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Follow all the action as Artur Beterbiev defends the IBF/WBC/WBO Heavyweight title against former super middleweight champion Callum Smith.  The Action begins at 9 PM ET with the WBO Bantamweight title between Jason Moloney and Saul Sanchez Plus super middleweight Christian Mbili takes on Rohan Murdock

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Round 1: Beterbiev lands a big flurry right at the start..Good Jab..Right to body from Smith..Left from Beterbiev..Short right

ROUND 2 Short right from Beterbiev..Right to body…Left hook from Smith..Good jab from Beterbiev..

ROUND 3 3 Punch combo from Smith..Hard jab from Beterbiev…Good body shot..Good body shot from Smith..Right to body from Beterbiev..Double jab..uppercut and chopping right…Blood from the nose of Smith and swelling around the right eye.

ROUND 4…Beterbiev pounding away and battering Smith..Right behind the jab..Smith lands an uppercut..Good combination…

ROUND 5 Combination from Beterbiev…Left to body from Smith..Right from Beteriev…Good jab

ROUND 6 Good lead right from Beterbiev…Good jab from Smith…Jab and right from Beterbiev..Good jab..Short right on inside..Chopping right..Good upjab..Combination from Smith…

ROUND 7  GOOD RIGHT ROCKS SMITH…HUGE FLURRY AND DOWN GOES SMITH…6 MASSIVE PUNCHES DROPS SMITH AGAIN….fight stopped by Corner

Round 1 Right uppercut from Mbilli..Right from Mbilli
Round 2  3hard rights from Mbilli…Big Barrage of punches
Round 3 Short from Mbilli…Uppervy on the inside…Ripping right..Left hook
Round 4 Mbilli lands an uppercut…Body shot from Murdock..Short right to head from Mbilli…Double left hook…Right from Murdock..2 huge rights to the jaw…Mudock;s left eye is swelling…
Round 5 Right from Mbilli…Left to body..Big Right,,,Mbilli is ianding vicious shots…Murdock taking a beating
Round 6 Combination from Murodck…Right from Mbilli…Right uppercut..Rught from Murdock..Left hook from Mbilli…Blood from nose of Mbilli…Short right and big left from Mbilli…Huge right…Murdock taking a beating….FIGHT STOPPED IN CORNER

Round 1: Sanchez Jabbing…Body shot from Moloney..Nice Left hook

ROUND 2 Counter right from Sanchez..Good Right from Moloney

ROUND 3 Body work for Moloney..Left hook from Sanchez..Right to the ribs..MOLONEY CUT AROUND THE RIGHT EYE…Nice uppercut from Sanchez..Jab..Right uppercut…Short left from Moloney

ROUND 4 Cut was ruled a headbutt. Combination from Moloney..Good right..

ROUND 5 Nice right from Moloney..Double Jab..Short uppercuts from Sanchez..Combination…

ROUND 6 Body work from Moloney..Nice combination from Sanchez..

ROUND 7 Body work from Sanchez…Nice uppercut..Body work from Moloney…Right-Left from Sanchez

ROUND 8 Leaping left hook from Sanchez..Right..Good Jab…Good combination. Short right…Good inside shots from Moloney…Short right..Sanchez lands a right..Nice jab and good combination from Moloney

ROUND 9 Nice Right from Sanchez…Uppercut from Moloney

ROUND 10 Great back and forth,,,Moloney pressing the action

Round 11 Left from Sanchez..Hard 1-2 from Moloney…Left hook from Sanchez..Body shot..Moloney lands a flurry to the head..Nice body work from Sanchez…Short right from Moloney…Nice combination

ROUND 12 Moloney landing body shots

114-114; 116-112 MOLONEY

By Norm Frauenheim –

Errol Spence Jr.’s announcement this week included a stunning video of him in a wheel chair with his right eye bandaged.

It wasn’t a good look.

It was sad.

Hard to watch.

Harder to explain.

Spence tried, but his cryptic words and tone leave more questions than any real answers

“It’s been past due,’’ he said of cataract surgery, which he underwent more than five months after Terence Crawford punished him in a ninth-round TKO on July 29 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. “Shit was covering my eye.

“Why you think I got hit with so many jabs, hooks? Still a great performance by bro.’’

The author of that great performance had only two words for Spence’s video.

“No comment,’’ Crawford said in a social media post that succinctly showed why he’s one of the smartest guys in boxing.

It’s not clear whether Spence got the message. But he deleted the video post from his Instagram account.

Monday, he moved on to X (formerly Twitter), saying he wouldn’t retire.

“All that said you can kill the retire shit.’’

He added: “Yea I got my ass beat shit was past due. I didn’t live exactly like a boxer for the most part.”

The post is gone. But the questions aren’t. They’ve been there, before and after the brutal loss to Crawford.

The questions date back to Spence’s scary auto accident in October 2019. It was never clear how badly he was hurt in the single-car wreck. He was ejected from the vehicle, a Ferrari, as it flipped in midair in Dallas. According to Spence, he got into another auto accident in December 2022.

He fought twice after the first accident and before the long long-awaited welterweight showdown with Crawford last July. First, he scored a unanimous decision over Danny Garcia in December 2020. Then, he stopped Yordenis Ugas in April 2022.

But it’s what happened between Garcia and Ugas that leaves questions.

And concern.

Spence had agreed to fight faded legend Manny Pacquiao in a bout scheduled for August 21, 2021. About 10 days before opening bell, however, he had to withdraw because of surgery for a retinal tear in his left eye. Ugas, a late stand-in, went on to upset Pacquiao.

Within the last three years, Spence, 33, has undergone eye surgery twice, once on each eye. He’s expected to recover from the cataract surgery within eight weeks.

Then what?

The timing of the cataract surgery and Spence’s social-media explanation are mystifying. Apparently, the cataract condition was bothering him when he stepped into the ring against Crawford, the most dangerous man in a dangerous business. He wore glasses to the final news conference a couple of days before opening bell.

He jokes about getting hit by “jabs and hooks.’’

But it’s no joke. If he delayed the surgery for the cataract condition, he did more than compromise his chances at beating Crawford. He might have compromised his vision.

His plan, apparently, is to fight Crawford in a rematch, this time at a heavier weight, 154 pounds instead of 147. He had a rematch clause in his contract with Crawford. He exercised it in late August.

But here’s another question: Shouldn’t he have undergone the cataract surgery before exercising that rematch clause?

There’s a lot of selfish – make that stupid — talk on social media from fans who say they never wanted to see Crawford-Spence 2 in the first place because the July fight was so one-sided.

Who cares? A rematch is irrelevant. Instead, there are serious question about whether a fight against any contender, welterweight or junior-middleweight, would endanger Spence’s long-term well-being.

Yes, there’s uncertainty about what’s next for Crawford. But it was there anyway. He had planned on a sequel with Spence, perhaps in March. Now, however, he might have to move on to a date with Jaron “Boots” Ennis or a big paycheck against Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, three divisions heavier than the welterweight class he has dominated so brilliantly.

But, now, none of that matters.

Only Spence does.

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Beterbiev vs. Smith will be presented live this Saturday, January 13, at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT, on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ from Videotron Centre in Quebec, Canada.

In the main event, WBC/WBO/IBF light heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev will defend his crown against former world champion Callum Smith.

Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), who resides in Montreal, is boxing’s only current world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio. He has made seven title defenses since capturing the IBF strap in November 2017. Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), from Liverpool, England, and the WBC’s mandatory challenger, has won two bouts by stoppage since dropping a decision in a 2020 title unification fight against Canelo Alvarez.

In the undercard action, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+, Australian Jason “Mayhem” Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) will defend his WBO bantamweight world title against Mexican-American challenger Saul Sanchez (20-2, 12 KOs), who enters his first world title challenge.
 

Calling the action will be: ESPN’s Joe Tessitore, Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna. 

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

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Beterbiev vs. Smith (All Times ET)

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By Norm Frauenheim –

Five days after one year turned into a new one and some resolutions were already turning into broken promises, boxing goes back to work.

2024’s first bell is Saturday with Virgil Ortiz Jr. against Frederick Lawson at Las Vegas’ Virgin Hotel in a DAZN-streamed junior-middleweight bout.

On paper, it’s an appropriate beginning, mostly because of Ortiz, a nice guy with a perfect record, yet plagued by health issues that have left questions about whether his immense promise can ever be achieved.

There was COVID. There was a blood disorder called rhabdomyolysis. There’s been a year-and-a-half layoff. But he’s also only 25-years-old. Then, there’s the unbeaten record – 19 stoppages in 19 fights, all at welterweight. The age and the numbers say the promise is still there. A definitive answer won’t be Saturday, not against the 34-year-old Lawson (33-3, 22 KOs), who is unknown, but comes from Ghana, a country known for Ike Quartey and Azumah Nelson.

But it’s a chance at renewal, a new beginning for Ortiz.

“I just want to prove I’m still here,’’ Ortiz said Thursday at a news conference.

So is the rest of boxing.

The theme continues on the second Saturday in 2024 with light -heavyweight Artur Beterbiev, who is 38, yet has Ortiz’ identical record – 19 stoppages in 19 fights.

Beterbiev is at an age when some suspect he’s at or near the end. He’ll be 39 on Jan. 21. That has to be part of Callum Smith’s thinking as he prepares to challenge Beterbiev in Quebec City in Canada, Beterbiev’s adopted home country.

For Beterbiev, the task is to prove he’s still here too. If he does, he sets up what could be a light-heavyweight classic, Beterbiev versus Dmitry Bivol.

A couple of weeks later on the fourth Saturday in January, boxing’s new year moves onto a key crossroads that could determine who belongs and who doesn’t in a bout that could set the stage for a May-to-September test of boxing’s viability. Jamie Mungia faces John Ryder in a super-middleweight bout at Footprint Center, the Suns NBA home in downtown Phoenix.

It’s a good fight and significant in terms of what it might mean for the game’s biggest earner, Canelo Alvarez. There’s been talk that Canelo might fight Mungia in May in the second of a three-fight deal with PBC (Premier Boxing Champions).

For Canelo, the decision probably rests in how Mungia looks. In a tune-up last May, Canelo won a decision at home in Guadalajara over the veteran Ryder. Mungia, hoping for a shot at Canelo, will probably try to do what Canelo didn’t. Knock out Ryder.

Whether that would secure a Cinco de Mayo date with Canelo is anybody’s guess. But it would put him in the argument alongside Benavidez, who’s been there for a couple of years.

The Jan. 27 bout’s location heightens the intrigue. Benavidez grew up a few miles from Footprint on Phoenix’s west-side streets. He first began boxing just a few blocks away from Footprint at Central, a gym known ever since Mike Tyson trained there in the late 1990s. Tyson is a Benavidez fan and friend. Because of Tyson, Benavidez changed his nickname, from The Red Bandana to Mexican Monster.

Benavidez, now a Seattle resident, continues to wear PHX prominently on the back of his trunks. It’s more than a baggage tag. It’s his identity.

He’ll be a big part of the Mungia-Ryder story. He’s already part of the neighborhood.

Boxing’s New Year begins with the Benavidez-Canelo at the top of the fan’s most-wanted list.

If it happens, it enhances boxing’s relevance. On Jan. 27, there’ll be answers as to whether it happens in May or September and in a way that would allow boxing to say:

It’s still here.

Bam-Sunny Postscript

VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) posted this week that both Sunny Edwards and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez were clean for their entertaining Sept. 16 flyweight unification fight, won in a dramatic stoppage by Rodriguez at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ.

Congratulations for successfully completing the testing, @VADA_Testing.org said.

It was unusual. Not exactly news. But it was also necessary, mostly because of Edwards’ unfounded allegations that Rodriguez was a user. It was trash talk, which ignited a social-media war — X-rated — between Edwards and sports nutritionist Victor Conte, SNAC founder.

Edwards is sidelined until at least spring of this year. He was suspended 120 days for a gruesome eye injury he sustained from Bam, whose answer to the trash talk was a beatdown. Bam doesn’t say much, but it looked as if some retribution was at the end of his punches. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

One year ends and another begins with a re-energized debate ignited by Naoya Inoue, who didn’t let a chance at a year-ending statement go to waste.

Inoue was efficient for his blend of power plus precision. He was extraordinary for his consistency. He’s not going anywhere. Neither is Terence Crawford.

A good case for both can made in Fighter-of-the-Year and pound-for-pound arguments. Take a poll, and you might get a draw.

From this corner, Inoue gets Fighter of the Year for his brilliance over two bouts, first Stephen Fulton in July and then Marlon Tapales Tuesday in Tokyo. He moves up in weight, from bantam to junior-feather, and continues to do what he did at junior-fly in 2014.

Fighter of the Year? How about Fighter of the Last Decade?

At the top of this pound-for-pound scale, however, it’s still Crawford for a singular performance, best of the year, in stopping fellow welterweight Errol Spence Jr. There’s a lot of talk that Spence was/is shot. Maybe. Still there’s no substantive evidence – no documented answers — to the questions included in all that talk.

What we did see was an extraordinary Crawford, whose dynamic skillset had a lot – perhaps everything – to do with making a onetime pound-for-pound contender look shot.

The eye test continues to say that nobody – not even Inoue — has Crawford’s quick-silver versatility or calculated ability to make the right adjustment at the right time. He’s still boxing’s best finisher, a fighter with a predatory instinct. He knows how and when to close the show.

With only one fight, however, he just didn’t do enough of it last year. Inoue did. Hence, this corner’s split ballot.

But there are no losers in this debate. It’s the debate itself, its intensity, that gives the business some vital momentum going into 2024.

The biggest news story in 2023 was Showtime’s decision in October to leave ringside after a 37-year run of boxing telecasts. In its final year, the network provided what could be a good springboard into a new — pivotal — year, especially with the pay-per-view bouts featuring Tank Davis-Ryan Garcia in April and Crawford-Spence in July.

A reported pay-per-view number of 1.2 million for Davis-Garcia proved there was still an audience out there, despite all the doom-and-gloom that suggested boxing was dying all over again.

Then, there was Crawford-Spence, a long-awaited fight that restored faith among hard-core fans that big fights could still get made.

What’s next? Amazon Prime. It and Saudi money figure to be the biggest stories in 2024. It’s still not known how much Amazon Prime will invest in the sport as boxing’s next broadcast platform. Meanwhile, the Saudis have already shown they’re willing to spend, especially on the heavyweights. But the sport’s inherent unpredictability is always a risk.

To wit: Joseph Parker’s one-sided decision over Deontay Wilder on Dec. 23 in a stunner that upset a bigger plan: Wilder-versus-Anthony Joshua.

Still, there are a lot of fights to be made, up-and-down the scale. Just listen to the Crawford-Inoue debate. It sounds like potential business.

Notes

Oscar Valdez Jr., badly bloodied and beaten by Emanuel Navarrete on August 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale AZ, is back in the gym, according to social-media footage posted this week. The 33-year-old Valdez is popular in Mexico and Arizona. The Mexican Olympian went to school in Tucson. The former featherweight and junior-lightweight champ hopes for a possible comeback in March.

More year-end talk: Crawford and Inoue are at the top of the debate. Devin Haney is third in most of the Fighter-of the-Year conversation. For the first-time, super-middleweight David Benavidez is getting mentioned among the first five possibilities. Benavidez probably wouldn’t put himself there. After his solid decision over Caleb Plant in March and beat-down of Demetrius Andrade in November, the Phoenix-born fighter said he still had to work to do to gain pound-for-pound recognition. But Fighter-of-the-Year consideration is the kind recognition that further strengthens his case for a shot at Canelo Alvarez in May or September

By Norm Frauenheim –

A year that included a goodbye to Showtime and hello to Amazon Prime is about to end. First, in Saudi Arabia. Then, Japan.

The Saudi stop Saturday (DAZN/11 a.m. ET) is $ignificant, mostly because of the heavyweight money, which brings together rival promoters who will only stop feuding if the price is right. We knew that, of course.

Still, it’s important to always remember that this is prizefighting, emphasis on prize. Show Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren the money, and they’ll smile for the cameras and do the business that makes big fights.

The stop in Japan three days later, Dec. 26, is at least noteworthy, perhaps historical. Naoya Inoue, the best former junior-flyweight to move up the scale to stardom since Manny Pacquiao and Roman Gonzalez, is poised to do what nobody else ever has:

Japan’s first Fighter of the Year.

The Ring, more than a century-old since first published in 1922, has been picking a Fighter of the Year since 1928. The Boxing Writers Association of America has been picking one since 1938. But never one from Japan.

A victory over Filipino Marlon Tapales in Tokyo (ESPN+/3 a.m. ET) might do it, although there’s still a good argument for Terence Crawford.

From this corner, nobody in 2023 was better than Crawford in his singular performance, a brilliant ninth-round stoppage of Errol Spence Jr. in May. He settled the pound-for-pound argument. There’s been no debate since then: Crawford No 1; Inoue No. 2.

But Inoue can change that, reignite the pound-for-pound debate and probably ensure his Fighter of the Year selection with more brilliance of his own in a defense of the junior-featherweight, 122-pound title.

Inoue has some advantages over Crawford. The biggest: Timing. Inoue has the year’s last word. But there’s more: Tapales is also his second fight in 2023. He beat Stephen Fulton, also in Tokyo, taking both of Fulton’s 122-pound belts in his first junior-featherweight championship.

Without that second fight, the guess here is that Crawford probably wins Fighter of the Year, although Devin Haney also has a solid argument with an impressive decision over Regis Prograis earlier in December and a controversial decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko in May.

Crawford’s credentials are undercut mostly because his stunner over Spence was singular in a couple of ways. Yes, it was brilliant. But it was also Crawford’s only fight in 2023.

A rematch, mandated in Spence’s contract, might have happened in December, if not for Showtime’s exit – announced in October — from ringside after a 37-year run of telecasts. There were also questions, still unanswered, about Spence’s readiness.

Maybe, Spence was weakened in the fight to make weight, 147 pounds. Maybe, he’s shot. Then again, maybe Crawford is just that good. For now, the only undisputed evidence is Crawford’s dominance.

Conclusion: More dominance from Inoue would be a decisive counter to Crawford’s claim and the only sure way to make some Japanese history.

NOTES

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez-Sunny Edwards afterthoughts:

·                Rodriguez punishing beatdown of Edwards last Saturday in Glendale AZ put his name into the speculative hat of possibilities for a shot at Inoue if – as expected – he beats Tapales. First, Rodriguez wants a shot at reigning Super-Fly Juan Francisco Estrada. A year ago, Estrada said after a decision over Ramon Gonzales in Glendale that he wanted to fight Inoue

·                Edwards lost, but he won a lot of recognition with his gutsy performance. Mostly unknown in AZ before opening bell, he developed a hate-love relationship with the crowd. Pre-opening bell, it hated him for trash-talk that included unfounded charges that Rodriguez was a drug cheat. After losing, the crowd loved him for his blood-and-guts and post-fight accountability.

·                In the face of Edwards’ pointed accusations, Rodriguez kept his poise – and his tongue – before and after he badly bloodied Edwards in a ninth-round stoppage. Still, it was hard not to think that there was some vengeance at the end of his punches, especially the left hand that finished Edwards. It landed with an emphasis that words could never express.

By Norm Frauenheim –

GLENDALE, Ariz. – There were no surprises on the scale. Off-the-scale, there weren’t many either.

On the scale, at least, Sunny Edwards and Jesse Bam Rodriguez were identical, 111.6 pounds each, Friday morning at the official weigh-in conducted by the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission.

They repeated that weigh-in in a staged version later in the day at Desert Diamond Arena just a few feet away from where the ring awaited them for Saturday night’s DAZN-streamed flyweight-title unification fight.

It was on that stage that the dramatic differences between them became evident. The left-handed Rodriguez (18-0, 14 KOs) had little to say. The right-handed Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) had plenty to say.

Edwards is sometimes called the UK’s pound-for-pound best. You might get an argument from heavyweight champion Tyson Fury about that.

Place Edwards next to Fury, and it might be hard to find the flyweight. Fury was 268.8 pounds for his last fight. Even by heavyweight standards, Fury is mammoth, more than two times bigger than Edwards, the International Boxing Federation’s 112-pound champion

But Edwards’ mouth is just as big.

It continued to roar, Fury-like, at what promoters called a ceremonial weigh-in. After he stepped off the scale, he continued to call Rodriguez a cheater.

The drug-cheat theme started on social media a few days ago. It continued Thursday during a news conference when he called Rodriguez a cheat because of his relationship with SNAC and sports-nutritionist Victor Conte.

Friday, Edwards weighed in by pointing to the inside of each of his arms.

“Clean veins, clean veins,’’ he said.

By now, no interpretation of the body language was necessary.

Then, he grabbed the microphone and offered his own narrative of what had transpired in the moments leading up to the staged weigh-in. He said that Rodriguez had kept him waiting.

“Bam was still getting the needle outta his arm,’’ Edwards said.

Then, he promptly – and appropriately – dropped — the mike just as Rodriguez and his corner exited the stage, shaking their heads in dismay and perhaps anger.

The tension is there — nothing ceremonial about it — and it’s building for a contentious fight on the DAZN card (5 pm PT/8 pm ET/ 1 am UK).  

Edwards offers no real evidence to support his allegations. Promoter Eddie Hearn, Scott Fletcher of the Arizona Commission and Conte have all told 15 Rounds that both fighters have been undergoing anti-doping tests.

Edwards said on X (formerly Twitter) that he was tested by VADA Friday. Still, he continues his trash-talk campaign, which is seemingly intended to distract Rodriguez, the World Boxing Organization’s flyweight champion.

If it’s working, it’s not evident. Rodriguez, a quiet fighter from San Antonio, stayed composed in the face of Edwards’ latest rhetorical assault Friday.

“Mentally and emotionally, I’m as ready as I’ve ever been for any fight,’’ he said.

The favored Rodriguez, who plans to jump back up to super-fly (115 pounds) after Saturday, acknowledges that Edwards represents a challenge. The UK fighter is elusive. He’s often best when fighting off his back foot.

There’s no argument about Edwards’ ring style. It poses problems, both for Rodriguez and perhaps a crowd expected to be predominantly Mexican-American.

Can Edwards win a decision?

“He can’t win at all,’’ Rodriguez said in what might be a simple summation of what he thinks of Edwards and what he hopes to do to him.

By Norm Frauenheim –

GLENDALE, AZ – Sunny Edwards called Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez a cheater Thursday, alleging that he has been using banned performance enhancers.

Edwards leveled the controversial charges in a face-to-face exchange with Rodriguez in the final news conference before their flyweight fight Saturday for two pieces of the 112-pound title at Desert Diamond Arena.

“You have SNAC on your trunks,’’ Edwards said. “Everybody knows what that means. SNAC, that means cheat.’’

Edwards offered no other evidence to support his charges other than the SNAC acronym for a sports-nutrition company run by Victor Conte.

Rodriguez is a SNAC client, one of many in boxing.

“I don’t cheat,’’ Rodriguez said to reporters after the contentious newser. “I don‘t have to cheat.’’

Scott Fletcher, Chairman of the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission, and Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, the fight’s promoter, told 15 Rounds that both fighters have undergone testing.

Hearn said testing has been conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA).

“VADA has been testing for months,’’ Hearn said of a fight that was announced in mid-August.

Conte told 15 Rounds that the testing was contractually-mandated at his urging in talks with Rodriguez trainer Robert Garcia.

“I strongly recommended to Robert that they test, and he agreed,’’ said Conte, who served time in prison for pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids in 2005 when he ran BALCO.

Conte also said he strongly recommended that VADA conduct the testing.

“It’s the most stringent and most expensive test,’’ Conte said.

Conte also told 15 Rounds that fighters aligned with SNAC “are, for the most part, the cleanest in boxing.’’

Edwards’ explosive allegations came near the end of a wild news conference that began with a scuffle between camps for a couple of undercard fighters, junior-middleweights Gordie Ross II of Detroit and Junaid Bostan of the UK.

They exchanged profane insults on-stage. Moments later, their handlers exchanged blows in an off-stage fracas that sent chairs flying and bodies falling.

Next up: Sunny and Bam. Their part in newser began predictably, meaning both fighters promised to win.

“I’ll be taking his belt and his 0,’’ Rodriguez (18-0, 14 KOs), a San Antonio fighter and the World Boxing Organization’s champion, said to the London flyweight (20-0, 4 KOs), the International Boxing Federation’s champ.

Then, it took a nasty turn when Edwards interrupted Rodriguez.

At first, it sounded as if Edwards was annoyed at remarks Rodriquez had made a few days ago.

Apparently, Edwards thought Rodriguez had questioned the Londoner’s confidence in himself.

“I know exactly who I am,’’ said Edwards, suddenly not so Sunny. ”But you, you don’t know who you are. Don’t deny all this stuff I’m saying to you. You’re weird, wear weird clothes, too.’’

The PED allegations soon followed in what might have been an attempt to rattle Rodriguez, who is known for his quiet composure.

Then, there was the closing curtain, except this ritual in boxing theater went on longer than most. Afternoon almost turned into after-dark – lunch into dinner — before Edwards and Rodriguez broke off their ritual face-off for the DAZN-streamed card.

Edwards talked and gestured, talked and gestured some more. Rodriguez mostly glared. For about 15 minutes, they stood, face-to-face, nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye. Hearn stood there, managing to squeeze an open hand between their faces – once, twice and again when there was an opening.

For one long moment, it looked as if it would ever end. But it did. Finally. Next, there’s a weigh-in Saturday. Then, opening bell Saturday. But, it’s safe to say, the hostilities are already underway.

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By Norm Frauenheim –

GLENDALE, AZ – Nobody has to ask Sunny Edwards for a prediction. It’s there, boldly stitched onto shorts he and his corner wear.

21-0, it says in bright green thread

It’s there, the introduction to his user name.

21-0Sunny, it says at the top of his X (Twitter) account that includes a confident, sometimes confrontational thread.

It’s not a matter of record, not yet anyway. But it’s clear that Edwards (20-0, 4 KOs) promises his record will go to 21-0 after his toughest challenge Saturday night in a flyweight title unification bout against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (18-0, 11 KOs) at Desert Diamond Arena.

This one is for Lord of the Flies, the modern version, in an arena and a city that has a long tradition for classics in boxing’s lightest weight classes.

Its roots are about 17 miles east of Desert Diamond in Michael Carbajal’s neighborhood in downtown Phoenix. He was an American original, a junior-flyweight who fought his way into the Hall of Fame.

A few blocks from Carbajal’s neighborhood, Rodriguez, perhaps America’s best little guy since Carbajal, won his first major title, the World Boxing Council’s super-fly belt by scoring a unanimous decision over Carlos Cuadras at Footprint Center in February 2022.

Ten months later, Juan Francisco Estrada won that super-fly belt, vacated by Rodriguez, in a masterpiece performance, a majority decision over the accomplished Ramon Gonzalez at Desert Diamond on Dec. 3.

A year and a couple of weeks later at the same arena and within the same sprawling real estate, there’s another opening bell, a sound that promises another classic.

Rodriguez, the World Boxing Organization’s 112-pound champion, is favored by about 2-to-1 odds. That’s no surprise, in part because he’s already well-known within Arizona’s Mexican-American fan base. Rodriguez, a San Antonio fighter, is remembered in Phoenix for his victory over Cuadras. He’ll have a significant hometown edge in the DAZN-streamed bout.

There are questions about whether Edwards, the International Boxing Federation’s champion, can win a decision in front of what figures to be a Mexican-American crowd. He’s won 16 of his 20 bouts by decision.

But the London flyweight’s confidence looks to be unshakeable just days before he faces the powerful Rodriguez, who grew up in the Mexican school of boxing. Class starts and ends with knowing how to take a punch to throw one.

“He’s a great fighter, but he’s not been in the ring with me yet,” Edwards said during a Matchroom Face-Off in Arizona’s central desert not long after both arrived in Phoenix.

Edwards’ intricate footwork and often awkward style could prove problematic for Rodriguez, especially in the early rounds.

Confuse Rodriguez early, beat him later. That’s one theory, anyway.

Edwards’ older brother, Charlie Edwards, is fascinated by the wide stylistic differences. There are many, best defined by their popular names.

Sunny and Bam.

Boxing, football and perhaps life is ruled by a familiar line: Styles make fights. This one could be a puzzle, at least in the early moments. But Charlie Edwards, one of his brother’s prime sparring partners, is confident Sunny will be ready for Bam’s versatile aggressiveness and a hostile crowd.

“I know my brother,’’ Charlie, a former WBC flyweight champion said Wednesday at a hotel next to Desert Diamond.  “He’ll be motivated by that. That’ll bring out the best in him. I’ve seen it in him as professional and when he was an amateur, fighting a rival in a rival neighborhood.

“He likes to silence the crowd. That’s just who he is.

“Can he win a decision?

“Absolutely.’’

Follow all the action as Regis Progaris defends the WBC Junior Welterweight Title against former undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.  The action begins at 8 PM ET with IBF Bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges defending against Miyo Yoshida.  Andy Cruz takes on Jovanni Straffon and Liam Paro battles Montana Love.

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ROUND 1: Body Punch from Haney…

ROUND 2 Body shot from Prograis…Combination from Haney..Straight left from Prograis..Good uppercut from Haney..

ROUND 3 Nice overhand right from Prograis..COUNTER RIGHT AND DOWN GOES PROGRAIS…Right to body…Swelling around eyes of Prograis

ROUND 4 Right to body from Haney…1-2 from Haney…

ROUND 5 Good body shot from Haney…Right..

ROUND 6 Left from Haney..Body shot..Big right buckles Prograis…Prograis bleeding from the nose…

ROUND 7 Combination from Haney..Body shot

ROUND 8 Counter left from Haney…Uppercut..

ROUND 9  Right rocks Prograis

ROUND 10 Left from Prograis..Counter right from Haney…

ROUND 11 Straight Right from Haney…Straight Right

ROUND 12   Haney boxing and moving

120-107 ON ALL CARDS FOR HANEY

Round 1 Check hook from Love
Round 2 2 Lefts from Paro
Round 3 Nice right hook from Love at the bell
Round 4 Left from Paro
Round 5 Jab from Paro..Left
Round 6 UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES LOVE…STRAIGHT LEFT AND LOVE GOES DOWN AGAIN..Huge flurry from Paro…Love’s legs are wobbly…MORE PUNCHES AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1: Big Right from Cruz..
Round 2: Hard flush punches from Criuz…Huge right hand…Straffon in trouble…2 Big rights
Round 3:  Cruz continuing to batter StRAFFON AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

ROUND 1 Good jab from Yoshida…Body shot

ROUND 2 Body shot from Yoshida…Left hook

ROUND 3 Right from Bridges…Right from Yoshida…Left…

ROUND 4 Good right from Yoshida

ROUND 5 Good right from Yoshida..Body shot..Right

ROUND 6 Chopping right from Yoshida..Another right and uppercut

ROUND 7 Nice left hook from Bridges..Right from Yoshida…Flurry..Chopping right

ROUND 8 Right from Yoshida…Right from Bridges

ROUND 9 Overhand Right from Yoshida…Big uppercut..2 rights wobbles Bridges…Jab

ROUND 10 Good right from Bridges..Right from Yoshida..Left..Big left from Bridges

99-91 TWICE AND 97-93 FOR THE NEW WORLD CHAMPION MIYO YOSHIDA

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Devin Haney, until recently the unified lightweight champion, aims to make a splash in his junior welterweight debut as he takes on one of the most avoided 140-pound title holders in Regis Prograis Saturday night at the Chase Center on pay-per-view. The twelve-round fight, which headlines a seven-bout card emanating from the home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, also marks a homecoming for the San Francisco-bred Haney, who has never before fought in the Bay Area. Fighters weighed-in on Friday at the venue and continued a week of contentious back-and-forth. 

In the lead-up to the fight, bad blood has spilled over as Devin’s father-coach Bill Haney and Prograis’ strength coach Evins Tobler have debated everything from who grew up on the harder streets to which of their main event fighters has real punching power.

In their final face-off on Friday, Haney and Prograis took the lead in the heated back-and-forth between the camps. No one came to blows, but the animosity seemed legitimate as the two shouted each other down in an expletive-laden exchange. 

Haney (30-0, 15 KOs) of Las Vegas, Nevada closed out his lightweight campaign and solidified his standing among the pound-for-pound elite in his last bout as he scored a hotly-contested unanimous decision over former three-division ruler Vasyl Lomachenko in May. Just over a week ago, Haney relinquished all four of his 135-pound belts to signify his focus on an already crowded junior welterweight division. Haney weighed-in at 140-pounds on Friday.

Prograis (29-1, 24 KOs) of Houston, Texas by way of New Orleans, Louisiana was last in the ring in June as he had a tougher-than-expected time moving past once-beaten late replacement Danielito Zorrilla in the first defense of his WBC title reign. In an admittedly poor performance, Prograis, who was making his hometown return, struggled to close the distance and cut-off the ring against Zorrilla en route to a split decision. Prograis came in at 139-pounds Friday.

In the chief supporting bout, WBO #11 ranked light welterweight Liam Paro takes on Montana Love in a ten-round bout. Paro (23-0, 14 KOs) of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia was the opponent that had to withdraw from the June title bout against Prograis in New Orleans when he injured his Achilles tendon a month before the scheduled clash. Six months later, Paro auditions for another title opportunity, while Love seeks a different type of redemption. Love (18-1-1, 9 KOs) of Cleveland, Ohio was an emerging contender at 140-pounds before he was dropped and frustrated to the point of forcing a blatant disqualification in his bout against unheralded Steve Spark last November. 

In a bout for the regional WBO Intercontinental lightweight title, Paro and Love both weighed-in at 140-pounds. 

Highly touted lightweight prospect Andy Cruz (1-0) of Miami, Florida by way of Matanzas, Matanzas, Cuba will meet Jovanni Straffon (26-5-1, 19 KOs) of Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico in a ten-round bout. Cruz will be defending the regional IBF International lightweight title he impressively claimed in his pro debut over respected veteran Juan Carlos Burgos in July. Straffon figures to be a sturdy test for Cruz’ second pro opponent, considering the Mexican native went the twelve-round distance with Maxi Hughes and ended the career of former title challenger James Tennyson by first-round knockout in 2021. 

In a bout also for the vacant WBA Continental Latin America title, Straffon came in at 134 even. Cruz, a 2020 Cuban Olympian gold medalist, scaled 134.4-pounds. 

Ebanie Bridges (9-1, 4 KOs) of New South Wales, Australia seeks to make the second defense of her IBF bantamweight title against late replacement Miyo Yoshida (16-4) of New York, New York by way of Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan in a ten-round bout. Bridges had been slated to meet IBF #11 ranked Avril Mathie until an injury late last month forced her fellow Aussie to withdraw. 

Bridges was last in the ring one year ago as scored an eighth-round stoppage of Shannon O’Connell in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. In the time since, Bridges nursed a surgically-repaired right hand and began training under Dave Coldwell.  Yoshida, the IBF #10 ranked bantamweight, fought just a month ago, coming up short to Shurretta Metcalf in her 118-pound debut. Bridges, who, as always, was not camera shy while hitting the scales, came in at 117.8-pounds.

Yoshida, a former WBO super flyweight champion, weighed-in at 117.6. 

Beatriz Ferreira (3-0, 1 KO) of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil will take on Destiny Jones (5-1, 2 KOs) of Austin, Texas in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Ferreira, a 2020 Brazilian Olympian and former international amateur standout, weighed-in at 130-pounds. Jones, stepping up to the eight-round distance for the first time, scaled 129.8-pounds.  

Shamar Canal (6-0, 4 KOs) of Albany, New York will take on veteran Jose Antonio Meza (8-8, 2 KOs) of Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico in a six-round featherweight fight. Canal, promoted by Devin Haney Promotions, was last in the ring in October, scoring a second-round knockout in Colima, Mexico. Meza last saw action in September, fighting to a double disqualification against Leonardo Padilla. Canal weighed-in at 132-pounds, while Meza made 131.8-pounds. 

Middleweight prospect Amari Jones (10-0, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas by way of Oakland, California will make a step-up against veteran Quilisto Madera (14-4, 9 KOs) of Stockton, California in an eight-round bout. Jones, promoted by Devin Haney Promotions, last fought in October, scoring a first-round stoppage in Colima, Mexico. Madera, a nine-year pro, is hoping to rebound from an eight-round decision loss to Kevin Newman II in August. Jones, who like Haney is making his Bay Area debut as a professional, weighed-in at 159.2-pounds.

Madera, who refused to attend the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, citing bad blood, scaled 160-pounds.

Quick Weigh-in Results:

WBC Light Welterweight Championship, 12 Rounds

Prograis 139

Haney 140 

WBO Intercontinental Light Welterweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Paro 140

Love 140 

IBF International Lightweight Championship

WBA Continental Latin America Lightweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Cruz 134.4

Straffon 134

IBF Bantamweight Championship, 10 Rounds

Bridges 117.8

Yoshida 117.6

Super featherweights, 8 Rounds

Ferreira 130

Jones 129.8

Super featherweights, 6 Rounds

Canal 132

Meza 131.8

Middleweights, 8 Rounds

Jones 159.2

Madera 160

Tickets for the event, promoted by Matchroom Boxing, Devin Haney Promotions and Rougarou Promotions, are available online at Ticketmaster.com 

Photos by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing 

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

By Norm Frauenheim –

A deal, long rumored, became official Thursday with the announcement that Amazon Prime Video and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) have a multi-year agreement expected to begin in March.

For PBC’s roster of about 150 fighters and their fans, the announcement came as a relief, if not a lifeline, for a part of the business uncertain about its future after Showtime announced that it was leaving boxing.

Showtime’s 37-year run ends Dec. 16 with a non-pay-per-view bout featuring super-middleweight David Morrell against Sena Agbeko in Minneapolis.

According to multiple reports, the agreement includes 12-to-14 fight cards in a mix of pay-per-view and non-PPV.

As of Thursday, it wasn’t clear how the agreement might affect negotiations for high-profile bouts, including a Terence Crawford-Errol Spence welterweight rematch and Canelo Alvarez-versus-David Benavidez for Canelo’s undisputed super-middleweight title.

However, Prime Video’s 160-million subscriber base represents an opportunity.

“With Prime’s incredible reach and unprecedented marketing power, we’re very excited to reach new audiences for our sport as we continue to present the most exciting, competitive and biggest fights in boxing,” said Bruce Binkow, of Integrated Sports, a marketing agency for PBC.

Plans for a March start are intriguing. Crawford, the consensus pound-for-pound king after his singular performance in a stoppage of Spence in late July, said a few weeks ago that March was a possibility for a rematch with Spence.

Crawford told reporters in September that Spence had exercised the rematch clause in their first contract. Then, it was thought the sequel to Crawford’s ninth-round stoppage would happen in December.

But that plan was put on hold when Showtime, which carried the first fight, announced in mid-October that it would pull the plug.

Meanwhile, there’s talk that Benavidez, the World Boxing Council’s mandated 168-pound challenger after his beat-down of Demetrius Andrade Nov. 25, will fight Canelo in either May as part of the Cinco de Mayo celebration or about four months later in honor of Mexican Independence on Sept. 16.

Both would be pay-per-view bouts. There were a reported 650,000 pay-per-view customers for Crawford-Spence.

Meanwhile, Canelo is boxing’s biggest pay-per-view draw. He has slipped in the pound-for-pound debate, but his popularity is undisputed.

He is Forbes’ coverboy in the magazine’s current edition, which puts his fortune at an astonishing $275 million. Canelo has two more fights on his PBC contract.

Lords of the Flies back in AZ

The sprawling Phoenix market, known for its appreciation of the little guys since Hall of Fame junior-flyweight Michael Carbajal, will again become the site of two of today’s best next Saturday (Dec. 16) in Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez against Sunny Edwards at Desert Diamond Arena in suburban Glendale.

Both are unbeaten – Rodriguez, of San Antonio, (18-0, 11 KOs) and Edwards, of London, (20-0, 4 KOs). Both hold flyweight belts, Rodriguez the World Boxing Organization and Edwards the International Boxing Federation.

They’ll fight in the same arena where Roman Gonzalez lost the super-fly title to Juan Francisco Estrada by majority decision in a masterpiece example of skill and guts from both fighters — a year and a couple of weeks ago — Dec. 3, 2022.

Rodriguez, a dynamic mix of power and skill, is already well known to the Phoenix audience.

He upset Carlos Cuadras, winning a decision for the WBC’s version of the 112-pound title in February 2022 at Footprint Center, the Suns arena just a few blocks from where Carbajal grew up in downtown Phoenix.

Edwards-Rodriguez is intriguing, a match of contrasts between Rodriguez’ rugged power and Edwards’ elusive skillset.

Don’t expect Edwards to brawl.

“It could get me knocked out.,’’ he said during his Matchroom Face Off with Rodriguez. ”It could get me tired. It could make me lose.

“When I box, I box in a certain rhythm and a certain flow state. I’m not even trying to hurt somebody. I’ll be real, when I box there’s not one part of me and my mind that’s trying to knock somebody out. I’m there for 36 minutes.”

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

While wrapping up his training camp, Hancel Gonzalez suffered an injury that forced him to pull out of the scheduled eight-round Combate Space main event against veteran contender Ve Shawn Owens, which was to take place this Saturday at the Arena Ring Central in Mexico City, Mexico. 

Owens (14-3, 12 KOs) of Minneapolis, Minnesota was going to give up weight and natural size against the larger Gonzalez. Now, stepping in for the Colombian Gonzalez, will be a more natural welterweight in Heriberto Flores (10-0, 9 KOs) of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 

Preparing for Saturday’s originally scheduled bout, Owens made the sacrifices that fighters make, stunting celebrations for Thanksgiving and his son’s birthday, which both took place last week. 

“It is a sacrifice, it is,” Owens explained. “I couldn’t do everything I actually wanted to do for my son’s birthday. I couldn’t really do as much as I wanted to do for Thanksgiving. Both of those days I was training and working. That is just the thing with this career. You are going to have to make sacrifices. It is a good thing that I have a good team behind me. When I say team, I mean support system. My family really understands. When it is fight time, they understand I am going to push it. They get it. It is hard, but everyone gets what I am trying to do.”

Coming off a career-best performance in decisioning once-beaten Kudratillo Abdukakhorov in February, Owens fielded some offers in the time since, but wanted to keep this date in Mexico. 

“I’ve gotten lots of offers,” explained Owens on Friday, shortly after arriving in Mexico, but before the opponent change. “Lots and lots of offers. Some of them were a bit ridiculous. Some were actually really good, but I was already really dedicated to this one. I don’t want to back-up from my word. I made a commitment to this one.”

Another component playing a part in Owens’ ten-month layoff, and the decision take this fight, is that his long-time head trainer Sankara Frazier has been slowed by a health issue. 

“Our head coach is kind of sick and going through a few things right now and putting our careers on hold,” explains Owens. “I told him, these people and our teammate in Mexico are serious. There’s not much we can really do right now and I am not getting any younger. I am 32, so I can’t keep on waiting.”

Many of Owens’ biggest fights have been televised by Showtime. With the network concluding its long association with boxing at the end of the year, keeping Saturday’s date in Mexico has added importance. 

“This year, has been kind of tough, just being active,” says Owens. “I understand changes are going on, and Al Haymon has a few tricks up his sleeve, but he’s going to need some time. I want to stay on that hot streak, so when everything with PBC takes effect, I can get going hot.”

Owens represents a huge step up in class for Flores. In his last bout, Flores stepped up to the scheduled ten-round distance for the first time and stopped fellow unbeaten Eduardo Sanchez in nine. Prior to that win in Costa Rica, all of Flores’ bouts had come against soft opposition in Mexico. 

Regardless of the opponent change, Owens aims for the same planned result as he continues his rise in the welterweight division on Saturday night. 

“Hopefully it gets me closer to the top ten in the world,” says Owens. “As far as the future, I don’t really want to speak too much on that. I want to focus on what’s in front of me right now, so I don’t want to talk about this and that. My main objective is this guy right now.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Producciones Deportivas and televised throughout Latin America on Space, are available at the venue. 

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime 

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

By Mario Ortega Jr. –

Welterweight contender Ve Shawn Owens will return to the ring this Saturday night as he takes on Colombian Hancel Gonzalez at the Arena Ring Central in Mexico City, Mexico. The eight-round bout marks Owens’ first ring appearance since his eye-opening victory over Kudratillo Abdukakhorov on Showtime in February. 

Owens had been a familiar face in the mix from 140 to 154-pounds dating back to 2018. After coming up short against elite opposition, Owens rose to the occasion in his native Minneapolis, Minnesota and broke through with the dominant ten-round unanimous decision over Abdukakhorov. 

As Owens’ tells it, the main change that led to his sterling performance in February was mental. “Honestly, it was more of a mindshift,” says Owens. “In the beginning phases, I was really hungry to be a world champion. Then life took full blown advantage of my career. When it came to taking some fights, it was more the fact that I needed money. I needed the money and I wasn’t really serious. But this one, I felt like I could really be something. That hunger that I had in my youth is back.”

The highly touted Abdukakhorov was hoping to rebound from his lone defeat by getting past Owens in their Showtime-televised encounter. However, Owens had been eyeing the Uzbekistani native for some time.

“This guy, I watched him fight twice, and when I saw him fight, I knew I could beat him,” remembers Owens. “Then ironically, in 2021, I had a few fights that dropped and I needed a break. I had a family member that had passed. I really needed to get my life together and then I get the call to fight this guy. I looked at him and [excitedly] said set that up. I knew I could beat him and then a year later they gave me that offer. I remembered his style; how he feints, how he reacts to certain things. And it all worked.”

A self-described student of the game, Owens (14-3, 12 KOs) has taken the same approach heading into what some may see as a stay-busy bout against the unknown Hancel Gonzalez (11-2, 9 KOs). 

“I picked up on a few things, and the things I picked up are the reasons why I want to go forward with it,” says Owens. “That one fight when he got stopped, that was a big thing, because I noticed in another fight, he would get caught with that same shot, but the second guy didn’t have the strength to get him down. I noticed his feet. He’s not going to be one of those guys that move around. He’s going to sit there and be a big target for me. We all know I love big targets. I have a huge gameplan for him, as long as he can make the weight.”

Weight is one of the main stories heading into this bout, much as it has been throughout Owens’ career. After the win against Abdukakhorov, Owens’ has decided to stake his place in the 147-pound welterweight division. Having ventured up to 154 to meet the challenge of the largest junior middleweight of recent memory, Sebastian Fundora, as well as sliding down to 140 to take on current titleholder Alberto Puello, Owens is putting his yo-yo away moving forward. 

“Nothing is throwing me off,” proclaims Owens. “My A-game is here. I feel like I should have been here. I should have been staying at 147. I feel amazing at this weight class.”

Gonzalez’ relationship with the scale has seen him see action in the light heavyweight and super middleweight divisions in recent bouts. Owens and his team will be insistent that the Colombian weighs within a few pounds of the welterweight limit at Friday’s weigh-in. 

“The only thing that is of my concern is the weight thing,” explains Owens. “As long as he can make the weight. I’m giving him a few pounds, but if he can’t do that, then we can’t.”

Gonzalez, who has looked at home physically while competing in the higher weight classes, will have an audience when he steps on the scale. “My team is on it,” explains Owens. “We are going to have eyes on there. I am not doing that anymore, fighting guys out of my weight class. I am not doing that anymore. I want to prioritize my career and the avenue that I want to go. No more silly stuff. I am not doing that anymore.”

Owens, a long-time drawing card in Minnesota, looks forward to putting on for the people in Mexico and those watching the broadcast around the world.

“I have a love for Mexico City,” says Owens. “I love the atmosphere and the people. They are going to see the fundamentals, but also that explosiveness. They are going to see a lot of fireworks.”

Tickets for the event, promoted by Producciones Deportivas and televised throughout Latin America on Space, are available at the venue. 

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime 

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

Follow all the action as David Benavidez defends the WBC Interim Super Middleweight title against two-division champion Demetrius Andrade. The action starts at 8 PM ET with three-fight undercard that includes two-world title fights. Hector Luis Garcia defends the WBA Super Featherweight title against Lamont Roach Jr.; Subriel Matias defends the IBF Junior Welterweight title against Shohjahon Ergashev Plus Jermall Charlo takes on Jose Benavidez Jr.

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Round 1: Right to Body from Benavidez..2 lefts to body from Andrade..Straight to body from Benavidez..Nice combination from Andrade

ROUND 2  Body/Head combo from Andrade…Benavidez an overhand right..Blistering combination from Andrade…

ROUND 3 Counter body shot from Andrade..Body shot from Benavidez..

ROUND 4 Benavidez lands a low blow..Straight left to body from Benavidez..Right uppercut..Double jab from Andrade..Left to body …BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES ANDRADE

ROUND 5 Big uppercut from Benavidez…Big right hand..2 big uppercuts..Body shot…Right hook from Andrade….Big left..Andrade is hurt

ROUND 6 Uppercut rocks Andrade,,.Clubbing left hand..Uppercut from Andrade..right uppercut..Big right from Benavidez..Right—FIGHT STOPPED IN CORNER

Round 1  Big Combination from Charlo..Lead left hook and uppercut
Round 2 3 Punch combination from Charlo…Jab..Straight from Benavidez..Right uppercut and jab from Charlo…Big right..Jab
Round 3 Benavidez landing combinations that are backing Charlo up..1-2 from Charlo…Sharp Jab..Good right..Left hook from Benavidez
Round 4 Uppercut from Charlo…Left hook..Jab from Benavidez…Benavidez lands a big shot After the bell
Round 5 Double left hook from Charlo..Jab..Body shot from Benavidez..Overhand right..Body..Body shot from Charlo..Combination from Benavidez..and another
Round 6 Overhand right from Charlo…Jab..Jab to the body..Big right…Combination from Benavidez..right hand
Round 7 Right from Charlo..Jab from Benavidez…Jab from Charlo..
Round 8 1-2 from Charlo..3 Punch combination..Sharp jab..
Round 9 Combination from Charlo..Right and left from Benavidez…Left uppercut from Charlo..Thudding left hook..Big uppercut..
Round 10 Hard right from Charlo..

99-91, 98-92 and 100-90 FOR JERMALL CHARLO

Round 1:Left from Ergashev..Combination..

ROUND 2 4 Punch combination from Ergashev..Uppercut and hook from Matias..Body shot from Ergashev..Combination from Matias..Chopping left..Left hook..Uppercut and left hook..

ROUND 3 Chopping left from Ergashev..left and combination from Matias…Left from Ergashev..Right uppercut…Combination

ROUND 4 2 left hooks and big right from Matias..Big flurry in the corner

ROUND 5 Big left from Left from Matias..Ergashev looks tired…Body shots from Matias..Sharp jab….ERGASHEV CANT CONTINUE IN THE CORNER

ROUND 1 Good right to body from Roach…Anther..Left from Garcia

ROUND 2 Left hook from Roach..Right..Lead right from Garcia..Straight from Roach..Nice counter left from Garcia

ROUND 3 Right from Garcia..Counter from Garcia…Body shot from Roach..Counter Hook from Garcia..Lead left…Body Combination..Nice left from Roach..Body shot from Garcia

ROUND 4 Body shot from Roach

Round 5 Counter combination from Garcia 

ROUND 6 Left to body from Garcia..Jab from Roach..

ROUND 7 Roach lands a jab..Combination from Garcia…Nice jab..Roach lands a jab…Body counter from Garcia..Jab from Roach…Left from Garcia..

ROUND 8 Left Hook from Roach

ROUND 9 Good right from Roach..Good left hook..

ROUND 10 Right uppercut from Roach..Good left hook..Left from Garcia…

ROUND 11 Right from Roach..Right Buckles Garcia…Uppercut and big flurry on the ropes..Right

ROUND 12 BIG LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES GARCIA..

114-113 Roach, 114-113 Garcia, 116-111 for Roach

Follow all the action as Chantelle Cameron defends the Undisputed Super Lightweight Title in a rematch against Katie Taylor. The action Begins at 5 PM ET

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Round 1: Combination from Taylor..Jab..Right from Cameron..Taylor goes down but ruled a slip…

ROUND 2 Body shot from Cameron..hard right

ROUND 3 Good combination from Taylor..Right from Cameron..Cameron is cut on the forehead

ROUND 4 Right from Taylor..Left-right combination..Body shot from Cameron..

ROUND 5 Great action

Round 6 Right from Cameron..1-2

ROUND 7 Left From Cameron..Combination from Taylor..3 Punch combination

ROUND 8 Cameron working on the inside…Big right from Taylor

ROUND 9 Hard right from Taylor

ROUND 10 Left from Taylor..

96-94, 98-92 AND 95 FOR TAYLOR

Round 1:

BY Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – The Jose Benavidez Jr.-Jermall Charlo fight was still on late Friday, saved by a deal reached after Charlo failed to make weight.

Charlo, who was three-plus pounds heavier than the contracted 163-pound catchweight at the official weigh-in Friday morning, was fined $75,000-a-pound, multiple sources told 15 Rounds.

It wasn’t clear how much of that money went to Benavidez’ purse in an agreement that also included the Nevada Athletic Commission and promoters.

The size of the purses for both Benavidez and Charlo weren’t known. The Nevada Commission no longer discloses them.

Charlo faces further fines – for an undisclosed amount — if he is heavier than 176 pounds at another weigh-in scheduled for Saturday morning, according to Jose Benavidez Sr., father/trainer for Jose Jr. and super-middleweight contender David Benavidez.

David faces Demetrius Andrade in the main event after the Benavidez Jr.-Charlo fight at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Showtime’s final pay-per-view card (5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET).

Both David and Andrade came in under the super-middleweight’s 168-pound mandatory, David at 167.0 and Andrade at 167.6

“I’m very upset,’’ the senior Benavidez told 15 Rounds backstage at Mandalay Bay’s House of Blues after a mock weigh-in before a roaring crowd a few hours after the official weigh-in.

Benavidez’ father was not surprised that Charlo failed to make weight. But he was angered at how much heavier Charlo was.

“I thought maybe it would be a pound,’’ he said.

But it was more than three times more than that. Behind closed doors and under the Nevada Commission’s regulation, Charlo first stepped on the scale at 166.4 pounds. The second time he stepped on the scale, he was heavier – 166.6.

Benavidez’ dad would only say that he negotiated a stiff fine in an effort to ensure that Charlo would not come in heavy.

In bargaining, he said, Charlo said he wanted a catchweight at “166 or 167.’’ Benavidez said he refused. Eventually, they agreed on 163.

“This is my son,’’ he said. “I’m here to protect him.’’

Jose Jr. weighed in at 161.2 pounds Friday morning.  Before the controversial weigh-in, he was already at a heavy disadvantage against Charlo, a 160-pound champion who has held the World Boxing Council’s middleweight title despite not fighting for more than two years.

The 31-year-old Jose Jr., held a secondary title at 140 pounds. He then fought at 147, including a competitive loss to pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, who was on stage for Friday’s weigh-in. Crawford stopped Jose Jr. in the twelfth and final round of a competitive bout in Omaha 2018.

Jose Jr. is not expected to be much heavier than he was at Friday’s weigh-in. Even if he stays at 161.2 pounds and Charlo is at the negotiated limit of 176 Saturday morning, Charlo would outweigh the Phoenix-born fighter by 14.8 pounds.

“I told my son not to do it,’’ his dad said. “I told him not to fight. But he really wants to fight. He’s determined. Really motivated. So, we’re going to fight.’’

After the ritual face-off after the mock weigh-in, Jose Jr. left little doubt about that. He tried to step through and around security that stood between him and Charlo.

Finally, the weigh-in show moderator stuck a microphone in his face.

“I’m going to knock his ass out,’’ Jose Jr., yelled, leaving echoes that only an opening bell can silence.

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – He has a curious nickname. He’s Boo Boo.

Insert punch line here, and many do in a business surrounded by over-the-top characters whose nicknames are a mix of fantasy, fear and comic-book super-hero.

It’s just one piece in the puzzle that is Demetrius Andrade, who says he’s been Boo Boo since he was a daredevil kid climbing trees and jumping off roofs.

He’s something of an enigma, but that might be exactly what makes him a threat to David Benavidez, who now calls himself The Monster. Nothing curious about that one. Interpret at your own risk.

But Andrade doesn’t think much of The Monster moniker, one given to Benavidez by Mike Tyson on his podcast. In fact, Andrade makes a joke out of it.

“Like I said, Mike was real, real high that day,’’ Andrade said at a public workout a few days before his super-middleweight date with Benavidez Saturday night at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Showtime’s final pay-per-view bout.

It’s funny and, some say, a foolish boo-boo from Andrade, a former junior-middleweight and middleweight champion who is fighting at 168 pounds for only the second time.

Against the bigger and younger Benavidez, there’s talk and odds – nearly 4-to-1 against Andrade – that this time the daredevil still in the 35-year-old fighter is on the precarious edge of a nasty fall.

But the problem with that argument is in Andrade’s record. He’s unbeaten, 32-0 with 19 knockouts. It’s a record and something of a riddle.

Andrade’s pro career doesn’t really include any defining moments, despite titles at 154 and 160 pounds. It’s unblemished and in some ways unremarkable for all things that haven’t happened.

Mostly, the 2008 Olympian has been elusive. The left-hander is hard to hit and harder to figure out. For the 26-year-old Benavidez and just about any other fighter, the unknown is often the biggest danger.

It’s no coincidence, perhaps, that Andrade is called the most-avoided fighter of his generation. The best in his time and perhaps any other time won’t fight what they don’t know. They won’t take on a riddle they can’t solve. So far, there aren’t any solutions. That’s what the 0 on the right side of Andrade’s ledger says.

Despite his many years in the pro ring, surprise appears to be Andrade’s best weapon against the aggressive Benavidez, also unbeaten (27-0, 23 KOs), in a fight that could lead to a big pay-day against Canelo Alvarez.

“I think he’s going to be very surprised,’’ Andrade says, almost cryptically. “I have the source. I can frustrate him, set traps and break him down while also hitting him.’’

The biggest question, however is time.

“Father Time beats all,’’ Andrade said.

Can Andrade 35-year-old legs carry him out of danger, especially in the later rounds. Benavidez has been at his punishing best from the eighth through the 12^th.

The Phoenix-born Benavidez is confident he can overwhelm Andrade – stop him – in part because Andrade won’t have room to run. Benavidez says a 22-by-22-foot ring was a factor in his inability to stop Caleb Plant last March. He won a unanimous decision. Plant, he says, was able to elude some of his lethal pressure in a bigger ring.

Plant demanded and got some extra canvas, 22-by-22 feet instead of the traditional 20-by-20 in contract negotiations.

“I’m going to strike whenever there’s an opportunity,’’ Benavidez said.

But, Andrade repeated, he’ll be surprised, suggesting that he’ll never get that opportunity.

Nobody ever has. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – David Benavidez sounds as if he is ready to be more than just another fighter chasing Canelo Alvarez.

Benavidez introduced bold aspirations, saying he wants to be a force all his own instead of just another name in the Canelo lottery, Wednesday at a public workout for his super-middleweight date Saturday with Demetrius Andrade.

“I think this is the start of the Benavidez era,’’ he said to a crowd of onlookers on the casino floor at Mandalay Bay, not far from the Michelob ULTRA Arena where he defended the first of two titles in a

victory over Ronald Gavril as a 20-year-old in 2018.

He was a kid, then. Nearly six years later, he’s a feared fighter, still young, yet just entering his prime and on a path that he believes will put him where Canelo has been.

He talked about a chance at making some history, which was Canelo’s mantra until he ran into Dmitry Bivol, a light-heavyweight who upset him and his ambitions in May 2022.

It’s not as if Canelo isn’t still on Benavidez’ horizon. The undisputed super-middleweight champion is there, dangerous as ever, as the next possibility for Benavidez, who will turn 27 on Dec. 17.

The World Boxing Council decided a couple of weeks ago at a convention in Uzbekistan that the Benavidez-Andrade winner will be Canelo’s mandatory challenger. These days, that could mean just about anything. Canelo’s celebrity and earning power equal clout. He calls his own shots. There’s talk of him fighting welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

There’s also uncertainty about the boxing business. The Benavidez-Andrade fight is Showtime’s last pay-per-view card. There’s still no news about a new broadcast network.

Canelo, the pay-per-view star of his generation, doesn’t come cheap. His purses have doubled and tripled since he collected $12 million for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But it’s clear that Benavidez is anxious to get out from under Canelo’s dominance. For years, he called out Canelo. For years, Canelo told him — in so many words — to get in line.

“I’m so sick of talking about Canelo,’’ said Benavidez’ father and trainer Jose Benavidez, whose older son, Jose Jr., fights middleweight champion Jermall Charlo in a contentious co-main event. ”He’s been fighting little guys.’’

Canelo scored a dominant decision over Charlo’s twin brother, junior-middleweight Jermell Charlo, in his last outing, a bout that looked a lot like a tune-up.

Since beating the smaller Charlo, there’s not been much comment from Canelo about Benavidez or his chances at being the mandatory challenger. Late Wednesday, he was nearly a 4-1 favorite over Andrade, a former middleweight and junior-middleweight champion.

But Benavidez doesn’t seem to care what Canelo thinks anymore.

“To be honest, I’m not worried about Canelo,’’ said the Phoenix-born fighter, now a Seattle resident who continues to wear the PHX acronym on his trunks. “I want to clean out the division.

“I promise you I will not disappoint you. This will be the best fight – to date – of my career.

That starts, he said, with Andrade, a former Olympian with a comprehensive skillset. The 35-year-old Andrade knows his way around the ring.

He can challenge Benavidez with versatility and agile footwork, both of which figure to be an intriguing test of Benavidez’ patience, maturity and emerging ambition.

Benavidez seeking KO

Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) is confident he can stop the unbeaten Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs). 

His promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz is sure of it.

“I promise you David will knock out Andrade,’’ Lewkowicz told the workout crowd.

A reason might the size of the ring. It’s the traditional 20-by-20, smaller than the 22-by-22-foot ring for Benavidez’ unanimous decision over Caleb Plant last March.

Plant, who has some of Andrade’s boxing skill, was able to use the bigger ring — the result of a contract demand — to elude some of Benavidez’ punishing pursuit, especially in the final rounds.

By Norm Frauenheim –

It’s not exactly a surprise that the World Boxing Council decided this week that the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade winner will be Canelo Alvarez’ mandatory challenger.

It only would have been news if the WBC had not done so during its Uzbekistan convention, a gathering that did produce headlines, including WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman’s silly fight with The Ring, a magazine older than any acronym and a century-old publication that charges a subscription fee but never a sanctioning fee.

I’ve written for The Ring.

I’ve got a subscription.

I buy my own belts.

Conventions, of course, are always trying to create news, and — from bridgerweight to franchise belts — the WBC has generated its share.

The Ring, which awards its own championship belts, “threatens the credibility’’ of boxing, Sulaiman told iFL TV. Year-in, year -out, boxing does a pretty good job of that, all by its lonesome.

Nevertheless, I’m sure the WBC-versus-The Ring will never be a Fight of the Year contender. X-worthy, maybe. Pay-per-view, definitely not.

It’s an unfortunate sideshow, a diversion from what will happen on Nov. 25 with the Benavidez-Andrade fight at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. It’ll be the beginning of Showtime’s end, it’s final pay-per-view boxing telecast.

That’s what threatens boxing.

Not The Ring.

It’s an existential threat, one that will be there no matter who – Benavidez or Andrade — emerges from the super-middleweight bout as Canelo’s mandatory challenger.

What’s really mandatory is a network, a streaming or lineal TV partner with the cash and clout to stage a projected May or September fight featuring Canelo, boxing’s highest earner over the last several years.  

Canelo got a reported $12 million in 2013 for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since then, his purses have doubled, tripled. His guarantee for a trilogy victory over Gennadiy Golovkin in September 2022 was reported to be $45-million.

Is there any network willing to join Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) in a partnership to pay that much to Canelo against the Phoenix-born Benavidez or Andrade?

There’s no answer, and there doesn’t figure to be one until after Nov. 25. The aggressive Benavidez is about a 4-to-1 favorite over the skilled Andrade. Canelo-Benavidez figures to be a better sell than Canelo-Andrade. Canelo-Benavidez, Mexican-versus-Mexican-American, has been one fight fans have been demanding for a couple of years.

Maybe, that demand is high enough to interest a network. For now, however, it’s only a question, one that’s also creating uncertainty about a contracted Terence Crawford-Errol Spence rematch, projected for early next year.

For as long as there’s no network, there’s no sequel.

Crawford, who was stripped of the International Boxing Federation’s welterweight title just months after his brilliant summer stoppage of Spence, was asked about it while in Vegas for the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos late Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena.

“I don’t know,” Crawford told reporters at the weigh-in Wednesday. “It’s still up in the air, given the fact that Showtime has no longer decided to do boxing. So, everything’s up in the air right now with that.’’

Up and ominous, a real threat instead of an imaginary one.

Follow all the action as Shakur Stevenson and Edwin De Los Santos fight for the vacant WBC Lightweight Championship. The action begins at 10:30 PM ET with The WBO Junior Lightweight Title bout between Emanuel Navarrete and Robson Conceicao.

THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY. NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED

Round 1: Short left from Stevenson..Left to body..

ROUND 2 Jab from Stevenson..De Los santos lands a body shot…

ROUND 3 2 Jabs from Stevenson…

ROUND 4 Triple Jab from Stevenson..Jab to body from De Los Santos..Left to body from Stevenson

ROUND 5 Body shot from De Los Santos..

ROUND 6 De Los Santos lands a double jab to the body…

ROUND 7 Jab from Stevenson

ROUND 8 Good jab from De Los Santos..Good Jab from Stevenson..

ROUND 9 Nice right from Stevenson..Good exchange…Right Hook from Stevenson

ROUND 10 Right hook from Stevenson..Right hook..Another right hook…

ROUND 11 Double right hook from Stevenson..

ROUND 12  1-2 from Stevenson..Right from De Los Santos…

116-112 TWICE AND 115-113 FOR STEVENSON

Round 1 Conceicao lands a combination…Body shot

ROUND 2 Right to body from Navarrete..Right from Conceicao..4 punch combination from Navarrete

ROUND 3 Navarrete has small cut on bridge of nose..3 Punch combination from Navarrete..Counter from Conceicao..

ROUND 4 Right to body from Navarrete..Short right and LEFT UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES CONCEICAO..Right drives Conceicao off balance

ROUND 5 Short right and sweeping left from Navarrete…Combination…Left to body from Conceicao..

ROUND 6 Counter right from Conceicao..RightCombination from Navarrete..1-2..Good hook..Conceicao cut on the bridge of his nose.

ROUND 7 BIG RIGHT TO THE BODY AND DOWN GOES CONCEICAO

ROUND 8 Right from Conceicao.  Blood from mouth of Conceicao…Left hook hurts Conceicao…

ROUND 9  Doctor checks Conceicao before round…1-2 from Conceicao…Right to body from Navarrete…Body shot..Another..

ROUND 11 Right from Conceicao..Combination from Navarrete

ROUND 12 1-2 from Conceicao..Short right…

114-112 NAVARRETE…113-113 ON 2 CARDS…DRAW

By Norm Frauenheim –

There’s trash talk and there’s chaos.

The Jermall Charlo-Jose Benavidez edition of boxing’s long running, increasingly redundant exhibition tipped toward the latter in a hide-the-kids kind of exchange during a virtual news conference Tuesday.

It’s been called wild, a polite description of what was really a verbal food fight. It was just off the wall, not to mention off the rails.

Kudos to all those who were able to put together a few cogent quotes from a session that had me reaching for my noise-reducing headphones. Subtract the profanity and there just wasn’t much left.

I’m not opposed to trash talk. It’s how boxing communicates. But let’s just say it’s getting harder and harder to listen to the language. It’s not talking. It’s screaming. At least, Muhammad Ali, trash-talk’s undisputed original, used to mix in a few poems and clever punch lines. 

Trust me, there was nothing poetic or remotely clever from either Benavidez or Charlo. Put it this way: Nearly everything rhymed with puck.

Still, there was some news, but I’m only sure of that because of Boxing Scene’s Keith Idec, who makes sense out of chaos better than anyone else seated along press row.

Thanks to Idec, we know that the bout on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade Showtime pay-per-view card Nov. 25 will be at a catchweight, 163 pounds, and that Charlo’s World Boxing Council middleweight belt won’t be at stake in his first bout in more than two years.

The unbeaten Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought since a decision over Juan Macias Montiel on June 19, 2021.  That’s 28 months between opening bells. According to the WBC, he’s been battling mental-health issues.

Idec quoted Charlo as saying the belt was “nothing but a trophy.’’  

It’s there. Hide the kids and listen to the tape. But WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman took exception, criticizing Idec on X (formerly Twitter) with a post suggesting that Charlo’s comment was taken out of context.

Sulaiman’s post: It’s very unfortunate to post such a misleading comment and not the many other statements he did. Charlo is a proud WBC Champion and fully respects the organization. We just spoke confirmed directly from him. It is very common to take a few words here and there and make a story

Sorry, but Charlo’s few words were the story, the only real story in what otherwise was a torrent of profanity. Blame Charlo. Benavidez, who has turned into one of boxing’s noisiest trash talkers, clearly got to him.

Benavidez (28-2-1, 19 KOs), David’s older brother, began his part of the PBC newser by saying: “I’m not ready to do much talking.’’

Then, he wouldn’t shut up.

In one shouting match after another, the Phoenix fighter called Charlo a baby and few other b-words.  Benavidez, known these days for his movie role in Creed III, questioned why Charlo was fighting at 163 pounds instead of 160. He asked him if he couldn’t make weight because he’s undisciplined. He referred to his reported mental-health issues. He mocked him, begging him not to cry.

Benavidez, an actor when he’s not fighting, went over the line. He also knows all the lines, most of them obscene and each intended to outrage.

That was the context.

Idec simply did what he always does: His job. He reported – reported exactly – what Charlo said in reaction to the chaos that was the context.

Nothing But An Opinion: Charlo’s controversial line – “nothing but a trophy” – applies all over again, just a couple of days after he used it to describe his WBC belt. Late Thursday, news broke that the International Boxing Federation stripped Terence Crawford of its welterweight belt.

Before a formal announcement, the IBF quietly dropped Crawford and elevated Jaron Ennis to its 147-pound title in its ratings. Social media noticed.

Ennis figures to be a great champion. But only if he fights for the title. In confirming the move, the IBF cited no deal for Crawford to defend the title against Ennis, the mandatory challenger. 

Therefore, the acronym said, it “has withdrawn recognition of Terence Crawford as the IBF Welterweight world champion.”

It’s fair to say that recognition isn’t shared by fans, who watched Crawford become the consensus pound-for-pound champion against Errol Spence just a few months ago.

More Notes: A strong undercard has fallen into place for Benavidez-Andrade. PBC announced this week that ex-junior-welterweight champion Sergey Lipnets (17-2-1, 13 KOs) will face former lightweight Michel Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 10-rounder at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay.

Off-TV, Floyd Mayweather’s heavily-hyped prospect, 17-year-old junior-lightweight Curmel Moton (1-0,1 KO) faces Hunter Turbyfill (3-0, 1 KO), of Memphis, in a four-rounder. Moton made his debut Sept. 30 on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez’ one-sided decision over Jermell Charlo.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Tyson Fury exited Saudi Arabia with a bag full of cash and a lot of questions after a controversial, problematic performance that dropped boxing’s old flagship division back into a familiar mess.

Fury is still the lineal champion, although a novice almost interrupted that long line of heavyweight succession. For the record, he can still say he beat the man who beat the man.

But one judge, a lot of active fighters, retired fighters, pundits and the social-media mob argue otherwise. Before reporters even learned how to spell his name, the unlikely Francis Ngannou knocked down Fury and did enough to win on one of three scorecards last Saturday.

It was Fury, by split decision, a split that ensures that this controversy won’t go away quietly. Everybody said all the right things, picked up their paychecks, praised their hosts and headed home as if to say: “Let’s move on, nothing to see here.’’

In Fury’s bruised left eye and bloodied forehead, there was plenty to see. Plenty to question. Is he the same guy, or just another fighter who has suddenly grown old?

It comes as no surprise that his performance has forced some quick adjustments. Remember all of those reports about a December 23 date with Oleksandr Usyk? Not going to happen then. Not after what happened Saturday.

Frank Warren, Fury’s UK promoter, confirmed to reporters Thursday that there’s been a postponement. Probably in February, also in Saudi, Warren said.

“The fight will happen before 2 March and it will be for the undisputed title and all four belts,” Warren said. “The IBF (International Boxing Federation) have given consent for that now and it’s all done. The fight is on. Everybody’s agreed, and it will be announced fairly soon.”

For now, the timing of that announcement hinges on how quickly Fury heals. He’s been here before. He was badly bloodied in a unanimous decision over Otto Wallin in September 2019.  He was cut twice, once above the right eye and then along the eyelid. 

Reportedly, he needed 47 stitches to close the wound, which could have forced an early stoppage in what would have been a huge upset.

But a Fury rematch with Deontay Wilder was at stake. It was planned for Feb. 22, 2020. Then, there were similar questions about whether Fury could heal up in time. He did, and he went on to a seventh-round stoppage of Wilder on the projected date in Las Vegas.

But he was about three years younger and perhaps a lot more resilient than the 35-year-old, who struggled against Ngannou, a former mixed-martial arts champion with a big punch. Also, he had yet to face Wilder in a third fight, a violent brawl that Fury won after getting knocked down twice in October 2021.

Fury got up all over again in the third round against Ngannou. But this time it was with evident hesitancy instead of the inexhaustible resiliency he displayed against Wilder. 

He finished that trilogy definitively. Dramatically. He left no doubt in an 11^th round KO that represents the peak of a great heavyweight in his prime.

Against Ngannou, he simply held on, looking like an aging fighter with a couple of titles, plenty of money and ominous scars.

“Look, you can get somebody becoming very old in boxing overnight,” Warren said “I don’t think it’s the case with Tyson,  and we’ll find out in his next fight.

“My opinion is that I don’t think anybody expected that from Ngannou. I did expect he would be tough. But I genuinely never expected that Ngannou could shape up as a boxer like he did.’’

For the next couple of months, expect just about anything.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou defies description. Fight or fraud? Fish or foul? It depends on who’s doing the marketing and/or the mocking.

Sift through all of the possibilities, and there’s only one: Exhibition. That, and all of its interpretations, was on parade at a news conference Thursday in Riyadh.

 At times, it was slapstick funny. Send in the clowns. At times, it began to redefine what it means to be cringe-worthy.

A cringe-worthy moment: Fury stripped off his jacket and vest for a bare-chested pose in a forehead-to-forehead stare-down with Ngonnou. His 59-year-old father, John Fury, quickly joined the strip show shedding his shirt and then stepping in front of the camera. Gently, John Fury – animated as in cartoon-like — had to be moved to one side. It wasn’t his show. At least, it’s not supposed to be.

All of the time, it was clear it was all about the cash.

There’s plenty of that being exhibited, although none of the numbers have been confirmed. Let’s just say that Fury’s income could make him an oil baron.

Speculation puts his payday at $60 million for an exhibition (Saturday, 2 pm ET/11 am PT, ESPN + pay-per-view), that looks a lot like a tune-up for a fight – a real one –projected for Dec. 23 against Ukrainian heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, also in Riyadh and also for an astonishing bankroll. Talk – and that’s all it is – puts that paycheck at $100 million.

For the Saudis, Fury looks to be another investment in their so-called sports wash. He’s another name, another possible diversion from the controversy surrounding the Saudi Kingdom’s reputation for repression. Their sports collection includes Phil Mickelson, Formula One auto racing, soccer and horse racing. A major addition would be Fury-Usyk, one of the biggest heavyweight fights in a fabled history.

“Tyson Fury is certainly the best heavyweight since Muhammad Ali and maybe ever,’’ said Fury’s 92-year-old American promoter, Bob Arum, also Ali’s former promoter.

But boxing isn’t golf. It’s a risk, one that maybe Mickelson wouldn’t even bet on.  With one punch, everything can go wrong and often does.

Fury-Ngannou, at $79.99 pay-per-view, is being mocked precisely because it looks like a set-up for the reported December date with Usyk. The Saturday exhibition is not even listed under Fury’s BoxRec entry. If the reliable, go-to BoxRec doesn’t list it, it’s not a fight. Then, there’s Fury’s World Boxing Council heavyweight belt. It’s not at stake, although WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman was there with a specially-made belt, named “the Riyadh Champion belt.’’ That makes interim sound like a promotion.

The guess is that if the unlikely happens, the WBC belt would still be in play in December against Usyk, who holds the three other belts. Then, there’s Ngonnou, a UFC champion, a mixed martial arts fighter known for unprecedented power.

Even Mike Tyson, a celebrity cornerman for Ngannou, marvels at power that once defined him.

“Nobody takes a punch like Tyson Fury, but this is a different kind of power,’’ said Tyson, who wore a businessman’s suit to Thursday’s exhibit of Fury exhibitionists.

Tyson is there to help sell the show. He’s an intriguing angle. In 1988, John Fury named his son after Tyson, who had just begun his wild run through the heavyweight division.

Mike Tyson warns his namesake about Ngannou’s power. It’s a limb-breaker, he says.

“I saw him hit this guy,’’ Tyson said as he gestured with an imaginary blow to the jaw. “And the guy wound up breaking a leg or ankle or whatever.’’

But there are doubts about whether Ngannou, of Cameroon, will ever land that big punch. He’s a novice boxer. Video of him hitting the mitts showed power, but no precision or hand speed. Autumn could turn to winter in the time it takes Ngannou to land. The clever Fury could feint, duck, feint again and counter within that long moment. Leg-breaker? Yeah Ngannou might break his own in a wild miss.

The real measure of Ngannou’s feared power is also hard to judge. He’ll be wearing 10-ounce gloves for the first time. He executed 17 stoppages in mixed martial arts wearing four-ounce gloves.

In his memorable trilogy with Deontay Wilder, he was knocked down four times by a right hand as explosive as any in history. What would Wilder’s power have done had he been wearing four ounces, instead of 10? He and Fury probably would have never gone beyond the first fight and Fury’s 12th-round resurrection from a crushing knockdown.

There are other possibilities, hard to predict and all common to boxing’s familiar chaos. Fury knows them. He’s been there. In September 2019, he fought Swede Otto Wallin in a fight perceived to be a tune-up for his first rematch with Wilder. The heavily favored Fury won a debatable unanimous decision in Las Vegas. He also suffered a nasty cut to his right eye.

A Wallin punch caused the cut in the third round. Wallin would do further damage, enough to argue that the fight should have been stopped in his favor.

Fury needed a reported 47 stitches and time to heal. There was speculation that it would delay the second fight with Wilder. It didn’t. Wilder conceded it was risky, that the cut might rupture. But he never gave a clueless Wilder the chance to try, blowing him away in the seventh round February 2020 in Vegas.

Call it a warning, Exhibit A among risks to a Saudi bet that it’ll host some heavyweight history.   

By Norm Frauenheim –

Showtime was at ringside before Canelo Alvarez was born, yet its imminent exit from boxing isn’t much of a surprise. It is however, a warning for a battered, balkanized business forever at odds with itself.

Only boxing is killing boxing. It’s an old line that bears repeating in the wake of the announcement this week that the network will televise one, maybe two more cards, including David Benavidez’ Nov. 25 super-middleweight date with Demetrius Andrade in Las Vegas.

Benavidez is 26, a face of boxing’s emerging generation. It’s fair to guess that the Phoenix-born fighter and former-two-time champion assumed that Showtime would always be there. He grew up with it. Throughout his unbeaten career, it was part of the show. 

But it’s exit, predicted for years, leaves questions about what awaits him, his rivals and their generation of fans.

Showtime has been fundamental to their hopes and expectations. It brought the money. But if Benavidez beats Andrade, will enough of that be there for a projected Canelo-Benavidez blockbuster next year, post-Showtime?

That’s just one question, emblematic of the many that boxing never really considered amid all the speculation that the network was approaching its final bell.

Rumors were there last month throughout the fight-week build-up for Canelo’s one-sided decision over Jermell Charlo, also on Showtime. By then, however, it was too late for any substantive change. After all, Showtime’s exit from boxing was predicted in 2018.

That’s when Top Rank’s Bob Arum said Showtime would eventually follow HBO and leave boxing.  

“Showtime does not belong in boxing,’’ Arum said.

Arum made the comment to reporters before Canelo’s majority decision over Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept 15 in a 2018 rematch on HBO. Twelve days later, HBO announced it was throwing in the towel, finished after 45 years.

“I mean, they’re wasting the stock holders money by doing boxing matches,’’ Arum said then.  “They should invest in entertainment because HBO realizes they’re in a dogfight with Disney, with Netflix, and so every dollar that they can conserve to put into entertainment, they need desperately.

“Showtime has to become aware of that fact, but the only way they’re going to survive is with good entertainment, because unfortunately when you do boxing, you open and close the same night.’’

Showtime’s exit became inevitable last January with Paramount+, a streaming service and a sure sign of change in philosophy – a move toward long-running shows.

Rather than one night of boxing or a live concert, Arum said, HBO and Showtime can only compete with shows that can draw an audience week after week, night after night.

“And five years from now, the linear platform won’t mean bleep,’’ Arum – aligned with ESPN since 2017 — said five years ago. “Everything will be streaming – everything. Entertainment, sports, everything will be streaming.”

Bingo.

However, either boxing didn’t listen. Or, it just assumed the good times would never end. Or, it did what it has always done. To wit: Grab the fast buck and move on.

Fighters with little name recognition made big money. The younger generation began to look upon Floyd Mayweather’s brilliant career as the model.

Throughout his long-running deal with Showtime, Mayweather did more than follow the risk-to-reward ratio to the top of the pound-for-pound debate. He rode it straight to the top of Forbes’ list of the world’s wealthiest athletes. He was No. 1 in 2018.

What could go wrong? Plenty. There was only one Mayweather. He made unprecedented money, pre-stream. But that risk-to-reward formula left an assumption that the money would never end. The Showtime exit is a sign that it will.

It’s still hard to say what impact that might have on a possible Benavidez-Canelo fight, a bout that fans have wanted for a couple of years.

It leaves a further question about the chances of a projected Terence Crawford-Errol Spence rematch of Crawford’s singular performance in a stoppage win in July, also on Showtime.

The sad aspect to the Showtime exit after 37 years is in the timing. 2023 has been one of boxing’s best years in some time. Under Stephen Espinoza’s guidance, it staged a comeback.

For years, there has been doom-and-gloom — persistent talk about an eroding fan base. But Showtime began to rediscover that audience, first in April with a reported 1.2 million pay-per-view customers for Tank Davis’ blowout of Ryan Garcia.

Then, there was Crawford-Spence. The welterweight fight had been talked about for years. Then, there were negotiations, misinformation and even a reported fight date — Nov. 19 2022. In the end, however, there was only futility.  Talks broke down in October.

Fans were outraged. More than a few editions of the boxing-is-dead theme were written, including one in this corner.

But Showtime persisted. The fight got made and it delivered a sensational moment from Crawford on July 30. 

The fight did fewer PPV numbers — a reported 700,000 — than Davis-Garcia. The number was solid. But, above all, Crawford-Spence delivered a message: The business had a pulse.

Still does.

But is anybody listening?

By Mario Ortega Jr.

Earlier this year, a new team boxing concept was launched that hoped to bring non-stop action from bell to bell. Team Combat League, the brainchild of promoter Ahmed Sheikh, featured six teams of about 24 fighters per team, spread over six weight classes, based across the United States. One of the budding young pugilists that shined over the course of the TCL’s inaugural season was featherweight Lizette Lopez of the Los Angeles Tengoose franchise.

Lopez, a 1-0 professional based out of the MXN Boxing Center in Salinas, California, was able to secure a tryout for the Los Angeles team, led by head coach Ricky Funez, through her co-head trainer Josh Sanchez. Heralded amateur Roxy Verduzco had already secured one of the female featherweight spots on the team, leaving only one more spot remaining. 

“When it really came down to it, it ended up being about a week in advance and Coach Funez asked Coach Josh if I could go down there and spar,” recalls Lopez. “We took the opportunity and went and I sparred and I ended up taking the second spot.” 

With that sparring session Lopez had made the team, which would base their training from the Tengoose Boxing Gym in Van Nuys, California, leaving the fighter from the Central Coast city of Salinas in a scramble to find housing in time for the start of the season. While most of the team were already based out of the Los Angeles area, Lopez would end up with a much longer commute than her teammates.

“I would stay in Chino Hills and have to commute an hour everyday,” remembers Lopez. “I have some close relatives that stay there and that was the only spot since it was so last minute. I want to say every Monday thru Friday we would train at about 11 am.” 

Lopez’ willingness to make the sacrifice to commute in unforgiving Southern California traffic to get to and from the gym everyday was just the first example of her dedication to the sport that impressed coach Danny Gonzalez.

“It was a long, long trip for her to come,” explains Gonzalez, one of the two assistant coaches for Los Angeles, alongside Jonathan Walley. “I instantly read it from her at the beginning, and I told her from the get-go that she was going to do great. She just had to focus on a little bit of things. That was what we ended up doing, working together and putting in the little things that she did and she ended up being one of the best female fighters on that show.” 

With less than two months between the time she found out she had made the team and the week one match-up against the New York City Attitude in Connecticut, Lopez had to quickly adjust to training in new surroundings, away from her home coaches for the first time, with new trainers with different styles and for the new format of fighting for just one, two-minute round. 

“It was definitely an adjustment, but I think I did pretty well adjusting to it,” proclaims Lopez. “It helped that I did so well training with [the Los Angeles coaches,] so everything came so natural to me. I did [have to change my mindset going into this]. In training and sparring we did a lot of pressure work and high volume punching. So I think that really helped me throughout the competition.” 

Over the course of the season, Lopez would fight a southpaw opponent seven times. One of the advantages she may have had was that her teammate and sparring partner, Roxy Verduzco, was herself a skilled southpaw. 

“It was amazing that she had the experience to move around with “Right Hook” Roxy, because she has the experience from being an amateur fighter,” explains Gonzalez. “When I would see them in there going at it, they were both going at it back-and-forth, so it was tough competition. That is why I think our girls were really, really tough and hard to beat throughout the whole entire show. Their chemistry working together was really good. After that, [Lizette] honed in and really began showcasing her skills. She was dominating a lot of the southpaw fighters she had to fight, as well as some of the orthodox fighters she fought too. Working with “Right Hook” Roxy the whole camp really sharpened her up and added to her boxing skills, because she is a forward-pressure fighter. She likes digging to the body and ripping uppercuts and using head movement. Working with Roxy, she was helping her use her jab and cutting angles, so that was really good.” 

In each week of competition, fights between each team would consist of 18 individual rounds, with each fighter competing one round at a time, once or twice throughout the night, depending on the fighter availability on each roster. The first week of action took place on March 29th at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, the host venue for the entire regular season. In the first fight on the first night, Lopez would meet southpaw Nicole Ocasio of New York. It would be the first of three meetings they had in what would become the signature rivalry of the inaugural Team Combat League season. 

Lopez and Ocasio had met before as young amateurs in the lead-up to the 2016 USA Boxing Junior National Championships in December of that year. “We had both traveled to Kansas City, Missouri and competed in that tournament for nationals,” recalls Lopez. “We ended up sparring each other, which is pretty cool that we ended up coming back into each other’s lives all this time later.” 

Without any examples to watch before their meeting, Lopez and Ocasio functioned as the guinea pigs for the entire season and set the tone for what was to come by opting for an offensive-minded fight for the two-minute duration of their opening bout. 

“I was just going to go out there and try my best to box and fight my fight and fight smart and also just throw a lot, which is like the whole concept of the show I believe,” says Lopez. “I felt pretty good actually. I felt my performance was really good and I knew that I was only going to get better from there.” 

Though her team would end up losing to New York City by one point, Lopez held up her end by winning that opening round. Lopez gave Ocasio more movement and her conditioning held up a little better in the last half minute to seal a decision win in an entertaining contest. After each night of fights, the Los Angeles Tengoose team would fly back together to California and return to training before the next fight night would bring them back across country to Connecticut. 

In her next time out on April 13th, Lopez would meet one of her tougher adversaries for the first time in experienced pro Jennifer Miranda of the Dallas Enforcers. Miranda had already fought the ten-round distance twice and captured a WBA regional belt in Spain. For two minutes, Miranda was able to find success boxing and moving and tying up the shorter Lopez when she found her way in range. 

“I did find it a little bit challenging, fighting somebody like her,” admits Lopez. “Obviously, I was going to have to close the distance more and get inside more. She was kind of trying to hit and move, stick and move. So it was a little bit harder for me. I feel like towards the end, I started getting in closer and she would start clinching more. I just tried my best.” 

Lopez would be back in the ring on May 4th, fighting twice in one night for the first time of the competition. The first bout paired her against the tough Tyriesha Douglas of the DC Destroyers. The muscularly-built southpaw Douglas entered as a fifteen-fight pro and former WIBA champion and started out the round strong. Much like in her first bout with Ocasio, Lopez’ conditioning made the difference as she came on in the last 45 seconds, this time with clean head shots, while Douglas tried to clinch to run out the time.  Two of the three judges ringside scored the split decision for Lopez. 

In the second of her fights that night, Lopez took on Dupe Akinola, who had fought in the first overall round of the match, while the win over Douglas took place in the seventh round. Akinola got off to a strong start, in what was the 13th overall round between LA and DC. After getting knocked off balance with one shot early in the round, Lopez came on late as Akinola’s output slowed, but the late rally failed to sway the judges as the DC fighter earned the unanimous nod. 

Fighting two rounds with a break in between each round was something of an adjustment for the fighters in the competition. In boxing, maintaining adrenaline and staying warmed up is part of the routine when it comes to a fight. However, in this format there are some new challenges the fighters deal with when fighting multiple rounds. 

“I had been warming up for like a while and then we go and we sit down,” explains Lopez of the process. “I think I just needed to focus a bit more. I like being first and getting it out of the way. But I didn’t mind fighting later either. I like fighting twice and I like fighting once, either or. As long as I get to fight.” 

On May 18th, Lopez and Ocasio would engage in a two-minute war that would earn the two fighters great public acclaim and eventually the TCL’s Ali-Frazier Fight of the Year Award. In the type of fight promoter Ahmed Sheikh likely envisioned when he formatted the league, Lopez and Ocasio went all out on offense from the first bell to the last. Play-by-play announcer Ray Torres proclaimed the bout round of the year during the broadcast before it even had ended. Lopez scored the most telling blow when a right hand moved Ocasio back and again the Salinas fighter proved to have the conditioning edge down the stretch en route to the thrilling decision win. 

“I just kind of went in there and wanted to stick-and-move, basically, just get in and get out,” states Lopez of the original gameplan. “But then we just threw. The bell rang and we just started throwing. I think my conditioning just held up more. That is how the round went and we won an award for that. Shout out to Nicole again. It takes two to tango, so I am proud that I got to share the ring with her.” 

With the two minutes of war that took place the week prior fresh in her mind, Lopez entered her opening bout with the Las Vegas Hustle’s Florencia Britos with a different game plan in place on May 25th. The southpaw Britos boxed well, with one head-snapping right hook probably sealing the round in her favor. Attempting to brawl less and box with a more measured pace ended up working against Lopez. 

“I think the week before was in my head,” admits Lopez. “I should have applied more pressure and threw more with Florencia. I think I could have definitely beat her. She chose her punches really well and knew how to move out of the way. I think that would be a great fight [down the road].” 

In the tenth round of the match-up against Las Vegas, Lopez returned to her aggressive style against veteran Deanha Hobbs. Lopez utilized her come forward style and landed clean with both hands, while Hobbs attempted to box while backing up.  After two minutes, Lopez had rebounded with a unanimous decision. 

The next night of fights saw Lopez open the show with a clear-cut victory over Leanne Calderon of the Dallas Enforcers, before a rematch ten rounds later against the tall and rangy Jennifer Miranda on June 2nd. Miranda, who did not fight earlier in the night, stuck to her style of boxing at range and clinching whenever Lopez found her way in close. This time however, Lopez made it a closer fight, landing well with some head shots before Miranda was able to lock her up. The one-round decision went Miranda’s way by split verdict. 

“Lizette really did good in that fight, but since Miranda was potshotting and moving back, and grabbing into a clinch, it was difficult for her,” recalls Coach Gonzalez. “But she was slowly applying that pressure and getting more into her gamestyle, so with that type of fighter, like a Miranda, she would have slowly broke her down in maybe the third or fourth round, and slowly found the opportunity to finish her off [in a traditional bout.]. She was cutting off her angles and setting herself up so she could pin her up on the ropes, but that girl Miranda was awkward for everybody.” 

In the last week of the regular season, Lopez scored wins over Deanha Hobbs and Erisnelsy Torres Castillo on June 10th to close out her time as a member of the Los Angeles Tengoose, as her team did not qualify for the playoffs. In the first bout against Hobbs, Lopez controlled the action outside of one good right that found a home with about a half minute to go in the round. “There was that one shot, it was a good shot,” admits Lopez. “I am not going to lie. But I came out on top and I felt pretty good.” 

Lopez held a rare size advantage in her bout against Torres Castillo. The shorter fighter had trouble with Lopez’ reach and tried to swing in with looping punches. Lopez imposed her strength and rocked her opponent before the final bell en route to the decision. “I think I controlled the fight,” says Lopez. “I threw a lot of right hooks and I think I almost dropped her late in the round.” 

While still training in Los Angeles, Lopez got the call to replace a fighter on the DC Destroyers for their playoff match against the New York City Attitude in Long Beach, California on August 15th. The substitution meant a rematch of the most exciting fight of the competition was set, Lopez-Ocasio one more time. Lopez started out aggressive, just as in their previous encounters, while Ocasio attempted to box more than in their prior brawl. Several Lopez right hands were the most telling punches of the round, helping sway the bout in her favor. 

“I think that was my best performance of the whole show actually,” says Lopez. “I felt really, really good that fight. I believe I was coming in and coming out, and it was a hard time for her to hit me.” 

Watching the fight closely was coach Danny Gonzalez, who concurred with Lopez’ assessment of her performance that night. “What was the best fight for me, for Lizette, was the rematch when she fought [Ocasio] in the playoffs,” recalls Gonzalez. “In the first fight, they just sat down and were throwing blows and not really setting up their [offense.] It was one of the most amazing fights, and that is why they got nominated for the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Award and they won it. That fight, I will never forget it. It was amazing and entertaining and they started a real great relationship. But after that, when they had their rematch, and by then we had been training together and established our gamestyle and our different strategies that would help her win the rounds that she fought, that fight was the most entertaining to me. She clearly did what we had strategized and what we had worked on after week five and for the rest of the show, when we really started getting into our groove, and I like that she showed dominance in that rematch fight.” 

After the playoffs, Lopez got one more night to showcase herself as she was named to the Team West all-star team to compete twice against Team East’s Tyriesha Douglas on August 20th. In the build-up to the showcase event, Douglas showed off her entertainer side by eating a sandwich on the scale at the weigh-in before an intense staredown as well as in a bravado-filled face-off segment on YouTube. By this time, it was clear that it was all in fun and the fighters had a mutual respect for one another. 

“In my mind I was just laughing about it,” recalls Lopez. “I think it was great that she did that because it brought so much more exposure to both of us and the show. I didn’t have any negative feelings about that or anything. It was all love, no hate with Tyriesha Douglas. She is a really good person and a really good fighter. I think we were just both going into the fight thinking we are going to give it a great fight and I think we did.” 

In a fitting conclusion, Lopez and Douglas split their two bouts. Lopez took the first round of the night by split decision by keeping the steadier pace and landing right uppercuts as Douglas faded a bit late. “I think I did pretty well,” says Lopez of that opening round. “It was just a little hard because going into it she’s like my friend. But I gave it my all and tried my best and I think I did pretty well.” 

In the second meeting, which was the 16th round of the night, Douglas won a unanimous nod after finding a home for her straight left hand for a couple of the more eye-catching blows. “I thought she took it honestly,” admits Lopez. “I thought she took it, but it is okay, it is all about the experience.” 

Lopez added greatly to her collection of supporters with her impressive showing throughout the Team Combat League competition. Los Angeles Tengoose assistant coach Danny Gonzalez counts himself as one of those believers in what the Salinas fighter could accomplish as she continues in her professional pursuits.

“Like I told her before she left, and I teared up a bit, because me and her were really bonding together,” recalls Gonzalez. “We were getting nothing but results and we were in the ring with some really tough opponents and we really held our ground and were doing really good. I told her, when you can focus and implement your strength and conditioning into what got accomplished in the last six weeks, I see nothing but super success for her. I think she can be a world champion easily because of her forward-style pressure and the way she moves and establishes her jab and she’s fierce, she’s smart, she digs uppercuts to the body and she knows how to get away from shots now that we focused on her defense. She would come a little bit too much with her forward offensive threat and she would get caught and lean forward, and she would lose rounds like that. But now that she has her feet under her and she’s managing her distance and being more intelligent with her feet, I see nothing but success for Lizette.” 

The future looks bright for Lopez, who remains ready in the gym for whatever comes next. “I do not have anyone [specifically] in mind, but whoever comes at me, trying to fight, I am ready for it,” says Lopez. “Whatever is for me, is for me. I am very grateful for the opportunity and the exposure. I got a lot of exposure out of this and I got to meet a lot of great people. Shout out to [TCL promoter] Akmed. He is a really great person that gave me the opportunity.”

With season one in the rearview, Lopez hopes to get another traditional professional bout under her belt before perhaps making a team for Team Combat League season two. Two teams have announced tryout schedules thus far, with the first one taking place November 4th as of press time. Season two kicks off on March 28, 2024 at a venue to be announced. 

Photo by Chris Farina

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

By Norm Frauenheim –

It’s a Thanksgiving weekend fight, a main event between David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade and a Holiday date projected to lead to a possible fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Sorry for the Thanksgiving reference, but it could set the table for what might be the biggest fight in 2024, which is planned for another May 5 celebration, Cinco in Mexico and Canelo de Mayo in Vegas

But there were no thanks for Canelo Thursday.

There were questions, of course. Follow the money. In boxing, that means follow Canelo.

“F— Canelo,’’ Andrade said Thursday in the first formal news conference announcing his super-middleweight fight with Benavidez at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay on Nov. 25, the Saturday after Turkey day.

Even without the Canelo intrigue, it’s an interesting fight, especially for Benavidez, who has formally changed his nickname since he overwhelmed Caleb Plant in a punishing late-round assault in a scorecard victory last March.

Benavidez used to call himself El Bandera Roja, The Red Flag, as in warning. But the Phoenix-born fighter, who will be 27 on December 17, has outgrown that one. By now, the warning is well-known enough to make some – perhaps even Canelo – wary.

Now, Benavidez calls himself “El Monstruo,” The Monster. That’s how he was introduced at Thursday’s newser in Los Angeles. In part, it’s what Mike Tyson called him more than a year ago. In fact, Tyson called him The Mexican Monster. But Benavidez simplified it, stripping it down to a scary simplicity. Trick or treat, he sees himself as The Monster, no nationality needed.

Canelo seems to have his own name for Benavidez. When asked about him after his one-sided decision over Jermell Charlo a few weeks ago, he used the same language that Andrade did Thursday.

“I don’t effing care,’’ Canelo said more than once.

Subtract the effing and that’s pretty much what Benavidez said about Canelo Thursday.

“I’m not worried about Canelo,’’ said Benavidez, who went on to say that only the Andrade fight concerned him.

On several levels, it was the right thing to say, of course. In tone, however, it was a different Benavidez, more pragmatic and perhaps a lot wiser. For a couple of years, he was always calling out Canelo with volumes of unabridged trash talk.

But the talk only seemed to anger Canelo, whose celebrity and documented pay-per-view number gives him all the leverage. He put Gennadiy Golovkin on ice, denying him a third fight until it was too late for GGG. Why? Maybe, because GGG angered him when he accused Canelo of being a user after a positive test for clenbuterol.

Silence on Canelo looks to be a smarter negotiating tactic. Besides, there’s only Andrade for now.

Lose to him, and Benavidez likely says goodbye to a chance at big money and a share of legacy. The oddsmakers like Benavidez to beat Andrade, a 35-year old former junior-middleweight and middleweight champ who will be fighting at 168 pounds for only the second time.

Benavidez, who will make his second appearance on Showtime pay-per-view, opened as a solid favorite, minus-320, which means he’s given about a 78 percent chance at winning.

Andrade, however, has a chance in part for skills that many say Benavidez does not have. Andrade has an Olympic pedigree. That means footwork and a high ring IQ. A fighter with an educated skillset say the critics, including ESPN analyst Tim Bradley, who says the 2008 Olympian’s footwork could lead to an upset.

“That’s why I’m taking this challenge,’’ Benavidez said. “I want to shut everybody up.’’

However, Benavidez dad, Jose Benavidez Sr, continues to talk, buoyed perhaps by his son’s powerful dominance, especially over the last four rounds.

“I think David stops him in the eighth round,’’ Jose Sr. said.

That would say it all.

NOTES: Initially, Benavidez-Andrade was headed to San Antonio, according to multiple sources and reports. It was moved to Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena within the last week. The move makes sense. Benavidez’ fan base is Phoenix, his hometown. Vegas is a lot closer to Phoenix than San Antonio. 15 rounds talked to some Benavidez fans. They said there’s a better chance of them traveling to Vegas than San Antonio on Thanksgiving weekend. Tickets went on sale Thursday.

There have been several reports that Benavidez’ older brother, Jose Benavidez Jr. will fight middleweight champion Jermall Charlo on the undercard. However, that bout has yet to be announced.

By Norm Frauenheim –

Other than heavyweight and perhaps welterweight, there’s no division that has had a bigger impact on boxing than middleweight. The names tell the story. Hagler, LaMotta, Hopkins, Zale, Monzon, the original Sugar and so many more.

Suddenly, however, it’s a weight class without a face. More mediocre than middle. The top of The Ring’s 160-pound rating is blank. A division without definition. The title is vacant, an empty lot in what used to be historical real estate.

Some of that might begin to change next week, October 14. A title unification between Janibek Alimkhanuly and Vincenzo Gualtieri is scheduled for Rosenberg, Texas.

It’s an ESPN fight. But a Houston suburb is a long way from Vegas, Los Angeles or New York. There’s a reason for that. Few know Janibek, the World Boxing Organization’s champion. Nobody knows Vincenzo Gualtieri, the International Boxing Federation’s belt holder. These guys need name tags. They have titles, but no name recognition.

Janibek is probably today’s best middleweight. He’s powerful and aggressive enough to be scary. But the Kazak is unknown, a reason perhaps that he continues to be ranked by The Ring and ESPN behind the widely known Gennadiy Golovkin, the 41-year-old fellow Kazak who relinquished his 160-pound titles last March, about six months after his forgettable scorecard loss at 168 pounds to Canelo Alvarez in a trilogy fight. For all anybody knows, the next time we see GGG might be at his Hall-of-Fame induction.

Then, there’s Gualtieri. Gualtieri answers an opening bell somewhere other than his home country, Germany, for the first time next week.

Chris Eubank, a much better-known middleweight contender from the UK, probably put it best weeks after his stoppage of Liam Smith in August. He was asked about fighting Janibek or Gualtieri.

“I don’t know who they are,” Eubank told Sky Sports. “And I’m in the game. So, the general public are not going to know who these guys are, which means it’s hard for them to tune in.’’

I bring all of this up because the fabled yet faded middleweight division is desperate for a fighter who has at least some name recognition. Enter Elijah Garcia.

There was a lot of controversy about Canelo’s decision over Jermell Charlo last Saturday on Showtime at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. But there were no complaints about Garcia’s dynamic stoppage of Armando Resendiz in the opener to a pay-per-view card that drew an audience reportedly between 650,00 and 700,000 customers.

Garcia delivered the best performance on a card that otherwise generated lots of social-media flak, mostly directed at Charlo, who appeared to be there only for a paycheck. For Garcia, there were cheers from a crowd that increasingly likes what it sees. It was the third straight time that Garcia, now 16-0 with 13 knockouts, has opened a pay-per-view show. It’s been an introduction that fans haven’t seen from Janibek, much less Gualtieri.

It’s also been an introduction that has created an appetite for more from Garcia, who has been adept at using social media since his amateur days. Potentially, his ongoing emergence is welcome news for a division fighting to reverse a slide into anonymity.

For Garcia, it’s an opportunity. The 20-year-old Arizona fighter, who grew up in Phoenix and has a ranch in Wittman, is known for a bold goal. Repeatedly, he says he wants to be a 21-year-old champion. He’s in the right place to pull that one off.

“I want to be a mandatory for a title pretty soon,’’ he said after delivering a beautiful combo – a left-handed body shot followed by a seamless right to the body then head in an eventual eighth-round stoppage of Resendiz. “I’ll be 21 in April and I’m gonna keep taking it one step at a time.’’

Garcia is clearly on the fast track. But that comes with a dilemma. Too fast is a risk. Janibek might be unknown. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t dangerous.

Garcia told 15 Rounds before the Canelo-Charlo card that he would want at least one more fight before a shot at a major title.

“I think I’m getting better every single fight and I think it starts in the gym,’’ he then said after the card. “I’m getting back in the gym on Monday. I just have to keep getting better every single fight, take it one step at a time, fight harder opponents and I’ll get that world title.’’

For now, Garcia will have to wait on the unpredictable collection of haphazard rankings by the acronyms. This week, he’s at No. 7, according to the IBF, which has vacancies at both No. 1 and No. 2. The WBC (World Boxing Council) puts him at No. 6 for a title held by the troubled and ever unpredictable Jermall Charlo, Jermell’s twin brother who reportedly will fight Arizona-born Jose Benavidez Jr. on Nov. 25 on a card projected to feature his brother — super-middleweight contender and Canelo possibility David Benavidez — against Demetrius Andrade.

Meanwhile, Garcia, No. 9 by The Ring, is suddenly at No. 2 by the notorious WBA (World Boxing Association) for a title held by Cuban Erislandy Lara, now 40.  Lara is expected to fight Danny Garcia.

In the WBO ratings, he’s No. 13 for the title held by today’s most feared middleweight, Janibek.

Add it all up, and Garcia’s ambitious goal looks doable, made possible by a young fighter who is introducing himself and maybe re-introducing an old weight class to fans.  

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – It was only a show, but a big audience saw plenty.

Canelo Alvarez promises he’s back and – at first glance – it looks as if he’s not kidding.

Canelo stepped on the scale for a staged weigh-in Friday, looking a lot like the old Canelo, or at least the one who dominated pay-per-view sales and pound-for-pound debates before his upset loss to Dmitry Bivol.

Canelo’s work in the gym was evident in a redefined upper-body. Only after opening bell Saturday against Jermell Charlo will anybody know whether Canelo has redefined his career.

But a sculpted look was a sign he’s serious about halting an apparent decline that began with a scorecard loss to Bivol at light-heavyweight and continued with forgettable victories at super-middle-weight over Gennadiy Golovkin and John Ryder.

“The size factor is no matter here,” said Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs), the undisputed super-middleweight champion said after stepping off the scale a day before opening bell for his bout at T-Mobile Arena with Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), undisputed at junior middle.  “I did that before and I felt good. So, it’s gonna be a great fight, and I’m ready for anything.’’

Both fighters were lighter than the super-middle mandatory, 168 pounds. Both were reported to be at 167.4 pounds at an official, Nevada State Athletic Commission weigh-in Friday morning behind closed doors at the MGM Grand.

A few hours later, they moved outdoors and onto a stage at an outdoor pavilion in front of T-Mobile. A big crowd was waiting. So were the beer vendors.

It was 96 degrees under an afternoon sun in the Nevada desert. The fighters did the sweating and some of the swearing.

“I’m a bad m-effer,’’ Charlo said.

The crowd did the drinking.

It also did the cheering, all for Canelo. Nobody is quite sure what had happened to him, post-Bivol. For a crowd full of the Canelo faithful, however, Friday’s show re-affirmed hopes that he’s back.

Betting odds suggest that he will be against Charlo on a Showtime pay-per-view card (5 pm PT/8 pm ET).

Late Friday, Canelo continued to be about a 4-to-1 favorite over Charlo, who is jumping up two weight classes. In his first fight at 168, there are questions about whether Charlo can endure Canelo’s punching power throughout the scheduled 12 rounds.

There’s also speculation about the condition of Charlo’s left hand. He suffered a reported fracture in the hand last December, eventually forcing him to withdraw from a key date with Tim Tszyu.

“I don’t speak on those things because, I don’t want to make an excuse for myself,” Charlo said to reporters Wednesday after the final news conference. “I want to go in there and be a dog.”

Also, Charlo has not been the non-stop trash talker most fans remember and expect. The bad m-effer has almost been polite. In part, he says, that’s because he hasn’t been around his notorious twin brother, Jermall Charlo.

“Just don’t got that noise in my head,’’ he said.

No noise, no chance? That’s just one question for a fight that on Friday, at least, hinted at an answer in some redefined body language from Canelo Alvarez. 

By Norm Frauenheim –

LAS VEGAS – Process and patience, routine and roadwork are at the beginning of any young fighter’s career. Jesus Ramos has done them all. Does them all. He’s made the weight and run the miles. The demanding lifestyle never changes a whole lot. Cheat the routine and you cheat the craft.

Ramos, a quiet 22-year-old, practices that craft, one he learned in the desert town of Casa Grande between Phoenix and Tucson. It’s a farming community known for some ancient Native American ruins. Mostly, it’s known for unforgiving summers. Phoenix is hot. Casa Grande is hell.

Ramos has emerged from that cauldron, tempered by an environment as unforgiving as his chosen profession. Try and cheat the desert at midday in July, and it’ll kill you. Cheat the craft, and it’ll beat you.

Place and profession, they are inseparable in Ramos, a fighter who seems to have an innate understanding of who he is, what he wants and what he can and can’t control in a game ruled by chaos. Break it all down, and it leaves only himself.

Perceptions change. Popularity moves up and down like mercury in thermometer. For Ramos, however, there’s the process, ongoing and now on the brink of another challenge Saturday night against experienced junior-middleweight contender Erickson Lubin in the co-main event on a Showtime pay-per-view card featuring Canelo Alvarez-versus-Jermell Charlo at T-Mobile Arena.

“I’m here to showcase my talent,’’ said Ramos (20-0, 16 KOs, who made weight Friday, tipping the scale at 153.4 pounds. “I’ve seen a lot of people say that I don’t have a lot of ring IQ.

“So, I’m looking to show that and other dimensions to my game. It’s going to be a new Jesus Ramos. It’s not really about exposing Lubin, but more about exposing my talent.’’

The new Jesus Ramos? More like the evolving Jesus Ramos. He’s just figuring out how good he is. He was called a prospect just a few months ago.  

“Now, I think of myself as a contender,’’ he said.

So, too, does everybody else. His sudden emergence is the reason he’s featured in the last fight on the pay-per-view (5 pm PT/8 pm PT) before the Canelo-Charlo show. There’s a sense, a buzz about Ramos. He looks as if he’s the real deal, a future star in a game searching for new blood.

It’s appropriate, perhaps, that he’s on a card expected measure whether the game’s long-reigning star, Canelo, has begun to fade. That, however, is just one of the many things Ramos can’t control. He can only beat Lubin (25-2, 18 KOs), who was also at 153.4 pounds Friday.

Lubin praises Ramos. But he also warns that the Arizona fighter is getting ahead of himself in so-called eliminator bout expected to earn the winner a shot at a junior-middleweight title.

Lubin, now 27, was once a young lion. He was 22, confident and very sure of himself. But that’s when Charlo beat him, knocking him out in October 2017. History, Lubin promises, is about to repeat itself.

“I took the Jermell Charlo fight at 22 and Jesus Ramos is doing the same thing, daring to be great by fighting somebody like me,’’ Lubin said. “I know he comes ready to fight, but I feel history repeats itself in my favor.’’

Ramos doesn’t exactly think in terms of history. He’ll leave that to Canelo. For him, it’s more about the resume. He needs an impressive entry, one that would qualify him for a job, a role as a challenger for a middleweight title.

“It’s really important that I dominate, because Lubin is so tough’’ Ramos said. “He’s given guys like Stephen Fundora a lot of trouble. It would be a big statement, a big win for my resume.’’

It’d also be another answer to questions about Ramos’ IQ, within the ropes and outside of them. He’s always learning, a fundamental part of a never-ending process forged by place and profession.