Alvarez-Plant: The Battle For Super-Middleweight Supremacy

 

The recent career of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has been marked by a very public split from his longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya outside of the ring as well as his becoming essentially a free agent while continuing to maintain a relationship with global digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. Inside the ring however, the last year of Alvarez’ career has seen more frequent activity as well as establishing a working relationship with promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. A relationship that has seen Alvarez fight three times in under a year in the process winning and successfully unifying three of five Super-Middleweight world championships.  While some may not see a fighter fighting three times in one year as being overly significant, it is extremely rare both due to a fighter like Alvarez’ position as an elite level boxer, but also due to the financial incentives that a fighter like Alvarez can earn on a per fight basis to see a fighter in his position compete so frequently. 

 

Although the public business divorce between Alvarez, De La Hoya, and for a brief period DAZN did not do any of the three any benefit, an argument can be made that perhaps Alvarez being essentially a promotional free agent has allowed him to be as active as he wants to be, which may or may not have been what someone in De La Hoya’s position have wanted. Three dominant victories over Callum Smith, Avni Yildirim, and Billy Joe Saunders over the last year have now led to Alvarez attempting to make history as he will meet undefeated IBF Super-Middleweight champion Caleb Plant on November 6^th to unify the 168lb. division and determine the first undisputed world champion in Super-Middleweight history.

 

Unlike Alvarez’ bouts since December 2018 however, this fight will not be broadcast by DAZN around the world, but rather will be broadcast on a medium that Alvarez left when he originally signed with DAZN, pay-per-view as this bout will be broadcast in the United States by Showtime Pay-Per-View and in the United Kingdom on BT Sport Box Office Pay-Per-View. The reason for this whether it is something that will be admitted publicly or not has to do with Caleb Plant’s association with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters and more specifically his advisor Al Haymon who has an exclusive deal with Showtime and Fox Sports in the United States and BT Sport in the United Kingdom.

 

Some may recall that negotiations for this bout broke down for a period of time due to what was reported as Alvarez’ refusing to sign a multi-fight agreement to fight under the PBC banner. While this was a temporary break down in negotiation, it did show Alvarez’ desire to make history by choosing to fight on a different platform and for the time being return to an overpriced and outdated model of pay-per-view, despite being in a position where he had more leverage as the marquee attraction, the “A-Side Fighter” for lack of a better term. While this is no disrespect to the undefeated Plant, who will enter this fight having successfully defended his IBF crown three times since winning the title in January 2019, some may question the motives of the PBC or perhaps Haymon by insisting this fight take place on their platform rather than looking out for the best interest of Plant, who one might argue could have made more money by facing Alvarez under the DAZN platform.

 

Nevertheless, Plant will be making an estimated $10 million for this fight, which is still by far a career high for him. The business elements of the sport, which often does not serve to Boxing’s benefit notwithstanding, Plant does pose an interesting challenge for Alvarez, despite going into this fight as a significant underdog.

 

Why is the undefeated Plant an underdog? The reason primarily is because, despite being unbeaten in twenty-one professional bouts, he has not fought opposition that is comparable to that of Saul Alvarez. Even though it is indeed true that all a fighter can do is face the opposition that is placed before them, an argument can be made that it is a flaw of the PBC model in that there are times where fighters such as Plant either world champions or top contenders struggle to get the type of marquee fights they deserve due to the PBC’s seeming unwillingness to work with promoters from outside their banner on a regular basis. Their insistence that this fight take place under their banner is perhaps a reflection of that argument.

 

Caleb Plant however, is an unbeaten fighter who is a boxer/puncher that likes to gradually break his opponents down over the course of a fight. He has also shown the ability to out work his opponents throughout a fight to win convincing decisions. It is indisputable however, that the story of this fight will be whether or not Plant will be able to do either against a fighter of Alvarez’ caliber in what is a significant step up in class of opposition.

 

What makes Saul Alvarez so dangerous is that he is very compact with his offense, has the ability to hurt an opponent with either hand, and is a world-class counter puncher. Plant does have twelve knockouts in his twenty-one career wins, but is at a significant disadvantage when it comes to overall experience and also experience competing at this level of the sport against Alvarez, who is a veteran of fifty-nine professional bouts and who’s only official loss came against Floyd Mayweather when he was competing as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight.

 

Although Plant is the naturally bigger man compared to Alvarez, Alvarez has shown since moving to 168lbs. that he is not only capable of fighting men who are taller, longer, and theoretically stronger than himself, but thus far he has been dominant. A reason for this beyond his aforementioned attributes is he continues to evolve and with each fight has proven to be an increasingly difficult puzzle for opponents to solve. How can Caleb Plant be one of the few fighters to have success against Alvarez and possibly defeat him?

 

It is crucial that Plant find a way to get Alvarez’ respect early. Despite facing opposition that seemingly have an edge over him physically in several of his recent fights, Saul Alvarez has almost been like a stalker in the sense that he implements a systematic approach in being able to gradually walk his opponents down and being able to at times quickly negate an opponent’s physical advantages. One aspect that can be overshadowed by how well Alvarez is able to execute his offense is he is also very sound in regard to defense in particular his use of head movement. Plant must find a way to nullify Alvarez’ ability to gain control of the tempo of a fight early on. If he does not and allows Alvarez to get into a rhythm, it may prove to be a difficult task for Plant to win a decision particularly because he is not known as a power puncher and even opponents that arguably have a higher profile have found it difficult to win rounds against Alvarez.

 

Unlike many high-profile unification bouts throughout the sport's history, this fight seems to have more of the business elements that surrounded this fight being made in the minds of many Boxing fans and even some who have painted this as a blow that DAZN will find it hard to come back from. Despite this being for an undisputed world championship and my feeling that the fight should be the focus, I would be lying to the reader if I said I was not curious as to how this fight will do in terms of pay-per-view buys compared to some of Saul Alvarez’ recent fights on a global subscription-based model that is generally of better value to Boxing fans. Even with the likelihood that Alvarez will return to DAZN after this fight due to the financial incentives that are available to him, one would be justified to wonder whether or not there will be some backlash from fans who may not be as eager to shell out $79.99 in the United States for one card when a yearly subscription to DAZN costs the consumer $99 with no pay-per-view add-ons. While the latter has been the subject of much speculation recently, it is revealing that Showtime who has seen the ratings of several of their Boxing broadcasts under perform and has seen several of their pay-per-view events struggle to exceed 200,000 buys at price points similar to this fight that the network currently is planning three pay-per-view events in a 30-day period with Alvarez-Plant being the first of those events.

 

Of course, if you are competing with a network)/platform that is changing the model and that model seems to be more consumer-friendly than what you’re company is offering, the obvious response would be to attempt to downplay and/or outright insult the competitor if you are in Showtime’s position, which has been the case periodically from those running Showtime Sports with regard to the progress DAZN has made. Obviously, DAZN much like other entities have also seen their share of struggles over the last year due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. This observer will always be honest with his readers and in all truth and honesty, I fail to see how three pay-per-view cards at inflated price points in a 30-day period serves in the interest of the fans that support the sport especially as the COVID-19 crisis remains ongoing. Yours truly has no doubt however, that those at Showtime and perhaps even its parent company ViacomCBS will attempt a public relations spin to make it appear like such practices are beneficial both to the sport itself as well as the fans that support it in good times and bad. If recent history has taught us anything it is that the consumer generally wants more value for their money.

 

As we have seen, most pay-per-view Boxing cards including the recent third bout between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, which tapped out at around 600,000 buys at the same price point as the Alvarez-Plant bout and well short of the one million buys promoters had predicted in order for the event to be profitable, sometimes it does not matter who is on a card or how great a fight might be as Fury-Wilder3 was, if the majority of the public does not see value for their money and more importantly, feels priced out, events like this will ultimately not be successful. It would also be a shame if Alvarez-Plant turns out to be a great fight that only a fraction of a potential audience chooses to tune in to see. No matter what spin a network’s brass or a promoter might attempt, it can simply be described by two words “Bad Business.” For all involved, the network, the promoters, the fans who feel cheated by being asked to pay such expensive fees, but also the fighters who are often lured by the promise of more money via potential pay-per-view revenue that more often than not does not live up to let alone exceed expectations. “Bad Business“ indeed.

 

In terms of what to expect when Alvarez and Plant meet to fully unify the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division on Saturday night, hopefully we will see a fight that exceeds expectations inside the ring. Despite the business elements of the sport that seem to continue to prove that it refuses to get out of Boxing’s way and present the sport in such a manner that it serves Boxing’s best interest as well as the fans who support it,  and not necessarily those who rule on the business end of the sport.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Alvarez vs. Plant takes place on Saturday, November 6^th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. The bout as well as a three-fight undercard can be seen in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View for $79.99. The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT and will be available across cable/satellite telco providers in the United States and Canada as well as through the Showtime app on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices and Smart TV’s. For more information on how to order via the Showtime app please visit: www.sho.com/PPV.

 

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the bout can be seen on BT Sport Box Office Pay-Per-View beginning at Midnight (Sunday, November 7^th) for £19.99. For more information and to order please visit: https://www.bt.com/sport/box-office/

 

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

 

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

 

 

The Conclusion Of October 2021 In Boxing

 While the month of October 2021 will likely go down in memory of most Boxing fans and experts alike as being the month where the classic third encounter between undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and former WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, the month in the sport concluded with three Boxing cards that will certainly have the Boxing world talking moving forward. Readers likely recall the coverage provided by this observer of a card that took place on October 30^th, one of three events that will be highlighted in this column, in London, England, which was headlined by a unification bout in the Women’s 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division between WBC world champion Chantelle Cameron, who scored a ten round unanimous decision over IBF world champion Mary McGee.

 

A bout that Cameron won convincingly, but one that saw plenty of back and forth action that elevated both fighters as well as showed the continuing significant progress that has been made for women in the sport. What was not touched upon in the coverage of that card, but has been seen in other content that is available in the archives here on The Boxing Truth® is that the bout between Cameron and McGee was the start of a tournament to fully unify the Women’s Jr. Welterweight division and Cameron will face the winner of the November 19^th clash between WBA/IBO Jr. Welterweight champion Kali Reis and Jessica Camara where the vacant WBO crown will also be at stake, in 2022 to determine an undisputed champion in the division. While this will also mark the first time in this observer’s memory where all five major sanctioning organizations, the World Boxing Council (WBC), the World Boxing Association (WBA), The International Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Organization (WBO), and the International Boxing Organization (IBO) will be involved to determine an undisputed world champion in either men’s or women’s Boxing, the unification of this weight class seems to be more significant in terms of a shift in the entire sport as unification processes are taking place for both men and women competing in Boxing. Further thoughts on this particular subject later in this column.

 

The Cameron-McGee card also saw two quick knockouts in Boxing’s Heavyweight division. First, it was unbeaten prospect Johnny Fisher who scored three knockdowns in the second round of veteran Alvaro Terrero. While there was not much to say about this fight as Fisher is still in the early stages of his development against a fighter in Terrero, who frankly has been on the losing end of most of his fights, Fisher has been gradually developing and now with a record of 4-0, with 4 Knockouts, the question is what will he do next in his progress. Similarly, unbeaten Heavyweight Alen Babic, who followed Fisher’s bout with Terrero with a first round second round knockout of former two-time world title challenger Eric Molina, one might argue is at a similar stage as Fisher. A primary similarity between the two is both men have scored knockouts in every one of their bouts. Although Babic has more experience in scoring his ninth victory in his career over Molina, the possibility of the two potentially meeting in the future is certainly there.

 

As for Babic’s bout with Molina, it is not often that you see a fighter with under ten bouts in their career facing a fighter with Molina’s resume in being a longtime contender and former multi-time world title challenger. On this basis, I felt that Molina may be able to give Babic a test that he may not have been ready for. Babic of course, put a quick end to that possibility as he quickly dropped Molina with a short, but flush right hand to the jaw that sent him down. This was followed by two subsequent knockdowns that frankly gave an impression that Molina potentially was looking for a way out of the bout. While disappointing on one hand because of Molina’s experience, perhaps it was also an indication of Babic’s punching power that it discouraged a normally “Game” and veteran fighter from continuing on in the fight. Nevertheless, much like Johnny Fisher, the question for Alen Babic remains the same and unfortunately, his victory over Eric Molina left more questions than provided answers simply due to Molina’s performance or lack thereof.  It is therefore difficult to surmise where Babic is in his development simply because Molina did not provide much resistance in this bout.

 

While the questions surrounding these two Heavyweight prospects remain unanswered for the moment, a bout that took place in Madison Square Garden’s Theater in the Men’s Jr. Welterweight division may have indicated a potential challenger for current undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Josh Taylor. Yours truly, is referring to the clash between former world title challenger Jose Zepeda and rising contender Josue Vargas.

 

This was a classic scenario of youth versus experience in Zepeda a former world title challenger and current top contender facing a fighter in Vargas who is nine years younger and who seemingly was on the way up towards a potential world title shot. Often fights like this are viewed as a necessity of young fighters as they look to position themselves to challenge for a world championship. Although sometimes there are fighters who emerge at that level in being in position to challenge a world champion without facing a top contender or two beforehand due to the politics that be in the sport, more often than not, a fight like this is what can at times be a final step before getting that opportunity.

 

Despite being in a scenario where he was facing a young fighter in Vargas, who also had a significant portion of crowd support being based in the Bronx and with the fight taking place in Madison Square Garden, Zepeda showed his experience as he was able to quickly land a flush right hand to the jaw of the twenty-three year old Vargas that sent him down on the canvas almost as quickly as the fight began. Due to the way Vargas went down from this punch, I believed that the fight should have been stopped even though Vargas showed his mettle by being able to get up on very unsteady legs. Simply put, the type of punch Vargas was hit with in addition to the way he went down to the canvas was such that it is extremely rare to see a fighter be able to come back from. While not necessarily something that can be viewed as comparable due to the obvious differences between the two combat sports, more often than not when a fighter in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) goes down after being hit in the way Vargas was, the fight is almost always stopped immediately.

 

This would not be the case in this fight as Vargas was given the benefit of the doubt and allowed to attempt to continue, but it would be seconds later that Zepeda would corner his opponent and unleash a barrage of unanswered blows that would force a stoppage of the fight in just under two minutes of the first round. It was a statement making performance by the thirty-two year old Zepeda who has now won five straight fights. Zepeda, who challenged then WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez unsuccessfully in 2019 now figures to be a likely candidate to challenge Josh Taylor for the Undisputed world championship at 140lbs. at some point in 2022. As for Josue Vargas, a loss like this will likely require some time for him to digest. Even though he did not take a long, drawn out beating in this fight, it was still the type of loss that can impact a fighter mentally and it is important to keep in mind that he is only twenty-three years old and while this should not be viewed as a career-threatening loss, it is something that he will need time to come back from. Vargas simply just got caught by a perfectly timed right hand and unfortunately for him, he was not able to recover, much less realize what was happening before the fight was over.

 

The final stop on the journey this column has taken us on as far as the Boxing action that closed out the month of October takes us to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, where two fights in Boxing’s 147lb. Welterweight division took place. In the first of the two bouts, undefeated top contender Jaron Ennis faced former world title challenger and longtime contender Thomas Dulorme. Much like the bout that took place in Madison Square Garden’s theater between Jose Zepeda and Josue Vargas, this was another scenario of youth versus experience.

 

Although the thirty-one year old Dulorme appeared to be on the downside of his career that had seen thirty-one professional bouts going into this fight, he still had the experience that I felt would be a good test for the twenty-four year old Ennis, who had scored knockouts in twenty-five of his twenty-seven career wins registering a career knockout percentage of over 89%. Unlike Zepeda-Vargas however, where experience won out over youth, this would be the reverse scenario, but ironically would end almost as quickly as Ennis would drop Dulorme with an overhand right that seemed to land behind the ear. Dulorme was able to get up, but in this observer’s view, made the wrong decision by attempting to trade punches with Ennis under circumstances where he probably should have held on to give himself a chance to clear his head and regain his legs. Dulorme’s decision would prove costly as, despite landing a punch of his own in an exchange following the knockdown, Ennis would send him down for the second and final time with a straight left hand leaving Dulorme struggling and ultimately unable to get up from the canvas. The fight was over in 1:49 of the first round.

 

For Ennis who is rated in the top five in the WBA, IBF, and WBO Welterweight ratings, this was a star-making performance and should put him in line to face the winner of the November 20^th bout between undefeated multi-division world champion Terence Crawford, current holder of the WBO Welterweight world championship and former two-time Welterweight world champion Shawn Porter. With undefeated current IBF/WBC world champion Errol Spence sidelined due to an eye injury, and the WBA Welterweight world championship in the midst of the organization’s initiative to eliminate interim/regular championship designations, and to determine one WBA world champion per weight class, something that yours truly has been screaming for, for several years as part of his annual Boxing Wishlist that usually begins a new year here on The Boxing Truth®, it would make all the sense in the world for Ennis to face the winner of Crawford-Porter if the politics that be in the sport do not get in the way. With a record of 28-0, with 26 Knockouts, it is hard to come up with an argument as to why Ennis should not be in line.

 

As for the situation involving the WBA Welterweight world championship, coincidentally that is the final stop in terms of the coverage of cards in this column as the bout that followed Ennis’ knockout of Dulorme was to determine at least one slot in the WBA’s “Tournament” of sorts to determine one “world champion” in the division. While the need for such a concept was something that was the result of the World Boxing Association’s flawed policies and Yordenis Ugas is currently the WBA world champion, I will move on. This bout featured top contender Jamal James and undefeated contender Radzhab Butaev. James, who held interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s rankings prior to this fight seemed to have more experience than the unbeaten Butaev, who entered the bout rated number four in the WBA Welterweight ratings compared to James, who was the mandatory challenger for Ugas going into the fight per his designation. Beyond the rankings, Butaev only had thirteen pro fights coming into this encounter compared to James’ twenty-eight pro bouts so on the surface, you would think James would have the edge going in. In what was a competitive fight, Butaev would show he was the stronger of the two fighters and ultimately would score a somewhat controversial stoppage of James in the ninth round to become the mandatory challenger for Ugas. The reason the stoppage of the fight was somewhat controversial was James did not appear as though he was in dire trouble, but was on the receiving end of a barrage of punches that caused the referee to step in and stop the fight.

 

As is normally the case when it comes to the stoppage of fights that appear as though might have been stopped prematurely, this observer will always give the referee, in this case Referee Celistino Ruiz the benefit of the doubt because the referee is the closest person to the action and no matter how great technology continues to be as it is ever evolving, no matter how big  one’s television screen, tablet screen, or phone screen might be, or how good one’s view might be from a ringside seat or in a venue where a fight is taking place, the referee will always have an opportunity to see something that a fan, a television commentator/broadcaster, or those of us who cover the sport may not see simply due to the vantage point they have as being in the ring with the fighters. Although perhaps this fight could have gone a little longer, Ruiz should be given the benefit of the doubt in his call.

 

As for where this leaves things in the “WBA Mess”, Butaev will now be slated to face the winner of a proposed bout between WBA champion Yordenis Ugas and top contender Eiamtas Stanionis.  Ugas however, fresh off of his first title defense over Manny Pacquiao, a fight in which for the moment appears to be Pacquiao’s last as a fighter, has expressed his desire for a unification bout with Errol Spence once Spence is able to return to the ring. Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see where that goes before a bout with Stanionis, or a resolution of the “WBA Mess” as I call it will come to pass.

 

Although I could end this column by leaving the negative impression created by the WBA, it should not go unnoticed that the month of November begin with another unification bout for Women’s Boxing. This time, in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division as undefeated WBO world champion Mikaela Mayer will face IBF world champion Maiva Hamadouche on Friday, November 5^th at the Virgin Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. While the battle for the Undisputed Men’s Super-Middleweight world championship between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Caleb Plant, which will also take place in Las Vegas on November 6^th will receive more attention, it should not be overlooked that the women in the sport of Boxing seem to be moving towards unification of all weight divisions at a more consistent pace than their male counterparts. Hopefully, the steady and increased progress for women in the sport will ultimately continue to spill over to the men’s side of the equation where the politics of the sport does not interfere. If it does, Boxing will finally be defined by one word for both men and women that compete in the sport. “Progress.”

 

“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

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROBELLUM JOINS FORCES WITH PUERTO RICO'S PR BEST BOXING PROMOTIONS

 Press Release: By Probellum – Los Angeles, CA – November 3, 2021 - Probellum is pleased to announce its latest co-promotional agreement with leading Puerto Rican outfit PR Best Boxing Promotions.

Under the guidance of Ivan and Peter Rivera, PR Best Boxing Promotions has become the biggest force in Puerto Rico since its formation 20 years ago, staging a number of memorable events over the past two decades.

The organization has worked with the best boxers that Puerto Rico has produced, including former world champions and boxing legends like Miguel Cotto, Ivan Calderón, Roman "Rocky" Martinez, Eric Morel and Juan Manuel López.

PR Best Boxing Promotions are also known for their innovative strategies which has seen them create a number of historic moments, including staging the first event broadcast live on ESPN from Puerto Rico, and holding the first ever sporting event at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

The new partnership between Probellum and PR Best Boxing Promotions will now allow for even more huge events in Puerto Rico, helping to grow the sport at both grassroots and professional level in the country.

It is Probellum’s latest co-promotional agreement bringing together some of biggest promoters around the world, including Wasserman Boxing, Universum in Germany, Groupe Yvon Michel in Canada, Maravillabox Promotions in Spain, LNK Boxing in Latvia, Glozier Boxing in New Zealand, Shuan Boxing Promotions in the Dominican Republic, Bufalo Boxing in Nicaragua, Team Ellis Boxing in Australia, Armin Tan Promotions in Indonesia, and Box Office Sports in Ghana.

"We are extremely happy to be able to make this alliance with Probellum," said Ivan Rivera, President of PR Best Boxing.

"During the past twenty years we have been able to develop a number of great world champions on our island, and this new alliance will allow us to help new generations to achieve the great dream of all boxer what is to be world champion."

"The island of Puerto Rico has always been classified as the cradle of champions," said Peter Rivera, Vice-President of PR Best Boxing.

"We are the third best country with the most champions in the past 50 years, and therefore without a doubt one of the most important territories in world boxing.

"With this new alliance with Probellum we will continue with this mission that Puerto Rico continues to be one of the favorite places in world boxing.

"We will have the opportunity to develop new figures and ambassadors for our island."

"We've already partnered with a lot of the best promoters around the world and we're very happy to secure another by signing this co-promotional agreement with PR Best Boxing Promotions," said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum.

"Puerto Rico has been home to the best fighters in the world for decades, and the likes of Amanda Serrano, Jose Pedraza, and Subriel Matias are some of the current boxers flying the flag for the country, so we're excited to enter the region and help to unearth even more stars of the future."

For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

 

Material Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.

 

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

 

 

UNDEFEATED JACK BOWEN SIGNS WITH PROBELLUM

 Press Release: By Probellum – Los Angeles, CA – 2 November, 2021 - Probellum is delighted to announce the promotional signing of hard-hitting Australian star Jack Bowen. 

Credit: Probellum

Unbeaten Bowen (3-0, 3 knockouts) has made the perfect start to his professional career, winning all three of his fights since his debut back in February 2020.

His massive power has been evident in each fight, with the 25-year-old winning them all inside the distance, the most recent of which coming in June when he knocked out experienced Sivan Hermez in the very first round.

Bowen had an illustrious amateur career too, representing his country at the World Championships, whilst also winning the Australian title, the Arafura Games, five state crowns, an Australasian Golden Gloves and the Queensland Elite Boxer of the Year award.

He is the latest Australian star to sign with Probellum, following on from highly-rated Jason Mallia earlier this week. It means the duo have joined the elite stable of fighters that Probellum has assembled, which currently includes Regis Prograis, Nonito Donaire, Badou Jack, Donnie Nietes, Eimantas Stanionis, Arthur Biyarslanov, Taras Shelestyuk, Ricky Burns, Paul Butler, Lewis Ritson, Hovhannes Bachkov, Darius Fulghum, Eduardo Hernandez, Mark Dickinson and Brandon Moore.

Probellum's has also secured co-promotional agreements with Wasserman Boxing, Universum in Germany, Groupe Yvon Michel in Canada, Maravillabox Promotions in Spain, Kynoch Boxing in Scotland, Mitchell Sports Promotions in England, LNK Boxing in Latvia, Titov Boxing in Russia, Glozier Boxing in New Zealand, Cuadrilatero Boxing in Colombia, Shuan Boxing Promotions in the Dominican Republic, Bufalo Boxing in Nicaragua, Team Ellis Boxing in Australia, Moron Boxing in Venezuela, Volcano Boxing in El Salvador, Armin Tan Promotions in Indonesia, and Box Office Sports in Ghana.

"I am excited to be a part of the Probellum stable amongst elite international talent," said Bowen. "Probellum’s vision for boxing all over the globe has me excited to bring big fights to Australian shores."

"Jack Bowen has already shown massive potential in his career so far, and we're excited that he'll now be continuing that journey with Probellum," said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum.

"Australia is a key market for us, as we've seen with the co-promotional agreement with Team Ellis Boxing, and the signing of Jason Mallia, so having Jack Bowen on board is a fantastic move for all involved. We can't wait to see how it all unfolds."

News on when Bowen will have his first bout as a Probellum fighter will be announced in the near future.

For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.

 

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

 

 

Cameron Defeats McGee To Unify Women’s WBC/IBF Jr. Welterweight World Championship In London

 

Undefeated Women’s WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron scored a hard fought ten round decision over IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion Mary McGee to successfully unify the two crowns on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, England. In what was a very entertaining bout from start to finish, Cameron used her greater hand speed, timing, and counter punching to dictate how the fight was fought. 

 

There were several furious exchanges of offense throughout as the two world champions had no issue trading blows in close where either fighter could have landed a fight ending blow.  It was during these exchanges however, where Cameron was generally the fighter coming forward and pressing McGee against the ropes. A highlight came in round three where an exchange of offense at the end of the round resulted in Cameron shoving McGee down. Although this was a clear foul, there was no point deduction against her. The two fighters continued to engage in a battle right until the final bell. Official scores were: 100-90, 99-91, and 99-92 all in favor of Cameron. Chantelle Cameron advances to 15-0, with 8 Knockouts. Mary McGee falls to 27-4, with 15 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

Undefeated Heavyweight “Knockout Artist” Alen Babic scored a second round stoppage in destroying former Heavyweight world title challenger Eric Molina. Babic dropped Molina in the opening seconds of the fight with a short right hand to the head. Although Molina was seemingly in trouble from the outset, for a time he was able to hold his own in exchanging wide hooks with the free swinging Babic for the remainder of the first round. In round two, Babic scored his second knockdown  of Molina with a right hand that Molina contended hit him behind the head. This would be followed by a third knockdown with a short left hand that sent Molina down. The final knockdown came with a right hand that even though Molina was able to beat the count for the fourth time, the fight was stopped as Molina seemingly resigned to the fact that it was not his night. Official time of the stoppage was 1:30 of round two. Alen Babic advances to 9-0, with 9 Knockouts. Eric Molina falls to 28-8, with 20 Knockouts.

 

Also in the Heavyweight division, unbeaten Johnny Fisher scored a second round stoppage of veteran Alvaro Terrero. Fisher dropped Terrero with a left hook in the second round and followed that up with two more knockdowns to get the stoppage. Official time of the stoppage was 2:06 of round two. Johnny Fisher advances to 4-0, with 4 Knockouts. Alvaro Terrero falls to 5-14-2, with 3 Knockouts.

 

Former Light-Heavyweight world title challenger Craig Richards scored a sixth round stoppage of Marek Matyja. Richards seemed to control this fight with his jab and by being able to keep Matyia at distance. Matyia was able to have sporadic success with his offense, but in round six, Richards unleashed a brutal left uppercut to the head that badly stunned Matyia. Matyia tried to hold on, but Richards was able to get enough distance between himself and his opponent and set off a barrage of unanswered punches that forced the stoppage of the fight. Official time of the stoppage was 2:34 of round six. Craig Richards advances to 17-2-1, with 10 Knockouts. Marek Matyja falls to 20-3-2, with 9 Knockouts.

 

Jr. Lightweight Jorge Castaneda scored a hard fought ten round majority decision over previously undefeated Youssef Khoumari. A very tactical fight that was fought at a high pace from the outset, both fighters traded the ebb and flow of momentum throughout and both had moments where they were able to stun the other in some fierce exchanges of hooks to the head throughout. What was a very close fight in the eyes of any objective observer was ultimately decided by Castaneda’s consistent jabbing, changing levels between the body and head, as well as seeming to get the better of the action in the later rounds. Official scores were 95-95 (Even), and 97-94, 96-94 in favor of Castaneda. Jorge Castaneda advances to 15-1, with 11 Knockouts. Youssef Khoumari falls to 13-1-1, with 5 Knockouts. With the win, Castaneda earned a ranking in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Jr. Lightweight ratings.

 

Women’s Jr. Featherweight Ellie Scotney moved to 3-0 in her career by scoring an eight round decision over Eva Cantos. Scotney dictated the pace of the combat from the opening bell and landed the hard, cleaner, and more consistent punches throughout. As all non-title bouts held in the United Kingdom that do not impact regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a bout, Referee John Latham scored the bout, Referee John Latham scored the bout 79-73 in Scotney’s favor. Ellie Scotney advances to 3-0 with 0 Knockouts. Eva Cantos falls to 2-2, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Cruiserweight Jordan Thompson scored a first round knockout of Piotr Podlucki. A flush right hand behind a jab to the jaw of Podlucki sent him down and unable to beat the ten count. Official time of the stoppage was 2:52 of round one. Jordan Thompson advances to 11-0, with 9 Knockouts. Piotr Podlucki falls to 6-6, with 2 Knockouts.

 

Light-Heavyweight John Hedges improved to 4-0 in his career by pounding out a lopsided six round unanimous decision over late substitute Ben Thomas. Referee John Latham scored the bout 60-54 in Hedges’ favor. John Hedges advances to 4-0, with 0 Knockouts. Ben Thomas falls to 2-8-3, with 1 Knockout.

 

Heavyweight Thomas Carty moved to 2-0 in his career to start the evening by scoring a third round knockout over Igors Vasiljevs. The first two rounds saw a lot of wrestling on the inside between the two fighters. Carty changed things dramatically in round three when he connected with a straight left hand that badly staggered Vasiljevs. Vasiljevs tried everything he could to hold on, but ultimately Carty beat him down with a series of left hands that sent Vasiljevs down along the ropes. He did not get up and took the ten count. Official time was 2:49 of round three. Thomas Carty advances to 2-0, with 1 Knockout. Igors Vasiljevs falls to 4-2, with 3 Knockouts.

 

We will have further coverage of this card including what is next for Chantelle Cameron and Mary McGee as part of a feature column looking at the final weekend in Boxing of October 2021 that will be released here on the website next week. 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

ANDRES CAMPOS RETURNS TO ACTION IN CHILE, DEC 4, AIMS TO SET UP WORLD TITLE FIGHT IN 2022

  

Press Release: October 30, 2021 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Chilean standout Andres Campos is geared up for his ring return, as the highly touted 112 pounder looks to set himself up for a world title clash in 2022. 

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

 

Campos sits high in the world ratings, as he currently holds regional titles with both the WBO and WBA, placing in prime positions to challenge of the champions, with Japan’s Junto Nakatani being one of Campos’ targets.

 

The Chilean Crocodile, who is guided by Australian boxing monocrat Tony Tolj, discussed his ring return on December 4.

 

Campos said, “I am so happy to be back in the ring. The COVID period has not been easy for professional boxers, but my team have made a big effort to keep me busy, including traveling to the United States of America to spar Andrew and Jason Moloney. That was a fantastic experience.

 

“Now I get back in the ring and I look to show everybody that I am ready to challenge for a world title. I have to continue to show that I am improving and that I can genuinely challenge fighters like Nakatani and get into the ring knowing I can win.”

 

Campos has held numerous titles as a professional whilst gaining multinational experience due to his affiliation with Tony Tolj’s Dragon Fire Boxing.

 

The Chilean opened up about his plans to go international.

 

“I’ve travelled a lot as a professional already for camps, so going overseas doesn’t concern me when it comes to fighting. I always go into fights looking for the knockout, so I don’t think about overseas judging. I just come to win in style in every fight I have.

 

“I would love to go to Japan to challenge Nakatani. He is a great champion. However, right now my focus in on December 4, and putting on a show for my supporters here in Chile. I am very blessed to have great support in Chile so I need to give them a show they will remember. After December, I am happy to go to Japan, America or wherever to become champions.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

 

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing.

 

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

 

 

Thunderdome 37 Set For December 3rd In Metro City

 Press Release: October 29, 2021 By Dragon Fire Boxing – December 3rd will mark the final date of 2021 of an Australian institution, The THUNDERDOME boxing series based out of Metro City in Perth, Western Australia.

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

 

The name comes out of the Mad Max Thunderdome Movie, as it’s the most unique venue in all of Australia boxing, there are 4 levels in an amphitheater style modern-day colosseum, all looking down at the ring. The ring itself is situated on a stage as the venue operates as a concert venue.

Thunderdome began back in 2003 and has amassed 33 events & is ingrained in the fabric of Australian boxing. World Champions who have appeared on Thunderdome cards have been WBA Champion of the decade Chris John, Vic Darchinyan, Jeff Horn, Daud Yornan, Simpiwe Vetyeka as well as regular appearances by Australian icon Danny Green. The current generation of Western Australian boxers have all made their pro debuts at the Thunderdome

Dragon Fire Boxing Promoter Tony Tolj discusses the pandemic and the upcoming card;

“I’m so glad we got to re-establish Western Australian boxing in 2021, it was almost a 12 month layoff in February before our first event in WA since the pandemic began and I know the fighters have been over the moon with excitement about getting their careers on track. We are still bound by border issues as currently we can only have Western and South Australian boxers due to strict border controls due to Covid 19. 

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

 

One thing which has separated Thunderdome from everywhere else is the competition, its always as best of 50/50 fights as you can get and March is shaping up to be another stellar night of action featuring ANBF Light Flyweight title contest putting Sarah Higginson and Bec Moss. Also will be two state titles as Matt Floyd takes on Lui Guivalu and Joe McCoy takes on Fano Kori, the exciting debut of Simon Gerbat.

 

There are many more exciting fights to be announced along with some pro debuts, one thing is for certain, 2 men enter, 1 man leaves, Welcome back the Thunderdome!”

 

Material and Photos Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

 

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing.

 

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

Shakur Stevenson: A Star-Making Performance

 

It can sometimes be defined as common in a combat sport that has seventeen weight classes and for the moment, a sanctioning organization with intentions of establishing an eighteenth division, to see fighters outside of those born Heavyweights to compete in several weight classes throughout their careers. For many fighters at the top of the sport of Boxing, the goal is attempt to win world championships in multiple weight divisions over the course of a career. While such a feat is extremely difficult, the fact that some fighters are blessed with the ability to accomplish that goal in w relatively short period of time gives the impression that it is commonplace, despite the difficulty such a task entails.

 

When a fighter is able to accomplish such a goal however, such an achievement can be defined by calling it a “Star-Making” performance. For undefeated former WBO Featherweight world champion Shakur Stevenson, such an occasion occurred when he entered the ring on October 23^rd at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA to challenge WBO Jr. Lightweight world champion Jamel Herring for his crown.  Under most circumstances, the question that is asked of a fighter that is moving up in weight is whether or not they will be able to deal with opponents that are theoretically bigger and stronger. While this question on the surface does not take into the equation a fighter's style and overall skillset, this fight was no exception as on the surface the champion had natural size and what seemed to be a strength advantage over Stevenson.

 

It did not take long for Stevenson to dispel the theoretical disadvantage that some may have felt he had going into the fight as from the opening bell, he proved to simply be too quick and too strong for the naturally bigger champion. Although Shakur Stevenson is not known necessarily for his punching power, his hand speed quickly became the story of this fight as he frequently beat Herring to the punch. If one were to ask me to describe Shakur Stevenson's  style, he is a slick boxer that can fight either orthodox or southpaw, but what makes him even more dangerous to combat is he approaches his offense with the mentality of a sniper. Such a systematic, yet pinpoint approach that is q very difficult puzzle to solve because in addition to his hand speed, he is also very elusive and can attack his opponents from various angles.

 

What made Stevenson's performance more impressive as the fight progressed was his ability to mix things up. Not strictly from the standpoint of mixing his attacks on Herring to the body and head, but also his knowing when to step up his aggression and knowing when not to be overly aggressive to where it may have created an opportunity for Herring to turn the ebb and flow of the fight in his favor.

 

Although no one can take anything away from Jamel Herring in showing a true heart of a champion, despite the increasing effects of punishment dished out by Stevenson, which was frankly a gradual beating, it simply was not his night as he would eventually be cut over the left eye before ultimately being stopped in the tenth round. While the simple term was to say that Herring had a bad night, stylistically he was outgunned by Stevenson. The former champion however, showed class in defeat by saying that Stevenson was the better man. A show of sportsmanship that frankly yours truly would like to see more of throughout combat sports.

 

While there was not much to say about this fight beyond it being the type of dominant performance that the turns heads by Stevenson, the obvious question is what will come next coming out of this fight. There are a few things that need to be kept in mind. First Shakur Stevenson has become a two-division  world champion in only seventeen professional fights. While it is certainly possible that Stevenson may look to unify the Jr. Lightweight division by seeking a bout with WBC world champion Oscar Valdez and such an encounter may be theoretically easy to come to fruition seeing as both are promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, this observer believes it will be more likely in the long-term that Stevenson will look to venture into the 135lb. Lightweight division where there is certainly no shortage of potential lucrative opponents and obviously a lot of money to be made. The downside however for a fighter of Shakur Stevenson’s skillset is such a start making performance can unfortunately for a time have the opposite effect in making some of those lucrative opponents view a potential fight with someone like Stevenson as a high risk/low reward scenario for them.

 

Although not necessarily a good position to find yourself in if you’re in Stevenson's shoes, this unfortunately is something that comes with the territory in the sport of Boxing. While often it does not work to the sport's best interest, the flip side is that it allows anticipation to build for those marquee fights. It may be a question of whether or not Stevenson will be able to put enough pressure on Arum outside of the ring in order to get those lucrative opportunities while continuing to make as strong an argument for himself with the public whenever he is inside the ring to fuel demand amongst Boxing fans for those fights to take place.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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

PROBELLUM LINKS UP WITH TOP RUSSIAN PROMOTER GERMAN TITOV

 Press Release: By Probellum – Los Angeles, CA – October 25, 2021 - Probellum can today announce their latest co-promotional agreement - joining forces with Russia's German Titov.

The partnership will see Probellum and Titov working together to stage big cards in Russia, helping to showcase the wide array of talent that the country has to offer.

Led by experienced and respected boxing figure German Titov, the promotion has been involved in some major events for a number of years, with the majority taking place in Ekaterinburg in Russia with respected and long-time partner RCC.

Russia has produced some of the best fighters on the planet, and even more of the finest athletes can now be discovered and given a big platform to perform thanks to Probellum and Titov joining forces.

It is Probellum’s latest addition to their expanding co-promotional partnerships, having already secured agreements with Wasserman Boxing, Universum in Germany, Groupe Yvon Michel in Canada, Maravillabox Promotions in Spain, LNK Boxing in Latvia, Glozier Boxing in New Zealand, Shuan Boxing Promotions in the Dominican Republic, Bufalo Boxing in Nicaragua, Team Ellis Boxing in Australia, Armin Tan Promotions in Indonesia, and Box Office Sports in Ghana.

"I'm proud to take boxing to the next level by teaming up with a major force like Probellum," said German Titov. "From all of our conversations it has been clear how ambitious and motivated they are, so it is fantastic news for Russian boxing.

"Boxing in Russia has been booming over the past couple of years, especially with our partner RCC, and with Probellum now on board, I am certain that we will reach even bigger heights in the very near future."

"We're thrilled to enter into Russia with this co-promotional agreement," said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum. "German Titov has been promoting events in the country for over 20 years, so partnering with such a legendary figure is going to lead to huge success.

"Along with the current Russian world champions, Russia also has dozens of fighters who are on the cusp of big things, so we're open to working with everyone and we'll look to do all we can to help shine a light on these amazing athletes."

For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Material Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.

 

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

 

 

Fight 4 The Cure 10-23-2021 Results From Tampa, FL

 

Unbeaten Welterweight Harold Calderon scored a somewhat controversial sixth round disqualification victory over veteran Luis Florez on Saturday night at the Convention Center in Tampa, FL. An uneventful fight that can be described as a workmanlike performance by Calderon as he gradually and systematically approached breaking Florez down. In round six, a barrage of punches forced Florez to take a knee. He was able to get up and the fight continued. Moments later Florez went down on his knee in in his corner by what appeared to the eye as his claiming he was hit by a low blow. Referee Christopher Young stopped the bout. While it appeared that the bout was stopped due to perhaps the one-sided nature of the bout, it was revealed shortly after that Calderon was declared the winner by disqualification with the reasoning citing as Florez biting his opponent. At the time of this writing, there is no word as to where Calderon was bit, but he was extremely vocal following the fight in expressing his anger. Harold Calderon advances to 26-0, with 17 Knockouts. Luis Florez falls to 25-22, with 21 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

 

Lightweight Clarence Booth scored a seventh round stoppage of Alejandro Munera. Booth was in control from the outset and was very strategic in picking his spots and gradually stepping up his aggression as the fight progressed. The end came when a body shot set off a barrage of unanswered punches that sent Munera down face first on the canvas. The fight was stopped without a count. Official time of the stoppage was 2:30 of round seven. Clarence Booth advances to 21-4, with 13 Knockouts. Alejandro Munera falls to 6-4-4, with 5 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Women’s Jr. Lightweight Rosalinda Rodriguez scored a one-sided second round stoppage of Elizabeth Tuani. Rodriguez carried the action until the bout was stopped at 1:16 of round two when the corner of Tuani requested that the bout be stopped. Although the bout was one-sided, Tuani did put up a fight and there were no knockdowns. Despite this being a decision the corner of Tuani made, the crowd in attendance booed the stoppage. Rosalinda Rodriguez advances to 13-0, with 3 Knockouts. Elizabeth Tuani falls to 1-4, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Welterweight Bobby Henry remained unbeaten by scoring a four round decision over Bryant Costello. A fight that was made on less than twenty-four hours notice saw Henry nearly score a third round stoppage when Costello turned his back and the referee waived the bout off. However, upon review the call was overturned when it was ruled that Costello had been hit below the belt. Henry was deducted a point and the fight continued. Although Costello was able to land some solid hooks periodically throughout, Henry’s greater activity and ring generalship were enough to earn the unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 38-36, and 39-35 (On two scorecards) in favor of Henry. Bobby Henry advances to 5-0, with 3 Knockouts. Bryant Costello falls to 1-5, with 1 Knockout.

 

Undefeated Jr. Featherweight Otabek Kholmatov remained perfect by scoring a second round knockout of Juan Medina. Kholmatov knocked Medina down with a left hook to the body in round one that seemed to have a delayed reaction prior to Medina taking a knee. Kholmatov closed the show in the second round by landing a left hook, right hook combination to the body that sent Medina down for the second time. This time, for the ten count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:51 of round two. Otabek Kholmatov advances to 4-0, with 4 Knockouts. Juan Medina falls to 12-9, with 11 Knockouts.

 

Welterweight Jean Guerra Vargas survived a knockdown and a stern test to maintain his undefeated record in scoring a hard fought four round split decision over Rueben Morales. Morales implemented an unorthodox style in throwing punches at odd angles that made it a difficult fight for Vargas. It was Morales’ awkwardness that opened up an opportunity for him to land a short right hand to the head that sent the unbeaten Vargas down in the second round. From this point in the fight, Vargas was able to regroup and over the remaining two rounds was the fighter able to land the cleaner, more effective punches in order to edge Morales to win a four round split decision. Official scores were: 38-37 (Morales), and 38-37 (On two scorecards in favor of Vargas. Jean Guerra Vargas advances to 6-0, with 1 Knockout. Ruben Morales falls to 0-2, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Heavyweight Adrian Pinheiro moved to 4-0 in his young career by scoring a second round stoppage of Milton Nunez. Pinheiro dropped by Nunez in the closing seconds of round one with a right hook, left hook combination to the body. Nunez beat the count, but in round two knowing his opponent was compromised, Pinheiro went back to the body landing a left uppercut to the head followed by a right hook to the body that sent Nunez down for a second time. The bout was stopped before the ten count was completed. Official time of the stoppage was 1:05 of round two. Adrian Pinheiro advances to 4-0,  with 4 Knockouts. Milton Nunez falls to 37-28-1, with 32 Knockouts.

 

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight Bryan Lopez scored a second round knockout of William Fauth. Lopez was deducted a point in the first round for what might have been hitting on the break, despite landing what appeared to be a clean uppercut that knocked Fauth down on one knee. In the second round, Lopez knowing he was behind on the scorecards in the scheduled four round bout dropped Fauth with a beautiful one, two combination right down the middle to the chin that sent him down officially for the first time in the bout. Fauth got up on very unsteady legs and it was not long before Lopez scored his second official knockdown with a left hand to the head. This time Fauth was not able to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:56 of round two. Bryan Lopez advances to 3-0, with 2 Knockouts. William Fauth falls to 0-7, with 0 Knockouts.

 

Unbeaten Heavyweight Istvan Bernath began the evening by scoring a first round stoppage of Guillermo Del Rio. Del Rio began the fight by looking to pick his spots by trying to get on the inside and staying low on the taller and longer Bernath. Bernath however, caught his opponent with a right to the body followed by a right that appeared to have landed on the back of Del Rio’s head that sent him down to the canvas in his own corner. Del Rio was able to get up, but the bout was stopped at 2:30 of round one. Istvan Bernath advances to 8-0 with 6 Knockouts. Guillermo Del Rio falls to 3-4-1, with 2 Knockouts.

 

This card, which was promoted by promoter Gary Lewis’ Signature Punch Promotions showcased some of the up and coming prospects the state of Florida has to offer at various stages in their development. More importantly, proceeds from this event Fight 4 The Cure are going towards Breast Cancer research. As someone who lost my sister Shanna to Breast Cancer, regardless of the action that took place inside the ring, as entertaining as the card was, the purpose behind the event is something this observer appreciates. As I have said numerous times across social media platforms whenever I have discussed my sister’s battle with the disease and/or in my effort to spread awareness of Breast Cancer, it is something I want to see done away with in my lifetime.

 

“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

 

 

Belated Garcia-Martin Thoughts

A quote that this observer has referenced often over the years in regard to unexpected things occurring is one that came from the Hall of Fame trainer and former fighter Freddie Roach who in the prelude to Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 said as many felt that his fighter Pacquiao had bitten off more than he could chew by jumping up significantly in weight to face the bigger and theoretically stronger De La Hoya “If there were no upsets in the world, the world would be boring.” As many know, Pacquiao went on to score a dominant victory over De La Hoya in which he forced him to quit on his stool and into retirement. Truly one of the milestones in Pacquiao’s legendary career.

Of course, upsets are not something that is exclusive to the sport of Boxing, but is something that occurs throughout all of sport. Recently, this was proven in Baseball where in the divisional round of the American League playoffs, the Boston Red Sox, a team that got into the divisional stage courtesy of winning the wildcard against the New York Yankees, upset the number one seeded Tampa Bay Rays, a team that had won the American League championship in 2020, and after winning one hundred games in baseball’s regular-season this year, appeared to be a lock to at least return to the World Series this year. Despite being shut out in game one of the best of five series, Boston came back to defeat the Rays in three straight games to eliminate them from the playoffs and advance to the American League championship series where they are currently facing the Houston Astros. Certainly, all logic suggested that the Tampa Bay Rays were likely to steamroll past the Red Sox much in the same way they had against virtually every team they had faced during the regular season in becoming one of the rare teams to win over a hundred games during a season. Sometimes logic and sports do not mix.

The sport of Boxing meanwhile saw a significant upset in September when former undefeated Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk scored a twelve round unanimous decision over two-time unified Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. While the reader may question why yours truly has used as examples, it is to show that even the most seasoned of those who cover sports and the most seasoned of sports fan should always expect the unexpected.

Such a scenario occurred on October 16th at the Chuchansi Park minor league baseball stadium in Fresno, CA where former four-division world champion Mikey Garcia faced Sandor Martin in a ten round Welterweight bout. Garcia is obviously one of the more accomplished fighters in the sport currently having won world titles from the 126lb. Featherweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. In his only career defeat, Garcia was out boxed in a one-sided decision loss to undefeated IBF Welterweight world champion Errol Spence in March 2019.

Although it is arguable that Garcia has not been the same fighter since moving into the Welterweight division, he still managed to look impressive against former WBO Welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas in his first fight since suffering the loss to Spence in February 2020. Garcia, much like many fighters throughout the entire sport saw his career stall after that victory due largely to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. After over a year of inactivity, which was approaching nearly two years, Garcia’s bout against Sandor Martin was curious in the eyes of some.

Despite entering the fight with a respectable record of 38-2, with 13 Knockouts and being the current European Jr. Welterweight champion, Martin was not particularly well-known in the United States and was thought by some as merely an opponent for Garcia to work off “Ring Rust.” While we do live in a time where many fans can express their opinion freely and unfortunately can resort to conduct that is not exemplary online in expressing those opinions, I believe that the view that Martin was lightly regarded is simply due to the fact that he had not fought in the United States before this fight and more specifically had not fought anyone of Garcia’s caliber in his career. While everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion, Martin had been one of the fighters that has been able to benefit from the era of streaming technology in being showcased on international cards thanks to promoter Eddie Hearn’s broadcast agreement with global digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, so I believe not only based on the benefits that such technology offers, but also Martin’s style that he should have been held in higher regard by those who felt that this was a soft touch for Garcia to resume activity.

Martin is after all a southpaw and a fighter who is a slick boxer in any fighter with those attributes is bound to create some difficulty even for high profile opposition such as Garcia. Nevertheless, I did wonder how he would respond to the atmosphere of not only fighting in the United States for the first time, but also fighting under circumstances where Garcia was the significant fan favorite and fighting in Garcia’s home state of California. 

Despite being a significant underdog with all boxes seemingly checked against him, Martin came into this encounter with a calculated, tactical fight plan that he seemingly executed to near perfection. By making full use of the ring and use of his lateral movement, Martin was able to dictate how the fight was being fought even though Garcia was the one who consistently came forward and forced the action throughout. How did Martin do this? One aspect was that he was able to frequently catch Garcia with offense as he came forward whether it be with straight punches with either hand or hooks. What made this a more effective strategy was that Martin was in the process also able to evade Garcia or block a good majority of his offense as he came forward.

There were no thrills to write about in this fight, but what became noticeable as it progressed was that Martin’s strategy was working so well that it pretty much quelled the largely pro-Garcia crowd that had come to Chuchansi Park to support their favorite. Although a boxer who puts an emphasis on technique as opposed to trying to win the crowd over does not always endear a fighter to a crowd, particularly one that is accustomed to seeing action-packed fights, if one looked at this fight objectively, it was hard not to be impressed with Martin’s performance in skillfully out boxing a former four-division world champion in the biggest fight of his career. While Garcia was able to have his moments sporadically throughout the bout, what made the difference beyond Martin’s ability to control the ebb and flow of the fight was Martin was also landing the more effective punches of the two fighters.

Due to the pace in which the fight was fought however, it was nevertheless a close fight and as I have often said through the years, you really never know which was three official judges might be leaning, particularly when a fight favors a fighter that is a fan favorite in his home region going against a fighter who while skillful and had proven his ability throughout the fight, was a relative unknown to those in the United States whom Boxing is of casual interest. Nevertheless, at the conclusion of the ten round bout, I felt that Sandor Martin had done enough to earn the decision and had done so convincingly even though he did not appear to hurt Garcia at any point throughout the fight as I scored it 97-93 or seven rounds to three unofficially in his favor. 

Perhaps it is a sign of this observer’s experience in covering Boxing for most of my life as well as having watched the sport on all levels since I was a young child, but it did not surprise me to see one official judge see the fight exactly the way I did. In this case however, two of three official judges saw it exactly the same way as yours truly in turning in identical scorecards of 97-93 in Martin’s favor making him the winner by majority decision. What was a bit surprising however, was that one judge saw the fight even 95-95 resulting in the majority ruling. 

Although I do not have to tell regular readers that I have certainly seen stranger decisions rendered and far more controversial scorecards turned in, many of which I have written extensively about both online and in print, the reason why I was surprised in this circumstance was more so in thinking that perhaps Garcia’s consistent aggression throughout, albeit ineffective aggression may have been enough to sway at least one scorecard in his favor if not sway the majority of the three official judges outright. While I am not by any means suggesting that I expected to see what would amount to a “Hometown Decision”, there are some judges working throughout the sport that seem to give more credit in their criteria to the element of aggression as opposed to ring generalship and defense, as well as clean effective punching. This can also be a detriment to European fighters who travel here to the United States, who like Sandor Martin, have highly technical Boxing-based styles where the emphasis more often than not is on technique as opposed to trying to score knockouts or being known as an “Action Fighter.”

Boxing nevertheless will always be a sport of opportunity and no matter what a fighter’s background might be going into a fight, there is always the chance that they can score a major victory and almost instantly change their standing in the sport. This is exactly the position that Sandor Martin now finds himself in after scoring a major upset in the biggest win of his career over Mikey Garcia. Although he is still the European Jr. Welterweight champion, obviously, the odds of Martin potentially challenging for a world championship in 2022 in either the Jr. Welterweight or Welterweight divisions have naturally increased off of this victory. 

Of course, there is also the possibility of a rematch with Garcia, which given Garcia’s stature in the sport may be likely to happen before Martin can set his sights on challenging for a world championship. Although Mikey Garcia was simply out boxed by a crafty, and slick tactician, this observer does not know if a rematch between the two would turn out to be any different than this fight was. Styles do indeed make fights and if Martin were to approach the rematch with the same type of tactical approach as he did in this fight, it is hard for me to see the fight going differently. It is however, certainly not impossible and all eyes will obviously be on Garcia if/when these two fighters square off for a second time.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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WHYTE VS. WALLIN CANCELLED DUE TO INJURY - OCTOBER 30 DAZN SHOW GOES AHEAD

 Press Release: By DAZN – A shoulder injury has forced Dillian Whyte to cancel his Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title defence against Sweden’s Otto Wallin scheduled for The O2 in London on Saturday October 30.

 

The event, shown live worldwide on DAZN, will continue as planned with Chantelle Cameron’s (14-0, 8 KOs) WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine Super-Lightweight Unification clash with the USA’s Mary McGee (27-3, 15 KOs) now topping the bill. 

 

Elsewhere on the card, ‘The Savage’ Alen Babic (8-0, 8 KOs) clashes with two-time World Title challenger Eric Molina (28-7, 20 KOs) over eight rounds, Craig Richards (16-2-1, 9 KOs) returns to the ring against Poland’s Marek Matyja (20-2-2, 9 KOs) after pushing WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol all the way in May, Youssef Khoumari (13-0-1, 5 KOs) takes on Jorge David Castaneda (14-1, 11 KOs) for the vacant WBC International Silver Super-Featherweight Title, ‘The Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher (3-0, 3 KOs) faces Spain’s Alvaro Terrero (5-13-2, 3 KOs) in front of over 1,000 of his fans, Catford Super-Bantamweight Ellie Scotney (2-0) squares off against Eva Cantos (2-1) in her first fight with new trainer Shane McGuigan, Manchester Cruiserweight Jordan Thompson (10-0, 8 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut against Poland’s Piotr Podlucki (6-5, 2 KOs), Takeley Light-Heavyweight prospect John Hedges (3-0) meets Antony Woolery (2-7) over four rounds and Dublin Heavyweight Thomas Carty (1-0) has his second professional fight. 

 

"I am devastated as I had a great camp, was in great shape, and had great sparring," said Whyte. "I was looking forward to knocking Wallin out and would have done so in the first half of the fight. 

 

"I am devastated about not being able to fight on October 30 but I want to thank everyone for all of their support."

 

Dillian Whyte's Physician, and leading Sports & Exercise Medicine Consultant, Dr Harjinder Singh, said: "Dillian sustained a shoulder injury during training in preparation for his planned fight on October 30 2021, which I have assessed and confirmed with diagnostic imaging. 

 

"I have treated the injury, but the injury will unfortunately prevent him from fighting on October 30 2021. With immediate rest, physiotherapy and rehabilitation there should be no enduring concerns."

 

“Dillian carried this injury for the last couple of weeks but it worsened in sparring on Monday night and it was impossible for him to continue,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “It’s a huge shame because Dillian had a great camp before the injury and was ready to go. The show will continue on October 30 without Dillian and we wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in the ring very soon.”

 

“We wish Dillian all the very best in his recovery and look forward to him fighting on DAZN again very soon,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN EVP. “The Super-Lightweight unification matchup between Chantelle Cameron and Mary McGee now tops the bill, as both fighters battle it out in the road to Undisputed. We look forward to delivering that thrilling main event and the rest of the action-packed card on October 30, live from The O2 and to DAZN subscribers around the world.”

 

Refunds are available at point of purchase.

 

Material 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, 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.