Schedule Resumption Notice: Hurricane Idalia

We would like to let our readers know that we will be resuming our regular schedule on Monday, September 3rd after pausing due to Hurricane Idalia with a feature discussing the Heavyweight action that took place on Saturday, August 26th. We sincerely apologize for the interruption to the schedule as it was out of our control and we thank our readers for their continued patience. Stay tuned.

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Hurricane Idalia Notice

We would like to let our readers know that due to the uncertainty of what is projected to become Hurricane Idalia, we will be pausing out regular schedule until further notice. When we are able to resume, a feature discussing the Heavyweight action that took place on Saturday, August 26th will be released. We do apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and we will update the websites once we know we can resume. Stay safe anx stay turned.

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Slaveski Wins World Welterweight Championship At BKFC 49

Undefeated Welterweight Gorjan Slaveski successfully went from contender to world champion by scoring a hard fought five round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Jake Lindsey to win the vacant Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) Welterweight world championship on Friday night at the Miami-Dade Fairgrounds in Miami, FL. The main event of BKFC 49 turned out to be an ugly, grueling, and great fight all in one. 

A fight that began almost exclusively with both fighters trying to tee off on each other on the inside including trying to fight and grapple in the clinch, similar to what you would see in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), but not something that is legal in Boxing including Bareknuckle Boxing. As the bout went on however, both fighters had their share of moments in what became a seesaw battle in terms of momentum as both fighters landed hard, thudding punches to the head that frankly would have dropped many of fighters. Despite suffering an injury to his right hand as the fight was entering the latter rounds where his knuckles were bleeding heavily, Lindsey managed to seemingly keep the fight close, but it was the harder punches of Slaveski that ultimately prevailed in a grueling back and forth contest as he would win the fight and the world championship via unanimous decision.Official scores were: 49-46, and 48-47 (On two scorecards)  in favor of Slaveski.

Gorjan Slaveski advances to 6-0, with 4 Knockouts. Jake Lindsey falls to 4-1, with 4 Knockouts. 

Also on this card:

Unbeaten Lightweight Bryce Henry scored a first round knockout of  Tom Shoaff. A right hook followed by a barrage of punches put Shoaff down. Shoaff signaled to Referee Sam Burgos as he was counting that he did not want to continue. Official time of the stoppage was 1:29 of round one. Bryce Henry advances to 3-0, with 3 KO’s. Tom Shoaff falls to 4-5, with 4 Knockouts.

Undefeated Featherweight Bryan Duran scored a first round knockout of Dakota Highpine. A fight where both fighters threw punches with knockout intentions, a perfectly timed counter right hook that landed on the forehead of Highpine sent him down and out on the canvas. Official time of the stoppage was :48 of round one. Bryan Duran advances to 5-0, with 5 Knockouts. Dakota Highpine falls to 1-2, with 0 Knockouts.  

In a battle of unbeaten Bantamweights, Justin Sanchez scored a five round unanimous decision over Quinton Foye. A closely fought bout from the opening bell, Sanchez landed more punches, particularly to the body of Foye down the stretch to earn a unanimous decision victory. Official scores were: 48-47, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of Sanchez. Justin Sancez advances to 2-0, with 0 Knockouts. Quinton Foye falls to 1-1, with 0 Knockouts.

Also in the Bantamweight division, unbeaten Alberto Rodriguez scored a first round knockout of a debuting Jaoa Guerra. A right hand, left hook combination quickly dropped Guerra. Rodriguez closed the show with a follow up combination, which sent Guerra down for a second time. Although Guerra got up, he took his mouthpiece out and shook his head as the ten count was reached. Official time of the stoppage was :51 of round one. Alberto Rodriguez advances to 3-0, with 3 Knockouts. Jaoa Guerra falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockout.

Featherweight Howard Davis scored a first round knockout of Jeff Chiffens. Davis opened a gash on the left side of Chiffens’ head with a right hook immediately upon the fight starting. A right uppercut to the face sent Chiffens down. As Chiffens was being counted out, he was shaking his head, which resulted in the bout being stopped before the count was completed.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:12 of round one. Howard Davis advances to 6-1-1, with 5 Knockouts. Jeff Chiffens falls to 4-6, with 1 Knockout.

Lightweight Joshua Alvarez scored a first round knockout of a debuting Aaron Sutterfield. A left uppercut to the head sent Sutterfield down on his hands and knees in the middle of the ring. Sutterfield was very “Game” and tried to get up, but was unable to beat the count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:29 of round one. Joshua Alvarez advances to 4-3, with 3 Knockouts. Aaron Sutterfield falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

Women’s Strawweight Laddy Mejia pounded out a five round split decision over Sarah Click to successfully make her professional Bareknuckle Boxing debut. A competitive fight that was fought at a surprising tactical pace for a Bareknuckle fight, Mejia was able to land the harder punches over the final three rounds to earn the decision victory.  Official scores were: 48-47 (Click), and 49-46, 48-47 for Laddy Mejia. Laddy Meija advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Sarah Click falls to 0-3, with 0 Knockouts. 

Undefeated Bantamweight Matthew Russo scored a first round knockout of a debuting  Jaymes Hyder. An overhand right to the head staggered Hyder, which Russo followed by a right hook to the jaw that sent Hyder down on his back for the ten count. Official time of the stoppage was 1:16 of round one. Matthew Russo advances to 2-0, with 2 Knockouts Jaymes Hyder falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

In a Featherweight rematch from April of this year, Freddy Masabo avenged his only loss by scoring a five round unanimous decision over Bovar Khanakov. The story of this fight was the movement and combination punching of Masabo as he frequently beat Khanakov to the punch. Khanakov suffered two severe cuts over his right eye and on the bridge of his nose in the first round and he was unable to get the ebb and flow of the combat to shift in his favor.  Official scores were: 48-47 (On all three scorecards) in favor of Masabo. Freddy Masabo advances to 3-1, with 2 Knockouts. Bovar Khanakov falls to 3-2, with 0 Knockouts.

Cruiserweight action began the evening as John Escoboza scored a hard fought five round majority decision over previously undefeated Esteban Rodriguez. A high pace slugfest from the opening bell, Escoboza’s cleaner punches, particularly in landing his right hand to the head of Rodriguez, which opened a bad cut over his left eye in the first round ultimately gave him the edge. Escoboza scored a knockdown of Rodriguez with a right hand that appeared to land on the side of the head in the second round. Official scores were: 47-47, (Even) 48-46 (On two scorecards) in favor of Escoboza. John Escoboza advances to 8-1, with 4 Knockouts. Esteban Rodriguez falls to 2-1, with 2 Knockouts.

BKFC 49 brought to a close two nights of Bareknuckle Boxing cards promoted by the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship and its founder David Feldman. A modernized form of Bareknuckle Boxing that is still growing, as the promotion prepares for its fiftieth numbered card next month, a successful debut of its prospects series on August 24th, and continued international expansion including in Bulgaria later this year, the BKFC has laid out what this observer believes is a successful blueprint for other Bareknuckle promoters to try and follow including, but not limited to the adaption of a universal rules standard as approved by the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC). 

In many ways, the rate at which the Bareknuckle portion of the sport of Boxing has been able to grow has in some ways not faced as much opposition and resistance as the sport of MMA did for many years after it's inception here in the United States in organized form in the early 1990's. It is something that should be seen as a positive in a sport that is always the subject of ridicule for its negatives. Especially, if not only safety standards continue to be followed and improve, but also if it continues to provide more options to fighters across all combat sports. 

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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BKFC Prospects 1 Results From Miami, FL

Women’s Flyweight Rosalinda Rodriguez successfully made her Bareknuckle Boxing debut by scoring a lopsided five round unanimous decision over MMA veteran Christina Crist in the main event of Bareknuckle Fighting Championship’s (BKFC) inaugural BKFC Prospects event on Thursday night at the Miami-Dade Fairgrounds in Miami, FL. Rodriguez, who is 13-0, in traditional professional Boxing and is the current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Bantamweight champion, dictated the fight from the start by using effective lateral movement, and her jab to control the distance over Crist, who was also making her professional Bareknuckle Boxing debut after a successful career in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). The consistent pattern of the fight consisted of Rodriguez throwing the jab, moving inside, landing short combinations, and moving back out before Crist could land anything really effective. As the fight went on, Crist began swinging wildly in an attempt to land something that would turn the ebb and flow in her favor, but it simply was not to be as Rodriguez boxed her way to a convincing unanimous decision victory.  Official scores were: 50-44, 49-45, and 50-45 all in favor of Rodriguez. Rosalinda Rodriguez advances to 1-0, with 0 Knockouts. Christina Crist falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

Also on this card:

 

In a battle of undefeated Heavyweights, Leonardo Perdomo scored a first round knockout of  Ryan Shough. Perdomo quickly dropped Shough with a right hand seconds into the opening round. He then closed the show dropping Shough with a brutal combination to the head that resulted in the fight being immediately stopped. Official time of the stoppage was :59 of round one. Leonardo Perdomo advances to 2-0, with 2 Knockouts. Ryan Shough falls to 1-1, with 1 Knockout.

 Light-Heavyweight Drew Nolan scored the first win of his Bareknuckle Boxing career by scoring a second round stoppage of Markus Suarez. Nolan was dropped by a short right hook to the head in round one, but a cut that Nolan was able to open over the right eye of Suarez began to bleed heavily and resulted in a second round stoppage when the ringside physician ruled that Suarez could not continue. Official time of the stoppage was 1:22 of round two. Drew Nolan advances to 1-1, with 1 Knockout. Markus Suarez falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts.

A Light-Heavyweight bout between Fred Pierce and a debuting Sean Hotusing ended in a second round disqualification in favor of Pierce. A competitive fight from the beginning, Pierce’s awkward counterpunching style appeared to give Hotusing problems for a time. The end came when Pierce was sent down bent over with his hands touching the canvas via a slip. Hotusing however, landed two shots on Pierce while he was ruled on the canvas resulting in Pierce being declared the winner via disqualification when he was unable to continue. Official time of the stoppage was 1:38 of round two. Fred Pierce advances to 2-4, with 1 Knockout. Sean Hotusing falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

Bantamweight Dameko Labon needed only twenty-one seconds to knockout Justin Watson. Labon landed a stiff jab at the opening bell followed by a right hook that sent Watson down to the canvas. Watson got up from the knockdown, but walked into a flush left hook to the jaw that sent him down for a second time and the fight was immediately stopped. Official time of the stoppage was :21 of round one. Dameko Labon advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Justin Watson falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

In a Welterweight bout that began the evening between two fighters making their professional Bareknuckle Boxing debuts, Leandro Torres scored a third round stoppage of Harry Cruz to successfully make his professional Bareknuckle Boxing debut. A back and forth fight that saw both men cut early and several heated exchanges of offense in close, it was Torres' combination punching over Cruz’ ability to attack at awkward angles. The end came midway through the third round when Cruz was ruled unable to continue due to heavy bleeding from a cut on the outside of his right eye. Official time of the stoppage was 1:29 of round three. Leandro Torres advances to 1-0, with 1 Knockout. Harry Cruz falls to 0-1, with 0 Knockouts. 

Over the last decade, the sport of Bareknuckle Boxing has through various variations grown and expanded at an exceptional rate since the sport was reintroduced in modernized form. The Bareknuckle Fighting Championship has become one of the Bareknuckle promotions led by promoter David Feldman that is now leading the way in the growth and expansion of the sport. A sign of such growth came in the days prior to this card when the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC) adapted a universal standard of rules for Bareknuckle bouts. The first edition of the BKFC prospects series, which will be a monthly series to go along with the promotion’s marquee and fight night events certainly did not disappoint as fighters participating in the series have the goal to earn a contract to fight under the BKFC banner in a way similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) series in which it’s president Dana White awards contracts to non-signed MMA fighters under the Dana White’s Contender Series banner. 

With fighters from traditional pro Boxing, MMA, and other combat sports disciplines all now venturing into professional Barekuckle bouts, the future of the Bareknuckle portion of the sport of Boxing certainly looks bright. The next event on the BKFC schedule, BKFC 49, which will take place on Friday, August 25th also in Miami, has a tough act to follow.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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August 26, 2023: A Big Day For The Heavyweight Division

August 2023 in the sport of Boxing will come to a close on Saturday, August 26th with the spotlight firmly focused on the Heavyweight division. In some ways, this day will look at both the present and what could well be the future, which can all be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

The marquee attraction of the day will take place in Wroclaw, Poland as undefeated unified WBO/IBF/IBO/WBA Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk will make the second defense of his crown against WBA number one Heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois in Wrocław Stadium. This fight is the first for Usyk following two decision wins over Anthony Joshua in 2021 and 2022 where he won and then successfully retained the unified Heavyweight crown. While many had expected that Usyk's next fight following his rematch against Joshua in August of last year would be a unification bout with undefeated WBC world champion Tyson Fury for what would be the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world, unfortunately due to elements involving the business of Boxing, that fight did not materialize.

Instead, Usyk will be turning his attention to fulfilling one of his mandatory defense obligations of one of the four world championships he currently holds by facing the WBA's mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Although some may dismiss this fight as a mere mandatory, in that sometimes those who earn opportunities to fight for a world championship by being mandated by a sanctioning organization as it's top contender in a given weight class, does not always have significant public interest, this could be a dangerous fight for the undefeated champion.

It was not long ago when Daniel Dubois was considered one of the sport's feared rising "Knockout Artists." Dubois carried a record of 15-0, with 14 Knockouts into what was a highly anticipated clash with then fellow undefeated "Knockout Artist" and former Olympic Silver medalist Joe Joyce in November of 2020. Dubois would suffer the lone defeat of his career by being knocked out by Joyce in the tenth round in a fight where he suffered a broken left eye socket. Since that setback, Dubois has won four straight fights, all by knockout including a fourth round knockout of previously unbeaten Trevor Bryan in June of last year where he earned Interim/Regular champion status in the WBA's Heavyweight ratings, which in short made him the number one contender.

The question going into this fight will be whether Dubois will be able to deal with the angles and overall skill of Usyk. While Oleksandr Usyk is the favorite going into this title defense, he has had some difficulty in some bouts since moving to Heavyweight after becoming undisputed champion as a Cruiserweight. Usyk's fight with longtime Heavyweight contender Dereck Chisora in October 2020 can serve as an example of Usyk having trouble against a Heavyweight that was able to apply consistent pressure on him, which is something that Anthony Joshua was not able to do in two fights and given Dubois' punching power, it will be interesting to see if he has studied Usyk's fight against Chisora that he could try to implement a similar strategy. It is also important to keep in mind that Usyk has not scored a knockout since moving to Heavyweight and, despite remaining unbeaten and becoming unified world champion in the division, questions do remain in regard to his punching power as a Heavyweight.

With a possible unification bout to become Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world still no closer to becoming a reality, Usyk must remain focused on the task at hand even if some are dismissing this fight as a mere mandatory or "Stay Busy" fight. If he is not focused, Daniel Dubois does have the power to pull off what would be considered an upset, despite being the natural Heavyweight and bigger fighter.

As Usyk-Dubois will focus on the current landscape of the Heavyweight division in terms of the world championship picture, August 26th will also provide a look at a Heavyweight contender that could well be the future of the division. This observer is referring to the undefeated "Knockout Artist" Jared Anderson.

Anderson, who is coming off of the first decision win in his career in July where he was forced to go ten full rounds in his fifthteenth professional fight against former IBF Heavyweight world champion Charles Martin, who had taken the fight on short notice. A fight that ended Anderson's fourteen fight knockout streak, which began his career, he was still impressive in scoring a convincing ten round unanimous decision in his hometown of Toledo, OH.

Now, a little more than one month after that fight, Anderson is getting back in the ring to face veteran Andrii Rudenko in a scheduled ten round bout at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. Although some may view a fighter competing so soon after a fight in which they had to go ten competitive rounds as too soon to be back in the ring, in actuality, it is a method that many fighters used to do on a regular basis from rising contenders as Anderson is to even world champions in decades past. 

The biggest detriment to any fighter in any combat sport on any level is inactivity and while a fighter will obviously risk their standing every other they compete, there is an old adage that yours truly believes in that the more active a fighter is, the more theoretically they will be prepared and in condition when all significant fight such as one for a world championship does come along. In this case, Anderson is trying to continue his progression as well as stay active. 

Currently rated number seven in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Heavyweight ratings, Anderson while now risking a top ten ranking with each subsequent time that he competes, in addition to being active, it will also increase his name recognition value towards a potential world championship bout should he continue to win.  In Andrii Rudenko, Anderson will face a veteran of forty-two professional fights, who has a respectable record of 35-6, with 21 Knockouts. A possible red flag that some might point to however, is all of Rudenko's six defeats came when he has stepped up in the caliber of his competition having lost to several top contenders in his career, most notably among them, former world title challenger Alexander Povetkin in July of 2017.

The one bright spot for Rudenko is he has only been stopped once in his career and it will obviously be interesting to see if he will be able to stand up to the power of Anderson. Although this has the appearance of a "Stay Busy" fight for Anderson, his position in the WBC ratings likely means that he potentially could be on a short list of possible contenders who might get an opportunity to either fight in a world championship elimination bout, if not potentially an opportunity to face Tyson Fury sometime within the next year. Thus, it is an important fight for the young undefeated American contender as he continues his rise up the ranks.

While this day spotlighting the Heavyweight division offers a look at two different levels of the division, one should not dismiss the possibility of Anderson potentially being in line to face the winner of Usyk-Dubois down the line as well, especially if no further progress is made towards further unification of the division going into 2024. Stranger things have happened in the sport before and if Anderson beats Rudenko, the idea of him facing either Usyk or Dubois is something to discuss. We will see who emerges victorious in these two Heavyweight bouts on Saturday, August 26th.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Usyk vs Dubois takes place on Saturday, August 26 at Wrocław Stadium in Wrocław, Poland. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5PM ET/2PM PT.

Anderson vs. Rudenko takes place on Saturday, August 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, OK. The fight as well as it's full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 6:45PM ET/3:45PM PT.

ESPN+ is available through the ESPN app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

(*Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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Classic Boxing Series To Debut On FITE+

Press Release August 23, 2023 By FITE-  Determined to always bring you the best value in streaming sports, FITE+ has added a weekly series of classic fights, called Monster Knockout, curated by our experts and tons of new live and archival  boxing, pro wrestling, MMA, grappling and more sports content – All at an incredible subscription price

New York, NY  (August 23, 2023): FITE by Triller announced the addition of even more live and on-demand action for FITE+ subscribers. Kicking off with our new series of classic fights called Monster Knockout – each Wednesday we’ll feature some of the most famous boxing matches ever. This debuts August 23rd with Oscar de la Hoya vs. Ricardo Mayorga. If you’ve enjoyed the popular Oscar de la Hoya documentary on MAX, come to FITE+ to see The Golden Boy in action. Future weeks will feature the likes of Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao and the classic showdown with Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis, to name a few. 

Another new and live series, kicking off Thursday, August 24th is BKFC’s Prospect Series. This live and FREE debut show will hail from Miami, FL and features a group of hungry new fighting prospects for BKFC, known as the world’s fastest growing combat sport promotion. This show will build the farm team for the BKFC and find future stars of the sport. FITE+ includes ALL of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship Main Events such as this Friday’s BKFC 49, also from Miami like the Prospect Series, and features Gorjan Slaveski vs. Jake Lindsey battling for the BKFC Welterweight Championship. 

All this exciting FITE+ action joins exclusive content from Major League Wrestling, Fight2Win and Game Changer Wrestling, as well as shows from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Wrestling Revolver, the U.S. Open Karate Championships, Muay Thai events, SlapFIGHT, Grappling and live boxing from around the world.

“We are here to go above and beyond for viewers no matter what it takes,” said FITE co-founder and COO, Michael Weber. “This massive increase in events, both current and classic, puts us well past the 4,000 hours benchmark, across 100 promotions and multiple sports – all at the best global pricing model ever.  We’ve got plenty of surprise additions lined up between now and the end of the year too.”

The new additions to FITE+ include:

UK’s Strongest Man

Monster Knockout

LIVE shows from OVW, GCW, ICW, BKB, FSW, MLW, F2W, Fusion Fight League, Rap Report Card, River City Fights and many more

In addition to all the new content added, FITE+ is pleased to announce that it has introduced new geo-priced subscriptions, following the norms of leading streaming platforms, to adjust for regional cost differences. Click this FITE+ link to automatically view your local pricing with confidence as you’ll get the best value in streaming sports, including a 7-day free trial, and special annual rates.

About FITE:

FITE by Triller is the premium global platform for live sports and entertainment offering many of the industry’s  marquee PPV events to more than 7M registered users. Additionally, FITE offers exclusive subscription packages such as AEW Plus in select regions, and FITE+, the Best Value in Streaming Sports, Worldwide. Consumers can stream FITE globally through its iOS and Android mobile apps, Apple TV, Android TV, ROKU, Amazon Fire TV and Huawei apps. In addition, FITE supports Samsung, LG, Cox Contour, Vizio SmartCast™, Virgin Media, Shaw Communications; Blue Curve IPTV, Foxxum, Chromecast, PS4, XBOX, ZEASN, Netrange, Vidaa/Hisense, VEWD/ TiVO, Netgem TV, Comcast’s Xfinity 1 and Xfinity Flex, as well as more than 7,000 models of Smart TVs. FITE also offers a free ad-supported FAST channel called FITE 24/7 both on and off platform. Visit FITE online at www.FITE.tv. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIN, and Facebook.. FITE is owned by Triller Inc. 

 

Material Courtesy of FITE Used with permission.

For more information about FITE including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, information on the FITE+ subscription service, and for instructions on how to download the FITE app please visit: www.FITE.TV. 

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

Ramirez-Smith Collide October 7th In Las Vegas On DAZN

Press Release August 21, 2023 By DAZN-  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (August 21, 2023) - Former World Champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) will make his grand debut in the cruiserweight division and measure up against former light heavyweight World Champion Joe “Common Man” Smith Jr. (28-4, 22 KOs) of Long Island, New York on Saturday, October 7. The 12-round clash, presented in association with Star Boxing, will take place live from The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and live around the world on DAZN. 

Credit: DAZN 

 

The former WBO Super Middleweight World Champion, Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will be looking to make a statement and demonstrate he has the bravado to become a two-division titleholder. With nearly 15-years of professional experience, he embarked on a career that would see him defeating the likes of Maxim Vlasov, Jessie “Hard Work” Hart and “King” Arthur Abraham, whom he defeated to become the WBO Super Middleweight World Champion. His sole blemish on his record comes from a valiant performance against Dmitrii Bivol last November 2022. Ramirez is now ready to return to the ring and contend against the heavy hitters of the division.

 

“I am ready to take over the cruiserweight division and prove to myself that I can add another championship belt to my resume,” said Gilberto Ramirez. “I want to thank all of my fans, Golden Boy, DAZN, the WBA, and my entire team that have supported me through this season of change. We are ready to face a hungry opponent in Joe Smith Jr. who is used to being an underdog. I know both of us wanted this fight at light heavyweight a few years back, but I’m glad we can make it now. See you all in Las Vegas!” 

 

The iron-willed, former light heavyweight World Champion Joe Smith Jr. is known to prove his critics wrong, becoming the WBO Light Heavyweight World Champion after giving an unyielding boxing performance when he fought Maxim Vlasov in April 2021. He went on to successfully defend his title against Steve Geffrard in January 2022 and then succumbed to Artur Beterbiev in a massive unification fight on June 18. In addition, Smith has one of the best resumes in boxing that includes victories over former undisputed champion and boxing legend, Bernard Hopkins, former world champion, Eleider Alvarez, and title contenders Jessie Hart and Andrzej Fonfara. Having begun his career in 2009, he has earned the respect of the “common man” and will also be going up to cruiserweight for the first time to face Ramirez.

 

“It feels great to return to the ring in a big way on October 7 against ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez,” said Joe Smith Jr. “I was having a rough time this year, then we tragically lost my brother Alex on top of it all. I miss him and know he will be with me when I step into that ring. He was always proud of me and he would be happy to see me back. I can’t wait to show the world the Common Man is back and hope my performance can bring some happiness and inspiration back to my family.”

 

“‘For almost 15 years, ‘Zurdo’ beat everyone who stepped into the ring, becoming a world champion and the most feared man in the Super Middleweight division in the process,” said Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya. “But coming off a loss and with a new weight division to conquer, there is a renewed fire in Zurdo’s eyes. I expect an impressive outing and a first step towards a cruiserweight world championship.”

 

“We are thrilled to announce the return of Star Boxing’s ‘Common Man,’ Joe Smith Jr. at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas live on DAZN,” said Star Boxing’s CEO Joe DeGuardia. “He and his family have had a rough year, but in quintessential Joe Smith fashion, while there were many fights out there for him, he wanted the biggest and toughest challenge available.  It will once again be Champion vs Champion as two former world champs go head to head in this intriguing fight. This has all the makings of must see action and I personally look forward to watching Joe back in the ring on October 7th.” 

 

“What an exciting fight this will be between two former World Champions,” said Joseph Markowski, CEO North America, DAZN Group. “Zurdo wanted a tough test, and this one-his first at cruiserweight-vs Smith Jr. is going to be a very difficult fight for him. You will not want to miss it! Tune in October 7th live from the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, broadcast only on DAZN.”

 

Media interested in covering the fight can apply for a credential at: https://www.emccredentials.com/10-07-23. Applications are due EOD, October 2, 2023. 

 

More information on event tickets and the complete undercard will be announced in the coming weeks. 

 

Zurdo vs. Smith Jr. is a 12-round cruiserweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Star Boxing. The event will be available worldwide to all subscribers on DAZN, both live and on demand.

 

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

 

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, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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