DAZN EXPANDING TO MORE THAN 200 COUNTRIES & TERRITORIES

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK and LONDON, (March 2, 2020) – DAZN, the leading global sports streaming service, will dramatically increase its presence in 2020, expanding to more than 200 countries and territories. 

The first global event on DAZN will be Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez’s soon-to-be-announced fight during Cinco de Mayo Weekend, which will take place on Saturday, May 2.

This first phase of DAZN’s global expansion will be an English-language service focused on boxing, building on the company’s significant investment in the sport over the past two years. DAZN holds international rights to many of the world’s top promotional companies including Golden Boy Promotions, Matchroom Boxing USA and GGG Promotions. Fighters such as Alvarez and Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin will be part of a robust year-round portfolio of premium fights and original programming on the new service.

“Beginning this spring, most of the world will have access to DAZN and its unmatched schedule of boxing events,” said DAZN Group Executive Chairman John Skipper. “Our roster of championship fighters represents some of the world’s most popular athletes and we’ll be working with them to stage spectacular international events for years to come.”

“Since our launch in 2016, we’ve seen an encouraging level of interest around our key events from both international fans and potential partners, which highlighted the opportunity to capitalize on our existing rights portfolio within boxing to fuel our expansion,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski, who will oversee the global service. “Establishing DAZN as the global home of fight sports is just the first step and we couldn’t think of a better attraction for our inaugural event than Canelo’s traditional Cinco de Mayo Weekend fight.”

In addition to live sporting events, DAZN offers an ever-growing archive of classic fights, athlete features and a slate of original programming featuring 40 DAYS, The Making Of and ONE NIGHT.

To date, DAZN has debuted services in nine countries – Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United States – across four continents. 

The DAZN app will be available globally on most internet-connected devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs, and living room devices such as smart TVs, streaming sticks and game consoles. 

Pricing by market will be announced in the coming weeks.

For fans outside of DAZN’s existing markets that are interested in gaining early access to the service via the DAZN beta community, registration is open at DAZN.com. Official invites will be sent out later this month.

About DAZN Group 

DAZN Group is one of the fastest growing sports media companies in the world. Headquartered in the UK and with 2,800 employees in over 25 countries, our businesses touch every aspect of the way fans engage with sports; from production, through to content distribution and commercialisation. DAZN Group is home to DAZN, the leading global sport streaming service, as well as some of the most popular sport portals, including DAZN News, Goal, Sporting News, and Spox.com. DAZN is leading the charge to give sports fans around the world access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees affordable access on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles. DAZN is live in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. In 2020, DAZN will dramatically increase its presence, expanding to more than 200 countries and territories. Visit https://media.dazn.com for more information.

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.

Mikey Garcia Answers Questions With Convincing Win Over Jessie Vargas

In March 2019 an event took place in AT&T stadium in Dallas, TX that fit the criteria of what most would refer to as a “Super-Fight” in the sport of Boxing. The encounter between undefeated world champions Errol Spence and Mikey Garcia. Garcia, a multi-division world champion ranging from 126lb. Featherweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division, chose to challenge himself by moving up to the 147lb. Welterweight division to challenge Spence for his IBF world championship. A decision that many ranging from fans, to those who cover the sport, to those within his own camp questioned the wisdom of.

As most Boxing fans know, Garcia was able to hold his own in putting forth a spirited effort against a fighter in Spence that was simply too much for him to overcome on that March evening. Garcia would lose a twelve round unanimous decision to Spence and his undefeated record.

Although Garcia lost the fight, he was not disgraced in the ring and was very “Game” and classy in defeat. It was logical to question however, whether Garcia had reached his ceiling in terms of moving up in weight. Was the move to 147lbs. one step too far up the weight scale?

There have after all been many great fighters throughout the history of the sport who have been able to move up through multiple weight classes and win world championships along the way. With few exceptions however, are fighters able to consistently move up in weight and be able to maintain all of their attributes along the way. For some who are noted for having punching power at lower weights, the punches may not be as effective at a heavier weigh, while others may not have the same hand speed or lateral movement as compared to when they were competing at lower weights. One must also factor into the equation that while some fighters deprive themselves from competing at a more naturally comfortable weight either based on how effective they are at a lower weight or for the financial incentives that may be available by competing in a lower weight class, in most cases as a fighter moves up in weight they tend to face opposition tgat is naturally bigger and theoretically stronger.

Of course, there are other things that factor into the equation beyond mere size and strength that plays a significant role in what happens when two fighters get into the ring to do battle such as a fighter's tactical approach and Boxing style. Even though opinion was at best mixed concerning whether Garcia should remain at Welterweight, the former four-division world champion would choose to give it another chance as he would face former WBO Welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas in February 29^th at the Ford Center in Frisco, TX.

Beyond this being an encounter between two former world champions who were each looking to gain further standing in the division towards potentially another opportunity at a world championship, what was of interest to this observer in this fight to see what approach Garcia would implement this time around and whether nearly one year of inactivity would be beneficial or detrimental to him.

In Jessie Vargas, Garcia faced a naturally bigger opponent who had held his own against the best that the Welterweight division has to offer during his career. It was also of interest to me to see if Vargas would try to impose his will on Garcia from the outset. Although Garcia was able to make a good account of himself against Errol Spence, as the fight progressed, Spence's naturally bigger size, power, and overall skill set became the difference. This fight against Jessie Vargas would serve as an indication as to whether the loss to Spence was a case od a great fighter having a bad night at the office against another great fighter or if Garcia had reached too far past his weight ceiling.

Jessie Vargas is a world-class fighter and was fully capable od asking the questions of Garcia that needed to be answered. For the first four rounds, this bout had all the appearance of a tactical chess match with both fighters having periods of effectiveness in rounds that were frankly difficult to score. It would be in round five that the ebb and flow of the fight would shift.

A right hand to the head buckled the legs of Vargas late in the round, this world be followed by a second right hand that would send the former Welterweight world champion down to the canvas. This clearly answered the question of whether Mikey Garcia had the punching power to hurt Welterweights. Vargas was able to get up from the knockdown, but it was from this point in the fight that Garcia was clearly in control of the momentum. 

It appeared for a period of time that the combination of Garcia’s hand speed and power might have been too much for Vargas as there were periods over the second half of the twelve round bout where it appeared that Garcia was on the verge of stopping Vargas. To his credit, the always “Game “ Vargas was able to weather the storm and even appeared to get the better of the action in some of the latter rounds of the fight. The combination of the knockdown as well as Garcia’s overall effectiveness throughout the fight proved to be the deciding factor as all three judges scored the fight in his favor giving him a convincing twelve round unanimous decision and his first win as a Welterweight.

Although it is too soon to say Mikey Garcia should be regarded as the top fighter in the Welterweight division, a convincing victory and overall solid performance over a former world champion and top contender in Jessie Vargas certainly puts him in the discussion of potential world title challengers. From a business standpoint, Garcia also figures to be in a good position. 

Garcia, who has spent the last several years of his career competing under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner, chose to sign with Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn for his fight against Jessie Vargas making it the first time he has competed on digital sports subscription streaming network DAZN, where Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promotional branches have a lucrative long-term broadcast agreement. Although the agreement between Hearn and Garcia was believed to be a short-term deal, one could assume that DAZN will be making an offer to Garcia to keep him on their network going forward.

What makes this interesting and potentially more lucrative for Garcia and all concerned is the ramblings that have begun to surface that were even acknowledged on DAZN’s broadcast of the Garcia-Vargas fight that there is a possibility that Manny Pacquiao, who has competed recently under the PBC banner could be a free agent promotionally. In terms of what this could mean for Mikey Garcia is Pacquiao is the current Welterweight world champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and even in what some might consider to be the twilight of his career, his current standing as well as legendary status in the sport is such where he is in demand and will likely go to the highest bidder in terms of both promotional and broadcast rights.

Since it’s inception in the United States along with the decision of HBO to exit Boxing after forty-five years in 2018, DAZN has proven to be a worthy successor to the network once known as “The Network Of Champions” in terms of their presentation of Boxing and overall value of content. This along with a solid and expanding global subscriber-base would appear to make DAZN an ideal candidate to make an offer to Manny Pacquiao, who’s global appeal is not limited to Boxing or the United States. As the network looks to continue to expand into different markets around the world, a fighter of Pacquiao’s stature competing on and helping to market their platform global would appear to be an ideal fit.

While the possibility of Pacquiao competing on DAZN in the near future is speculation at this point in time, the network has also shown the ability and willingness to put on the best fights possible for their subscribers while also proving that they do not need a traditional network platform like those of traditional cable networks or pay-per-view to be successful. Pacquiao’s status in the sport along with what would likely be a lucrative payday for Garcia has to be appealing and may indeed be a better option than continuing to face other contenders in the hope of securing another opportunity at a Welterweight world championship if a possible fight with Pacquiao is on the table for him under the DAZN banner.

For the moment, Garcia has succeeded in making an argument for himself that perhaps his outing against Errol Spence was simply a bad night at the office for a great fighter. The question now becomes who will Garcia’s next test comes against as he looks to continue navigating the waters of the crowded and talent-deep Welterweight division.

“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

Garcia-Vargas Weights

Press Release By DAZN – FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 28, 2020 – Ahead of the huge welterweight event headlined by four-division world champion Mikey Garcia against two-division world champion Jessie Vargas, the fighters hit the scales for the official weigh-in before entering the ring on Saturday night – live on DAZN.  

Credit: Amanda Westcott / DAZN 

The stacked Matchroom Boxing USA card will kick off with Joseph Parker battling Shawndell Winters in a heavyweight bout, Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar will make his first defense of the WBC World Flyweight title against the undefeated Jay Harris, and in the chief support bout undefeated Khalid Yafai will look to defend his WBA World Super Flyweight title against former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

DAZN coverage will kick off at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT, with the main card beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT.

12-Round Welterweight Bout @ 147 lbs.

Mikey Garcia: 145.8 lbs.

Jessie Vargas: 147 lbs.

12-Round WBA Super Flyweight Title Bout @ 115 lbs.

Khalid Yafai: 114.8 lbs.

Roman Gonzalez: 114.6 lbs

12-Round WBA World Flyweight Title Bout @ 112 lbs.

Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar: 111.4 lbs.

Jay Harris: 111.6 lbs

10-Round Heavyweight Bout

Joseph Parker: 245.4 lbs.

Shawndell Winters: 208 lbs.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The service features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, and the World Boxing Super Series, all for one affordable price, on any device – including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/ Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/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. 

Wilder-Fury II Post-Thoughts

When the subject of a rematch is discussed throughout all of sports, there is usually one central question. Whether a rematch takes place between two individuals in an individual sport or two teams in a team sport, the question is usually what adjustments can be made and how will the rematch differ from the original encounter. In Boxing, this question is asked frequently. The rematch between undefeated WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder and undefeated former Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury was no exception.

A rematch of a somewhat controversial encounter in December 2018 where the champion was able to score two knockdowns late in the fight to retain his crown via a split decision draw seemed to warrant a rematch on its own. When one factors into the equation that the second knockdown of Tyson Fury in the twelfth round of that fight also had an element of controversy in that following getting to his feet after a knockdown that would have ended the night for most fighters, Fury was able in the eyes of some to benefit from extra seconds as Referee Jack Reiss evaluated his condition before allowing him to continue and subsequently finish the fight. This for some created the argument that the judgment call of Reiss had denied Wilder an opportunity to finish a hurt Fury off in a fight that he was trailing on two official scorecards, only added fuel to the fire for a rematch.

Although in most cases the verbiage leading up to a rematch between two fighters where both tend to make boastful claims regarding what they will do in the rematch can be regarded as simply providing promotional hype as well as good sound bytes for assembled media, Tyson Fury was direct in saying that he intended to forgo his normal elusive and awkward Boxing style in favor of implementing a more straightforward physical approach in the rematch. Despite the view of this observer in saying that it would likely be a mistake for Fury in previewing this fight, it was nevertheless an element of interest as the second encounter approached.

On February 22^nd a sold out crowd packed the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV to see the highly anticipated second encounter between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury. It did not take long to see that Fury was indeed serious in his claims that he would be more aggressive and physical as compared to the first fight as he immediately pressed forward and looked to apply pressure on Wilder. This created something we had not seen in Deontay Wilder’s career up to this point. Although Wilder had scored knockouts in forty-one of his forty-two career wins prior to this fight, he had never been forced to fight moving backward and was used to being the fighter who came forward and looked to walk his opponents down. 

For a period of time, this rematch was fought at a tactical pace, but it was clear that Fury intended to use his bigger size and 273lb. weight to his advantage. Despite the tactical pace of the combat, both fighters had success early on. For Wilder, he was able to land several right hands during the first two rounds and to Fury’s credit, he was able to absorb the punches the champion was able to land and return with offense of his own. What impressed me about Fury was how well he was able to establish that it would be him that would dictate how this fight would be fought.

Despite his 6’9 imposing frame, Fury is not known as a fighter that carries significant punching power. When you have the gift of height and being able to compete at a world class level at a heavier weight than most Heavyweights however, those physical advantages can appear to your benefit and produce punching power. As this rematch progressed, this is exactly what Tyson Fury was able to use to his advantage. In round three, Fury began to connect more frequently with his right hand and it was a right hand to the head that sent Deontay Wilder down. Fury, who suffered knockdowns in the ninth and twelfth rounds of the first fight, had answered the question of whether he had the power to be able to knock Wilder off his feet.

Wilder appeared clearly hurt following this knockdown, but what became more of a concern to this observer was an obvious problem with Wilder’s equilibrium in that even though he was able to get up from the knockdown, he had difficulty maintaining his balance from this point on. This was confirmed when following the third round,Wilder was bleeding from his left ear. Although yours truly is not a medical doctor, normally when a fighter is bleeding from inside the ear and it did not come as a result of a foul such as biting, it is a sign of either a ruptured ear drum or a broken one and can explain equilibrium problems. 

Having seen injuries occur like this in the past, most notably the January 2003 encounter between Kostya Tszyu and Jesse James Leija, where Leija suffered an injury to his right eardrum, a fight this observer covered, upon seeing Wilder bleeding from the ear, I felt the fight should have been stopped immediately. I also noticed Wilder bleeding from the mouth and was concerned of the likelihood of him swallowing blood as the fight progressed, which is also dangerous and potentially life threatening. The opinion of this observer not withstanding, the fight continued. Wilder however, was clearly compromised and it became a one-sided fight in favor of Fury as Wilder’s inability to regain his balance along with his decreasing offensive output became the story of the fight.

Wilder would be knocked down for a second time in round five from what appeared to be a body shot from Fury. Readers should keep in mind my previous statement that I felt the fight should have been stopped after round three. Following the second knockdown, I felt that Referee Kenny Bayless having seen the champion’s condition would stop the fight, but he gave Wilder the benefit of the doubt as most world champions are given under similar circumstances. Even though I disagreed with Bayless to allow the fight to continue after the second knockdown, I also wondered how long Wilder’s corner would allow their fighter to take punishment as it became more and more clear that he was compromised.

It is important for me to also state for the reader that I am in no way questioning Wilder’s heart and desire to defend his world championship. There comes a time however, where a fighter needs to be protected from their natural instincts. For Wilder, that time came in round seven. Wilder’s co-trainer Mark Breland threw the towel in to prevent his fighter from further punishment making Tyson Fury officially a two-time World Heavyweight champion.

Breland, a former two-time Welterweight world champion as a professional and one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the United States as an amateur, was heavily criticized by some including from within the Wilder camp for stopping the fight. Although it is understandable both due to the natural instinct of a fighter to want to go out on their shield as Wilder himself has said in the days that have followed the rematch, there comes a point where common sense has to enter into the equation.

In the days that have followed this fight, this observer has also faced some criticism for my opinion that the fight should have been stopped after round three. I was even told by a few folks that the reason why the fight needed to continue was due to the fact that the bout was broadcast on pay-per-view with the absurd price tag of $79.95 on most cable/satellite providers as well as through the Fox Sports and ESPN streaming apps. While this was the point of view of a few people ranging from the casual fan, to the Boxing enthusiast, to some within the sport, I disagree…

The subject of pay-per-view and it’s inflated pricing model is one that longtime readers are used to seeing yours truly criticize and point out the flaws thereof in an evolving and changing technological landscape on a regular basis here on The Boxing Truth®️ as well as elsewhere and I will continue to do so as long as such a model that increasingly is overpriced, undervalued, and holds no real benefit to the fans/consumers that support the sport, continues to exist in its current form. It is irresponsible and dangerous to use such a model as an excuse/justification as to why a fight should continue when it is clear one fighter’s long-term health may be at risk.

It is true that Boxing is a combat sport and by the very nature of the word “Combat “ there is a risk attached to it. Although 2019 was by most standards a successful year for the sport and its growth, Boxing also suffered several tragedies throughout the year resulting in deaths due injuries that occurred during bouts inside the ring. Normally when such circumstances occur, the critics of the sport and there are many come out in full force to call for reforms and/or an outright ban of the sport.

When this occurs, there are some in the sport as well as fans who dismiss such criticism and calls as grandstanding as merely publicity stunts. One of the best ways and perhaps the best way to prevent those outcries and prevent the critics of Boxing and by extension all of combat sports from being given the ammunition to make such calls is for Boxing and other combat sports to adjust from within. Knowing when a fight should be stopped is the first step.

For his part, Wilder has downplayed the severity of the injury to his left ear as Wilder told Boxing Scene that he did not know how the cut occurred and that it was not the cause of the problems he had with his legs and balance throughout the fight. Wilder also has claimed that the issues were related to the costume he entered the ring with, which was said to weigh forty pounds.  While it is true that Boxing is a form of entertainment and theatrics have increasingly become part of the presentation for the sport’s major events as this rematch was, I am not an expert on the weights and/or material used for costumes that for the purposes of Boxing are unnecessary, and can only comment on what I see during a fight. With all due respect to Deontay Wilder, who was a great champion who defended his portion of the World Heavyweight championship successfully ten times over five years, champ I disagree. I will say however if there is indeed merit to that claim, the fighter as well as the fighter’s corner do have a right to say no to the use of elaborate unnecessary wear/costumes if they feel it will have a negative impact on the fighter’s performance inside the ring.

This observer will take nothing away from Deontay Wilder or any other fighter who has the courage to get inside the ring. No one can ever dispute the heart Wilder showed in this fight, but what yours truly finds troubling are statements Wilder has made in the past in eluding to wanting a body on his record, despite the tragedies the sport has suffered. An equally troubling statement was one the former WBC world champion made to Boxing Scene where he stated that he wanted to go out on his shield and saying death is better than a defeat.

Although anyone reading this column and those who know me personally should know I strongly disagree with such a statement given what the Boxing community has endured in recent times as well as throughout the sport’s history, Deontay Wilder has a true fighter’s mentality and it is not often where you will see a fighter, especially one as proud as Wilder acknowledge that a trainer was acting in their best interest in stopping a fight. In this case, I feel Deontay Wilder’s view is one of a proud champion who just lost his crown. With that in mind, I do not want to be overly harsh in what I say here, but as much as it is the responsibility of those within the sport to adjust from within to hopefully prevent tragedies from occurring, it is also the responsibility of the fighters who compete in the sport to represent the sport and show Boxing is just that a sport and not something that can be simply described as “Barbaric.” It is my hope that Wilder takes some time to reflect on things and realizes that such statements, which for better or worse are attention-grabbing, diminishes the fighter he is. I would also suggest reaching out to those effected by the recent tragedies that have impacted the sport and ask for their point of view on such statements. While this observer is viewing things from the outside, having experienced and suffered tragedies in my own life, I would be surprised if there is much support for such statements. In closing, Mark Breland made the right decision, but it was a decision that frankly yours truly would have made sooner.

“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

Prograis-Hooker Launch Presser Quotes

Press Release: By DAZN – FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 27, 2020 – Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN will present a huge night of boxing at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Friday, April 17, headlined by two former light welterweight world champions Regis Prograis against Maurice Hooker in a 143 lbs. catchweight showdown, live on DAZN. 

Credit: Amanda Westcott/ DAZN 

Both men come into the bout following starring roles in two of 2019’s “Fight of the Year” contenders. Prograis (24-1 20 KOs) traveled to London in October to take on Josh Taylor in a unification clash and the final of the World Boxing Super Series, with Scotsman Taylor edging out ‘Rougarou’ via Majority Decision in an all-out war. In July, Hooker (27-1-3 18 KOs) hosted José Ramírez in a unification bout in Dallas, and the pair served up a back-and-forth shootout that Ramirez won via stoppage in the sixth round of a breathless contest.

In the kick-off press conference, Prograis and Hooker talked about kicking off 2020 with a strong performance, and their eagerness to once again fight for a world title.

Eddie Hearn

“For me this seems like an obvious fight but never expected it to happen. Prograis coming off a tough loss to Josh Taylor, and Hooker coming off a recent win, and a defeat to Jose Ramirez. This is everything for boxing - guys that wants to get back to the top. These are two guys that know they can win. It’s so refreshing to make a fight like this. Here we have an opportunity for two guys to get straight to the top. This fight comes at the hottest time in the division, and both guys have eyes on the fight tomorrow – Mikey Garcia vs. Jessie Vargas.”

Regis Prograis

“I wanted to go straight back to fighting the best. People will look at a loss and write you off. I don’t want a tune-up fight. I want the toughest fights. I’m a former world champion, and I’ve been fighting world champions. I want to keep doing the same thing.

“I definitely think I’m going to win, I never think I’ll lose. I think it’s going to be great fight, I can’t wait. I don’t see how he wins if he got stopped by Ramirez - I hit harder. I’m the hardest puncher in the division.”

On coming back after Josh Taylor fight: “It’s everything for me. This is a make or break fight. I still feel I’m the best in the world, I don’t want tune-up fights, and no easy fights. This is a great fight, and if I win in dominant fashion then I’ll be right at the top.”

Maurice Hooker

“It’s a good fight. He’s a former world champion, as am I. I’m going to show the world I’m the best at 140. The fight with Ramirez, he hit me with a good shot. This fight you’ll see a different Hooker. This is the new style that my new team has been working on. Don’t mis this one. I’m going in to win.

“I’m going to do my thing, and stick to my game plan. I will come out on top and come out with the victory.

“We are both exciting fighters, and going to meet in each other in the middle of the ring. Fans want to see fights like this, the top guys fight each other.”

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The service features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, and the World Boxing Super Series, all for one affordable price, on any device – including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Material Courtesy of DAZN/Photo Courtesy of:Amanda Westcott /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.

Garcia-Vargas Final Presser

Press Release: By DAZN – FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 26, 2020 – In anticipation for the welterweight blockbuster event headlined by four-division world champion Mikey Garcia against two-division world champion Jessie Vargas, the fighters addressed the media in a press conference to discuss their preparation and predictions before entering the ring on Saturday night – live on DAZN. 

Credit:Amanda Westcott/DAZN 

The stacked Matchroom Boxing USA card will kick off with Joseph Parker battling Shawndell Winters in a heavyweight bout, Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar will make his first defense of the WBC World Flyweight title against the undefeated Jay Harris, and in the chief support bout undefeated Khalid Yafai will look to defend his WBA World Super Flyweight title against former pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

DAZN coverage will kick off at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT, with the main card beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT.

Eddie Hearn

“Pleasure to be here ahead of a monstrous night of boxing. We have one of the best nights of boxing we have ever put on from top and bottom. So many great fights, championship fights, and an incredible main event in Garcia vs. Vargas.

“The heavyweight division is so good and it’s great to have Joseph Parker back. He’s ranked number two in the WBO, has a tough opponent in Shawndell Winters, and I look forward to a massive 2020 to regain a world title. We have one of my favorite fighters in Martinez - he’s an animal. I think he can be a Mexican legend in the sport. The co-main event we have Khalid and Gonzalez - talk about great fighters. Gonzalez is a legend in the sport of boxing. I can’t believe I’ll get to see him live in person. If Roman can win another title it would be historic.

“The main event is breathtaking. As we get closer I could see this being an absolute war, a Mexican war. These two are a credit to the sport, and this is such an incredible fight. This is going to be a fantastic night, and a great night of boxing.”

Mikey Garcia

“This is my first time working together with DAZN and it’s been great. This is a tremendous card, a stacked card with world championship fights. I’m here to do one thing and take over the show – there’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia. I’m going to display all my skills and be a contender in the welterweight division. We landed on Vargas because he’s a two-weight champion, solid career, big size, and has height. He’s everything that people have been telling me I shouldn’t be fighting, but I’m going to do everything I can to win this fight. I expect the best Jessie Vargas and that will allow to me display all my skills. I don’t want easy fights. This will be a great matchup because Jessie is a warrior. It will push me to get the best out of me.

“Jessie is a great person, but inside the ring we’re competitors. He’s coming to knock me out, and I’m trying to doing the same, but that will make it a memorable night. Tune-in to DAZN, it’s going to be fireworks all night long. We’re going to finish it off with bang, Jessie and myself. There’s a lot more to Mikey Garcia.”

Jessie Vargas

“We have a big night ahead of us against Garcia. I’m very much prepared. I trained very hard the last two months. It’s the best training camp I’ve had to date. I know what’s ahead of me and I know the opportunity in front of me. I trained my ass off for two months, following the game plan. I’ve never looked this good in the ring. I’m feeling good, I know Mikey is a good fighter. The moment the bell rings it’s fight time. I plan on giving a fantastic performance so you acknowledge that I’m the best in the division. This isn’t an easy fight but either way I’m coming to win. I’ve done my homework. Mikey is a good fighter and I’ve looked into some of his past fights.

“I’m happy to be part of this event. Come early to this fight, tune-in to DAZN for a great night of action-packed fights. We’re going to finish it off with a bang.”

Khalid Yafai

“I look up to Roman, so it’s going to be hard to fight him. I’m in the best shape, no stone unturned. I’ll give it everything I can. Looking forward to a massive fight on Saturday night. Don’t blink it will be a huge fight.”

Roman Gonzalez

“I’m in the best condition for this fight. I will take advantage of this opportunity. There’s not a small person in this fight, everyone is very good. I come with a blessing that I will win. Thank you and hope this sport of boxing will be a spectacle for everyone.”

Julio Cesar Martinez Aguilar

“I’m very excited for Saturday, and going put up a fight. We’re going to win.”

Jay Harris

“I’m here to win and I’m going to pull off a massive upset on Saturday. It’s going be a hell of a fight. Tune-in on Saturday.”

Joseph Parker

“Great to be here in Texas. Last time I fought was June 2019, so very excited to fight this weekend. I worked hard in camp, a lot of running, sparring. I’m not taking this fight for granite. Looking forward to a great performance. On Saturday, I’m going to take care of business. Thank you to Winters for taking the fight and looking forward to the challenge.”

Shawndell Winters

“I’m not supposed to be here, but I’m glad to be here. I didn’t come to here to take pictures with Parker. It’s very nice for you all to meet me - that’s a joke! I’m coming to fight, I’m coming to win, this is my opportunity. Thank you to Parker for this opportunity. I’m confident and look forward to Saturday night.”

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The service features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, and the World Boxing Super Series, all for one affordable price, on any device – including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN also features The Pat McAfee Show, live MLB action each day of the season with its daily show ChangeUp and a growing number of projects from DAZN Originals.

Material Courtesy of DAZN/Photo Courtesy of Amanda Westcott/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.

Update: Wilder-Fury II Feature

We would like to let our readers know that new material discussing the recent Heavyweight world championship rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is in the works and will be released here on the website on Friday, February 28th.Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth."

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

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

Wilder-Fury II Unfinished Business

In December 2018, the Boxing world focused its collective attention on the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA for one of the most anticipated World Heavyweight championship fights in recent memory. An encounter between two undefeated Heavyweights, who each held a claim to the World Heavyweight championship. The bout between WBC world champion Deontay Wilder and undefeated former Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Naturally, when discussing two undefeated Heavyweights, opinion is going to vary on a variety of factors. In this case, Tyson Fury the one time holder of the unified IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO crown had relinquished his crown shortly after defeating longtime champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 having never defended the championship. Fury’s decision prompted by several personal problems opened up opportunity in the division to determine who was the top fighter in the division. One fighter who won the WBC world championship in the same year as Fury won his crown would go on to establish his argument as the top man among the Heavyweights both among world champions and would be challengers.

After successfully defending his version of the World Heavyweight championship seven times and scoring knockouts in all seven of those defenses, Deontay Wilder had established himself not only as the longest-reigning active champion in the division, but also one of the most active fighters. This set the stage for Wilder to face a recently returned Fury, who some regarded as the lineal champion due to his having never been defeated for his crown.

While yours truly usually tends to stay out of those kind of debates in the interest of wanting to cover the sport objectively, it nevertheless created a healthy debate as to what would happen when the two men squared off for Wilder’s crown. As some readers may recall this observer’s coverage of that fight, this was a fight between a boxer/puncher in Fury against a fighter primarily known for his punching power and ability to score quick and often brutal knockouts in Wilder. Stylistically, this fight also had an element of a natural aggressor in Wilder against Fury who has been known as a fighter with an awkward, elusive style that often frustrates his opposition.

As I stated in my coverage of that fight, the challenge is to distinguish which fighter is more effective in a bout that was fought in the way this fight was. Fury’s awkwardness proved to be effective in making him an elusive target that Wilder had trouble finding consistently throughout the fight. This did not mean necessarily that Fury was able to stand out clearly in terms of overall activity in punches landed, but it created a scenario where though both fighters had periods of effectiveness, the story for some became what Wilder was unable to do offensively. When fights are fought in this way it can as I have often said over the years leave plenty open to interpretation as to who got the upper hand and this unfortunately creates a further conundrum for those who are tasked with the responsibility of scoring the fight.

In this observer’s eyes, despite my view being that Fury was overall the more effective of the two fighters based largely on how well he was able to execute a defensive approach and evade Wilder, there were several rounds throughout the course of the fight that could have been scored in Wilder’s favor based on overall activity and forcing the action. It was based on this that I ultimately arrived with a scorecard of eight rounds to four or 116-112 in points in Fury’s favor at the end of the twelve round world championship bout. It was in rounds nine and twelve however, that ultimately proved to be crucial in the official scoring of this fight. What I am referring to the knockdowns that Wilder was able to score of Fury.

The first of the knockdowns in round nine I felt helped Wilder narrow the gap on the scorecards, but I also felt it would not be enough on its own for him to retain his championship. The second knockdown in round twelve nearly put all aspects of the potential scoring to rest as a combination to the head of Fury concluded by a brutal left hook knocked Fury down and appeared to be out. To this day, I do not know how Fury managed to beat the count. Although Fury deserves all the credit for doing something that frankly should be viewed as “Miraculous”, there was a brief controversy that emerged following the knockdown as Referee Jack Reiss was criticized by many fans after the fight for taking several seconds after Fury had beat the count to evaluate his condition before allowing him to continue.

Readers will recall that I do not feel that the count of Reiss was long or that the time that he took to evaluate Fury somehow “Robbed” Wilder of a potential knockout win as some had alleged. I will repeat however, that Reiss, who is one of the best referees in the entire sport made a judgment call and perhaps a referee with lesser experience would not allow the fight to continue.

Despite my scorecard at the end of the fight, it is important to take these two knockdowns into the equation. Under the ten point must system that Professional Boxing is scored, the winner of a round where there are no knockdowns is usually scored 10-9. In an instance where there is one knockdown that does not end the fight, the round is scored 10-8, which is the equivalent of two rounds scored 10-9. When one factors into the equation that this fight featured two 10-8 rounds scored in favor of Wilder, that is equal to four rounds being scored 10-9. If one also factors into the equation that several of the rounds in this fight outside of rounds nine and twelve were based largely on interpretation as to who got the upper hand under circumstances that neither fighter was able to stand out as superior from the other, it is not hard to understand how there could be debates as to who won the fight.

The final verdict of a split decision draw taking all factors into the equation was also not hard to understand. It was clear in my eyes however, that the two knockdowns Wilder was able to score allowed him to retain his world championship in terms of narrowing the official scorecards where one judge had it even, while the two remaining judges were split in their scoring. Nevertheless, the result warranted a rematch.

After both fighters have been successful in two bouts each in maintaining their undefeated records and respective claims to the Heavyweight crown, the rematch will come on Saturday, February 22^nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The question going into this fight, which will headline a jointly produced pay-per-view card by Fox Sports and ESPN in the United States, is what will be different the second time around?

In thinking of what potential adjustments that could be made, I feel it is crucial that Wilder shorten up his punches. In the first fight, there several instances throughout where he overthrew punches and this can be attributed to both Fury’s elusiveness and Wilder at times being overly aggressive. Although he was able to eventually land on Fury and score those crucial knockdowns that ultimately allowed him to retain his title with a draw, he must not assume that he will be able to do the same in the rematch.

Some may recall following his last title defense against Luis Ortiz in November of last year where in an interview with the Fox Sports broadcast team he eluded to not needing to win rounds due to having the punching power needed to an a fight at any time. Readers may recall in my coverage of that fight, I pointed out that a mentality of not needing to score points in order to win fights is a dangerous one to have. It is even more dangerous when facing a fighter of Tyson Fury’s skill set.

For Tyson Fury, one may argue that what he has suggested in interviews leading up to this fight in eluding that he will be more willing to engage with Wilder with the intention of possibly going for a knockout in this rematch could be the wrong strategy. Fury must remember what brought him to the top of the division once before by being tactical, elusive, and using his height and reach to his advantage. He must also keep in mind that Wilder has shown that he can knock him down and it will be interesting to see it he does attempt to implement a tactical strategy similar to what he was able to do in the first encounter if he can make adjustments to avoid getting caught by Wilder, particularly if this fight goes into the middle and late rounds.

Although Tyson Fury’s style may not always be crowd pleasing, he needs to do what is necessary for him to be successful in this fight even if that means potentially turning fans off by Boxing in a way that may not be the most entertaining to watch. If Fury attempts a completely different approach this time around with the intention of going toe to toe with Wilder, it could be a big mistake given Wilder’s punching power and his ability to score quick knockouts. The most interesting subplot of this rematch however, is that Tyson Fury chose to split with his trainer Ben Davison shortly before this fight and has enlisted the services of Javan Hill, better known within the sport as Sugar Hill, the nephew of the late legendary Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward. While it is not uncommon to see a fighter bring in a new trainer prior to a rematch, the obvious question will be what new tactics, if any will Sugar Hill try to implement into Tyson Fury’s offense. It is also logical to ask the question of whether the two have had enough time together to make significant changes ahead of this fight.

Opinions as to who will win the rematch between Wilder and Fury obviously vary, but an illustration of that can be seen in the current odds according to MyTopSportsbooks as seen below.

Tyson Fury to win on points / decision odds and percentages

The most-likely outcome in the rematch, according to most online sports betting sites reviewed here, is Fury outpointing Wilder on the cards at +138 (41.7% chance). That would have been the outcome of the first fight if Wilder had not put Fury on the mat late, salvaging a draw.

Tyson Fury to win by 2nd round KO odds and percentages

While Fury has predicted a second-round stoppage, the odds of him scoring a finish period are a long +450 (18.2% chance). The odds of it coming in round two, specifically, are +5000 (2%). As much as Fury controlled the early portions of the first fight, Wilder was never in real trouble.

Deontay Wilder to win on points / decision odds and percentages

Oddsmakers believe Wilder will need a knockout/stoppage to score a win. The odds of him being victorious on the cards are an incredible +1000 (9.1%), which is only about 5% higher than the fight ending in another draw. The reason why is two-fold: (1) Fury's jab is likely to rack up points and (2) Wilder has only earned one of his 42 career wins by decision.

While it is important to keep in mind that betting odds offer an educated guess as to what may or may not happen in a fight, in this case the odds do point to the conventional wisdom of many Boxing experts as to what is the best tactic for each fighter to win. Although Deontay Wilder has not scored a decision win since winning his world championship in January 2015 in his first fight against Bermane Stiverne, he has shown that he is capable of going into the middle and late rounds. There are many in the sport including this observer however, that believe that the odds of Wilder winning a decision in this fight is slim based largely on the style of Tyson Fury and Wilder’s own admission that he feels that he does not need to score points in order to win fights.

There is nevertheless a lot at stake for both fighters. Not only is Deontay Wilder’s WBC Heavyweight world championship on the line, but for the winner of this fight there is the obvious lucrative payday that looms with current unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO world champion Anthony Joshua in a fight that would fully unify the Heavyweight division. With anticipation at a high and with a lot to lose for both fighters, it is not hard to understand why this is a highly anticipated rematch. If that anticipation leads to an exciting battle between two of the top fighters the Heavyweight division has to offer, the division as well as the entire sport will be the benefactor no matter the outcome. We will see what happens when Wilder and Fury meet to settle their unfinished business in Las Vegas on Saturday, February 22nd.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Wilder vs. Fury II takes place on Saturday, February 22^nd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas NV. The fight as well as a three bout undercard can be seen on a pay-per-view basis in the United States on Fox Sports/ESPN+ Pay-Per-View across cable/satellite providers for $79.99 as well as the Fox Sports and ESPN streaming apps. For more information on how to order through Fox Sports please visit:https://www.foxsports.com/boxing/pbc/pay-per-view-wilder-vs-fury-143. To order via ESPN+ PPV order through the ESPN+ section on the ESPN app or visit: https://plus.espn.com/wilder-fury-2 for more information. Both apps are carried on major streaming platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, mobile devices and tablets. Check your local listings internationally.

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

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