Press Release: By Probellum –
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and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PROBELLUM’S UPCOMING DUBAI EVENT TO HOST HISTORY-MAKING FEMALE WORLD TITLE MATCH
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
DUBAI TO HOST PROBELLUM DOUBLE-HEADER FEATURING WORLD TITLE FIGHTS IN MARCH
Press Release: By Probellum –
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Material
and Photo Courtesy of: Probellum Used with permission.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
Denison All Rights Reserved.
JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ CLASHES WITH CHOCOLATITO GONZALEZ MARCH 5TH ON DAZN
Press Release: January 25, 2022 By DAZN – World Flyweight ruler moves up in weight against Super-Fly legend on March 05
Julio Cesar Martinez will face Roman
‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez at the Pechanga Arena San Diego in San Diego, California
on Saturday, March 5, live worldwide on DAZN. Credit:DAZN
Martinez (18-1 14 KOs) fights at 115lbs for
the first time and does so against a legend of the weight in Chocolatito (50-3
41 KOs), with the Mexican stepping in to replace Juan Francisco Estrada, who
has been forced out of his trilogy clash with Chocolatito with COVID.
Martinez’s last action was a trademark
all-action shootout with McWilliams Arroyo in New Hampshire in November, with
both men hitting the canvas in the opening round and Martinez flooring Arroyo
in the second before the contest was stopped with Arroyo suffering a cut.
The exciting Mexican has spoken freely of his
desire to move up in weight and challenge himself against the cream of the
115lb scene like Chocolatito and Estrada, and opportunity has knocked loudly
for the 26 year old to announce himself at Super-Flyweight in San Diego and ‘El
Rey’ plans to do so in style against the Nicaraguan star.
“I am thrilled that I am able to move up in
weight and fight the very best straight away,” said Martinez. “Chocolatito is a
living legend and a fighter I have always admired, so to be fighting him in my
first fight at Super-Flyweight is special – but on the night, it’s going to be
war and I am ready for it.
“I have ambitions to unify the Flyweight
division and that flame still burns, but this fight is so huge for me, and I
did not hesitate to accept it – I promise the fans that I will put on a show.”
“What a fight!” said promoter Eddie Hearn.
“Julio has ambitions to become a pound-for-pound star, and this is what the
greats do – meet huge challenges head on and take them with both hands.
Chocolatito is a modern great and he’s relishing this test against El Rey – I
cannot wait for this fight and I’m so happy that both men have signed on the
dotted line to deliver this brilliant fight to the fans.”
A stacked undercard sees Mauricio Lara return
to action against Emilio Sanchez, Angel Fierro defends
his WBO NABO Lightweight title against Juan Carlos Burgos, Diego
Pacheco tastes eight round action for the fourth time against Genc
Pllana, Marc Castro is in his sixth pro fight, Anthony
Herrera fights for the second time in the paid ranks and Australian Skye
Nicolson makes her pro debut.
Tickets starting at $50 are on sale now from
Ticketmaster - fans that require refunds from the original headline fight
should contact their point of purchase.
Material and Photo Courtesy of: DAZN Used with
permission.
For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible
streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, 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.
Monday, January 24, 2022
An Argument For A Magsayo-Russell Rematch
As the month of January 2022 has been a spotty one in
terms of the Boxing schedule due in part to the ongoing global COVID-19
epidemic, there obviously has not been the usual activity in terms of action
inside of the ring that we saw in 2021 and before the epidemic began in late
2019. The first notable world championship fight in 2022 however, did take
place on January 22nd at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ.
This observer is referring to the battle for the WBC Featherweight world
championship between champion Gary Russell and undefeated WBC number three
rated contender Mark Magsayo.
Perhaps it is simply the point of view of yours truly as
a veteran Boxing historian and writer, but this encounter did not seem to have
much in the way of an abundance of hype in the weeks and days prior to it
taking place. This could be due to the circumstances of the ongoing epidemic
and possible uncertainty as to whether or not the fight would take place as
scheduled. While this is only speculation my part, it was refreshing in a sense
that this was simply two highly skilled fighters facing off for a world
championship. Although the recent history of the 126lb. Featherweight division
has not had the type of name recognition value that the division has enjoyed in
decades past both due to fighters either retiring or moving up in weight, this
was perhaps the beginning of a new era for the division.
In terms of how the two fighters matched up, this figured
to be an encounter between a boxer/puncher in the champion Russell going
against an unbeaten, but untested challenger a Magsayo. This fight also
featured the dynamic of a southpaw going against an orthodox fighter. What
stood out almost immediately was the tactical approach in which Magsayo
implemented his offense. Under some circumstances when an orthodox fighter
faces a southpaw, there can be difficulty for the orthodox fighter to get into
a consistent rhythm offensively. This was a case where Magsayo was able to
establish distance as well as attack in sporadic spurts with a variety of
offense ranging from straight right hands, hooks with both hands, as well as
uppercuts, and mixing all the above between the body and the head of the
champion Russell. It was also noticeable that whenever Russell would land
something significant, Magsayo with immediately counter punch.
What was also clear was the champion seemed to have
difficulty with his right shoulder, which can turn out to be crucial if you are
southpaw fighter because any injury to your right hand or shoulder will
compromise your lead hand. As the fight progressed, this is essentially what
appeared to be happening as Russell was very sporadic in throwing his right
hand and this allowed Magsayo to control the tempo of the combat as well as
outwork the champion. Although Russell had successfully defended his title five
times going into this fight, it should not be overlooked that this was his
first bout in nearly two years as his last bout was in February 2020 shortly
before the COVID-19 epidemic began to significantly change day to day life here
in the United States and created a lengthy shutdown for many sports including Boxing
during that year. Whether or not Russell’s sporadic offense was attributed to
an injury as well as inactivity is debatable, but in my eyes Magsayo was doing
what all fighters who challenge for a world championship are expected to do,
bring the fight to the champion.
Despite seemingly controlling the tempo of the combat, as
the fight progressed into the middle and late rounds of the scheduled twelve round
world championship bout, Magsayo slightly seemed to decrease his activity,
perhaps due to fatigue. This created an opening for the champion who had
success in spots in landing his left hand and at times being able to catch the
challenger as he came forward with the left hand. Even though I felt that
Magsayo had carried the fight with his greater activity and ring generalship
throughout much of the bout, I did wonder whether or not what Russell was able
to accomplish though sporadic particularly over the second half of the fight would
be enough to earn rounds on the scorecards.
After all, even the most seasoned of observers of which
yours truly is one, can never know which way three official judges may be
leaning in their scoring of a fight. In many cases, it can come down to what
amounts to an educated guess based on the experience that one accumulates from
watching fights on every level and every form that the sport of Boxing has to
offer. In the interest of honesty with the reader, I will say as a Boxing lifer,
there have been more than a few times that I have been surprised and have
disagreed with an official decision based on what I saw in a fight.
Sometimes in addition to what amounts to an educated
guess can also be influenced by a gut feeling that one gets. This was a fight
where both fighters had clear moments of success. The question that developed
in my mind as the bout approached the final three rounds was whether or not
sporadic counter punching by Russell would be enough to overcome the greater
activity of Magsayo as well as how the challenger seemingly dictated the combat
from the outset. While my gut feeling was that Magsayo had done enough to win
the fight on my scorecard, I had learned long ago never to dismiss the
possibility of the judges seeing things differently. It was also indisputable
that Russell was able to make up some ground down the stretch and at minimum I
felt that the possibility was there to see some narrow scorecards in the sense
of close scores being rendered.
As it would turn out the instinct of this observer to not
dismiss how the three judges may have saw things turned out to be correct in
terms of seeing close scorecards as at the end of the twelve round world
championship bout, two of three official judges scored the fight 115-113 or
seven rounds to five in favor of Mark Magsayo making him the winner and new
champion via majority decision, while the third judge had the fight even at six
rounds a piece or 114-114 in points. Unofficially, I had Magsayo winning the
fight eight rounds to four or 116-112 in points.
At the end of the day, despite what I felt was a
significant lead that Magsayo was able to build early on and through the middle
rounds, what things amounted to here was essentially a one round swing in terms
of both my unofficial score as well as the official scores. If the reader is a
little confused allow me to elaborate. If one round were scored differently on
my unofficial card, I would have ended up with the same 115-113 scorecard as
two of the three official judges. If one of those judges had scored one round
differently, they would have arrived at the same score as the third official
judge in rendering a draw, which obviously changes the outcome of the fight.
Simply put, it turned out to be a very close and competitive fight particularly
down the stretch than what I observed over the first seven rounds in which I
felt Magsayo had done enough to pull away with the fight in addition to winning
a round down the stretch. It is something that unfortunately has become a habit
of mine in saying over the years, but when it comes to close fights, it will
often boil down to what a judge prefers in their own criteria in how they score
based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and
defense. By its very nature, judging is selective and obviously opinions can
vary.
Should there be a rematch? This observer would say yes,
based not only on the fact that Russell had held onto the WBC Featherweight
world championship for over six years, but also what turned out to be a close
fight. How soon a rematch can be made will likely come down to the condition of
Gary Russell’s shoulder as well as whether or not the World Boxing Council
(WBC) will mandate a rematch take place and/or if there was a rematch clause in
the contract for this fight. Without getting into the various elements of what
amounts to red tape that can prevent a rematch from happening within a
reasonable timeframe, if Russell is healthy and does not require much downtime
from the apparent injury to his right shoulder, and if both fighters want to fight each
other again, why not? It was a good and competitive fight after all.
“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
Sunday, January 23, 2022
UNDEFEATED WORLD CHAMPION MOSSELY SIGNS FOR PROBELLUM
Press Release: By Probellum – Los
Angeles, CA - January 23, 2022 - Probellum is delighted to
announce the promotional signing of IBO world lightweight champion and Olympic
gold medallist,
Estelle Mossely. Credit: Probellum
The 29-year-old French fighter (9-0, 1
knockout), who is undefeated as a professional, clinched the IBO world lightweight title in 2019 with a
victory over Lucy Wildheart.
Prior to turning
professional, Paris-born Mossely enjoyed a stellar career at
amateur level winning gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and World
Championships, where she famously defeated current undisputed female
world lightweight champion Katie Taylor at the semi-final stage.
“I am
very excited to embark on the next stage of my boxing journey with Richard
Schaefer and his team at Probellum,” said Mossely.
“I have
known Richard for many years and his track record as a promoter speaks for
itself – he really knows how to build champions into superstars and I’m excited
to start working closely with him.
“As a
truly global boxing promoter with events all around the world, Probellum offers
me the ideal platform to showcase my skills and bring more fans to female
boxing. I predict very exciting times ahead and can’t wait to get started.”
“I have
been a fan of Estelle since her historic gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics,” added
Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum. “Not only
because of her tremendous boxing skills, but also the way she carries herself
outside the ring which makes her in my view the best ambassador for female
boxing in the world.
“She is
a role model for fans and fighters everywhere and in my opinion today, she
is the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the world. In fact, I have
not seen the kind of ring talent and skills from any other fighter, male or
female, since I was fortunate to promote Floyd Mayweather.
“I am
honoured and humbled that Estelle has chosen Probellum to be her promoter and I
am already working round the clock to plan her first fight under the Probellum
banner.”
Mossely becomes the second undefeated female
champion to sign for Probellum, following Danish fighter Dina Thorslund
signing earlier this month, and joins a stable which also includes the likes of
Pat and Luke McCormack, Troy Williamson, Regis Prograis, Nonito Donaire, Donnie
Nietes, Lee McGregor, Eimantas Stanionis, Arthur Biyarslanov, Noel Mikaelian,
Taras Shelestyuk, Ricky Burns, Paul Butler, Lewis Ritson, Muhammad Waseem,
O’Shaquie Foster, Hovhannes Bachkov, Darius Fulghum, Eduardo Hernandez, Mark
Dickinson, Brandon Moore, Jack Bowen, Jason Mallia, Hebert Sousa, Dina
Thorslund, Ben Rees and Will Cawley.
Probellum 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, PR Best Boxing
in Puerto Rico, 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, Pro Boxing
Team Finland and Box Office Sports in Ghana.
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.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
Russell-Magsayo Weights From Atlantic City, NJ
The official weigh-in for Saturday’s WBC Featherweight
world championship fight between champion Gary Russell and undefeated
challenger Mark Magsayo took place yesterday in Atlantic City, NJ. Weights for
the televised card, which is being promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC)
and will be televised here in the United States on premium cable network Showtime are as follows.
Main Event: WBC Featherweight world championship – 12Rds.
Gary Russell (Champion) 125 1/2lbs. vs. Mark Magsayo (Challenger)
125 1/2lbs.
*Jr. Welterweight – 12Rds.
Subriel Matias 140 1/2lbs. vs. Petros Ananyan 141lbs.
(*This will be a rematch of a bout from February 2020
in which Ananyan won a ten round unanimous decision.)
Jr. Lightweight – 10Rds.
Tugstsogt Nyambayar 128lbs. vs. Sakaria Lukas 127
1/2lbs.
*The three above bouts will be broadcast on Showtime
beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT.
Weights for the remaining unaired preliminary bouts
are not available as of this writing.
Russell vs. Magsayo takes place Tonight (Saturday, January
22nd) at the Borgota Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. This
tripleheader can be seen in the United States on Premium cable/satellite
network Showtime as well as streamed through the Showtime and Showtime Anytime
streaming apps available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and
Smart TVs beginning at 9PM ET/6PM PT. Check your cable or satellite provider
for time and channel in your area. Check your local listings internationally.
For more information about Showtime, Showtime Sports,
and the Showtime and Showtime Anytime streaming apps, please visit: www.SHO.com.
For more information about Premier Boxing Champions please
visit: www.PremierBoxingChampions.com.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Jabs And Observations: January 2022
A new
feature for 2022 here on The Boxing Truth®, which this observer hopes will
become a semi-regular addition amongst the variety of content offered to
readers where yours truly will attempt as best as he can to cover several
topics in a condensed manner that may or may not be worthy of a standalone
feature column.
As some
Boxing fans know, the month of January has been a relatively slow one for the
sport of Boxing. This is due in part to several scheduled international Boxing
cards being cancelled and/or rescheduled due to the ongoing global COVID-19
epidemic and travel restrictions internationally as several countries look to
limit exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
There was however, one notable bout that took place on January 15th
in Verona, NY. I am referring to WBO Light-Heavyweight world champion Joe Smith
Jr., who defended his title against late substitute Steve Geffrard. Much like
several other bouts to have taken place over the last two years throughout the
entire sport, this Light-Heavyweight world championship bout saw Geffrard step
in on a little more than a week’s notice when original opponent Callum Johnson
had to withdraw from challenging Smith due to contracting COVID-19.
Something
that this observer has said too often particularly since the COVID-19 crisis
began is when it comes to fights that are made on short-notice, it is as
difficult for a fighter who had a change in opponent to prepare as it is for
the fighter that is stepping into a bout with limited notice. While the
practice of fighters stepping in on short-notice is certainly not a new one and
did not become common because of the ongoing epidemic, the fact that there is a
crisis going on, on a global scale certainly has to be an additional stress for
fighters that find themselves in this scenario.
For his
part, Geffrard did enter the bout having won his last eighteen bouts after
beginning his career with losses in his first two bouts. Geffrard was however,
taking a significant step up in class of opposition having been relatively
unknown prior to this fight. Geffrard did manage to have some success
periodically throughout this fight in landing sporadic counter punches from a
high defensive guard. The challenger was unable to take the initiative and be
the one throwing punches first throughout the bout. This was due to the
consistent pressure that Smith was able to put on him as well as the champion’s
consistent offensive output throughout. It was Smith’s pressure that eventually
further limited Geffrard’s offense and ultimately an accumulation of punishment
resulted in Smith dropping the “Game” challenger in round nine where Geffrard
was unable to beat the count.
What was
the first defense of the world championship that Smith won in April of last
year was the definition of workmanlike in that he simply went through the
motions and took care of business under circumstances, which had to of been
stressful. As for what this will mean for Joe Smith in the big picture, he
still maintains his position atop the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division along
with fellow world champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Although yours
truly strongly wishes for all world championships throughout Boxing’s seventeen
weight classes to eventually be unified to determine one world champion per
weight division, something that has been a regular addition to this observer’s
annual “Boxing Wishlist” over the years, it would appear that in regard to the
Light-Heavyweight division, all three current world champion, the WBC/IBF world
champion Beterbiev, the WBA world champion Bivol, and the WBO world champion
Smith may not be focused on each other, but rather trying to secure a lucrative
fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the sport’s biggest star and the man
currently recognized as Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion, one
weight class below the Light-Heavyweight division.
Alvarez as
some may remember, also briefly held the WBO Light-Heavyweight world
championship, but opted to move back down in weight where at the time he held a
mandatory challenger position in the WBA’s Super-Middleweight ratings that
eventually saw him win the WBA title and go on to unify the championship with
the WBC, IBF, and WBO crowns to earn undisputed champion status. Recently,
there has been talk of Alvarez testing the waters in the normally obscure
Cruiserweight division, which is one weight class above Light-Heavyweight. The
reason why the division is obscure is it is not thought to be the most
lucrative option for most fighters as a possible steppingstone to competing at
Heavyweight.
What this
could mean for the Light-Heavyweight world champions is simply waiting to see
what Alvarez will do before possibly turning their attention to each other to
possibly unify the division. Obviously, if either Smith, Bivol, or Beterbiev
can secure an opportunity to face Alvarez, that will likely take priority over
any potential unification bouts simply due to economic interests if nothing
else. As for Steve Geffrard, he did his
best under circumstances, which are not ideal for a fighter challenging for a
world championship for the first time. Hopefully, this will not be the last
time Geffrard will see action in or around the top of the Light-Heavyweight
division because it is frankly hard to form an opinion as to how viable a
fighter may or may not be when they are tasked with taking fights on such a
limited notice. Perhaps, under different circumstances where he is able to
prepare for a fight that does not come as a result of short notice/unforeseen
circumstances, he may be able to show more than he was able to against Smith,
but he should be given credit for the effort he did put forth. With the
discussion of Smith-Geffrard, the Light-Heavyweight division, it’s champions,
and the possibility of Saul Alvarez interjecting himself into the equation now
complete, it is time to focus on the second and last topic for this edition of
Jabs And Observations.
As many
readers know, particularly those who have followed the work of this observer
over the years, one subject that continuously comes up more than most is my
continued criticism of the pay-per-view model as well as the benefits of the
digital subscription-based streaming model as it relates to not only the fans
who support Boxing in good times and bad, but the benefit it also has for the
sport itself in providing a more economically reasonable option for consumers
to view Boxing and not be forced to pay often steep prices on a per card basis
via pay-per-view. Despite the pay-per-view model continuing to dwindle due
largely to price points, which more often than not begin at a $60 or above
price point here in the United States, which has consequently resulted in most
pay-per-view offerings producing underwhelming returns in terms of buys, there
remains some promoters who continue to rely on such a model rather than adapt.
In the
coming weeks, there are three pay-per-view Boxing cards on the schedule that
occur within a week of each other, with two taking place on the same day. The
first of these cards will take place on January 29th in Warren, OH
as Hall of Fame promoter Don King will present a seven fight card headlined by
WBC Cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu, who will defend his
title for the second time against top contender Thabiso Mchunu. While neither
fighter is particularly well-known here I’m the United States, Makabu has
generated interest as a potential opponent for Saul Alvarez should he test the
waters at Cruiserweight. While the Makabu-Mchunu card will be priced at $49.99,
a price point that is lower than many pay-per-view cards in present day, there
may be questions as to how successful the event might be due simply to the fact
that Makabu and Mchunu are not what one could consider household names. A
further detriment to the potential success of that card is the fact that two
pay-per-view events will take place on February 5th, one week later.
First will be the rescheduled event headlined by Women’s Boxing superstar and multi-division world champion Claressa Shields, who will
defend her Undisputed Middleweight world championship against Ema Kozin in a bout scheduled for ten
rounds in Cardiff, Wales. Some may recall that this fight and its undercard,
which will feature a Super-Middleweight bout between former IBO world champion
Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Williams, was postponed from its original January 29th
date due to the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) suspending all combat
sports events throughout January in the United Kingdom due to COVID-19 concerns.
If the suspension of events is not extended, this card will cost Boxing fans $29.99,
a much lower and arguably reasonable price point than the norm. It is an event
that will face some competition for buys as later that night former WBA
Welterweight world champion Keith Thurman will return to the ring after a new
two year layoff to face Mario Barrios in a Fox Sports Pay-Per-View main event
promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters for a price
point of $74.95.
It is
important for me to state, despite my ongoing criticism of the pay-per-view
model, that my criticism is not aimed at any of the fighters involved, but
rather the promoters who for whatever reason refuse to see the need to adapt. Although
it should not be viewed as the sole reason for the need to adapt, by those
that I often refer to as “Hold Outs,” we are still in the midst of an ongoing
epidemic and as such there remains uncertainty as to whether whatever is on the
schedule whether those events are pay-per-view offerings or not, will go on as
planned under the current circumstances. Here is a scenario where the Boxing
fan will be asked to pay $154.93 for three separate Boxing cards. When one
considers the amount of Boxing content that is offered on digital subscription-based sports streaming networks such as DAZN and ESPN+ where each offers an annual
subscription plan where the total combined cost for a year’s subscription to both
networks is just shy of $169 per year and keeping in mind that in the case of
ESPN+ they have done pay-per-view Boxing events on an occasional basis with
underwhelming returns, it is not hard to see where the value is for the
consumer.
One should
also keep in mind that promoters, much like the rest of the world have had to
deal with circumstances created by the COVID-19 crisis and while it is also not
hard to understand that promoters want to/need to make a profit, if nothing
else to pay whatever guarantees are made to the fighters that are competing,
the circumstances, as well as the generally better value of the subscription
model should be all the more reason to adapt. Further evidence of the pay-per-view
model being less viable and needing to change can be seen in two recent pay-per-view
offerings, the Jake Paul-Tyron Woodley rematch, which was produced by Showtime
Pay-Per-View on December 18, which at a $60 price point produced just over
65,000 buys. The most recent pay-per-view offering, the Luis Ortiz-Charles
Martin Heavyweight themed card, done by Fox Sports Pay-Per-View, with the
marketing tag of it being a bargain for Boxing fans at $39.99 produced under
25,000 buys according to some estimates.
At the risk
of being repetitive, I ask the promoters who continue to fight against adapting
a simple question. How much evidence does one need? Perhaps instead of
pay-per-view, the revenue that is hoped for from pay-per-view buys can be
achieved by seeking out advertising sponsors and/or investing in marketing
where a network across digital or traditional platforms may be able to see the
viability of paying for rights to stage these cards.
A brief
observation in closing that might give a bit of insight for the reader as to why
I feel as strongly as I do. First it is not merely a matter of saving money for
me personally or consumers as a whole. The fact is, despite the progress networks
like DAZN and ESPN+ have been able to make by proving that there is a new
source of revenue for not just Boxing, but all of sports, which may be even
more beneficial to promoters than the pay-per-view model was in time, Boxing
remains one of the few sports that remains behind a paywall for many
consumers. In comparison, as some readers
know, I am a sports enthusiast and try to watch as much as I can of the sports
I do not cover. Simply put, I’m a sports fan.
This past weekend, I was, like many glued to the National Football
League’s (NFL) Wildcard weekend, which over three days Saturday through Monday consisted
of six games. All six games were scheduled where they would not overlap each
other allowing viewers to consume as much of the games as they wished. I
personally watched all six. Each network involved, advertised the other games
that they would not be carrying on their platform and in general, speaking only
for myself, I did not miss anything from any of the games, though in the
interest of honesty with the reader, I did fall asleep during the Sunday night
game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs, but thanks to the
benefits of a DVR, I was able to go back and watch what I missed. My point is,
no such paywall structure is used for major team sports and even though all the
networks, which carried these games and will continue to carry games throughout
the remainder of the NFL Playoffs, though in one way or another are in competition
with each other, all promoted each other’s games. It also goes without saying
that the NFL as well as their television partners make significant revenue from
advertising and sponsorships, which makes the idea of a paywall structure less
viable. More importantly, it allows the sports fan the opportunity to watch the
sport they love regardless of whether they may or may not be able to afford a
premium price.
Now,
obviously I’m not naïve and I know that the cross-promotion these networks did in
promoting each other’s games likely had to do with agreements with the NFL more
than a gesture of helping each other, though I would like to believe in the way
things are currently, that a gesture of good will also played a role in things.
It is hard for me to understand however, why Boxing promoters cannot or will
not see the potential for revenue streams that will replace pay-per-view
revenue, but also allow the sport to be seen by as many eyes as possible
regardless of whether a Boxing fan can afford to pay an often inflated price. Some may suggest that one solution, which may
reduce pay-per-view price points might be to reduce the purses that fighters
are paid.
While it
is indeed true that most fighters on the top level of the sport earn millions
of dollars each time they enter the ring to compete, I am against the idea that
the solution is to reduce how much a fighter can make. The reality is Boxing is
a combat sport and whether some want to believe it or not, fighters risk their
lives each and every time they compete. It is not something to be taken lightly
or treated as a joke. As such, I am and will always be in favor of a fighter
being able to make as much money as they can while they can because you never
know how long a fighter’s career might be.
What I am advocating for beyond wanting to see the paywall structure the
sport has operated under for decades changed or outright done away with in
order to have Boxing seen by as many viewers/eyes as possible is for the promoters
that be in the sport to see the potential revenue that is being left by not
adapting and that there is a way to ensure fighters can make the most they can,
while at the same time making the sport and it’s biggest events accessible to
all. Am I overly optimistic? To be fair, I have been accused of such over the
years, but at the end of the day, I am really someone who bases his views on
facts and evidence, and it is becoming more clear with each passing day that
Boxing and more specifically, the “Hold Outs” need to adapt for the sport to
grow and in order for those “Hold Outs” to not be left behind.
“And That’s
The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing
Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
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Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
James Ballard: 2022 A Redemption Year in Boxing
Press
Release: January 18, 2022 By Brandon Countee – Light-Heavyweight
boxer James Ballard looks to return to the ring in the first quarter of 2022 a
much different boxer than he has been in the past both inside and outside
the ring. Having fought twice in 2021, both bouts resulted in losses, something that he
regrets. In hindsight, he realizes that with the pandemic and his personal
life, he wasn’t as focused as he should have been. “Boxers can either
win, lose or draw.” James laments. “Those are the only three outcomes. I can
accept losing if I gave my best and it just wasn’t my day. But honestly, I feel
like I should have prepared better.” Credit: Brandon Countee
Ballard returned to the ring after a 3-year hiatus in July 2021 admits he
should have been better prepared for his bout. “I took my first loss in
2017 and immediately came back and avenged it the following fight. I lost
in 2018 and didn’t fight for 3 years. Then I wasn’t focused when I was training
on getting back to the level I needed to. Losing was the likely outcome.” James
admits.
He wants 2022 to be different and sees it as a rebirth of his career and his
professionalism in the sport. The latter he accepts was lacking at times.
Anyone who follows the sport can recall stories told or incidents witnessed of
boxers, promoters, and all in-between making regrettable decisions or flat-out
mistakes in retrospect. “I made some boxing decisions that were just bad
for business and personal. When I look back at things I wish I could have
explained why I did or said some of the things. I gotta accept that I can’t
change the past but just really have to focus on getting my career on track.
Boxing is that one sport where there is redemption and your chance to grow.
Since turning professional I got married and am a father now. I made a decision
to be a better person.”
Material and Photo Courtesy of: Brandon Countee Used
with permission.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
Denison All Rights Reserved.
Monday, January 17, 2022
Was Holiday Boxing A Wise Decision For The PBC?
Brief introduction By Beau Denison: It is time for this
observer to share his belated thoughts in the form of a feature column that was
originally scheduled to begin our 2022 schedule here on The Boxing Truth®
discussing two Boxing cards that closed out 2021 taking place on Christmas day
and New Year’s day respectively. As the bulk of this column was written in
advance of an unexpected delay in the column’s release to readers, what follows
is the column as it was written. Towards the end of this column both due to the
time between when the material was written as well as what has occurred in the
days since what was to be the original release date, the column will be updated
to hopefully provide as current information as possible. We thank readers for
your patience and hope you enjoy reading.
The year 2020 for several reasons, all of which are not
necessarily good, was a year that broke a lot of norms both in regard to
everyday life as well as in the world of sports. For the sport of Boxing, at
least as far as the United States was concerned, Boxing Day 2020 was one that
saw a televised Boxing card promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC)
group of promoters. In all the years, this observer has covered combat sports,
specifically Boxing, I could not recall a time previously where I saw a Boxing
card take place here in the United States on Boxing Day or in the days that
occur between Christmas and New Year’s Day. In fairness, I did look at the 2020
Boxing Day event that the PBC promoted as something that likely would not have
taken place if it were not for the impacts of the ongoing global COVID-19
epidemic in that almost half of a year was largely lost in Boxing due to the
almost universal shutdown of the sport that occurred during the first six
months of 2020, and on that basis it was understandable that promoters, and to
be specific those who had broadcast agreements with television networks across
traditional and streaming platforms would want to get as much content as
possible produced when the sport began resuming activity in the summer of 2020
largely in closed-door settings.
As 2021 drew to a close, I was surprised to see the PBC
and one of it’s television partners here in the United States Fox Sports opt to
produce cards on both Christmas night and New Year’s day, with the latter of
the two being a pay-per-view card. It
surprised me because I had always had the impression going back to long before
my journey in covering the sport began in the 1990's that the primary sports that would take
place over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays are typically team sports that
occur during the time of year where the Christmas and New Year’s holidays take
place, namely National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL),
National Basketball Association (NBA), and College Football bowl games. It were
those reasons why I was not critical as much as I was curious as to why the PBC
and Fox Sports would choose to put on two cards, with one being a pay-per-view
event with frankly minimal promotion and questionable interest that would be
debatable as to whether it would appeal to casual observers as well as those
for whom Boxing is a lifelong passion.
While it is during this holiday period that more often
than not, I as a Boxing lifer and someone who covers the sport fulltime during
a calendar year, usually take a pause to enjoy the holidays and recharge my
batteries for the coming year, during this holiday break, I did make a point of
it to observe these two cards even though I would not be covering them as they
took place. What was of interest to me was not only how these two events would
fare both in terms of crowd attendance given that it took place over the
holidays as well as how it would fare in terms of ratings and buys for the New
Year’s day pay-per-view card, in addition to obviously what would occur inside
the ring.
First, it would be the Christmas night event that took
place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, that was broadcast on the
national Fox Network in here in the United States. Headlining this card was nineteen
year old Welterweight prospect Vito Mielnicki, who faced veteran Nicholas
DeLomba in a ten round bout. This bout showcased Mielnicki’s skillset as well
as his disciplined approach in gradually breaking down DeLomba over nine rounds
before finally breaking through with a barrage of punches highlighted by a
flush right hand to earn a stoppage in the tenth and final round. The thing that stood out to me was the
disciplined approach that Mielnicki used throughout this fight. In particular,
how well he was able to control the tempo of the combat with his jab, which is
something that you do not always see with regard to a young fighter. What was
also noticeable was how he simply bided his time and waited for the opportunity
to get the stoppage win rather than trying to force the issue too much, which
is something that even seasoned veterans do not always do when they are in
control of a bout to such degree that they could probably end things when they
choose to.
Although some might say that Mielnicki could have been a
bit more aggressive and if he were then he may have been able to get an earlier
stoppage, it is important to keep in mind that this was only the eleventh
professional bout for the nineteen year old native of Roseland, NJ. While it is
indeed true that a prospect that is able to score head turning knockouts more
often than not generates more attention, there is something to be said about
the development of a young fighter and the fact that Mielnicki was able to not
only go into the tenth round, but do so in a way where he pretty much
controlled the bout from the opening bell is something that will likely serve
him better than a quick knockout might have in terms of the long-term picture
as he progresses in his career. The only
loss for Mielnicki thus far in his career came in dropping an eight round
majority decision to James Martin in April 2021. With two victories since that
setback, each coming via stoppage, the future looks bright for Mielnicki going
into 2022 and the question that might be asked is whether or not he may be
ready for a bit of a test in his next fight to see where he fits in what is
usually a talent-deep 147lb. Welterweight division.
The future also looks bright for undefeated Middleweight
prospect Joey Spencer, who also appeared on this card in scoring a fifth round
stoppage of veteran Limberth Ponce. This
was a fight that could be described as a systematic breakdown of an opponent as
much like Mielnicki did in the main event of the card, the twenty-one year old
Spencer gradually wore Ponce down. Spencer did this by implementing a tactical
approach that had an emphasis on maintaining distance, but also allowed him to
pick his shots in spurts to the body and head, which kept Ponce off balance and
unable to do much beyond trying to defend against what Spencer was throwing.
The combination of well-timed and executed offense to the body and head eventually
created the opening where Spencer was able to stagger Ponce with a left hook to
the head and follow that with a right hand that sent Ponce down on his back
midway through the fifth round resulting in a stoppage of the fight without a
count from the referee.
Although Spencer was able to get to his opponent in a
quicker fashion than Mielnicki was able to in his bout, the approach both
fighters used was similar in it’s execution and both fighters were able to get
the impressive victories they needed heading into 2022. For Spencer, the
stoppage win over Limberth Ponce was his fourteenth professional victory and
his tenth knockout. The similarities between Spencer and Mielnicki will
continue going into this year as much like Mielnicki, the question for Spencer
will be whether or not he is ready for a test to see where he fits into the
160lb. Middleweight division and hopefully an attempt to move him into the top
thirty rankings of Boxing’s five recognized world sanctioning organizations the
World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), the International
Boxing Federation (IBF), the World Boxing Organization (WBO), and finally, the
International Boxing Organization (IBO). While the PBC’s decision to broadcast a Boxing
card on Christmas night proved to be a surprising success with over two million
viewers tuning in to watch what was the highest rated Boxing card broadcast by
Fox in 2021, it led to the pay-per-view event that took place on New Year’s day
at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL.
A Heavyweight-themed event that featured five bouts with
the sales pitch being priced at a $39.99 price point, much lower than the
$60-$80 price points, which despite the consistently dwindling returns for
pay-per-view cards over the last several years, remains the norm. This PBC Fox
Sports Pay-Per-View card did however, feature an interesting main event that pitted
former IBF Heavyweight world champion Charles Martin against former two-time
world title challenger and longtime Heavyweight contender Luis Ortiz. A bout that was billed as an elimination bout in the International Boxing Federation (IBF)
Heavyweight ratings that perhaps because I was observing this card during some downtime
that I had an impression was a final eliminator to determine the next IBF
mandatory challenger that would theoretically face the winner of the presumed
rematch between undefeated IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr
Usyk and former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua, which might
take place later this year. The elements of the business side of the sport as
it relates to the IBF aside for the time being, this was nevertheless a fight
between two fighters who have been at or near the top of the division for
several years.
Although the forty-two year old Ortiz is known for his
ability to score quick knockouts, I wondered how he would respond to a fighter
in Martin, whom like himself, is a crafty southpaw, who had not been known for
his punching power, but did have the ability to score knockouts should the
opportunity arise in scoring knockouts in twenty-five of his twenty-eight
career victories. Martin also came into the bout on a five fight winning streak
and one might argue that he had more momentum coming into the bout than Ortiz,
who was coming off of a victory in his last fight following his second stoppage
loss to then WBC Heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder in November 2019.
The thing that stood out to me when the fight began was
the measured approach in which Martin chose to pursue Ortiz. While Ortiz seemed
to be the busier of the two fighters, Martin chose a calculated approach
focusing on making the most of his openings rather than trying to outwork
Ortiz. It was this approach that resulted in an unexpected knockdown when
Martin connected with a short left hook that seemed to land behind Ortiz’ ear
that sent him down in the first round. Although this was what is often referred
to as a “Flash Knockdown” in that Ortiz was caught off balance and was
subsequently knocked down rather than it being a case where he was badly
stunned/hurt, Martin was able to show that he could exploit openings that Ortiz
would leave him and this in my view gave him what some might have viewed as an
unlikely advantage as the fight progressed. It also stood out to me that Ortiz’
apparent issues with his balance may not have been a case of an effective fight
plan by the former world champion Martin, but also perhaps an indication that
at Fort total years old that Ortiz may be at the point where he may not be able to maintain his balance as well as he has done previously throughout his
career and that in addition to elements such as age and TBE physical wear and
tear that comes with being a competitor in combat sports is something that
might become an increasing issue as Ortiz continues on in his career.
Martin would follow the knockdown he was able to score in
round one with a second knockdown of Ortiz in the closing seconds of round four.
Much like the first knockdown in round one, Ortiz was caught off balance, but
this time, it was a jab that knocked Ortiz off his feet. While some may not
think much of knockdown a that occur in this way due simply to more often than
not, the fighter being knocked down not being hurt, the fact that knockdowns
are scored can have a crucial role in how a fight is scored. In this case,
particularly because this was a bout between two southpaws that were able to counter each other's offense
effectively in spots as this fight progressed.
In this observer's view, the two knockdowns Martin was
able to score as well as the general measured approach he implemented for a
large portion of the bout was enough to give him the advantage. Despite my
view, when Ortiz was able to connect with his offense, he did seem to have more
power behind his punches compared to Martin. This kept Ortiz not just in the
fight, but also extremely dangerous. The question that developed in my mind was
whether or not Ortiz would be able to catch Martin, who had proved to be
elusive and almost sniper like with his tactics in setting up his punches.
As can sometimes happen in Boxing and in particular the
Heavyweight division, fights can change in the blink of an eye. This is
essentially what would happen in this fight. As Martin appeared at least in my
eyes to be building a lead on the scorecards based largely on the strength of
the two knockdowns he had scored, Ortiz would turn things in his favor in
sudden and dramatic fashion. In round six, Ortiz would connect with a flush overhand left that landed on Martin's temple that more or less froze the former
world champion on his feet. This set off a brutal barrage of punches that
ultimately sent Martin down. Some might say that at this point, Martin was able
to benefit from a break of sorts in that because one of his gloves got tied in
the first and second ropes as he went down, the referee Frank Santore Jr. opted
to stop the count at around the count of seven to unhook Martin's glove.
Despite momentarily getting crucial seconds to try and clear his head once the
count was stopped, Ortiz sensing he had his opponent in serious trouble,
pressed forward with a near relentless assault of punches resulting in Martin
being dropped for a second time. This time even though Martin was able beat the
count, Santore did not like what he saw in Martin's eye and body language and
stopped the fight.
Although this was as impressive a come from behind
victory for Luis Ortiz as one could draw up, more questions emerged from this
fight regarding Ortiz than there were questions answered. To be specific, given
both his age as well as the balance problems that were clearly evident in this fight,
just how much longer will he continue on with his career? Despite emerging
victorious in what was billed as an IBF elimination bout, an indication that
perhaps Ortiz may not have been100% going into the fight with Martin became
known in the days that followed the fight as Ortiz withdrew from an ordered IBF
elimination bout against undefeated top contender Filip
Hrgovic citing an undisclosed injury that would prevent a bout, which would
determine a new mandatory challenger in the IBF Heavyweight ratings to face the
winner of the upcoming rematch later this year between undefeated unified
IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time
Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. Taking Ortiz' place in the planned
IBF elimination bout will be top contender Tony Yoka of France, who had a
scheduled bout this month cancelled due to the French government imposing
restrictions in regard to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. As has been the
case for many things over the last two years regarding COVID-19 virus, it may
be best to wait and see what happens regarding the ongoing crisis before
discussing when those two bouts, the Usyk-Joshua rematch as well as this
planned IBF elimination bout will take place beyond saying hopefully, they will
both occur during the course of 2022.
There were also four other Heavyweight
bouts that occurred on the undercard of Luis Ortiz’ stoppage of Charles Martin
that will be touched upon here before sharing some closing thoughts. Unbeaten
Heavyweight prospect Frank Sanchez had to overcome circumstances, which
unfortunately because of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic have become an issue
throughout the entire sport. A change of opponent due to an originally scheduled
opponent due to contracting COVID-19. In this case, Sanchez’ original opponent
was to be Carlos Negron, who was forced to withdraw from the bout in the days
prior to the card due to contracting the COVID-19 virus. Longtime Heavyweight
contender Christian Hammer stepped in on limited notice and was able to last the
full ten round distance against Sanchez in losing a unanimous decision.
It was a workmanlike
performance by Sanchez who simply did what he needed to do over the ten rounds
to earn the victory. While there was not much in the way of highlights to speak
of regarding this bout, the reality is under the current circumstances the
world is in because of the COVID-19 crisis, fights like this are as much an
adjustment for the fighter who had to have a change in opponent as much as it
is for the fighter stepping into the bout on what is often times limited
notice. While as of this writing there is no word as to whether there will be
an attempt to reschedule Sanchez to face Negron down the line, but it was as
good a performance as one could expect under such a scenario against a durable
opponent in Christian Hammer that was able to hang in there and did his best.
Ali Demirezen also saw action
on this card in scoring the most notable win in his career thus far in stopping
former world title challenger Gerald Washington in eight rounds. The veteran
Washington was able to have some sporadic success early on in this fight, but
Demirezen gradually was able to take control and midway through the eighth
round with their fighter seeming badly fatigued and suffering significant
punishment, Washington’s corner stopped the fight. Although Washington had some
success throughout particularly when he was able to work behind his jab, he simply
did not let his hands go with consistency to be effective for a sustainable
period of time. Whether or not this was due to the pressure Demirezen was able
to put on him, the effect of Demirezen’s power, or the fact that Washington is thirty-nine
years old and has suffered some punishment throughout his twenty-six bout
career is only something that he can answer, but for Demirezen, who entered the
bout with a record of 14-1, with 11 Knockouts, these are the type of tests that
a prospect is often faced with as they look to progress towards an eventual
challenge of a world championship. This observer is not quite ready to say that
Demirezen is ready for the upper class of the Heavyweight division, but the
fact that he was able to stop a former world title challenger is something that
should be viewed as a positive as he looks to progress forward in the new year.
This card also featured a
rematch as veteran Johnnie Rice scored a lopsided and uneventful ten round
unanimous decision over Michael Coffee. Similar to Frank Sanchez’ victory over
Christian Hammer, there is simply not much to say about this fight beyond the
simple description of one fighter besting the other. Unlike their first
encounter in July of last year where Rice entered as an unknown opponent for
the then unbeaten Coffee and was not thought to be much of a test for him in
entering with a record of 14-6-1, with 9 Knockouts compared to Coffee’s 12-0,
with 9 Knockouts, a fight where Rice surprised many in stopping Coffee in five
rounds, the rematch was a slow methodical bout that Rice was able to control
from the outset to earn a convincing victory on the scorecards. While it is
hard to say that Rice is a potential contender at this stage, two consecutive
victories over a previously unbeaten prospect is definitely something to take
notice of and at minimum Rice has earned status as a potential spoiler for
prospects on the rise and fringe contenders for now. As for Michael Coffee, a
problem many prospects throughout the entire sport face as they move up towards
world contender status, particular those who are able to score several
knockouts on their rise up is the issue of what happens when they are tested by
fighters that may not be household names, but are capable of giving a prospect
a tough fight and possibly a surprise. Two losses to one fighter is certainly
not an indication that a fighter does not have potential to be a contender or even
a world champion at some point in their career, but for Michael Coffee, it will
be a question of whether these two losses were a case of a fighter in Johnnie
Rice being under the radar and being a more dangerous opponent than his record
may have suggested, or if it was simply a bad clash of styles for Coffee. For
now, the two losses should be viewed as something that Coffee should take time
to digest, learn from, and see what adjustments can be made in the gym before
he attempts to resume his career.
Perhaps the most entertaining
bout on this pay-per-view card was it’s opening bout between unbeaten
Heavyweight Viktor Faust who scored an exciting and somewhat controversial
second round stoppage of veteran Iago Kiladze. A bout that can be best described
as “Rock Em’, Sock Em’ the two fighters exchanged multiple knockdowns in the round
and a half that they were in the ring together and this can be attributed to
both fighters willingness to stand and trade punches with little regard for
defense. For Faust, who came into the fight having scored knockouts of six of
his previous eight opponents and was heavily favored over Kiladze, this proved
to be a significant test that was not anticipated. Faust quickly dropped
Kiladze with a short left hook in the opening seconds of round one. Kiladze
responded just as quickly as Faust pressed forward following the knockdown and
dropped Faust with a counter right hand to the jaw moments later. Not to be
outdone, Faust would score a second knockdown of Kiladze later in the first
round with another left hook to the head.
The wild encounter would
continue in the second round with Kiladze dropping Faust for the second time
with a flush counter right hook to the jaw. Faust was able to get up and later
in the round he would respond by dropping Kiladze with a right hand that seemed
to land behind the ear. After what was the fifth knockdown of the fight between
the two in a little over four minutes of action, Kiladze got up once more. This
time on unsteady legs when asked by Referee Sam Burgos whether he wanted to
continue Kiladze did not appear to give a clear response prompting Burgos to
stop the fight. An enraged Kiladze responded by throwing a right hand that landed
on the arm of Burgos. Burgos understandably angry, responded with some explicit
language that in essence he asked Kiladze “What is wrong with you?!” before
saying the fight is over and pointing Kiladze to his corner. Kiladze was clearly
irate at the stoppage and threw his gloves out to the spectators in attendance
before leaving the ring in utter disgust.
It is not often that one can
say on any level of the sport of Boxing that you see a total of five knockdowns
exchanged between two fighters in such a short period of time. Although some
may criticize Referee Sam Burgos for stopping this fight and see it as a
controversial move, it is important to remember that Burgos was the third man
in the ring in September of last year when the ill advised bout between Hall of
Famer Evander Holyfield and former UFC world champion Vitor Belfort took place
in the same venue. Burgos should be credited as this observer said in covering
that sad moment in the sport, for saving the fifty-nine year old Holyfield from
himself and quickly stopping the fight following a knockdown and a follow up
barrage in which it was clear that Holyfield no longer belonged in the ring as
a fighter. That sad night in the sport’s history aside, which this observer simply
asked in the days following the event in his coverage “What’s
Wrong With Boxing?,” the fact was that Sam Burgos did what the Florida
State Athletic Commission refused to do in protecting a man from himself in
allowing the event to take place when the state of California, which was originally
slated to host the event, refused to license Holyfield citing his age as well
as the punishment he had taken throughout his career as well as being many
years removed from active competition. In this case, Burgos again proved to be
a competent referee and once he did not get a clear response to the question of
can you continue from Kiladze, he promptly stopped the fight.
If there is a controversy to
point to however, it is in how Kiladze responded to the stoppage. A referee’s
primarily responsibility is to ensure the safety of the fighters that compete
in addition to ensuring rules and regulations are followed. While it is
certainly understandable Kiladze’s anger at the stoppage in what was an
exciting fight, putting his hands on the referee crossed the line, and no matter
what one thinks of the stoppage should be viewed as unacceptable.
While it is unclear as of this
writing as to whether or not Kiladze will face action from the Florida State Athletic
Commission (FSAC) for his actions following the stoppage, the bout between him
and Viktor Faust was exciting and definitely deserves a rematch just based on
the action that took place. Whether or not a rematch will take place will
probably come down to whatever repercussions Kiladze faces for assaulting Burgos
after the fight was stopped.
As for whether this Heavyweight
pay-per-view was successful, yours truly has heard estimates citing by others
within the sport claiming that the event drew under 25,000 buys. While I will
not speculate on the claims as they are not numbers that have been released by
the PBC or Fox Sports, if the numbers were in that range, perhaps it is an
indication that doing a pay-per-view card on New Year’s day against a wide
range of college football games was maybe not the best idea though if the PBC
continues to insist on using the pay-per-view model as they will be in a
scheduled February 5th Fox Sports Pay-Per-View card headlined by a twelve
round Welterweight bout between former WBA Welterweight world champion Keith
Thurman and Mario Barrios, perhaps they should keep the price point at a
reasonable range as this card was.
Was the decision to stage
Boxing cards on Christmas night and New Year’s day by the PBC and Fox Sports a wise
decision? This observer believes, despite the high ratings that the Christmas
night card was able to generate on the national Fox network, probably not. It
is a fact that was even pointed out by Fox Sports during the Christmas night broadcast
that the last Boxing card to have taken place on Christmas in the United States
before Christmas 2021 was in the 1960’s. While I could not personally verify
when the last card to have taken place on New Year’s day here in the United
States was before 2022 began, I would feel safe in suggesting that there have not
been too many. While it is important to keep in mind the uncertainty created by
the COVID-19 global crisis and that the main priority for all promoters in the
sport including the PBC is to try to be as active as possible and to try to
keep their fighters that they promote as active as they can in such circumstances,
maybe by the Christmas and New Year’s holidays in 2022 roll around, we might
see a more strategic approach in scheduling Boxing cards around the holidays.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The Boxing Truth® is a
registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
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