DAZN Continues To Roll The Dice

As previously announced earlier this week, Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of the world Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend his crown on May 6th against WBO number one contender and mandatory challenger John Ryder in Mexico, signaling Alvarez' first fight in his home country in more than a decade. While this column will not discuss the fight in detail as we are still more than two months away from the scheduled date, the bout already has generated controversy.

How has a fight that is still weeks away from taking place already raised the ire of Boxing fans? The Alvarez-Ryder bout will be broadcast on DAZN internationally, which means that it will be part of a standard monthly or annual subscription to the digital streaming network in many countries around the world. In the United States and Canada however, the fight will be available on DAZN Pay-Per-View. Why has that decision already raised the ire of many? It is important for this observer to state as I have in the past when discussing the business of the sport of Boxing that I do not currently work for any other outlet or network outside of my own The Boxing Truth®, which I own and operate. Having said that, I would not be objective if I did not say that I have been a vocal advocate for the subscription-based model that both DAZN and ESPN's digital streaming network ESPN+ operate under as it generally offers much more value for subscribers as compared to pay-per-view, which over the last twenty years has frankly resembled that of a compulsive gambler in that both the frequency of events once touted and reserved for fights of significant public demand, have increased to insane levels and along with it so has the prices for such events have increased to where in the United States, one can expect most pay-per-view Boxing events to have a starting price at or above $70, which when one also factors in taxes and additional fees means the final price is actually closer to $90 on a per event basis. This does not also add to the equation that there are times where networks that produce these events will continue to roll the dice and raise the price point even further akin to one playing one too many rolls on a craps table or one too many spins on a slot machine trying to hit the ever elusive "Jackpot," which in this case, means revenues via pay-per-view buys that will make an event a rousing success. The problem with such a mentality is as most those who deal with gambling problems eventually discover, what is hoped for is rarely achieved, and more often than not, the opposite of hitting the "Jackpot" or in this case achieving massive revenues in the form of pay-per-view buys result in both promoters, networks that put on the events, and more importantly the fighters losing money. 

In the current landscape, as of this writing, there are three pay-per-view Boxing events that have been announced between late March and the scheduled May 6 bout between Alvarez and Ryder, with more potentially to be added either before and after that date. When one also factors in that DAZN will be a co-broadcaster for the April 22 pay-per-view bout between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia, along with Showtime and both networks are selling the pay-per-view broadcast on their respective platforms with each's respective branding, one would be justified to question the wisdom of DAZN opting to roll the dice again and to be more specific, do so in relatively close proximity to the April 22 date in producing another pay-per-view event (At least in North America) mere weeks after that event. Considering the co-production with Showtime, who may be nearing an exit of the sport by year's end due to a major restructuring of it's Paramount Global, being rumored to be priced at $100 as of this writing, the question of wisdom in the decision process perhaps becomes more important and the ire/outrage of the Boxing fan becomes more understandable.

An element that has not been touched upon by yours truly thus far is the fact that fighters have been conditioned to expect substantial money via pay-per-view, which unfortunately for many does not materialize into significant income for them when all is said and done for reasons including, but not limited to the revenue split model, which more often than not favors cable/satellite providers, pay-per-view distributors, and finally the promoters and networks, before it trickles down to the fighters. When one takes into the equation that many pay-per-view attractions fail to reach a break even point for all involved, let alone profitability, which I have felt along with the model being outdated compared to what else is available to consumers, can be directly tied to the ever increasing price points for such events, which whether networks want to admit it or not, consumers continue to largely reject.

While all the aforementioned points this observer has made should not be viewed as an indictment against DAZN in particular, as I still feel they have a more economically reasonable model in place with their subscription service if they commit to it, the points I have made is more of an indictment on the pay-per-view model itself, which no longer offers value to the consumer for the price and very rarely is used only for the true "Big Fights" / "Special Events" that it was originally intended to be.

Although Saul Alvarez is one of the top stars in the sport, if he is using the model as a requirement for a broadcaster like DAZN to be able to carry his bouts, unfortunately it does a disservice to Boxing and the fans that support both him, the sport, and other fighters who have been conditioned to have a similar mentality. Despite my view that DAZN would be better served to try and work out a deal with Alvarez and other fighters that fight on their network similar to that of the 11 fight, $365 Million guarantee with incentives for subscription milestones being met that Alvarez received shortly after premium cable network HBO announced it's exit from Boxing after forty-five years in 2018, that saw Alvarez featured as the centerpiece of DAZN's streaming network and marketing the subscription model over pay-per-view, a deal that seemed beneficial until the COVID-19 epidemic and a well-publicized split between Alvarez and his longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya, which for a time also brought an end to his relationship with the network, an opinion which I stand by as evidence continues to show the decline of pay-per-view, at least for now DAZN continues to dip their toes in the pay-per-view model, which they continue to insist will be strictly on a case by case basis.

A potential problem for the network however, is whether subscribers will continue to support the network if it eventually becomes clear that in order to see the marquee stars of the sport, a subscriber will unfortunately be asked to shell out an additional fee on top of what they pay monthly or annually. Considering that the network raised their subscription rates to $24.99 per month or $224 yearly in the United States in February, there is reason to be concerned when they are also continuing to dip their toes in the pay-per-view model. While I remain supportive of a subscription-based model that I truly believe both as someone who has covered Boxing and combat sports most of his life, but also as a consumer, that has better value, I have also been around long enough to know red flags when I see them.

For most of it's forty-five year run, HBO was firmly established as one of the sport's power players even as unfortunately, Boxing moved away from free over the air television, where revenues were earned not only by ratings, but also by significant advertising, which is still something Boxing sorely needs. Up until a certain point in the late 1990's even as the network had created it's own pay-per-view network TVKO (Later renamed HBO Pay-Per-View) many of Boxing's biggest fights aired on HBO or similarly it's longtime rival Showtime. Eventually, HBO became more reliant on the pay-per-view model, even at times moving fights off their network to pay-per-view, but only opting to serve as a distributor of such events. While I spent a good portion of my career as a writer up to their 2018 exit calling out the network for that as well as other decisions related to how they presented the sport, eventually the over reliance on pay-per-view, increased prices, lack of value, and ultimately arrogance of those running the network at that time in assuming that such decisions would not have a negative impact on their network, led to their demise. 

With Showtime seemingly heading in a similar direction now having moved more and more Boxing events away from their subscribers and to pay-per-view, as well as the former head of Showtime Sports Stephen Espinoza touting how "Pay-Per-View is a tool," but failing to come up with any legitimate justification for using the model on an all too frequent basis as well as displaying a similar arrogance as those who ran HBO when they were still part of the sport, with the restructuring of the network's parent company Paramount Global now underway and Espinoza now recognized as one of the presidents of CBS Sports under the Paramount banner and with Showtime soon to be absorbed into the Paramount+ streaming network, it would appear that it is indeed heading for a similar exit as it's longtime rival HBO.

What both network's forays into the sport and what have proved to be bad decisions, which as of now has led to one exit with perhaps the other with one foot out the door, should show DAZN as a network that is seven years into it's existence that has expanded rapidly including it's 2018 launch here in the United States, is essentially a playbook on what not to do if they want to both survive and thrive in the sport of Boxing. Unfortunately, no matter how big a star might be in the sport, the Boxing fan/subscriber will remain the ultimate authority and if events used for the antiquated model of pay-per-view do not do overwhelmingly well in terms of buys, no matter what a promoter or network executive might say in attempt to spin the obvious slap in the face of fans/subscribers especially when those same people not only criticized the pay-per-view model for many of the points yours truly has made, but also succeeded in showing that a better model that offers more value for the price does indeed exist, DAZN, much like a compulsive gambler may find that they have rolled the dice one time too many, which more often than not means one thing. "Craps." For a network that has been a credit to Boxing since it's inception, it would truly be a shame to see it go down the same path as the former power players of Boxing television in the United States, especially when the evidence to avoid that same path is clearly visible. 

As someone who always has the best interest of Boxing at heart and sees untapped potential in DAZN as a network, particularly here in the United States, I sincerely hope this is not the start of something akin to two stories about networks involved in the sport of Boxing that I have seen play out before, both as a fan growing up and as someone who has covered the sport since the mid-1990's. If it indeed is, the victims will continue to be the sport itself and the fans who support it. Although I am a proud Boxing lifer, in the interest of both objectivity as well as honesty, I will concede that for those who are not involved in the sport beyond being a fan, there is only so many times a fan will allow themselves to be slapped in the face and will willingly pay expensive fees to watch the sport they love before both out of anger as well as fiscal responsibility, they say enough is enough. Regardless of who might be at the top of a Boxing card. 

"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 

Miller vs. Browne To Be Streamed On ProBox TV In The United States And Australia Saturday, March 18th

Press Release: March 16, 2023 By ProBox TV - DUBAI –  Already catching re with boxing fans around the world, 

Florida-based PROBOXTV.COM has secured the American and Australian broadcast rights to this weekend’s potentially explosive Saturday, March 18, heavyweight crossroads battle between undefeated New Yorker, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller and dangerous former WBA (Regular)+Heavyweight Champion Lucas “Big Daddy” Browne of Australia.

Fans can catch all the action and a lot more for a very special deal: Subscribe to PROBOXTV.COM for a year for the regular one-time price of just USD $18 (no automatic yearly renewal) and watch the potential heavyweight ght of the year, starting at 1 pm (ET) this Saturday (March 18). 

Then with your 2023 yearly subscription, catch all the action on boxing’s hottest new series, the always thrilling back-and-forth of Wednesday Night Boxing twice a month on 

PROBOXTV.COM. Plus, you’ll get exclusive events and shows featuring boxing’s best commentary team of Paulie Malignaggi, Mike Goldberg, Chris Algieri, and Juan Manuel Marquez, plus up-to-the-minute news updates from their crack team of top boxing journalists whenever boxing news breaks.

Held at the famous Agenda arena in Dubai,+United Arab Emirates, WBA #10 Miller (25-0-1, 21 KOs) and WBA #9 Browne (31-3, 27 KOs) will meet in the 10-round main event of a stacked night of world-class boxing that also features a 10-round super featherweight co-main event between Dublin Ireland’s WBA #5- and IBF #11-rated former world title challenger Jono “King Kong” Carroll+(23-2-1, 7 KOs) and three-time world title challenger

Miguel “The Scorpion” Marriaga (30-6, 26 KOs). Also broadcast that night will be a 10-round cruiserweight battle between fast-tracking former amateur star Soslan “Cobra” Asbarov (3-0, 1 KO) of Chapaevo and once-beaten American Brandon Glanton (17-1, 14 KOs).

A former top-rated contender already two ghts into his comeback from nearly four years of inactivity, the charismatic “Big Baby” Miller is a former WBO-NABO and WBA-NABA 

Champion with impressive wins over top-rated former title challengers and top contenders including Mariusz Wach, Gerald Washington, Johann Duhaupas, Bogdan Dinu and former world champion Tomas Adamek. Miller was last seen taking out Mexican veteran Derek “Vikingo” Cardenas in four rounds in July of last year.

Currently residing in Perth, Western Australia, Lucas Browne is a former WBA and WBF world champion, as well as the reigning WBA Oceania and IBF Australasian champion. During his long and distinguished career, Browne has defeated quality opponents such as James 

“Lights Out” Toney, Ruslan Chagaev and Andrey Rudenko. The hard-punching Aussie fan favorite was last seen taking out fellow contender Junior Fa via impressive rst-round TKO in 

June of last year. The anvil sts of Browne had Fa down twice within two minutes before the stoppage at 1:58. Lucas Browne’s Promoter, hall of famer Lou DiBella, gave this take on the hard-hitting clash in the Middle East.+ “Lucas Browne, even at forty, poses the danger of a true puncher. He’s proven that in his last two knockouts as an underdog,” said DiBella. “He represents the rst real threat that Miller has faced since his return. Lucas is a pro’s pro and Jarrell is going to nd that out this weekend. Thanks to ProBox TV for making this strong card available to its subscribers.”

Dublin’s Jono Carroll won the IBF European Super Featherweight Championship in 2017 with a stoppage of then undefeated Englishman John Quigley and defended it twice before unsuccessfully challenging then IBF Super Featherweight Champion Tevin Farmer in 2019. 

The energetic southpaw has since rebounded with a stoppage win over former world champion+Scott Quigg and an impressive decision over then WBA #7-ranked super featherweight Andy Vences in September 2021. Carroll is currently on a ve-ght winning streak. 

Arjona, Colombia’s Miguel Marriaga has challenged for world titles three times, but each time come up short. The hard-punching slugger has stopped all but four of his 30 victims and will be looking to return to top contender status with an upset victory against Carroll. 

Marriaga was last seen dropping a highly competitive decision to former Olympian and interim world champion Michael Conlan.

Calling all the action will be top-notch commentator/ring announcer Ray Flores, along with popular former UFC star Tyron Woodley. Current $1.99 monthly subscribers will not be able to watch Miller vs. Browne without upgrading their subscription to the $18 per year plan. 

Material Courtesy of ProBox TV Used with permission.

For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, local start times in your area, full library of previous events and additional Boxing content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProBoxTV.com. 

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

Ramirez-Rosado: A Veteran's Last Stand?

On Saturday, Match 18th an intriguing battle will take place in Boxing's 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, which could both be defined as a "Crossroads Fight," as well as a bout that could have implications for the winner challenging for a world championship down the line. This observer is referring to the encounter between former Super-Middleweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez and longtime veteran and former world title challenger Gabriel Rosado.

The fight between the two, which will take place at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach University in Long Beach, CA, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, has two key storylines going into it. While both Ramirez and Rosado will come into this encounter coming off losses, one might argue that both men are moving in different directions at this stage in their respective careers.

Ramirez is coming off of his first career defeat at the hands of undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol in November of last year. While Ramirez went the distance with Bivol, he was out boxed over the course of the fight in what proved to be a bad style matchup for him against a fighter in Bivol, who is a master boxer. Nevertheless Ramirez made a good account for himself in defeat and now looks to begin the rebuilding process with the hope of gaining another title shot.

In Gabriel Rosado, Ramirez will face a tough and durable veteran, who always puts up a tough fight. Many may recall Rosado, who began his career as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight, once challenged for a Middleweight world championship, being stopped in seven rounds by Gennady Golovkin in 2013. Although the goal of winning a world title has remained elusive for Rosado, he has continued on with his career and has endeared himself to Boxing fans for always giving a "Game" performance win or lose. After a recent run where he has only won one of his last five bouts and having moved through the Middleweight and Super-Middleweight divisions, career fight forty-five for Rosado will see him moving up in weight again in what will be his Light-Heavyweight debut.

If one is objective, it is obviously a scenario where Rosado, as has been the case throughout his career, is in the role of an underdog. Stylistically, every metric from style, to hand speed, to punching power would appear to favor Ramirez. The key to the fight however, will be how Gabriel Rosado not only looks as a 175lb. Light-Heavyweight, but how will he respond to being hit by the naturally bigger Ramirez. Although this will be the fourth weight class that Rosado has competed in, he has never been known as a power puncher, despite scoring some head-turning knockouts throughout his career.

The interest in any fighter moving up in weight beyond the obvious questions of how they will look at the heavier weight, as well as the issue of whether they will be able to take the punches of opponents at that weight is, at what point will the fighter reach a ceiling where moving up in weight becomes no longer an option. Obviously, we likely will not know the answer to at least the latter until after this fight, but an argument could be attempted at saying that a fighter in Rosado's position may not only look better, but might perform better at a heavier weight simply because the process of cutting down to what may be considerably lower than their normal walking around weight for competition might be less of a difficult process.

After forty-four  professional fights in a seventeen year career, this might be viewed by some as potentially Rosado's last stand in terms of possibly securing an opportunity to fight for a world championship again at this late stage in his career. Despite the odds seemingly being against him, Rosado has beaten the odds before against theoretically superior opposition, the question is whether or not he can do that against a fighter of Ramirez' caliber, who in addition to having a good mix of hand speed and punching power, is also very crafty and elusive, remains to be seen. Whether or not a victory for either Ramirez or Rosado will lead to another world title shot in their next fight is also obviously unknown, but a good performance by either will at minimum put the winner in the discussion to challenge either Dmitry Bivol or undefeated WBC/IBF/WBO world champion Artur Beterbiev down the line.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Ramirez vs. Rosado takes place on Saturday, March 18th at the Walter Pyramid on the campus of Long Beach University in Long Beach, CA. The bout as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning with a portion of preliminary bouts beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT followed by the main card at 8PM ET/5PM PT. (U.S. Times Only.)

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.

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

Alvarez To Defend Undisputed Super-Middleweight Championship Against Ryder May 6th On DAZN and DAZN Pay-Per-View

Press Release March 14, 2023 By DAZN - Saúl Canelo Álvarez will defend his Undisputed Super-Middleweight title against John Ryder at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday May 6, live around the world on DAZN and DAZN PPV in the U.S & Canada – the first time in over eleven and a half years that Canelo has fought in Mexico.

Credit: DAZN 

Canelo (58-2-2 39 KOs) defends his Undisputed Crown for the second time after beating bitter rival Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy battle in Las Vegas in September, having ripped the IBF crown from Caleb Plant in Sin City in November 2021 with an 11th round stoppage.

The Mexican superstar will make an emotional return to his homeland for his latest Cinco de Mayo showdown, and it will be 4180 days since he last stepped through the ropes in Mexico, when he stopped Kermit Cintron in Mexico City in five rounds to defend his WBO World Light-Middleweight title.

The 32 year old four-weight World Champion fights for the 63rd time of his storied career as he closes in on 18 years as a pro. Cinco de Mayo weekend will see him fight for the 35th time in his homeland and it promises to be a spectacular occasion with the state of Jalisco marking 200 years of independence.

WBO mandatory challenger Ryder (32-5 18 KOs) will be looking to spoil the party, as the popular Londoner travels to Mexico for the biggest fight of his 12-year career. ‘The Gorilla’ landed the WBO interim title in his last fight when Zach Parker retired on his stool after four rounds of their clash in London, England in November.

That win for the 34 year old followed a career-best victory earlier in 2022 over former Middleweight ruler and old Canelo foe Daniel Jacobs, with Ryder having also tackled three other Britons who have taken on the Mexican king, challenging Callum Smith for the Super-Middleweight World crown after fights with Billy Joe Saunders and Rocky Fielding.

“I feel really happy to be coming back in May because following my surgery, I was unsure of when I'd be coming back,” said Canelo. “Returning to the ring and coming back to fight in Jalisco, where I'm from, makes me especially happy. And in John Ryder, I'm facing a very competitive fighter.”

“There’s no denying that Canelo is one of the greats and I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s achieved in the sport but I fully believe this is my time fulfil my dream of becoming a World champion,” said Ryder.

“I’m not going over there for a holiday. For me this is purely business and my full focus is on going into his backyard in Guadalajara on May 6 and bringing those belts back with me to the UK. I want to thank the team, Tony and Charlie Sims and Matchroom Boxing for making this happen.”

“Canelo’s return to Mexico is historic for Mexican boxing,” said trainer Eddy Reynoso. “He is returning as an Undisputed champion, this is proof that a Mexican can succeed outside his country with discipline and love for his sport.

“I feel proud of all of this, because the dream of a kid who started in Guadalajara came true and he returns as a winner!”

“This is a moment that will be forever engrained in the history of boxing and Mexican sport,” said Eddie Hearn. “Canelo Alvarez defending his undisputed championship in his hometown in front of 50,000 fans will be an incredible sight and a night we will never forget.

“In John Ryder, you have a mandatory challenger that has paid his dues and off the back of big wins against Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker is ready for the ultimate challenge. See you May 6 in Guadalajara for something very special, live on DAZN.”

“It doesn’t get bigger than Canelo in Mexico,” Joe Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group said, “Canelo returning home, John Ryder coming to spoil the party after big wins versus Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker in 2022; this has the makings of a classic. Tune in to this historic event live on DAZN around the world and in Mexico for the very first time.”

An announcement on ticket sale dates will be made soon.

DAZN first quarter schedule is below:

Saturday, March 18: Cyrus Pattinson vs. Chris Jenkins 

Saturday, March 18: Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez vs. Gabriel ‘King’ Rosado 

Saturday, April 1: Anthony Joshua vs. Jermaine Franklin 

Saturday, April 8: Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez vs. Christian Gonzalez

Saturday, April 22: Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Joe Cordina 

Saturday, April 22: Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia (DAZN PPV in US & Canada)

Saturday, April 29: Eimantas Stanionis vs Virgil Ortiz Jr  

Saturday, May 6: Canelo Alvarez vs. John Ryder  (On DAZN & DAZN PPV in US & Canada)

Saturday, May 20: Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron  

 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.

March 11, 2023 Boxing Thoughts

Saturday, March 11, 2023 in the sport of Boxing was largely highlighted by two main events that took place across Europe. The first of these main events would occur at the Liverpool Arena in Liverpool, England where undefeated Super-Middleweight prospect Diego Pacheco met veteran Jack Cullen in a scheduled ten round bout.

Although this represented the first time the American Pacheco was in the position of headlining an international card, and that came about due to an injury to former Super-Middleweight world champion Callum Smith, which moved Pacheco's bout with Cullen to the main event of a card promoted by promoter Eddie Hearn, the move to the headline position did not have a negative effect on Pacheco. From the opening bell, Pacheco's approach was one of almost surgical precision as he plotted a strategy with an emphasis on landing his right hand and immediately put Cullen under pressure. What stood out to this observer was the poise in which Pacheco displayed seemingly from the outset. 

While there were points where Cullen attempted to turn the tempo of combat in his favor, particularly by throwing jabs in double and triple variations, it did not phase Pacheco, who simply bided his time and looked to exploit any openings Cullen left him. This often resulted in Pacheco landing hard shots to the body and head of his opponent in short, but controlled bursts. In the fourth round, it would be one of those bursts, a short right hand to the head, left hook to the body combination that would send Cullen down on the canvas. As Cullen got to his feet an example of Pacheco's surgical approach was displayed.

Under circumstances where some fighters knowing that an opponent is hurt with rush in recklessly throwing a flurry of punches, Pacheco simply stepped forward, landing a flush right hand to the jaw that sent Cullen backwards against the ropes and down for a second and final time as Referee Steve Gray stepped in and stopped the fight. The fifteenth knockout in his eighteen career wins for the twenty-two year old Pacheco ultimately did not come following a stern test by his opponent. Nevertheless, Pacheco's performance should be viewed as one that should put the rest of the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division on notice of a potential emerging star in the division.

While the current holy grail of the division and all contenders as well as rising prospects is to work toward a potential challenge of current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, Pacheco may not be quite ready to take what would be a major leap in the caliber of opposition to possibly challenge Alvarez at this point. The Boxing world however, is always looking for it's next star and if Pacheco remains active, continues to win, and more specifically, continues producing the type of performances that he has been consistently doing up to this point, it may not be too long before he is indeed in position to challenge for a world championship. For the immediate future, it would appear that an ideal fight that could be made for Pacheco would be an encounter with fellow undefeated prospect and "Knockout Artist" Edgar Berlanga, who coincidentally recently signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing after a successful run in his early career fighting under Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank, Inc. promotional banner.

While a fight between the two young prospects does not necessarily need to be made immediately and an argument can certainly be made for not making it and allowing both Pacheco and Berlanga to continue trying to move up the ranks against other opposition in the hope of not only drawing interest in a fight between the two, but also from a business standpoint attempting to maximize potential financial interests in that encounter, especially if either of them is able to work themselves into position as a top contender to potentially challenge Alvarez down the line, Boxing for better or worse has a long history of at times taking too long or I should say, the powers that be in the sport, to produce fights that have significant interest and demand from the public, which unfortunately, has led to the sport being the subject of ridicule and criticism from its detractors. In this case, both Pacheco and Berlanga are under contract to the same promoter and if Eddie Hearn, who has emerged as one of Boxing's biggest promoters over the last decade is wise, he will not let a potential encounter between Pacheco and Berlanga simmer too long before seizing the opportunity.

From Liverpool, England to Paris, France where the second main event took place at the Zenith De Paris. A "Crossroads Fight" in Boxing's Heavyweight division featuring longtime contender and former world title challenger Carlos Takam facing rising contender and former Olympic Gold medalist Tony Yoka in a scheduled ten round bout.

Although Yoka's status as a former Olympic champion was oddly omitted by this observer in previewing this fight as well as the aforementioned encounter between Diego Pacheco and Jack Cullen, this fight nevertheless had the sub-plot of two fighters looking to bounce back from defeat. In Takam's case, he was looking to rebound from two consecutive losses, while Yoka was looking to bounce back from his first loss as a professional. While that was the similarity between the two, this fight also appeared at least going into it to be an encounter between two fighters that were seemingly going in different directions in their respective careers with the forty-two year old Takam perhaps nearing the finish line of his career.

Despite this, it would be Takam who would take the initiative and bring the fight to the thirty year old Yoka. For ten rounds, Takam consistently pressed forward, throwing punches to the body and head of Yoka and backing his younger opponent up.  While this can be described as a workmanlike performance by Takam in a fight that did not have too many highlights, the story of the bout was one fighter simply outworking the other. Although he had some moments periodically throughout the fight, Yoka could not break the pattern in which the fight was fought, which consisted of Takam coming forward, throwing punches, and pushing him back. Furthermore, Yoka was simply not active enough throughout the fight to make the fight close in terms of scoring, in my view.

The view of this observer notwithstanding, Takam would still earn a victory via ten round split decision. Although I personally did not feel that the fight was close and felt that Takam won eight of the ten rounds largely based on him being the one forcing the fight, it is important to remember that sometimes three official judges, who have a better view than a crowd watching a fight, or even those watching via some form of television, and who also are positioned at varying angles, can at times see things differently than a consensus opinion of others viewing the same bout. In the interest of saving time and energy, I will simply say that I felt Takam won this fight clearly and the decision should have been unanimous. Nonetheless, for a fighter who has traveled around the world to compete and has seen some decisions in fights fought on an opponent's home turf go against him, not unlike this fight against Tony Yoka, at least this was an instance where Takam got a victory he deserved and the fight does not have an element of controversy in terms of the outcome.

Whether or not the victory for Carlos Takam will move him back towards a potential challenge for a portion of the World Heavyweight championship at this stage remains unclear and perhaps unlikely given the current landscape of the division and it's two undefeated world champions Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, who are in the midst of negotiations for an encounter for the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world, which may or may not be happening in the near future. It is nevertheless clear however, at age forty-two Carlos Takam still has fight left in him and will likely remain a difficult fight for any contender currently in the division. The only thing Takam can realistically do is try to remain as active as possible and try to make a strong enough argument for himself as a potential challenger if and when the situation between Usyk and Fury resolves itself. Although Takam is at an advanced age for a fighter, it is a compelling story of a longtime contender seeking one more shot at a world championship against all odds that the Boxing world loves to see, much like the endless search for the sport's next star.

"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 

March 11, 2023 Boxing Preview

The day of March 11, 2023 in the world of Boxing will feature two main events that will feature some interesting storylines. First , an encounter in the Heavyweight division that could best be described as a "Crossroads Fight" will take place at the Zenith De Paris in Paris, France. Longtime Heavyweight contender and former world title challenger Carlos Takam will face contender Tony Yoka in a bout scheduled for ten rounds that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

Both Takam and Yoka will enter this fight coming off of losses and in Takam 's case, will be looking to get back in the win column after dropping his previous two fights. Yoka meanwhile will be looking to rebound from his first career loss. While there is that similarity between the two fighters, this is largely a youth versus experience scenario in that the forty-two year old Takam will have twelve years in age over the thirty year old Yoka, but will also have a significant edge in terms of both total fights in his career compared to his opponent, who will be competing in only his thirteenth professional fight.

Although that differs from Takam 's forty-seven career bouts, Takam also has the edge when it comes to having faced a higher caliber of opposition having been a top contender in the Heavyweight division for several years including challenging for a world championship in 2017 when he was stopped by then undefeated Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. What this fight will likely come down to however, will be how much Takam has left in him at forty-two years old and having dropped his last two fights among seven career losses overall. Takam has proven to be durable throughout his career and if Tony Yoka is under prepared and/or is taking Takam lightly, the veteran does have the skills to make it a difficult evening for his younger opponent and is likely looking at this as potentially his last chance to bounce back.

On the flip side of the equation, Yoka has scored nine knockouts in his eleven career wins, but has not fought a fighter both of the caliber and experience of Takam. In his only career loss, Yoka dropped a ten round majority decision to Martin Bakolie in May of last year. While that fight was close and could have gone either way, it is always interesting to see how a fighter will respond coming off of their first loss, particularly one that came as a result of a narrow decision. Will Yoka be more aggressive in this fight perhaps with the intention of trying to keep the judges from having to determine a winner? Although a loss for Yoka at this point in his career would not likely mean the end of the road for him, another loss for Takam would likely signal the end of a fine career. When there are both similarities as well as a scenario of two fighters heading possibly heading in different directions, the stakes are obviously high for both fighters.

The second main event that will be previewed in this column will be a Super-Middleweight encounter featuring undefeated rising prospect Diego Pacheco facing veteran Jack Cullen in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. Originally, this bout was to be on the undercard on a card that was to be hwadlined by former Super-Middleweight world champion Callum Smith facing Pawel Stepien in a Light-Heavyweight bout, but has now been moved to the main event due to Smith having to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Stepien after suffering an injury while in training.

While no one likes to hear of anyone suffering an injury, Smith's misfortune has benefited Pacheco in the sense that it now gives him the opportunity to main event a card. Although this will be taking place in Liverpool, England and that is likely not the ideal place for the American Pacheco to be headlining a card on a major network for the first time, the bout against Jack Cullen, which will be broadcast in the United States and globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, also represents what might be a step up for the twenty-two year old prospect.

Pacheco will enter this fight unbeaten in seventeen professional fights, having scored knockouts in fourteen of those bouts. While those statistics are certainly impressive, Pacheco has yet to be tested in his brief career and, despite holding a regional title in the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) Super-Middleweight ratings, naturally there are questions that are asked of virtually all unbeaten prospects that eventually have to be answered. Whether or not questions about Pacheco's ability to take a punch amd what will happen when he is faced with adversity will be answered in this fight with Jack Cullen remains to be seen.

Cullen is a veteran of twenty-five professional bouts and has fought for both Commonwealth and European champipnships in both the Middleweight and Super-Middleweight divisions in his career. What could be s red flag in terms of his ability to provide Pacheco with a test, despite having more experience is in Cullen's three career defeats, he was stopped inside the distance each time. Although Pacheco has only been a professional for over four years, he has demonstrated the ability to score sudden and devastating knockouts and it will be interesting to see if Cullen will be able to withstand his punching power if Pacheco can find a way to connect, particularly in the early rounds.

While both of these main events that will be taking place across Europe on March 11th have the similarity of prospects going against more experienced opponents, Anything can happen at any given time in Boxing, as this observer has often said through the years and it is far from a given that the two prospects/rising contenders Yoka and Pacheco, who will likely be favored in their respective bouts, will be victorious. It will be up to both Carlos Takam and Jack Cullen to upset any potential plans Yoka and Pacheco might have aa they continue their climb towards challenging for a world championship.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Takam vs. Yoka takes place on Saturday, March 11th at the Zenith De Paris in Paris, France. In the United States, the fight as well as it's undercard can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 2:45PM ET/11:45AM PT. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet and connected streaming devices/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. 

Pacheco vs. Cullen takes place on Saturday, March 11th at the Liverpool Arena in Liverpool, England. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States and globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning with Before The Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts beginning at 11:30AM ET/8:30AM PT. This will be followed by the main portion of the card, which will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

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. 

*U.S. Times Only.*

*Cards and Start Times Subject To Change.*

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

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

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ PROMOTIONS LANDS IN SONORA, MEXICO - LIVE ON PROBOX TV

Press Release: March 8, 2023 By ProBox TV - Promoter and boxing legend Juan Manuel Marquez brings his promotional outfit back to Mexico this Wednesday live on Probox TV. After a successful show in Mexico City last month, Marquez heads to Sonora for the first time.  

Credit: ProBox TV 

A local battle between the undefeated Luis “Koreano” Torres (17-0, 10 KOs) will face Misael “Pinchon” Cabrera (14-1, 10 KOs) for the WBC Latino Lightweight Championship in the main event. Bragging rights at stake as both hail from Obregon, Sonora. 

Juan Manuel Marquez gave his take on his upcoming main event “It’s great to be in Sonora and bring this great fight to the fans. Torres Vs Cabrera promises to be a real war! If you are in the area, come down to the show, it is going to be great night with some great fights. We are delighted to be back on Probox Tv with another exciting event, should be very simple for fans to tune in. I really can’t emphasise it enough, boxing fans do not want to miss this fight.”

The undercard will feature one of the most exciting super featherweights in recent memory, Oscar Alvarez (8-0, 7KOs) takes on Diego Lopez (3-1-1, 2 KOs) of Mexico City in Alvarez’s hometown. Super featherweight Alex Fuentes (4-0, 1 KO) of Obregon, Sonora will face Mario Valenzuela (4-1, 2 KOs) and opening the card will be local a local battle between Pablo Servin (3-1) and Erick Hernandez (4-0, 4 KOs) at super featherweight.

Watch ProBox TV Events FOR FREE (NO SIGN-UP REQUIRED) live on Facebook/YouTube in English and Spanish. You can watch ProBoxTV ad free on ProBoxTV.com for only $1.99/Month.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: ProBox TV Used with permission.

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

Noongar Star Alex Winwood Stuns World Number 13 Tibo Monabesa

 Press Release: March 5, 2023 By Clinton Wolf / Dragon Fire Boxing - Australia has a potential new boxing superstar and his name is Alex Winwood.

Credit: Mike O'Hara/Dragon Fire Boxing

World renowned boxing trainer Angelo Hyder has been talking the young Noongar man up and saying pound for pound Winwood is the most powerful puncher he has ever trained; a huge statement given the hard-hitting fighters and world champions renowned for their power Hyder has trained over the years.

On Friday night in front of a packed and roaring crowd at Metro City in Perth Winwood demonstrated he had the kind of crushing power in both hands that can end a fight in one punch.

Winwood also has a God-given ability to measure distance, where he can avoid getting hit while at the same time dishing out vicious combinations of punches that destroyed his world class opponent, world no. 13 Tibo Monabesa.

This all culminated in one knockdown in round 3 and two knockdowns in round 4; the third knockdown being delivered with such power and precision that his opponent was unable to beat the referees count and the fight was mercifully called off.

After the fight, Winwood said he felt "absolutely fantastic".

"I can't wait to come back and go across the road to RAC Arena and fight for the world title, and become the fastest Australian to do so," he said.

Winwood, provided he maintains the discipline, desire and work ethic, could one day be categorised in the echelons of the greatest fighters Australia has ever produced - he is simply that good. If he does, he will be a wonderful role model for Indigenous Australia and Australia as a whole.

He has set himself a goal of being world champion and Australia should get right behind him on his journey to the top.

Material Courtesy of Clinton Wolf / Photo Courtesy of Mike O’Hara / Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

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

DAZN TEAMS UP FOR SPECIAL COLLABORATION WITH THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FILM CREED III

Press Release: March 3, 2023 – By DAZN–  LONDON, 3rd March  - DAZN, the leading global sports streaming service, celebrates the upcoming feature film Creed III (released today) with a multi-faceted collaboration, which will be rolled out across the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Spain and Italy.

 

The knock out opportunity will see the new feature film promoted across DAZN’s top-tier boxing schedule with Creed III spots taking over the 3rd round in DAZN’s main upcoming boxing events.

 

Additionally, DAZN’s best-in-class fight production team is featured in the film as the official broadcast partner. Audiences will enjoy DAZN’s broadcast talent Chris Mannix, Todd Grisham and Jess McCaskill on comms during all in-ring fight sequences. Additional DAZN talent, including some the biggest names in boxing, are also featured in the film.

 

DAZN is the undisputed home of boxing and provides a global reach across all markets, unlike any other broadcaster

 

"DAZN is incredibly excited to team with MGM on their upcoming feature film Creed III,” said Mike Mobley, VP Media & partnerships. “The marriage of our best-in-class boxing, premium global rights, and creative capabilities, allowed us to collaborate in a way to make waves amongst generations of sports fans worldwide.”

 

ABOUT CREED III: In Theaters and IMAX March 3, 2023

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.

Creed III is the third installment in the successful franchise and is Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut.

Directed by: Michael B. Jordan

Screenplay by: Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin

Story by: Ryan Coogler and Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin

Produced by: Irwin Winkler, p.g.a., Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, p.g.a., Michael B. Jordan, p.g.a., Elizabeth Raposo, p.g.a., Jonathan Glickman, Sylvester Stallone

Executive Producers: Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Nicolas Stern, Adam Rosenberg

Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad

ABOUT DAZN 

 

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League. With the most authentic voice in the sport, DAZN is the only brand that can reach across all markets and audiences cohesively in boxing, unlike any other broadcaster. DAZN is also a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.  

 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.  

 

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.  

 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and find the app on their iPhone, iPad, android and mobile.  

 

About Metro Goldwyn Mayer

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network MGM+, which is available throughout the U.S. via cable, satellite, telco and digital distributors.  In addition, MGM has investments in numerous other television channels, digital platforms and interactive ventures and is producing premium short-form content for distribution. For more information, visit www.mgm.com

CREED III © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. CREED is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.  All Rights Reserved

Material Courtesy of DAZN Used with permission.

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

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

Paul-Fury: What We Learned

The question that this observer asked in the days prior to the scheduled Cruiserweight encounter between unbeaten hopefuls Jake Paul and Tommy Fury was whether the third attempt to get the two to face off in the ring would finally result in an actual fight between the two. While I did little to hide my cynicism in asking that question, it was fair to ask after two previous cancellations and a lot of grandstanding between the two and their respective teams that can be described in a single word. “Nonsense.” After those cancellations and endless verbal exchanges between the two, it finally culminated in two men, each very much trying to prove themselves as boxers meeting in a Boxing ring in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the skepticism and cynicism of yours truly prior to the scheduled bout on February 26th, what resulted when it was time for the two men to do battle turned out to be a pleasant surprise. What was surprising? After all the “Nonsense,” the Boxing world was actually treated to a competitive fight. Although if one is objective they would say that both Paul and Fury were at a similar stage in their respective forays in the sport in neither having faced a prospect going into the bout, the difference in experience was apparent from the opening bell in that Tommy Fury’s background in Boxing as a primary discipline showed itself almost immediately.

One thing that stood out that Fury was able to do that previous opponents Jake Paul had faced, who predominantly came from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), was he used his jab as a primary weapon. Fury’s jab accomplished two things. The first was obviously being able to hit Paul with it as well as being able to use it to both control distance and set up other offensive opportunities and combinations. Secondly, Fury’s use of the jab allowed him to both set the tempo of the combat as well as to be first with his punches. The combination of these aspects did not allow Paul to get into a rhythm and also exposed inexperience in terms of knowing how to deal with a crafty boxer.

Although Paul had established punching power in his previous fights, particularly with his right hand, he appeared dependent on landing it in this fight, appeared to telegraph his punches, and did not appear to know how to set up his offense from a technical as well as tactical standpoint. An additional aspect that was missing from Paul’s approach that can be attributed to inexperience is he also did not seem to know how to try and cut the ring off from Fury, which may have limited Fury’s ability to move. Despite the bout being fought in an eighteen foot ring, smaller than a traditional 20x20 ring, which seemed to favor Paul as the power puncher, Fury did not seem bothered by the smaller ring and continued to get his punches off first. What also added to the difficulty for Paul from a defensive standpoint is he did not move his head as Fury threw his jabs and eventual combinations. This resulted in Paul being hit much more frequently than had been the case in his previous fights.

To Paul’s credit however, he took the punches Fury dished out and kept coming forward, which if one is objective you should respect it as he proved he can take a punch and that is something that all boxers regardless of how they enter the sport eventually have to prove. Despite his inexperience, Paul did hang in there and did manage to land power punches as the fight progressed even though he could not take control of the tempo of the combat. As Tommy Fury also had questions regarding his ability to take a punch, he was also able to show an ability to take punches when Paul was able to connect.

Although I felt that Fury was ahead as the fight progressed due largely to his ability to out box Paul, both fighters would be penalized a point for rough housing while in clinches and Paul was able to connect with a short jab at the beginning of the eighth and final round, which knocked Fury to the canvas. While this was the definition of what is often referred to in the sport as a  “Flash Knockdown” in that Fury was caught off balance and subsequently went down, despite not appearing to be hurt, his gloves nevertheless did touch the canvas and it was thus a clean knockdown.

The two point deductions, plus the knockdown against Fury in the final round did complicate things slightly in terms of the scoring of the fight at the conclusion of the eight round bout. Unofficially, I arrived at a score of 76-73 in favor of Fury having scored the eighth round 10-9 in favor of Paul. While rounds in which a knockdown is scored is usually scored 10-8 in favor of the fighter that scored the knockdown, there are instances where a round can be scored 10-9. This was such an instance where the knockdown of Fury occurred in the early seconds of the final round and he was able to get up and arguably win the remainder of the round, thus resulting in a 10-9 score from yours truly, but it is subjective and often boils down to a judge’s discretion. Coincidentally, my final score of 76-73 in favor of Fury ended up being the same as two of the three official judges, which resulted in Fury winning a split decision.

Although I am curious to know how the three judges scored that eighth round, which due to each fighter previously being penalized a point, turned out to be crucial in terms of the scoring of this fight, I felt Fury simply did too much over the course of the fight to not get the decision. Paul did seem to land the harder punches when he was able to land on Fury, and this in addition to the knockdown he was able to score is what likely resulted in one official judges giving him the nod by a single point 75-74. From my perspective, Paul was not able to do enough over the course of the fight and that is ultimately what led to how I saw the fight in terms of scoring.

As for what will come from this fight, Tommy Fury will supposedly earn a ranking in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Cruiserweight ratings. Where exactly Fury will be placed is not known, but there is also a possibility of a rematch between he and Paul as Paul does have a rematch clause. For Jake Paul, if he were to exercise that clause, he will need to go back and not only study this fight thoroughly, but he will also need to make adjustments particularly with regard to learning head movement and defense if he wants to be successful in a potential rematch.

Ultimately, what we learned from this fight is that both Jake Paul and Tommy Fury were indeed serious and it turned out to be a better fight than many had expected. What should also be learned here is if one truly wants to be a boxer, they will need experience against those who have backgrounds in the sport if they want to succeed and there is only so far one will go by choosing to face those who do not have backgrounds in Boxing. While what is now referred to as “Crossover Boxing,” or “Influencer Boxing” where those who come into the sport from other realms will face fellow celebrities and or other combat sports veterans with either limited or no Boxing experience will likely continue as long as it appeals to the casual fan, at the end of the day, the standard of the sport of Boxing needs to be respected as well as the obvious dangers the sport also poses to one’s health. It is not something that can be treated with kid gloves.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

Thunderdome Boxing Series Returns on March 3 in Perth, Australia

 

Press Release: February 23, 2023 – By Dragon Fire Boxing–  March 3 will mark the date of the return of an Australian institution, The Thunderdome boxing series based out of Metro City in Perth, Western Australia.

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

 

The name comes out of the Mad Max Thunderdome movie, as its the most unique venue in all of Australia boxing, their are 4 levels in an ampi theatre style modern day coliseum, all looking down at the ring. The ring itself is situated on a stage as the facility operates as a concert venue.

 

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

 

Dragon Fire Boxing promoter Tony Tolj discussed the upcoming card;

 

"I’m excited about this March 3rd card and our first for 2023. Alex Winwood is a tremendous talent and is ready to make a statement in his second fight taking on former World Champion and World rated Tibo Monabesa of Indonesia for the WBC International Light Flyweight Championship over 10 rounds.

 

We also have 2 great state titles with the Heavyweight State title putting Lewis Clarke and Alick Williams as well as the Womens Welterweight Champion with Sophia Davies- Morgan taking onJaki Toth. We will also see Steve Gago a former IBF & WBC Regional Champion, exciting prospects "The African Dream" Kazeem Soyoye & Ben Innes plus many more

 

One thing which has separated Thunderdome from everywhere else is the competition, its always as best of 50/50 fights as you can get and March 3 will be no different, 2 men enter 1 man leaves, This is the Thunderdome!.

 

Tickets available at megatix.com.au and the event will be live on FITE.TV

 

 

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

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

Paul-Fury: Will The Third Time Result In A Fight?

Originally, this observer intended to focus a column discussing what was to be two pay-per-view attractions back to back that was supposed to close out the month of February. As some know, the Adrien Broner-Mike Williams Jr. fight, which was to headline a BLK Prime pay-per-view card on February 25th, was cancelled last week when it was revealed that Williams had suffered a broken jaw while sparring in preparation for the bout. This cancellation not only put a halt at least in part to what was planned in the sport of Boxing for the final weekend of February 2023, but for yours truly, halted what I intended to cover at least in part. As for the other half/part of the equation, I will be honest with the reader, I had second thoughts as to whether I wanted to write a prelude for, simply because I have doubts as to whether or not the fight will actually take place. This observer is referring to the twice announced and twice cancelled pay-per-view meeting between YouTube star turned undefeated Cruiserweight Jake Paul and unbeaten Cruiserweight Tommy Fury, the brother of current WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

The on again, off again saga between the two is back on for a third attempt. This time on Sunday, February 26th in Saudi Arabia. Unlike the previous two attempts, which were to be broadcast on Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States, this will be broadcast on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, if in fact it does take place. It should not be hard for any objective observer/reader to understand why a proud Boxing lifer as yours truly is, would openly be questioning whether or not a fight that has now been scheduled and announced for a third time will finally get in the ring. While I admit a bit of cynicism on my part, there is justification for such questioning.

For one, Tommy Fury was forced out of this potential fight twice, once because of injury and illness, and then his being unable to travel to the United States when the bout was rescheduled, which begs to question why the second attempt at rescheduling the bout was even announced when all parties knew of the unlikelihood of Fury being unable to travel to the U.S. due to what he said were Visa issues. While this is likely a reason why this bout is now at least scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia, it has done little to quell my doubts as to whether or not this fight will finally be in the ring as opposed to the long-onging war of words between Paul and Fury.

Although such grandstanding, for better or worse, does generate buzz and draw interest, some might be justified to say that it’s been more hype than it has been about an actual fight between two Cruiserweight hopefuls. The term “Hopeful” should be used here because after all, we are talking about two fighters, who even though they are unbeaten are not at a stage where they could objectively be considered “Prospects,” let alone “Contenders.” 

Despite his bloodline, Tommy Fury has only fought eight professional fights, but only one of those opponents had a winning record. Paul meanwhile, has built his unbeaten record of six wins in as many fights by fighting a fellow YouTube star in his pro debut, a former NBA player in his second fight, followed by four fights against former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world champions, all of whom Boxing was not their primary discipline. In fairness to Paul, his last opponent future MMA Hall of Famer Anderson Silva, did have some professional Boxing experience as well, despite being many years removed from his athletic prime at the time Paul fought him in October of last year. Nevertheless, the fact remains that if this fight with Fury does indeed take place, it will be the first fight for Paul against someone with a primary background in Boxing and one might take it a step further by arguing that it would be his first true fight as a boxer rather than a curiosity based on that.

Only adding to the “Hype” surrounding this fight if it does indeed take place, is the World Boxing Council (WBC) proclaiming that the winner of the fight will receive a ranking in it’s Cruiserweight ratings. While clearly an attempt by the WBC to generate publicity and to possibly take advantage of Jake Paul’s fan base, which are not compromised of knowledgeable Boxing fans and for whom, the sport is either newly exposed to them or of only a casual interest, the fact that one of Boxing’s oldest and regarded both positively and negatively depending on one’s perspective, sanctioning organizations would make such a declaration based on the resumes of both Paul and Fury up to this point, is frankly a joke and disrespectful to other fighters not just in the Cruiserweight division, but in the entire sport because it sets a precedent that will only lead to more criticism and ridicule not just for the WBC, but Boxing overall.

As the reader can probably tell by now, I have done little to hide both my doubts as well as my cynicism regarding this scheduled event. As such, this is not the standard pre-fight column that many have come to expect from this observer. One can only hope however, that if the scheduled event does actually turn into a fight in the ring, it will not be a fiasco and we will finally see whether Jake Paul and Tommy Fury for that matter are truly intent on being legitimate boxers. Although ridicule will likely follow, in particular in regards to the WBC, it would be nice to see some standard of the sport respected.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Paul vs. Fury takes place on Sunday, February 26th in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The fight can be seen in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View for $49.99 beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For a list of compatible devices and to order please visit: www.ESPNPLUS.com. *Check your local listings internationally.*

*Card and Start Time Subject to Change.*

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

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