Lara-Warrington 2 Ends In Technical Draw In Leeds, England

 

Featherweights Mauricio Lara and former IBF Featherweight world champion Josh Warrington fought to a two round technical draw on Saturday night at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. A rematch of a ninth round stoppage from February of this year that was won by Lara, the rematch began with Lara and Warrington being willing to engage. In the second round Lara was cut over the left eye due to an accidental clash of heads. The resulting deep gash was examined by a ringside physician before round three could begin and it was determined that the gash was too deep to allow Lara to continue. As the bout had not progressed beyond four completed rounds, the bout was ruled a technical draw under the rules. Mauricio Lara advances to 23-2-2, with 16 Knockouts. Josh Warrington advances to 30-1-1, with 7 Knockouts.

 

Also on this card:

Undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor scored a ten round unanimous decision over former IBF Featherweight world champion Jennifer Han. A very tactical bout throughout, Taylor generally got her punches off first, but did have trouble for a period of time landing cleaning on an elusive Han. In round eight, Taylor was credited with a knockdown after she landed a right hand, left hook combination to the head of the challenger, but it appeared those punches landed as Han had lost her footing. The question of the knockdown notwithstanding, the champion’s greater activity and ring generalship ultimately led her to win the fight by winning all ten rounds on all three official scorecards as the three judges scored the bout 100-89 in Taylor’s favor. Katie Taylor advances to 19-0, with 6 Knockouts. Jennifer Han falls to 18-4-1, with 1 Knockout.

Undefeated Welterweight contender Conor Benn scored a ten round unanimous decision over Adrian Granados. A fight that was originally scheduled for late July, but was postponed due to Benn testing positive for the COVID-19 virus, saw Benn show no adverse effects from his bout with the virus as he systematically stalked Granados over the course of ten rounds. Benn’s harder punches and Granados’ unwillingness to engage for the majority of the bout made it a simple fight to describe as Benn boxed his way to a convincing unanimous decision victory. Conor Benn advances to 19-0, with 12 Knockouts. Adrian Granados falls to 21-9-3, with 15 Knockouts.

Maxi Hughes scored a dominant twelve round unanimous decision over IBO Lightweight world champion Jovanni Straffon to win the championship. From the opening bell, Hughes used angles and timing to get under the long-armed Straffon and outwork the champion. In round five Hughes landed a flush left hook to the jaw that had Straffon badly hurt, but miraculously, he managed to stay on his feat, despite the affects of a brutal barrage of punches. Hughes continued to land the left hook throughout and continued to make the champion miss on his way to a unanimous decision victory. Official scores were 120-107 (On two scorecards), and 119-109 in favor of Hughes. Maxi Hughes advances to 24-5-2, with 5 Knockouts. Jovanni Straffon falls to 24-4-1, with 17 Knockouts.  

Women’s Bantamweight Ebanie Bridges scored a hard-fought eight round decision over Mailys Gangloff. A fight that saw several heated exchanges of punches between the two fighters, the bout was very competitive all the way through to its conclusion. Despite suffering an apparent injury to her right hand over the course of the fight, Bridges’ greater aggression and generally harder punches were enough to earn a close decision victory. As all non-title bouts that are fought in the United Kingdom and Ireland that do not have an impact on regional or world rankings are scored solely by the referee officiating a bout, Referee Steve Gray scored the fight 77-76 in favor of Bridges. Ebanie Bridges advances to 7-1, with 3 Knockouts. Mailys Gangloff falls to 5-3, with 2 Knockouts.

Unbeaten Jr. Featherweight Ivan Hopey Price scored an impressive second round stoppage of Zahid Hussain. Price nearly ended the fight right at the bell to end the first round when he dropped Hussain with a short, but flush right hook to the head that sent Hussain down and badly hurt. Hussain was able to get up on unsteady legs and seemed to not know where he was. In the second round, Price pressed forward and following a second knockdown from a barrage of punches, it was a follow up that convinced Referee Howard Foster to stop the fight at 2:33 of round two. Ivan Hopey Price advances to 5-0, with 2 Knockouts. Zahid Hussain falls to 16-2, with 2 Knockouts.

Undefeated Jr. Featherweight Jack Bateson overcame a knockdown in round two to score a hard-fought six round decision over Felix Garcia. Bateson seemed to be in control until he was dropped with a right hand in the closing seconds of the second round by Garcia. Garcia tried to put the pressure on in round three, but eventually Bateson was able to find his rhythm and scored the decision victory. Referee Mark Lyson scored the bout 58-56 in his favor. Jack Bateson advances to 14-0, with 3 Knockouts. Felix Garcia falls to 7-3-1, with 3 Knockouts.  

Unbeaten Jr. Middleweight Brandon Stansfield scored a workmanlike four round decision over MJ Hall. From the start Stansfield kept Hall on the defensive and mixed his shots up well to the body and head. Referee Steve Gray scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Stansfield. Brandon Stansfield advances to 2-0, with 0 Knockouts MJ Hall falls to 2-63-2, with 0 Knockouts/

Light-Heavyweight Mali Wright began the evening by successfully making his professional debut with a second round stoppage of Antony Woolery. Wright quickly found a home for his right hand on Woolery and frequently landed it over the course of the two rounds while mixing in some effective body shots. At the conclusion of the second round Woolery’s corner seeing their fighter taking mostly one way punishment stopped the fight. Mali Wright advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Antony Woolery falls to 2-7, with 0 Knockouts.

This card, which was promoted by promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing had a highly enthusiastic crowd of over 20,000 spectators on hand at Headingley Stadium. The first such mass gathering on this scale since the circumstances of the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic began. Those in attendance were there to support their hometown favorite Josh Warrington, who was looking for vengeance after suffering his first career loss and having previously relinquished his world championship prior to that setback. What was unfortunately an inclusive ending in the main event will inevitably lead to a third encounter between the two as the reality is much was not resolved on this evening in Leeds, England.

The atmosphere that this nine-bout card was staged is something that cannot be ignored. Hopefully, it is an encouraging sign that a return to normalcy is closer than it might appear even as we remain in the midst of an ongoing global crisis. Boxing certainly benefits more when there is an enthusiastic crowd on hand to witness the battles in the ring. Outside of the inclusive outcome in the main event of this card, the night of Boxing should be viewed as an overall success.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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THE ROAD TO UNDISPUTED: WOMEN'S 140LBS CROWN UP FOR GRABS IN FOUR WAY SHOWDOWN

 

Press Release: September 3, 2021 By DAZN – Chantelle Cameron will fight Mary McGee for the IBF, WBC and Ring Magazine World Titles

Kali Reis will fight Jessica Camara for the WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles

 

Matchroom Boxing, in partnership with DiBella Entertainment, announce today that the Undisputed Super-Lightweight crown will be put on the line as Chantelle Cameron, Mary McGee, Kali Reis and Jessica Camara fight it out for 140lbs supremacy, live on DAZN around the world. 

Credit: DAZN

 

Cameron (14-0, 8 KOs) displayed an impressive performance last time out in her maiden WBC World Title defence, beating former champion Melissa Hernández by TKO in the fifth round to retain the green and gold strap and continue her flawless record since turning professional in 2017.

 

Mary ‘Merciless’ McGree (27-3, 15 KOs) comes into the fight with increased momentum, notching seven straight wins since her World Title loss in 2013 and picking up the IBF Super-Lightweight Title on the way. The American’s last win came via a ninth round TKO against Deanha Hobbs to retain her crown. 

 

American two-weight World Champion Kali Reis (18-7-1, 5 KOs) retained her WBA World Title and won the vacant IBO Super-Lightweight belt in August 2021 in a convincing unanimous decision against Australian challenger Diana Prazak at Sycuan Casino, California. 

 

‘The Cobra’ Jessica Camara (8-2) beat former World Champion Heather Hardy impressively last time out, scoring a unanimous decision to hand the Hardy her second career loss and dramatically boost the Canadian’s ranking in the 140lbs division.

 

"I'm delighted to have this opportunity to show that I’m the number one fighter in the world at 140lbs,” said Cameron. “All I've wanted since I started in boxing is to become Undisputed, and now I have a fantastic chance to achieve that.

 

"These tough fights against the other champions are what motivates me and pushes me in the gym, and you're going to see the very best Chantelle Cameron.

 

"They are all great champions, and first things first I have Mary McGee to take care of, and then once I come through that I'll be ready to make history against the winner of Kali Reiss and Jessica Camara." "This is an exciting time for women's boxing," said Camara. "I'm honoured to be a part of an event of this magnitude that will help to bring a lot of exposure to the ladies. Kali, Mary and Chantelle are all great fighters, and I know these fights will bring out the best in me. Thank you to Lou DiBella and Eddie Hearn for coming together to make this possible and for providing a platform for me to show the world what I am capable of."

 

“If we can work together to find one champion for every division then it would be a massive moment for the sport and we have a great opportunity to do that in the 140lbs division,” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman. “Women’s boxing is red hot at the moment and huge credit to these 4 champions for putting it on the line in the road to Undisputed on DAZN. Lou and I have been heavily committed to women’s boxing for a number of years now and it’s great to see them finally getting the plaudits and the rewards they deserve.”

 

“What a way to crown the true 140lbs champion. We're thrilled to feature on DAZN these two hugely competitive match-ups with four fearless fighters ready to leave it all in the ring for the undisputed title,” said Joseph Markowski, EVP of DAZN. "We're committed to growing women’s sport around the world and this elite four-way showdown will undoubtedly showcase to fans worldwide that women's boxing is sensational as ever."

 

"Both DiBella Entertainment and Matchroom have been leaders in advancing women's boxing and elevating the great female fighters in our sport," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "I'm happy that Eddie and I were able to arrange these historic fights and I'm grateful to my friends at DAZN, who will be streaming it. Chantelle, Mary, Kali and Jessica are four elite 140-pound athletes, deserving of this incredible opportunity. After two terrific semi-finals, a queen will be crowned at Super-Lightweight."

 

Dates and venues for Cameron vs. McGee and Reis vs. Camara will be announced in due course.

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of DAZN Used with permission.

 

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

 

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

Lara-Warrington 2: Can Lara Do It Again?

 

In February of this year, Josh Warrington, the recent former IBF Featherweight world champion, who had relinquished his crown due to elements surrounding the politics of the sport of Boxing climbed into the ring with veteran Mauricio Lara at the Wembley Arena in London, England in what was thought by some to be a means for Warrington to simply re-enter competition after being sidelined like much of the world by the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic. Although some thought of Mauricio Lara as a mere opponent, he did enter the fight with a respectable record of 22-2, with 15 Knockouts compared to Warrington’s 30-0, with 7 Knockouts.

It became clear rather quickly once the fight began that, despite not having the resume comparable to the former world champion, Lara was not interested in being a mere opponent for a fighter in Warrington that frankly had bigger things looming ahead of him.  As some may recall when the two fighters met on February 13^th of this year, Lara proved to be the stronger of the two fighters as he frequently landed hard thudding punches on Warrington. This included Lara dropping the former world champion hard in the fourth round with a flush left hook to the head.

Although Warrington showed tremendous heart in this fight, he simply could not find a way to keep Lara off of him and it was in the ninth round that Lara brought the fight to an end by knocking Warrington down with another left hook leading to the fight being stopped.  This now leads to the rematch on Saturday, September 4^th at the Headingley Stadium in Warrington’s hometown of Leeds, England. The bout will headline a nine-bout card broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

There is no dispute that Lara’s knockout of Warrington was an upset, but it was also the type of performance and knockout that some might ask how Warrington will look in this immediate rematch. Some may also question the wisdom in Warrington choosing to take the rematch over six months after the first bout. To be specific, taking the rematch in a relatively short time after suffering a beating at the hands of Lara.

In this observer’s eyes, the focus going into this rematch is squarely on Josh Warrington. Warrington is a former world champion and does have experience at the top level of the sport. What is usually questioned after a fighter sustains the kind of punishment he did against Lara is what effect will it have on the fighter in the long-term? While every fighter and every knockout is different, it is a fair question to ask.

Warrington is a world-class boxer that is capable of Boxing his way to convincing decision victories. What worked against him in the first fight in my eyes was he was more willing to engage with Lara than had been the case against previous opponents. Perhaps this was due to not being familiar with Lara’s style or possibly taking Lara, who was not well-known going into that bout a little lightly with an eye toward more lucrative fights ahead. Whatever the case might be, Warrington’s decision to be more stationary and not use lateral movement to the level he has previously in his career played into Lara’s hands as he gradually broke Warrington down.

An old saying that yours truly believes in with regard to not just the sport of Boxing, but all combat sports is styles make fights. It may be a case that Lara might have a style that is just too difficult for a fighter with Warrington’s style to combat. While this remains to be seen, it will be interesting to see if Lara tries to implement the same pressure/power punching style that worked to his advantage in February. A question that some might ask is whether or not it will be the same approach or if Lara will implement slight changes in order to deflect any adjustments that Warrington might make this time around. If Lara is able to repeat his performance in the rematch, it will be hard not to say that he would not be in line for a world championship opportunity in the 126lb. Featherweight division in the near future.  While a second loss to Mauricio Lara would not necessarily put his career in doubt, a second loss would almost certainly drop Josh Warrington out of the picture of potential world championship fights and other lucrative opportunities for a period of time.

The Lara-Warrington rematch card will also feature two bouts that have significant interest. First, undefeated Undisputed Women’s Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor will defend her crown against former IBF Featherweight world champion Jennifer Han in a bout scheduled for ten rounds. For Taylor, who is the top fighter in the 135lb. Lightweight division, the question is how long will she remain at Lightweight. As an undisputed world champion, Taylor has no shortage of opportunities going forward that could see her challenge Undisputed Welterweight world champion Jessica McCaskill, who Taylor defeated in December 2017 in her first title defense of what was then the WBA Lightweight world championship that she eventually fully unified with the WBC, IBF, and WBO world championships, or even a fight with seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano, who is coming off of a successful defense of her unified IBF/WBO/IBO Featherweight world championship over Yamileth Mercado on the undercard of Jake Paul’s victory over former MMA world champion Tyron Woodley.

While there is no shortage of potentially lucrative fights ahead for Taylor, in Jennifer Han, Taylor will face a former Featherweight world champion who has not lost a bout in seven years, but is coming off a bit of a layoff due to having a child and is moving up in weight to challenge Taylor. Han, who is the current number one contender in the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) Women’s Lightweight ratings is a veteran of twenty-five bouts and will enter the bout with a record of 18-3-1, with 1 Knockout compared to the champion who will enter with a record of 18-0, with 6 Knockouts.

Although Taylor’s toughest test to date was in her first fight with former Lightweight world champion Delfine Persoon in June 2019, the question that I usually have prior to one of her bouts is whether or not an opponent will be able to deal with her hand speed and overall ring generalship. The first bout with Persoon, which Taylor won by ten round majority decision, was the only time that one could make an argument that the decision could have gone the other way. Since that outing including her rematch with Persoon in August of last year, Taylor has been dominant and has not lost many rounds. 

Like Taylor, Jennifer Han is a world-class boxer who knows how to go the distance and win rounds, but the question I have is whether or not as the fighter moving up in weight, if she will be able to deal with the champion’s hand speed and overall Boxing ability. It may also be fair to ask whether or not she will be able to take a punch as a Lightweight as well as she has as at Featherweight. What Han does have in her favor is she has not been stopped in her three career losses and like the champion is firmly established as a distance fighter. Whether Han will be able to outwork Taylor over the course of ten rounds in a fight where a knockout may not be likely remains to be seen.

The third featured bout on this card will be the rescheduled Welterweight bout between undefeated contender Conor Benn and Adrian Granados. As some may recall, this bout was originally scheduled to headline the first week of promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing Fight Camp 2021 season back in July, but was postponed two days before the fight when it was revealed that Benn had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus subsequently postponing the fight. As readers may recall in previewing that fight prior to the postponement, this figures to be a stern test for Benn against Granados who has a lot of experience coming into this fight. Although due to the length of this column as well as the fact that yours truly already previewed this fight prior to its original postponement, the story now has a wrinkle in that the question will inevitably be asked whether or not Benn is completely recovered from his bout with COVID-19.

Although since the COVID-19 epidemic began and since the sport of Boxing resumed activity in the summer of last year there have been fighters who have dealt with COVID-19 infections and did not show any adverse effects after being cleared to resume their careers, there have also been those who have appeared to have obvious lingering effects after their bouts with this virus such as longtime Heavyweight contender Alexander Povetkin, who looked extremely sluggish, very fatigued, and had obvious trouble with his equilibrium in his rematch with Dillian Whyte in March of this year. A fight that Whyte stopped him in four rounds.  Obviously, every situation regarding one’s exposure to and recovery from COVID-19 is going to differ, but it is fair to question not just in regard to Conor Benn, but all athletes combat or otherwise as to potential lingering/long-term effects that may or may not show prior to fights. Something that may be even more justifiable given the current state of the ongoing global crisis.

With over 20,000 spectators expected at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England, this card has three interesting storylines to keep an eye on both in regard to the fights themselves as well as the effects some fighters might have experienced either due to a knockout loss or due to exposure to COVID-19. While the fact that stadiums around the world are gradually being secured to stage Boxing cards such as this one and other sporting and concert events is an encouraging sign that maybe, just maybe things are approaching getting back to normal, we need to keep in mind that the COVID-19 virus and it’s variants are still very much a factor. Although talk of the virus, it’s effects, and the various impacts of it remain dominant in news on television, radio, in print, and online around the world, hopefully, at least for a little while a Boxing card like this will be able to provide a needed diversion from the negative that seems to overshadow most things in this ongoing epidemic. If the action inside the ring turns out to be as compelling as it appears it might be on paper, this night of Boxing will likely be remembered fondly even though it takes place under still challenging circumstances.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Lara vs. Warrington 2 takes place on Saturday, September 4^th at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, England. The entire card can be seen exclusively globally on digital subscription-based streaming network DAZN. The Lara-Warrington 2 slate of programming will begin with the DAZN Boxing Show beginning at 10:30AM ET/7:30 AM PT. This will be followed by the Before The Bell pre-fight show that will feature three of the nine total scheduled bouts on the card that will begin at 11:50AM ET/8:50AM PT. The main card featuring the remaining six bouts will follow beginning at 2PM ET/11AM PT. (ALL U.S. Times.)

 

*Card Subject To Change

 

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, local start times in your area, 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.

 Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

 

DAZN ANNOUNCES NEW GLOBAL SNAPCHAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THREE NEW SHOWS GIVING FANS WORLDWIDE ANOTHER WAY TO FOLLOW THE BEST OF BOXING YEAR-ROUND

 Press Release: By DAZN – August 31, 2021 – “DAZN Fight Week,” “DAZN Fight Night,” and a weekly Highlights Show will premiere starting Tuesday August 31 on Snapchat    

Credit: DAZN

 

 

 

 

DAZN, the leading global sports streaming platform, has announced a new global partnership with Snapchat that will give fans worldwide nonstop boxing content year-round, from behind-the-scenes access and clips, to fight highlights and original features, to other build-up content ahead of DAZN’s blockbuster schedule of fights. This marks the first time sports fans globally will be able to enjoy weekly boxing content on Snapchat, all year long.

 

New show “DAZN Fight Week” will premiere on Snapchat’s Discover platform globally on August 31, with a minimum of 18 new episodes throughout the next year hitting in the weeks leading up to the biggest fights. It all kicks off with the upcoming September 4 event featuring a rematch in which British warrior Josh Warrington will look to exact revenge against Mexican sensation Mauricio Lara, while earlier in the night, Irish star Katie Taylor will defend her undisputed crown against determined American underdog Jennifer Han in the co-main event.

 

“DAZN Fight Week” will include recurring segments including:

• “The Champ is Here” – ranking the greatest boxing champions of all time
• "Fight ZN" – boxing news show including updates on fights, developments from fight camps and recaps of weigh-ins 
• “Talk Your ****!" – compilation of the best and most dramatic sound bites and trash talk from the full fight week

 

In addition, DAZN will be introducing a year-long weekly Highlights Show on Snapchat – featuring nonstop highlights around the top matchups, fighters, and moments, every single week for a minimum of 52 episodes over 52 weeks. This not only solidifies DAZN as the go-to source for everything boxing, but further cements the sports streamer as the global home of boxing across all of its ever-growing suite of channels – including partners like Snapchat that reach a younger and highly-engaged audience. 

 

Finally, “DAZN Fight Night” will premiere on September 4, a special feature around the most anticipated events featuring live-updating highlights from the night, behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive access to the fighters themselves, and a complete recap of fight week. 

 

The new global deal comes after a successful short-term U.S. boxing content partnership in 2019, which engaged millions of Snapchatters. Building on that initial success and DAZN’s recent global expansion, this enhanced partnership will see at least 70 episodes available for fans worldwide throughout the next year.

 

“This partnership is another example of DAZN constantly striving to reach fresh audiences in innovative ways, as part of a wider mission to engage new fans on the channels they frequent most while growing the sport of boxing globally,” said Joseph Markowski, EVP of DAZN. “Snapchat is the perfect partner for DAZN to team up with in order to tap into a new generation of potential boxing fans, who we cannot wait to see instantly fall in love with the sport. Whether it’s fight night highlights, behind-the-scenes videos or ranking the greats, these new shows will be the place for Snapchatters to follow the best of boxing worldwide.” 

 

Watch DAZN on Snapchat HERE.

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.

 

 

 

Andres Campos Rises In World Ratings, Eyes Nakatani Clash Within 12 Months

Press Release: August 31, 2021 By Dragon Fire Boxing –  The Chilean Crocodile Andres Campos is on the rise in the flyweight division, with the highly touted South American currently sitting at number 5 in the latest WBO world ratings. 

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

 

Campos, who is guided by Australian boxing kahuna Tony Tolj's Dragon Fire Boxing has remained busy despite the worldwide COVID restrictions, having acted as a sparring partner to both Moloney brothers in Las Vegas prior to their respective contests in 2020 and 2021. The Chilean also picked up a win in his native Chile whilst awaiting a ring return.

 

The South American standout discussed his time in camp Moloney. He said, "I've spent lots of time with the Moloney brothers, in Australia and in the United States. I am so grateful to Tony Tolj and the twins for allowing me into their training camps. They are at the elite level and at a level I want to be at, so to learn from these great fighters is so important for my development as a professional.

 

"Andrew and Jason are different fighters, there is good variation in both of their skill sets. I found that out in the camps they have had for the likes of Inoue and Franco. There are no sad stories in these type of training camps. It is all about hard work. So when you spar with them you have to be at your best or you will get found out. I believe Andrew will be a world champion again and I believe Jason will become a world champion."

 

With the experience of internationally based world title camps, Campos now sets his sights on fighting all over the globe, with the eventual goal being world champion Junto Nakatani. The 24 year old discussed his chances at landing a world title shot in 2022.

 

He said, "I believe it is realistic to be targeting world champions. I am sitting high in the world rankings so I want to fight the best in the world. If that is the fight with Junto Nakatani then that would be a dream come true. Nakatani is an amazing fighter and it would be an honor to share the ring with such a great champion.

 

"I am getting used to traveling all over the world for boxing, so I would be happy to do this for a fight against the likes of Nakatani. Right now I want to fight somebody that can get me closer to becoming a world champion, that is my goal and I believe I can reach it before 2023. I have a great team that has the ability to make it happen in South America, the United States, Japan or elsewhere. I have gloves and I will travel."

 

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: www.facebook.com/DragonFireBoxing

Paul-Woodley Thoughts

 

The fight between undefeated YouTube star/social media influencer turned Cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul and former two-time MMA Welterweight world champion Tyron Woodley was as most of Paul’s previous bouts in the Boxing ring have been, a curiosity. While this term “Curiosity” is one that frankly is starting to become overused particularly since the influx of those who enter the sport of Boxing from the outside began in recent years, there is no other term that is suitable to describe it. This is because Paul has not fought someone with Boxing experience as of yet. As such, it is the element of the unknown in his opposition that keeps that phrase “Curiosity” appropriate.

 

In previewing this fight, this observer said that he was taking the “wait and see” approach as I have done with practically every fight that I have covered that features someone that obtained notoriety from outside of Boxing before choosing to enter the sport. I did however, state that while there was no dispute that the tactics of Jake and his brother Logan Paul in terms of being able to generate interest, despite their inexperience as boxers, that  it was a roll of the dice for United States cable network Showtime to market Jake Paul as a pay-per-view attraction in a period of transition where the model of pay-per-view has been in decline and has given way to digital subscription-based streaming networks that generally offer greater value as compared to such a model. There is no disputing however, that from a marketing standpoint, the Paul brothers have succeeded in generating interest particularly amongst the casual fan. The question will remain whether or not the two brothers are truly dedicated to pursuing Boxing as a serious career and that question will remain at least until each decides to fight legitimate boxers under legitimate Boxing contests and not exhibitions as was the case when Logan engaged in an eight round exhibition with Floyd Mayweather earlier this year.

 

For Jake Paul, he is competing in official fights, but is doing so against fighters that are coming from the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or against other YouTube celebrities or former athletes as was the case in his second official fight when he scored a first round knockout of former NBA star Nate Robinson in November of last year. Even though there is a benefit to such promotion as it does generate interest, some may wonder whether or not he is serious and will choose to compete against boxers in the future. Paul’s fight against Tyron Woodley was one that I had the same question in mind that I did when Paul fought Ben Askren earlier this year in another pay-per-view main event that pitted the inexperienced Paul against someone making their pro debut as a boxer following being a former world champion in the sport of MMA. While one might argue that this is a way for Paul to test the waters and more or less get his feet wet as a boxer by facing those that are inexperienced in terms of competing in a Boxing ring, but do have a background in combat sports and based on that, thus have the ability to draw interest, it is not the norm for those who are just starting out in Boxing to be in a main event position, much less as a pay-per-view attraction. As for the question that I had in mind prior to Paul’s bout with Askren, I did wonder what the returns would be in terms of pay-per-view buys, but in terms of the action inside the ring I wondered if Askren would be able to test Paul in terms of his ability to take a punch. He was not able to as Paul scored a first round knockout of Askren.

 

Tyron Woodley much like Ben Askren has an amateur wrestling background, but did score his share knockouts in the sport of MMA with his hands. So, I felt that if Woodley were able to land some offense on Paul that the question my get some clarity even though it would not be at the hands of a seasoned professional boxer. With over 16,000 spectators in attendance at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH, Paul’s hometown, on August 29th, the promotion was successful in terms of a live gate attraction. Would the fight be a legitimate contest or would it be something that would ultimately be frowned upon by both experts and fans alike?

 

The first couple rounds saw Paul dictating the combat in keeping Woodley at distance with his jab and mixing in some combinations. One thing that has been a question in regard to Woodley in some of his recent MMA fights was his inability to let his hands go and stay busy over the course of a fight. In the first three rounds of this fight, I felt that we were seeing some of that inability show itself as Woodley was simply not busy and seemed hesitant at times to throw punches. To be fair, one should remember that this was the first time that Woodley had competed as a boxer and as such it may not have been realistic to expect a high offensive output at least in the early rounds.

 

Round four however, would see a little bit of a change in Woodley connecting with a right hand to the head of Paul and knocking him into the ropes. Frankly, this sequence where Woodley legitimately stunned Paul gave the appearance that the ropes prevented him from going down and in some cases a referee would be justified in calling that a knockdown. This would not be the case as Referee George Nichols, who was officiating his twenty-first bout as a professional referee, opted to not call it a knockdown. Nevertheless, it did provide the first instance of adversity for Paul in a Boxing ring.

 

From this point in the fight on, Woodley had sporadic success in landing hooks, uppercuts, and his right hand on Paul. While the pace of the fight slowed slightly down the stretch of the scheduled eight round bout, it was a question of whether or not Woodley’s sporadic moments though eye-catching and appearing to be the harder punches landed, would be enough to get the nod in terms of scoring. To his credit, Jake Paul was able to regain his rhythm after what occurred in the fourth round and resumed throwing and landing combinations in spots.

 

At the conclusion of this bout I felt that Paul had done enough to win, but as someone who covers Boxing and has done so for most of his life, I had a sense that no matter who won the fight that it did show that Boxing like all combat sports is an extremely serious practice and should not be treated with kid gloves or with a mentality that one can enter the sport and do so in a top position that many boxers work their entire careers to achieve. Although there were some that criticized the result of a split decision in favor of Paul, I felt that he had done enough particularly over the first half of the fight to win.

 

It should not go unnoticed however, that Tyron Woodley did provide Jake Paul with a test. The question much as was the case after Paul’s knockout of Ben Askren in April of this year is what now? Although credit should be given where it is due in terms of the Paul brothers collective ability to generate interest and create buzz in their respective forays into the sport of Boxing, it is time for each of them to face boxers in competition if they want to continue as boxers.

 

In regard to Jake Paul, he does show signs of potential, but he needs to show that this is not a hobby of sorts and not a novelty act. While he has called out other MMA fighters and top boxers such as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the reality is if he wants to be a boxer he needs to face boxers and give himself the time to hone his skills. While the bout with Tyron Woodley was the first for Paul under a deal with Showtime, both he and the network need to understand that the time for “Curiosity” has now passed and if this is not a novelty, it is time to show just how serious his commitment to Boxing is. For better or worse, Paul for the moment has also established himself to be somewhat of a draw amongst casual observers, but that too will only last so long if he chooses to both not face boxers that will help him not only prove himself, but also develop his skills, and also as a hoped-for draw in the declining realm of pay-per-view.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

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

 

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Andrew Moloney Eyes Route Straight Back To World Titles, Wants Ioka vs Rodriguez Jr Winner

 Press Release: August 30, 2021 By Team Moloney –  Andrew Moloney isn’t holding back in his career, as the Aussie is determined to become a two time world champion in the not so distant future.  

Credit: Mikey Williams/ Top Rank, Inc.

 

Moloney has been known to travel the world and never take the easy route. Having traveled to Glasgow to win the Commonwealth Games in 2014, all the way to defending his world title in the United States as a pro. The Australian has never mapped out easy routes, and already has his sights set on a route back to being a world champion. 

 

The Aussie opened up about his recent trips to the United States and reflected on the positives going forward from his previous experiences. 

 

Moloney said, “I’m obviously disappointed to not come back to Australia as world champion, however, I’m happy I’ve gained experience and I’m understanding where I’ve made mistakes and where I can improve as a fighter. That excites me going forward and gives me the confidence that I can become a two time world champion and possibly a multiple weight world champion in the future. 

 

“Boxing is all about learning and improving. I feel I’ve got a lot of improvements to make. I have a great team behind me who are pushing me on and I feel that I am more driven than ever to want to get back to the gym and improve on my skills and I believe by doing that I will 100% become champion of the world again.” 

 

A tasty 115lbs fight that is on the horizon is the contest between WBO champion Kazuta Ioka and Francisco Rodriguez Jr. Moloney discussed the possibilities of challenging for the WBO version of the 115 pound strap in the future. 

 

He said, “I would love to fight the winner of Ioka and Rodriguez. This is a good fight and I do expect Ioka to emerge victoriously. I’ve proven I will travel anywhere to fight anybody, so traveling to Japan or America again to fight Ioka would be fine by me. 

 

“Ioka is a great champion and I respect him. His only losses have come in elite class against the likes of Donny Nietes. I believe I’m in that class and I’m still very fresh. Myself and Ioka would be a real fight that boxing fans would love, so right now that would be my focus, to get a fight like Ioka straight away. I’m not in boxing for easy fights, I’m in boxing to be the best.”

 

Material Courtesy of Team Moloney / Photo Courtesy of Mikey Williams Top Rank, Inc. Used with permission.

 

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