Fury-Wilder III: The Final Chapter?

 

Most associate trilogies as the third chapter serving as the finale. In Boxing however, most trilogies arrive at chapter 3 with a simple process. This process usually consists of two fighters splitting two heated fights, which leads to the culmination of the rivalry between the two in what is thought to be the final battle, the third fight. 

 

The rivalry between undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and former WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder has not been one that most would call a “Normal” trilogy. For it was in their first fight in December 2018 that Wilder, the then unbeaten WBC world champion overcame a deficit on the scorecards by scoring two knockdowns of Fury including a near fight ending knockdown in the twelfth and final round to earn a draw to retain his crown. A decision that even with two knockdowns in his favor, some felt should have gone to Fury. 

 

While there was over a year between fights one and two, in which both men were able to maintain their unbeaten records, the result of a draw did not quell the issue and fueled demand for the rematch. A rematch that would take place in February of last year with Wilder's WBC crown again on the line. 

 

This time there was an emphatic outcome. Fury opted to change his approach from his normal elusive style and became more aggressive. In simple terms, he brought the fight to Wilder, which was something that frankly I, or many others did not expect. It was this approach that changed the dynamic of the combat compared to the first fight as it forced Wilder, a fighter known for being a “Knockout Artist,” who can end a fight at any given moment into a position where for the first time in his career, he was the one being pressured and pushed back. This noticeable change made the tempo significantly different compared to the first fight where Fury was able to win rounds with his elusiveness before Wilder was able to make up ground with the two knockdowns that saved his world championship. 

 

The second encounter was different in that it would be Wilder who would find himself on the canvas for the first time in his career. What stood out to me following the first knockdown Wilder suffered in round three as a result of a right hand to the head from Fury, was that he had trouble with his equilibrium from this point of the fight on and even though he was able to get up from that knockdown, the combat became increasingly one-sided and he was not able to turn the tempo in his favor. Those who saw the coverage of that second fight saw me speculate that Wilder’s equilibrium issues may have been caused by a ruptured eardrum, which Wilder was bleeding from the left ear. Whatever the case might be, Wilder’s offensive output continued to gradually decrease and it was in round five that he would suffer the second knockdown of the bout.  

 

While I was very vocal in my coverage of the rematch in saying that I felt the fight should have been stopped after round three due to the obvious equilibrium problems Wilder was having in addition to bleeding in his ear and in his mouth, something which I stand by, the fight would go on until round seven when Wilder’s then co-trainer former two-time Welterweight world champion Mark Breland threw the towel in to save his fighter from further punishment. 

 

Although I could spend hours talking about the several excuses and accusations that were made by Wilder, towards Fury, Breland, and even saying that his wardrobe in which he entered the ring were responsible for his performance and subsequent loss, out of respect for the reader, I will move on by simply stating that accusations of Fury potentially cheating from Wilder and those armchair online critics were unfounded. The rift between the former world champion and Breland however, resulted in Breland being fired as co-trainer and former Heavyweight contender and previous Wilder opponent Malik Scott stepping into the trainer’s role. 

 

Readers may also recall that this third fight, which will take place on Saturday, October 9th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV and can be seen here in the United States on both ESPN+ Pay-Per-View and Fox Sports Pay-Per-View as well as through cable/satellite providers, was not initially going to take place in 2020. It was not long ago that there was a deal in place for Fury to defend his WBC crown against then unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in what would have been a bout to determine the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world.  As there always seems to be in Boxing however, nothing is quite as it seems as Wilder, was contractually obligated an immediate rematch and despite the announcement that Fury and Joshua were to meet at some point this year, that would not be what would happen as Wilder’s legal fight to enforce his rematch clause was granted via arbitration and thus the third Fury-Wilder bout becomes the first bout in Boxing history as far as this observer has been able to research that comes literally by court order 

 

The bout was originally scheduled for July, however, further complicating things was Fury testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, which has resulted in the bout taking place on October 9th. As for Anthony Joshua, his side of the Heavyweight world championship equation was thrown a curveball when he lost his unified crown to Oleksandr Usyk on September 25th in London, England via twelve round unanimous decision. So, what was thought to be a year where one World Heavyweight champion would emerge, 2021, will instead be known as the year where everything goes back to square one. 

 

Now, how will Wilder-Fury III play out? Well, it is important to keep in mind that even though it can be a cliché that anything can happen when two fighters get into a ring and this especially holds true in regard to Heavyweights. The focus going into this fight, despite Tyson Fury’s recent bout with COVID-19 will be on Wilder. Can Wilder make any adjustments from his approach in the second fight, in which he was clearly unprepared for what Fury brought to the ring that night. What psychological effects if any did the first loss of his career, a knockout loss, in which he suffered significant punishment throughout have had on him? 

 

By the same token, what effects did Tyson Fury suffer from his bout with COVID-19. While there is still a lot of unknowns regarding the virus and the world is still very much in the midst of a global epidemic as a result, some fighters who have come down with the virus have shown no ill effects after recovering from it, others meanwhile have shown what might be lingering effects that have compromised their performance in their returns to the ring. It goes without saying that each case is different and just because a virus might affect an athlete one way does not necessarily mean that it will affect another in the same way. 

 

In this case, we are talking about two very big men in terms of physical stature as both stand 6’9 and 6’7 respectively and both fight well over the 200lbs. In fact, in the second fight, Fury came in at 273lbs. compared to Wilder’s 237lbs. While it is frankly hard to envision Wilder becoming a more technical fighter in just one year between fights where he has not been active, the most logical scenario would be for him to try and bring the fight to Fury early. This would not only be a way to test if Fury has indeed recovered from COVID-19, but more specifically, he must get the champion’s respect from the outset if this fight is to go any differently from the second encounter.  

 

If Fury does not have any lingering effects from his bout with COVID-19 and intends to approach this fight similar to how he did the second fight, it will be interesting to see if he will try to end the fight quicker this time around and whether or not Wilder will be ready for such an approach this time. At his best, Tyson Fury is an elusive boxer who uses awkwardness to get the upper hand on his opponents and can outwork them over the course of a fight. While I have no doubts that Fury still remembers how to win fights with that approach, the second fight with Wilder showed that when he wants to, he can score knockouts and do so in devastating fashion. Whether or not that knockout win or the issues outside the Boxing ring and in the legal ring that has led to this third fight will influence his approach is something that remains to be seen. 

 

Will this third encounter be the final chapter in this rivalry? Obviously, this observer cannot answer that question, but with the rivalry being 1-0-1 in Fury’s favor going into this fight, if Wilder were to regain his crown no matter in the way it might happen, it would obviously open the door for a possible fourth fight between the two if not more. It was after all not long ago that future Hall of Famers Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez engaged in four brutal battles and even though Marquez only won one of those fights after earning a draw in the first encounter and losing two disputed decisions in fights two and three, many would say he got the last laugh by scoring a brutal knockout of Pacquiao in their fourth and final battle. Although this observer honestly felt for a lengthy period of time that there would be a fifth bout between the two, that was not meant to be as both men are now retired. The rivalry between Pacquiao and Marquez however, shows that some rivalries in Boxing do not end in three fights regardless of the outcomes. While it may be unlikely that we will eventually see Fury and Wilder engage in six battles inside the ring as was the case with Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta, I personally don’t see this rivalry ending in three fights. Obviously, the outcome of chapter 3 might go a long way in determining whether the story of Tyson Fury versus Deontay Wilder will continue beyond the third fight, but I would not be surprised. We will see how Chapter 3 is written on Saturday, October 9th. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Fury vs. Wilder III takes place on Saturday, October 9th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it’s three bout undercard can be seen in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View as well as on Fox Sports Pay-Per-View and through cable/satellite providers beginning at 9PMET/6PM PT for $79.99. There will also be a portion of preliminary bouts that will air on ESPN+ and the national Fox Sports 1 cable network beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT. To order on ESPN+ please visit: https://plus.espn.com/fury-wilder-3?ex_cid=ESPN-espnplus-vanityurl-how_to_buy_video_ppv-US-EN&cid=ESPN-espnplus-vanityurl-how_to_buy_video_ppv-US-EN To order on Fox Sports please visit: www.FoxSports.com/PPV. The event will be available through both the ESPN and Fox Sports apps available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs. To order via cable/satellite contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information, 

 

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on BT Sport Box Office for £24.95. For ordering information and start time in your area please visit: https://www.bt.com/sport/box-office/  

 

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

 

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Where Miguel Vazquez Fits In The Lightweight Mix

The 135lb. Lightweight division is traditionally one of the most talent stacked divisions where usually any of the top fighters in the division can make a claim to being the number one Lightweight in the world at a given time. Such claims can even come during such a time as the present where there is one undisputed world champion Teofimo Lopez and several other top fighters that each hold some claim as Lightweight world champion due to the politics that be in the sport of Boxing. 

As most of the attention focuses on the upper echelon on the division most of the time, what about the vast crop of fighters looking to get into that position of being in the mix. What about the numerous contenders and former world champions that may not be getting a lot of the attention, but are still trying to get themselves in position to face either a world champion or one of the top fighters in the division. One such fighter is Miguel Vazquez.

Some may recall Vazquez as the former IBF Lightweight world champion, who won the title in 2010 with a twelve round unanimous decision over Ji-Hoon Kim. He would go on to have a lengthy four year reign as world champion in which he successfully defended his crown six times. Since losing the title to Mickey Bey in September 2014, Vazquez’ career has seen ups and downs, but he has continued on with hopes of securing another world championship bout. Now at thirty-four years of age, Vazquez looking to build momentum after coming off of a victory in his last fight and following his last loss to Lewis Ritson in October of last year, took a record of 43-10, with 17 Knockouts into the ring to face veteran Oliver Flores on October 2nd at the Verite Social Venue in Monterrey, Mexico.

In Flores, Vazquez faced a veteran of thirty-five professional bouts who came into the fight with a record of 30-3-2, with 19 Knockouts. Flores was also a former world title challenger in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division previously in his career. So, this figured to be a good test to see where Vazquez was at, at this stage in his career against a durable seasoned opponent, who was also coming into the bout on a three fight winning streak. 

What happened when the two fighters squared off can be best described as a workmanlike performance by Vazquez. Although the fight was nearly halted in the third round when a cut as a result of an accidental clash of heads opened a gash over the left eyebrow of Flores, the fight did go on to the full ten round distance.

Over the course of this bout. Vazquez showed his experience in not only being able to dictate the tempo of the combat, but also pick his spots. One of the attributes that Vazquez possesses that makes him very difficult for an opponent to combat is he has an ability to attack from odd angles, which you often cannot see coming unless you are in a position where you are able to limit his ability to move and set traps.

To his credit, Oliver Flores did try to apply pressure and did step up his aggression at times throughout, but he was not able to limit Vazquez movement, his ability to attack at odd angles, or his ability to counter punch as the fight went on. This in addition to Vazquez’ greater work rate throughout resulted in the former world champion earning a convincing ten round unanimous decision.

As for where this victory puts Miguel Vazquez in the bigger picture of things in regard to the 135lb. Lightweight division, a win is a win and even though some might say that this particular victory may not mean much in the overall picture amongst fighters at the top of the division like current Undisputed world champion Teofimo Lopez, George Kambosos, who are in the midst of what can best be described as a fiasco that is best suited for a reality TV show due to the numerous problems the two have had in trying to get their often postponed fight to take place including several issues with novice promotional entity Triller, that will likely result in some form of litigation amongst the three and the International Boxing Federation, or fighters such as Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Vergil Ortiz, among many others, it may not seem like Vazquez is in the discussion currently. What he does have in his favor however, is name recognition value as a former world champion and the experience to give any of the aforementioned names a difficult challenge.

Given the current state of the division due largely to the Lopez-Kambosos/Triller  show, which has put the Lightweight championship of the world in limbo for the time being, perhaps Vazquez could be a potential opponent for fighters like Garcia, Haney, or Ortiz. The bottom line is with the very top of the division, the world championship idle, there is some room for the potential next challengers to maneuver into that position, which may work to a fighter like Miguel Vazquez’ benefit because as those potential challengers look to stay busy in the interim, they will need opponents and thus therein lies opportunity because if Vazquez were to defeat one of those fighters that are angling for a shot at Lopez assuming he eventually faces Kambosos and retains his undisputed crown, Vazquez will be right back in the mix and deservedly so. 

“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

Update

We would like to let our readers know that new material discussing the recent Lightweight bout between former IBF Lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez  Oliver Flores will be released here on the website on Wednesday, October 6th. Stay tuned. 

"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 

Avanesyan Stops Taylor In 2

European Welterweight champion David Avanesyan successfully made the fourth defense of his crown by scoring an impressive second round stoppage of Liam Taylor on Saturday night at the Wembley Arena in London, England. Taylor had some success in the opening round by landing some body shots on the champion, but Avanesyan as is his custom, applied steady pressure on his challenger and dropped Taylor late in the first round with a short right hand to the head. At this point in the fight, Taylor made a decision that seemingly said that if he could not box against a steady pressure fighter like Avanesyan, his strategy would be to go toe to toe.

This proved to be very costly for the challenger as trading punches with the champion played right into Avanesyan’s hands and following a right hand, left hook combination that appeared to momentarily make Taylor go limb, Referee Mark Lyson stepped in and stopped the fight before any further damage could be done. Official time of the stoppage was 2:18 of round two. David Avanesyan advances to 28-3-1, with 16 Knockouts. Liam Taylor falls to 23-2-1, with 11 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

Women’s Featherweight Ebonie Jones successfully made her professional debut in scoring a six round decision over Vaida Masiokaite. Jones pressed the action from the outset and with consistent pressure and combination punches, she was able to get the decision victory. As all non-title bouts held in the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not impact regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a bout, Referee Chas Coakley scored this bout 59-55 in favor of Jones. Ebonie Jones advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Vaida Masiokaite falls to 2-11-4, with 1 Knockout.

In a British English Super-Middleweight championship elimination bout, Germaine Brown outworked Jamal Le Doux to earn a ten round decision. Referee Lee Every scored the bout 99-92 in favor of Brown. Brown now moves in position to challenge current English Super-Middleweight champion Charlie Schofield in a step that should lead to a British title challenge if he were successful against Schofield. Germaine Brown advances to 10-0, with 3 Knockouts. Jamal Le Doux falls to 8-2, with 4 Knockouts.

Cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe had a stern test on his way to improving to 12-0 in his career by scoring an eight round decision over Krzysztof Twardowski. Twardowski made things difficult for Riakporhe including bloodying his nose throughout, but Riakporhe held his ground including landing a flush right hook to the head that dropped Twardowski late in the eighth and final round. Referee Chas Coakley scored the bout 78-72 for Riakporhe. Richard Riakporhe advances to 12-0, with 8 Knockouts. Krzysztof Twardowski falls to 9-3, with 6 Knockouts.

Undefeated Middleweight prospect Linus Udofia scored a third round stoppage of Xhuljo Vrenozi. Official time of the stoppage was 2:39 of round three. Linus Udofia advances to 17-0, with 9 Knockouts. Xhuljo Vrenozi falls to 17-4, with 4 Knockouts.

Unbeaten Cruiserweight Mikael Lawal scored a third round knockout of Benoit Huber. Official time of the stoppage was 1:36 of round three. Mikael Lawal advances to 14-0, with 8 Knockouts. Benoit Huber falls to 7-2, with 5 Knockouts.

Originally, this bout was to be headlined by former two-time IBO Super-Middleweight world champion Chris Eubank Jr., who was to have faced Anatoli Muratov. Despite both men weighing in successfully yesterday, the bout was cancelled on the morning of the fight due to what was reported by numerous Boxing media outlets outside of this one including Boxing Scene as medical concerns surrounding Muratov that was raised by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). While as of this writing there is no further information as to why the BBBofC stepped in seemingly at the eleventh hour to cancel the fight, the absence of Eubank-Muratov on this card allowed a fighter who was originally supposed to be the co-main event attraction to step firmly into the spotlight.

The 147lb. Welterweight division is some might argue in a period of transition with the retirement earlier this week of future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao as well as many top fighters in the division all vying for the number spot at the top of the Welterweight mountain. David Avanesyan has flirted with the top of the division before having previously held interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Welterweight ratings. Now on the strength of five straight victories and four successful title defenses of his European crown, where he has scored impressive knockouts in all five of those bouts including the fight where he won the European championship, he has made a strong argument as being possibly a potential challenger for the winner of the upcoming WBO Welterweight world championship bout between undefeated champion Terence Crawford and former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter. While there is certainly no shortage of potential challengers for any of the current world champions in the division, five consecutive knockout victories in a relatively short timeframe is just about as convincing an argument as a top world contender could make as having earned an opportunity against the upper echelon of the division.

“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

Scardina Stops Doberstein In 5 In Milan, Italy

 

Undefeated WBO number twelve rated Super-Middleweight contender Daniele Scardina gradually broke down veteran Juergen Doberstein before stopping him in five rounds on Friday night at the Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. Before a crowd of 1,200 socially distanced spectators due to the ongoing circumstances of the global COVID-19 epidemic, Scardina, who was fighting for the first time in nearly two years due to both the aforementioned circumstances as well as his own bout with the COVID-19 virus, was frustrated in the early rounds due to the elusiveness of Doberstein, who opted to make lateral movement the focal point of his strategy as he attempted to make full use of the ring while attempting to attack Scardina and execute his offense in sporadic spurts. While this strategy did indeed prove effective for a period of time as the bigger Scardina, a fighter who has become known for his punching power, had significant difficulty early on in cutting the ring off to limit Doberstein’s movement.

In round three however, Scardina’s pressure gradually created opportunities to land his offense. Scardina was able to find particular success in attacking Doberstein with hard thudding body punches and mixing offense to the head as well at this point in the fight. Although Doberstein tried to step up his aggression and fight Scardina off by force with his punches, he simply could not land anything to discourage him from pressing forward. After a particularly tough fourth round in which Doberstein was rocked on more than one occasion with body shots as well as some punches that Scardina was able to land to his head, an exhausted Doberstein informed his corner at the end of the fourth round that he did not want to continue. Even though technically there was no fifth round, the fight was officially stopped after the bell rang for round five resulting in Scardina earning a fifth round stoppage. Daniele Scardina advances to 20-0, with 16 Knockouts. Juergen Doberstein falls to 26-5-1, with 7 Knockouts.

Also on this card:

In a battle of former European Lightweight champions, Francesco Patera scored a third round stoppage of Devis Boschiero. Boschiero attempted to bring the fight to Patera early, but Patera landed a left uppercut to the head in the second round that opened a deep gash on the right eyelid of Boschiero. By mid-way through the third round the referee seeing the damage to the eye called time to have the cut examined by a ringside physician, who determined that Boschiero was not able to continue and could not see out of the right eye. Official time of the stoppage was 1:32 of round three. Francesco Patera advances to 25-3, with 9 Knockouts. Devis Boschiero falls to 49-7-2, with 22 Knockouts.

An all-out war for the Italian Welterweight championship saw undefeated champion Nicholas Esposito score a hard fought ten round unanimous decision over former Italian Welterweight champion Emanuele Cavallucci. Despite neither fighter being known for punching power or as brawlers, this fight saw the two fighters trade the ebb and flow of the combat with near non-stop action for all ten rounds where neither fighter really got a clear upper hand for an extended period of time as whenever one fighter would land significant offense, the other would respond immediately with offense of his own. What was frankly a Fight of the Year candidate not just in regard to Italian Boxing, but in the entire sport saw Espositio outwork Cavallucci down the stretch to earn the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 98-92, 97-93, 96-94 in favor of Esposito Nicholas Esposito advances to 15-0, with 5 Knockouts. Emanuele Cavallucci falls to 12-5-1 with 4 Knockouts.

In a Women’s Jr. Welterweight bout, 2018 Commonwealth Gold medalist Sandy Ryan advanced to 2-0 in her brief pro career by scoring a fourth round knockout of Aleksandra Vujovic. Ryan strategically placed her punches throughout until round four when she scored a knockdown of Vujovic with a left hook to the body. Vujovic was able to get up, but Ryan followed with a double left hook to the body that sent Vujovic down for a second time. This time, Vujovic was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:47 of round four. Sandy Ryan advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Aleksandra Vujovic falls to 4-15-2, with 1 Knockout.

Jr. Middleweight Samuel Nmomah survived a stern test in his unbeaten career by scoring a fourth round stoppage of Craig O'Brien. An entertaining bout in which both men had their say and were more than willing to engage in close, Nmomah brought a sudden end to the fight in the fourth round when he connected with a flush overhand right over a jab from O’Brien that badly staggered him and set off a flurry of unanswered punches that compelled O’Brien’s corner to throw the towel in and stop the fight. O’Brien was irate at his corner for stopping the bout. Official time of the stoppage was :42 of round four. Samuel Nmomah advances to 16-0, with 5 Knockouts. Craig O'Brien falls to 12-3, with 1 Knockout.

Undefeated Jr. Featherweight Vincenzo La Femina battered Oleksandr Yegorov over five one-sided rounds to earn a stoppage victory. La Femina implemented a systematic attack gradually walking his opponent down and landing hard thudding shots. A highlight came in round three when La Femina appeared to score a knockdown of Yegorov with a short left hook to the jaw, but was mysteriously ruled a slip by the referee. Late in round five, La Femina was credited with an official knockdown with a right hand along the ropes. The bout was finally halted at the conclusion of round five when Yegorov’s corner signaled that they were not going to allow their fighter to suffer any more punishment. Vincenzo La Femina advances to 10-0, with 5 Knockouts. Oleksandr Yegorov falls to 20-7-1, with 10 Knockouts.

The card began with unbeaten Welterweight Reshat Mati scoring a workmanlike eight round unanimous  decision over veteran Vladyslav Baranov. Mati generally forced the action and landed the cleaner, more effective punches throughout against Baranov, who appeared content to be in survival mode at times to go the distance.  Official scores were 80-72 (On two scorecards) and 78-74 for Mati. Reshat Mati advances to 11-0, with 7 Knockouts. Vladyslav Baranov falls to 7-11-2, with 5 Knockouts.

While much of this card centered on the premise of some of the rising stars of Matchroom Boxing’s Italian promotional branch in conjunction with Italian promoter Christian Cherchi’s OPI Since 82’s stable of Italian boxers as seeing whether or not the fighters that appeared on this card could serve as a springboard/spark to rejuvenate what some may call a decline of Italian Boxing, what this card offered should be viewed as a little of everything. Competitive fights, knockouts, showcasing fighters at varying stages, and even a sleeper Fight of the Year candidate, that might have otherwise gone unnoticed beyond those in attendance at the Allianz Cloud and to be more specific the country of Italy thanks to the advent of streaming technology and the fact that this card was showcased on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, which is a global platform.

Whether or not a perceived “Decline” in the Italian Boxing scene is a legitimate stance or not, the future does look bright even as the world continues to grapple with the circumstances of an uncertain global crisis. Hopefully, as the Boxing calendar inches closer to 2022, the Boxing world will be able to be treated to more cards such as this from the country of Italy. Any nation’s sports scene regardless of what particular sport, is always benefited more when that sport is allowed to be as active as possible with hopefully as few constraints in terms of staging events as possible. The reality is the world will not truly get to that point until the crisis known as COVID-19 is behind us. One can only hope that point is one that the world will get to sooner than later.

“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

Thunderdome 36 Results From Metro City, Perth, Australia

 

CREDIT: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Unbeaten Heavyweight Dylan Winter scored a brutal fourth round knockout over Ryan Williams to win the Western Australian State Heavyweight championship on Friday night at Metro City Nightclub in Perth, Australia. In what was the main event of promoter Tony Tolj’s Dragon Fire Boxing’s Thunderdome 36 event saw the two fighters engage in what could be described as a brawl early. For a period of time, Williams was landing hard right hands over a jab on Winter. As Winter began to get his own jab going however, the momentum shifted and he was able to gradually accumulate punishment on Williams, the end came when in the midst of a barrage of punches, Winter decked Williams with a flush left hook to the head that sent him flat on his back on the canvas. Although Williams was very “Game” in trying to get up from a knockdown that frankly would have ended the night for most fighters on the receiving end of that kind of punch, he staggered badly once he got to his feet and the bout was justifiably stopped. Dylan Winter advances to 4-0, with 2 Knockouts. Ryan Williams falls to 1-3, with 1 Knockout. 

 

Also on this card:

 

Undefeated Heavyweight Matt Floyd scored a first round knockout of veteran Ivan Kolar. Floyd dropped Kolar with a left hook to the body early in the round and ended up sealing the knockout victory by dropping Kolar for a second time with a follow up body shot moments after the first knockdown. Official time of the stoppage was 1:37 of round one. Matt Floyd advances to 3-0, with 1 Knockout. Ivan Kolar falls to 1-10, with 1 Knockout.

 

A bout for the vacant Women’s ANBF (Australian) Bantamweight championship saw undefeated Sarah Higginson score a fourth round stoppage of a debuting Danni Mace. A fight that was fought at a very high pace from the opening bell saw Higginson gradually wear her opponent down in route to a fourth round stoppage. Official time of the stoppage was 1:02 of round four. Sarah Higginson advances to 3-0-1, with 1 Knockout. Danni Mace falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

In a battle for the vacant Western Australia State Featherweight championship unbeaten Ty Narkle score a four round technical majority decision over Richard Lockett. A competitive fight from the outset, where both fighters had their share of moments, the bout was halted at the conclusion of four completed rounds of the scheduled eight round contest due to cuts suffered over the eyes of Narkle that were deemed caused by an accidental clash of heads. Official scores were 39-37 (On two scorecards), and 38-38. Ty Narkle advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Richard Lockett falls to 3-2, with 2 Knockouts.  

 

Debuting Jr. Middleweight Joe McCoy scored a first round knockout of previously unbeaten Michael Warren. McCoy dropped Warren hard with a left hook, right hand combination to the head. Warren was able to get up, but had no defense for the follow up barrage from McCoy and the bout was stopped. Official time was 2:15 of round one. Joe McCoy advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout Michael Warren falls to 1-1, with 1 Knockout.  

 

In an exhibition Light-Heavyweight bout Curtis MacClean scored a first round stoppage of Jyve Jolvar. Official time of the stoppage was :45 of round one.

 

Heavyweight Lewis Clarke scored a second round stoppage over a debuting Jake Cull. A slugfest from the outset where there was no technique, Clarke eventually got to his opponent in the second round by knocking Cull down with a left hook, right uppercut combination to the head. Despite going down hard, Cull was able to beat the count, but the effects of both fatigue as well as the punishment Clarke was dishing out led to a second knockdown from a barrage of punches. Cull appeared to indicate after getting up from the second knockdown that he did not want any more, but the fight continued until it was stopped at 1:59 of round two when both fighters went to the canvas from what appeared to be a tackle. Lewis Clarke advances to 2-1, with 2 Knockouts. Jake Cull falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Jr. Middleweight Jordan La Ruccia scored a first round stoppage of Harlem Ottaway. La Ruccia appeared to stagger Ottaway in the opening seconds with a series of jabs and unleashed a near all-out assault from there mixing offense to the head and body. La Ruccia dropped Ottaway with an overhand right and although Ottaway managed to get up at the count of nine, he simply had no answer to stop La Ruccia and after a follow-up barrage the bout was stopped. Official time of the stoppage was 1:28 of round one. Jordan La Ruccia advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Harlem Ottaway falls to 0-2, with 0 Knockouts.

 

The evening began with two exhibition bouts that saw in a Middleweight bout, Mehdi Al Munssary score a three round decision over Kris Mauriere This was followed by Light-Heavyweight Nelson Cosmas scoring a three round decision over Ryan Dave.

 

Dragon Fire Boxing has established itself as one of the top promoters in Australia and it’s popular Thunderdome series has served as a platform for rising prospects on the Australian Boxing scene. Since the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic began, many promoters have had difficult for obvious reasons in staging events that would otherwise comprise of a normally full Boxing schedule regardless of where they may be based throughout the world. A casualty of that unfortunately is many young fighters who are in the crucial development stages of their careers have seen their progress delayed or outright stalled due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control. Series like the Thunderdome series are vital to the growth and overall success of the entire sport. One can only hope that the circumstances of the COVID-19 virus and subsequent crisis finally improve where promoters around the globe can finally resume activity akin to normal. As for the Australian Boxing scene, we will see what happens when the next Thunderdome event takes place and whether the prospects that appeared on this card at varying levels will be able to take the necessary next steps in their development towards being contenders.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Thunderdome 36 promotional poster courtesy of Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

 

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

 

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Usyk Pulls Off The Upset, Should Joshua Invoke Rematch Clause?

All the ingredients that often make up a special night in the sport of Boxing were present in London, England on September 25th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the World Heavyweight championship bout between two-time unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua and undefeated former Undisputed World Cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk before an enthusiastic crowd of over 70,000 spectators. The latter, a welcome sign of normalcy during the ongoing circumstances of the global COVID-19 epidemic. While there are times where “The Big Fight Atmosphere” exists in terms of the build up and anticipation before two fighters enter the ring to do battle where the actual fight does not match such an atmosphere, there was something unique about this particular night.

Perhaps it was because of the circumstances in which we are all living in that the mere sight of a major Boxing event like a battle for a unified World Heavyweight champion before a crowd of that size makes one appreciate it more than prior to the ongoing circumstances, but for this observer, there was something else. All too often in Boxing fans and those of us in the media that cover the sport are accustomed to seeing elements in the prelude to a fight that more often than not, for better or worse, is aimed at hyping an event up with scenes that include, but are not limited to verbal sparring between two fighters, their respective teams, and unfortunately at times even physical altercations. While some dismiss this as merely tactics of “Hype,” more often than not, it does not paint the sport in a favorable light.

This was a rare instance however, where the circumstances of the fight itself did not need any “Hype” as a way to draw interest, nor was there a need to try and sell “Bad Blood” between the combatants.  An encounter between two highly skilled boxers, each at the top of their respective game, with respect for each other meeting to see who was the better fighter was all that was needed. In this case, the challenger Oleksandr Usyk was attempting something that only two previous world champions in the Cruiserweight division had done, to successfully challenge for a portion of the Heavyweight world championship.

Only Evander Holyfield and David Haye could hold claim to accomplishing such a goal, but like Holyfield, Usyk had tested the waters at Heavyweight before challenging for a Heavyweight world championship. Even though his fight against Dereck Chisora proved to be more difficult than some had anticipated for him, Usyk’s campaign at Heavyweight though brief, had been successful going into this encounter. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it was crucial in my view that Usyk get the champion’s respect early. While almost all challengers who fight for a world championship against a defending champion have a similar task, Usyk was the theoretical smaller fighter who was challenging a theoretically bigger man for his title. Although yours truly does not necessarily like to use the distinction of big versus small or vice versa, this is precisely what we had here. 

Particularly because Anthony Joshua has long been established as a fighter with fight ending punching power in either hand that could bring a fight to a sudden conclusion if he connects cleanly, I felt Usyk needed to establish not only the tempo of the combat from the outset, but also needed to show the champion that he was not going to be able to simply walk through his opposition, despite the physics of being the naturally bigger fighter being in his favor.  The way Oleksandr Usyk approached this task was in a word “Brilliant.”

Using a tactical strategy that had an emphasis on using faints and attacking at angles in spurts, Usyk established a home for his left hand from the outset of the fight. What stood out to me about the challenger’s approach was not only his use of faints and frankly immaculate foot work/movement, but how he used those attributes to disrupt Joshua from finding anything that would resemble a consistent rhythm. Despite being the taller and longer fighter in terms of reach, an aspect of Joshua’s offense that was largely absent was his jab. Although the champion would use the jab sporadically throughout, he was never really able to use the jab in such a way as to limit Usyk’s movement, or ability to get his punches off.

As I watched the first few rounds of this fight play itself out, I had thoughts that a fighter who knew how to combat an opponent that used faints as frequently as Usyk was doing here in this fight and do so with the use of a jab as both an offensive weapon as well as a defensive one in using it in such a way as to stop an opponent’s punches in motion, one fighter came to mind immediately. Larry Holmes. 

Although Anthony Joshua is three inches taller than Holmes and has one inch in terms of reach compared to Holmes’ 81” reach, Holmes was the type of fighter especially in his prime years that would have tried to faint with Usyk as a way to disrupt the rhythm he was trying to establish. Even if this would not result necessarily in increased offense, Holmes had a way of nullifying fighter’s offense in such a way that it made what offense he was able to execute stand out. As this fight progressed, I continued to think of how Holmes would combat a fighter such as one with Usyk’s skillset. Sometimes it is not necessarily the most offensive fighter that wins fights, but the fighter who is able to make the most out of what offense they put forth. 

For a significant portion of this fight in addition to the sporadic use of his jab, Joshua also did not control the distance between himself and Usyk. This allowed the challenger to not only fight at a distance where he could get his punches off regularly, but also gave Usyk the ability to lead the tempo of the combat. Simply put, when Usyk threw his left hand, more often than not he connected with it. As the fight progressed, Usyk began to change the levels of his attack mixing between the head and body of the champion. While this can be described as simply avoiding falling into a pattern that would be easier for an opponent to predict, it prevented Joshua from being able to make necessary adjustments to his plan.

An aspect that can at times be overlooked by some is the difference when a southpaw fights an orthodox fighter. It is not simply a change in stances between the two fighters as well as a difference in which hand a fighter leads with, but also the tactical approach. If you are an orthodox boxer an obvious key component to your offense will be your jab with your left hand, but when going against a southpaw opponent, it is key that you also find a way to land your right hand frequently.  While obviously tactics will depend on both the fighter as well as their trainer in terms of drawing up a fight plan, one thing became increasingly clear even as Joshua gradually found sporadic success as the fight progressed. He did not have the ability to time Usyk, which can be attributed to the challenger’s fight plan and tactical movement, but also Joshua was inconsistent in his approach.

It seemed as though he did not know or at least did not have a solid plan in terms of a method in which to attack Usyk with consistency. Whether this was because Joshua felt he had the punching power that once he was able to land cleaning on Usyk with flush power shots that he would not need to approach his attack as strategically is only a question he could answer, but was simply not consistent that that worked against him in this fight.

How could Joshua have turned this fight around?  One thing I noticed was when he was able to land offense to Usyk’s body those punches did have an effect, but the champion did not or could not form a consistent body attack throughout and instead seemed to land punches sporadically rather than focus on one specific area to land offense.  This in addition to perhaps failing to lead with his right hand from time to time played into Usyk’s hands. What would a consistent body attack have done? The general rule is that when a fighter uses a lot of lateral movement in the form of faints and/or head movement as Usyk did in this fight, the opposing fighter should focus on the portion of their opponent’s body that does not move, the body. The theory, which at times is easier said than done is that if a fighter focuses on an opponent’s body there is always a possibility that a punch could land that will stop a fighter in their tracks and bring a sudden end to the fight, but more conventionally, a consistent body attack over time if executed successfully limits a fighter’s ability to both move laterally as well as get out of striking distance with their legs. In general terms if you hit a tree at its base enough times, eventually the head will fall. As far as Boxing is concerned, a consistent body attack will at minimum over time slow a fighter’s movement and present some opportunities to land to the head that may not have otherwise been available when that fighter was able to move frequently. At most, it may also present an opportunity to end a fight.

As this fight progressed, one thing that the challenger also was able to accomplish was that whenever Joshua landed a hard punch, Usyk almost immediately returned offense and over time, he also showed that he could stun Joshua more than occasionally with his left hand. Usyk’s consistency throughout as well as his ability to land the more telling blows including giving the appearance as though he had Joshua in trouble at certain stages in the latter rounds, left the impression on me that he had done more than enough to win the fight, having done so in my eyes in convincing fashion. 

At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, unofficially, I had Oleksandr Usyk winning this fight eight rounds to four or 116-112 in points, but I had a sense both due to the location in which this bout took place as well as the sporadic success that Joshua was able to have throughout that perhaps the official scoring would be closer, despite the view of this observer that Usyk had won the fight clearly and with little question as to who was the more effective fighter. In short, no matter how much experience one might have in covering the sport, which this observer has plenty, no matter how many fights on every possible level of the sport, amateur or professional that one sees, you never know what three individuals might be seeing or thinking in their task of being the only three people whose opinions matter. This observer is referring to the three official judges.

Ultimately, my unofficial scoring was reflected in one of the official scorecards in that of Judge Steve Weisfeld, a judge who has officiated over 2,100 professional bouts in his career who saw the bout the same as yours truly, 116-112. What ended up happening as judges Howard Foster, who scored the fight 115-113, (Seven rounds to five) and Viktor Fesechko, who scored it 117-112 (Eight rounds to three, with one round, the eighth round scored even 10-10) was what amounts to a full spectrum of scoring in what was a unanimous decision. A decision in favor of Oleksandr Usyk making him only the third Cruiserweight world champion to have successfully moved up to capture a Heavyweight world championship. In the process, Usyk has turned what for a period of time appeared to be a relatively simple path towards full unification of the World Heavyweight championship into the unknown.

First there is the issue of the WBC world championship. As some may recall, the year 2021 began with an agreement in principle for Joshua to meet Tyson Fury, the undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion, who currently holds the WBC crown. Despite the agreement qnd ramblings of the bout being staged in the Saudi Arabia, all plans for what would have been an undisputed world championship bout were put to a halt when former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who lost his crown in February 2020 in his second bout with Fury, was granted via court order a contractually obligated third bout with Fury. 

This third encounter was originally supposed to take place in July, but was pushed back to October 9th due to Fury testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. If this all sounds confusing for the reader and if you as the reader of this column might be confused, you are not alone. Furthermore, it would be understandable if you have doubts not only as to whether or not the scheduled Fury-Wilder III bout will indeed take place on October 9th and how this will all play into the equation that now has a new twist with Usyk defeating Joshua for his unified portion of the World Heavyweight championship.

One of the things that yours truly takes pride in beyond providing unbiased, objective coverage of the sport of Boxing, the sport that I have always had a lifelong love and passion for and have spent most of my life covering, is that the reader can always be assured that I will call it as I see it. As such, it would be dishonest of me to say that I do not have doubts. Doubts regarding both whether the third Fury-Wilder bout, which is still scheduled for October 9th as of this writing, will in fact take place and if in fact it does, whether the result will lead to an undisputed world championship fight.

The fact is I do have doubts. Not only because of the constant element of uncertainty that we have all been dealing with for nearly two years since the COVID-19 crisis began, which if nothing else should have taught us the lesson that even the best plans can change in an instant as you simply cannot predict what might happen due to the ongoing situation regarding the virus. In addition to the ongoing and unpredictability of the ongoing circumstances, perhaps what is triggering that doubtful impulse in this observer has to do with the business/political elements that for better or worse surround the sport that for one reason or another not only seems to halt the progress that can be made like a concept of full unification of a division, but more importantly, tends to give the impression that Boxing and to be more specific the people involved in running the sport will not get out of their own way even if doing so is in the best interest of the sport. While the subject of the political/business elements that surround Boxing is one that I have covered extensively when appropriate and by it’s nature is a broad subject that covers a lot of ground.

For the purposes of this column and out of respect for the reader all I can say in regard to the Fury-Wilder saga is we will have to wait and see if chapter three of the story between the two fighters does indeed occur and who knows if there might be another chapter after that. At least in terms of the immediate future, the more likely scenario at least as far as Usyk and Joshua are concerned is to see a rematch, which coincidentally much like Fury-Wilder is contractually stipulated, but unlikely to be ordered in a court of law.

This is because both fighters appear keen on the idea of a rematch and unlike Fury and Wilder, there is no bad blood or animosity between the two. In fact, the former two-time world champion Joshua showed “Class” in defeat in congratulating the new champion including a cordial exchange in the locker room after the fight as well as being extremely humble in his remarks during the post-fight press conference where he more or less said that despite his standing in the sport, he is still learning, which should be an example of not only how to handle a setback for any fighter or athlete in general, but also shows that even the best of the best fighters and athletes are like the rest of us, all human.

As for whether or not it will be wise for Joshua to seek an immediate rematch as he did when he was stopped by Andy Ruiz in June 2019, that is a subject to debate. Unlike when he was coming back from the first time he lost his world championship, Joshua is not attempting to rebound from a knockout loss, but rather a convincing decision loss in which he was out box3d by a master boxer. Can Joshua make any adjustments in a rematch? That remains to be seen, but in this observer's view, he will need to change his approach because as the old adage goes, you cannot box with a master boxer. Whether that means Joshua will have to force Usyk into a fight for twelve rounds and use his physical advantages the second time around is something that he and his team will have to decide as they prepare for the rematch. Without a significant change in strategy and how Joshua approaches that strategy, the rematch whenever it takes place could have a similar outcome.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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