Golovkin-Rolls NYC Press Conference Quotes

Credit: Amanda Westcott / DAZN USA

Press Release: By DAZN – NEW YORK (April 22, 2019) -- Boxing's pound-for-pound superstar attraction GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN and undefeated Top-10 world-rated contender STEVE ROLLS kicked off their coast-to-coast media tour with a New York press conference today at Madison Square Garden. Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, formally announced to media that he is bringing his Big Drama Show back to the "Mecca of Boxing" on Saturday, June 8, in a 12-round rumble with Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs), who hails from Toronto. The fight will be contested at a maximum weight of 164 lbs. and marksGGG’s debut on DAZN, after signing a six-fight global partnership in March.

Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin

“I’m very happy. I’m happy go back to the sport, I’m happy to be back at Madison Square Garden. It’s a very interesting time for me. It’s an amazing time for the sport and an amazing time for boxing. Madison Square Garden, I feel like it’s my second home. [With Rolls,] it doesn’t matter who says what, it’s going to be me and you in the ring and may the strongest man win. I would like to wish him luck, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t have a lot of time left in my career, this is the time when we’ll be able to give our audience a good big show.”

Why 164? “I wanted to try it out, try this weight, but it wasn’t that big of a deal for me to do this weight. And for my opponent, this would be a little more comfortable since he usually fights at 168. I wouldn’t want him to be uncomfortable.”

On his predictions for Canelo vs. Jacobs: “I think it’s very hard to predict. It’s going to be a very important fight for the middleweight division and for boxing in general. It’s pretty even keel. Everyone has a chance. Everyone has a possibility to win. This is boxing, this is even stuff. It’s going to be an interesting fight no matter what.”

On Canelo’s recent comments on only fighting GGG again if he has a belt: “I think Canelo is not correct to say that. We have to see what’s going to happen. I’m hoping to fight him, title or not.”

On his thoughts re: Jarrell Miller: “Doping does exist in boxing. It’s a very unfortunate thing. I don’t have anything to say. Hopefully boxing will go on without the doping.”

Tom Loeffler

“GGG has sold out the big arena at MSG two times. For the fans, they just want to see him in the ring. With this fight here against Steve Rolls, who’s undefeated and a hungry fighter from Canada. For this fight, we kick off the DAZN multi-fight deal, and Steve Rolls makes all the sense in the world. It always takes two to tango. We’ve always given his opponent a level playing field, a fair shake, whatever it is. We always want the person standing across the ring to feel like he’s really in this fight.”

“There are only a few fighters that can sell out Madison Square Garden. Canelo fought here, in December, and he sold out MSG. Anthony Joshua is coming here June 1. And we’re expecting to sell out June 8. One thing that all three of these boxers have in common is that they all signed with DAZN here in the United States.”

On a potential trilogy match against Canelo: “It’s why Gennady signed with DAZN, it’s the clearest path to that. I don’t think the titles are going to make a difference. Both GGG and Canelo are above needing a title at this point in their career. Canelo fought here in December, he sold out MSG, Gennady has fought here and he built his fight here in MSG. I think the third fight will come down to economics. And location will be a part of the negotiations, because now, he’s not obligated to fight in Vegas.”

Steve Rolls

“I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and there are a couple things I keep coming across – ‘Who is this guy?’ and ‘This is going to be a tune-up fight.’ I’m the underdog that’s been hungry for this position. Make no mistake this isn’t a tune-up. I’m coming to fight. And with everybody, who doesn’t know me now, after June 8, you won’t forget me. I’ve got much respect for Gennady Golovkin, but I’m coming to shock the world.”

“[Golovkin] has been a dominant middleweight, probably the best for the last few decades. I’m not overlooking anything and I’m going in there preparing for the best Golovkin. It’s going to be hell. It’s going to be a grueling fight. But given it’s going to be at such a disadvantage, if there’s anyone who can do it, that’s me.”

Lou DiBella

“If [Golovkin] thinks this is going to be a walkover, then this is going to be a long f---ing night. I don’t think it’s going to be an easy night for GGG. Rolls has been doing this a long time. I’m not bringing a victim to MSG. I’m not. I don’t believe he’s a stepping stone for anybody. The future of his family changes in one night with a good night. I’m not talking win, loss, or draw, but a good night from Steve Rolls changes his life. It justifies the half of his life that he’s spent doing this. So I’m happy he got here, I think he deserves to be here. I hope that GGG is the best GGG because Steve Rolls is a professional fighter, a good fighter who can knock him off his course.”

“Personally, I’d rather see a guy who steps up to the opportunity of a lifetime and has never tasted defeat. It’s better off seeing someone new, fresh, hungry than someone recycled again. Rolls is a professional winner, not a professional loser. He’s done everything that he was supposed to do and he’s worked as hard as he can work for a long time, and I know he’s going to justify this opportunity. He’s a balanced measured professional fighter and he’s going to go in there and prove that to the world.”

“We know on June 8, Steve Rolls is getting the opportunity to fight someone special. This is for him the lottery here. He’s wanted a big fight, and he’s got the biggest. It’s his Super Bowl. He’s not going to roll over for anyone – excuse the bad pun – and he’s not going to roll over for Gennady Golovkin. He’s been waiting a long time for a chance, his moment, his shot.”

About DAZN:

Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. where it is becoming a must-have service for sports fans, with a daily show featuring live look-ins to Major League Baseball games beginning in 2019 and more than 100 fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas.

For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN/Photo Courtesy of: Amanda Westcott/ DAZN USA Used with permission.

To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

PLANIA, BORNEA FIGHTS IN GENSAN ON APRIL 30

Credit: Sanman Promotions

Press Release: April 20, 2019 By Sanman Promotions – Sanman prospects Jade Bornea (W13 KO9 L0 D0) and Mike Plania (W19 KO10 L1 D0) will be showcased on April 30, 2019 at the Robinsons Place in General Santos City.

Bornea will face Cebuano Salatiel Amit while Plania will fight Vicente Casido. Both opponents are from Cebu. Both Sanman prospects need to stay busy with fights to prepare for bigger bouts within the year.

For Bornea, it is a pressure to keep his record clean. “I am undefeated and intends to keep my record that way in order to pave way for bigger fights. The big break is there waiting for me. I am taking Amit seriously. Filipino opponents are proven dangerous.”

For Plania who had been making a name in the states, he needs to stay visible to get bigger fights. “My ranking is always at stake in every fight. I have to protect it. I am not taking any opponent lightly. This is a game where you beat them or get beaten. I am ready to add another win to my resume.”

According to Sanman head Jim Claude Manangquil, “It is big effort to provide constant fights for our stable boxers. But we are in this business for that. We do our best to bring our prospects to world title matches. Don’t miss this event. Admission is free and the action will be priceless.”

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

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

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

Crawford-Khan Preview

The 147lb. Welterweight division has as this observer has often said, been traditionally one of Boxing’s most historic and talent deep divisions. Recent times in the division have been no different, but what has been a little different is how the landscape of the sport in terms of how the sport is broadcast has indirectly had a ripple effect on Boxing including the Welterweights. As most Boxing fans know, 2018 saw a significant shift in various television networks both across traditional television as well as digital streaming offering significant contracts to promoters in the sport as well as some of the biggest stars in Boxing to exclusive deals for their respective platforms.

While this has seen benefits for the sport and its fan that has and will continue to show in years to come, it has also one might argue created a delay in some significant fights from being signed. In terms of the top of the Welterweight division, this has meant the respective world champions competing on competing platforms against different opposition than each other, which for the meantime has prevented any unification bouts from being made.

For a division that has been in a period of transition since the retirement of Floyd Mayweather, some might view it as a delay in determining who is the best Welterweight in the sport currently. Until unification bouts can be made, the best the Boxing fans can hope for is for the world champions in the division to make their case as being the number one fighter in the division. One fighter looking to continue to make an argument for himself is undefeated WBO Welterweight world champion Terence Crawford.

Crawford, a three-division world champion, moved into the Welterweight division after fully unifying the 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division in 2017 to win his third world championship in as many weight classes stopping previously unbeaten WBO world champion Jeff Horn in June of last year. After a successful first defense of the WBO crown against a very “Game” Jose Benavidez in October of last year, Crawford now prepares for his second title defense as he will square off against former Jr. Welterweight world champion Amir Khan on April 20^th at Madison Square Garden in a bout that will headline a card televised by ESPN Pay-Per-View here in the United States.

This appears to be an interesting clash of styles between two boxer/punchers. Crawford is a fighter who is very compact with his offense and is effective fighting out of either the orthodox or southpaw stances. While he has scored knockouts in twenty-five of his thirty-four career wins registering a career knockout percentage of nearly 75%, Crawford has also shown the ability to out box his opponents and can win fights that go the distance in convincing fashion.

In Amir Khan, Crawford will face an opponent who has extremely quick hands and like the champion is a boxer/puncher. A focal point of this fight in my mind centers on Amir Khan’s previous setbacks in his career. If the reader is a little confused by the previous sentence, allow yours truly to elaborate.

Khan is a former unified world champion and is one of the best fighters in the world. He is a fighter however, that may be more known for his setbacks than his accomplishments. Despite a solid resume in winning thirty-three of his thirty-seven professional fights, there are some who focus on his four losses and to be more specific, three losses in which Khan suffered a knockout. The losses Khan suffered at the hands of Breidis Prescott, Danny Garcia, and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Losses that have given Khan the label of having a suspect chin in the opinion of some.

It is indeed true that it can be easy for one to label a fighter off of what happens to said fighter when a fighter suffers a knockout loss. Khan has however, shown he can hold his own in some fights that did not go his way, in particular in his fight against Saul Alvarez. A fight where Khan moved up in weight to the Middleweight division up two weight classes from the 147lb. Welterweight division. Khan appeared to be getting the better of the action for a period of time in that fight before he was caught by an Alvarez counter overhand right that sent the former Jr. Welterweight world champion down and out on the canvas.

Amir Khan’s hand speed is among the best in the sport. It is crucial in my eyes that Khan be wary of potential counter punches by Crawford in this fight. Khan was also caught in similar fashion as he was by Alvarez in his July 2012 loss to Danny Garcia. While Khan may never be able to shake the label of some as having a suspect chin, these two knockouts suggest that he is more vulnerable to being caught in exchanges. 

To his credit, Khan will enter this fight with Crawford having won his last two bouts including a twelve round unanimous decision over contender Samuel Vargas in September of last year. Khan also showed in that fight where he was knocked down in the second round that he can get off the canvas to win a fight.

As this fight approaches, I believe the key to success for Amir Khan will be to establish the pace of the combat and be elusive. Khan is a highly skilled boxer, but he must not get into exchanges with Crawford, who will likely look to catch the challenger in an exchange of punches. While the hand speed advantage appears to be in Khan’s favor, Crawford is very accurate with his offense and the old adage that the best way to negate an opponent’s speed is by timing.

The champion can also be aggressive in applying pressure on opponents as he looks to gradually break them down over the course of a fight. I believe Crawford will take a similar approach in this fight, but the interesting question will be whether Khan will look to use his lateral movement to evade Crawford’s pressure or if he will be willing to be a more stationary target.

In terms of what the outcome of this fight could mean in the long-term for the Welterweight division it is difficult to say at the present time. This is due to the landscape of how the sport is broadcast continuing to change in different promoters and their respective stables of fighters having exclusive deals with broadcast networks/platforms, which can play a role in whether potential unification bouts get made. While yours truly intends to discuss this element of the “Business of Boxing “ in the days that will follow this pay-per-view card, it is something to keep in mind when discussing potential fights that may follow for the winner of this fight.

Something also to keep in mind, despite the sport’s gradual shift towards Over The Top (OTT) digital streaming with networks like DAZN and ESPN’s own ESPN+ offering economically reasonable subscription-based options for consumers, this card will be offered on a traditional pay-per-view format for $69.95 across cable/satellite, as well as being offered on streaming platforms including Fite TV, PlayStation 4, and ESPN+ PPV. In regard to ESPN+, as some might know, ESPN recently extended their agreement with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) MMA promotion to become the exclusive distributor of UFC pay-per-view events in the United States carrying those pay-per-view cards through the ESPN+ section on the ESPN app across mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices.

Beyond removing those cards from the cable/satellite medium, what is important to keep in mind is these pay-per-view cards are not included as part of an existing subscription to ESPN+, but those who purchase those cards will either have an annual subscription included with the purchase of a pay-per-view card or are offered at a slightly reduced price for existing ESPN+ subscribers.

While it is unclear as to whether ESPN will adapt a similar strategy for their PPV Boxing cards remains to be seen. Although this observer is on record including stating earlier this week across social media platforms that I feel providing a card like this as part of an ESPN+ subscription would be a better platform and approach, I am taking a wait and see approach regarding what appears to be a strategy ESPN is testing the waters with regarding using ESPN+ as a pay-per-view portal in addition to a subscription-based digital network.

In terms if the event itself at Madison Square Garden, it will be interesting to see how ticket sales for this event do when all’s said and done. This is due to a Kickboxing/MMA event that will be streamed on the UFC’s UFC Fight Pass digital network taking place in the theater at Madison Square Garden at the same time that the Crawford-Khan card will be taking place in the main arena. While this in no way is a criticism of the Crawford-Khan PPV card, it is the first time that this observer has seen a scenario where two separate combat sports events will be taking place in the same building at the same time.

For ESPN, the Crawford-Khan card represents only the second time that the network has ventured into the pay-per-view realm after a successful card promoted by Main Events at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, NV in April 2005. As someone who covered that card, which was headlined by a Welterweight world championship fight between Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron, I always wondered why ESPN did not continue with their foray into pay-per-view given not only the quality of the card that night, but also the top notch presentation that the network put forth in addition to a reasonable price point of $29.95.

The landscape of pay-per-view both as an industry and in terms of prices is considerably different in 2019 as compared to 2005. With the sport as a whole moving towards subscription-based streaming and away from a traditional pay-per-view model, it remains to be seen if ESPN’s second pay-per-view venture is a success. Much as was the case in 2005 however, the main event features two of the best fighters in the world going against each other and if both Terence Crawford Amir Khan bring their best it has the makings of a great fight. If it does turn out to be a great fight, it would be a shame if in the days that follow this fight if those of us who cover the sport talk more about the changing landscape of technology as well as how a competing event might all have an effect on how successful this card will be, instead of talking about what happened inside the ring.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Crawford vs. Khan takes place tomorrow night (Saturday, April 20^th) at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY. The card can be seen in the United States on ESPN Pay-Per-View across cable/satellite providers as well as Fite TV and ESPN+ PPV for $69.95. For more information contact your cable/satellite provider or please visit: www.Fite.TV or https://plus.espn.com/toprank for more information.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the card can be seen on BT Sport Box Office PPV beginning at 11:30PM for £19.95 (Local UK time.) For more information about BT Sport Box Office PPV, availability in your area and to order please visit: https://sport.bt.com/sport/bt-sport-box-office-S11364260381802. Check your local listings internationally.

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

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

  

Thoughts On Hammer-Shields

In Boxing there are a few certainties that a fan can expect. For better or worse those certainties can involve elements of politics with rival promoters, television networks, fighters themselves, athletic commissions, and sanctioning organizations all playing a role in when significant fights in the sport take place. For the casual fan with only a sporadic interest in Boxing, it can indeed be confusing to keep track of all the elements that are involved in the sport. One such element that involves Boxing's respective  sanctioning organizations is when a unification bout takes place. With so many elements in play and a landscape/structure that can appear confusing and frustrating for those who are not involved in the sport, it is truly rare when all the pieces of a puzzle fall into place. When everything does fall into place however, it can lead to history being made and at times, that history can have a more significant meaning than merely what happens inside the ring.

The encounter for the Undisputed Women’s Middleweight world championship between undefeated world champions Christina Hammer and Claressa Shields was one such historic occasion. Much like other unification bouts throughout Boxing history, this fight brought together two of the best fighters in the sport with the aim of determining who is the best of the best. For the sport of Women’s Boxing however, this was a fight that meant much more than unifying a world championship to determine one Undisputed world champion.

In one corner stood Claressa Shields, the only two-time Olympic Gold medalist in the history of the United States Boxing and an undefeated two-division world champion as a professional. Standing across the ring from Shields was Christina Hammer, a two-division world champion in her own right, who had more experience than Shields, but was also not well-known particularly among casual Boxing fans here in the United States.

When you have an encounter between two undefeated world champions that in itself is often enough to generate interest, but when you have two of the best fighters in the sport facing off against each other it has the ingredients of something special. What appeared to be a genuine dislike between the two also fed into the anticipation for what was the most significant fight in the history of Women’s Boxing. It all culminated on April 13th when the two met at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.

What was a competitive fight in the early rounds gradually turned into a showcase for Shields. One of the main things that was noticeable about this fight in particular was Shields’ defense in being able to slip and use lateral movement to avoid much of Hammer’s offense. Although Hammer had success periodically throughout the fight, Shields’ sharper punches, accuracy, and defense were the story of the fight as she won a convincing ten round unanimous decision to become only the second Undisputed world champion in Women’s Boxing history following undefeated Welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus, who like Shields, ultimately unified her division.

While there is not much analysis to discuss about this fight as one fighter was simply better than the other, the encounter between Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer will go down in history as a landmark moment in the history of Boxing. For many years the sport of Women’s Boxing has struggled for not only mainstream recognition, but also consistent television exposure particularly here in the United States. The fight between Shields and Hammer marked a significant shift as it was the first time that a major unification bout was not only televised, but promoted in a way similar to how Men’s bouts are. It is something that frankly has been long overdue and the sport of Women’s Boxing should benefit from it going forward.

In the days that followed this fight this observer has taken some time to reflect on not only the fight itself, but how far Women’s Boxing has come. One subject that has surfaced that does not necessarily have anything to do with this fight itself, but more specifically the long-term future of the sport has been the topic of whether or not Women’s Boxing should move to three minute rounds and a twelve round distance for world championship fights as is the standard for Men’s bouts. Although I do not want to dive too much into this subject at this time, it is understandable how those who govern the sport from the respective sanctioning bodies as well as the athletic commissions around the world that regulate boxing might hesitate to make that move. Boxing is after all a combat sport and as such there are dangers attached to it.

What should also be discussed however, is how the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has the same rules, round limits, and structure for both Men’s and Women’s bouts. Non-title fights in MMA are scheduled for three five-minute rounds, which if fights go the distance last fifteen minutes. World championship fights are extended to five five-minute rounds, which means that if a world championship fight goes the distance in the last twenty-five minutes.

While this is not intended as a direct comparison between Boxing and MMA, the rules are the same in MMA for everyone regardless of gender. One of the consistent issues in Women’s Boxing has been that because rounds are scheduled for two minutes in duration that it results in a lot of close fights and draws that often lead to rematches. Although it is understandable that those who govern and regulate Boxing might hesitate to adapt a similar approach to Women’s Boxing as has been done in MMA, this observer believes that fighters could benefit from at minimum the change to three minute rounds if not outright also adapting a twelve round distance for world championship fights.

It is clear however, that Women’s Boxing has come a long way from the days of no television exposure at all, to the days of minimal exposure on the undercards of pay-per-view events, to outright being told that some networks do not televise Women’s bouts. It should not be overlooked that the final broadcast of Boxing on HBO after a forty-five year run in 2018 was headlined by Cecilia Braekhus defending her Undisputed Welterweight world championship against Aleksandra Lopes. While the various criticisms of the network by yours truly over the years in various publications/outlets is well known to longtime readers, it is also worth noting that for time HBO did televise Women’s bouts as part of their pay-per-view broadcasts, but it was only in 2018 that a women’s bout was broadcast on their main network.

We are now in a time in the sport where not only are the methods that events are broadcast are changing in a gradual shift towards digital streaming, but for Women’s Boxing, more bouts are now being televised on a regular basis across both digital streaming platforms as well as traditional television than at any time in Boxing history. Even though some have called Claressa Shields’ victory over Christina Hammer lopsided in the days since the fight, the fight itself signaled a major victory for Women’s Boxing that is much bigger than simply who won the fight.

With stars like Shields, Hammer, Katie Taylor, Heather Hardy, Cecilia Braekhus, and Amanda Serrano serving as the focal points for the current landscape of Women’s Boxing in addition to long overdue television exposure being offered to the sport, the potential growth and exposure for the sport into the long-term future is significant. This observer looks forward to seeing what happens next for Women’s Boxing.

“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

           

Billel Dib Reacts To WBA Oceania Super Featherweight Title Victory

Credit: Byron Bay

Press Release: April 17, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Billel Dib continued on his march towards a world title opportunity, as he produced a career-best performance against the tough Rey Juntilla, stopping the game Juntilla in round 8 in a fight that was dominated by the Australian Super Featherweight standout. 

Dib now solidifies a position in the world top 15 and opened up regarding his victory over Juntilla, and assesses what lies ahead. 

He said, "I thought I boxed very well and credit to Juntilla he really did come to fight and push me to my limits. I had a great camp with the Moloney's and Bruno and that really has pushed me to the next level and I believe I am a world level fighter and that will continue to show as I am still improving. 

"I have a high ranking now and I should have already boxed for a world title but politics prevented that. I want to fight for a world title in 2019 and I really believe I can bring a world title back to Australia in 2019. My time is now." 

The Super Featherweight division is crammed full of top talent at world level, and there are highly anticipated matchups to be made between the likes of Tevin Farmer, Gervonta Davis and many more. Dib assessed what he wants from the Super Featherweight division in the coming months and gave his view on the division as a whole.

'Babyface' said, "It's a fantastic division and really is full of elite fighters. I would obviously love a fight with the likes of Gervonta Davis or Tevin Farmer but I doubt they would want to fight me and risk losing big money as the fight between them wouldn't happen if I crashed the party.

"I would like to fight Andrew Cancio who is the WBA World Champion. He is a great fighter and has a style that I believed gelled with mine would create absolute fireworks and that's what the public want - real and entertaining world title fights. 

"I will travel anywhere to fight anyone it doesn't really bother me, but I feel that a fight against Cancio is the most realistic going forward and one that I would emerge victorious in given the opportunity." 

Material Courtesy of Dragon Fire Boxing/Photo Courtesy of: Byron Bay Capture Phtography Used with permission.

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

Golovkin To Make DAZN Debut Against Rolls

Press Release: By DAZN –   NEW YORK (April 16, 2019) --  It's a whole new ballgame for boxing's pound-for-pound superstar attraction GENNADY "GGG" GOLOVKIN!  Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, brings his Big Drama Show back to the "Mecca of Boxing" -- Madison Square Garden for the first time in over two years in his eagerly-awaited DAZN debut on Saturday, June 8.  Golovkin, whose resume includes a record 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses (18 by way of knockout), has consistently drawn packed houses to the five previous events he has headlined at The Garden, dating back to 2013.  He will rumble with undefeated Top-10 contender and Kronk Gym alumnus STEVE ROLLS (19-0, 10 KOs), from Toronto, Canada, in a battle, scheduled for 12 rounds, at a maximum weight of 164 lbs.  Golovkin vs. Rolls kicks off the exclusive six-fight, three-year global partnership between GGG Promotions and DAZN, the world's fastest-growing sports streaming platform.

            A two-city press tour, featuring both fighters, will take place next week, starting at Madison Square Garden on Monday, April 22, and concluding in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 23.  Details on those events will be forthcoming.

            Promoted by GGG Promotions, in association with DiBella Entertainment, tickets to The Big Apple battle between Golovkin and Rolls go on sale This Saturday, April 20, at Noon ET.  Priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50, not including fees, tickets may be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.msg.com.

            Notably, this will be the second of two major boxing events The Garden will host on back-to-back boxing weekends – both of which will be live exclusively on DAZN.  England's Anthony Joshua will make his United States and Madison Square Garden debut in a defense of his unified heavyweight title against Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller on June 1, just one week before Golovkin’s highly anticipated return on June 8.

            "I am very excited to be returning to the ring and bringing the Big Drama Show back to Madison Square Garden.  The Garden's fans are fantastic," said Golovkin.  "I love boxing and I promise to bring the best of me to everyone who will be watching me in an all-action fight with Steve Rolls.  I am very happy that GGG Promotions has a new home at DAZN."   

            "I want to sincerely thank DAZN and GGG himself for giving me the opportunity to challenge one of the best fighters in the world," said Rolls.  "But let me be clear: I've won national championships and represented my country, and Golovkin is just a man.  I'm coming to win this fight and put my name among the best middleweights in the world.”

           

            “Gennady Golovkin is one of the top middleweights of all-time, and as part of DAZN’s growing roster of premiere fighters and our ongoing promise to deliver the best fights to fans, we are thrilled to kick off this exciting partnership at the iconic Madison Square Garden,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN Executive Vice President, North America. “It will surely be an electric night and just the beginning of this next chapter of Golovkin’s impressive legacy.” 

            Golovkin, 37, has reigned supreme in the Middleweight Division for nearly a decade.  Eighteen of his record 20 title defenses came by way of knockout -- a 90% ratio -- which is sure to remain the division's highest knockout percentage for a world champion.  Golovkin's tenure as champion ended when he lost a hotly disputed majority decision in a rematch with Canelo Alvarez last September.  A dominant amateur standout and Olympic Silver Medalist before turning professional in 2006, Golovkin's career has been on a historic trajectory, including a 23-fight victory-by-knockout streak and unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO World Middleweight Titles.  Golovkin has also proven himself to be box office gold.  He has sold out the most iconic arenas of the world, including Madison Square Garden, T-Mobile Arena, O2 Arena, The Fabulous Forum, and StubHub Center.

            Rolls, 35, making his debut at The Garden, will be looking to ice Golovkin with his version of a Canadian cold front.  In his most recent fight, he won the vacant USBA middleweight title last December, via unanimous decision, over KeAndrae Leatherwood.  World-rated No. 9 rated by the IBF, Rolls has stopped four of his last seven opponents while keeping his record perfect.

            For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA for Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

About DAZN:

DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN had expanded across four continents with the service available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and soon to debut in Brazil. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just affordable access to all the service's sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features more than 100 fight nights per year from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp.

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

To subscribe to DAZN, availability around the world, list of connected streaming devices, and to start your free 30-day trial please visit: www.DAZN.com.

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

           

Reagan Dessaix Looks To Bounce Back In Style

Credit: Byron Bay

Press Release: April 16, 2019 By Dragon Fire Boxing – Reagan Dessaix is looking to bounce back from his extremely controversial loss against Blake Caparello as he looks to force the rematch by putting on an explosive performance against his next opponent Michaell Whitelaw who currently holds the Australia - New South Wales Light Heavyweight title when the pair contest the ANBF National title over 10 rounds on the June 15 edition of Boxing Mania.

Dessaix discussed his defeat to Caparello and what he has done in the interim, "I had a little holiday but then straight back in the gym. I will tell you what has changed I'm getting better every single day I go to the gym. I'm 22, nobody has seen the best of me yet and to push a former IBO world champion in the way I did says a lot about my future.

"I'm working hard every day in the gym I want to get better and better and when the rematch with Caparello happens I will show that I am the best Light Heavyweight in Australia definitely and I will go on to be the best Light Heavyweight in the world. It's up to Caparello if he wants to have a rematch under fair circumstances. I am waiting..." 

The Tony Tolj guided fighter has the obstacle of Mitchell Whitelaw in his next outing, and The President discussed what challenges Whitelaw will oppose on his route to achieving his goal of being world champion.

Dessaix said, "Mitchell is a strong fighter who will be coming to win so I have to be at the top of my game for it. I genuinely believe I am a level above him however and it will show when we clash. I am working harder than ever and I am going to put a show on for everyone and show why I am the best Light Heavyweight in Australia and a future world champion.

"The Boxing Mania shows are always great to be a part of and to be on the sixth one along with the opportunity to become champion of my country is too. I can't wait to put on a show on June 15."

Manager Tony Tolj also gave his take on his charge Dessaix, "Reagan is a great fighter he is really the future of Australian boxing. I felt he won the Blake Caparello fight and I know if they were to clash again Reagan would be victorious in a better fashion." 

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing/Photo Courtesy of: Byron Bay Capture Photography Used with permission.

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

Lomachenko Continues To Make His Claim As The Best Lightweight In The World

It would be hard to for one to dispute that unified WBO/WBA Lightweight world champion Vasyl Lomachenko hasn’t been one of the fastest rising stars in the sport of Boxing since his professional debut in October 2013. This of course, is understandable when talking about a fighter who is regarded as one of, if not the best amateur boxers of all-time. Prior to his first professional bout, Lomachenko registered an incredible amateur record of 396-1 finishing his amateur career by winning Olympic gold for the second consecutive time at the 2012 Olympics in London, England after previously winning gold in 2008.

From his second professional fight in March 2014 on Lomachenko has competed exclusively in world championship fights with the lone defeat on his pro record coming in that first world championship fight in losing a decision to former world champion Orlando Salido. Although it is tempting to discuss Lomachenko’s rise in greater detail and also note that his quick rise to professional world champion in only three professional fights, what is also remarkable is he has won three world championships in three separate weight classes, becoming the fastest to accomplish that feat in just twelve professional fights when he stopped WBA Lightweight world champion Jorge Linares in February of last year after previously winning world titles in the Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight divisions.

After defeating WBO Lightweight world champion Jose Pedraza to become a unified world champion in December of last year, Lomachenko was sidelined with an injured right shoulder, which required surgery. Despite wanting to continue to unify the Lightweight division by setting his sights on a unification bout against IBF world champion Richard Commey, the potential fight did not take place as Commey had suffered an injury to his right hand in his last fight in February of this year.

Rather than sitting out for what would be a more lucrative fight, Lomachenko instead chose to fulfill his obligation by facing his mandatory challenger and former WBA Lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla on Friday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Although Crolla, who reigned as a world champion in the Lightweight division from 2015-2016 entered the fight as a significant underdog, the former world champion entered with a respectable record of 34-6-3, with 13 Knockouts and had won his previous three fights prior to challenging Lomachenko.

What has bedeviled several of Lomachenko’s previous opponents is his ability to use angles to throw and land combinations. Despite being a heavy favorite over the challenger, I felt Crolla may have been able to provide the champion with a test. After all, despite losing his championship to Jorge Linares in September 2016 and failing to avenge that loss in a rematch in March 2017, Crolla is still one of the best Lightweights in the world and was not someone to take lightly.

Despite winning thirty-four of forty-three previous bouts, Crolla was simply no match for the fighter affectionately referred to by Boxing fans as “Loma.” Lomachenko consistently pressed the action and frankly dominated the former world champion before a devastating right hook that appeared to land on the temple sent Crolla down and out at :58 of the fourth round. While some fans might be critical of Crolla for not being able to provide much resistance for Lomachenko despite being the top contender in the WBA’s Lightweight ratings, it is important to remember that before this fight Crolla had only been stopped once in his career and that stoppage came in his bout against Derry Mathews in a bout for the British Lightweight championship in April 2012.

Sometimes a fight can be summed up by saying one fighter was superior to the other. In this observer’s eyes, this was one of those fights. Vasyl Lomachenko has established himself as an elite level fighter, who could well be at the top of some fans and observers’ respective pound for pound lists. Anthony Crolla is a world class fighter and former world champion who simply come up against a superior fighter who is highly skilled.

Even though there wasn’t much to talk about regarding this fight, what might be interesting is what may be ahead for Lomachenko coming off of this victory.  Obviously, when a fighter scores a knockout as Lomachenko did in this fight it will generate both buzz and interest in what might be next.  With his WBA mandatory obligation out of the way for the time being, yours truly would like to see Lomachenko face Richard Commey next in a bout to further unify the Lightweight division.

Perhaps the biggest fight that can be made currently in the division could be an encounter between Lomachenko and current WBC world champion Mikey Garcia. Garcia as most Boxing fans know recently lost his undefeated record in a failed attempt to win the IBF Welterweight world championship in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to undefeated world champion Errol Spence last month at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. It is unclear as of this writing as to whether or not Garcia, who moved up two weight classes to challenge Spence will return to the 135lb Lightweight division.

In terms of the current landscape of the Lightweight division, with the world championship of the International Boxing Organization (IBO) currently vacant, it leaves Lomachenko, the World Boxing Association (WBA)/World Boxing Organization (WBO) world champion, Richard Commey the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world champion, and Mikey Garcia the World Boxing Council (WBC) world champion atop of the division. While an obvious obstacle that exists, which may prevent full unification of the division from taking place in rival promoters not being keen on working together to make significant fights like unification bouts a reality, if there is enough demand from the public it will lead to fights taking place.

Whether or not the Boxing world might see Lomachenko against Commey or Garcia later in 2019 remains to be seen. Vasyl Lomachenko however, has provided Boxing fans and experts alike with not only a memorable performance in his victory over Anthony Crolla, but also a strong argument as being the best of the best that the Lightweight division has to offer. Of course, Richard Commey, Mikey Garcia, and/or a contenders and prospects who have yet to emerge as players in the division might have something to say to dispute Lomachenko’s claim as being the number one Lightweight in the world. In this observer’s eyes however, until that time comes Vasyl Lomachenko is the top fighter in the division.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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

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