We would like to let readers know that new material discussing some of the recent events in the sport of Boxing in a special two-part feature is in the works and part one will be released on Wednesday, July 29th. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
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As the COVID-19 epidemic continues the sport of Boxing continues in its attempt to resume its normal activity under obvious constraints. Following the lead of successful cards that have been staged in Mexico and Las Vegas over the last month, SES Boxing Promotions took its first step in resuming on July 17th in Magdeburg, Germany. Unlike previous events that have taken place in a closed door environment due to the ongoing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus, this card was the first to take place in front of a crowd of a thousand spectators.
While I was concerned given the circumstances of the global crisis, I was also curious as to how the atmosphere would look and whether guidelines similar to what has been a regular topic of discussion here in the United States would be followed. Although it should be no secret to longtime readers that this observer has been vocal in my concern regarding the attempt of not just Boxing, but all of sports to resume in the midst of what has become a global crisis, credit should be given to those who have done everything they can to put on events under circumstances that are not normal while also adhering to the respective guidelines that have been put in place by local, state, and federal officials.
In regard to the sport starting to resume on an international scale, I felt that this card could provide some insight as to what things might look like once spectators are allowed to resume attending events around the world. What I observed frankly did not give the impression that there were a thousand people in attendance. Perhaps, this was due to social distancing guidelines being in place where seating configurations were different than what one would associate with a crowd of that size. Even though this is purely speculation on the part of yours truly, from what I was able to see, it appeared that whatever guidelines that were in place were being followed.
Much as has been the case with other cards that have taken place during the COVID-19 epidemic, many officials wore face masks or other forms of facial guard. There were some however, from what I was able to see that were not wearing any facial covering, but it did appear to my eye that those folks were placed in positions where social distancing was observed.
In the interest of honesty with the reader, after several weeks of adjusting to an atmosphere where no spectators beyond essential personnel have been present at Boxing events, it was refreshing to hear the element of crowd noise. The atmosphere of this card seemed to provide a mix of crowd noise with the atmosphere of an event without spectators where one could hear punches being landed more clearly than perhaps one would hear under normal circumstances. One can assume this was due to whatever the seating configurations were in observance of social distancing guidelines.
The main event of this card featured undefeated former European Heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel in his first fight since March of last year facing veteran Evgenios Lazaridis of Greece. While this fight did not have much significance in terms of having the potential for the winner of the fight to challenge for a world championship in the near future, it did represent the first step for Kabayel, who recently vacated his European championship to focus on getting his name into the discussion in terms of world rated contenders.
In Lazaridis, Kabayel faced a steady opponent, who had stopped only once in eighteen previous bouts in his professional career. Lazaridis, however, was not known for his punching power and the main question that surrounded this fight in my eyes, similar to other bouts that have taken place under the circumstances of COVID-19 was what effect would Kabayel’s inactivity in addition to having to prepare for fight in the midst of an epidemic would have on him.
Kabayel quickly answered that question as he put on close to a perfect performance over the course of ten rounds. What was a highlight of the performance in my eyes was the success that Kabayel was able to have with his right hand and how he was able to mix his right hand into several combinations of punches. This along with consistent aggression throughout the bout was the story of the fight. Although Lazaridis remained very “Game “, an argument could be made that the fight, which followed a pattern of mostly one-way punishment could have been stopped as it became clear that Lazaridis could not find a way to turn the ebb and flow of the combat in his favor.
While this fight was one-sided, it was the type of performance by Kabayel that will likely lead to further opportunities for him down the line against a top ten contender. As for what this card could indicate for the return of crowds to Boxing events and other sports on a universal scale, the guidelines that were followed here could provide a blueprint for others to follow. The circumstances of COVID-19 however, will largely dictate how long it will be before things return to something akin to normal. For now, at best we can say that the process is one that will be gradual that can be described as baby steps. With cards scheduled to resume in California and the United Kingdom in the coming weeks, we will see how this process progresses.
“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
Press Release: July 19, 2020 By Dragon Fire Boxing - Perth based, Aussie known as the "Removalist" Francis Chua (7-1-1) boasts an excellent record of 7 wins from 8 fights, his lone loss being a controversial points decision to top flight Australian boxer Kye MacKenzie. Chua had previously upset MacKenzie’s tilt at a world title shot against Vasyl Lomachenko, when he beat the WBO #2 in front of a 40,000 crowd as undercard to a Jeff Horn bout in Brisbane. The November 2018's clash with Kye Mackenzie was the Australasian "Upset of the Year"
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| Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing |
Prior to the global pandemic Francis Chua agreed to terms with the Vietnamese based promotional group Victory 8 to fight Vietnamese legend Nguyen Van Hai. The fight was set to take place in Manila on May 9 for the prestigious WBC Australasia lightweight title.
“For sure, I was coming to win and I expected to win, I believe Im an old school type Gatti Ward type fighter. I will always give the fans a great show but with the corona virus it was not meant to be.” said Chua.
Now Chua sets his sights on the domestic scene;
"I know Kye (MacKenzie) & Kayne Clarke are set to fight on the Horn Tszyu Undercard for WBA & IBO regional honours. Kye and I are 1 win each "on paper" but everyone who saw the second fight knows who really won tht fight so a trilogy to even up the score with all the regional belts would make sense. Im up for fighting anyone, anywhere, anytime. If Clarke who is a really good fighter too and I have full respect for anyone who steps foot in the ring".
"There is also local West Aussie Brandon Ogilvie, that would be another great local match up. That could headline Dragon Fire Boxing's Thunderdome series".
"Jacob NG is another up and coming boxer who is WBO & IBF World rated, both our camps have been in loose discussions previously but dates had never aligned".
"Then there's George Kambosos Jnr who is suppose to be fighting Lee Selby in an IBF Eliminator is a fight I would love to have. I was offered by manager the Big Moss, Tony Tolj a fight with George at the MGM Grand in Vegas on a Pacquiao undercard. Now that is things that you dream about growing up. However my manager really cares for me as a person and said Francis I know you have some of your close family that is terminally ill, you need to spend time with them. And it was the right decision as my head was all over the shop".
“If the Mackenzie fight doesn’t happen, I’ve got plenty of options and I’m grateful to my management for getting me the right opportunities and Tonys exactly when we should roll the dice, thats why hes the man.
“There is always the Thunderdome events in Perth and I want to continue to build my experience and look to win titles by taking on the best. That is what I really want going forward and I know that if I stay solid in the gym, I will get there when the time is right. All I want to do is make my family, friends and country proud, The Removalist is here to take out all the lightweights!!”
Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.
For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DragonfireBoxing/
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Press Release: By DAZN - NEW YORK (July 17, 2020) - Let the countdown begin. Boxing on DAZN is back in one week with the return of the future of boxing and knockout artist, Vergil Ortiz Jr. (15-0, 15 KOs). The 2019 consensus “Prospect of the Year” faces his most dangerous challenger to date when he meets Samuel Vargas (31-5-2, 14 KOs) next Friday, July 24, live from California and exclusively on DAZN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
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| Credit: DAZN |
Sharing the spotlight with the Vergil Ortiz Jr. will be undefeated prospects Seniesa Estrada (18-0, 7 KOs) and Hector Tanajara Jr. (19-0, 5 KOs) – both looking to stamp themselves as title contenders in their respective weight divisions.
As part of the countdown to boxing’s return on DAZN, tomorrow night (8 p.m. ET) Ortiz Jr. will break down his 2019 scrap against Antonio Orozco on DAZN’s weekly series, Saturday Fight Live. Watch a sneak peek now.
Download the DAZN app and sign up for ALL the big fights, on any device, for one low price. DAZN is just $99.99 for the entire year or, for those who prefer flexibility, just $19.99 a month.
About DAZN:
DAZN is the largest global sports streaming service. Since launching in 2016, DAZN has expanded to nine countries across four continents with its app available for download in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Brazil. In the U.S., the service features big fights from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy
Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, all for one affordable price, on any device – including smart TVs, smartphones, streaming sticks, tablets, games consoles and PCs.
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, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Lightweight contender Felix Verdejo scored an impressive first round knockout over previously undefeated prospect Will Madera on Thursday night at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. Verdejo used his quicker hands and longer reach to dictate the combat and create openings. In the closing seconds of round one, Verdejo connected with a flush right uppercut that set off a barrage of punches that sent the unbeaten Madera down on his back in a neutral corner of the ring. Madera was unable to get up. Official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of round one. Felix Verdejo advances to 27-1, with 17 Knockouts. Will Madera falls to 15-1-3, with 8 Knockouts.
Also on this card:
Featherweight Martino Jules remained undefeated by scoring an eight round majority decision over Aleem Jumakhonov. Although both fighters had their moments throughout the eight round bout, when Jules was able to keep Jumakhonov on the outside and was able to control distances, it was Jules who outworked Jumakhonov. At the conclusion of the fight two official judges scored the fight 78-74, while the third judge scored the fight even 76-76 giving Jules the victory. Martino Jules advances to 10-0, with 2 Knockouts. Aleem Jumakhonov falls to 8-3-2, with 4 Knockouts.
Undefeated Heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson scored a first round knockout over Hector Perez. A body shot followed by a left hook, right hand combination sent Perez down midway through round one. While it appeared that the body shot was the punch that did the most damage, Perez was in no condition to get up and the bout was stopped by Referee Russell Mora after administering a count of eight of ten while Perez was down on his knees on the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was: 1:45 of round one. Jared Anderson advances to 5-0, with 5 Knockouts. Hector Perez falls to 7-3, with 3 Knockouts.
In the opening bout of the evening, Lightweight Kenny Davis scored a hard fought four round majority decision over Eduardo Sanchez. Davis’ combination punching dictated the combat in the first round, but in round two, the fighters reversed roles where Sanchez was landing combinations and dictating the action. A left hook to the body of Sanchez sent him down in round three, but the ruling of a knockdown was somewhat controversial as Davis landed a right hand to the head while Sanchez was down. Although he was warned for the foul at the beginning of round four, there was no penalty and the fight continued. Davis however, would lose a point in the fourth and final round for losing the grip on his mouthpiece, the second time it occurred during the fight. The knockdown in round three proved to be the deciding factor as two of three official judges scored the fight 38-36 in his favor while the third judge scored the fight even 37-37. Kenny Davis advances to 3-2-1, with 0 Knockouts. Eduardo Sanchez falls to 2-3, with 0 Knockouts.
The originally scheduled main event between Featherweights Miguel Marriaga and Mark John Yap was cancelled on Wednesday due to Yap not making weight. Yap, who agreed to the fight on two weeks notice weighed in eight and a half pounds over the contracted 128lb. weight. Although we have become accustomed over the last month to fights being postponed/cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, a fighter missing weight is also something that comes with the territory in combat sports and unfortunately can also lead to scheduled fights not taking place. Although it is a pastime of sorts for those of us who cover the sport like yours truly to be critical when a fighter misses weight by a significant margin, it is important to remember that the sport of Boxing, like the rest of the world is dealing with an ongoing epidemic and the circumstances of COVID-19 has made it difficult for all to go about life as normal. This includes boxers and other athletes in combat sports.
It is reasonable under the circumstances to expect fighters such as Mark John Yap, who in this case took the fight against Miguel Marriaga on short notice for one can assume financial reasons may not be as prepared due to many gyms being closed as well as other restrictions related to COVID-19, which can make preparing for competition an even more challenging task beyond the obvious concerns related to potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus. While some may view it as an excuse and disrespectful to the sport, Boxing is operating in far from normal circumstances and if the sport is going to continue trying to resume its schedule, despite diagnosed cases of COVID-19 continuing to rise in the United States as well as internationally, the possibility of fighters missing weight is unfortunately something that will come with the territory, much as it does when Boxing is in its normal active state.
“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
Press Release: July 16, 2020 By Dragon Fire Boxing - WBC Super Featherweight Asian Boxing Council "Action" Jackson England's (12-1) rise to stardom continued when he was officially named in the World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight top 40 on Wednesday.
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| Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing |
The Western Australian -based prodigy was thrilled upon finding out about his new world ranking.
"I checked Facebook and saw that I had been tagged in a bunch of stuff about world rankings, and then I just couldn't believe it when I saw my name in the top 40, thats why manager is the best in the World" he said.
"That's a legitimate world ranking from a very high sanctioning body of the sport - to think about that is just insane.
"I'm over the moon about it."
I'm not afraid to fight anybody.
At just 22 years old, England has already made a name for himself on the global scene with 12 wins from his 13 bouts.
Now his top 40 ranking is set to open further doors.
Bigger opponents, bigger fight cards and more eyes on his bouts can be expected in the rising star's near future.
"It's exciting, because now you never know when someone in the top 20 or maybe the top 15 might take a look down the list and say they want to fight me.
"I'm not afraid to fight anybody, so if that opportunity comes, I'll be ecstatic."
But England's return to the ring could still be some time away, with WA's professional boxing scene still up in the air due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I love boxing and I love putting on a show, so it's been a frustrating few months," he said.
"But that's just the way of the world at the moment. All I can do is train hard and be ready when we get the green light to fight again.
I have huge respect and admiration for the Moloney brothers and they are prime examples of what can happen and we have the same manager and The Tolj never ceased to amze everyone in the country what he can do. I'll make sure im just a phone call away"
Material and Photo Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.
For more information about Dragon Fire Boxing please visit Dragon Fire Boxing’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DragonfireBoxing/
The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
Undefeated Women’s Jr. Lightweight contender Mikaela Mayer scored an impressive ten round unanimous decision over former two-time world title challenger Helen Joseph on Tuesday night at the MGM Grand Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. A fight that was originally scheduled for June 9th that was postponed due to Mayer testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, was controlled by the unbeaten former United States Olympian from the opening bell. Showing little effects from the virus, Mayer used her longer reach to work off of her jab and keep Joseph on the outside where she was unable to be effective. While this was largely the story of the fight, Mayer also displayed a well-balanced attack throughout and rarely did not through a punch unless it was part of a combination. An impressive performance by Mayer from start to finish culminated with her winning a convincing unanimous decision. Official scores were: 99-91, and 100-90 (On two scorecards) all in favor of Mayer. Mikaela Mayer advances to 13-0, with 5 Knockouts. Helen Joseph falls to 17-5-2, with 10 Knockouts.
Also on this card:
Lightweight prospect Ruben Cervera scored a six round unanimous decision over Clay Burns. In the first round, Cervera dropped Burns with a short counter left hook to the jaw in the opening seconds of the fight. The pattern of the bout consisted of Burns being the aggressor, but Cervera catching him with counter punches as he came forward. This in addition to Cervera landing the cleaner, more effective punches, is what allowed him to score a convincing unanimous decision. Official scores were: 58-56, and 59-54 (On two scorecards) in favor of Cervera. Ruben Cervera advances to 12-2, with 10 Knockouts. Clay Burns falls to 9-9-2, with 4 Knockouts.
Middleweight Clay Collard scored a second round knockout over Lorawnt Nelson. Collard found a home for his straight right hand late in round one and scored a knockdown of Nelson along the ropes. A similar scenario also took place in round two when Nelson was dropped for a second time with a straight right hand. This was followed by a third knockdown of Nelson with a left hook to the head. Although Nelson was able to get up following the third knockdown, he had no answer to keep Collard off of him and the bout was stopped at 1:57 of round two. Clay Collard advances to 8-2-3, with 3 Knockouts. Lorawnt Nelson falls to 5-4, with 4 Knockouts
In the opening bout of the evening, Super-Middleweight Javier Martinez successfully made his professional debut by outworking Jonathan Burrs over four rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory. All three judges scored the fight in Martinez’ favor 40-36. Javier Martinez advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Jonathan Burrs falls to 2-2, with 0 Knockouts.
As has been the case since the sport of Boxing began attempting to resume activity over the last month, this card took place under the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus. While Mikaela Mayer is among a select few to have had their fights postponed due to a positive test for the virus, she now stands as someone who has not only recovered from COVID-19, but has also shown at least in her case that she did not suffer adverse effects and off of this latest performance would appear to be inching closer to an opportunity at a world championship. With at least the intention of an increased presence for Women’s Boxing over the coming months, it will be interesting to see if the ongoing circumstances surrounding the virus globally will allow Mayer to possibly challenge for a world championship before the end of 2020.
It should not be overlooked however, that COVID-19 continues to be a determining factor in what does take place as two bouts that were scheduled for this card, a WBO Jr. Lightweight world championship bout between champion Jamal Herring and Jonathan Oquendo as well as a scheduled Featherweight bout between Eddie Vazquez and Luis Melendez were each postponed due to postive COVID-19 tests. While in the case of the Herring-Oquendo bout, it was the second time the bout has been postponed due to a positive test, it does underscore what will remain a significant issue and an obstacle in potential fights that could be made for the sport going forward especially as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in the United States as well as around the world. We will keep readers updated on any developments as they become available as to any potential rescheduling that might occur.
“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
Credit: DAZN The fight between future Hall of Famer and current unified World Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and former K...
