola in a fight scheduled for ten rounds.

Kownacki has established himself as one of the division’s rising contenders and will enter the fight unbeaten in nineteen professional fights having scored knockouts in fifteen of those bouts registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 80%. In his last fight in January of this year, Kownacki stopped former world title challenger Gerald Washington in three rounds. Kownacki now prepares to face another former world title challenger Chris Arreola.

A longtime contender, Arreola has fought for the WBC world championship on three occasions coming up short against Vitali Klitschko, Bermane Stiverne, and Deontay Wilder. Despite those setbacks, Arreola has fought on and will come into the fight having won his last two fights since losing in his last title shot to Deontay Wilder in July 2016.

This fight in my eyes will come down to which Chris Arreola shows up. There have been times throughout Arreola’s career that he might have been the best Heavyweight in the division and others where he has looked sluggish and underprepared. One might argue that at thirty-eight years old Arreola could be running out of chances at the upper level of the division. The beauty about combat sports however, is that sometimes all a fighter needs is an impressive performance to revitalize their career. At his best, Arreola does have the type of punching power to be a threat to anyone in the division.

As fighters like Dereck Chisora and David Price have shown a fighter can bounce back and if Arreola can win this fight it is not hard to envision him being back in the discussion of potential challengers for the current champions of the division. If Arreola is at his best in this fight, it will be the first significant test for Kownacki who has only had to go as far as ten rounds once in his career thus far. In terms of overall experience, Arreola does have an advantage over his unbeaten opponent.

A further development that has been announced was the announcement earlier this week that former world title challengers Alexander Povetkin and Hughie Fury will meet on August 31^st in London, England. Much like the three bouts that took place on July 20^th, the Kownacki-Arreola and the announced Povetkin-Fury bouts are each about the respective fighters looking to improve their position among the various contenders and prospects all looking for an opportunity to fight for a world championship. With the world champions of the division Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz each potentially defending their portions of the World Heavyweight championship in separate bouts later this year, there remains plenty of room for potential challengers down the line to maneuver.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

PBC: Kownacki vs. Arreola takes place on Saturday, August 3^rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The fight can be seen in the United States on Fox beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT. For more information about the card and Premier Boxing Champions please visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com. Check your local listings internationally.

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

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Matchroom NXTGEN Weights From Liverpool, England

The official weigh-in for Friday’s latest edition of  Matchroom Boxing’s NXTGEN series headlined by a ten round Middleweight bout between Anthony Fowler and Brian Rose took place earlier today in Liverpool, England. Official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: Middleweight – 10Rds.

Anthony Fowler 156 1/2lbs. vs. Brian Rose 155 1/4lbs.

English Middleweight championship – 10Rds.

Jack Cullen (Champion) 158 3/4lbs. vs. John Harding 159 1/2lbs.

Jr. Welterweight – 10Rds.

Lewis Ritson 139 1/2lbs. vs. Marek Jedrzejewski 136 1/2lbs.

Heavyweight – 8Rds.

Martin IIunga 262 1/4lbs. vs. Ytalo Pera 256 3/4lbs.

Bantamweight – 10Rds.

Sean McGoldrick 117 1/4lbs. vs. Thomas Essomba 117 1/2lbs.

Jr. Lightweight – 8Rds.

Qais Ashfaq 129lbs. vs. Sean Davis 131lbs.

Welterweight – 8Rds.

Michel Dufek 145 1/2lbs. vs. Robbie Davies 145 3/4lbs.

Light-Heavyweight – 6Rds.

John Docherty 172lbs. vs. Darryl Sharp 176 1/4lbs.

Light-Heavyweight – 4Rds.

Ivo Krastev 175 3/4lbs. vs. Thomas Hart 179 1/2lbs.

Fowler vs. Rose takes place tomorrow (Friday, August 2^nd) at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England. The card can be seen in the United States and several international countries on digital sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT (U.S. Time). For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of available streaming device and platforms, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.  

In the United Kingdom and Ireland the card can be seen on Sky Sports Action beginning at 7PM (Local UK Time.) For more information about Sky Sports including schedules and availability in your area please visit: www.skysports.com.

Check your local listings internationally.

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Brief Update

We would like to let our readers know that we will begin our schedule for August 2019 with a special Heavyweight feature on Friday, August 2nd. Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth."

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

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Thoughts On Hooker-Ramirez

The theme leading up to the Jr. Welterweight encounter between undefeated world champions Maurice Hooker and Jose Ramirez was the beginning of a re-unification process for the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. It is true that whenever there is a unification bout in the sport that it accomplishes two important things. Number one, it creates interest. Interest from both the Boxing enthusiast, who watches the sport closely as well as the interest of the casual fan who may more appropriately be categorized as a general sports fan,

Number two and perhaps, more importantly, it benefits the sport when two world champions put their respective claims to a world championship on the line against each other. When the politics that be in the sport do not serve as an obstacle to a potential fight like a unification bout from being made. A scenario that can simply be summed up as when the best fighters in a given weight class and by extension the entire sport face the best competition available or to say it more simply, “The Best Fighting The Best.”

When such a scenario takes shape and you have the added element of two unbeaten fighters who are each in their respective physical primes, more often than not the ingredients produce classic fights. On July 27th, Hooker and Ramirez that at the College Park Center in Arlington, TX to unify the WBO and WBC Jr. Welterweight crowns. There was a slight element of controversy in the opening round as Ramirez was credited with a knockdown of Hooker when he landed a jab, but stepped on Hooker’s foot in the process resulting in the knockdown. While the knockdown was incorrectly ruled by Referee Mark Nelson, it did not appear that it would have a lasting impact on the fight.

Although this was as Yours truly stated in previewing this fight an encounter between two boxer/punchers, the tempo of the combat from the outset was high paced and it appeared that neither fighter was interested in pacing themselves to go twelve rounds if need be. When it comes to fights like this, it will often boil down to which fighter lands first with their power punches. In this fight however, both fighters had success in landing power shots. One thing that stuck out to me as the fight progressed was how Ramirez was able to consistently close distance between himself and Hooker. Despite Hooker having a near eight-inch reach advantage, he was unable to keep Ramirez at a distance where theoretically the physics of the fight would be more in his favor.

It was nevertheless a back and forth battle in what turned out to be one of the best fights of 2019. The conclusion of the fight was both sudden and brutal as a left hook to the head from Ramirez in round six staggered Hooker and sent him back along the ropes. Quickly sensing that he had his opponent in trouble, Ramirez followed up with a brutal barrage of punches that forced Referee Mark Nelson to stop the fight.

Even though the ending of this fight was both quick and brutal, I felt that the stoppage of the fight was the appropriate call to make as Hooker appeared to be out on his feet and had his head snapped back several times by Ramirez in that follow-up barrage. While some fans under circumstances like the one where this fight was stopped are quick to criticize the stoppage and rule it “Bad”, it cannot and will not be overlooked by this observer that the sport has suffered two deaths within the last week related to traumatic brain injury as a result of injuries suffered while competing in the ring. Jr. Welterweights Hugo Santillan and Maxim Dadashev each succumbed to injuries sustained in separate bouts within the last week.

Although this observer did not cover either of those fights, I have been very vocal on social media platforms since the news of both men’s deaths became public with regard to the need for further regulation in the sport as well as sharing my opinion that all fighters who compete in combat sports should be and need to be respected by fans as each time a fighter competes they are risking their lives.

While by all accounts, the protocols that could be taken were in the aftermath of Maxim Dadashev’s fight against Subriel Matias in Oxon Hill. MD and there have been no reports indicating that similar protocols were not taken in regard to the aftermath of Hugo Santillan’s fight against Eduardo Abreu in San Nicolas, Argentina, it underscores both the dangers/risk associated with all combat sports and how sometimes split-second decisions need to be made, which unfortunately at times can be a matter of life and death.

Although when similar circumstances have befallen the sport in the past it is not uncommon to see both referees and athletic commissions be more cautious and at times be willing to stop fights earlier than what some believed should be the case, I believe in the case of Hooker-Ramirez the stoppage by Referee Mark Nelson was the correct call. As the sport deals with the circumstances of the deaths of both Dadashev and Santillin, it was refreshing to see both Hooker and Ramirez showing respect to one another both before and after the fight. A lesson in “Class” that everyone in the sport, fans, media, and the fighters who compete in it can learn from.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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