The Errol Spence Jr.-Danny Garcia pay-per-view fight highlights the Fox-PBC boxing schedule for the remainder of the year.
Welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr.’s defense against Danny Garcia on pay-per-view highlights the Fox-PBC boxing schedule for the remainder of the year, it was formally announced Saturday.
The network released dates — including six cards on Fox, the Spence-Garcia pay-per-view and 11 shows on FS1 — but only a partial list of matchups.
The shows will take place in a tightly controlled environment at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.
Here is the schedule:
FOX (FOX DEPORTES)
AUG. 22
Main event: Shawn Porter vs. Sebastian Formella, welterweight title eliminator. Also: Sebastian Fundora vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, junior middleweights; Joey Spencer vs. TBA, junior middleweights. Background: Porter (30-3-1, 17 KOs), coming off his sensational effort in a losing cause against Spence in September, is trying to position himself for another title shot. Formella (22-0, 10 KOs) will be taking a significant step up in opposition.
AUG. 29
Main event: Erislandy Lara vs. Greg Vendetti, welterweights. Also: Alfredo Angulo vs. Caleb Truax, super middleweight title eliminator. Background: Lara (26-3-3, 15 KOs) is 1-1-1 in his last three fights, losing a split decision to Jarret Hurd, drawing with Brian Castano and stopping Ramon Alvarez, Canelo’s brother. He’s 37. Vendetti (22-3-1, 12 KOs) was stopped by Michel Soro when he ventured into elite waters.
SEPT. 6
Main event: Yordenis Ugas vs. Abel Ramos, welterweights. Also: Rances Barthelemy vs. Alberto Puello, junior welterweights: Jesus Ramos vs. TBA, lightweights. Background: Ugas (25-4, 12 KOs) lost a disputed split decision against Porter in his only title shot but the talented Cuban continues to fight well and is expected to get another opportunity. Ramos (26-3-2, 20 KOs) is a solid opponent. He had won eight in a row since a majority-decision loss to Jamal James.
NOV. 7
TBA
DEC. 26
TBA
FOX SPORTS PBC PPV
Main event: Errol Spence Jr. vs. Danny Garcia, welterweights (for Spence’s titles) Background: Spence (26-0, 21 KOs) added a second 147-pound title with his split-decision victory over Porter in September. He was involved in a horrific one-car accident the following month. He says he’s fully recovered. Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs) has won two in a row since losing a close decision to Porter in 2018 and remains a top welterweight.
FS1 (FOX DEPORTES)
No matchups announced
Aug. 22 (following Fox PBC Fight Night); Aug 29 (preceding Fox PBC Fight Night); Sept. 6 (preceding Fox PBC Fight Night; Sept. 6 (preceding Fox PBC Fight Night); Sept 23; Oct. 3, Nov. 4; Nov. 14, Nov. 21; Dec. 5, Dec. 26 (preceding Fox PBC Fight Night).
Jamal James and Thomas Dulorme made weight on Friday for their welterweight fight Saturday in Los Angeles.
Jamal James and Thomas Dulorme made the 147-pound limit Friday for their 12-round welterweight bout Saturday at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Fox.
James weighed 145.8 pounds, Dulorme 146.2. The fight is for an “interim” title.
James (26-1, 12 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2016. He’s coming off one of his biggest victories, a unanimous decision over veteran Antonio DeMarco in July of last year.
Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) is only 1-1-1 in his last three fights but was competitive in a loss to Ugas, drew with Jessie Vargas and outpointed previously unbeaten Terrel Williams in September.
Jamal James takes a winning streak of six fights into his bout with Thomas Dulorme on Saturday. Sean Michael Ham / TGB Promotions
The fighters’ weights in other bouts on the card are as follows:
David Morrell (2-0, 2 KOs) 164.6 vs. Lennox Allen (22-0-1, 14 KOs) 166.8, 12 rounds, super middleweights.
Mykal Fox (22-1, 5 KOs) 145.8 vs. Luke Santamaria (10-1-1, 7 KOs) 145.8, 10 rounds, welterweights.
Omar Juarez (7-0, 4 KOs) 140.6 vs. Willie Shaw (12-1, 8 KOs) 140.4, 6 or 8 rounds, junior welterweights.
Luis Pena (6-0, 6 KOs) 232 vs. Michael Coffie (9-0, 6 KOs) 279, 6 or 8 rounds, heavyweights
Vito Mielnicki Jr. (5-0, 3 KOs) 147.8 vs. Chris Rollins (3-1, 2 KOs, 6 rounds, welterweights.
Welterweight contender Jamal James is grateful for the position he’s in and gunning for more.
Jamal James could complain but he won’t.
The welterweight contender was scheduled to face Thomas Dulorme on April 11 at the Armory in his hometown of Minneapolis but the fight gave way to COVID-19. It was rescheduled for July 25 and then pushed back again because of the start of the baseball season, this time to this Saturday at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Is James frustrated? Nah. He looks around him and feels fortunate.
“It’s definitely different,” James said on The PBC Podcast. “… I try to keep a positive outlook on whatever gets thrown my way. It’s very easy to complain about stuff but when I look at the position I’m in, the blessings I’ve received, it’s a lot better than people I know and stories I’ve heard.
“… So I try not to complain too much.”
James (26-1, 12 KOs) is definitely in a good position in terms of boxing.
The one-time national-level amateur fighter took up the sport at 5 years old, which means he has been grinding for 27 long years. And, today, he’s only a victory or two away from the opportunity to realize his dream of winning a world title.
The re-re-scheduled fight with Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) is for the WBA “interim” title, which will put the winner in a position to challenge titleholder Manny Pacquiao.
Jamal James (right) defeated veteran Antonio DeMarco by a unanimous decision in July of last year. Andrew Dobins / The Armory
The problem is that everyone wants to fight Pacquiao and he seems interested in facing only opponents with the biggest names at this stage of his career. James understands that. He also understands that a victory over Dulorme will be a giant step toward truly big fights.
“The welterweight division is so stacked with big-name fighters,” he said. “You know, you could make a decent living in that weight class or decent boxing career in that weight class if you have the skills for it. So I’m down to get in there with anybody as long as it makes business sense.”
Of course, he has to get past Dulorme first, which is no given.
The 30-year-old Puerto Rican was stopped by Terence Crawford in 2015 but has fought well since then even though he’s only 1-1-1 in his last three fights, losing a close decision to Yordenis Ugas, drawing with Jessie Vargas and then outpointing previously unbeaten Terrel Williams.
Dulorme is talented and experienced, and he seems to have found a grove.
“He’s a veteran in the game,” James said. “He’s fought world class opponents, been in there with the Terence Crawfords and other guys. He has his own natural, special abilities. When you get in there with a guy who’s been around the block a little bit against other tough opponents, has a winning record, you can bet they’re going to come to fight, they’re going to have tricks you have to watch out for.
“But I’ve been in there with tough guys, too, I have my bag of tricks as well. So we’re going to see what’s up.”
James (right) demonstrated both skill and resilience against the tough DeMarco. Andrew Dobins / The Armory
One fight in which James learned a great deal was his only loss, a unanimous decision against Ugas in 2016.
James took that fight only a few days beforehand. He was prepared physically, in part because he fought less than a month earlier, but he realized after the fact that a few days isn’t necessarily look enough to get in the proper frame of mind to face an opponent as gifted as Ugas.
Lost a fight. Learned a lesson.
“You don’t overlook or underestimate anybody,” James said. “You gotta be 100 percent prepared when you step in there with anybody, especially at this level. I took that fight on very short notice. We looked at the guy, we looked at Ugas’ record, but we didn’t do my full research.
“I was still healthy, in decent shape because I just got done with another fight, but I wasn’t mentally focused and in the zone like should’ve been. Once you’ve been in camp for a month or more, when you come out of that camp you have a different hunger to you, a different focus to you.
“I had a focus but it wasn’t to that level. He definitely had a focus because he had been preparing. … I’m not a hater. He did what he’s supposed to do, he won. His career has been blasting off. Hopefully in the future I get a rematch in if the business is right.
“But like I said I’m happy where I’m at now. And I’m going to try to get more and more.”
You can bet that James will be ready Saturday – physically and mentally.
Promoter Bob Arum said he hopes to announce an opponent for star welterweight Terence Crawford soon. The ideal foes for Crawford, who is expected to fight in November, might be Errol Spence Jr. and Manny Pacquiao but those showdowns aren’t likely to …
Promoter Bob Arum said he hopes to announce an opponent for star welterweight Terence Crawford soon.
The ideal foes for Crawford, who is expected to fight in November, might be Errol Spence Jr. and Manny Pacquiao but those showdowns aren’t likely to happen any time soon, in part because of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Who does that leave?
Shawn Porter seems to be a leading candidate. The same with Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas. Porter and Brook have held major titles and the skillful Ugas has universal respect.
DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora give their thoughts on those candidates in this episode of Jabs with Mannix and Mora.
PBC on Fox has pushed back its return because of the start of the Major League Baseball season.
Baseball trumps boxing.
PBC on Fox was scheduled to return on July 25, with Jamal James fighting Thomas Dulorme in the main event. However, baseball has announced that it will kick off its belated season on July 23. And the first MLB on Fox games are on … you guessed it … July 25.
As a result, the James-Dulorme card has been pushed back to Aug.8, according to The Athletic.
The show had been scheduled to fight on April 11 in Minneapolis — James’ hometown — but the fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was rescheduled for July 25 in a studio setting without spectators.
The site hasn’t been announced. And it’s possible that the James-Dulorme fight will be shifted to a different card, meaning another matchup could be featured on the Aug. 8 card.
The 6-foot-2 James (26-1, 12 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in August 2015. James outpointed Antonio DeMarco in July of last year.
Dulorme (25-3-1, 16 KOs) rebounded from a decision loss to Ugas and draw with Jessie Vargas by easily outpointing then-unbeaten Terrel Williams in September.
Also on the card, The Athletic is reporting that Lennox Allen (22-0-1, 14 KOs) of Guyana will face David Morrell (2-0, 2 KOs) of Cuba.
The last main event on Fox was Robert Helenius’ upset knockout of Adam Kownacki on March 7.
Terence Crawford reiterated that he won’t take a pay cut as result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Terence Crawford won’t fight if he has to take a pay cut.
Bob Arum, who promotes Crawford, said he wants to get Crawford back into the ring this fall and reeled off a list of potential opponents, led by Manny Pacquiao but also including Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Yordenis Ugas and Kell Brook.
Here’s the problem: If Crawford has to fight behind closed doors because of the coronavirus threat – without a live gate – he might not get paid as much as he believes he’s worth.
“Just don’t try and tell me I have to take a pay cut because of a pandemic,” Crawford said during a recent appearance on “The Last Stand Podcast.” “I don’t feel that’s right when I’ve already went through what I had to go through coming up.
“Now you’re telling me go back to Ground 1 and take a pay cut. I just don’t feel like I can do that.”
As a result, we might not see Crawford fight until the pandemic eases to a point where fans will be allowed into arenas.
“We’re hamstrung because none of these [venues] want to commit to a fight this year because of the coronavirus,” Arum said. “And Kell Brook, if we made [that fight], we couldn’t get him (into the United States).”
Top Rank, Arum’s company, has been staging cards without spectators in a tightly controlled ball room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Promoter Bob Arum listed a number of potential opponents he’s targeting for Terence Crawford.
Terence Crawford’s immediate future seems to be as uncertain as ever, although new potential opponents are emerging.
Bob Arum, his promoter, mentioned a number names in an interview with the U.K.’s talkSPORT. On top of the list? Fellow welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao, although that will have to wait until fans are allowed into arenas and stadiums. Among others: Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Yordenis Ugas and Kell Brook.
Another potential matchup that will have to wait: Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr., who is expected to fight Danny Garcia in his next fight.
And the fact that all the fighters mentioned above – except Brook – are aligned with rival Premier Boxing Champions doesn’t seem to be an obstacle in this case. At least that’s how Arum, of Top Rank, portrays it.
“That’s the opponent that I would most like Terence to fight, and I think he would,” Arum said of Pacquiao, who would make for the biggest fight. “Now, that requires a lot of money, and we’ve had proposals from the Mid[dle] East. I don’t know if those proposals will be available for this year. That is the problem.
“I don’t know whether the Mid-East venues will allow spectators this year. They may not allow it until there’s a vaccine. Otherwise, we have to look for Terence Crawford to fight a major welterweight.
“There are a number that are possibilities. Thurman, Porter or this kid Ugas, the Cuban who’s a good, good welterweight. They’re with Al [Haymon’s] company PBC, but we’re working well together with that company, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“And then finally there’s Kell Brook, whose management contacts me on almost a weekly basis. So the first possibility is Pacquiao, if that’s possible. Second possibility is a fight against one of Al’s guys. And the third possibility is Kell Brook if we can get him in the United States.”
Crawford, a former lightweight and junior welterweight titleholder, is generally considered one of the best fighters in the world but has been unable to lure a top welterweight into the ring.
He’s trying to be patient.
“I was a little disappointed, but at the same time it’s a process,” he told talkSPORT. “Everything will happen in good time. I believe that all those fights that I want and the fans want, we’ll get to see. That’s what I’m in the sport of boxing for, to take on the biggest and baddest challenges.
“I wanna fight all the big names at the end of the day, and that’s what I’ve been calling for since I came into the welterweight division. They can’t avoid me forever. But at the same time it’s a business, they wanna keep everything in house and they have the right to do so.
“But at the end of the day, they’re gonna have to see Terence Crawford.”
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …
Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.
In this installment of Who Wins?, our staffers’ give their takes on how Spence would do against Terence Crawford, Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman, Yordenis Ugas and Danny Garcia. We then tally Spence’s record in those fights and present our standings.
For the record, we don’t know whether Spence will be the same after his horrific car accident in October but he says he’s fine and has been training.
We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.
The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 8 Tyson Fury.
So here goes: Spence vs. his five potential opponents.
***
SPENCE (26-0, 21 KOs) VS. CRAWFORD (36-0, 27 KOs)
Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. is the ultimate welterweight matchup. Sarah Stier / USA Today Sports
Rosenthal: Crawford is a better all-around fighter than Spence, quicker, more athletic, more dynamic, more power pound-for-pound. The problem for him is that Spence is almost as good as he is (assuming he has fully recovered from his crash) and the naturally bigger, stronger man, which would determine the winner. They would engage in a competitive, give-and-take fight until Crawford wears down and Spence pulls away. Spence by a close decision.
Frauenheim: It’s the fight everyone wants to see. But it’s getting perilously close to a past-due date. Crawford is 32. Spence hasn’t fought since an auto accident. Is he the same? If he is, it’s a classic. Spence has size, power. Crawford has precision in both hands. His instincts are deadly. Crawford, split decision.
Nam: Much of this depends on whether Spence is the same fighter he was before his hellacious car crash last year. If not, it’s hard to see Spence as the favorite. Crawford has yet to face a top-tier welterweight but the way in which he has dispatched his past several opponents suggests he is a difficult proposition for any elite 147-pounder. His versatility – ability to switch hit, fight off the back point, counter, come forward, finish, et al. – is precisely why Spence, despite his superior size and power at the weight, can’t afford to lose a step. Crawford by unanimous decision.
***
SPENCE VS. PACQUIAO (62-7-2, 39 KOs)
Manny Pacquiao (right) proved against Keith Thurman that he can still fight post-40. AP Photo / John Locher
Rosenthal: This is not a fight Pacquiao should take, assuming Spence is at 100 percent. It’s one thing to beat a rusty Keith Thurman who is coming back from injuries; it’s another to challenge a fighter like Spence. “The Truth” is simply too quick, too big, just too good for a 40-something version of Pacquiao, who can fight only in spurts. Spence will pick Pacquiao apart, break him down and stop him in the late rounds.
Frauenheim: We’re still waiting to see Spence post-accident. If he’s the same fighter, he blows away Pacquiao. He’s big enough to be a middleweight. Pacquiao should be a junior welterweight. Spence is also 11-years younger than the Filipino Senator. Spence, late round stoppage.
Nam: Pacquiao’s speed and aggression will win him the early rounds, but this is a 12-round fight. Pacquiao tends to fade and take rounds off in the second half of his most recent fights (see the Jeff Horn and Keith Thurman bouts). That’s when Spence will start to take over, clobbering Pacquiao with hard body shots. Youth and size will prevail. Spence by unanimous decision.
***
SPENCE VS. THURMAN (29-1, 22 KOs)
Thurman (left) suffered his first loss at the hands of Pacquiao. AP Photo / John Locher
Rosenthal: The time off could do both fighters good. Again, Spence is coming back from the injuries he suffered in his crash. Thurman, it seems, is still healing from multiple injuries. This isn’t a bad fight if they’re at their best. Spence has the tighter technique and is a more-precise puncher, which should be the difference in the fight. Thurman will be game but come up short on the cards.
Frauenheim: An interesting fight a couple of years ago. But Thurman has begun to show some wear and tear. He’s smart enough adjust. But he still lost to a smaller Pacquiao. The bigger Spence wears him out, then hurts him. Spence, late-round TKO.
Nam: Years ago this would have been a 50-50 proposition. Not the case anymore. Thurman will gallivant around the ring trying to potshot his way to a decision. Spence, on the other hand, will put the pressure on, and Thurman won’t like that. If Josesito Lopez was able to rock Thurman just by coming forward, you can bet Spence will have far more success with the same strategy. Spence by stoppage.
***
SPENCE VS. UGAS (25-4, 12)
Yordenis Ugas (left, against Omar Figueroa Jr.) has the skill set to give any welterweight problems. AP Photo / John Locher
Rosenthal: Ugas, weaned in the Cuban amateur system, has the skill set to give any welterweight problems. He demonstrated that in a strong performance against Shawn Porter last year. And he’s hungry, as he has never won a title. It will take time for Spence to figure out Ugas but eventually he’ll take control with precise, hard punches to the body and head. Spence by clear decision.
Frauenheim: Ugas is little bit different than his fellow Cuban fighters. He prefers to plant his feet and throw punches. But he might need some of that slick Cuban footwork and elusiveness if he hopes to have a chance against Spence. Spence catches him, knocks him out mid-round.
Nam: Body punching galore. Both guys love digging to the body, but Spence is more precise, punches harder and is a bit more dynamic. This is a closer fight than most might expect. Spence gets the job done on points.
***
SPENCE VS. GARCIA (36-2, 21 KOs)
Danny Garcia (left) dominated Ivan Redkach in his most-recent fight. AP Photo / Frank Franklin II
Rosenthal: Garcia is the most underrated of this bunch. He has the ability, experience and right style to win this fight. Spence will come to Garcia, which is what a counterpuncher wants. And Garcia has the punching accuracy and power to make Spence pay. That said, Spence, the slicker boxer and harder puncher will adjust to Garcia’s tactics and pull away in the second half of the fight. Spence by close decision.
Frauenheim: It’s easy to underestimate Garcia. He’s good, but wasn’t quite good enough to beat Thurman or Shawn Porter, who lost a split decision to Spence in September. Garcia’s left-hand counter is dangerous. By now, however, Spence knows that. Again, Garcia will be good, but not quite good enough. Spence, unanimous decision.
Nam: In one sense, Spence’s come-forward style is perfect for Garcia, who is at his best when counterpunching. But Spence isn’t just a mere bruiser. He’ll pick his spots early on before he’s able to corner Garcia and unload hard combinations to the body. Garcia will land that left hook counter multiple times, but at welterweight, he simply does not have the power to imperil the elite fighters. Spence will swallow them whole as he continues to break Garcia down and eventually stop him.
The ads promoting Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury II during the Super Bowl should translate to big money for those with a stake in the fight.
GOOD
A billion or so people watch the Super Bowl worldwide each year, according to most estimates. And more than 100 million Americans tune into the game.
That’s why I’m going to guess that the television spots promoting the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury rematch during the big game were the most-watched boxing ads in the history of the sport.
Of course, that can only be good for the event and boxing.
I don’t think it’s possible to determine the number of pay-per-view buys that will have been generated as a result of the TV spots but it’s fun to speculate and play with the numbers.
Imagine that the ads piqued the interest of only 5 percent of those who saw them. In the U.S. that would be 5 million people if we assume 100 million were tuned in. Those people, who otherwise might not have been interested in or aware of the fight, might now research it or at least pay more attention to the hype surrounding it.
Now let’s say that only 5 percent of those people actually buy the pay-per-view. That’s 250,000 people. Finally, let’s say the promoters will charge a conservative $75. That would be a total of $18,750,000 that those with a stake in the fight might not have made otherwise. And remember: That’s only domestic revenue.
OK, 5 percent of 5 percent might be a bit much. And, yes, many of the 100 million are underage and won’t by the fight. The point is that those ads almost certainly will translate into a lot of money.
One more thing. Fox and ESPN are handling the pay-per-view jointly. The game was on Fox. So, presumably, the ads cost promoters nothing.
BAD
Jay Deas, Deontay Wilder’s co-trainer, recently reiterated what I’ve heard many times over the last few decades: If you try too hard for a knockout, it’s not going to happen.
Wilder is a recent convert to that philosophy. He has said repeatedly that one reason he was unable to tag Tyson Fury earlier than he did in their first fight was that he was overly eager to end the fight. Once he calmed down, he put Fury down twice.
Still, many fighters don’t seem to have gotten the memo.
Take middleweight champ Demetrius Andrade in his fight with sadly overmatched Luke Keeler and, to a lesser extent, Yordenis Ugas against Mike Dallas Jr. on Saturday.
Andrade, one of the most gifted boxers in the sport, looked ridiculous hunting for a stoppage the entire fight in Miami. He threw wild, sometimes off-balance punches in an apparent effort to make a statement against a fighter he knew couldn’t hurt him.
He got his knockout in the end, finally putting the brave Keeler away in the ninth round. I believe he could’ve finished the job sooner – and looked a lot better – by sticking to his style but taking a few more risks than he normally would.
And what statement did he make? That’s not a rhetorical question. I really want to know.
Ugas wasn’t seeking to knock out Dallas quite as overtly as Andrade and he did get his stoppage in Biloxi, Mississippi, but it seemed to me that he too was trying too hard to make some sort of point. Again, I’m not sure what it was.
WORSE
Gervonta Davis is only 25. His long term fate has not been determined. And he’s in control of it.
Davis was caught on a video apparently getting physical with the mother of his child at a charity basketball game in Miami on Saturday, according to TMZ. Witnesses told TMZ that the unbeaten lightweight titleholder and the woman – identified as Andretta Smothers by multiple websites – were arguing when the altercation became physical.
The professional fighter appears to grab the woman near her throat and lead her away. He later acknowledged on Instagram that he became aggressive but denied that he struck her: “I never once hit her . . yea I was aggressive and told her come on . . . that’s the mother of my child I would never hurt her other than that happy New Years . . January was trassshhhhh.”
Davis wasn’t arrested but he was charged – and convicted, at least by many – in the court of public opinion.
The common theme among those who reacted to his actions: A man doesn’t put his hands on a woman. I repeat: A … man … doesn’t … put … his … hands … on … a … woman. Not complicated.
This wasn’t the first time Davis has run afoul of the law. He has been arrested several times for violence, once for allegedly punching a childhood friend and twice more for separate fighting instances.
The pattern isn’t good. Davis seems to be taking the first steps toward self-destruction. He’s a tremendous talent – one seemingly headed toward great things – and he has built a huge following, particularly in his hometown of Baltimore.
It can all be gone in an instant. I can’t imagine that’s what he wants. He’s a role model for thousands of kids in his hometown and beyond. I can’t imagine he wants them to emulate his behavior.
Again, it’s not too late for Davis. Bernard Hopkins spent time in prison as a young man and emerged a wonderful person. I hope that’s the path – minus the prison – that Davis takes.
Yordenis Ugas stopped Mike Dallas in the 7th round of a welterweight bout, thus improving his chances of getting a title shot this year.
Welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas has been the odd man out among the elite welterweights aligned with Premier Boxing Champions. On Saturday night at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, he took a step toward correcting that.
The 33-year-old Cuban came out at the opening bell with unusual aggression and never looked back, eventually stopping Mike Dallas Jr. in Round 7.
A slick counterpuncher by nature, Ugas might have been trying to channel the spirit of a certain basketball player. Written on his trunks were the words “Mamba Mentality,” his was of honoring the late Kobe Bryant.
The stoppage came at the end of seventh round, after Dallas’ corner decided their charge had taken enough punishment.
Ugas (25-4, 12 KOs), who lives and trains in Miami, pressed the action all night, as he tagged Dallas with numerous overhand rights and clubbing body shots. In the opening round alone, Ugas staggered Dallas a few times, including at the end, with a left hook-right hand-left hook combination.
Dallas (23-4-2, 11 KOs), once a promising name in the sport before he fell violently to Lucas Matthysse, had a few strong moments as he flitted around the ring and tried to connect on potshot right hands. They were too few and far between, however, to give him a winning chance. It was a survival game for Dallas, who began breathing heavily from the mouth by Round 4.
Ironically, Dallas had his best offensive stretch in the last round – Round 7 – landing a few straight rights, but he petered out with a minute remaining. Ugas stormed back to steal the round with a series of unanswered blows.
Ugas has won two consecutive fights since his highly disputed points loss to then-titleholder Shawn Porter in March 2019. Porter would go on to face Errol Spence Jr. in a unification bout that September, losing a split decision.
While Ugas has expressed an interest in a rematch with Porter, his priorities are to win a title, which means, at least in the foreseeable future, bouts with either Spence or Manny Pacquiao. (Boxing politics will most likely prevent him from facing the Top Rank-promoted welterweight titleholder Terence Crawford.)
Ugas was originally supposed to face undefeated welterweight Alexander Besputin, but negotiations were scrubbed after Besputin, who allegedly tested positive for PED in his previous bout, reportedly suffered an injury.
