Updated Coronavirus Boxing-Related Cancellations 3/15/2020

As the world continues to deal with the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic, the sport of Boxing has continued to see numerous cancellations and postponements. These cancellations include all combat sports events in the state of California until further notice. All Boxing cards in Japan are cancelled through April 30th.

Kings Boxing Promotions cancelled their scheduled card on March 14th in Bethlehem, PA with a make up date to be announced. The scheduled April 14th World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) season two Cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos, which was due to take place in Riga, Latvia has also been cancelled.

This followed announcements of cancellations by Team Sauerland and Universum Boxpromotion that they have cancelled their scheduled April 4th event in Hamburg, Germany as well as cancellations by Raging Babe Promotions scheduled card on March 27th in Philadelphia, PA, Shearns Boxing Promotions scheduled March 20th event in Framingham, MA all being cancelled due to the ongoing virus epidemic.

While there were select events that have taken place in the sport globally in recent days, with travel restrictions expanded and the current uncertainty of the Coronavirus, more cancellations throughout the sport could be forthcoming. We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available and will do our best to provide coverage of events that do take place.

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

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Additional Coronavirus Boxing-Related Cancellations 3/13/2020

In a follow-up to a story released earlier today concerning the Boxing-related cancellations/postponements that have come as a result of the ongoing  global Coronavirus epidemic, additional cancellations have been announced. These cancellations include the scheduled March 20^th Boxing card in Melbourne, Australia promoted by Brian Amatruda’s Big Time Boxing, which was to take place at the Melbourne Pavilion as well as the April 3^rd card at the same venue also promoted by Big Time Boxing.

As unfortunately more cancellations could be forthcoming around the world, we will be releasing any information in condensed-form going forward in an effort to cover as much information regarding cancellations/postponements due to the ongoing epidemic as possible. We will update readers on any developments as they become available.

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

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Coronavirus Boxing-Related Cancellations Through The Remainder Of March 2020

As the world continues to deal with the Coronavirus epidemic and prepare for the potential of more cases globally, the sport of Boxing, much as has been the case throughout the rest of the sports world has begun canceling scheduled cards scheduled to take place in North America following similar decisions that have been made by Boxing promoters internationally.. On Thursday, several Boxing cards in several cities in the United States and Canada were all cancelled.

These cancellations include three Boxing cards scheduled to take place between March 12^th-March 21^st at the Casino de Montreal in Montreal, Canada. This was followed by announcements of cancellations of an April 4^th Boxing card in Portland, OR, which was to take place at the Clackamas Armory, the March 14^th Premier Boxing Champions card scheduled to be televised on Fox Sports 1 in the United States from the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, two scheduled cards promoted by Top Rank Inc. to take place in the Theater at Madison Square Garden on March 14^th and March 17^th respectively that were scheduled to be broadcast by ESPN and digital sports streaming network ESPN+ in the United States.   Followed by additional announcements of cancellations of the  March 14^th Murphy’s Boxing event in Boston at the House of Blues, the March 19^th Broadway Boxing event promoted by Dibella Entertainment in Atlantic City, NJ both of those events  were scheduled to be broadcast on the UFC Fight Pass digital streaming network globally. Golden Boy Promotions announced the cancellation of two events scheduled to be broadcast on digital sports streaming network DAZN events on March 19^th at the Avalon in Hollywood, CA and the March 29^th scheduled card at The Forum in Inglewood, CA. The March 27^th event promoted by PR Best Boxing scheduled to take place at the Rubén Zayas Montañez Coliseum in Trujillo Alto, PR was also cancelled. The March 14^th Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) Bareknuckle Boxing event scheduled to be broadcast globally by Fite.TV Pay-Per-View from the InTrust Bamk Arena in Wichita, KS was also postponed with a tentative rescheduled date of June 20^th being announced with an announcement scheduled for Friday.

As many states and counties are continuing to monitor the spread of the virus, several have declared states of emergency. This prompted decisions by the NBA, NHL, NCAA, MLB, and XFL to suspend their seasons and scheduled events including the remainder of MLB’s Spring Training schedule and the scheduled NCAA College Basketball tournaments. Major League Baseball (MLB) has also announced that the scheduled start of the 2020 regular season would also be delayed, but no announcements have been made as of this writing as to when that might be.

Obviously, the Coronavirus will remain an ongoing story for the foreseeable future. While this will also change the Boxing schedule significantly as more postponements/cancellations across the world could be announced, we here at The Boxing Truth®️ will keep readers updated as to any announcements and rescheduling that might occur as well as to do our best to provide coverage of cards that  remain unaffected by the ongoing epidemic. We will keep readers updated on any developments as they become available.

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

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Dragon Fire Boxing announce the launch of Dragon Fire Latino - Debut show on March 14

Press Release: March 12, 2020 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Dragon Fire Boxing are delighted to announce their expansion into the South American market with the launch of their new Dragon Fire Latino brand.  

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Dragon Fire Boxing has been headed up by Tony Tolj for decades, with Tolj being the driving force behind world champions such as WBA Champion of the decade Chris "The Dragon" John, "The Green Machine" Danny Green, Andrew "The Monster" Moloney among other top talents. 

Tolj and Dragon Fire have always been experts in uncovering talent throughout the globe of all shapes and sizes and now have taken their quest to uncover talent to a new level with the creation of Dragon Fire Latino, with its maiden show happening this coming weekend in Santiago de Chile, Chile. 

Dragon Fire chief Tony Tolj opened up about the motivation behind the creation of Dragon Fire Latino. 

Tolj said, “We went over to Chile with Andrew Moloney when he was fighting in a world title eliminator against Miguel Gonzalez and I saw how much talent was in Chile that wasn’t being developed to the fullest potential possibly. I think the South American promoter does a great job but I wanted to add our spin on things so I decided alongside the Dragon Fire Boxing team to create Dragon Fire Latino. 

“We signed Andres Campos and brought him over to work with the Moloney twins, Billel Dib and Bruno Tarimo and we were really impressed with his work ethic and his skill set. He made the team think about maybe looking to bring additional South American fighters on board so we proceeded to do that an put a show together which will take place this weekend.”

We have partnered with Chilean Nico “Maverick” Martinez, he will be hands on is based in Chile but is a licensed pilot so he is literally all over the world. When we were in Chile he really took care of us and we shared so many common visions about building opportunities in Chile and South America, it really is an honour and joy to work with such like minded people as my friend “Maverick” and our ever expanding team.

Nico Martinez opened up about Dragon Fire Boxing Latino “For me is an absolute honor to be partners with Tony Tolj, he is well respected man in boxing and within the time that I have known him he has given us all so much opportunities and the amount of boxing knowledge he has is unbelievable. I am very excited about our future together and Chilean boxing im sure will have a Golden era”

The upcoming event will feature three of Dragon Fire Latino’s latest recruits, with Andres Campos topping the card, defending his WBA Fedebol Flyweight title and contesting the vacant WBO Latino Flyweight title. 

Also featuring on the card are new Dragon Fire Latino signee’s Ramon “The Rock” Mascarena Jr and “King” Raynel Menderos who Tolj also has high hopes for. 

The Australian based Tolj opened up in saying, “I’m very excited about this coming Saturday and the future of Dragon Fire Latino. Ramon Mascarena Jr is a quality Chilean talent who hasn’t had an easy start to his career and I believe this has given him the foundations to go all the way to the top. 

“Raynel Menderos is from Cuba and in my opinion is going to be a massive world standout in the future. He’s 3-0 but has an unbelievable pedigree, and still in his early 20s which will serve him well in his career. 

“I’ve spoken highly of Andres Campos on multiple occasions but he’s a class act and is being moved quickly as a professional as he’s a top talent. I’m really excited for him to continue to win titles this Saturday night and begin a very exciting future for Dragon Fire Latino.”

Material and Photo 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.

March 6-7th, 2020 Weekend Thoughts

As sometimes can be the case, there are often too many events across the globe in the sport of Boxing during a relatively short period of time for one to cover every event in singular form. Although this observer takes pride in the amount of Boxing cards he covers during a calendar year, when such circumstances arise where even with advances in technology cannot make the task of covering all cards yours truly would want to cover one by one, it becomes appropriate for me to try and cover as much from multiple events as possible in feature-form. The weekend of March 6^th and 7^th in the sport served as much as an illustration as to the global appeal of Boxing as any you will find.

Several interesting fights took place over this two-day period from such locations as Northridge, Australia, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Manchester England, to finally Brooklyn, NY. Of course, readers saw the coverage I provided of the event in Dubai on March 6^th that featured a little bit of everything in a card that was presented by MTK Global. What about the other events that took place over the two-day period?

We start by discussing some of the events that took place at Metro City in Northridge, Australia. The latest edition of promoter Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing's Thunderdome series, Thunderdome 33 featured a look at several of the up and coming prospects in the Boxing hotbed of Australia. The Thunderdome series has served as a breeding ground for such talent in the past most notably the Moloney brothers Andrew and Jason Moloney. One highly touted prospect that has been on the rise is Jackson England, who many fans refer to by his nickname “Action Jackson.” The Jr. Lightweight prospect England took an impressive record of 11-1, with 6 Knockouts into the ring on this card to do battle with veteran Jason Tinampay in a bout for the WBC Asain Boxing Council Silver Jr. Lightweight championship.

While some all too often criticize sanctioning organizations for what they view as too many championships, which leads to confusion particularly amongst casual fans, in reality, titles such as those of the Asian Boxing Council, or ABC for short under the affiliation of the World Boxing Council (WBC) are often the first step on a regional level for those fighters who compete out of the Asia-Pacific region of the world, which includes Australia and New Zealand, towards a top rankings in the world rankings similar in nature to the North American Boxing Federation (NABFl, which is also affiliated with the WBC. Now that I have gotten a brief explanation of why such titles do serve an important purpose for fighters for any would be critics, we can discuss what went on in the ring.

The main event of Thunderdome 33 was largely dictated by England who consistently came forward and forced the action. This was highlighted by consistent combination punching and frequently pressing Tinampay against the ropes. With his opponent on the ropes, England unleashed a combination of punches highlighted by a left hook to the body of Tinampay that dropped him in the second round. Tinampay rolled on the canvas clearly compromised by the body shot and was unable to continue. The bout was promptly stopped at 2:50 of round two, giving England his twelfth career victory and his seventh career knockout.

Although a criticism that inevitably comes for virtually all prospects throughout the entire sport when they are able to end fights this quickly usually revolves around when said fighter will be tested, all a fighter can do is face the opponent that is in front of them. Impressive performances like the one  England was able to put forth in this fight however, will keep the buzz about him growing as he continues to progress in his career. 

An intriguing Jr. Lightweight bout took centerstage on March 7^th as former world title challenger Jono Carroll faced Scott Quigg at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. This was the second fight for Carroll after losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Tevin Farmer in a failed bid to win the IBF Jr. Lightweight world championship in March of last year. In Scott Quigg, Carroll faced a fighter who like him was a former world title challenger and who also previously held interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association (WBA) rankings as a 122lb. Jr. Featherweight. Quigg however, had been out of competition for more than a year and a half and it was logical to question whether or not it was necessarily wise for him to re-enter competition against a fighter who just recently fought for a world championship.

For eleven rounds, Carroll’s combination punching, quicker hands, and lateral movement were the story of the fight. Although Quigg remained very “Game” throughout, the one-sided combat was finally halted when his corner threw the towel in midway through the eleventh round to prevent their fighter from further punishment. This signaled the end of Quigg’s career as he announced his retirement in the days that followed the fight. What I was particularly impressed by in Carroll’s performance that can at times be called a lost art in the sport is how he dedicated a portion of his offense to the body of Quigg from the opening bell. There are times where fighters do not show this type of consistently in attacking an opponent’s body, despite how it often leads to further success as a fight progresses.

Jono Carroll is not known for his punching power having only scored knockouts in three of his previous seventeen career victories, but this performance does show if s fighter is consistent in their approach and can follow the fight plan, sometimes knockouts/stoppages do come and it does not necessarily have to be strictly related to one’s punching power. This victory will likely keep Carroll, who is rated number nine in the world by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division as of this writing, in the discussion for a potential world title shot down the line or at minimum, an opportunity against another top contender that could lead to another opportunity at a world championship.

The action on March 7^th concluded with a Heavyweight bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY as undefeated rising contender Adam Kownacki faced former European Heavyweight champion Robert Helenius. In previewing this fight, this observer stated that I felt it was crucial that Helenius establish the tempo of the combat from the outset. It was also logical to question as the fight approached what version of Robert Helenius would be in the ring. The fighter who several years ago looked as though he might be one who could dominate the division in a post-Heavyweight era following the exit of longtime kings and division cornerstones Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko or the fighter who has gone through some inconsistency and suffered some setbacks along the way.

As expected by many including this observer, it was Kownacki, a fighter known for his aggressive come forward style that pressed the action from the opening bell. What stood out to me however was the unbeaten Kownacki appeared to be soft in his midsection having weighed in for the fight at 265lbs. Although in regard to Heavyweights especially in the present era of the division a fighter weighing over 260lbs. is not necessarily a negative, it was nevertheless something that caught my eye and I wondered what impact the weight might have on him as the fight progressed.

In the first two rounds of this fight, it appeared as though Helenius could have fallen into a problem he has had periodically throughout his career where a lack of overall activity would allow him to be outworked over the course of the fight as Kownacki established a fast pace. Helenius also had trouble controlling distance between himself and Kownacki as he was consistently forced to fight moving backward. This however, did not discourage him from being willing to engage in some heated exchanges of punches with Kownacki. The former three-time European Heavyweight champion Helenius was able to hold his own in those exchanges.

In round four, Helenius appeared to score a knockdown of Kownacki with a counter right hand. This however, was ruled a slip by Referee David Fields. Even though video replays would later show that Fields made an error in his call, it would turn out to be a mute point. Helenius sensing that his opponent was in trouble pressed forward and dropped Kownacki with a flush right hand that was thrown behind a jab. This time, it was ruled a knockdown by Fields. Kownacki to his credit was able to get to his feet, but he did not appear to have control of his balance. Despite this, Fields likely on the basis of Kownacki being an undefeated fighter known for having punching power of his own, allowed the fight to continue. Helenius would not be denied as a barrage of punches on a staggering Kownacki forced Fields to step in and stop the fight.

Although Helenius was not given much chance of succeeding in this fight by some, sometimes all a fighter needs is one victory to revitalize their career. For the thirty-six year old Helenius, this could be such a victory. The win in a fight that was billed as an elimination bout in the WBA Heavyweight ratings catapults Helenius, who was not ranked in the top ten in the world’s respective sanctioning organizations rankings, right back into the discussion of potential Heavyweight championship challengers. Where exactly Helenius will be entered into the equation among the plethora of top contenders remains to be seen.

The events that took place over this two-day period including the previously covered card in Dubai, seemed to continue the trend the sport has been on in recent times. Boxing can truly be the theater of the unexpected. With arguably three separate upsets taking place across the four cards, it is natural to wonder what might happen next. It may indeed be too soon to call the year 2020:a year of upsets and the unexpected, but it certainly generates interest not only among the Boxing enthusiasts, but more importantly the casual fan. When the appeal of Boxing being that anything can happen at any given time is on full display and it succeeds in drawing the interest of potential new fans, the sport thrives. In a sport that is consistently the subject of criticism for its negative aspects, this should be viewed as a good thing. Something that frankly Boxing needs more of.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Ramirez-Postol Rescheduled For May 9th In Fresno

It has been announced that the WBC/WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship bout between champion Jose Ramirez and former WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Viktor Postol, which was originally scheduled for February 1st in Haikou, China , will now take place on May 9th at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, CA.

The bout, which will headline a nationally televised Boxing card in the United States broadcast by ESPN, was postponed in January due to the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak that has affected several countries worldwide. Similar to that postponement, several scheduled Boxing cards from China, to Italy, to Japan have all been cancelled or postponed as countries around the world look to combat the virus. For the moment, no scheduled Boxing or other sporting events have been compromised here in the United States due to the ongoing outbreak. 

We will keep readers updated as to any possible Boxing-related postponements, cancellations, or rescheduling as details become available.

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

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Weekend Feature March 6th-7th, 2020 Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material discussing some of the action that has taken place in the sport of Boxing over the weekend of  March 6th and March 7th is currently in the works and will be released here on the website on Wednesday, March 11th. Stay tuned. "And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Quigg-Carroll Weights

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing card headlined by a Jr. Lightweight bout between Scott Quigg and Jono Carroll took place earlier today in Manchester, England. Official weights for the full card, which will take place at the Manchester Arena and be televised in the United States on digital sports subscription streaming network DAZN are as follows:

Main Event: Jr. Lightweight - 12Rds.

Scott Quigg 129 3/4lbs. vs. Jono Carroll 130lbs.

Super-Middleweight - 12Rds.

Zach Parker 167lbs. vs Rohan Murdock 167 1/2lbs.

Heavyweight - 10Rds.

Hughie Fury 238 1/2lbs. vs Pavel Sour 243 1/4lbs.

Middleweight - 8Rds. 

Jack Cullen 161 3/4lbs. vs. Tomas Reynoso 162lbs.

Jr. Middleweight - 10Rds.

Anthony Fowler 156 1/4lbs. vs. Theo Tetteh 155 1/4lbs.

Jr. Welterweight - 8Rds.

Robbie Davies 143 1/2lbs. vs. Damian Yapur 143lbs.

Lightweight - 6Rds.

Dean Jones 136 1/2lbs. vs. Aqib Fiaz 135 3/4lbs.

Super-Middleweight - 4Rds.

Bradley Rea 161lbs. vs. Pavol Garaj 163lbs. 

Featherweight - 4Rds.

Ibrahim Nadim 126 1/2lbs. vs. Stefan Nicolae 124 1/4lbs.

Welterweight - 6Rds.

Reshat Mati 146 1/2lbs. vs. Abdallah Luanja 147 1/2lbs.

Bantamweight - 4Rds.

Blane Hyland 115 1/4lbs. vs. Joel Sanchez 116 1/4lbs.

Jr. Welterweight - 6Rds.

Dalton Smith 141 3/4lbs. vs. Benson Nyilawila 141lbs.

Quigg vs. Carroll takes place tomorrow (Saturday, March 7th) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The card can be seen in the United States and several international countries on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (U.S. Time) 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. 

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on Sky Sports Main Event beginning at 8PM. (Local UK Time) For more information about Sky Sports including schedules and availability in your area please visit: www.SkySports.com. Check your local listings internationally.

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

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Results From Dubai

Undefeated Jr. Bantamweight Aliu Lasisi was held to a ten round split decision draw with a very determined Norbelto Jimenz on Friday night at Caesars Palace Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At times a tactical and uneventful bout, Jimenz consistently brought the fight to the unbeaten prospect Lasisi. As the fight progressed, even though Jimenz seemed to get the better of most of the exchanges particularly when the two fighters would fight on the inside, Lasisi was able to be effective in landing periodic counter punches on his opponent. Jimenz was sent down to the canvas in round seven, but it was ruled a slip due to the fighters’ legs becoming tangled. Although one could make an argument that Lasisi’s effectiveness over the second half of the fight in countering Jimenz mY have been enough to sway the judges, the three official judges ended up deadlocked as two judges turned in scores of 96-94, splitting for each fighter while the third turned in an even score of 95-95 resulting in a split decision draw. Aliu Lasisi advances to 14-0-1, with 8 Knockouts. Norbelto Jimenz advances to 29-9-5, with 16 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Middleweight Rohan Date scored a fourth round stoppage of Rivo Kundimang. Date was able to stagger Kundimang periodically throughout the fight with hooks to the head and combinations. The end came in round four with a body shot caused Kundimang to turn from the combat and the bout was stopped at 2:19 of the round. Rohan Date advances to 12-0-1, with 9 Knockouts.  Rivo Kundimang falls to 9-3-2, with 5 Knockouts.

In an upset Featherweight Ionut Baluta scored an eight round unanimous decision over former IBF Jr. Featherweight world champion TJ Doheny. Baluta appeared to outwork Doheny in the early rounds. Doheny was able to pick up his pace over the second half of the fight and was deducted a point in the final round for throwing Baluta to the ground. Despite the point deduction, Doheny appeared to be the effective aggressor throughout most of the fight. The three judges however, felt otherwise as all three judges scored the fight in Baluta’s favor. Ionut Baluta advances to 13-2, with 2 Knockouts. TJ Doheny falls to 22-2, with 16 Knockouts.

Undefeated Super-Middleweight Cesar Tapia scored a brutal fight round knockout over Steve Collins Jr. The bout began at a fast pace. Tapia connected with a flush left hook to the head of Collins, the son of former two-division world champion Steve Collins. A short, but brutal barrage of unanswered punches to the head followed that sent Collins down along the ropes. The bout was immediately waved off at 1:54 of round one. Cesar Tapia advances to 12-0, with 7 Knockouts. Steve Collins Jr.falls to 14-4-1, with 4 Knockouts.

In the Heavyweight division undefeated prospect Zhan Kossobutskiy scored a second round knockout over Abraham Tabul. Kossobutskiy dropped Tabul with a right hand to the body in round one a d scored a second knockdown of Tabul in round two with a combination to the head. Tabul took the full ten count following the second knockdown. Official time was 1:32 of round two. Zhan Kossobutskiy advances to 13-0, with 12 Knockouts. Abraham Tabul falls to 17-4-1, 14 Knockouts.

Unbeaten Jr. Lightweight Nurtas Azhbenov scored a first round knockout over JR Magboo. Nurtas Azhbenov advances to 9-0, with 4 Knockouts. JR Magboo falls to 18-5-2, with 9 Knockouts.

Undefeated Featherweight Lalrinsanga Tiau scored a six round decision over Haidari Mchanjo. Lalrinsanga Tiau advances to 3-0, with 1 Knockout.  Haidari Mchanjo falls to 11-8-4, with 5 Knockouts.

In the Jr. Middleweight division, undefeated Faizon Anwar scored a fourth round stoppage over Gideon Agbosu. Faizon Anwar advances to 3-0, with 3 Knockouts. Gideon Agbosu falls to 12-5, with 10 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Bantamweight Sultan Nuaimi scored a four round decision victory over Sulis Barrera to remain unbeaten. Sultan Nuaimi advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Sulis Barrera falls to 4-9, with 0 Knockouts.

This card, which was presented by MTK Global serves as an illustration of the global appeal of the sport of Boxing in bringing a worldwide televised Boxing card to Dubai. It also showed what is great about Boxing and by extension all combat sports. A look at several prospects on the rise, some quick knockouts, as well as some unexpected results. This observer believes two of these fights the main event between Aliu Lasisi and Norbelto Jimenz as well as the Featherweight bout between Ionut Baluta and TJ Doheny could see rematches at some point later this year. The question for MTK Global might be whether they will stage those encounters on the same card or if those rematches will take place on separate cards under the MTK Global umbrella. Clearly a rematch of both fights is warranted.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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Kovalev To Face Barrera April 25th On DAZN

Press Release: LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2020): Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs), the former light heavyweight champion and one of the most dangerous punchers in recent years, will return against former world title challenger Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs) in a 12-round cruiserweight battle. The card will feature pugilists from four different continents fighting for championship belts from all four major sanctioning organizations. The event will take place Saturday, April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Credit:Golden Boy Promotions/Main Events 

“I’m delighted to announce this epic card of international proportions,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “For this huge event, we’ll have fighters from four different continents battling it out for world titles from all four sanctioning bodies. Fans of professional boxing will be treated to a banquet of big fights headlined by Sergey Kovalev vs. Sullivan Barrera, along with the returns of world champions such as Patrick Teixeira, Rene and Felix Alvarado, and Chayaphon Moonsri. Don’t miss this festival of world champions on April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and live on DAZN.”

Kovalev is a Russian knockout artist and three-time light heavyweight champion who captured his first world title in 2013 when he stopped Nathan Cleverly in Wales. Kovalev then traveled to Atlantic City to meet future Hall of Famer Bernard "The Alien" Hopkins to unify the WBO, WBA and IBF titles with a lopsided unanimous decision victory in 2014. As unified champion, "Krusher" successfully defended his titles twice against Jean Pascal and once against Isaac Chilemba. Despite setbacks against Andre “S.O.G.” Ward and Eleider Alvarez, the 36-year-old contender managed to avenge a loss to Alvarez and score a technical knockout victory against undefeated contender Anthony Yarde. Kovalev will return after participating in the most important boxing event of 2019 against Canelo Alvarez.

“I am happy to get back in the ring and to be on my way back to world championship bouts,” said Sergey Kovalev. “Barrera is a Cuban fighter and, even though I never faced any Cuban fighters as a professional, back in amateur days it was always Russian boxers competing with Cuban boxers, so I'm looking forward to remembering my amateur boxing. I'm very glad to be back and to bring my boxing to my fans on April 25.”

After a spectacular amateur career, Barrera defected from Cuba to the United States in 2009, and made his professional debut in Miami, Florida. In only his eighth fight, he captured two regional titles by defeating Frank Paines in 2011, which he followed with victories against the likes of Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy and Karo Murat. Barrera suffered his first defeat against Andre Ward, but returned to take Vyacheslav Shabranskyy’s undefeated record and scored a decision win against Joe Smith Jr. The 38-year-old contender’s only other losses have been against Dmitry Bivol and Jesse Hart in very tough fights, and he looks to make another run for a world title in 2020.

“This will be the most important fight of my career because I have always pursued a fight with Sergey Kovalev,” said Sullivan Barrera. “I know that he has to win this fight in order to continue with his career, but the case is the same with me. It is very important to win this fight, which for me would be like becoming a world champion. That’s what it means for me to finally face Kovalev. I also want to thank Golden Boy for believing in me and my team, and for giving us the opportunity that we have always wanted, which is to fight Kovalev.”

Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said, “Because Sullivan Barrera spent most of his professional career with Main Events, a fight between Kovalev and Barrera is something that we naturally anticipated would happen for a very long time. And so here we are! This is a really solid fight between two action fighters who have never turned down a challenge.”

“This might be the last chance for both fighters,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “A win could catapult either man into a title shot. A loss could mean the end is near. Plenty is at stake when Kovalev and Barrera enter the ring on April 25.”

In the co-main event, Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) of Sau Paulo, Brazil will make the first defense of his WBO Super Junior Middleweight World Title against undefeated challenger Brian “El Boxi” Castaño (16-0-1, 12 KOs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina in a 12-round battle.

“I am very happy and excited to defend my world title for the very first time,” said Patrick Teixeira. “I worked very hard to become a world champion, and I won’t let anyone take that away from me. I know that Castaño, as my mandatory challenger, is tough and experienced, but my team and I are more than ready to go to war and deliver a great performance for all the fans at Fantasy Springs.”

Rene “El Gemelo” Alvarado (32-8, 21 KOs) will put his WBA Super Featherweight World Title on the line against Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (24-3-1, 20 KOs) of Maracaibo, Venezuela. Alvarado will defend his title for the first time after violently taking it from Andrew “El Chango” Cancio in November 2019, while Gutierrez is coming off a five-win streak that includes an upset knockout victory against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez.

Chayaphon Moonsri (54-0, 18 KOs), the Thai boxer who currently boasts the most impressive undefeated record in the sport, will defend his WBC Minimumweight World Title against Marco J. Rementizo (12-3, 9 KOs) of Misamis Oriental, Philippines in a 12-round fight.

Felix “El Gemelo” Alvarado (35-2, 30 KOs) of Managua, Nicaragua will defend his IBF Light Flyweight World Championship against DeeJay Kriel (16-1-1, 8 KOs) of Boksburg, South Africa in a 12-round battle. Felix, who is the twin brother of Rene, will fight for the first time after signing with Golden Boy.

Former world champion Alberto “Explosivo” Machado (22-2, 18 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico will look to inch closer towards his dream of becoming a two-division world champion when he takes on Cristian Baez (18-1, 17 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Diego De La Hoya (22-1, 10 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico and Manuel “Tino” Avila (23-2-1, 8 KOs) of Fairfield, California will meet in a 10-round matchup between two standout featherweight contenders.

Recently signed middleweight contender Shane Mosley Jr. (15-3, 9 KOs) of Pomona, California will make his Golden Boy debut in an eight-rounder against Abraham Cordero (13-5-21, 7 KOs) of Guadalajara, Mexico.

Hector Valdez (12-0, 8 KOs) of Dallas, Texas will return in an eight-round super bantamweight fight against a soon-to-be announced opponent.

Kovalev vs. Barrera is a 12-round special attraction in the cruiserweight division presented by Golden Boy, Main Events and Krusher Promotions. The event is sponsored by Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle." The event will take place Saturday, April 25 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN.

Tickets for Kovalev vs Barrera will go on sale Friday, March 13 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are priced at $65, $45 and $35. Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges. Tickets are available at the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino box office, by calling 1-800-827-2946, or by purchasing online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

For more information, visit  www.goldenboypromotions.com, 

www.MainEvents.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Main_Events, @KrusherKovalev and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.facebook.com/thekrusher/,

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

Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy, @Main_Events, @SergeyKrusherKovalev, and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #KovalevBarrera.

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

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

Kownacki-Helenius Preview

The sport of Boxing is still buzzing over Tyson Fury’s dominant performance two weeks ago in stopping previously undefeated longtime WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder in their highly anticipated rematch to become a two-time world champion. While the focus of the Heavyweight division will very much remain on Fury and Wilder, who will meet for a third time later this year in a contractually mandated third fight, as well as current unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO world champion Anthony Joshua’s upcoming title defense in June against current IBF number one Heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev, there are several contenders in the division that are looking to maneuver themselves into position to challenge for either portion of the World Heavyweight championship down the line. 

Two such contenders will square off on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY as undefeated WBC number six, WBA number four rated contender Adam Kownacki will square off with former European Heavyweight champion Robert Helenius in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds. The fight, which will headline a card televised nationally here in the United States by Fox is the latest test for the undefeated Kownacki.

In his last fight, Kownacki scored the twentieth win of his career in scoring a hard-fought twelve round unanimous decision over former multi-time world title challenger Chris Arreola. Kownacki, who has scored knockouts in fifteen of his twenty wins in registering a career knockout percentage of 75%, appears to be on the fringe of possibly being placed in an elimination bout to determine a mandatory challenger in either the World Boxing Council (WBC) or the World Boxing Association (WBA) Heavyweight ratings.

Before those possibilities can be discussed, Kownacki must contend with former European Heavyweight champion Robert Helenius. Helenius was once thought to be a fighter who could dominate the Heavyweight division in the post-Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko era. Helenius however, has dealt with both setbacks as well as a severe injury to his right shoulder, which was thought to be career-threatening several years ago.

Helenius does have the size and skills that could cause trouble for top contenders if he is in shape. There have been times however, where he has also been inconsistent and the question that surrounds this fight in this observer’s mind is which version of Robert Helenius will be standing across the ring from Adam Kownacki. Will this be the fighter that some thought would be the heir apparent to the Heavyweight thrown that for over a decade was dominated by the Klitschko brothers, or will this be the fighter who has looked sluggish and seemingly allows himself to be out worked over the course of a fight?

At thirty-six years old and currently not being rated in the top-ten of any of the five world sanctioning organizations, one could say that this could be Helenius’ last chance in facing a top contender who appears to be on his way up in Adam Kownacki. Helenius has won twenty-nine of his thirty-two wins and will come into the fight having won his last two of his last three fights. If there is an advantage that one could point to for Helenius beyond having an edge in terms of experience, it is the near four-inch height advantage he will have over the 6’3 Kownacki.

In thinking of how this fight could be fought, I feel it is crucial that Helenius establish the tempo of combat from the outset. Kownacki is a fighter that comes forward and brings the fight to his opponents. It is also important to keep in mind that Helenius has been knocked out in two of his three career losses and if he is not on his game in this fight, Kownacki certainly has the punching power to end a fight early if the opportunity arises. Kownacki must not be complacent in this fight however, and should be tactical in his approach.

An encounter between two Heavyweights who may be at different stages in their respective careers. One fighter, who could be in contention for a shot at a World Heavyweight championship in the near future going against a fighter that may not be in the current discussion of top contenders, but could re-enter the picture and the world rankings with a victory in this fight.

As we saw two weeks ago when Tyson Fury surprised many by stopping Deontay Wilder, Boxing is truly a sport where anything can happen. The saying yours truly has said and will continue to say “Anything Can Happen At Any Given Time In The Sport Of Boxing And That Is What Makes Boxing Great.” Is never more evident than when talking about the Heavyweight division. Whether this fight will also produce fireworks remains to be seen.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Kownacki vs. Helenius takes place on Saturday, March 7^th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The fight can be seen in the United States on Fox beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT and will also be available on the Fox Sports and FoxNow streaming apps. Check your local listings for time and channel in your area or visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com for more information. Check your local listings internationally.

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

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Jason Moloney discusses Josh Greer fight in Las Vegas on Anzac Day

Press Release: March 3, 2020 By Team Moloney – Bantamweight contender Jason Moloney has the chance to establish his name in front of a worldwide audience as the hard-hitting Australian gets set to clash with Josh Greer on April 25, a fight that falls on Australia's Anzac Day.  

Credit: Team Moloney 

The 118lbs contest also acts as chief support to the American debut of 'The Monster' Naoya Inoue who faces John Riel Casimero in a world bantamweight unification showdown presented by legendary promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Boxing.

Moloney, who narrowly and controversially missed out on becoming IBF Champion in 2018 opened up about making his American debut in Las Vegas and featuring on a marquee event at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

Moloney said, "I'm absolutely delighted to be a part of such an amazing show on Anzac Day, a day that is really special to me and I can't be more grateful to my team Tony Tolj, Dragon Fire Boxing and Top Rank for getting me this opportunity.

"Anzac Day is such a special day to all Australian's, I'm proud to be Australian and I believe that we should all show our gratitude to the soldiers who sacrificed so much for us all over the years. It's put a little extra fire in my belly for this fight as I really want to put on a warrior-like performance to give Australian fight fans a performance they can be proud of.

"To not only fight on Anzac Day but on the same card as Naoya Inoue in Las Vegas is stuff dreams of made of. I'm delighted to be getting this opportunity and I'm confident that all the viewers around the world on ESPN will enjoy the performance I am going to bring."

Moloney's opponent on April 25 comes in the form of American Josh Greer with the winner potentially fighting the winner of Inoue-Casimero. 'The Smooth One' discussed his opposition in Las Vegas and a potential clash with the winner of Inoue-Casimero.

He said, "I'm really excited to fight Greer. Training has already been going perfectly and I believe that a career-best performance is coming from myself on Anzac Day. Greer is a good fighter, he's ranked in the top 5 in the world. You don't get there by chance, but I believe that I have the skills to win and win in style against Greer.

"I haven't thought about the possibility of fighting the winner of Inoue and Casimero, to be honest as my focus is on Josh Greer. I want to be world champion so I would ideally want to face the winner of Inoue and Casimero for the world title, but for now, my focus is solely on Josh Greer."

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Team Moloney  Used with permission.

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