Paul-Diaz: More Event Than Fight?

 

In February of this year, social media influencer turned boxer Jake Paul traveled to Saudi Arabia where the third time proved to be the charm in that Paul's on again, off again scheduled bout with undefeated Cruiserweight boxer Tommy Fury finally took place. Fury’s identification as s boxer is significant in that despite boasting an unbeaten record of 6-0, with 4 Knockouts going into the fight, Paul had built that record off facing folks who did not have a Boxing background or had very little Boxing training prior to those fights. In what was a close, but nondescript fight that did not have much in the way of highlights, Fury emerged victorious by scoring an eight round split decision over Paul and thus handed him his first loss as a professional. 

 

While this observer has been fair, but also critical of the craze that has emerged in the sport of Boxing in recent years of those with the label of “Influencer” entering the sport as I feel it does draw interest from potential demographics that otherwise would likely have little to no interest in the sport, but who’s involvement in it still to be determined as to whether or not it is truly to Boxing’s benefit or if the “Influencer” craze is simply a revamped version of “Celebrity Boxing” under a different label, Jake Paul has shown himself to be a good promoter, who in fairness is trying to bring attention to several issues within the sport that yours truly has written about regularly over the many years that I have covered Boxing and by extension combat sports including fighter pay, healthcare, and his support of Women’s Boxing in assisting in its long overdue growth is something that cannot be ignored. Despite losing to Tommy Fury, Paul did hold his own in what could be called his first legitimate fight as a boxer. 

 

Although Paul had boasted about fighting some of the top fighters in the sport and challenging for world titles, the takeaway from his loss to Fury was that although such boasts do serve a purpose in generating publicity, you can only go so far by facing people in a sport where they do not have a background in it. While Paul deserves credit for holding his own against Fury, his next fight will attempt to draw upon what had worked previously for him as he will face MMA veteran Nate Diaz in a scheduled ten round Cruiserweight bout at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. A fight that will headline a DAZN Pay-Per-View card. Much like most of Paul's previous opponents, Diaz will be making his professional Boxing debut after spending much of his career in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he won the promotion’s Ultimate Fighter reality competition in its fifth season. 

Frankly, the story going into this fight is what Diaz, who is the third MMA fighter that Paul will be fighting in a Boxing ring, will bring to the table. Although Boxing is a martial art, a discipline, which is a part of the sport of MMA, there is only so much analysis one can provide because the fact is that Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts are two different sports and what you might see work well in terms of striking with hands in a fight fought under MMA rules in an MMA format might not work in a Boxing ring with Boxing gloves on, or at the very least, may not work as well because in MMA, fighters wear gloves that have only one ounce of padding and the gloves also allow the fighter’s hands to be open to engage in grappling. It is also worth noting that fighters in MMA also over the last twenty-five or so years as the sport has gotten more organized since its inception in promotions adopting a universal standard of rules, also fight barefoot, which depending on the situation can have a difference in a fighter’s ability to plant their feet and throw punches with both power and leverage. Diaz has shown decent hand speed and punching power in fights fought under MMA rules so, whether those skills will transition to the Boxing ring is something that remains to be seen. 

 

One thing that could be a red flag that some might point to is there have been times throughout his MMA career where Diaz has been susceptible to being caught and knocked down by right hands. The questions regarding the credibility and legitimacy of Jake Paul's Boxing career aside, there is one primary weapon he has used in most of his fights that have ended many of them, his right hand. It will be interesting to see if Paul will look to land what has proven to be his power punch in previous fights this time around. 

 

Although Paul is going back to what is familiar for him in facing a notable name from a different sport under conditions that do not favor that opponent, it has nevertheless succeeded in generating buzz. This is also perhaps a fight designed to restore his confidence after suffering his first loss. If Paul is looking to this fight to silence the critics questioning his validity as a boxer, this observer believes that a victory over Nate Diaz will likely not accomplish that. A victory, however, would likely restore his confidence. There will however, come a point where the realization that in order to fight the best fighters in the sport of Boxing and challenge for world championships, one needs to gain experience against fighters with a Boxing background and beat them to get that opportunity will come into the equation. One simply cannot gain such experience facing folks with little to no background in a sport where the fight will be occurring. While Paul may not get the experience he needs to continue developing if he indeed is serious about hoping to compete at or near the top level of the sport in this fight, he has succeeded in creating another event, which will draw interest from a wide range of demographics. It would be nice, however, if a competitive fight that some might not expect broke out as well. 

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.” 

 

Paul vs. Diaz takes place on Saturday, August 5th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas TX. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on a pay-per-view basis globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View with preliminary bouts beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with the pay-per-view portion beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT for $59.99. 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, to subscribe and order this pay-per-view card please visit: www.DAZN.com.  

(* U.S. Start times and pricing only. *) (*Check DAZN.com for time and pricing in your region of the world. *) 

 

(*Card and Start times Subject to Change. *) 

 

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

 

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Cameron-Taylor II Set For November 25th In Dublin, Ireland On DAZN

Press Release August 2, 2023 By DAZN - Chantelle Cameron returns to the Lion’s Den to put her undisputed Super-Lightweight World Titles on the line for a second time against Irish legend Katie Taylor at the 3Arena in Dublin on Saturday November 25, live worldwide on DAZN.

 

Credit: DAZN 

Northampton’s Cameron (18-0, 8 KOs) handed undisputed Lightweight World Champion Taylor the first defeat of her career to remain undisputed ruler at 140lbs when they met on an historic night at the sold-out 3Arena in Dublin back in May.

 

Despite coming into the fight defending her belts, Cameron was seen as a major underdog for Taylor’s first fight in Ireland in her seven-year professional career – but the 32-year-old Brit stunned the home crowd by scoring a majority decision win over their hero.

 

The bout lived up to the huge expectation as both fighters left everything in the ring in front of a deafening partisan crowd, but after ten close rounds, Cameron was a worthy winner and cemented her place as one of the best female fighters on the planet.

 

“Last time out I pulled off one of the best ever away wins against the best female fighter on the planet,” said Cameron. “To go over to Ireland for her homecoming with my belts on the line and beat her was a brilliant experience, but beating her on November 25 will surpass that as I know what to expect now.

 

“I’ve boxed at that high level with a huge amount of pressure on me and the crowd against me. Going into November 25 I’m more than prepared this time. I know what it feels like now and I’m going to go in there with more aggression and energy and I’m confident of getting the job done in better fashion.

 

“I’m going to be a lot better in the rematch. In the gym we’re correcting mistakes that I’ve made. There were little things that I was doing during the first fight that led to me being headbutted a lot – that’s why my face was very bruised up at the end of the fight.

 

“Going back to Ireland to beat Katie Taylor twice in a row will show that it wasn’t just a lucky night for me and an off night for Katie. I said it last time – I think I’m all wrong for Katie. I’m too big, I’m too strong and my will to win is too strong. I’m going to be there all night long. Katie picked the wrong fighter to fight.”

 

“I'm delighted the rematch has been made and really can't wait for another huge night in November,” said Taylor. “I relish challenges like this and these are the occasions I live for.”

 

“Strap yourselves in for another electric night at the 3Arena in Dublin as Chantelle Cameron and Katie Taylor run it back for Super-Lightweight supremacy on Saturday November 25,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn. “The atmosphere inside that arena was one of the loudest and most special that I’ve ever experienced in all my years in this sport and I expect November 25 to be even better.

"Last time out Chantelle Cameron proved that she in one of the very best female fighters on the planet by handing Katie Taylor her first loss in the professional ranks. Katie will be desperate to avenge that loss but Chantelle is determined to prove that it wasn’t a one off. Don’t miss this one, live and exclusive around the world on DAZN.”

"Another massive fight to add to our ever growing autumn schedule”, said Alfie Sharman, VP, DAZN. “There is nothing more dangerous than a motivated Katie Taylor and after being defeated for the very first time in her pro career to a modern day great in Chantelle Cameron I am expecting fireworks. Tune in November 25 to watch live and exclusive only on DAZN.”

 

Ticket details will be announced in due course.

 Material and Photo Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

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

 

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

OTAR ERANOSYAN LOCKS HORNS WITH ROGER GUTIERREZ IN WBA ELIMINATOR, AUGUST 9

Press Release August 2, 2023 By ProBox TV- ProBox TV’s Wednesday Night Fights is back again next week hot off the heels from the barnburner we saw between Orlando Gonzalez and Ramiro Cesena in Kissimmee, Florida. 

Credit: ProBox TV 

The popular midweek boxing series heads back to Plant City, Florida with Otar Eranosyan and Roger Gutierrez colliding in a WBA super featherweight world title eliminator in the evening’s 12 round main event. 

Eranosyan (13-0, 6 KOs) comes off back-to-back victories on the network defeating Cesar Juarez and, most recently, Edy Valencia Mercado leading to the Georgian’s lofty position in the WBA rankings.

Gutierrez (27-4-1, 21 KOs) comes off a knockout win over Henry Delgado in his native Venezuela in March having previously lost his WBA super featherweight world title to now champion, Hector Luis Garcia. He ripped the title from Rene Alvarado in a unanimous decision victory over two years ago. He would go on to achieve the same result in the rematch seven months later.

“Our last event in Kissimmee was a great example of what ProBox TV plans to bring to boxing fans.” ProBox TV Executive Director Chris Glover said. “Obviously we have missed the target a little over the last few months in terms of what we believe Wednesday Night Fights is really capable of, but we made some adjustments and we are in a good place to deliver for our viewers. Hats off to Orlando and Ramiro, they really gave it everything. I actually thought Cesena did enough to win, but it was a great fight. 

“We have Otar back on the channel next week in a WBA world title eliminator against a former world champion. The winner has a chance to fight for a world title where the champion is beatable. It puts a lot on the line for both fighters which should produce another great fight for the network.”

The night’s chief support will see Venezuela’s Cristian Baez (19-2, 17 KOs) take on Armenia’s Petros Ananyan (17-3-2, 8 KOs) in a 10 round contest at super lightweight.

You can watch Wednesday Night Fights for free on YouTube and FaceBook in both English and Spanish. 

You can sign up AD-FREE for just $1.99 per month at ProBoxTV.com

 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 archives and additional programming, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProBoxTV.com. 

 

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

Crawford Cements Hall of Fame Legacy By Battering And Stopping Spence

The fight between undefeated Welterweight world champions Errol Spence and Terence Crawford for the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world on July 29th in Las Vegas, NV was in some ways a throwback moment to when the best fighters fought the best where the politics that be in the sport rarely stood in the way of what could be viewed as progress. While such a return to the era where the best fought the best has become an elusive concept as decades have gone on due to a variety of issues related to the business of the sport of Boxing, Spence-Crawford served as an example of what the sport could be providing fans on a regular basis.

It is after all where two fighters who understand their respective positions in the sport opt to in large part make a fight that they want to have, happen between themselves and not be restrained by promoters or television/streaming network's own respective interests and agendas. In that aspect, both Spence and Crawford showed fellow boxers that ultimately it is the fighters who do the fighting and it is the promoters that are supposed to work in the best interest of the fighters, not the other way around.

Despite the positives that this fight brought to the table, the action that occurred inside the ring was probably a let down to sone Boxing fans. The reason for this was it did not take long before it became clear that this would not be the competitive fight that it appeared it would be on paper. What would happen instead would serve as another example of one fighter's generational talent and one fighter's courage in the face of being on that night at the T-Mobile Arena, the lesser fighter. In previewing this fight, this observer stated that the issue of activity might be something this fight would come down to, specifically the fact that due largely to injuries, Errol Spence had only fought once in the last three years prior to this encounter for all the marbles in the 147lb. Welterweight division as well as the current state of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, that Spence has fought under the banner of for most of his career, in that many fighters who are aligned with the PBC have seen lengthy stretches of inactivity in recent years as the PBC has been struggling including apparently losing their broadcast deal with Fox Sports, which up until this year had been one of two network partners for the PBC here in the United States along with the Paramount owned Showtime, which has been recently rebranded to Paramount+ with Showtime in integrating the struggling cable network with it's parent company's flagship global streaming network.

While most of the above should not be directly tied to a fighter's inactivity, the fact remains that the biggest detriment to a fighter's career is inactivity. Something that by all accounts seemed to be exposed in this fight. After a relatively uneventful first round, Crawford stunned many by dropping Spence with a perfectly timed counter jab in the second round. Although this appeared to be a "Flash Knockdown" in that Spence did not appear hurt in being knocked down for the first time in his career, what was clear was Crawford has already figured out how to break Spence down and had his timing down to almost surgical precision. 

Over the course of the rounds that followed, this observer felt it was only a matter of time before the fight would be stopped. The reason for this was not only the systematic approach that Crawford was executing, but also that his hand speed and punching power was too much for Spence to combat. What was also evident was Spence, at least on this night, lacked the punching power to discourage Crawford from pressing forward, much less being able to gain control of the combat.

Round after round Crawford was administering a beating. Although Spence showed his mettle and was extremely "Game" in this fight, after six rounds, I felt that his corner needed to start thinking about their fighter's well being. Translation, I felt that the time had come where it was time to consider stopping the fight as it was so decisive in Crawford's favor, there did not seem to be much sense in allowing it to continue as gradually Spence was being busted up and there appeared to be no sign of the ebb and flow turning in his favor. 

My feelings that Spence had taken enough punishment seemed to be confirmed in the seventh round when Crawford scored his second and third knockdowns of Spence. At this point, I was shocked that even though Spence continued to show the heart of a warrior and survived the round, common sense and concern for his welfare did not come into the equation and the fight was allowed to continue.

As the punishment also continued being dished out by Crawford and Spence was increasingly unable to return much offense, Referee Harvey Dock mercifully stepped in and stopped the fight in the ninth round making Terence Crawford the first Undisputed Welterweight champion of the world in nearly thirty-eight years and the first undisputed champion in the division since the inception of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in 1989. It also made Crawford the first male boxer in history to have successfully fully unified two weight divisions after previously becoming undisputed champion as a 140lb. Jr. Welterweight.

Although that accomplishment is astounding given all the political roadblocks and other things that occur in the sport that more often than not prevent such accomplishments, frankly my first thought at the conclusion of this fight was not so much about the historical significance of what I had just witnessed, as much as it was about wondering out loud why it took Harvey Dock, a competent world-class referee to use common sense in stopping this fight when the opportunity for Spence's corner to use good judgment was apparently ignored. Obviously, I cannot answer as to why his corner did not stop the fight, but what I will say is, I have seen plenty of fighters suffer similar beatings as Errol Spence did at the hands of Terence Crawford and while no one should ever take away from a fighter's heart and the courage they show in such circumstances, there comes a point where the corner, who's first responsibility should be to look out for the health and long-term well-being of their fighter, need to protect that fighter from themselves because more often than not, a fighter will keep going for as long as they are allowed to and unfortunately, that can also lead to fighters being seriously hurt. In any case, now the question for Errol Spence will be whether or not he will be the same fighter after suffering such a beating and the first loss of his career. It is a question that cannot be answered right now, but the possibility of this fight in addition to the injuries he has suffered might take something out of him going forward.

As for Terence Crawford, he would appear to be in an ideal position as a promotional free agent and now a two-time undisputed champion. While there is a rematch clause that would entitle Spence to a rematch, it does not appear as though that would be an advisable move based on what occurred in the ring and the likely need for time to recover. Whether or not Spence actually takes time to re-evaluate things may come down to whether those around him truly have his best interest.

 It may be more likely to see Crawford start fulfilling his mandatory title defense obligations from the respective organizations that now comprise the Undisputed Welterweight championship, as is standard after a championship is unified. Who he fights, on which network/platform, and under which promoter remains to be seen. Whatever Crawford does going forward, his future place in any Boxing Hall of Fame is cemented. 

For other fighters throughout the sport however, there is an obvious lesson to take from this. Not only do fighters have more power than they truly realize to make fights happen, but fighters also do not and should not be limited to fighting only fighters under the same promotional banner and if a promoter cannot secure consistent fights for a fighter that will allow that fighter to not only earn income consistently, but to also remain active where they will at least have a chance to be at their competitive best, it is the fighters responsibility to force the issue, even if doing so means taking their talents elsewhere. Ultimately a promoter is supposed to work in the best interest of the fighter, not the other way around.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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

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KSI-Tommy Fury Set For October On DAZN and DAZN Pay-Per-View

Press Release July 31, 2023 By DAZN - KSI and Tommy Fury will go toe to toe in a monumental crossover boxing battle this autumn, live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.

 

Credit: DAZN 

The fierce rivals collide at a mega MF & DAZN: X Series event which lands at the AO Arena in Manchester, on Saturday, October 14, on a night that will go down in history.

Logan Paul will fight in the other half of the double main event, with his opponent to be revealed in the coming days.

 

Security had to pull KSI and Fury apart when they came face-to-face at X Series 007 but this October will see them go at it in the ring proving, once and for all, who is the top dog in the crossover scene.

 

Fury, the unbeaten professional boxer who saw off Jake Paul in his last fight, has vowed to humble KSI.

 

But ‘The Nightmare’ has other ideas with KSI desperate to inflict a first defeat on Fury, showing Jake Paul how it’s done and sending shockwaves through the sport by delivering the biggest win ever seen in this space.

 

KSI said: “I came back to boxing to show the world the crazy levels I’m at. I’ve shown through obliterating all my past opponents that I am the best in this scene.

“KO after KO has now led me to the toughest fight in the influencer boxing scene. I’m fighting Tommy Fury. The man that defeated the once undefeated Jake Paul is now my opponent and I can’t wait to silence all the doubters that believe I have no chance. After this fight, you’ll understand that I truly am that guy.”

 

Tommy Fury said: “I’ve already beaten Jake Paul and so all that is left for me to do is send this man to sleep.  I’ll do that inside four rounds.  This is easy money.”

 

Mams Taylor, Co-President of Misfits Boxing said: “Two juggernauts of the crossover boxing scene collide on October 14.

“KSI has made no secret of his desire to get in the ring with Tommy Fury, inflict his first defeat and do what Jake Paul could not do, and very soon he will get his chance to make a giant statement.

“This will be the Prime card, an unbelievable night of crossover boxing and the best in history, befitting that premium brand.

“And the night is only going to get bigger.  Watch this space.”

 

Kalle Sauerland, Co-President of Misfits Boxing said: “In Manchester, on October 14, Misfits Boxing delivers the mother of all nights in crossover boxing.   This will melt the internet and around the world receive viewing figures the likes of which have never been seen before in this space. Hold onto your hats because this is going be absolutely mind-blowing.”

 

“We are incredibly excited to add another huge event to the DAZN schedule in 2023,” said Joe Markowski, CEO of DAZN North America. “Two of the biggest names in the world of crossover boxing collide in a domestic matchup for the ages. Do not miss this fight. Watch it live worldwide on DAZN and DAZN PPV."

 

 Material and Photo Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

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

 

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

Spence-Crawford: Boxing's Latest SuperFight For Welterweight Supremacy

Boxing's 147lb. Welterweight division has historically been one of the sport's most glamorous divisions full of historic battles featuring some of its biggest stars. Sometimes the term "SuperFight," which this observer only uses when he feels it is truly warranted and not as a mere term for the sole purpose of hype, not only features the top stars in the sport, but also has the rare distinction of bringing resolution to a division such as determining an undisputed world champion. Such a fight will take place on Saturday, July 29th as the two undefeated world champions of the division Errol Spence and Terence Crawford will finally meet to determine the first Undisputed Welterweight champion of the world since 1985 and the first since the inception of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) in 1989. A fight that can be seen on Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States

Quite frankly, one could write a column discussing why it has taken thirty-eight years for the Welterweight division to reach this milestone. For historical reference, in December 1985 Donald Curry scored a brutal second round knockout of Milton McCrory to unify the crowns of the World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). While the title remained undisputed for a time, by 1988, the championship was broken up due largely to the politics that be in the sport, but despite numerous unification bouts having taken place over the last thirty-eight years where portions of the World Welterweight championship were at stake, things could not seem to make it to the finish line to determine an undisputed champion.

Although this observer could spend all day and night talking about the ills of the politics that be in the sport that all too often stand in the way of such progress, it is truly a rarity when two undefeated world champions take a gamble like this for all the marbles. Despite the efforts of some to prevent a fight between Spence and Crawford from happening for whatever interests there may have been, this is an even more rare circumstance where the fight was largely made by the fighters themselves rather than gamesmanship between rival promoters and/or TV and digital streaming networks.

In terms of how the fight might shape up once the fighters are in the ring at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, it is truly an interesting fight between two fighters that seem evenly matched. Both can box and both have the capability to end a fight suddenly with punching power should the opportunity arise. What this encounter might come down to may center on the subject of activity.

The activity in terms of recent time in competition between the two fighters. In that aspect, it is Crawford who holds the edge. Despite being the longest reigning world champion in the Welterweight division, Errol Spence has fought only once in the last three years. While this could be attributed to both injuries he suffered in a horrific car accident in 2019 as well as a retina injury, which caused him to pull out of a scheduled title defense against Manny Pacquiao in August 2021, it may also be attributable to the current state of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, which Spence has fought under for the majority of his career, in that many fighters who have fought under the PBC banner have struggled to get fights on a consistent basis.

Whether it is the injuries he suffered, the state of the PBC, or a combination of all three, Spence is at a disadvantage when it comes to activity as Crawford has averaged one fight per year in the last three years. While not a significant difference in activity, it is important to keep in mind that both due to the politics that be in the sport as well as the economics of it that it is not uncommon for world champions and other fighters on the top level of the sport to average between one and two fights per year depending on what the circumstances might be at a given time. 

It would not surprise this observer however, to see Crawford attempt to apply pressure on Spence from the outset. While both fighters have the capability to end a fight quickly should the opportunity arise and as Crawford demonstrated in his last defense of his WBO crown with a one punch knockout of European Welterweight champion David Avanesyan last December, Crawford has also shown the ability to gradually break opponents down with consistent pressure as well as the ability to swarm his opponents with offense. When he has been able to be active on a consistent basis, Errol Spence has many of the same attributes as Crawford, but the element that Spence has not faced both due to his inactivity as well as against his most recent opponents, has been a fighter that is going to apply the type of pressure that Crawford likely will in this fight.

It will therefore be interesting to see how Spence will respond to being in a fight where he might not be able to dictate the ebb and flow of it and will be under circumstances where he will have to adapt for the first time in a significant period of his career. At least on paper, the comparison between the two fighters seems to tip in favor of Crawford going into this fight when the recent histories of the two as well as the element of Spence having not faced a fighter that will implement the type of pressure that Crawford will attempt are factored into the equation.

Nevertheless, when two undefeated world champions enter the ring with an undisputed world championship on the line there is always the element of suspense because even the most knowledgeable fan, or the most respected members of media who cover the sport, like yours truly, are not quite sure what will happen. Boxing history is filled with so many memorable classic encounters not just in regard to the Welterweight division, but in the entire sport that were thought of as fights that elevated Boxing up to a higher level, whether that level be in terms of prestige or one of exposure that opened the sport up to new eyes that have not previously seen the sport before. While it remains to be seen what this fight will do in regard to exposure with yet another expensive pay-per-view price tag of $84.99 attached, one can only hope that at the very least, this fight will be free from any controversy in the ring and free from any headaches for consumers that have been all too often seeking refunds after events like this due to glitches of the pay-per-view broadcast both on traditional pay-TV as well as streaming providers. It is my hope, despite all the ills in the sport including, but not limited to the pay-per-view model, that at least for one evening the sport of Boxing will get a boost from a marquee event that frankly is long overdue.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Spence vs. Crawford takes place on Saturday, July 29th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight and a three fight undercard can be seen here in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT and will be available through the Showtime app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs as well as the PPV.com app and traditional cable/satellite providers for $84.99. To order through Showtime to access the event through the Showtime app please visit: www.Sho.com/PPV. Or visit www.PPV.com or contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information. 

(*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.

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Darrelle Valsaint Credits Curiosity Of Floyd Mayweather For Boxing Career

 

Press Release July 26, 2023 By ProBox TV - Darrelle Valsaint (8-0, 6 KOs), also known as "Blast," is a middleweight boxing prospect from Orlando, Florida, who fought in the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) for Haiti, and will return July 26th, on the televised portion of ProBoxTV.com's 'Wednesday Night Fights', as he faces Daniel Aduku (15-3-1, 11 KOs).

Credit: ProBox TV

Valsaint, who currently boasts a record of 8-0, with 6 knockouts, will face the toughest opponent of his career. It also signals his first 8 round contest having been a mainstay on the various ProBox TV undercards. The 6′ 1″ southpaw from Orlando, Florida, has no problem switching to orthodox and his known for keeping his opponents thinking. He continues his undefeated march as a prospect on way to becoming a contender if he can get past the more experienced Aduku, as he attempts to announce himself as one of the future stars of the middleweight division. 

Valsaint, who was once a troubled student that led to his expulsion from ten schools, has seen boxing have a transformative effect on his life. As Valsaint watched Floyd Mayweather fight when he stumbled across it on television, he began to have a curiosity toward boxing. That curiosity led to a passion, which gave him a purpose for his life. A common trope in boxing is that often fighters from hard-luck circumstances stemming from poverty and despair often shudder to think where they'd be without boxing - that is the case for Valsaint. As boxing has been his saving grace. Now it appears Valsaint wants to say thank you to the sport that saved him by one day winning a world title.

His nickname "Blast" comes from his explosive and fast style, mirroring a blast of dynamite. As the youngest fighter to compete at the 2020 Olympics, and the man who served as the flag-bearer for Haiti, his goals and expectations are high. 

Valsaint looks to take the next step forward in his already promising and exciting career on Wednesday evening. 

Watch ProBox TV’s Wednesday Night Fights at no cost on Youtube and Facebook. Or sign up for just $1.99 to watch all shows AD-FREE and access other EXCLUSIVE boxing content.

 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 programming, and to subscribe please visit: www.ProBoxTV.com 

 

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

"The Monster" Inoue Becomes Four-Division World Champion By Knocking Out Fulton In 8

 The final week of July 2023 may be a week that will go on to be known as one that changed some of the norms or what are perceived as norms in the sport of Boxing. Perhaps the most significant among them, the best fighters fighting the best without worry of promoter interests or television/streaming network allegiances. While the final week of July 2023 will be headlined by undefeated Welterweight world champions Errol Spence and Terrence Crawford meeting to determine the Undisputed Welterweight championship of the world on July 29th, what could prove to be a landmark week in Boxing history began on Tuesday evening in Japan, Tuesday morning here in the United States as undefeated former three-division world champion Naoya Inoue moved up in weight to challenge undefeated WBO/WBC Jr. Featherweight world champion Stephen Fulton at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.

Despite being the naturally shorter fighter, who was moving up in weight, Inoue dictated how the fight was fought from the opening bell. To the surprise of many however, the noted "Knockout Artist" showed the immaculate ability to be a highly skilled, but also extremely disciplined boxer. What made it particularly surprising to see Inoue implement this strategy was that he did it against one of the best pure boxers in the entire sport in Fulton.

From the opening bell, Inoue established his jab, but did so at varying levels, mixing it to the body and head, while maintaining distance where the champion had difficulty in both getting his punches off and landing consistently. This along with outstanding footwork and timing made it extremely difficult for Fulton, who is normally an elusive boxer that uses lateral movement and consistent offense, to move unless Inoue allowed it. This was the pattern for several rounds as Inoue kept jabbing with consistency, but swarming with short and explosive three and four punch combinations before maintaining distance. 

The challenger put round after round in the bank with this strategy and was seemingly winning every round of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout. As it appeared Inoue was Boxing his way to what would be a convincing unanimous decision victory and perhaps a shutout on the scorecards, the challenger as he has done throughout his career, brought the fight to a sudden and devastating conclusion. In round eight, in the blink of an eye, Inoue connected with a flush overhand right followed by a left hook to the head that knocked Fulton down on his back on the canvas. A clearly hurt world champion, Fulton showed his mettle by getting up from the knockdown, but the seasoned finisher in Inoue, known to his fans as "The Monster" went in for the kill, mercilessly attacking Fulton with a barrage of punches that knocked the champion down into a neutral corner as the fight was being stopped at 1:11 of the eighth round. 

Although Naoya Inoue will forever be known in the eyes of most fans by the knockouts he has been able to compile throughout his career, this was a fight that introduced a new wrinkle to his fight game that arguably makes him even more dangerous. The ability to box tactically, remain disciplined for the entire fight, and just when it seemed as though he was content to get the decision win, he explodes suddenly and ends the fight. Inoue also established himself firmly in the sport’s mythical pound for pound debates.

Prior to this fight, this observer questioned whether or not Inoue, who began his career at 108lbs. would find out that moving up to the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight division would be the moment that he found that he reached the ceiling in terms of how far up he could go up the weight scale and be at his competitive best. Having moved up after conquering the 118lb. Bantamweight division to face the unbeaten Stephen Fulton in his first fight as a Jr. Featherweight and dominating arguably the top fighter in the division before ending the fight via another statement-making knockout, the question now becomes is there a fighter either at Jr. Featherweight or even the 126 lb. Featherweight division that can challenge Inoue in a way where we find out where the ceiling for him might be. Whatever might happen in the future, Naoya Inoue’s status as a future Hall of Famer is more than secure as well as his status as one of the greatest Japanese fighters of all-time. Having become only the twenty-second fighter in Boxing history to win four world championships in four different weight divisions, the Boxing world now waits to see what the next chapter in Inoue’s career might be.

“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 

Kambosos Benefits From Questionable Scoring To Win IBO World Lightweight Championship

The storyline going into the IBO Lightweight world championship bout between defending champion Maxi Hughes and former Undisputed Lightweight champion George Kambosos was whether Kambosos could find a way to bounce back after losing his crown to Devin Haney and suffering a second loss to Haney in an immediate rematch. Two fights where Kambosos was out boxed by the superiorly skilled Haney.

While at the moment that Kambosos' challenge of Hughes on July 22nd in Shawnee, OK, the four world championship that comprise the undisputed championship in the 135lb. Lightweight division remain unified and in Haney's procession, there was also the wrinkle of Hughes, who was making the third defense of the one world championship not in the undisputed Lightweight crown, being treated as an opponent rather than a world champion from the broadcasters broadcasting the bout for sports cable network ESPN and it's streaming network ESPN+ to him being announced first during ring introductions prior to the bout, despite being the defending champion. The latter, while done previously in Boxing history, defies the traditions of the sport where a world champion is normally introduced last prior to a bout beginning. 

What could be seen as disrespectful and perhaps rooted in bias by both the network broadcasting the bout and maybe even Kambosos' new promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc., something that has also been done by television networks and promoters who have vested interests involved previously in the history of the sport, it did not take long for Hughes to show that he was not a mere opponent and that his being a world champion should have been taken seriously. For the majority of the twelve round world championship bout, it was Hughes that dictated how the fight was fought.

Boxing out of the southpaw stance, the pure boxer Hughes used angles, timing, and discipline to manage distance to tactically pick his spots. Hughes was able to do this by taking advantage of openings Kambosos would leave to land short combinations, counterpunch, and evade Kambosos as he came forward. Although this may not have been the most entertaining of fights to watch for those who may have expected more action, for Boxing purists who understand the tactical aspects of the martial art, Hughes put forth a superb performance that should be appreciated because after all, the concept of the sport is to hit and not be hit. While it is difficult to completely avoid being hit over the duration of a fight, and Hughes did take his share of punches including suffering a deep gash as a result of an accidental clash of heads midway through the fight after being able to open a cut over the right eye in the fifth round, the dynamic of the fight never changed with Hughes dictating the combat and getting the better of the action.

At the conclusion of the twelve round world championship bout, this observer did not feel the fight was close as I felt Hughes won ten of the twelve rounds and had him winning 118-110 in points. As clear as this fight appeared to be in terms of scoring, I have covered combat sports long enough to know to never be surprised. One of the three official judges, Judge David Sutherland scored the fight even at six rounds a piece or 114-114 in points. While I obviously did not see things the same way, it was the scorecards of Judges Gerald Ritter and Josef Mason that I really disagreed with. Ritter, who is also a very respected referee in the sport and in particular officiates many bouts held in the state of Oklahoma, turned in a scorecard of 115-113 or seven rounds to five in favor of Kambosos. Mason however, turned in a scorecard of 117-111 or nine rounds to three for Kambosos making him the winner and new world champion via majority decision.

It is important for me to state as a proud Boxing lifer who has covered the sport for most of his life that I am used to seeing controversial decisions on every level the sport has to offer including Amateur, traditional Professional Boxing, and Professional Bareknuckle Boxing. I will go a step further when I say that out of all the Boxing cards/events I might cover in a given calendar year, there will be a healthy portion of bouts that I will feel could have gone the other way in terms of how a fight was scored. This is definitely not the most controversial decision I have ever seen, but I do feel the three judges who scored this fight got it wrong. 

In the interest of objectivity, it is also important to point out that all three of these judges have each judged hundreds of bouts on every level of the sport with judge David Sutherland being the most experienced of the three having judged over eight hundred bouts. As experienced as judges might be, all judges are human beings like the rest of us and not every judge will get it right 100% of the time. While it may be tempting for the Boxing fan to make accusations of corruption, an all too common occurrence seemingly after every significant fight regardless of either the outcome or any perceived credibility of such claims in the age of social media, it is possible that the three judges here simply had a bad night at the office. To put it simply, it happens.

Nevertheless, this was not the type of bounce back victory for the now two-time world champion George Kambosos and before he sets his sights on any other fight, he should do the right thing and give the former champion who proved his credibility, a rematch. It would also be a positive thing for the sport if the network and perhaps even the promoter gave the rematch the respect it deserves as the world championship fight it would be regardless of whatever their vested interests might be.

"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