Bruno Tarimo Returns To Headline Dragon Fire Boxing's Next Event; BOXINGMANIA August 8th

 

Credit: Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: July 20, 2026 By  Dragon Fire Boxing - Tarimo (29-5-2, 8 KOs) soared into the super featherweight rankings after a string of upset victories over Aussie contenders Billy Dib, Joel Brunker, and Nathaniel May in 2019. Tarimo’s link-up with Aussie trainer Angelo Hyder and manager Tony Tolj saw him become a firm fixture on the Australian and world boxing scene.

Bruno was originally scheduled for a title fight in Fiji on February 7, but that fight date has been repeatedly changed. Tarimo is now headlining a WBA Oceania Featherweight Championship challenge against China Junlun Zhao 12-2

Tarimo opens up

“It’s frustrating with the date constantly being changed, but I know my team (Dragon Fire Boxing) has done everything possible doing and has my best interests at heart. Andrew has become world champion again, and Jason Moloney has signed with Zuffa and I will become world champions from the gym.”

“I had nothing lined up after many date changes in Fiji and Dragon Fire Boxing has put on an event just for me to get me going and I will give everything I can in the ring to become a champion again”

Longtime manager Tony Tolj said: “We are planning a big 2026, where we can get him back in the rankings and challenge for a world title. He wants to campaign at featherweight; we believe he can compete there, and it’s his natural weight. He was fighting up at super featherweight, which wasn’t his weight. But during COVID times, they couldn’t get anyone into the country, so he jumped up. He just kept fighting Aussie after Aussie and kept beating everyone. He ended up getting into a position where he was fighting in a world title eliminator.

“He lives close to Jason and Andrew [Moloney], and young prospect Jesse Wicks is around there as well. They are all friends; Bruno is another extension of our boxing family. He will be a big help in Jason’s next fight on the Gold Coast on the Opetaia card, in Andrew’s IBF world title challenge next year, and in Bruno’s big year coming up. He’s been a big part of all the major camps we have had with the Moloneys. Takei had eight fights with eight knockouts at that point, but Bruno’s fight was stopped due to a cut. He’s world class, and 2026 is going to be a standout year for him.

“Bruno has evolved and gone to the next level and was the chief sparring partner for Jason in his IBF Intercontinental title fight victory. Bruno was preparing for his own title fight, but that got delayed.

“First thing I need to do is get him active, then back into the world ratings,” Tolj added. “Now we can get him into a position where he will fight for a world title. Now he is going to be settled, not worrying about his family, not detached from those he loves. I think he will have a good run now, and I’m really looking forward to seeing Bruno achieve all he can achieve.”

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

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

PBC Joins DAZN : Why It Is A Win For Subscribers

 In April of 2018, this observer received word as I was preparing to cover two separate main events being held in the United Kingdom on April 21st of that year, Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco and Carl Frampton vs, Nonito Donaire that there would be a further shock to the system in terms of the way Boxing was broadcast here in the United States following the inception of ESPN’s first direct to consumer streaming network ESPN+, (Now ESPN Unlimited), which had launched days before and in fact, it was the Khan-Lo Greco bout that ended up being the first Boxing event ever televised on the platform. The further shock that I was informed about privately was the pending entry into the United States of another direct to consumer streaming entity whose focus would largely center on Boxing, DAZN.

Although it would be a few weeks later that the network dubbed by some as the “Netflix of Sports” would hold a press conference in New York to formally announce their entry with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn as the centerpiece attraction to serve as the network’s main promoter, upon hearing the information I was given, I began researching what DAZN, which launched in 2016, had to offer in other markets internationally. As first and foremost a Boxing lifer and combat sports aficionado, but just as a sports fan in general, when I saw the amount of content offered in various regions, particularly amongst the major sports here in the United States, I would be lying if I said my mouth did not begin to water. Obviously, I knew that a global streaming network’s available content would vary by region due to existing broadcast agreements with various networks around the world and I also knew based on years of experience in covering media broadcast rights as it relates to Boxing and other combat sports, that there was not going to be the amount of content that I had seen offered internationally upon DAZN’s U.S. launch, primarily the major sports leagues in this country. What I did see, however, was potential.

With regard to Boxing, the network offered a schedule of events from both major and regional promoters that was unparalleled in the sport. While yours truly has written extensively over the years of the benefits of the subscription-based model as compared to the pay-per-view model, which had gotten out of control before DAZN’s launch, for the purposes of this column, the focus will be centered on how DAZN has strategically put together a roster of promoters and Boxing content that frankly has never been seen before on one platform as along with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and wider sports offerings under Matchroom Sport, the network eventually added Golden Boy Promotions under promoter and Hall of Fame fighter Oscar De La Hoya, OPI Since 82 out of Italy, the highly acclaimed World Boxing Super Series, as well as various other promoters who have appeared on the platform periodically. Most recently, the network had signed Hall of Fame promoters Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions and Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc. to multi-year broadcast agreements. Although having clearly established itself as the dominant broadcaster in the sport not just in the United States, but worldwide to a degree we have never seen in Boxing before, the network has not rested on its accomplishments as it continues to build to its platform. On July 9th, during the launch press conference for the upcoming WBA World Welterweight championship bout between champion Rolando Romero and former two-division world champion Teofimo Lopez an announcement was made that the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, one of the last remaining major promoters in the sport that had spent recent years as a largely pay-per-view centric promoter first through the now defunct Showtime Sports and most recently through digital streaming general entertainment network and platform Prime Video, had signed with the network on what was described as a multi-fight agreement with events being simulcast on Prime Video on a pay-per-view basis for the remainder of 2026.

In all honesty, I was not surprised when I was informed of the pending announcement as frankly, with the exception of a few obscure pay-per-view offerings promoted by independent promoters that have yet to align with DAZN, the PBC group of promoters was really the last hold out, who was attempting to continue to rely largely on what this observer has called the outdated and overpriced model of pay-per-view. Despite DAZN in the period following the global COVID-19 epidemic dipped their toes into the pay-per-view model, a decision that though understandable to an extent given the loss of revenue from the pause of live sports that occurred while the world was essentially shut down during the epidemic, I was highly critical of, which I stand by, the network has always been a subscription-based focused entity. With regard to the PBC’s recent history with Prime Video acting as a distributor for PBC pay-per-view offerings with a handful of free events for Amazon Prime members, though no one has access to how successful or not successful those events have been in terms of buys, the PBC, which launched in 2015 with its initial mission of “Free Boxing For All” with initial time buy arrangements with broadcast and cable networks, had seen its output of events year over year drop significantly as compared to when it launched. Although no one can say how successful a largely pay-per-view centric strategy was for the PBC. One could assume that continuing to rely on what became an increasingly outdated model and doing so at price points of $74 or above, may not have proven to be a winning approach for them, which could have necessitated aligning with DAZN after vocally opposing what the network was attempting to bring to the sport with a subscription-based focus for several years.

While pay-per-view still remains part of the sport, it should be noted that DAZN after testing the waters of periodically dipping its toes into the model, has reverted back to a subscription based approach with the introduction of DAZN Ultimate, a higher priced tier subscription that now includes pay-per-view offerings at no additional cost. This should be of value to many Boxing fans due to now the PBC events being available to DAZN Ultimate subscribers at no additional cost. Although it is not my intention to pen what could essentially be copy for a commercial promoting the network, a monthly or annual subscription is indeed more cost-effective for consumers as opposed to being asked to pay an inflated fee on a per-event basis, regardless of what the headline attractions of those events might be. 

The question is obviously with so many promoters on one platform does it create a monopoly and ultimately, will it serve in the best interest of both consumers and the sport? A cynical viewpoint as well as a realistic one, is Boxing does not have as many broadcasters involved in the sport in 2026 as was the case in decades past. There are several reasons for that, none of which have anything to do with the sport itself or its appeal, but have a lot to do with what became a focus on what was meant to be used for legitimate special occasions in the sport/major events, pay-per-view, which in turn gradually eroded not only the amount of content offered across both free to air broadcast television as well as cable, which over time took what would have been marquee bouts away from free television or from cable networks like HBO and Showtime, which for lack of a better term made whatever was televised on those networks seem secondary by putting the perceived major bouts in the sport behind a paywall. This in addition to consistently raising prices for such events, the frequency of which the pay-per-view model has been used, and the stalling tactics, which delayed fights of significant interest from being made and promoters and fighters refusing to come to the negotiating table for such bouts eventually it created a scenario where free to air networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox eventually bowed out of the sport and were ultimately followed by HBO and Showtime as well after both networks, who had invested significantly in Boxing over decades eventually divested and exited as both became to a significant extent casualties of corporate mergers that is still a major issue in the overall landscape of television.

It goes without saying that having less platforms actively invested in Boxing along with the over reliance on the pay-per-view model has led to where things are now for Boxing. An obvious concern is even with essential 95% of the sport’s major promoters under one global broadcast platform, is that the ways of old including a reluctance of the various promoters to work together to bring about fights of significant interest and to do so in a more reasonable timeframe than  having the public wait, at times several years, before a fight takes place where more often than not, by the time it does it leaves the public feeling very underwhelmed. There is also an obvious danger as well for DAZN in that now with a tier subscription approach, the motivation should be to try and increase long-term subscriptions, but also make it appealing for existing subscribers to stay on. There will come a point where subscription prices will have to stabilize where the ceiling of how high subscription rates can go will have to reach a ceiling or like other networks that were heavily invested in Boxing before them, DAZN may eventually find themselves making a similar decision to that of the aforementioned networks, first by divesting and then by exiting Boxing altogether. It would be a shame if that happens because the potential to grow the sport far beyond any level it has seen before and expose it to new eyes regardless of one’s economic level is there. Will this be the watershed moment where Boxing finally gets out of its own way for the good of the sport? I sincerely hope so. 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

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Global Sports Executive Loren Mack Joins BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing

Credit:

Press Release: July 15, 2026 By  BKB Bareknuckle Boxing - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA (July 15, 2026) – Veteran global sports executive Loren Mack has joined BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing, the world’s largest bare-knuckle boxing organization, as Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Strategy, further strengthening the organization’s executive leadership team as it continues its rapid global expansion. 

 

As Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Strategy, Mack will oversee BKB global brand strategy, audience and content growth, broadcast and streaming marketing, live event demand generation, and the marketing strategy supporting the organization’s sponsorship and partnership portfolio. As a member of the senior leadership team, he will help shape BKB’s enterprise and corporate strategy while playing a key role in driving the organization’s long-term growth and value 

 

Mack brings more than two decades of executive leadership experience helping build some of the world’s leading combat sports brands. Most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for the Professional Fighters League (PFL), he played an integral role in the organization’s international expansion through strategic leadership across marketing, brand development, investor relations, commercial partnerships, media rights, and business strategy. Prior to the PFL, Mack held executive leadership positions with ONE Championship, and began his career with the UFC during one of the company’s most transformative periods. Throughout his career, he has led global initiatives spanning marketing, media, athlete development, sponsorship activation, business development, and international expansion across North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, helping grow global sports properties, expand media distribution, strengthen commercial partnerships, and support hundreds of millions of dollars in investment capital. 

 

“BKB has achieved extraordinary growth over the past several years, and we’re assembling an executive team capable of taking the organization to the next level. Loren brings a rare combination of strategic vision, marketing expertise, commercial leadership, and deep industry relationships developed over more than two decades in sports,” said David Tetreault, Chief Executive Officer of BKB. “His experience building global brands and driving business growth will be invaluable as we continue expanding our audience, strengthening our partnerships, and continue to bring BKB to millions of fans around the world.” 

 

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of some incredible organizations throughout my career, but I truly believe this represents the biggest opportunity in combat sports today,” said Mack. “BKB has incredible momentum and has established itself as the largest and most-watched bare knuckle boxing organization in the world. I’m excited to help continue to elevate the brand, expand its global footprint, develop new business opportunities, and introduce BKB to millions of new fans around the world.” 

 

Founded in 2015 by visionary entrepreneur Mike Vazquez and former professional fighter Dhafir “Dada 5000” Harris, BKB has transformed bare-knuckle boxing into a fully regulated, globally broadcast sports property and established itself as the world’s largest bare-knuckle boxing organization.

 

Mack’s appointment represents the latest addition to the accomplished executive leadership team assembled by Vazquez as BKB enters its next phase of global growth. 

 

About BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing 

BKB: Bare Knuckle Boxing is a global combat sports property staging premium live events across the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Built on raw, authentic competition, BKB delivers world championship bare knuckle boxing to fans through a growing slate of live events and broadcast partnerships, including distribution via VICE TV, talkSPORT, and Telemundo. 

Material and Photo Courtesy of: BKB Bareknuckle Boxing Used with permission.

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

Gassiev Makes Kadiru Submit In 6 In First World Heavyweight Championship Defense

The story going into recently crowned WBA World Heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev’s first title defense against late replacement Peter Kadiru on July 11th in Moscow, Russia at the VTB Arena was not as much about the fight itself as it was for what the encounter represented in the aftermath of former unified world champion Olekaandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish the world titles he held in the division as he nears retirement. Coincidentally, this fight was the first world championship bout in the division since that announcement, and thus, started as this observer stated in the days before the fight, the beginning of a new era for the Heavyweight division.

The aforementioned description is where the significance of this fight ended. From the opening bell, the champion  Gassiev put Kadiru on the defensive and constantly backed him up where Kadiru simply did not throw enough punches to turn the momentum in his favor.

A fight that frankly resembled a sparring session had an anti-climatic conclusion when  Gassiev was able to corner Kadiru in round six and, despite not being able to seemingly land a significant blow that would have hurt his opponent, Kadiru’s corner threw in a towel and stopped the fight.  Although Murat Gassiev was in some ways denied the highlight catching moment to signify the start of his reign at the top of the Heavyweight division as a world champion, ultimately, he did what he had to do and was able to retain his claim to the World Heavyweight championship. It was a workmanlike consistent performance and sometimes that is really all you can ask of a fighter. 

The question coming out of this fight is what does Gassiev do moving forward. Although this observer would feel safe in betting money that I do not have, in saying that most Boxing fans likely want a unification process to again take place in the post Olekaandr Usyk era of the division, and for that process to happen fairly quickly, the reality is that at minimum, it will probably take at least two to three years before the idea of unification of the World Heavyweight championship could begin again. Why such a long period will be necessary is, though frustrating, it will take time for championship vacancies to be filled, for new champions to be ordered to fight new mandatory challengers by the respective sanctioning organizations, and obviously for those fights to take place where the winners of those bouts will theoretically be free to pursue unification bouts. 

While this could be an introductory class in Boxing politics, protocols, and procedures that yours truly is vastly familiar, what it means for a fighter in Gassiev's position is he will have to continue defending his WBA world championship until such time as a unification bout, which would start the process of trying to fully unify the division again, can be signed. Perhaps a fight against top contender Tony Yoka, who was originally supposed to face  Gassiev in his first title defense can be made once Yoka recovers from the back injury that forced him to withdraw from the scheduled July 11th bout. Gassiev might also want to pursue a different opponent in the interim if a fight with Yoka is indeed the aim. What is crucial, however, is that Gassiev must remain active. Not only as a means of staying in fighting shape and in competition, but now also, to remain out in front of the public in trying to establish himself as an active world champion and thus over time build an argument for himself as the division’s next central figure. With a successful first title defense now behind him, the goal should be to try and get back in the ring at least once before the end of 2026. If he does and who his opponent would be is obviously to be determined, but the goal should be to stay active and give himself the best chance to make a strong argument as a world champion that many will regard as the champion of the division. With the Heavyweight division essentially wide open as Usyk has relinquished his championships and appears nearing retirement after one final fight against a yet to be named opponent, the more active Gassiev can be, and more importantly, if he can continue to win, the better it will be for him long-term.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.

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Gassiev-Kadiru: The Beginning Of A New Era For The Heavyweight Division

Recent times in Boxing’s Heavyweight division have seen the division inch closer and closer to a period of transition. Some might recall earlier this year when the World Boxing Organization (WBO) named its top contender Fabio Wardley world champion following the previous two-time Undisputed champion of the division Olekaandr Usyk, choosing to step into the ring with legendary World Heavyweight Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, rather than make a mandatory defense of the WBO title, which was due to be fulfilled. This led to a thrilling encounter where Wardley was stopped by former IBF World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, making Dubois a two-time World Heavyweight champion.

 As for Usuk, in a truly unique event, the still unified world champion of the Heavyweight division survived a significant scare in his bout against Verhoeven at the Pyramids in Egypt in rallying to stop the novice boxer in the final round of a surprising competitive fight given the experience disparity between the two in terms of Boxing experience. It was perhaps that fight in which Usyk, a fighter that has dominated both the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions in his career, did not look anything like a man who fully unified the Heavyweight division twice, that led to him choosing to relinquish his remaining world championships in the division, in this case, the WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO world championships, saying he wanted the next generation of Heavyweights to vie for the crown while seeking one last fight before retirement against a yet unarmed opponent.

Thus, begins the period of transition fully in the Heavyweight division. While the various sanctioning organizations that Usuk vacated their respective versions of the World Heavyweight championship began naming their respective top contenders as world champion in accordance with each’s respective rules, the first world championship fight in the post-Oleksandr Usyk era will take place on July 11th in Moscow, Russia where recently named WBA world champion Murat Gassiev will make the first defense of his title against veteran contender Peter Kadiru at the VTB Arena in a scheduled twelve round world title bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

Often when a period of transition like this begins, fighters in Gassiev’s position are treated unfairly by both fans and commentators due to their being named champion rather than winning the title they now hold inside the ring. Although the circumstances that put fighters in such position tend to vary on a case by case basis, this puts the new champion in almost a no win situation, despite being the previous number one contender and being named champion when the previous champion was either stripped of their title or in this case chose to vacate as Usuk did because it brings about questions regarding the legitimacy of the title, particularly amongst fans who either do not know or simply turn a blind eye to each respective organization's policies that often calls for the current number one contender/Interim/Regular champion in the case of the WBA, to be named world champion in the event of a circumstance such as this.

If the prospect of being in a no win situation isn't stressful enough for a fighter, in Gassiev’s case, he also has to deal with a change in opponent for his first title defense after previously named opponent Tony Yoka withdrew from the fight due to a back injury. This opens the door for Peter Kadiru to step in on short notice to challenge for a world title for the first time in his career.

Although Peter Kadiru is currently unranked by the WBA in the Heavyweight division, he does have a respectable record of 24-1, with 13 Knockouts. The potential red flag here is Kadiru has not fought any noteworthy opposition that could be viewed as a world contender and is now tasked with taking a significant step up in class to challenge the former unified World Cruiserweight champion Gassiev in the champion's first title defense as a World Heavyweight champion. 

Murat Gassiev has a significant edge here in terms of overall experience as well as facing a higher caliber of competition including against Usyk when the two met as Cruiserweights in July 2018. As a Heavyweight, Gassiev has only been defeated once when he dropped a twelve round split decision to top contender Otto Wallin in September 2023. Since that setback,  Gassiev has won his previous three fights including defeating longtime Heavyweight contender and former multi-time world title challenger Kubrat Pulev in his last fight in December of last year.  Gassiev does have a near 80% career knockout percentage, having stopped twenty-six opponents inside the distance in his thirty-three career wins.

This would suggest that he might be looking to make a statement in his first title defense. A word of caution, however, not just for  Gassiev, but also for fans who may see this as a far gone conclusion, Peter Kadiru has won regional titles in both the WBA and IBF previously in his career, and despite not currently being ranked in the top fifteen by the WBA currently, sometimes a fighter only needs an opportunity and though he is frankly facing steep odds not only in facing someone of  Gassiev’s caliber, but doing so on a little more than a week’s notice, he should not be dismissed.

Regardless of what happens in this fight, the foreseeable future in the Heavyweight division will continue to have the recurring theme of transition and fighters both those who are now being moved into positions as world champion and contenders all looking to make their claim as the division's next central figure. Often the process of transition in Boxing tends to be messy regardless of division with no shortage of red tape and disgruntlements amongst fighters, promoters, and sanctioning organizations, and now the prospect of the upstart Zuffa Boxing promotion that appears intent on bringing the promotional based model of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to Boxing by refusing to work within the existing structure of working with existing sanctioning organizations and determining their own world champions, all of the above looking for legitimacy as recognized world champions and world championships. No matter the outcome in this fight, this is step one in a much wider picture that is for better or worse, part of an emerging era. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.

Gassiev vs. Kadiru takes place on Saturday, July 11th at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN available to both base and ultimate subscribers beginning at 2:30PM ET/11:30AM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe to either a standard subscription or DAZN Ultimate subscription please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Mason And Carrington Retain World Championships In Cleveland

While it is not unusual to see a Boxing card occur on the weekend of the July 4th holiday here in the United States, it is a bit unusual to see a card staged on the holiday itself, even when it falls on a Saturday. This, however, was exactly what occurred during the 2026 4th of July holiday as two undefeated world champions, each a rising star in the sport, defended their crowns for the first time at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland,OH.

First up to defend his title was WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce Carrington as he faced North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight champion Rene Palacios. From the opening bell, Carrington’s ability to use angles, be disciplined defensively, and just displaying a higher skillset than his opponent was the story of the contest that tended to follow a pattern. Palacios came forward trying to push the champion back, but either missing punches and/or being countered by Carrington. While there was a difference in both hand speed and reaction time between the two fighters that also favored the champion, to his credit, Palacios never stopped trying to find a way to turn things around and did have some periodic success as the fight progressed in landing his left hand. 

It would be one such left hand that produced a slight controversy in round seven when one landed on the back of Carrington’s head and sent him down to the canvas briefly. Although some felt this should have been ruled a knockdown in the challenger’s favor, it was an illegal blow that, while unintentional, was correctly ruled an illegal punch by Referee Harvey Dock. Though Palacios was able to land a few more solid right hands over the second half of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout, he was unable to form a consistent attack that would have likely resulted in him winning a few rounds as Carrington cruised to a wide and otherwise uneventful twelve round unanimous decision to retain his portion of the World Featherweight championship. More thoughts on Carrington’s future will follow at the conclusion of this column.

This brings us to the second half of this doubleheader as undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason defended his crown for the first time in front of his hometown crowd. Originally, Mason was to defend the title against former IBF Jr. Lightweight world champion Joe Cordina, who was the WBO number one Lightweight contender, however, this was changed on a little more than fourteen days notice when Cordina, who hails from Cadiff, Wales in the United Kingdom, was denied entry into the United States for the bout. In stepped undefeated WBO number six rated contender Albert Bell, who under circumstances that were not ideal, was getting his first opportunity at a world championship. 

Some might argue the change in opponent from a stylistic standpoint made this a more interesting fight on paper than had Mason been able to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation in facing Cordina. This was due to both Mason and Bell being boxer/punchers, but it was Mason, who had scored knockouts in seventeen of his twenty career wins in comparison to Bell’s nine knockouts in twenty-eight previous professional fights prior to this encounter. Although the edge in terms of punching power tipped towards the champion statistically, this observer thought we were likely to see a tactical chess match between the two fighters early on. Both fighters knew what the other could do and when you get a scenario like that as the two fighters were sparring partners for each other in training previously in their careers, it can make for a bit of hesitation in terms of which fighter will make the first move as well as who can establish a tempo. Bell began this fight by landing a short counter right hand to the jaw of Mason. It became clear fairly early that my instinct in thinking this would evolve into a tactical battle once the two fighters were inside the ring was spot on. It would be the right hand of Bell that would prove to be a focal point in the early rounds as it was the primary weapon for him both as a tool to counter the champion as well as one to catch the champion as he was trying to apply pressure and come forward. A right hand from the challenger opened a cut over Mason’s left eye in the second round.

What stood out here was not simply that Bell was having success in landing his right hand, it was that he was accurate in doing so and showed great discipline in simply waiting for his openings and taking advantage of them when they presented themselves. Through the first three rounds, I felt Bell won all three based on these attributes. 

Bell’s patience and ability to subtly pot shot the champion continued to carry itself through the first half of the fight. It would be in round seven, however, where the champion Mason started to break through as he landed a few solid left hands that got Bell’s attention and appeared to wake up the crowd in attendance that Bell had succeeded in taking out of the fight with his approach and being able to limit Mason’s offensive output. It was that left hand in the seventh that started a gradual building of momentum for Mason as he continued to press forward, but when he landed it was with hard solid punches.

The pressure, gradual success with body shots, and landing the harder punches continued to carry the momentum in the champion’s favor as Mason continued to make up ground on the scorecards. Gradually, the pressure and heavier blows of Mason began to slow Bell down and break through what had been his stellar defense during the first half of the twelve round world championship bout. 

Although Mason had clearly turned the ebb and flow in his favor after eleven rounds, yours truly felt it was a close fight and, despite Mason being in his hometown, I questioned just how many rounds early was Albert Bell able to win that may have been able to hold off a clear rally by the champion. It would be in the twelfth and final round, however, that any and all questions regarding the scoring of the fight would turn out to be moot. Mason lunged forward at the beginning of round twelve and dropped Bell with a solid left hook to the jaw that sent the challenger down on his knees. 

Bell was able to beat the count, but the champion sensing his opponent was in trouble went in for the finish.A left hand to the temple would drop Bell for a second time. Unlike the first knockdown, Bell was not given the benefit of a count and the bout was stopped. Quite frankly, I felt at the time of the stoppage that Bell was fatigued and was in trouble. Having said that,veteran referee Mark Nelson, inexplicably did not count Bell following the second knockdown and did not look at Bell’s eyes.

 It seemed like he simply stopped the fight as Bell was once again on his knees. If one were honest, two knockdowns within the first forty seconds of a round would appear to be an indication that the fighter that was knocked to the canvas was in trouble and on the verge of being stopped. Given that Bell had put forth a solid performance throughout the contest, however, he at minimum deserved a second count and a chance to show he could continue to try and finish the fight. 

While I personally have my doubts as to whether Bell would have made it to the final bell, he was not dropped hard and seemed in possession of all of his faculties at the time when the fight was stopped. For a referee in Nelson, who has officiated over nearly 1200 professional bouts in his thirty-four year career dating back to 1992, and is regarded as one of the best in the sport. In this instance, I feel he jumped the gun, but the probability that the fight may have been stopped if it had continued I feel was significantly high given that Bell was fatigued and Mason was perched to try and finish things if it were allowed to go on. 

Abdullah Mason was tested for the first time in his career in this title defense. While some feel the stoppage was controversial, a word too closely associated with combat sports, as a fighter and a world champion, Mason did what he had to do, which is all one can really ask of a fighter. Albert Bell was able to give the champion a scare and though not the ideal set up if you are a promoter or matchmaker looking for a showcase performance for a young world champion in their hometown, this fight and the way it was fought will have more benefit for Mason in the long-term than a quick knockout over an overmatched opponent would have. 

For Bruce Carrington, he also did what he needed to do to retain his world title. It may not have been the most entertaining contest depending on one's perspective, but a fighter and more specifically, a champion's objective is to win. Even if achieving victory means that one is not appreciated fully for their skillset.

As for what is next for both champions, it will be interesting to see if Joe Cordina will maintain his number one ranking in the WBO's Lightweight ratings, despite being denied entry into the United States. Perhaps the focus will shift towards making the original encounter that was to take place on this card with Mason at a different location outside of the United States, with the United Kingdom likely viewed as a viable option. 

In regard to the Featherweight division perhaps a fighter like the unbeaten Omar Trinidad, who is currently rated number three in the WBC Featherweight ratings could be next for Bruce Carrington. A more likely choice at least in the immediate future might be current WBC number one Featherweight contender Cristobal Lorente, who like Trinidad is unbeaten, but will almost certainly be ruled as the mandatory challenger by the WBC per his number one ranking. 

With both Mason and Carrington being promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc. It will also be interesting to see if the plan from a promotional standpoint is to stage another card or two with them as co-headliners, particularly due to their recent alignment with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN that likes to showcase multiple stars on their cards when possible. In this case, you have two young world champions that are just starting to emerge as stars in the sport and from a network standpoint, having two fighters at similar stages in their careers fighting consistently on the same cards is an effective hook to draw in viewers as each fighter continues to progress. If it makes sense from a business perspective, this observer does not see a reason why another card like this should not be staged. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Owen Corrigan inks Multi-Year Managerial Agreement With Dragon Fire Boxing

Credit: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: July 3, 2026 By Dragon Fire Boxing -  Fresh off capturing the ANBF Australasian Light Heavyweight Championship, Owen Corrigan has signed a new multi-year managerial agreement with DragonFire Promotions.

Having fought under the DragonFire banner since making his professional debut, the new deal represents a natural progression for Corrigan, who believes the promotion can help guide him towards bigger opportunities in the years ahead.

"I was delighted to be offered the deal,” Corrigan said. “With a managerial company like Dragon Fire, it just gives me a lot of hope for the future.” 

A key figure throughout Corrigan's career has been Dragon Fire Promotions boss and experienced promoter Tony Tolj.

Tolj has managed some of the country's best boxers such as Jason and Andrew Moloney, the latter claiming the IBF Super Flyweight Championship last month. The pair have developed a strong relationship both inside and outside the sport since The Irishman’s arrival.

"Since before my first fight, me and Tony have always had a good relationship," Corrigan said.

"We seemed to click straight away. I worked hard to sell tickets for my debut and Tony did everything he could to help push me."Now we've got a good relationship where I can go to him whenever I need advice, I'm very fortunate to have that."

In his last fight, Corrigan captured the ANBF Light Heavyweight Championship in a dominant fourth-round TKO victory over Micah Rivetti in their second meeting. The rematch carried added pressure after their first fight went the distance, but Corrigan delivered his most complete performance to date, stopping Rivetti in emphatic fashion.

Although he had respect for his opponent, Corrigan entered the contest with complete confidence in his preparation and knew he was ready to make a statement. The victory was particularly satisfying given the criticism that surfaced after the first encounter.

"It felt very relieving," Corrigan admitted. "When I was first offered the rematch, I was a little unsure because I'd gained a lot of respect for Micah after the first fight." "I knew where my mindset was at. No matter who I fought next, I felt like I was going to put on a demolition job," he said.

"People were talking online, to come through a hard training camp and then perform like that felt so satisfying."

The Rivetti rematch was also significant as it marked the first time Corrigan had legendary trainer Angelo Hyder in his corner.While improvements in his technique had already made an impact, Corrigan believes the biggest difference came from a change in mentality.

"I think the biggest [change I noticed in the Rivetti fight] was my mindset," Corrigan revealed. "The intensity throughout the whole fight was different."Normally, I'm trying to preserve my energy and pace myself. This time, I just wanted to go. “Between rounds I couldn't wait for the bell to ring so I could get back out there."

Training under Hyder has exposed Corrigan to a world-class environment, something he believes translated directly into his performance on fight night."When you're training with Angelo, you're around world champions and world-class fighters, you must be switched on all the time" Corrigan said.

"When we spar it's not just a training session, it’s trying to prove a point and that intensity carries over." "As soon as it finished and the intensity dropped, I remember thinking 'Yeah, that was different. That was better.'"

Now holding the ANBF Light Heavyweight Championship and with his future secured under the Dragon Fire banner, Corrigan appears to be entering an exciting stage of his career.

If his dominant performance against Rivetti is any indication, the newly crowned champion may only just be scratching the surface of his potential.

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing /Photo Courtesy of: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

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