Tag: STEVE ROLLS

Berlanga on win over Rolls: ‘I’m just happy we got the victory and moving forward’

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New York City came out in full force to Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden to see Edgar Berlanga put on a show, and while it was not the show they may have wanted, their man got the victory. 

In front of a sold-out crowd, Berlanga prevailed by unanimous decision over Steve Rolls(96-94 and 97-93 2x) in a 10-round super middleweight battle in the main event Saturday night.

After winning 16 straight by first-round knockout, the Brooklyn native has now gone the distance in his last three fights.

Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs), who was dropped and tore his biceps last October against Marcelo Esteban Coceres, got the better of the action against the 37-year-old Rolls(21-2, 12 KOs), but the Canadian veteran had success as well. It was not a great night for Berlanga, but he did enough to get the job done.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 19 (Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images)

According to Berlanga, Rolls fought scared.

“You could tell that he was fighting scared,” Berlanga said. “Every time I reached in or threw something, he’s pulling back, running the whole fight.

“I was looking for a big shot. My corner was telling me use a jab. My elbow was bothering me a little bit. But I’m just happy we got the victory and moving forward.”

He now moves forward to a potential June 11 date, which is Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend in NYC.

The 24-year-old Berlanga is a draw, but he probably needs to develop more. The streak made him popular, but it may not have been suitable for his development. Young fighters need rounds, and Berlanga missed out on that due to the knockouts.

It should be interesting to see how Top Rank moves him going forward.

Zayas Blanks LaVallais

Xander Zayas was dominant in the junior middleweight co-feature, shutting out New Orleans-based veteran Quincy LaVallais over eight rounds (80-72 2x and 80-71). Zayas, the 19-year-old phenom from San Juan, Puerto Rico, excelled in his first scheduled eight-rounder, applying the pressure early and never letting up.

Zayas (13-0, 9 KOs) nearly scored the stoppage in round two, as he had LaVallais (12-3-1, 7 KOs) pinned against the ropes for the whole round. He landed 54 punches in that stanza, but LaVallais’ granite chin blunted Zayas’ power. By the fifth, LaVallais was marching forward, if not banking rounds.

Zayas kept the barrage going in the later rounds, and LaVallais received a moral victory of sorts in surviving the distance. Zayas outlanded LaVallais at a nearly 4-1 clip, 262-66.

Zayas said, “I need this type of experience. Eight rounds against a tough opponent will only help me as I move forward in my career.

“The plan is to come back June 11 at The Garden on Puerto Rican Parade Weekend. That’s a special weekend for Puerto Ricans, and I am proud to represent my people.”

Junior Welterweight: John Bauza (17-0, 7 KOs) UD 8 Tony Luis (29-5, 10 KOs). Scores: 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74. Luis applied his typical pressure, but that wasn’t enough to upset the apple cart against the rising Puerto Rican star. Bauza used his southpaw jab and quick-trigger combinations to blunt the Luis attack.

Welterweight: Jahi Tucker (7-0, 4 KOs) UD 6 Tracey McGruder (6-2, 4 KOs). Scores: 60-54 and 59-55 2x. Long Island native Tucker tried everything he could, but the stubborn McGruder withstood the onslaught. He turned southpaw at times and attempted to lure McGruder to the ropes. After six rounds, McGruder was still standing, and Tucker had to settle for the near-shutout.

Junior Lightweight: Henry Lebron (15-0, 10 KOs) TKO 7 Josec Ruiz (23-6-3, 16 KOs). It took Lebron nearly seven rounds, but the Puerto Rican contender became the first man to knock out the Honduran veteran. Lebron laid a beating on Ruiz, but he finally staggered him in the seventh, prompting referee Benjy Esteves to stop the fight.

Junior Lightweight: Bruce Carrington (3-0, 2 KOs) KO 5 Yeuri Andujar (5-5-1, 3 KOs). Carrington, the latest knockout puncher from the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, knocked Andujar out cold with left hook. The Dominican veteran gave Carrington the most competitive run of his young career, but it was mostly one-sided traffic that ended in devastating fashion.

Carrington said, “I want to thank Brownsville and all of Brooklyn for coming out to support me. Fighting as a pro at Madison Square Garden was a dream come true. This is only the beginning.”

Junior Welterweight: Armani Almestica (5-0, 5 KOs) TKO 3 Luis Valentin Portalatin (3-4, 1 KO), 1:57. Almestica brought a vocal contingent to the Hulu Theater and battered late replacement Portalatin until referee Eric Dali stopped the fight.

Junior Welterweight: Kelvin Davis (4-0, 3 KOs) TKO 1 Phillip Carmouche (2-3), 1:17. The eldest of the Fighting Davis Brothers from Norfolk, Virginia, Kelvin notched the first first-round knockout of his burgeoning career. Carmouche offered little resistance, and Davis pounced with a pair of knockdowns. The finishing blow came courtesy of a right hook as Carmouche was slumped against the ropes.

Berlanga: ‘I think 2022 is going to be a big year for me’

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Super middleweight contender Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga went the distance twice last year following 16 first-round stoppages to begin his pro career. After surgery to repair a torn biceps suffered last October against Marcelo Esteban Coceres, Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) will make his 2022 debut Saturday, March 19 in a 10-rounder against Steve Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs) at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

The Brooklyn-born Berlanga is ready to begin a new knockout streak against Rolls, a Canadian veteran who has a pair of knockout wins since a 2019 TKO defeat to Gennadiy Golovkin.

The Night of Young Stars —Berlanga-Rolls, Keyshawn Davis-Esteban Sanchez, and Xander Zayas-Quincy LaVallais — will be broadcast live on ESPN & ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

This is what Berlanga had to say at his Las Vegas training camp:

“I think 2022 is going to be a big year for me, and I can’t wait to kick it off in my first main event in New York. I learned a lot from my last fight, and I’ve been working really hard on correcting my mistakes. After my surgery, I chose to do my rehab out here in Las Vegas so I could not only do physical therapy with the best team in the business, but also focus 100 percent on boxing. The fans are going to see big things from me this year beginning March 19.”

“Having my first main event at home is amazing. I’m ready to show everyone what I’m made of. I want people to see that I can sell out an arena. I don’t need to have a title or a big-name opponent to sell tickets. I have a fanbase, and everyone is going to see that on March 19.”

“I’m proud to represent New York City and Puerto Rico. I want to be the next great Puerto Rican champion. My first memories of boxing are watching Tito Trinidad fight as a little kid, and I want to give the Puerto Rican people someone that they can be proud of.”  

Photo: Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

Berlanga-Rolls, Zaya-LaVallais, Davis-Sanchez set for 3/19 at MSG

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Three future fistic superstars are set to unite under the Madison Square Garden spotlight.

Brooklyn-born super middleweight sensation Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga will defend his NABO belt against crafty Canadian Steve Rolls in the 10-round main event Saturday, March 19 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Berlanga, whose family hails from San Juan, Puerto Rico, makes his main event debut in his stiffest test to date.

In the junior middleweight co-feature, 19-year-old Puerto Rican star Xander Zayas will fight in his first scheduled eight-rounder against Louisiana-born spoiler Quincy “Chico” LaVallais.

The eight-round televised opener will see the return of lightweight U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis against Mexican veteran Esteban Sanchez.

Berlanga-Rolls, Zayas-LaVallais and Davis-Sanchez will air live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“Edgar, Xander and Keyshawn are future pound-for-pound superstars, and it will be a special evening in front of a sold-out New York City crowd,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “All three are in there with the toughest fights of their respective careers, but I expect them to pass with flying colors.”

Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) took the boxing world by storm with 16 straight first-round knockouts to open his pro career. He went the distance twice in 2021, opening his campaign in April by knocking down Demond Nicholson four times in eight rounds in an ESPN-televised rout. Berlanga returned on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III card in October, defeating Marcelo Esteban Coceres via 10-round unanimous decision despite suffering a torn biceps in the third round and the first knockdown of his career in the ninth.

Berlanga said, “I’m so excited to fight in my first main event in my hometown. It’s a dream come true for a fighter representing New York City and Puerto Rico. I can’t wait to show the world what I’m truly about. We are going to blow the roof off the Hulu Theater, so grab your tickets early and get your popcorn ready for this performance.”

Rolls (21-1, 12 KOs), a 37-year-old from Toronto, is an 11-year pro who was an undefeated middleweight contender before moving up in weight. In June 2019, he challenged pound-for-pound stalwart Gennadiy Golovkin at Madison Square Garden and found some success in the second round before being stopped in the fourth. Rolls has tallied two wins since the Golovkin bout, most recently knocking out Christopher Brooker in the ninth round last month on the Artur Beterbiev-Marcus Browne undercard in Montreal.

Rolls said, “I’m happy to be back headlining at Madison Square Garden. Training camp has been going well, and I feel very strong with nothing but war on my mind. Berlanga has power, but I’ll be ready for whatever he brings. I’m looking forward to March 19. I’ll see you then.”

Zayas (12-0, 9 KOs) had a breakthrough 2021, going 6-0 with four knockouts while being mentioned prominently in Prospect of the Year debates. He made his Madison Square Garden debut last December and finished his 2021 campaign by knocking out Alessio Mastronunzio in the first round. He steps up against LaVallais (12-2-1, 7 KOs), who notched a December 2020 upset over Clay Collard at the MGM Grand Bubble. LaVallais, who is 2-2 since the Collard victory, has never been knocked out.

Zayas said, “It’s an honor to fight again at Madison Square Garden, where I know my Puerto Rican people will come out to show their support. 2021 was a great year, but I’m looking forward to an even bigger 2022. Quincy LaVallais is a solid veteran, so I can’t overlook him. I want to make a major statement on March 19.”

Davis (4-0, 3 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, won three bouts in the first five months of 2021 before journeying to Tokyo and earning a silver medal. He then signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank and improved to 4-0 with a second-round stoppage over Jose Zaragoza on December 11. Davis makes his 2022 debut against Sanchez (18-1, 8 KOs), a 23-year-old from Ensenada, Mexico, who has won two straight bouts and will be making his American debut.

Davis said, “I put on a show at Madison Square Garden in December, and I’m going to do it again. Esteban Sanchez is supposed to be my hardest fight as a pro, but it’s going to be easy work. The Davis Brothers are coming to represent Norfolk and leave no doubt that we are the future of boxing.”

Undercard action will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ and is scheduled to include a host of undefeated talents, including Puerto Rican junior welterweight John “El Terrible” Bauza (16-0, 7 KOs) in an eight-rounder, welterweight and Berlanga’s New York City stablemate Pablo “Pretty Boy” Valdez (6-0, 5 KOs) in a six-round attraction, Puerto Rican junior lightweight Henry “Moncho” Lebron (14-0, 9 KOs) in an eight-rounder, and a four-rounder featuring junior welterweight Kelvin Davis (3-0, 2 KOs).

Andrade: Unlike GGG, who just boxed Steve Rolls, I’m fighting real guys

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Demetrius Andrade believes he’s on the right path to prove he is the man at 160lbs as he defends his WBO crown against Maciej Sulecki on Saturday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Andrade (27-0 17 KOs) is chasing down an undisputed clash with Mexican ace Canelo Alvarez, while Kazakh ace Gennadiy Golovkin is also on the radar of the Providence star, who fights at home for the first time as a World champion.

Both Andrade and Sulecki (28-1 11 KOs) hold wins over Jack Culcay, while the Pole’s sole defeat came at the hands of former World ruler Daniel Jacobs, and he enters the bout after a gut-check win over Gabriel Rosado in March.

Andrade has seen off tough African and WBO #2 Walter Kautondokwa for the vacant strap in Boston in October and then defended the crown for the first time against rugged Russian Artur Akavov with a 12th round stoppage in New York in January, and the champion believes this run of tough clashes is priming him for the big showdowns he’s hunting.

“Maciej is a tough guy, a top ten guy and he’s only lost to Danny who’s faced GGG and Canelo,” said Andrade. “The boxing world knows that I am the baddest wolf out there because if I hadn’t, I would have faced Canelo and GGG already and would’ve taken my loss like a man and they would’ve captured my WBO title at two different weight classes. So that goes to show that I have control over myself and was right to have faith that I’m doing the right thing, so don’t give up as my time will come, you’re not going to just keep digging and digging and then just stop without knowing that that next dig is for all the diamonds.

“The Rosado fight was a grueling one for him, he fought Culcay and he gave him a tough fight too, so he must have skills to be where he is and fight the fighters he’s fought. So unlike GGG who just boxed Steve Rolls who was ranked about 81 in the world, I’m fighting real guys. We are fighting tough guys to get it on with Canelo and GGG whereas they have been cherry picking and they can do that with the profile they have, it’s just business. I’m not upset about it because my time will come when I walk in with one belt and walk out with four.

“Everyone has their own opinion about any fighter, I won’t know until I get in there. I am no fool, I know that I have to be on my game and not think about his other fights because everyone i different. Culcay did a great job against him, put him down, Rosado put him down, so they got to him by accumulating punches and letting their hands go. But that’s them, not me, I have a different IQ to them.”

Andrade’s clash with Sulecki is part of a huge night of World title action in Providence as unbeaten Briton Kal Yafai defends his WBA World Super-Flyweight title against mandatory challenger Norbelto Jimenez.

Former Heavyweight World ruler Joseph Parker takes on Australian former World title challenger Alex Leapai, Boston’s Mark DeLuca faces Canadian Brandon Brewer over ten rounds at Super-Welterweight, young talents Alexis Espino and Raymond Ford taste their third action in the paid ranks, as does Otha Jones III fresh from his first round KO win in London.

Local favorite Anthony Marsella faces Jose Aubel, another unbeaten Providence fighter Anthony Concepcion takes on Yasmani Pedroso, former World title challenger and Providence native Shelley Vincent meets Simone Da Silva.

Gennady Golovkin stops Steve Rolls in 4

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The “Big Drama Show” is back, and it was on full display on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. Former middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin(39-1, 35 KOs) stopped previously unbeaten Steve Rolls(19-1, 10 KOs) in the fourth round.

With the victory, Golovkin, 37, puts himself in position to possibly get a third fight with unified middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.

Before the stoppage in round four, Rolls had a lot of success against Golovkin in round two, which included snapping Golovkin’s head back. While Golovkin was not noticeably hurt, it did wake him up, and in the fourth round, he went to work. Golovkin initially hurt Rolls with a right hand on top of the head and would drop him with a left hook. Rolls tried to get to his feet, but he was unable to do so before referee Steve Willis counted to ten.

What’s next for GGG? He and his team made it very clear that they want Canelo, who gave Golovkin his first and only loss last September.

“I’m ready for September. I’m ready for Canelo,” Golovkin said after the fight. “Just bring him, just ask him. I’m ready. If you want big drama show, please tell him.”

Alvarez needs a dance partner for September, and in terms of what would be the biggest fight for Canelo, it has to be Golovkin. The fight makes sense for all parties involved, including DAZN, but who knows what will happen next.

 

Toronto boxer Steve Rolls: ‘Triple G is going to face boxing’s version of Kawhi Leonard on June 8’

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Inspired by the Raptors run to the NBA Championship Finals, undefeated Top-10 contender Steve Rolls is determined to give his hometown of Toronto another reason to cheer.  Like the Raptors, who are ahead 1-0 in their challenge of the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors (Rolls attended Game 1), Rolls will be the underdog when he faces boxing’s pound-for-pound superstar attraction Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, who successfully defended his middleweight titles a record 20 consecutive times — 18 by knockout.

Golovkin and Rolls will go mano a mano in a 12-round rumble, which will be contested at a maximum weight of 164  pounds and streamed live on DAZN, next Saturday, June 8, from the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.

“You can look at me as an underdog but in my mind, I’m the best investment this side of Wall Street,” said Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs).  “Triple G is going to face boxing’s version of Kawhi Leonard on June 8.”

“Boxing is no game,” responded Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan.  “I want a war. I have trained for a war.  That’s why boxing fans enjoy the Big Drama Show.  I come to fight.”

The Raptors have a better chance of beating the Warriors than Rolls does of defeating Golovkin, but anything can happen.

Steve Rolls on GGG fight: ‘Make no mistake, this isn’t a tune-up. I’m coming to fight’

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Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and undefeated Top-10 world-rated contender STEVE ROLLS kicked off their coast-to-coast media tour with a New York press conference April 22, at Madison Square Garden.

Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, will formally announce that he is bringing his Big Drama Show back to the “Mecca of Boxing” on Saturday, June 8, in a 12-round rumble with Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs), who hails from Toronto. The fight will be contested at a maximum weight of 164 pounds and streamed live on DAZN.

Golovkin vs. Rolls kicks off the exclusive six-fight, three-year global partnership between GGG Promotions and DAZN, the world’s fastest-growing sports streaming platform.

Boasting a resume that includes a record 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses (18 by way of knockout), Golovkin has consistently drawn packed houses to the five previous events he has headlined at The Garden, dating back to 2013.

Rolls(19-0, 10 KOs) who has stopped four of his last seven opponents, has vowed to ice the middleweight legend with his version of a Canadian cold front.

“Make no mistake; this isn’t a tune-up. I’m coming to fight,” Rolls said at a press conference on Monday. “With everybody getting to know me now, after June 8th, you won’t forget me. I got much respect for Gennady Golovkin, but I’m coming to shock the world.

If the 35-year-old Rolls does find a way to beat Golovkin, he will turn the middleweight division upside down, and of course, he would shock the world. He is undefeated, but obviously, he has not fought anybody as good as Golovkin. Anything is possible, but a Rolls’ victory would be absolutely stunning.

GGG: ‘I am very excited to be returning to the ring and bringing the Big Drama Show back to MSG’

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It’s a whole new ballgame for boxing’s pound-for-pound superstar attraction GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN!  Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, brings his Big Drama Show back to the “Mecca of Boxing” — Madison Square Garden for the first time in over two years in his eagerly-awaited DAZN debut on Saturday, June 8.

Golovkin, whose resume includes a record 20 consecutive middleweight title defenses (18 by way of knockout), has consistently drawn packed houses to the five previous events he has headlined at The Garden, dating back to 2013.  He will rumble with undefeated Top-10 contender and Kronk Gym alumnus STEVE ROLLS (19-0, 10 KOs), from Toronto, Canada, in a battle, scheduled for 12 rounds, at a maximum weight of 164 pounds.  Golovkin vs. Rolls kicks off the exclusive six-fight, three-year global partnership between GGG Promotions and DAZN, the world’s fastest-growing sports streaming platform.

A two-city press tour, featuring both fighters, will take place next week, starting at Madison Square Garden on Monday, April 22, and concluding in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 23.  Details on those events will be forthcoming.

Notably, this will be the second of two major boxing events The Garden will host on back-to-back boxing weekends – both of which will be live exclusively on DAZN.  England’s Anthony Joshua will make his United States and Madison Square Garden debut in a defense of his unified heavyweight title against Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller on June 1, just one week before Golovkin’s highly anticipated return on June 8.

“I am very excited to be returning to the ring and bringing the Big Drama Show back to Madison Square Garden.  The Garden’s fans are fantastic,” said Golovkin.  “I love boxing and I promise to bring the best of me to everyone who will be watching me in an all-action fight with Steve Rolls.  I am very happy that GGG Promotions has a new home at DAZN.”

Golovkin, 37, has reigned supreme in the Middleweight Division for nearly a decade.  Eighteen of his record 20 title defenses came by way of knockout — a 90% ratio — which is sure to remain the division’s highest knockout percentage for a world champion.  Golovkin’s tenure as champion ended when he lost a hotly disputed majority decision in a rematch with Canelo Alvarez last September.

A dominant amateur standout and Olympic Silver Medalist before turning professional in 2006, Golovkin’s career has been on a historic trajectory, including a 23-fight victory-by-knockout streak and unifying the WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO World Middleweight Titles.  Golovkin has also proven himself to be box office gold.  He has sold out the most iconic arenas of the world, including Madison Square Garden, T-Mobile Arena, O2 Arena, The Fabulous Forum, and StubHub Center.

Rolls, 35, making his debut at The Garden, will be looking to ice Golovkin with his version of a Canadian cold front.  In his most recent fight, he won the vacant USBA middleweight title last December, via unanimous decision, over KeAndrae Leatherwood.  World-rated No. 9 rated by the IBF, Rolls has stopped four of his last seven opponents while keeping his record perfect.