Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Prograis Retains Title, But Was Zorrilla Victimized By Scoring?

With the landscape of the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division in the process of transition as well as recently crowned WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Teofimo Lopez inexplicably retiring in the days following his championship winning victory over longtime champion Josh Taylor, subsequently relinquishing the title, the storyline for Regis Prograis' defense of the WBC world championship on June 17th at the Smoothie King Center in his native New Orleans, LA against  Danielito Zorrilla represented not only a homecoming for the two-time world champion, but in light of the recent events in the division, a chance for Prograis to make a case for himself as being the top Jr. Welterweight in the world.  If the opening of this column seems like a long-winded run-on, it is, but in fairness, it may be the best way to describe the current state of the Jr. Welterweight division that frankly has seemed like a ride on a rollercoaster in recent weeks.


The tongue and cheek attempt at humor of this observer aside, the recent events, did nevertheless make a title defense for Prograis, the first defense of his second reign as a world champion, more interesting. One could surmise that if Teofimo Lopez had not retired, something which will probably be debated as to whether it is legitimate, the storyline of this defense for Prograis might have been whether he could be headed towards a unification bout with Lopez, and as a result, this fight likely would have been viewed at least by some as an afterthought. Although this appeared to be an ideal scenario for a homecoming title defense for Programs, the actual fight itself turned out to be both competitive and anything but an ideal scenario or afterthought.


Zorrilla was able to establish himself earlier in appearing to drop the champion with a right hand in the first round where Prograis grabbed on to Zorrilla as he was falling in an attempt to hold on. Despite the appearance of a clear knockdown, confirmed via video replays, this would be incorrectly ruled a slip by Referee Ray Corona. While some cynics might try to argue that the missed call of a knockdown against Prograis was in some way influenced by where the fight was talking place, I believe Corona, who has officiated over 733 bouts as a referee and nearly 400 as a judge, many of which were world championship bouts in both capacities, simply missed the call. It does happen and it is important to keep in mind that referees and judges, like the rest of us, are all human and are as prone to human error as anyone.


The call of a slip in the first round notwithstanding, Zorrilla was nevertheless able to show that he was there to fight and not to partake in what may have been intended to be a showcase for the champion. In round three however, Prograis would respond by dropping the challenger with a flush overhand left that nearly resulted in Zorrilla flipping backward as he went down to the canvas. This was a hard knockdown that this observer briefly wondered whether Zorrilla would be able to continue upon getting to his feet. To the challenger's credit, he was able to get himself together and the fight went on.


It was from round four on where frankly the pace of the fight while still competitive slowed and neither fighter seemed able to clearly take the initiative or land many punches. This can be attributed to Zorrilla being more tactical than had been the case in some of his previous fights and looking to play the role of a strict counter puncher and Prograis not being able to land consistently. When such a scenario occurs it does not produce the most entertaining of fights from a fan's perspective, but more importantly, creates what more often than not can prove to be a conundrum for judges in terms of scoring because it will often be based on particular moments during a particular round as opposed to which fighter is able to dictate how the fight is fought. Without the benefit of potential knockdowns during rounds that are fought in this way, it can indeed be difficult to determine who is ahead.


An illustration of this from this observer's point of view was that after ten rounds, I had the champion Prograis only slightly ahead on my unofficial scorecard due largely to the official knockdown in round three. If it had not been for that knockdown, my scorecard likely would have been even. It was simply the kind of fight where plenty of punches were thrown between two fighters, but not many landed. 


At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, I felt it could go either way based on what I observed and it was certainly no surprise to hear a split decision rendered. What was surprising however, was to hear the disparity in the scoring. Judge Craig Metcalf turned in the closest score of the three official judges in having Zorrilla up by a single point 114-113. This is what I felt was an accurate scorecard simply based on how close the fight appeared to be. The difference in my unofficial scorecard and that of Metcalf's is I had the same one point difference, but I ended up with Prograis as the victor on my card. Despite Craig Metcalf and I appearing to see a similar fight, though ending up split in the outcome, judges Robert Tapper and Josef Mason turned in significantly wider scorecards of ten rounds to two (118-110) and nine rounds to three (117-110) in favor of Prograis giving him the split decision victory to retain his title. Before diving into a possible explanation of why the two deciding scorecards were wide, I will point out for clarification purposes for readers who might be curious that the scorecard of judge Josef Mason 117-110, is one point wider than a standard nine rounds to three scorecard of 117-111. Mason's score being slightly wider is a direct result of the knockdown against Zorrilla in round three, which was scored 10-8 in points on all three official scorecards.


As for why the scores were wider than what appeared to be the consensus of a close fight that could go either way, only the judges themselves can say what they saw and what they based their scoring on. Although not many punches were landed between the two fighters throughout the twelve round bout, which turned out to be just 84 between Prograis and Zorrilla, setting the record for the fewest punches landed in the historical of CompuBpx, which has tracked punching statistics for thousands of fights on every level of the sport since the 1980's, an educated guess from yours truly would be that Prograis was the fighter generally coming forward and trying to force the action throughout much of the fight. While both fighters obviously did a great job in making each other miss with the vast majority of their offense, Prograis appearing to press the action more than Zorrilla could perhaps be the basis of what judges Tapper and Mason based their scoring on, but this is only an observation on my part based on decades of experience covering the sport and scoring countless fights unofficially as well as one that has a clear understanding of how Boxing on all levels of the sport, amateur, professional, and professional Bareknuckle is scored based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. Though clearly the element of defense proved to be a focal point in this fight, evidently Zorrilla did not do enough in the eyes of Tapper and Mason.


Ultimately, this proved not to be the type of homecoming that Regis Prograis or his supporters were likely looking for, nor was he able to produce the type of performance in this fight that will likely put him as the top fighter in the Jr. Welterweight division. Sometimes however, styles do make fights and a win is a win. Even though I felt that Prograis did just enough to retain his title here, I do feel that Danielito Zorrilla fought well and that it was a closer fight than two official judges saw it. While this does not mean that Zorrilla was in some way victimized by how this fight was scored, nor does it means that a possible corruption took place, though some fans may point in that direction given the circumstances of the fight being held in Prograis' hometown. Perhaps Zorrilla upon getting the chance to watch the fight will be able to see what he may have been able to do more of, which may have turned many of those close rounds his way. If nothing else, Danielito Zorrilla has established himself as a player in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. A division that as we near the end of June 2023 remains one in transition with no clear consensus as to who is the top Jr. Welterweight in the world.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


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


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Friday, June 16, 2023

Winwood Remains On Fast Track Towards Challenging For A World Title

Boxing is truly a unique sport in many aspects. One among them is the fact that every fighter's journey is different and the path that a fighter hopes to follow towards the goal of becoming a world champion will vary depending on the fighter. While most are likely of the point of view that a fighter should spend at least the first couple of years of their professional careers not only accumulating time in active competition in the ring in terms of building a record, but more importantly to use the time to gain valuable experience and develop their skillset. 

Credit: Tony Tolj/Dragon Fire Boxing 



For a select few however, the path to a world championship can come quickly and there are those who are able to reach a world championship fight before reaching their tenth fight as a professional. Some notable names among that select group include Vasyl Lomachenko as the most recent example of a fighter who won a world title before reaching his tenth pro fight and has subsequently gone on to win multiple world championships in several divisions, and the late Leon Spinks, who in just his eighth fight as a professional, shockingly dethroned the legendary Muhammad Ali in 1978 to win the Heavyweight championship of the world, just to name a few. 


The fighters who are able to accomplish what is truly a rarity remains a limited select group and most are probably of the opinion that most fighters that accomplish that goal of becoming a world champion with a limited number of professional fights are either fighters that are simply in the right place at the right time, or in the case of Lomachenko, prove to be a true generational talent that rarely comes along. There is however, a fighter who has quickly emerged that could well be on his way to joining that select list. Enter Alex Winwood.


Winwood, a native of Bunbury Australia, has skyrocketed on the fast track towards potentially adding his name to that list. Competing in Boxing's lowest divisions, Winwood turned pro in November of last year and in just two fighters won the WBC International championship in the 108lb. Light-Flyweight division. Although some may not understand the purpose of titles of a regional nature, the important thing for fighters is more often than not, holding a title like an international title for example, often carries with it a top fifteen ranking in a sanctioning organization's ratings. For his third professional fight, Winwood moved down in weight to the 105lb. Minimumweight division, which is also referred to as the Strawweight division.


Winwood's opponent would be the undefeated WBC international champion Reyneris Gutierrez, who was ranked number five in the world by the WBC in the Strawweight division. While that statistic should be viewed as the significant step up that it was for Winwood, who entered the fight held at Metro City Nightclub in Perth, Australia on June 16th as the main event of Dragon Fire Boxing's Thunderdome 42 card, rated number fifteen by the WBC, it is important to note that his previous international title win at Light-Flyweight came against Tibo Monabesa, a fighter that was competing in his twenty-sixth professional fight compared to Winwood's second. Given that Winwood entered this fight having knocked out both of his previous opponents, the possibility of being intimidated by a fighter in Gutierrez, who entered the fight unbeaten in nine professional fights, was likely not an issue seeing as he had just scored a knockout win over a more experienced Monabesa in his last fight.


This would nevertheless prove to be a test for Winwood. From the opening bell of the scheduled ten round bout the two fighters engaged in combat at a high pace, something that is common for bouts fought in Boxing's lowest divisions. The ebb and flow generally consisted of Gutierrez throwing hooks and trying to catch Winwood as he came forward.


While several of the rounds in this fight appeared close due to both the pace in which it was fought as well as both fighters being able to have their share of moments in many of the same rounds, there was one thing that stood out that as the fight progressed proved to be the difference. Winwood's lateral movement including his head movement throughout was stellar in being able to make Gutierrez miss, land short, compact combinations, and use his legs to evade and over time dictate how the fight was being fought. In just his third fight as a professional, Winwood was also able to show the ability to take a punch when he needed to. Something that can remain a question for fighters who have had more experience in the professional ranks than he has had up to this point. 


It was this strategy that Winwood was able to implement as well as scoring a knockdown in the fourth round by landing a perfectly timed counter left hook to the head that dropped Gutierrez, that ultimately resulted in his being able to score a convincing decision victory to move his record to 3-0, with 2 Knockouts. In addition to responding well to when he was pushed by Gutierrez, this victory also accomplished something that is also rare for a fighter with only three pro fights. He showed the stamina and ability to go ten rounds in a competitive fight, which is something that will likely benefit him as he moves forward from here.

Credit: Tony Tolj/ Dragon Fire Boxing 


Whether or not Alex Winwood does indeed add his name to the select group of fighters to have won a world championship within the first ten bouts of their professional career. After defeating a top five contender and turning in a solid performance in the process, it may be a question of what opportunities are available in either the 105lb. Minimumweight or 108lb. Light-Flyweight divisions that might decide how soon the opportunity to fight for a world championship might come. Off of this performance, the Boxing world should be keeping a keen eye on whatever the next step for Alex Winwood might be.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Photos Courtesy of: Tony Tolj/Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.


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Thursday, June 15, 2023

RISING STAR ALEX WINWOOD SET FOR WORLD NO.5 REYNERIS GUTIERREZ

Press Release: June 15, 2023 By Dragon Fire Boxing and Michael Clfton - Australia's Alex Winwood may be 2-0 but he has a world title shot in his sights. "I've got the blinders on, and I've got tunnel vision going forward"

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 



A 2-0 boxer headlining a major card may raise eyebrows, but it is not unheard of for talented prospects to jump into main event status shortly after turning pro. Now, if the opponent for the 2-0 fighter happens to be the No.5 in their division, expect a lot more eyebrows to be raised upon hearing that news.


 


However, when it comes to Alex "The A Rock" Winwood, who finds himself in the situation described above, defying expectations is starting to become the norm in regards to his boxing career.



On Friday, 16 June, at Thunderdome 42, the former Olympian will headline his second pay-per-view event when he takes on WBC World No.5 Reyneris Gutierrez for the WBC International Strawweight title.


 


The 25-year-old, who turned professional last November, is targeting a meteoric rise up the world rankings. In just his second pro fight, Winwood demolished former IBO World Champion Tibo Monabesa via a fourth-round TKO victory.


 


The win over Monabesa created opportunities for even more high-profile opponents for Winwood, which he has seized without hesitation. A fight against the world No.5 may seem daunting to some, but for Winwood, this is precisely how he saw his career progressing.


Instead of building up an inflated record against hand-picked opposition brought in to make him look good, Winwood wanted to continue where he left off from the amateurs, fighting at the sport's highest level.


 


"Transitioning out of my amateur career like I had that thought in my head that I didn't want to just go in and bash up some poor bastard from overseas or whatever that shouldn't really be in there, " he explains.


 


"That's the kind of mentality that [I had] going forward. I was like, look. I'm fighting the best in the world as an amateur at the moment; I don't see the need to go backwards. ' he added.



 


 


“Hopefully, in a few years [ when people look at] my record, their jaws drop, and they go 'far out, he did jump straight in there, and he beat all these blokes that had more experienced records than himself'."


 


Winwood may be blazing his own trail, but at Dragon Fire, he is surrounded by a team that knows what it takes to reach the top of the world stage. He recently spent six weeks in the United States with the Moloney twins, Jason and Andrew, as they prepared for their world title bouts against Vincent Astrolabio and Junto Nkatani, respectively.


 


"It's been an absolute honour and pleasure to be around the twins for the past year in the gym and for me to go away with them and train alongside them as they got ready for their title bouts," Winwood says.


 


"It was kind of like an inside foresight that not many boxers get to see in terms of what could be progressing in my career."


 


One of the benefits of his time in the U.S. was getting to train and spar with various fighters in the Top Rank gym. Observing some of the world's most famous fighters grinding it out brought home the reality for Winwood: once the tv cameras and spotlights have turned off, what really matters is how hard a boxer is willing to work to achieve their dream.


 


"There was just like all these big-time boxers in the one gym, and then it kind of clicked to me that we're all just boxers in a boxing gym, " he says.


 


"We all come from like a backyard shed somewhere or a street corner fighting somewhere, and we all end up in this one place. It was a privilege for me to be there and to realize that."


Winwood is fully aware of the work required to achieve his goal of becoming a world champion. He and his team want to make history by breaking Jeff Fenech's record and have Winwood become the fastest Australian to earn a world championship.


 


It is a lofty goal that brokers no distractions, not that Winwood would want it any other way.


 


" I've chucked a job in, I've moved state, packed it all up for boxing to work out, and so far, so good. So, I've got the blinders on, and I've got tunnel vision going forward, and over the next 5 to 10 years, this is what one's life is going to revolve around. I just want to get as much out of it as I can and enjoy the experience."


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


Thunderdome 42 takes place on Friday, June 16 at Metro City Nightclub in Perth Australia. The card can be seen globally on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE for $16.99 (U.S. Price Only.) The card will begin at 5:50AM ET/2:50AM PT (U.S.Times Only.) 


For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms platforms, Smart TVs, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV


To order Thunderdome 42 Click Here


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

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Lou DiBella addresses “Mongolian Mole” accusation ahead of Tsendbaatar Erdenebat Vs Mandeep Jangra

Press Release: June 14, 2023 By ProBox TV - Wednesday Night Fights returns tonight with its monthly instalment of boxing from Plant City, Florida live on ProBox TV. One fight that has caught the imagination is the international undefeated clash between Mongolia’s Tsendbaatar Erdenebat and India’s Mandeep Jangra in the super featherweight division. 
Credit: ProBox TV




Erdenebat (6-0, 3 KOs) is highly touted after an illustrious amateur career that saw him medal at the Asian Games, Asian Championships, World Championships and also competed at the 2016 Olympic Games. 



In more peculiar news, Erdenebat has been accused of being a spy for Gervonta Davis while sparring Ryan Garcia in preparation for their recent duel. It culminated in Erdenebat being labelled and slandered as the “Mongolian mole” by team Garcia. 



Erdenebat’s promoter Lou DiBella recently gave his thoughts on the whole situation.



“He’s falsely and unfairly known by some as the Mongolian mole.” DiBella said of his fighter. “Tsendbaatar was a sparring partner for Garcia. He also goes by the name Genghis Khan. He’s an Olympian for his country, one of the greatest fighters to ever come out of Mongolia, he’s a very offensively minded kind of guy. And he apparently injured Ryan Garcia in the lead up to the Davis fight. There was a little video he made after the whole thing saying sorry to Ryan after injuring him, but he wasn’t a mole in the camp, he doesn’t even speak English. He did spar with Ryan though and landed a good body shot.



“He’s going to be fighting on June 14 on ProBox TV. The kid is very hot right now, that whole story with Ryan put a big spotlight on him. He’s a very fun fighter to watch, very offensively minded, throws a lot of body shots, he probably looks for the knockout a bit too much. He’s young and still a work in progress. He is not afraid about stepping up and not too fussed about his opponents, he will fight anybody. I’m really looking forward to him developing and watching him on ProBox TV. The kid is a lot of fun and has a lot of personality even though he speaks very little English. He’s very charismatic, he has a lot of pizzazz. I’ve got him a couple of fights before and he really stole the show.``

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

For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, full event archive, and additional content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProboxTV.com. 

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

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

ROY JONES JR. - MANDEEP JANGRA IS ENTHUSIASTIC AHEAD OF TSENDBAATAR ERDENEBAT CLASH

Press Release: June 13, 2023 By ProBox TV - Wednesday Night Fights returns to ProBox TV in just one day's time with a mouth watering all undefeated clash in the super featherweight division between Tsendbaatar Erdenebat and Mandeep Jangra. 

Credit: ProBox TV 




An intriguing match-up that sees two successful amateurs put their undefeated records on the line in Plant City, Florida. Both medalled regularly at recognised tournaments, the pair also making a successful transition, so far, in the professional circuit. Jangra (4-0, 3 KOs) won silver medals at both the Asian Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Erdenebat (6-0, 3 KOs) scored medals at the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games and competed at the Olympics.




The Indian amateur standout recently signed management terms with boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. who spoke about his fighters chances on Wednesday night. 




“Mandeep looks really good in training, he is really enthusiastic about the fight. He knows the Mongol can fight, he’s an exceptional fighter. I want to see the Mongolian in person myself, but you know Mandeep is not your regular kind of guy, he’s coming to fight. 




“It’s a beautiful fight for both fighters. Both guys are a little bit older, they both have excellent experience. It will be an awesome fight to see. For Mandeep, this is the first time he is going into deep water like this. But, we got to see where he is at, so we know where to go with him. At 30 years old he gotta start pushing, you know. We will do this first fight and move on to the next one after this.”




Tsendbaatar Erdenebat and Mandeep Jangra is part of a great night of action live on ProBox TV with an all-star commentary team and analysis from Paulie Malignaggi, Chris Algieri and Mike Goldberg.

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


For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, full event archive, and additional content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProboxTV.com


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

Can Prograis Shine In Homecoming Title Defense?

The 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division remains in the spotlight in the month of June as two-time Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis will begin his second reign as world champion in the division when he puts his WBC world title on the line against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday, June 17th in the champion's hometown of New Orleans, LA.


The fight, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN from the Smoothie King Center represents not only the beginning of Prograis' second reign atop the Jr. Welterweight division after previously holding the World Boxing Association (WBA) crown, but also his first fight under his new promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. Prograis became a two-time world champion in November of last year when he scored an eleventh round stoppage of Jose Zepeda to win the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) crown. In what was an exciting back and forth fight, Prograis had his ability to take a punch tested before ultimately breaking Zepeda down and stopping him.


As Prograis' second reign begins, the Jr. Welterweight division might be heading towards a period of transition. At the time of this writing, it was only days ago when the former undisputed world champion of the division Jodh Taylor, the only man to defeat Prograis, suffered the first loss of his career in losing his WBO world championship to Teofimo Lopez. Two days after the fight however, Lopez announced his retirement from the sport. While that announcement should be taken with a grain of salt given Lopez' ongoing personal problems outside the ring as well as his well-publicized disgruntlement with his promoter Bob Arum, it has nevertheless not only kept interest in the division high, but also created a scenario where it now gives Prograis the opportunity to try and make a statement as to being the number one fighter in the division. 


What will the WBC champion be facing in his first title defense? In Danielito Zorrilla, Prograis will face a fighter who like himself, has only been defeated once in his career, and one that has scored thirteen knockouts in his seventeen career wins. Much like the champion, Zorrilla does have punching power, but perhaps a red flag that some might see is that the challenger will enter this fight rated number twenty in the world in the WBC's Jr. Welterweight ratings. While it is appropriate to ask why a fighter who is rated in the top twenty has been given thr opportunity to fight for a world championship, we obviously will not know if Zorrilla's ranking is misleading and perhaps a case of at best, questionable ranking practices by the sanctioning organization until the fight is underway.


Regis Prograis is a fighter with a Boxing style that this observer would liken to a sniper. In that he has hand speed, punching power, the ability to attack at varying angles, and finally the ability to set traps that thus far many fighters, including Josh Taylor, who got the nod over him by a razor thin decison in October 2019, have had difficulty trying to combat. The story of this fight in terms of what happens in the ring all centers on whether Zorrilla has a way to solve Prograis' puzzle. Zorrilla must find a way to cut the ring off from Prograis early to attempt to limit the champion's ability to move and set angles. He must however, be defensively aware at all times because Prograis is a precision counter puncher if given the opportunity and it is possible that Zorrilla could walk into punches he does not see if he is not strategic in applying pressure and is overly aggressive.


As for Prograis, this fight in some ways is an ideal set up for him. Defending his title in his hometown with what will likely be an enthusiastic crowd of supporters on hand. It is a scenario however, where other fighters have felt added pressure to perform above expectations as well as the added obligations that often come with fighting in your hometown. If Prograis is somehow not on his fight game with an eye towards potential bigger fights that might be ahead of him, the possibility of an upset does exist.


The bottom line is Prograis must get through this fight before any discussion xan be had regarding more lucrative paydays. If he can however, produce a solid performance and retain his world championship convincingly, he might provide a strong argument as being the top fighter the Jr. Welterweight division has to offer.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Prograis vs Zorrilla takes place on Saturday, June 17th at the Smoothie King Center in Nee Orleans, LA. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6:05PM ET/3:05PM PT with Before the Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts with the main card beginning at 8PM ET/5PM 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.


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Monday, June 12, 2023

Taylor-Lopez Thoughts

 The fight between Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez, while being an encounter between two recent undisputed world champions in the sport for Taylor's WBO Jr. Welterweight world championship at the Theater in Madison Square Garden on June 10th, was one that was overshadowed by comments made in the days that preceded the fight as both fighters made references to the possibility of inflicting serious injury on the other. Although this observer made his feelings clear in previewing this fight as to such comments and conduct, which I stand by, it unfortunately did overshadow what was a compelling bout between two of the sport's top stars and one that was regarded as one of the most anticipated encounters of 2023.


Despite my feelings regarding the conduct that preceded this fight, it was one that I was nevertheless looking forward to because of both the interesting clash of styles between the two fighters as well as the respective scenarios that each fighter found himself in, in coming into this bout off of performances in their respective last outings that the consensus was that both fighters had lost. As it would turn out, this would be another example of Teofimo Lopez' ability to go against the type of strategy that one would expect of a fighter known for his punching power and using a surprising tactical Boxing style and approach that proved to be effective. An approach similar in execution to the one that Lopez used in his unification bout with Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2020 where he fully unified the Lightweight division.


By using faints, lateral movement, and attacking in spurts at varying angles, Lopez was able to dictate how the fight was fought by keeping the champion Taylor off balance and unable to find a consistent rhythm. While the early rounds of this twelve round world championship bout were competitive and Taylor did have success periodically, Lopez' ability to time his attacks, be elusive, often attack in short combinations that Taylor had trouble defending against, and overall ring generalship was the story of this fight. Although likely not the most entertaining of bouts of you were one expecting Lopez to be throwing punches with knockout intention, Teofimo Lopez once again was able to show in this fight that he has more wrinkles to his Boxing strategies than only merely relying on the punching power he has demonstrated throughout his career.


A subplot going into this fight was the fact that this was Josh Taylor's first fight in over sixteen months as he had dealt with both injuries as well as elements of the politics that be in the sport, which ultimately led to him vacating three portions of what was the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight championship of the world before fulfilling his obligation to the World Boxing Organization (WBO) by facing Lopez, who came into this fight as the WBO's mandatory challenger in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. It is hard to say whether any of the aforementioned factors, specifically the issue of inactivity ended up working against Taylor in this fight, but from this observer's view, he seemed lethargic and a few steps behind Lopez throughout the entire fight. This does not take away anything from the performance that Teofimo Lopez put forth here in ultimately winning a convincing twelve round unanimous decision to win the title and hand Taylor the first loss of his career, but perhaps the possibility of Taylor being overtrained and possibly struggling to get down to the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight limit might explain why there just seemed to be something off about Taylor's performance here. The possibility of him being unprepared for the approach that Lopez implemented is something to also consider.


Lopez now as a two-division world champion has thrown the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division a curveball as some considered him an underdog to dethrone Taylor. While Lopez does deserve credit not only for his performance, but also his apologizing to Taylor after the fight for the remarks he made in wanting to kill him, it is hard to say where he goes from here. Lopez is going through some issues related to his personal life outside of the ring and even though this observer will not comment on those issues, it will likely take some of the focus and time away from potential fights that could be made including a potential unification bout with current WBC world champion Regis Prograis, who coincidentally has a title defense on June 17th in his hometown of New Orleans against Danielito Zorrilla, or a potential rematch with Taylor. 


Although Lopez did apologize for his remarks prior to the fight and Taylor accepted the apology calling it ‘Fun and Games,” this observer does not feel that way in that those comments do not belong in any sport, even one as flawed as Boxing tends to be at times. Going forward regardless of what might be going on outside of the ring in a fighter’s life, Lopez, Taylor and any fighter on every level of the sport needs to understand that the sport needs to be respected at all times including the obvious dangers that are associated with it. It is the responsibility of the fighters, especially those who are in the position as being fortunate to be at the top level of the sport, to represent it with the dignity and class that it deserves. While emotions tend to be high prior to any fight and no one knows what a fighter might be dealing with in their private lives outside of Boxing, it might be a good idea for those around fighters to advise them on conduct, what to say, and how to say it. Thankfully, there were no tragedies inside of Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2023, but when you look at the long list of tragedies that have occured on every level of the sport, it is far from “Fun and Games,” and the sport needs to be treated with the respect it deserves.


“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


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


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Friday, June 9, 2023

Broner Dominates Determined Hutchinson In Return To The Ring

The ten round Welterweight bout between former four-division world champion Adrien Broner and largely unknown contender Bill Hutchinson on June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL was not one with the type of anticipation leading up to it that there was suspense in not knowing who would emerge victorious. This was due largely to how little was known about Hutchinson, who is also a practicing attorney when not competing in the Boxing ring, but how little if any footage existed of him competing. This observer noted in previewing this bout that even I, a proud Boxing lifer who studies fight films on a daily basis as also a noted historian in addition to covering the sport, could not find any footage of Hutchinson's previous bouts in his career.


What Hutchinson did have going for him beyond being more active than Broner, who was coming off of a two and a half year layoff, was a respectable record of 20-2-4, with 9 Knockouts, but against opposition that could be described as lightly regarded. Nevertheless, the elements of both the unknown of what Hutchinson would bring with him into this fight, as well as questions of how Broner would look after a lengthy absence from active competition made this fight interesting.


While every statistical metric that one could use from the experience of Broner, to the caliber of opposition, to the overall difference in total fights between the two, pointed firmly in the direction that Broner would likely have the advantage, often when covering a fight where not much is known about one of the combatants, I approach things with an open mind. After all, when you have never seen a fighter compete before, you do not know what you might see once a fight is taking place and as such, you want to observe what said fighter has in his/her arsenal before forming an idea as to how the fight might be fought.


Despite a blueprint of sorts existing on how to attempt to fight Adrien Broner by applying pressure and keeping him in a defensive shell and unable to throw punches with consistency, Hutchinson began this fight by trying to box with a high caliber boxer and rather than sitting back in a defensive shell, it was Broner coming forward and bringing the fight to Hutchinson. A flush left hook to the body of Hutchinson in the first round had him badly hurt and against the ropes. 


Although it appeared that Hutchinson was on the verge of being knocked down, to his credit, he battled through and survived the round. It became clear rather quickly that Hutchinson had tremendous heart and the will of a lion, but did not have the fight plan or the ability to time Broner with counter punches. Despite occasionally landing flush punches on Broner, particularly with his right hand, the consistent ebb and flow of the fight was Broner coming forward, pushing Hutchinson back, and landing hard thudding punches to the head and body as he did so, round after round.


While no one can take anything away from the very "Game" Hutchinson, who displayed nothing but confidence in the weeks prior to this fight, after seeing four rounds of the scheduled ten round bout, I felt the fight should have been stopped. There is no disputing the heart Bill Hutchinson showed in this fight, but as it increasingly became clear that he was suffering a beating in a fight that he was numerically behind on the scorecards and keeping in mind that even though he was able to catch Broner flush occasionally, Broner kept coming forward, a clear indication that he did not have the punching power to suddenly turn the fight in his favor. Because of this, I felt the fight should have been stopped, if nothing else to protect Hutchinson for his future both in and out of the ring. The opinion of yours truly notwithstanding, Hutchinson continued to show his mettle until the final bell in dropping a ten round unanimous decision to Broner. 


In previewing this bout, I stated that this should be viewed as a fresh start for Adrien Broner after spending the last two and a half years having fights fall through and a well publicized split between himself, his former manager Al Haymon, and the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters that had handled most of Broner 's career. This fight, which was the first for Broner under Hall of Fame promoter Don King did serve its purpose in getting Broner back in active competition again and he did get ten rounds of solid work against a determined opponent that can always say he went the distance with the former four-division world champion. As for what we saw from Broner inside the ring, he was more aggressive than has been the case previously in his career, was coming forward, and appeared to be more focused.


Whether or not the new aggression from Broner was a by-product of facing an opponent that due to his limited resume inside the ring, was a few levels below him, remains to be seen. While there is at least some talk of Broner possibly fighting the likes of Ryan Garcia or WBC Jr. Welterweight world champion Regis Prograis, each in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division, in the near future, the most important thing for Broner is to be as active as possible as it will only benefit him in the long run. As for the Boxing attorney Bill Hutchinson, this loss to a fight of the caliber of Adrien Broner should be a valuable learning experience for him as he moves on with his career in the Boxing ring and he can hold his head high in going ten hard rounds to the distance with a former world champion. Perhaps a move he might want to make would be to add a trainer to his team perhaps like a Freddie Roach, who specializes in training offensive-minded fighters. With the proper time to develop with the addition of a trainer like Roach who can teach fighters elements of technique and strategy at all stages of their career, Hutchinson might get another chance against a world ranked opponent. For now, Bill Hutchinson has earned the respect of the Boxing world for his performance in defeat to Adrien Broner and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.


"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 

Taylor-Lopez Preview

 

On Saturday, June 10th, one of the biggest fights of 2023 will take place in the Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY as undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight world champion Josh Taylor will defend his title against former Undisputed Lightweight champion of the world Teofimo Lopez. While this fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ is for the WBO version of the Jr. Welterweight championship of the world, the interesting sub-plot is this is an encounter between two former undisputed world champions. One, Lopez having lost his title in the ring in the same venue where this fight coincidentally will take place, the other having relinquished portions of the undisputed championship in the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division both due to injuries as well as the politics that be in the sport. 


While Lopez has been unbeaten since moving up from Lightweight following losing the Lightweight championship to George Kambosos in November 2021, there are questions regarding how effective a fighter he is now as a Jr. Welterweight. In his last fight, Lopez earned a controversial ten round split decision over top contender Sandor Martin in December of last year. An irony that is also a coincidence is the champion Taylor is coming off a controversial split decision victory in defense of what was then the Undisputed Jr. Welterweight championship of the world against Jack Catterall in February of last year. The commonality between the two fights, many believe that both Taylor and Lopez lost those bouts.


While this observer will save any debates for those who will partake in them regarding those fights, it does nevertheless create a unique situation where two fighters are meeting each other for a world championship with the opinion of some fans and experts alike being that each are coming off fights they might have lost. Opinion and debates aside, what those two fights did do for both Taylor and Lopez is create a scenario where both fighters likely feel that they have something to prove. The fight itself also provides an interesting clash of styles. 

 

Both fighters have shown in recent fights that they can do a little of everything. Most would likely say however, that this will be more of a classic scenario of a boxer in Taylor against a power puncher in Lopez. Teofimo Lopez is a fighter with knockout power in both hands that has throughout his career scored several highlight reel knockouts that seemed to come suddenly. Although the possibility of Lopez being able to do that should not be dismissed, we have yet to see that type of explosive power from him at 140lbs. Obviously, something else to keep in mind is Taylor is at the top of the division and this will likely be a significant test for Lopez in his third fight as a Jr. Welterweight. 


Taylor meanwhile is a solid boxer/puncher, but can take a few rounds to find his rhythm. If Lopez begins this fight by looking to apply pressure on the champion, Taylor will not be able to dictate how the fight is fought. While it is logical to think that this will be the approach Lopez will try to implement early on, Taylor will need to find a way to be active with his offense, but try to be elusive at the same time.


Unfortunately, a part of the story of this fight has also involved some less than sportsman-like comments between the two fighters with each alluding to the possibility of wanting to inflict serious injury upon the other. Although some may dismiss this as hype tactics to draw interest in the bout, this observer should not have to remind either the fighters themselves, or the readers of this column as to the dangers that exist in Boxing and by extension all combat sports.


 It may be the view of some that yours truly is possibly reading too much into comments prior to a fight and possibly taking it too seriously. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, I will always defend the sport of Boxing and in an already dangerous sport, comments alluding to wanting to seriously injure an opponent if not God forbid worse, hype tactic or not, should not be viewed as acceptable in any way, shape, or form. Whether fighters know it or not, they do represent the sport both in and out of the ring and comments like that not only do not belong, but more importantly give the wrong impression to those who are new to the sport and far too much credibility to Boxing's detractors.


When one has covered the sport for as long as I have, things like seeing serious injuries and, yes, even death occur is something that unfortunately comes with the territory. If any fighter however, thinks that using the possibility of something like that happening in an attempt to hype interest in their bout is acceptable, I suggest reaching out to the people who have been affected by one of the sport's numerous tragedies and ask them if they feel such rhetoric is acceptable. I would feel safe betting money I do not have that the fighters or anyone else for that matter that think such conduct is acceptable will have a change of heart once they hear what those who have been impacted by a tragedy that occurred due to injuries suffered in a Boxing ring, have to say. Bottom line, it is not something that should be used as a hype tactic, is not something to make light of, and is not something to joke about. The fighters who have given their lives to the sport and their families deserve better and so does Boxing.


"And That's The Boxing Truth."


Taylor vs. Lopez takes place on Saturday, June 10th at The Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:10PM ET/3:10PM 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


(*Card and Start time subject to change *)


(*Check your local listings internationally.)


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


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






Thursday, June 8, 2023

Franklin Gonzalez collides with Saul Sanchez in ProBox TV Main Event - Florida, June 14

 

Press Release: June 8, 2023 By ProBox TV - ProBox TV proudly returns next week with its monthly instalment of Wednesday Night Fights from ProBox headquarters in Plant City, Florida. 

Credit: ProBox TV


The evening’s headline act will see Franklin Gonzalez (25-2-2, 25 KOs) lock horns with Saul Sanchez (18-2, 11 KOs) in the super bantamweight over 10 rounds. Venezuelan knockout artist, Gonzalez comes off back-to-back dubious points defeats finding his luck tough outside his native South America. His only two defeats come against Jorge Orozco in Guadalajara, Mexico, and most recently against Manuel Flores losing via split decision in California. Other than the previous two marks on his record, Gonzalez has knocked out every single one of his opponents inside the distance. Californian Sanchez also comes off a contentious defeat at the hands of Eros Correa last year. Previous to only his second career defeat, the 25 year old went six fights unbeaten winning WBA regional titles in two weight classes. 

The chief support from the Sunshine State brings fight fans Oscar Alvarez (9-0, 7 KOs) Vs Jonhatan Cardoso (15-1, 14 KOs) in the super featherweight division scheduled for 8 rounds. 6ft 3in Mexican Alvarez has been in fine form performing on ProBox TV with an unblemished record with a 77+ percentage knockout ratio. Cardoso fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil was also last in action on ProBox TV with a unanimous decision victory over the undefeated Jose Arellano in Florida in January.

ProBox TV’s very own Dominic Valle (5-0, 4 KOs) will square off with Carlos Rosario (6-1, 3 KOs) at 130 pounds over 6 rounds. Valle has been a mainstay on the channel with an almost perfect start to his professional career. The 22 year Florida native boasts a knockout percentage of 80 percent, he comes off a points victory over Jose Antonia Meza last November. Puerto Rico’s Rosario comes off a split decision victory over the undefeated Joshafat Ortiz this past April in Philadelphia. His only defeat came on ProBox TV where many said that he was unlucky to lose the decision over Ezequiel Borrero last November.

The televised card begins with Mongolia’s Tsendbaatar Erdenebat (6-0, 3 KOs) going toe-to-toe with India’s Sandeep Jangra (4-0, 3 KOs). The pair put their undefeated records on the line over 6 rounds in the super featherweight division. Erdenebat was a decorated amateur for his country, he won gold at two Asian Championships, a gold medal at the Asian Games, a Bronze World Championship medal and also competed at the Olympics. Signed with Lou DiBella, he comes off a points victory over Edy Valencia Mercado in New York. Jangra is managed by boxing legend Roy Jones Jr, the Indian also comes off a good amateur career with silver medals at both the Commonwealth Games and Asian Championships.

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


For more information about ProBox TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, full event archive, and additional content, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProboxTV.com


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

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

The Next Chapter In The Career Of Adrien Broner

 

Former four-division world champion Adrien Broner's career can be described a couple of different ways. The one that this observer has used when asked about Broner over the years has been too much, too soon. It seemed as though when Broner emerged on the scene in the early 2010's after turning professional in 2008, that he began collecting world titles in multiple divisions during a period of time where many fighters are still developing as professionals. While this is a testament to Broner's skills and talent as a fighter, his rise to stardom might be viewed by some as one that was too quick.


By now, Broner's career and issues outside of the ring have been chronicled by many in Boxing media including yours truly, so for the purposes of the constraints of one column, I will summarize where we are now. After some setbacks in the ring, troubles outside the ring,  failed attempts to return to the ring, a highly publicized split with his longtime manager Al Haymon and the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), a failed deal with relative newcomer to the sport BLK Prime, and more than two years removed from his last fight, the now thirty-three year old former world champion prepares to return to the ring against relative unknown Welterweight contender Bill Hutchinson on Saturday, June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL. The bout, which will headline a pay-per-view card available globally on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV, not only signals Broner's return to competition after a long absence, but also his first fight after forming an alliance in a multi-fight deal with Hall of Fame promoter Don King.


This fight has a clear storyline going into it. It represents the next chapter and what is likely a fresh start for Broner. In terms of the opposition that Broner will face on June 9th, Bill Hutchinson is a fighter, but he is also a practicing lawyer, which is a rarity in the sport. As a fighter, Hutchinson does have a respectable record of 20-2-4, with 9 Knockouts. The level of his opposition however, has been limited up to this point and this is a significant step up in caliber of opposition for him against the former world champion Broner. What Hutchinson does have going for him going into this fight is he has been the more active of the two, having fought as recently as 2022 and has won his last ten bouts.


The obvious question here is does Hutchinson have the skills to make it competitive against Broner and to potentially pull off an upset. Unfortunately, as a consequence that does not happen too often these days as compared to many years ago thanks to the advent of streaming video, but this is a rare instance where this observer, a noted and proud Boxing lifer, journalist, historian, and one who studies fight films on a daily basis, has not been able to find any footage of Hutchinson in action as this will be my first opportunity to cover him. It is important however, to keep in mind that Adrien Broner is coming off of a two year layoff and has had to deal with distractions outside of the ring in that time, which has contributed to his inactivity. Often the biggest enemy of fighters in any combat sport is inactivity. So, as there are questions as to what Bill Hutchinson will bring to the table, there should be questions as to what kind of Adrien Broner we will see in this fight. As inactivity should be viewed as an enemy, with that the possibility of “Ring Rust” is definitely possible for a fighter coming off of a lengthy absence such as Broner. 


While we do not know what Hutchinson will bring with him into this fight, there is a blueprint of sorts on how to fight Broner that perhaps he might try to use to his advantage. Adrien Broner is one of the most accurate fighters with his offense when he is actively competing, but often opponents have been able to make fights close and out work Broner by being more active and keeping Broner in a defensive shell where he does not get his punches off consistently. Obviously, we are not likely to get an idea of what Hutchinson might do until the fight is actually occurring in the ring. It would be wise of this largely unknown fighter/lawyer to have spent time studying Broner’s previous fights and to try and implement an approach for success in this fight. 


Hutchinson must keep in mind that Broner does have hand speed and punching power, but he needs to try and force the issue in this fight by making Broner fight. The one advantage that Hutchinson might have here is the fact that he has been more active than his opponent and as such, he needs to make it difficult for Broner to work off that “Ring Rust, even though he is at a significant disadvantage in terms of experience and caliber of previous opposition. This will also be the first time that Hutchinson will be in a scheduled ten round bout in his career and it will be interesting to see how he will look in the middle and late rounds of this fight, should it get that far and if the bout proves to be a competitive bout.


Outside of the significant layoff for Broner, seemingly this has all the appearance at least on paper of a fight that he should be favored to win. It will nevertheless be interesting to see if this chapter in Broner’s career is truly a fresh start where no matter what happens win, lose, or draw, and how he performs, will be one that sees him being more active inside the ring to try and work his way back into world title contention rather than dealing with issues outside of the ring.


“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”


Broner vs. Hutchinson takes place on Friday, June 9th at Casino Miami in Miami, FL. The fight can be seen globally on digital combat sports streaming network and pay-per-view platform FITE TV for $24.99. The broadcast will begin at 6:50PM ET/3:30PM PT (U.S. Times only.) For more information about FITE TV including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to learn how to download the FITE app, please visit: www.FITE.TV. To order Broner vs. Hutchinson from your web browser Click Here.


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


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With Little Buzz: BLK Prime Finally Debuts Tuesday Night Fights Series

In December of last year, digital subscription general entertainment network BLK Prime entered the sport of Boxing by being the broadcaster and promoter for WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford's title defense against David Avanesyan in the champion's hometown of Omaha, NE. The event, which was broadcast on the BLK Prime app on pay-per-view as well as carried by traditional cable/satellite providers, was generally considered a success as it signaled the arrival of potentially another major broadcast platform for the sport. 

Credit: Beau Denison 


As some may remember however, since that event, things have been touch and go as far as the network's involvement in the sport. Some may recall the highly publicized signing of former four-division world champion Adrien Broner, who was to return to the ring under the BLK Prime platform earlier this year. Unfortunately for both Broner and BLK Prime, struggles with securing an opponent for the former world champion ultimately resulting in a third scheduled opponent being forced to withdraw from the bout due to suffering a broken jaw in sparring, led to the disillusion of the agreement between Broner and the network. Adrien Broner will finally return to the ring this coming Friday after a two year absence in the main event of a Don King promoted pay-per-view card.


Following the fall out between Broner and the network, BLK Prime aired one Boxing card on its platform from Costa Rica that was barely promoted and subsequently received little coverage from those of us in Boxing media. The network seemed to change its focus as it was announced in March that thry would debut a weekly Tuesday night Boxing series on it's platform for subscribers. For me this stirred memories of my youth.


Those of a certain age likely remember the weekly Tuesday night Boxing series on the USA cable network here in the United States. This observer can remember that the series actually bounced around different days of the week, primarily on Thursday and Friday nights before finally settling into the Tuesday night time slot at 9PM ET in the late 1980's  that the series would ultimately become known. To take it a step further, the ESPN sports network, which remains a major player in the sport to this day, often aired Boxing cards on Thursday nights on a weekly basis during the same time period.


The idea of a weekly Boxing series in the new age of subscription-based streaming frankly excites me. Not only because it obviously, gives an opportunity for me to further cover the sport I love, but along with another digital streaming network Probox TV, which airs Boxing cards on a bi-weekly basis, probides vital opportunity for young fighters seeking exposure as they begin their careers. As someone who is always looking out for what is in the best interest of Boxing as s sport, this was something I viewed as a win for Boxing.


Unlike Probox TV's series, the BLK Prime series, which was to debut in May got postponed twice, each time with no announcement or statement to those of us in the media as to why. Given the lack of promotion from the network, it was hard not to become skeptical that the series would eventually get off the ground. As the weeks went by with still no communication from the network and as the premiere date for what supposedly will be a weekly series, I became doubtful even as BLK Prime's app displayed a countdown clock for an event scheduled for June 6th, but wilth no information about the card beyond the simple clock that similar to the latter weeks of May seemed as though it would be reset for yet another date.


Despite not receiving any communication from the network, nor seeing any other media outlet offering any coverage of said event, I kept a close eye on the BLK Prime app and the countdown clock to see if there were any changes or any information that frankly would have helped as someone who would have covered the event. Despite also not seeing any upcoming events advertised on the Boxing record book databases, which again would have been helpful to yours truly, I was surprised to see wn actual feed of an event somewhere in Costa Rica go live when the countdown clock struck zero.


Even though I feel the term "Somewhere in Costa Rica"  is vague, non-descriptive,  and borderline unprofessional, unfortunately it is all I have to go on, but I do apologize to readers who expect more detail as this is something that I would not consider to be normal circumstances. Equally as unfortunate, the broadcast of this event had several technical problems and I was unable to get any information that instead of covering the event as I would have wanted to do, has subsequently resulted in my writing this column.


While it is important to remember that BLK Prime is still a newcomer in the sport, there are two obvious questions that come to mind here. One, why was there no promotion for this event from the network and why was no information made available on the respective Boxing record databases including BoxRec for example that regularly list upcoming events for every level of the sport on a daily basis throughout the world? Perhaps the more crucial question is what now for BLK Prime and their Tuesday night Boxing series? 


This observer obviously cannot answer that question, but any Boxing event needs promotion and information to be made available to the public if it hopes to be successful. Although it is not my intention to attack BLK Prime as any platform involved or wanting to be involved in Boxing should be viewed as an asset especially if they have the interest of the Boxing fan in mind and are not overly reliant on the outdated, overpriced, and undervalued model that is pay-per-view, if there is no promotion for your events and no communication with those who will gladly cover them if they have the appropriate information to do so, I cannot see how any series can be successful if it is done in anonymity, even if the concept of a weekly series does bring back fond memories of a great time for Boxing.


"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