TRILLER FIGHT CLUB LEGENDS II EVENT! ONE-NIGHT ONLY BY CREATOR AND VISIONARY OF ‘SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’ AND AMERICAN IDOL

 Press Release: By FITE – AT STAPLES CENTER ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

 

A ONE-NIGHT FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT, BOXING –

A SHOW LIKE NO OTHER!

 

Los Angeles, CA (August 24, 2021) TRILLER FIGHT CLUB has announced today the expansion of its LEGENDS II event set for Saturday, September 11 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. 

Credit: FITE 

 

The entire event is produced by Triller Fight Club visionary NIGEL LYTHGOE, award-winning producer of American Idol and the executive producer and creator of ‘So You Think You Can Dance and will be hosted by SNOOP DOGG.

 

“One amazing night unlike any other; top music, never before seen duets, world class fighting, truly an event not to be missed,” said Lythgoe, one of the most globally revered entertainment icons. 

 

Musical acts announced for this event include a Once-In-A-Lifetime Performance by SNOOP DOGG with The One and Only MARVIN GAYE, plus ANITTA, LUNAY and GENTE DE ZONA and others. 

 

The rapidly selling can’t miss event has garnered worldwide interest since the official announcement with fans across the globe making plans to attend. 

 

Promising a Once-In-A-Lifetime Performance, SNOOP DOGG has been an integral part of Triller Fight Club since its inception and will be Presenting a Never-Before-Seen and Never-Again-Seen Performance with the Legendary MARVIN GAYE. 

 

As the biggest ever global female popstar to come from Brazil, ANITTA has accumulated 6.5 billion cumulative Spotify streams, 5 billion YouTube views, and 55 million Instagram followers. She has been nominated for five Latin Grammy Awards and has won 6 MTV EMAs. She has recently collaborated with the likes of Cardi B, Miley Cyrus, J Balvin, Katy Perry, David Guetta and P. Diddy. Her debut US album, ‘Girl From Rio’ is set to be released in the fall.

 

Popular reggaetón artist LUNAY has become among the most popular musical acts in the world since dropping his debut album, ‘Epico’ in October 2019. Just 20-years old, Lunay has built a massive international fan base and in May of this year released ‘El Nino’ to huge acclaim globally. This will be his first Los Angeles appearance since January 2020. 

 

Cuban reggaetón legends GENTE DE ZONA have achieved worldwide universal acclaim for their 20 years of extraordinary music which has garnered them numerous Latin Grammy and Latin Billboard Awards. Consisting of musicians Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcolm, their most recent single ‘La Gozadera’ is the official 2021 Conmebol Copa America song/video. Joining Gente De Zona during their set will be Latin Pop Singer, BECKY G. 

 

Also featured at LEGENDS II will be ‘DEAR AMY’, the international, award-winning tribute to music icon, AMY WINEHOUSE. 

 

                                                ----------------------------------------------------

 

LEGENDS II is headlined by the return of BOXING LEGEND, ‘THE GOLDEN BOY’ OSCAR DE LA HOYA, battling former UFC Superstar VITOR ‘THE PHENOM’ BELFORT. 

 

Co-featured at LEGENDS II, UFC Legends, ANDERSON ‘THE SPIDER’ SILVA from Sao Paolo, Brazil and ‘THE HUNTINGTON BEACH BAD BOY’ TITO ORTIZ will clash in an eight-round cruiserweight boxing match for combat sports supremacy.

 

Also, at LEGENDS II, Former Heavyweight and Cruiserweight World Champion DAVID ‘THE HAYEMAKER’ HAYE will face off against JOE FOURNIER in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight battle.

 

Additionally, in a highly anticipated 10-rounder, ANDY ‘El TIBURON’ VENCES, (23-2-1, 12 KOs), of San Jose, CA will challenge Ireland’s JONO ‘KING KONG’ CARROLL, (19-2-1, 5 KOs), for the vacant WBC International Silver Super-Featherweight Title. 

 

The FREE Preview on Saturday, September 11 will start at 11:00 p.m. BST / 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT with the Triller Fight Club Pay-Per-View commencing at 12:00 a.m. BST / 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT as the HAYE vs. FOURNIER eight-round heavyweight battle opens the broadcast. The Pay-Per-View is priced at $49.99 in North America and £9.99 ($13.99) in the UK.

 

LEGENDS II will be broadcast globally on FITE, iNDemand and through all leading Cable, Satellite and Telco Providers in the U.S. and Canada. The suggested PPV retail price is $49.99. 

 

**HOW TO WATCH THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2021, TRILLER PPV EVENT**

Worldwide Streaming: FITE and all FITE mobile, Smart TV, IPTV, game controller and OTT apps as well as the event microsite hub: TrillerFightClub

 

LEGENDS II is the second event Triller Fight Club has promoted at STAPLES Center, the first being Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020. The fight was boxing’s biggest pay-per-view event of the year garnering over 1.6 million buys.

 

FITE, the world’s premier streaming PPV platform for sports and entertainment recently acquired by TrillerNet, will handle worldwide live pay-per-view streaming distribution online for the September 11 event, and via FITE mobile and Smart TV apps, game controllers and all major OTT devices as well as power TrillerFightClub.com.

 

About TrillerNet:

FITE and Triller Fight Club are owned by TrillerNet, a first-of-its-kind company consolidating technology and content platforms to lead the move to Internet 3.0. TrillerNet pairs the culture of music with sports, fashion, entertainment and influencers through a 360-degree view of content and technology. TrillerNet—which owns the globally popular Triller app used by musicians, celebrities, athletes, and overall culture setters—has more than 300 million users worldwide. The Triller app—unlike other popular short-video apps it is often compared to, encourages its users to post the content created on the app across other social media platforms and websites. The app uses proprietary AI and Machine Learning technology which is uniquely tied to the content rather than the user. By tracking the content, Triller empowers its tastemakers and users to push their content virally to affiliated and non-affiliated sites and networks reaching hundreds of millions of additional users. Data and insights gleaned from the Triller network, its creators, artists and users (from the app and off network) are used to program longer-form content, connect users across the web with the content, and provide unprecedented opportunities for engagement and monetization. TrillerNet has developed highly successful campaigns that begin with the app and continue throughout the entire content and technology ecosystem with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Pepsi, McDonalds, Weedmaps, DraftKings, L’Oreal, and many others. TrillerNet offers brands a unique content and technology solution, including direct deals with the influencers and celebrities. This branded content journey starts with short-form video and can easily expand into valuable long-form content distributed through the Triller Network, such as live-event boxing and music PPVs, fashion shows, and episodic reality content on TrillerTV. Some of the more than 65 original half-hour TrillerTV shows include The D’Amelios Family’s “Ask a DAM Question,” Jennifer Lopez In The Morning, Jake Paul: Staying On Top, 2 Chainz Let’s Do It, DJ Khaled’s Spreading Love, Hype House's Thomas Petrou's Coffee Talks, Josh Richards’ Josh Pong, Ur Lov’d: the Noah Beck Show, Fat Joe’s Masterclass, The Perez Hilton Show, and Violet Benson’s Too Tired To Be Crazy, among others. TrillerNet additionally owns Verzuz, the massive live-stream music platform launched by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland, and Triller Fight Club (www.TrillerFightClub.com), which launched last year with the highly successful Tyson-Jones Fight which shattered digital PPV records. Other holdings include leading AI-powered customer engagement platform Amplify.ai, and FITE, the premier live event and PPV, AVOD, SVOD streaming platform.

 

This marks the third time that FITE, iNDemand and Triller will have partnered to bring value-packed, world-class PPV events to boxing, music, and entertainment fans. iNDemand also served as the cable, satellite, and telco PPV distributor for Triller Fight Club’s November 2020 Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. event (which landed as the 8th best PPV event of all time), as well as the April 17, 2021 Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren event. FITE handled global digital sales for both events and powered the TysononTriller and TrillerFightClub sites.

 

Fans outside North America can check the FITE link at https://www.fite.tv/watch/oscar-de-la-hoya-vs-vitor-belfort/2p9su/ for international pricing.

 

About FITE:

FITE is the premier global platform for live sports and entertainment offering the industry's marquee PPV events and SVOD packages with over 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 Shaw Communications’ Blue Curve IPTV, Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™️, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD, Netgem TV, Virgin Media, Comcast's Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex as well as 7,000 models of Smart TVs. Available online at www.FITE.tv. Follow FITE on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

It’s ON.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

 

For more information about FITE including schedules and for information on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV. 

 

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

Was The Final Chapter Of Manny Pacquiao’s Career Written With Loss To Ugas?

 

The story of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Yordenis Ugas on August 21^st at the T-Mobile Arena was one that this observer described as High Risk/Low Reward. This was because the fight between the two was made with a little more than eleven days for both fighters to prepare following undefeated IBF/WBC Welterweight world champion Errol Spence being forced to withdraw from what was a highly anticipated showdown with Pacquiao due to a torn retina in his left eye. While some might question the wisdom in Pacquiao choosing to retain the scheduled date with Ugas stepping in as a replacement for Spence, in many ways, this was a return to what some might call “Old School Boxing” in that even with a limited amount of time to prepare, Pacquiao decided to fight on even though going into the bout Ugas did not represent the same level in terms of marquee value as did Errol Spence, but was just as dangerous an opponent that unless one is a Boxing aficionado, would likely regard him as a fighter that was under the radar.

 

In previewing this fight, yours truly discussed the circumstances regarding the World Boxing Association (WBA) in their decision to strip Pacquiao of its Welterweight world championship and elevate Ugas, who held an Interim/Regular champion designation to world champion. While this pointed out the flaw in the WBA’s rankings structure, which has been heavily criticized for many years now, for once circumstances allowed for a controversy to be resolved in a relatively short time frame. It also allowed a fighter in Ugas the opportunity to prove that he belonged on the elite level of the sport by taking on one of Boxing’s all-time greats. Although such an opportunity came under less than ideal circumstances for Ugas in what was his first title defense, it was simply an opportunity that he could not pass up.

 

Whenever fights occur under circumstances of limited notice, the question that usually comes to my mind is whether one fighter will look to jump on the other in an attempt to catch their opponent cold and try to end the fight quickly. In this case, I was somewhat surprised to see a tactical battle from the opening bell. Of course, this was an encounter taking place at the highest level of the Welterweight division so, it was not surprising in the sense that it was a fight between two boxers who could do a little of everything, but what was surprising was the missing element of aggression, particularly from Manny Pacquiao.

 

It is important to remember that due to both his commitments as a current senator in his native Philippines as well as the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, this was the first fight for the forty-two year old Pacquiao in over two years. The potential for “Ring Rust” is always there for any fighter coming off of a long layoff, but based on the styles of the two fighters, I somewhat expected Pacquiao to try and implement a swarming attack that would be reminiscent of how he would approach offense in his prime. This was not the case though much of the first half of the fight saw Pacquiao attack in spurts of offense. While Yordenis Ugas was consistently the more active of the two fighters, it was these spurts by Pacquiao, which were eye catching that I felt would sway the opinion of the judges. For a period of time, it did sway how I  saw the fight in that I felt Pacquiao did enough to win four of the first six rounds based on his ability to seemingly pick his spots and make the most out of those moments of offensive spurts in rounds that were otherwise very close and could have been scored either way.

 

In addition to the absence of a swarming offensive attack that bedeviled so many of Pacquiao’s previous seventy-one opponents prior to this fight, he also lacked head movement and the ability to attack from varying angles from what this observer has called his immaculate foot work over the years. Instead, Pacquiao seemingly chose to engage Ugas, a fighter who is four inches taller and who had a two inch reach advantage over him at a distance where it allowed Ugas to get his punches off consistently and as the fight progressed, the offensive spurts Pacquiao was able to have in the first half of the fight became less and less frequent.

 

Whether or not it was a combination of both inactivity/“Ring Rust” and age is only a question Manny Pacquiao can answer, but his failure to adapt in what was a tactical Boxing match ultimately played right into Ugas’ hands as the fighter, who felt like he needed to prove his validity as a world champion after being put in that position by the politics that be in the sport, gradually pulled ahead in the fight and never seemed to halt his consistent offense down the stretch, which was ultimately what resulted in Ugas retaining his world championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over Pacquiao by scores of 115-113 seven rounds to five, and 116-112 on two scorecards eight rounds to four. 

 

Unofficially, I scored this fight 115-113 for Ugas. The primary difference in this fight, which may be consensus amongst both fans and experts alike, came over the second half of the fight. Although the bout remained close from start to finish, over the second half of the fight, Ugas’ overall accuracy and the success he was able to have in landing his jab on Pacquiao could not be ignored. Despite being ahead four rounds to two on my card after six rounds, Pacquiao’s inability to get around Ugas’ jab, his lack of head movement, and the seemingly gradual decline of his offense resulted in him only winning one of the remaining six rounds of the twelve round world championship bout on my scorecard. This left the door open for Ugas to take control of the fight and at the end of the bout, I arrived with the 115-113 or seven rounds to five score in his favor.

 

With the victory, Yordenis Ugas not only validates his crown as the WBA Welterweight world champion, but more importantly by beating someone of Pacquiao’s caliber, his value instantly increases and more lucrative paydays are likely to follow. Whether or not it is Ugas who faces Errol Spence whenever Spence is medically cleared to resume competing remains to be seen.

 

Even though this fight can be described simply as one fighter besting the other, the inevitable questions has to be asked. After a close, but convincing loss to Yordenis Ugas, has the Boxing world seen the last of Manny Pacquiao as a fighter? What does he have left to prove? First, I feel it necessary to state for those who did not see the bout, despite coming out on the losing end of a decision, at no point did Pacquiao appear hurt nor was he overwhelmed by Ugas.

 

It does make sense to note however, that this was Pacquiao’s seventy-second bout in a career that began over twenty-six years ago in 1995 when he entered the sport as a Jr. Flyweight. After so many battles, many grueling wars, and just the process of time, it certainly is not hard to understand the possibility that Pacquiao has left a lot inside the ring and win or lose, each fight does have to take something out of a fighter if not by what occurs in the fight itself than in the process of preparing for a fight, which obviously can take a toll on one’s body.

 

If one were to ask my honest opinion on what Pacquiao should do next, as someone that has covered his career extensively since his debut in the United States in 2001 when he knocked out the late Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to win the IBF Jr. Featherweight world championship, at this stage he has nothing left to prove. Pacquiao’s legacy as Boxing’s only eight division world champion, an accomplishment that is unlikely to be surpassed, is more than secure. His legacy outside the ring however, as a humanitarian and public servant will likely surpass his accomplishments as a boxer. While ultimately the decision on whether or not he will continue his Boxing career even as a potential run for the presidency of the Philippines may be in the future, will be something that only Manny Pacquiao can decide, if this is the end of the road for a truly great fighter I would like to say in closing to Manny Pacquiao, it’s been an honor to cover you throughout your 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

 

 

Reis Decisions Prazak To Become Unified World Champion

 

Women’s WBA Jr. Welterweight world champion Kali Reis successfully defended her world title with a hard fought ten round majority decision over former WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion Diana Prazak on Friday night at the Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, CA. An extremely competitive fight from the outset, the ebb and flow consisted of Prazak pressing the action and forcing the fight on the inside. Despite the challenger’s aggression, it was Reis who seemed to land the cleaner punches of the two fighters in spots. It did not stop Prazak to rally late in landing some hard hooks to the head of the champion mixed with effective body shots in the latter rounds of the grueling battle, but ultimately Reis’ cleaner offense particularly over the first half of the fight that was enough to convince two of three official judges for the champion to not only retain her WBA world championship, but also leave the fight a unified world champion by adding the vacant IBO Jr. Welterweight world championship to firmly establish Reis as a focal point in the 140lb, Jr. Welterweight division division. Official scores were 95-95, (Even) and 97-93, 96-94 in favor of Reis. Kali Reis advances to 18-7-1, with 5 Knockouts. Diana Prazak falls to 14-4, 9 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

In a Women’s WBA Welterweight elimination bout, Alma Ibarra scored an eight round unanimous decision over Kandi Wyatt. Although Wyatt was competitive throughout, she was not able to match Ibarra’s overall offensive output as her quicker hands, ability to attack at angles, and combination punching were enough to earn the convincing unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 80-72, 79-73, and 78-74 all in favor of Ibarra. Alma Ibarra advances to 9-1, with 4 Knockouts. Kandi Wyatt falls to 10-3, with 3 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Heavyweight Elvis Garcia scored a third round stoppage of late substitute Joel Shojgreen. Shojgreen seemed to building some momentum in the first two rounds, but Garcia stepped up his pace in round three by throwing and landing several hooks to the head. This ultimately resulted in Shojgreen being dropped three times officially as Garcia unleashed what was a non-stop barrage. Although Shojgreen was able to survive the round, Referee Jack Reiss determined Shojgreen was in no condition to continue and stopped the fight at the end of round three. The fight was announced as being in the controversial “Bridgerweight” division, which is only recognized by the World Boxing Council (WBC). Elvis Garcia advances to 12-0, with 9 Knockouts. Joel Shojgreen falls to 10-3, with 9 Knockouts.

 

A clash between unbeaten Jr. Lightweights saw Austin Brooks score a four round unanimous decision over Jesus Beltran. The story of this fight was Brooks’ ability to control distance, get his punches off first, and keep Beltran from getting his offense off consistently. Official scores were: 40-36, (On two scorecards) and 39-37 all in favor of Brooks. Austin Brooks advances to 4-0, with 1 Knockout. Jesus Beltran falls to 4-1, with 3 Knockouts.

 

This card, which was promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Lou Dibella and his Broadway Boxing series continued to underscore the progression of Women’s Boxing. Although the progress is undeniable and should be celebrated, the main event of this card also underscored the importance that rounds in Women’s Boxing need to be extended to three minutes in duration. The same length of time as men competing in the sport.

 

While the battle between Kali Reis and Diana Prazak realistically could have gone either way. Reis showed she is a champion by offering Prazak a rematch in response to some booing from the crowd in attendance in saying that she was not happy with her performance and gave Prazak credit for pushing her to her limit. While neither fighter has anything to be ashamed of as they both left it all in the ring, a show of “Class” between two warriors who gave everything they had to give is something all involved in the sport could learn from.

 

“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

Pacquiao-Ugas Weights

 The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Welterweight showdown for the WBA Welterweight world championship between Manny Pacquiao and Yordenis Ugas, who each hold a claim to the championship, took place earlier today in Las Vegas, NV. Weights for the four-bout pay-per-view card that can be seen in the United States on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View are below. 

 

Main Event: WBA Welterweight World Championship – 12Rds.

 

Manny Pacquiao 146lbs. vs. Yordenis Ugas 147lbs.

 

Featherweight – 12Rds.

 

Julio Ceja 125lbs. vs. Mark Magsayo 125 1/2lbs.

 

Featherweight – 10Rds.

 

Carlos Castro 125 1/2lbs. vs. Oscar Escandon 125 3/4lbs.

 

Welterweight – 10Rds.

 

Victor Ortiz 148lbs. vs. Robert Guerrero 146 3/4lbs. 

 

Pacquiao vs. Ugas takes place on Saturday, August 21^st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT in the United States across cable/satellite telco providers, the Fox Sports app, as well as being available in the United States and globally on digital  sports pay-per-view network FITE TV for $74.99. 

 

Contact your cable or satellite provider for ordering information. To order directly from Fox Sports as well as instructions on how to download the Fox Sports app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs please visit: www,FoxSports.com/ppv.

 

To order on FITE TV and for instructions on how to download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs please visit: www.FITE.TV or the following link to order: https://www.fite.tv/watch/pacquiao-vs-ugas/2p9vf/.

 

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

 

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

 

DAZN SECURES RIGHTS TO SEPTEMBER 25 BLOCKBUSTER HEAVYWEIGHT CLASH BETWEEN ANTHONY JOSHUA AND OLEKSANDR USYK IN OVER 170 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

  

Press Release : By DAZN – August 18, 2021 – DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform, has secured exclusive rights to the highly-anticipated heavyweight showdown on Saturday, September 25 between reigning champion Anthony Joshua and former cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk in more than 170 countries and territories worldwide – including all of North America, South America, and Oceania as well as much of Europe, Asia, and Africa. A full list of markets where fans can watch the blockbuster event on DAZN can be found here.   

Credit:DAZN 

 

Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World Anthony Joshua OBE will put his IBF, WBA, and WBO World Titles on the line against Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

 

“We’re thrilled to continue our strong relationship with Matchroom, Anthony Joshua and his team at 258MGT as the global home of boxing,” said Ed Breeze, EVP of Rights, DAZN. “This fight will be an all-out heavyweight battle between two of the best in the division, live from a remarkable stadium in front a full house of avid fans. The countdown is on, and we cannot wait to bring this epic clash to our subscribers around the world.”

 

Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) last dominated Kubrat Pulev to score a brutal ninth-round knockout at The SSE Arena, Wembley in December in what was his first fight on UK soil since he stopped Alexander Povetkin in seven explosive rounds at Wembley Stadium back in September 2018. Joshua is the local heavyweight hero famed for his unrivalled athleticism, explosive power, and versatility. In his path is the dangerous Ukrainian pound-for-pound star Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), who successfully made the move to the Heavyweight division after dominating at Cruiserweight, ending his extraordinary spell at 200lbs as the Undisputed king with a phenomenal run of victories. Usyk operates behind a mysterious and unpredictable persona but is the real deal with a boxing IQ that’s one of the best in the fight game. 

 

Both fighters are incredible specimens on their own paths to greatness with two exceptional arsenals of weaponry. It’s an unforeseen series of events and circumstance that has brought these great fighters together but their difference in styles, personalities and journeys will make for the perfect storm on September 25.

 

An announcement on the undercard will be made in due course.

 

For more information and to follow the action, tune in to The DAZN Boxing Show - the only daily boxing show available to fight fanatics worldwide and go-to source that keeps boxing fans on the pulse of ALL the latest global boxing news and drama alongside expert insights and interviews with the most recognizable faces of the sport – exclusively on DAZN. The DAZN Boxing Show will be on-site in London all fight week long in the lead up to September 25, covering all the fight news and excitement on the ground for fans across the globe in all 200+ markets that DAZN is available.

 

To find out more, visit www.dazn.com, subscribe to the DAZN Boxing YouTube channel, visit @DAZNBoxing on Twitter, and @DAZNBoxing on Instagram. 

 

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.

JAKE PAUL VS. TYRON WOODLEY SHOWTIME PPV® EVENT AVAILABLE ACROSS DIGITAL STREAMING AND CABLE, SATELLITE & TELCO TELEVISION PLATFORMS GLOBALLY

 

Press Release: By FITE - NEW YORK – August 12, 2021 – One of the most talked about sporting events of the summer, the boxing pay-per-view card on Sunday, August 29 featuring a battle between renowned content creator and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul and former MMA world champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley, is now available for pre-order for viewing in the U.S. in the SHOWTIME app and on the web via SHOWTIME.com. The five-fight telecast will also be available in the U.S. and globally on a variety of digital streaming platforms and via major cable, satellite, and telco providers in the U.S. and Canada. Produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV^®, the event begins at a special time of 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

 

Paul vs. Woodley is available for purchase now for $59.99 in the SHOWTIME app and via web at SHOWTIME.com/PPV. All U.S. consumers who purchase the event via SHOWTIME.com can watch the event live through the SHOWTIME streaming service app on Apple iOS and tvOS devices, Android Mobile, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, Chromecast, Xbox One, as well as online at SHOWTIME.com.

 

iNDemand is serving as a cable and telco distributor for the U.S. and Canada. Customers can order the event with their remote control or voice remote via all major U.S. cable, satellite, and telco providers, including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Verizon Fios, Optimum, Vubiquity, DIRECTV, U-Verse TV, DISH and more. In Canada, the event can be ordered through Rogers, Bell, Shaw, SaskTel, and TELUS. The pay-per-view event will be distributed by a variety of leading linear and digital television providers around the world including FOX Sports (Australia) and Sky Sports (New Zealand). An exclusive U.K. broadcast partner will be announced soon.

The pay-per-view will also be available for streaming through Sling in the U.S., as well as via Sony’s PlayStation Store and FITE TV in the U.S. and Canada.

 

The event also will be distributed via closed circuit at a variety of commercial establishments throughout the U.S. and Canada, activated by Joe Hand Promotions. Fans can locate the venues showing Paul vs. Woodley by checking the Joe Hand Promotions Watch Party app: https://www.joehandpromotions.com/venue-search

 

“In just three fights, Jake Paul has captured the attention of boxing fans and non-fans alike, and he is on a mission to prove that he belongs on boxing’s biggest stage, SHOWTIME PPV,” said Stephen Espinoza, President of Sports and Event Programming for SHOWTIME. “Tyron Woodley is an experienced and feared striker who is out to stop that train in its tracks. With the U.S. debut of two proven British attractions in Daniel Dubois and Tommy Fury, a unified women’s title fight featuring one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the sport in Amanda Serrano and an intriguing match-up between top prospect Montana Love and former world champion Ivan Baranchyk, this card has something for everyone. We are excited to deliver this massive event to viewers around the world.”

 

The five-fight SHOWTIME PPV event will feature a complete undercard of world-class professional boxing including Puerto Rican star and WBC/WBO Featherweight World Champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano defending her titles against super bantamweight world champion Yamileth Mercado of Mexico in the co-featured bout. Former junior welterweight world champion Ivan Baranchyk will step into the ring to face the unbeaten Cleveland-native Montana Love in a 10-round showdown. Rounding out the PPV telecast will be two U.K stars making their stateside debut as the hard-hitting heavyweight Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBA, will face Juiseppe Angelo Cusumano in a 10-round matchup, and Tommy “TNT” Fury, the younger brother of heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, will square off against combat sports veteran Anthony “Pretty Boy” Taylor in a six-round, 180-pound catchweight fight to open the pay-per-view telecast.

 

Tickets to attend the event at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland starting at $45 are still available via RocketMortgageFieldHouse.com. The event is co-produced by SHOWTIME PPV and Most Valuable Promotions and promoted by Tony and Bryce Holden of Holden Productions. Barstool Sportsbook is the official sports betting partner for the event and will be incorporated in a unique, fully integrated brand activation that is to be announced in more detail.

 

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @TWooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, on Instagram via @JakePaul, @Twooodley and @ShowtimeBoxing, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

About Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley:

Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley is the main event of a five-fight professional boxing pay-per-view event presented by SHOWTIME PPV^® and Most Valuable Promotions and promoted by Tony and Bryce Holden live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, on Sunday, August 29 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The SHOWTIME PPV for viewing in the U.S. is available for purchase in the SHOWTIME app and on the web at SHOWTIME.com/PPV, and is available to order through major cable, satellite and telco providers in the U.S. and Canada. Renowned content creator and undefeated professional boxer Jake “The Problem Child” Paul will take on the toughest challenge of his budding career in the former UFC champion Tyron “The Chosen One” Woodley. Featured on the undercard is unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano defending her titles against super bantamweight champion Yamileth Mercado and the U.S. debuts of popular U.K. attractions Daniel Dubois and Tommy Fury in separate bouts. Tickets for the live event can be purchased through RocketMortgageFieldHouse.com.

Material Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

 

For more information about FITE including schedules and instructions on how to download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TV’s please visit:www.FITE.TV. To order Paul vs. Woodley on FITE download the FITE app or click the following link: https://www.fite.tv/watch/paul-vs-woodley/2p9vn/

 

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

Pacquiao-Ugas: High Risk/Low Reward?

 

One of the biggest fights on the Boxing calendar in the year 2021 was the Welterweight unification bout between Welterweight world champions Errol Spence and future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao. What was to be a classic scenario of youth versus experience with the forty-two year old Pacquiao returning to the ring after a lengthy absence due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic to challenge a man eleven years younger, who is regarded as the top fighter in the talent-deep division in the eyes of some.

 

Although Boxing history is full of such encounters, what had become one of the most anticipated fights in recent memory even as the world continues to battle the COVID-19 virus was put on the back burner. Unlike many of the postponements/cancellations that have occurred throughout combat sports as a whole for well over a year now, this cancellation had nothing to do with the COVID-19 virus, but did have to do with something that is also very serious. This observer is referring to the news that come to light on August 10^th when it was revealed that Spence was forced to withdraw from the scheduled August 21^st showdown with Pacquiao due to a retinal tear in his left eye.

 

Under the circumstances, it would be understandable if the scheduled date would be postponed in order to allow Spence time to recover. It is also understandable that from a business perspective, especially given the tough and go nature that has been created by the circumstances of COVID-19, if this fight would have simply been rescheduled in time that is such for Spence to be medically cleared to compete, especially since the Spence-Pacquiao fight was to have headlined a pay-per-view card promoted under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) banner and televised by Fox Sports Pay-Per-View and FITE TV here in the United States. Instead, Pacquiao will still fight on August 21^st and will remain on Pay-Per-View as he faces Yordenis Ugas for the WBA Welterweight world championship at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

 

Although it is fair to question why both the PBC as well as Fox Sports would want to keep the existing pay-per-view date with a new opponent for Pacquiao with a limited amount of time to promote the bout as well as the wisdom or lack thereof in keeping the same $74.99 price point, this is one might argue a fight that offers a high risk/low reward scenario for Pacquiao.

 

While Pacquiao was facing a younger and arguably fresher opponent in Errol Spence, which if he were able to be victorious, would see him take procession of three of five recognized world championships in the 147lb. Welterweight division, Yordenis Ugas is a dangerous fighter that through no fault of his own does not have the same name recognition value as Spence currently has.

 

What the thirty-fJul year old Ugas does have in his favor is like Spence, he will be the younger man when he steps in the ring with Pacquiao. In thirty professional fights, Ugas has a record of 26-4, with 12 Knockouts and has a style that he looks to wear down his opponents over the course of a fight, which usually results in fights being grueling battles of attrition.

 

The Pacquiao-Ugas Fight unfortunately also has the element of “Controversy” at least going into it. As some may recall, in July 2019, Pacquiao defeated then undefeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA Welterweight world championship. Due in part to Pacquiao’s commitments as a senator in his native Philippines as well as the COVID-19 crisis , this was Pacquiao’s last fight. Yordenis Ugas meanwhile held an Interim/Regular championship designation in the WBA’s Welterweight ratings and the organization due to Pacquiao’s inactivity named Ugas the WBA world champion while also designating Pacquiao as “Champion In Recess.”

 

In a perfect world, which unfortunately the sport of Boxing is far from, when Pacquiao signed to fight Spence, the WBA should have theoretically reinstated their recognition of him as world champion due to the fact that he was no longer “In Recess” and intended to return to competition in the division he held his world title. If the reader cannot sense this observer’s “Sarcasm”, I do apologize, but the reality is this is the flaw of the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) structure in the way it’s organization ranks and designates Interim, Regular, and in this case, “Champions In Recess.”

 

The WBA as of this writing has not reinstated Pacquiao’s status as WBA world champion so as far as the organization is concerned, Ugas will be making what amounts to his first title defense against Pacquiao. While the politics of Boxing should be held accountable when situations like this occur, it should not reflect poorly on Ugas, who is a threat to anyone in the Welterweight division and did earn his position as a mandatory challenger for Pacquiao before the elements of Pacquiao’s political career, an ongoing global crisis, and the politics of Boxing all in some way intervened.

 

Nevertheless, taking a fight on short-notice is a difficult scenario for both fighters involved. For Pacquiao, he was preparing for a fighter in Errol Spence that has a mix of hand speed, punching power, and a fighter that much like himself likes to attack his opponents from various angles. Now, Pacquiao will be facing a fighter in Ugas that likes to get in and make fights grueling with a somewhat grinding style. When one factors in both Pacquiao’s age and the limited time to adjust what ever fight plan that might have been in development, it cannot be an easy task.

 

The same holds true for Yordenis Ugas in that he now steps into a situation where he is going into the biggest fight of his career, but is doing so with limited time to prepare. As much as this is a high risk/low reward scenario for Pacquiao, for Ugas it is high risk/high reward because if he is successful and defeats Pacquiao, significantly more lucrative opportunities are likely to follow.

 

How does Ugas succeed under this scenario? Although it is certainly easier said than done, the task for him is the same as virtually every Manny Pacquiao opponent. He needs to find a way to limit his movement, his ability to attack at angles, and his hand speed/punching power. One of the things that makes Pacquiao so dangerous and extremely difficult to combat is he has immaculate foot work, which allows him to not only set up angles in which he can attack, but also allows him to counter an opponent before the opponent even knows what is happening.

 

For those readers who might be confused, in simple terms, he has the ability to throw a punch where an opponent will move to before the opponent moves. This results in opponents almost walking into punches that they do not see coming. A tactical asset that has bedeviled many opponents. 

 

It is important to keep in mind however, Pacquiao is forty-two years old, has not competed in two years, and has been through many wars in his seventy-one fight professional career. As great as he has been throughout his career, as much as his legacy as the first fighter to win world championships in eight different weight divisions has secured his place in any Hall of Fame associated with the sport of Boxing, one has to wonder just how much Pacquiao has left to give as a fighter, which for the moment does not include his political career that has seen him elected congressman, senator, and may eventually see him as a candidate for president of the Philippines. Whether or not this scenario in choosing to keep a scheduled date to resume activity against a fighter that is under the radar in Ugas, at least in the view of most casual fans, proves to be a mistake remains to be seen.

 

Boxing is and has always been a sport of opportunity and for Yordenis Ugas, the opportunity to become a household name not only in regard to those who are Boxing enthusiasts and those of us who cover the sport, but more specifically those for whom the sport is a casual interest. There has arguably been no bigger star in Boxing in the last fifteen years in terms of both drawing power and longevity than Manny Pacquiao. For a fighter who began his career twenty-six years ago and with the exception of the ongoing epidemic and his political career, has been mostly active during that time, at this stage of his career, it is likely a fight by fight process in terms of whether he chooses to continue his career for Pacquiao. We will see what happens on Saturday night.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Pacquiao vs. Ugas takes place on Saturday, August 21^st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT in the United States across cable/satellite telco providers, the Fox Sports app, as well as being available in the United States and globally on digital  sports pay-per-view network FITE TV for $74.99. 

 

Contact your cable or satellite provider for ordering information. To order directly from Fox Sports as well as instructions on how to download the Fox Sports app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs please visit: www,FoxSports.com/ppv. 

 

To order on FITE TV and for instructions on how to download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs please visit: www.FITE.TV or the following link to order: https://www.fite.tv/watch/pacquiao-vs-ugas/2p9vf/.

 

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

 

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

 

Buatsi KO’s Bolotniks In 11 In 2021 Matchroom Fight Camp Finale

 

Undefeated top-ten rated Light-Heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi scored a hard- fought eleventh round knockout over Ricards Bolotniks on Saturday night at Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood, England. In what was billed an an elimination bout for the WBA Light-Heavyweight world championship, the two fighters engaged each other in close quarters from the outset. This scenario saw several exchanges between the two fighters with Buatsi generally getting the better of the action due largely to his edge in hand speed. Bolotniks however, was able to provide Buatsi with a level of resistance that he had not experienced before in being able to extend the fight. 

 

Buatsi dropped Bolotniks with a perfectly timed left hook to the jaw in a short exchange of hooks in round six. Despite going down hard and being hurt, Bolotniks was able to get up from the knockdown, survive the round, and continue to put up a fight in the rounds that followed. In round eight, Buatsi was penalized a point for low blows by Referee Howard Foster as some attempted hooks to Bolotniks’ body landed below the belt line. What became a war of attrition saw Bolotniks land some solid hooks of his own and managed to keep the fight competitive in the process. In round eleven however, Buatsi as he has become known for ended the fight in brutal and dramatic fashion as he dropped an exhausted Bolotniks with a flush overhand right to the head that sent the very “Game” Bolotniks down face first in his corner. The bout was immediately stopped without a count. Official time of the stoppage was 2:08 of round eleven. Joshua Buatsi advances to 15-0, with 13 Knockouts. Ricards Bolotniks falls to 18-6-1, with 8 Knockouts.

 

 

Also on this card:

 

Unbeaten Lightweight Joe Cordina scored a first round knockout of Joshuah Hernandez. Cordina dropped Hernandez with an overhand right that came from behind a jab that sent Hernandez down on his back. Hernandez tried, but he was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was :53 of round one. Joe Cordina advances to 13-0, with 8 Knockouts. Joshuah Hernandez falls to 10:4, with 8 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated WBO number four rated Welterweight contender Michael McKinson scored a one-sided ten round unanimous decision over Przemyslaw Runowski. McKinson put on a display of Boxing skill from the opening bell, picking his shots and frankly not facing much resistance. If there was anything to criticize, it is perhaps that McKinson may have been able to get a stoppage if he had chose to press the issue. Official scores were 99-91 (On two scorecards), and 98-92 all in favor of McKinson. Michael McKinson advances to 21-0, with 2 Knockouts. Przemyslaw Runowski falls to 19-2, with 5 Knockouts.

 

In a clash of unbeaten Jr. Featherweights Hopey Price scored a six round decision over previously undefeated Claudio Grande. A competitive fight in spots, Price’s angles and timed counter punches proved to be the difference in the bout. In the closing seconds of the fight, Price dropped Grande with a perfectly timed counter left hook to the jaw as Grande was rushing forward. Grande went down hard and one might argue that had it not been at the end of the fight, the possibility of the fight being stopped was there. Grande was able to beat the count at the final bell. As all non-title bouts in the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not have an impact on the regional or world rankings are solely scored by the referee officiating a bout, Referee Mark Bates scored the bout 58-55 in favor of Price. Hopey Price advances to 5-0, with 1 Knockout. Claudio Grande falls to 5-1, with 3 Knockouts.

 

Former British Bantamweight champion Kash Farooq scored a ten round unanimous decision over Luis Castillo. Farooq used superb lateral movement, hand speed, and timing to out box the heavy-handed Castillo over ten rounds to earn the unanimous decision victory. Although Castillo was able to land some hard shots particularly with his left hook sporadically, he was not able to nullify Farooq’s ability to get his punches off first and limit his openings. Official scores were: 100-90 (On two scorecards), and 100-91 in favor of Farooq. Kash Farooq advances to 16-1, with 6 Knockouts. Luis Castillo falls to 28-3, with 18 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Featherweight prospect Raymond Ford scored a third round stoppage of former Commonwealth Featherweight champion Reece Bellotti.  The first two rounds saw the fighters trade punches in an effort to establish control. In round three however, Ford connected with a short right hook that set off a barrage of unanswered punches that forced referee Michael Alexander to stop the fight. Official time of stoppage was :39 of round three. Raymond Ford advances 9-0-1, with 5 Knockouts. Reece Bellotti falls to 14-5, with 12 Knockouts. 

 

Jr. Featherweight Zelfa Barrett began the evening by scoring a fifth round stoppage over veteran Viorel Simion. Barrett gradually broke Simion down with a steady flow of offense to the body and head. After five rounds of mostly one way punishment, Simion’s corner stopped the fight at the conclusion of round five, Zelfa Barrett advances to 26-1, with 16 Knockouts. Viorel Simion falls to 22-7, with 9 Knockouts.

 

 

The finale of the 2021 season of Matchroom Boxing’s Fight Camp series was very much in the spirit of what the series, which was born in response to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, to provide “No Easy Fights” for the fighters involved, which depending on one’s perspective obviously depends on an individual fighter’s performance. More importantly however, the series achieved its ultimate goal, to continue providing competitive fights and entertaining action for Boxing fans in the midst of ongoing difficult and uncertain times. While this series was born out of necessity as a means for promoter Eddie Hearn to remain active when much of the world including sporting arenas were shut down due to the circumstances of COVID-19, as this observer said in previewing the first week of the season, though born out of necessity, the groundwork has been laid for what should be an annual tradition on the Matchroom Boxing calendar. I for one look for to seeing how the series evolves in season 3.

 

“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

Matchroom Fight Camp 2021 Season Finale Weights

 

The official weigh-in for Saturday’s Boxing card that will conclude the 2021 season of Matchroom Boxing’s Fight Camp series took place earlier today in Brentwood, England. The weights for the entire card, which will take place at Matchroom Headquarters and be broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN are as follows.

 

Main Event: Light-Heavyweight – 12Rds.

 

Joshua Buatsi 174 3/4lbs. vs. Ricards Boloniks 174 1/2lbs.

 

Welterweight – 10Rds. 

 

Michael McKinson 146 1/2lbs. vs. Przemyslaw Runowski 146 1/4lbs.

 

Featherweight – 10Rds.

 

Raymond Ford 126lbs. vs. Reece Bellotti 125 1/4lbs.

 

Bantamweight – 10Rds.

 

Ukashir Farooq 117 1/2lbs. vs. Luis Castillo 116 1/4lbs.

 

Jr.Lightweight – 10Rds.

 

Joe Cordina 134lbs. vs. Joshuah Hernandez 132 3/4lbs.

 

Lightweight – 8Rds.

 

Zelfa Barrett 136 1/4lbs. vs. Viorel Simion 139 3/4lbs.

 

Jr. Featherweight – 6Rds.

 

Hopey Price 123 3/4lbs. vs. Claudio Grande 121 1/2lbs.

 

Matchroom Fight Camp: Buatsi vs. Bolotniks takes place on Saturday, August 14^th at Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood, England. The entire card can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning with a Matchroom Before The Bell pre-fight show that will feature a portion of preliminary bouts beginning at 12:30PM ET/9:30 AM PT. This will be followed by the main card, which will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT (*U.S. Times.)

 

*Card Subject To Change 

 

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

 

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

 

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