D’MITRIUS ‘BIG MEECH’ BALLARD STEPS IN TO FACE JAIME MUNGUIA FOR THE WBO INTERCONTINENTAL MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP APRIL 23RD On DAZN

 

Press Release: By DAZN – EL PASO, TEXAS (April 8, 2021) – Middleweight contender D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (20-0-1, 13 KOs) will step in to face Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship after Maciej Sulecki was forced to pull out of the fight due to an injury. The event will now take place on Friday, April 23 at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

The event will be held under strict COVID-19 fan safety protocols and with a reduced event capacity below 40%. For detailed COVID-19 event safety fan protocols, click here or visit http://www.utepspecialevents.com. 

 

Updated ticket information is available at the bottom of this release.

 

“D’Mitrius Ballard has been deserving of an opportunity like this for a while now,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “This is the chance to finally demonstrate to the world that he’s ready for the top guys in the division. We wish Maciej Sulecki a quick recovery, but we also we want to emphasize that Ballard is no mere replacement. He’s a real threat.”

 

Ballard is a 28-year-old contender who boasts a decorated amateur career in which he won several national championships. In 2013, the native of Temple Hills, Maryland began his professional career with a knockout victory against Kelly Henderson. Since then, Ballard has steadily moved up the rankings, taking on tough competitors such as Victor "Sina" Fonseca and Alan "Amenaza" Campa. Ballard, who is anxious to make his mark on the division on April 23, is coming off a majority draw against Olympic bronze medalist Yamaguchi Falcao.

 

“I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to fight against Jaime Munguia,” said D’Mitrius Ballard. “I feel extremely blessed especially because of the condition the world is now in with COVID-19 and all the issues we are facing. This is the perfect opportunity to really showcase who D’Mitirus Ballard is and demonstrate my boxing abilities. I’m going to use this fight to re-introduce myself to the world.”

 

“These things happen in boxing, and I’ve always had the mentality that I have to be prepared for any opponent,” said Jaime Munguia. “I know that D’Mitrius Ballard is a great fighter with a lot of experience as an amateur and a professional, so I expect to deliver a great fight to get even closer to the world title opportunity.”

 

# # #

 

Munguia vs. Ballard is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title. The fight will take place on Friday, April 23 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. MDT/9:00 p.m. ET.

 

Tickets for Munguia vs. Ballard are on sale now and are priced at $200, $100, $60 and $35 not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 915-747-5234. Tickets will also be available for purchase at http://www.utepspecialevents.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

 

Fans who have already purchased tickets for Saturday, April 24 and would like to still attend Munguia vs. Ballard, your tickets and seating location are still valid for the new date and no further action is required. Ticket buyers who purchased tickets for April 24 through Ticketmaster or the UTEP Box Office and would like a refund, you can go back to your original point of purchase and request a full refund. Refund requests will be honored up until Wednesday, April 14.

 

Fans who purchased tickets on StubHub, or any other secondary ticket provider, should contact the provider’s customer service staff regarding the impacted date change. The UTEP box office, nor Ticketmaster, are not able to facilitate any credits, exchanges or refunds for tickets not purchased directly through them.

 

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaBallard.

 

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.

Take Two: Smith-Vlasov: The Beginning Of A New Era For The Light-Heavyweight Division?

 

In uncertain times as we all are experiencing due to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, there are circumstances which unfortunately get in the way of scheduled plans. Such was the case in February when the battle for the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship between top Light-Heavyweight contenders Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov was postponed days before it was to take place due to Vlasov testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. Now, two months later, the bout has been rescheduled. For the first time here at The Boxing Truth®️ due to the unique circumstances of the initial postponement, we will provide readers with a re-release of the preview that was released back in February prior to the postponement as written by Beau Denison. Aspects of the preview such as the change in venue as well as legal broadcast information have been updated to provide the reader with the most accurate information as possible. The preview will begin below.

 

Much of the last decade in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division was largely dominated by former three-time Light-Heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev, who ultimately served as a central figure for the division over that period of time. In recent times however, Kovalev has been more known for what he has been involved in outside the ring including recently testing positive for a banned substance, which forced the cancellation of his scheduled January 30^th bout with Bek Melkuziev. With the future of Kovalev very much uncertain, the Light-Heavyweight division appears to be embarking on a new era as top contenders Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov will meet on April 10^th at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, OK for the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship. A crown, which Kovalev held three times and one that has been vacant since his loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2019. With Alvarez choosing to relinquish the championship to focus on opportunities in the 168 lb. Super-Middleweight division, it has created an opening for Smith and Vlasov to attempt to enter the picture amongst the world champions of the division that are each trying to emerge as its new central focus.

Joe Smith Jr. emerged on the scene in the eyes of many with his knockout victory over future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins in December 2016. While that win did establish Smith as a force to be reckoned with in the Light-Heavyweight division as well as giving him the status as being the only fighter to ever stop Hopkins, doing so in the final fight of Hopkins’ legendary career, he has suffered some setbacks and has not been able to go from top contender to a world champion. Some may recall Smith’s two losses that followed his victory over Hopkins to top contender Sullivan Barrera in 2017 and undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol in 2019. Although Smith lost those fights, he gave a good account of himself in defeat, was not stopped in either of those bouts and has maintained his status as a top contender in the division by compiling two victories in his last two fights over Jesse Hart and scoring a stoppage of former WBO world champion Eleider Alvarez in his last fight in August of last year.

Smith has scored knockouts in twenty-one of his twenty-six career wins compiling a career knockout percentage of nearly 73%. Despite being known for his punching power, Smith has also shown that he can box and has an ability to adapt as a fight progresses. In Maxim Vlasov, Smith will face an opponent, who like him has never been stopped in his career, but a fighter who some might say has not succeeded when he has stepped up in caliber of opposition in his career.

Vlasov will enter this bout with a record of 45-3, with 26 Knockouts compared to Smith’s 26-3, with 21 Knockouts. Even though Vlasov has an experience edge over Smith, it will be Smith who will likely have more recognition going into this fight.

What this fight appears to be in my eyes is an encounter between two boxer/punchers and one might argue that it could end quickly or could easily go the distance. This appears to be one of those bouts that you just do not know what type fight it will be going in.

Despite the experience edge Vlasov has going in, he has lost against fighters such as Isaac Chilemba, Gilberto Ramirez, and more recently, Krzysztof Glowacki in November 2018. Perhaps one advantage Vlasov will have over Smith in addition to experience is several of his bouts took place in the Cruiserweight division and he was able to avenge his loss to Chilemba in a rematch in 2019. Much like Smith, Vlasov will enter on a win streak having won his last three bouts. The questions that I have going into this fight is whether or not Vlasov will be able to deal with the consistent pressure and punching power of Smith for twelve rounds and whether or not he will be able to be elusive and nullify that pressure.

What will lie ahead for the winner of this fight could be some lucrative opportunities against fellow world champions of the division including WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol and unified IBF/WBC world champion Artur Beterbiev. As this observer has often said over the years however, before any talk can take place regarding potential fights that could be made and the various financial figures that are involved, there is business to attend to first for both Joe Smith and Maxim Vlasov.

Who will emerge in what might be the post--Sergey Kovalev era as the next central figure in the Light-Heavyweight division is anyone’s guess, but it sure will be an interesting process to watch as it evolves.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Smith vs. Vlasov takes place on Saturday, April  10th at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, OK. The card can be seen in the United States on digital subscription streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:30 PM ET/2:30PM PT. The main event portion of the card will also be simulcast on the linear ESPN main network across cable and satellite providers beginning at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, and smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: plus.espn.com/. For more information about ESPN please visit: www.espn.com. 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

 

 

 

What’s Next For Jamel Herring?

 One of the more anticipated fights that sat idle for some time due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic was the battle between WBO Jr. Lightweight world champion Jamel Herring and former two-division world champion Carl Frampton. An intriguing clash of styles between the taller, longer fighter in the champion Harring and the shorter fighter in Frampton, who has made a career out of defeating opponents that had natural height and reach advantages over him. 

 

Two fighters that are boxer/punchers with some similarities is enough to draw interest on it’s own. When you throw into the equation that Frampton was attempting to become the first Irish boxer to win world championships in three weight divisions after previously holding world championships in the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight and 126lb. Featherweight divisions, it added the element of potential history being made. This all culminated in the two fighters meeting on April 3^rd at Cesars Palace in Dubai, U.A.E. 

 

The dynamic of this fight was both simple and complex. Could Frampton, who stands 5’5 find a way to get on the inside of the 5’10 Herring and could he do so consistently enough to have sustained success. Where the complexity of the equation enters in is, despite having the natural physical attributes of height and reach, particularly for a 130lb. Jr. Lightweight, Herring is also a fighter that can fight successfully on the inside when he chooses to not keep an opponent at distance. It interested this observer to see who would get the better of the exchanges if Frampton were able to get on the inside of Herring’s reach more than occasionally.

 

Both fighters were able to have periods of success throughout the bout, but what stood out to me was the difficulty Frampton seemed to have in trying to negate Herring’s reach. While the task of facing a taller and longer fighter for a shorter boxer can be difficult, one tactical approach is usually for the shorter fighter to try to stay low as they try to close distance. Although this is a task that is often easier said than done, it seemed as though Frampton was having trouble navigating the range between himself and Herring.  This along with sporadic head movement and an inability to stay low where theoretically he could get under Harring’s punches seemed to indicate that this would be a difficult fight for him as Harring got the better of most of the exchanges and dictated the tempo of the combat.

 

Frampton was however, able to have sporadic success in landing body shots and appeared to cut Herring over the right eye in round four with s punches. While this was not confirmed, it nevertheless kept things competitive for a time. After landing a right hand off of the forehead of the champion in round five, Frampton attempted to press forward to try to take advantage of the opening he had created, but as he did so, he left himself vulnerable and walked into a straight left hand to the head from Harring sending him down to the canvas.

 

The champion regained control with this knockdown and brought the fight to its conclusion in round six, first by dropping Frampton with a flush left uppercut to the head, and then continuing the assault until Frampton’s corner threw the towel in to save him from further punishment. Although Frampton deserves all the credit in the world for getting up from the second knockdown, the type of uppercut that would end the night for most fighters on the receiving end of it, I was frankly surprised that the fight was allowed to momentarily continue as Frampton barely beat the ten count and was on very unsteady legs. This does not take anything away from Herring  who knew his opponent was compromised, did not give him any time or breathing room to try and recover, and simply closed the show to get the stoppage and retain his WBO crown.

 

Frampton, who has been through some setbacks and struggles both in and out of the ring in recent years stated before the fight that if he did not win the bout, he would retire from the sport. A man who has been one of the sport’s great ambassadors throughout his entire career remained true to his word and announced his retirement in the ring after the fight. 

 

As for Jamel Herring  the third successful defense of his WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship could now lead to an eventual unification bout with current WBC world champion Oscar Valdez. It is more likely however, that he will be mandated by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) to face the winner of the upcoming bout between undefeated former WBO Featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson and Jeremiah Nakathila, who are currently rated number one and two respectively in the WBO’s Jr. Featherweight ratings at 130lbs. With that bout targeted to take place in June, it is likely that barring any potential postponements either due to injury or the COVID-19 virus that Harring likely won’t fight until at least sometime in the fall of this year against whomever the winner of that bout will be.

 

What this all could amount to is a potential showdown between whomever is left standing between Herring,  Stevenson, and Nakathila and Oscar Valdez in what will likely be one of the first big money bouts aimed to take place in 2022. While much remains uncertain due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis, if circumstances allow, there will certainly be a lot of money to be made in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division in the long-term. If Herring can emerge from this scenario in 2022 as the last man standing of these four fighters, he will certainly become the top fighter in the division, be in position to earn even more lucrative opportunities, and the question will then become whether he will attempt to fully unify the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division or if he will set his sights on the 135lb. Lightweight division or beyond.

 

“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

 

 

After Stopping Hogan, Will Tszyu Get A World Championship Bout?

The 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division has been one that has seen many notable battles through the years. In recent times, it has seen Jermell Charlo emerge as the division’s central figure after scoring a knockout of Jeison Rosario last September to unify the WBC, WBA, and IBF world championships. Although Charlo has yet to become undisputed world champion in the division, as the only unified champion currently at 154lbs., the natural question that usually is asked after a fighter emerges victorious from a unification bout is who might be the next challenger.

 

A potential candidate that has made a strong argument for himself is undefeated top contender Tim Tszyu. Tszyu, the son of former longtime Jr. Welterweight world champion and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, has emerged as a fast-rising contender in the division. Much like his father, Tszyu has also developed a reputation for having an ability to score knockouts. The marquee victory for Tszyu thus far came in August of last year when he stopped former WBO Welterweight world champion Jeff Horn in eight rounds.

 

Tszyu’s victory over Horn moved him into position as a top ten rated contender in the WBO, IBF, and WBO. Although Tszyu is currently the top contender in the WBO Jr. Middleweight ratings, a world championship currently held by Brian Castano, his number three rating in the IBF and number seven rating in the WBA could make him a potential opponent for Charlo. After defeating Horn, Tszyu scored a first round knockout of Bowyn Morgen in December of last year.

 

This led to what some felt would be another potential test in the form of former two-time world title challenger Dennis Hogan on March 31^st in Newcastle, Australia. Hogan, who entered the bout with a record of 28-3-1, with 7 Knockouts compared to Tszyu’s 17-0, with 13 Knockouts, had previously lost in world championship bouts to former Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Mungia and Jermell Charlo’s brother Jermall at Middleweight. 

 

Even though it is insulting to give any fighter the label of a “Gatekeeper” because anything can happen when two fighters get into the ring, Hogan’s experience as a fighter who came up short in two world title bouts did make him in some ways an ideal opponent for a fighter in Tszyu’s position.  The type of fighter that can be used by a contender’s handlers to gage how close their charge might be to challenging for a world championship.

 

Tszyu’s approach in this fight can be described as one that was systematic as he applied consistent pressure on Hogan from the outset. An offensive output that seemed to have an emphasis on hooks to the body, gradually broke through Hogan’s defense as he was never really able to find his rhythm due to Tszyu’s pressure. This ultimately created an opening for Tszyu to land a flush left uppercut to the head of Hogan that sent him down in round five. Hogan’s corner elected to throw towel in shortly after Hogan got up from the knockdown as Tszyu pressed forward with follow up punches.

 

The ending of this fight was somewhat anti-climatic and can simply be described as a fighter showing patience and taking advantage of an opening once it presented itself. Tszyu’s performance however, was as good as one could expect from a fighter that has built the momentum he has and appears to be on the verge of fighting for a world championship. There was not much that one could point to as a potential reason why Tszyu should be held back in terms of what took place in the ring.

 

In terms of what might be a potential roadblock outside of the ring, in this observer’s view it will likely come down to whether or not promoters on opposite sides of the spectrum can work together to make a fight for a world championship happen for Tszyu. With a record that now stands at 18-0, with 14 Knockouts and having established a career knockout percentage of nearly 78%, it may be hard to say Tszyu hasn’t earned a chance at either Jermell Charlo or Brian Castano. The only questions that might remain are which world champion is available and whether or not a deal can be made that will determine whether or not Tim Tszyu will challenge for a world championship in his next fight.

 

“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

Haney-Linares Set For May 29TH In Las Vegas On DAZN

 Press Release: April 1, 2021 By DAZN – “The Dream” meets former three-weight World ruler in Las Vegas on May 29 

Credit: DAZN 

 

Devin ‘The Dream’ Haney will defend his WBC World Lightweight title against Jorge Linares at the Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Saturday, May 29. The event will air live worldwide on DAZN in association with Devin Haney Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions.

 

Information on tickets will be released soon.

 

The spotlight will be on Haney (25-0, 18 KOs) over Memorial Day Weekend as he puts his belt on the line for the third time, this time taking on Linares who will provide the sternest test of the champion’s rich talents. The 22-year-old star will box in his Las Vegas backyard for just the third time in his career and first time since his sixth pro outing in May 2016. 

 

‘The Dream’ was elevated to World champion after a destructive KO win over Zaur Abdullaev in New York in September 2019. He went on to defend his belt twice with comfortable distance wins over Alfredo Santiago in November 2019 and Yuriorkis Gamboa the following November.

 

“I’m very excited to be making my third World title defense against a great fighter like Jorge Linares, who will be the best fighter I will have ever faced in my career,” said Haney. “He’s a three-division World champion who has fought at the championship level for the past thirteen years. 

 

“I grew up watching Linares and the fact that this fight is happening in Las Vegas is incredible. Boxing fans around the world are eager to see me step up in competition which is great, and I know Linares is coming to fight. I’m ready to give the fans a spectacular performance. The better the competition brings the best out of me. Against Linares, I’m going to show the world why I’m the king of the Lightweight division.”

 

Linares (47-5, 29 KOs) is looking to become a two-time holder of the WBC strap that he won in December 2014 against Francisco Javier Prieto, the catalyst to a run that saw the Venezuelan ace beat Kevin Mitchell, Ivan Cano, Anthony Crolla twice, Luke Campbell and Mercito Gesta over a four-year run as Lightweight king before his to-and-fro clash with Vasiliy Lomachenko in New York in May 2018.

 

The 35-year-old takes on Haney in his 15th World title battle and in his 53rd contest in over 18 years as a pro, and Linares believes that there are plenty more chapters to be written in his storied career.

 

“This is my moment to show the world that I still have a lot more to give at 135 pounds,” said  Linares. “Devin Haney is a talented and quick-handed young man, but when I was his age, I had already become a world champion by snatching the title away from a real World champion like Oscar Larios. And now you can imagine how much more experience I have now at an age where I feel stronger and better than ever.”

 

“Without a doubt it will be a tremendous fight, but I will demonstrate that Haney made a big mistake by accepting a challenge that he is still not ready to overcome.”

 

“This is the breakout fight that shows the world that Devin Haney is the best lightweight on the planet,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Jorge Linares is a tremendous fighter, a three-weight king that has speed, power and plenty of experience. 

 

“I’ve represented four fighters who have attempted to beat Jorge and failed, but this time I believe we have the future king of the division in Devin, and this is his moment. May 29, the bright lights of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, this is the moment.”

 

“We have worked with Jorge Linares for a long time and anytime the so-called experts count him out, he comes back with a vengeance,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy. “Haney has never confronted anyone even close to Jorge’s skill level, and at 135lbs he is still a force to be reckoned with for anyone in the division.”

 

George Kliavkoff, President of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International, said, "Mandalay Bay has been synonymous with boxing for more than two decades and we look forward to continuing the tradition with our partners at Matchroom.  The opportunity to host a fight of this caliber, and doing so safely, is another step in the return of championship events to the Sports Capital of the World."

 

Information ticket on-sale dates and prices and the undercard will be released soon.

 

MGM Resorts will implement its comprehensive Seven Point Safety Plan and its Entertainment & Sports “Convene with Confidence” program, which outline the company’s approach to protecting the health and safety of guests and employees. The multi-layered plans include everything from sanitation stations, masking and physical distancing to digital solutions that minimize touch points as well as enhanced cleaning protocol. Details can be found at MGM Resorts Entertainment Convene with Confidence.

 

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.

JAIME MUNGUIA TO FACE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE YET WHEN HE BATTLES MACIEJ SULECKI AT UTEP DON HASKINS CENTER IN EL PASO, TEXAS APRIL 24TH ON DAZN

 Press Release: By DAZN – EL PASO, TEXAS (March 31, 2021) – Mexico’s biggest rising star Jaime Munguia (36-0, 29 KOs) will face his toughest challenge to date as he defends his WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Championship against Maciej Sulecki (29-2, 11 KOs) in a 12-round battle on Saturday, April 24 at The University of Texas at El Paso’s Don Haskins Center under strict COVID-19 fan safety protocols and with a reduced event capacity below 40%. For detailed COVID-19 event safety fan protocols, click here or visit http://www.utepspecialevents.com. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

The fight will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico. Similar to Garcia vs. Campbell, the event will feature an earlier start time of 12:30 p.m. PT/1:30 MDT/3:30 ET to maximize the audience across North America and Europe. 

 

Additional information regarding the undercard will be announced soon.

 

“There is no more exciting a middleweight in the world today than Jaime Munguia, and every time he fights, he brings huge knockout power into the ring,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy.  “Sulecki is a tough customer who gave Danny Jacobs all he can handle, but if Munguia can pass this test, a world championship fight is right around the corner.”

 

Munguia is a 24-year-old former world champion from Tijuana, Mexico who leaped onto to the highest levels of the super welterweight division by knocking out Sadam "World Kid" Ali to capture the WBO title. Munguia then defended his title against Liam "Beefy" Smith, Brandon "Bad Boy" Cook, Takeshi Inoue, Dennis Hogan and Patrick Allotey. After five defenses at junior middleweight, Munguia moved up to 160 pounds to capture the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title against Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, which he defended against Tureano Johnson. Munguia looks to demonstrate the new skills he’s acquired under head trainer Erik “El Terrible” Morales against the toughest challenge of his career to date.

 

“I feel very happy to be returning on April 24 against Maciej Sulecki,” said Munguia. “It will be a great fight against great challenger. We are training at 100% to be in the best of conditions, and we promise to deliver an exciting battle.”

 

Sulecki is a Polish contender who has scored knockout victories against Hugo “The Boss” Centeno Jr. and countryman Grzegorz Proksa. The 31-year-old puncher has only suffered two defeats, which were against Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs and Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade. Sulecki believes Munguia is standing in his way of another title shot.

 

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to return to the United States and fight in the main event of such a big card,” said Sulecki. “Jaime Munguia is a strong, young warrior, but I have fought against some of the best of this division. On April 24, I will show the world that I am a top middleweight contender and that I deserve another world title shot.”

 

“Maciej Sulecki is very excited about this opportunity to test his skills against Jaime Munguia,” said Leon Margules, President of Warriors Boxing. “This is the perfect challenge to demonstrate that Sulecki deserves another world title shot, and it has all the ingredients to make for an action-packed battle.”

 

Munguia vs. Sulecki is a 12-round fight for the WBO Intercontinental Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions and Warrior’s Boxing. The event is sponsored by Tecate “The Official Beer of Boxing” and Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle.” The fight will take place on Saturday, April 24 at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN worldwide, excluding Mexico, beginning at 12:30 p.m. PT/1:30 MDT/3:30 ET.

 

Tickets for Munguia vs. Sulecki go on sale Friday, April 2 at 10:00 am MDT and are priced at $200, $100, $60 and $35 not including applicable service charges. In an effort to promote social distancing, tickets will be sold in pods/groupings of 2, 3, 4 and 6 people only. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 915-747-5234. Tickets will also be available for purchase at http://www.utepspecialevents.com or www.ticketmaster.com. 

 

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZNBoxing. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZN. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZNBoxing. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaSulecki

 

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.

Thoughts On Povetkin-Whyte II

 Boxing in many ways is a sport that one central question is asked in just about every variation that one could think of. A question that begins with “What If.” Although there are numerous ways that the “What If’s” can be asked in reference to the sport, when it comes in the days preceding an anticipated rematch, the “What If’s” are relatively simple and most of the time stir conversation.  

In the case of the rematch between longtime Heavyweight contenders Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte, there were three “What If’s” that people asked. What if Whyte, who suffered a brutal one punch knockout at the hands of Povetkin last August was climbing back into the ring with Povetkin too soon? What if Povetkin, a boxer/puncher who has never been regarded as a power puncher first and foremost could show that he could produce a similar performance as the first encounter, could he do it again? Perhaps more importantly for Povetkin who dealt with a severe bout of the COVID-19 virus causing him to be hospitalized, which caused a postponement of this rematch for months however, what if, he was not fully recovered?

 

All the “What If’s” culminated in the rematch taking place on March 27^th at the Europa Point Sports Complex in Gibraltar. Normally when discussing a fight that this observer previewed beforehand In the days leading up to the bout, I will try to briefly touch upon some of the key elements, which I mentioned could become a factor when the fight takes place. In this case, this would not be necessary, but the question of “What if Povetkin was fully recovered from COVID-19?,” went through my mind repeatedly as I watched this fight.

 

From the opening bell, Povetkin seemed lethargic. The lateral and head movement that Povetkin is known for was not there for him in this fight. While under many circumstances particularly when discussing a fighter that is nearing forty-two years old as Povetkin is, it is logical to think that the absence of movement and reaction time is an indication of advancing age. Although there were some who felt that Povetkin was in decline prior to the first fight with Whyte, what stood out more to me that leads me to believe that there is more to it than a fighter in decline is Povetkin frequently had trouble with his balance and it appeared that his equilibrium was compromised in some way.

 

Some might feel differently because there were occasions throughout the rematch where Povetkin was able to stand up to some of Whyte’s power punches. There were also times however where perhaps because of apparent trouble with his equilibrium that Povetkin did not have punch resistance. While Povetkin did try to battle through these difficulties and did land some offense during the bout, he could not keep Whyte off of him or have any success in disrupting his rhythm. In the fourth round, Whyte staggered Povetkin with a flush right hand that he had been able to land frequently throughout the bout, this sent Povetkin stumbling into the ropes, which also happened more than occasionally due to both balance and apparent equilibrium problems.A follow up barrage highlighted by a left hook to the head sent Povetkin down. Although Povetkin showed his mettle by trying to get up, he staggered into the ropes and this prompted the fight to be stopped. 

 

Even though the story that emerged from this fight was the physical condition of Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte simply did what he needed to do in this rematch and bottom line was able to avenge his loss to Povetkin in their first encounter. Although an obvious question will be who will Whyte fight next and the question regarding Povetkin’s condition does not take away from Whyte’s performance, the question I have asked myself in the days since this rematch took place is whether or not the subject of advanced medical screening needs to be discussed.

 

It is important for this observer as I have done over the past two decades that I have covered Boxing and by extension combat sports when similar situations have emerged to state for the reader that I am not a medical expert and I do not want to venture into an area that I do not have the expertise or qualifications to offer in depth analysis. As the COVID-19 global epidemic has continued however, there does remain elements of the unknown. Elements such as how long this crisis will last before the world can return to a semblance of normalcy that was experienced prior to COVID-19 , but also and more importantly, what could the long-term effects be for those who unfortunately are stricken with this virus who are able to survive it. 

 

While there have been those both in sport and out who have not experienced major problems related to the virus, others like Povetkin have dealt with more severe cases and in his case, had to be hospitalized. The question of what can be done going forward is not one that I can answer and I would assume that those who are medical experts might say that there is not enough information at present time to know what the long-term impacts on one’s health might be after being infected by COVID-19. 

 

After watching someone like Alexander Povetkin, who has been an athlete for many years and one who has been one of the top contenders in his division for much of the last decade struggle as much as he did with his equilibrium and lacking the reflexes one needs to compete in sports, if this is not a case of a fighter getting old in one fight, further medical screening should at minimum be considered. Although much like anything when it comes to licensing of fighters things might be viewed on a case by case basis, with much still unknown about the COVID-19 virus, perhaps athletic commissions around the world should consider whether a fighter should be granted a license to compete in a relatively short period after battling the COVID-19 virus and more specifically, those who have had severe cases as Povetkin did.

 

While obviously one cannot generalize something like this and say that one fighter’s case will be exactly like another fighter’s, if Povetkin’s difficulties in his rematch with Dillian Whyte was not due to his age and decline and had more to do with the impacts of having to battle COVID-19, if there is no further screenings from a medical standpoint, which might include a period of inactivity for fighters before being allowed to re-enter competition, Boxing and by extension all combat sports may be entering a dangerous slippery slope that may have consequences,

 

For Boxing, a sport with no shortage of flaws, criticism, and unfortunately tragedies throughout its history, it is best to get out in front of something that could be a significant issue going forward before it becomes the latest in a long list of things that leaves the sport open to ridicule. If the powers that be in Boxing, which in this case starts with the athletic commissions and regulatory boards around the world that regulate the sport were to turn a blind eye to this and it turns out that Alexander Povetkin is not the only fighter who after suffering from COVID-19 deals with long-term effects that serve as an indication that perhaps they should have not been allowed to compete, such criticism/ridicule will be hard to argue against.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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