Will Ngannou Continue To Turn Heads Against Joshua?

In October of last year in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, former UFC World Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou shocked many in the Boxing world when in the latest novelty event featuring Mixed Martial Arts fighters stepping into the Boxing ring to face a star of the sweet science, he not only decked undefeated two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury with a left hook in the third round of the scheduled ten round bout, but, despite coming out on the losing end of a controversial split decision, emerged as the winner in the view of many where, Fury, the current WBC world champion in the Heavyweight division put in a lackluster performance against a fighter with no previous professional Boxing experience. When one considers that the bout between Ngannou and Fury was thought to be at minimum a curiosity and at most was expected to be a mismatch due to the difference in experience between Fury one of two current world champions in the Heavyweight division, and Ngannou, who recently parted ways with the UFC and was never defeated for his world title in the sport of MMA, Ngannou’s performance was one that certainly turned heads. Not only was it an unexpected performance in the eyes of many, but it was impressive to such degree that it brought Ngannou’s future into question as in whether he would continue to compete in Boxing, or if he would return to MMA where he had recently signed a multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) promotion.

It was not just that he scored a knockdown of a current Heavyweight world champion, but it was also the fact that he had Fury missing wildly throughout the fight, unable to keep his balance, and hurt periodically after the knockdown, which gave the impression that Ngannou may indeed have a future as a Heavyweight boxer. While this observer felt that Ngannou deserved the decision against Fury, who appeared to clearly take him lightly, I came away from that fight openly wondering when Ngannou would enter the Boxing ring again as well as calling for a rematch with Fury, who had a scheduled bout with undefeated unified WBO/IBF/WBA/IBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk for what will be the Undisputed Heavyweight championship of the world prior to the bout with Ngannou, a fight that still has yet to take place as of this writing.

Although the fact that the fight between Fury and Usyk was signed prior to his non-title bout against Ngannou taking place left the impression of some that perhaps the scoring of the bout was perhaps influenced with the knowledge of that undisputed championship fight being in the pipeline, and perhaps not wanting to give a victory, which appeared clear, to a fighter with no experience over a current Heavyweight world champion, Ngannou still emerged looking as though he might have a bright future as a boxer. It was not long before Ngannou’s next potential opponent was being discussed when it became clear that Fury was going towards at least in theory, a showdown with Usyk. Enter Anthony Joshua.

Joshua, a former two-time Heavyweight world champion and current top contender will be the next to test Ngannou’s Boxing skills when the two meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a bout that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View. This fight seems as though it may be more favorable to Ngannou at least in terms of style. Joshua is known for his punching power and likes to come forward compared to Fury, who is a fighter with an awkward Boxing style with an emphasis on counter punching. Joshua has fought three times since losing a bid to become a three-time world champion in a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in August 2022. Of those three bouts, Joshua has scored knockouts in two of them including a stoppage of Otto Wallin in December of last year.

While much like Ngannou’s bout with Fury, there remains a curiosity, this fight may be viewed as more legitimate because now there is at least some evidence as to what Francis Ngannou can do in the Boxing ring. What may be different this time is Joshua has been more active than Fury had been prior to when he fought Ngannou and Joshua has always been a well conditioned fighter, whereas Fury has gone through periods where he has looked good, but has also allowed his weight to balloon where his performances have not been as impressive as when he appears to be in shape. Whether or not Joshua’s activity will make a difference going into this fight remains to be seen. 

What one should keep in mind as this fight approaches is a fight can end at any point with one punch and this especially holds true for the Heavyweight division. Despite being more experienced than his opponent, Anthony Joshua has been caught before and knocked down in his career as well as suffering one knockout loss at the hands of Andy Ruiz, when Joshua’s first reign as a world champion ended in June 2019. Although we do not know what will happen if Francis Ngannou gets hurt in a Boxing ring as of yet, he did show in his fight against Fury that his punching power, regarded as among the best in MMA, did carry over to Boxing and it will be interesting to see if he will be able to land solidly on Joshua, who is also a former Olympic Gold medalist. 

While it’s been more than a decade since Joshua won Olympic Gold in the 2012 Summer Olympics, the fact that he does have an Olympic background underscores the experience disadvantage Ngannou faces here in addition to Joshua’s professional accolades. The former two-time Heavyweight world champion, also having seen what Ngannou can do, will likely not be approaching this fight with a kid gloves mindset. Joshua is also taking a significant risk here in this fight in terms of his standing currently in hoping to secure another opportunity to become world champion. A loss to Francis Ngannou will likely not be a career ender for Joshua, but it will likely remove him from potentially being in line to fight for a world title in the near future. A win for Ngannou will catapult him into a list of contenders and will likely cement that his future may be in the Boxing ring and not in MMA.

A fight that is a curiosity, but one with potentially high stakes for both fighters. There truly is nothing like a Heavyweight fight where both fighters are capable of ending matters at any time with either hand. If this turns out to be as competitive as Fury-Ngannou turned out to be, it will no longer be a curiosity, it will be simply who is the better fighter.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Joshua vs. Ngannou takes place on Friday, March 8th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $38.99 beginning at 11AM ET/8AM PT. 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, to subscribe and order this special pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS RETURNS TO ORLANDO ON APRIL 26 FOR MOST VALUABLE PROSPECTS VI ON DAZN

Press Release: By DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions - Yoenis Tellez, the top-ten ranked WBA super welterweight in the world, returns to Most Valuable Prospects to face fellow undefeated knockout star Joseph Jackson in 10-round defense of WBA Latin America Continental Title

Benigno Aguilar vs. Alexander Rios rematch as co-main, following contentious split-decision victory between the pair on Serrano vs. Ramos & Most Valuable Prospects III undercard in October 2023

Former Puerto Rican National Team star Jan Paul Rivera vs. David Perez to face off in 6-round featherweight bout

NEW YORK, NY – March 6, 2024 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced that its Most Valuable Prospects series will return with its sixth installment on Friday, April 26th at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL available globally on DAZN subscription. Most Valuable Prospects VI will be headlined by #10-ranked WBA super welterweight Yoenis Tellez (7-0, 6 KOs) vs. Joseph Jackson (19-0, 15 KOs) for the WBA Latin America Continental Championship and will be presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy. The co-main event will feature Benigno Aguilar (11-0-1, 4 KOs) vs. Alexander Rios (8-1, 3 KOs) in a rematch of their undercard thriller on MVP’s historic Serrano vs. Ramos and Most Valuable Prospects III card. Tickets will go on sale on Monday, March 11th at 10am ET on Ticketmaster.com.

Making his second appearance on the Most Valuable Prospects series is the 23-year-old star prospect Yoenis Tellez (7-0, 6 KOs), who will take on the more experienced and fellow undefeated knockout machine Joseph Jackson in a highly-anticipated 10-round super welterweight headliner in defense of the WBA Continental Latin Americas title. Tellez, from Stafford, Texas by way of Santiago, Cuba, initially made a name for himself in the opening PPV bout of the Terrence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. welterweight championship unification showdown, in which Tellez took on the far more experienced Sergio Ramos and dealt Ramos a brutal 3rd round knockout, the seasoned Garcia’s third loss in 37 professional matches – and his first loss by TKO. Tellez spent most of his youth in Cuba as an amateur boxer, winning national youth titles in 2017 and 2018 before moving to Russia in 2020 to make his pro debut. Tellez eventually moved to Texas in 2022 to begin training with Ronnie Shields. In his most recent appearance in the ring on the Jake Paul vs. Andre August & Most Valuable Prospects IV main card, Tellez secured the WBA Continental Latin Americas title with his jaw-dropping knockout of Livan Navarro in the 10th round. He is promoted by BoxLab Promotions and Warrior’s Boxing. 

Joseph Jackson (19-0, 15 KOs), Tellez’s 35-year-old challenger for the WBA Continental Latin Americas title, comes to the ring by way of Greensboro, North Carolina off three straight knockout wins, adding to his already impressive undefeated resume. Jackson’s biggest win to date was over Derrick Colemon Jr., which resulted in a unanimous decision for Jackson as he handed Colemon his first and only loss to date on Showtime’s Shobox series in February 2020. 

In the co-main feature on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects VI will be the thrilling 8-round lightweight rematch of Mexico vs. Puerto Rico between fan favorites Benigno Aguilar (11-0-1, 4 KOs) vs. Alexander Rios (8-1, 3 KOs). Each fighter is making their third appearance on Most Valuable Prospects following top-performance moments in the series, including Rios’s first round knockout of Javier Ailla on Most Valuable Prospects II. In their last matchup on the historic card of Amanda Serrano vs. Danila Ramos and Most Valuable Prospects III in October 2023, the two each put their undefeated records on the line, with Aguilar fighting to a nail-biting split decision victory over Rios. Aguilar solidified his victory as he scored a major knockdown of Rios down in the fifth round as the two traded a thundering series of body and face shots across the bout. Rios most recently notched another win in March, and now seeks to settle the score against Aguilar. 

Also on the main card will be a 6-round battle between featherweights Jan Paul Rivera (8-0, 5 KOs) and David Perez (9-0, 2 KOs). Rivera, the 22-year-old prospect from Salinas, Puerto Rico, was a decorated member of the Puerto Rican national boxing team as an amateur, competing in over 200 bouts. His amateur accolades include winning two straight Puerto Rico Elite National Championships in 2020 and 2021, as well as the Puerto Rico Youth National Championships in 2018 and 2019. He also earned a silver medal at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Budapest, Hungary in 2018. Across his 8-fight professional career to date, Rivera has competed across the USA, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Colombia, furthering his aspirations to become a global star in the sport. David Perez, the 26-year-old talent from Tulsa, Oklahoma, recently bested then-6-0 William Green in September 2023, and looks to take his first major step up in competition to test his undefeated record against Rivera on Friday, April 26.  

“Coming off MVP’s latest record-breaking event in Puerto Rico, we are excited to return to Orlando for our next Most Valuable Prospects event on Friday, April 26,” said MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul. “Continuing to shine the spotlight on boxing’s best young talents is a core tenant of MVP, and we look forward to welcoming back Yoenis Tellez, Benigno Aguilar, and Alexander Rios to the series’ sixth installment following their sensational performances on previous Most Valuable Prospects iterations over the last year. Thank you to DAZN, CELSIUS, Boxlab Promotions, and Caribe Royale for their ongoing partnership to make this series the best up-and-coming talent feature in boxing.”

“On behalf of Caribe Royale and Boxlab Promotions we’re excited to be partnering with MVP on another dynamic boxing card. The card is stacked with fast rising prospects in various weight classes,” said Amaury Piedra, Managing Director of Caribe Royale Resort and President of Boxlab Promotions. “This is just another example of how the team has made Orlando the focal point for boxing in Florida. These action packed events give both Caribe Royale guests and locals another reason to visit Orlando’s only 4 diamond all suite resort.”

Additional bouts for Most Valuable Prospects VI will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Boxlab Promotions serving as the official licensed promoter and is distributed globally by DAZN. The sixth event in the series will continue the commitment from MVP co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian to highlight the world’s best up-and-coming boxing talent. All events within Most Valuable Prospects will take place on Friday nights in 2024. CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy, maker of lifestyle energy drink, is the exclusive energy drink sponsor of Most Valuable Promotions and the Most Valuable Prospects series. 

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @DAZNBoxing or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @DAZNBoxing.

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. MVP have produced Jake Paul’s last five global pay-per-view events, including the recent Paul vs. Diaz match. The promotion company also signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which was the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

About DAZN

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to a ground-breaking rights catalog and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.   

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit www.dazngroup.com.  

About Caribe Royale Orlando Resort

Located just minutes from the Walt Disney World® Resort in the nation’s number one convention and tourist destination, Caribe Royale Orlando is the only AAA Four Diamond all-suite meetings resort in Orlando. A TripAdvisor 2022 Travelers’ Choice Award winner – among just 10 percent of hotels worldwide to receive the distinction – the upscale Caribe Royale is emerging from a $140 million renovation that includes fully remodeling all of its one-bedroom suites, an all-new 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom (bringing the total meeting space to 220,000 square feet), and an inviting new lobby. Being privately-owned, Caribe Royale offers meeting planners faster approval cycles and more flexibility to create stand-out events. To learn more or to book a visit, event or meeting, visit www.cariberoyale.com. Follow the all-suite convention hotel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter(@cariberoyale), LinkedIn and Pinterest. #cariberoyaleorlando

Material Courtesy of: DAZN And Most Valuable Promotions 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. 

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

Country Box March 5, 2024 Results From Nashville, TN

Rising unbeaten Heavyweight Erick Arellano  fought to a six round majority draw with veteran Raphael Carolina on Tuesday night at the Texas Troubador Thearte in Nashville, TN. Arellano, who had scored seven knockouts in his ten career wins had a tougher than expected test against Carolina, who entered the bout with a 2-4 record in six professional fights. Despite the record Carolina had prior to the bout, he showed himself to be a crafty southpaw that was able to withstand the best of what Arellano was able to throw at him including his right hand. Carolina’s strength throughout the fight was his ability to land periodic counter punches and was  Official scores were: 59-55, (Arellano) and 57-57 (Even on two scorecards resulting in the draw.) Erick Arellano advances to 10-0-1, with 7 Knockouts. Raphael Carolina advances to 2-4-1, with 1 Knockout. 

Also on this card:

Undefeated Jr. Welterweight  Ermes Orta scored a second round knockout of Cody Jenkins. Orta immediately put Jenkins, a bareknuckle boxer on the defensive frequently landing his right hand to the body and head. The one sided punishment resulted in three knockdowns in the first round and two in the second when Jenkins after taking significant punishment to the body shook his head in resignation. Official time of the stoppage was 1:30 of round two. Ermes Orta advances to 6-0, with 6 Knockouts. Cody Jenkins falls to 0-2, with 0 Knockouts.

Heavyweight Rydell Mayes scored a brutal first round knockout of Ritchie Cherry. A flush left hook to the head nearly sent Cherry through the ropes. From this point on Cherry though able to get up from the knockdown was in survival mode. Three knockdowns followed with Cherry being laid out for the count on the fourth knockdown from another left hook. Official time of the stoppage was 2:47 of round one. Rydell Mayes advances to 15-2, with 14 Knockouts. Ritchie Cherry falls to 3-13, with 1 Knockout.

Heavyweight Kahlil Smoot scored five knockdowns across three rounds of Francois Russell. The end came when veteran Russell was sent down to a knee for the fifth time from a right hand.  Official time of the stoppage was 1:20 of round three. Kahill Smoot advances to 9-3, with 9 Knockouts. Francois Russell Russell falls to 3-41, with 3 Knockouts.

The evening also featured live music performed by Robbie Cockrell. CountryBox: Where music meets Boxing is gradually developing into a platform for young fighters to showcase their developing skills. In addition to their long standing relationship with Triller TV (Formerly FITE), the March 2024 edition was the first to be carried on multiple streaming platforms including the Fox-owned Tubi.  Whether or not the fighters who hope to reach prospect status will be able to step up in the caliber of their competition in their next bouts remains to be seen. It would not surprise this observer given how competitive the main event of this card was as well as the fact to be frank that Raphael Carolina was not expected to be competitive, much less take the undefeated Erick Arellano to a draw, to see the two meet again down the line in a rematch. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Thunderdome 45 Results: Laruccia Remains Undefeated With Stunning Knockout Over Reyek

Press Release: March 5,, 2024 By Dragon Fire Boxing- Thunderdome 45 (On Friday,March 1st) kicked off what looks to be an exciting year for Perth boxing last Friday, as fans were treated to yet another great night of fights at the Metro City Night Club in Northbridge.

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing

The card also gave an introduction to the up-and-coming prospects that are coming out of Western Australia, as they all had fantastic performances.

The headliner saw Perth standout Jordan Laruccia (7-0) kept his undefeated record intact, by defeating Wellem Reyek in dominant fashion.

Fellow young guns Joel Lewis (4-0) and Jude Grant (6-0) both captured state championship glory with victories of their own.

Jordan Laruccia defeats Wellem Reyek

In the Main Event Jordan Laruccia overcame his most experienced test to date, after knocking out Wellem Reyek in what was a brilliant showing.

Coming into the fight, Laruccia had just captured the Australasian Super Welterweight Title against Fano Kori last September.

To kick off his 2024 campaign, the Perth native returned to the Middleweight division to take on Reyek, who had a resume of over 50 fights.

On the night However, Laruccia made a statement in his performance as he defeated the Indonesian in dominant fashion to advance his record to 7-0.

The first round got off to a quick start with Laruccia looking the more polished boxer, as he mixed up his shots well to throw off his opponent. Reyek would land some punches in the pocket but they had no effect on the Aussie.

 

Laruccia would turn up the aggression in the second round, as he started to have more success with body shots as per advice from his corner.

After a flurry on the ropes in the third round Laruccia wobbled Reyek with a crisp left hook. The Aussie chased the finish and he finally got it after another left hook that sent his opponent to the ground.

Reyek was not able to answer the count, giving the undefeated the Perth native a knockout win.

In the post-fight interview, Laruccia had expressed his desire to fight over East.

The win for Laruccia last night takes him another step closer to national stardom and with the skills he possesses, it's only a matter of time before a fight outside of the west becomes a reality.

 

 

Joel Lewis defeats Bahtiyar Sonyol

In the Co-Main Event Joel Lewis brutally finished Bahtiyar Sonyol to capture the West Australian State Welterweight Title.

The State title win marks the first in Lewis’ career, as he also advances his undefeated record to 4-0.

Lewis started the fight off strong, as he dropped Sonyol with a straight left down the pipe within the first 30 seconds of the first round.

The knockdown would ultimately set the tone for the fight, as the Aussie was a step ahead of his opponent in terms of his movement and punches.

Lewis continued his onslaught in the second round, as he constantly rocked his opponent. Sonyol tried his best to trap his Lewis against the ropes but the Aussie proved to be too slick.

Early into the third round Lewis put the final nail in the coffin, after landing a massive uppercut that once again sent Sonyol crashing to the canvas. Sonyol was able to rise to his feet but the referee waved off the contest, Declaring Joel Lewis the winner by TKO.

 

Jude Grant defeats Mitch Arnold

Jude Grant added yet another state title to his resume when he defeated Mitch Arnold in what was a lopsided fight.

The title win at Super Middleweight marks Grant’s third state title, after winning belts in the Super Welterweight and Middleweight divisions.

The first round started off as a feeling out process with Grant using his jab to good effect. Arnold tried his best to use his head movement to avoid the straight punches coming to him, but Grant managed to catch him consistently.

In the second round Grant turned up his aggression as he started to land bigger shots. Arnold would try to corner his southpaw opponent late, but Grant was able to use his angles well to escape.

In the third round Grant started going to the body as per the advice from his corner, whilst continuing to dictate the fight by using his lead foot to angle away from his opponent.

Grant continued his assault on the body in round four, as he started to land more flush.

In the closing seconds of the round, Grant connected with a huge left hand that wobbled Arnold.

The Perth Native pressed for the finish but he didn’t have enough time as the fight went the distance.

Despite not getting the stoppage, Grant was declared the winner by unanimous decision.

Full Card Results

Jordan Laruccia DEFEATED Willem Reyek (Round 3 KO)

Joel Lewis DEFEATED Bahtiyar Sonyol (Round 3 TKO)

Jude Grant DEFEATED Mitch Arnold (Unanimous Decision)

Lewis Clarke DEFEATED Ranjeet Singh (Unanimous Decision)

Milan Bevk DEFEATED Lennox Caraynidis (Unanimous Decision)

Richard Lockett DEFEATED Asyer Aluman (Round 1TKO)

Habib Kheirkhah DEFEATED Jack Thompson (Unanimous Decision)

Kevin Kophamel DEFEATED Tio Caraynidis (Majority Decision)

Material and Photo Courtesy of Dragon Fire Boxing  Used with permission. 

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

BREAKING: Official Statement From Most Valuable Promotions Regarding Serrano-Meinke Cancellation

Credit: Most Valuable Promotions 

In a follow up to the breaking story regarding the cancellation of the scheduled Women's World Featherweight championship fight between defending champion Amanda Serrano and IBF number one contender Nina Meinke, which was cancelled moments before it was to take place before a sell out crowd at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico  on Saturday night, the promoter of the card, Most Valuable Promotions have released a statement, which can be read in the photo above.

We will continue to keep readers updated on any developments as they become available.

Statement Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

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

BREAKING: SERRANO NOT CLEARED TO COMPETE, TITLE DEFENSE AGAINST MEINKE CANCELLED

The scheduled twelve, three minute round Women's Unified World Featherweight champion Amanda Serrano and Nina Meinke, which was to main event a Most Valuable Promotions card held this evening Saturday,March 2nd) at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico was cancelled moments before it was to take place. In an announcement made to the sell out crowd, it was revealed by an emotional champion Serrano that she was not cleared to compete due to an eye injury that is currently affecting her vision.

The remainder of the card, which featured social media influencer, turned Cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul scoring a first round stoppage of Ryan Bourlandbefore the main event was to take place, went on as scheduled. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) went onto announce that they will be issuing refunds to everyone in attendance.

A visably distraught Serrano, who was consoled by her promoter Jale Paul vowed that the fight will be rescheduled when she is healthy and it will take place at the venue. The extent of the injury remains unknown as of this writing, but the Featherweight champion indicated it was an injury to her cornea. We will keep readers updated on any developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Serrano And Paul Set To Share Stage

The month of March in the sport of Boxing will begin with a unique doubleheader that will take place at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Saturday, March 2nd, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. What makes it unique? It is a rare opportunity to see a superstar fighter and that fighter’s promoter competing on the same card, much less in the event’s two headline attractions.

In the main event of the evening Unified Women5IBF/WBA/WBO/IBO Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will defend her crown against IBF number one contender Niina Meinke. In October of last year, Serrano, the then undisputed champion of the division, took part in a groundbreaking moment for the sport in scoring a unanimous decision over Danila Ramos in Orlando, FL. The historical significance of the occasion was that the world championship bout was the first one in Boxing history where female fighters fought for a distance of twelve, three minute rounds. The same world championship distance as men's world title bouts.

As groundbreaking and overdue as that moment was for the sport in taking a major step forward towards equality, with the champion declaring that she would prefer to continue competing at the twelve three minute round distance for the remainder of her career shortly after defeating Ramos, it was not long after that fight where Serrano would lose her status as an undisputed world champion. This was due to the World Boxing Council (WBC) refusing to sanction women's world title bouts at the same distance and round length as men's bouts. In response, Serrano relinquished the WBC World Featherweight championship.

It goes without saying that Boxing is a sport where world championships are relinquished and stripped for a variety of reasons, which most of the time has to do with the politics of the sport. While this observer can go on and on, on that subject, Serrano's decision to willingly lose her undisputed champion status should be applauded. Applauded because it not only showed her intentions to help bring about equality in the sport for women was legitimate, but her conviction in wanting to see world title fights in Women's Boxing moved to the same standard as their male counterparts was so strong that when a prominent sanctioning organization, which was the first to sanction world title bouts for female fighters, refused to also take that step towards equality, Serrano put principle over whatever potential financial gain she might acquire as being one of the few undisputed champions in the entire sport, male or female.

While one can hope that the WBC will eventually join in the movement of progress for female fighters in the sport, Serrano, still the number one fighter in Featherweight division regardless of the label of undisputed being involved, will move forward with her career. The first step in that comes in her next title defense against the International

Boxing Federation's (IBF) number one contender Nina Meinke.

Meinke, a veteran of twenty-one professional fights, will come into this fight on a six fight winning streak and has won eighteen of her twenty-one professional bouts. She is also a former world title challenger having previously come up short in a challenge of then IBF Featherweight world champion Sarah Mahfoud in April 2022.

One crucial element to keep in mind is Amanda Serrano has won world titles in eight different weight divisions. While that may be reflective of Women’s Boxing still being very much in the process of growing, in that it is not uncommon for fighters to move up or down the weight scale depending on what opportunities may be available to them to fight for a world championship, often on a fight by fight basis, what Serrano has also accumulated over her forty-nine bout professional career is a level of experience that few fighters can compare to simply because the sport for women is still growing. There is no doubt in this observer’s mind that Serrano will use every bit of that experience including the fact that she now has the added attribute of having gone twelve, three minute rounds before to her advantage. 

The question here will largely fall on Meinke's shoulders in whether or not she will be able to compete against Serrano and more specifically, how she will respond to fighting under three minute rounds and the possibility of going twelve rounds. It is something that hopefully as more Women's world title bouts are held under the twelve, three minute round format will become less of an issue, but for the foreseeable future, fighters who have been accustomed to Boxing as far as ten rounds, where the length of those rounds are two minutes in duration, it will be a question of if they will be able to adjust to the format that is standard for their male counterparts. Meinke only has three knockouts in her eighteen career wins. This suggests that that fight plan for her will be to try and out point the champion over the course of the twelve round bout. 

While that may seem like an advantage for a fighter that is used to not only going the distance, but also having to implement an approach to score points to win decisions, Serrano is also a highly skilled boxer who has punching power in both hands. It will be up to Meinke to show what she will be able to do in this fight and more specifically, if she will be able to do it fighting under a longer format both in terms of round length and the scheduled distance that might determine how successful she is in this second opportunity to capture a world championship.

One fighter who will share the stage with Serrano and will look to showcase his evolving skills shortly before the Featherweight champion of the world takes to the ring for the main event, is social media influencer turned Cruiserweight boxer Jake Paul. Longtime readers know the stance of this observer with regard to the influx of celebrity that has made it’s way into the Boxing ring over the last several years, which has been given a slightly different name of “Influencer Boxing.” While those who enter the sport from an outside background should not be judged simply off of that background, I have also been critical when appropriate when it comes to those would be fighters seeming to have the mentality that they can face either other influencers and combat athletes from different disciplines/sports other than Boxing and expect to be taken seriously as would be contenders who may eventually challenge for a world championship, much less pushed and marketed as pay-per-view stars in an era where consumers continue to reject such a model. Paul has been one fighter that I have criticized for these reasons.

It should be noted however, that following his victory over MMA veteran Nate Diaz last summer, Paul opted to take a more conventional route for any boxer looking to work his way up in the sport of Boxing. Choosing to box his next fight in a more intimate setting of the Caribe Royale Resort ballroom in Orlando, FL on December 15th when he faced Cruiserweight boxer Andre August. While this was only the second time in Paul’s career where he was not on a pay-per-view as an attraction or the main event, it signaled a step forward towards proving himself to be a serious boxer by facing someone with a Boxing background, but also someone who did not have much known about him prior to the fight. Essentially, the type of opponents any would-be prospect will face as their careers and skillset develops. Paul simply took care of business on that December evening dropping August for the count with a right uppercut that ended matters at 2:32 of the first round.

Although there is not much one can say about a one punch knockout, something that Paul has done against MMA fighters, with little or no Boxing experience and other celebrities before in his career, The fact that he was able to do it against someone who was a boxer, and more specifically, how he set up the knockout by going to the body and waiting for the opening to land the knockout blow, did show progress. Now Paul looks to follow that victory by facing another boxer in the form of nineteen fight veteran Ryan Bourland, which on the surface represents a step up for Paul in terms of the experience that his opponent has. Bourland, a native of Dickinson, ND will enter into this encounter with a record of 17-2, with 6 Knockouts. He has won his last three bouts including a knockout win over a fighter named Santario Martin in his last bout. What some may see as potential red flags however, is that last bout for him took place in September 2022 and much like August, who was a Texas State Light-Heavyweight champion in his career prior to facing Paul, not much is known about Bourland and  obtaining footage for the purposes of research for this observer, a noted Boxing historian and one who studies fight films daily did prove to not be successful. An interesting note that is coincidental is both August and Bourland fought Santario Martin in their careers, and each does have a victory over him. Bourland does have a knockout victory over him however, compared to August’s decision victory over him in November 2019.

While this is coincidental and some may at minimum say that Paul’s handlers are scouting opponents from similar circles, it is important to keep in mind that there are countless fighters throughout the entire sport that toil on the local and regional levels of Boxing that take fights whenever they are offered, are willing to travel anywhere for those opportunities on often short notice, and are the true workman of the sport because of their willingness to get in and mix it up with anyone whenever an opportunity becomes available and/or is offered. In this case, the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight  and 190lb. Cruiserweight divisions are in close proximity to each other and it is not unusual to see fighters on those local/regional levels bounce up and down between divisions depending on what opportunity might be available. For those fighters who have such a career on that level as they look for an opportunity to move up towards an opportunity that might establish them as a contender, it is not unusual for fighters to have some common opposition on that path.

The question here is what Ryan Bourland will bring with him in terms of skillset into this fight. Paul has shown numerous times that he has a primary weapon, his right hand and per his being a celebrity, all of his fights have been televised in some form. While this may not seem like much to the reader, what it does provide is at least an opportunity for Bourland to study his opponent, whereas Paul may not have had that same opportunity. Bourland does have six knockouts in his seventeen wins, but he does not seem to be a fighter with punching power. Of his two losses, Bourland does have a first round knockout loss at the hands of a fighter named Israel Duffus in a fight that took place nearly nine years ago in July 2015 in Hollywood, CA. 

Much as was the case for his last fight, the element of the unknown has followed Jake Paul into this fight in terms of his opposition. These are the types of fights that are crucial for a fighter’s development if they do want to work their way up towards possible contention and hope to eventually challenge for a world championship. With the rarest of exceptions, the vast majority of fighters are not afforded the opportunity to take short cuts and try to get to that point faster and for most boxers, this is the path that they need to take as well as compete frequently not only to obtain the necessary experience against different types of opposition with varying styles, but also to try and get more opportunities that might be higher up on the ladder of contention. At least for what will be his last two fights by the time he faces Bourland, Paul seems to have realized this and it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop against fighters with a Boxing background, who likely view Paul due to his celebrity status as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. With one win and one loss coming against fighters with a Boxing background, it’s now time to see what this next step in Paul’s development as a boxer will look like.

An evening of Boxing featuring two steps toward progress. One towards equality in Boxing and the other perhaps a further step in a fighter’s developing career. It should be an entertaining night of Boxing. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Serrano vs. Meinke / Paul vs. Bourland takes place on Saturday, March 2nd at the Jose Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The card can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning with preliminary bouts at 4:30PM ET/1:30PM PT. This will be followed by the main card, which will begin at 7PM ET/4PM PT. 

(*U.S. Times Only.*]

(*Card Subject To Change.*)

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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