Canelo vs. Bivol, Hector Garcia Beats Colbert, and Josh Taylor Thoughts…
Canelo Faces Bivol, But On DAZN PPV….?
It is great to have Canelo Alvarez back, and against a serious opponent in Dmitry Bivol, that is exciting…what isn’t. DAZN, a boxing-based services that charges monthly or yearly for boxing content, with the concept of ending PPV for good, will put this fight on PPV for American fight fans. If you’re a new subscriber it is $80, with one month of DAZN as well, current subscribers get the fight for $60….WTF!
This means on top of the monthly fees, you will not have to bite the bullet, and more than likely buy two Canelo PPVs. As a great middle finger to fight fans this year we have been treated to a Luis Ortiz PPV, a Keith Thurman PPV, as well as forth-coming Spence vs. Ugas on PPV, Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte on PPV, Tank Davis vs Rolando Romero and now Canelo. That is at least six PPVs in roughly six months…That adds up for anyone.
Does any fight that matters or is interesting not end up on PPV, now? More so, how does the sport grow? I think these PPV fights simply are showing that boxing isn’t getting views and or subscribers so PPV is a way to get a return on the investment, as the fight fans are just being sucked dry.
Here is what DAZN posted on their account.
Oh, and after May 2nd, DAZN will now raise its yearly plan to $149.99…Currently subscribers and those who subscribe prior to May 2nd, can still subscribe for $99.99.
What do you think about it?
My thoughts – it feels like the core boxing fan-base is smaller than though, and loyal to a fault, so to make up losses in the market place, they’re going to raise prices knowing the hardcore will pay, and those that don’t probably wouldn’t have paid for the service to begin with.
Taylor Escapes.
Who would’ve thought those words would be the headline as the holder of all four major world titles at 140 lbs., was dropepd, and on many people’s scorecards lost to Jack Catterall. The gambling website PaddyPower in fact gave refunds to those who beat on Catterall.
After the fight, Taylor played the part of a villian as in a hometown title defense, came off cocky, and unaware of the situtation around the fight. It felt socially awkward.
Catterall should get a rematch, will he? – I doubt it.
Taylor had one or two issues going on this fight 1) either he believed his own hype and didn’t prepare the way he should’ve or 2) those hard early fights are catching up to him.
Another telling thing is, Shane McGuigan who got Taylor to the world titles no longer works with him, which was something I thought of when the crisis happened in the eighth round of him getting dropped.
What a difference a fight makes for Josh Taylor.
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Robeisy Ramirez knocked out Eric Donovan, this should set up a world title cotender fight for Ramirez, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, at featherweight.
Other notables, Ebonie Jones got a draw against Eftychia Kathopouli which should dampen expectations for Jones, and 2020 Olympic featherweight from Ireland Kurt Walker got a first-round KO in his pro debut.
Hector Luis Garcia Upsets Chris Colbert
Hector Luis Garcia, a late-sub 130 lber, defeated undefeated contender Chris Colbert in a fight that shocked the boxing world. With Bob Santos in Garcia’s corner, Garcia simply exposed the flaws of Colbert.
Colbert never looked competitive, as he looked befuddled, confused and at points defeated, as Garcia just overpowered him, and Colbert was unwilling to box.
Garcia seemingly hurt Colbert to the body, and Colbert seemingly lived a nightmare, as Colbert’s third time headlining on Showtime was a living nightmare. Colbert gives strong Adrien Broner vibes, a lot of talent, and a lot of flaws. Colbert screams as someone who will do what he wants, when he wants, that is fine when things are good, but not when things go downhill. Colbert now has to ask himself what his motivation in the sport is…
Garcia, a rather unknown fighter, who is undefeated, now is the mandatory challenger for the WBA 130 lbs. belt held by Roger Gutierrez.
This was a massive upset. The biggest of the year, in my opinion.
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In the co-main, Gary Antuanne Russell got a strange 10th round TKO over former world champion, and always elite Viktor Postol. Postol has his wife and children back in the Ukraine, seemingly had his mind elsewhere, and Russell is dealing with the death of his brother, and his father having health issues. The bout seemingly saw two fighters fighting life, as much as their opponent in the ring on this evening.
The end of the bout robbed the prior moments of the bout for both, as Russell stunned Postol with 30 seconds left in the fight, and referee Michael Ortega stopped the bout. Postol should have been able to finish the fight. Let’s be honest. Russell has won all of his fights by KO or TKO to start his career, and is a top contender at 140 lbs.
I hope we see Antuanne in a big fight soon.
The title reign of IBF super flyweight world champion Jerwin Ancajas is now over as Fernando Martinez got a 12-round decision win to end the run. The super flyweight division continues to provide fan-friendly entertainment, and starting the card with this bout set a great tone to the telecast.
Martinez, an undefeated Argentine, nicknamed Pumita, promoted by Marcos Maidana, ended the nine title defense streak of Ancajas in style. Martinez outlanded Ancajas at a two-to-one ratio for the whole fight.
Martinez becomes another exciting young fighter, in an exciting division, super flyweight that just saw a star emerge with “Bam” Rodriguez, and with a massive “Chocolatito” bout next week on DAZN, Saturday, the division could get a shake up.
Off-TV
Veteran Claudio Marrero got a majority decision win over unbeaten Viktor Slavinskyi.
Okolie Lulls, Gill Thrills
WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie might not have won any new fans with a very dull 12-round win over Michal Cieslak. As many clinches happened as punches as Okolie rocked Cieslak with a massive right to the head in round one, dropped in him in round five, and other than that the fight was a rough watch.
I still hold out hope for Okolie as a world title guy at heavyweight, but he is for the sportsman, and not the entertainment side of the sport currently.
Okolie walked to the ring with his manager Anthony Joshua, and UFC champ Israel Adesanya, which was the most notable thing about his entrance.
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2020 Olympic flyweight gold medalist Galal Yafai got a fifth round stoppage of Carlos Vado Bautista in his pro debut a scheduled ten-rounder. This could be a quick go before Yafai goes for the world title.
Jordan “The Thrill” Gill lived up to his nickname as he claimed the European featherweight title in a come from behind fashion stopping Karim Guerfi. Guerfi dropped Gill in round seven, then out of nowhere Gill landed a one-punch KO in round nine.
Middleweight Anthony Fowler scored a ten-round decision. He should get an interesting test this year.
Unbeaten heavyweight Fabio Wardley stayed active with a second-round KO.
Lightweight Campbell Hatton looked as good as ever with a sixth-round technical stoppage.
Club Shows
We saw an upset and a sad state of affairs for 41-year-old Cuban boxing legend Guilermo Rigondeaux as he lost a ten-round unanimous decision to Vincent Astrolabio in Dubai. Astrolabio dropped Rigondeaux in the fight as well.
Pro Box TV, put on a fun night of fights on Friday, as they prep to launch their app on May 20th, as middleweight Jimmy Kelly defeated Kanat Islam, a former rumored Canelo Alvarez opponent, as he simply outboxed and took out Islam in a night of upsets. Kelly just never let Islam set his feet, and give him a moving target that made Islam uncomfortable, as Kelly never gave him a chance to win the fight, as Kelly got a wide decision, and won a form of a smaller WBO title.
Welterweight Pete Dobson punished the favorite and veteran Jose Miguel Borrego with a solid body attack that slowed down Borrego. Dobson won a ten-round decision.
A shocker, Jonathan Eniz dropped Mark Reyes Jr. with a straight left-hand from the southpaw stance, and hurt Reyes Jr. in the ninth round. This is now Reyes Jr.’s second loss in a row as he lost in his last fight to Janelson Figueroa Bocachica.
It would be nice to see Dobson vs. Eniz on a future ProBox card.
The opener the most exciting cruiserweight in sometime, Najee Lopez, who stopped his opponent who had just gone a few rounds with Anthony Yarde, in two rounds. Lopez in just three fights, all wins by knockout, looks the part of a world champion in the making. Good eye, Tim VanNewhouse, Lopez’s manager.
Top 130 lbs contender Albert Bell got a first-round KO in Atlanta, and contender Money Powell IV also got a KO win on this card.
Heavyweight Sonny Conto won in Philly, after the fight his quotes seemed to depict that of frustration, as he feels he got hit too much. Conto is close to a big fight.
Former Top Rank Inc Promotions fighter Joseph Adorno missed weight yet again, as the company released him for never meeting the obligated weight class he was contracted at, and his first fight outside of the promotion, the same thing happened. I think Adorno now has to ask himself if he wants to be a pro boxer.
Welterweight Quinton Randall fought in Mexico for a form of the WBC belt, but the the bout was ruled a no-contest in the second round due to a cut opened on his opponent.
“The New” Ray Robinson got a 3rd KO this weekend as well.
MMA in 500 Words Or Less
Islam Makhachev mauled Bobby Green en route to a first-round stoppage. The bigger issue…why was Bobby Green fighting two weeks after fighting on PPV. Makhachev who lost his original opponent, saw Green take the bout as a late-replacement.
Makhachev looks like a world title contender. Makhachev called for a world title shot after the fight.
Unknown to me, Wellington Turman submitted Misha Cirkunov, who might go down as one of the bigger UFC busts in recent memory, once viewed as a future contender, honestly struggled against any world-class fighters. Let’s see where Turman goes from here.
Mousasi Is A Legend.
Bellator middleweight world champion Gegard Mousasi outclassed Austin Vanderford, by stopping him in roughly a minute-and-a-half. After the fight, Mousasi declared that he is the best middleweight in the world, and that he didn’t believe it before, but now he does. Mousasi is a legend, who just keeps getting better. One of the few fighters not in the UFC that I feel could be a UFC world champion, still.
In the co-main, Sinead Kavanagh battled through an injury to win her fight, as she showed tremendous heart and courage in her hometown bout.
