Clary Stops Perez For Second Time In Rematch

 

Jr. Lightweight contender Toka Kahn Clary was able to go 2 for 2 by scoring his second stoppage of veteran Jonathan Perez on Thursday night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI. In what was a rematch from a bout in June 2015, an encounter where Clary scored a sixth round knockout of Perez, in a bout in the 126lb. Featherweight division, the current North American Boxing Association (NABA) Jr. Lightweight champion was able to end Perez’ night in a shorter period this time around. 

 

After a relatively quiet opening round in a fight where his regional championship was not at stake, Clary brought the fight to a sudden conclusion in round two when he connected with what appeared to be a short left uppercut that split the guard of Perez and sent him down on his knees in a neutral corner. Perez made an attempt to beat the count, but could not get his leg underneath him and the bout was stopped by Referee Danny Schiavone at the count of eight. Official time of the stoppage was 1:49 of round two. Toka Kahn Clary advances to 28-2, with 19 Knockouts. Jonathan Perez falls to 38-26, with 30 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In a Welterweight bout, undefeated prospect James Perella scored a workmanlike four round unanimous decision over Antonio Castillo. A fight that was fought at a tactical pace from the start, Perella was able to keep Castillo at distance with his jab and mixing in combinations. Castillo was able to have occasional moments throughout using angles to keep Perella honest, but was simply not able to do enough to make up ground on the scorecards as all three judges scored the fight in Perella’s favor. Official scores were: 40-36 (On all three scorecards) in favor of Perella. James Perella advances to 6-0, with 4 Knockouts. Antonio Castillo falls to 1-2, with 1 Knockout. 

 

 

Unbeaten Middleweight Francis Hogan scored a fourth round stoppage of Charon Spain. Hogan used his height and range to control the bout from the opening bell. The former New England Golden Gloves champion found success in hitting Spain with right hands to the head throughout. It was a right hand to the head in round four that staggered Spain into the ropes resulting in a knockdown being credited to Hogan as the ropes prevented Spain from going down. Hogan closed the show with a follow up barrage along the ropes that forced a stoppage of the fight. Official time of the stoppage was 2:39 of round four. Francis Hogan advances to 3-0, with 3 Knockouts. Charon Spain falls to 2-14-2, with 1 Knockout.

 

 

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight Elijah Peixoto opened the evening by scoring a first round stoppage of a “Game” Kristopher Berberich. Peixoto implemented an attack to the body of Berberich from the outset. Peixoto applied pressure on Berberich quickly forcing him backward and targeting his body. Although Berberich attempted to halt that pressure and did land a few wide hooks, he was unable to keep Peixoto off of him. A combination of hooks with both hands sent Berberich down and through the ropes as the fight was immediately stopped at 2:42 of round one. Elijah Peixoto advances to 3-0, with 2 Knockouts. Kristopher Berberich falls to 0-2, with 0 Knockouts.

 

A scheduled six round Welterweight bout between Khiry Todd and Ryan Pino was cancelled earlier in the day due to an undisclosed illness Todd is said to have been sidelined by. There is no word as of this writing as to what Todd’s condition is or if the fight is intended to be rescheduled for a later date.

 

As much of the coverage of not just the sport of Boxing, but of general news and information in 2020 has been and will continue to be dominated by the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, the consistent theme that will be front and center for Boxing and by extension all combat sports as long as sports are able to remain active will be promoters at all levels of combat sports looking to resume activity. For promoter Jimmy Burchfield’s CES Boxing, a mainstay of the sport and particularly the New England Boxing scene, this card represented the first step in resuming their schedule following a return of the promotional company’s mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion CES MMA on October 14^th at the same Crowne Plaza Hotel. One can only hope that the circumstances of COVID-19 improve globally and as things improve it will reopen the doors for promoters at every level to not only resume business where hopefully they will be able to sell tickets to spectators in time, but also provide opportunities to fighters who have been severely impacted by the epidemic. 

 

“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

 

 

 

DAZN To Expand Global Platform On December 1st

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK and LONDON, (Oct. 28, 2020) – DAZN, the leading global sports streaming service, will expand to more than 200 countries and territories beginning Dec. 1. The platform will debut with back-to-back weekends featuring boxing events with international appeal.  

Credit:DAZN 

 

On Saturday, Dec. 5, budding lightweight American star Ryan Garcia takes on the battle-tested Brit and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell. On Saturday, Dec. 12, unified heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua OBE will defend his world titles against Bulgarian mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev.  

 

To maximize the international audience across North America and Europe*, the main events for both fights will start around midnight GMT/7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST.

 

The initial monthly price point for new markets will be £1.99 or less.

 

“From the UK to Mexico to Australia, we’ve seen an encouraging level of interest in our key events since first launching in 2016,” said DAZN EVP Joseph Markowski. “We’re looking forward to introducing the DAZN platform around the world this December with an exciting schedule of fights.”

 

At launch, DAZN’s global platform will feature world championship boxing events, as well as an ever-growing archive of classic fights, athlete features and a slate of original programming including 40 DAYS, Saturday Fight Live and ONE NIGHT. Additional sports and programming will be added beginning in 2021.

 

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. 

 

For more information, visit www.DAZN.com. 

 

*Garcia vs. Campbell not available on DAZN in Poland. Joshua vs. Pulev not available on DAZN in the UK or Ireland. 

 

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.

 

Davis-Santa Cruz Preview

 

As the sport of Boxing looks to continue adapting to the changing environment and landscape caused by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, some anticipated encounters are starting to occur even as some of the sport’s biggest stars continue to sit out due to both health concerns in the potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus as well as financial reasons in not wanting to sacrifice a portion of revenue by competing in a fan-less environment. One such encounter will take place on October 31st at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX as Gervonta Davis will square off against Leo Santa Cruz.

 

The fight, which is being promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and will be broadcast here in the United States and Canada on cable-satellite pay-per-view on Showtime pay-per-view, was originally scheduled to take place on October 24th in one of two fan-less environments that the PBC have used for their events since the sport began attempting to resume in June, in this case the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. As sports across the board are attempting to gradually incorporate fans into their respective events at limited capacity due to safety concerns caused by COVID-19, the decision was made to push the Davis-Santa Cruz bout back one week and move it from Uncasville, CT to San Antonio, TX where the venue, the Alamodome can hold 10,000 spectators while also complying with both state and federal social distancing guidelines.

 

While the number of COVID-19 cases here in the United States continues to increase and it remains to be seen whether the decision of not just Boxing promoters, but other sports and more specifically public officials to seek allowing spectators in any measurable number to attend events while the epidemic continues proves to be a wise decision, the fight between Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz nevertheless does bring together two of the top stars in the sport. This fight will also have a unique distinction in that two championship belts in two separate weight classes will be at stake.

 

This observer is referring to the WBA Jr. Lightweight and a WBA interim designation in the 135lb. Lightweight division. Although this does have some similarities in following a historic battle that took place in November 1988 when WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Donny Lalonde met Sugar Ray Leonard for not only his world championship, but also the then newly created WBC Super-Middleweight world championship, this is not a fight of that historical significance. The reason for that is because when Lalonde and Leonard met nearly thirty-two years to the day of this encounter between Davis and Santa Cruz, the sport did not have interim championship designations much less designations where multiple fighters can be designated as having interim/regular champion status in an organization’s respective ratings in a given weight class at any time. Although such structures and designations can create confusion amongst Boxing fans and to be more specific those fans for whom the sport is of casual interest, it does not diminish what is likely to be one of the best fights of the turbulent year 2020.

 

In some ways, this fight resembles the recent unification clash for the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world between Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez in that on paper this appears to be an encounter that pits a puncher in Davis against a boxer in Santa Cruz. As we saw nearly two weeks ago when Lopez defeated Lomachenko by a convincing twelve round unanimous decision, sometimes no matter how a fight might look on paper, it does not always translate into what occurs when two fighters are squaring off in the ring. While the strategy implemented by Teofimo Lopez, a fighter known for his ability to score quick knockouts, in choosing a tactical Boxing strategy to both out box and outwork Vasyl Lomachenko over the course of twelve rounds was unexpected, that does not necessarily mean that something similar could happen in this fight.

 

Gervonta Davis will enter this fight against Leo Santa Cruz unbeaten in twenty-three professional fights and having scored knockouts in twenty-two of those bouts. Much like Lopez, Davis is known for having devastating knockout power and can end a fight with one punch should the opportunity arise. In his last fight in December of last year, Davis scored a twelve round stoppage over a very “Game” Yuriorkis Gamboa. Although Davis was able to knockdown Gamboa three times throughout the fight, Gamboa was able to provide Davis with a significant test, despite being injured early in the fight in suffering a torn right Achilles before being stopped in the twelfth round.

 

What was impressive about Davis’ performance in that fight was how he was able to keep his composure and wait for the knockout to develop rather than to be reckless and head hunt where so many fighters who have built reputations as “Knockout Artists” have fallen into a sense of complacency when they are able to score knockdowns early in a fight and in some cases end up losing a fight. Although that fight will forever be known for the courage Yuriorkis Gamboa displayed in fighting under what had to be excruciating pain, it also cannot be overlooked the performance that Davis put forth in that encounter.

 

In this fight Davis is likely to be tested again against Leo Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz, who will enter the fight having won thirty-seven of thirty-nine professional fights, is currently on a five fight winning streak since suffering his lone career defeat to Carl Frampton in July 2016. Although much like Davis Santa Cruz has also demonstrated that he can score a knockout should the opportunity present itself, he is more of a boxer/puncher having scored knockouts in nineteen of his thirty-seven career wins.

 

What this fight comes down to in my eyes is whether or not Santa Cruz will be able to extend Davis, nullify his power, and win rounds. Even though no one can dispute the courage Yuriorkis Gamboa showed when he fought Davis last December, he suffered three knockdowns over the course of the fight and, despite having periodic success throughout the fight, he was not able to really nullify Davis’ punching power. The challenge for Leo Santa Cruz will be to avoid Davis, who has shown an ability to knockout an opponent with either hand, for twelve rounds.

 

Although as we saw with the Lomachenko-Lopez fight that no one can really say for certain what will happen when two fighters enter the ring to do battle, it is logical to assume that Santa Cruz’ strategy will be to out box Davis and try to win a decision. Nevertheless, whenever there are two fighters with contrasting styles going against each other, it is always intriguing to see what will happen.

 

This fight like the recent doubleheader featuring twin brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo will headline a pay-per-view card with a rather expensive price tag. Although much like it was when the Charlo brothers defeated Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Jeison Rosario respectively last month, the criticism directed towards both the PBC group of promoters as well as the television network producing the pay-per-view broadcast, Showtime, should not be directed the fighters, one does have to wonder how successful this card will be given the state of the ongoing global epidemic, the economic recession that it has caused here in the United States, as well as the financial hardships that many are going through.

 

In contrast, the decision by sports cable network ESPN as well as promoter Bob Arum and his company Top Rank, Inc. to put the Lomachenko-Lopez bout on the main ESPN network on cable and satellite as well as making it available on the network’s direct to consumer digital subscription streaming network ESPN+ for those who do not have access to the linear ESPN networks via traditional cable-satellite providers or live TV streaming providers, proved to be a wise decision as over three million viewers tuned in to see the fight as well as its full undercard across both ESPN’s main linear network as well as via ESPN’s streaming apps.

 

It is rare to see any Boxing event achieve that kind of number in terms of live viewership for a card such as Lomachenko-Lopez, but the number does indicate the increasing trend that the traditional pay-per-view model not only no longer serves Boxing’s best interest, but also that consumers may no longer be willing to pay an increasingly expensive price tag to watch the sport on a per card basis regardless of who might be on the card and why networks and promoters who to date have been resistant to the changing landscape and thus far are unwilling to adapt a digital subscription model at a reasonable price point much like networks such as ESPN+ and DAZN, should rethink their strategy.

 

With not only this card headlined by Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz as well as the upcoming Welterweight world championship bout between undefeated unified IBF/WBC world champion Errol Spence and former two-division world champion Danny Garcia both slated to be broadcast on pay-per-view, and also factoring in that the Charlo brothers doubleheader only did an estimated 100,000 buys on pay-per-view at a $74.99 price point, one can only imagine the audience both here in the United States as well as globally that the PBC group of promoters as well as networks like Showtime, who broadcast the Charlo doubleheader, who will also be broadcasting the Davis-Santa Cruz pay-per-view card as well as Fox Sports who will be producing the Spence-Garcia pay-per-view event are missing out on by continuing to rely on outdated and overpriced model. The true shame is the fighters themselves are being denied the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of as many eyes as possible, especially in the midst of an ongoing epidemic that does not appear to be improving.

 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Davis vs. Santa Cruz takes place on October 31^st at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. The fight as well as its undercard can be seen in the United States on a pay-per-view basis beginning at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT (U.S. time on Showtime pay-per-view across cable and satellite providers as well as through the Showtime app across mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/smart TVs for $74.99. Contact your local cable or satellite provider for ordering information or visit: www.SHO.com/PPV to order the event and information how to download  and access the Showtime app on compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs. Check your local listings internationally. For more information about Premier Boxing Champions please visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Can Chisora Surprise Usyk?

 

One of the criticisms of some fans since the sport of Boxing began trying to resume under the circumstances of COVID-19 back in June of this year has been a view that the fights that have been presented have been fights that have lacked public demand. Of course, one of, if not the most consistent themes of this observer’s work throughout 2020 here on The Boxing Truth®️ has been not only the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic as it relates to Boxing, but also the acknowledgment that many of the sport’s top fighters remain sidelined due both to health concerns of the potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus, but also financial interests in not wanting to forgo a portion of revenue by competing in front of no spectators outside of essential personnel and also not being willing to take a pay cut in what they would normally earn on a per fight basis when the sport is in its normal active state.

 

While this is something that I have touched upon frequently in recent months as the epidemic has worsened, and though yours truly can understand and sympathize with the fan/reader in this at times becoming repetitive, it is unfortunately the reality of the sport currently and to ignore it would be a disservice to not only the sport itself, but also the readers who know this observer for being unbiased and objective in the way I have covered the sport of Boxing and by extension combat sports over the last two decades. What sometimes can get overlooked however, is the risk fighters who remain sidelined for the reasons I have explained take in terms of their career.

 

Obviously, there is the risk of alienating fans by not competing, but there is also the risk to a fighter’s ability. What do I mean by ability? Much like any other skill one acquires and hones, the more one practices their craft, the better they become at it. When an athlete in any sport is sidelined either because of injuries or other reasons for a significant period of time, the question that is often asked is will the time off do more harm than good. While the circumstances of the ongoing epidemic is unprecedented, top fighters throughout the sport have tough decisions to make. The decisions of risk to their health un terms of exposure, but also the risk that sitting out might have on their athletic ability as well as their reflexes and timing by not competing and in some cases not being able to train and spare in a gym.

 

As we have begun to see with the recent unification bout between Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez however, some fighters have made the decision to forgo their financial interests to compete to hopefully improve their standing in the sport when such time comes that COVID-19 is less of an issue and sports and hopefully, the rest of the world can return to a semblance of normalcy. Two such fighters will follow the lead of Lomachenko and Lopez by meeting in a high stakes Heavyweight bout on Saturday, October 31^st at the Wembley Arena in London, England as undefeated former undisputed Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk will meet longtime Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Dereck Chisora in an encounter, which could have implications on the Heavyweight division heading into 2021.

 

Usyk, the former undisputed Cruiserweight world champion made his Heavyweight debut in October of last year scoring a one-sided seventh round stoppage of one time contender Chazz Witherspoon. When the native of Kiev, Ukraine relinquished his Cruiserweight crown to set his sights on the Heavyweight division, he was automatically moved into position as the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mandatory challenger per his being not only the WBO world champion in the Cruiserweight division, but also the undisputed world champion at the time he vacated the championship.

 

While Usyk appears to be in line to face current unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO world champion Anthony Joshua at some point in the near future should Joshua successfully retain his crown against current IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in December, he has chosen to risk his position as the WBO mandatory rather than sit out on the sidelines while the circumstances of COVID-19 continue. As has been the case for many fighters since the COVID-19 crisis began, Usyk would have probably competed earlier in 2020 if circumstances had allowed him to do so. It is in part because of the circumstances however, that two questions will be asked of Usyk in this fight.

 

The first question is what effect if any will being inactive for over one year have on him in this fight. Perhaps an even more compelling question that will be asked of him is can he deal with a Heavyweight that is likely to put pressure on him early. Although Usyk is dominant in his victory over Chazz Witherspoon, Witherspoon was not really able to provide him with much of a test in his first fight as a Heavyweight and at times the fight frankly resembled a sparring session. This is not likely to happen against his opponent in this fight Dereck Chisora.

 

As most know, Chisora has had a long tenure as a Heavyweight contender including challenging then WBC world champion Vitali Klitschko in February 2012 in losing a twelve round unanimous decision. There have been times where Chisora has looked spectacular, but there have also been times where he has appeared sluggish and unable to compete effectively when he has stepped up against the elite level in the Heavyweight division. He has however, won the European Heavyweight championship in his career and will come into this fight on a three fight winning streak. The question in regard to Chisora as this fight approaches will be what version of Dereck Chisora will show up. Will it be the version of the consistent pressure fighter that looks to back his opponent up and break his opponent down with power punches as a fight progresses, or will this be the lethargic and inconsistent version of a fighter that many felt would be a consistent player in the world championship picture when he came on the scene several years ago.

 

Some may contend that at thirty-six years old and after forty-one professional fights, this may be Chisora’s last chance to earn an opportunity to challenge for a world championship again. How does Chisora get it done? This is obviously a question that many will ask and the answer is indeed easier said than done, but in thinking of how the veteran contender could have success in this fight one word consistently came to mind… Pressure…

 

At his best, Dereck Chisora is a fighter who likes to get on the inside and work an opponent’s body as he is often facing opposition that is taller than him and who outweigh him. Although standing in 6’1 ½ Chisora may be viewed as a small Heavyweight by today’s standard, in some ways he will be the bigger man in this fight, despite giving up two inches in reach to Usyk. Chisora has after all competed as a Heavyweight for his entire career and has done so against many top contenders and elite level fighters.

 

Even though this does not diminish the accomplishments that Oleksandr Usyk has made in his career as a Cruiserweight, he has yet to be tested by aggressive Heavyweight that can punch as Chisora has demonstrated in scoring knockouts in twenty-three of his thirty-two career wins. While one should not assume that Chisora necessarily has an advantage in terms of punching power if not one as a natural Heavyweight, it is crucial that Chisora put pressure on Usyk from the outset and find a way to make him uncomfortable. Despite scoring knockouts in thirteen of his seventeen career wins, it is hard to envision Oleksandr Usyk being willing to stand and trade blow for blow with a Heavyweight that can punch at least at this stage of his career in the division. Based on this, it is not difficult to think that Usyk will look to out box Chisora an attempt to tire him over the course of the fight before perhaps trying to get a stoppage in the late rounds. Whether or not Usyk will be able to keep Chisora at bay for twelve rounds remains to be seen.

 

In what has been a very frustrating year for everyone in and out of sports for obvious reasons, this fight has the element they normally makes most bouts in Boxing and by extension all combat sports interesting. The element of the unknown. One may look no further than June of last year when Andy Ruiz, who stepped into a fight against Anthony Joshua in New York’s Madison Square Garden on short notice was able to score a dramatic upset that many did not see coming. Although Ruiz went on to lose a decision to Joshua in their rematch late last year, he proved an old adage that this observer truly believes in, which is you just don’t know what will happen when two fighters enter the ring to do battle. Whether or not Dereck Chisora will be able to pull off what some may view as unlikely surprise remains to be seen, but this observer has been around long enough to know always expect the unexpected.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Usyk vs. Chisora takes place on Saturday, October 31^st at the Wembley Arena in London, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States and several international countries on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 2 PM ET/11 AM 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 a pay-per-view basis on Sky Box Office beginning at 6 PM (local UK time) for £19.95. For more information including availability in your area and to order please visit: https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/usyk-chisora. 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

Lipinets And Clayton Fight To Majority Draw

 

Former IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Sergey Lipinets was held to a twelve round majority draw in his fight against undefeated, but also unknown Custio Clayton in a very competitive Welterweight bout on Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. In what was an elimination bout to determine a mandatory challenger in the International Boxing Federation’ (IBF) Welterweight ratings, the unbeaten Clayton, who also represented Canada in the 2012 Olympics, showed surprising poise in being able to use lateral movement and a consistent jab to attempt to out box Lipinets from distance. This disrupted the former world champion’s ability to get into a consistent offensive rhythm as Clayton remained an elusive target throughout. 

 

As the fight progressed, Lipinets best moments came during periodic occasions where he was able get Clayton against the ropes and land offense to the body. While Lipinets seemed to get the better of the action in those instances, he really had no answer to nullify Clayton’s jab or movement for extended periods in this bout. The question became whether Clayton’s pure Boxing strategy where his jab served as the focal point of his offense that set up short combinations as well as disrupted Lipinets’ ability to get his punches off consistently would get the nod from the three official judges over Lipinets’ aggression and periodic, but effective body attack. At the end of the the tactical twelve round bout, two if three official judges turned in identical even scores making this fight a majority draw. Official scores were: 114-114 (On two scorecards), and 115-113 in favor of Clayton resulting in the majority draw. Sergey Lipinets advances to 16-1-1, with 12 Knockouts. Custio Clayton advances to 18-0-1, with 12 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In a competitive Jr. Lightweight bout, undefeated contender Xavier Martinez scored a hard-fought twelve round unanimous decision over Claudio Marrero. Many of the early rounds were dictated by Martinez’ hand speed and combination punching, but in round eight Marrero nearly ended the fight by dropping Martinez with a flush right hook to the jaw. A visibly hurt Martinez was able to get up only to be dropped for a second time with a follow up barrage from Marrero highlighted by another right hook to the head. Despite the appearance that he was on the brink of his first professional loss, Martinez was able to survive the round and was able to regain his position in the fight by outworking Marrero in rounds nine through twelve to earn a convincing, but hard fought unanimous decision victory. Official scores were 115-111, and 114-112 (On two scorecards) in favor of Martinez. Xavier Martinez advances to 16-0, with 11 Knockouts. Claudio Marrero falls to 24-5, with 17 Knockouts.

 

In the opening bout of the evening in the Jr. Welterweight division, rising prospect Subriel Matias scored a seventh round stoppage over previously unbeaten Malik Hawkins. The early rounds saw Hawkins using a lot of lateral movement looking to use his jab to keep Matias at distance. As the fight went on however, Matias’ pressure eventually led to him getting the better of several exchanges on the inside landing hooks and overhands to the head as well as landing offense to Hawkins’ body. In round six, Matias was credited with a knockdown when a left hook that landed behind Hawkins’ head sent him down to the canvas. Although replays indicated that the punch was indeed behind the head and thus an illegal blow, the call of a knockdown stood. This proved to be academic however, as Hawkins’ was prevented from continuing at the beginning of round seven by ringside physicians, who felt he had taken too much punishment. Official time of the stoppage was :01 of round seven. Subriel Matias advances to 16-1, with 16 Knockouts. Malik Hawkins falls to 18-1, with 11 Knockouts.

 

This card, which was promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters produced some very competitive bouts that an argument could be made could see a rematch or two come out of this event. The most logical of those potential return encounters in this observer’s eyes would be a second bout between Sergey Lipinets and Custio Clayton. Logical not only because of what amounted to “Inconclusive “ outcome, not only because of what turned out to be a competitive bout between a former world champion and a largely unknown, but unbeaten contender, but more specifically what would be a second attempt to determine a mandatory challenger for undefeated current unified IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence as far as the IBF is concerned.

 

“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

 

 

Turchi Defeats Grisunins In Milan

 

Cruiserweight contender Fabio Turchi scored a lopsided ten round unanimous decision over a very “Game” Nikolajs Grisunins on Friday night at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. What was a very tactically paced bout, Turchi’s compact combination punching and ability to pace himself and pick his shots became the story of the tight. Turchi appeared to break Grisunins’ nose early on in the fight with a jab, but Grisunins managed to make it to the final bell of the ten round bout. Turchi was cut over the right eye in round seven as a result of an accidental clash of heads, but was not discouraged and maintained his pace to earn a unanimous decision. Fabio Turchi advances to 18-1, with 13 Knockouts. Nikolajs Grisunins falls to 12-2-1, with 5 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In the Welterweight division, for Italian Welterweight champion Dario Morello outworked late replacement Nestor Maradiaga to earn a convincing eight round unanimous decision. Dario Morello advances to 16-1, with 2 Knockouts. Nestor Maradiaga falls to 8-9-1, with 4 Knockouts.

 

 

Former two-time Italian Featherweight champion Francesco Grandelli scored a workmanlike eight round unanimous decision over veteran Cristian Narvaez. Grandelli consistently pressed the action throughout and kept Narvaez on the defensive in what was a relatively uneventful and formulaic bout. Francesco Grandelli advances to 14-1-1, with 2 Knockouts. Cristian Narvaez falls to 16-23-5, with 1 Knockout.

 

In a Super-Middleweight bout , undefeated prospect Ivan Zucco scored a one-sided fourth round stoppage of Pavel Zgurean. From the opening bell, Zucco landed just about every variety of offense one could think of to the head and body of Zgurean and had particularly success in landing straight punches to the head as well as uppercuts. The battering came to an end at the beginning of round four when the fight was stopped by the ringside physician as it appeared Zgurean might have suffered an injury to his mouth. Ivan Zucco advances to 12-0, with 10 Knockouts. Pavel Zgurean falls to 7-5, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Middleweight prospect Mirko Natalizi opened the evening with a dominant fourth round stoppage of a “Game “, but overmatched Frane Radnic. Natalizi rocked Radnic with a straight left hand early in round one and then dropped him with another straight left to the head later in the round. In round two a combination of punches sent Radnic down for a second time. Although Radnic did not have much punch resistance, he continued to get up. A third official knockdown followed in round three before Radnic was knocked down for a fourth time as the bell rang to end the round. Though the fourth knockdown was not ruled officially as it technically came after the bell ended round three, the bout was mercifully halted as the bell rang to begin round four as Radnic remained in his corner. Mirko Natalizi advances to 8-0, with 5 Knockouts. Frane Radnic falls to 11-19, with 10 Knockouts.

 

This was the first card for promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing Italian promotional branch in association with Italian promoter OPI Since 82, in several months due to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic that hit Italy particularly hard earlier this year. While this card above all represents the first step in trying to resume Boxing cards regularly in Italy and more specifically, an attempt to resume the momentum that Matchroom and OPI have been able to build over the last year or so by regularly promoting Boxing events that have been broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, including much needed exposure here in the United States. The ongoing challenge much as it has been throughout the entire sport since the epidemic began will be being able to stage cards regularly as the circumstances of COVID-19 continue. As we have seen here in the United States and elsewhere, with this card taking place behind closed doors, at least it is a step forward.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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