Brief Update:

We want to let our readers know that new material will be released on Thursday May 21st. Stay tuned.

 “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

Golovkin Scores 20th Consecutive KO In 14th Successful World Title Defense

Undefeated WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin continued his domination of the Middleweight division in scoring a sixth round knockout over WBA number two rated contender Willie Monroe Jr. Saturday night at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The fight began with the champion looking to cut the ring off on Monroe, who attempted to be an elusive target.

Although the challenger used a lot of lateral movement in the first round and attempted to land punches on Golovkin as he came forward and did manage to make the champion miss with some of his offense, he was unable to land anything to discourage Golovkin from pressuring him. Golovkin continued to pressure Monroe in the second round and dropped the challenger with a solid left hook midway through the round. The champion continued to stalk the challenger and dropped Monroe for the second time with a right hand seconds later.

To his credit, Monroe showed his mettle and was very “Game.” As the fight progressed, Monroe began to stand in front of Golovkin more and let his hands go. By using less lateral movement and choosing to rely on his hand speed, Monroe was able to have success landing combinations and periodically snapping the champion’s head back with his offense. This was particularly evident in rounds four and five where Monroe was able to land to the body and head of the champion and hold his own in exchanges with Golovkin.

The champion however, would bring the fight to its conclusion in round six. A right uppercut from Golovkin at the beginning of the round wobbled Monroe and set off a barrage of punches that led to the challenger being knocked down for the third time in the fight. Monroe was able to barely beat the ten count administered by Referee Jack Reiss who informed Monroe that he had just beaten the count as Reiss was verbally indicating that has count had reached ten. Although appearing willing to give Monroe another chance, the challenger responded to Reiss after being asked if he wanted to continue simply saying “I’m done” causing Reiss to immediately stopped the fight.

Official time of the stoppage was :45 of round six. With the win, Golovkin successfully defended his unified World Middleweight championship for the fourteenth time tying Carlos Monzon’s who held the Middleweight championship from 1970-1977. Golovkin’s knockout of Monroe was also the twentieth consecutive knockout for Golovkin.

As has been the case after each Gennady Golovkin title defense, the question remains who can give Golovkin a significant test? Willie Monroe Jr. did prove his status as a legitimate contender in the Middleweight division and was the first fighter to provide some form of resistance to Golovkin after being dropped twice in the second round.

Although some may be tempted to criticize Monroe for saying that he was done after suffering the third knockdown in round six, this observer will not be one of them. Monroe gave everything he had in this fight and has nothing to be ashamed of. Monroe will give many in the Middleweight division a tough fight, but in this observer’s opinion I believe he simply had nothing left to give in this fight and despite the loss, he proved he belonged in the ring with Gennady Golovkin and will likely continue to be a player in the Middleweight division.

As for the champion he stated following the fight that he wants unification in the Middleweight division. This observer has been vocal in expressing my opinion that I believe it’s time for Golovkin to get an opportunity to face fighters who are considered stars of the sport. Much like Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins, Golovkin has gone through everyone that has been placed before him as a challenger to his crown. As was the case with Hagler and Hopkins, each dominated the Middleweight division for a significant period of time before finally getting an opportunity to face fighters who were considered stars in the sport. Once both got the opportunity to go against fighters who were considered not only stars, but also fighters considered to be the best fighters of their era, both Hagler and Hopkins proved their greatness and are rightfully regarded as two of the best Middleweights of all-time.

After fourteen successful title defenses and twenty consecutive knockouts, I believe Golovkin has more than earned his opportunity to show when he can do against some of the marquee stars that the sport has to offer. With potential fights against former Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul Alvarez and current WBC Middleweight world champion Miguel Cotto possibly in Golovkin’s future, it appears that Golovkin may finally get the opportunity to face one of the top stars in the sport.

If however, a fight against either Alvarez or Cotto is not next for Golovkin, there are some interesting options that may be available to him. In terms of further unification of the Middleweight division, possible fights against current WBO champion Andy Lee or the winner of the upcoming fight between top contenders Hassan N’Dam and David Lemieux for the vacant IBF Middleweight world championship could be available to Golovkin.

This observer believes it is more likely that Golovkin will wait for the outcome of the upcoming WBC Middleweight world championship fight between champion Miguel Cotto and former two-time world champion Daniel Geale on June 6th before deciding who he will fight next. We will have to simply wait and see who Golovkin’s opponent will be for title defense number fifteen.

If Golovkin is successful in his fifteenth title defense it will move him into second on the all-time list for successful Middleweight championship defenses behind Bernard Hopkins who successfully defended his title twenty times between 1995-2005. No matter who Golovkin fights next, the Boxing world may be witnessing what could ultimately be a historic championship reign. Whether or not Golovkin will eventually challenge Hopkins’ record remains to be seen.

The Boxing world now awaits the next chapter in the career of Gennady Golovkin.

“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

A Look At Golovkin-Monroe Jr.

Undefeated unified WBA/IBO Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin has been gradually compiling one of the more impressive world championship reigns in the sport of Boxing. Golovkin, who became a world champion in 2010 has compiled thirteen successful title defenses in under five years and has along the way become a unified world champion.

If Golovkin’s string of successful title defenses were not impressive enough, an element that has become a focal point of his reign as champion is his consecutive knockout streak. In addition to his thirteen successful title defenses, Golovkin has also knocked out his last nineteen opponents including such fighters as Gabriel Rosado, Matthew Macklin, Daniel Geale, Curtis Stevens, and Martin Murray.

As Golovkin has continued on what this observer has called a path of destruction through the Middleweight division and has continued to score knockouts, a question that continues to be asked is who will be able to provide the champion with a significant test. In his last fight in February of this year, Golovkin scored an eleventh round knockout over a very “Game” Martin Murray.

Although Murray was able to extend the champion into the eleventh round for the first time in his career, he was unable to discourage Golovkin and as the fight progressed the champion systematically administered a beating to Murray before the fight was stopped. As Golovkin has continued to successfully defend his title, a recurring statement this observer has said is I believe that it is time for Golovkin to face fighters who are considered top stars.

An interesting storyline may be taking shape as former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul Alvarez expressed interest last week following his victory over James Kirkland of possibly moving up in weight to the 160lb. Middleweight division to face either current WBC champion Miguel Cotto or unified champion Golovkin. A fight between Golovkin against either Alvarez or Cotto would not only be extremely lucrative for all involved, but would also provide Golovkin with a marquee opponent.

Before a possible encounter against either Alvarez or Cotto can be discussed however, Golovkin will make the fourteenth defense of his world title on Saturday, May 16th against number two rated WBA Middleweight contender Willie Monroe Jr. at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Monroe, a veteran of twenty professional fights will enter this fight on a nine fight winning streak.

In his last fight in January of this year, Monroe scored a ten round unanimous decision over longtime contender Brian Vera. Monroe used his lateral movement, hand speed, and combination punching to outbox Vera en route to a convincing decision victory.

It is logical to assume that Monroe, who has only six knockouts in his nineteen career victories will look to box Golovkin from the outset. Golovkin however, has shown in the past that he can apply consistent pressure even against fighters who are known for their Boxing ability and ability to throw punches in volume as he did against former two-time Middleweight world champion Daniel Geale in July of last year.

Geale, a fighter known for his ability to use lateral movement and throw his punches at a high volume was unable to nullify Golovkin’s pressure. Geale’s best moment of the fight came just prior to being knocked out by Golovkin when he was able to land a flush right hand on the champion’s face, before Golovkin’s own right hand landed on Geale sending him down to the canvas and subsequently ending the fight.

The question in this fight in my eyes will be whether or not Monroe can establish himself as an elusive target and be able to avoid Golovkin’s pressure and power punches for a full twelve rounds. The statistics are not in Monroe’s favor as Golovkin has scored knockouts of twenty-nine of his thirty-two opponents registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 91%.

Although the odds and statistics would seem to favor the champion in this fight, it will be interesting to see if Golovkin looks for a knockout early in this fight, having knocked out his last nineteen opponents. If however, Golovkin is looking past Monroe toward the lucrative fights that may await him should he win this fight, the stage may be set for an upset.

As thirteen previous challengers to Golovkin’s crown have found out however, defeating a fighter with a seek and destroy mentality has thus far been a task that has been easier said than done. Whether Willie Monroe Jr. can provide a significant test for Gennady Golovkin remains to be seen.

What is also at stake for the champion beyond the potential big money fights against Alvarez or Cotto is also the potential of Golovkin eventually challenging the all-time record for successful Middleweight title defenses, which was set by Bernard Hopkins who defended his Middleweight world championship twenty times from 1995-2005. Golovkin now prepares for title defense number fourteen and if successful, he would tie Carlos Monzon’s mark of fourteen successful defenses.

We will see what happens on Saturday night.

“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 

 

Examining The Potential Options For Saul Alvarez At 154lbs. And 160lbs.

The fight between former WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion Saul Alvarez and Jr. Middleweight contender James Kirkland had all the ingredients on paper of an action-packed fight. Although sometimes an actual fight may not always produce an all action battle that it might appear would be the case prior to the fight, this bout more than lived up to its anticipation when Alvarez and Kirkland met on May 9th at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.

This fight can best be described as simply a “Shootout.” From the opening bell the two fighters engaged in a toe to toe battle. Although Kirkland was initially the more aggressive of the two fighters, it was Alvarez who would drop Kirkland with a flush straight right hand in the first round. Kirkland was able to survive the round and continued to battle with Alvarez.

Although Kirkland showed his mettle and was very “Game” he did not have an answer to avoid Alvarez’ well-balanced attack to the body and head. Despite taking significant punishment, Kirkland continued to press forward and attempted to turn the fight in his favor. Alvarez however, would have other plans. The “Shootout at Minute Maid Park” would come to a sudden and brutal conclusion in round three.

Alvarez would drop Kirkland for the second time with a right uppercut. As was the case in the first round, Kirkland was able to get up from the second knockdown. Alvarez however, would close the show seconds later dropping Kirkland for a third and final time with a right hand to the chin sending Kirkland down on his back on the canvas. The bout was immediately stopped by Referee Jon Schorle at 2:19 of round three.

This fight simply lived up to every expectation and gave the over thirty thousand fans in attendance their money’s worth in what will likely be a fight of the year candidate. As this observer stated prior to this fight, this was an important fight for both fighters, which could have an impact on who may get an opportunity to fight for a vacated world title down the line following Floyd Mayweather’s recent announcement that he is relinquishing the world titles he currently holds in both the Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight divisions.

This will open a gap in each division as Mayweather currently holds the WBC and WBA world titles in the Jr. Middleweight division, as well as the WBC, WBA, and WBO titles in the Welterweight division. What this might mean for Saul Alvarez, who is rated number one and number two respectively in the WBC and WBA Jr. Middleweight ratings is he might be in position to fight for either title in his next fight.

Although it is unclear as of this writing as to what the WBC or WBA plan to mandate to fill the vacancy of each title, one might assume that a potential rematch could be ordered by the WBA between Alvarez and Erislandy Lara, who currently holds interim/regular champion status in the WBA’s Jr. Middleweight ratings.

Lara however, is scheduled to face Jr. Middleweight contender Delvin Rodriguez on June 12th. Whether or not Lara and Rodriguez will be fighting for a vacated WBA Jr. Middleweight world championship remains to be seen. One could assume however, that the winner could be mandated to face Alvarez in their next fight.

There are also other possibilities for Saul Alvarez outside of the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division. Following his victory over Kirkland, Alvarez expressed interest in possibly moving up in weight to the 160lb. Middleweight division to face either current WBC champion Miguel Cotto or undefeated unified WBA/IBO champion Gennady Golovkin.

A fight between Alvarez against either Cotto or Golovkin would likely be extremely lucrative for all involved and a significant pay-per-view draw. Both Golovkin and Cotto however, have business to attend to as Golovkin will make the fourteenth defense of his world title this weekend against top contender Willie Monroe Jr. Cotto meanwhile will make the first defense of his WBC world title against former two-time Middleweight world champion Daniel Geale on June 6th.

If Golovkin, Cotto, and Lara are all successful in their upcoming bouts it could open up some interesting possibilities for Alvarez over the next year as all three could be and perhaps should be future opponents. One thing however, is definitely clear. Saul Alvarez is a legitimate star in the sport of Boxing and no matter who he fights next it will likely be a hot ticket.

“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 

 

What’s Next For Amir Mansour Following Decision Win Over Dawejko?

On May 8th the story of forty-two year old rising Heavyweight contender Amir Mansour continued as he faced Joey Dawejko at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although Mansour has earned a reputation as a “Knockout Artist” having scored sixteen knockouts in twenty-one career victories prior to facing Dawejko, Mansour showed in this fight that he is more than a fighter with punching power.

In what was a tactical fight Mansour overcame a cut over the right eye in the second round as a result of an accidental clash of heads to outwork Dawejko over the course of ten rounds to win a convincing unanimous decision. What impressed me about Mansour’s performance was the measured way in which he fought Dawejko.

There were several rounds in this fight where neither fighter was able to stand out from the other. The difference in this observer’s eyes however, was Mansour’s ability to stay busy throughout this fight, particularly during rounds that could have been scored either way and this was what allowed him to win rounds. Although Dawejko, who also suffered a cut over his left eye as a result of an accidental clash of heads in round three, was able to have his moments periodically in this fight, he was simply not able to be busy enough to win rounds.

The win for Mansour, his second victory since losing a hard fought decision to former Cruiserweight world champion and current Heavyweight contender Steve Cunningham in April of last year, earned him the Pennsylvania State Heavyweight title. An interesting question coming out of this fight is what is next for Amir Mansour?

An important thing to keep in mind after all is that Mansour is forty-two years old and one could assume that Mansour would want to face a fighter that would present an opportunity for him to get into the top ten of any of the sport’s world sanctioning organizations as quickly as possible. Of course, the goal of any Heavyweight contender is to ultimately secure an opportunity to face either of the two division’s world champions Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder.

Although Mansour is known for his punching power, he has also shown that he has Boxing ability not only in his fight against Joey Dawejko, but also in his fight against Maurice Harris in 2013. It is also important to remember that Mansour’s loss to Cunningham last year was the only loss of his career. 

What will be interesting to this observer is whether or not Mansour might face someone who is rated in the top ten in his next fight, or if he will face a fighter who one might argue is at a similar stage in their career before facing a top ten contender. Fighters such as Chazz Witherspoon and Travis Kauffman could each provide an interesting challenge for Mansour.

Much like Mansour, both Witherspoon and Kauffman have an ability to end a fight early. Witherspoon has scored twenty-five knockouts in thirty-three career victories registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 70%. Kauffman meanwhile, has scored twenty knockouts in twenty-eight career victories, also registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 70%.

Witherspoon has won his last three fights, all by knockout and in his last fight scored a fifth round stoppage of Galen Brown on April 18th. Kauffman has been undefeated since suffering the only loss of his career, a knockout at the hands of Tony Grano in 2009. Kauffman has won his last ten fights, scoring knockouts in five of those bouts. In his last fight, Kauffman scored a ten round unanimous decision over Vincent Thompson in January of last year.

If a fight with either Witherspoon or Kauffman against Mansour can be made it may provide the winner with an opportunity to face someone in the top ten. If Mansour is looking to face someone in the top ten in his next fight however, I believe an option that could be considered might be a rematch with Steve Cunningham.

The fight between Mansour and Cunningham was after all one of the best Heavyweight fights of 2014. It was a grueling fight that could have gone either way and I believe a rematch between might be the best option for both at this stage in their respective careers. Cunningham, who is currently rated number six by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and number fourteen by the World Boxing Organization (WBO) lost a close twelve round unanimous decision to current IBF number one contender Vyacheslav Glazkov on March 14^th. Many observers, including this one felt that Cunningham deserved the decision.

A rematch with Cunningham for Mansour would offer an opportunity to potentially catapult himself into the top ten where he could find himself in position to challenge for a world title. A rematch with Mansour for Cunningham, meanwhile might offer him an opportunity should he be successful to maintain his ranking and potentially secure rematch with Glazkov down the line or to be able to challenge for a world title himself.

Whomever Amir Mansour will fight next is anyone’s guess, but I believe the most important thing for him is to stay active. If Mansour can stay active and continues to win, a storyline of a fighter who established himself as a rising contender over the age of forty fighting for a World Heavyweight championship may become a reality.

“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