DAZN SPONSORS HARINGEY BOX CUP 2023

Press Release: By DAZN - 

 

“WHERE CHAMPIONS ARE BORN”:

DAZN SPONSORS HARINGEY BOX CUP 2023

 

Dazn sponsors Europe’s leading amateur boxing tournament

Competition takes place at Alexandra Palace, London, 16-18 June 2023 and tickets can be purchased for £18 per day or £40 for a weekend pass

Famous for identifying future stars, previous winners include Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Nicola Adams, Chris Eubank Jr, Cheavon Clarke and Anthony Yarde

 

LONDON, 6 June 2022 – Dazn Group, the world’s leading sports streaming platform, is sponsoring the Haringey Box Cup, which will take place in London at Alexandra Palace on 16-18 June 2023.

 

Credit: DAZN 

The Haringey Box Cup is the biggest amateur boxing tournament in Europe. Started in 2008 by the Haringey Police & Community Amateur Boxing Club, a youth development project in London, it has become an annual event that attracts elite amateur boxers from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

 

In 2022, it received 5000 spectators over the course of the event. This year, Dazn will be filming all three days of the competition, collating highlights for a DAZN Boxing Show special that will be streamed around the world to maximise the event and the fighters’ exposure.

 

Since its inception 15 years ago, the Haringey Box Cup has become famous for identifying future boxing champions. Previous winners include Anthony Joshua, Katie Taylor, Nicola Adams, Chris Eubank Jr, Cheavon Clarke and Anthony Yarde; four went on to win Olympic Gold medals.

 

Anthony Joshua, two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, said of the event: “The Haringey Box Cup is the must-do event for aspiring professionals as an amateur I was lucky enough to win it twice”.

 

The 2023 Haringey Box Cup takes place at Alexandra Palace, London from June 16-18 and will comprise over bouts of top-class boxing with four champions looking to be crowned. The competition categories are: best male, best female, best youth male, best youth female.

 

Joseph Markowski, DAZN US CEO, said: “DAZN believes in the power of boxing and that community boxing gyms play a vital role in society. We have always looked upon the Box Cup as a celebration of the amazing work that these community gyms do and are pleased to sponsor such an important event in the sport. We wish all the participants the best of luck”.

 

 

Event Details

 

Spectators are welcome and tickets can be purchase here: https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/haringey-box-cup-9/

 

Timings:

 

DATE

DOORS

OPEN

START

TIME

END

TIME

16 JUN 2023

15:00

16:00

23:00

17 JUN 2023

11:00

12:00

22:00

18 JUN 2023

11:00

12:00

20:00

 

Location:

Alexandra Palace

Alexandra Palace Way

London

N22 7AY

 

Tube: Wood Green

Railway: Alexandra Palace Rail

Bus: W3 or Shuttle Bus

 

About Dazn Group

 

Dazn is a leading sports streaming service in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, the US and UK.  Its wide range of 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 only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match outside North America. 

 

Dazn is building the ultimate sports entertainment business where fans from across the globe can watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app. 

 

For more information on Dazn, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.  

 

Material Courtesy 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. 

Audley Harrison Interview Part 2

Press Release: June 6, 2023  

By Liam Solomon/Bettingsites.co.uk -  Liam Solomon recently sat down for an interview with former Olympic Gold medalist and former world title challenger Audley Harrison.  In part two of the interview Harrison continues to share his thoughts on the Heavyweight division and how he feels in his prime he would go through any Heavyweight today as well as thoughts on his own career.

AH: “Even though you saw me coming back it was never the same, but a prime Audley Harrison, I would have gone through anybody. It would have gone through anybody because I was there. I was licking my lips at the opportunity of fighting Wladimir Klitschko. That was my goal because I looked at his style. He lost to Corrie Sanders early on in the fight and he was a southpaw, a South African southpaw. I was like, oh my God, he's going to be so perfect for me in 2006 - it was all geared for me. But my thing was I wanted to do it on my own. A-Force promotions under my banner. And that's why it capitulated. But the stuff that I was doing, looking at me now, this is why I get very frustrated looking at the fights now, because of my tutelage training. I had Thell Torrence with me. Thell Torrence and Eddie Futch were together 40 years, and their tutelage was another 100 years. So it's like the history of boxing, the science of boxing, especially heavyweights. And from Thell Torrence I went to Buddy McGirt.”

Wilder would beat Joshua 

AH: “Deontay Wilder has got a dangerous right hand, he’s very explosive and mentally, even though he’s lost to Fury, he seems like he’s got a rejuvenation fire. We’re not seeing that in Joshua in terms of his spirit, and sometimes that’s what you need in a fight. That confidence that he had, that swagger that he had, in terms of momentum right now, you’d have to go with Wilder. Deontay is trying to find himself. Malik Scott is in a good place with Deontay and they clearly have something good they’re building on.

“Joshua tried Robert Garcia, now he’s changed trainers again, obviously with a great trainer (Derrick James), but it will take time to gel and for the trainer to implement the stuff that he’s been working on. I think right now if they fight it would be a very exciting fight, but I’d probably go with Wilder. You can’t count AJ out, he’s always in great shape. Style wise if Joshua is coming forward in this fight and he doesn’t back up as much, but obviously you have a guy throwing big right hands, so it’s a tough assignment for Joshua but it’s definitely one that if he could find that fire, have a great training camp, he’d definitely be in the fight. You can’t rule him out. But right now I’d say Wilder would start as the favourite. He would start as the favourite in that fight.”

Wilder should fight Parker or Whyte, if Joshua doesn’t happen

AH: “The Joshua fight is the fight that we want to see. That’s the one. Outside of that, Joseph Parker just had a good win, names like that. I know he [Wilder] isn’t going to go lower than that. Even Dillian Whyte could be someone to consider because he needs a mark-in-time fight. Even Usyk, try and get the Usyk fight! He’s [Wilder] had his one warm-up fight so he’s ready to go back into the big stages. Obviously it doesn’t really make sense for him to fight Fury again, so really Joshua, Joe Parker, Dillain Whyte - that kind of level. There are some up and coming guys in America but that doesn’t really make sense for Wilder. He needs a big name to come back to. I would say a Parker or Whyte fight would make sense for him.”

Biggest regret not winning a major world title / I could’ve beaten Wladimir Klitschko

AH: “Ultimately, I would have loved to have won a world title, a legitimate version of a world title. I won the WBF, a legitimate version of a world title, under my own auspices, A-Force. It's a regret that I didn't get that done. But when I look back on my career, I know in the end I did it my way. I fought the system, which I always wanted to do, and the system didn't let me go through the way I wanted to go through, and it was okay. So I kind of got rejected, being my own promoter coming up, like, doing it on my own. And that kind of hurts me when I think about it. But it's for the right reasons. Unfortunately, I left the country as a result. I live in America now. 2004, when I lost that BBC deal, I left the country. I couldn't be here. Mentally I couldn't deal with it. But all good. When I look back now, all good. I feel like I could have dominated, I could have beaten Wladimir Klitschko, but not to be.”

Chris Eubank Sr helped me get back to ‘Prime Harrison’

AH: "When I lost to Danny Williams in my first fight, Chris Eubank Sr came and found me. I was in a fancy hotel in the West End. He came and found me, got my number. I didn't even know Chris Eubank Sr personally, but he got my number. He said, ‘oh, they want to talk to you because the Danny Williams loss was so bad’. That fight was so bad for me. He just wanted to come and fight me, beat me and just find out, ‘Audley, what the hell happened there?’ And he was like ‘I know you like you’re living in silk pyjamas now so it's hard for you to be motivated, so you earn money and you're living a good life, but where is that guy? He talked about his warrior code and it was just a great conversation. I'll never forget that talk. He came out of his own way and reached out to me and gave me some tips. And I took that into my rematch with Danny Williams. I went to Big Bear and you saw what happened in the rematch, almost destroyed him. I primed that version, so you talk about a prime Audley, Danny Williams 2, that night, I would have beaten anybody. Didn't matter who I was facing that night. That night, you saw the best of Audley Harrison, and I would have destroyed anybody on that night."

Frank Warren destroyed my career

AH: “But that fight there, I signed the contract because now I'm tied to Frank Warren and he has me for my whole career. And it's kind of bittersweet because now I've just won that fight and I have just given up control, signed to the man that I didn't want to sign with. So now it was a climax and an anticlimax. He's tough on me mentally, but that's the way it went. I was never able to reach those heights again and kind of just went into no man's land. Got injured, had a bad car crash in 2007. I kind of was just off in the wilderness till I bumped into Eddie [Hearn] in Vegas at a poker tournament. Yeah. And Eddie said, ‘hey, Audley, what are you doing? Come back!’. Then we did the Prize Fighter.”

Fury needs to be professional & fight Parker if he has to

AH: “In boxing, it’s always hard to fight people you know, people that you're connected with. It's very hard to get mad about them, but you have to be professional and do the job. But I had it with Julius Francis in my 16th fight. When I came back to England and the BBC wanted to start controlling my opponents. I had a guy who was unbeaten from Europe and they said, ‘no, nobody knows him. We don't want to box him. At least Julius Francis we know.’ I'm like, ‘Julius? He's going to be a stinking fight. He's going to be horrible because I know him, I've partied with him, I boxed him in the amateurs’. Those are the only saving graces. Ok, I can beat him in a rematch and avenge my loss to him from the amateur days. But it's a pointless fight because we know each other and can't get up for the fight. So we boxed him, we've done twelve rounds and it was horrible in terms of a spectacle. Okay, I got twelve rounds out of it, boxing. But it was very hard to get motivated, fired up, for somebody that you've been out with.”

“So I understand what Tyson Fury is saying, but ultimately you still got to go in and do the job. Ultimately, you'll fight your guy, but it's just hard to get motivated for that fight.”

Material Courtesy of Liam Solomon/ Bettingsites.co.uk  Used with permission.

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

Shields Shines In Homecoming

Initially, undefeated Undisputed Women's Middleweight champion Claressa Shields was to defend her title on June 3rd against Hannah Gabriels in a rematch of their bout in 2018, which was won by Shields, but one where Gabriels scored a knockdown of the woman regarded by many as the best pound for pound fighter in Women's Boxing. The planned rematch however, would not come to fruition as Gabriels would test positive for a banned substance resulting in her being removed from the bout on a week's notice. In stepped the number one contender of three of the four sanctioning organizations which comprises Shields' undisputed crown, Maricela Cornejo who took the opportunity to fight the champion in Shields' home state of Michigan meeting her at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

For all intents and purposes, this was a homecoming for Shields, who is from nearby Flint, MI. While a fighter having to adapt to a change of opponent on short notice is not new in combat sports, circumstances such as that as well as competing in essentially your hometown before a sizable crowd of supporters is something that can add pressure on a fighter. This would turn out to not be an issue for Shields. 

Claressa Shields has made a career on her ability to dominate her opponents often by throwing punches in volume and outworking her opposition with compact combination punching. This time however, Shields attempted to show that she has punching power. The champion did this by looking to add more power on her punches, but more specifically, in how she placed her punches. The primary weapon for the champion on this occasion would be her right hand, which she threw from the outset and was able to land frequently throughout the scheduled ten round world championship bout. 

It did not take long for the champion to establish that she was the stronger of the two fighters as she was able to keep Maricela Cornejo on the defensive consistently throughout the fight. Although Shields did not throw much in spurts, otherwise known as volume punching in this fight, she was nevertheless effective in landing her combinations and rarely missing the target with her right hand.  Cornejo was able to periodically catch Shields with left hooks and right hands off her own, but simply could not find a way to break the ebb and flow of the fight, which consisted of Shields coming forward, forcing her backwards, and landing hard, thudding punches, often with the right hand.

As this fight progressed, two thoughts came to this observer's mind. Number one, the heart that Maricela Cornejo showed throughout as she was taking punches that would have ended the night for most fighters, and two, whether either the referee or her corner would end up stopping the fight to prevent her from further punishment. This was particularly what ran through my mind in the seventh round when Shields connected with a flush right hand to the head as Cornejo was against the ropes that snapped her head back in a violent fashion. While no one should take anything away from the mettle and heart Maricela Cornejo showed in this fight as she ended up going the distance, if there was a moment where a fight probably should have been stopped, that would have been the time to do it. 

Ultimately, this fight, much like many others in Shields' career, ended in a wide and convincing ten round unanimous decision to retain her Undisputed Middleweight world championship. As Shields has been an undisputed world champion in three different weight classes, this latest successful defense reinforces the view of some that she has not been put through a significant test as of yet and thus it creates a scenario where she can either stay in the 160lb. Middleweight division or possibly move down to the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division or up to the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division where she's become undisputed world champion in those weight classes before vacating those titles. 

While such a predicament is something that is truly rare in Boxing for both men and women, it is important to note that Women's Boxing is still very much growing and Shields bringing long overdue exposure to the sport is something that she can take credit for as there is little doubt that Women's Boxing has thrived since she won two gold medals in back to back Olympics and subsequently turned professional. Her dominance however, reflects both just how good and skilled she is as a fighter, but also shows, despite the significant progress the sport for women has made in recent years, it is still something that is in it's growing stages.

For now, Claressa Shields maintains her position as the Undisputed Middleweight champion of the world and the pound for pound best in the sport. The question does however, remain as to whether there is a fighter currently out there or perhaps one on the horizon that can give Shields the competitive test she is clearly seeking.

"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 

Audley Harrison: :Fury Would Beat Joshua

Press Release: June 2, 2023  

By Liam Solomon/LegalSportsBooks.com -  Liam Solomon recently sat down for an interview with former Olympic Gold medalist and former world title challenger Audley Harrison. Giving his heavyweight prediction on what would be the fight of the decade, Harrison said;

“Tyson Fury isn’t a big puncher, so he’s someone that would wear you down. Now he’s with SugarHill Steward. Tyson Fury has always been a good boxer, even from the amateurs he’s been a quality boxer. But what they have done now as a pro, going to SugarHill, he’s taught him about going forward. Now he’s using his weight and he’s able to go forward. He’s not a big puncher but over time, with his mental strength as well, you’d have to make him the favourite against Joshua. But you definitely cannot rule Joshua out. He’s going to come in in great shape and he’s got to go forward and put that pressure on.”

Fury is all hype & games - sending contract to Joshua

Reacting to the news that Joshua ‘laughed’ at Fury’s recent contract proposal, Harrison said; 

“I think Tyson Fury is the vehicle, he's the voice, and he's the one making the noise, but ultimately, as a team behind him, you've got Frank Warren behind him, you've got Bob Arum behind him, so he has the team behind him. It isn’t just Tyson Fury going out on his own and they're obviously having the talks. For them to send out a contract, you imagine that they've had a conversation, it's like, ‘hey, let's send out a contract’, but I don't know if it's games or what.

“Typically what will happen is that, ‘want to make this fight?’ You've talked the terms, then a heads of agreement will come out with the terms that you've spoken. But they haven't even spoken. It’s pointless just sending an agreement without having discussed it first because you don't know what the other people are going to agree to or not. The negotiation process, it may be a bit of hype if you just say, ‘oh, I'm just going to send you a contract.’ It's not typically how it works.”

I can get Anthony Joshua’s swagger back

Harrison urges Anthony Joshua to take the retired heavyweights advice; 

“When you keep your ‘0’, it gives you that aura. I know when I was undefeated I had that swagger. Once you lose that ‘0’, you’re going to have to rebuild. That’s where he [Joshua] is right now. He’s in a rebuilding process. The Usyk fights didn’t go his way but I think he’s got one more run in him, he’s just got to get it right. 

“Joshua - sit with me, we'll watch your take together. We’ll just watch your last fight together and then I'll just pick up on some stuff. Then we could talk it through in a gym, maybe work it through, that's not offered to you. And I'm guaranteeing you it'd be a good time for your investment. I know it'd be a great time of mine, but great time on your investment.”

Joe Joyce needs to ditch his coaching team for me!

After Joyce’s shock loss to Zhilei, Harrison gives some hard truths about Joyce’s current coaching team; 

“Another guy {Joyce}, who got it all wrong on the night and Zhang took advantage. When he looks at what went wrong, he can't go back with the same team, no adjustments, because that's the definition of madness. You can't get a different result if you do the same thing. So when they look at what went wrong, they should be doing that with an outside audit. You can't audit yourself. Let me audit you in a good way, not a bad way. It can only help you. It cannot be a negative. Trust me, I know a lot. What I know is too much to go to waste. I'm someone that can teach you, external to your system to the training teams, but they {coaching teams} look at me as a threat. There's fear, there's fear.”

I’ve reached out to Dubois, I can help him beat Usyk

Ahead of Dubois’ megafight with Usyk in August, Harrison believe he has the key to beating the Ukrainian;

“Dubois, Joe Joyce, even Lawrence Okolie losing the other day. All those guys I've reached out to. Talking about Dubois and Usyk. Obviously, Usyk has the big advantage. Dubois is a big puncher, but as we've seen in his last couple of last fights, even though he got the win, technically there's some stuff that he can do. I'd love to sit down with Dubois and give him some stuff. If you get an opportunity like that, you can't turn it down. Usyk is a big favourite and he's [Dubois] got to try and make the most of it and get as much advice as he can.

Material Courtesy of Liam Solomon/ LegalSportsBooks.com  Used with permission.

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

MOLONEY NAMES TARGETS FOR BUMPER AUSSIE TITLE DEFENSE

Press Release: June 2, 2023  By Dragon Fire Boxing and Murray Wenzel/AAP -  A couple of free breakfasts and a family holiday to Yamba.

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

It's been a typically low-key homecoming for Australia's newest boxing world champion Jason Moloney.

But the 32-year-old WBO bantamweight belt holder expects that to change with legendary promoter Bob Arum backing the Australian's dream to defend his title - or win some more - in a blockbuster event on home soil.

"Some congratulations and a couple of free breakfasts at the cafe, but I haven't felt it hugely since getting back home," he told AAP of the fanfare while en route to his mini-vacation.

"I've been on the road for years in America and have been surprised by my profile in Japan.

"But it's only just beginning here and now I've got the belt ... I knew I had to achieve something big first.

"I grew up idolising Danny Green and saw how much the country loved him and that's something I'd love.

"I want to get the whole country excited about when I'm fighting next and filling stadiums."

Moloney (26-2) avoided a suspected fractured hand in his calculated majority points decision victory over Vincent Astrolabio in California last month.

Twin brother Andrew lost his own world title fight a week later in Las Vegas, brutally knocked out in the final seconds of the 12th round of his WBO super-flyweight world title bout by the formidable Junto Nakatani.

Andrew suffered a perforated eardrum but has returned to Australia without lingering injuries and keen to get back in the ring.

Top Rank boss Arum was ringside when Jeff Horn beat Manny Pacquiao at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium in 2017.

While only one of the brothers has returned as world champion, Arum still has designs on a Moloney double-header later this year with Melbourne and Gold Coast the early front-runners.

"Bob's all for it," Jason said.

"We sat down with him and he was the one that brought it up.

"If I'm looking to fight in September or October that'll work with Andrew."

Undisputed bantamweight king Naoya Inoue's move up a weight class has thrown Moloney's division wide open, with the Australian now rated No.1 ahead of Emmanuel Rodriguez by The Ring Magazine.

One round was the difference when the Puerto Rican beat Moloney for the IBF belt in 2018, with Rodriguez set to fight for that belt again in July.

Nonito Donaire is ranked third and has switched management since negotiations to fight Moloney for the WBC belt fell down earlier this year.

"If it was up to me I'd say Emmanuel Rodriguez," Moloney said of his desired next opponent.

"To get revenge and have three belts (WBO, The Ring, IBF) on the line, that's the most exciting fight for me at the minute.

"But we've been after Donaire too. I'll fight anyone in my division."

Shattered for his twin, Moloney is confident he still has at least five years left in his career to realise their shared dream.

"It just shows you what boxing is like at the top," he said.

"One week the highest of highs, the very next week the lowest of lows.

"But I plan on holding the belt for a long time and I'm still confident we can be champions at the same time."

 

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

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

Discipline Over Brawn: Wood Regains World Featherweight Championship

The rematch between Mauricio Lara and Leigh Wood for the WBA Featherweight championship of the world seemed to be a relatively straightforward process. Despite criticism for invoking his rematch clause a little over three months after losing his title via knockout to Lara where his trainer Ben Davison was also criticized for his decision to throw the towel in to prevent him from further punishment, Leigh Wood was strong in his belief that he could improve in a rematch.

After all, in their first encounter in February of this year, Wood was out Boxing Lara convincingly before he got caught by a left hook to the head that led to the stoppage in the seventh round. While that fight could best be described as a sudden ending where a fighter who was in control simply got caught, it was nevertheless questionable of Wood though commendable that he would want a rematch so soon in theory not giving himself time to recover from the knockout from both a physical as well as a psychological standpoint.

As straightforward as the manifestation of this rematch seemed in how quickly it was made, there was a speed bump on the day prior to the fight when the new champion Mauricio Lara weighed in nearly four pounds over the 126lb. Featherweight limit, which for a time cast some doubt as to whether the rematch would take place. When circumstances like this occur in the sport where a world champion comes in overweight for a scheduled title defense, they automatically lose the championship in what is often referred to as "Losing The Title On The Scale." 

Under such a scenario, the fight still proceeds as scheduled, but the world championship is only in the line for the challenger. This also creates the possibility that if the fighter who was champion is able to win the fight, the world championship would then become vacant. While Lara's failure to make weight brought about such a scenario, the possibility that the fight would not take place would prove to be short-lived as the source of the issue was likely Wood's camp wanting some compensation from Lara financially due to the now former champion failing to make weight.

Although there is no confirmation that such a compensation did occur, the rematch did nevertheless take place on May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England with the WBA Featherweight world championship only being on the line for Wood. In previewing this bout, this observer stated that Wood needed to be defensively aware and responsible at all times if he wanted to be successful.

While his lack of head movement was something that stood out in the first fight, the lack of head movement was also an issue for Wood in the rematch. Despite this tactical/defensive flaw, Wood would produce one of the best performances of his career in a fight where he was considered an underdog with some even going as far as to say his career might have been on the line.

Wood did this by using his legs to move laterally to maintain distance between himself and Lara. This in addition to a consistent jab, mixing in combinations, and varying his attack from the head to the body throughout produced a dominant performance from start to finish. A highlight occured in the second round when he knocked Lara down with a short uppercut to the head. Although Wood did not use head movement in this fight, he was still defensively responsible in not only managing distance with use of lateral movement, but also putting his hands up to defend against often wide, looping hooks that Lara threw.

Whether what became a lackluster performance by Lara was due to the apparent struggle he had to make weight prior to this fight, it became clear as this rematch progressed that he only had one strategy, to try and get Wood in an exchange similar to the first fight and try to catch him with a hook that led to him taking the title from Wood in February. Unlike the first encounter however, Wood did not take the bait.

While this was not the prettiest of fights to watch, particularly if you are one that prefers to see a lot of back and forth action, Leigh Wood proved one thing in this rematch. Discipline and consistency will often always prevail over the brawn of a fighter that wants to go toe to toe. It may not be something that is appreciated by some, but a fighter should always have an approach where the objective is to do what they need to do within the rules in order to win. 

Under circumstances like this where a fight may not be the most entertaining to watch, but one where one fighter is clearly dominating the other, this observer often thinks of the words of Alton Merkerson, longtime trainer of Hall of Famer Roy Jones, who often dealt with criticism for being so dominant in his prime that often the only question was whether Jones would stop his opponent or win every round on the scorecards, often doing so by not engaging with his opponents and using his athleticism and overall Boxing skills to dominant his opposition. Merkerson in an interview when asked about the opinion of some that Jones was unwilling to go toe to toe in fights said simply "You Don't Make A Fight Hard, If It's Not Hard." To sum it up differently, you should not put yourself at risk when there is no reason to do so.

Merkerson's quote has become one of my personal favorites to describe an approach such where a fighter can dominate a fight, but do so without having to put themselves in danger. A quote from one of the most underrated trainers in the sport, but one that all trainers should instill in their fighters. Although I obviously cannot say for certain whether Leigh Wood is familiar with that philosophy, he proved it's merit in this fight as he refused to stand and trade punches with a dangerous, but one dimensional Lara and boxed his way to a wide and convincing twelve round unanimous decision to regain his world championship. 

After such a convincing victory in the rematch under circumstances where some did not expect him to win, the question now is what now for Leigh Wood. There are certainly no shortage of options that he might take including a possible third fight with Lara. For now after the seesaw way 2023 has been for him, Wood has earned the opportunity to get a little rest now as a two-time Featherweight champion of the world before deciding his next move. If however, a third fight with Mauricio Lara is in the near future, the onus will be on Lara to not only show he can make whatever weight the fight might take place at, but also that his lackluster performance in the second fight was not a sign of a one dimensional fighter that just happened to be in the right place at the right time to become world champion. Only time will tell if this is chapter two of a rivalry or if both Wood and Lara will now move in different directions going forward.

"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 

WINWOOD VS GUTTIEREZ HEADLINES THUNDERDOME 42 – JUNE 16 PERTH, AUSTRALIA

Press Release: May 29, 2023 By Dragon Fire Boxing - June 16 will mark the date for 42nd edition of the Australian iconic boxing series, known as Thunderdome. Based out of Perth, Western Australia at Metro City the home of Western Australian boxing.

Credit: Tobias Drundridge

Dragon Fire Boxing promoter Tony Tolj discussed the upcoming card;

“I’m very excited about this June 16 card. Alex Winwood IBF #12 WBC #13 (2-0) is a generational talent and has been in camp with WBO World Bantamweight Champion Jason Moloney and former WBA World Champion Andrew Moloney ahead of their respective fights. He has amassed over 120 rounds of World Class sparring with World class talent.

Alex has gone to another level and has his hands full with the WBC World #5 Reyneris Guttierez (9-0) of Nicaragua for the WBC Straw weight Championship. I expect this to steal the show. Winwood destroyed the former IBO World Champion Tibo Monabesa inside 4 brutal rounds, Alex is determined to become World Champion in record fashion and do it in style and I believe its gonna be a great ride for everyone involved.

We have 11 fights in total, 2 State title with Jude Grant taking on Jye Chin for the W.A State Middleweight Championship & Richard Lockett taking on Amit Thapa for the Super Bantamweight Championship, both will be crackers.

“The African Dream” Kazeem Soyoye looks to go 6-1 as he takes on undefeated Indonesian boxer “Big Daddy” Deddy Imprax 5-0

Red hot Aussie prospect Jordan Laruccia will look to go 5-0 as he takes on Indonesian “Captain Jack” Dolo.

Also featured will be the annual Alan Pond Cup with Dan Steel challenging Joshua Macpherson for the Cup.

Also featured is the return of Marcus Surmin who takes on 8 fight veteran Bima Prakosa

There will be several Pro debuts also, Dino “The Boss” Ross, Jack Briggs trained by former World Heavyweight Champion Lucas Browne & Katelyn Stack takes on fellow debutant Tara Enoka

One thing which has separated Thunderdome from everywhere else is the competition, its always as best of 50/50 fights as you can get, its sink or swim and June 16 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 of: Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of: Tobias Drundridge Used with permission.

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

MVP’S ASHTON ‘H2O’ SYLVE DEFEATS ADAM KIPENGA IN FIRST EVER MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS EVENT

Most Valuable Promotions inaugural fight night took place on Friday, May 26 live from Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL streamed live on DAZN

 

Kevin Brown defeated Julian Smith in the co-main event for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title

 

Star-studded evening included special guests Jake Paul, Amanda Serrano, Shadasia Green, Fat Joe, Damian Priest, and Edgar Berlanga

Press Release: May 27, 2023 By DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions  - ORLANDO, FL – May 26, 2023 – In the inaugural installment of MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects, Ashton ‘H2O’ Sylve demonstrated why he is one of the most electrifying young fighters by defeating Adam Kipenga by unanimous decision (80-72 x3). Sylve controlled the fight from start to finish, in his first ever fight to go the distance, delivering a barrage of blows to the Tanzanian Southpaw for the full eight rounds. 

Credit: DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions 

 

The co-main event featured Kevin Brown vs. Julian “Quiet Storm” Smith for the WBA Super Lightweight Continental Americas Title. Kevin Brown won the title by unanimous decision (96-94, 96-94, 98-92). Smith fought hard through all ten rounds in an action packed bout. In a heavyweight battle Lorenzo Medina defeated Angel Napoles by unanimous decision (58-56, 58-56, 58-56), while Bryce Henry took down Jamar Pemberton in the broadcast opener by unanimous decision in a tightly contested match (38-37, 38-37, 38-37).

 

The “Most Valuable Prospects” card is produced by Most Valuable Promotions, with BoxLab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter. The Caribe Royale Resort is the series’ official title sponsor and host for each event, while DAZN aired Most Valuable Prospects across its platforms as a part of its subscription package. MVP’s co-founder Jake Paul and world-renowned undisputed featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano, Shadasia Green, Fat Joe, Edgar Berlanga, Damian Priest and other special guests were all in attendance for the inaugural event. 

 

There are three more installments of Most Valuable Prospects events set for 2023 in Orlando at the Caribe Royale Resort. On August 18th undefeated super lightweight prospect, Nester Bravo will headline Most Valuable Prospects II, while the next events will take place on October 27th and December 15th.

 

For more information, follow on Twitter via @JakePaul, @MostVPromotions, @DAZNBoxing, @BoxLab_AP, and @cariberoyale or on Instagram via @JakePaul, @MostValuablePromotions, @DAZNBoxing, and @cariberoyaleorlando.

 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) 

Dedicated to brand building, content creation, promotion, and strategic advisory, Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Already making a name for itself in the sport of boxing and the overall industry, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The promotion company has co-produced and co-promoted all of Paul’s latest matches including both fights against Tyron Woodley and his most recent fight against Anderson Silva, which included a co-headlining bout with MVP’s youngest signed talent, Ashton Sylve. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head-to-head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

 

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 through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and 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, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

 

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 catalog 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 can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.

 

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.  

 

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visitwww.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando 

 

Material and Photo Courtesy  of: DAZN  and Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

 

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

Has Wood Miscalculated In Invoking Immediate Rematch Against Lara?

In February of this year, one of the rising stars of the 126lb. Featherweight division, Leigh Wood entered the ring to defend his WBA Featherweight world championship against top contender Mauricio Lara in Nottingham, England. By all accounts, it was a fight that was viewed as a next step in the rise of Wood that would theoretically potentially lead to him looking to unify the Featherweight division down the line.

For a significant period of time for the champion, it appeared that he would box his way to a convincing victory over the dangerous Lara as he applied a smooth Boxing approach that not only served to out box the challenger, but more specifically build a lead on the scorecards over the first six rounds of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. As can sometimes be the case in Boxing however, the fight would suddenly turn in the favor of Lara. Equally as sudden would be how the fight would end.

In an exchange of left hooks in the seventh round, Lara's left hook would connect and drop Wood hard on the canvas on his back. Although Wood showed a champion's heart by getting up from the knockdown, his trainer Ben Davison threw the towel in to stop the fight before it could continue making Lara the new WBA champion.

While the decision of Davison to stop the fight was seen as controversial by some, Wood did go down hard and it is understandable that he put the welfare of his fighter over the world title that Wood held. Nevertheless, three months removed from that fight in Wood's hometown, the now former champion per his exercising his immediate rematch clause, prepares to face Lara again on Saturday, May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, which can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

The obvious question that this observer has going into this rematch is, is this rematch coming too soon for Wood? In previous eras in Boxing history, it was not uncommon for fighters at the top level of the sport to fight frequently, in some cases, once per month if not more depending on the situation. Perhaps the issue here is not so much the idea that it is too soon for Wood to get back in the ring, but more specifically, the decision to involve the rematch clause.

Rematch clauses are certainly not a new concept in the sport and are a normal part of negotiation, particularly in regard to world championship bouts. Unfortunately, the answer to the question of whether or not Wood invoking his rematch clause will ultimately be a bad decision cannot be answered without the rematch taking place.

How can Wood avenge his loss at the hands of Lara? It is important to keep in mind that Wood was ahead on the scorecards and for the most part, was having his way throughout most of the fight up to the moment where he got caught. Leigh Wood is certainly not the first fighter to have been in such a scenario and he will not be the last. There were however, subtle things that did lead to Wood being caught and subsequently stopped in the first fight. The most notable that stood out to this observer was the lack of head movement by Wood. 

Although Wood had the advantage in terms of hand speed and put it to use throughout the fight, whenever he let his hands go,  he would not move his head to try and avoid anything that Lara threw back at him. This in addition to leaving his chin up, which Lara was able to take advantage of periodically in landing some shots, particularly with his right hand before the exchange of left hooks that ended the fight occurred. While it is easier said than done, Wood must be aware at all times to be defensively responsible in this fight even if it becomes a scenario where he is having his way and is able to build a lead on the scorecards. Mauricio Lara was able to prove that indeed sometimes all a fighter needs is one punch and if Wood has the same defensive flaws, which can be hard to correct, in this rematch as he did in the first fight, the possibility of the same type of scenario as what ended fight 1 between these two fighters exists.

As for the champion in his first title defense the strategy is simple in theory, but may also be easier said than done. Lara must find a way to cut off the ring and try to limit Wood's ability to use lateral movement. While he did show one punch power the first time around, Lara needs to find a way to combat the hand speed of Wood, but must be consistent and not rely on one punch to get the job done here. It has often been said that the way to negate speed is by timing. The question here is whether the champion can use that timing, but also be busy offensively if the fight goes into the middle and late rounds in case he might be behind on the scorecards in order to win a decision if needed to retain his title.

It is logical to assume that if Wood manages to regain his championship in this rematch that a third fight between the two would not be too far in the future. Whether this is merely chapter 2 of a longer rivalry between Lara and Wood remains to be seen. For a division like the Featherweights that historically is no stranger to such rivalries that turn into trilogies and even beyond, it would not surprise yours truly to see Lara-Wood become the latest in the long list of historic rivalries in the Featherweight division.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Lara vs Wood 2 takes place on Saturday, May 27th at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12:15PM ET/9:15AM PT with Before The Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts. The main portion of the card will follow at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

(*U.S. Times Only*) (*Card and Start times Subject to change.*)

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 

May 20, 2023: Day Of Undisputed Thoughts

 

The Boxing world focused its attention on two undisputed world championship bouts that confidentially took place on May 20, 2023, making it "A Day Of Undisputed" in the sport. Women's Boxing was first to take the spotlight as undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron defended her crown against undefeated Undisputed Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor in Taylor's hometown of Dublin, Ireland. 

Taylor, who was attempting to accomplish something rare in the sport, to become an undisputed world champion in two weight classes simultaneously, had the support of her hometown behind her in this bout against Cameron. Those who thought that Taylor would have an easy time of things in a fight billed as her Homecoming, were left disappointed. In what was a close fight from start to finish, it was Cameron's constant pressure and ability to back Taylor up against the ropes that seemed to be the subtle difference in the fight.

As is usually the case when it comes to Women's Boxing, what made this bout difficult to score in addition to the two minute round length, one minute less than men's bouts, was that Taylor was able to keep it close due to being able to respond to Cameron's offense by throwing short, blistering combinations of punches, despite being pushed backwards by Cameron throughout most of the scheduled ten round world championship fight. This created something else that is all too common in women's bouts. The definition of a nightmare in terms of determining which fighter was able to get the upper hand in rounds that could be scored either way depending on one's perspective based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense, the accepted criteria in which Boxing on every level is scored.

It was indisputable as the fight progressed that Taylor was able to get the upper hand in some rounds simply due to her having the quicker hands when she was able to let her hands go. Despite also being able to evade some of Cameron's offense with effective lateral and head movement, she was not able to break the pattern of the fight, which was being pressured and pushed back against the ropes by a naturally stronger opponent. Cameron's consistency in this area, ultimately resulted in her retaining her Undisputed Jr. Welterweight championship of the world via ten round majority decision. Earning the nod of two of the three official judges. Unofficially, this observer scored the bout also in Cameron's favor six rounds to four or 95-93 in points. In all honesty, I felt the fight could have gone either way and as I often say when it comes to close fights, it will often come down to what a judge prefers based on the aforementioned criteria. Something that is important for the reader to keep in mind because as fate would have it, the subject of how fights are scored and the criteria in which is used to do so would turn out to be just as relevant to the second undisputed world championship bout that took place on May 20th.

This observer is referring to the battle for the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world between undefeated undisputed world champion Devin Haney and former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko, which took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. As expected, this was a tactical chess match from the outset, which similar to the Cameron-Taylor bout earlier that day presented a conundrum in terms of how the fight was scored and again, what a judge prefers based on the accepted criteria in how Boxing is scored.

In this case, it was Lomachenko, the naturally shorter fighter, generally bringing the fight to the younger and naturally bigger Haney. This included attacking in short, explosive spurts, using angles to vary the attack, and being physical on the inside with the champion when he needed to be. Unlike the approach of Chantelle Cameron, which was largely based on applying constant pressure on Katie Taylor, Devin Haney's approach had an emphasis on trying to get to Lomachenko's body, while trying to be elusive and maintain a distance where he could get his punches off first before Lomachenko could return offense.

While it is indisputable that Haney's consistent focus on Lomachenko's body did have an effect as this fight progressed, the conundrum for yours truly was trying to decide for myself as an observer whether or not the body attack would be enough for the champion to win rounds that were otherwise very close. As the twelve round world championship bout progressed, there was one thing that stood out that ultimately would influence how I scored this fight unofficially. It is important to keep in mind that this fight was not only on the highest level of the sport, but was being fought at a high competitive level from start to finish. The consistent thing that stood out however, was Lomachenko was the fighter generally forcing the action and dictating how the fight was fought. 

Although this by no means indicates that the fight was one-sided because it was anything but, at no point throughout this fight was Haney able to get into a rhythm such where he could control the pace without feeling resistance from the challenger. Despite this, I felt that Haney was able to win three of the last four rounds, which resulted in my scoring the fight seven rounds to five or 115-113 in points for Lomachenko. 

Much like my feelings on Cameron-Taylor, I thought one fighter won the fight clearly, but I also felt that it could have gone either way on the scorecards. At the risk of sounding repetitive to the reader, it truly does boil down to what a judge prefers based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. Why did I rewrite the criteria one more time? The answer is simple. Although Boxing is a sport known as “The Sweet Science,” the practice of scoring fights on every level of the sport ranging from amateur, to professional, to professional Bareknuckle, is far from a perfect science and is often very much open to interpretation. This is why you will often hear this observer talk about the idea of “Swing Rounds,” which can be defined as close rounds where the winner of those rounds is often determined based on moments in a round that can sway opinion as opposed to one fighter being able to control the action over the other for the direction of a round. 

In this case, there were indeed several rounds that could have been scored either way, but from my perspective, it was Lomachenko who carried the majority of the action, which is ultimately what I based my scoring on. The three official judges however, did not see this fight the way yours truly did in scoring the fight unanimously for the champion via margins of seven rounds to five on two scorecards, (115-113) and eight rounds to four (116-112) resulting in Haney retaining his undisputed championship. 

While I did not and do not agree with the decision having taken a couple of days to digest things and gather my thoughts, I will say that after a lifetime watching Boxing and almost three decades covering the sport and other combat sports, I could probably write a series of columns or perhaps even a book that would cover the series of decisions that I have seen on every imaginable level of the sport that I personally did not agree with and I felt/feel were worse decisions than this one turned out to be, which is too long of a list to cover in the context of one column. As I deliberately took a few days before releasing this column, it does nevertheless interest me to see, hear, and read the opinions of others who saw the same fight I did. After all, opinions will differ and the reasons behind those opinions will vary depending on who you ask. The consensus in the case of Haney-Lomachenko seems to be that this was a controversial decision. For those who feel that way, I do feel that the label “Controversial” is justified and I do agree with that.

Now, I will not spend too much time talking about how after virtually every fight there are accusations of corruption, calls for investigation, and even those who will call a fight fixed. While most of the time, such calls in my experience come from disgruntled fans who either because of a lack of understanding of how fights are scored, or simply because of bias in that the fighter they root for and support ended up on the wrong side of a bad decision or a controversial stoppage, I will not go down that road here simply because as I point out to those folks, in order to make an accusation as someone in media who covers the sport, you need indisputable evidence before saying anything as unlike a fan, if you cover the sport, your reputation is on the line, but what I will say is I think the three judges in this instance appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commision (NSAC) got this one wrong. It is important however, to keep in mind that judges who are tasked with scoring high-profile world championship fights as the two undisputed championship bouts discussed in this column are the best of the best in the field, have decades of experience on every level of the sport, and are often asked to fly around the world to score world championship bouts based on their respective resumes and reputations. 

Despite those facts and the experience therein, a judge will not get it right 100% of the time and regardless of how a fan might feel, a judge will often see things differently from their position at ringside than what a fan will see either sitting in the crowd or watching on some form of television, whether it be via traditional mediums or streaming. While fans have also called out yours truly from time to time for how I have scored bouts unofficially even though I also have experience, it is just something that comes with the territory and unfortunately, one cannot please everyone.

While I will not join those calling for an investigation into this fight because I am smart enough to know that this was not the first controversial decision I have seen and it definitely will not be the last, what I will say is if fans are truly that passionate and want to see something done, the best way to do it is to not only voice your opinion, not only threaten not to support the sport going forward, but to realize that the only way to get your point across is not only to stick to your word, but also reach out to your respective governors, who in the case of the United States appoint the respective state athletic commissions, and maybe go as far as your state representatives if you truly feel that an injustice has taken place and want to see something done that would benefit the sport. I would caution however, that a process such as that will take time and progress more often than not is slow.

Ultimately, I would like to see rematches of both Cameron-Taylor and Haney-Lomachenko. In all honesty with the reader, I can sit all day and talk about changes that I would like to see in the sport including the need for regulatory overhaul on a global level, as well as judging, many of which I have written about frequently over the years, but I am realistic enough to know that it is far more likely that a rematch of a close or controversial fight will happen sooner than any regulatory intervention, especially if the public demands it. In this case, the Boxing world was treated to two highly competitive fights on the highest level the sport has to offer, each with an undisputed world championship on the line. Close or not, controversial or not, the best way to answer any questions or skeptics is to do it again, and to be frank, the sport as well as all four fighters deserve it. 

“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 

May 20, 2023: A Day Of Undisputed In Boxing

The sport of Boxing in recent years has made significant progress on both the male and female ends of the sport where there has been a consistent effort to unify world titles in various weight classes with the goal of determining a single undisputed world champion per weight class. While it is a goal that this observer has said in the past is something for a variety of reasons is difficult to accomplish, a sign of that progress that has been made will be on full display on Saturday May 20th where two important undisputed world championship fights will take place in both Women's Boxing as well as Men's Boxing, which could have a significant impact on the sport moving forward.

The first fight scheduled for May 20 for an undisputed world championship was to have been a highly anticipated rematch of 2022's Fight of the Year for the Women's Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world between undefeated world champion Katie Taylor and current Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano. When Serrano withdrew from the rematch due to an injury earlier this year, Taylor, wanting to keep the scheduled date in her home country of Ireland, opted to take a risk by moving up five pounds from the 135lb. Lightweight division to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division to challenge undefeated Undisputed Jr. Welterweight world champion Chantelle Cameron in an attempt to accomplish a rarity in Boxing, to become a two-division undisputed world champion.

The fight, which will take place at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland  and will be broadcast globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, brings together something else that is rare. Two unbeaten fighters, each an undisputed champion in their respective weight classes choosing to face each other. Something that for a variety of reasons we do not see in the sport. While Taylor will come in with more experience having a record of 23-0, with 6 Knockouts, this is essentially an even fight as Cameron, who will enter with a record of 17-0, 8 Knockouts, much like Taylor is a compact boxer/puncher that throws in volume and looks to pile up points on scorecards.

Although this observer stands by his assessment that this bout at least in comparison of styles is even and could be a toss up, Taylor does have more experience and will likely be looking to use that to her advantage in this fight in front of what is likely to be a significant hometown crowd. The question however, might come down to how Taylor looks at the heavier weight, whether her hands are as quick and reaction time is there at the heavier weight as it has been at Lightweight. It is important to keep in mind that rounds in Women's Boxing are two minutes in duration, which could prove to be a very difficult task for the three judges scoring a fight when you are trying to decide who is getting the upper hand in a fight between two fighters with similar styles, which means this fight could end up in a close decision if it does go the distance.

In a strange way, the cancellation of the rematch with Serrano for Taylor has led to an unofficial four fighter box off as in addition to Taylor's challenge of Cameron, it was recently announced that Serrano will defend her Featherweight world championship in a rematch with former world champion Heather Hardy in August on the undercard of the Jake Paul-Nate Diaz bout in Dallas, TX. While there is nothing official at least as of this writing, if the circumstances end up where the winners of these two fights do end up facing each other later in the year or in 2024, it will obviously keep interest high and Women's Boxing will continue to benefit from that increased interest as the sport for women continues to grow overall.

The second undisputed world championship fight on May 20 will see undefeated Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Devin Haney defend his crown for the second time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV against former three-division world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. A fight that can be seen here in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View, is not only one of the most anticipated fights of 2023, but may be viewed as a superstar in the making in Haney facing one of the , most dominant fighters of the last decade in Lomachenko, who has acknowledged that this could be his last chance to win am undisputed world championship.

Many will recall that Lomachenko previously came up short in his unification bout against then undefeated IBF world champion Teofimo Lopez in the fight that fully unified the Lightweight division in October 2020. Although that is the only loss Lomachenko has had since his second pro bout nearly a decade ago in 2014, the Undisputed Lightweight championship has changed hands twice since that fight, first from Lopez to George Kambosos and then from Kambosos to Haney, who is coming off of his second consecutive twelve round unanimous decision victory over Kambosos.

While Haney has for the moment put a stop to the hot potato passing of the Undisputed Lightweight championship of the world, he has also acknowledged that his time in the 135lb. Lightweight division may be near an end as he is likely to move up to the Jr. Welterweight division sooner than later. What this creates is a scenario where if Haney does retain the title in this fight and decides to move up, the undisputed championship in the Lightweight division will be broken up as all the world championships that make up the undisputed crown would obviously be vacated.

How likely is Haney to retain his crown against Lomachenko is a question that can be quite complicated depending on one's perspective. At his best, Vasyl Lomachenko is a fighter with impeccable foot work, hand speed, deceptive punching power, and has the ability to use angles, which with the lone exception of the fight with Teofimo Lopez, has proven to be a difficult puzzle for opponents to solve. The possibility of Lomachenko simply having a bad night against Lopez, who outworked him over twelve rounds is certainly possible.

Much like Lopez however, Devin Haney is a younger fighter than Lomachenko and some might argue is a more complete fighter than Lopez, who is primarily known for his punching power. The key to this fight in my eyes will be whether or not Lomachenko will be able to establish the tempo of the fight early. This may prove to be more difficult than against previous opponents because of Devin Haney's hand speed, so it will be crucial that Lomachenko use his legs and look to set angles. 

To date, the only fighter who has really been able to hurt the champion was former world champion Jorge Linares, who badly staggered Haney in the later rounds of their fight in May 2021. Perhaps a method of attack for Lomachenko might be to use his footwork to bait Haney into making a mistake by missing with his punches and looking to catch him in the midst of those punches as they are being thrown. A method otherwise known as catching an opponent between punches, which is very difficult to defend against simply because the opponent is in the midst of throwing and thus is theoretically not thinking about defense in the process. This in turn makes a tactic like that a vital asset for counter punchers who have the timing, lateral movement, and accuracy to be able to pull it off. Lomachenko must be consistent in this fight from start to finish if he wants to have success here. Despite his only having two losses as a professional and three overall as a fighter going back to his illustrious amateur career where he had three hundred ninety-five wins against a single loss, this is one of the rare occasions that Lomachenko is being viewed by some as an underdog.

While that might give an impression that Haney could dominate this bout, the champion must not approach this with a complacent mindset and should view Lomachenko as the dangerous tactician he has proven to be throughout his career. If for whatever reason Haney might be looking beyond this fight, perhaps with an eye towards moving up in weight, it could backfire on him if Lomachenko is prepared.

No matter who emerges victorious in these two undisputed world championship fights there are at least a few things that most Boxing fans and experts alike can probably universally agree on. The goal to determine an undisputed world champion in each individual weight class for both the men's and women's sides of the sport remains at best a work in progress, but it is a goal that at least with each passing day seems more reachable, especially when the fighters themselves are starting to express their desire to achieve that goal, which in theory should put the pressure needed for those on the business side of Boxing to make the goal of being undisputed more attainable, which will ultimately benefit the sport. What can also be agreed on is these two particular fights are two of the best on the 2023 schedule to date.

After some recent mishaps and controversies in the sport particularly with some fights that were treated as major events, perhaps what can also be in universal agreement is Boxing is due for a day where it is the topic of discussion for all the right reasons. Hopefully, May 20, 2023, a day of Undisputed in the sport will be that day.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Cameron vs. Taylor takes place on Saturday, May 20th at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT with Before The Bell featuring preliminary bouts followed by the main card beginning at 2PM ET/11AM 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. 

Haney vs. Lomachenko takes place on Saturday, May 20th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States on ESPN+ Pay-Per-View beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with a portion of free preliminary bouts followed by the pay-per-view card beginning at 10PM ET/7PM PT for $59.99. ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices, and Smart TV's. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, to subscribe, and order Haney vs. Lomachenko please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com/PPV.  (U.S. Times Only) *Check your local start times internationally.*

(* Cards and start times subscribe to change.)

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Zhanibek Alimkhanuly Puts The Middleweight Division On Notice

The story going into the WBO Middleweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly and WBO number four Middleweight contender Steven Butler on May 13th in Stockton,CA was not so much about the fight itself, nor was it about the world championship that was on the line, it was more about whether either fighter would be able to make a statement.

A statement for a fighter in a division that by all accounts appears to be heading towards a period of transition as potentially being the division's next focal point or star attraction. While there was little more about this fight beyond an undefeated world champion in the early stages of his reign defending his title against a top contender, the search for the next star of the Middleweight division as longtime division cornerstone and future Hall of Famer Gennady Golovkin appears to be heading toward retirement, is something that will likely hang over any fight involving fighters at or near the top of the division for a period of time, at least until a fighter can emerge as having made a strong enough of an argument as being that star. 

While this observer did not necessarily expect that fighter to emerge from this fight, it is nevertheless interesting to see fighters vying for that position in the aftermath of an era that was largely dominated by one fighter. What would happen when Alimkhanuly and Butler met at the Stockton Arena can be described as both devastating and too quick.  After an uneventful round one where both fighters seemed to be feeling each other out, Alimkhanuly connected in round two with a short left uppercut followed by a left hook to the head that staggered Butler. The subsequent barrage of punches by the champion put the challenger on the canvas.

Although Butler was able to get to his feet, he appeared in no condition to continue. Despite this, Referee Jack Reiss gave Butler every opportunity he could to continue. It would be mere seconds before Alimkhanuly scored two additional knockdowns on a very "Game," but compromised Butler, which would force a stoppage in the second round. 

To put it simply, there is not much one could write or analyze about a fight that ended so suddenly. While Zhanibek Alimkhanuly's knockout of Steven Butler was sudden and brutal in how the champion executed it in a manner not unlike that of Gennady Golovkin in his prime, it is too early to anoint Alimkhanuly as the division's next star. With Golovkin seemingly on the way out and current WBC world champion Jermall Charlo having been inactive for more than two years, Alimkhanuly has at least succeded in showing that he is an active champion and while this performance does not anoint him as the next star in the Middleweight division, it should certainly put the rest of the division on notice. 

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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