By Tom Donelson / Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America and contributor to dmboxing.com since 2008

Tyson Fury put on a show in Vegas on Saturday night and sent a message to the rest of the heavyweights. Fury faced Tom Schwarz, an undefeated German heavyweight.  Schwarz was a heavy underdog but he probably thinking that maybe lightening would strike like it did Anthony Ruiz upset of Anthony Joshua.  The different between the two is Ruiz had faced top competition whereas Schwarz had not faced any topflight competition and stayed in his native Germany to fight plus two fights in the Czech Republic.
Fury threw jabs after the jabs at Schwarz as the German pursued Fury but not with effectiveness.  Fury jabs were accurate, and he had no problem hitting his target with his jab.  As the round progressed, the right hand followed the jab and he looked relaxed. 

In the second round, Fury came out in a southpaw stance and Schwarz looked totally confused as he chased Fury, but he looked more like he was chasing a ghost.  Fury unleashed the right jab with occasional right hook and straight left.  Schwarz thought he had Fury trapped in the corner, but Fury managed to deflect or dodge every punch. Six punches came in Fury’s direction but Fury using his upper body, dodge every punch.  A jab followed by a straight punch sent Schwarz down for a five count, but it was only a matter of time as Schwarz’s nose looked a bloody mess.  Fury trapped Schwarz in the corner as time was running out of the round and landed multiple punches.  Schwarz merely covered up and the referee stopped the fight.

This was a mismatch from the opening bell and Schwarz looked the part of an opponent, but Fury foot movement looked divine as he merely danced around the ring with no worry.  He had no worry of being knocked out since he was barely touched.  Against Schwarz, Fury had an easy time and certainly, he found out quickly that he had nothing to fear.

By Tom Donelson / Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

Anthony Joshua left the British Isles and made his first visit to Madison Square, once the mecca of boxing but still a venerable boxing location.  His opponent Anthony Ruiz was four inches shorter and Joshua had an eight-inch reach advantage. Ruiz previous loss was a majority decision loss to Joseph Parker in Parker’s native New Zealand.  Ruiz is hardly looking the part of the fit heavyweight with a flabby middle, but he had won 32 heavyweight fights and going into the fight, had 21 knockouts.  Four weeks ago, Ruiz was told that he would be Joshua’s opponent as Jarrell Miller flunked drug tests.  Joshua was the heavy favorite, and this was to be a tune up for a future Wilder fight, and coming to the Garden was his introduction to American fight fans. 

Joshua’s job was simple, win big and start the countdown to a big fight with either Tyson Fury or Wilder. The first round was a feeling out round, as Joshua threw jabs; and the height and reach looked obvious.  The sculptured, well-built Joshua looked the part of the Champion, but in the third round, the fight changed.

Joshua knocked Ruiz down early in the third round and all looked right with the world except Ruiz got back up. Joshua smacked a right hand to Ruiz’s jaw, but Ruiz moved forward and landed a right on Joshua, sending Joshua down.  Ruiz turned into a battering ram as he kept nailing Joshua and one more big right sent Joshua down a second time. Joshua looked in serious trouble.

Ruiz kept the pressure up in the fourth round, but Joshua survived. In the fifth round, Joshua appeared to have weathered the storm and won the round with his jab and landed the best punch of the round with a left hook. In the second half of the sixth round, Ruiz let his hand loose and started to hurt Joshua.

By Tom Donelson / Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America

On Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, Deontay Wilder faced Dominic Breazeale for Wilder’s WBC heavyweight championship.  It lasted all but 2 minutes and 10 seconds with Wilder starting fast and ending the fighting almost as quickly.  Within the first minute, a Wilder right sent Breazeale reeling into the corner.  Wilder effectively jabbed and even landed a hook. Breazeale did land one right hand but that did little to turn the tide. 

Wilder shot out a left jab that Breazeale took a step back to avoid before Wilder threw a perfect right hand which nailed Breazeale, sending Breazeale tumbling down.  The referee stopped the fight as Breazeale wobbled back to the ropes. 

This was one of the most brutal right hands one has witnessed in the heavyweight division in a long time.  These two minutes showed Wilder’s strength, improvement and weakness. The weakness is stepping straight back to avoid punches and the tendency to throw wild haymakers.  The strength is his piston like jab and right hand. The improvement was his use of two left hooks.