MUNGUIA VS. O'SULLIVAN SAN ANTONIO MEDIA WORKOUTS: QUOTES

Press Release: By DAZN – SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 7, 2020): Jaime Munguia (34-0, 27 KOs) and Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan (30-3, 21 KOs) hosted media workouts yesterday and today at Boxers and Brawlers Boxing Club ahead of their 12-round middleweight fight taking place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Credit:Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos 

Undercard fighters participating included Franchon Crews-Dezurn (6-1, 2 KOs), Hector Tanajara Jr. (18-0, 5 KOs), Joshua Franco (15-1-2, 7 KOs), Tristan Kalkreuth (3-0, 2 KOs), George Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs), Hector Valdez (11-0, 7 KOs) and James Wilkins (8-1, 6 KOs).

Below are what the fighters and trainers had to say at the workouts:

JAIME MUNGUIA, Middleweight Contender:

"Gary O'Sullivan comes with a strong desire to win and a strong mentality, which will make for a tougher fight. He's a high-level fighter with a lot of experience. Fighting against him in my first fight at middleweight is a great opportunity to get a lot of experience." 

"He's very strong and has a strong right hand, so we have to be careful. He's a fighter that goes forward and throws punches very fast. He'll suddenly explode with fast combinations, so we have to make sure we're aware of that with my guard up."

On having Erik Morales on his team:

"It's always good to have someone with a lot of experience in your corner. Morales was in a lot of great fights with some of the best fighters in the world, so it's always good to have someone like him on my team. He's not trying to change my style. I'm going to keep my style, but we've also been working on my defense, speed, and knowing when to throw punches."

On his move to middleweight:

"The move to middleweight has its benefits because I don't have to lose as much weight. I feel good at this weight. I feel stronger. The plan is to one day fight for a world title in this division. But right now we are concentrated on the fight we have in front of us."

ERIK "EL TERRIBLE" MORALES, Hall of Famer and Trainer of Jaime Munguia:

"We're working on Munguia's technique more than anything. Munguia is a very responsible fighter. He has lots of energy and loves to work. He also wants to learn. That was one of the conditions I had before starting with him. I wanted to make sure that he wanted to learn, and he has shown that he is ready and willing to learn what I have to teach him."

GARY 'SPIKE' O'SULLIVAN, Middleweight Contender:

"I'm ready for war. Jaime Munguia is an undefeated champion and he's also young. He has become a great Mexican warrior and I expect nothing less from him. I truly respect him, and I know he respects me as well. Hopefully we're going to be able to put on a great fight for the audience on Saturday. I believe I have the ability to beat anybody and always come up with a win. It's all about your mindset"

Credit: Tom Hogan/ Hogan Photos 

"I come prepared. I'm a hard worker and I'm going to show it off on Saturday night. Whenever I'm fighting, I try to put my heart on it. This is no different for me. I've received great support from my team, and I respect their time and their sacrifices."

"I'm excited to be in San Antonio once again. I didn't have the opportunity to get around the city the last time I came. So far, I think it is a beautiful place. I had the chance to visit The Alamodome stadium last night and I'm expecting to see much more this time."

FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN, WBC & WBO Super Middleweight World Champion:

"Training camp has been amazing; my team has been amazing. My husband has been my constant partner. I'm feeling good; I'm peaking at the right time."

"I want my opponent to come in confident, I want her to bring her best because I'm going to bring my best. One of my gifts is being able to adapt and I'm going to adapt to whatever is in front of me. I hope she underestimates me because I'm going to make her eat every word she ever said about me. I'm at a better place than I was three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, and I'm living in the moment. And I don't mix personal with business. I'm going to put up a show and she is going to get beaten." 

"I just want to say thank you to my fans for the support, thank you for the messages. The world is in a crazy place right now, so take your mind off of that and enjoy a good show because I'm going to fight for you. Saturday night I'm going to fight for the world"

HECTOR TANAJARA JR., USNBC Lightweight Champion:

"I'm excited to be back in my hometown and see a lot of familiar faces. It makes me feel more relaxed and motivated to come out victorious on Saturday. Staying with my family in my hometown helps me a lot to stay focused and grounded. My dad has been a great support for me. He's has helped me to keep everything one step at a time. I'm excited to show him and my hometown what I can do, especially with a high-caliber fighter."

"My goal is to become a complete fighter. Burgos is a very tough opponent. He has had multiple great fights in the past. He's a high-level boxer and my level just goes up higher when I'm fighting against opponents like him. I'm ready to show the world what I can give on the ring and that I'm going to fight my fight and not his fight."

JOSHUA FRANCO, Flyweight Contender:

"I feel very excited. I finally have the chance to put on a show in front of my hometown. It's a great feeling. Being able to represent my town and feeling that great support coming from my own people."

"I had a strong training camp, but I feel really solid. I'm just ready to get on the ring and fight. I have a tough opponent on Saturday. He's a good boxer; he comes with everything. He only has two losses, so this means he's going into the ring with a very positive and strong mindset and I know he won't just give up the fight."

TRISTAN KALKREUTH, Light Heavyweight Prospect:

"I feel great for this fight. I pushed myself through every training camp as hard as I could. There's always room to work harder and I feel that's what I did on this camp. I feel slim and strong."

"It's definitely going to be a hard fight since my opponent is 6'7, but I believe I'm ready to give it all on the ring and fight. It's going to be a great experience and an opportunity to learn more. As a professional boxer, I hope to continue learning from other great boxers like Canelo. Just keep the hard work going."

GEORGE RINCON, Super Lightweight Prospect:

"I'm feeling good, ready and focused for fight night. I'm looking forward to this upcoming fight and to start the year strong. I've been working hard on keeping the basics going, so I'm ready to box and do my thing. I have to be patient and make sure I look good and show my talent. That's the plan, to start this year strong and show what I can do. Once I find that timing and my rhythm going, it will be a short night."

"We have some tough fighters here in Texas. Little by little Texas is getting more attention and hopefully, you'll remember the Rincon Brothers as part of boxing history here. We are part of the major talent we have here in the state."

HECTOR VALDEZ, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

"I feel excited and comfortable for the fight. I had a good training camp; my coach is one of the best coaches. I also had a camp at the RGBA with Vergil by my side. I feel strong, good and I'm ready to fight."

"This fight is going to be a good learning experience for me. I want to go into the later rounds and see what I can overcome. If there's an opportunity to take a good shot, I'll take it."

JAMES WILKINS, Super Featherweight Prospect:

"Training camp was great. This is my second camp in Texas, and I love the atmosphere. I'm from New York, so I love the vibe here in Texas. I've been preparing good with coach Roger, and I have been working hard on my strength and conditioning too."

"For fight night, I'm looking forward to fighting and be smart and be intelligent, and if the knockout comes, I'll get him out of there. This is boxing, so I don't sleep on nobody, I take everything seriously and I know when the opportunity presents itself, I will take my opponent out of the ring."

Munguia vs. O'Sullivan is a 12-round middleweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions and Murphy's Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle." The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Munguia vs. O'Sullivan are on sale and are priced at $25, $40, $65, $100, and $200, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketsmaster.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at The Alamodome box office, which is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm C.T. and Saturdays and Sundays when events are taking place at The Alamodome.

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/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaOSullivan

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photos Courtesy of: Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

A Look Back At Some Boxing Events That Closed Out 2019

As the Boxing world embarks on 2020, it is time once again for the first of two annual features to kick off the year here at The Boxing Truth®️. There are thousands of bouts that take place in the sport of Boxing that take place during a calendar year. While many who cover the sport, including yours truly, do our best to cover as many of the events that take place as possible in a quick manner, the sheer volume of events that happen on a weekly basis makes it a difficult task for one to cover all of what Boxing has to offer, even as ever evolving technology has increased access to what goes on around the world.

Although it would frankly be impossible for this observer to cover all the aspects that I would truly want to, when it comes to events that were not covered in a traditional timeframe during the course of a year, this column will touch upon some events that took place as 2019 was winding down. Some may recall of a fight that took place over thanksgiving weekend in Queensland, Australia that yours truly called a curiosity. I am speaking of course of the encounter between Anthony Mundine and John Wayne Parr. A bout that pitted two world champions from the sports of Boxing and Kickboxing together in a fight fought under traditional Professional Boxing rules.

The simple question I asked in previewing this fight was what both fighters had left to give now at advanced ages of forty-four and forty-three respectively. The fight also had the added interest of the fact that Parr would be fighting for the first time since 2003 as a professional boxer having spent the majority of his combat sports career in Kickboxing.

When the two fighters squared off on November 30^th, it was not surprising to see Parr establish himself as the aggressor from the opening bell. What was surprising in , my eyes however, was how effective Parr was in finding a home for his right hand. Although Anthony Mundine has never been known as a fighter who is aggressive, it was alarming from my perspective as to how easily he was hit by Parr early on. Whether or not this was a sign of diminished skills and reflexes as is often seen in advanced aged fighters throughout all combat sports is debatable, but it did stick out in my eyes.

Through the first five rounds of this fight, the combat was mostly one way. Parr consistently bringing the fight to Mundine and throwing combinations of punches. This was highlighted by a barrage of punches in round four against Mundine, who was essentially trapped on the ropes and eventually sent through them resulting in a knockdown. Despite Mundine having sporadic moments throughout the fight offensively, I felt Parr dictated the action from start to finish. 

The opinion of this observer notwithstanding, it was a bit of a surprise to see the judges render a ten round split decision in favor of Parr. Even though it has been said that this was the swan song for both men, I have covered Boxing and by extension combat sports long enough to know that one should not dismiss the possibility of either man competing in the ring again, despite their respective ages. If there is both interest and enough money on the table, the possibility of more competition exists.

In staying with the Australian Boxing scene, the rise of Jr. Middleweight prospect Tim Tszyu has gradually been gaining more traction. Tszyu, the son of former unified Jr. Welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu, has established himself as a fighter who appears on the threshold of a possible opportunity at a world championship in 2020. Tszyu closed out his 2019 year by facing Oriental Professional Boxing Federation (OPBF) Jr. Middleweight champion Jack Brubaker on December 6^th in Sydney, Australia. 

A challenge that does exist for fighters who are the children of former world champions are the inevitable comparisons that they face to their parents. For Tim Tszyu, this is something he must also contend with in following in the footsteps of his father, who had a Hall of Fame career. While there are several stories throughout the history of the sport of fighters who had unrealistic expectations placed upon them in following their fathers into Boxing,who, ultimately could not live up to those expectations, Tszyu, thus far has shown promise and has also earned a ranking in the top ten in both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.

In facing Jack Brubaker, Tszyu faced a slightly more experienced opponent who had been stopped once in twenty previous bouts as a professional. Brubaker also had the appearance of someone who may have been able to stretch Tszyu into later stages of a fight where Tszyu, who had scored knockouts of ten of his previous fourteen opponents prior to the fight had not been taken before, having only gone as far as ten rounds only twice in his career. 

Despite not being intimidated by Tszyu, Brubaker could not land a significant punch to discourage Tszyu from coming forward. Although Brubaker was very “Game “, it was not long before I began to wonder both how much punishment he would be able to withstand and more importantly how long the fight would be allowed to continue. The consistent punishment from Tszyu was halted in round four when Brubaker’s trainer former world champion and Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech threw in the towel to prevent his fighter from further damage.

Although this was not a case where a fighter sustained a prolonged beating in the sense of it lasting several rounds and though I applaud Jeff Fenech for stopping this fight, I frankly wondered why the referee John Cauchi did not stop the fight on his own. This observer will never take anything away from the courage fighters show each and every time they step into the ring, but when it becomes apparent that one fighter is outgunned both in terms of power and in overall skill where the fighter can not avoid punishment from their opponent, what sense does it make in allowing a fight to go on? 2019 was also unfortunately a year that saw several deaths in the sport and while I do not want to make this an overriding theme of this column, all referees on all levels of combat sports need to keep in mind the unfortunate circumstances and consequences that do occur when a fight is allowed to go on longer than it should. Thankfully, for Jack Brubaker, his trainer saw that it wasn’t his night and was able to prevent him from taking one punch too many.

As for Tim Tszyu, the unbeaten Jr. Middleweight appears ready to face a top contender if not challenge for a world championship in 2020. As has been the case with other fast-rising prospects and more specifically, children of former world champions, my concern is that Tszyu may be pushed too quickly into a world championship fight based on both his impressive record and obvious name recognition value he has. If he can continue to win and do so against a top contender or two, it will not be hard to envision Tszyu possibility fighting for a world championship by the end of 2020.

Another undefeated prospect that saw action in December is Heavyweight Daniel Dubois. Dubois, the current British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion has been on a tear in establishing himself as potentially the next British Heavyweight who could be in contention for a world championship sooner rather than later. The current number five rated WBO contender closed out his 2019 on December 21^st when he faced Japanese Heavyweight Kyotaro Fijimoto in London, England.

Although Japan is not known for producing many world-rated Heavyweights in Boxing, I was nevertheless interested to see what Fijimoto had to offer. As impressive and frankly devastating as Dubois has been in scoring knockouts of twelve of thirteen previous opponents prior to this fight, he was and remains at a stage where some are likely to want to see him tested before anointing him as a potential challenger for either Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, the two men who currently control the World Heavyweight championship. 

For his part, Fijimoto did come into the fight with a respectable record of 21-1, with 13 Knockouts, and held the OPBF Heavyweight championship. Fijimoto however, had never fought outside of Japan prior to this encounter and the lone notable win on his resume came in his third professional fight when he scored a ten round unanimous decision over veteran Chauncy Welliver, who most knowledgeable Boxing aficionados would likely regard as a journeyman or a gatekeeper that young fighters are pitted against before attempting to move them up the rankings. 

Despite a limited, but impressive resume, Fijimoto could not provide much resistance as Dubois consistently pushed him back with seemingly every punch he threw. Dubois would score two knockdowns of Fijimoto in the second round to earn a convincing stoppage. There is simply not much one can say about a fight that is fought under this scenario. Although Dubois simply did what he had to do and got the victory, it is hard to say whether he is ready to face a top contender or either of the current world champions. With a career knockout percentage of nearly 93% however, the question of whether Dubois is ready will likely be answered in 2020.

Finally, the Boxing calendar for 2019 concluded with a battle of youth versus experience on December 28^th as undefeated Jr. Lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis squared off with former Featherweight world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in a battle in the 135lb. Lightweight division. What intrigued me about this encounter, which took place in Atlanta, GA, was that it was in some respects a classic scenario.

A scenario of not only youth versus experience, but also of potentially a former world champion having one final opportunity on Boxing’s big stage against one of the rising stars in the sport. Naturally, when such a scenario takes place, the storyline is how much does the former champion/more experienced fighter have left to give. Despite being the favorite going into the fight in the eyes of many, this fight also had the subplot of it being the Lightweight debut for Gervonta Davis.

When two boxer/punchers meet, it is always interesting to see who will take the initiative to be the aggressor. While Davis is also known for his punching power, he showed in this fight that he is a tactical boxer, consistently beating Gamboa to the punch and being strategic in his attack. This included dropping Gamboa with a short left hook in the second round.

It was after the second round that an element emerged that became a central focus of this fight as Yuriorkis Gamboa appeared to be dealing with both an injury to his right leg as well as a problem with his right shoe. Although it is rare to see a fighter encounter a problem with their footwear during a fight, it is something that can happen, much like an issue with a fighter’s gloves and mouthpiece. The injury however, was something more serious as it was revealed after the fight that Gamboa had suffered a ruptured Achilles in his right leg. 

Even though it is speculation on the part of this observer as to whether the injury came as a result of the problem he had with his shoe, and possibly contributed by the knockdown in the second round, what is not speculation is the courage Gamboa would show in fighting on, despite the injury. As the fight progressed, Davis continued to land flush hooks and uppercuts on Gamboa. Despite the injury and sustaining significant punishment, Gamboa continued to come forward and even had periods of effectiveness with his own offense over the second half of the fight.

Although Gamboa remained very “Game”, he suffered a second knockdown in the eighth round and would ultimately be stopped in the twelfth and final round after being knocked down for the third time. The win for Davis earned him interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Lightweight ratings, which puts him in line to face current WBC/WBA/WBO world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Although some might be critical of Davis, who has a career knockout percentage of nearly 96% for having some difficulty in getting Gamboa out of there, particularly due to what was later revealed to be a severe injury, at the end of the day all a fighter can do is attempt to accomplish the goal of getting a victory and in scoring three knockdowns in the process of accomplishing that goal, there is not much more Davis could have done and now as a Lightweight has created some interesting possibilities for himself going forward.

One can only hope that as the page now turns to 2020 that the sport of Boxing will be able to continue the increased momentum that was established in 2019. This observer looks forward to sharing his “Boxing Wishlist For 2020” on Friday, January 10^th.

“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

RUIZ VS. JOSHUA II TOPS LIST OF MOST-STREAMED EVENTS ON DAZN IN 2019

Press Release: By DAZN – LONDON, 7 Jan. 2020 – In a year that saw boxing’s continued global resurgence, the highly anticipated rematch between heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. was the most-streamed event on DAZN in 2019.

The Top 10 includes major soccer events, two bouts featuring consensus 2019 Fighter of the Year Canelo Alvarez and the professional boxing debut of YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. In total, more than 100 events (107) each surpassed one million streams during the year.

Top 10 Most-Streamed Events on DAZN in 2019

1.    Ruiz vs. Joshua II (Dec. 7)

2.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham vs. Liverpool (June 1)

3.    UEFA Champions League: Liverpool vs. Barcelona (May 7)

4.    Canelo vs. Kovalev (Nov. 2)

5.    KSI vs. Logan Paul II (Nov. 9)

6.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham vs. Bayern Munich (Oct. 1)

7.    Serie A: Milan v Internazionale (Sept. 21)

8.    UEFA Champions League: Ajax vs. Tottenham (May 8)

9.    UEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs. Liverpool (May 1)

10. Canelo vs. Jacobs (May 4)

As more sports shift from linear to OTT distribution, DAZN saw record consumption in 2019 with more than a half billion hours streamed (507 million), an increase of 98 percent from the 256 million hours streamed in 2018. Other highlights include:

Consumption by Device

1.    Mobile: 26 percent

2.    Set-top Box/Streaming Stick: 23 percent

3.    Smart TV: 21 percent

4.    Desktop: 17 percent

5.    Game Console: 13 percent

Consumption by Sport

1.    Soccer: 314.6 million hours

2.    Baseball: 38.1 million hours

3.    Motorsport: 37.9 million hours

4.    American Football: 37.2 million hours

5.    Boxing: 22.6 million hours

DAZN is the largest, fastest growing global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN is now live in nine countries across four continents, including Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

Material Courtesy of DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

Schedule Update To Begin 2020

We would like to let our readers know that we will officially begin our 2020 schedule on Wednesday, January 8th with the first of two features to begin the year with a look back at some of the events that closed out 2019 in the sport of Boxing. This will be followed on Friday, January 10th with Beau Denison’s annual “Boxing Wishlist” where he will discuss some of the things he would like to see in the sport in 2020. 

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 2020 and beyond. We look forward to another 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

Red Hot Chilean Ramón Mascareña Jnr inks with Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: January 2, 2020 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Tony Tolj and Dragon Fire boxing have announced they have signed 26-year-old Chilean Chilean standout Ramón Mascareña Jnr . 

Credit: Maverick Martinez

Boasting an impressive amateur record of: 60 fights, 45 wins having been part of Chile's national setup as an amateur between the years of 2013 - 2016. The Jnr Welterweight won several national amateur titles in Chile, alongside multinational tournaments in Chile itself and Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba and the Dominican Republic

The Chilean then made the leap to the professional ranks, having a amassed a solid record of 11 wins -1 Loss, 6 coming via Knock out.  Picking up the National Lightweight and Jnr Welterweight Title in his short time as a pro. His sole defeated was a late call up in Mexico against super experienced Mexican Standout Bryan Roberto Flores Favela 28 wins 2 loss. 

Mascareña Jnr's  last outing was December 21st in Lo Barnechea, Chile against Argentine Gustavo Armando Pereyra. The bout ended by brutal knock out 1 minute 50 seconds into the opening round in what has been awarded Chiles Knock out of the year.

The Chilean opened up about signing Boxing and Tony Tolj.

"For my career it is an important step to sign with DRAGON FIRE BOXING I am grateful to have a World Class team that always aspires me & continues to deliver great achievements with all their fighters. Im very fortunate that I can join such a fine stable of fighters. I have big team behind me and with "The Maverick of Chile" Nico Martinez's Libra Libra Gym, the sky is the limit. I have already seen the difference that has made to my stablemate WBA Flyweight Fedebol Champion Crocodile Campos. With Tony Tolj behind me, I have no doubt I will reach the top of the World and be the first world champion from CHILE"

Mascareña Jnr continued, My record now is 11-1-0, soon I will fight for regional title in Chile against international rated opponents. I want to start an international career and well represent my country too. I am very excited to be part of Dragon Fire Boxing, WBA World Super Flyweight Champion Andrew Moloney, World Rated Jason Moloney, Bruno Tarimo, Billel Dib, Reagan Dessaix as well as Jackson England, Steve Gago, Liam Callanan, Francis Chua, Kazeem Soyoye to name as few.

The Libra Libra Team with Tony Tolj is getting ready to take on the world in 2020

The Australian based boxing mainstay Tony Tolj gave his take on his latest acquisition, "We are very excited to work with Ramon. I believe he will go right to the top in this industry soon and it was the right move for all parties concerned. We work with fighters all over the world and this will benefit Ramon. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Chile and they are some of the nicest, most humble people on this planet. It is an honor to represent Mascareña Jnr and Chilean National Hero Andres Campos.

With "The Chilean Crocodile" Andres  Campos together at Chile's World renowned Gym Libra Libra, I believe this will usher in a New Era and a Golden age of Chilean Boxing. "

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of: Maverick Martinez Used with permission. 

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

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

Happy 2020

We would like to wish our readers a very happy and safe New Year. We would also like to remind readers that an announcement regarding when we will officially begin our 2020 schedule will be released here on the website on Monday, January 6th. 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 

Brooklyn based Liverpool Super Bantamweight Chris Glover ties in with Vegas Grand Boxing ahead of 2020

Press Release: December 29, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Liverpool Super Bantamweight Chris Glover has had an interesting rise to the professional ranks to say the very least. After a limited amateur career in between playing then coaching football, the now Brooklyn-based upstart turned professional in mid-2019, winning his professional debut by knockout in the opening stanza of the scheduled four-round contest.  

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Glover, who is guided by world-famous trainer Andre Rozier opened up about his inception into the professional ranks under the eye of Brooklyn native Rozier. "I've known Richard Commey for years and I've helped with media work over the years as that's my trade away from boxing. So when I moved back to New York Richard took me to the gym and introduced me to Andre and my life changed from there. I owe Andre, Richard and Terrence Simpson everything. They've made me such a better person and kept me on the right track in life.

"I didn't do much as an amateur, I played football (soccer) for years and had amateur fights around that. I never really took boxing too seriously until I met Mark Kinney in Liverpool and then Andre and Team Havoc took that to the next level. I met Ryan Rickey through Richard Commey and we worked out how to get me active so with his help, he took me to North Carolina to box on the Vegas Grand Boxing events and it just spiraled from there really. Ryan along with Andre of course, Mike Leanardi, Daniel Gonzalez and Tony Tolj have really helped guide me the right way and that culminated with a first-round win on my pro debut, something a lot of people never believed I would achieve. 

"I've got to really thank Paulie Malignaggi too who's always there to give me advice and he really helped me settle in when I moved to New York a few years back, and I really appreciate everything Paulie's done for me."

Glover, who is trained and advised by Team Havoc alongside Rickey, Leanardi, and Tolj is based out of Andre Rozier's legendary Havoc Camp in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The 122 pounder described life inside a Sadam Ali's gym which has been labeled 'The Kronk of the East'.

Glover said, "Working with Andre, Terrence, Lenny, and all of the boys made me a fighter. It's like nowhere else I've ever been and I'll never go anywhere like it. Working closely with Richard Commey, Duke Micah, Richardson Hitchins, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Sadam Ali, Mickey Bey, Joe Williams, Chris Algieri, Alex Vargas, Ivan Golub, Edgar Berlenga, Pablo Valdez, the list goes on and on. These men gave me an education in professional boxing and it's made me a better human being as well as massively improved inside the ring.

"Andre has given me the reigns to grow in all forms of my career in and out of the ring. We have Havoc Management now and Havoc Media which I work in every day, working with fighters, promoters, managers, sanctioning bodies the world over on a daily basis in a place I now consider home, Brooklyn, New York. I miss home, I miss going to watch Everton every week with the lads but I have to make these sacrifices to be the best I can be in life. I'm glad I have such great people around me who make these sacrifices worth making."

The undefeated super bantamweight heads into a scheduled 5 fights in 2020 all under the Vegas Grand Boxing Promotions banner. 'Bomber' Glover elaborated on his plans for 2020. He said, "Well I've got to continue to improve. I won't stop at doing this until I become the best I can be. That's my goal, to be honest, I'm taking one fight at a time. I train hard and I just want to keep improving.

"I'm made up to be working with Vegas Grand Boxing. The setup they have is a proven 'proving-ground' for fighters all over America and the world to be honest to develop their skills, learn their craft and progress through the ranks. That's what I want to do with my career, but I know I need to improve and Vegas Grand Boxing is the best place to do that I believe.

"The team at Vegas Grand Boxing was instrumental with Sergey Kovalev's first half a dozen fights in America. They've showcased top quality prospects like Michael Williams Jr who's with Roy Jones Jr now and Dylan Price who's now promoted by Mayweather Promotions amongst others who are well known within East Coast boxing circles. So to try to follow in the footsteps of those class acts is what I want to do and I have to thank LaVonda Earley for giving me the opportunity to box on the Vegas Grand Boxing events.

"2020 is just all about progression for me in the ring and out. I've had a wonderful year in and out of the ring and been a part of some massive events and I'm really grateful to have the opportunities I've had on all fronts. Being around the likes of Eddie Hearn's team, Top Rank and Lou DiBella and being part of events like GGG vs Derevyanchenko, Crawford vs Mean Machine, Beterbiev vs Gvzodyk and just being able to soak up all the information that is put out there is fantastic for my career development in and out the ring and I'm indebted to Andre for getting me these opportunities. 

Glover continued, as he discussed the reasons he chose to get into a professional ring despite having a comfortable living outside of prizefighting, "I pushed myself to box in order to follow the path that my late friend Brad Welsh wanted me to go down. I've said on numerous occasions, everything I do positively in life I do it in his memory. I miss him so much and I am doing my best to make him proud.

"Boxing has given me a great life so I have to give back to the sport in the ring as well as out. It's given me Brooklyn and I love this place so much. I have to fulfill my potential and make the people proud back home who support me proud. Whether that support comes from everyone at the Everton match and the friends of Bradley's I still speak to every day along with my family, I have to work hard and be the best I can be to justify them even taking time out to wish me all the best. Having any form of support means the world to me and I just don't want to let people that care about me down."

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

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

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

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 for the Christmas and New Years holidays. While Boxing news related content will continue to be released here on the website during the holidays as is the norm, an official announcement regarding when we will begin our 2020 schedule will be released on Monday, January 6th. 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

The Jacobs-Chavez Controversy

The fight between former Middleweight world champions Daniel Jacobs and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr was surrounded by “Controversy.” “Controversy” or “Controversial” are two words that are all too often used when it comes to the sport of Boxing and by extension all combat sports, but in regard to this fight the use of said words are appropriate. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is a fighter who has had a respectable career in following in the footsteps of his legendary father Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. It has been a career however, that has seen plenty of “Controversy.”

Chavez Jr.’s career has been chronicled by many, including this observer in both online and print publications since he began his career in 2003, so there is no need to revisit his entire career in long-form. Chavez' accomplishments however, have been overshadowed by inconsistency, lack of commitment to the sport of Boxing, and controversies both in and out of the ring.

At times, Chavez, while not a comparison to his father, who will forever be one of the all-time greats the sport has ever seen, had looked as though he could have approached a status as being regarded as one of the best fighters in the world. For those flashes of potential greatness Chavez Jr. had however, there were more setbacks and questions about his commitment to Boxing. As many Boxing fans know, Chavez has had issues making weight for fights as well as has dealt with drug test violations throughout his career.

Perhaps not so ironically, these issues that have surrounded his career along with the questions of his dedication followed him into this fight with Daniel Jacobs. In the weeks leading up to the fight Chavez was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for failing to comply with a randomized drug test conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), which created concern over if the bout would take place. 

There were also suggestions made by the NSAC that if the fight were to take place as scheduled that promoter Eddie Hearn may have faced legal problems as a result as was reported by several media outlets including Yahoo, with the suggestion that Hearn may have been banned from promoting bouts in Nevada due to the issue of Chavez declining to submit to testing. For his part, Chavez claimed that the reason he declined testing was because he had not formally signed to fight Jacobs at the time and was not enrolled in VADA’s program at the time.

All of this resulted in the bout being moved to Phoenix, AZ as well as a legal proceeding the week of the fight as reported by ESPN’s Dan Rafael, where a Nevada judge granted Chavez a temporary restraining order  clearing the way for the fight to take place. Unfortunately, this would not be the only issue for Chavez prior to the fight as he failed to make the 168lb. Super-Middleweight limit and weighed in at 172 3/4lbs. As a result, Chavez forfeited a million dollars of his purse to Jacobs so the fight could go on.

On December 20^th, the Boxing world focused on the Talking Stick Resort Arena where a crowd of 10,000 were in attendance to see the fight. As the reader can probably tell by the writing of yours truly, much of the story of this fight centered around Chavez and whether the bout would even happen. The other story that surrounded this encounter was it was the first fight for Jacobs as a Super-Middleweight. Due to Chavez not making the weight limit however, Jacobs was now tasked with fighting an opponent that technically weighed in as a Light-Heavyweight and by fight time looked like a man that had rehydrated to potentially being classified as a 190lb. Cruiserweight.

Although this would give the impression that Chavez was not in fighting condition, he did look like a fighter who had trained well and it may be a case where he simply could not get down to the 168lb. Super-Middleweight limit. It was nevertheless immediately apparent the significant size difference between the two fighters and it did make this observer wonder how effective Jacobs’ punches would be under those circumstances.

What did appear to be in Jacobs’ favor was a hand speed advantage over Chavez. This fight was simple to describe. The bigger man Chavez stalking and attempting to walk and break down the man who was moving up in weight. Despite having the quicker hands of the two, Jacobs’ offense did not appear to have the same type of effectiveness as it did when he was competing as a 160lb. Middleweight. In fairness, he weighed in under the Super-Middleweight limit, but was tasked with facing an opponent who was likely two weight classes above him when they entered the ring, so it is difficult under the circumstances to say that he isn’t as effective now at a weight that is one weight class above where he has spent the bulk of his career. 

What was clear however, was Chavez landed the heavier punches of the two and had particular success in landing left hooks to Jacobs’ body and landing right hands to the head. It was also clear, despite the competitive fight that appeared to be shaping up, that the crowd support was in favor of Chavez. Through four rounds, I felt the fight was even. After five rounds however,  Chavez, claiming he couldn’t breathe in his corner called for the fight to be stopped. Following the stoppage a  frankly an ugly scene emerged where the crowd in attendance chose to voice their dissatisfaction over the fight being stopped by throwing drinks and other debris at the ring and at Chavez.

First, my thoughts on the stoppage was I wondered what the injury or injuries were to Chavez that led to him not continuing. It was later confirmed by Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.in a statement released on social media that his son had suffered a broken nose that would require surgery. Although I did not initially notice evidence of a fracture when I saw the fight, such as significant blood coming from Chavez’ nose or a break that was clearly visible to the eye of an observer like yours truly, Chavez Jr. claimed in an interview shortly after the fight on digital sports streaming network DAZN’s official YouTube channel that he had been swallowing blood and indicated that the injury occurred as a result of elbows and head butts from Jacobs.

It is important to note that there were at least three times by this observer’s count between rounds four and five where Chavez did complain to Referee Wes Melton that he had been elbowed. While I did not see anything that would indicate a deliberate head butt, there were two or three instances when the fighters were in close where Jacobs appeared to push off Chavez, perhaps in an attempt to make room to punch and there was one warning by Melton that appeared to be to both fighters in round five to watch their elbows.

As far as the injury to Chavez, while I did not see evidence of a broken nose, it did bring back memories of a fight I covered years ago that ended under similar circumstances. I am referring to the 2013 bout between Mikey Garcia and Orlando Salido. A fight where Garcia suffered a broken nose in the eighth round that in some ways is similar to the apparent fracture that Chavez suffered in this fight. While Garcia’s injury came as a result of an accidental clash of heads and he would win the WBO Featherweight world championship via technical decision after he could not continue, Chavez would not see a similar outcome as Jacobs was declared the winner via technical knockout.

 What are this observer’s feelings on the aftermath of this fight?  Over the years, I have earned a reputation in the view of some for being hard on Boxing fans. While it is true that there are times where for lack of a better term I have agreed to disagree with the viewpoints of some fans either for what appears to be blatant biases and/or suggesting to me that I publicly call out fights that were “Fixed “ in their opinions, I do have respect for the Boxing fan. After all, I was one myself before I began covering the sport and other combat sports in the mid-1990’s.

Although I have pointed out the flaws in the arguments of some fans when appropriate to do so based on facts as any journalist/writer/commentator/columnist would do and love discussing and exchanging opinions on Boxing and combat sports as a whole with anyone I have the pleasure to correspond with, I have refused to partake in those suggestions of calling a fight “Fixed” because such accusations do not have any evidence that could be viewed as legitimate in a journalistic sense or legally and based on that, I, as a journalist/writer and historian will not risk my reputation either with my readers and/or as a member of the Boxing media by giving into such suggestions, especially when one considers that in the times we live in such accusations from fans are all too frequent. 

Now that I have made my position clear, I hope no one will misunderstand my thoughts on the ugly scene that occurred after this fight was stopped. Unfortunately, it was not the first time that I have seen something like this happen and not the first fight of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s that I have covered where a scene like this occurred.

Some may recall Chavez’ first fight with Matt Vanda in July 2008 in Hermosillo, Mexico. A fight that many, including this observer felt Vanda had won convincingly, was awarded to Chavez via split decision. Despite Chavez being the fan favorite, the crowd in attendance responded in a manner similar to how those in attendance at the Jacobs-Chavez bout responded by throwing drinks and other debris at the ring and anyone else unlucky enough to be in their path.

Although there have been other similar instances over the years, I always find myself thinking back to an encounter that took place in October 1989 when yours truly as a youngster watched as many other fans did at the events that took place. I am referring to the second of three encounters between Tony Lopez and John John Molina. An event that longtime readers have seen me mention whenever circumstances like this have emerged in my work covering the sport.

The short version of the event was before a enthusiastic hometown crowd in his native Sacramento, CA, Lopez was dominated over ten rounds. After sustaining a beating at the hands of Molina and being badly cut, the fight was stopped by Referee James Jen-Kin to prevent Lopez from further punishment. If losing his IBF Jr. Lightweight world championship and suffering significant punishment weren’t bad enough, Lopez, as everyone in and around the ring including the referee had to run for cover as the crowd seemingly threw anything they could get their hands on. 

The incident, which remains one of the most ugly things I have ever seen as I have often said when discussing it was summed up by the late great Dr. Ferdie Pacheco, who was commenting on the broadcast of the fight for NBC Sports when he said that what had taken place was a disgusting commentary on on how far misplaced enthusiasm can go in sports.

It would be hard not to envision Pacheco, who passed away in November 2017 being disgusted by what occurred after Jacobs-Chavez. This observer certainly was. Although it is true in a free society that fans are free to express themselves, my question is where is the line?

The line between free expression where those who spend money to attend events whether they be sporting events, concerts, or another public gathering can express their opinions, displeasure and/or outright anger in a non-violent way, and going overboard where said fans take their passion, anger, or as Dr. Pacheco so eloquently called it thirty years ago, “Misplaced Enthusiasm” too far?

What are the repercussions when things go too far? Unfortunately, this observer cannot answer these questions because I frankly wonder what can be done when that line is crossed. In this instance, what is sad is that while the sport of Boxing has made significant progress in embracing new technology mediums that should open the sport to new eyes, it remains a challenge for promoters and networks to attempt to grow the sport further by choosing to expand its reach by staging cards in locations that are not traditional destinations for Boxing like Jacobs-Chavez did for the city of Phoenix, AZ. 

The sad reality is as long as incidents like this are allowed to take place, it will likely cause hesitation and/or reluctance by cities and regulators worldwide that would otherwise be open to staging Boxing and other sporting events in their regions for the economic growth opportunities that it could bring to their area. While yours truly hopes it won’t be years before another major Boxing event takes place in Phoenix, because the actions of a segment of ticket buyers, what is more sad is someone who may have been in attendance in the arena or may have been watching the Jacobs-Chavez card on DAZN somewhere around the world may have been watching Boxing for the first time. It would truly be unfortunate if the visual of the actions of some who did not appear to know where the line was crossed were to cause new would be fans to be turned off and unwilling to support the sport. Unfortunately, that is probably where “Misplaced Enthusiasm” will have it’s ultimate consequences. 

“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