Tag: Boxing

Prograis hopes to fight at Superdome in Louisiana

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Prograis hopes to fight at Superdome in Louisiana

Regis Prograis is ready to bring big-time boxing back home to New Orleans – starting with his WBC World Super-Lightweight title defense against Danielito Zorrilla on Saturday June 17 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana(DAZN).

Prograis (28-1 24 KOs) is looking to shine in his first fight at home since beating Terry Flanagan in October 2018 as he aims to land the unification fights he craves in the second half of 2023, with undisputed on his mind in 2024.

‘Rougarou’ fights under the Matchroom banner for the first time on June 17, and with his new partnership with Eddie Hearn, the 34 year old is heavily involved in the rest of the card, ensuring an all-Lousiana bout between New Orleans’ Jeremy Hill (18-3 11 KOs) takes on Baton Rouge’s Mark Davis (19-1 5 KOs) over eight at Lightweight, and Houston-based 2020 Olympian Ginny Fuchs (2-0 1 KO), being advised by Prograis, fights for the third time in the paid ranks on the card against Indeya Smith (6-7-2 1 KO) over eight rounds at Super-Flyweight.

Prograis admits that fighter management and promotion could be in his future, but the WBC king says that there are many more chapters to be written in his own fighting career first, starting with a long-awaited return to the Big Easy.

“The last time I fought in New Orleans it was nice, but this is the Smoothie King Center, it’s on a different level, I’m ecstatic,” said Prograis. “You can’t soak up the moment too much because I still have to go out there and fight, I still need to do that, but it’s really a dream come true because coming up, when I first started boxing, I wanted to fight there – it was a two-part dream, fight at the Smoothie King Center and then at the Superdome, so this is the first big step towards doing something huge in my city.

“We’re starting Rougarou Promotions with this card and with my partnership with Eddie, I feel we’re taking more control and direction not just of my future in the ring, but with other fighters. I said for the undercard ‘I want this guy, I want Ginny’ – that’s what I want to do. It makes sense if we’re bringing big time boxing to New Orleans that we have some fighters from here on the card.

“I don’t know if I want to be a promoter per se, and I feel that I have a long way left in my own career, but right now at home, I do want to have NOLA fighters on the card and to help them shine. I’m in the gym in New Orleans and Houston, I see the talent out there, so when I fight, I want people to see them.

“It’s going to blow it up. We did the Lakefront in 2018, but this is big. Eddie said ‘listen, if we do good, we’re going to keep coming back’. So that’s why we need everyone to come out because it can be a regular thing. This used to be a boxing town, but it faded over the years, so if we do good, I think this will become a regular thing.

“As the champion, you must be even hungrier as those contenders are coming for you and that they want what you got. There are wolves behind me all day long, so my mindset has to be that there’s fighters all over the world that are coming for me and I need to outwork them, out train them, be hungrier than them – I have to be on my A-game every day.”

Prograis defends his World title on a stacked night of action in New Orleans.

Unbeaten Australian Heavyweight Justis Huni (7-0 4 KOs) faces Andrew Tabiti (20-1 16 KOs) over ten rounds, unbeaten pair Shakhram Giyasov (13-0 9 KOs) and Harold Calderon (27-0 18 KOs) meet in an eliminator for the WBA Welterweight crown and Ramla Ali (8-0 2 KOs) defends her IBF Intercontinental Super-Featherweight title against Julissa Guzman (12-2-2 6 KOs).

Criztec Bazaldua (1-0) kicks off the night on Before the Bell against Elroy Fruto (1-1) over four rounds at Lightweight and Aaron Aponte (7-0-1 2 KOs) meets Xavier Madrid (4-2 2 KOs) over eight at Super-Lightweight.

Adames-Williams, Lubin-Arias set for June 24 in Minneapolis

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Adames-Williams, Lubin-Arias set for June 24 in Minneapolis

Hard-hitting Interim WBC Middleweight Champion Carlos Adames will battle former unified champion Julian “J-Rock” Williams in the 12-round main event of action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, June 24 from The Armory in Minneapolis in an event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and featured top super welterweight contenders Erickson “Hammer” Lubin and Luis “Cuba” Arias squaring off in the 10-round co-main event. Super flyweight world champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez will put his IBF title on the line against unbeaten Filipino contender Jade Bornea in the telecast opener.

Adames (22-1, 17 KOs) has become a force in the middleweight division as he nears a chance to earn a world title opportunity at 160 pounds. Adames scored a career-best victory by overcoming top contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko in December 2021 and followed that up by knocking out Juan Macias Montiel in the third round to capture his interim belt last October. The 29-year-old Adames was born in Comendador, Dominican Republic and now lives in Washington Heights, New York. He established himself as a contender with a slew of victories over the likes of former champion Carlos Molina, Frank Galarza, Joshua Conley and Alejandro Barrera, with his only defeat coming by narrow decision in a 2019 154-pound title fight against Patrick Teixeira.

“I’ve trained hard for this fight and I’m ready to defend my interim WBC middleweight title against Julian Williams, who we all know is a very tough fighter,” said Adames. “I’ve worked tirelessly to earn my way in the sport and I’m ready to prove I belong at the top of the middleweight division. I’m grateful for the opportunity to showcase my skills on SHOWTIME, and I’m determined to put on a great performance for the fans. On June 24 The Armory in Minneapolis will be electrifying. I’m coming to win.”

Philadelphia’s Williams (29-3-1, 16 KOs) became a unified world champion at 154-pounds in May 2019 when he upset Jarrett Hurd in one of the year’s best fights, winning a close-quarters brawl by unanimous decision. The 33-year-old dropped the titles in his first defense, losing to Jeison Rosario in January 2020, before coming up on the short end of a narrow decision to Vladimir Hernandez in October 2021. He most recently returned to his winning ways last November, dominating Rolando Mansilla at The Armory  on his way to a unanimous decision.

“Training has been going great and I’m extremely well-prepared for this fight,” said Williams. “I’ve just been grinding and making the best of everything that I have. I haven’t seen that much of him, so I’m preparing for anything Adames can bring. A win on June 24 would mean everything. This is what I strive for. It’s been a little choppy, but I’m just looking forward to a tough fight in Minneapolis.”

The 27-year-old Lubin (24-2, 17 KOs) will return to the ring after going toe-to-toe in one of 2022’s best fights, which saw him trade knockdowns with fellow contender Sebastian Fundora on SHOWTIME in April 2022. Heading into the Fundora fight, Lubin had put together an impressive six-bout winning streak since a loss to unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo in 2017, a run that included triumphs over Jeison Rosario, Terrell Gausha and Ishe Smith.  A native of Orlando, Fla., Lubin turned pro at 18 years old in 2013 and became one of the youngest prospects to ever appear on the developmental series SHOBOX: The New Generation and soon after was named “Prospect Of The Year” by ESPN and Ring Magazine in 2016.

“I’m looking forward to making my return on SHOWTIME,” said Lubin. “Every fight is important and I treat them all the same. This one is no different because I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder. I’m planning to dominate Luis Arias so I can get my rematches with Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora. I want to avenge my defeats and that starts with a big performance on June 24. It’s ‘Hammer’ time on SHOWTIME.”

A native of Milwaukee who now trains out of Las Vegas, Mayweather Promotions’ Arias (20-3-1, 9 KOs) most recently dominated Jimmy Williams in May 2022 on his way to a unanimous decision. Arias had scored a career-best victory in June 2021, as he earned a decision over former unified champion Jarrett Hurd on the Mayweather vs. Paul SHOWTIME PPV undercard. Arias has also battled former champion Daniel Jacobs and owns a draw against veteran contender Gabriel Rosado.

“I’m back on the big stage and this time I’m staying here for the long haul,” said Arias. “I’m planning on bringing an all-out war as soon as the bell rings. June 24 has a great lineup, but this fight will definitely steal the show. I want to thank Floyd Mayweather and the Mayweather Promotions team for getting me this opportunity. I’m coming to make the most of it. War is coming!”

The unbeaten Martinez (15-0, 8 KOs) became the first world champion promoted by his countryman, former two-division world champion Marcos Maidana, with a scintillating victory over Ancajas on SHOWTIME in February 2022. The 31-year-old from Avellaneda, Argentina made the most of the opportunity, landing a division record 421 power shots of the 427 total punches landed to secure a unanimous decision victory over Ancajas. They rematched in October 2022, with Martinez putting on an even more convincing performance to retain his title via unanimous decision.

“This is going to be my first time fighting in Minneapolis and I hope the fans know that I’m coming to put on a show for them,” said Martinez. “My goal isn’t just to win, it’s to show that I’m getting better and that I’m on my way to my goal of unifying the titles.”

Fighting out of General Santos City in the Philippines, Bornea (18-0, 12 KOs) will fight in the U.S. for the second time on June 24 after earning a decision over Ernesto Delgadillo in their January 2020 clash. Since then the 27-year-old has added three victories, including a pair of 2022 triumphs that saw him best Mohammed Obbadi in January and Ivan Meneses in August. A pro since October 2014, Bornea is part of a boxing family as his twin brother Jake also fights professionally.

“I have been waiting for this opportunity ever since I turned pro,” said Bornea. “I have watched Martinez twice fight against my friend and countryman Jerwin Ancajas, so I know his style well. On June 24, I am going to win that title and bring it back to the Philippines where it belongs. I’m thankful to my whole team for this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.”

Tszyu-Ocampo, Aleem-Goodman set for June 18 in Australia

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Tszyu-Ocampo, Aleem-Goodman set for June 18 in Australia

Undefeated Australian superstar Tim Tszyu will return to the ring and defend his Interim WBO 154-pound title against Mexican contender Carlos Ocampo headlining action live on SHOWTIME on Saturday, June 17 (Sunday, June 18 in Australia) from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia in a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The SHOWTIME BOXING INTERNATIONAL telecast begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and will also feature top super bantamweight contender Ra’eese Aleem taking on undefeated Australian Sam Goodman in an IBF 122-pound title eliminator in the co-main event.

Tszyu will make the first defense of his interim belt after capturing it in March on SHOWTIME with a career-best showing in stopping former champion Tony Harrison. He had originally been scheduled to face Undisputed Super Welterweight Champion Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas in January, before Charlo was forced to withdraw due to injury. With a victory on June 17 in his home country, Tszyu can lock in a date with Charlo later this year.

The 28-year-old Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) has quickly climbed the rankings in the 154-pound division with an all-action, aggressive style. The notable names on his resume include former welterweight champion Jeff Horn, whom Tszyu stopped in round eight, and Terrell Gausha, a top contender and member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S. and SHOWTIME debut against Gausha and showed his poise and toughness by rallying back from a first-round knockdown to win the fight via unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion and who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.

“I was full training on Monday after the thing happened on Saturday,” said Tszyu to Australian press in reference to a dog bite on his right arm. “I’m not going to be limited at all…There’s a dog in me right now that’s about to come out.

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight. I won’t sit on the couch and wait for [Jermell] Charlo’s hand to get better. I want to fight in the meantime,” added Tim Tszyu previously to the Australian media about his announcement for his title defense against Ocampo. “The fans deserve the fights…The Charlo fight is in the making, but I’m not underestimating Ocampo. I’ve got a hard task ahead of me.

“Technically, this fight is going to be much harder than my previous fights. The Mexican style will require something new in me and I expect it to be tough. Despite being Australian and on the other side of the globe, I’m headlining a fight on SHOWTIME for the third time. Is anyone else doing that? Everyone knows I’m coming to take over.”

The 27-year-old Ocampo (34-2, 22 KOs) rode a 12-fight winning streak into his last matchup, which saw him drop a decision to 154-pound contender Sebastian Fundora last October in a SHOWTIME main event. The 12 consecutive triumphs dated back to the only other loss of his career, which came to current unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. in a 2016 knockout defeat. During the 12-fight stretch, the Ensenda, Baja California, Mexico native scored nine of those victories by stoppage, including traveling to Mikael Zewski’s home country of Canada to stop the fan-favorite by ninth-round TKO.

“I’m looking forward to my fight against Tim Tszyu,” said Ocampo. “We are both warriors who go forward without fear. The fans will be the true winners that night, because I’m going after that title at all. Costs and it’s coming back to Mexico with me. He won’t want to hand it over to me, so I’ll just have to take it from him.”

Owning a top-10 ranking at 122-pounds from multiple sanctioning bodies, Aleem (20-0, 12 KOs) put on the most impressive performance of his career in January 2021, dominating in a battle of unbeatens by dropping Victor Pasillas four times before eventually stopping him in round 11. Raised in Michigan and training out of Las Vegas, the 32-year-old Aleem stopped seven-straight opponents before most recently earning decisions over Eduardo Baez in November 2021 and Mike Plania in September 2022. Aleem made his SHOWTIME debut in February of 2020 with a fourth-round stoppage of Adam Lopez on SHOBOX: The New Generation.

The 24-year-old Goodman (14-0, 7 KOs) scored a career-best victory in his last outing, announcing himself as a 122-pound contender with a dominant unanimous decision victory over former world champion T.J. Doheny in March. After an impressive amateur career that included four national championships and an appearance in the 2017 World Amateur Championships, the Australian from Albion Park, New South Wales turned pro in April 2018 and began compiling his unbeaten record.

Mason, McCreary added to Anderson-Kossobutskiy undercard

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Mason, McCreary added to Anderson-Kossobutskiy undercard

Two Ohio-born talents have joined the pre-Independence Day celebration as part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard to the heavyweight doubleheader featuring Toledo’s  Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson against Kazakhstan’s Zhan Kossobutskiy in a 10-round main event on Saturday, July 1 at Toledo’s Huntington Center.

Cleveland native Abdullah Mason will make his third appearance of 2023 in a six-round lightweight fight against Tobias Green, while Toledo-born junior lightweight Tyler McCreary will face an opponent to be named in a six-rounder.

Anderson-Kossobutskiy and Arslanbek Makhmudov-Raphael Akpejiori will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

Mason (8-0, 7 KOs) is a 19-year-old prodigy who was considered one of the brightest talents in U.S. amateur boxing before signing with Top Rank in October 2021. Mason debuted as a pro the following month with a second-round TKO over Jaylan Phillips. In 2022, Mason went 5-0 with four knockouts. The southpaw phenom plans to be just as dominant this year after a first-round knockout over Erick Garcia Benitez in April and a sixth-round TKO win over Desmond Lyons last month on the Devin Haney-Vasiliy Lomachenko undercard. Green (10-3, 3 KOs) is a 27-year-old Floridian who returns after an eight-round decision win against Ryan Schwartzberg last October.

McCreary (17-2-1, 8 KOs) is an almost nine-year pro who is on the comeback trail. Following his 2019 showdown against former two-division world champion Carl Frampton, the 30-year-old experienced a near-two-year layoff before losing to Manuel Rey Rojas in 2021. Last month, however, he overcame another layoff to score a first-round knockout against Jake Bornea in Toledo.

‘Big Baby’ Miller returns on Mayweather-Gotti III undercard

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on ‘Big Baby’ Miller returns on Mayweather-Gotti III undercard

The undercard is now set as a stacked lineup will lead up to undefeated boxing Hall of Famer Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s return to the ring on Sunday, June 11, in an exhibition showdown against professional fighter John Gotti III, the grandson of famous gangster John Gotti.

A unique crossover extravaganza and star-studded night featuring musical performances and more, “LAST NAMES MATTER” will be available through Zeus Network Pay-Per-View.

In the co-featured, eight-round exhibition, film and fighting star Ulysess “The Monster” Diaz will rematch popular UK-based fighting star Khalas “BabaYaga” Karim in the sequel to their all-out war from February that stole the show on another Mayweather topped Zeus Pay-Per-View undercard.

Incredibly, Cuban-born, Miami-based cruiserweight Ulysses “The Monster” Diaz didn’t start fighting professionally until he was 35 years old. The subject of a 2022 Urban Film Festival-winning documentary about his life, Diaz grew up with accomplished rapper and singer Pitbull and even traveled the world as his head of security. The now 42-year-old has a successful boxing career at 14-1, 13 KOs and is a breakout star at bareknuckle boxing, where he broke the record for the World’s Fastest Combat Sports KO, made official by Guinness World Records, by laying out Donelei Benedetto in three seconds. Diaz is engaged to WWE Diva Dana Brooke.

Popular “Wicked n’ Bad” light heavyweight champion and boxing prodigy Khalas Karim currently resides in the UK and is originally from Morocco via Denmark. Karim asserted himself as a force by going toe-to-toe with the formidable Diaz in their first clash, an exhibition slugfest for the ages. Despite the size and experience disadvantages, Karim showed refined technique against Diaz and was surging as the fight progressed.

In another high-profile four-round exhibition, world-class heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller will take on popular Vegas-based undefeated heavyweight Antonio Zepeda.

The undefeated Jarrell Miller was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, home to his idols and former greats Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe. An outspoken and entertaining slugger, Miller began boxing at the age of 16 and went 10-1 as an amateur. Now 34-years-old, the 6’ 4” Miller currently holds a professional record of 26-0-1, with 22 KOs and was last seen knocking out former champion Lucas Browne in six rounds in March of this year. Still considered a dangerous heavyweight, Miller is closing in on a career-defining fight against one of the current stars of the big man’s division.

An “against the odds” story of perseverance, Antonio Zepeda was raised in Phoenix group homes after his father, who was serving a life sentence for murder, died in prison in 2014, and his mother, who struggled and was on the streets, died a year earlier. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Zepeda was a Phoenix Camelback High School All-Arizona football defensive end. He began his boxing training less than a year after his dreams of an NFL career ended at UNLV in 2017, when he suffered a broken tibia, torn MCL and meniscus. The 28-year-old Zepeda is currently 6-0, 6 KOs as a boxer and a 2-0, 2 KOs in MMA. Now residing in Las Vegas, Zepeda’s fighting style has drawn comparisons, stylistically, to former Polish heavyweight Andrew Golota.

Also scheduled for action is a four-round bareknuckle boxing match between MMA star Hector Lombard and Eric Turner.

Héctor Lombard is a Cuban and Australian professional mixed martial artist, bodybuilder, and former Olympic judoka who competes in the Light Heavyweight division of Eagle FC. Lombard is best known for his tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has also fought in Deep, Pride, and Bellator where he was the inaugural Bellator Middleweight Champion. Born in Cuba Lombard represented his home nation at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in Judo.

In another four-round exhibition bout, J’Hon Ingram will battle Ryan “Stone” Allen.

Light welterweight prospect J’Hon Ingram (3-0, 3 KOs) has been touted as “The Next Floyd Mayweather,” by Mayweather himself. The undefeated Las Vegas resident had a short amateur career of just 12 bouts, as his impressive style was already better suited to the professional ranks. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ingram was first introduced to Mayweather when the Hall of Famer was looking for a sparring partner for an upcoming exhibition fight. The first sparring session with Mayweather proved life changing for Ingram and gave him experiences money can’t buy. The 22-year-old Ingram most recently saw viral success online for knocking out world champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero in a sparring video.

The 30-year-old Ryan Allen (10-6-1, 5 KOs) currently resides in Las Vegas, but originally hails from Jackson, Michigan. A seven-year professional, Allen has faced a list of top contenders, including current world champion Robeisy Ramirez and has never been stopped. The deceptively capable Allen has never lost to a fighter with more than one loss on this record.

To open the action, Kamari “KB3” Burnside will fight three exhibition rounds against Brendan Jackson.

A Las Vegas resident, Burnside is a promising amateur boxer and sparring partner for fellow boxing prospect Nico Ali Walsh at Top Rank Gym. A Floyd Mayweather protegee, the 6’ Burnside was formerly a basketball standout guard at Desert Oasis High School in Las Vegas where he was named the Las Vegas League Defensive Player-of-the- Year; averaging 13 points per game, 4 assists per game, 3 rebounds per game, 2.8 steals per game, and breaking the Nevada high school record for steals in a season with 84.

In addition to Mayweather’s exhibition, the event will feature performances from superstar recording artist Ozuna and more. Ozuna has won multiple Latin Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards, in addition to his 2018 collaboration with DJ Snake, Cardi B and Selena Gomez on “Taki Taki” that went quadruple platinum.

The event is dedicated to the loving memory of Marikit “Kitchie” Laurico, Mayweather’s longtime assistant who passed away suddenly in April.

Spence: ‘It was always my objective to get this fight with Crawford done’

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Spence: ‘It was always my objective to get this fight with Crawford done’

Last week, it was announced that unified(WBC/WBA/IBF) and undefeated 147-pound champion Errol Spence Jr.(28-0, 22 KOs) will battle undefeated WBO 147-pound champion Terence Crawford(39-0, 30 KOs) on July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The winner will be the undisputed champion at 147 pounds and the pound-for-pound best in boxing.

The last time we saw Crawford, he stopped Davis Avanesyan last December in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, while Spence, who grew in Desoto, Texas, last fought in April 2022 when he stopped Yordenis Ugas in Dallas to capture the Ugas’ WBA 147-pound title.

Spence will be out of the ring over a year when he fights Crawford, which could be an advantage for the WBO 147-pound champion. However, Spence has never had problems with long layoffs in his career.

Spence-Crawford took a long time to make, but finally, we’re here, and according to Spence, it was always his objective to fight Crawford.

 “I told everyone that I was going to get the third belt from Ugas, then I was coming to take Terence’s belt,” Spence Jr. said in a press release announcing his signing with Adrian Clark’s Fighters First Management. “It was always my objective to get this fight with Crawford done.”

There have been a lot of anticipated showdowns in boxing, but Spence believes his fight with Crawford is the “most anticipated” fight in a long time.

“Our fight will be the most anticipated and action-packed fight that boxing has seen in the past 30-40 years,” he said. “This is definitely a legacy fight.” 

This has “Fight of the Year” written all over it, and at the end of the day, somebody’s 0 has to go, but no matter what happens, boxing fans win!

Kambosos-Hughes, Davis-Patera set for July 22 in Oklahoma

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Kambosos-Hughes, Davis-Patera set for July 22 in Oklahoma

A former king and an emerging prodigy will look to seize the spotlight as part of an action-packed lightweight doubleheader in one of the sport’s most competitive divisions.

Former unified and lineal lightweight world champion George Kambosos Jr. makes his Top Rank debut in a 12-round IBF world title eliminator against English southpaw Maxi Hughes on Saturday, July 22, at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.

In the 10-round co-feature, U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis takes a seismic step up in class against Belgian contender and former European champion Francesco Patera.

Kambosos-Hughes and Davis-Patera will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“George Kambosos Jr. is still one of the lightweight division’s premier attractions, and he has the chance to get right back to title contention with a win over an upset-minded Maxi Hughes,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Keyshawn Davis, in less than 10 fights, is already a contender and has all the makings of a future superstar. This is a sensational lightweight doubleheader for the fans in Shawnee and everyone watching on ESPN.”

Kambosos (20-2, 10 KOs) is a 10-year pro who has traveled to Malaysia, Greece, London, New York City, Connecticut, and Las Vegas in his efforts to conquer the lightweight division. His wins over former world champions Mickey Bey and Lee Selby helped secure a world title shot against Teofimo Lopez in 2021. In a triumph that was named ESPN’s Upset of the Year, Kambosos toppled Lopez via split decision and captured three lightweight world titles. In 2022, the 29-year-old avoided an easy hometown defense and instead faced Devin Haney in back-to-back undisputed world title showdowns in Melbourne, Australia. Following his first career losses, Kambosos has ambitions of reclaiming his throne, but he’ll first need to get passed Hughes.

“I am extremely excited and motivated to make a serious statement against Maxi Hughes in my return fight in the United States, the Mecca of boxing, live on ESPN and Main Event PPV in Australia,” Kambosos said. “Having fought the best lightweight boxers in the world, I now know I have become an even better fighter and have added further artillery and weapons to my overall fight game. Maxi Hughes is a good boxer, a tough Englishman, and I’m sure he will try his best, but I know and he knows that his best will not be enough. Hughes is not elite, and when you have been in there with elite boxers like I have, you pick up on the mistakes in a boxer like Hughes. I will claim his IBO world title and the IBF world title eliminator position on July 22.”

Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs), a 33-year-old veteran hailing from the United Kingdom, debuted in the paid ranks in 2010. He secured his first British title by defeating Ryan Moorhead in 2017. In his second bid for a British strap, he suffered a stoppage loss to Sam Bowen in 2018 before handing Kieron McLaren his first setback the following year. He hasn’t lost since a November 2019 showdown for the WBO European title against Liam Walsh, but he rebounded impressively, winning all seven of his subsequent fights, including a 10-round decision win against then-unbeaten Kazakh standout Viktor Kotochigov in 2020. Hughes is coming off a 12-round majority decision win against former world champion Kid Galahad last September.

“I’m excited to realize my dream of fighting in the USA and to showcase my skills to a new audience,” Hughes said. “I’ll do what’s necessary to get the win.”

Davis (8-0, 6 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, went 3-0 in the pro ranks before capturing a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and has since scored five victories, including brutal knockouts against Esteban Sanchez and Omar Tienda. In his most recent outing, the 24-year-old outclassed and battered Anthony Yigit en route to a ninth-round TKO. Davis looks to continue his rapid lightweight ascent against his stiffest test to date.

“I belong with all the top lightweights, and Patera is the next one in the way. And just like my eight opponents before him, Patera will have no answer for what I’m bringing to the table,” Davis said. “This is going to be a brutal night for him, however long it lasts.”

Patera (28-3, 10 KOs) is an eight-year pro from Belgium. In May 2016, he challenged for his first European title, dropping a unanimous decision to Yvan Mendy. He bounced back that year with a TKO win over Csaba Bolcskei in September before suffering a close decision loss to Sean Dodd the following month. Patera then notched wins over Pasquale Di Silvio and Edis Tatli before losing a rematch to Tatli in December 2017. Since then, the 30-year-old has won 10 straight fights and is coming off a first-round knockout against Irakli Shariashvili in April.

“I am coming to Shawnee to put on a spectacular performance, defeat Keyshawn Davis, and show everyone that I belong on the world stage,” Patera said.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard will feature the ring returns of welterweight contender Giovani Santillan, Oklahoma-born heavyweight Jeremiah Milton and middleweight prospect Troy Isley.

Santillan (30-0, 16 KOs) will face Ecuadorian contender Erick Bone (27-6, 14 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight battle. He is coming off his best year yet as a pro, stopping Jeovanis Barraza in April 2022 before a hometown win over Julio Luna Avila in San Diego last August. Bone is an experienced veteran who has given tough challenges to former world champions Shawn Porter, Chris Algieri, Miguel Vazquez and Sergey Lipinets.

Milton (9-0, 6 KOs) will make his second appearance in 2023 in an eight-round heavyweight tilt. The 29-year-old is no stranger to fighting in Oklahoma, having fought four times in his hometown of Tulsa. Milton is coming off an eight-round decision win over Fabio Maldonado in April.

Isley (9-0, 4 KOs) will fight in an eight-rounder. The 24-year-old U.S. Olympian joined the Top Rank stable in January 2021 and started his pro career with a decision win against Bryant Costello. In 2022, he stayed busy and went 5-0 with two knockouts. In April, on the Shakur Stevenson-Shuichiro Yoshino card, he notched a near-shutout over Roy Barringer.

Two competitive eight-round heavyweight matchups will also be featured on the ESPN+-streamed portion.

American contender Mike Balogun (20-1, 16 KOs) will collide against New Zealand’s Hemi Ahio (20-1, 15 KOs). Balogun is a former Oklahoma University linebacker who is coming back from a loss to former cruiserweight world champion Murat Gassiev, while Ahio stopped Richie Stanley in the first round in February.

Unbeaten Cleveland southpaw Roney Hines (12-0-1, 8 KOs) will face Belgium’s Michael Pirotton (7-0, 3 KOs).

Lopez: ‘I want all their belts’

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Lopez: ‘I want all their belts’

On Saturday, IBF featherweight world champion Luis Alberto Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) went on the road again and scored a fifth-round TKO over Michael “Mick” Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs) at The SSE Arena in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast.

Lopez, 29, made the first defense of his crown after capturing the title from Josh Warrington in enemy territory in Leeds, England.

Unfortunately for Conlan, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, his second attempt at a world title falls short. 

Conlan, 31, had some moments in this fight, but Lopez really had no problems landing, and things started to fall apart for Conlan in the third round as Lopez timed an uppercut that hurt him and sent him against the ropes.

In the fifth round, the fight ended as Conlan, who tried to avoid a hook, ran into a right uppercut that immediately floored him, forcing his corner to throw in the towel.

“I hope all the world champions at the featherweight division are ready for ‘Venado’ Lopez,” Lopez said after the win. “I’m coming for all of them. I want all their belts. One by one, I’m taking all their belts with me to Mexico.”

Conlan had nothing but respect for the Mexican star.

“Lopez had my respect before the fight and still has my respect after the fight,” Conlan said. “He hits very hard. He just beat me. He travels well and is a great champion.”

In other action:

Featherweights: English contender Nick Ball (18-0, 11 KOs) defended his WBC Silver title with a 12th-round TKO win over South Africa’s Ludumo Lamati (21-1-1, 11 KOs). Lamati’s six-inch height advantage posed issues for Ball in the first two rounds of the fight, but by the third and fourth, Ball began closing the distance with ease. Once inside, the 26-year-old landed vicious combinations, and Lamati’s corner stopped the bout in the latter stages of the final round.

Junior Lightweights: Anthony Cacace (21-1, 7 KOs) scored a 12-round unanimous decision win against Polish contender Damian Wrzesinski (26-3-2, 7 KOs). Despite Wrzesinski’s aggression, Cacace’s reach and height advantages allowed him to land harder and more consistently from his southpaw stance. Cacace is now 6-0 since suffering his first loss in 2017 against Martin J Ward. Scores: 118-111, 117-111 and 116-112.

Junior Welterweights: Irish standout Pierce O’Leary (12-0, 7 KOs) defended his WBC International belt with a first-round stoppage over Florin Ciorceri (17-4, 7 KOs). O’Leary dropped Ciorceri with a left hook, then finished things up with a savage follow-up attack. Time of stoppage: 1:11.

Rocha: ‘I want the winner of the Spence-Crawford fight’

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Rocha: ‘I want the winner of the Spence-Crawford fight’

Alexis “Lex” Rocha (23-1,15 KOs) beat up and beat down Anthony “Juice” Young (24-3, 8 KOs) and would knock him out in the fifth round in the main event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

Rocha, 25, put pressure on Young from the beginning to the end, and Rocha ultimately broke him down; the referee stopped the fight at 2:25 in the fifth round.

Santa Ana, California native won every round on all three judges’ scorecards, and he was again dominant.

Rocha has been very busy of late; this was his seventh fight in 23 months, his second straight stoppage victory. Rocha is the mandatory contender for the WBO 147-pound champion Terence Crawford, and he made it clear that he wants the winner of Errol Spence-Crawford’s fight on July 29.

“I knew he was going to come in with the same energy he did when he fought Sadam Ali, and I was ready for that,” Rocha said. “I want the winner of the Spence-Crawford fight, and I am confident with the help of my amazing promoter, Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya, we’ll make it happen.”

Rocha is a fun fighter, and while he might not beat a Spence or Crawford, it definitely will be fun.

Photo: Golden Boy/ Cris Esqueda

In other action:

In a dominant performance, lightweight fighter Oscar Duarte (26-1-1, 11 KOs) of Parral, Chihuahua added an 11th-straight knockout win to his resume as the co-main event that was presented in association with Cancun Boxing. Duarte sent his opponent D’Angelo “King” Keyes (17-3, 11 KOs) of Houston, Texas to the mat twice; once in the third round and in the seventh round. Originally scheduled for 10-rounds, Keyes only made it to the end of the seventh where his corner waived the white towel.

“This was an amazing fight, with a great rival who was incredibly tough and very prepared,” said Oscar Duarte. “From the beginning, our plan was to break him down little by little. As I said in previous interviews, I wasn’t going to go looking for the knockout, I just knew it was going to happen naturally just based on how well I had prepared and how I have matured physically and mentally. I would love a fight against William Zepeda.”

Making history for Villalba, Puerto Rico, Oscar “El Pupilo” Collazo (7-0, 4 KOs) etched his name amongst the greats of Puerto Rican fighters and his division by being the fastest to become a world champion in the minimumweight division. He became the new WBO Minimumweight Champion when his opponent, former champion of Santos City, Philippines, Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem (20-2, 12 KOs) retired in his corner at the conclusion of the seventh round.

“We knew we had a solid challenge ahead of us, but thanks to my corner, they helped me stay calm throughout the fight,” said Oscar Collazo. “I knew I had to establish the pace with my jab, and by the fourth or fifth round we started to hit the body and he didn’t like it. We chopped the tree and we made history for Villalba. I will see you all in Puerto Rico in August, where I will make my first title defense.”

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Los Angeles’ John “Scrappy” Ramirez (12-0, 8 KOs) fought in one of his toughest fights yet against Riverside, CA’s warrior Fernando “Leoncito” Diaz (12-4-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-round super flyweight fight. Ramirez secured a split division victory with judges scoring the fight 96-94, 94-96, and 96-94.

The Golden Boy Fight Night: Rocha vs. Young Prelims, featured the highly anticipated debut of Eric Priest (10-0, 7 KOs) of Los Angeles under the Golden Boy Promotions banner. Priest faced a resilient fighter from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ricardo Villalba (20-9-1, 8 KOs), in an eight-round middleweight fight that went the distance. The judges scored the bout unanimously in favor of Priest with scores of 79-73, 80-72, 80-72.

In a pro-debut performance, recently signed Golden Boy prospect of Santa Ana, Johnny Cañas (1-0) secured an unanimous decision victory against the tough Jose Alvarado (1-8) of Puebla, Mexico. The judges scored the four-round super lightweight fight 40-36, 39-37, 39-37.

Opening fight night and the Golden Boy YouTube Prelims with a dazzling knockout in front of a hometown Coachella crowd, Leonardo “Bazooka” Sanchez (5-0, 4 KOs) added yet another highlight reel performance in his super featherweight fight against Uhlices Reyes (1-1, 1 KO) of Omaha, Nebraska. Scheduled for four-rounds, Sanchez sent Reyes to the mat once in the first round and twice during the second, ending the fight at 1:01 in second round.

Mosley Jr.-Ballard to be co-main event on Munguia-Derevyanchenko

Categories UncategorizedLeave a Comment on Mosley Jr.-Ballard to be co-main event on Munguia-Derevyanchenko

Returning the ring for the second time in 2023, Shane Mosley, Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) will face a tough dance partner from Temple Hills, Massachusetts, D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (21-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight scrap. The fight is set as the co-main event for the highly anticipated Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko card scheduled for Saturday, June 10(DAZN).

Mosley, Jr. has had back-to-back victories, including a tough fight with “King” Gabriel Rosado in April 2022 and an unanimous decision win against Mario Alberto Lozano in February 2023. Ballard is looking for a strong comeback into the ring after a TKO defeat against Munguia in February 2022. 

Also on the DAZN card, Mexico City’s Mariana “Barby” Juarez (55-12-4, 19 KOs) will battle her compatriot also of Mexico City, Mayeli Flores (9-1-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Juarez is a former two-division world champion who held the WBC female flyweight title and the WBC female bantamweight title. Juarez was last seen in the ring fighting Yamileth Mercado for the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in October 2022. Flores is a former world title contender and will be looking to move up in the rankings if successful against Juarez. 

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (21-2, 16 KOs) will participate in a 10-round flyweight fight against Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (22-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles. Sandoval is coming off of an impressive second-round win against Jerson Ortiz on the Nery vs. Hovhannisyan card. Santomauro is a dangerous fighter whose only blemish is a seventh-round TKO loss against Diego De La Hoya in 2016. 

On the preliminary card, fan-favorite from San Diego, Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (6-0, 5 KOs) will fight in a six-round super featherweight fight against Christian “El Niño” Lorenzo (3-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles. Opening the Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko fight night with a four-round super welterweight fight, Anthony Saldivar (3-0, 1 KOs) of Ontario, California will face Jerome Clayton (2-1-1, 2 KOs) of Metairie, Louisiana. 

Returning the ring for the second time in 2023, Shane Mosley, Jr. (19-4, 10 KOs) will face a tough dance partner from Temple Hills, Massachusetts, D’Mitrius “Big Meech” Ballard (21-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight scrap. The fight is set as the co-main event for the highly anticipated Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko card scheduled for Saturday, June 10(DAZN).

Mosley, Jr. has had back-to-back victories, including a tough fight with “King” Gabriel Rosado in April 2022 and an unanimous decision win against Mario Alberto Lozano in February 2023. Ballard is looking for a strong comeback into the ring after a TKO defeat against Munguia in February 2022. 

Also on the DAZN card, Mexico City’s Mariana “Barby” Juarez (55-12-4, 19 KOs) will battle her compatriot also of Mexico City, Mayeli Flores (9-1-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-round super bantamweight fight. Juarez is a former two-division world champion who held the WBC female flyweight title and the WBC female bantamweight title. Juarez was last seen in the ring fighting Yamileth Mercado for the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in October 2022. Flores is a former world title contender and will be looking to move up in the rankings if successful against Juarez. 

Opening the DAZN broadcast, Rialto’s Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval (21-2, 16 KOs) will participate in a 10-round flyweight fight against Rocco “So Cal Kid” Santomauro (22-1, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles. Sandoval is coming off of an impressive second-round win against Jerson Ortiz on the Nery vs. Hovhannisyan card. Santomauro is a dangerous fighter whose only blemish is a seventh-round TKO loss against Diego De La Hoya in 2016. 

On the preliminary card, fan-favorite from San Diego, Jorge “El Niño Dorado” Chavez (6-0, 5 KOs) will fight in a six-round super featherweight fight against Christian “El Niño” Lorenzo (3-4, 1 KO) of Los Angeles. Opening the Munguia vs. Derevyanchenko fight night with a four-round super welterweight fight, Anthony Saldivar (3-0, 1 KOs) of Ontario, California will face Jerome Clayton (2-1-1, 2 KOs) of Metairie, Louisiana.