Munguia-O’Sullivan Final Presser Quotes

Press Release: By DAZN – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. (Jan. 9, 2020): Jaime Munguia (34-0, 27 KOs) and Gary O'Sullivan (30-3, 21 KOs) hosted their final press conference today at The Alamodome ahead of their 12-round fight for the WBO International Middleweight Title. The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas and will be streamed live on DAZN. 

Credit:Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions 

Below is what today's participants had to say at the press conference:

JAIME MUNGUIA, Middleweight Contender:

"Thank you all for joining us. Thank you, Golden Boy, Zanfer, DAZN and my entire team. I want to tell you all I'm happy and motivated and at this new division. This is something new for me and my team. It is a great division with a lot of great fighters like Gary O'Sullivan. I'm excited for that's because at 160 we will have big challenges, we will have big fights and we will deliver great fights to all the people."

"I want to tell all that we had a great preparation. We prep at 100% keeping in mind that we want to give a great fight and a great show. And I want to tell you all to join us on this great fight."

"God willing after this, we will look for world titles at 160 pounds for the people that follow me. Thank you."

GARY "SPIKE" O'SULLIVAN, Middleweight Contender:

"Thank you everyone at the Alamodome stadium. It is fantastic to be here again, I want to take thank Golden Boy, Murphy's Boxing, Zanfer Boxing, Team Munguia, and everyone for being here today."

"I look forward to coming here Saturday night. I'm not under no illusion that Jaime is a great fighter, but he should be under no illusion that I've prepared really hard for this fight. I made a lot of sacrifices. I recently bought my first home for my family, and I was looking forward to spending Christmas with my family at my new home, but I made a lot of sacrifices and I remained in training camp for the holidays."

"Is nothing personal, I really like Jaime, he is a very good guy, very pleasant guy. I wish him good health and good luck in his life, but on Saturday night I'm coming for war, I'm coming to win. And I look forward to putting a great show."

ERIK "EL TERRIBLE" MORALES, Hall of Famer and Trainer of Jaime Munguia: 

"I'm convinced that Jaime Munguia at 160 pounds will be a great fighter. He has come to this fight after a great training with a lot of strength and speed. No doubt it would a good fight and I'm sure that Jaime has the energy and the strength to fight at the highest levels in a style that is pleasing to the fans because he has the talent and the heart. Jaime has grown a lot as a boxer. It's going to be a big fight and I want to invite everyone to be part of this big night of boxing." 

PASCHAL "PACKY" COLLINS, Trainer of Gary O'Sullivan:

"Hello everybody here in San Antonio. I want to thank Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, Eric Gomez, DAZN, and the people from San Antonio for giving us the opportunity to be part of this event." 

"I've been managing Spike throughout his whole career and I know of what he's capable of doing. This is the one fight we've been looking for; against Jaime Munguia. Spike literally moved to middleweight to try to get this fight."

"No disrespect to Munguia. He's a great fighter as many Mexican fighters. Munguia has had his world title for a couple of defenses now and Spike still doesn't have that kind of title, that's something that he has been training his whole life for. Spike is a hungry fighter, he is a hard-hitting fighter. Jaime is a young guy, he makes mistakes as a young fighter and we are going to capitalize on that. When the opportunity arrives, he will land his shots and we will find out then how great of a fighter Jaime is. I believe is Spike's destiny to win Saturday night."

FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN, WBC & WBO Super Middleweight World Champion:

"Excuse my French, but you aren't taking shit from me. I'm blessed to be in this position. I feel like Cinderella. Golden Boy gave me the opportunity to fight for a world title in 2018 and I was victorious, and as you can see my story keeps unraveling in front of you."

"Boxing isn't about weight lose and shout out to my opponent. That's an amazing feat to lose that amount of weight to compete for her goals, but unfortunately, that road is going to stop here with me because I've had to fight my whole life. Before I got signed with Golden Boy, I was sleeping at a Casino just trying to get a meeting to get signed with Golden Boy."

"After my opponent tried to bullet me at the WBC Cancun Convention by my blowing me a kiss and being disrespectful to my team, there is definitely some unfinished business that needs to be settled. I just want to make sure that when I step on the ring, I represent not only myself and my team, but I represent women's boxing as it continues to grow."

"I'm very blessed to be one of the new age pioneers of the sport and being able to be showcased in networks like DAZN. I have a great opening for you because I'm an entertainer. I know you see the shades, I know you see the glam, but when you take all of that away, you see a warrior, you see a woman that wakes up at 6 a.m. and doesn't sleep until 11 p.m. to get the job done. I worked 3 jobs, competed on elite levels, took care of a sick mom for 12 years to go for my dream. So, this is nothing but a pitstop to being undisputed."

ALEJANDRA JIMENEZ, Super Middleweight Contender:

"Good afternoon everybody, you don't know what it means to me to be here with you all. Not only because of boxing but to demonstrate the world that everything that you set up your mind on, you can accomplish with hard work and commitment."

"When I started as a fighter, they told me I couldn't be a boxer because there were few opponents on the heavyweight division, however, I decided to initiate my professional career. And in my fifth fight, I became a world champion on that division by becoming the first Mexican female fighter to win a heavy world title. Today, 66 kilos less, I'm going to fight for a world title at super middleweight."

"I've always wanted to come down from my division and fight the champion on the super middleweight division. I know Franchon is going to be a tough opponent. She's the number 1 in her division, but after this fight, I'm going to be number 1."

"Thank you, Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy, DAZN, my team, my family, Pepe Gomez, my trainer, my nutritionist for the support throughout this whole experience. Remember everything is possible if you really work hard for it. This Saturday, Mexico is going to take back a world champion and we're always going to come back here and fight for those world titles on behalf of Mexico."

HECTOR TANAJARA JR., USNBC Lightweight Champion:

"Thank you for coming out. I remember been in the same building since I started boxing. I'd like to thank Golden Boy and DAZN for letting me be part of this opportunity."

"I'm excited to fight. I know this is going to be a tough opponent, but I'll try to give it all for my family and fans."

JOSHUA FRANCO, Flyweight Contender:

"Thank you, Golden Boy, for giving me the opportunity to put up a show in front of all my fans, supporters and my family. You don't want to miss it; I'm feeling hungry. I'm feeling strong and it's going to be an exciting fight for as long as it lasts."

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy:

"It gives me great joy to be back here in this beautiful place and in this beautiful arena. This beautiful city brings back a lot of memories that over the years we have accumulated. We have been able to present to you some amazing fights that made us proud to put together. This is not an exception. Mexican star, Jaime Munguia, who is one of the best and top raising stars from Mexico. Then you have the Irish contender Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan who is a fighter that has no quit in him, a fighter who is a people's champion. When you see this fighter fight, you will see why."

"Golden Boy is kicking off the new year with a great night of actions. We are very proud to be putting this whole card together for well-educated Texas' fans, who know their boxing, who know their fight game, and who expect the very best."

"I'm very proud to be announcing that this fight here is promoted in association with Zanfer Promotions, and Murphy's Boxing. Jaime Munguia is becoming one of the biggest fighters, not only in Mexico but in the world. He has a great record, he is jumping up to the middleweight division, which as you know you have the biggest star in boxing today, Canelo Alvarez. There is a lot of opportunity for the winners on Saturday night. The winner takes all, the winner not only takes the prize home of becoming the best that night, but the winner is going to take that prize and get in line to fight fighters like Canelo Alvarez, fighters like the Charlo twins. It is a very important night, not only for Texas boxing, not only for Golden Boy boxing, not only for the fighters but for their legacy. We strongly feel that when you put Mexico versus Ireland is going to be a war. We are thrilled that we can put this together for all you here in Texas."

"We are proud to have a partner who will be streaming this fight live all over the world. The fighting destination in boxing is DAZN, where you can watch the best fights, the biggest stars like Canelo, like Joshua who just fought against Andy Ruiz. You can watch Jaime Munguia fight against Gary O'Sullivan only on DAZN. The great thing about DAZN is that you don't have to pay the pay per view price tag. For a fraction of the cost, you can watch more than 100 fights a year on DAZN."

BERNARD HOPKINS, Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Business Partner:

"It is a great place for boxing because of history. I'm excited not only for the main event, but also for the co-main event. We have two women who are representing boxing, which has been known for years, decades, as a man's sport. We all agree that has changed. 

"The co-main wants to be the undisputed. I know a little bit about being undisputed; it's very beautiful for anybody that has been in that situation. To all the fighters, this is the best opportunity to start 2020. Make it a good one; people want to see you again."

JUAN CARLOS TORRES, Zanfer Promotions:

"Happy New Year to everybody, I'm very excited about this fight. Thanks to Oscar De La Hoya, Eric Gomez, Golden Boy, Tecate and the people from San Antonio for all of their attention during all these years." 

"Both fighters, Munguia and Spike, are made to fight each other. Every time we see fighters that like each other and respect their fighting styles, we know there will be war. We know that Sullivan is a great fighter; a very focused and committed one." 

"Jaime always brings his 100% to the ring. We're very proud of him. We hope to have the success Bernard had in this weight class. We have seen Jaime progress every time. His last fight was his first fight with Eric Morales as his trainer and he has definitely made some defensive adjustments for Jaime, but now almost a year after that fight, we are confident that Jaime is prepared and will be showing a lot of different skills particularly defensive skills." 

"For all the people that are going to be there, we hope that you can subscribe to DAZN because you don't want to miss any fight. Good luck and happy to see you all there on Saturday."

PEPE GOMEZ, CEO of Cancun Boxing:

"Thank you, Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, Zanfer Promotions and DAZN. In Cancun Boxing we do not come to play boxing, in Cancun Boxing we come to get the world titles; the titles from the World Boxing Council who right now have the champion Franchon and take them to Cancun."

Munguia vs. O'Sullivan is a 12-round fight for the WBO International Middleweight Title presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions and Murphy's Boxing. The event is sponsored by Tecate "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF BOXING" and Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle." The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Munguia vs. O'Sullivan are on sale and are priced at $25, $40, $65, $100, and $200, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketsmaster.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at The Alamodome box office, which is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm C.T. and Saturdays and Sundays when events are taking place at The Alamodome.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and 

https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaOSullivan

Material Courtesy of DAZN/Photo Courtesy of:Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions Used with permission.

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

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

MUNGUIA VS. O'SULLIVAN SAN ANTONIO MEDIA WORKOUTS: QUOTES

Press Release: By DAZN – SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 7, 2020): Jaime Munguia (34-0, 27 KOs) and Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan (30-3, 21 KOs) hosted media workouts yesterday and today at Boxers and Brawlers Boxing Club ahead of their 12-round middleweight fight taking place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Credit:Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos 

Undercard fighters participating included Franchon Crews-Dezurn (6-1, 2 KOs), Hector Tanajara Jr. (18-0, 5 KOs), Joshua Franco (15-1-2, 7 KOs), Tristan Kalkreuth (3-0, 2 KOs), George Rincon (9-0, 6 KOs), Hector Valdez (11-0, 7 KOs) and James Wilkins (8-1, 6 KOs).

Below are what the fighters and trainers had to say at the workouts:

JAIME MUNGUIA, Middleweight Contender:

"Gary O'Sullivan comes with a strong desire to win and a strong mentality, which will make for a tougher fight. He's a high-level fighter with a lot of experience. Fighting against him in my first fight at middleweight is a great opportunity to get a lot of experience." 

"He's very strong and has a strong right hand, so we have to be careful. He's a fighter that goes forward and throws punches very fast. He'll suddenly explode with fast combinations, so we have to make sure we're aware of that with my guard up."

On having Erik Morales on his team:

"It's always good to have someone with a lot of experience in your corner. Morales was in a lot of great fights with some of the best fighters in the world, so it's always good to have someone like him on my team. He's not trying to change my style. I'm going to keep my style, but we've also been working on my defense, speed, and knowing when to throw punches."

On his move to middleweight:

"The move to middleweight has its benefits because I don't have to lose as much weight. I feel good at this weight. I feel stronger. The plan is to one day fight for a world title in this division. But right now we are concentrated on the fight we have in front of us."

ERIK "EL TERRIBLE" MORALES, Hall of Famer and Trainer of Jaime Munguia:

"We're working on Munguia's technique more than anything. Munguia is a very responsible fighter. He has lots of energy and loves to work. He also wants to learn. That was one of the conditions I had before starting with him. I wanted to make sure that he wanted to learn, and he has shown that he is ready and willing to learn what I have to teach him."

GARY 'SPIKE' O'SULLIVAN, Middleweight Contender:

"I'm ready for war. Jaime Munguia is an undefeated champion and he's also young. He has become a great Mexican warrior and I expect nothing less from him. I truly respect him, and I know he respects me as well. Hopefully we're going to be able to put on a great fight for the audience on Saturday. I believe I have the ability to beat anybody and always come up with a win. It's all about your mindset"

Credit: Tom Hogan/ Hogan Photos 

"I come prepared. I'm a hard worker and I'm going to show it off on Saturday night. Whenever I'm fighting, I try to put my heart on it. This is no different for me. I've received great support from my team, and I respect their time and their sacrifices."

"I'm excited to be in San Antonio once again. I didn't have the opportunity to get around the city the last time I came. So far, I think it is a beautiful place. I had the chance to visit The Alamodome stadium last night and I'm expecting to see much more this time."

FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN, WBC & WBO Super Middleweight World Champion:

"Training camp has been amazing; my team has been amazing. My husband has been my constant partner. I'm feeling good; I'm peaking at the right time."

"I want my opponent to come in confident, I want her to bring her best because I'm going to bring my best. One of my gifts is being able to adapt and I'm going to adapt to whatever is in front of me. I hope she underestimates me because I'm going to make her eat every word she ever said about me. I'm at a better place than I was three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, and I'm living in the moment. And I don't mix personal with business. I'm going to put up a show and she is going to get beaten." 

"I just want to say thank you to my fans for the support, thank you for the messages. The world is in a crazy place right now, so take your mind off of that and enjoy a good show because I'm going to fight for you. Saturday night I'm going to fight for the world"

HECTOR TANAJARA JR., USNBC Lightweight Champion:

"I'm excited to be back in my hometown and see a lot of familiar faces. It makes me feel more relaxed and motivated to come out victorious on Saturday. Staying with my family in my hometown helps me a lot to stay focused and grounded. My dad has been a great support for me. He's has helped me to keep everything one step at a time. I'm excited to show him and my hometown what I can do, especially with a high-caliber fighter."

"My goal is to become a complete fighter. Burgos is a very tough opponent. He has had multiple great fights in the past. He's a high-level boxer and my level just goes up higher when I'm fighting against opponents like him. I'm ready to show the world what I can give on the ring and that I'm going to fight my fight and not his fight."

JOSHUA FRANCO, Flyweight Contender:

"I feel very excited. I finally have the chance to put on a show in front of my hometown. It's a great feeling. Being able to represent my town and feeling that great support coming from my own people."

"I had a strong training camp, but I feel really solid. I'm just ready to get on the ring and fight. I have a tough opponent on Saturday. He's a good boxer; he comes with everything. He only has two losses, so this means he's going into the ring with a very positive and strong mindset and I know he won't just give up the fight."

TRISTAN KALKREUTH, Light Heavyweight Prospect:

"I feel great for this fight. I pushed myself through every training camp as hard as I could. There's always room to work harder and I feel that's what I did on this camp. I feel slim and strong."

"It's definitely going to be a hard fight since my opponent is 6'7, but I believe I'm ready to give it all on the ring and fight. It's going to be a great experience and an opportunity to learn more. As a professional boxer, I hope to continue learning from other great boxers like Canelo. Just keep the hard work going."

GEORGE RINCON, Super Lightweight Prospect:

"I'm feeling good, ready and focused for fight night. I'm looking forward to this upcoming fight and to start the year strong. I've been working hard on keeping the basics going, so I'm ready to box and do my thing. I have to be patient and make sure I look good and show my talent. That's the plan, to start this year strong and show what I can do. Once I find that timing and my rhythm going, it will be a short night."

"We have some tough fighters here in Texas. Little by little Texas is getting more attention and hopefully, you'll remember the Rincon Brothers as part of boxing history here. We are part of the major talent we have here in the state."

HECTOR VALDEZ, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

"I feel excited and comfortable for the fight. I had a good training camp; my coach is one of the best coaches. I also had a camp at the RGBA with Vergil by my side. I feel strong, good and I'm ready to fight."

"This fight is going to be a good learning experience for me. I want to go into the later rounds and see what I can overcome. If there's an opportunity to take a good shot, I'll take it."

JAMES WILKINS, Super Featherweight Prospect:

"Training camp was great. This is my second camp in Texas, and I love the atmosphere. I'm from New York, so I love the vibe here in Texas. I've been preparing good with coach Roger, and I have been working hard on my strength and conditioning too."

"For fight night, I'm looking forward to fighting and be smart and be intelligent, and if the knockout comes, I'll get him out of there. This is boxing, so I don't sleep on nobody, I take everything seriously and I know when the opportunity presents itself, I will take my opponent out of the ring."

Munguia vs. O'Sullivan is a 12-round middleweight fight presented by Golden Boy in association with Zanfer Promotions and Murphy's Boxing. The event is sponsored by Hennessy "Never Stop. Never Settle." The event will take place Saturday, Jan. 11 at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX and will be streamed live exclusively on DAZN. 

Tickets for Munguia vs. O'Sullivan are on sale and are priced at $25, $40, $65, $100, and $200, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketsmaster.com and by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets will also be available at The Alamodome box office, which is open Monday - Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm C.T. and Saturdays and Sundays when events are taking place at The Alamodome.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and DAZN.com. Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing and @DAZN_USA. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoy and https://www.facebook.com/DAZNUSA/. Follow on Instagram @GoldenBoy and @DAZN_USA. Follow the conversation using #MunguiaOSullivan

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photos Courtesy of: Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos Used with permission.

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

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

A Look Back At Some Boxing Events That Closed Out 2019

As the Boxing world embarks on 2020, it is time once again for the first of two annual features to kick off the year here at The Boxing Truth®️. There are thousands of bouts that take place in the sport of Boxing that take place during a calendar year. While many who cover the sport, including yours truly, do our best to cover as many of the events that take place as possible in a quick manner, the sheer volume of events that happen on a weekly basis makes it a difficult task for one to cover all of what Boxing has to offer, even as ever evolving technology has increased access to what goes on around the world.

Although it would frankly be impossible for this observer to cover all the aspects that I would truly want to, when it comes to events that were not covered in a traditional timeframe during the course of a year, this column will touch upon some events that took place as 2019 was winding down. Some may recall of a fight that took place over thanksgiving weekend in Queensland, Australia that yours truly called a curiosity. I am speaking of course of the encounter between Anthony Mundine and John Wayne Parr. A bout that pitted two world champions from the sports of Boxing and Kickboxing together in a fight fought under traditional Professional Boxing rules.

The simple question I asked in previewing this fight was what both fighters had left to give now at advanced ages of forty-four and forty-three respectively. The fight also had the added interest of the fact that Parr would be fighting for the first time since 2003 as a professional boxer having spent the majority of his combat sports career in Kickboxing.

When the two fighters squared off on November 30^th, it was not surprising to see Parr establish himself as the aggressor from the opening bell. What was surprising in , my eyes however, was how effective Parr was in finding a home for his right hand. Although Anthony Mundine has never been known as a fighter who is aggressive, it was alarming from my perspective as to how easily he was hit by Parr early on. Whether or not this was a sign of diminished skills and reflexes as is often seen in advanced aged fighters throughout all combat sports is debatable, but it did stick out in my eyes.

Through the first five rounds of this fight, the combat was mostly one way. Parr consistently bringing the fight to Mundine and throwing combinations of punches. This was highlighted by a barrage of punches in round four against Mundine, who was essentially trapped on the ropes and eventually sent through them resulting in a knockdown. Despite Mundine having sporadic moments throughout the fight offensively, I felt Parr dictated the action from start to finish. 

The opinion of this observer notwithstanding, it was a bit of a surprise to see the judges render a ten round split decision in favor of Parr. Even though it has been said that this was the swan song for both men, I have covered Boxing and by extension combat sports long enough to know that one should not dismiss the possibility of either man competing in the ring again, despite their respective ages. If there is both interest and enough money on the table, the possibility of more competition exists.

In staying with the Australian Boxing scene, the rise of Jr. Middleweight prospect Tim Tszyu has gradually been gaining more traction. Tszyu, the son of former unified Jr. Welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu, has established himself as a fighter who appears on the threshold of a possible opportunity at a world championship in 2020. Tszyu closed out his 2019 year by facing Oriental Professional Boxing Federation (OPBF) Jr. Middleweight champion Jack Brubaker on December 6^th in Sydney, Australia. 

A challenge that does exist for fighters who are the children of former world champions are the inevitable comparisons that they face to their parents. For Tim Tszyu, this is something he must also contend with in following in the footsteps of his father, who had a Hall of Fame career. While there are several stories throughout the history of the sport of fighters who had unrealistic expectations placed upon them in following their fathers into Boxing,who, ultimately could not live up to those expectations, Tszyu, thus far has shown promise and has also earned a ranking in the top ten in both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.

In facing Jack Brubaker, Tszyu faced a slightly more experienced opponent who had been stopped once in twenty previous bouts as a professional. Brubaker also had the appearance of someone who may have been able to stretch Tszyu into later stages of a fight where Tszyu, who had scored knockouts of ten of his previous fourteen opponents prior to the fight had not been taken before, having only gone as far as ten rounds only twice in his career. 

Despite not being intimidated by Tszyu, Brubaker could not land a significant punch to discourage Tszyu from coming forward. Although Brubaker was very “Game “, it was not long before I began to wonder both how much punishment he would be able to withstand and more importantly how long the fight would be allowed to continue. The consistent punishment from Tszyu was halted in round four when Brubaker’s trainer former world champion and Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech threw in the towel to prevent his fighter from further damage.

Although this was not a case where a fighter sustained a prolonged beating in the sense of it lasting several rounds and though I applaud Jeff Fenech for stopping this fight, I frankly wondered why the referee John Cauchi did not stop the fight on his own. This observer will never take anything away from the courage fighters show each and every time they step into the ring, but when it becomes apparent that one fighter is outgunned both in terms of power and in overall skill where the fighter can not avoid punishment from their opponent, what sense does it make in allowing a fight to go on? 2019 was also unfortunately a year that saw several deaths in the sport and while I do not want to make this an overriding theme of this column, all referees on all levels of combat sports need to keep in mind the unfortunate circumstances and consequences that do occur when a fight is allowed to go on longer than it should. Thankfully, for Jack Brubaker, his trainer saw that it wasn’t his night and was able to prevent him from taking one punch too many.

As for Tim Tszyu, the unbeaten Jr. Middleweight appears ready to face a top contender if not challenge for a world championship in 2020. As has been the case with other fast-rising prospects and more specifically, children of former world champions, my concern is that Tszyu may be pushed too quickly into a world championship fight based on both his impressive record and obvious name recognition value he has. If he can continue to win and do so against a top contender or two, it will not be hard to envision Tszyu possibility fighting for a world championship by the end of 2020.

Another undefeated prospect that saw action in December is Heavyweight Daniel Dubois. Dubois, the current British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion has been on a tear in establishing himself as potentially the next British Heavyweight who could be in contention for a world championship sooner rather than later. The current number five rated WBO contender closed out his 2019 on December 21^st when he faced Japanese Heavyweight Kyotaro Fijimoto in London, England.

Although Japan is not known for producing many world-rated Heavyweights in Boxing, I was nevertheless interested to see what Fijimoto had to offer. As impressive and frankly devastating as Dubois has been in scoring knockouts of twelve of thirteen previous opponents prior to this fight, he was and remains at a stage where some are likely to want to see him tested before anointing him as a potential challenger for either Deontay Wilder or Anthony Joshua, the two men who currently control the World Heavyweight championship. 

For his part, Fijimoto did come into the fight with a respectable record of 21-1, with 13 Knockouts, and held the OPBF Heavyweight championship. Fijimoto however, had never fought outside of Japan prior to this encounter and the lone notable win on his resume came in his third professional fight when he scored a ten round unanimous decision over veteran Chauncy Welliver, who most knowledgeable Boxing aficionados would likely regard as a journeyman or a gatekeeper that young fighters are pitted against before attempting to move them up the rankings. 

Despite a limited, but impressive resume, Fijimoto could not provide much resistance as Dubois consistently pushed him back with seemingly every punch he threw. Dubois would score two knockdowns of Fijimoto in the second round to earn a convincing stoppage. There is simply not much one can say about a fight that is fought under this scenario. Although Dubois simply did what he had to do and got the victory, it is hard to say whether he is ready to face a top contender or either of the current world champions. With a career knockout percentage of nearly 93% however, the question of whether Dubois is ready will likely be answered in 2020.

Finally, the Boxing calendar for 2019 concluded with a battle of youth versus experience on December 28^th as undefeated Jr. Lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis squared off with former Featherweight world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in a battle in the 135lb. Lightweight division. What intrigued me about this encounter, which took place in Atlanta, GA, was that it was in some respects a classic scenario.

A scenario of not only youth versus experience, but also of potentially a former world champion having one final opportunity on Boxing’s big stage against one of the rising stars in the sport. Naturally, when such a scenario takes place, the storyline is how much does the former champion/more experienced fighter have left to give. Despite being the favorite going into the fight in the eyes of many, this fight also had the subplot of it being the Lightweight debut for Gervonta Davis.

When two boxer/punchers meet, it is always interesting to see who will take the initiative to be the aggressor. While Davis is also known for his punching power, he showed in this fight that he is a tactical boxer, consistently beating Gamboa to the punch and being strategic in his attack. This included dropping Gamboa with a short left hook in the second round.

It was after the second round that an element emerged that became a central focus of this fight as Yuriorkis Gamboa appeared to be dealing with both an injury to his right leg as well as a problem with his right shoe. Although it is rare to see a fighter encounter a problem with their footwear during a fight, it is something that can happen, much like an issue with a fighter’s gloves and mouthpiece. The injury however, was something more serious as it was revealed after the fight that Gamboa had suffered a ruptured Achilles in his right leg. 

Even though it is speculation on the part of this observer as to whether the injury came as a result of the problem he had with his shoe, and possibly contributed by the knockdown in the second round, what is not speculation is the courage Gamboa would show in fighting on, despite the injury. As the fight progressed, Davis continued to land flush hooks and uppercuts on Gamboa. Despite the injury and sustaining significant punishment, Gamboa continued to come forward and even had periods of effectiveness with his own offense over the second half of the fight.

Although Gamboa remained very “Game”, he suffered a second knockdown in the eighth round and would ultimately be stopped in the twelfth and final round after being knocked down for the third time. The win for Davis earned him interim/regular champion status in the World Boxing Association (WBA) Lightweight ratings, which puts him in line to face current WBC/WBA/WBO world champion Vasyl Lomachenko. Although some might be critical of Davis, who has a career knockout percentage of nearly 96% for having some difficulty in getting Gamboa out of there, particularly due to what was later revealed to be a severe injury, at the end of the day all a fighter can do is attempt to accomplish the goal of getting a victory and in scoring three knockdowns in the process of accomplishing that goal, there is not much more Davis could have done and now as a Lightweight has created some interesting possibilities for himself going forward.

One can only hope that as the page now turns to 2020 that the sport of Boxing will be able to continue the increased momentum that was established in 2019. This observer looks forward to sharing his “Boxing Wishlist For 2020” on Friday, January 10^th.

“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

RUIZ VS. JOSHUA II TOPS LIST OF MOST-STREAMED EVENTS ON DAZN IN 2019

Press Release: By DAZN – LONDON, 7 Jan. 2020 – In a year that saw boxing’s continued global resurgence, the highly anticipated rematch between heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. was the most-streamed event on DAZN in 2019.

The Top 10 includes major soccer events, two bouts featuring consensus 2019 Fighter of the Year Canelo Alvarez and the professional boxing debut of YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. In total, more than 100 events (107) each surpassed one million streams during the year.

Top 10 Most-Streamed Events on DAZN in 2019

1.    Ruiz vs. Joshua II (Dec. 7)

2.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham vs. Liverpool (June 1)

3.    UEFA Champions League: Liverpool vs. Barcelona (May 7)

4.    Canelo vs. Kovalev (Nov. 2)

5.    KSI vs. Logan Paul II (Nov. 9)

6.    UEFA Champions League: Tottenham vs. Bayern Munich (Oct. 1)

7.    Serie A: Milan v Internazionale (Sept. 21)

8.    UEFA Champions League: Ajax vs. Tottenham (May 8)

9.    UEFA Champions League: Barcelona vs. Liverpool (May 1)

10. Canelo vs. Jacobs (May 4)

As more sports shift from linear to OTT distribution, DAZN saw record consumption in 2019 with more than a half billion hours streamed (507 million), an increase of 98 percent from the 256 million hours streamed in 2018. Other highlights include:

Consumption by Device

1.    Mobile: 26 percent

2.    Set-top Box/Streaming Stick: 23 percent

3.    Smart TV: 21 percent

4.    Desktop: 17 percent

5.    Game Console: 13 percent

Consumption by Sport

1.    Soccer: 314.6 million hours

2.    Baseball: 38.1 million hours

3.    Motorsport: 37.9 million hours

4.    American Football: 37.2 million hours

5.    Boxing: 22.6 million hours

DAZN is the largest, fastest growing global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN is now live in nine countries across four continents, including Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the United States.

Material 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, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

Schedule Update To Begin 2020

We would like to let our readers know that we will officially begin our 2020 schedule on Wednesday, January 8th with the first of two features to begin the year with a look back at some of the events that closed out 2019 in the sport of Boxing. This will be followed on Friday, January 10th with Beau Denison’s annual “Boxing Wishlist” where he will discuss some of the things he would like to see in the sport in 2020. 

We here at The Boxing Truth® look forward to continuing to provide readers with features, weigh-in results, special previews, fight card recaps, and other content also being released as events approach throughout the sport of Boxing.  The Boxing Truth® welcomes the opportunity to continue to provide our readers with accurate information, in-depth analysis, and objective opinions regarding the sport of Boxing as well as the participants and issues that surround it.  We thank all our readers for your continued support and we look forward to hearing from you throughout 2020 and beyond. We look forward to another active year. 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

Red Hot Chilean Ramón Mascareña Jnr inks with Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing

Press Release: January 2, 2020 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Tony Tolj and Dragon Fire boxing have announced they have signed 26-year-old Chilean Chilean standout Ramón Mascareña Jnr . 

Credit: Maverick Martinez

Boasting an impressive amateur record of: 60 fights, 45 wins having been part of Chile's national setup as an amateur between the years of 2013 - 2016. The Jnr Welterweight won several national amateur titles in Chile, alongside multinational tournaments in Chile itself and Brazil, Ecuador, Cuba and the Dominican Republic

The Chilean then made the leap to the professional ranks, having a amassed a solid record of 11 wins -1 Loss, 6 coming via Knock out.  Picking up the National Lightweight and Jnr Welterweight Title in his short time as a pro. His sole defeated was a late call up in Mexico against super experienced Mexican Standout Bryan Roberto Flores Favela 28 wins 2 loss. 

Mascareña Jnr's  last outing was December 21st in Lo Barnechea, Chile against Argentine Gustavo Armando Pereyra. The bout ended by brutal knock out 1 minute 50 seconds into the opening round in what has been awarded Chiles Knock out of the year.

The Chilean opened up about signing Boxing and Tony Tolj.

"For my career it is an important step to sign with DRAGON FIRE BOXING I am grateful to have a World Class team that always aspires me & continues to deliver great achievements with all their fighters. Im very fortunate that I can join such a fine stable of fighters. I have big team behind me and with "The Maverick of Chile" Nico Martinez's Libra Libra Gym, the sky is the limit. I have already seen the difference that has made to my stablemate WBA Flyweight Fedebol Champion Crocodile Campos. With Tony Tolj behind me, I have no doubt I will reach the top of the World and be the first world champion from CHILE"

Mascareña Jnr continued, My record now is 11-1-0, soon I will fight for regional title in Chile against international rated opponents. I want to start an international career and well represent my country too. I am very excited to be part of Dragon Fire Boxing, WBA World Super Flyweight Champion Andrew Moloney, World Rated Jason Moloney, Bruno Tarimo, Billel Dib, Reagan Dessaix as well as Jackson England, Steve Gago, Liam Callanan, Francis Chua, Kazeem Soyoye to name as few.

The Libra Libra Team with Tony Tolj is getting ready to take on the world in 2020

The Australian based boxing mainstay Tony Tolj gave his take on his latest acquisition, "We are very excited to work with Ramon. I believe he will go right to the top in this industry soon and it was the right move for all parties concerned. We work with fighters all over the world and this will benefit Ramon. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Chile and they are some of the nicest, most humble people on this planet. It is an honor to represent Mascareña Jnr and Chilean National Hero Andres Campos.

With "The Chilean Crocodile" Andres  Campos together at Chile's World renowned Gym Libra Libra, I believe this will usher in a New Era and a Golden age of Chilean Boxing. "

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing/ Photo Courtesy of: Maverick Martinez Used with permission. 

For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

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

Happy 2020

We would like to wish our readers a very happy and safe New Year. We would also like to remind readers that an announcement regarding when we will officially begin our 2020 schedule will be released here on the website on Monday, January 6th. 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