Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

This past weekend I took a break from my normal boxing coverage in order to get my yearly dose of The Professional Bull Riders Tour. Without a doubt, the PBR is a must-see Adrenalin rush that would satisfy the palette of rabid boxing fans looking for an off-boxing weekend fix.



In a nutshell, the “Unleash The Beast” event is two nights long. The first night riders take to the bulls looking to make the eight second ride to qualify to go to the final round the following evening. Night number two culminates with the top qualifiers mounting up on the toughest bulls on the circuit.

From the top qualifying rider on down, the cowboys get to choose which bull they will take on for the final ride of the event. Just like the riders, bulls are ranked, so there is no secret about which one would pose the most difficult challenge. The field of bulls is impressive, but some of them are clearly leaps and bounds stronger, meaner, and tougher than others.

On this particular evening the tour’s top rider, Cassio Dias, made it to the final round. When it was his turn to choose a bull to ride, instead of “Cherry Picking” a lesser bull in order to keep his tour lead intact, Dias looked over the field and picked the toughest bull in the country, his name is Man Eater. For the record, Man Eater had never been successfully ridden. Every rider to a man was dispatched in less than eight seconds by the world class bucking fireball.

But this is what Champions do. If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. No ducking for a lesser opponent here. No looking for a foe that is a bit too old, or a bit too small to provide a real challenge.

The result of the head-to-head battle you ask?

Not only did Dias conquer the dreaded and up until then unridden Man Eater, but he posted the best score seen on the PBR tour in the last four years. Needless to say, with the bold move and his fourth win this year, Cassio tightened his grip on his standing as the number one rider on the planet. To put that in boxing terminology, Cassio Dias is currently the best Pound4Pound rider on the planet.

That’s how it’s done boys and girls.

Do you feel me?

For more on The Professional Bull Riders tour and to find out when they are coming to a city near you log on to PBR | Professional Bull Riders

Check out www.Pound4Pound for all the latest boxing truth.

By William Trillo

You know the feeling. You went out to the local Cantina to enjoy good times and some spicy South of The Border cuisine. But, after a few hours you realize you over-indulged and you were going to feel the burn one more time.

Keep that pleasant thought in mind while I give you my thoughts on the upcoming Tim “The Soul Taker” Tszyu (24-0, 17 KO’s) vs. Keith “One Time” Thurman (30-1, 22 KO’s) meaningless Catchweight bout. The PBC promoted PPV fight will be their debut event on Prime Video.

That’s right, not only will you have to become a member of Prime Video to the tune of some $139 per year, but you will also have to shell out a yet to be announced price, (expect upwards of $69), if you want to view that throw away Main Event.

Do ya see what I mean? That burns twice…. Don’t it?

Truthfully, I really like what I see from Tim Tszyu and am thrilled to see the man from “Down Under” coming Stateside. But as far as Thurman goes, I personally don’t care if I ever see him in the ring again. Considering his activity in recent years, or lack thereof, it’s not like anyone is really going to miss him anyways. There was a point in time when Thurman was on the precipice of becoming one of the Pound4Pound best in the game. Then, for whatever reason, Thurman basically went “Off the Radar”. With that, his credibility took a nosedive. And yes, his record does look impressive, but anyone who follows the game knows he has looked pedestrian at best since 2017.

Expecting boxing fans to pay not once but twice to see his next fight burns to the core…twice. Let’s just tell it like it is here, most real boxing fans are Blue Collar workers, let’s call him “Joe Lunch Pail”. No disrespect intended; I am one of those guys. “Joe” is trying to earn a living and feed his family on a budget. Asking him to pay twice for an event like this is just wrong and the promoter knows it, although I don’t think he really cares.

I also must wonder how and why PBC is paying Thurman PPV money. Again, his lack of activity alone does not justify that kind of paycheck. Now, I understand PBC has some kind of unexplained loyalty to their washed-up fighters and has been known to give them undeserved paydays, (see Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.), but really…if you want to throw your guys a bone, use your own money and stop digging your hands into Joe’s pockets.

The Heart and Soul of boxing is its fans, not the promoters and certainly not a once every other year fighter. Stop using “Joe Lunch Pail” as your personal ATM machine.

In the “Come On Ice Cream” bout of the night on the same card, Rolando Romero (15-1, 13 KO’s) will defend his WBA Super Lightweight Title against Isacc Cruz (25-2, 17 KO’s). I can honestly say that Rolly vs. Pitbull should be a wildly entertaining brawl. Whether or not it takes the burn out of the cost of the PPV remains to be seen…and/or felt.

Also on the undercard is Erisandy Lara defending his WBA World Middleweight belt. It will be almost two years since his last fight when he steps into the ring to defend against some no named challenger.

Am I making myself clear? If you are planning on paying for this event, keep the Pepto nearby.

My prediction for the Main event on that night? All I can say is after the fight his nickname will be changed from “One Time” to “Last Time”.

Am I clear?

And finally, did Leonard Ellerbe really say Keith Thurman “Beat the brakes off Manny Pacquiao?” If memory serves me correctly, Thurman looked like someone went at him with a sack full of marbles after that fight.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing truth.