Tag Archives: truax

Posted on 04/14/2019

By: Andrew Johnson

Questions about the future of the Super Middleweight division were left unanswered on Saturday night after the bout between Caleb Truax and Peter Quillin was declared a no contest after the second round. A clash of heads, initiated by a Quillin lunge, caused a cut over Truax’s eye in the middle of round 2.

“The head butt came during an exchange where he led with his head.” said a deflated Truax after the truncated fight. “As soon as I turned around the blood started dripping into my right eye.”

From ringside, it looked like Truax knew a stoppage was inevitable almost immediately after he was cut. A river of bright, red blood streamed over his eye and down his nose throughout the rest of the second round. The doctor’s decision to stop the fight was not a surprise, but it meant that over 4,000 fans left the arena without seeing their hometown hero land a meaningful punch.

The unsatisfying conclusion seemed to hurt Truax more than the gash on his face. “It’s disappointing I couldn’t put on a good fight for the fans.” Truax said after the fight was stopped. “I’m flattered that everybody came out for me. The fans are doing a great job representing how strong our boxing community is.”

The clash of heads was unintentional and Quillin didn’t try to overplay his performance, even though he probably won the first two rounds. He said “I don’t think I deserve to fight (IBF Champion) Caleb (Plant) with this kind of win. I want to do it again with Truax here in Minnesota or come back to Brooklyn, my home.”

PBC has already booked a date at The Armory in Minneapolis for mid-July with Jamal James (25-1-0, 12 KOs) as the only fighter announced for the event. Maybe Truax and Quillin will try again in mid-July, but it is unlikely that Plant will wait that long to defend his title.

Earlier in the evening, Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KO) outpointed a sturdy Jack Culcay (25-4-0, 3 KOs) in an IBF title eliminator match at 160 lbs. The victory keeps the Ukrainian fighter in the mix for the IBF belt.

Joey Spencer (7-0-0, 6 KOs) won an underwhelming decision in a fight where he was supposed to shine. Osias Vasquez (4-2, 0 KOs) was no match for Spencer, but he made it the distance and frustrated his opponent throughout the six rounds.

Money Powell IV (10-0-0, 6 KOs) made the most out of his opportunity and delivered the strongest performance of the evening. The 21 year-old looked sharp and showed tremendous potential in his TKO victory against Christian Aguirre (8-5-0, 4 KOs). He started slow, but built momentum by firing impressive combinations that Aguirre could not handle. Look for Powell to appear in the televised portion of future PBC on FS1 events.

Posted on 04/13/2019

By: Andrew Johnson

Minneapolis will play host to Saturday night’s PBC card, which will be televised on FS1 and FOX Deportes. In the main event, Caleb “Golden” Truax (30-4-2, 19 KOs) will face Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin (34-1-1, 23 KOs) in an IBF Super Middle Weight title eliminator match. The bout has the potential to be a compelling fight because both Truax and Quillin are former world champions and both desperately need a win to stay relevant at 168 lbs.

A convincing win would likely launch the victor into a lucrative title fight against current IBF Super Middleweight Champion Caleb Plant (18-0-0, 10 KOs), while the loser will have to field questions about retirement. At Thursday’s press conference, Quillin shrugged off any suggestions that a loss might put an end to his boxing career, but Truax addressed the ramifications of the fight head on.

“The stakes are high for this fight. Whoever wins hopefully gets a crack at the title. It’s going to be tough for the loser to bounce back. If I want to keep fighting I have to leave Saturday with my hand raised.” said Truax.

Truax wants to keep fighting, especially on the national stage he earned after defeating James DeGale (25-3-1, 15 KOs) for the IBF World Super Middleweight title just over a year ago. Truax was spectacular in his shocking upset of DeGale as a 40-1 underdog, but he was underwhelming in the rematch and lost the title. If the Truax who shocked DeGale shows up on Saturday night, he has the chance to dictate the pace and wear down Quillin over twelve rounds.

He will be fighting in front of a sold-out crowd at The Armory in his hometown, Minneapolis. Truax told the media, “It’s a thrill to be in this fight and have it here at The Armory in front of my hometown fans. I saw the support that (fellow Minnesota-native) Jamal James got for his last fight, and I’m expecting more of that on Saturday. It’s going to be special and I’m going to take advantage.”

Peter Quillin also understands what is at stake on Saturday. It has been over three years since he lost to Danny Jacobs (35-2-0, 29 KOs) in a surprising first round TKO. Though Quillin never hit the canvas, the defeat derailed what had been a swift rise to the top of the Middleweight division. Now fighting as a Super Middleweight, Quillin hopes that a decisive victory against Truax would remind fans, and his promoters, of the Kid Chocolate who won thirty fights in a row. Quillin says that he is a better man, and better boxer, because of the loss and realizes he faces a tough challenge fighting Truax in Minneapolis.

“I have a very determined opponent and I’m fighting in his backyard.” said Quillin. “It’s a tough fight for both of us. I have to put my authority down on this fight and control it. It’s going to be hard with all his fans in there, but what I’ve always done is take negative circumstances, and turn them into positives.”

Vegas (if they are taking bets on this one) may have Kid Chocolate as a slight favorite, but it feels like an even fight. Saturday night’s fight is billed as a “title eliminator”, but for Truax and Quillian, much more is on the line, because the loser’s career may be over.

PBC extends the “title eliminator” theme of the card with Sergiy Derevyanchenko (12-1, 10 KOs) facing Jack Culcay (25-3, 13 KOs) in the co-main event. Derevyanchenko fought over 400 times as an amateur. He looked confident and in great shape at the weigh-in. Culcay is ranked as the number-two contender by the IBF and hopes that his jab can frustrate the Ukrainian and open up opportunities to land power shots late in the fight.

Nineteen-year-old Joey Spencer (6-0-0, 6 KOs) will participate in a televised fight as the PBC looks to put their Super Welterweight prospect in front of a national audience. He fought at The Armory a year ago and scored a first-round TKO by knocking down Ousmane Sylla (1-4-1, 1KO) three times…on three punches. Look for another early KO by Spencer on Saturday.

Money Powell IV (9-0-0, 5 KOs) will fight deep in the untelevised portion of Saturday night’s card. The 2016 Amateur World Champion has looked good since turning professional and may be someone to keep your eye on at Super Middleweight.

Posted on 08/26/2018

By: Andrew Johnson

The two best boxers in Minnesota delivered distinct messages by scoring early-round knockouts at the Armory last Friday night in Minneapolis. Jamal James (24-1, 11 KOs) told the welterweight division “Here I come!” with his second-round knockout of Mahonry Montes’ (35-8-1, 24 KOs). While Caleb Truax announced “I am still here!” to the Super Middleweight division with a dominating performance against Fabiano Pena (15-11-1, 10 KOs).

Jamal James believes that he belongs among the elite fighters at 147 lbs. Known as a slick boxer who uses his length to frustrate opponents, James surprised many with the power he displayed in the fight.

“He said that he would be coming forward on us so I knew what to expect.” James told the Boxing Insider immediately after the fight. “I had watched his film and my corner told me to keep that jab on him, use the angles and feel him out.”

In the first round, the fighters threw inconsequential punches to size each other up and find their rhythm. Montes launched his attack in the second round and was building momentum until James landed a series of right hands. The first shot landed squarely on Montes’ chin, rattling the veteran fighter from Sinaloa. James capitalized on the moment by continuing to throw his right hand over Montes defense. When Montes finally lifted his gloves to protect his head, James finished him with a vicious left to the body that ended the fight.

“I was able to hurt him early with a right hand and then that body shot just sunk him.” said an exuberant James.

The welterweight division is full of marquee names and big money fights. After successfully headlining two nationally televised cards in his hometown, Jamal James believes that he has earned a shot at a title, most likely a WBA belt, which ranked him as the #3 contender entering the fight.

“Hopefully this brings me closer to a world title opportunity, if not a world title opportunity in my next fight.” James responded when asked what this victory means for his immediate future.

3,754 fans came to the event, so the PBC may want to let “Shango” fight in front of the Armory’s friendly crowd one more time before presenting him with a contract for a title bout. But if it were up to Jamal James, he would likely want to challenge Keith Thurman for his WBA
belt.

Even though FS1 turned off their cameras after the James/Montes bout, no one left the arena. Caleb Truax had not fought in his hometown since his shocking upset of James DeGale (24-2-1, 14 KOs) last December. He turned his homecoming match into a sing along by selecting “Purple Rain” to accompany his ring walk and entered the building like a choir conductor.
In April, Truax was sluggish in losing his title to DeGale in their rematch, launching rumors of retirement for the 34 year-old. Though he fought as a Light Heavyweight after weighing-in above the Super Middleweight limit and faced an overmatched Fabiano Pena, Truax looked sharp in the fight. After absorbing a few solid punches from Pena, he took control and pummeled his opponent with a barrage of power shots, ending the fight in the third round with a sensational upper-cut.

The victory put Truax in the mix again at Super Middleweight with the potential to face powerhouses like Jose Uzcategui and David Benavidez, a third fight with DeGale or possibly Julio Cesar Chavez Jr this fall.

Posted on 04/08/2018

By: William Holmes

Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions put on a triple header on the Showtime networks live from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The main event of the evening was between Erislandy Lara and Jarrett Hurd and the co-main event of the evening was between James DeGale and Caleb Truax which was a rematch of a mammoth upset in 2017.

The opening bout of the night was between Julian Williams (24-1-1) and Nathaniel Gallimore (20-1) in the junior middleweight division. The winner of this bout will likely be looking at a title shot in the near future.

Julian Williams was a big step up in competition for Nathaniel Gallimore and he stayed behind a strong jab and good side to side movement in the opening three rounds. Gallimore was able to land some shots on the inside, and landed and received some heavy shots in the fourth round.

Williams had a small mouse under his right eye in the fifth round that opened up from an unintentional headbutt. Williams began to focus on the body more in the middle rounds, though he looked a little tired in the fifth and sixth rounds.

Williams body work continued into the seventh, eight, and ninth rounds and it was visibly sapping the energy of Gallimore. Gallimore’s punches didn’t have much snap in the tenth round and Williams had Gallimore badly hurt in the eleventh round and looked close to stopping him.

It was an entertaining fight, with only one questionable scorecard at the end.

The final scores were 114-114, 116-112, and 117-110 in favor of Julian Williams.

After this bout Floyd Mayweather Jr. was interviewed by Showtime and indicated that if he was going to unretire he would fight in the octagon.

The co-main event of the night was between Caleb Truax (29-3-2) and James DeGale (23-2-1) for the IBF Super Middleweight Title.

Photo Credit: Showtime Twitter Account

DeGale showed the quicker hand speed and more accurate in the opening two rounds, but it featured many headbutts that often happen when a southpaw faces an orthodox fighter.

Truax applied heavy pressure in the third round which featured a hard-right hand to the chin of DeGale that sent him falling backwards into the ropes. DeGale had a cut by his right eye that the referee ruled was caused by a punch, but the video replay showed it was caused by a head-butt.

The Nevada commission informed the announce team in the fourth round that the ruling on the cut being caused by a punch still stood despite the video evidence.

Truax continued to come forward in the fourth through sixth rounds while DeGale badly bled. Truax however wasn’t able to land many effective combinations but he was pressing the action.

DeGale started to land some good counters in the seventh round and land some good short shots on the inside. DeGale had a very strong eighth and ninth rounds and often switched to an orthodox stance from his traditional southpaw stance.

Truax had cuts under both of his eyes by the ninth round and appeared to be tiring. DeGale lost a point in the tenth round for a deliberate shoulder strike.

The final two rounds were close and featured some tight action, but DeGale looked like he was landing the better punches.

The final scores were 117-110, 114-113, and 114-113 for James DeGale.

The main event of the night was between Jarrett Hurd (21-0) and Erislandy Lara (25-2-2) for the IBF and WBA Junior Middleweight Titles .

Photo Credit: Showtime Twitter Account

Hurd looked like he was two weight classes bigger than Lara, but Lara was able to find a home with his straight left hand early on and land some quick combinations in the second.

Hurd didn’t appear to be too bothered with Lara’s power and was able to land some good short shots on the inside and was making Lara back away from him in the fourth rounds.

Hurd showed he had a granite chin in the fifth round and was able to take the shots of Lara and answer with his own shots to the body. Lara appeared to tire in the sixth rounds as his back was against the ropes again, and he took a hard right hook at the end of the seventh round.

Hurd was able to land some very hard shots in the eighth round and had Lara’s eye puffed up badly in the ninth.
Lara was able to slow Hurd’s momentum in the 10th round with quick counters and being the first on the attack, and he was able to finish the eleventh round strong and maybe steal the round.

The twelfth round featured both boxers going for the knockout, but it was Hurd who landed a shot that sent his opponent to the mat. Lara looked badly hurt and face was swollen, but he was able to survive the round.

The scores were 114-113 Lara, 114-113 Hurd, and 114-113 Hurd.

Posted on 04/06/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday night Showtime will team up with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to put on two highly competitive fights live from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada.

The main event will feature a Junior Middleweight Unificaiton bout between Erislandy Lara and the rising Jarrett Hurd. The co-main event of the evening will feature an anticipated rematch between Caleb Truax and James DeGale for the IBF Super Middleweight World Championship.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Trapp/Showtime

Their first match was won by Truax in what many consider to be the biggest upset of the year in 2017.

The undercard will feature fighters such as Julian Williams, Sergio Mora, and Alfredo Angulo.

The following is a preview of the two televised fights.

Caleb Truax (29-3-2) vs. James DeGale (23-2-1); IBF Super Middleweight Title

The expected opening bout of the telecast will be between Caleb Truax and James DeGale for the IBF Super Middleweight Title. Truax was able to pull off a tremendous upset during their first bout and surprisingly is still considered by many to be the underdog, despite the fact he beat DeGale in England.

Truax and DeGale are the same height and DeGale has a slight one inch reach advantage. Truax has been the more active boxer of the two. He fought twice in 2017 and three times in 2016. DeGale fought twice in 2017 and once in 2016.

DeGale clearly has the better amateur resume of the two. He was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 2008 while Truax was an Upper Midwest Golden Gloves Champion. However, while DeGale may be the better amateur boxer Truax appears to have more power in his punches. Truax has stopped eighteen of his opponents while DeGale has stopped fourteen.

Truax has defeated the likes of DeGale, KeAndrae Leatherwood, Melvin Betenacourt, Scott Sigmon, Derek Ennis, and Donovan George. He has lost to the likes of Anthony Dirrell, Daniel Jacobs, and Jermain Taylor.

DeGale has beaten the likes of Rogelio Medina, Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell, Marco Antonio Periban, and Dyah Davis. His losses were to George Groves and Truax.

Even though DeGale has the edge in amateur experience and defeated opponents, Truax was able to beat DeGale in his own backyard and rather convincingly the first time they faced each other and it wasn’t by a lucky knockout punch.

Truax will have the mental edge going into Saturday night that may be the difference to help him win this rematch.

Jarrett Hurd (21-0) vs. Erislandy Lara (25-2-2); IBF/WBA Junior Middleweight Titles

This is an intriguing fight between a decorated amateur from Cuba that may be coming near the end of his physical peak and a young upcoming champion looking to make a name for him.

Lara is thirty four years old and will be seven years older than Hurd on fight night. He will also be giving up four inches in height and two and a half inches in reach. Hurd has also been the more active fighter of the two. He fought twice in 2017 and twice in 2016, while Lara only fought once in 2016 and fought twice in 2017.

Lara, however, does not appear to be worried about the size difference. He stated at the last press conference, ” “Everyone knows I love to fight his style. I’ve fought better and taller fighters than him and you’ve seen me dominate them. It’s going to be nothing different on Saturday night.”

Hurd has a slight edge in power as he has fifteen stoppage victories on his record, while Lara only has fourteen stoppage victories.

Hurd was a semifinalist in the National Golden Gloves tournament as an amateur while Lara was a Cuban National Amateur Champion and a member of the Cuban National Boxing Team.

Hurd has defeated the likes of Austin Trout, Tonly Harrison, Ionut Dan, Oscar Molina and Frank Galarza. Nobody has yet to defeat Hurd as a professional.

Lara’s two losses were close and were to Canelo Alvarez and to Paul Williams. He has defeated the likes of Terrel Gausha, Yuri Foreman, Vanes Martirosyan, Jan Zaveck, Delvin Rodriguez, Ishe Smith, Austin Trout, Alfredo Angulo, and Freddy Hernandez.

Hurd appears ready to test Lara and take advantage of his size advantage and his age advantage. He stated, “”Lara is a guy who can’t take pressure fighters well. I have some of the best pressure in the game. I’m younger, stronger, taller and longer. He’s not going to be able to run for 12 rounds. “

Has Lara reached the end of his peak? He hasn’t shown signs of slowing down and Hurd leaves himself open to counters. It should be a close fight, but this writer envisions Lara pulling away by the end of the fight.

Posted on 12/09/2017

By: Ste Rowen

James DeGale v Caleb Truax

It was supposed to be a challenging homecoming, not a do-or-die war, but the fight that should’ve propelled James ‘Chunky DeGale into unification fights in 2018 has left him beltless and wondering what’s next. American and one-time challenger for the WBA ‘Regular’ middleweight belt, Caleb ‘Golden’ Truax is the new IBF super middleweight champion of the world, and there can be no complaints against that.

Photo Credit: Sky Sports Boxing

It was DeGale’s first defence on home soil of the belt he won back in 2015 and from the first bell he seemed to be taking a more measured approach until he unleashed a flurry of left hooks, a notable weakness of Truax’s, and left his opponent stunned but not down. Truax did well to recover from that attack and continued into the second.

Caleb brought the fight to the champion from then on, as DeGale began to load up on left hands. The American won the round to even the scorecards going into the third. Through rounds three and four, a stiff jab from the American forced DeGale further and further back and allowed Truax to dictate how the fight would play out.

The fifth was a massive round for ‘Golden’ as he continued to pummel the IBF champ unanswered, with huge right uppercuts and straights. A brief rally at the end of the round from DeGale gave the impression to the home crowd that he was still in the fight.

The middle rounds saw the 2008 Olympic champion adopt a more stick and move style, but it wasn’t enough to keep Truax from coming forward without fear. The final three rounds were nip and tuck as DeGale began to employ a little of the darks arts with the forceful use of head and elbow. His little spurts of activity may have geed the crowd up but they would prove ineffective.

In the middle of the final round Truax lifted his arms in triumph, received mainly by cheers from a crowd that booed him into the ring. He’d won the hearts of the fans inside London’s Copper Box Arena, and with it the red strap that propels him into potentially huge fights in 2018.

The final scorecards came back as 114-114 and 115-112, 116-112 for the American. It was testament to Truax’s performance that when the 114-114 card was announced, it was met by boos. The crowd sensed another terrible 2017 scorecard but thankfully the right man won and a new champion was crowned.

Caleb Truax, now America’s second middleweight champion along with David Benavidez.

The Undercard highlights…

Lee Selby v Eduardo Ramirez

IBF Featherweight Champion, Lee Selby claimed a dominant points decision victory over Mexican challenger, Eduardo Ramirez to solidify his status as one of the best featherweights in the world.
The Welshman was fighting with style early on, whereas Ramirez was seemingly looking for the home run as he swung and swung, but never hit anything significant. Through the early rounds Selby showed his class. The southpaw in Ramirez did it’s best to show some essence of movement, but Selby’s jab was king through three.

Into four Selby began to take one to land two, frequently throwing combinations of hooks to be met by the occasional power shot response from the Mexican. More of the same followed through to round eight as Lee continued to dominate, but he was clearly looking to impress, made obvious by a number of wayward big left hands.

Despite a brief scare in the eleventh, as the Mexican rallied and landed a heavy left that gave Selby something to think about; the final five rounds saw Lee Selby do what Lee Selby does best. With a little more nastiness in the punches compared to previous fights, he established himself behind a dominant jab and chipped away at Ramirez’s remaining defences with consistent straight punches.

The final twelve round scorecards came back as 118-110, 119-109, 116-112.

Selby will now hopefully move onto a big 2018, with potential opponents such as, Josh Warrington, Scott Quigg, Carl Frampton and fellow belt holders, Gary Russell Jr, Oscar Valdez and Leo Santa Cruz.

Anthony Yarde v Nikola Sjekloca

Anthony Yarde became the first man to stop Nikola Sjekloca, as rising light heavyweight star, ‘The Beast’, earnt his fourteenth victory, and twelth straight knockout.

Yarde seemed to be precision personified, but it wasn’t a walkover. A man who has never been stopped is a man who wants to keep that record, but Yarde’s heavy hits only got heavier as he knocked down Sjekloca for the first time in the second round.

Sjekloca came with a reply at the start of round three, but again Yarde’s superior punches and the rate he was landing, kept the London native well on top.

At the start of the fourth Yarde landed big hit after big hit before knocking the Montenegrin down again, and then once more after continuous power punches and the referee stopped the fight with a brave Nikola still on his feet.

Yarde now 14-0 (13KOs) will surely be expecting the biggest fight of his career so far in 2018, a bout for the British light heavyweight title.

Daniel Dubois v Dorian Darch

Daniel Dubois made lightwork of one of Britain’s favourite heavyweight gate keepers in Dorian Darch, achieving his sixth consecutive knockout victory. But Darch didn’t come to lie down. Nearing the end of the first round, Dubois brought the firepower and knocked down his latest foe for the first time. Dorian survived, but not for long.

At the start of the second Dubois picked up where he left off and fired an assault on Darch, knocking him down three times in brutal fashion before the referee ended the fight and Dubois claimed his latest knockout victory. His record now stands at 6-0 (6KOS).

It’s a brave man that steps in with him next.

Joe Mullender v Lee Churcher

In a fantastic give-and-take fight between 10-2, Joe Mullender and 12-3-1, Lee Churcher, Mullender came out the victor, knocking Churcher down twice in round five and then again in the eighth and eleventh, when the referee waved the bout off and Joe Mullender became the new IBF East/West Europe Middleweight Champion.

Posted on 12/06/2017

By: Ste Rowen

On Saturday night, James ‘Chunky’ DeGale headlines a card crammed with current and future British boxing stars at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The IBF champion, 23-1-1 (14KOs) is returning to the ring for the first time since his super middleweight unification attempt vs Badou Jack back in January this year, that ultimately ended in a draw but set the ball rolling for a fantastic year in the sport.

Photo Credit: Box Nation Twitter

Since then, DeGale has been held back by a shoulder injury that ruled him out of competing in the World Boxing Super Series, which resumes for the semi-finals in February next year.

It’ll be just DeGale’s fourth defence of the belt he won back in May 2015 after a unanimous decision victory over Andre Dirrell, and his first fight on home soil since he defeated Marco Antonio Periban on the undercard of Bellew v Cleverly in 2014. Since then the 2008 Olympic gold medallist has racked up decision victories over Lucien Bute, Rogelio ‘Porky’ Medina, and the aforementioned draw with now light heavyweight contender, Badou Jack.

His opponent, Caleb ‘Golden’ Truax, 28-3-2 (18KOs), has fought for a version of the world titles once before when he took on then WBA ‘Regular’ middleweight champion, Daniel Jacobs in 2015. Truax was being soundly beaten even before the twelth-round of that fight when, with 1:24 left on the clock Jacobs landed a right hand sending the Minnesota native sprawling into the ropes. The referee gave Truax the mandatory eight-count but after being allowed to carry on, Jacobs continued to fire off massive, unanswered rights and the referee put an end to the fight with Truax still on his feet.

Caleb attempted to bounce back when he returned ten months later to beat Melvin Betancourt via fourth-round TKO, and then took on Anthony Dirrell in April 2016, but he was simultaneously put on the canvas for the first time, and beaten for a third by the former WBC champion who took just 1:30 of the first round to drop Truax, and then again, his weakness for the right straight showed as Dirrell dropped him again and the referee stopped the fight.
Since then, ‘Golden’ has picked up two fairly routine stoppage victories over 5-15-0, Zachariah Kelley, and American middleweight, KeAndrae Leatherwood.

Caleb was no doubt surprised to get the offer of another world title shot in the form of James DeGale.
Speaking to the BBC about the challenger for his belt ‘Chunky’ said, “Truax is a good fighter, I’m not saying he’s a world beater… He dropped Jermaine Taylor when Jermaine Taylor was hot so he’s mixed it at a good level but he’s always just missed out… So, he’s no mug but this is the perfect opponent where I can look fantastic.”

DeGale also said this week he’s targeting another unification fight, this time with the recently crowned WBC champion, David Benavidez.

Co-main on the night will be IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby who is returning to the ring for the third time this year. He faces Eduardo Ramirez, 20-0-3, in his fifth fight since winning the IBF title from Evgeny Gradovich back in 2015. Last time out ‘The Welsh Mayweather’ fought Jonathon Victor Barros on the Eubank v Abraham undercard, dropping Barros in the twelth en route to a clear unanimous decision.

It’s not a dissimilar setup as Carl Frampton’s recent decision win against Horacio Garcia; the bout is seemingly the gateway to the super fights of 2018 against the likes of Leo Santa Cruz, Oscar Valdez, Gary Russell Jr and of course, former WBA Featherweight champion, Frampton.

In an interview from FrankWarren.com, Selby said, ‘Ramirez is a young, hungry Mexican who comes from a very good stable… He’s an undefeated southpaw and highly ranked by the IBF (11th). From clips I’ve seen, Eduardo’s a similar height as myself, if not taller, so I’ll not enjoy the advantages… My record shows I can always make the adjustments needed to win. I’m confident that my class will prevail’

His Mexican opponents’ most recent outing was a controversial draw in Vegas, with unbeaten, Leduan Barthelmy. Ramirez was viewed by most as doing more than enough to grant him the win, but Vegas was Vegas and handed Ramirez a third draw in his twenty-three-fight pro career. This will be Eduardo’s first scheduled twelve-round bout with his longest fight also being the ten-rounder mentioned above. The southpaw should not be an easy touch for Selby, the Welshman will need to box smart early when Ramirez attempts to fire off quick combinations of hooks and big overhand lefts. Experience could be key for Selby who’s been the twelve-round distance six times, three as a world champion.

Hot prospects, Light Heavyweight Anthony Yarde and ‘Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois will also feature on the card.
13-0-0 (12KOs), Anthony Yarde has been busy this year knocking out all four of his 2017 opponents, most recently scoring a third-round stoppage against former super middleweight contender, Robert Nemesapati, now 25-7-0.
He takes on never before stopped, Nicola Sjekloca, 32-4-1 (11KOs), who’s previous opponents include Callum Smith, Arthur Abraham and current WBA ‘Regular’ Super Middleweight champion, Tyron Zeuge. It’s certainly a step up though for Yarde. In his last fight in March, the Montenegrin went the twelve-round distance in a split decision draw to former WBO super middleweight champion Robert Stieglitz.

The only criticism to level against the light heavyweight prospect so far is the quality of opponent he’s come up against, even as early as it is in his career. Some would argue, you can only beat what’s put in front of you and ‘The Beast’ has certainly done so, showing speed, timing and a keen eye for the stoppage. It will be Yarde’s second scheduled twelve round fight; the furthest he’s gone so far is four when he was taken the distance by Latvian, Stanislavs Makarenko in the Englishman’s second pro bout.

Twenty-year-old heavyweight Dubois, 5-0-0 (5KOs) takes on 12-5-1 (1KO), Dorian Darch. Dubois has made an explosive start to his professional career but much like Yarde, is now being encouraged by fans to hurry along his early progress and the young Brit’s promoter obviously feels the same. Frank Warren is reportedly trying to get the British Board of Control to lower the age limit a fighter must be to challenge for the British heavyweight belt, currently set at twenty-one. Daniel’s 21st birthday is in September next year.

Posted on 04/29/2016

PBC on Spike Results: Guzman and Anthony Dirrell Win by Stoppage, Andre Dirrell Cruises to a Decision
By: William Holmes

Atlantic City hasn’t held a major fight since Sergey Kovalev took on Bernard Hopkins back in November of 2014, but Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions put on a competitive card with some strong contenders and solid prospects to be broadcast on Spike TV.

Photo Credit: Brett Wiley

The opening bout of the broadcast was between Jonathan Guzman (20-0) and Daniel Rosas (20-2) in the super bantamweight division. Guzman had stopped every opponent he had faced going into tonight’s bout.

The opening round featured Rosas pressing forward and attacking the body. He was able to get his punches off first in the opening half of the first round, but Guzman started to get more accurate in the second half of the round.

Guzman appeared to be more settled down in the second round and was sharp with his counters and landed several good, clean, uppercuts. A left hook by Guzman at the end of the second round momentarily stunned Rosas.

Guzman had Rosas stunned twice in the third round with hard left hooks. He wasn’t able to knock Rosas down though, as he was swinging wildly and recklessly.

Rosas kept up the pressure in the fourth round and was effective with his work to the body and landed multiple strong lead left hooks.

Rosas kept on pressing the pace in the fifth round and Guzman looked like he was beginning to tire. Rosas was winning the round until the last thirty seconds, when a vicious left hook by Guzman sent Rosas stumbling backwards to the ropes, and he followed that up with a vicious left look that sent Rosas to the mat as the round came to an end.

Rosas was able to recover by the start of the sixth round, but Guzman battered him throughout the round and was able to take the best shots of Rosas well.

Guzman continued to batter Rosas in the seventh and eighth rounds and Rosas was able to offer little offense in return. Rosas scored another knockdown as the eighth round came to a close, and Rosas looked defeated as he walked back to his corner.

The referee checked in on Rosas before the start of the ninth round and waived off the bout.
Jonathan Guzman wins by TKO at 3:00 of the eighth round.

The next bout of the night was between Anthony Dirrell (28-1-1) and Caleb Truax (26-2-2) in the super middleweight division.

Truax, a native of Minnesota, walked into the ring with Prince playing in the background. Dirrell, despite being a native of Michigan, had a good number of fans in attendance.

Dirrell was sharp with his jab in the opening minute of the first round and focused his attacks to the body and head of Truax. Dirrell later landed a sharp straight right hand that buckled the knees of Truax, and then followed it up with a combination that sent Truax to the mat. Truax was able to beat the count, but took another hard combination that ended with a left hook that sent Truax to the mat for a second time.

The referee was quick to stop the bout after the second time. Anthony Dirrell wins by knockout at 1:49 of the first round.

The main event of the night was between Andre Dirrell (24-2) and Blake Caparello (22-1-1) in the super middleweight division.

Both Caparello and Dirrell came out in a southpaw stance for the opening round. Dirrell was sharp with his counter left hook early on and Caparello was short with his punches. Both boxers spent most of the opening round trying to feel each other out.

Caparello got backed into the corner at the start of the second round and covered up while Dirrell unloaded with a quick combination. Dirrell got a little reckless in the second round and allowed Caparello to score a flash knockdown near the end of the round with an overhand left.

Dirrell came out aggressive in the third round and pressed Caparello back towards the ropes while landing accurate shots. Caparello spent much of the round fighting with his back against the ropes and was able to land a few shots of his own, but Dirrell was landing the harder and cleaner punches.

The action slowed a bit in the fourth round, and Caparello held onto Dirrell whenever he pressed forward instead of fighting with his back against the ropes. Dirrell completed dominated Caparello in the fifth round and landed his power shots at a high percentage.

Caparello’s frustration was visible in the sixth and seventh rounds as he wasn’t able to threaten Dirrell, while Dirrell peppered Caparello with his jab and short body shots.

Caparello was able to surprise Dirrell with a clean straight left hand in the eighth round, but Dirrell went back to a steady rain of jabs to keep Caparello on his back foot and on the defensive.

Dirrell looked like he was closing to scoring a knockdown in the ninth round when he had Caparello backed into a corner and taking some heavy damage from blistering combinations, but that knockdown never came.

Caparello clearly needed a knockout in the final round to win the bout, but that knockout never came.

Andre Dirrell bounced back from a second round knockdown to win by decision with scores of 98-91 on all three scorecards.

Undercard Quick Results:

Anthony Young (12-2) defeated Juan Rodriguez (6-5-1) by decision with scores of 59-55, 59-54, and 58-55 in the welterweight division.

Chordale Booker (2-0) defeated Tolutomi Agunbiade (3-7) by KO at 2:26 of the first round in the super welterweight division.

Luther Smith (5-0) defeated Solomon Maye (1-6-1) by split decision with scores of 39-37, 39-37 for Luther Smith, and 40-37 for Solomon Maye in the heavyweight division.

Abraham Nova (1-0) defeated Weusi Johnson (1-1) by TKO at 2:56 of the first round in the super lightweight division.

Chris Thomas (2-0) defeated Jessie Singletary (0-2) by KO at 2:26 of the first round in the middleweight division.

Eddie Ramirez (13-0) defeated Osumanu Akaba (32-10-1) by TKO at 2:33 of the second round in the super lightweight division.

Titus Williams (5-0) defeated DeWayne Wisdom (6-29-1) in the super featherweight division by decision with scores of 60-52, 59-53, and 59-53.

Posted on 04/27/2016

PBC on Spike Preview: Dirrell Brothers Take on Truax and Caparello in Atlantic City
By: William Holmes

On Friday night Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions will broadcast a live boxing card from the Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey live on Spike TV.

The Dirrell brothers, along with the Charlo brothers, are perhaps the most recognizable pair of American brothers in the sport of boxing today. However, neither of them holds a title and both came up empty handed in their last title bout.

They will both face decent opponents on Friday that should not be considered an easy fight. The following is a preview of both of the televised bouts on Spike TV.

Anthony Dirrell (28-1-1) vs. Caleb Truax (26-2-2); Super Middleweights

Anthony Dirrell is the younger of the Dirrell brothers and will be thirty one years old at the time of the fight. Many consider Anthony to be the more powerful puncher of the two, as he has twenty two knockouts on his resume. His opponent, Caleb Truax, is one year older than Dirrell and only has sixteen knockouts on his record.

Dirrell will have about a two and half height advantage over Truax, but they have the same reach. Dirrell also holds a significant edge in amateur success. Dirrell is a former national champion as an amateur and had over 190 amateur bouts. Truax had experienced some success as an amateur, but only got into boxing after entering a local tough man tournament.

Anthony Dirrell’s heart should never be called into question, as he had battled non-hodgkins lymphoma and went through chemotherapy before returning to the ring.

Dirrell has not been very active in the past two years, as he had fought once in 2014 and twice in 2015. He has gone 2-1-1 in his last four bouts. He has beaten the likes of Sakio Bika, Marco Antonio Rubio, and Anthony Hanshaw. He lost his world title to Badou Jack, in a close bout, and had a split draw to the always tough Sakio Bika.

Truax has gone 3-1 in his past four fights. He fought once in 2016, once in 2015, and twice in 2014. His biggest wins to date have come against Melvin Betancourt, Scott Sigmon, Derek Ennis, and Donovan George. He has lost to Jermain Taylor and Daniel Jacobs. His loss to Jacobs was by TKO.

Truax really don’t have the power to threaten Dirrell and his last loss was a knockout loss. Dirrell has the power to test Truax’s chin and it will be tested on Friday night. It will be a tough fight, but it should be a bout that Dirrell wins.

Andre Dirrell (24-2) vs. Blake Caparello (21-1-1); Super Middleweights

Andre Dirrell was originally scheduled to face Blake Caparello in October of 2015, but had to withdraw due to medical reasons.

Dirrell is the older of the two brothers, and is considered by many to be the better boxer of the two, but he doesn’t have the same number of knockouts as Anthony. Andre Dirrell has sixteen stoppage victories to his resume. That number still dwarfs the paltry six knockouts that Blake Caparello has on his record.

Dirrell will be giving up a slight ½ an inch height advantage to Caparello, and will have about a one inch reach advantage. Dirrell is a southpaw, but Caparello has been sparring with southpaw Derrick Webster in preparation for Friday’s bout.

Caparello is actually three years younger than his opponent and has experience fighting as a light heavyweight. He should be the naturally bigger man inside the ring.

Andre Dirrell clearly has the edge in amateur experience. He won the bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, while Caparello has no notable international amateur accomplishments.

Dirrell’s two losses were to James DeGale for the IBF Super Middleweight Title and to Carl Froch by split decision. His wins have come against Derek Edwards, Nick Brinson, Arthur Abraham (by DQ), Derrick Findley, Anthony Hanshaw, and Curtis Stevens.

Caparello has only fought outside of the United States once, and when he did he lost by TKO to Sergey Kovalev. All of his other fights occurred in Australia, and his only notable victories have come against Evlir Muriqi and Alan Green.

Andre Dirrell appears to have the easier fight of the two brothers and he should be able to dispatch Caparello quite easily.