This week's version of The Daily Sports Herald's Boxing Notebook takes a look at Chad Dawson's recent injury, as well the upcoming Canelo Alvarez bout. Check out the latest news below in the sweet science:
Chad Dawson withdraws from July 29 fight due to injury
Former lineal World Light Heavyweight champion "Bad" Chad Dawson (34-4, 19 KOs) will not face Eleider Alvarez (19-0, 10 KOs) on July 29, at the Centre Videotron in Quebec City, after injuring his shoulder during training camp. The fight was part of the undercard to the main event bout between light heavyweight defending champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) and Thomas Williams Jr. (20-1, 14 KOs).
"While we were waiting for Chad Dawson to join the planned conference call today (Tuesday), we learned from his manager that he injured his shoulder in training, and that he has withdraw from his July 29th fight against Eleider Alvarez," Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) president Yvon Michel said.
Alvarez, the reigning WBC Silver light heavyweight champion and World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 1-ranked light heavyweight, will still fight on the July 29th card.
"We are already looking for a replacement opponent so Eleider retains his spot on Spike TV," Michel added.
Dawson, 34, needed a solid outing in this fight after falling out of the light heavyweight picture in recent years. It is not known at this time whether Dawson will need surgery.
Canelo to fight in September at Dallas Cowboys' stadium
Former two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) and WBO Junior Middleweight World Champion Liam "Beefy" Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) today kicked off the two-city international press tour at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium ahead of their world championship showdown on Saturday, Sept. 17.
"These two fighters are champions," said Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones. "I've got to see Canelo fight, and I can't tell you how impressed I am by his talent, to see it up close and personal. We have some great Hispanic boxing fans here in Texas. We recognize what a great talent Liam Smith is and what a great fighter Canelo is, and what he means to Mexican fans. It is a great gift for us to host this event on Mexican Independence Day weekend."
Located in Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium is home to one of the most iconic and successful sports teams in history - the Dallas Cowboys, and will host the big event between Canelo and Smith on Mexican Independence Day weekend, Sept. 17.
"When we built this new home for the Dallas Cowboys, we wanted great champions, great matches and to be part of the legacy of our stadium beyond just football events," said Jones. "It's a great privilege to us to have this fight at our Stadium. In our stadium on the giant screens, you'll be able to see every detail of the fight in the ring on Sept. 17."
Canelo vs. Smith will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT on Sept. 17. The heavy-handed combatants will head next to London, England for a press conference at The Landmark Hotel on July 20, 2016.
"I am very excited, I have asked for a top name for a very long time and when Canelo's name came to the table it was an automatic 'yes,'" said Smith.
Talkin' Smack
Check out the latest chatter in and around the sweet science:
JARRELL “BIG BABY” MILLER
“I’m really committed to this training camp. I’ve made some changes: less cheeseburgers. I cut down from three cheeseburgers to one cheeseburger a day. Same thing, in the gym every day, not doing anything different. My main thing is my strength and my speed and we are going to see, come Aug. 19.”
TERENCE CRAWFORD
"There is no pressure on me being looked at as boxing's next superstar, but there is a lot of hard work in becoming one. I'm really excited to be on the big stage and I'm on that big stage because I paid my dues in the gym and in the ring. That's the reason I have accomplished so much as a fighter -- pride of performance -- and that's why I am going to win on July 23. If I'm going to solidify my position as the new face of boxing it starts by unifying the 140 pound division. I've been fighting people taller than me and larger than me all my life. I've been short for 28 years and I haven't been stopped yet. Postol is nothing to me. He's just another guy that I'm fighting. I'm not training for Postol, I'm training for myself -- to be the best I can possibly be. I do that, then no one can beat me. I'm confident in my abilities and I am confident that I am going to destroy Postol."
ANDRE WARD, on selecting his upcoming opponent
"Guys just were falling off and I’m talking undefeated contenders and prospects that had great opportunities and for one reason or another fell through. I’m not going to name his name but one guy fell through because he didn’t want to take the vital testing, and so it was stuff like that, and then we got to a point where we started to go down the list and Brand was available and Brand is going to bring it. Don’t get me wrong. Like you said, regardless of his age, he’s no bum. He’s the type of guy who puts his head down and swings for the fences. Those are very dangerous guys, and to be honest with you, it’s easier fighting the top guys with more form and more technique than it is fighting a guy who has nothing to lose."
OSCAR DE LA HOYA (on the Canelo-Smith bout)
"Both of these fighters come from boxing families. Boxing is in their blood. To Canelo and Smith, fighting is a family tradition and with that comes a responsibly to live up to the family name."
JARRELL “BIG BABY” MILLER
“[Deontay] Wilder is a wild man when he gets in that ring, but at the same time if you watch how he performs, he performs at a mediocre level against mediocre fighters. If you stick him to a world professional athlete, like myself or top guys, you’ll see him bring even more. Not saying he hasn’t been in the ring with A+ fighters yet, but you can see all his loopholes in his fighting style. It’s just a matter of time before he gets really exposed and I hope it is with me because I want that behind."
“Shorter fighters do what they do, taller fighters do what they do. Deontay is tall but he doesn’t do what his body is designed to do; he’s trying to do something that smaller guys do, so that is going to be his downfall. Like I said, it is just a matter of time and I am going to break him in half, him and his toothpick legs."
“I was watching the livestream of the Wilder-Arreola fight and it was horrible. It was horrible because he is the heavyweight champion of the world. He doesn’t understand that he is doing more damage to himself than he thinks he is. He’s getting hurt. He’s getting hit. He’s taking some punishment."
BRIAN McINTYRE [Terence Crawford's Trainer]
"There is no pressure because it's his destiny. All we have to do is keep on winning. The media and the public will see Terence as the best fighter in the world. I don't care who Postol has in his corner, there is no way we're letting Postol come to our country and take home Terence's title. We are a way better team than they are. We have a deep history with each other and we have the heritage that produces legends as well as champions. Postol cannot beat Terence. And Freddie Roach is going to have a front row seat to watch his fighter get drilled."
JARRELL “BIG BABY” MILLER
“I like Tyson Fury, I still want to break his fingers in half but he is good for the sport of boxing and I feel like me and him for a main event will sell any arena out. He talks a lot of smack and he does back it up, but he is still a jokester and I am real. I will smash him if he tries to step on me in the press conference. I will knock him out, same way I will for everyone else."
“A fight between us two will be like Comedy Central on steroids, it would be bananas. It would sell out kind of like a Mayweather-Pacquiao … I feel like we can capture the heavyweight division and put it back on the map, just because of the way he talks. As an American heavyweight I feel like we have to take over American soil first. I’ll fight anywhere and anytime, but on the business side, I have to take over my country first.”
ANDRE WARD, on pros in the Olympics
"I haven’t given it too much thought but there’s the argument that it’s not fair for the pros to come and fight guys who are amateurs, and potentially, you take a top spot from them. The other side of it is in a three round fight, there are a lot of top amateurs who can probably beat some of the pros who are used to going 10 and 12 because it takes pros, who in spite of their distance, some time to warm up and get going, and if you get a kid with a lot of talent and ability, you know, he can get by in a three round fight. So it’s risky for pros as well."
VIKTOR POSTOL
"When I first met Freddie Roach in his gym in Hollywood I saw a man who was fully committed to his job. I saw that this was the job of his entire life. He lived in and lived for boxing. No matter how many people are in the gym training, Freddie always finds time for everyone to give advice and correct something for somebody. The same was in my case as he always put his heart and soul into my training as a boxer and anyone can see the result of our working together. Freddie has always believed in me and given me his full and undivided attention, even in our first training camp in the Philippines where Manny was training for his fight against Chris Algieri. He allowed me to spar with Manny and when it was my time to train after Manny had left the gym, he gave me 110% of his attention. It has always been that way. He gives me confidence and teaches me many things. He is a wonderful teacher and I am lucky to be his student. He has had me work a lot on the small things because details are important. That has turned me into a stronger professional fighter. We are a great team."
FREDDIE ROACH
"I called Viktor my favorite Russian fighter after he knocked out Matthysse to win the world title and he corrected me and told me he's from the Ukraine. I have the utmost respect for him as a person and as a fighter. He works hard every day. He's always on time. He listens and then he practices what we work on for for hours. He has developed into a great student of the sport both mentally and physically. When someone like Viktor comes in daily and gives you everything in the gym you cannot help but root for him. We have total trust in each other. I was so happy for him when he knocked out Matthysse to win the world title. Viktor deserved it. I have been in the game a long time but the night Viktor became world champion was one of the greatest victories of my training career. But I think Viktor's performance on July 23 will surpass that. We have a solid game plan for Crawford. We are going right at him from the opening bell. This is a real 50-50 fight. The best man will win and the loser will go back to Nebraska."
ANDRE WARD
"I’ve put my body through a lot over the last 20 years with those layoffs, I may have gained a few years to my career. I wasn’t getting hit in the head. I wasn’t taking any punishment to the body. I was working out but I wasn’t working at the level that I would be if I had a fight coming up so I probably preserved my body for a couple of years and gained a couple of years. A layoff is not always a bad thing, especially, at a certain point in your career. If you look at Floyd, he’s taken probably two or three long hiatuses and I think they were necessary for him, mentally but then also physically because you cannot grind the body down for 10, 15, 20 years and expect to be whole and expect nothing to ever happen or to not have any chronic issues. Sometimes, the only thing that gets those issues better is rest and I got that, involuntarily, but I got it."
JARRELL “BIG BABY” MILLER
“[Anthony] Joshua is overrated, overhyped. I am going to break that jaw of his. Definitely one of the weakest of the heavyweight champs."
“It comes down to the basics. You have a lot of guys that have a lot of punching power and basic skills and that’s not enough. Joshua is a basic heavyweight, a one-two fighter. I could cut that half way across the ring."
Ghost Guerrero returns to ring on August 27
Former multi-divisional world champion Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (33-4-1, 18 KOs) meets Argentine slugger David Emanuel Peralta (25-2-1, 14 KOs) in 10-rounds of welterweight action on August 27 from Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The bout is a Premier Boxing Champions event and will be shown on Spike.
"I'm very excited to get back in the ring," said Guerrero. "This is an exciting time for boxing fans across the world. It's a blessing to be fighting back in Southern California. My opponent is a tough fighter from Argentina. Everybody knows that fighters from Argentina always come to fight, so I must be prepared and I'm expecting a war. All combat sports fans should be tuning in to see this all-action fight between two warriors. Expect to see fireworks like in all of my fights."
Born and raised in Gilroy, California, Guerrero is always in exciting contests having gone toe-to-toe with world champions Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman sandwiched around a hard fought victory over Aron Martinez.
Prior to 2015, the 33-year-old Guerrero picked up victories over Andre Berto, Secluk Aydin and Michael Katsidis while winning world titles in multiple divisions. The brawling warrior has been in several "Fight of the Year" candidates throughout his career, including a toe-to-toe clash in Southern California with Yoshihiro Kamegai in 2014, and will hope to again invigorate fans with a thrilling battle against the hard-charging Peralta.
"I'm thrilled to enter the ring and fight in front of the passionate Southern California boxing fans for the first time," said Peralta. "Guerrero is a great fighter and a former world champion and I'm training very hard to be victorious on August 27. This is a great opportunity for me and I'm going to take full advantage."
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and features hard-hitting Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo (24-5, 20 KOs) battling veteran Freddy Hernandez (33-8, 22 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight matchup of Mexican brawlers, plus 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (18-0, 9 KOs) putting his undefeated record on the line against the Bronx's Steve Martinez (16-2, 13 KOs) in 10-rounds of super welterweight action.
Angulo, a hard fighting Mexican battler, is looking for another big victory in front of his Southern Californian fans. Always ready to challenge the best in the sport, the 33-year-old has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best fighters in the world, and holds knockout victories over Gabriel Rosado, Joachim Alcine and Joel Julio, while most recently earning a knockout victory over Hector Munoz in August. Angulo returns to take on Mexico City's Hernandez, who enters this fight on a three-bout winning streak.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Gausha was a decorated amateur who won gold medals at the U.S. National Championships in 2009 and 2012 and represented the US as part of the 2012 Olympic Team. The 28-year-old is undefeated since turning pro in 2012. In 2015 he earned victories over Norberto Gonzalez, Luis Grajeda, Eliezer Gonzalez and Said El Harrak before making his 2016 debut with a victory over Orlando Lora. He faces the 26-year-old Martinez from the Bronx who most recently stopped Jorge Melendez in the second round.
Prospect Chaise Nelson makes U.S. debut July 23
Pro Box Management's hot undefeated prospect, super-featherweight Chaise Nelson (3-0, 3 KOs), makes his United States debut this Saturday July 23, 2016, at the Covelli Center in Youngstown, Ohio. Nelson, whose first three fights were held in Mexico, will face rugged veteran Angel Gonzalez (22-8-1, 12 KOs) in a scheduled 4-round bout.
"It's great to be fighting in Ohio where all my family and friends will be there to show support," said Chaise Nelson. "I definitely want to make a good first impression in my American debut. I know every fight gets tougher from here on out. I just want to take it one fight at a time and start my career off on the right track. So far everything is heading in the right direction. I'm very thankful for the team I have and I'll be gunning for the knockout this Saturday."
Hailing from Mansfield, Ohio, Chaise Nelson was a decorated amateur, capturing numerous titles before turning professional in February of 2016, at age 17. Now age 18, Nelson fights in his home state, where family and friends will be in abundance watching him fight. Known for having power in both hands, Nelson is making noise, having knocked out his first three opponents.
"Chaise is a great kid and we are very pleased to have signed him." said Henry Rivalta of Pro Box Management. "We are moving him along very fast because we believe in him and want to get him as much experience as possible before we start stepping him up. He has heavy hands which make him a crowd pleasing fighter. My co-manager Gary Jonas, wanted to bring him to Ohio for his U.S. debut because we believe his home state fans will see his star potential. He has a bright future."
Jose Roman to fight on July 29
Lightweight standout Jose Roman and world ranked bantamweight Carlos Carlson (WBC No. 10) return to defend their respective winning streaks on Friday, July 29, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
The "Path to Glory" 8-round main event features the once-beaten Roman (22-1-1, 15 KOs) going for his ninth straight victory against Venezuela's Carlos Cardenas (20-10-1, 13 KOs).
Roman, 28, fighting out of Garden Grove, Calif., enters the bout well prepared. He was a late scratch from last month's Thompson Boxing card, which allowed him to stay active for his upcoming fight against Cardenas.
"I kept training to maintain my weight," said Roman, who has been sparring with stable mate Cesar Villarraga. "I feel strong and ready to fight Cardenas. The plan is to start fast and set the tone in the first three rounds. My mentality is always to finish the fight early."
Cardenas matches the description of Roman's recent competition - well seasoned and tested against world-class competition. In this case, Cardenas holds a recent distance loss to former world champion Juan Diaz.
"He's a veteran with a lot of experience under his belt," Roman said. "We are not taking him lightly."
In the 8-round co-feature, Carlson (20-1, 11 KOs) faces Gerardo Marin (13-3, 8 KOs) in what is expected to be a back and forth affair between the quick striking bantamweights.
For Carlson, at this stage of his career, every fight is magnified.
"I'm somewhat of a target now that I've been moving up in the world rankings," said the 26-year-old who hails from Tijuana, Mex. "There's a lot of work to do before I earn a world title shot and it starts with Marin. My focus has been on winning this fight."
David Benavidez to face Denis Douglin in PBC bout
Undefeated rising contender David Benavidez (15-0, 14 KOs) is set to face super middleweight contender Denis Douglin (20-4, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes Friday, August 5, live from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.
"We never stopped training after my last fight," said Benavidez. "We went right back into camp and I'm already in fighting shape. Douglin is a tough southpaw. We'll start looking at tape and see what kind of holes he has. I'll start with the jab and break him down. We're working hard towards bigger and bigger fights. This is going to be a great night of action."
The younger brother of undefeated Jose Benavidez, David has racked up a perfect 15 wins in 15 starts at just 19-years-old. Fighting out of Phoenix, Benavidez picked up four victories via stoppage in 2015 and kicked off his 2016 with a knockout of Kevin Cobbs in January. He scored a second round knockout of Phillip Jackson Benson in April and followed that up by stopping previously unbeaten Francy Ntetu in the seventh round in June.
Douglin was a 2008 National Golden Gloves champion at middleweight who won his first 12 fights after turning pro in 2009. The 28-year-old has battled top fighters Jermell Charlo and George Groves, in addition to owning victories over previously unbeaten Steve Martinez and veteran Charles Whitaker. He looks for his third straight victory after stopping Marcus Upshaw in the eighth round of his last bout.
"I plan on applying pressure and making Benavidez adjust to my style," said Douglin. "He's a tall, strong fighter, but he doesn't use his height. He's one-dimensional, but he's very good at what he does. He doesn't have the experience to deal with my style. I am stepping in with an undefeated fighter but he will leave the ring with a loss."
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with exciting local lightweight contender Alejandro Luna (20-0, 15 KOs) taking on Ireland's Stephen Ormond (21-2, 11 KOs) in a 10-round attraction.
At just 24-years old, Lunahas already put together an impressive 20 professional wins since turning pro in 2010. Fighting out of Bellflower, California, he defeated former world champion Cristobal Cruz over eight rounds in June and knocked out Sergio Lopez in August to close his 2015. He began his 2016 campaign by stopping veteran Alan Herrera in the eighth round of their January showdown.
Fighting out of Dublin, Ormond is undefeated in his seven starts in the U.S. including his last three outings, which all came in Massachusetts. The former European lightweight champion owns victories over Derry Mathews, previously unbeaten Adam Dingsdale and most recently tough contender Marcos Jimenez.
Unbeaten prospects Fox and Golub highlight July 21 undercard at Foxwoods
Unbeaten middleweight Alantez Fox (19-0-1, 8 KOs) will meet Mexico's Paul Valenzuela Jr. (17-3, 11 KOs), while undefeated welterweight Ivan Golub (11-0, 9 KOs) takes on Ernesto Ortiz (10-3, 7 KOs) in an eight-round bout that highlights undercard action on Thursday, July 21, from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, CT.
The July 21 event is headlined by rising middleweight contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko taking on former world champion Sam Soliman in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features a middleweight showdown between hard-hitting Ievgen Khytrov and California's Paul Mendez.
A slick-boxer who fights out of Forestville, Maryland, Fox began 2016 by stopping veteran Milton Nunez in the fourth round of their January bout. The 24-year-old was victorious five times in 2015 and is unbeaten since turning pro in 2010. He will be opposed by Valenzuela who fights out of Santa Rosalia, Mexico and most recently knocked out Armando Corral in the second round.
Originally from Ukraine but now fighting out of Brooklyn, Golub has fought exclusively in the U.S. since turning pro and comes off of a hard fought stoppage victory over previously unbeaten Marlon Aguas in March. The 27-year-old southpaw has stopped his last five opponents inside of the distance. He takes on the 22-year-old Mexican Ortiz, who made his U.S. debut in September 2015.
Additional action inside the arena features local favorite Shelly Vincent (17-0, 1 KO) out of Providence in an eight-round featherweight fight against San Antonio's Christina Ruiz (7-8-3, 4 KOs), and Connecticut's Mykquan Williams (2-0, 2 KOs) facing Colorado's Isaac Johnson (2-3) in a four-round welterweight attraction.
Miguel Flores battles Ryan Kielczweski in PBC bout
Undefeated contender Miguel Flores (20-0, 9 KOs) takes on exciting once-beaten featherweight contender Ryan Kielczweski (25-1, 7 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes Friday, August 12, from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.
"Fighting on ESPN is incredible because you know that fans from all around the world will be tuning in," said Flores. "My opponent is a very skilled fighter, so I'll be at my best when we step in the ring on August 12. Expect me to go to war and bring a lot of action to those who will be watching."
An undefeated fighter from Michoacan, Mexico, but fighting out of Houston, Flores has not lost since turning pro in 2009 at just 17-years-old. The 23-year-old had a big 2015 beginning in May with a victory over German Meraz and followed up by wins against Juan Ruiz, Carlos Padilla and Alfred Tetteh. He started 2016 with a headlining win over Mario Briones at The Dancehall in January and dominated Ruben Tamayo over 10 rounds in May. Now he will face the toughest test of his career in his east coast debut.
A runner-up in the 2008 National Golden Glove tournament, the 26-year-old Kielczweski looks to work his fourth-straight victory on August 12. Born and raised in Quincy, MA., he bounced back from his first defeat to deliver a first round knockout over Anthony Napunyi in May 2015 and followed that up with a victory over veteran contender Rafael Vazquez in October of last year. Most recently, he dominated Mario Macias in an April bout.
"It's always exciting to be fighting on ESPN, especially in the main event," said Kielczweski. "Training is going well and I've been traveling around to get great sparring. I don't know much about Flores other than that he's undefeated for a reason. If I perform on August 12 hopefully something big will come next that leads me towards a title. It's going to be an exciting night and an electric fight."
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a welterweight showdown between unbeaten contender Bryant Perrella (14-0, 13 KOs) and Cuban Olympian Yordenis Ugas (15-3, 7 KOs) in 10-rounds of action.
Fresh off of a second round stoppage over previously unbeaten David Grayton in PBC on ESPN action in June, the 27-year-old Perrella looks to take down another quality opponent when he enters the ring on August 12. Fighting out of Fort Meyers, Florida, the welterweight, who has trained with world champion Keith Thurman, enters this fight on an 11-bout streak of stopping his opponents inside of the distance.
A sensational Cuban amateur, Ugas picked up a Bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and also owns Gold medals from the 2005 World Amateur Championships and 2007 Pan American Games. Now fighting out of Miami, the 29-year-old owns victories over Cosme Rivera, Kenny Abril and Adan Hernandez.
By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services
