The
main story that has surrounded Boxing’s Heavyweight division has been the
dominance of the division’s two world champions. Two world champions that are
both known “Knockout Artists “ and two fighters that happen to be undefeated.
As each fighter has continued to hold onto their respective portions of the
World Heavyweight championship, anticipation has naturally been building for
what is viewed as an eventual showdown to determine an Undisputed World
Heavyweight champion.
While
the division’s two world champions Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are no
closer at least at the moment to signing an eventual clash, both fighters
continue to focus their attention on other opposition. Following a close split
decision draw against undefeated former Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury
last December, Deontay Wilder made the ninth defense of his World Boxing
Council (WBC) World Heavyweight championship against mandatory WBC challenger
Dominic Breazeale on May 18th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,
NY.
An
encounter between two former United States Olympians who do not like each
other. The fight however, was over before it could really begin. A flush
overhead right to the jaw sent Breazeale
down and out at just 2:17 of the first round. Frankly, there is not much one
can write about a one punch knockout, but Wilder’s fortieth knockout in
forty-one professional fights was as good an example as any of not just the
punching power Wilder possesses, but of how sometimes all a fighter needs is
one punch to end a fight.
It
was a knockout however, that followed a week of controversial comments made by
the world champion regarding among other things how he in his words wanted a
body on his record. Referring to the potential of an opponent dying at his
hands. I did not comment on this in previewing this fight because I was trying
to determine whether those comments by Wilder directed towards Breazeale was in
a way a tactic to promote the fight and to draw interest in the bout or whether
it was an indication of the bad blood between the two fighters and more specifically
how I would address it.
While
I cannot answer that question, I can offer my thoughts on the comments. It goes
without saying that Boxing like all combat sports have a risk factor attached
to it. Although all combat sports have a skilled art form attached to it as
well and such skills can be beautiful and enjoyable to watch, no fighter should
ever make references to wanting to potentially kill their opponent regardless
of the reasoning.
Boxing
history has several tragedies where a fighter has died as a result of injuries
sustained during a fight written in its book. While all of those tragedies can
be described as accidents where more often than not, the end result came as a
result of a fight being allowed to go on longer than it should have, if one
looks at the fighters who have had to deal with such tragedies of having to
deal with the death of an opponent as a result of a fight they competed in,
each fighter carries or carried scars and grief over what took place for the
rest of their lives.
Although
I don’t want to compile a list of tragedies for the reader or for Wilder
himself because there will always be one too many, I will offer this memory. I
have been writing about and covering Boxing as well as other combat sports for
most of my life. In over two decades covering Boxing, I have unfortunately
covered a death that came as a result of injuries suffered in a fight. I am
referring to the Septemer 2005 encounter between Leavander Johnson and Jesus
Chavez.
A
fight that Chavez gradually dominated and one that saw Johnson sustain
significant punishment throughout. The fight was stopped in the eleventh round,
but as someone who covered that fight I have always felt that it should have
been stopped earlier. As some Boxing fans may remember, Johnson collapsed in
his dressing room shortly after the fight and was rushed to a nearby hospital
where he unfortunate died days later from injuries sustained in that fight.
Although
that tragedy remains the only one that I have had to cover in regard to Boxing
since I began writing about the sport in the mid-1990’s, it is still one
tragedy too many. Chavez like fighters before him who had suffered similar
circumstances continued on with his career, but was never the same after that
fight.
Even
though some may view Deontay Wilder’s comments prior to his knockout of Dominic
Breazeale as simply a fighter looking to generate publicity and draw interest,
I feel he went too far. Deontay Wilder has the potential to go down in history
as one of the all-time great Heavyweights and it would be a shame in this
observer’s view if he were to be remembered more for comments like that than
for his accomplishments inside the ring. Thankfully beyond a fighter suffering
a knockout loss, no such tragedy was inflicted upon the sport when Deontay
Wilder retained his portion of the World Heavyweight championship over Dominic
Breazeale.
As
always seems to be the case following a successful title defense, the question
is what’s next? Obviously, yours truly would like to see a fight between Wilder
and Anthony Joshua to determine an Undisputed World Heavyweight champion.
Whether or not that fight will happen in the near future depends on a couple of
key elements.
First
and foremost, Joshua is scheduled to defend his IBF/WBA/IBO/WBO Heavyweight world
championship on June 1st against top contender and former world title
challenger Andy Ruiz. If Joshua retains his crown against Ruiz, the subject of
potential mandatory title defense obligations comes into play as well as
another key element that unfortunately plays just as much a role in determining
when major fights like an undisputed world championship bout takes place.
Whether or not competing network platforms and rival promoters will allow it to
happen.
Through
the years in both online and print medium readers have become accustomed to me
not only discussing the “Business of Boxing” and what goes into it, but have
also seen me be quite critical when necessary with regard to elements of the “Business
of Boxing” standing in the way of things that would be to the long-term benefit
of “The Sport of Boxing.”
Although
I don’t want to spend too much time discussing how one of the key topics
leading up to Deontay Wilder’s fight against Dominic Breazeale was not
necessarily about the fight itself, but about how Wilder turned down a
lucrative contract offer from digital sports streaming network DAZN, which
would have put him on the same platform as Anthony Joshua, but it is necessary.
Wilder instead chose to remain with Showtime and the Premier Boxing Champions
banner.
While
this certainly does not mean that Wilder will not be seen on DAZN at some point
in the future, it does present an obstacle in a potential fight between the two
unbeaten Heavyweight world champions from being made due to competing platforms
and rival promoters. It is no secret and should be none to longtime readers
that I have been and will continue to be very vocal in my support of the sport
going in a direction of direct to consumer subscription-based digital streaming
as compared to the pay-per-view model.
In
this instance, we have one platform DAZN that is focused on the future and has
frankly put out a more consistent flow of what one would consider “Pay-Per-View
Quality” content as compared to many recent pay-per-view attractions for a more
economically reasonable price. On the other hand, there is Showtime, which now
stands alone as the only premium cable network in the United States still
involved regularly in the sport following HBO’s decision to exit Boxing at the
end of 2018. While Showtime also has established consistency in putting out
quality cards for its viewers, it still relies on the pay-per-view model for
its biggest fights. This creates an obvious roadblock in a potential fight
being made as one platform has proven it does not need pay-per-view to be
successful, but the other still sees it as profitable.
Without
going into all the elements that could factor into such negotiations, this is a
scenario that has led to some significant fights in Boxing history being
delayed and ultimately leaving the Boxing fan feeling disappointed when a major
fight finally does occur. The most recent example of this was the May 2015
encounter between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. A fight that was a co-production
pay-per-view main event between Showtime and HBO, but one where consumers were
asked to pay $100 to see the broadcast.
A
consistent criticism that Yours truly here’s on occasion with regard to the
sport is how the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tends to put on fights that
fans want to see in a more timely manner than happens in Boxing. Although I do
not want to get on a debate regarding that subject as MMA like Boxing also has
its flaws, it is clear that when a fan is asked to spend that kind of money on
a card where the main event under delivers, it turns people off. This is one
reason among many why I am supportive of a digital subscription-based model as
compared to pay-per-view for the simple reason that a consumer receives more
content in one month than they do paying significantly more for one card on a
per card basis.
We
will have to see what the future holds for Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua,
but this observer hopes that for once what is good for the sport and more
specifically the fighters takes priority over the interests of others who can,
but hopefully won’t stand in the way of a major fight like this from happening.
If a potential fight between Wilder and Joshua does take place and the Boxing
fan does not have to pay an inflated fee to see it, even better.
“And
That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The
Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Press
Release: May 27, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Pinoy Bantamweight prospect Ben
Mananquil drops to (W14 KO4 L2 D3) as he suffers an upset loss in the hands of
Yuki Kobayashi, now (W15 KO9 L8 D0) and the new WBO Asia Pacific Bantamweight
champion. The fight was competitive all throughout but Mananquil appeared to
have an injured thus changing the tempo of the fight. Kobayashi became the
aggressor as he smelled blood and finally cornered Mananquil in the tenth
round.
