Ritson Defeats Vazquez

 

Jr. Welterweight contender Lewis Ritson scored an unimpressive twelve round split decision over former IBF Lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez on Saturday night at the East of London Arena in Peterborough, England. For twelve rounds, Ritson had trouble dealing with the lateral movement and combination punching of Vazquez. Although there was not much power behind Vazquez’ punches, the former champion consistently dictated the fight and had Ritson following him around the ring. Despite his inability to make Vazquez a stationary target, Ritson was more effective when he was able to let his hands go. It was this that proved to be the deciding factor as two of three official judges scored the fight in Ritson’s favor giving him a split decision victory even though Vazquez wad the more active of the fighters throughout. Official scores were: 115-113 (Vazquez), and 116-113, 117-111 in favor of Lewis Ritson. Lewis Ritson advances to 22-1, with 12 Knockouts. Miguel Vazquez falls to 42-10, with 16 Knockouts.

 

 

Also on this card:

 

Jr. Featherweight Marc Leach scored a ten round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Qais Ashfaq. A difficult fight to watch due to contrasting styles not meshing, Leach landed a combination to the head of Ashfaq in round four that sent him down. While this was a flash knockdown, it did provide Leach an edge on the scorecards in what was a closely fought battle. A second knockdown from a left hand sent Ashfaq down for a second time in round seven. The two knockdowns in a fight where neither fighter was able to stand out clearly from the other, otherwise proved to be the difference in giving Leach the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 95-93, 96-93, and 96-92 all in favor of Marc Leach. Marc Leach advances to 15-1-1, with 3 Knockouts. Qais Ashfaq falls to 8-1, with 3 Knockouts.

 

 

Also in the Jr. Featherweight division, unbeaten prospect Thomas Ward fought to an eight round technical split draw with Thomas Essomba. The ebb and flow switched periodically throughout with Ward having the upper hand when the two fighters were at distance while Essomba had and advantage when the two fighters exchanged punches as well as an overall edge in terms of aggression. In round seven, an accidental clash of heads opened a deep gash over the left eye of Ward that ultimately caused the fight to be stopped after eight complete rounds of the scheduled ten round bout. Official scores were 88-85 (Essomba), 88-84 (Ward), and 86-86 resulting in the split decision draw. Thomas Ward advances to 29-0-1, with 4 Knockouts. Thomas Essomba advances to 10-6-1, with 4 Knockouts.

 

 

In a clash of unbeaten Welterweights, Rylan Charlton scored an impressive third round knockout over previously undefeated Joe Laws. Charlton hurt Laws early in the first round with a left hook to the body. This served as a set up for a flush left hook to the head that sent Laws down later in the round. Charlton seemed to have a clear edge in terms of punching power over Laws and he continued to administer punishment in the second round. The third round saw a right hand to the head of Laws send him down hard on the canvas. Although Laws got up on unsteady legs and it appeared justifiable for the fight to be stopped, it was allowed to continue and an uppercut to the head sent Laws down for a third and final time as he was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:39 of round three. Rylan Charlton advances to 6-0-1, with 3 Knockouts. Joe Laws falls to 9-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

 

Lightweight Kane Baker scored a bit of an upset by scoring a six round decision over previously unbeaten prospect Meshech Speare. Baker, who fought only thirteen days ago in losing a decision to undefeated prospect Aqib Fiaz, took this fight against Speare on short notice and took full advantage of the opportunity. Baker frequently got the better of the action on the inside and made it ugly. Although Speare’s best moments in the bout came when he was able to get his punches off first and keep Baker at distance, he simply did not throw with consistency and this allowed Baker to outwork him and earn a convincing decision victory. Kane Baker advances to 14-7, with 0 Knockouts. Meshech Speare falls to 5-1, with 3 Knockouts.

 

 

 

In a Women’s Featherweight bout that opened the evening Ellie Scotney successfully made her professional debut with a six round decision over Bec Connolly. Scotney dictated the fight with her hand speed from the start. Scotney’s timing and punch placement led to a knockdown in round three with a right hook, left hook combination. Connolly had her moments in the latter rounds landing some effective body punches, but the effects of the punishment she sustained throughout ultimately caused a bad cut over her right eye. Ellie Scotney advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Bec Connolly falls to 3-8, with 0 Knockouts.

 

This card, which was promoted by promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing did see a few unexpected results in some prospects suffering their first losses as well as one being held to a draw. The story of this card will likely be however, a somewhat controversial decision in the main event between Lewis Ritson and Miguel Vazquez. While not the most entertaining bout, the former world champion Vazquez, who some might contend could be in the twilight of his career put forth a solid performance against a fighter in Lewis Ritson who might be on the fringe of world title contention. 

 

While Ritson did earn the biggest win of his career to date, some may argue that the decision should have gone the other way and that is not necessarily the impression that a would be contender would want to leave as they look to continue positioning themselves for a potential opportunity to fight for a world championship. Nevertheless, sometimes a win is still a win and it will be what Lewis Ritson does going forward that will likely determine how soon he will challenge for a world championship. Although he may not have been as impressive as he would have liked to have been against a fighter of the caliber of Miguel Vazquez, the experience Ritson gained in this fight will only serve him well as he continues his career.

 

 

“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

JOSHUA VS. PULEV CONFIRMED FOR DECEMBER 12

 Press Release: By DAZN – Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua OBE will defend his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles against Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev at The O2 in London on Saturday, December 12, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S., on a show promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with Top Rank and Epic Sports and Entertainment. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) recaptured his belts and position as the Unified Heavyweight World Champion with a masterful unanimous decision victory over Andy Ruiz Jr at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on an historical night in December that saw the Heavyweight World Titles contested for the very first time in the Middle East.

 

December 12 will be ‘AJ’s’ first fight on UK soil in over two years, since he defended his crowns with a devastating seventh round knockout of Russia’s Alexander Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, and the former Finchley ABC man will be aiming to deal with Pulev in style to set up an Undisputed showdown against WBC Champion and fellow Brit Tyson Fury in 2021.

 

Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs), the IBF’s No.1-ranked Heavyweight Mandatory Challenger, gets his second shot at World honours after his defeat to modern legend Wladimir Klitschko in 2014 – the only loss of his 29-fight professional career. He has won six fights in a row since then, including victories over Derek Chisora and an IBF Eliminator win over Hughie Fury in 2018.

 

The Bulgarian superstar was set to challenge Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in October 2017 but was forced to withdraw through an injury and will now get his opportunity to ruin the champion’s plans to face Fury in an all-British blockbuster showdown in the future.

 

“December 12 is the date and once again the Heavyweight belts go up in the air and it is my sole focus to make sure that come December 13 they are in their rightful place in the UK,” said Joshua. 

 

“The O2 is the original lion’s den, I have a lot of history with the arena, but without the fans something huge is missing. I am really hoping that, safety permitting, we might be able to bring some boxing fans in, but we will have to see.  I respect every opponent and I respect Pulev. I wish him well during his preparation.”

 

"For a small country of Bulgaria to stand up for the Heavyweight Titles is a great accomplishment," said Pulev. "This fight is for my late father and all Bulgarians around the world! I’m coming to London to seize the Heavyweight Championship of the World.”

 

“After a challenging year for everyone, to end with the unified World Heavyweight Championship is very special,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Over a year after regaining his crown, Anthony Joshua takes on yet another dangerous challenger in Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev. AJ’s resume is unrivalled, and this is the final hurdle until we challenge for the undisputed crown next year. 

 

“Whilst it’s unusual to think of an AJ fight without tens of thousands of fans in attendance, we will be doing everything we can to lobby for the safe return of fans to this event, we have to move forward together. I know Team Pulev and Bob Arum will be doing all they can to become World Champion on Dec 12 but AJ constantly evolves and improves and I expect a dominant performance and a spectacular KO to close out 2020.”

 

Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, said: “Eddie Hearn better watch out. Kubrat Pulev is going to destroy his plan for a Joshua-Tyson Fury unification fight.”

 

258 Managing Director Freddie Cunningham said: "Anthony again shows his willingness and desire to chase the Undisputed Title with another tough mandatory fight and despite the challenges of making a fight of this scale during these times it is important for AJ to keep momentum. It will be an exciting way to end the year and unique in every way. We will be working with Matchroom to build a card full of 258 fighters to give the fans entertainment throughout the undercard."

 

John Wirt, President of Epic Sports and Entertainment, said: “Crowd or no crowd, we are coming to AJ’s backyard to claim the titles. Come December 12, there will be no more excuses or delays. I guarantee that it will be an epic battle and that Kubrat will stop AJ inside the distance.”

 

“Anthony Joshua returns to the ring, a year after recapturing his World Titles from Andy Ruiz Jr, and Britain’s Unified World Champion will be determined to reign supreme in a hotly-contested Heavyweight division," said Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing Development. 

 

“Kubrat Pulev has proven pedigree, with just that sole defeat to Wladimir Klitschko, and he’ll be hoping to send more shockwaves through the sport with an upset victory, but I know that AJ has been training tirelessly, priming his explosive power for another night of fireworks.

 

“Tyson Fury will of course be watching - as an Undisputed World Title fight is within touching distance - and AJ cannot afford a slip-up in a blockbuster ending to the boxing year.”

 

“We’re thrilled to bring the Heavyweight Championship of the World to all DAZN subscribers,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “AJ-Pulev will have major consequences for the entire boxing landscape as both men aim to end the year in emphatic fashion.”

 

DAZN is currently available in the U.S., as well as Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain and Switzerland.

 

Material and Photo 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. 

Lomachenko-Lopez: The Fight Of The Year?

 

2020 will go down as one of the most frustrating years in recent memory if not in history. Not just for the sports world, but for life in general. The source of that frustration of course stems largely from the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic that has significantly changed daily life as well as imposed severe impacts that may not be fully understood and known for some time. For the Boxing world, the impact has been felt in several ways, most notably the lack of spectators being able to attend events due to the epidemic, which has had and will continue to have severe economic consequences for the sport as well as several notable fighters and potential fights that could be made being sidelined both for financial reasons as well as due to the risk of potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus.

 

Two fighters however, have taken a significant step in attempting to return the sport to something resembling what fans are accustomed to when Boxing is in its normal active state as one of the most anticipated fights that could be made in the entire sport will still take place, despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. This observer is of course referring to the highly anticipated Lightweight unification battle that will take place on October 17^that the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV between world champions Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez with the Undisputed Lightweight world championship at stake 

 

The 135lb. Lightweight division has historically been known as one of the most competitive divisions and has provided many memorable battles throughout Boxing history. This fight could well go down in that lineage as such an encounter. One of the key components in any fight being anticipated as potentially memorable is the element of the unknown. The fight between Lomachenko and Lopez not only has that element, but it is an encounter that could go a variety of ways in terms of how it is fought.

 

Both fighters have the ability to box and both have punching power capable of ending a fight should the opportunity arise. By now the story of Vasyl Lomachenko is well known to most Boxing fans. A man who won three hundred ninety-six fights as an amateur in what was an illustrious amateur career where he only lost once and won two Olympic Gold medals as a Featherweight and Lightweight in 2008 and 2012 respectively. Since turning pro in October 2013, Lomachenko has exclusively competed in world championship fights with the only loss as a professional coming in a controversial split decision to Orlando Salido in March 2014. 

 

Lomachenko will enter this unification bout against Lopez with a record of 14-1, with 10 Knockouts having won world titles in the 126lb. Featherweight and 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division prior to winning the Lightweight world championship he currently holds and has partially unified holding the WBC, WBA, and WBO Lightweight world championships. Although many feel he deserved the decision in his fight against Salido, the controversial loss has done nothing to diminish his standing or his skill set that has bedeviled nearly every opponent Lomachenko has faced. Lomachenko has registered a career knockout percentage of nearly 67% thus far as a professional. While Lomachenko is basically a complete package in terms of a fighter’s skill set, he is known as an extremely skilled boxer who can out box his opponents. There have been times where Lomachenko’s arsenal has frustrated opponents into quitting most notably in his fights with Nicholas Walters and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

 

What makes Lomachenko such a frustrating puzzle that one could argue no one has been able to solve? In simple terms, he can do a little of everything in a Boxing ring and does it extremely well. Perhaps one element of Lomachenko’s skill set that serves as a major source of frustration for his opponents is his immaculate footwork and lateral movement that allows him to attack from various angles as well as change levels and vary his attack. Some may recall the story of Lomachenko as a young boy being taught the sport beginning at age four by his father and trainer Anatoly before stopping his Boxing training for several years at the insistence of his father as a pre-teen to train in traditional Ukrainian dance in his native Ukraine. While some may overlook this, learning the fundamentals of the sport as a young child before focusing several years on dance allowed Lomachenko to develop an element of his skill set that many top fighters throughout the entire sport do not have. This along with well-rounded offense and being defensively sound has made Lomachenko a difficult fighter to combat.

 

The argument of some however, is that by Lomachenko being so dominant, questions regarding his ability to take a punch as well as how he would respond to adversity and to be more specific, what happens if Lomachenko is hurt in a fight remain. Some of those questions can and are likely to be asked of his opponent in this fight. Teofimo Lopez.

 

In some ways, Lopez has had a similar rise in terms of his professional career in becoming a world champion in just fifteen professional fights, but this is where the slight comparison between himself and Lomachenko end. Overall, the IBF world champion does not have the amount of combined experience amateur and professional compared to Lomachenko, but in fairness, few fighters have the discipline to embark on an amateur career where they end up having just shy of four hundred bouts as most fighters look to a professional career after competing as an amateur for the greener pastures that Professional Boxing has to offer.

 

Lopez did however, have a respectable amateur career where he had a record of 150-20 where he was a national Golden Gloves champion and did represent Honduras in the 2016 Summer Olympics. As a professional, the unbeaten Lopez has registered a career knockout percentage of 80% having knocked out twelve of his fifteen career opponents. 

 

Although like Lomachenko Lopez has Boxing ability, Lopez has shown that he has explosive punching power as evidenced in his last fight where he won the IBF Lightweight world championship with a brutal second round knockout of Richard Commey in December of last year and his first round knockout over highly touted prospect Mason Maynard in December of 2018. A fight that Lopez ended in just forty-four seconds.

 

Lopez ability to end a fight with either hand should make him a threat at any point in this fight. The IBF world champion will also enter this fight having scored knockouts in six of his last eight bouts so it is arguable that like Lomachenko, he has significant momentum going into this fight. 

 

What this encounter comes down to in my eyes is a scenario of experience versus youth. Although the two fighters have comparable records as professionals in terms of the amount of fights each has competed in, Lomachenko is nine years the elder of Lopez at thirty-two years old and also has spent more time in the professional ring having boxed a total of 131 rounds in his pro career compared to 60 total rounds for Lopez. It should also not be overlooked that many of the rounds boxed for Lomachenko have occurred in world championship fights and some may point to this as an edge for him as Lopez only recently fought and won a world championship. Something that should also not be overlooked is that much like the vast majority of bouts that have taken place since the sport began trying to resume in due in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, this fight will take place behind closed doors with no crowd in attendance.

 

The circumstances in which this fight will take place throws an obvious wrinkle into what most associate with the term “Big Fight Atmosphere.” This will nevertheless be the biggest fight in Lopez’ career and it will be interesting to see how he will respond to a fight of this magnitude. 

 

As for what we might see on fight night when the two fighters square off, I believe it is crucial that Lopez attempt to cut the ring off from Lomachenko early in the fight, a task that has proven to be easier said than done for previous Lomachenko opponents. Lopez must find a way to limit Lomachenko’s movement and make him a stationary target where it might be more to his advantage. For Lomachenko, it is logical to assume as he has done throughout his career will look to implement a tactical approach to his strategy. This could mean looking to extend Lopez into the middle and late rounds into what some would consider the deep waters of the fight, something that Lopez has not really experienced to date in his career.

 

Although anything can happen, it would not be surprising to see Lomachenko look to set traps with the angles he gives his opponents and look to counter Lopez as he comes forward. The question will be whether or not Lomachenko will be able to avoid Lopez’ power for all twelve rounds. While Lopez also can box, it is also logical to think that if this fight does go the distance, that it might be in Lomachenko’s favor.

 

 An illustration of this is reflected in the current odds courtesy of Sports Betting Dime “Lomachenko has a 72.0% chance to win the fight (-257 odds), while Lopez is at 23.8% (+320 odds) and a draw 4.2% (+2280 odds).

The method-of-victory props indicate that Loma is more likely to win by decision (45.0% chance, +122 odds) than stoppage (27.0%, +270 odds), whereas Lopez has a better chance to earn a stoppage win (13.5%, +640 true odds) than a decision victory (10.3%, +870 odds).”

 

While the odds going into a fight may not always prove to be accurate once the fighters are engaged in battle, the current odds going into Lomachenko-Lopez very much reflect the classic scenario of a boxer versus a puncher and more often than not when two fighters with contrasting styles clash, it provides a memorable night of Boxing. In terms of what may be ahead for the winner of this fight, it is important to keep in mind that unlike many marquee bouts over the years, this encounter has no rematch clause stipulated in the contract.

 

Of course, this does not rule out that there could be a rematch between the two especially if the fight turns into the Fight of the Year candidate that many believe it will be. What the no rematch stipulation does illustrate however, is two world champions are putting everything on the line to determine the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world. All the ingredients for a classic encounter are there, a multi-division world champion looking to cement his legacy further by becoming an undisputed world champion against a young, unbeaten, and determined world champion looking to prove he can also be an all-time great fighter. For Boxing fans both the hardcore enthusiast as well as the casual observer, this is the type of fight most demand to see, but due to various aspects of the business of the sport rarely get to see it without waiting a significant period of time for it to come to fruition. 

 

This is a rare instance where in part due to the circumstances of what is going on globally with an ongoing epidemic, the Boxing fan will not have to wait a lengthy period to see two fighters they want to see square off do battle, Something the sport of Boxing frankly needs more of. There simply is nothing more to say than we will see what happens on fight night, Saturday, October 17^th.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Lomachenko vs Lopez takes place on Saturday, October 17^th at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV. In the United States, the fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on ESPN across cable, satellite, and Live TV streaming platforms as well as through the ESPN app featuring ESPN’s digital subscription streaming network ESPN+ on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs beginning at 7.30PM ET/4:30PM PT. For more information about ESPN please visit: www.ESPN.com. 

 

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many countries internationally, the card can be seen on combat sports digital streaming network FITE TV on a pay-per-view basis for £9.99. To check for availability in your area and start time internationally, list of compatible streaming devices/ platforms/Smart TVs, and to order please visit:www.FITE.TV. 

 

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

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

 

 

FITE Launches On Cox Contour Platforms

 Press Release By FITE – New York, October 14, 2020 - FITE, the premiere global platform for sports and entertainment, announced today that they have inked a multi-year deal with Cox Communications for distribution on their TV platforms. FITE is now available to Cox Contour and Contour Stream Player customers across the company’s footprint.  

Credit: FITE 

 

FITE, an international company headquartered in New York, is desirous to extend its reach to fans in the USA, their number one market. The company is just halfway through its fourthyear in business and has grown 12% year over year in 2020. Although originally known as expert curators of boxing, pro wrestling, and MMA PPV programming, since March of this year, FITE has added football, soccer, tennis, basketball, films, and a deep push into motorsports and music concert streaming. 

 

The FITE app will join popular sports brands such as NBC Sports, ESPN, and DAZN on Cox Contour, providing customers with a frictionless way to experience live sports at home. Cox Contour customers can order events and SVOD bundles on FITE via the app or with the Cox voice remote, directly to their TVs. As an added benefit, Cox customers will have access to exclusive FITE content advantages such asreplays, multi-device use and for many of the major events, additional language options.

 

Louis Lewow, VP-Distribution, FITE stated, “we’ve enjoyed working with Cox on this distribution deal, and its launch is coming at a perfect inflection point for our growth. We’re thrilled to offer our premium PPV, SVOD and free programming options to Cox Contour customers.”

 

The FITE app launch kick-offs with a variety of exclusive PPV shows, such as the popular FITE Klub motorsports events and our 11-concert Extravaganza package, plus Southern American World Cup Qualifier soccer, live MMA and boxing from around the globe, and premium pro wrestling events like Impact’s Bound for Glory 2020 in available in 4 languages.

 

--

 

About FITE:

FITE is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry's marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with 2.5MM

registered users. FITE is available worldwide through its iOS and Android

mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV and Huawei apps. In

addition, FITE supports Cox Contour, Cox Contour Stream Player, Vizio SmartCast™, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, Vewd, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. 

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  If it Happens, it’s on FITE.

 

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

 

For more information about FITE TV including schedules, and list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVS please visit: www.FITE.TV. 

 

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

 

Joey Beltran Retains Unified Bareknuckle World Heavyweight Championship At BKFC 13 With Fourth Round KO Of Marcel Stamps

 

MMA veteran and unified Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)/ Police Gazette Boxing Corporation (PGBC) (Bareknuckle Boxing) Heavyweight world champion Joey Beltran successfully made the first defense of his world championship by scoring a fourth round stoppage of previously undefeated Marcel Stamps in the main event of BKFC 13 on Saturday night at the Tony’s Pizza Events Center in Salina, KS. Beltran had problems with the elusiveness of Stamps in the early rounds and was down on the official scorecards as the fight progressed due to Stamps’ ability to establish distance and catch the champion as he came forward. While Stamps’ style may not be appreciated by some fans who are used to the standing and trading punches that many Bareknuckle Boxing bouts are fought under the modernized Bareknuckle format, it was effective. Beltran began to change things in round three by getting on the inside and landing solid body punches and mixing in offense to the head while in the clinch. In round four, Beltran appeared to hit Stamps on the back of the neck. Although this was an illegal blow, Beltran was cautioned after Stamps had gone down. At this point in the fight, Stamps appeared compromised and went down several times, many of which were ruled slips. Beltran was able to score a knockdown from what appeared to this observer to be a body shot. Stamps was able to get up on unsteady legs, but the champion sensing he had the challenger in trouble pressed forward and after a second knockdown of Stamps from a combination, the challenger was counted out while on his knee against the ropes. Official time of the stoppage was 1:55 of round four. Joey Beltran advances to 4-1-1, with 2 Knockouts. Marcel Stamps falls to 2-1, with 2 Knockouts.

 

In the co-main event in the 115lb. weight class, 2016 Olympic Bronze medalist and undefeated Jr. Bantamweight prospect in traditional Professional Boxing Nico Hernandez successfully made his professional Bareknuckle Boxing debut by scoring a fourth round stoppage of Chancey Wilson. Hernandez’ hand speed was on full display throughout this fight though he was tested in spots by MMA veteran Wilson. Hernandez overall skill set eventually dictated the combat in the bout and after four rounds that were competitive, but generally saw Hernandez get the better of the exchanges, the fight was stopped due to Chancey Wilson vomiting in his corner. Nico Hernandez advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Chancey Wilson falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card: 

 

 

 In the Heavyweight division, Bill Dieckhoff scored a first round knockout over Austin Levine. Dieckhoff dropped Levine with a right uppercut, left hook combination early in the round, this was followed by a second knockdown from jab to the head, Dieckhoff scored a third and final knockdown with a follow up barrage resulting in the fight being stopped. Official time was 1:54 of round one. Bill Dieckhoff advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Austin Levine falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In a 175lb. bout, Antonio Hernandez scored a five round unanimous decision over Jack Freriks. A tactical battle from the start that saw both fighters have success early. As the fight progressed however, it was Hernandez’ lateral movement, timing, and combination punching that proved to be the difference. Official scores were 49-46 (On Two scorecards), and 48-47 all in favor of Hernandez. Antonio Hernandez advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Jack Freriks falls to 1-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Also in the 175lb. division, Dave Rickels scored a five round unanimous decision over Clifford Wright.  Official scores were 50-45, (On two scorecards) and 50-43 all in favor of Rickels. This fight was largely highlighted by both Rickels’ physical strength as well as his compact offense. Rickels consistently threw and landed flurries of punches and frequently had Wright on the defensive throughout. Despite taking a beating, Wright was not knocked down and remained very “Game “ until the final bell. Official scores were 50-45, (On two scorecards) and 50-43 all in favor of Rickels. Dave Rickels advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Clifford Wright falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In the 185lb. division Isaac Doolittle scored a five round majority decision over Brandon Johnson. What was a competitive fight all the way through saw several exchanges inside the clinch between the two fighters. Doolittle scored a knockdown of Johnson in round one with a left hook to the head and this along with his slightly higher work rate throughout is what allowed him to earn a hard fought majority decision.Official scores were 47-47 (Even), and 48-46 (On two scorecards) giving Doolittle the victory. Isaac Doolittle advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Brandon Johnson falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

 

A 165lb. bout saw  Fred Pierce score a first round knockout over John Hollis. A left hook to the head sent Hollis down for the count at 1:54 of round one. Fred Pierce advances to 1-3, with 1 Knockout. John Hollis falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In a bout in the 150lb. weight class, LJ Hermreck needed just fifty-one seconds to score a knockout of Rowdy Akers. The two fighters exchanged immediately once the bell sounded. A bad cut opened under the left eye of Akers resulting in his eye swelling quickly. A short uppercut to the head sent Akers down and ended what was a short, but explosive fight. LJ Hermreck advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Rowdy Akers falls to 1-1, with 1 Knockout.

 

In the opening bout of the evening in the 125lb. weight class Kendrick Latchman scored a second round knockout of Miles McDonald. McDonald was consistently aggressive throughout, but also missed wildly with a portion of his offense. This allowed Latchman to more or less pick his shots as McDonald came forward. A combination to the body and head of McDonald sent him down in the second round. While it was a full combination of punches that landed, it appeared to be a right hand to the body that did the damage. A second knockdown with another right hand to the body resulted in the fight being stopped at 1:41 of round two. Kendrick Latchman advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Miles McDonald falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

As has been the case in the twelve previous cards in the BKFC’s two year history, there has been steady progress made not only in terms of the promotion’s growth, but also recognition that has not always been seen by other variations of Bareknuckle Boxing since the sport in Bareknuckle-form began to re-emerge over the last decade. A sign of such progress can be illustrated not only by the BKFC’s recently launched subscription-based digital streaming network platform BKTV that not only serves as the exclusive global broadcast home for all of the promotion’s cards and on-demand library in a successful transition away from the promotion’s previous pay-per-view centric focus, but the promotion has also opened its platform to other Bareknuckle Boxing promoters as witnessed by the recently launched Toe The Line Bareknuckle promotion in September.

 

Further signs of progress and recognition that can now be seen are BKFC 13 was the first event to feature real time open scoring. A concept that is used by the World Boxing Council (WBC) for its world championship fights in traditional Professional Boxing, but one that has been a source of debate for nearly thirty years that has yet to be universally adapted and embraced by state and regulatory commissions around the world. Perhaps the most significant sign of growth however, is that official Boxing record keepers and databases such as BoxRec are now recognizing Bareknuckle bouts under the modernized format as official professional fights. Something that has been long overdue in this observer’s eyes that has not been accomplished by promoters that have presented their own variations of Boxing in Bareknuckle-form over the last decade, most notably the now defunct BKB:Bare-Knuckle/Big-Knockout Boxing promotion that was owned by United States Satellite Pay-TV provider DirecTV.

 

Longtime readers who may recall the coverage yours truly provided on every one of the DirecTV promoted BKB cards, I speculated from time to time as to whether or not Professional Boxing presented in a different form and format from that oof Traditional Professional Boxing would ultimately be recognized by sanctioning organizations and official record keepers as a recognized form of Professional Boxing. While it has been several years now as of this writing since the last DirecTV promoted BKB card and to date, none of those bouts are in official record databases beyond the coverage that I and a select few who cover Traditional Boxing full time, who covered some or in my case, every BKB event DirecTV promoted, I am optimistic that progress will continue to be made as far as the sport in organized Bareknuckle-form being recognized as the legitimate Professional Boxing form that it is.

 

While it remains doubtful that the sport’s major sanctioning organizations that regulate Traditional Professional Boxing will ever embrace the sport in Bareknuckle-form and would be willing to sanction a world championship fight under this format, this observer is encouraged by the steps forward that have been made. Even though it also is unclear as of this writing as to whether Traditional Boxing either Professional or Amateur will be showcased on the BKFC’s new digital streaming network as all of sports continue looking to adapt as television continues its evolution towards an all streaming format, it shouldn’t be ruled out. Especially if the trend of both boxers and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters choosing to compete in Bareknuckle Boxing in between bouts in their primary combat sports discipline continues.

 

“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

Will Emanuel Navarrete Follow Shakur Stevenson To Jr. Lightweight?

 

The main storyline of the bout between former Jr. Featherweight world champion Emanuel Navarrete and undefeated top contender Ruben Villa on October 9^th at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, NV was that they were meeting for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Featherweight championship that was recently vacated by undefeated former champion Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson opted to relinquish his crown in the 126lb. Featherweight division to set his sights on the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. While Stevenson’s decision created an opportunity for both Navarrete and Villa, the fight between the two did present an interesting clash of styles.

 

Navarrete, who entered the fight having won thirty-two of thirty-three professional fights had registered a career knockout percentage of over 75% having stopped twenty-eight of his previous opponents inside the distance. Although his official record listed at 31-1, with 27 Knockouts was due to his last bout having taken place with no official athletic commission in attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic his bout against Uriel Lopez in June of this year in Mexico City, MX, a fight that saw Navarrete stop his opponent in six rounds, was not considered an official fight by some Boxing record keepers, few would deny that he was viewed as the favorite in this fight against Villa due to his reputation for being able to score knockouts.

 

The question was whether Villa, who entered the fight unbeaten in eighteen professional fights, but did win forty-four of fifty-two bouts as an amateur would be able to use his Boxing skill set to avoid Navarrete’s power for twelve rounds as, despite his unbeaten record as a professional, Villa had only scored knockouts in five of his eighteen wins going into this encounter. For a time it appeared Villa would have success in using lateral movement to make Navarrete miss as his came forward and looking to take advantage of openings Navarrete would leave him to counter punch.

 

Navarrete would however, show his power by dropping Villa in the first round with a left uppercut to the head. The former WBO Jr. Featherweight world champion would score a second knockdown of Villa with a short left hook to the head in round four. While these knockdowns were what are often referred to as “Flash Knockdowns “ due to both the suddenness of which they occurred, but also Villa not appearing to be hurt by either blow, despite going down, it proved to be costly for him on the scorecards. As the fight progressed, Navarrete continued to stalk Villa.

 

Although Navarrete did not always land cleanly in the middle and late rounds, his aggression as well as Villa’s inability to land something that would turn the momentum in his favor, allowed Navarrete to maintain the advantage he was able to build off of the two knockdowns he was able to score early in the fight to earn a convincing twelve round unanimous decision and win his second world championship in as many weight classes.

 

Despite having occasional problems in being able to limit Villa’s movement throughout the fight, sometimes consistent aggression as well as being able to make the most of the punches he was able to land was enough for Emanuel Navarrete to turn in a convincing performance. An obvious question coming out of this fight is whether or not Navarrete will look to follow the man who vacated the title he now holds for a potential encounter in the Jr. Lightweight division.

 

While there are lucrative options for Navarrete in the 126lb. Featherweight division including IBF world champion Josh Warington as well as the winner of the upcoming bout between Leo Santa Cruz and Gervonta Davis, a move up to 130lbs. should not be dismissed and as is usually the case in Boxing, it will likely come down to what opportunity is available, when it’s available, and how lucrative it might be that will probably play a role in what Emanuel Navarrete does next. As Boxing and the world in general continues to struggle in the circumstances created by the COVID-19, the silver-lining for Navarrete and many fighters throughout the entire sport will be that there will be plenty of options and money to be made whenever the ongoing epidemic that has dominated much of 2020 reaches its conclusion. Until then assuming the sport can continue to operate as cases of the COVID-19 virus continue to increase globally, it will depend on what agreements can be made between fighters, promoters, networks and just how financially viable those agreements are that will likely determine how soon potential fights can take place.

 

“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