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.
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
STEVEN CAIRNS CONFIRMED AS PROBELLUM’S NEWEST SIGNING
Friday, January 28, 2022
Saturday 1/29/2022 Weights And Information
Two Boxing cards pitting Hall of Fame Boxing promoters Don King and Bob Arum against each other on competing streaming networks will take place on Saturday night in Warren, OH and Tulsa, OK respectively. Below are official weights and legal broadcast information for both cards.
Don King Productions: Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu
2: Packard Music Hall Warren, OH FITE
Pay-Per-View
Main Event: WBC Cruiserweight world championship – 12Rds.
Ilunga Makabu (Champion) 197lbs. vs. Thabiso Mchunu
(Challenger) 198 1/2lbs.
*Heavyweight – 12Rds.
Trevor Bryan 268lbs. vs. Jonathan Guidry 246 1/2lbs.
(*Fight is for Interim/Regular status in the WBA’s
Heavyweight ratings. A designation currently held by Bryan.)
Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA)
Cruiserweight championship – 10Rds.
Johnnie Langston 199 1/2lbs. vs. Nick Kisner 198
1/2lbs.
Heavyweight – 10Rds.
Ahmed Hefny 216lbs. vs. Dacarree Scott 276 1/2lbs.
Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA)
Middleweight championship – 10Rds.
Michael Moore 164lbs. vs. Anthony Lenk 159lbs.
Vacant North American Boxing Association (NABA)
Welterweight championship – 10Rds.
Cody Wilson 145lbs. vs. Tre'Sean Wiggins 145 1/2lbs.
Makabu vs. Mchunu takes place on Saturday,
January 29th at Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. The card can
be seen globally on FITE Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $49.99.
The FITE app is available on mobile, tablet, connected streaming devices, and
Smart TVs. For more information about FITE please visit: www.FITE.TV.
To order Makabu vs. Mchunu download the FITE app or Click Here.
Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc.: Robson Conceicao vs. Xavier
Martinez: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Tulsa, OK ESPN+ *Weights for this card unavailable as
of this writing. Full list of bouts scheduled to take place on this card are
below.
Main Event: Jr. Lightweight – 10Rds.
Robson Conceicao vs. Xavier Martinez
Heavyweight – 8Rds.
Stephan Shaw vs. Joey Dawejko
Women’s Jr. Lightweight – 8Rds.
Kalliopi Kourouni vs. Carla Torres
Featherweight – 6Rds.
Haven Brady Jr. vs. Diuhl Olguin
Middleweight – 4Rds.
Nico Ali Walsh vs. Jeremiah Yeager
Featherweight – 4Rds.
Bruce Carrington vs. Steven Brown
Light-Heavyweight – 4Rds.
Dante Benjamin vs. Herman Rendon
Heavyweight – 4Rds.
Jeremiah Milton vs. Dell Long
Welterweight – 4Rds.
Delante Johnson vs. Xavier Madrid
Lightweight – 8Rds.
Juan Tellez vs.
Giovanni Cabrera
Conceicao vs. Martinez takes place on Saturday,
January 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK.
The fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States on
digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:55PM
ET/3:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet,
connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including
schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and to
subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. Check your local listings
internationally.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of
Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison
Thursday, January 27, 2022
KATIE TAYLOR AND AMANDA SERRANO TO MEET IN HISTORIC BOXING CLASH ON APRIL 30 AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ON DAZN
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OLYMPIC CHAMPION GALAL YAFAI SIGNS PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM
Press Release: By DAZN January 27,
2022 – Tokyo
2020 gold medallist makes pro debut on February 27th Credit: DAZN
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Galal
Yafai MBE has signed a long-term promotional deal with Eddie Hearn’s
Matchroom Boxing and will make his highly anticipated professional debut on the
Lawrence Okolie vs. Michal Cieslak WBO Cruiserweight World Title show at The O2
in London on Sunday February 27, live worldwide on DAZN (excluding
New Zealand and Australia).
Birmingham’s Yafai fulfilled his lifelong
dream and became Olympic Champion as he brilliantly won Team GB’s first boxing
gold of Tokyo 2020, impressively outpointing the Philippines’ Carlo Paalam to
secure gold in the Flyweight division – Britain’s 19th gold medal of the Games.
Yafai comes from a proud boxing family, with
old brothers Kal and Gamal having successful careers in the professional ranks
after beginning as amateurs. 2008 Olympian Kal won a European silver medal in
2010 before turning pro and winning the WBA Super-Flyweight World Title in
2016, with Gamal winning Commonwealth and European Titles.
"The goal now is to win a World
Title," said Yafai. "I know there’s not many who have won
Olympic Gold and then a World Title so hopefully I can add my name to that
list. There’s some great current World Champions out there at the minute,
I’m not going to call out any names but my time will come - I have set my
sights on being at the very top.
"I’ve boxed all over the World with Team
GB, it’s made me into a better fighter no doubt. I’ve fought and sparred with
many styles which will stand me in good stead in the pro game. Eyes will
be on me as a pro but I thrive on the pressure and it’s a really exciting time
to be entering this new chapter of my career.
"I remember standing on the podium with
the National Anthem playing with the medal around my neck, it was a surreal
moment. I enjoyed my time in Tokyo and now I’m ready for the next step. Matchroom
are the biggest promotional company in the world. I’ve known Eddie for years
obviously with all the shows with my brothers so it was the best fit for me to
become a World Champion."
“I’m over the moon to secure the signature of
Olympic Gold Medallist Galal Yafai and we welcome him with open arms to the
Matchroom Boxing and DAZN team,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “Galal was the standout British fighter at the Games and we
have a long-standing relationship with his brothers, so it was personally very
important to me to get this done.
“Galal is going to do things very differently,
for his professional debut at The O2 we are looking for him to challenge for
his first professional title and from there move quickly to a World Title which
we expect him to win across multiple divisions. This young man is an
exceptional talent and you are going to be able to watch him on the biggest
shows all over the world live on DAZN.”
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.
The Conclusion Of January 2022 In Boxing
Although the Boxing schedule since the beginning of 2022 has been sporadic due in part to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic and several postponements of several Boxing cards outside of the United States due to several countries issuing restrictions in an effort to combat the latest surge of the virus and it’s latest Omnicon variant. The end of January 2022 however, will be highlighted by two separate cards on Saturday, January29th promoted by rival Hall of Fame promoters Don King and Bob Arum.
In some ways, this is a scenario that brings Boxing back
to a previous era where Arum and King would go head to head on competing platforms
as each at one time or another held claim as the top promoter in the sport. Now,
in 2022, both Arum and King, each at the age of ninety are each still going strong
and will be promoting two interesting cards that are each compelling for their
own reasons.
First, Don King will present a seven bout card that can
be seen on FITE Pay-Per-View from the Packard Music
Hall in Warren, OH. In the main event WBC Cruiserweight world champion Ilunga
Makabu will make the second defense of his world title against WBC number one
rated Cruiserweight contender Thabiso Mchunu. A rematch from a bout in May 2015
when the then contender Makabu knocked out Mchunu in eleven rounds. Beyond this
fight being a case that can be simply defined as a world champion facing the
mandatory number one contender in the organization in which they hold a world
title, for Makabu, this fight has added significance as he has been named as a
potential opponent for current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. While obviously a fight with Alvarez, who would move up
two weight classes from the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division to the 190lb.
Cruiserweight division to challenge Makabu, would garner significant attention
due to Alvarez’ standing as arguably the number one marquee draw in the sport,
obviously, the current WBC Cruiserweight champion will need to take care of
matters against Mchunu before any potential bout with Alvarez could be
negotiated.
Although this is a fight between two of the top
Cruiserweights in the world, it is also arguable that this bout between Makabu
and Mchunu has gained considerable attention due to the possibility of a fight with
Alvarez looming ahead for Makabu, should he successfully defend his
championship. In terms of what to expect
when Makabu and Mchunu face off, Makabu is an offensive-minded fighter who has
scored twenty-five knockouts in his twenty eight career wins. The champion has
shown in his career that he has a good power, particularly in his left hook as
well as a willingness to engage in exchanges of offense with his opponents.
While this indicates the possibility for an entertaining bout for the Boxing
fan, it can also leave the champion vulnerable and he was stopped in his two
career losses, which is something to keep in mind. Makabu has been undefeated
since losing in his first world title shot when he lost to Tony Bellew in 2016
for what was then the vacant WBC championship in the Cruiserweight division.
Since that bout, Makabu has been unbeaten in nine bouts in which he has scored
knockouts in seven of those bouts.
Standing across the ring from Makabu will be Thabiso
Mchunu. Mchunu, a fighter with twenty-eight career bouts to his credit will
enter the bout with a record of 23-5, with 13 Knockouts. The challenger is a boxer/puncher, who one might assume will
be looking to extend Makabu into the middle and late rounds of this fight if he
can. Mchunu has won four straight bouts coming into this bout in what will be
his second attempt at a world championship after previously being stopped by
undefeated former Undisputed Cruiserweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk in December
2016, when the current unified Heavyweight world champion made a successful defense
of his WBO Cruiserweight crown in stopping Mchunu in nine rounds. Although both
Makabu and Mchunu are not particularly well-known here in the United States,
they are two world-class fighters and it will be interesting to see if they
will be able to take advantage of the increased exposure here and also if the
winner of this bout will be able to secure what will likely be the most
lucrative payday of their career by potentially fighting Alvarez.
The co-main event of this card will see undefeated top
Heavyweight contender Trevor Bryan face undefeated contender Jonathan Guidry in
a bout scheduled for twelve rounds. Bryan, who currently holds interim/regular
champion status in the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) Heavyweight ratings,
has had several on again, off again agreements to fight longtime contender
Manuel Charr, who at one point also held an interim/regular designation in the
WBA ratings. While that fight for whatever reason has not materialized, Bryan will
be returning to the ring for the first time in exactly one year to face the
unbeaten Guidry. In his last bout, Bryan stopped former WBC Heavyweight world
champion Bermane Stiverne in eleven rounds in Hollywood, FL. Bryan will enter this bout unbeaten with a
record of 21-0, with 15 Knockouts.
While this in reality is a fight where Bryan will look to
make a strong argument for himself as a potential opponent for the winner of
the upcoming rematch between undefeated unified IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Heavyweight
world champion Oleksandr Usyk and former two-time champion Anthony Joshua, he
faces a bit of the unknown against Guidry, who is currently rated number
thirteen in the world by the WBA in the Heavyweight division.
Like Bryan, Guidry is unbeaten in his career and will
enter the bout with a record of 17-0-2, with 10 Knockouts. Guidry has yet to
face a notable opponent in his career and therein lies the element of the
unknown as a big question that surrounds this fight will be what Guidry will
have to offer. Although Bryan is likely to be viewed as a favorite going into
this encounter, it will be interesting to see how Guidry responds to this, his
first notable fight against a top contender and if he does perform well win or
lose if his current standing in the top fifteen of the WBA’s Heavyweight contenders
will be elevated after this fight.
While the Makabu-Mchunu rematch and Bryan-Guidry bouts
will co-headline a pay-per-view card, Bob Arum will stage a Boxing card at the
Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. In the main event of this card, which
can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription-based sports
streaming network ESPN+, a battle of top
Jr. Lightweight contenders current WBC number four rated contender Robson
Conceicao will face undefeated WBA number four rated contender Xavier Martinez
in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. This arguably pits two fighters at very
similar stages in their respective careers against each other and is a bout
between two boxer/punchers who can do a bit of everything. Conceicao will be
looking to rebound in this fight after suffering his only career defeat in his
last bout in a failed challenge of WBC Jr. Lightweight world champion Oscar
Valdez in September of last year in which he lost a twelve round unanimous
decision.
Conceicao, who will enter this bout with a record of 16-1,
with 8 Knockouts may have come out on the short end that evening against one of
the best fighters in the world in Valdez, but he did give a good account of
himself in defeat. Although this may have an appearance to some as what is
sometimes referred to within the sport as a “Comeback Fight” fight Conceicao, he
will be facing another top contender in his first bout coming off that loss in Xavier
Martinez.
Some might say that Martinez, who will enter this bout
unbeaten with a record of 17-0, with 11 Knockouts, is in a similar position as
Conceicao was before he faced Valdez in that though he is highly ranked, there
is still somewhat of the unknown as far as how good Martinez might be. In
fairness, in his last two bouts, Martinez did score victories over notable contenders
and former world title challengers Claudio
Marrero and Juan Carlos Burgos. One might argue by now facing a third
consecutive former world title challenger in Conceicao, that if Martinez were
to win this fight that his next bout might be a challenge of one of the world
champions in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight division. While there are similarities
between the two fighters in terms of their records, respective rankings, as
well as their Boxing styles, this fight may come down to who is able to get an
advantage on the other and whether or not they will be able to maintain that
advantage for the duration of the fight. An interesting battle between one fighter
looking for his opportunity at a world championship going against another
fighter looking for a second chance.
While January 29th will be a throwback evening
of Boxing for many as two legendary promoters pit their respective cards
against each other on competing streaming platforms in a scenario that is not
unlike how things were for decades between Bob Arum and Don King on across
cable/satellite networks and pay-per-view, the rivalry between the two
continues and though the landscape of both technology as well as the sport of
Boxing as a whole has definitely changed, we will see what this next chapter in
that promotional rivalry has to offer.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
Makabu vs. Mchunu takes place on Saturday, January 29th
at Packard Music Hall in Warren, OH. The card can be seen globally on FITE Pay-Per-View
beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $49.99. The FITE app is available on mobile,
tablet, connected streaming devices, and Smart TVs. For more information about
FITE please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order
Makabu vs. Mchunu download the FITE app or Click Here.
Conceicao vs. Martinez takes place on Saturday,
January 29th at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. The
fight as well as it’s full undercard can be seen in the United States on
digital subscription-based sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:55PM
ET/2:55PM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, connected
streaming devices and Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible
streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. Check your local listings internationally.
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau
Denison All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PROBELLUM’S UPCOMING DUBAI EVENT TO HOST HISTORY-MAKING FEMALE WORLD TITLE MATCH
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.
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