Tropical Storm Milton/Hurricane Milton Notice

Due to the uncertainty of the track of what is currently Tropical storm Milton, which is expected to become a hurricane in the coming days, we would like to let our readers know that there will be a pause in our schedule until further notice. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this might cause and we will inform readers on when things will resume once we know more. 

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BOXING MANAGER HARRISON AIMS TO IGNITE HOUSTON FIGHT SCENE AFTER SECURING PROMOTERS LICENSE

Press Release: October 3, 2024 By Lee McLaughlan - 3rd October 2024, Houston, TX – Long-time boxing manager Bobby Harrison aims to supercharge Houston’s boxing scene after securing his promoter’s license.

Harrison, who has a strong stable of boxing talent including Houston’s current NABF middleweight champion Marquis ‘Marvelous’ Taylor and Jr lightweight contender Eridson Garcia, applied for the license after becoming frustrated at seeing his world class fighters denied major bouts.

Taylor and Garcia, both 30, are his prize assets and Harrison feels both boxers should be given the chance to have world title bouts in 2025. However, attempts to secure match-ups has proven impossible with a number of the top fighters refusing to take them on.

Harrison, who owns the city’s Legions Training Complex, is now looking at potential venues, dates and opponents so the duo can catch the eye of boxing’s sanctioning bodies.

Given Houston’s sporting pedigree, Harrison definitely wants to add some blockbuster boxing nights and bring on board major sponsors who want to be part of a slice of sporting history. He is also considering holding shows in other States to maximize the potential of his fighters.

Harrison said: “Houston has an impressive boxing scene – which goes largely under the radar – so I want to bring some great fights to the city for my fighters and for boxing fans.

“More importantly, I want to give my guys a real opportunity of being able to take on the best fighters in their divisions and show they deserve to be given a chance to fight for a world title.

“Both are ready to fight. I have spoken with other promoters to get them bouts but no-one is willing to fight them. This has forced me to take matters into my own hands and become a promoter.

“These two should be fighting for a world title and my plan is to get them the three or four fights they need to climb higher up the rankings, get the attention of the sanctioning bodies, and be given the chance to fight for a world title in 2025.”

Taylor, who has won 17 of his 20 professional fights, was last in the ring in August when he retained his NABF title after rival Robert Garcia retired hurt.

Harrison’s other contender, Eridson Garcia, who is ranked 13th by the WBA, has won 19 of his 20 professional fights. His last bout saw him secure an impressive unanimous decision over William Foster III in a lightweight contest in Newark.

Material Courtesy of: Lee McLaughlan Used with permission.

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Can Mikhailovich Shock Alimkhanuly On Home Turf?

The 160lb. Middleweight division has been one that has gradually moved on from an era largely dominated by former two-time Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin and towards a period of ongoing transition. A transition that to date has no finish date as no fighter has yet emerged as the division’s next central figure. One fighter that has been making a strong case for himself, however, is current unified WBO/IBF Middleweight world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly.

Alimkhanuly, a native of Zhilandy, Kazakhstan, is in many ways viewed as Golovkin’s unofficial successor. Not only are both Golovkin and Alimkhanuly, Kazakhstan natives, but like Golovkin, Alimkhanuly established himself off of an ability to score quick and often devastating knockouts. Unbeaten in fifteen professional fights, Alimkhanuly has scored knockouts in ten of those bouts registering a current career knockout percentage of nearly 67%.

While not quite at the same degree as what this observer often called “A Path Of Destruction" that Golovkin carved through the Middleweight division during his time as champion as of yet, Alimkhanuly has nonetheless established himself as a fighter who has every bit the capability to score a knockout with either hand, and some might go further and say that he has comparable punching power to Golovkin’s when he was in his physical prime. In his last bout in October of last year, Alimkhanuly scored a sixth round knockout of previously undefeated IBF world champion Vincenzo Gualtieri in Rosenberg, TX. The win for the now unified WBO/IBF world champion also signaled his eighth stoppage victory in his last nine fights.

Now, the champion prepares for his next title defense as Alimkhanuly will face undefeated IBF number three and WBO number four rated contender Andrei Mikhailovich on Friday, October 4th at The Star Pyrmont in Sydney, Australia. An encounter that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

Interestingly, despite Alimkhanuly being the unified WBO/IBF world champion in the Middleweight division, only the IBF crown will be on the line in this title defense. If one looks beyond the semantics, however, this looks on paper as though it will be a classic encounter between the puncher in the champion Alimkhanuly and a boxer in Mikhailovich.

Undefeated in twenty-one professional fights, Mikhailovich has scored knockouts in thirteen of those fights registering a career knockout percentage of just under 62%. It should be noted, however, that similar to the champion, Mikhailovich has scored knockouts in seven of his last eight fights including a first round knockout in his last bout in April of this year of veteran Les Sherrington.

The challenge for the Russian-born, New Zealand-based Mikhailovich will be whether he can withstand the constant pressure and power punches of Alimkhanuly. While it is a task that is easier said than done, the general approach of a boxer against a come forward, pressure fighter is to try and establish themselves as an elusive target early and try to use lateral movement to attempt to offset the incoming pressure. It is something that is certainly not easy and the question will be whether Mikhailovich will be able to do it for all twelve rounds. Despite his recent string of knockouts, Mikhailovich needs to remember that he is the boxer in this equation and he will need to resist the temptation to trade power punches with a fighter like Alimkhanuly, even if it becomes evident that he is dictating and winning the fight as it progresses. Simply put, the challenger must be tactical and smart if he wants to be successful in this fight, 

Perhaps the one thing that will work in the underdog's favor is this fight will take place on what amounts to Mikhailovich’s home turf having fought many of his fights in the Australian-New Zealand region of the world, which is where he is based. Although crowd support is likely to be on the side of the challenger, he nevertheless has a tall task in front of him if he wants to pull off what many would call a shocking upset, despite the fact that both champion and challenger are undefeated fighters. In the overall picture, however, this fight represents another opportunity for Alimkhanuly to continue to make his argument as to why he should be viewed as the number one fighter in the Middleweight division. Whether Andrei Mikhailovich can add his name to the discussion remains to be seen, not but he has his opportunity on Friday, October 4th.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Alimkhanuly vs. Mikhailovich takes place on Friday, October 4th at The Star Pyrmont in Sydney, Australia. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5AM ET/2AM PT and will be available for on-demand delayed viewing.

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

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

(*Check your local listings Internationally.*)

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Most Valuable Prospects 9 Undercard Announced

Press Release: October 1, 2024 By DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions Most Valuable Promotions - NEW YORK, NY – October 1, 2024 – Today, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced a series of undercard matchups for the ninth installment of its Most Valuable Prospects series as the company expands into Puerto Rico, taking place in Caguas, Puerto Rico at the Coliseo Roger Mendoza on Friday, October 11th, available globally on DAZN. Most Valuable Prospects 9 will be headlined by 23-year-old Puerto Rican National Team star  Jan Paul Rivera (10-0, 6 KOs) vs. 22-year-old Andy “Skeletor” Beltran (8-0, 5 KOs) in an 8-round featherweight bout for the WBO Youth World title. Joining the undercard will be MVP’s young sensation Krystal Rosado (4-0, 2 KOs), who will face Mexico’s Perla Lomeli (6-2) in a 6-round super bantamweight bout, and MVP’s three-time US national boxing champion and high-fashion model Alexis “Chop Chop” Chaparro (2-0, 2 KOs) in a 4-round middleweight bout. Rounding out the main card will be an 8-round welterweight bout between Elijah Flores (8-0, 3 KOs) vs. Caguas, Puerto Rico native Omar Rosario (13-1, 4 KOs). The preliminary card will feature a 6-round super featherweight bout between Caguas, Puerto Rico’s own William “Yeyo” Colón (4-0, 2 KO's) vs. fellow Puerto Rican Jan “El Pescador” Pomales Rivera (7-3, 4 KOs) and an 8 round battle between undefeated heavyweights Herich Ruiz (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Travorus Barnes (6-0, 5 KOs). Carlos Jamil De Leon (1-0, 1 KO), the 19-year-old San Juan native and Puerto Rican amateur champion, will also join the preliminary card. 

Universal Promotions will serve as the official promoter with Boxlab Promotions serving as co-promoter for Most Valuable Prospects 9, presented by CELSIUS Live Fit Essential Energy. The event marks a significant milestone for MVP as it brings its up-and-coming talent showcase series to Puerto Rican soil for the first time in partnership with MVP’s boxing trailblazer, the most decorated Puerto Rican champion of all time, Amanda Serrano and her manager Jordan Maldonado. MVP’s expanding venture in Puerto Rico aims to spotlight the island’s rich boxing heritage and identify development opportunities with Puerto Rican talent. Tickets for Most Valuable Prospects 9 are on sale now at ticketera.com.

The 21-year-old sensation Krystal Rosado (4-0, 2 KOs), the first fighter signed by Amanda Serrano, and one of MVP’s new Puerto Rican signees, will return to the ring against Perla Lomeli (6-2) in a 6-round super bantamweight battle of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico. Rosado, the Carolina, Puerto Rico native, made her professional debut on MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 2 show in August 2023, stunning fans with a ferocious second-round KO against Tarrethia Dixon. Rosado went on to compete on MVP’s historic Serrano vs. Ramos card in October 2023, earning her decisive second win over Hungary’s Kata Pap, before appearing in front of her home fans at the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan as part of MVP’s main card in March 2024. In front of her home fans, Rosado put on a ferocious show, displaying her championship potential against Gloria Munguilla. Rosado took home a majority decision win, which she then followed with a swift knockout of Russia’s Veronika Dmitriyeva at MVP’s Most Valuable Prospects 7 in July 2024. Rosado will now make her formal debut as an MVP fighter in her fifth professional bout on Friday, October 11 against Lomeli. The 23-year-old talented prospect Lomeli comes to the ring from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, fresh from her most recent upset win over seasoned veteran Maureen Shea (now 31-3-1, 13 KOs) in August 2024.

20-year-old talent Elijah Flores (8-0, 3 KOs) will face Caguas, Puerto Rico native Omar Rosario (13-1, 4 KOs) in an 8-round welterweight bout on the main card of Most Valuable Prospects 9. Flores comes to the ring from Redlands, CA by way of The Bronx, NY, and most recently appeared on the preliminary card of MVP’s marquee Jake Paul vs. Ryan Bourland event in San Juan in March 2024, where he continued his undefeated streak as he earned an impressive fourth-round TKO win over Alejandro Munera. Flores now looks to continue showcasing the skills that mark him as a rising star in the sport on Friday, October 11. His opponent, Rosario, a 26-year-old Puerto Rican talent, aims to continue building his latest win streak with the support of his home fans, coming off of two successive victories so far in 2024. 

On the preliminary card will be 20-year-old William "Yeyo" Colón (4-0, 2 KO's) vs. Jan “El Pescador” Pomales Rivera (7-3, 4 KOs) in a 6 round super featherweight fight. Colón, the talented prospect from Caguas, Puerto Rico, will fight in front of his home crowd on Friday, October 11 as he makes his Most Valuable Prospects series debut. As an amateur boxer, he competed in 150 bouts, becoming a Puerto Rican National Champion and a member of the Puerto Rico National Team, going on to win a Bronze Medal at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games. Colón now trains alongside Jan Paul Rivera in "El Albergue Olímpico" of Salinas, Puerto Rico and is promoted by Universal Promotions. The talented prospect Colón looks to continue building his unblemished record as he takes on the more experienced 27-year-old Jan Pomales Rivera, who comes to the ring from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico by way of San Juan. Rivera most recently was awarded a majority decision win against Puerto Rican fighter Angel Ramon Rosado Lopez in April 2024. 

The preliminary card will also feature an 8 round battle between undefeated heavyweights Herich Ruiz (5-0, 4 KOs) vs. Travorus Barnes (6-0, 5 KOs). Ruiz, the 29-year-old southpaw, comes to the ring from Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Isla de la Juventud, Cuba. His opponent, the 27-year-old Barnes, comes to the ring from Summit, Mississippi. The two hard-hitting talents will each put their undefeated records on the line early in their professional careers as they look to establish themselves as future contenders in the heavyweight division. 

The 19-year-old San Juan native and Puerto Rican amateur champion Carlos Jamil De Leon (1-0, 1 KO) will also join the preliminary card. De Leon was a decorated amateur in the Puerto Rican ranks, becoming a quarter-finalist in the IBA Youth World Championship in 2022. In 2023, he took gold in both the youth Pan American Games and the Puerto Rican amateur national tournament at 132 lbs. De Leon made his professional debut in June 2024, winning by first-round KO over Christian Reed, and now looks to continue building his undefeated record in front of his local fans on Friday, October 11. He is promoted by Boxlab Promotions. Also on the preliminary card, Mathew "Sugar Kid" Soto, a 19-year-old Puerto Rican 3-time National Champion and AIBA Youth World Championship participant, will make his pro debut against Eduardo Perez, a 31-year-old former Cuban National Team member, who is also making his debut, in a four-round Super Lightweight bout.

“MVP’s expansion into Puerto Rico in partnership with Amanda Serrano and Jordan Maldonado provides an opportunity to showcase a wealth of young Puerto Rican talent on Friday, October 11,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, co-founders of MVP. “We look forward to featuring an incredible battle of Puerto Rico vs. Mexico between our very own Krystal Rosado and the dynamic Perla Lomeli, as well as welcoming back Elijah Flores to an MVP event after his exciting performance this spring on Paul vs. Bourland. This card will also highlight multiple young Caguas-native talents, including William Colón and Omar Rosario, and we are proud to provide a platform for the next generation of Puerto Rican stars in front of their home fans at the Coliseo Roger Mendoza. Thank you to Amanda Serrano, Jordan Maldonado, Universal Promotions, Boxlab Promotions, DAZN, CELSIUS, and our other partners and sponsors for their commitment to making MVP’s first developmental venture in Puerto Rico an exceptional night of boxing.”

The Most Valuable Prospects series is produced and marketed by MVP with Universal Promotions serving as the official promoter, co-promoted by Boxlab Promotions, and is distributed globally by DAZN. The ninth 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 MVP and the Most Valuable Prospects series. The Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida is a sponsor of Most Valuable Prospects 9, and Fansly and Event Ticket Center have joined on to sponsor the Most Valuable Prospects series as well.

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

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

MVP 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 the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA). We are building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading tech, and multi-platform distribution. DAZN believes that fans from across the globe should be able to watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance,  dazngroup.com.

Material and Photo 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.

Dubois Batters Joshua, Should Joshua Fight On?

The encounter between IBF Heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois and former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on September 21st was one rhat had a bit of controversy attached to it. After all, it was one that came about in part because of the politics of the sport that be forced the recent undefeated Undisputed Heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk to decide to relinquish the IBF crown due to a contractually mandated rematch with former two-time Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury, which will come on December 18fh in Saudi Arabia.

Often times, when such decisions are made that causes a fighter who was in position to challenge a world champion who is either stripped or relinquishes a championship where the top contender, in this case Dubois, is named world champion, the criticism and yes, vitriol of Boxing fans are aimed squarely at the new champion. All too often, the response is to try and discredit the champion even though, the fighter is not the one responsible for such decisions that are made on the business side of the sport of Boxing.

While Dubois had this scenario placed upon him, his first title defense against a proven stalwart of the Heavyweight division in Joshua offered a chance to make a statement to the cynics and the keyboard warriors that be that he should not be discredited. For Anthony Joshua, this fight not only offered an opportunity to regain a portion of the World Heavyweight championship, but if he were successful, he would add his name to a specific group in Boxing history of being part of a select group of fighters that have won the World Heavyweight championship on three separate occasions. A list that includes Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, and Wladimir Klitschko. 

A world champion seeking to make a statement and a former champion looking to add his name to a category in Boxing history. Normally, this alone would be enough to draw interest. When you throw in the legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England and a record crowd of 96,000 spectators, you have the definition of an event. The very definition of “Big Fight Atmosphere." 

What stood out to me was not what happened at the opening bell, but rather the ring walk of the champion. From the moment Daniel Dubois emerged from the locker room, he had the look of a fighter on a mission. Some may even go as far as to call him " A Man Possessed." In contrast to Dubois, Joshua emerged looking as though this was another day at the office for a fighter who has taken part in many of these types of events in sold out stadiums over the last decade. Although there was not something that appeared to be unusual, perhaps Joshua was giving a vibe of one who was comfortable, despite being in the role of the challenger.

Dubois took the initiative by immediately taking the center of the ring and putting Joshua on the defensive. It was evident quickly that Dubois, one of the Heavyweight division’s “Knockout Artists" was putting everything he had behind every punch he threw. The champion staggered Joshua with a right hand to the head that had him hurt early in round one. 

Perhaps not expecting Dubois to come out as fast as he had, Joshua did not keep his hands up and was open for the right hand. It would be a right hand thrown by the champion as Joshua was backing straight up against the ropes that would knock the former world champion down in the first round.

From this point in the fight, Joshua was on unsteady legs. When a fighter is hurt as Joshua was, normally the tactical thing to do if you are the hurt fighter is to try and hold your opponent and try to buy yourself time to recover. Joshua not only did not try to clinch Dubois, but he also kept his hands down, seemingly inviting more punishment. Joshua's inability to make tactical adjustments to not only try and give himself time to recover, but also not adjusting himself where he could try and avoid the punishment Dubois was dishing out, resulted in more knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds.

Frankly after the second knockdown in round three, this observer wondered aloud what was keeping Joshua up as he was taking a beating, but also to his credit, trying to fight back in spots. Following a third knockdown in the fourth round, I was surprised the fight was allowed to continue even though Joshua subtly was starting to land some heavy punches of his own.

Going into the fifth round, I felt that if Joshua had any chance of turning things around, he would at minimum have to try and slow the pace of the combat down, if not land something that would turn things dramatically in his favor. At the same time, though Daniel Dubois was clearly dominating the fight and showing he was a Heavyweight champion, in spite of his critics, I wondered whether there would come a point where he would punch himself out.

A problem for some fighters who are labeled as “Knockout Artists" have is they tend to fall in love with the idea that their punching power will always be the component that will lead them to victory. While it is indeed true that a fighter that can score knockdowns has a way at least in theory to dig themselves out of a hole on the scorecards if they can land cleanly due to their power, or build a lead on the scorecards with the same attribute, the danger often is they forget to pace themselves and by throwing everything they have into every punch, if an opponent can find a way to avoid most of those punches or withstand a good majority of them, the asset of having punching power can go from an asset to a detriment that can work against them. 

In this case, Daniel Dubois was clearly dominating the fight, but seemed to be starting to show slight signs of fatigue. It should also not be dismissed as to the potential psychological affect it can have on a fighter when they continue landing hard shots on their opponent round after round and despite all that effort, the opponent is still there. For a brief moment in the fifth round, it appeared as though there was a glimpse of a potential shift in the fight as Joshua connected with a flush right hook to the head of the champion that had Dubois hurt and moving backwards as Joshua pressed forward, he did so recklessly and ended up walking into a flush counter right hook, sending the former champion down for the fourth time. This time, Joshua was not able to beat the count. The fight was over. 

If one were to draw up an ideal scenario for a world champion in their first title defense, this was the type of emphatic statement-making performance you would want to see if you're in the Daniel Dubois camp. Simply put, it was nearly perfect and devastating. While Dubois seemingly put himself in position to challenge the winner of the upcoming Usyk-Fury rematch, it is worth noting that there is a rematch clause here and it would seem that Anthony Joshua has every intention of invoking it.

After the second knockout loss in his career, however, the question is should Joshua continue on? Anthony Joshua is a future Hall of Famer, there is no doubt about it, but there are likely some who are at least suggesting that this could be the end of the road for him. This observer has never been one to tell a fighter when it's time because it is not my place to do so, but longtime readers should know that I have frequently voiced and written of my concerns for fighters health as obvious signs of decline and eroding skills become evident.

This does not appear as though this might be a case of a fighter’s skills eroding, but it is clear something went wrong for Joshua in this fight. Whether that was in preparation for the fight in terms of strategy or not being prepared for the pace that Dubois established, something was not there. While it's important to remember that fighters, like the rest of us, are human and are as prone to a bad night as anyone, there is one thing that I did notice. 

Some might recall Joshua's first encounter with Andy Ruiz in June 2019. A fight that ended his first reign as a World Heavyweight champion. In the third round of that fight, Joshua scored a knockdown of Ruiz with a left hook to the head. Upon the fight resuming following the knockdown, Joshua pressed forward in a manner similar to how he approached Dubois in the fifth round. Ruiz subsequently caught an over aggressive Joshua with a hook of his own and knocked the then champion down to the canvas. Joshua did get up from that knockdown, but he was never the same after he got caught and Ruiz was able to stop him in the seventh round. Although some may view the similarity as purely coincidental, the commonality between the two fights is Joshua did not approach either Ruiz or Dubois with a tactical Boxing mentality once he had his opponent hurt and both were able to exploit vulnerabilities that Joshua has in terms of defense.

If Anthony Joshua is going to continue on with his career, he will need to correct his mindset, be more tactical and wait for opportunities for potential knockdowns and knockouts to come to him rather than recklessly pursuing an opponent looking for the kill. He and his team should have the evidence to suggest that the latter approach is not one that often leads to success. In terms of if he can come back and once again regain his standing in the Heavyweight division, it will take time, but fighters through the entire sport have suffered knockout losses similar to and in some cases worse than the one he suffered here against Daniel Dubois and were eventually able to bounce back. It may be a question of whether Joshua has the commitment to retool his skillset, really focus and refine his defense, and whether he's willing to fight his way back up the ranks if a rematch with Dubois does not happen immediately. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Bazinyan Gives Munguia A Test Before Succumbing To Pressure

 

A challenge that can occur from time to time when a fighter is coming off of a loss for that fighter's handlers is to determine not only what type of opponent that the fighter will face coming off of a loss in terms of style, but also to decide what the purpose of that opponent will be at least in theory. Will the intention simply be to provide the fighter with an opponent that from a stylistic standpoint as well as overall experience, the fighter should beat without much risk, or will the intention be to match their charge against a dangerous fighter in an attempt to get them back into position to potentially fight for a world championship. In other words, to throw them back into the deep end where the fighter has to for lack of a better term, *Sink Or Swim”

For the former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia, his bout against undefeated Erik Bazinyan on September 20th in Glendale,AZ would prove to be the latter. Not only was this an encounter between a fighter coming off the first loss of his career in Munguia going against an unbeaten opponent, but also one between top contenders with both fighters being rated number two in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division in the World Boxing Council (WBC) (Munguia) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) (Bazinyan). What this can simply be summed up to for those who do not regularly follow the sport of Boxing, both fighters, at least in theory, were on the brink of fighting for a world title, which in Munguia’s case, means a potential second opportunity after coming up short against current unified world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez earlier this year. 

Although Bazinyan may not have been well-known to some, the Armenian-born, Canadian-based contender entered the bout with thirty-two victories in thirty-three professional fights, with the only negative coming in a draw in his last bout prior to facing Munguia. While this was his first bout against someone of Munguia's caliber in being a former world champion, who has competed near the top level of the sport for the last several years, Bazinyan also entered as the current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Super-Middleweight champion. 

Bazinyan showed immediately when he met Munguia at the Desert Diamond Arena that he was not awed by the occasion and was intent in making the most of his opportunity. What turned out to be a key part of his approach in doing that was a strategy with an emphasis on fundamentals. In that he kept things simple and did not try to over assert himself. The primary weapon was Bazinyan’s jab. Not just by simply throwing the jab for the sake of throwing it, but knowing when to throw it at the proper distance where it allowed him to offset Munguia's pressure, use lateral movement to try and maintain that distance, and occasionally mix in hooks to the head and body. 

What also stood out was the compact way in how Bazinyan threw his punches, either jabbing then moving or at most throwing two or three punches and not remaining stationary when he threw a hook or a straight right behind his jab. This along with being able to periodically lend counter punches on Munguia seemed to frustrate the former world champion. Though Munguia established he was the harder hitter when he was able to land his punches, particularly with his left hook, Bazinyan showed an ability to withstand those blows and return offense. 

Through the first four rounds, this observer gave three of those rounds to Bazinyan based on his ability to keep the combat limited to a tactical Boxing match, where he seemed to be out thinking Munguia. At the end of six rounds, I had Bazinyan up four rounds to two. It would be over the next four rounds, however, where Munguia started landing more and more to the body and head of Bazinyan. By the end of eight rounds, Munguia had pulled even with Bazinyan on my scorecard. Munguia’s rally and attack would make the issue of scoring in this fight moot. In the tenth round, a barrage of punches set off by a left hook to the head, battered the very “Game” Bazinyan down to the canvas. The effects of not only that barrage of unanswered punches, but seemingly the accumulation of punishment, ultimately would be too much for Bazinyan to overcome as he was unable to beat the count of ten, giving Munguia a hard-fought, but impressive knockout victory.

For Jaime Munguia, a fighter who built a reputation as a “Knockout Artist,” but has struggled to score consistent knockouts as he’s gone up in weight, this fight proved to be one that should serve as a confidence builder, especially when one considers that the knockout was something that did not come easily and he was coming off the first loss of his career. This should at minimum keep him in the discussion for a potential world championship fight. As for Erik Bazinyan, while he might drop a few slots in the Super-Middleweight rankings per this, his first loss in his career, his stock has definitely gone up in defeat and he will likely also remain in the discussion of top Super-Middleweight contenders that could end up fighting for a world championship at any point. It may simply come down to what opportunities are available and when that will determine where Munguia and Bazinyan go next.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Mikaelian-Rozicki Postponed For Second Time, New Date To Be Announced For WBC World Cruiserweight Championship Bout

It has been announced that the scheduled September 29th Boxing card promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Don King headlined by a WBC World Cruiserweight championship fight between champion Noel Mikaelian and Ryan Rozicki, which was to take place at Casino Miami in Miami, FL has been postponed. This marks the second time the card, which was originally scheduled to take place in April, has been postponed. As of this writing, no official reason for this latest postponement has been given. in a statement on its official Facebook page, however, Don King Productions said it is working with its partner Three Lions Promotions as well as the World Boxing Council (WBC) to set a new date for the event, which could see an announcement made in the coming days. 

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

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Announcing: BYB 34 Brawl in the Pines IV

Credit: BYB Extreme Fighting Series 

Press Release: September 21, 2024 By BYB Extreme Fighting Series - BYB’s Pound-For-Pound Baddest Bare Knuckle Fighter on the Planet, “The Cuban Assassin” Gustavo Trujillo, to Take on Reigning BKB Heavyweight Champion, UK’s Richie “The Viking” Leak to Unify the BYB Heavyweight Police Gazette Diamond Belt; BYB Cruiserweight Police Gazette Diamond Belt Champion Cub “The Savage” Hawkins to Defend his Title against #1 Contender Zion Tomlinson.



 MIAMI, FLORIDA – BYB Extreme, the biggest bare knuckle company on the planet, announced today that BYB 34 Brawl in the Pines IV will be held Friday, December 6 in South Florida at the Charles F. Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines. First bell will sound at 7:30 PM ET with live broadcasts on Fuse TV, BeIN Sports and The Fight Network beginning at 8 PM ET. Live International PPV is available at bkbworld.tv.

 

BYB Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame matchmaker Mel Valenzuela and BYB Head of European Operations Jim Freeman announced that the main event for BYB 34 will feature BYB’s reigning heavyweight champion Gustavo “The Cuban Assassin” Trujillo (Miami, FL by way of Cuba) against the outgoing and reigning BKB heavyweight champion Richie “The Viking” Leak (United Kingdom) in the first title unification match since BYB’s acquisition of the London-based BKB this past May 2024. 

 

Trujillo boasts a 6-0 bare knuckle record with 6 first-round knockouts. He won the BYB Heavyweight title this past July in New Orleans by taking out champion Ike Villanueva at BYB 28 in New Orleans. Said Trujillo on the matchup:

 

"December 6 will be epic, and, once again, I will prove that I am the best pound-for-pound bare knuckle fighter in the world. I’ve beaten the best the US has to offer, and beating Europe’s best will be business as usual. To do so in my hometown, the city that has given me everything - Miami - is just going to make it victory even sweeter.”

 

Leak (4-1, 3 KOs) defeated a tough, experienced foe in Dan Podmore by third-round TKO this past March in Wolverhampton for the BKB Heavyweight title, and is ready to use his tenacity and experience to take it to Trujillo: 

 

“He's a great fighter and is due much respect, but he’s also never been past the first round and I am as tough as they come. I’ve proven time and time again that I just keep going. I’m battle-hardened, it’s time to see if he is too.”

 

The BYB 34 co-main event will feature two of the youngest stars in bare knuckle as former two-division champion and reigning BYB Cruiserweight Police Gazette Diamond Belt holder, 26-year-old Cub “The Savage” Hawkins (5-1, 5 KOs), defends his title against the number one contender, 24-year-old Zion Tomlinson. Hawkins is coming off a tough fight of the night performance at BYB 29, and is eager to defend his Cruiserweight belt. Tomlinson, who is undefeated in the Trigon, earned his title shot at BYB 26 when he defeated Uly Diaz in a title eliminator match. 

 

The always business-like Hawkins is looking to re-assert his dominance in the Trigon:

 

“It’s comeback season, and I’m already at the top, so he must fall. Y’all truly don’t know what my last fight did to me and I’ll never lose again because of it. I’m coming.”

 

Tomlinson has said previously, “I was written off and BYB gave me an opportunity and I'm making the most of it. I’m not even in my prime and feel like I’m one of the best bare knuckle fighters on the planet.

 

He added, “This is the end for Cub at 185.”

 

Card subject to change. More fights to be announced soon. Follow @bybextreme on all social media or visit bybextreme.com for more information.

 

ABOUT BYB

Originating in South Florida with backyard legend Dada 5000, whose backyard fights gained worldwide popularity online, BYB was founded to harness the excitement of bare knuckle fighting into a more structured product for a wider, more mainstream audience. Since 2015, BYB has worked diligently to grow the reach of bare knuckle on both a domestic and international level, hosting events in Wyoming, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, London, Wales, and Dubai, and is continuing to work with athletic commissions throughout the United States and globally to expand the fanbase growing sport of bare knuckle fighting. In May 2024, BYB acquired London-based BKB, the world’s first professional bare knuckle boxing promotion, who has successfully promoted forty bare knuckle events which were broadcast in over thirty-five different countries with millions of fans and viewers worldwide.For more information on BYB, visit bybextreme.com and follow @bybextreme on social.

 

 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: BYB Extreme Fighting Series Used with permission. 

For more information about BYB Extreme Fighting Series please visit: www.BYBExtreme.com. 

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

The Next Chapter For Jaime Munguia

Most Boxing fans are familiar with the rise a fighter goes through  from prospect, to contender status, to finally a world champion, along the way, also building a fan base. One subject this veteran Boxing scribe has made a point to cover over the many years I have covered the sport as well as other combat sports is a stage that many fans should also be familiar with. It is a stage that this observer has called “The Rebuild" in the past, some may call it a “Fresh Start," but it can also be referred to as "The Next Chapter.”

The latter might be the most appropriate of the aforementioned descriptions because all of the above can easily be used to describe former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia. A fighter who was truly dominant and scary as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight due to his punching power, Munguia chose to vacate his world championship 2019, choosing to seek greener pastures and more world championships, first in the 160lb. Middleweight division and then ultimately as a 168lb. Super-Middleweight. While he remained unbeaten as he moved up in weight, an opportunity to become a two-division world champion eluded him for several years. 

In May of this year, however, Munguia finally got that opportunity to both become a two-division world champion as well as a lucrative opportunity when he challenged then Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez in Las Vegas, NV. Although it was an opportunity Munguia had earned and seemingly chased after for years to face one of the biggest stars in the sport in Alvarez, Munguia was in many ways a background player in the build-up to the biggest fight of his career. This was due to the highly-publicized feud between Munguia’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Alvarez. While once Alvarez and Munguia were promotional stablemates fighting under De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, the feud and legitimate dislike between Alvarez and De La Hoya, who had an ugly and public break up during the height of the COVID-19 epidemic, overshadowed what should have been, and frankly was an encounter between two of the biggest stars in the sport.

As for the fight itself, Munguia showed his mettle in getting up from the first knockdown of his career in the fourth round and putting in a “Game" effort in losing a twelve round unanimous decision to Alvarez, the first loss of his career. Now, Munguia looks to get back to his winning ways when he faces undefeated contender and current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Super-Middleweight champion Erik Bazinyan On Friday, September 20th at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ in a fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

This fight not only represents a new chapter for Munguia in terms of trying to get back on track inside the ring, but will also be his first fight under a new promoter in the Hall of Famer Bob Arum, whom he recently signed a multi-fight deal with. While there is no indication of a bitter split between Munguia and De La Hoya as there was between the latter and Saul Alvarez, this will likely be an adjustment for Munguia after competing for much of his career fighting under De La Hoya’s banner, but one that is certainly not uncommon to see fighters do throughout their careers in switching promoters depending on both opportunities in the ring as well as the financial aspects that go along with it. 

In Erik Bazinyan, Munguia will face a seasoned professional fighter, who is unbeaten in thirty-three professional fights with thirty-two wins and twenty-two coming via knockout. Bazinyan, who will come into this fight off of a draw in his last bout in May against Shakeel Phinn, is rated highly in the top ten in the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO, with his highest rating being the number two ranking in the WBO Super-Middleweight ratings. While the ratings process is one that is always open to scrutiny and can be confusing to non-aficionados of the sport when one also factors in the various regional, international titles, and interim championship designations, to name a few, which are all designed to elevate a fighter’s position in the world rankings with an eye towards fighting for a world championship, what it means in this context is this is not a mere “Comeback Fight" for Munguia as Bazinyan is nearing mandatory challenger status and in some cases, is now higher rated than Munguia, depending on sanctioning organization per Munguia coming off of a loss in his last fight.

Furthermore, it means the winner of this flight could be in line to challenge for a world championship in their next fight. How will this fight be fought? Bazinyan is a well schooled boxer/puncher, who despite scoring knockouts in twenty-three of his fights registering a near 72% career knockout percentage, he is not viewed as the fighter with punching power here. What he could do is look to try and implement elements of what was successful for Alvarez against Munguia. Alvaraz, as he almost always does in his fights, implemented a tactical approach against Munguia, dictating how the fight was fought, beating him to the punch consistently, and out-working Munguia over twelve rounds. The challenge for Bazinyan will be to try and do something similar, which can be easier said than done due to the pressure Munguia usually applies on his opponents in addition to his punching power.

Although Munguia is certainly capable of ending a fight with either hand at any time if he connects flush, he looks to generally break his opponents down by applying pressure and cutting the ring off from his opponents. Depending on what Bazinyan’s tactics are from the outset, look for Munguia to apply pressure early and try to back Bazinyan up along the ropes. If this will indeed be the approach Munguia will try to implement, it's logical to think that a focus to establish an attack to Bazinyan’s body will be a focal point as he will try to limit his lateral movement while applying pressure.

A fairly high stakes encounter for both fighters with a lot on the line. While this is not the ideal scenario one would think of for a fighter coming off of a loss, it is a testament to the kind of fighter Jaime Munguia is that he has chosen to jump right back into the deep waters of the Super-Middleweight division rather than looking for an opponent that would be viewed as a soft touch to try and build his confidence back. Although there is a risk no matter what path a fighter takes, it is not a given that this chapter in Munguia’s career will begin with a bounce back win. Another loss for Munguia would not necessarily put his career in danger, but if he were to lose this fight, it will likely mean the rebuild process will be a longer one and might require a different approach and perhaps some retooling in terms of what is learned, polished, and refined in the gym as far as strategy and tactics. For now, one should not think too far ahead because what Jamie Mungia will look like coming off of the first loss of his career as well as what happens in this fight will obviously play a factor in what may or may not follow. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Munguia vs. Bazinyan takes place on Friday, September 20th at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ beginning at 5:45PM ET/2:45PM PT. 

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

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

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

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Dubois-Joshua Preview

 On September 21st, the Boxing world will converge on the legendary Wembley Stadium for a significant event in Boxing’s Heavyweight division. Before we can talk about this event, however, we must briefly go back to the recent history of the sport to the last major event in the Heavyweight division. This observer is referring to the much-anticipated unification bout between undefeated world champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, which took place in Saudi Arabia on May 18th.

A unification bout, which saw Usyk emerge as the Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world, becoming the first fighter in Boxing history to successfully unify all five major sanctioning organizations to become a fully undisputed champion. As monumental as that moment in history was in seeing the first undisputed champion in the division crowned in twenty-five years, an element of the business of the sport loomed over the occasion. The fact that there was both a mandatory rematch clause as well as a separate mandatory title defense obligation by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which conflicted with each other. 

Unfortunately, conflict would mean that there would only be one world champion in the division for several months as Usyk would be contractually unable to fulfill his obligation to the IBF due to his upcoming rematch with Fury in December, which resulted in him relinquishing the IBF crown and IBF number one mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois being named the IBF Heavyweight world champion. Dubois, who nearly dethroned Usyk when they fought in August 2023 now prepares to make the first defense of his world title in Wembley Stadium against former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in a showdown that can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View.

While some have already chosen to discredit this encounter as a legitimate world championship fight, a point of view not shared by yours truly for the obvious reasons of regulations and policies needing to be followed and per those policies, this is a legitimate world championship fight, it does nevertheless bring together two of the division's feared “Knockout Artists." 

For the champion Daniel Dubois, he will enter this title defense having scored two impressive knockout wins in his two bouts since he lost to Usyk against Jarrell Miller in December of last year and Filip Hrgovic in June of this year. Dubois has scored knockouts in twenty of his twenty-one career wins registering a 95% career knockout percentage. The criticism of the champion, however, has been what happened to him in his two losses to Joe Joyce and Usyk where he suffered knockout losses.

 Despite suffering a broken left eye socket in his fight with Joyce in November 2020, and being broken down by Usyk, the perception of some was that Dubois quit under pressure in those fights. Although Dubois has shown the ability to bounce back well from those setbacks, he still has to combat that perception. 

If one is looking for Dubois to be tested under circumstances where the pressure will be high due in part to the “Big Fight Atmosphere," that test will likely come against Anthony Joshua.

By now, the story of Anthony Joshua is well known. A former Olympic Gold medalist and two-time unified Heavyweight world champion who is a future Hall of Famer and has spent most of his career competing in the “Big Fight Atmosphere." Much like Dubois, Joshua has suffered setbacks along the way and has also suffered two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

Manny Boxing fans will recall that Usyk ended Joshua's second reign as a world champion in September 2021 via decision and then lost a decision in their rematch in August 2022. Since those setbacks, Joshua has rebounded winning his last four fights, three coming via knockout. In his last outing in March, Joshua scored a second round knockout of former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou.

While the victory over the novice boxer in Ngannou was not surprising to menu given the significant difference in experience between the boxer Joshua and the MMA star Ngannou, the third consecutive knocked in the span of less than a year showed that Joshua is still a force in the division and will enter this fight rated number three in the IBF ratings. What this fight represents for Joshua is not only an opportunity to regain a version of the World Heavyweight championship, but if he were to be successful, to enter his name into a select group of fighters in the history of the sport to have won the World Heavyweight championship on three separate occasions.

It is logical based on the styles of the two fighters to think of the possibility of a short, but potentially explosive fight given the power each fighter has. The question this observer has is whether the knowledge each fighter has of what the other can do will cause them to take a more tentative approach early on. Both fighters are capable of ending a fight with one punch so the possibility of one or both being gun shy at least early is a real one. An additional thing one should keep in mind is both champion and challenger have been known to fatigue the longer a fight goes on. While that has not always translated into losses for either, it is nevertheless, something to keep an eye on. 

Beyond a version of the World Heavyweight championship being at stake in this fight, what looms ahead also seems obvious for the winner. To put themselves in position to potentially fight the winner of the Usyk-Fury rematch to once again determine one Undisputed Heavyweight champion of the world. So much is at stake for both fighters, not just in terms of the often debated term “Legacy,” but also significant money to be made. We will see who will be able to take a step forward and move himself into the position to potentially fight for “Undisputed.”

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Dubois vs. Joshua takes place on Saturday, September 21st at Wembley Stadium in London, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $19.99. The broadcast will begin at 10:30AM ET/7:30AM PT with The DAZN Boxing Show previewing the event with the Boxing action beginning at 11:30AM ET/ 8:30AM PT. (*U.S. Start Times Only*)

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, for region specific pricing, and to order this pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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

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