Saturday, September 30, 2017

Belated Thoughts On Parker-Fury


Undefeated Joseph Parker emerged on the Heavyweight scene when he won the vacant WBO Heavyweight world championship in December of last year with a twelve round unanimous decision over fellow unbeaten contender Andy Ruiz. The victory for Parker not only established him as a player in the division, but added him to the history books as New Zealand’s first World Heavyweight champion.

After successfully defending his world championship with a twelve round unanimous decision over Razvan Cojanu in May of this year, Parker set his sights on what would be his second title defense against undefeated WBO number one contender Hughie Fury on September 23rd at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. This was an interesting fight in the sense that it had two fighters who one might argue were still looking for the respect and recognition of Boxing fans.

Fury, the cousin of undefeated former unified World Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury entered the fight unbeaten in twenty professional fights, but was coming into the bout off of a year of inactivity having defeated veteran contender Fred Kassi in April of last year. Fury suffered a severe cut over his left eye in that fight which caused the bout to be stopped resulting in Fury winning the fight via technical decision after seven rounds. The severity of the cut was largely responsible for Fury’s layoff and it is always an interesting to see how a fighter will respond after such inactivity.

What also made this encounter interesting was both Parker and Fury are not known for their punching power, but had each shown the ability to get an opponent out of there if the opportunity presented itself. The bout was the definition of a tactical battle. A fight that was frankly difficult to score. Although the champion was consistently aggressive throughout this fight, I felt the bout was largely dictated by Fury in that he was very consistent in using movement to offset Parker’s pressure as well as regularly throwing his jab, which made it challenging for the champion to get into an offensive rhythm.

Even though the champion would have periodic success in short offensive bursts as he came forward, he just couldn’t seem to land a significant punch that would clearly shift the tempo in his favor, in this observer’s eyes. At the end of the twelve round world championship bout, I arrived at a score of 116-112 or eight rounds to four in favor of Fury. The official decision however, would differ from my scoring of the fight as Parker would retain his title with a twelve round majority decision winning the bout by a score of 118-110 or ten rounds to two on two official scorecards while the third official judge saw the fight even at six rounds a piece or 114-114 in points.

A question I get asked from time to time when discussing my years covering the sport is does it bother me when there is a controversial decision and/or does it leave a bad taste in this observer’s mouth when the element of “Controversy” arises. Of course, there will be some that will point out the obvious that “Controversy” does after all have a way of generating buzz as well as stirring discussion/debate and therefore creates interest in the sport. As longtime readers know however, I have often over the years made the counter argument as to why too much “Controversy” ultimately does more harm than good for the sport.

Some may choose to call the outcome in this fight “Controversial” based largely on the scoring of two judges, who saw Joseph Parker winning ten of twelve rounds. Although I did not agree with the score of 118-110 in favor of Parker and can see how some might take issue with my 116-112 or eight rounds to four scorecard in favor of Fury, there are some factors that should be pointed out, which may clear up the questions some might have with regard to the scoring of this fight.


This was an extremely tactical fight that was fought at a measured pace. When fights are fought at such a pace the challenge for those scoring a fight both in an official and unofficial capacity is to distinguish which fighter gets the upper hand particularly in fights where fighters are able to have periods of success in each round. Speaking for myself, it was Fury’s movement and his being able to control the tempo of the combat as well as being able to keep Parker from getting his offense off consistently, which was the basis for my scoring though there were several “Swing Rounds” due to the pace in which the fight was fought and Parker being able to execute offense in spots.

Although I felt Fury had the edge in this fight, as readers have heard me utter frequently over the years when the subject of close fights is discussed, it will often boil down to what a judge prefers in their own individual criteria in how they score based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense. From my perspective even though the champion was consistently aggressive, he did not land enough punches in those periods where he was able to execute offense in short bursts to sway my opinion as to who was getting the upper hand, but was able to win rounds particularly when Fury was not moving as much and was not able to keep Parker at distance, which is how I ended up with a 116-112 scorecard at the end of the fight.

One might assume that the two judges that saw Parker winning the bout by a wide margin scored based on his aggression and perhaps may have felt that he landed the harder punches of the two fighters even though he was not as active as the challenger. Only the judges themselves can comment on what they based their scores on, but it appears obvious that Parker and Fury might be heading toward a second encounter in the future. When and where a rematch between the two might take place is a question that could and probably will be debated because with the victory disputed by some or not, Joseph Parker has for the time being fulfilled his mandatory obligations by facing and defeating the WBO’s number one Heavyweight contender.

Whether or not the World Boxing Organization (WBO) mandates a rematch between Parker and Fury, who made clear his intention to file a formal protest of the decision in the days following the fight remains unclear. This observer believes it might be more likely that Parker will await the outcomes of the two remaining World Heavyweight championship fights scheduled in 2017, which will see undefeated champions Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua defending their respective portions of the World Heavyweight championship before deciding his next move. Whether that move comes in the form of an immediate rematch with Hughie Fury, an elective title defense against another top contender, or potentially facing one of the winners of either the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz or Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev championship bouts in an attempt to further unify the Heavyweight division is anyone’s guess.

 The year 2018 however, appears to be setting up some intriguing scenarios for the Heavyweight division. Scenarios that will likely generate discussion and debate among Boxing fans and experts as to what may or may not happen. Although the subject of “Controversy” could be a topic in such discussions, the more interesting question just might be if any of the current world champions in the division can emerge as the one “Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Of The World” in the new year. With two World Heavyweight championship fights still to come in 2017 the landscape in terms of the top of the division could change, but let the discussions of what may or may not be in store for the Heavyweights in 2018 begin.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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





Thursday, September 28, 2017

Schedule Update


We would like to let our readers know that material discussing the recent WBO Heavyweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Joseph Parker and undefeated WBO number one contender Hughie Fury will be released on Saturday, September 30th  here on the website. We would also like to inform readers that a planned preview that was scheduled for Friday, September 29th for the scheduled Lightweight bout between former two-division world champion Juan Manuel Lopez and former world title challenger Jayson Velez, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 30th in Juncos, Puerto Rico will not be released as the card has been canceled due to the effects of Hurricane Maria.

  There is no word as of this writing as to if or when that card will be rescheduled. We will keep you updated on any developments as they become available. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
                                              
The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

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

Monday, September 25, 2017

Duno Scores Convincing Win In Second Fight In The U.S.


Romero Duno Post-Fight Photo. Photo Credit: Sanman Promotions
Press Release: September 25, 2017 By Sanman Promotions – Romero “Ruthless” Duno didn’t disappoint in his second U.S. fight, scoring a unanimous decision win over Mexican Juan Pablo Sanchez at the Forum in Inglewood, CA on Saturday  Sepmtember 23rd. (Sunday, September 24th Manila time.) Duno, who recorded his 15th win in 16 matches with 13 knockout victories, inflicted Sanchez a huge cut above the left eye in the fifth round en route to tallying the convincing victory. The three judges, Rudy Barragan, Pat Russell and Fernando Villareal, all scored the bout at 78-74 for Duno, whose first stint in the U.S. was a resounding second round knockout win over erstwhile unbeaten Chimpa Gonzalez last March 10th at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles.

Sanchez fell to 30W-14L-0D, 8KOs. “I’m happy with the victory. He is very tough. But I gave my best,” said the 21-year-old Duno. Duno said beating a tough fighter like Sanchez will serve him well in the future as he gears up for more tougher fights in his quest to become a world champion.
“I’m sure I will bring this experience to my next fight,” he said.


Duno’s big bosses were satisfied with Duno’s performance. “The opponent was a very tough one and also good. We are happy with the victory,” said Duno’s manager Dexter Tan, chief finance officer of the General Santos City-based Sanman Promotions. “A great win for Duno and a good learning experience.,” said Jim Claude Manangquil, chief executive officer of Sanman Promotions. Manangquil said Duno will be taking a short break before mapping out their next plan. “We will celebrate this win first then we will discuss with Golden Boy Promotions what would be our future plans for Duno,” Manangquil said.

Material and Photo Courtesy of: Sanman Promotions Used with Permission.

For more information about Sanman Promotions please visit their official Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/SanmanPromotions.

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




Saturday, September 23, 2017

Golovkin-Alvarez: The Controversy


The fight between undefeated unified Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and two-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 16th had all the ingredients of a “Super Fight.” Two fighters with crowd pleasing style, who each have established themselves as being among the elite fighters in the sport. There was also the gradual build of anticipation as both fighters faced and defeated other opposition. Rather than discussing the various political elements and events that had taken place prior to the showdown between the two, an argument could be made that this was one “Super Fight” that did not take as much time to come to fruition as compared to other major events throughout the sport’s history.

Although most folks that this observer had the pleasure of discussing the potential scenarios of this fight with in the weeks leading up to the bout had expressed to me that they felt this would be one that was too close to call and gave credible arguments as to how each fighter could win, the more I thought about the encounter in the weeks prior to the fight I began to have thoughts of the September 2004 Middleweight unification bout between world champions Bernard Hopkins and Oscar De La Hoya as something that could provide somewhat of a visual scenario as to what could happen when Golovkin faced Alvarez. To be clear the bout between Hopkins and De La Hoya, which I covered when it took place, did not come to mind as something to serve as a direct comparison to Golovkin-Alvarez, but there were two similarities that did stand out.

The main similarity was much like Oscar De La Hoya, Saul Alvarez had fought his career below the Middleweight division, despite briefly holding the WBC Middleweight world championship in his career. De La Hoya briefly held the WBO Middleweight world championship prior to facing Hopkins. In his Middleweight debut in June 2004 where he won the WBO crown, De La Hoya earned a controversial decision over Felix Sturm in a fight where De La Hoya started the bout strong, but gradually wore down perhaps due to fighting for the first time at a heavier weight than he had previously in his career. It was obvious despite his aggression early in that fight, that De La Hoya’s offense did not have as much of an impact as compared to when he fought opposition in lighter weight classes and it appeared that Sturm outworked him by the end of the fight.

As was the case in his fight with Sturm, De La Hoya was able to hold his own against Hopkins, but was unable to land anything significant to discourage Hopkins from coming forward. As the fight progressed Hopkins gradually wore De La Hoya down and was able to score a knockout of De La Hoya in the ninth round with a left hook to the body. What made this fight come to mind specifically was in several of Alvarez’ recent fights he had opted to fight with a “Catchweight “ stipulation rather than competing in a weight class, despite winning and then successfully defending the WBC Middleweight crown in two fights fought under such stipulations.

This observer has long been on record in expressing my strong dislike of the concept of “Catchweight” fights. Such a concept, which usually consists of a fighter facing an opponent who competes at a higher weight at an agreed upon in between point rather than the fighter who competes at a lighter weight having to face the fighter who competes at a heavier weight in that fighter’s weight class, creates an advantage for the fighter moving up from a lighter weight because it forces the fighter at the heavier weight to come down in weight where they are theoretically compromised and not at full strength. thus creating what often times can be a disservice to both fans and the sport in my eyes.

Given that this fight was fought at the full Middleweight limit of 160lbs. it was logical to question both what affects would Alvarez’ punches have on Golovkin and how Alvarez would respond to a Middleweight’s punch.  Although it was somewhat surprising to see a more tactical fight being fought by Gennady Golovkin early on given his reputation as a “Knockout artist”, I felt the fight was largely dictated by how well he was able to execute his jab and how he controlled the tempo of the combat.

This was a fight that it became apparent early on that it would be a question of whether Golovkin’s greater activity would get the nod of the judges over Alvarez’ ability to execute his offense in spots. Even though Alvarez was able to have his moments throughout this fight, I felt that Golovkin was overall the effective aggressor and was the fighter who as the fight progressed brought the fight to Alvarez in being able to consistently push Alvarez back to the ropes and outworked him. Alvarez was also unable to land something significant to discourage Golovkin from coming forward in my eyes.

It goes without saying that there can be a difference of opinion both before and after a major event such as this as to who may have gotten the upper hand. As is the case in fights that are considered close, there were some rounds in this fight that could be considered “Swing Rounds” where there can be moments that determine who got the upper hand in an otherwise close round.  This was not a close fight in my eyes as I scored the bout 117-111 in points or nine rounds to three in favor of Golovkin.

My scorecard was based on Golovkin’s greater activity and effective aggression. Alvarez simply did not throw or land enough punches particularly in some rounds that were close in order to sway my opinion. Although I stand by my scorecard, there could have been one or two rounds both in the first three rounds of the fight as well as down the stretch where depending on one’s perspective Alvarez could have gotten the upper hand, which could have resulted in scorecards of 116-112 (eight rounds to four) or 115-113 (seven rounds to five) in favor of Golovkin.  I do not believe that this was a fight that could be separated by two rounds, but I can see how one could come to an eight rounds to four scorecard in favor of Golovkin.

The end result of this fight a split decision draw has been met with much criticism in particular the scorecard of Official Judge Adalaide Byrd, who scored the fight 118-110 or ten rounds to two in favor of Alvarez. As is the case with most controversial decisions, there have been accusations of corruption and calls for investigations by Boxing fans.

This observer has been known over the years as someone who has been critical of judges who produce scorecards that differ from a consensus opinion as to what happened in a fight.  Although I obviously do not agree with Byrd’s scorecard as I feel it does not accurately illustrate what took place in this fight and did not give credit to Gennedy Golovkin for his performance, when something like this happens it is up to the respective state athletic commissions and respective sanctioning organizations to investigate.  As I have often said over the years with regard to controversial decisions, even though the ultimate decision regarding investigations and/or potential action falls with the athletic commissions and sanctioning organizations, it is up to Boxing fans who tirelessly support the sport both by supporting the fighters themselves and with their money as well as those of us involved with the sport in various capacities to call for change.

Whether or not this latest decision will lead to significant change remains to be seen, but a rematch between Golovkin and Alvarez might be more likely before change that would benefit the sport overall in the long-term will occur. If a rematch does indeed take place in the future one can only hope that it will be “Free of Controversy.”

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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




Friday, September 22, 2017

Parker-Fury Weights



The official weigh-in for Saturday’s WBO Heavyweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Joseph Parker and undefeated WBO number one contender Hughie Fury took place earlier today in Manchester, England. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: WBO Heavyweight world championship – 12Rds.

Joseph Parker (Champion) 245lbs. vs. Hughie Fury (Challenger) 234lbs.

British Bantamweight championship – 12Rds.

Josh Wale (Champion) 117lbs. vs. Don Broadhurst  (Challenger118lbs.

Vacant WBO Intercontinental Jr. Middleweight championship – 12Rds.

Kilran Kelly 154lbs. vs. Stiliyan Kostov 153lbs.

Jr. Middleweight – 10Rds.

Shayne Singleton 153lbs. vs. Peter McDonagh 154lbs.

Light-Heavyweight – 6Rds*

Josef Obesio vs. Lyndon Arthur

Jr. Welterweight – 12Rds.

Matty Fagan 136lbs. vs. Joe Murray 137lbs.

Jr. Lightweight *

Yusuf Safa vs. Simas Volosinas

(*Weights for the Obesio-Arthur and Safa-Volsinas bouts are unavailable as of this writing. Both fights are scheduled to take place as of this writing.)

Parker vs. Fury takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, September 23rd) at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The card can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on YouTube Pay-Per-View beginning at 3PM ET/12PM PT (U.S. Time) and on select cable and satellite providers in the United States for $24.99 (U.S. ) £9.99 (UK) and €11.99 (Ireland). For more information and to order Parker vs. Fury please visit: www.youtube.com/parkerfury or contact your cable or satellite provider for ordering information.

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

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

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Brief Update


We would like to let our readers know that a feature discussing the recent battle between undefeated IBO/WBA/IBF/WBC Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and former two-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is currently in the works and will be released on Saturday, September 23rd. Following this, our normal schedule will resume. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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

Friday, September 15, 2017

Golovkin-Alvarez Weights



The official weigh-in for Saturday’s pay-per-view showdown for the Unified Middleweight world championship between undefeated IBO/WBA/IBF/WBC world champion Gennady Golovkin and former two-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez took place earlier today in Las Vegas, NV. The official weights for the entire card are as follows.

Main Event: IBO/WBA/IBF/WBC Middleweight world championship – 12Rds.

Gennady Golovkin (Champion) 160lbs. vs. Saul Alvarez (Challenger) 160lbs.

North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Jr. Featherweight championship – 10Rds.


 Randy Caballero (Champion) 121lbs. vs. Diego De La Hoya (Challenger) 122lbs.

WBC Continental America’s Lightweight championship – 10Rds.*

Ryan Martin (Champion) 135lbs. vs. Francisco Rojo 135 1/2lbs.

(*Rojo weighed in a half pound over the 135lb. Lightweight limit. Fight still scheduled to take place as of this writing. The vacant WBA Intercontinental Lightweight championship will also be on the line in this bout.)

Featherweight – 12Rds.*

Joseph Diaz 126lbs. vs. Rafael Rivera 127lbs.

(*Rivera weighed in one pound over the 126lb. Featherweight limit. Fight still scheduled to take place as of this writing.)

Jr. Middleweight – 4Rds.*

Serhii Bohachuk  150lbs. vs. Joan Jose Valenzuela 154 1/2lbs.

(*Valenzuela weighed in a half pound over the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight limit. Fight still scheduled to take place as of this writing.)

Jr. Welterweight – 6Rds.

Vergil Ortiz 140lbs. vs. Cesar Valenzuela 140lbs.

Women’s Flyweight – 4Rds.

Marlen Esparza 111 1/2lbs. vs. Aracely Palacios 110lbs.

Women’s Jr. Bantamweight – 4Rds.

Alexandra Vlajk 114 1/2lbs. vs. Nicola Adams 115lbs.

Golovkin vs. Alvarez takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, September 16th) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight card can be seen in the United States and Canada  beginning  at 8PM ET/5PM PT on cable and satellite providers on a pay-per-view basis on HBO Pay-Per-View as well as www.Fite.TV for $79.95. Contact your cable/satellite provider or visit www.Fite.TV for ordering information. For more information on HBO Sports, HBO Boxing, and HBO Pay-Per-View please visit: www.hbo.com/boxing. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the fight card can be seen on a pay-per-view basis on BoxNation Box Office beginning at 1AM (Sunday, September 17th Local UK Time) for €21.95 HD/ €16.95 Standard Definition. (Fight card will be included at no extra cost for existing BoxNation subscribers as part of their subscription.) For more information about BoxNation and to order Golovkin-Alvarez please visit: www.boxnation.com.

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

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

Hurricane Irma Update


We would like to let our readers know that we have returned following Hurricane Irma and will be releasing weigh-in information for Saturday’s WBA/IBO/IBF/WBC Middleweight world championship fight between undefeated world champion Gennady Golovkin and former two-division world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez later today here on the website. We will be resuming our regular schedule going forward. We would like to thank our readers for their patience and apologize once again for any inconvenience that has been caused due to the unintended downtime. Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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



Thursday, September 7, 2017

Update: Hurricane Irma Notice


Due to the uncertainty of the track of Hurricane Irma, we would like to let our readers know that we here at The Boxing Truth® are between rounds and will resume our regular schedule once the storm’s path is apparent and we have been given the all clear. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and we will update the website once more details are made available on when we can resume.  Stay tuned. “And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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


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

Thai Fighter, ALA Gym Pug Due For GenSan For “Road to Stardom” Boxfest


Press Release: September 7,2017 (Originally released September 5, 2017) – By Sanman Promotions Thilander Jakkrawut Majoogoen and Cebu City-based Rhey Waminal  are set to arrive in General Santos City on Wednesday, September 6, for their respective assignments in the “Road to Stardom” fight card slated Saturday at the Polomolok Gym in Polomolok, South Cotabato.   Jim Claude Manangquil, chief executive officer of Sanman Promotions, said the weigh-in for the much-anticipated card will be held on Friday at the Polomolok City Hall.

    Majoogoen (19W-1L-0D, 11KOs) will be seeing action in the main event against Sanman Boxing Gym’s prized ward Jade Bornea (8W-0L-0D, 5KOs).  Bornea will be putting on the line not only his unbeaten slate but also his IBF Youth Super Flyweight belt.    “I’m ready to shock Bornea,” said Majoogoen in a previous interview.   The ALA Boxing Gym stalwart Waminal (11W-1L-0D, 6KOs), on the other hand, will be taking on another Sanman fighter Ben Mananquil (14W-1L-2D, 3KOs) in the co-main event. Waminal has vowed to pull off a knockout victory, a bold declaration that didn’t sit well with Mananquil.            
   


    “I will use as my motivation what Waminal and his coach told the media that he is going to knock me out,” said Mananquil. The undercard fights will be led by Randy Petalcorin (26W-2L-1D, 19KOs), who will battle Jetly Purisima (21W-23L-4D, 7KOs) in an eight-round duel under the 110-pound division. Eden Sonsona (36W-7L-2D, 13KOs) will face Jaime Barcelona (36W-61L-1D, 10KOs), Jayson     Mama will clash with Bimbo Nacionales, Rimar Metuda will test Gabby Simpo.
   
   

    The rest of the card will have John Mark Apolinario versus Jestoni Makiputin; Mark Antonio against Michael Padayag; Dave Apolinario versus Rudy Salaton; Jerven Mama against Jerry Tabamo; Michael Garcedo versus Jason Tresmonte and Jaeger Bereno against Jessie Boyles.
    The card will be streamed live via the Sanman Promotion’s Facebook page SANMAN Live

Material Courtesy of: Sanman Promotions Used with Permission.

For more information about Sanman Promotions and to watch the Sanman Live series please visit Sanman Promotions’ official Facebook page at:www.facebook.com/SanmanPromotions.

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