By Norm Frauenheim –

Finally, David Benavidez is poised to take his first real step away from Canelo Alvarez in a move to re-define himself on his own terms with a light-heavyweight debut against Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

There’s yet to be a formal announcement, but Benavidez said Wednesday on a Fresh and Fit podcast that he expects to face Gvozdyk on June 22 instead of June 15, possibly in Houston at the Toyota Center.

The bout, he said, is expected to be on a PBC/Amazon Prime card featuring Gervonta Davis’ in his first fight in more than a year against Frank Martin.

Benavidez, a Phoenix-born fighter currently training in Miami, hasn’t exactly given up on the Canelo possibility.

But Canelo’s decision to fight Jaime Munguia on May 4 in Las Vegas and subsequent comments about a Benavidez fight, possibly in September, have left him without many options.

“We’re still trying to look for that Canelo fight,’’ said Benavidez, who at 27 will move up and out of the super-middleweight division in June.

But, he also said, “I don’t think that Canelo fight is gonna happen, so I’ve got to move on.’’

Canelo sent him that message a couple of weeks ago when he said he would only fight Benavidez for a prohibitive purse – “$150 million to $200 million.’’

That sounds as if it was just another way for Canelo to say it’s just not going to happen.

Initially, however, Canelo’s price tag fueled speculation that the Saudis would be interested. But apparently Canelo’s demands were even too rich for them.

Instead, Saudi Prince Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the oil-rich country’s General Entertainment Authority, said he’d be interested in the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol winner for the undisputed 175-pound title against Benavidez, if Benavidez beats Gvozdyk. Beterbiev-Bivol is set for June 1 in Riyadh.

Benavidez, who first indicated he was ready to move beyond Canelo last year, is still frustrated with Mexico’s pay-per-view star.

In deciding to fight Munguia in May, Canelo called Munguia “respectful’’ – a shot at Benavidez, who is not.

Over the last couple of years, Canelo has been angered by trash talk from Benavidez and his father/trainer Jose Benavidez Sr.

“Canelo,” Benavidez said, “is with this bull—-, ‘He needs to be respectful.’ 

“I’m not going to bow my knee to nobody, because I’ve earned my shot for the belts.’’

Benavidez is the World Boxing Council’s mandatory challenger to Canelo, the undisputed 168-pound champion. But the WBC has done nothing to enforce that so-called mandatory.

Instead, the WBC took the unusual step of announcing plans for Benavidez-Gvozdyk, a light-heavyweight eliminator for a fight with the Beterbiev-Bivol winner.

Usually, fights are planned and announced by the promoter, in this case PBC (Premier Boxing Champions). 

It was as if the WBC was offering Benavidez an alternative in an attempt to sidestep any controversy that would surround a threat to strip Canelo of the belt if he did not agree to face the unbeaten fighter from Phoenix.

“I try not to say too much,” Benavidez said, “because if I say he’s scared, people say I’m a hater. ‘What have you proved?’

“I’m the No. 1 contender. I don’t need to prove s—. I have beat the people they have told me to beat so I can fight for the title.

“I’ve done that over and over again. I’ve been his mandatory challenger for three years. That has never happened. Canelo is the money man right now.’’

Money equals power, and Canelo has plenty of both.

He’s already on record as saying he makes his own decisions.

“I will do what I want to do,’’ he told LA Times-Espanol in a video interview Thursday — a comment that will force Benavidez to do what he has to.

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Middleweight prospect Victor Guerrero will meet his toughest test to date in veteran spoiler Moris Rodriguez as Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions bring live professional boxing back to the Gold Country Casino Resort in Oroville, California on Friday, April 26th. The six-round main event will cap an exciting night of action featuring some highly competitive match-ups. 

Guerrero (7-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Gilroy, California made his U.S. debut with a thrilling four-round unanimous decision over a determined Matthew Monroe in Sacramento, California in January. Representing the next generation of the fighting Guerrero family, Victor will meet the most experienced opponent of his young pro career as he moves up to the six-round scheduled distance for the first time. 

“I am just very thankful to be part of a great card with great fights, as well as being the main event,” says Guerrero. “I am truly blessed with the opportunity to perform in front of my friends and family. Being my first six-rounder, it’s driven me to put in that extra work and pushed me to push myself to that next level in training. I can’t wait for April 26 to show everyone what’s coming.” 

Rodriguez (8-16-2, 5 KOs) of Sacramento has been matched incredibly tough throughout his nearly fifteen-year professional career. Despite taking tough fights, sometimes on very short notice, Rodriguez has the scalps of several previously undefeated or well-regarded prospects on his mantle. Now, taking on one of the biggest opponents in his career, Rodriguez will aim to spring another upset. 

In a pick ‘em fight between two hard-nosed veterans, Salvador Briseño will take on Jonathan Garcia in a six-round welterweight clash.

Briseño (18-7-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and representing the Jose Morales Boxing Academy in Roseville, California is fresh off an eight-round unanimous decision over veteran Cameron Krael on March 16th. 

Garcia (20-2, 16 KOs) of Watsonville, California will look to shake-off the second longest inactive period of his pro career with a tough assignment in Briseño. Garcia, once one rising prospects of the California scene, went 5-1 entirely in Mexico after ending his last layoff of over four years in 2019.

In a lightweight battle that promises action, Christian Avalos (1-1-2) of Carson City, Nevada will take on Pedro Angel Cruz (3-4, 2 KOs) of San Jose, California over a scheduled six rounds. 

Avalos broke through into the win column in his last bout after two successive wars with another San Jose-based fighter in Mark Salgado. The first Avalos-Salgado war took place at Gold Country Casino Resort last May. On that same May card, Cruz pounded out a four-round unanimous decision over tough David Reyes.

Ebert Diaz (1-0-1, 1 KO) of Richmond, California will return to the Gold Country Casino Resort to take on Clayton Hibbert (0-2) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light welterweight bout. 

In a middleweight rematch, Marco Ortiz (0-2) of Red Bluff, California will attempt to avenge a hotly contested four-round split decision he suffered at the hands of Matthew Monroe (1-2) of Sacramento, California last November.

Two fighters with mixed martial arts backgrounds will throw hands in a four-round welterweight bout when Scott Hayward of Redding, California makes his professional boxing debut against Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-2) of Fresno, California by way of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. 

Maribel Guerrero (0-1) of Gilroy will take on Iris Contreras (3-0) of Richmond in a four-round super flyweight bout. Guerrero, cousin of Robert Guerrero and trained by her uncle Ruben Guerrero Sr., turned pro in March. Contreras, trained by her father Filemon Contreras, holds a win over top ranked Shurretta Metcalf. 

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions and Fisticuffs Productions, are available online at uppercutpro.com 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

White Plains, NY (April 2, 2024) – Star Boxing‘s wildly popular Rockin’ Fights series will have it’s inaugural debut on the YES Network tonight at 6:30 PM ET.

Tonight’s airing will be of the recent February 23 fight card that featured the WBC Continental Americas Cruiserweight title bout between Simone Federici and Blake Caparello.

Also featured on the telecast tonight will be the super middleweight Polish star Kamil Bednarek taking on Victor Hugo Exner and Daniel Gonzalez against Keane McMahon in their exciting bout.

Highlights of several other bouts that took place on February 23rd card will also be on the telecast.

Be sure to tune into the YES Network, of the NY Yankees, as Joe DeGuardia brings his critically acclaimed Rockin’Fights series back to broadcast television and his Bronx based roots.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX — Not much separated Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson on the scale.

Not much figures to separate them in the ring either Friday at Desert Diamond Arena in nearby Glendale in an intriguing junior-light fight (8 p.m./PT), a potential stepping stone to a world title.

Both came in under the 130-pound mandatory Thursday, Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) at 129.7 and Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) at 129.6.

“I saw somebody who’s ready for war,’’ Wilson said after the ritual face-to-face stare down in a ballroom and lobby crowded with fans from Valdez’ Mexican hometown in Nogales, south of Tucson.

The weigh-in, at a hotel in downtown Phoenix, also included Seniesa Estrada and Yokasta Valle, who will fight for an undisputed women’s minimum-weight title on the ESPN televised card.

Both came in under the 105-pound mandatory, Estrada (25-0, 9 KOs) at 104.2 and Valle (30-2, 9 KOs) at 104.3.

There were only unblinking stares and no words between Estrada and Valle as they posed for the cameras the day before a women’s fight that has generated plenty of trash talk and lots of attention, including media from Costa Rica, Valle’s home country.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX — Super Fly.

Super fight.

Juan Franciso Estrada and Jesse “Bam’’ Rodriguez, little guys with a huge chance at making some history, will fight on June 29 at an arena appropriately named Footprint Center, Matchroom Promotions announced Thursday.

It’s not often that fighters in the smallest weight classes ever occupy the center of boxing or have an opportunity to leave an enduring footprint on the sport’s storied past.

But that rare moment, a potential classic, now looms with Estrada and Rodriguez in a fight for the 115-pound title. Some of the acronyms might classify the weight as junior-bantam.

Sorry, nothing junior about.

Only Super, as in Super Fly.

It was a good movie. A great sound track. Thank you, Curtis Mayfield

It could be a better fight, a master mix of technical skill and head-rocking power.

“What a fight this is,” said Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who first disclosed his plans for Estrada-Rodriguez in late January. https://www.15rounds.com/2024/01/27/eddie-hearn-looking-at-az-for-projected-super-fly-showdown/ “When the best fight the best, excitement is guaranteed, and there’s no doubt that these are two of the best fighters on the planet.

“There are so many plot lines for us all to get our teeth into in the build-up to this incredible clash. But when the bell goes, the talking will stop, and we will be treated to something very special.’’

Hearn, a London promoter, made the announcement about an hour before the weigh-in for the Oscar Valdez-Liam Wilson junior-lightweight fight Friday night at Desert Diamond Arena in nearby Glendale.

The weigh-in was staged at a downtown Phoenix hotel, within a couple of blocks of Footprint, the Suns home arena.

Initially, there were reports that the Estrada-Rodriguez would go to Desert Diamond, where Rodriguez beat UK flyweight Sunny Edwards in a violent stoppage last December.

Desert Diamond was booked. But Footprint was available. As it turns out, the move — location, location, location – was like everything else about this bout: It fits.

Footprint is a couple of miles within flyweight Michael Carbajal’s home. He helped open the place early in his Hall of Fame career in 1992. He left his footprint there when it was named after an airline.

Hearn is staging Estrada-Rodriguez in Phoenix, in large part because of a growing city’s traditional enthusiasm for fighters in the lightest weight classes.

“There are a lot of educated fans here,’’ Hearn said in January while in Phoenix for super-middleweight Jaime Munguia’s stoppage of John Ryder.

There are, many fans and fighters say, because of Carbajal, who will have a street in his neighborhood named for him in late April. The Phoenix City Council approved a proposal to do so at a meeting on March 20.

“One-hundred percent, it’s because of Michael,’’ said Rodriguez trainer Robert Garcia, who will work the corners for lightweight Raymond Muratalla against Xolisani Ndongeni and for welterweight Lindolfo Delgado versus Curtis Sanchez on the Valdez-Wilson undercard. “These Phoenix fans grew up with Michael.

“They know who they’re watching, what they’re watching.’’

Rodriguez will be making his third appearance in Phoenix. In December, he beat UK flyweight Sunny Edwards, scoring a violent stoppage at Desert Diamond.  In February 2002, he beat Carlos Cuadras, winning a Super Fly title with a unanimous decision at Footprint.

Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) is from San Antonio, but there was never much of a chance that the fight would happen in his hometown, Garcia said.

“No,’’ said Garcia, who says Rodriguez had agreed to terms a couple of weeks ago. “We just couldn’t ask Estrada to fight Bam’s hometown.’’

Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs), the World Boxing Council’s reigning Super Fly champion, is no stranger to the Phoenix area. He scored a majority decision over legendary Roman Gonzalez at Desert Diamond 18 months ago. He hasn’t fought since.

He was born, the son of a Mexican fisherman, in Puerto Penasco, a town that is located at the top of the Gulf of California, about a five-hour drive south of Phoenix – the right place for the right fight.

By David Galaviz –

Phoenix, AZ –

Checo Checo is what you will hear in any arena Sergio “Checo” Rodriguez of Hermosillo, Mexico is fighting. Sergio 10-0-1 (8Kos) is now fighting out of Phoenix, AZ like many who dare to take up boxing it was the trying to be like your big brother. Checo at the age of 8 years old started following his brothers to the local gym down the street from his house in the rough barrio in central Phoenix. Since that day over 20 years ago he has been training and fighting in some form. Drawing inspiration from his favorite fighter Hall of Famer and 9x world champion Juan manual Marquez. 

Checo made his professional debut in the summer of 2021, it just so happened that another future world champion out of phoenix was on the card Elijah Garcia 16-0 (13Kos) who is fighting this Saturday vs Kyrone Davis on the the first PBC Amazon telecast. Receiving a draw for his first fight, but has been as hot as the phoenix heat in the summer knocking his opponents out in 8 of the following 10 fights. Even sending 2 to the hospital one with a broken foot and the other with a severe concussion. 

This Friday he has another huge opportunity to show case his talent on another top rank card as he did in august of last year when he stopped his opponent in the 2^nd round. Catching the eyes of national boxing fans it was a no brainer to have him on another Top Rank card in Arizona, perhaps on many other cards in the future if he can take care of business fight night. This fight has the writings of being the one that breaks Sergio into a top prospect and upcoming star on the Top Rank roster.

Checo is now at the point in his career where he wants to fight as much as he can but would rather face tougher opposition even if that means not stepping in the ring as often. As he stated “I want to challenge myself and be a world champion Ill be able to take care of my family, myself and live a better life”. He is ready to give the fans a show no matter where or who is in front of him. 

You can catch Sergios fight as he takes on Sanny Dubersonne 12-6-2 (9Kos) on the Oscar Valdez Liam Wilson card tomorrow on ESPN plus starting at 3pm at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. Get there early as you don’t want to miss this fight. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Liam Wilson is back in a city for the first step in a mission to reclaim what he says was taken from him more than a year ago.

“Unfinished business,’’ Wilson says of his junior-lightweight fight against Oscar Valdez Friday in an ESPN-televised bout that could put him in position to finally possess the belt he believes he should already have.

Wilson will return to the same arena, Desert Diamond in nearby Glendale, in an attempt to finish some messy business that erupted into controversy on February 3, 2023.

Then, at least, an angry Wilson described the ring as though the canvas should have been surrounded by yellow crime tape instead of traditional ropes.

Emanuel Navarrete, Wilson said, got away with one.

Wilson, an Australian, knocked down the unbeaten Mexican in the fourth round.

Navarrete clearly hurt, spit out his mouthpiece in an apparent attempt to gain some time to recover his consciousness and composure. As it turned out, he got plenty. It took the referee 27 seconds to retrieve the mouthpiece.

Five rounds later, Navarrete went on to win a vacant World Boxing Organization 130-pound title with a ninth-round stoppage

But it wouldn’t have happened without that long count, said Wilson, the only fighter to put Navarrete on the canvas.

“The whole world saw it,’’ Wilson said Wednesday at the final news conference at a hotel ballroom in downtown Phoenix. “I should have been world champion.’’

Wilson did not file a formal complaint with the WBO or the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission. He said Wednesday that he only complained to the promoter. But he also said that the Long Count controversy motivated him to return for a second shot at a world title.

“Arizona, I’m glad to be back,’’ said Wilson, a road warrior from Brisbane who trained in Thailand and Las Vegas.

Another shot at a title, — the same title – was created Tuesday when the WBO ruled that Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) and Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) are fighting for an interim belt. What happens next depends on Navarrete.

In pursuit of a fourth division belt, he’s fighting for a vacant lightweight title against Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk on May 18 in San Diego

If Navarrete wins, as expected, he could decide to defend the 135-pound title and vacate the 130-pound version.

If that happens, the WBO announced that the Wilson-Valdez winner will be elevated from interim to real. Inevitable controversy would follow. You can already hear the social-media mob screaming “e-mail champion.’’

But, at least, it wouldn’t be a Long Count.

That controversy left some angry echoes and lessons. To wit: In his AZ return, Wilson has no illusions. It’ll be hard to win a decision.

Valdez, a former featherweight and junior lightweight champ, is favored in part because the crowd promises to be with him. He’s popular in Arizona. The two-time Mexican Olympian grew up in Nogales, about a three-hour drive from Phoenix. He has roots in Tucson

Despite his punishing loss by decision to Navarrete at Desert Diamond last August, the crowd cheered him.

“They said thank you for your performance,’’ Valdez said. “At first, I wondered why they were thanking me for a loss.’’

Above all, it was a sure sign that Valdez has some very loyal fans. They’re expected to be there for him Friday

He’ll have the crowd, leaving Wilson with a pretty good idea of what he has.

“No options,’’ he said. “I’ve come here to knock him out.’’ 

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By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Kids and fans stood and waited in a line that stretched out into a parking lot and almost onto a busy westside street just for a chance to say hello to Oscar Valdez Jr.

Champ, they called him.

He hasn’t been one for a while.

But a real chance to prove them right all over again opened up Tuesday when the World Boxing Organization ruled that Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) and Liam Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) will fight for the acronym’s interim junior-lightweight title at Desert Diamond Arena Friday night in nearby Glendale.

“It’s added motivation,’’ Valdez said after signing autographs for a crowd of moms, dads, kids and fans at Old School Boxing, a gym in the industrial section of central Phoenix. “I always train like I’m fighting for a world title.

“But that chance is closer now than I thought it would be.’’

Valdez, a former featherweight and junior-lightweight champion, said the news surprised him.

“I had no idea this might happen,’’ said Valdez, a popular fighter in Arizona who was born in the border town of Nogales and has roots in Tucson.

It did because of Emanuel Navarrete’s pursuit of a fourth division title. He’ll fight for the WBO’s vacant lightweight title against Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk on May 18 in San Diego.

In its ruling, the WBO announced that the Valdez-Wilson winner would be elevated to champion if the favored Navarrete beats Berinchyk and then decides to defend the 135-pound belt instead of the 130-pound version.

The announcement was not without controversy. The WBO currently ranks Wilson No. 2 and Valdez at No. 4.

The WBO’s top-ranked contender is unbeaten Albert Bell (27-0, 9 KOs), a Toledo fighter who is coming off a first-round KO of Jonathan Romero. The No. 3-ranked contender is Andre Cortes, also unbeaten (21-0, 12 KOs).

Valdez is coming off a punishing scorecard loss to Navarrete in August, also at Desert Diamond.

“I have a tough battle facing me now,’’ Valdez said. “That’s my focus.’’

Valdez is the betting favorite, but Wilson represents a significant challenge in an EPSN-televised bout. Wilson, an Australian still pursuing his first world title, lost a controversial bout to Navarrete in February, also at Desert Diamond.

In a wild fourth round, Wilson knocked down Navarrete, clearly hurting him. In an apparent attempt to gain extra time to recover, Navarrete spit out his mouthpiece.

On the clock, it was 27 seconds before the referee retrieved the mouth piece. It was time enough for Navarrete to regain his consciousness and composure.  

Five rounds later, Navarrete won, scoring a ninth-round TKO over Wilson to take the WBO’s 130-pound title.

It was vacant then. It might be again, leaving it open for the winner of a Friday night fight that suddenly has some heightened stakes.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Canelo Alvarez threw out a couple of numbers that would seem to eliminate any chance he’ll ever fight David Benavidez

“One-hundred-and-fifty million dollars to $200-million,’’ Canelo said this week at a news conference formally announcing his May 4 fight with Jaime Munguia at Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena.

Not even Donald Trump can come up with that kind of money these days.

It’s hard to know whether Canelo is serious, but conventional wisdom

suggests that the prohibitive purse numbers are just another way of Canelo telling Benavidez that it’s just not going to happen.

But fantasy numbers have also ignited more Benavidez-Canelo trash talk, which seemed to enter another inflationary spiral this week.

Benavidez fired back from Miami, where the Phoenix-born fighter is training for a light-heavyweight fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk, projected for June 15.

“Hopefully, after you make that $150 million, you have enough left over to buy a pair of nuts,” Benavidez said on his Instagram account.

Presumably, he wasn’t talking about a couple of Pistachios.

Nobody has yet given up on a Benavidez-Canelo possibility in September. Even Benavidez mentioned it in an Instagram post early Thursday.

“Just wait on it,’’ Benavidez posted. “don’t be surprised when this fight happens in September.’’

First, however, a lot would have to happen. Canelo has to beat Munguia. That’s considered likely. From this corner, however, Munguia has a real chance to take Canelo’s undisputed super-middleweight title in what would be a huge upset.

The 26-year-old Munguia, who in January did what Canelo could not in stopping John Ryder in Phoenix, has young legs. If he can take the fight into the late rounds – say, the eighth — he’s got a shot.

It’s no secret that Canelo runs out of gas down the stretch.

Then, there’s Benavidez, who will get a look at his future at a heavier weight against the competent Gvozdyk, a former 175-pound champion.

As of Thursday, there was still no word on where Benavidez and Gvozdyk will fight on a card also expected to feature Tank Davis, who hasn’t fought since last April’s stoppage of Ryan Garcia.

Moving on up

Emanuel Navarrete’s move up to lightweight is official. He’ll fight Ukrainian Denys Berinchyk on May 18 for a vacant World Boxing Organization in San Diego, Top Rank announced this week.

Navarrete, already a three-division champ, is expected to win. If he does, he figures to vacate the WBO junior-lightweight title.

That could open the door for the Oscar Valdez-Liam Wilson winner to land a possible shot at the vacated belt.

Valdez and Wilson, both beaten by Navarrete last year, fight March 29 – next week Friday — at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ in the main event on an ESPN-televised card.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – The streets have always been part of Michael Carbajal’s identity.

He’s endured them. Survived them. Fought because of them. They’ve left their mark, scars still there like deep cracks in an old sidewalk outside of his Ninth Street Gym, which was a church about a century ago.

It’s still a bully pulpit, but punches do all the preaching these days. You can hear the choir in the rhythm of a speed bag.

Step out of the gym and down the street, Fillmore, and you’re at Carbajal’s childhood home.

I’ve walked that street with him often and asked what keeps him there. He looks at me, eyes flashing like sparks off flint, as if to say I don’t understand.

For years, I didn’t.

Today, I do.

That was delivered definitively this week at a Phoenix City Council meeting just a few miles of roadwork from Ninth Street and Fillmore. Carbajal was on the agenda, Item No. 65. From liquor licenses to zoning issues, the session began with the usual process. Think about your last visit to the Motor Vehicle Division. Take a number, please.

But, suddenly, it went from protocol to poignant with Item No. 65, a resolution to rename one of those streets after Carbajal.

Ordinarily, council meetings in any city don’t attract a crowd. But this one did. From Carbajal friends and neighbors to those who had a role in his ring career, dozens were there.

I was there, too, and I was lucky enough to speak in his behalf. I was asked to.

Ordinarily, that’s not the job of a journalist, sports or otherwise. I had covered Carbajal’s career during my years at The Arizona Republic.

I was there in Seoul when he got robbed of a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics.

I was there in Las Vegas when he got up twice and knocked out Chiquita Gonzalez in a dramatic 1993 Fight of the Year, a fight as memorable as any in the history of boxing’s smallest weight classes.

I was there in Mexico City in 1994 in front of at least 30,000 Gonzalez fans, then unhappy at California’s Proposition 187, controversial immigration legislation.

Carbajal was Mexican only in name and heritage on that night, which ended in Gonzalez wining a debatable decision in a second rematch.

For those Mexican fans, he was a convenient American target for their anger at the California proposal. They drank, threw debris and waited for Carbajal to enter the hostile arena as if he were the bull that the place had been built for.

About an hour before opening bell, I saw Carbajal, seated with his hands taped and ready to take that long walk through a gathering storm.

He was a lonely figure at the end of a long dark tunnel that was his dressing room.

All the while, restless partisans stomped their feet in unison.

The noise had an angry beat, one that echoed a fundamental cliche: You can’t play boxing. I looked at Carbajal and wondered what I would feel at that moment.

One word: Terror.

I think I would have headed for the parking lot, jumped into a taxi, gone to the airport and boarded a flight in a panicked escape to Cabo San Lucas.

But I also knew then that I admired Carbajal. It’s hard to be objective about courage, and I saw plenty of it on that night in a 108-pound kid off the streets of Phoenix.

Over the years, I was often accused of crossing the line. I was told I had gotten too close. I can’t deny that. But I won’t apologize for it, either.

Boxing, itself, is different than any other sport in traditional journalism, now a dying craft. Trust is hard to come by from fighters who grew up mistrusting cops, teachers and a gringo reporter from a big daily that had not paid much attention to their neighborhoods.

In more than a decade as the Suns beat reporter, I had worked hard to keep my distance. But those traditional lines weren’t there in trying to cover Carbajal, a tough Mexican-American from a dangerous neighborhood just a few blocks from The Republic’s newsroom.

Through it all, there was controversy, an inherent part of almost any ring career. After all, prizefighting is controversial, almost by definition.

There were arrests, police investigations, shootings, gang allegations and ominous rumors. It was part of the Carbajal story and part of the reason I would ask him: Why, Michael, why do you stay here?

He has for the same reason he took that long ring walk on that night in Mexico City three decades ago. His adherence to a dangerous craft is as unshakable as his ties to those streets in a dangerous neighborhood.

Turns out, his friends, neighbors and a few retired cops understood that better than a gringo reporter.

They spoke to the city council before and after I did at Wednesday’s meeting Retired cops, who had worked Carbajal’s neighborhood, confirmed there was trouble, but they said, it didn’t come from Michael.

By the time it was my turn to take the podium, I realized that legacy — a word so overused to be almost meaningless – is still relevant in Carbajal, now 56 and 25 years removed from his last fight in 1999.

Younger neighbors, who weren’t even born when he was fighting, know him and identify with him because he’s still there. Their challenges were his challenges.

For Phoenix, he continues to be a living piece of tangible history. In my two minutes before the City Council, I talked about how the Phoenix area has become an emerging market for promoters from all over the world.

Eddie Hearn, of London’s Matchroom Promotions, has been staging cards in Phoenix and Glendale for the last couple of years. Hearn is putting together a Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Juan Francisco Estrada SuperFly showdown, projected for June 29 at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena.

“There are a lot of educated fans here,’’ Hearn said repeatedly when he was in Phoenix, representing John Ryder in January for Ryder’s stoppage loss to Jamie Munguia.

There are, because of Carbajal. At recent cards, I’ve often been approached by young fans who tell me that their dads used to read me all the time when I was writing about Carbajal for The Republic.

Those sons are Hearn’s educated fans, the demographic that has turned the Phoenix market into a go-to place for promoters and networks.

They also represent Carbajal’s ongoing legacy, an avenue to what the emerging market has become.

There are no avenues in Carbajal’s neighborhood. But there will be a street, from Ninth to Tenth, named after him. The Council voted to attach Michael Carbajal Way onto the street signs. It was a unanimous decision, 9-0.

It’s appropriate. The streets that created him will soon be named after him.

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Gabriel Flores Jr., once one of the most highly regarded lightweight prospects in all of the sport, returns home to Stockton, California on Saturday night, as he and his father Gabriel Sr. have taken the step of launching new promotional entity G-Squad Entertainment as they chart a path for the next stage of their careers. Flores will take on unbeaten Julian Rodarte for the vacant WBA Continental USA lightweight title in the ten-round main event of a five-bout card at the Adventist Health Arena. Fighters weighed-in Friday at the host venue. 

Flores (22-2, 8 KOs) of Stockton was last in the ring at this same venue last May, making short work of veteran journeyman Derrick Murray as he helped boost ticket sales for the Top Rank-promoted event. Now with more control than ever over his own career, Flores will hope a victory over Rodarte, while claiming a regional title in the process, will put his name back in the mix at 135-pounds. Flores weighed-in just under the lightweight limit at 134.4-pounds on Friday. 

“This is going to be a great performance,” Flores told 15rounds.com on Friday. “I am going to have another memorable night. Get your tickets now!” 

Rodarte (19-0-2, 8 KOs) of Downey, California sports a similarly glossy record, but a comparison of resumes will show that Flores represents a significant step-up in competition for the out-of-town challenger. Rodarte last fought in August where he was held to a draw by a fighter that had dropped his previous seven contests. Rodarte, fighting in California for the first time since 2019, scaled 134.8-pounds at Friday’s weigh-in. 

With his famous father of the same name in his corner, Fernando Vargas Jr. (13-0, 12 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Oxnard, California will meet perhaps his toughest foe to date in veteran Brad Solomon (29-6, 9 KOs) of Douglasville, Georgia by way of Lafayette, Louisiana in a six-round light middleweight bout. Vargas’ knockout streak ended two fights back as he was finally taken the six-round distance last August, before scoring his twelfth knockout over Wilfrido Buelvas in November. Solomon, a 16-year professional veteran, did not fight in 2023, last seeing ring action in December of 2022 in a failed bid at a regional title. Vargas scaled 152.8-pounds Friday, while Solomon made 151.2. 

Making his professional debut on Saturday, well-regarded Lorenzo Powell of Sacramento, California will take on Jose Valenzuela Alvarado (2-12-1, 1 KO) of Puebla, Puebla, Mexico in a four-round lightweight bout. Powell, who had been slated to turn professional last November before the event was canceled due to weather forecasts, scaled 134-pounds. Valenzuela Alvardo came in heavy at 136.2-pounds at the weigh-in. 

Two veteran gatekeepers meet in a scheduled eight-round welterweight bout, as Salvador Briceno (17-7-1, 11 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico takes on Cameron Krael (20-31-3, 7 KOs) of Las Vegas. Briceno, who took Gabriel Flores Jr. the eight-round distance back in 2019, weighed-in at 146.4-pounds. Krael, who managed to fight eight times last year and is somehow still just 30-years-old, came in at 147.6-pounds. 

Representing the third generation of his vast fighting family, Jessie James Guerrero (3-0-2, 3 KOs) of Salinas, California returns to the ring for the first time in almost a year, as he takes on Jose Rodriguez Montemayor (7-8, 6 KOs) of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin by way of Piedras Negras, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Mexico in a six-round super flyweight bout. Guerrero, expecting his first child to be born this Father’s Day, will be fighting on his pregnant girlfriend Ariel’s birthday on Saturday night. Montemayor, originally slated to meet Jesus Haro, came in heavy at 115.4-pounds, while Guerrero made 113.4-pounds. 

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment and to be streamed live by FightHub TV, are available online at Ticketmaster.com 

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBA Continental USA Lightweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Flores Jr. 134.4

Rodarte 134.8

Light middleweights, 6 Rounds

Vargas Jr. 152.8

Solomon 151.2

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Powell 134

Valenzuela Alvarado 136.2

Welterweights, 8 Rounds

Briceno 146.4

Krael 147.6

Super flyweights, 6 Rounds 

Guerrero 113.4

Rodriguez Montemayor 115.4

Photo by Julio Sanchez/G-Squad Entertainment 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim –

It looks as if stakes for the Oscar Valdez-Liam Wilson fight March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ have been heightened by news this week that Emanuel Navarrete and Denys Berinchyk are in negotiations for a vacant lightweight title.

The news, reported by ESPN Knockout Wednesday, could put the Valdez-Wilson winner in line for the World Boxing Organization’s junior-lightweight (130-pound) title if Navarette beats Berinchyk for the WBO’s 135-pound belt in a bout projected for May 18 in San Diego.

Navarrete retained the WBO’s version of the junior-lightweight belt in a punishing decision over Valdez last August, also at Desert Diamond. Navarrete, already a champion at three weights, has talked about moving up the scale in pursuit of a fourth.

He would be the likely favorite against Berinchyk. If he beat the Ukrainian, he’s likely to defend the new title and relinquish the old one, a potential scenario with immediate significance for Valdez-Wilson later this month.

Valdez, a former champion at featherweight and junior-lightweight, wants to regain a title.

“This is definitely a crossroads fight because it will determine who gets closer to a world-title opportunity,’’ he said this week from his training camp in San Diego. “My goal for 2024 is to be a world champion again. I miss being a world champion. Boxing is my life. If you are not striving to be the best, then what are you doing in this sport?

“I always train hard to be the best. So, this fight means everything because winning this will put me one step closer to a world-title shot.”

For Wilson, the unfolding story could lead to a second chance at his first world title. In a controversial fight in February 2023 at Desert Diamond, Wilson floored Navarrete in the fourth round. Navarrete, dazed, spit out his mouthpiece. Wilson, an Australian now training in Las Vegas, argued that Navarrete – with help from the referee — bought himself some extra time to recover. Navarrete went on to win the belt, then vacant, by a ninth-round TKO.

It’s expected that the Valdez-Wilson fight, initially called a special attraction by Top Rank, will be for the WBO’s so-called interim title.

In the WBO’s current 130-pound ratings, Wilson is No. 2 and Valdez No. 4. That reflects how they did against Navarrete. Wilson had a real shot at beating him. Valdez had no chance.

However, Valdez, a two-time Mexican Olympian with roots in Tucson, is about a 3-to-1 favorite over Wilson. The odds reflect his popularity in Arizona. He was born in Nogales, about 178 miles south of Desert Diamond.

The WBO will already have a role on the card. Yokasta Valle has the WBO version of the women’s minimum tile in a challenge for the undisputed title against three-belt holder Seniesa Estrada.

Bam-Estrada negotiations

15 Rounds confirmed Thursday that Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Juan Francisco Estrada are close to completing a deal for a Super-Fly showdown on June 29 at Desert Diamond.

News of the possibility first broke in Phoenix during the week before Jamie Munguia’s stoppage of John Ryder on Jan. 27 at Footprint Center.

That’s when Eddie Hearn, Ryder’s promoter, said he wanted to stage Bam-Estrada in Arizona, a boxing market known for its appreciation of fighters in the smallest weight classes.

“There are a lot of very educated fans here,’’ Hearn told 15 Rounds then.

Bam-Estrada has potential to be among the best in the history of divisions between 108 and 115 pounds.

“Estrada-versus-Bam is just a stunner,’’ Hearn said on Matchroom Promotions’ YouTube channel this week. “You keep seeing these small guys giving us unbelievable nights.’’

It looks as if both Bam and Estrada will make second straight appearances at Desert Diamond.

Bam, of San Antonio, blew out Sunny Edwards, scoring a ninth-round stoppage on Dec. 17 at 108 pounds. In his last fight, Estrada, son of a Mexican fisherman in Puerto Penasco south of Phoenix, won a second rematch, a majority decision over legendary Ramon Gonzalez at 115 at Desert Diamond on Dec. 3, 2022.

Bam-Estrada, Hearn said, has Fight-of-the-Year contender “written all over it.’’

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Nearly one year removed from his last fight, undefeated Jessie James Guerrero makes his long-awaited return to the ring this coming Saturday night when he takes on veteran Jose Rodriguez Montemayor at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. The six-round flyweight bout will serve as one of the featured attractions underneath Gabriel Flores Jr.’s homecoming main event. The event serves as the inaugural showcase for Gabriel Flores Sr.’s G-Squad Entertainment promotional entity. 

Guerrero, from the famed fighting family out of Gilroy, California, is primed and ready for Saturday night, considering he has been in camp since the fall of last year. Unfortunately for Guerrero, fight after fight fell through during that stretch: one in November, one in December and a third was first postponed, rescheduled and then ultimately canceled in January. 

“It does mess with us,” explains Guerrero. “Are we going to fight or are we not going to fight? I am working my butt off in camp, cutting weight, gaining weight, cutting weight. For me, it’s a good thing that I walk around between these weights, so I don’t really have to worry too much about it. So I feel pretty good right now.” 

Guerrero, the nephew of former world champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, has continued to develop his craft in the gym, despite not getting the chance to show off his new tools before a paying crowd. Training under and alongside his uncle and sparring different types of fighters, Guerrero has been working hard away from the spotlight since the fall. 

“Camp has been great,” says Guerrero. “We started camp off in October. I went out to camp with my uncle for his fight with [Andre] Berto. I was out there with my cousin Vic, who just fought in January. We were getting ready for our fights in November. We were out there working in a world championship camp with my uncle and nothing gets better than that. I was sparring with all different types of guys; lefties, righties, switchers, power punchers, counter punchers. I got all the work I needed.”

When the January bout, scheduled to take place in San Jose, California, was taken off the books, Guerrero (3-0-2, 3 KOs) almost immediately shifted focus to this Saturday in Stockton, which will now serve as just his second contest to take place in the United States. 

“I took a week off and reset,” recalls Guerrero. “I came home for a week before going to camp again. I stayed in shape and worked on what I needed to improve on so I could be 110 percent for this fight coming up on March 16th.” 

Guerrero’s pro ledger fails to include two bouts he won as a 16-year-old in Tijuana, Mexico that have yet to be recognized by official record keeper BoxRec. With only a year of amateur fights under his belt, Guerrero’s team, which includes his father Ruben, his grandfather Ruben Sr. and his uncle Robert, believed Jessie James could handle the move to the paid ranks shortly after completing his sophomore year of high school. 

“A lot of people thought we were crazy,” admits Jessie James. “A lot of people told my grandpa…but from a coach with a lot of experience, doing this for over 40 years, he knows what’s best for me and my team knows what’s best for me. I was excited to go pro and I got a little glory while I was still at school. By the time I fought my fourth and fifth fight in Mexico, I would take two weeks off of school to finish the last two weeks of camp. I would go back and a lot of the staff would give me congratulations or tell me they were proud of me. Teachers had newspapers of me in the classroom. I got a good amount of glory for the next two weeks at school.”  

In his last outing, Guerrero made his stateside debut in Fresno, California on a big Top Rank-promoted event. The night got off to a great start for the young Guerrero. “It was a great experience that I will never forget,” recalls Jessie James. “I remember walking out through that tunnel and seeing all those people. This is what it feels like. It all happened so quick, so I didn’t really look around. But after the fight, I could look around at all the people yelling and cheering, so it was a great excitement. Now I have that experience and got those butterflies out of the way, so now I know what that moment feels like, moving on.” 

After the pageantry ended, Guerrero encountered new challenges and endured a learning experience before ultimately settling for a draw against Eduardo Alvarez. The first hiccup would be seeing his own blood as the result of an accidental headbutt in the first round. 

“I didn’t even realize I had got cut until I got back to the corner,” says Guerrero. “My first pro fight, I got headbutted. My opponent’s head went right to my nose and my nose started swelling up and I thought I broke it. But this fight I had got cut and I didn’t notice until I got back to the corner and they told me and then I saw the blood on me. I handled it well and didn’t let it faze me. When I went back to the corner, I just felt like it was a dogfight now and that we were in for a good one.” 

After battling his own blood, Guerrero also came up against an official he felt had it out for him. The end result would be a split decision draw where no judge scored it the same. “That whole night was a bunch of drama,” exclaims Guerrero. “The ref was a jerk to us the whole time. I couldn’t fight my fight, it just threw me off. Any little thing, I felt like he was going to take a point or find a way to mess with us. That’s why they say in four-rounders, you have to take them out easy. Anything can happen in four-rounders. That was the last four-rounder and I’m glad to move to six-rounders.” 

With his uncle Robert’s hall of fame type career winding down, Jessie James is one of four Guerreros of his generation carrying on the family’s fighting legacy. His cousin Victor Guerrero is an undefeated middleweight and his cousins Maribel and Robert Guerrero Jr. just made their professional debuts this past Saturday in Tijuana. 

“It is not just one of us in the hot seat,” says Jessie James. “There’s four of us. We see each other in the gym. We push each other. We watch and give each other tips. We have my uncle here helping with my cousins and I, and my grandpa. We are all in the gym and working, so it helps a lot. For my uncle, making the way and making a name in this sport, that does bring us a bonus to get into these fights. A lot of promotional companies want fighters with an amateur background, Olympians and national champions. So for us, with very few amateur fights, it is a big opportunity for us and the window is very small, so we are taking everything we can and pushing for it, to get our names out there.” 

Adding to his motivation in carrying on the Guerrero family business, Jessie James will soon be welcoming a new addition to the clan, as he and his girlfriend Ariel are expecting their first born to arrive in June. 

“I found that out the first week I was in Vegas for camp,” remembers Jessie James. “When I found that out, my switch flipped. Every single day, I put 150% into everything I did, day-in and day-out. No matter what it was, sparring or running…I said to myself I have a family to support now. When I had a one-on-one talk with my uncle, he told me that he could see the difference since I had been there and found out. He had seen it, that I had changed and in everything I did, I had stepped up. He was surprised and could see how hungry I was to do something. Coming from not only a world champion in this sport, but coming from my uncle, that motivates me and pushes me because I have seen him do it. Now that I have a baby on the way, I have to make a statement in the sport. ” 

With a baby shower slated for the end of the month, and a fight scheduled on his expecting girlfriend’s birthday, March 2024 is lined up to be one of the most memorable calendar pages in the life of young Jessie James Guerrero. The first order of business comes this Saturday in Stockton. 

“I am ready to put on a show. I want to say thank you for all my supporters, my family and friends and everyone that has been supporting me. It is not just hard on me when these fights fall out. I’ve got people buying tickets and taking time off of work to come, some coming from out of state, to come and just to have these fights fall out. This time around, it just adds that fire to me, that they came to support me and I can’t let them down. For months, we’ve been in camp and ready to fight. With the fight on my girlfriend’s birthday, I got to come home with the win. I’ve gotta show out.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by G-Squad Entertainment, are available online at Ticketmaster.com 

Photo by Trini Guerrero

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

Follow all the action as Antony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou in a heavyweight slugfest. The packed undercard includes a heavyweight tussle between Zhieli Zhang and Joseph Parker. Plus two world title bouts Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball for the WBA Featherweight Title and Israil Madrimov and Magomed Kurbanov for the WBA Super Welterweight title

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATCIALLY. NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1:Jab from Nagannou..jab from Joshua..Right from Nagannou..HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES NAGANNOU..Left from Nagannou
Round 2 Solid right from Joshua..HUGEN RIGHT THAT PUT NGANNOU DOWN AGAIN…ANOTHER PERFECT RIGHT AND NGANNOU IS KNOCKED OUT COLD

ROUND 1 Right hand from Parker…Left to the body..Left from Zhang…

ROUND 2 Overhand right from Parker…Left From Zhang…

ROUND 3 Right to body from Parker…Right..Left From Zhang..Jab to body from Parker..BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES PARKER..Big Left 

ROUND 4 Right drives Zhang back

ROUND 5 Right to the body from Parker..Right from Zhang…Right from Parker

ROUND 6 Left to body from Parker

ROUND 7 Nice short left uppercut from Zhang…Big left..

ROUND 8 Perfect right to the head from Parker..LITTLE RIGHT HOOK ON THE INSIDE AND DOWN GOES PARKER

ROUND 9 Body shot from Zhang..Right from Parker..Jab..

ROUND 10 1-2 from Parker…

ROUND 11 Right hook from Zhang…Right from Parker

ROUND 12 Right from Parker..

113-113….114-112…115-111 FOR PARKER

ROUND 1: Right to body from Vargas..Right..

ROUND 2: Jab from Vargas..Body shot..Right to body..

ROUND 3: Ball throws Vargas to canvas..Right from Ball..right to body from Varhas..Left to body..Good uppercut..Left

ROUND 4 Jab and uppercut from Vargas

ROUND 5 Left hook from Ball..Right

ROUND 6 Good right from Vargas..Left from Vargas..

ROUND 7 Right from Ball..Right…Big right rocks Vargas..Left hook buckles Vargas..Right…Right

ROUND 8 Ball flinged Vargas and THEN LANDS A LEFT AND DOWN GOES VARGAS

ROUND 9 Vargas lands a body shot..Right…Left from Ball

ROUND 10 Left hook stuns Vargas..Body shot..Jab from Ball

ROUND 11 Left from Ball..Counter right..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES VARGAS 

ROUND 12 Right from Ball..Nice jab

114-112 VARGAS….116-110 BALL…113-113

ROUND 1 Jab to body from Madrimov…right..Right..

ROUND 2 Straight fright from Madrimov..Jab to body..Left hook..

ROUND 3  2 Rights from Madrimov..Overhand right…

ROUND 4 Left hook from Madrimov…Good left from Kurbanov…Madrimov lands a right…Jabs to the body..Good right from Kurbanov..Right from Madrimov

ROUND 5Right from Kurbanov..Right from Madrinov..Right from Kurbanov..Good right from Madrimov that drives Kurbanov back to the ropes…HUGE RIGHT HURTS KURBANOV…2 MORE RIGHTS AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1: Good left from Chamberlain…Gwynne has some swelling around right eye…
Round 2 Good counter left from Chamberlain…
Round 3 Doctor looks at Gwynne’s eye..Big combination from Chamberlain..Doctor looking at eye again, which is rapidly shutting…Straight left from Chamberlain…
Round 4 Counter left from Chamberlain…Big lead right hook, follow up flurry and THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Left from Lerena…Straight left..Jab to the body..Right from Huni…
Round 2 Nice uppercut from Lerena…Left wobbles Huni..Huni Holds on..Body shot and uppercut from Huni..Right..
Round 3 Good right from Huni…
Round 4 Right to body by Huni…Good left to body and jab from Lerena…
Round 5 Good straight right from Huni…Combination from Lerena…
Round 6 Right from Huni…Right
Round 7 Big left from Lerena
Round 8 Straight left from Lerena…Right to body from Huni..
Round 9 Big Left from Huni..Lead right from Lerena..Straight left buckles knees of Lerena
Round 10  Straight right from Huni…Left rocks Huni..Huge flurry and Huni has no legs left…

98-92 AND 96-94 TWICE FOR HUNI

Round 1:

By Norm Frauenheim –

Outrage is boxing’s oxygen. So, take a deep breath, because there’s plenty of it in the hours since Netflix announced Mike Tyson-versus-Jake Paul.

Give Netflix some credit. It didn’t call it a fight, which of course it is not.  Netflix is calling it a boxing event. It’s not exactly that either.

Tyson-Paul has about as much to do with boxing as Boxing Day does in the Commonwealth countries, where people box up food and other leftovers for the poor the day after Christmas.

That’s an act of mercy. But there’s none of that in what Netflix, Tyson and Paul are planning for July 20 at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ big top in Arlington, Tex.

There’s only money.

They’ll grab what they can and move on, leaving only the usual outrage and absolutely no mercy for the crowd that always buys into these events. It’s happening because there’s a market for it and there always will be.

There are reasonable questions, of course. By now, most of them have already been posted on outrage media.

Will Texas regulators call it an exhibition or sanction it? Will Texas drug-test Tyson, a pot farmer and user, after suspending Keyshawn Davis for a positive test in October?

Then, there’s the age debate. Tyson will be 58, if in fact he doesn’t come up lame in the gym before the scheduled date.

Fifty-eight doesn’t exactly make him a senior citizen. He’s still seven years from qualifying for Medicare, which he might need after he subjects his aging, battered body to a workout regimen. But it’s his choice, his life. His payday.

Besides, the last I checked, two guys, one 81 and the other 77, are running for President. Maybe, the loser can face the winner, although I’m guessing only Netflix wins this one.

At the opposite end of the age scale, there’s the 27-year-old Paul. He wasn’t even around for Tyson’s memorable days as a feared heavyweight.

More than 11 years before Paul was born, Tyson, then 20, became history’s youngest heavyweight champ ever with a second-round stoppage of Trevor Berbick in November 1986.

On the street or in the ring, there’d be something unseemly about a young man against an aging one. If it were real, it’d be really wrong. But it’s really not. It’s a made-for-social-media event.

As a boxing writer and fan, I suppose I could join the outrage mob. But anger at Tyson-Paul would be as phony as calling it a fight. Prizefighting’s historical canvas includes lots of scars, yet not one draws a line between right and wrong.

George Foreman once fought five guys, all in one night. Ali once fought a Japanese wrestler to a draw in Tokyo.

Truth is, it happens throughout sports.

Jesse Owens once raced a horse. In the early 1970s, Evel Knievel rode his motorcycle in a jump over an Idaho Canyon, appropriately named Snake River. Bob Arum helped promote that one. ABC’s Wide World of Sports didn’t televise it, but it did televise Knievel jumping over 13 London buses before a crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium in 1975.

Just last month, the East scored 211 points in an NBA All-Star Game devoid of anything resembling defense. In terms of competitive drama, it was about as real as Tyson-Paul will be.

I didn’t watch that.

I won’t watch Tyson-Paul, either. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

Francis Ngannou is no ordinary novice.

He’s been called one simply because of the numbers in his resume. They don’t add up to anything that would suggest he’s a champion, contender or journeyman

He’s a one-time heavyweight boxer. His heavyweight career is 10 rounds long. It’s the equivalent of a postage stamp on other heavyweight resumes.

Yet, it delivered a message, one that has made the top of boxing’s old flagship division very uncomfortable. Ngannou crashed the party in October, sending its lineal king tumbling onto the canvas like some eroding edifice.

Tyson Fury won a split decision in Saudi Arabia, but the scorecards’ inherent controversy has lingered with questions about the state of today’s heavyweight game.

It’s a question, one of many, seeking an answer Friday (main event at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT/DAZN PPV) when Ngannou enters the ring for the second time in his heavyweight boxing career against former champion and presumed Fury rival Anthony Joshua, also in Riyadh.

From personal reputations to promotional plans, the stakes are enormous, unprecedented for anything attached to a so-called novice.

Let’s start with the promotional plans. It was announced Wednesday that Queensberry Promotions wants the winner of Ngannou-Joshua to fight the winner of the rescheduled bout on May 18 between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

“There’s a lot on the line,’’ Fury said, stating the obvious.

The heavyweights, at least on the UK side of the division, have been waiting for a decisive Fury-Joshua confrontation for years. Few even knew Ngannou’s name when that wait began.

But here he is, a 37-year-old boxing novice and a Mixed Martial Arts veteran with the power to make everyone wonder why – why-oh-why — they waited.

“if in the coming months both Fury and Joshua win, it is on to the dream matchup in Wembley Stadium British boxing fans have dreamed of for years,” says Jim Lampley, HBO’s former ringside journalist who will co-host, real time, a live-stream chat for PPV.COM Friday. “If Usyk and Ngannou win, that is forgotten, and we keep moving into the brave new combat world.’’

The idea, at least from the UK perspective, is for Joshua to prove that Ngannou was simply an aberration last October.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Joshua looks as if he has restored his confidence. That was evident in his solid fifth-round TKO of Otto Wallin in December. Wallin is skillful, but don’t confuse him with Ngannou. He’s imposing, dangerous. This novice is a Goliath.

The guess is that Ngannou doesn’t have the endurance or the skillset to endure 10 rounds.  Joshua has an Olympic pedigree and a gold medal. But he also has a history of retreating after he gets hit by bigtime power.

That’s been the story line since he was knocked down by a huge shot from Wladimir Klitchsko in April 2017. Joshua went on to win an 11^th-round TKO. But the Klitschko knockdown seemed to replace the confidence with over abundant caution. He became beatable.

Ngannou is nothing if not powerful. Here’s another question: What happens to Joshua if he gets rocked by the kind of Ngannou shot that dropped Fury?

A Joshua advantage is that he knows all about Ngannou’s head-turning power. Against Fury, Ngannou delivered a timely alert, says Lampley in a pre-fight analysis.

“With his very near miss against Fury, Ngannou has supplied Joshua with a potentially vital wake-up call, a useful scouting report, and massive motivation to gain public-relations ground by indirectly embarrassing Fury.’’

Lampley has some advice for each corner.

For Joshua: “Make sure the boxing match is a BOXING match. Use your jab, stay out of clinches, don’t get into a wrestling match against the rarity of a larger, stronger man,’’ Lampley says to an ex-champ with plenty to lose

For Ngannou: “Shoot the moon. Take risks, swing big when you see the target, maybe this time the knockdown will stick,’’ he says to a novice with little to lose.

Novices never do

By Norm Frauenheim

It was part soap opera. Part outrageous. Often offensive. It was sometimes sad. Sometimes silly.

I’ll let somebody else decide what was real and what was fake. News conferences are always an impossible mix of fact and fiction.

Yet even by boxing’s over-the-top and off-the-rails standard, the Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia spectacle Thursday in Hollywood was bizarre.

Put it this way: It started with Devin Haney as the solid betting favorite for a junior-welterweight fight scheduled for April 20 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. It ended with a lot of people betting that Garcia just won’t show up.

Garcia was a man of many extremes throughout the second step of a coast-to-coast newser.

For a while, he turned it into a confessional. He said he smoked pot and drank alcohol. He said he didn’t use cocaine. He pleaded for some understanding.

“Guess what, we all have our flaws and we all have flaws as people,’’ said Garcia, who hours earlier posted a photo of him smoking what looked to be marijuana. “I’m 25 years old, you’ve got to remember. Sometimes, the weight of the world feels like it’s on my shoulders.

“I don’t know how many people have been 25-years-old and made $100 million in their life and can do what they want. I want to see what you would do in my shoes.

“Probably, a lot more than some weed.”

Then, he got angry, turning a boxing newser into a bully pulpit. He threatened somebody, who apparently doesn’t have much in common with Garcia other than alcohol.

“I’m going to beat the eff out of you,’’ Garcia shouted at a trash talker in the audience.

He was a man of many moods. He’s also a man with many followers, a social-media number that only a census can count. They’re always there, always demanding more from a personality always fearless and always willing to deliver a prayer, or a plea, or a punch. They follow him; he follows them.

Maybe, it was the setting. Like the stage at Hollywood’s Avalon, it was all Theater. That, at least, was the suggestion from many among Golden Boy Promotions. They argue that Garcia knows what he’s doing.

What he did Thursday, they say, was a calculated act, one designed to make Haney think he was in for an easy fight against his former amateur rival.

But after the newser, Haney had only one thought about a fighter he said he once respected.

“He’s not respecting himself,’’ said Haney, who might have summed up the news conference better than anyone.

NOTES

As The World Turns: Latest from Canelo-Benavidez

During a week dominated by Haney-Garcia, there was still some noise from boxing’s long-running saga, which continues to revolve around Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez.

For now, at least, it’s not happening. Not in May and probably not in September, although Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn continued to leave open the possibility of Canelo-Benavidez.

It all depends on Canelo’s next move. Reportedly, he has split with PBC after only one fight – a forgettable victory over Jermell Charlo – after signing a three-fight deal. Depending on the source, the money just wasn’t there to cover Canelo’s $35-million demand for a May fight. PBC said okay, but only if Benavidez was the third fight.

For whatever reason, however, Canelo has never wanted to fight the Phoenix-born Benavidez.

Here’s a theory:

Benavidez is to Canelo what Antonio Margarito was to Floyd Mayweather. Too much risk for the reward. Mayweather looked at the rugged Margarito and probably said to himself: “I’ll beat him, but I might pay a physical price.’’

The wisdom behind that risk-to-reward decision came in Manny Pacquiao’s victory over Margarito. Pacquiao was never quite the same after absorbing a brutal body shot midway through the fight on the Dallas Cowboys home field in November 2010.

It’s safe to say Canelo is confident he can beat Benavidez. At a point in his career when he’s been more vulnerable to injury, however, the risk is too high, especially against a tireless fighter with a gear few have in the later rounds. From the eighth to the 12th, nobody is as dangerous as Benavidez.

Meanwhile, Benavidez has begun training in Miami for a planned light-heavyweight bout against Oleksandr Gvoysk, possibly in June.

In media interviews from Miami, Benavidez said was willing to fight Canelo for $5 million, considered minimum wage for a Canelo opponent.

But Canelo’s minimum would have been at or near Benavidez’ biggest paycheck. It’s not clear what he collected for his decision over Caleb Plant in March 2023 in Vegas. The Nevada Commission no longer discloses purses. But it’s believed that it was a lot closer to $3 million than $5 million.

Oscar Valdez back in AZ in pursuit of another title

Oscar Valdez Jr, wants to knock out the former next to his name in his current resume.

“I’m hungrier than ever, because I’ve already tasted what it is to be a world champion,’’ Valdez said last week during a round of interviews for his March 29 bout versus Liam Wilson at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale AZ, where he lost a punishing decision for a vacant junior-lightweight title to Emanuel Navarrete in August.

Against Wilson, Valdez’ chances at another title will undergo a significant test. It’s a bout that puts the 33-year-old former two-time champion at a career crossroads.

Win, and he’ll be back in contention. Lose, and there’ll be talk of retirement.

Wilson, a 27-year-old Australian, is also returning to Desert Diamond. Wilson lost a controversial fight there to Navarrete in February 2023. In the fourth round, Wilson knocked down Navarrete, who bought himself some time to recover by spitting out his mouthpiece. Navarrete went to win a ninth-round TKO.

Wilson, Valdez said, “almost took that fight, almost won. There’s nothing easy about this fight. But I’m not looking for easy fights, I’m looking for challenges.’’

Olympic boxing needs help, yet says no to Pacquiao

The international Olympic Committee said no to Pacquiao’s petition for eligibility to box at the Paris Games this summer. He’s 45 — five years older than the boxing age limit and three years younger than Bernard Hopkins was when he won a major pro title at 48 in 2013.

He’s also nine years younger than Kelly Slater, who might be surfing’s best-known name since Duke Kahanamoku. At 54, Slater hopes to surf for the US at the 2024 Games.

The denial is just another reason not to watch Olympic boxing. Rhythmic gymnastics draws a bigger audience Pacquiao might be too old to answer an opening bell at any level these days, but he would have been a good ambassador for an endangered Olympic sport.

He might have generated some positive attention. Imagine that. These days, Olympic boxing gets headlines only for lousy decisions and gestures like Mick Conlan’s middle-finger salute to the judges in 2016. Olympic bureaucrats are threatening to eliminate it altogether.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Canelo Alvarez’ news conference was a lot like a much-anticipated fight. It didn’t live up to the hype. 

More of a teaser than a newser.

That’s not exactly a surprise. Canelo’s pay-per-view numbers and celebrity status apparently allows him to behave like a diva. He’s not the first. Won’t be the last, either.

Like it or not, it’s a perk, one that comes with all the money, limos, adulation, criticism, rumors and scar tissue. He’s moved on from being a People’s Champ. It looks as if that mythical title is a better fit for the emerging Jaime Munguia. More on him later.

What we do know about today’s version of Canelo is that he keeps people waiting. He keeps media waiting for an hour or longer to appear at a post-fight news conference. Mostly, he keeps David Benavidez waiting. And waiting. More on him later, too.

Canelo’s news conference Tuesday with Azteca TV was an exercise in more of the same. He announced that he had extended his deal with Azteca. Mexicans will continue to see his fights on free TV.

But exactly who will they see him fight next? 

More over Benavidez, we’re going to have to wait on that.

Nothing much changed about that one question, which continues to revolve around his projected May 4 date, the second in his three-fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions and his first on PBC’s new streaming partner, Amazon Prime.

Reportedly, Canelo said only that his May fight would be against an American. 

That could mean Benavidez, or Terence Crawford, or Jermall Charlo, or Sylvester Stallone.

Again — reportedly, Charlo appears to be the leading possibility. Then again, Charlo quickly shot that down on social media.

“Everyone is like ‘You about to fight Canelo’… ain’t no confirmation,’’ he posted on Instagram Wednesday while reportedly on vacation in the Caribbean. “I’m in the islands somewhere.”

It’s safe to assume that neither Charlo nor anybody else will make any kind of announcement. Canelo’s many perks dictate that he makes most of the money and all of the announcements.

Charlo is a lot of things, but he’s not foolish enough to jeopardize what would be his biggest payday ever by trespassing on that turf.  

Let’s just say that the consensus, still speculative, is what it was before the newser. Charlo is the leading possibility. At one level, it makes some sense.

In late September, Canelo easily scored a one-sided decision over Charlo’s brother Jermell, a junior-middleweight champion who never exhibited any willingness to fight.

Initially, it was reported that Canelo would fight Jermall, a middleweight champ. But Jermall, still plagued by personal issues, decided he couldn’t fight.

So, Canelo turned to Jermell, his twin. Only a vowel and a weight class separate the twins. What’s to say a May 4 fight with Jermall wouldn’t produce an identical performance?

The real question is this: Why is Jermall Charlo even on Canelo’s rumored short list? He’s never fought at super-middleweight. He’s fought only once in about three years and that was against a former junior-welterweight champion Jose Benavidez Jr., David’s older brother.

Jermall blew off the catchweight, a contracted 163 pounds. He was more than three pounds too heavy. He paid a fine — $75,000 a pound, multiple sources told 15 Rounds.

But it didn’t matter, perhaps because it was part of the calculation. Jermall, who was already talking about Canelo, fought as if he knew he only had to win to stay in line for the bigger payday. He did, but only by a forgettable decision over the smaller Jose Benavidez

Maybe, it worked. But Jermall Charlo’s last performance, long idle stretch and zero experience at 168 pounds loom as additional reasons for further impatience, if not outright frustration, for everybody calling on Canelo to finally fight David Benavidez.

There’s an argument that Canelo isn’t trying to duck him. Yeah, and maybe Donald doesn’t quack. Fair? Not really. It’s a cheap shot. From fans to media, however, nothing about boxing is ever fair.

Canelo has the power to end the perception — silence the insults — that he’s trying to sidestep Benavidez

To begin with, he could end all the waiting, which only invites all the trash talk. He could announce he’ll fight Benavidez. Maybe, it still happens in September. That scenario made sense when Canelo signed a three-fight deal with PBC last year. It still makes sense.

But a lot could happen between May and September.

Canelo-against-Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion and consensus No. 1 in the pound-for-pound debate, is impossible to ignore. It has box-office and pay-per-view appeal. But negotiations for a catchweight could be prohibitive.

Then, what?

As always, Canelo has options. Perhaps, he decides to move up the scale again in a light-heavyweight fight against the Dmitry Bivol-Artur Beterbiev winner on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.

If Bivol wins, he would get a chance to avenge his May 2021 loss. If the feared Beterbiev wins, he gets a chance to correct the record with a win that would turn the Bivol loss into an aberration – a bad night.

That’s also a scenario that would keep Benavidez, Munguia and the rest of the deep super-middleweight division in the waiting room. Only frustration in there.

It’s hard to imagine what would happen next. If Canelo vacated the 168-pound title, perhaps Benavidez would be given the vacant World Boxing Council’s version. He’s already held it twice.

For now, he’s been the WBC’s mandatory challenger since November. But no steps have been taken to enforce that designation.

A so-called e-mail title wouldn’t satisfy any fans. It probably wouldn’t satisfy the Phoenix-born Benavidez, either. He loves to fight.

A 168-pound tournament for the vacant title would be a better solution. But that, too, looks to be an impossibilty in boxing’s balkanized business. There are too many rivalries between promoters and acronyms, creating chaos instead of any regulation or organization.

But for the fun of it, let’s just say somebody is able to underwrite one.

Here are some of the names:

At the top, there’s Benavidez, unbeaten and climbing into pound-for-pound recognition.

There’s the newcomer, Munguia, impressive last month in Phoenix in a stoppage of John Ryder in front of a Mexican and Mexican-American crowd of more than 10,000 that roared as if it was witnessing the emergence of Mexico’s next great fighter.

There’s dangerous David Morrell, a re-emerging Edgar Berlanga, durable Caleb Plant, Christian Mbili and Diego Pacheco.

Notice who’s missing: Jermall Charlo.

Like he said, he’s somewhere, but not on anybody’s list, except for maybe Canelo’s.

Elijah Garcia faces tough test

Phoenix middleweight Elijah Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs), who ended 2023 as one of boxing’s hottest prospects, will test his chances at becoming a solid contender in 2024 against Kyrone Davis (18-3-1, 6 KOs).

A week after Garcia said he expected to fight on the PBC card featuring Tim Tszyu-Keith Thurman on March 30 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, it was announced Tuesday that he would face Davis.

It’s a fight that could steal the show, the first since the PBC deal with Amazon Prime was announced late last year.

Davis is already well-known among Phoenix fans, who grew up watching the 20-year-old Garcia.

A  late stand-in, Davis fought David Benavidez at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix in July 2021. Benavidez won, scoring a seventh-round TKO, but Davis kept it competitive with a fearless pursuit of the bigger, more popular Phoenix fighter. In the end, the fans and Benavidez applauded Davis.  

“I’m excited to be back in the ring, especially on this first event with PBC and Prime Video,” Garcia said. “Fighting on these major events is an incredible blessing and I plan on delivering another great performance. 

“Kyrone Davis has been in the ring with some very good fighters, and it will be a challenging fight, but my plan is to get the win by any means necessary.’’

Davis promises to test Garcia’s promising credentials.

“Elijah Garcia is a very good fighter who’s young and hungry and he looks the part, but most importantly he’s been moved right,” Davis, of Philadelphia, said. “Sometimes you can look better than you really are if you’re being moved right.

“I got asked about this fight last year and of course I said yes. Then everything went silent.

“Now, I face Cruse Stewart and he goes the distance with me and Elijah stopped him, so now he fights me. I’m not going to say too much, but I’m glad they took the fight. We’ll see if Garcia is really the future.”

Los Angeles, CA (February 10, 2024) Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions hosted media workouts for a large contingent of Southern California press on Saturday at Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA.  Fighters who worked out for the media will be competing at the next installment of the nationally acclaimed Hollywood Fight Nights series on Friday, February 23 at Chumash Casino Resort

in Santa Ynez, CAand broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Among those going through the media workout session were Undefeated Welterweight Contender Gor Yeritsyan, (17-0, 14 KOs), accompanied by his Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach, Super Lightweight Knockout Artist Cain Sandoval, (11-0, 11 KOs) along with his opponent on February 23, Super Lightweight Veteran, Javier Molina, (22-5, 9 KO’s). Also working out was Rising Undefeated Featherweight Osvel Caballero, (4-0, 3 KOs) and Undefeated Bantamweight Alfredo Castro, (9-0, 7 KOs) who previously caught the eye of Tom Loeffler while sparring at Wild Card Boxing Gym.

Below are quotes from the participants;

Gor Yeritsyan

“Coach Freddie and are having a great camp. We know how tough an opponent Quinton Randall is but we’ll be prepared for victory for the fans at Chumash Casino and those watching on UFC FIGHT PASS. I’m planning to bring the WBC Continental Americas Title home with me.”

Cain Sandoval

“Javier is a very good veteran who has had many more professional fights than me but he’s never felt my power before. Some have called this a step-up fight for me but I’m very confident that I’ll be victorious and put on another great show.”

Javier Molina

“I’ve been hearing about Cain for a while but I know my skills and experience will give me the victory on February 23.”

Osvel Caballero

“This is the just the just of show I need to fight on to elevate my career. A big crowd and the UFC FIGHT PASS exposure is very important for me. Thanks very much to Tom Loeffler and 360 Promotions for the opportunity.”

Tom Loeffler

“The main event and co-main are reminiscent of the great HBO Boxing After Dark cards. Both fights are very well matched for exciting action from the opening bell and bigger opportunities awaiting the winners.”

“As you can see, these fighters are in great shape and we’re excited to bring another world class boxing card to the beautiful Chumash Casino Resort. UFC FIGHT PASS is the biggest combat sports streaming platform in the world and has become the platform to see these types of exciting cards.”

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Hollywood Fight Nights on Friday, February 23at the beautiful Chumash Casino Resort is headlined by an outstanding ten-round main event featuring Undefeated Gor Yeritsyan, (17-0, 14 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA facing battle-tested veteran Quinton Randall, (13-1-1, 3 KOs), of Houston, TX for the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight Title, broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Yeritsyan, a native of Armenia, returns to action following an impressive victory on November 9 at Madison Square Garden, an eight round unanimous decision over perennial contender Luis Alberto Veron. The 28-year-old native of Armenia is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach. The upset minded Randall, undefeated in his first 13 professional fights, looks to bounce back into the win column following a hotly contested ten round clash against Brian Norman on November 16, 2023 in Las Vegas, NV.

Co-featured in a scheduled ten-rounder on February 23, Sacramento, CA Knockout Artist Cain Sandoval, (11-0, 11 KOs) faces battle-tested veteran Javier ‘El Intocable’ Molina, (22-5, 9 KOs), of Norwalk VA. Sandoval hits the Chumash ring after continuing his reign of terror in the division with a show-stopping fifth round knockout over New York City based contender Wesley Ferrer on November 9 at Madison Square Garden. The 33-year-old United States Olympian Molina is coming off a split decision loss to hometown favorite Robbie Davies Jr. on May 21, 2022 in London, England. Molina also holds notable victories over former world champion Amir Imam and top contenders Hiroki Okada, Jessie Roman and Joseph Elegele.

Fast-rising flyweight star Daniel ‘Chucky’ Barrera, (4-0-1, 3 KO), of Upland, CA makes his highly anticipated return in a scheduled six round bout against veteran Jonathan Almacen,

(7-9-3, 2 KOs), of Manila, Philippines. The 22-year-old all-action Barrera returns following an exciting six round shut-out unanimous decision over Gilberto Mendoza on August 26, 2023 at the Commerce Casino.

In a scheduled six-round welterweight battle, 23-year-old power house Jorge Maravillo, (8-0, 8 KOs), of Salinas, CA looks to stay perfect against Jesus Gonzalez, (7-1-1, 2 KOs), of Riverside County, CA. Maravillo shined in his Hollywood Fight Nights debut on July 22, 2023 with a first-round knockout of Terry Fernandez at Chumash Casino Resort. Gonzalez looks to halt Maravillo’s winning streak following a six-round decision over Josias Gonzalez on October 26, 2023 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Tickets priced at $105, $85, $75, $65 and $55 can be purchased through the Chumash Casino Resort. The Chumash Casino Resort is located at 3400 East Highway 246, Santa Ynez, CA 93460. Doors will open on the night of the event at 6:30 p.m. PT with the first bell at 7:00 p.m. PT.

                                                ————————————————–

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By Norm Frauenheim

Tyson Fury’s cut is generating predictable skepticism and even a few conspiracy theories.

It’s as if he tripped, fell and hit his head on an elbow hidden in the proverbial grassy knoll.

Who knows what really happened?

But Fury’s nasty cut is deep, wide and real. It also might be an ominous sign, a ruptured scar and an ugly marker of the damage inevitably sustained throughout any long boxing career.

Fury is not immune, although his bravado appeared to be in the aftermath of Friday’s announcement that the injury would not allow him to fight Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17 for the undisputed heavyweight title. A couple of days later, it was re-scheduled for May 18, still in Riyadh.

Fury answered the skepticism and some taunts, especially from Usyk manager Egis Klimas, who said Fury was “scared’’ and scarred. Klimas then insulted his wife with a slur and said he asked her to hit him in the head with “a frying pan.’’

Fury reacted, saying he doesn’t back down, never backs down.

“Egis, never call me a coward again,’’ Fury said to Klimas on split screens, Klimas with Usyk and Fury with Prince Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.

It was an over-the-top show that might have made the WWE jealous. But it was a stage Fury has always dominated in his lousy-lounge-act kind of way.

He sings. Bye-Bye, Miss American Pie.

He trash talks. You have about as much charisma as my under pants, he told Wladimir Klitschko.

He knows how to deliver a punch line and a feint on either side of the ropes.

But that ruptured scar isn’t a feint.

It’s a target.

Like an accident waiting to happen, it has been there since he first suffered a cut near his right eye in a dangerous fight against again Otto Wallin on Sept. 15, 2019 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

In the third round, Wallin landed a clean left hand that turned his right eye into a bloody mess. The ruptured scar, apparently sustained in sparring for Usyk, appears to be in the same spot as the initial wound.

Wallin, a competent heavyweight, attacked the cut in successive rounds. He opened up another cut along Fury’s right eye brow. Wallin lost the fight by a wide margin on the scorecards – 116-112, 117-111, 118-110. In the middle rounds, however, there were moments when it looked as if the ringside physician could have called the fight in favor of Wallin.

It didn’t happen, of course. The stakes were huge. Fury had a new deal with Top Rank and ESPN. He was living in Vegas. Before Wallin, he introduced himself to the Vegas audience by singing and then stopping Tom Schwarz.

He was coming off a dramatic draw with powerful Deontay Wilder in December 2018. That’s when he got up twice, once in the ninth and again in the twelfth in Los Angeles. A big rematch with Wilder loomed.

Then, Wallin’s punch landed, creating a wound that required 47 stitches. Reportedly, he had a plastic surgeon on call in case of a rupture. The surgeon never got that call

There wasn’t a rupture, not against Wilder, whom he stopped in the seventh round of the first rematch in February 2020 and in the 11^th round of a wildly violent third fight in October 2021 at T-Mobile Arena, also in Vegas.

Not against Dillian Whyte, whom he stopped in the sixth at home in the UK at London’s Wembley Stadium in April 2022.

Not against Dereck Chisora, whom he stepped in the 10^th in December 2022 at Tottenham Spur Stadium, also in London.

And not against novice boxer Francis Ngannou, who knocked down Fury in the third, yet lost a split decision in Riyadh last October.

That brings us to Usyk, whose boxing skill, predatory instinct and ring smarts are superior to any other heavyweight Fury has faced since his upset of Wladimir Klitschko in November 2015.

Fury, who says he needed 11 stitches to sew up his latest wound, was eight years younger then, 27 instead of 35. He was in his prime. He fought his way through overeating, drinking and drugging. He climbed to his feet against Wilder and climbed to the top of boxing’s fabled division. He was a great story. But even the best stories get bloodied.

Amid all of Fury’s woofing about beating Wilder, he said one thing that’s believable. He said he suffered two concussions in the crazy third fight, which included five knockdowns.

He didn’t mention the concussive first fight, memorable for the way Fury managed to get up. It was called a miracle. But even miracles take a toll.

Against Usyk, Fury encounters a disciplined fighter with accuracy – precision — that was never a part of Wilder’s skillset. For Wilder, it was bombs-away, all in an attempt to land that mighty right hand. If he even tried to go after the scar tissue along the right side of Fury’s right eye, it wasn’t apparent. He just didn’t.

Whyte and Chisora didn’t either.

Ngannou didn’t know how to.

Usyk does.

NOTES

Arizona’s emerging middleweight, unbeaten Elijah Garcia, expects to fight on the March 30 card featuring Tim Tszyu-Keith Thurman at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena in the first Amazon Prime boxing show. The 20-year-old Garcia (16-0, 13 KOS) posted on social media that he’ll fight then. However, his opponent has yet to be named.

The night before Tszyu-Thurman, popular Oscar Valdez Jr. returns to Glendale AZ on March 29 at Desert Diamond Arena where he lost a punishing decision to Emanuel Navarrete on Aug. 12. Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs), a former featherweight and junior-lightweight champion, faces Australian Liam Wilson (13-2, 7 KOs) on ESPN. Wilson also is back at Desert Diamond after a controversial stoppage loss to Navarrete Feb 3, 2023. Many thought Wilson should have won. Despite that, Valdez is about a 4-to-1 favorite.

And John Ryder announced this week — about 10 days after his TKO loss to Jaime Munguia at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix – that he’s retiring. Ryder, 35, was a solid contender. Above all, he was a consummate pro. He knew how to fight. He knew when to walk away. The sport could use more fighters like him.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Jaime Munguia fought his way into the argument with a dramatic stoppage of John Ryder that transforms him into another option for Canelo Alvarez and another potential source of frustration for David Benavidez.

Where all of this leaves Benavidez is still anybody’s guess. For now, at least, he’s where he’s always been.

Waiting, waiting for a shot that he demands and deserves, yet one that continues to be as elusive as ever.

In the here and now, he’s boxing’s version of Florida State. Unbeaten, yet still left without a chance at winning the biggest prize in the crowded super-middleweight division. Fair? Of course, not. But fair is a quaint notion in boxing, college football, politics and life. It’s just another bloody nose. If you want fair, play checkers.

In this game, protect yourself at all times, because a cheap shot is always lurking.

That brings us to Jermall Charlo. By all accounts, he is the leading possibility for Canelo’s next fight, projected to be on May 4. In his promotional role in behalf of Munguia, Oscar De La Hoya said last Saturday after the four-knockdown TKO of Ryder in Phoenix – Benavidez’ hometown – that he expects Canelo to fight Charlo next.

By now, I guess nobody should be surprised. Canelo fought a Charlo, Jermell, in his last fight in September. The plan had been for him to fight Jermall. Then, however, Jermell got the date, apparently because his twin brother still needed time to recover from some reported mental-health issues.

Jermell or Jermall, it was a dud. Jermell, a junior-middleweight champion, was just there to collect a paycheck. It says here that in the ring the only difference between Jermell and Jermall is a vowel and a few pounds. The rumored fight in May figures to be a repeat.

Put it this way: Before Canelo, Jermell had never fought at super-middleweight. Neither has Jermall, who in his last fight won a unanimous decision, yet couldn’t stop Jose Benavidez Jr., David’s older brother and a former junior welterweight and welterweight. Before beating the smaller Jose Jr., Jermall blew off a contracted catchweight, 163 pounds. He was more than three pounds too heavy.

Here’s the question: From resume to weight, on what scale does this Charlo merit a shot Canelo? Munguia is more worthy. He blew out Ryder, a respected contender whom Canelo failed to stop. Munguia won a narrow decision at 168 pounds over Sergiy Derevyanchenko last June in the Fight of the Year.

Then, there’s Benavidez, who has been at super-middleweight his whole career. He’s unbeaten and unique in that he’s a two-time former World Boxing Council champion. He lost those titles, once for testing positive for cocaine and then for failing to make weight. In a sign of his growing maturity, he was nominated for 2023 Fighter of the Year. 

On any scale, his resume outweighs Jermall Charlo’s, in credibility, especially among fans who have been calling for Benavidez-Canelo for a couple years.

Benavidez is also designated as the WBC’s mandatory challenger to Canelo, the undisputed champion. He has been since November. But the WBC has yet to do anything to enforce that mandatory.

Eddie Hearn, Ryder’s promoter, summed it up best a week ago in Phoenix when asked by 15 Rounds whether the mandatory designation means anything.

“Not really, especially if you’re Canelo Alvarez,’’ Hearn said in a wry, spot-on comment.

Meanwhile, there are other circumstances that could leave Benavidez waiting, or maybe moving up to light heavyweight. It’s no coincidence perhaps that people around light-heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev are already starting to talk about Benavidez, whose manager, Sampson Lewkowicz, says will probably fight somebody sometime this spring, perhaps in May.

It’s almost as if Canelo looks at Benavidez and sees a light-heavyweight, anyway. He’s shown about as much real interest in facing Benavidez as he has in a rematch with light-heavy champ Dmitry Bivol. 

After Bivol upset him in May 2022, Canelo initially vowed he would avenge the scorecard loss. He talked about a rematch. That’s all he did. It never happened.

According to Bivol’s management, there were never any substantive negotiations for a rematch. 

Still, stories continue to circulate about Benavidez and Bivol sparring a couple of years ago. According to Benavidez, he got the best of Bivol.

Has Canelo decided that neither is in his future? Maybe.

Meanwhile, the Beterbiev corner is hearing the same stories that everyone else is. According to multiple reports – still speculative, Canelo plans to follow a Charlo bout in May with a catchweight date against undisputed welterweight champion and pound-for-pound No.1 Terence Crawford in September.

The possibility has been circulating in social media for months. Now, there’s doubt about whether Crawford will ever fight Errol Spence in a contracted rematch.

Spence, who got blown out by Crawford in a July stunner, is coming off cataract surgery. He’s undergone two eye surgeries – one on each eye – within the last three years. Without Spence, where does Crawford go? There’s talk of Boots Ennis. Maybe, Tim Tszyu at junior middleweight, Maybe Jermell Charlo.

At 36, however, maybe it’s time for Crawford to cash out. There’s no better way to do that than in an event sure to attract the so-called crossover crowd against the 33-year-old Canelo, whose legacy among Mexican fans is probably secure regardless of whether he fights Benavidez or just continues to duck him.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Oscar De La Hoya wants Jaime Munguia to fight Canelo Alvarez in September instead of May.

Before Munguia fought his way into the Canelo lottery Saturday night with a four-knockdown TKO of John Ryder, it was believed that Munguia was a possibility for Canelo’s projected return on May 4.

“Munguia-Canelo in September is the fight to make,’’ De La Hoya said about an hour after Ryder’s corner threw in the towel at 1:25 of the ninth round in front of roaring crowd of more than 10,000 at Footprint Center.

Canelo, the undisputed super-middleweight champion, might already have other plans for May, according to De La Hoya.

“I think Canelo could fight Jermall Charlo in May,’’ the Golden Boy promoter said.

It’s not clear where that leaves David Benavidez, who the World Boxing Council designated as its mandatory challenger to the WBC piece of Canelo’s title at its convention in Uzbekistan in November.

Benavidez, a former two-time WBC champion, has been calling out Canelo for a couple years. De La Hoya again said that Benavidez deserved a shot Saturday night.

But Munguia has joined the Canelo hunt. He’s another option. It’s not clear whether Benavidez’ mandatory status puts him at the front of the line.

“Networks make the mandatories,’’ Benavidez promoter/manager Sampson Lewkowicz said Saturday after his flyweight, Gabriela Fundora, retained the International Boxing Federation women’s title with TKO of Christina Cruz on the DAZN-streamed show.

Canelo is one of boxing’s few network stars. Follow the money, the only mandatory.

Benavidez, who grew up in Phoenix and began boxing at a gym – Central – just a few blocks from Footprint, got an invite to Saturday’s fight from De La Hoya De La Hoya he texted him Thursday.

But Benavidez wasn’t there for Munguia’s beatdown of the tough, smart Ryder. Munguia made a statement. So did Benavidez, who De La Hoya said was in Guadalajara, Canelo’s hometown. Benavidez showed up only on Instagram.

Above a photo of Munguia, he posted, after the fight: This a easy knock out. That’s why they ducked me. The message included three laughing emojis.

Meanwhile, social media was full of talk that Munguia might fight Edgar Berlanga next. But Munguia wasn’t sure when he’ll fight. Who he’ll fight.

“It would be an honor,’’ he said, to fight Canelo.

First, however, he said he would have to heal from a cut above his left eye.

Then, he’d go back to work at Wild Card with

his new trainer, Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach.

“I keep hearing all of this talk about who’s next. Whatever,’’ said Roach, who predicted Munguia would win by TKO in the eighth. “We’ll head back to the gym and work hard.

“Whoever is next, he’s in trouble.’’

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Jaime Munguia stepped off the scale, the Mexican flag behind him and Mexican fans in front of him. He waved at his mom. He heard the cheers. Acknowledged the chants.

It was a moment that almost looked as if it had been rehearsed. In some ways, it had been. It was a mock weigh-in, a ceremonial replica of what had happened at the real weigh-in for the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission Friday morning.

The afternoon version at Footprint Center was strictly for show, a show that belonged to Munguia, an emerging fighter who promoter Oscar De La Hoya says is poised to become the new face of Mexican boxing.

“This is my year,’’ Munguia said.

A stone-faced John Ryder, tough in the ring and tougher to read outside of it, might have something to say about that.

An upset? Would it surprise you? It was a question asked more for the crowd that was there, and is expected to be there in even bigger numbers for the main event’s opening bell on a DAZN-streamed card Saturday (8 p.m. ET/6 p.m.) That crowd would be shocked.

Ryder?

“No, I wouldn’t be,’’ he said. “That’s the plan, isn’t it?’’

The betting odds, about 3-to-1 for Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs), suggest that Ryder’s plan hasn’t got much of a chance.

The 27-year-old Munguia has the fresh-faced look of a kid. He’s about seven years younger than the bearded Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs), a 35-year-old UK fighter whose scars are either a sign of erosion or the mark of a hardened combat veteran’s knowhow.

The guess – and that’s all it is – is that Munguia has the energy that comes with youth. But Ryder has experience, including 12 punishing rounds against Canelo Alvarez in front 51,000 Canelo partisans in Guadalajara.

Ryder got a scorecard loss and a broken nose. But he left Canelo with a face swollen and marked up, leaving an unmistakable message that Ryder – a survivor — figures to be there, a stubborn test to Munguia’s aspirations.

On Friday, at least, there wasn’t an ounce of difference between them. On the scale, they were identical, 167.8 pounds each.

Munguia’s corner envisions a knockout. De La Hoya hopes Munguia can do what Canelo couldn’t. A knockout of Ryder, De La Hoya says, would be a statement that says Munguia deserves a chance to fight Canelo, perhaps in May.

Munguia’s skillset and discipline are enough to pull off the stoppage, says his new trainer, Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, who replaces Tijuana legend Erik Morales.

After Roach’s many years of watching and working with great fighters at Los Angeles’ Wild Card Gym, he looks at Munguia and sees some of Hall-of-Famer Virgil Hill, one of the great light-heavyweights who was known for resilience and a tireless work ethic.

“Jaime works as hard as anybody,’’ said Roach, who foresees Munguia winning an eighth-round stoppage. “In this training camp, he took only one day off.’’

He did, Roach said, only because his family was celebrating the birth of a baby.

That disciplined regimen could counter Ryder’s dogged nature in a way that produces a gritty classic.

“Ryder always goes forward,’’ said Fernando Beltran, Munguia’s promoter/manager. “Jaime Munguia doesn’t know how to go backwards.’’

That’s a collision, if not a classic.

Will it make a difference in terms of what Canelo does next? On Friday, there was no answer to that. Just more speculation. Jermall Charlo has been mentioned as a Canelo possibility There’s still talk about pound-for-pound No. 1 and undisputed welterweight champ Terence Crawford in a catchweight against Canelo.

And, above all, there’s David Benavidez, a Phoenix-born fighter who first began boxing at a gym, Central, just a few blocks from the Footprint Center. Benavidez is expected to be at ringside. He’s unbeaten and a two-time ex-champ at super-middle. He’s also designated as the World Boxing Council’s mandatory challenger for the WBC piece of Canelo’s undisputed crown.

In specific terms of when or even how Benavidez’ mandatory designation turns into a real fight is still open to a lot of speculation.

Does mandatory mean much?

“Not really, especially if you’re Canelo Alvarez,’’ said Eddie Hearn who has promoted Canelo and is in Phoenix in behalf of Ryder.

It was a wry, spot-on comment from the Matchroom promoter. Canelo’s pay-per-view numbers come with some perks. To wit: He gets what he wants.

Maybe, he’ll see something he wants in Munguia-Ryder. From his perspective, it’s a must-see fight. Maybe even mandatory.

By David Galaviz –

PHOENIX —Gabriella “Sweet Poison” Fundora (12-0, 5 KOs), of Coachella CA, will make her first defense of the IBF flyweight belt Saturday night at Footprint Center, the home of the Phoenix Suns. 

Fundora will take on challenger Cristina Cruz (6-0), of New York. When asked by reporters how does she build off her huge 2023 year into 2024, she said she wants to defend her title as many times as possible with the goal of becoming undisputed.

 When asked about the Current WBC, Ring, WBA, and WBO Flyweight champion Marlen Esparza (14-1 1KO), she stated:

“Let’s Go.”

She’s not overlooking her opponent on Saturday’s DAZN-streamed card featuring Jaime Munguia-John Ryder. That would be dangerous mistake. Cruz is an undefeated fighter coming off of a unanimous decision in October. Cruz is looking to shock the boxing world like Fundora did in her last fight with a fifth-round KO to obtain the IBF title.

Do not let that big smile fool you.  She calls herself “Sweet Poison” for a reason. When entering the ring, the smile is gone. She turned on the poison, the power in her nickname.  

The Fundora name is well-known. The family has a long line of boxers, starting with their father.  He then passed it down to his son Sebastian Fundora and Gabriella. They look to be the game’s next top family. Both kids have held multiple world titles in their respective weight divisions. 

Sebastian is coming off a devastating loss to Brian Mendoza, which he lost his junior-middle title. Looking to rebound, Sebastian is going to be on the undercard of the Timothy Tszyu-Keith Thurman card March 30th in Las Vegas where he will take on Serhii Bohachuck for the WBC Super Welterweight title.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Hostile crowds, long odds are nothing new to John Ryder. He’s gone where few fighters ever have.

Last May, it was Guadalajara, Canelo Alvarez’ hometown. Canelo had not fought there in 12 years. He was welcomed back, a warrior-king and the face of Mexican boxing.

Ryder was there, almost as an after-thought or maybe as a target.

But the after-thought had plenty to say. He fought back. He endured 12 punishing rounds, doggedly eluding the stoppage Canelo pursued.

He didn’t win the fight.

“But I kind of won the night,’’ said Ryder, who joked at a news conference Thursday that if he could have done anything different he would have avoided the uppercuts that bloodied his nose and set him up for a fifth-round knockdown.

But if survival is a victory, Ryder won despite one-sided cards and a one-sided crowd.

It’s an experience, perhaps, that has prepared him for the emerging Jaime Munguia in more way than Munguia knows.

For Ryder, there’s nothing that compares to what he faced in Guadalajara.

In Phoenix however, there are some similarities. The Footprint Center crowd figures to be dominated by Mexican and Mexican-American fans. It’ll be a Munguia crowd, one that knows him from his days in Tijuana. He’s 42-0, a middleweight champion fighting for the second time at 168 pounds.

Promoter Oscar De La Hoya said at Thursday’s newser that he’s “poised to become the next face of Mexican boxing.’’

Munguia is also the betting favorite, 3-to-1.

It’s almost as if Ryder is there as a steppingstone in the plan for Munguia’s next step to stardom, perhaps an all-Mexican encounter with Canelo in May.

“Possibly,’’ Ryder said. “But it’s at their own cost.’’

Ryder, a UK fighter making his first visit to Phoenix, concedes he’s facing a tough challenge. There’s pressure, too, more perhaps than what’s facing Munguia. Ryder is 35 years old. He says his career hinges on what happens Saturday in a DAZN-streamed fight (8 pm ET/6 pm AZ time).

“I need to keep my career on a high level, he said. “This is the fight to keep it going on.’’

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Oscar De La Hoya, already busy promoting a real fight between Jaime Munguia and John Ryder, found himself addressing questions Thursday about reports of another one in what looks to be a further episode in an ongoing feud.

The news conference was about Munguia-Ryder, a significant super-middleweight fight Saturday night on the Suns home floor at Footprint Center.

The buzz was about Ryan Garcia.

De La Hoya-Garcia, a social-media soap opera even before Twitter became X, took a confusing turn late Wednesday and early Thursday.

The brief version – if only there was one – goes something like this: Garcia was fighting Rolly Romero. Then, he wasn’t.

Sounds simple enough, and maybe it would be, pre-social media. But it isn’t. Ryan Garcia is a social media star. He needs a census to count his followers.

And they were talking late Wednesday, first about a Garcia post that said he would be fighting Mexican junior-welterweight champion Rolly Romero on April 20.

Hours later, ESPN reported that Romero was fighting Isaac Cruz on March 30 in Las Vegas. Can you hear the buzz?

De La Hoya did, and he addressed the inevitable after a news conference that included a theme about promotional unity in The Boxing Balkans.

From De La Hoya’s perspective, there’s no feud with Garcia, at least not in what transpired this week.

“A lot is happening,’’ De La Hoya said after the formal Munguia-Ryder news conference concluded. “Look, me and Ryan are on a united front. We are going to get his fight, done and sealed. And I will announce it when it is done.

“I do know for sure it will be April 20 in Las Vegas. But no names.’’

No opponent, yet. The only sure thing is that it won’t be Romero, the World Boxing Association’s 140-pound champion.

“There were negotiations that took place,’’ De La Hoya said. “But nothing in writing.’’

De La Hoya went on to say that the Romero-Cruz fight on Amazon Prime – the first since it struck a deal with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) — could set up Garcia’s second fight in 2024.

“It turns out, the winner of the Rolly-Isaac Cruz fight could be in the Ryan Garcia lottery for the next fight.’’  

Unity, however, wasn’t exactly the message delivered by Garcia when he reacted to the ESPN news Thursday.

“Look I was informed the deal was finalizing and it would be announced in the coming days,’’ Garcia posted on X.  “Obviously That was a lie. My patience has been tested the last few weeks. I’m trying my best to be as honest and real as I can to you guys. I’ll be looking forward to announcing my next fight. I’m not going to say anything until it’s actually signed and delivered

 I still look forward to putting on a big PPV for Dazn Boxing. Have a Blessed day.’’

A blessed day, at least for some, would be the simple sound of an opening bell, a sound that for awhile might silence the back-and-forth on social media.

That, at least, is an opinion long held by the old-school, no nonsense Bernard Hopkins, a minority partner in De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions who is as direct with his words as he was with his deadly punches during his Hall of Fame days as The Executioner.

“I don’t control social media, so I don’t know what’s going on,’’ Hopkins said at the Phoenix newser. “Is there a fight or not? I don’t know.

“But I do know – and I’ll say it again – I’m sick of the drama queens.

“We as promoters, along with the fans, have to make it clear that we’re not putting up with this anymore. Last year, we started coming back to where we have to be.

“There was Ryan-Tank (Gervonta Davis) in April. People watched. More than 1.2 million watched. Then, there was Terence Crawford and Errol Spence. That was the second fight that said we’re coming back with what people want to see.

“But now we’re in a tug-of-war.’’

A war to keep it real.

By Norm Frauenheim –

PHOENIX – Oscar De La Hoya and Jaime Munguia were in David Benavidez’ old neighborhood Wednesday, talking to kids gathered at a Boys & Girls Club near a busy freeway.

In another time and place, one of those kids could have been a Benavidez.

David and his brother Jose Jr. grew up a couple blocks from the club founded by former Suns owner and general manager Jerry Colangelo.

They’ve moved on, yet they don’t forget those streets on Phoenix’s westside. It’s why they fight. Maybe, it’ says something about how they fight, too. But those streets are there. You can hear them in their words. You can see them on waistbands, trunks and robes that include the PHX logo, a symbol of their identity and fan base.

Ignore them at your peril.

De La Hoya didn’t.

“He is the guy, the most deserving guy,’’ De La Hoya said three days before opening bell before the Golden Boy-promoted Munguia fights John Ryder in a bout that could set the table for what — or who – is next for Canelo.

De La Hoya picked the right place and time to talk about David Benavidez, who somehow has not been included in the discussion about Canelo’s next fight, expected in May.

Munguia’s name is there, prominently, in speculation that is the theme of his DAZN-streamed super-middleweight fight with Ryder on the Suns home floor at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix, about six miles from where De La Hoya was standing Wednesday.

Jermall Charlo, a middleweight champion who beat former junior-welterweight Jose Jr. after failing to make a 163-pound catchweight in November, is also mentioned.

So, too, is pound-for-pound king and undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

Also, Ryder, who went 12 rounds in losing a decision to Canelo last May in Guadalajara, is fighting to put himself back in the argument. Maybe, he does, if he upsets Munguia and looks impressive in pulling it off.

But Benavidez? He’s mostly missing in all the talk preceding a key fight in his hometown.

It’s a surprise, big to even De La Hoya, who hopes Munguia beats Ryder with the stoppage that eluded Canelo in his hometown.

“I’m shockingly surprised,’’ De La Hoya said. “David has to be there, in any discussion.’’

He’s not, perhaps, because of boxing’s tangled, tortured politics and simple timing. Canelo and Benavidez are both aligned with PBC (Premier Boxing Champions).

Canelo has two fights left on a three-fight PBC deal signed last year. From a promotional perspective, the third fight – expected in September — against Benavidez makes the most financial

sense.

But Benavidez is tired of waiting. He‘s been calling out Canelo for a couple of years. Benavidez is also the World Boxing Council’s mandatory challenger for the WBC piece of Canelo’s undisputed title. It’s not exactly clear what mandatory means anymore.

To wit: Why not next May instead of September?

“For sure, nobody is more deserving than David,’’ De La Hoya said. “Nobody.

“I hope it happens. I want it to happen. I just think David has to stay on Canelo. He has to keep talking about it.

“In some ways, it reminds me of when I was younger and fought Julio Cesar Chavez. I was the young lion. Those (two) fights (both De La Hoya victories) were like passing the torch. Like Julio, Canelo is the big name, the star. But David is bigger and younger. Maybe Canelo sees that. I don’t know’’

For De La Hoya, the business at hand is to get Munguia a victory that can’t be ignored by fans and especially Canelo.

“I’m hoping he makes a statement,’’ De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya also said that he’d be happy to talk about a fight between Benavidez and Munguia.

Absolutely,’’ De La Hoya said. ”Munguia is willing to fight anybody. Anybody.”

Apparently, De La Hoya is already talking to Benavidez, but not necessarily about Munguia.

“As I was driving over here, I got a message from David on my phone,’’ De La Hoya said Wednesday. “He told me he’s in Mexico. He said he’s in Guadalajara.

“Says he’s looking for Canelo.’’

By Mario Ortega –

Proud to carry on the boxing rich tradition of his hometown Salinas, California, promising bantamweight Andrew Rodriguez will make his stateside debut just an hour’s drive up the road at the Guildhouse in San Jose on Tuesday, January 30th. The four-round bout will be featured as part of the initial Tuesday Night Fights broadcast presented by streaming service BLK Prime. 

Having turned professional in Mexico, Rodriguez (2-0, 1 KO) will not only be introducing himself to a national audience when he takes on Gabriel Ponce (5-4-1, 3 KOs) at the end of this month, but for many of his family and friends, the four-round contest will be their first chance to see “Superfly” fight live and in-person. 

Despite having just the two pro bouts under his belt, Rodriguez is in many ways a veteran of the ring, having taken up the sport while still in elementary school. As a youngster years ago, Rodriguez was inspired by the fistic success of his godbrother, current featherweight contender Ruben Villa. After watching Villa, six years his senior, compete, Rodriguez knew he wanted to give the sport of boxing a try. 

“He’s one of the main reasons why I have gone into boxing,” Rodriguez says of Villa. “I have always been around boxing because of him. I remember telling my dad this is something I want to do, and he was like, ‘Are you sure?’ And I said, ‘yes.’ That next week, I believe, we went to the gym he was at at that time. I trained with him for that week and at the end my dad asked me if this is something that I still want to do. I had fallen in love with the sport right then. After that, I got into my first sparring session and then from there on it was just history.” 

Before long, Rodriguez was writing his own name down in the pages of Salinas boxing history. As a 12-year-old, Rodriguez was already making waves on the national level in 2016. At the Junior Olympic National Championships in Dallas, Texas, Rodriguez claimed the silver medal. “That was one of my first tournaments fighting consecutively, day-after-day,” recalls Rodriguez. “That was a great experience for me.” 

Shortly after the tournament in Dallas, Rodriguez would go on to win his division in one of the biggest youth boxing tournaments in the country, the National Junior Golden Gloves in Mesquite, Nevada. For many fighters that achieve that level of success, the goal would soon become to make the U.S. Olympic squad or to go on to claim another national title. Rodriguez would end up taking a different path. 

“I took a break and stopped, so I’ll never know how big I could have got in the amateurs,” explains Rodriguez. “Everything happens for a reason and I think it was just me being more social in my personal life. I was making the change from elementary to middle school and I feel that is the time that people test the waters with new crowds. At the time, I felt I was burnt out and it was time to take a step back. For a while I didn’t want anything to do with boxing and I had no intentions to come back to boxing. But I would see all these kids that I would beat or I would train with in a good position in their careers and I would think I could be right there right now. That threw a little fire in me. So I thought maybe I should give it a try again.”

Even though Rodriguez gained a great level of success early in his amateur career, the Salinas native always believed he would be better suited to fight as a professional. “My big plan was always making it to the pros,” says Rodriguez. “I was never really an amateur type of guy. I feel the style I have is more of a pro style, more so than an amateur style. I did fight a couple more times in the amateurs, but that was more just to get the ring rust off. My main goal was always to become a pro and hopefully get a world title sooner or later.” 

A driving force in Rodriguez’ career has been his father Andres, who has trained him from the very beginning. It would take more than one chapter of a boxing history book to outline the successful father-son duos the sport has produced. For every success story, there are, of course, several more tandems whose story did not end as well. However, everything appears to be on track for the Rodriguez family. 

“We have a great relationship,” explains Rodriguez. “When my dad and I are in sync, I feel that there is no one that can stop us. Obviously we are going to bump heads here and there, that is only natural. But regardless, I know he only wants what is best for me and I know that is all he wants for me.” 

Ruben Villa, the same fighter that inspired Rodriguez to first pick up a pair of boxing gloves those years back, continues to be one of the key figures in his fighting career in the present day. 

“He plays a major role in my career,” Rodriguez says of Villa. “He is still my mentor to this day. Anytime I have questions or anytime I feel I need to express myself about boxing, I go to him. He will always give me advice and he never shies away. Now that I am older, I am able to train with him. Even today we are going to spar and I will get some rounds in with him.”

Villa (21-1, 7 KOs) has made the fighting town of Salinas proud, with the only blemish on his resume coming in the form of a highly-competitive decision defeat in a world title bout against the fearsome puncher Emanuel Navarette. 

“Just from him being from the same town, and not just for me, but I feel for a lot of people, he has shown that hard work will go a long way and that you should follow your dreams,” explains Rodriguez. “He only has that one loss and he never let that get the best of him. He didn’t shy away from the sport after that. He just kept training hard and right now he has a deal with Top Rank, so that just goes to show that hard work will always eventually pay off.” 

Rodriguez hopes to join Villa as a role model of success for those that follow them from their hometown. “Salinas has a good history in boxing and I am trying to help keep that going,” explains Rodriguez. “I want to show that if I can do it, anybody else can do it. I’ve had ups and downs in my life already and there are more ups and downs to come, but if I can make it through them, anybody can. That is the thing I am trying to portray to my family, my cousin and all the kids that look up to me.”

Rodriguez had been lined up to make his United States debut on several occasions over the last year. After winning his pro debut in Rosarito, Mexico in February and scoring his first knockout in Tijuana in April, Rodriguez saw California fights fall apart in July, November, December and earlier this month. On January 30th in San Jose, Rodriguez is ready to put on a show for his local supporters. 

“I would like to thank everyone that is supporting me, because without them I would not be where I am,” says Rodriguez. “I appreciate all their love and support. I know that they have been waiting to see me fight and, God willing, I will put on a great performance like I want to. I just want to show them that all this hard work has been put to good use. For the last about three years I have been perfecting my craft and now I am ready to make a statement. I am not in a rush, but I am ready to show my skills and I have been ready for a while now.” 

Tickets for the event, promoted by BLK Prime Boxing, are available online at eventcreate.com/e/tnfblkprime

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com 

By Norm Frauenheim –

The map is changing. More gloves and heavy bags are tagged for Riyadh than Vegas these days. But one path remains unchanged.

All roads still lead to Canelo Alvarez, or at least the money he still generates.

That continues to be part of the geography in an intriguing super-middleweight fight Jan. 27 between Jamie Munguia and John Ryder on the Suns home floor at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.

A projected date with Canelo is said to be at stake for the emerging Munguia, a middleweight champion who is 1-0 at super-middle with a decision over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in June.

For Ryder, maybe there’s a possibility at a rematch. He lost a decision to Canelo last May in Guadalajara in what looked to be a Canelo tune-up last May.

“I lost the fight, but I kind of won the night,’’ Ryder told reporters this week of his dogged ability to withstand Canelo’s pursuit of a KO.

Canelo, at least the possibility, was the primary question at a media day staged at the new Golden Boy Boxing Gym in Los Angeles Tuesday.

Munguia didn’t sidestep the question. Neither did Ryder.

“It is the obvious question everybody is asking,’’ said Munguia, a 27-year-old who possesses poise and enough smarts to also know he has to impress against the tough, experienced Ryder.

Munguia promoter of Oscar De La Hoya is talking about a knockout of Ryder. The reasoning is simple. Canelo couldn’t knock out Ryder in his hometown. If Munguia can do what Canelo couldn’t, the thinking is that Munguia will have an argument, a good reason to say he should fight Canelo next.

We’ve heard that one before, of course. We’ve heard it for at least two years from David Benavidez, who figures to be a very big part of the story that unfolds next week in Phoenix.

Munguia-Ryder will happen just a few miles of roadwork from the Phoenix streets where Benavidez grew up and just a couple of blocks from where he began boxing at Central, an old gym that was saved from the wrecking ball by Mike Tyson.

Tyson’s arrival nearly two decades ago brought money and fighters. Central sprung from the ashes, a lot like that mythical bird, the Phoenix logo and namesake. 

It’s no coincidence, perhaps, that Tyson is also Benavidez’ biggest fan. He gave him his current nickname, Monster. It takes one to know one, maybe.

But Benavidez, who lives in Seattle these days, will be an inevitable part of the discussion, if not a crowd that knew him as a kid.

Benavidez is the World Boxing Council’s interim 168-pound champion and its mandatory challenger for the WBC’s piece of Canelo’s undisputed title. But interim and mandatory can mean just about anything, especially when Canelo is in the equation.

He gets what he wants.

Fights who he wants.

A key question, still unanswered, is exactly what Canelo is thinking. We don’t know. Since his solid decision over Jermell Charlo in September, the last anybody has seen of Canelo is on the cover of Forbes magazine. Follow the money.

The decision, perhaps, as to who he’ll fight next will be determined by what he sees in the Munguia-Ryder fight, which will be streamed by DAZN

For months, the conventional thinking is that Canelo will fight in May and again in September. He has two more fights left on a contract signed with PBC (Premier Boxing Champions).

But there’s been no news on PBC’s plans for 2024. Showtime left boxing in December after a 37-year run of telecasts. It was announced then that Amazon Prime had struck a deal with PBC.

Reportedly, the deal would start sometime in March. Thus far, however, there’s been nothing concrete — bouts and dates — from PBC or Amazon Prime.

Maybe, they’re waiting to see what happens in Munguia-Ryder, too.

Munguia promises that they’ll see plenty.

 “I honestly feel like I can knock John Ryder out,’’ Munguia said. “That’s what we are working towards. Obviously, once you step inside the ring anything can change. But we’re training to get inside the ring in optimal condition, and if we can’t get the knockout we will be making sure we get the decision.”

Ryder promises something else.

“Munguia, obviously, is coming to use me as a stepping stone,’’ he told reporters. “I have other plans.’’

Munguia-Ryder Undercard

Strawweight champion Oscar Collazo (8-0, 6 KOs), a 27-year-old Puerto Rican, faces Nicaraguan contender Reyneris Gutierrez (10-1, 2 KOs), Golden Boy announced this week.

“With less than a week away for my second world title defense, I feel great and at my best moment,” said Collazo, who will defend his World Boxing Organization belt for the second time. “As always, we are very prepared and focused on what we are going to do and leave the ring with our hand raised.”

Collazo is promoted by fellow Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, a Hall of Famer and former four-division champion.

Also:

Super middleweight Darius Fulghum (9-0, 9 KOs), of Houston, faces Alantez Fox (28-5-1, 13 KOs), of Upper Marlboro MD, in a 10-rounder.

Women’s flyweight champion Gabriela “Sweet Poison” Fundora (12-0, 5 KOs) of Coachella CA, will make a first title defense against Christina Cruz (6-0, 0 KOs), of Fort Lauderdale Fl. Fundora signed a co-promotional deal with Golden Boy this week.

Mexican junior-featherweight David Picasso Romero (26-0-1, 15 KOs) will face Erik Ruiz (17-9-1, 7 KOs), of Oxnard CA, in a 10-rounder.

Oscar Valdez Jr. comeback

It sounds as if Oscar Valdez Jr.’s comeback might begin where he suffered a crushing loss in his last bout. 15 Rounds has confirmed news – first reported by ESPN – that Valdez, who lost a punishing decision to Emanuel Navarrete at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale AZ on Aug. 12, might be back at the same venue on March 29 against Australian Wilson.

Wilson, who lost a controversial TKO to Navarrete at Desert Diamond last February, is talking as if it’s already a done deal.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Wilson told The Ring Wednesday. “We’re both fighters who like to come forward and love to fight. “We both bring a high intensity, and with him being a Mexican warrior, it’s going to be a war from the opening bell.’’

As of Wednesday, however, Valdez was still under medical suspension for his loss to Navarrete, who left him with a badly-bloodied right eye. The bout also was not listed on the Desert Diamond Arena calendar.

Valdez, a former featherweight and junior-lightweight champion, has strong roots in Arizona. The two-time Mexican Olympian went to school in Tucson. His comeback plans have been evident for weeks. Last month, he posted photos of himself back at work in the gym.

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – Light heavyweight action fighter Tony Hernandez headlines a prospect-laden card as he takes on veteran Ramon Ayala in the main event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Sacramento on Saturday night. Fighters for the seven-bout card weighed-in early Friday afternoon at the host venue. 

Hernandez (5-3-1, 4 KOs) of Live Oak, California returns to the DoubleTree as he takes on an experienced gatekeeper Ayala (25-9-1, 13 KOs) of San Francisco Acuautla, Estado de Mexico, Mexico in a six-round light heavyweight clash. 

Hernandez, who weighed-in at 172.3-pounds on Friday, last fought in November in a majority draw against rugged Marco Delgado in Oroville, California. Ayala, who long ago was a super featherweight, scaled 172-pounds even. 

Undefeated prospect Kevin Montano (4-0, 2 KOs) of Concord, California will end a fifteen-month layoff when he meets local tough guy David Minter (3-2, 3 KOs) of Lincoln, California in a four-round welterweight bout. 

Montano may have been happier than most to see the calendar turn to 2024 as he saw his career stall last year due to fallouts and the cancellation of two entire events the week of his scheduled bouts. Montano, a Sacramento State graduate who now trains full-time out of the Capital City, had been slated to make his six-round debut before his original opponent was a late scratch. 

Minter is no stranger to the DoubleTree ring as he has fought his entire professional career at the hotel. The word “no” may not be in Minter’s vocabulary as he steps in on short notice to meet one of the top young fighters in the region for the second straight outing. Montano, who normally campaigns at lightweight, and Minter both scaled 146-pounds.

Victor Guerrero (6-0, 5 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada by way of Morgan Hill, California will take on Matthew Monroe (1-1) of Sacramento in a four-round middleweight bout. Guerrero, of the famed fighting family that put Gilroy, California on the boxing map, makes his United States debut on Saturday. Monroe, who scored his first professional victory with a hard-fought split decision over Marco Ortiz in November at light heavyweight, weighed-in at 158.1-pounds, while Guerrero came in at 161.

Islam Abdusamadov (1-0, 1 KO) of Santa Clara, California by way of Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia will meet Juan Meza Moreno (4-4, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles, California in a four-round light middleweight fight. Abdusamadov, a well-regarded amateur in his native Russia prior to turning pro, scaled 154.5-pounds. Moreno, who will be meeting his fifth consecutive opponent with no more than a single pro defeat, also weighed-in at at 154.5.

Julian Bridges (3-0, 2 KOs) of Antioch, California will take on Miguel Soto-Garcia (0-1) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a four-round welterweight bout. Bridges, returning to the DoubleTree ring where he scored his third pro victory, weighed-in at 147, as did Soto-Garcia. 

Former amateur standout Steve Johnson Jr. of San Francisco, California will make his highly anticipated professional debut in a four-round featherweight bout against Phillip Ramirez (0-2) of Sacramento. Johnson, who is now being trained by former world champion James Page, scaled 124.1-pounds. Ramirez, who has been matched tough his entire brief career, came in at 125.

Cmaje Ramseur (2-2-1, 1 KO) of Elk Grove, California will meet David Reyes (1-1) of Fresno, California in an evenly matched lightweight bout. Ramseur weighed-in at 134.2-pounds, while Reyes made 134 even.  

Quick Weigh-in Results:

Light heavyweights, 6 Rounds

Hernandez 172.3 

Ayala 172

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Montano 146

Minter 146

Middleweights, 4 Rounds

Guerrero 161

Monroe 158.1

Light middleweights, 4 Rounds

Abdusamadov 154.5

Moreno 154.5

Welterweights, 4 Rounds

Bridges 147

Soto-Garcia 147

Featherweights, 4 Rounds

Johnson 124.1

Ramirez 125

Lightweights, 4 Rounds

Ramseur 134.2

Reyes 134

Tickets for the event, promoted by Upper Cut Promotions, are available online at uppercutpro.com or at the door. 

Mario Ortega Jr. can be reached at ortegajr.mario@gmail.com